a trend I plan on following in the future now.
I would like to see some JG11 videos of this FSO, it sounds like quite a fight - even some SS would be cool.
This is good news, G - as you are far to good a man to be on the sidelines. I failed to roll film Friday so can offer only a brief written AAR of the nights action. My apologies.
The night began as usual with myself logging into the Arena around 10:30 PM EST - to find a few of my men already there. Almost all my guys are considerate enough to be in the Arena by 10:45PM EST - which makes my life and role all the more easy. Up until 10:55 we shoot the bull, laugh a lot and generally discuss anything under the sun while I work out flight assignments based on attendance. At this time I usually give my amateur historical take on the real war actions that the frame/Operation is based on to immerse the guys and begin focusing on the task at hand. I lay out my Operational plan to the guys, what I think we will face and how we will find the victory. Victory is never in doubt, ever. From this time until the last man lands or gets shot down I make up for my personal lackings through unwavering enthusiasm, optimism and confidence in the guys. Generally we spawn under the belief that the mission is already won, all the foemen destroyed, and the only thing left to do it actually fly it. Right wrong, or irrelevant - this is my style of leadership.
Frame 1 was no different. 20 men ended up ready to fly - and I gave out flight assignments breaking the group up into 5 equal schwarmen. Fields opened and we spawned to the runway. We often spawn from the Hanger to increase immersion even further, but I was playing a fuel load gamble and wanted the guys out on the strip and shut down as soon as possible. We spawned and shut down. The Ju88's of the 162nd. FG. and their AoM escort was launching from a different field then we were, and Mission CO - 'Wieser' of the 162nd informed me he wished to see JG 11 run north, screening to the west, and destroy or displace enemy CAP by T+50. - the time he planned on his first wave to arrive over target. From my seat - looking around at 20 strong 190's, I was supremely confidant that we would easily smash all the defenders and get the 88's both into the target and back home again. I was grossly mistaken in the event, as we would find out later on. My only real concern was altitude that the enemy defenders would be at. Flying Luftwaffe planes all the time, you get used to engaging and fighting from an altitude disadvantage, as you yourself know our planes simply don't function above 25K - but we have gotten accustomed to it and actually enjoy the thrill and reward of taking victory from a disadvantage, so it was not an overly large concern. I've seen these guys pull it off so many times now that I simply don't consider it for more than a brief moment. Some of the newer guys gasp when I lead us into a cloud of red that has a 5K alt advantage on us - but soon come to realize that through teamwork anything can be accomplished.
T plus 5 and the order to spin wood was given. we formed up and headed north as planned. First 17 minutes and 2 -1/2 sectors were uneventful with dead silent vox and all comms taking place on squadron text. We rallied with the strike group and then both groups set off in good order on the planned routes of attack, keeping regular text com sit/rep reports flowing between the groups and we entered the red zone. First contact was just south of the target sector line - a group of single engine co -alt contacts flying south down our left side straight toward the last reported and known position of the 88's. They showed no interest in us - only confirming what I believed at that moment, that they were enemy CAP out hunting the heavies. I gave the order to break left and attack. As we closed it became apparent that I was mistaken (my first of several this night) and that these were Typoons and that they were heavy with ordinance. I let the boys know we would make one pass and one pass only on them and then reverse course back to the North. In the lead, I closed first and the Typh's began to maneuver and some pickled their eggs as well. I came up under a straight and level flying Typh and let off a short burst of quad 20 mil - scoring direct hits all across and down the fuselage of the enemy plane which pitched hard right and rolled over under my nose out of immediate sight. I called 'Typh down' and reversed my course 180 degrees instructing the rest to do so as well. I heard a squadmate call out that the Typh was still flying and actually trying to get back up to me, but I knew he was dead, as I saw his radiator burst a leak after I struck so disregarded that, and him altogether. (this would indeed be a kill later in the logs for me).
Satisfied we had spoiled a potential Allied attack somewhere to the south, we proceeded back on our Northerly sweep route, though now I was worried that we had lingered and or been dragged to far south and that the real possibility now existed that we would be late to the party and leave the88's without adequate cover or any disruption to the A119 CAP whatsoever. This has me worried - I was already a bit peeved that the Typhs were heavy and meant to be someone else's action for the night, now coupled with the real fears of mission failure I ordered best speed level flight to the North. (potential second error). We were a bit strung out but I still thought we could handle whatever was about to be found. First in was a group of Lightnings down our right side about 8 K above us. I ordered everyone to ignore them and keep pushing North. Next a group a jugs angled in from the North Easy also considerable higher than us. I almost turned and fought right there but wanted desperately to close in closer on the target area so again ordered everyone to ignore the Jugs and keep pressing. (mistake #3). I wanted to get all the foemen in one place before engaging. A second group of Lightnings then appeared on our right side and I saw them maneuvering to drop in on us. Just then I spotted yet another group of Lightnings coming straight at us from the North and as soon as we merged I called fight on - and the mosh erupted. I had in fact given too much advantage to the foemen and now we faced better than 2-1 odds from an alt disadvantage as well. Though I remained confident on kombat vox I knew we were in for it, and the calls of men going down began to flutter across the airwaves. Refusing to give in, I latched onto a Jug and pursued him down to medium alts with SNO - my wingman right behind me. I destroyed the Jug and we hurriedly attempted to reform on the main action. I could tell from VOX flow we were losing the fight, but Honcho was on his game, knocking one enemy down after another which gave me heart, and when SNO and I arrived back at the swirling mess of fighters we tried to bring the fight down to co alt as it was plain to see the Allies were playing it right, and staying on top - not giving up their advantage. This appeared to initially work and for a brief moment I thought we would prevail, but there was simply too many of them and one by one the remainder of us were shot down. My wingman went in and I took an oil hit from a Typhoon and lost a wingtip to a Lightning - (apparently they never did make their attack but followed us back to the fight)(?)
Trying to escape - a Typhoon spotted me and followed me for the kill. I thought I could shake him or get him to auger but when I heard him chop throttle I knew He was not a novice, and he promptly ended my night with a burst to the skull from point blank range. Back in the tower I encouraged the boys to keep at them but by this time there were too few of us left and finally Zoney disengaged - the only survivor of a 20 ship strong force. We never did even penetrate the radar ring of the A119 target, but this turned out to be a good thing as it allowed the bombers to make a clean bombing run from the west and flatten the target before also being set upon and destroyed by the CAP returning from our fight. I watched from the tower as Zoney landed, and I made the comment of "You took off an hour ago with 19 mates - and you are the only man returning home. how's that for immersion heh?"
Been a long time since I got my whole command killed, but in the end the mission succeeded at great cost, and as a leader, I learned both a few tactical lessons as well as enjoying a large portion of humble pie. That's about it in a nutshell. We ended up taking 10 enemy down with us before the end but hats off to the Allied defenders for the way you played it, the spirit you fought it with, and the intensity level of the fight. For what amounted basically a slaughter of my men - we all had a good, fun, white knuckled time of it while it lasted. This is my perspective of the night and could differ substantially from another's of course. Maybe one of the other guys has some SS's to share.
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