Flight 1: CavemanJ and JonnyB two lancaster formations with 50% fuel and 14x1k bombs.
We took off from a large field a few sectors away from enemy action with the intent of crippling the Knight's strategic elements in the south. Our flight plan was to climb to 15K on a vector of 150 and then turn 180 to make our run on target. It was our intention to avoid radar contact for as long as possible to minimize the chances of being spotted by the evil Knight empire.
As we reached approximately 13K, we had to alter our course because of a mountain range. Our new course took us directly into the Knight's radar coverage. As we approached the range CavemanJ called out a bogie at our high 8 o'clock, moving in fast to intercept. After a few seconds I identified the contact as an enemy Me262. Both of us jumped into our guns and waited on the inevitable fight. When the jet was about 1000 yards out, both formations of lancasters opened fire on it. CavemanJ and I had our formations flying approximately 150 yards apart in echelon. The wall of lead thrown out by our combined gunnery smashed into the jet. First one engine, then the second on the jet started trailing heavy black smoke. I watched as hit sprites from my guns continually peppered the airframe of the 262.
Apparently the jet driver had enough and bugged out. The only damage sustained was that one of the lancasters in my formation was trailing fuel. As CavemanJ and I corrected our course another contact was spotted coming in fast from our high 7 o'clock. This one was moving extremely fast and was shortly identified to be yet another Me262.
Again we jumped into our gunner positions and awaited the fight. This jet driver came screeching in on our direct 6 and opened fire. Unfortunately for him, we were prepared and put up a concentrated wall of lead. He flew into the stream of rounds coming from our tail guns. I watched multiple strikes on his wing and in seconds, it ripped away from the airframe and the jet went tumbling down to the ground.
Damage assesment once again showed none of our aircraft had suffered any ill effects from the German potato guns. We were approaching the target and were both at 15K. CavemanJ called out clear skies and we lined up for a north to south run on the factory. We calibrated our bombsites, set our salvos to 14 and our delay to 0.2. On approach, I reset my delay time to be 0.5 seconds in hopes of causing more damage.
When we were over target, we released our bombs. CavemanJ's salvo started to hit a bit short, but managed to destroy a good portion of the eastern side of the factory. My salvo started a little closer to the factory's northern side, and since my delay had been reset to 0.5 the bombs made it further into the complex. The western side of the factory was nearly obliterated and my text buffer was streaming by with "flak factory destroyed" messages.
Instead of returning to our point of origin, we altered course to land at a newly captured base. As we were flying home, I received a kill message. Apparently the first jet we encountered never made it back home alive. CavemanJ and I landed our bomber formations successfully and checked the strats. The ammo was down to 76% for this zone.
Summary:
jonnyb -- shot down 2x262, destroyed multiple flak factories, 21.93 perks
cavemanj -- assist on 2x262, destroyed multiple flak factories
