Brooke is a pilot in I/JG400 (flying Me 163's) initially based at Nordhorn.
USAF aircraft counters are shown in white, and Luftwaffe in red. The USAF aircraft
near Nordhorn are reportedly P-38's at nearly 40,000 ft. altitude. The USAF
aircraft northwest of Amsterdam are likely part of a large bomber strike group.
Brooke takes off from Nordhorn in his Me 163 and asks if he should attack the
bombers or the P-38's. Luftwaffe XO Buff1 tells Brooke to go for the P-38's.
Brooke climbing away from Nordhorn spots the high bogies that are likely the
P-38's. (The Me 163 is modelled by a Mig 15.)
Brooke works on attacking the high P-38J Lightnings. He and some other Luftwaffe
fighters mix it up with the P-38's, causing them to lose some altitude. Brooke
is not able to get a good shot on any of the P-38's, as they do break turns
as Brooke closes to fire.
As Brooke is fighting the P-38's, the USAF bomber strike has headed inland and
is now nearning Brooke's position (identified by a while "+" in the
middle of the map).
As the P-38's got dispersed, Brooke scouts the enemy strike group and finds
lots and lots of USAF fighter escort. It is mostly P-51D Mustangs with some
P-38's mixed in. B-17 bombers are below at about 25,000 ft. with the escort
up at about 30,000-35,000 ft. Brooke does a radio report.
Brooke dives in an runs up the formation of escorts. Here, he attacks a P-51
escort, which is taking cannon fire and trailing debris. Brooke is working to
strip the escort from the bomber formation and to drive the escorts lower.
Brooke races past another P-51 escort he has just attacked. The P-51's are trying
for Brooke, but his Me 163 is much faster than they are.
After his run through the escort formation, Brooke pulls up and around for another
run. The fight is over Achmer, whose airfield is visible in the lower left of
the picture.
Brooke scores hits on another P-51 (the one middle left in the picture) during
his second attack run. The P-51 loses hydraulics, and its gear drops. Brooke
retargets for another P-51 and keeps firing.
Brooke hits the P-51 he was firing on in the previous picture. As he races past,
the target P-51 can be seen trailing smoke and diving. Various other P-51's
in the background are turning hard to evade Brooke's attack run. Some more passes,
and the P-51's are much lower, dispersed, and not in as good a position to escort
the bombers.
Now Brooke goes for the bombers. Here, he puts hits into a B-17G Flying Fortress,
which is trailing smoke and has lost its right outside engine.
A view from Brooke's cockpit as he flashes under the B-17.
A picture of Brooke hitting another B-17 in among the large B-17 formation.
Brooke takes many hits from B-17 gunners during his pass through the bomber
stream. They have many good gunners on this run. Brooke's Me 163 is still holding
together, but Brooke judges now is the time to veer off and head back for a
landing. Another Luftwaffe fighter polishes off a B-17 Brooke attacked, giving
Brooke the kill.
A view to the back of Brooke's Me 163 as he leaves the formation. This gives
an idea how large the bomber formation is. What an awesome sight! Brooke lands
at Achmer, another designated Me 163 base.
Brooke waits 10 minutes for another Me 163 to be made ready. By this time, the
bomber stream is near Gutersloft. Brooke takes off from Achmer as soon as his
Me 163 is ready and gives pursuit.
Brooke catches the bombers over Alperstadt.
Brooke makes an attack pass through the bomber formation, lining up, scoring
hits, flashing past, lining up on the next bomber, and so on.
Brooke races through on his second attack pass, pouring the hits into each bomber
he can line up on.
Brooke takes several hits from B-17 gunners during this first pass, and his
Me 163 starts trailing smoke. Brooke pulls up and out. His engine quits soon
afterwards.
One of the P-51 escorts follows Brooke as he does an unpowered dive away from
the bomber formation. The bomber formation is visible near Brooke's right wingtip.
Brooke calls frantically (some might say "girlishly") for help, radioing
that he is gliding for Sachau (another Me 163 base) with a P-51 in hot pursuit.
Whels answers Brooke's radio call for help. Brooke does a hard, nose-high break
turn to stay out of the gunsights of the pursuing P-51 and to set up Whels for
a better shot at the P-51.
Whels breaks the P-51 off Brooke and then kills it, saving Brooke's life. Brooke
glides his damaged, smoking Me 163 in for a deadstick landing at Sachau, which
is now protected by several Flakpanzers.
At the end of Brooke's 10-minute wait for a fresh Me 163, the bomber stream
passes back by Sachau on its way home.
Brooke takes off from Sachau, climbing hard. The USAF bomber stream is visible
in the upper left of the picture. Brooke circles the field, climbing, then goes
after the bombers.
Brooke starting his attack run on the bombers. There are several other Luftwaffe
fighters attacking. There isn't much escort left with the bombers, but there
are plenty of bombers still up, and they have excellent gunners today.
Brooke attacks the trailing B-17's, which is trailing smoke and debris from
Brooke's cannon rounds. Brooke then pulls up and around for another attack.
The B-17's gunners are too good today and there are too many bombers to keep
making runs up the whole formation. Brooke learned his lesson from missions
1 and 2 and will attack the trailing elements.
Brooke racing past on another attack run. There are still plenty of B-17 up.
Brooke during another attack run. It is a long, running fight with the bombers
as they fly west back toward England.
Brooke pouring the hits into another B-17, which is trailing debris.
View of another attack on a B-17 trailing debris. Brooke is having better luck
this time concentrating on more isolated B-17's. Also, with the B-17's having
been shot up so much by now, many gunners have probably been killed.
The running fight has made it to Bremershaven and open water. Numerous RAF Spitfires
are waiting to pick up escort of the B-17's.
Brooke makes what will be his last run on the bombers, scoring hits. The Spitfires
are in among the bombers, working to protect them as they pass out over open
water.
B-17 gunners or a Spitfire managed to put a good burst into Brooke's Me 163,
and it starts trailing smoke, but the engine is still running. Brooke breaks
off and heads for base.
Brooke's engine quits on the way back, but has plenty of altitude to glide back
to Kaltenkirchen, an Me 163 base. Here, he dives in for a landing.
Wow, what a frame. Brooke did three missions in Me 163's, and although he shot up many B-17's got only 1 kill and 1 assist. After each mission, he managed (thanks to Whels) to land back at base.
by Brooke P. Anderson
e-mail: brooke@electraforge.com
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