Gotta start off with the BIG <S> to all of the squads involved in the V15 Strike tonight. JG-11 / 412th / VF-15 and 68th. In 8 years of FSO play this was one of the best coordinated and executed missions I have the pleasure of flying. Again the BIG <S> to the squads, leaders and pilots of these squads.
Tasker assigned 325th and 68th in G4M's to attack and distroy V15. JG-11 / 412th and VF15 to provide fighter support in A6M's and KI84's.
Phase 01:
JG-11 engages enemy defensive AC at or near the target to distroy disrupt and or push the defenders out of sector. Pull high enemy CAP AC down below 15K. Fighter Sweep was to start at 10 minutes prior to bomber strike. From my seat it happened within 30 seconds of plan and played out as designed.
Phase 02:
412th moves in ahead of the 325th bombers and provides forward protection and assistance to JG-11 as needed. Again executed to within seconds of the plan.
Phase 03:
325th Bombers arrive from the south at 19.5K in formation and target hangers and some secondaries. BDA was 4 of 4 hangers dropped and 2-4 secondaries dropped. After drop 325th is back in formation and headed home. Lost 1 cell of 3 bombers to enemy fighters. I never saw a enemy fighter up in the front myself. 325th dropped 26 seconds late from planned hit time.
VF15 provided the close escort for the 325th VFG. Excellent close air escort flown by 2 stacks in tight coordination. 30 Seconds from drop when you hear Rodent57 call out your clear make a good drop it makes life a whole lot easier
VF 15 never left us and only 1 cell got hit. No other bombers in the squad got so much as a hole. The attached gunners played cards
VF 15 stayed with us all the way back to the RTB field.
Phase 04:
68th bombers then approached NOE from the west 5 minutes later and leveled the remainder of the V-Base. BDA to me looked almost complete distruction to V15. 68th reported losing 5-6 bombers (drones) no pilots. Some of the fighter escorts then turned back to assist the 68th in RTB'ing back to the lifting field.
Critical steps for success on this mission:
AXIS CIC got the very simple and well resourced plan out very early allowing 4 days of planning and coordination's to take place between the squads. Nicely done "Climber"
All 5 squads coordinated via email very effectively and efficiently and got the overall plan nailed down and then the individual squad plans. Several of us preflew our pieces several times off line to get the timing down.
All 5 squads had good turn outs
Each squad gave up a single commo man and we had these 5 guys switch to a independent freq. These commo guys then relaid info back and forth in real time which allowed for the escorts to position to the best locations and for the bombers to adjust as needed. The independent freq eliminated all the chatter for these 5 guys making communications very efficient.
I had a ball!!! When you plan a complex operation with 4 other squads and it executed perfectly it really motovating to watch. Again <S> to the squads involved in this operation. From my position in one of the forward bombers this was one for the textbooks on how to plan and execute a mission. "I love it when a plan comes together"
Hannibal Smith