A map of the battle area for us. Our home base was a69 in sector 10.13. This map shows enemy positions as of later in the frame.
After-Action Report
3/12/2011
by Brooke, GL, III/JG1
This was a scenario that ran in the multiplayer on-line air-combat simulation Aces High.
I was the Group Leader (GL) of III/JG1, a Luftwaffe fighter group. We were flying Bf 109G-14's. Today, III/JG1 consisted of me (Brooke), Cheese, Chem, Giggadee, MiKe254, Roach, Seighin, SNIPER30, Snpshot, tudza, Turbo18, and Wedge.
A map of the battle area for us. Our home base was a69 in sector 10.13. This map shows enemy positions as of later in the frame.
Our mission was to attack bombers today, so we loaded gondolas with 20 mm cannon in them. Also, as we'd probably be airborn longer forming up, we took drop tanks.
III/JG1 taking off in our Bf 109G-14's. Above (at the other end of the runway) is another fighter group. From left to right in our group: Cheese, Seighin, SNIPER30, Wedge, Giggadee, chem, Snpshot, Roach, me (Brooke), Turbo18, and tudza. t=0:00
The enemy came in south of us, so we pressed south to set up for an intercept. A72 was picked as an overall rendezvous point for the axis, and I saw many fighter groups forming up there in addition to us. We were to fly with Sukov's I/JG301 as bomber interceptors, with Krusty's I/JG1 and Perdweeb's II/JG3 as fighter cover for us.
Joining up with Krusty's group near a72. From left to right: Giggadee, SNIPER30, tudza, Cheese, Wedge, Chem roach, Snpshot, Turbo18, Seighin, me, AKZoney, Thus, HotRod1, SirDude, IamArmy, DanDan, (can't make out), lethrnek, ramse888, and Krusty. t= 0:32
A view forward right as we follow other groups in toward the enemy bomber stream. From left to right: 4brkfast, Glok, boomerlu, and Ditto. t=0:36
As we draw over the bombers, I call, "OK, guys, let's get those bombers. Attack at will!" On my first attack run, I line up on a lone B-17, but AKshddr takes its wing off before I get there. t=0:37
A view behind me as I zoom back up to come back in for a second attack run. There are a lot of Luftwaffe fighters, and a lot of bombers are already down. A cloud of dots behind the bomber stream is probably other Luftwaffe and US fighters fighting behind the bomber stream. From left to right: AKKuya (our CO), Major347, Turbo18, pigflu, Glok, Zman, Snpshot, D0m1n0, SWrifle, proploss, SNIPER30, KKEN, Ditto, lethrnek, tudza, tunes2, jordan61, me, STEALTH, Hitch, 11Bravo, hornis, Chance, boomerlu, shukes, MiKe254, and xPINGx. t=0:37
A view forward from the cockpit as I attack a B-17 on my second run. I'm pouring cannon rounds into him, and he's firing back. The bomber sprouts flame and then explodes shortly after this as I continue to pour in the hits. Also in the picture are Frodo, Doc72CH, and ZUD. t=0:37
The bomber or a P-47D-25 trailing me puts some rounds through my engine, giving me an oil leak, and I dive out. From left to right: Snpshot, HotRod1, D0m1n0, Crum, Turbo18, KKEN, MULE60, Ditto, boomerlu, Hitch, SNIPER30, Krusty, pigflu, jaeger1, shukes, 4510, JVZilla, MiKe254, AKshrddr, Wrek, and PB.
A view left out of my oil-streaked windscreen toward a P-47D-25 that I tried to catch and shoot before I leave the area. I can't catch him that well, so I go back to diving out and away to try to make it back to home base. Also in the picture: Turbo18 and Sukov. t=0:38
With oil leaking, I flew toward home base until my engine temp was near the red zone, then I shut off my engine, cut my prop RPM to minimum, and glided until my engine cooled. Then I restared, went to full power and WEP and full climb until the temp was near the red, and repeated many times until my engine eventually gave out for good. But I was able to travel three sectors (75 miles) this way until it finally gave out. Along the way, as I was gliding along, I was worried I'd get overflown by another allied strike force crossing right over me, but I just barely made it past. I under flew folks from III/JG1 who were fresh up from home base headed toward the allied strike force. I put Seighin in charge of them.
I just barely make it back to home base, ending up at about 1500 feet there, having glided the last sector back with no engine. I make a successful landing, and they have a new plane waiting for me. t=1:02
In the meantime, III/JG1 tried to find bombers in the enemy concentration headed east in row 12 (see map above). They found only fighters and got in a scrap with them. After that I joined up with the rest of III/JG1. We were climbing south from south of a69 when we ran across high bogies, so I had us travel west for a bit to let them pass us. During that time, we saw some lower bogies following the higher ones and figured they might be bombers.
III/JG1 together, climbing NE to let the high bogies pass, then we are going to cut south to see if we intercept bombers. The high bogies are the dots along the top of the picture. From left to right: Cheese, SNIPER30, me, Giggadee, Roach, Wedge, Chem, tudza, and Snpshot. t=1:13
We turned south after the high bogies passed, but didn't see anything lower trailing. Then bogies started to appear to our 9 o'clock -- high fighters -- but under them, we saw lower dots. Probably bombers. In a few moments, one of the guys confirmed them as bombers, so we turned left and went in.
Looking back from my cockpit. I picked up a P-51 that tries for me as we head toward the bombers and had to dive and evade. He broke off me, and a few more are up there trailing. There are about 5 P-51's with the bombers. Chem is back there heading to the bombers, too. t=1:25
I couple of P-51D's pass me as I head toward the B-17's. Others in III/JG1 are already shooting down B-17's, and we have lost some to B-17 gunners. From left to right: Chem, SNIPER30, Roach, and me.
I go after one of the P-51D's that passed me. He goes evasive, and I try for a crossing shot and unfortunately miss. t=1:25
As I tangle with the above P-51, the other guys shoot down the rest of the bombers and start fighting the P-51's. I miss several crossing shots on this P-51, and then he pulls away from me. I go for getting into the fight that the rest of III/JG1 is in down on the deck. After a rather lame pass on my part, I go into a hard climb, check to see that I am momenarily clear and check the map. There are a lot more enemies in our sector than just these guys we are fighting, and I take a brief look around to see if there is anything coming in high. When I look back, I don't see others in III/JG1 anymore. I know that they are on the deck and hard to see. I look around, but I can't find them, and the fight finishes without me with most of III/JG1 getting shot down.
I head back toward a69 to pick up members of III/JG1 freshly taking off when I underfly 5 B-17's. They are way above me (climbing up from the deck), and I'll not catch them. I get out a good radio report and continue toward a69. t=1:30
As I joined up with the survivors of III/JG1, Krusty was calling about a36 getting attacked by lots of enemies, so we set course for a36. However, there was a large concentration of enemies in the 11.10 area. No one had reported bombers there, but it seemed like it would be bombers. Vasco was heading there, and so we started to head that way as well. A bit later, reports of bombers out there came in.
I get on a P-51D near the egressing bombers. t=1:48
Like with my earlier fights with P-51's, I missed my crossing shots, and he eventually pulled away from me. The fight caused me to fall back from the bombers, and it took a long tail chase for me to catch back up to them. There were lots of LW fighters chasing from behind, and occasional P-51's working to slow their progress toward the bombers. But a bunch of us did, bit by bit, catch the bombers.
Me and others chasing the bombers, while P-51's try to slow us down. From left to right: Krupinski, chris3, SKFatDad, jaeger1, mosca1, me, and Vasco. t=1:58
Many of us do catch the bombers, and the bombers get whittled down.
I dive in on the bombers (B-24J's) and put a burst into the right wing of one. It turns out to be flown by Popsman, my father. t=2:04
Popsman tags me with some hits to the tail, left wing, and engine cowling as I zoom past. Fortunately for me, no critical parts are hit.
I pour hits into the next bomber ahead, my cannons blazing.
He bursts into flame, and his tail section snaps off. Moments later, the B-24 explodes.
I zoomed back up to get into position for anther attack, but had to split s hard to evade a P-51 coming in on me. I took a couple hits, but nothing major was hit.
Climbing back toward the B-24's, I notice my fuel state (see gauge lower right of instrument panel reading near zero). 5 minutes of fuel left. Ug. Not enough, and I have to dive out to go refuel.
Refueling, I see pather8 come in with his FW 190D-9. He runs out of gas a mere 100 yards from the refuel pad. Arg. I wish that I could get out and push. t=2:13
After climbing out from refueling, I heard Krusty on the radio talking about a fight. I flew that way.
I try to cut off a P-51 that is now running from Krusty and crew, but I can't catch him. t=2:23
After that, I looked around for any remaining enemies trying to get out of Germany, but I couldn't find them. I went back and landed.
Ug. None of the bombers I blasted ended up being kills -- all were assists to guys in FW 190D-9's. I figured I would have 2 kills, but no. Also, I bagged no P-51's as my gunnery was not very good this frame, alas. So, three assists (one B-17 and two B-24's).
Overall, III/JG1 killed 14 aircraft (mostly bombers and a few fighters) and got 15 assists. We participated in the original massacre of the 1st B-17 group. Then, we took out a group of survivors trying to make it back. Decent work, guys.
-- Brooke, GL, III/JG1