LG 1 taking off from Sousse (a7). We're carrying four 500 kg bombs externally, and an internal load of twenty 50 kg bombs. In the picture from left to right is Flossy, me, and horble. t=0:00
After-Action Report
4/11/2009
by Brooke, pilot, I/LG 1
This was a scenario that ran in the multiplayer on-line air-combat simulation Aces High.
I was a pilot in I/LG 1, a squadron of Ju 88A-4 bombers. Today, I/LG 1 and III/LG 1 were flying together. The groups consisted of 4440 (Group Leader of I/LG 1), JVnotch (GL of III/LG 1), me (Brooke), warhed, VP, Flossy, dtis30, whiskers, badger8, crapSHOT, tudza, SheGotYa, and horble.
LG 1 taking off from Sousse (a7). We're carrying four 500 kg bombs externally, and an internal load of twenty 50 kg bombs. In the picture from left to right is Flossy, me, and horble. t=0:00
LG 1 doing its racetrack holding pattern in sector 12.9. From left to right: 4440, Flossy, me, whiskers, warhed, JVnotch, dtis30, tudza, SheGotYa, VP, and horble. Our mission is to hold here until we are called in to destroy the vehicle hangars at v104 (Kasserine). t=0:36
We got the call to head west then south to v104. We came across one lonely formation of Bostons as we headed south. t=0:44
My bombs away on the southern-most vehicle hangar at v104. t=0:51
My bombs hit the VH, but I think went down right before my bombs hit, perhaps from 4440's drop.
LG 1 leaves the Kasserine area with all VH's destroyed. From left to right: crapSHOT, dtis30, JVnotch, Flossy, me (foreground), tudza, VP, warhed, whiskers, SheGotYa, horble, and badger8.
Landing back at Sousse. From left to right: me, crapSHOT, tudza, a couple I can't make out, JVnotch, and VP. t=1:08
Taking off on mission #2. We are to head back to Kasserine and hit the VH's again. t=1:11 We head back to our racetrack area and hold a bit, then are called in to v104.
We run into an A-20 just north of Kasserine. It is in a fight with one of our fighters and has an oil leak in its right engine. t=1:40
My bombs away on v104's southern-most VH. t=1:41
My hits on the VH. Again, I think 4440's bombs destroyed it just before mine hit.
After taking out all of the VH's, we are released to go kit enemy tanks as best we can. I descend, swing around, and come in toward the base, behind VP and JVNotch (also visible in the picture). The base has many enemy tanks moving around. t=1:45
I try dropping some bombs on an enemy M4 (Sherman VC Firefly) and miss (the bomb craters behind the M4 in the picture). I find it to be very hard to hit moving ground vehicles by level bombing. By the time I can see the vehicles in the bombsight, I don't have much time or room to change heading for lining up. I try a couple more times but do not manage to hit any enemy tanks.
I figure I'll be much more useful spotting. So I fly around Kasserine spotting enemy tanks and giving their locations for nearby tankers. Here, I'm looking left out of my cockpit, spotting a group of Shermans for our tankers. t=1:51
I go in to check for enemies at our base as our forces move in. I spotted and called out one tank at the south end of the field -- that was the only enemy on the base at this time. From left to right on the ground: TEXAS, dr7, Ironic, SKTurt, and BearKats (our illustrious CO himself!). In the air from left to right: WMLute, WMpac77, and me. t=1:54
Unfortunately for us, shortly after the above pass, the allies were able quickly to get a large number of tanks back up at the base. This pass, done about 5 minutes after the previous pictured pass, shows the now-dire situation. In the air from left to right: HORRID01, me, and Twizzty. t=2:00 After this, some enemy Spitfires are reported showing up in the area. Since the base looks well covered, and since I have only a handful of 50 kg bombs left, I decide to head back to base to join back up with the rest of LG 1. They have already left to go get another load of bombs.
Unfortunately for me, I run across this on my way back -- a sky full of P-40E's and Spitfire V's. I'm all by myself southeast of Faid (v46), on my way to Sfax (a64). t=2:06
Several of them work me over. Here, two are tearing apart my lead bomber, although I am managing to get hits into one of them.
My lead bomber going down in flames. Shortly after this, I am down to one bomber.
From my belly gun, I give one of the P-40's a face full of lead as he shoots up my remaining bomber.
He explodes. My bomber is in dire condition. t=2:07
The next P-40 comes in to finish the job. I'm putting shots into him, but he blows my wing off before I can take him out.
At this point, there is not enough time for me to make it from Sousse or Sfax back to the Kasserine area, even one way. I join Tudza as his gunner. After he is told to head to the Faid (v46) area, several P-38's find us. They make slashing attacks mostly outside of my guns arc, and while I get perhaps some non-critical hits on them, Tudza and I are soon shot down.
I hit my assigned VH twice (although it was dead before my bombs hit it each time), shot down a P-40E, tried to bomb enemy tanks but missed, provided spotting for our tanks, and was killed trying to return to base.
-- Brooke, I/LG 1