Just finished a bomb run with a squadie and it was a HOOT!!! With 6 B-17's up the first challenge was staying in formation to concentrate fire power. On some of the turns I was on the inside and had to throttle back to stay on station. For others I was on the outside and the opposite was true for the throttle. We approached the target a little off center and against my better judgment I salvoed on a BH and a FH. With the wind drift I was way off. My squadie on the other hand salvoed half and took down the VH. With my eggs gone I pointed the nose down a bit to get back on station with me squadie. We made the turn for him to drop the last half of his eggs and noticed a 38 closing to our six. This is where the fun started. Again I nosed down to close up. I slid into formation 300 out from my squadie and jumped into the ball. Here came the 38. The 38 driver was making an attack from the low 6 position and I waited till about 800 yards out. With a squeeze of the trigger a wall of lead hit the sky. He kept coming and MarkAT, my squadie, opened up as well. The 38's glass tail was no match for the amount of 50 cal heading his way. One kill on a not to bright 38 pilot.
Back on the bomb run Mark drooped but missed the FH. With the formation nice and close there was a 109 climbing to our 7 o'clock. Unlike the 38 driver this guy knew what he was doing. Climb high and make slashing attacks from the sides. After two passes in a running fight that had lasted for a sector I had a few ping on the 109 and he had a few on Mark and I. His slashing attacks were made with perfect precession. Each attack forced me to switch between upper and ball turret allowing him a certain amount of time to press the attack as the switch was happening. Here he came again from my high 4 o'clock. Again I was holding fire until he was within 1000 yards. As he dove in he was quickly moving around to my high six. He hadn't pushed far enough ahead of our formation to maintain closure from a 3 o'clock position. I got him now I thought!!!! As I saw the muzzle flashes from this 109 erupt I squeezed the trigger. Pieces of lead passed each other like two possessed freight trains on a collision course. Cannon shells slammed into the fortress off of my left wing ands it's wing erupted in flames. I threw more lead at the 109 as it was rolling inverted on my six in to split S out of the fire. Hit sprite filled the tail of the 109 as Mark and I were gunning for all we were worth. The 109's rudder folded up and ejected from the 109 as he entered a flat spin towards mother earth. Mark and I continued to pour lead on to the 109, this guy was to good to let live for another fight!!! Our effort was of no use though as the 109 driver fell away and hit the silk.
My attention turned to the fortress on my left as it's crew was franticly trying to put out the fire. We dove towards a friendly base in an attempt to put out the flames but it didn't work. With the fire still raging we turned final and lined up to get things on the ground fast. The let down to the runway to a life time as the burning fortress could explode at anytime. Flaps full, gear down...come on.... come on....don't explode....just a little bit further. The tires hit the runway and I slowed to a stop. The burning fort was down on the runway behind me and the crew was running out. WE HAD MADE IT!!!! Back on terra firma despite the valiant efforts of a 109 driver named FUZEMAN!!!!!!
Avid
