• [MoM #2] "Stacked Steel" AAR • 
FORCES FIELDED (THOSE WHO JOINED THE POSTED MISSIONS)
Many others spawned manually so they could use their preferred skin
so the actual number of aircraft we fielded is approximately 30% greater
than the numbers reported.1st Combat Bombardment Wing16/25 • 91st Bomb Wing (B-17G) CO: Tarstar (LCA)
18/25 • 381st Bomb Wing (B-17G) CO: 96Delta (LCA)
16/25 • 398th Bomb Wing (B-17G) CO: Hornet79 (LCA)
TOTAL: 50 pilots (150 bombers)
We've done better than this during non-MoM missions organized
during gameplay. I really hope that these numbers grow for
the next MoM.67th Fighter Wing14/20 • 364th Fighter Group (P-38L) CO: Hightone (LCA)
16/20 • 352nd Fighter Group (P-47D-25) CO: GGhost (79th Fighter Group)
16/20 • 356th Fighter Group (P-51D) CO: Dakone (LCA)
10/10 • 3rd Scout Force (P-51D) CO: A8popysd (Aces & 8's)
TOTAL: 56 fighters
TABLE OF ORGANIZATION & EQUIPMENT
DISPOSITION OF FORCES
SUMMARYOur launch was troubling as we relied on the game clock
to stagger our launches. Unfortunately, I think it
it ran fast so the timing was off from the mission's
inception. We had intended to launch 3 groups with
one minute between them, then form up and assemble our
vertical stacking formation for maximum defensive
effect. But instead of the staggered launches
we ended up spawning all over each other. It was a mess.
Once we got airborne and proceeded to target,
enemy aircraft were located by the 3rd Scout Force.
The enemy force detected was already higher than the scouts
that had launched 10 minutes before the bombers. Not so good.
These early intercepts consisted mostly of Me-262
fighters and Ta-152's. Once located, we vectored in our
fighter interceptor group, the 356th FG who went to
work carving up the enemy force with great success.
Some of the 262's got through as did several Ta-152
and other fighters but those early arrivals faired poorly,
with most losing their lives in twisted Luftwaffe
steel. I don't think that any of them landed any kills.
Those that got past the fighter sweeps died in the
bomber stream or at the hands of our close escort groups.
All along, the bombers were pretty strung out after our botched
launch but we attempted to close up after the first enemy
wave was beaten back. But, while we were grouping up and at
about 25K, another enemy force hit us from our right flank!
The first bomb group in the force was the 381st Bomb
Group (GREEN) under the command of 96Delta. This group
bore the brunt of the enemy's initial assaults and
suffered horrific casualties, losing approximately
80% of its bombers. The remaining bomb groups, the
91st Bomb Group (RED) and the 398th Bomb Group (BLUE)
faired a bit better and tried to close as fast as
they could to join GREEN group to offer defensive
assistance.
We recalled the 356th FG in their P-51's to help us and our
close escorts deal with this new threat. The 356th FG and
our close escort forces, the 364th FG in their P-38's and the
352nd FG with their P-47's, took them on as they vied for
access to the bombers. Our fighter groups did an
absolutely marvelous job of denying enemy fighters their
preferred angles of attack and stayed with us the whole
way until forced to rtb due to low fuel.
A most outstanding performance!
After we slaughtered these two initial waves of resistance
we were only met with token, sporadic and unorganized
opposition during the rest of our trip to target.
We resumed our climb, attaining 30K where the B-17
survivors of the earlier attacks grouped up and we
finally coalesced into a single unified bomb group.
Tallying up our losses, we still had about one-half to
one third of our original bomber force available so we
proceeded to our first target, a Knight city. Again,
enemy resistance was essentially broken and we easily
delivered our ordnance on the city, reducing it to 4%.
We then turned to attack our secondary target, a Knight
refinery. Again, limited resistance was encountered
and we reduced the refinery to 48% capacity.
We began our descent to 139 which was under heavy enemy
attack but our refueled fighters were re-upping from
there to join us and as a result, they busted up the
Knight attempt to take 139 with ease, securing the
base for our safe recovery.
After landing we posed from some photos, remembered
our fallen comrades who fought bravely at our side
and then busted open a bottle of champagne and saluted
each other in victory!
All things considered, I had a great time although I
was frustrated at our poor start. When we met the
first waves of enemy resistance at 20K I thought that,
if that level of opposition persisted, none of us
would even make it to the primary target! Despite
the poor start, and due to the cooperation of the
bombers and the bomb group commanders, we were able
to salvage the operation.
In spite of these hardships, we exacted a terrible toll
the enemy. Hardly any Me-262's or Ta-152's made it out of
the bomber stream without damage. Those who loitered
in the bomber gunner's sites too long never lived to
regret it. The '262 perkie harvest was prodigious!
THANK YOU!Let me thank everyone, both friend and foe alike, for
battling it out in this Mother of all Missions event!
I want to especially thank all the Rook pilots who
participated for remaining VOX disciplined. It was
all and more than I could have ever asked or hoped for.
We have learned still more lessons from this battle
and I believe that next time, we will do even better!
I invite everyone who participated to share their own
observations, constructive comments and thoughful suggestions
in this topic.
The debrief/AAR after the first MoM yielded many suggestions
that were all incorporated into this MoM's execution.
I hope that your comments this time around will be as
useful.
Thanks again for participating!
David
"96Delta"
P.S. Post your screenies if you got any!
P.P.S. Oh, and for those who are wondering why we didn't attack
the Bishops this time around, examine this map. We would have
had to run a gauntlet of Bishop fighters coming at us from
every direction. That would have amounted to a suicide
mission. I actually wanted to hit the Bishops this time, but
the tactical disposition of the map made that impossible.
