zerkamazeactionderportenshlag er der JG9verdun...
We took off on a defensive patrol of the airbases in our sector after receiving intelligence that the Brits were mounting increasing numbers of incursions into France. Almost immediately after we got to altitude we were ordered to intercept enemy aircraft over Aerodrome 61 in northern France. We sighted them west of the field. Fighters and many of them with no bombers in sight... our range closed and the menacing lines of spitfires emerged. The vanguard of the enemy. A well flown sweep before their bombers reigned down destruction perhaps I thought for a moment as our flight of 109s turned into a twisting melee with the spitfires.
1. In the first turns I destroyed a spitfire latched to the tail of another 109 but he had a wingman hell bent for revenge and closing in range and now firing! I rolled the 109 on its back and dove and rolled as the tracers streaked past my canopy. The chaos was everywhere with my headset crackling with pilots shouting at eachother to coordinate attacks and evasives. our Leader radioed being hit things were looking bad. I was powerless to help them as I had to dive to low alt to evade the spitfire while most of the fight was still at higher altitude. Damn they were good these Brits.
2. Tap.. twap... I looked at my left wing and could see several small holes from the spitfires machine guns but my controls still functioned normally. I was about to be killed. one more hit like that and I would be dead or riding a silk parachute I had to act immediately as my evasives were not shaking the spitfire... I pulled the throttle all the way back and stomped the rudder as I rolled to the left and then hard right and pulled up still rolling... the sleek spitfire was unable to slow down fast enough though he tried but in that instant what would have been the end of my fight turned into victory number two as the spitfire groaned and lurched as it tried to slow down and ended up directly in front of me in my gunsight... I shot directly into its wingroot and the right wing separated from the fuselage.
3. I had used a good bit of ammo and was on the deck nearby our aerodrome 61 and turned to do a quick rearm. as I neared the field a single lumbering b25 was making its bomb run and I promptly shot it down for kill# 3 then landed and rearmed. as I sat there on the ground waiting for the ground crew to finish their work another b25 flew right in front of me over the field at low level and was promptly killed by another member of my flight that was also returning to rearm.
Back in the air we were ordered to form up west of our current position at aerodrome 60 which was under attack. however once we arrived we turned back to our primary defensive goal at aerodrome 61 which was being attacked again. we hunted around the area and a report of spitfires crackled again over the radio. I was alone at this point as I had been sent back ahead of the squadron to scout for the enemy while the majority of our group rearmed at a60.
4. Then they came into view slightly below me... 3 spitfires. I reported my position to my squadron. three spitfires was not a good idea to fight alone but it was too late... they saw me and began to climb and attack but this proved to work to my advantage and I destroyed one of them on the first pass. they were coming around again the 2 spitfires with one behind covering the other turning to attack me.
5. I had the speed and the angles and they were very aggressive and put themselves in a position that allowed me to fire on the leader who was trying to set me up for a shot by his wingman. I shot down the lead spitfire and turned hard around bleeding off my speed and ended up behind the last of the three spitfires.
6. With a quick burst the stunned last spitfire was destroyed.
I reported the enemy I found destroyed but more reports from the airbase indicated there was more enemy aircraft in the area. I formed up with my flight and as we patrolled northeast of a61 a massive formation of B-25s being attacked by another squadron of 109s came into view. up ahead the battle raged as burning b25s and 109s plunged down out of the fray. we were below the enemy bombers and climbing up to them. they had no escort and were being decimated by the Luftwaffe despite the high altitude they were flying at. was their fighter cover the fighter sweep that had been destroyed? did the other 109 squadron already kill their fighters leaving them sitting ducks? I wondered this to myself as we climbed to join the battle which was turning into a slaughter as we approached.
7. I was able to claim 1 b25 destroyed from the lead formation mindful of my weak left wing I made sure to attack from below the field of fire of the defensive turret and the return fire of the b25 did not hit me. the rest of the bombers were destroyed before or shortly after they dropped their bombs by my squadron and the other squadron that found them first.
This was the end of the attacks we encountered on our main defensive area around Aerodrome 61 and we headed west again to A60 which was still under attack. However we missed the British which had left by the time we arrived so we rearmed at 60 and kept heading west to aerodrome 46 which was being scouted by another member of our flight Lt. Gorkle who flew ahead to recon the situation for us. He excitedly reported that we should make our altitude at least 23,000 feet and head with all possible speed to his location where in every direction the enemy was present en mass. spitfires hurricanes a huge fighter sweep over western France was in progress.
Our numbers had been reduced from the action and we were attacking the overwhelming number of enemies with a small force of 5 aircraft. one was ahead scouting (Lt. Gorkle) leaving our 4 fighters to face the enemy until we were able to link up with our scout. The sky turned into chaos as Lt. Gorkle came into view. his reports were accurate. spitfires and hurricanes everywhere. fortunately before we were overwhelmed other Luftwaffe squads arrived to even up the odds and blunt the enemies superior numbers advantage. We tumbled and spiralled with 109s and hurricanes and spitfires in every direction...
8. I caught a hurricane and sent it spiraling into the countryside as the fight became lower and lower targets were everywhere...
9. The fight was almost at ground level at this point. a 109 had two spitfires on his tail and was turning right in front of me. the spitfires were almost head on with me but I was below their nose out of view. I caught the lead spitfire with a solid burst in the belly as he opened fire on the 109 in front of him. his wingman broke off and went on the defensive.
10. Up above us a hurricane was lurking. I climbed up to him and raked his plane with fire shooting out all of his fuel tanks his engine and his radiator and was shocked at how tough the rugged hurricane was. I claimed him as a kill as he glided back to England at low altitude but was unable to follow him to see his certain demise.
11. A member of my squadron was exiting the furball with several spitfires behind him. I was able to destroy one of them and get some hits on the others which forced them to breakoff before I had to turn to evade more spitfires shooting at me.
12. I had only a few rounds left and caught a spitfire in a crippling shot with the last of my ammo and destroyed it.
At this point I was on the deck out of ammo and headed to a46 to rearm. most of the enemy aircraft had by this point been destroyed or were leaving the area. the Luftwaffe had showed up in force by this time to counter the enemies massed attack and made the British pay for their incursion. I rearmed and headed out to the coast of France to see if there was anything left to shoot at. A few spitfires were being mauled by 109s and i put some hits on one of them before continuing west for a target that had less than 5 enemies behind it but all I found was a hurricane desperately running from several 109s. the ironic part seemed to be he was actually getting away. somehow I was faster than the hurricanes pursuers and blew passed them chasing their quarry of the hapless Brit.
13. I closed on the hurricane and shot its vertical stabilizer off and watched it spiral into the sea.
The battles of the day were nonstop and tenacious but the Luftwaffe gained the upper hand today. what lies in wait tomorrow in the wake of the enemies newfound boldness leave me with an uneasy feeling.
