229 IAD taking off from a22 in our La-5FN's. Our first mission is to protect the northern strategic targets and to help over v23. From left to right: Klingan, 4brkfast, me (Brooke), 100Chewi, prono, Gunhog, and sevnty. t=0:00
After-Action Report
11/21/2009
by Brooke, GL, 229 IAD
This was a scenario that ran in the multiplayer on-line air-combat simulation Aces High.
I was the Group Leader (GL) of 229 IAD, a fighter squadron for the VVS. We were flying La-5FN's. Today, 229 IAD consisted of me (Brooke), Klingan, 100Chewi, 4brkfast, sevnty, Gunhog, and prono.
229 IAD taking off from a22 in our La-5FN's. Our first mission is to protect the northern strategic targets and to help over v23. From left to right: Klingan, 4brkfast, me (Brooke), 100Chewi, prono, Gunhog, and sevnty. t=0:00
We didn't have a lot of pilots today, so I asked for one volunteer to stay with me to stay in the Weisbaden area while the others went to go fight at v23, which our forces were working to capture. There were several volunteers. I took Gunhog with me as the other guys had seen less action in the previous battle. I asked for only one volunteer since we figured there wouldn't be any attacks into Russian territory for a while and that the guys who went to v23 to battle, if lost there, could come back up to reinforce me and Gunhog.
Gunhog (left) and me (right), patrolling in the Weisbaden area. t=0:11
Gunhog and I kept our eyes open for any raids headed to the refinery just north of a22 or to the city Frankfurt about 15 miles to our east. We watched for radar sector contacts and for low-level raids. The other members of 229 IAD got into some fights near v23. A pilot from that group, here and there, would join us on our patrol by the northern strats.
After about an hour with no attacks toward the strats, Have (the Russian forces CO) ordered 229 IAD to go to the v23 area to support the fighting there.
229 IAD taking off together to head to v23. From left to right: 4brkfast, me, prono, Gunhog, 100Chewi, Klingan, and sevnty. t=0:57
We started a max-rate climb toward v23. About half way there, there came radio calls of Ju 88's just northeast of a69, headed east. It looked to me like there weren't many VVS fighters in between the Ju 88's and their likely target (the v47 area). I called Have and asked him if he wanted 229 IAD to try for an intercept. He told us to go for it. We set a course for v47.
Along the way, we saw some bogies to our rear, which were reported at 109's. We kept on our intercept course, and the 109's eventually either fell behind or broke off. We also saw large numbers of bogies to our right, which were likely friendly VVS fighters, but we kept a look out just in case.
As we neared the enemy bombers, Dantoo vectored us in.
I roll over and dive on the Ju 88's, which are down low (visible as trios of black shapes). t=1:15
There weren't any enemy fighters around. It turned out that a few VVS fighter groups got to the Ju 88's about the same time. The sky was full of our fighters descending on the hapless Ju 88's. I dove in and, because I was coming from high altitude, I did a couple of turns to bleed off speed and to position myself. Before I even started by first attack, most of the bombers were already down. It was like a feeding frenzy of sharks. I picked out one remaining formation of two bombers and came in for a side approach. As I closed to within 400 yards, someone shot down one of the bombers, and someone else set the remaining one on fire.
I put a string of cannon rounds on the wing and down the side of the remaining Ju 88. From left to right: Dantoo, Tilt, prono, and sevnty (most of whom I think just nearly simultaneously put fire on this Ju 88 formation). t=1:17
A view out my right window as I zoom past the stricken Ju 88. The city (target) is visible ahead of the bomber, but he won't make it, and he is the last remaining Ju 88. From left to right: sevnty, Viperius, and prono. t=1:17
After this, Have ordered us to proceed to sector 11.10 to "cause trouble". That area had a large presence of enemy fighters. We headed that way, but then we noticed that the city near v47 was flashing. I had 229 IAD turn back toward the city and then asked Have if he wanted us to go check it out (as it seemed that we were the closest fighter group). I would have turned us back around if he didn't want us to go there, but it seemed like time was of the essence if he did want us there. He told us to go for it, so we did.
A zoomed-in view through my gunsight of the city as we are approaching. I'm seeing explosions within the city (see the flash just to the lower right of the center of my gunsight). t=1:24
A view from above me at the city as I pass over it. It looks about half destroyed. I do not see any bogies in the area, but some of the guys trailing me do, and we give chase. t=1:27
We catch up with one of the stragglers. It is a FW 190F-8. I ask the forward guys just to get him turning but to continue on to chase down the ones still ahead. I tell them that we trailing fighters will take care of any that the forward guys get to turn. One of the trailing guys (Klingan maybe) gets on the now-turning 190.
A view from above me as I prepare to engage the FW 190F-8 along with Klingan. The 190 is trying his best to evade low (it's about all he can do -- he is outnumbered heavily by planes that can outdogfight his) when he hits that hedge line and explodes. t=1:29
A view out of my cockpit as I follow 100Chewi, prono, and 4brkfast. I can't see any enemies, but they can, so I follow them. t=1:31
We chased for a long time, all the way from v47, past the river, past a40. It looked like (judging from the sector counters and radar contacts appearing above 28,000 ft altitude) that the 190F-8's were calling in support, which seemed to be headed south toward us. We were down to very little fuel. I called for the trailers to land and refuel at a40 so that we could be back up to cover the 229 IAD pilots who would still give chase for a bit, once they were done and coming back toward a40.
Me (left) and Klingan (right) on the re-arm pad at a40. 4brkfast is coming in, too. t=1:39
The forward guys ended up chasing down another 190F-9 or two, and 229 IAD estimated that it got four of the FW 190F-8's that attacked the city. Command then ordered 229 IAD to head to a58. We climb up to about 27k then level off on our way there.
I find a FW 190D-9 in the a58 area. I attack him and miss as he jinks. He dives and I follow him down. t=1:56
Down lower, I see more 190's. I call it out, roll over, and in I go. Picko is down there mixing it up. t=1:57
4brkfast comes screaming in and explodes the FW 190D-9 that I was chasing in one good burst. Good shooting, 4brkfast! t=1:57
At this point, several pilots of 229 IAD were enaging enemy fighters, but it seemed that we had a couple of guys on every enemy. As that fight was now on the deck, I climbed over the top to help provide some top cover in case of any high reinforcements coming in. Our guys down low took care of the enemy fighters, and I didn't see anything up high. We regrouped, gained altitude east, then turned back in and patrolled around the a58 and v23 area. I didn't see anything near v23, but we were up at 25k or higher. There came a call for help on the radio from GV's that were being attacked by FW 190F-8's down low at v23, and I dove in.
I dive in to help the GV's at v23 and see the low FW 190. In GV's in the picture are DrBone and a couple of names I can't make out. t=2:19
I put some hits into the tail and back half of the FW 190F-8. It took me a while to get on him as I had to scrub off a bunch of speed from my dive from altitude, while he was fairly slow on the deck from attacking vehicles. t=2:21
Me (left) and Klingan (right) pursuing the FW 190F-8. I am putting cannon rounds into his left wing which, a moment after this picture, is blown off, and he goes down. t=2:21
A view left from my cockpit as I see an enemy Tiger and two troop transports at v23. I call it out on the radio. t=2:22
Unfortunately, the FW 190F-8's had been able to thin out our GV's, and the enemy Tiger took out the remained. Shortly after the above picture, the Germans captured v23. I called for 229 IAD to take out the ack at the base, as it was about the only thing we could do to help soften the place up for a counterattack.
I strafe out an ack at v23. t=2:24
A view left as I see the enemy Bf 109's coming into the area. Almost immediately after the previous picture, 229 IAD pilots report enemy fighters (Bf 109's) entering the area. As we are on the deck, I call for us to climb hard to the east. Down low are 4brkfast and 100Chewi. t=2:24
There were five of us La-5's down low at this point. We were getting jumped by five Bf 109G-6's with altitude and speed on us. The La-5 is an excellent dogfighter, but the situation made me nervous. Also, we had less than 10 minutes' of fuel left (maybe closer to 5 for some of the pilots), and we were very worried about that. We fought for a while and whittled down the 109's, but before we could make a run for it, another several 109's dove in from altitude.
I put some rounds into a Bf 109G-6 that I had been following around, unable to land hits on previously. It doesn't seem to damage anything critical, and I have trouble putting more rounds into him as he jinks wildly. t=2:28
A view from behind a Bf 109 (middle plane) that is making a run on me (top plane) as I am chasing the Bf 109 (bottom plane) in the previous picture. I break off pursuit as I hear "check six!" and see tracers shoot past my canopy. t=2:28
Drat! I had been saddled up on that Bf 109 for a while. I just couldn't land hits on him quickly enough as he jinked wildly around. Now I had to break off. At this point, pilots were calling critical fuel. I told folks to head northeast if they could. I got some altitude, dodged some attacks, and looked for opportunities to clear people's tails, so that we could as a group make some progress northeast.
I get tagged in the engine by a Bf 109G-6 as I'm trying to make progress northeast. t=2:30
A view behind me as 4brkfast shoots off the wing of a Bf 109. I call that my oil is hit and that I'm running northeast to try to make it back. t=2:30
I ran NE on the deck (to get out of the melee), then went into a maximum-rate climb. My plan was to gain as much altitude as possible, then to see if I could glide back. I got up to about 15k, and my engine quit. I put my RPM down to minimum (for better glide). The La-5 did not seem very good at gliding, and I saw that I wasn't going to make it back to a22. I decided to divert to v30 for a deadstick landing there.
In the meantime, 229 IAD did very well in the fight after I left, cleaning up the 109's in enough time to make it to back for refuelling. I should have just stayed in maximum-fight mode instead of trying for a fighting withdrawal. Alas.
I misjudge the dragginess of the La-5 and barely make it between some treetops on my approach to v30. t=2:42
I hit the ground hard and break my gear (a result of having to pull up for the trees, losing speed, then having too high a descent rate). I skid to a stop well short of the vehicle hangar. t=2:42
Now, it was late in the frame. I called for 229 IAD, once they were up from refuelling, to head to a31 and strafe down buildings in the town. Maybe the we Soviets could make a last-ditch effort to retake it. As I was on my second life, I took off from a22 in an La-5 with bombs.
As I approach the town at a31, a B-25 group is there, starting its run. I see bomb explosions walk through the town from left to right. t=2:49
I release a bomb on a cluster of (temporarily) surviving buildings. 0ldgit and STEALTH are down there in fighters, strafing. 715B is in an M3 on his way in. t=2:50
Dropping my second bomb on another cluster of buildings. Visible in the distance is the groun army racing in. This is the side of the town opposite to the one 715B is on. From top to bottom: greenman, SHAGGER, USRanger, DrBone, Mjsmoke, and COLLEEN. Go, guys, go! t=2:51
I strafe down the last building standing. From left to right: COLLEEN in a tank, 715B in an M3, and Mjsmoke in an M3, and Tippo in the distance. t=2:52
The town is captured, and I veer off to the SW toward fighting between members of 229 IAD and Bf 109's. As I do, I see two of my friends, GypsyB (left) and tudza (right) in their B-25's heading back home. Howdy, guys! t=2:55
The other guys were done with their fight with the Bf 109's as I arrived in their location.
I land at the newly captured a31 behind Klingan (left) and 100Chewi (right). t=3:02
I shot down one FW 190F-8, got an assist on one Bf 109G-6, and destroyed 7 ground objects. I ditched once and made it back to base the other times.
Overall, 229 IAD got 17 kills and 21 ground objects for the loss (from all causes) of 9 aircraft. Good work, guys.
And so ends Red Storm/Krupp Steel. For me, it was enormously enjoyable. 299 IAD had some great pilots, and it was my privilege to be able to fly with you guys. I'd consider myself lucky if I get to fly with you folks in future scenarios. <S>!
-- Brooke, GL, 229 IAD