Breaking Gustav - Frame 3

[Bino]

Frame 3 of "Breaking Gustav" was about as busy a frame as I've seen.  As we were sweeping down the Adriatic Coast in our Macchi C.205 Veltros, out in front of a JU88 strike, we stumbled across a northbound Allied raid of A-20s with P-38 escort.  And they were headed directly for our bombers!  We attacked, to prevent them getting to our charges.  After that melee, a quick glance at our fuel gauges (gulp! Veltro has short legs!) and we scooted back north again to refuel.  A quick turn-around on the rearm pad, and we were headed south again toward the target our JU88s were approaching.  But then we stumbled across another Allied attack!  This time it was B-26s escorted by P-47s.  The whole evening just seemed one long, swirling dogfight.

Apologies to the JU88s of VMF-101 Nightmares.      JG11 just couldn't seem to avoid running into a fight last night.

[Wagger]

II/JG27 took to the skies in 6 Bf 110's with VMF-101 and JG11. Our mission attack Vehicle base 73.  Damn allied strikes have no consideration for order and discipline.  They had the total unmitigated gual to interrupt our plan.  Fortunately 4 of us managed to blow thru and continue onto target, minus our ordinance though.  Managed to get to 73 with out further interruption and were able to take out AAA, fuel, radar and ordinance bunkers with our guns.  Over stayed our welcome and the fighters bounced us as we were on our 4th pass.  The whole strike force was destroyed in very little time.

Oh but as for those who interrupted our plans.  They picked on the wrong aircraft.  JeffN managed to down 2 A-20's and a P-38. He was our only pilot to make it home safely.  All in all a fun night and a good time.  

P.S.  Inside joke for our CO last night.

[49Jester]

<S> I hope everyone enjoyed, as I said before, we had some issues last week and the orders were an 11th hour project. So 49Bork (Operations Officer) put together a simple, and what i believe,  effective plan.

We were defending 50, I thought they would come in low over the water, they didnt of course, and those buffs lit up 50 (WTG)

Nice job by all who participated. I hope all had fun

Hats off to 49Bork for his diligence on the orders and evading wife ack.

[Reschke]

VF-17 was short handed and we upped 7 109G6's and flew a patrol pattern between A53 and V97 with another group. We were both at our extreme ends of our patrol when the radar base between us picked up a strike inbound to the area. We all turned towards the base closest and ran into a low level flight of P-38's and a couple of A20's. I don't think a single one of them made it home.

We started circling a little to the east of V97 waiting for more orders since we still had plenty of ammo and fuel and to see where our defensive needs were in the area and then we get the call that A50 was under attack. So we head in that direction and then get a call that A53 was under attack as well. About that time we get a 'Dicke Auto' call of a single flight of B-24s in the area so our 7 split up to make a run on the flight at the same time. Don't think we knocked any of the flight down but we made it through OK with at least damaging one of the bombers in the flight with an oil and fuel leak from what we could see. So we reversed and in pairs started making attack runs on the bomber flight. We lost a wing man to an oil leak and he broke for home and crash landed on the runway.

Then our guy who was headed home calls out about 15 flights of bombers with P-47s escorting them and we tangled with them to draw them away from the bombers so our other fighters which were supposed to be inbound to attack the bombers would have a decent chance to get as many as possible without getting tangled up with fighters as well. I got hit with a pilot wound from a P-47 and diverted towards A49 but had to bail since I had no aileron and my gear was shot up and blacking out would have cost me the chance to land.

With that said VF-17 accounted for the following:

VF-17 Jolly Rogers stats:
Pilots: 7 Kills: 9 Assists: 6
Obj Destroyed: 0 Deaths: 3 Landed: 1
Bailed: 2 Captured: 1 Crashed: 0
Ditched: 0 Disco'd: 0