A map of the battle area for us. Our home base was a72 in sector 10.10.
After-Action Report
10/6/2012
by Brooke, XO and pilot in JG26
This was a scenario that ran in the multiplayer on-line air-combat simulation Aces High.
I was the XO of the Luftwaffe and a pilot in JG26 "Schlageter".
A map of the battle area for us. Our home base was a72 in sector 10.10.
JG26 taking off in our FW 190D-9's. From left
to right: Loki, JGroth, wnt2, pPuma, ttflier, Ditto, PROJOEe, and me
(Brooke). t=00:00
The Luftwaffe was organized into three forces, each with several fighter groups in them: North, Center, and South Force. We were in Center Force along with JG301 (in FW 190A-8's) and ZG26 (in Me 410's). I was to be in charge of Center Force. We climbed to rendezvous together. On the way, it became clear that a major allied attack was coming in from the NW of Germany, so I had all of us climb north. JG26 got up to 34k.
When we were in row 14, I asked command if they wanted Center Force to go in for an attack. We were ordered to stay in front of the enemy incursion and be ready to attack when bombers were found. In row 15, I had JG26 turn east, to parallel the incoming allied forces, and the rest of Center Force was to proceed to the Brunswick area, and then I asked them to continue north into row 14.
We came across a couple of P-47 scouts in 9.15.3 and reported them. I
asked the pilots in JG26 not to attack, but just to blow through. I didn't
want us getting all tangled up with just one or two enemy fighters, and they
didn't seem to be in a position to chase us down. A 180-degree turn at 30k
or higher blows a lot of speed, and we were at full speed. From left to
right: me, Ditto, Loki, pPuma, and JGroth. t=0:45
Bombers had not yet been reported, so I decided to have JG26 go find the bombers and JG301 and ZG26 to coordinate themselves based on information as it came in. My intent was to go find the bombers, report them, then disrupt the escort over the bombers. Once other Luftwaffe forces showed up at the bombers, then we would more aggressively attack the escort and work to clear the attacking Luftwaffe fighters. I was also hoping that, if we were able to stay over the bombers, that enemy screening fighters would race back in to protect the bombers, opening gaps for our bomber destroyers to get in. I had us fly right into the center of the enemy formation as judged by radar.
A view from my cockpit as I spot the bombers in the distance (forward left).
t=0:54
Blowing through one flight of top escort. I asked JG26 to blow through at
top speed and not to engage enemy fighters yet. About 10 bomber formations
are visible below. t=0:54
We blew through a couple more flights of P-51's and proceeded to overfly the bomber stream to its rear. Once past them, I had us do a 180 degree turn and come back up the tail of the bomber formation at 34k. I was getting out radio reports along the way. I wanted us fly up the tail of the high escort formations, forcing them to evade or get shot down. An evasion at 34k causes them to lose a lot of altitude, and any 360-degree turn at that altitude puts them way behind the bombers.
Disrupting a flight of P-51 high escort. I didn't land any hits on any of
these guys, but they had to turn, do split S'es, etc. to get out of the way.
t=1:01
Distrupting some more P-51D high escort. The B-24 bombers are visible
below. t=1:02
Some more disruption. I got very close to this guy, but couldn't land hits
as he maneuvered hard. t=1:03
We disrupted about three flights of P-51's. I asked JG26 to keep doing that, to stay high, to shoot P-51's that didn't get enough out of the way, but not to dive with them or do any 180-degree turns. We continued towards the front of the stream doing that, and disrupting the sides.
I see FW 190A-8's and other Luftwaffe fighters come streaking in to attack the
bombers. I call on the radio, "OK, D9's in the area. Get on those
P-51's and lets clear the attackers." Now it's time for mixing it up more
aggressively. From left to right: me, Wildcat1, Frodo, Honcho,
Hopper, and bino. t=1:07
We jumped on any P-51's we saw, especially including ones going after our bomber attackers.
JG26 and more Luftwaffe fighters going after any enemy fighters they see.
From left to right: mudman1, Devil5O5, KoW, CANUKK, JGroth, perdweeb,
morfiend, RAYL49, pPuma, me, Wildcat1, Loki, ttflier, Ditto, and wnt2.
t=1:07
wnt2 going after a P-51, another P-51 going after wnt2, and me going after that
P-51. I'm calling a check six on my radio as I go in. wnt2 shoots
down the P-51 he is on. t=1:08
I shoot down the P-51D (taking out first his left flap, then right horizontal
stabilizer, then right wingtip, and finally right wing over the course of a
twising, diving fight), but now am at about 15k, away from the bombers, and
separated from the rest of JG26. t=1:09
I turned and started climbing back toward reported bombers and locations of other guys in JG26. It took a while to do this. It wasn't clear at the time, but I think that the B-24's we were over initially were mostly shot down, and now reports of bombers were of a B-17 group some distance away that was largely unmolested. I asked JG26 to converge on that bomber location.
I find the bombers thanks to JG26's position reports, but get jumped by and
chased off by a large contingent of high-altitude P-51's. The bombers are
visible below. t=1:23
A picture from Popsman's cockpit (one of the B-17 pilots) at the time when I'm
above them getting chased off. To Popsman's 11 o'clock high is Tudza in
his B-17's. There are a couple of Luftwaffe fighters in among the bombers,
SirNuke and MAKAYLA.
I dragged some of the P-51's away and lower. They finally gave up chasing me, and I tried to reverse and climb back toward the bombers. Sometime around here I also saw on radar a large enemy formation down south. I reported it on the radio and feared that we would have no planes in position to attack that, as we had two large rolling fights with bombers up north. However, there were groups down there that got to them, and even some of JG26 that had replaned and were coming back up from our field were in position to participate.
As I get back toward the bombers, closing from behind, I get jumpled by another
high P-51 and have to break off. Turner, Vilkas, and jollyFE are trying to
press attacks to the bombers but are also getting attacked by P-51's.
Bombers are visible at my altitude ahead of me in the distance. t=1:30
After I evade the attack from the P-51, I see a lone formation of B-17's trailing behind.
I climb off to the left of the lone B-17 formation, calling out location and
status on the radio. It takes me a while to get up above its altitude in
order to initiate an attack. t=1:31
Just as I'm getting ready to launch my attack, a P-51B gets on me and flushes me
out. Arg! A couple other Luftwaffe fighters are down there working
to set up attacks, Turner and BaldEagle. t=1:34
I dragged that P-51B out, down, and away from the bombers. Once he gave up chasing me, I tried to go back, but got jumped and chased off by P-51's again. Then again.
By this time, I was low on fuel and had to land. After that, any bombers that were alive were on their way home, and I had little chance of getting up to their altitude and chasing them down. I flew around for a long time looking for any enemy fighters still around. I got into areas of fights, but generally showed up only as the enemies were leaving the fight at high speed, and I didn't get close enough to see any or attack them except for one once that did a high speed dive at a guy near me then moved off home.
wnt2 and I landing back at a base at the end of the day. t=2:57
I got one kill (a P-51) and landed safely back at base.
Overall, JG26 got 12 kills and 11 assists against 5 deaths.
-- Brooke, XO and JG26