The Bf 109K-4's of I/JG53 taking off from its home field of a124 in southern Norway. From left to right: madda, Voudou, me (Brooke), ROC, VadjanS, vinkman, and JUGgler. t=0:00
After-Action Report
3/20/2010
by Brooke, GL, I/JG53
This was a scenario that ran in the multiplayer on-line air-combat simulation Aces High.
I was the Group Leader (GL) of I/JG53, a fighter squadron for the Luftwaffe. We were flying Bf 109K-4's. Today, I/JG53 consisted of me (Brooke), ROC, madda, Voudou, VadjanS, vinkman, and JUGgler.
Our first mission was to take off from a124 in southern Norway and head NWto patrol near the city in sector 11.10, which was a possible target for the British. I/JG2 was based at a124, as well, and they joined up with us since they were short handed today. They were flying FW 190D-9's.
The Bf 109K-4's of I/JG53 taking off from its home field of a124 in southern Norway. From left to right: madda, Voudou, me (Brooke), ROC, VadjanS, vinkman, and JUGgler. t=0:00
After we got near the city in 11.10, bombers were spotted out at sea, west of our location. We were ordered to intercept.
Ahead, we saw a few bogies coalt with us at 30,000 ft. We thus figured it was a fighter sweep ahead of the bombers. I called for us to climb hard for a few thousand feet, then level out with war-emergency power on, to blow through this forward sweep.
Overflying what turned out to be a flight of 4-5 P-51's. Ahead of me is JUGgler. t=0:22
Pushing ahead, we spot the bombers with lots of escort fighters above them. Some of the escorts are climbing through the cloud layer toward us. We have 7 109's going in against 23 P-51's and 7 Lancaster formations, so we are glad for that 3000 feet of altitude we picked up. Ahead of me is JUGgler. t=0:23
I/JG53 getting into position over the bombers (the trios of dark shapes at the bottom of the picture). From left to right: ROC, madda, Voudou, me, vinkman, and VadjanS. t=0:24
With so many P-51's around, I called for I/JG53 to harass the highest of the P-51's, making runs through the escort (from the bomber stream's back to front) to get them turning and to stir them up. I asked for I/JG53 not to turn hard with any escorts but to force them to turn or get shot down. That causes escorts to get stripped away from the bombers. This way, we could perhaps get a bunch of the escort stripped off before we go in for our runs on the bombers. While we were harassing the P-51's, I put out several position reports on the radio, to help vector in more LW fighters. I/JG2 caught up to us at this point (we pulled a bit away from them on the way in).
An example of me forcing an escort to evade or get shot, as I come through from back to front.
t=0:27
There were still some P-51's that managed to stay high and in position, but we did get a good number of them stripped back away from the bomber stream.
A P-51 takes a long-range shot at me as I move through. I'm faster than he is, at this point, though, so he isn't able to reel me in. t=0:29
After clearing things out over the bombers about the best we could (it was fairly clear over and near the bombers at this point), we moved in to attack.
I roll over and start my run on the bombers. Below me, Buster03, DocEvil, and Voudou are on their runs. t=0:32
I try coming in a bit from the side of a Lancaster formation that I've picked out, to try to throw off his aim. I'm going for the formation on the left of the picture. t=0:32
I put a bunch of 30 mm cannon rounds into the Lancaster -- a few into the tail and a few into the wing -- and he stays up! Geez. These Lancasters can be tough. Meanwhile, his gunners (who weren't thrown off much by my approach moves) have been on target and are hitting me. They give me an oil leak -- which is doom for me, as I'm too far from base to make it back. I picked the wrong Lancaster to attack! t=0:33
I press on to the set of Lancs ahead of the one I just attacked, peering through my oil-smeared windshield. It's the lead Lancaster formation and thus perhaps the bomber commander. I target the Lanc's right wing root with my 30 mm cannon. His gunner, too, is nailing me with 0.303 rounds. t=0:33
I blow off the wing of the Lancaster simultaneously with his gunner blowing my wing off. Down we both go amid a trail of debris. The Lancaster I fired on previously drones sedately onward. t=0:33
I came up from our home base and headed toward the enemy activity NW of a124 near the coast. It took me a while to get there, and the bombers were long gone by the time I got there. However, there were some P-51's that mixed it up with our fighters and were thus still in the area. JUGgler was calling for assistance near a71, him being engaged by about four P-51's. I got into the area, but I didn't see him. I was too high and should have come down some, and he was shot down just after we arrived in the area. Sorry, JUGgler.
Buster03 (below and in front of me) spots the P-51's on the deck near a71 (dots in front of him where the river bends). I follow him in. t=0:59.
I put one 30 mm into the left wing and another into the windshield of one of the P-51's -- and he stays up! That is one sturdy P-51. It must have been built by workers of German heritage in one of America's factories. Usually, one 30 mm hit is enough to destroy a fighter. t=1:00
I get on another P-51 and put a 30 mm onto his left wing and one into his tail. t=1:01
This one loses its wing to the one 30 mm hit and its tail from the other 30 mm hit. t=1:01
The fight was a 5-on-4 (our advantage) I think. We shot down the P-51's and then were ordered to head toward some enemy action near a70. By the time we got there, the enemies had headed west out to sea, and we were called back to rearm and refuel to get ready for the next raid. While some of us were heading to a70, the city in 15.12 started to flash. ROC, VadjanS, and a couple of others who were coming up from a124 in fresh aircraft were close enough to check it out, so they headed there best speed and found a few Lancaster formations, on the deck, attacking the city. After attacking the city, the Lancasters headed south toward the position of our fleets. There was a running battle, but ROC, VadjanS, and the boys shot down all of the Lancs before they could get to our ships. Good work, guys!
I am landing at a71. Barkhorn has now joined us (in his Bf 109K-4 at the end of the runway), and Buster03 and madda are re-arming. t=1:16
After coming back up from a71, we were ordered to rendezvous with SubwayCH's group. On our way there, our scouts spotted incoming Lancasters out at sea. We were ordered to join with SubwayCH's group and then head to the bombers. We joined up with SubwayCH in 13.6 -- about a 175 miles from a71, so it took us a little while to get there. On our way there, we could see from sector radar that lots of enemy planes were headed north from bases near Denmark. I asked SubwayCH permission for us to head southwest to skirt around that large group, as I figured it was a forward fighter sweep, not the Lancasters. He allowed it, and we proceeded SW then S to avoid it. As we did this, I could see bogies off to our front left. I had I/JG 53 climb hard to get some altitude at that point, about to 33,000 ft, then level and WEP on to get through this sweep. We passed over a few Spitfires on the flanks of some huge swarms of bogies.
A view left and back from my aircraft as we go south. All of the dots to my left (right side of picture) are enemy fighters. Behind me is I/JG53 and I/JG2. From left to right: Voudou, vinkman, Barkhorn, and me. t=2:03
We flew south for a bit, then west, toward the last-reported postion of enemy bombers. I was getting nervous, as there hadn't been a report in a while, we were past the limit of radar, and there is a lot of sky and cloud. But then --
I spot another formation my 12 o'clock and then see the bombers. I call it out on the radio. t=2:08
We were way out at sea, with plenty of distance for the bombers to travel before they would reach targets. Also, we were 12 109's and 190's on 24 P-51's, 6 Spitfires, and 9 Lancaster formations. Again, I was glad we climbed hard upon seeing our first bogies and kept that extra 3k of alt. I called for the guys to take their time, to stir up the escort and to fly safe for now. I gave several radio reports on the bombers' position and the escort disposition.
I put a 30 mm round into the wing of a P-51. It had been trying to get at SubwayCH, spotted me, broke off, but tried to do an S-turn evasion (to stay with the bombers) instead of getting fully out of the way. t=2:10
The P-51 goes down minus a wing, and I reposition over the bombers. t=2:10
A view below me as I overfly the bombers. SKJackD is trailing smoke, has a P-51 on him, and might be going down, but he has shot down a Lancaster in flames. t=2:11
Like before, we worked to clear out the escort over the bombers. It works decently, but we can't clear out every escort. The is one P-51B that seemed to have the energy to get up toward me and Voudou (who was flying near me). I S-turned a bit to see if I could get around behind him if he was going after Voudou, but he broke off Voudou, passed Voudou, and went for me.
Looking back out of my cockpit at the P-51B trailing me, with Voudou in the background. I try various ways to get some distance from him (outclimbing, outrunning), but he seems to have the energy to stay with me (although he isn't closing). Rather than have to turn hard and get into a fight with this guy (and then be pulled away from the bombers), I decide it's time for me to make my run on the bombers. t=2:13
I start my run. Barkhorn (middle of picture) is down there in his run as well as jedi25 (from I/JG2, bottom of picture) who is trailing smoke. t=2:14
A view behind me as I open fire and as tracers from the Lancaster gunners streak past me. There are still lots of P-51's around, but they are near the rear of the bomber formation now and at about the same altitude as the bombers. jedi25 is still alive, but trailing smoke and being chased by P-51's. t=2:14
I get in close, working on the wing of the Lancaster with my 30 mm cannon. I find it hard to hit with the 30 mm from far away, so I press my attacks close before breaking off. Close, but -- t=2:14
It is too close. I clip the Lancaster's wing with my wing. My wing tears off, and down I go, cursing my botched attack. The Lancaster drones on. Behind me, jedi25, trailing smoke, is either diving out or going down, and SubwayCH is starting his attack run. t=2:14
I got three kills (two P-51's and one Lancaster), bailed once, landed once, and bailed out again. Frame 2, I will see if I can pack a spare left wing.
I/JG 53 did very well. We got onto the bombers each time, did a decent job of stirring up and stripping escort, and then got in on the bombers. I/JG 53 got 23 kills for the day, which made it the group with the most kills this frame. Way to go, guys!
-- Brooke, GL, I/JG 53