Real WWII B-17 bombing mission report and a game within the game

[oboe]

...I'll try to get one of these bombers through 25 missions.  That means I can't have a 100% loss rate on any mission - as long as 1 makes it back, that Group is still in the running for the 25 mission goal.  I think there are 2-3 BGs already out of the running - I'll have to check.

Dinah-Mite's group, the 487thBG, suffered 100% loss in their last outing.  So now there are just "Carolina Moon" of the 96thBG, "Sleepy Time Gal" of the 381st, and "E-RAT-ICATOR" of the 452nd left in the attempt to complete 25 missions.  The 381st leads with 7 completed missions (sorties).  The other two groups each have only 2 completed missions under their belts.

[oboe]

What would be really cool,is if the europe map was used more, it gives more meaning to playing imo, but this is an opnion,from a far ofc!

Kenai is working on that very thing - an ETO map for the MA.   Coming along very well.

As far as my mini 8th AF B-17G MA bombing campaign, after 27 missions, 49 sorties completed out of 81 total.  Three Bomb Groups are still in the running to have a bomber complete a 25 mission tour (381st, 452nd, and 490th), but still have a lonng way to go, and its not getting any easier.   I think if I were a general commanding the 8th, I'd be relieved of command after producing these dismal results:



I am proving here, just like in Real Life, these heavy bombers cannot fight their way in and back without escort.  Special thanks to Harv406, who saved my bacon today.  Both tail and ball turrets were out of ammo, and we'd already lost 1 bomber to a very persistent Fw190D, expertly flown by JakZak.

The 8th AF is not giving up - we've got 2 more Bomb Groups coming online with the next skin release, whenever that occurs:

The 92nd BG


And the 305th BG

[oboe]

My bomber groups passed their 100th sortie milestone today.  We stood up two new Groups recently, the 92nd and the 305th and they have been giving the other Groups a well-earned rest.  It's clear that our stateside training programs are paying dividends-- both new groups are performing well above average, with the 92nd BG the leading all Groups in terms of lowest loss rate and highest score per sortie.   The 100th is living up to its real-life nickname,   "The Bloody Hundredth", with a 67% loss rate after 4 missions (12 sorties).   

A handful of Groups have taken a beating and endured 100% sortie loss-rate, while one outfit-- the 490th BG (lead by the bared-skinned beauty "Carolina Moon") actually missed the target completely.  All bombers returned but the Group put up a big goose egg on the scoreboard.  The Group's lead bombardier has been relieved.


 
34 missions on the books now.

[Toad]

The 303rd BG, Hell's Angels, has a website. They have all their missions listed if you want some interesting reading.

http://303rdbg.com/missions.html

[oboe]

The 303rd BG, Hell's Angels, has a website. They have all their missions listed if you want some interesting reading.

http://303rdbg.com/missions.html

Thanks, Toad.  That website is incredibly detailed!   I just finished Jay Stout's history of the 303rd called "Hell's Angels" - very interesting read.  Those guys were in the thick of it.



Its available from Thriftbooks here:
http://www.thriftbooks.com/

[Toad]

I have that book. My father-in-law was in the 303rd; Wing gunnery instructor. He's shown in the lead crew on the Hitzacker mission. He flew a bunch of missions he didn't get credited, substituting for gunners that either showed up drunk at the aircraft or just lost their nerve before a mission.

[oboe]

It would be dang tough to get in that big airplane mission after mission, with the attrition rate the suffered early in the bombing campaign. 

My childhood best friend's dad was a navigator with the 384th BG at Grafton Underwood.  One time he showed me some of his logbooks and some photos he had taken.  One was of a Fort going down after being hit.    Typical of many crippled Fortress B&W period photos you see in books, but in this case I was standing next to the guy who took the photo, from his station, during a mission.  I guess I never thought much about how those book photos came into being, just assumed some Forts took photographers along on some missions.

[oboe]

Gents, today my virtual little 8th AF completed its 50th mission - 150 sorties total.   

The stats are improving with crew training and experience, but there are still rough spots.  A newly activated bomb group, the 388th, joined the ranks of the other "hard luck" outfits as it suffered 100% loss rate on its first mission.  The other two units activated this week, the 447th BG, lead by "D-Day Doll", and the 379th BG, lead by "Topper/Ol' Gappy" started on a tear with zero losses and bombing scores higher than the AF average.  The 92nd BG lead by "Snake Hips", maintains a zero loss rate after 9 sorties and a bombing score nearly 3 times higher than the average for all Groups.

Seven bomb groups are still in the running to have an aircraft finish a 25-mission tour.   "Sleepy Time Gal" of the 381st BG has come back from all 6 missions completed by her Group.   

[oboe]

I've been slowly making large scale maps of MA terrains, and I have found it useful to convert these to B&W versions to use as track charts for recording the missions of my little MA bombing campaign.  I've completed 3 maps so far.   These maps have proper proportions to print well on 8 1/2" x 11" paper if you select 'fit to page'.  I use a single map to record the tracks of multiple missions, in different colored ink.  Also here again is the Mission Report Template I use to record the results of the missions.   Getting quite a notebook full of them after 50 missions.

   



Crazy, aren't I?   It all started after I saw some actual 8th AF bombing mission reports.   What a huge effort that was,  and at what a terrible cost, made worse by some of the AAF generals who fervently believed "the bombers will always get through" and did not support development of long-range escort fighters.  They had to learn that lesson the hard way.   

Still looking forward to Spielberg and Hanks upcoming sequel to Band of Brothers and The Pacific, based on the 8th AF.    Apple TV now owns the production and its hard to get info, but I understand its still coming out.   In the meantime I'm watching all the old B&W "12 o'clock High" episodes on You Tube.

[Nefarious]

Took the 401st Bomb Squadron up the Elbe Estuary just a minute ago.

[Wildin]

We have it too easy vs flak.
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/allied-heavies-vs-german-flak-why-allied-bombers-never-defeated-nazis-flakwaffe/

Father's last mission: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/194.pdf 

[oboe]

Who was your Dad, Wildin?

[Wildin]

2nd Lt Ralph Quint Co-pilot on "My Yorkshire Dream".

[oboe]

Sorry for your loss.  That was quite a writeup.  Thanks for sharing it.   

[Oldman731]

Sorry for your loss.  That was quite a writeup.  Thanks for sharing it.

Agreed, on all points.

- oldman