by Brooke, pilot in I/JG400
Took off in Me163. Got 2 P-51 kills and returned (eventually) safely to base.
I first took off in an Me109-G with I/JG3 (all of whom were in FW 190A-8's) to help with positioning. We took off and proceeded to climb up to about 38k in the vacinity of Kre when the counters started to show up way down south. I/JG3 then headed S on an intercept as one of the groups leading the charge.
While we were still several sectors from intercept, I called in to see if Command wanted me to land and get ready for an Me163 mission, which they did. I dove out, landed, waited my 10 minutes and got ready for another Me163 mission.
I took off (from one of our classified bases) and headed toward the formation. We had some scouts shadowing the formation, so I was about the 4th plane on the scene.
I headed for the front of the formation at 38k, ready to fly along it initially to scout the escort situation. The formation was down near the bottom of row 6, and I overflew it from its front to the back. I called out the bomber formation, which was right down near the very bottom of row 6, and called out that there was a huge amount of P-51 escort at about 35k. The scouts were staying high, giving position reports -- they did an awesome job on that essential aspect from what I could see.
I decided that, rather than dive through the bomber formation, since the escorts were mostly undisturbed yet, I'd try to stir things up a bit. Once I was past the end of the formation, I turned around, went to full throttle, dove a bit, and went up the tail of the huge formation targeting P-51's. I felt privileged to be one of the first to welcome them Germany. It was hard to pick out P-51's, there were so many of them around, but I picked out some here and there. I dove in on the tail of one and put a good long burst into him, and he blew up, giving me the kill. I kept going. Some of them saw me coming and did hard diving turns. At times, I had to veer around, as the escort was distributed from about 33-35k or so, down to about 25k, and I'd occasionally go after lower P-51's, drawing some of the higher ones down on my tempting Me163.
I did take one ping from a P-51 that did a good job getting an angle on me, but that was it. I continued to harass as many P-51's as I could, trying to get them to turn, dive, or die to my guns. The second plane I got a good burst into started to smoke, but didn't blow up -- still, as deep in as they were, he was as good as dead. A bit later, I got a good burst into and killed Vampire, the allied CO. I put good bursts into one or two other P-51's, raking another one over good before he did a break turn.
I continued to harass them until I thought I was at a minimum of fuel to make it back to base, then headed out of the formation to its north, then veered to the WNW for the trip home, cutting my engine and gliding at a 150 knot, 2.5k fpm descent. After I bugged out N and then looked at the map to get my heading home, I was surprised how far away I was. Hmm. It was a long way -- about 5 sectors! I had saved some fuel, though, so I figured that I'd be OK, as I began my glide at about 25k.
As I got to within a few sectors of base, I was low. At 1k, I relit the engine, went to full power and a 150 knot max-rate climb. I figured I'd get back up to 10k or so and be fine. However, at about 5k, my engine cut out. Shit! I thought my gauge was showing me more fuel than that, but it is very hard to tell when you are so close to empty in these Me163's.
I went back to a 150 knot, 2.5k fpm glide. Closer in, as I neared the field and could see its green outline, I pointed my nose right at its direction. However, I could tell that I was going to touch down well short of the field. At 500 feet, I deployed my gear and touched down. However, I didn't apply brakes. I just let her keep rolling in the direction of the field and she kept rolling, and rolling, and rolling! Hmm. I just stayed in the plane and let it keep rolling. Not the most accurate of physics models for rolling resistance, I'd say, but what the hell -- in real life a guy in a jeep would just come on over to get me or tow my plane back, so I stayed with it. I saw a couple of guys land at the field I was aiming for and some take off. I was so close!
End log came before I made it back to base (that's how slow I was rolling!), but I WAS still rolling. I suppose by the letter of the rules I'd be able to say I was OK as long as I was still in the plane at end log, even if I didn't make it back, but I wanted to make sure I actually would make it to base before reporting in that the plane was OK. If I didn't make it, I'd report that I had to ditch. But I did make it. About a minute or two after end log, I slowly coasted onto the runway, finally hit the brakes, and got out. Whew!
So, final tally, 2 P-51's killed, a couple more shot up pretty well, and (I hope) a bunch that blew altitude and position to avoid me or try for me. But I have to be more careful with reading the fuel gauge -- this time I cut it way too close (past close, actually), blowing the opportunity for later missions.
-- Brooke +19+, I/JG400