One of the things I really enjoy about the TOD is how everybody tells what happened afterwords in here and you get to see the fight from all different perspectives.
Here is my story:
I took off with the 308th leading one of the 3 sections of La-5s. Hazed was my wingman. By the way, Hazed is the best wingman I have ever flown with anywhere, anytime. The 308th flew to our target (german airfield) meeting no opposition along the way. The formation flying on the way out was the best I have ever seen. The 3 sections were evenly spaced in combat spread, and the sections themselves were flying really nice, tight formations. It was almost textbook.
We rolled in at the field through the clouds and found that all the acks were already dead. We quickly set about laying waste to everything in sight, totally flattening the field. I dropped my first bomb on a VH, which unfortunately blew up just before my bomb hit, causing it to be a wasted drop. By the time I came around for second drop there was almost nothing left to hit! I saw a fuel tank still standing near the edge so I dove in on it, dropping my remaining egg. Hit, fuel tank destroyed! The squad made a final pass, confirmed all targets destroyed, and exited, climbing back up through the clouds for the rejoin.
Soon, we were back in formation heading for a refuel. On the way, we heard about some 109s near the field we were going to. Funked cleared my section to engage at will. We headed over some clouds where I could see 2 cons. We rolled into the attack but it turned out that there were a lot more than 2. (Later, in my chute I estimated that there must have been 8-10.)
The clouds definitely disrupted the fighting, which I think wouldnt have been as lopsided otherwise. The clouds caused our squad to be split up, allowing the 109s to defeat us in detail 1 or 2 at a time. Hazed stayed right with me until near the end. I started fighting with the 109s, finding that the La-5 seems to have no problem out manouvering them for the most part. However, as usual in an outnumbered fight, just as I would get on the tail of one, I would have to break to shake another one off my tail. Twice I almost got one, actually saw some bullet strikes on one, then I broke out of the clouds to head for the nearby airfield after I heard funked call for disengage and form over field acks. I actually got all the way back to the field before the rest of the squadron did, but I looked back and saw Hazed fighting with 4 bf109s closely pressing him.
I did an Immelman and headed back into the fray. The fight lasted for all of 30 more seconds for me. I lost sight of all aircraft in the clouds, then broke out on top in the midst of several 109s. I turned into their attack, meeting a 109 head-on. I saw what appeared to be catastrophic damage on the 109 as I went by, unfortunately he also did my La-5 in as well. My plane was toast, so I hit the silk and tried to aid my squad by calling out bandits on my way down. Hazed was the only one that I could see clearly and he was already smoking, although I could see dots fighting over the airfield in the distance. Hazed held out against four 109s for maybe a minute then he also went down.
I decided that I would walk to the airfield since it was just right there, but that ended up taking me about 20 minutes. I got there and ended mission and went back to the airfield we started from just in time to see a bunch of La-5s get vulched on landing. Right after that I was rudely disconnected in what I now learn was a general dump.
Final score my section: 1 possible, 1 confirmed bf109, against both our aircraft lost. Eagerly awaiting the results so I can see if I took my killer with me!
[ 01-08-2002: Message edited by: Durr ]
