Author Topic: Malta 3rd Frame  (Read 556 times)

Offline Swager

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Malta 3rd Frame
« on: January 17, 2003, 11:25:23 PM »
Was a blast!  TY to everyone who set it up and to the COs!

Great Job!

The activity over the Fleet was incredible!  I did not fly level for more than 10 seconds.  First F4Fs and then Spits!!  Barely made it back alive!!

Great job by our bomber crews!  Most excellent!

Rock:  Ya see that Ensign, lighting the cigarette?
Powell: Yes Rock.
Rock: Well that's where I got it, he's my son.
Powell: Really Rock, well I'd like to meet him.
Rock:  No ya wouldn't.

Offline TracerX

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Friday TOD AAR
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2003, 12:43:37 PM »
No kills, no objects destroyed, but a lot of fun!!  We were a flight of 2 from A9 in 202's searching south for the enemy fleet.  We climbed to 25K, and began looking.  Found Swarms of enemy contacts near 30K all over in front of us.  We threaded the needle, and somehow made it past two large groups over sector 8,8 undetected, and continued south looking for the CV group.  

After several changes of direction, and a request from Jordi to research sector 8,8, my wingman, Bigduke6 reported visual contact of the CV.  By the time we had assessed location and heading and reported, we were drawing flack fire from the CV, so we turned south to take up a monitoring station south of the CV.  We climbed slowly to 30K then to 32K, but it always seemed like the enemy cons were above us.  We set up a method to monitor the fleet movements by staying just outside of visual range of the fleet, and on the verge of visual range of the enemy cons, diving back in occasionally to reestablish location and heading every few minutes or so.  

After what seemed like an eternity, we were happy to see our bomber hoards streaming south to the location we had been reporting.  As the bombers came in, the enemy cons dropped down, and we were able to safely fly north to meet the incomming groups.  We engaged a couple of spitfire groups, then ran for home, thinking we were short on fuel.  As I checked the fuel status however, we discovered a completely full fuel tank!  We reversed direction, and began climbing.  Durring this time, we saw Kanth in a single friendly bomber formation still trying to make it to the fleet.  We were well above Kanth, but below an incomming formation of about 5 enemy Spits.  I began a dive to help fend off the cons on Kanth, but as I drew near, I saw the explosion of one or both bomber drones.  I was too late, and the Spits were all over my wingman.  I was able to clear 2 of the 3 Spits from Bigduke6, but not the third, and he went down.  It didn't matter much anyway, since I had a train of two spits following me too.  I was unable to outrun them, and I went down shortly after him.  

Durring this action, It had seemed that I had flammed two spits, with visual confirmation from Bigduke on one of them.  However, the logs show no victories for these two planes that appeared to be on fire.  I was just as happy to hear however that the bombers had scored hits and possibly sunk the CV from the traffic over the radio.  It seemed like things went better for the Axis this time around.  Good planning and execution for everyone involved.

Offline jordi

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Malta 3rd Frame
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2003, 01:11:59 PM »
Scout duty is the most boring but most IMPORTANT Part of a mission.

Great job flying and being able to stay in contact with the fleet and help us direct the bombers to it.

Your Calls enabled me to order the bombers to form in a different spot and head to the CV earlier than I had anticipated.

THANKS to all the pilots.

Jordi
DAMNED TOD CO
AW - AH Pilot 199? - 200?
Pulled out of Mothballs for DGS Allied Bomber Group Leader :)

Nose art