"Ace of Aces" - WWII Challenge!

[oFlyingDutchman]

@kozmo514 i didnt fully beat Bong using the P47, but i hope i still can get your respect mate lol

[Varibraun]

1 hour ago, oFlyingDutchman said:

- Flight Lieutenant Erich "No guts no glory" McGuire

 

CONGRATULATIONS @oFlyingDutchman on turning history on it's head with McGuire being the top US ace and besting the 40 victories of Maj. Richard Bong!!  Even more impressive was the fact that more the 1/2 were downed with the P-47.  Well done mate! 

 

*BoK Premium on its way...

[oFlyingDutchman]

Thank you!

Also, would you please let me know @Varibraun when a flying circus challange opens up again? its the only module i don't have, and i'll gun for that oportunity when it arises 
Thank you for the iniciative 

[Hotaru_Ito]

Congratulations @oFlyingDutchman! I'm impressed you did more than half of it in a P-47.

 

If no one minds, I'm going to keep working on my attempt regardless just to see if I can make it. My best so far is 29 in a Hurricane before being shot down by AA, so I'll be pleased with myself if I can make it to 40 this time.

 

Flight Officer JT Wilder, aka Bong Attempt I, arrived with the 352nd in September '44. It's now late October and he's encountered the enemy four times and scored 12 victories.

 

First time, 6v5 against FWs starting from a huge altitude advantage, he got 2 plus 1 probable while the rest of the flight got 2 more. Second, 6v5 or 6v6, got 4 plus 1 shared for the loss of 1 Mustang and pilot (which wouldn't have happened if FO Wilder had been about 2 seconds quicker at shooting the FW off his tail). Third time was kind of weird, a "dawn patrol" over our own field at Diest, the flight went right over 4 FW jabos and ignored them totally. Maybe it was still dark enough to count as night, but they were perfectly visible even without icons. Anyway, Wilder broke formation, split-s'd onto their tail, and got 2 in the first pass while they were still lining up to bomb the airfield. Field AA got one, and Wilder got the fourth as it was heading out. Fourth time, 6v6 with 109s starting about same altitude, 3 for Wilder and 1 for Major Powell, the flight leader, for 1 Mustang damaged and another shot down later by front line AA.

 

In other news, Major Preddy was shot down and wounded by AA on a fighter-bomber mission (at least it was enemy AA), so he's out of the war with 23 victories. (I'm curious how PWCG handles this, whether he will inexplicably drop dead on the date the real one was killed or if he's officially "off the hook.")

 

Right now things are going a little easy. I've only been hit twice, once by AA and once by a shoulder-shooting wingman. I'm less bothered about that now that there's no prize at stake but I still think I'll tweak the PWCG settings to make it tougher. Currently I've got it set for 1 enemy flight of 4-6 vs. our 6-ship flight, so best case scenario 6v4 our way, worst case 6v6. It doesn't help that the AI is terrible with the FW-190, even on "ace." I think I'll try 2 enemy flights of 3-4, so best case is 6v3 but worst case is 8v6 their way. My experience is it often doesn't take much for the difficulty to go straight from "turkey shoot" to "turkey shoot (you're the turkey)" so we'll see how that goes. I'm curious, what settings are other people using?

Edited October 12, 2021 by Hotaru_Ito

[kozmo514]

1 hour ago, oFlyingDutchman said:

@kozmo514 i didnt fully beat Bong using the P47, but i hope i still can get your respect mate lol

Congratulations on a an exceptional result! Respect indeed!  Quite an achievement of half the victories in the Jug. Color me impressed.

[oFlyingDutchman]

6 hours ago, Hotaru_Ito said:

Congratulations @oFlyingDutchman! I'm impressed you did more than half of it in a P-47.

 

If no one minds, I'm going to keep working on my attempt regardless just to see if I can make it. My best so far is 29 in a Hurricane before being shot down by AA, so I'll be pleased with myself if I can make it to 40 this time.

 

Flight Officer JT Wilder, aka Bong Attempt I, arrived with the 352nd in September '44. It's now late October and he's encountered the enemy four times and scored 12 victories.

 

First time, 6v5 against FWs starting from a huge altitude advantage, he got 2 plus 1 probable while the rest of the flight got 2 more. Second, 6v5 or 6v6, got 4 plus 1 shared for the loss of 1 Mustang and pilot (which wouldn't have happened if FO Wilder had been about 2 seconds quicker at shooting the FW off his tail). Third time was kind of weird, a "dawn patrol" over our own field at Diest, the flight went right over 4 FW jabos and ignored them totally. Maybe it was still dark enough to count as night, but they were perfectly visible even without icons. Anyway, Wilder broke formation, split-s'd onto their tail, and got 2 in the first pass while they were still lining up to bomb the airfield. Field AA got one, and Wilder got the fourth as it was heading out. Fourth time, 6v6 with 109s starting about same altitude, 3 for Wilder and 1 for Major Powell, the flight leader, for 1 Mustang damaged and another shot down later by front line AA.

 

In other news, Major Preddy was shot down and wounded by AA on a fighter-bomber mission (at least it was enemy AA), so he's out of the war with 23 victories. (I'm curious how PWCG handles this, whether he will inexplicably drop dead on the date the real one was killed or if he's officially "off the hook.")

 

 

I dont mind it at all, i would like to know if you can finish it also
btwm http://logbook.ansirial.it/Calendar/1467 is my logbook if you want to check how i progressed. it start in august with the last one in december

Edited October 12, 2021 by oFlyingDutchman

[Varibraun]

PSA - Uri is currently at 66 victories, just one short of the 67 needed to best Kozhedub.  It will likely be a couple of days before I have a chance to get another mission under his belt.  So @krebs, there is still some time 

 

 

 

14 hours ago, Hotaru_Ito said:

If no one minds, I'm going to keep working on my attempt regardless just to see if I can make it. My best so far is 29 in a Hurricane before being shot down by AA, so I'll be pleased with myself if I can make it to 40 this time.

 

@Hotaru_Ito - I hope you will continue.  Regardless of rewards for the "first" here, I think it is an interesting way for a SP to provide some "color" commentary in the sim and to recognize the remarkable achievements of those young pilots now so many decades ago. 

 

Regarding PWCG settings, I am posting mine below.  For my "skill" level, I find these a good balance for a personal challenge when playing "dead is dead."  For me, they force some situational awareness to decide whether to shoot or scoot to survive another day in your great "turkey vs. turkey shoot" analogy.  I roleplay my pilot's rank to allow me to take additional wingmen by allowing myself to assign any additional pilots that I outrank (I typically fly a 4 flight when I can, but will sometimes bring along 2 - 4 more for offensive missions over enemy territory).  Once I have squadron command, I use @PatrickAWlson's mission role in setting up the mission type.  With that as background, here are my current flight settings (a/i is set to stock mode with no modifier):

 

 

 

14 hours ago, oFlyingDutchman said:

Thank you!

Also, would you please let me know @Varibraun when a flying circus challange opens up again? its the only module i don't have, and i'll gun for that oportunity when it arises 
Thank you for the iniciative 

 

Certainly!  Awesome job Dutch, I look forward to some new stories along the way next time too.  

[krebs]

"Get out, davai, davai" Vasily thought as he scrambled to unbuckle his seatbelt. His left wing and tail had been chopped off following a disastrous mid-air collision with a Stuka. Finally freed from his spiralling Yak fighter, he pulled the cord on his parachute as a wave of heat greeted him from below. The Stuka had crashed right below him. Looking around as he drifted downwards, Vasily saw no other parachutes. Fortunately, the wind steered him away from the burning wreckage below. As he hit the ground, the young Lieutenant collapsed onto the snow-covered Russian soil. He couldn't help but to grit his teeth as a shockwave of pain flooded his left arm. Finally getting up, he brushed the snow off of his flight suit as he started the long walk back.

 

16 days later, on the 31st of March, he would rejoin his comrades with a patrol sortie resulting in 2 BF-110s shot down, bringing Vasily's total to 14 kills. He had survived his first month of combat...barely.

 

(Bit of an error last time, Vasily flew his first mission on March 1st, not January 3rd. Not used to American dates lol.)

[krebs]

Just wanted to share some screenshots I made along the way, up to 20 kills now.

[Varibraun]

Hero of the Soviet Union, Maj Uri Chebykin scored his 68th victory on 18 Jun '42, besting his old flight instructor and (future) rival Ivan Kozhedub:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uri will continue his career in pursuit of the leading Luftwaffe aces, he currently only trails the leading ace in the theatre, Ltn Hermann Graf by one victory.

 

As promised, I am offering the BoBp Premium "Kozhedub" Reward to the community.  To recognize Marshall Kozhedub and a couple of our virtual "Ace of Aces," the first community member answering all of the following questions correctly in this thread will get the BoBp Premium key (hint, all of the answers are contained somewhere in this thread):

 

1.  In what month and year did Ivan Kozhedub score his first victory?

 

2.  What aircraft type were Ivan Kozhedub's most controversial shoot downs (claims?)?

 

3.  What was Ivan Kozhedub's final military rank?

 

4.  What was Ivan Kozhedub's first assignment type after completing flight training?

 

5.  Which community member was our very first virtual Ace of Aces?

 

6.  Which community member is currently leading in victories with a surviving pilot in the Hartmann challenge?

 

Claimed - Good luck!! - Key awarded to @kozmo514

 

Edited October 16, 2021 by Varibraun
Reward claimed

[kozmo514]

1 hour ago, Varibraun said:

I'll give it a go!

 

As promised, I am offering the BoBp Premium "Kozhedub" Reward to the community.  To recognize Marshall Kozhedub and a couple of our virtual "Ace of Aces," the first community member answering all of the following questions correctly in this thread will get the BoBp Premium key (hint, all of the answers are contained somewhere in this thread):

 

1.  In what month and year did Ivan Kozhedub score his first victory?    July 1943

 

2.  What aircraft type were Ivan Kozhedub's most controversial shoot downs (claims?)?  P-51 Mustang

 

3.  What was Ivan Kozhedub's final military rank?  Aviation Marshall

 

4.  What was Ivan Kozhedub's first assignment type after completing flight training?   Instructor

 

5.  Which community member was our very first virtual Ace of Aces?   Monksilver

 

6.  Which community member is currently leading in victories with a surviving pilot in the Hartmann challenge?   Hetzer-JG51

 

Good luck!!

 

 

[Varibraun]

Hero of the Soviet Union, Maj Uri Chebykin scored his 68th victory on 18 Jun '42, besting his old flight instructor and (future) rival Ivan Kozhedub:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uri will continue his career in pursuit of the leading Luftwaffe aces, he currently only trails the leading ace in the theatre, Ltn Hermann Graf by one victory.

 

As promised, I am offering the BoBp Premium "Kozhedub" Reward to the community.  To recognize Marshall Kozhedub and a couple of our virtual "Ace of Aces," the first community member answering all of the following questions correctly will get the BoBp Premium key (hint, all of the answers are contained somewhere in this thread):

 

1.  In what month and year did Ivan Kozhedub score his first victory?

 

2.  What aircraft type were Ivan Kozhedub's most controversial shoot downs (claims?)?

 

3.  What was Ivan Kozhedub's final military rank?

 

4.  What was Ivan Kozhedub's first assignment type after completing flight training?

 

5.  Which community member was our very first virtual Ace of Aces?

 

6.  Which community member is currently leading in victories with a surviving pilot in the Hartmann challenge?

 

Good luck!! - Key goes to @kozmo514 (reply was merged).  Nice work Kozmo!!

 

[oFlyingDutchman]

@Varibraun Congrats on the achivement matey

[Varibraun]

Rewards update - We are getting there thanks to everyone's efforts over these past few weeks, the following are still awaiting their virtual Aces:

 

-Spit V (Beurling)

-Hurricane (Johnson)

-GB title of Ace's Choice (Hartmann)

 

Also, just sent Pat a couple more thank you "beers" for the Bong and Kuzhedub challenge completions. 

[krebs]

As Vasily stepped out of his Yak following an uneventful patrol, his crew chief rushed to his side with news. Both of Vasily's claims he made the day before had been confirmed, bringing him to 25 victories total. It also meant he was now the 5th most successful ace thus far, and hot on the heels of the 3rd and 4th.

 

 

In-game events aside, congratulations once again to @Varibraun for being the first to best Kozhedub! It seems like I'll be continuing on with my own pilot's career regardless since I have nothing else to do at the moment.

[[F.Circus]FrangibleCover]

I've been thinking about dipping my toe into one of these, but I could never decide what to do because I already own all of the prize modules and don't really want to take away someone else's chance of winning something. Therefore, I am making up my own category to be going on with ?. PWCG doesn't have No. 486 (NZ) Squadron RAF, but it does have No. 184 Squadron who are an experienced unit on Tempests at Grimbergen at the start of September 1944, so they can play the role convincingly. I am therefore chasing Colin Grey, RNZAF Ace of Aces with 27 kills (Buzz Bombs don't count) and I would like you all to wish the best of luck to newly-minted Pilot Officer Taipo Henare.

 

From my reading on the squadron, the rest of the unit being made up of pakehas and poms with a variety of public school accents is about right for No. 486, while they were an Article XV unit they got a lot of their replacements from common pools and ended up with half Brits by this point of the war.

[kozmo514]

2 hours ago, [F.Circus]FrangibleCover said:

I've been thinking about dipping my toe into one of these, but I could never decide what to do because I already own all of the prize modules and don't really want to take away someone else's chance of winning something. Therefore, I am making up my own category to be going on with ?. PWCG doesn't have No. 486 (NZ) Squadron RAF, but it does have No. 184 Squadron who are an experienced unit on Tempests at Grimbergen at the start of September 1944, so they can play the role convincingly. I am therefore chasing Colin Grey, RNZAF Ace of Aces with 27 kills (Buzz Bombs don't count) and I would like you all to wish the best of luck to newly-minted Pilot Officer Taipo Henare.

 

From my reading on the squadron, the rest of the unit being made up of pakehas and poms with a variety of public school accents is about right for No. 486, while they were an Article XV unit they got a lot of their replacements from common pools and ended up with half Brits by this point of the war.

Excellent!  Good on ya, M8.   Do I hear a Maori Haka from over the horizon!? 

[Varibraun]

6 hours ago, [F.Circus]FrangibleCover said:

I am therefore chasing Colin Grey, RNZAF Ace of Aces with 27 kills (Buzz Bombs don't count) and I would like you all to wish the best of luck to newly-minted Pilot Officer Taipo Henare.

 

Nice!  Go get em Taipo, that new Tempest is a beast! 

 

*I am still entering you under the Hartmann category, that would be quite a feat starting in 1944, but you never know.

[oFlyingDutchman]

@VaribraunHow many kills the first one on aces of aces have right now?
I'm tempted to try it so i can get FC1

Edited October 18, 2021 by oFlyingDutchman

[Varibraun]

 

 

7 hours ago, oFlyingDutchman said:

How many kills the first one on aces of aces have right now?
I'm tempted to try it so i can get FC1

 

From his post below, looks like @Hetzer-JG51 is at 204, but based on the thread history, I don't think he is flying his pilot (Maj Steffner) right now. 

 

It was his success in flying PWCG Ironman pilots that gave me this whole idea.  He has some great stories in this thread and over in the PWCG "Interesting Mission" thread.

 

 

[kozmo514]

204 is impressive! I too got sidetracked by a work trip.  Hopped back in my trusty spit Friday, out of my groove. One moment of distraction in trimming the AC and I veered into another sqdn mate, sending us both into the silk. I managed to get my last attempt captured deep in enemy territory.

 

21 kills and one careless mistake ends it.

It put me off the challenge for the moment. Spending some time in a stuka. That should clear my head!?

[Varibraun]

4 hours ago, kozmo514 said:

21 kills and one careless mistake ends it.

 

Happened to the IRL best too - Tom McGuire just to name one.  I predict you will be back in fighters soon...

[kozmo514]

1 hour ago, Varibraun said:

 

Happened to the IRL best too - Tom McGuire just to name one.  I predict you will be back in fighters soon...

Frustrating that it was an unforced "error" that ended it!   

 

On my second Stuka mission last night, while returning to base,  I watched our escorts disable an attacking Yak.  Without thinking, I started to turn towards him thinking I was well positioned to get behind his disabled plane and dispatch him.  Just then, I hear over the intercom from the back seater, "Mein Gott, Leutnant, NEIN!  We are not a Messerschmitt!" 

 

I think you're right, I already feel the fighter in me, calling!

[krebs]

On the 10th of September 1942, Vasily Kharkov would claim his 67th kill, besting his to-be rival Ivan Kozhedub.

 

Honestly have no idea how I survived all of that. Probably gonna take a break, as much as I want to pursue Hartmann's 352, I suspect Vasily's luck may very well run out soon.

[Varibraun]

6 hours ago, krebs said:

On the 10th of September 1942, Vasily Kharkov would claim his 67th kill, besting his to-be rival Ivan Kozhedub.

 

Congrats to Vasily, that is quite the accomplishment.  Nice work Krebs! 

 

I still have a feeling he will be back to chase down Hartmann's score soon...

[justin_z3r0]

On 9/13/2021 at 9:59 PM, justin_z3r0 said:

I just go my main pilot Hptmn Hans Orange (my 2yr daughter chose the last name). He just reached 100 air victories in 1/JG 51. Hes now into July 1942 on the Kuban Front. He recently lost his long time wingman Sepp Deutsch of 34 victories to a Pe-2 gunner of all things... Hans is taking a break to grieve. His leadership owes that much to him given his high tally.

 

Still playing away. Life has been busy lately though.

 

Hans is back (started before this challenge so not eligible for Hatmann prize). up to 113 victories in July 1942 JG 51 in FW190s. I find the high roll rate in the FW difficult to get used to. I felt more at home in a Bf109. the firepower is welcome though.

 

[grcurmudgeon]

A AAA hit just inside enemy territory while rolling in on some transportation assets ended Warrant Officer Buerling Attempt IV's career on his 11th mission. He was up to 15 kills and had it easy to that point. One mission he got 3 110s, and another turkey shoot was running into their first flight of 262s on their way home where the squadron downed all 6. 

 

With so many others getting involved, and a few after Buerling, I'm going to move back to 109s on the Eastern Front at the start of the war and see if I can get any further.

[Hotaru_Ito]

News from the 352nd: after an unexpectedly productive November, JT Wilder's tally stands at 30, but he's had a couple of close calls along the way.

 

Last combat of October, Wilder's flight was bounced by six of what he could only describe as "a cross between a Messerschmitt and an FW." (They turned out, of course, to be the squadron's first "Doras".) One of them nearly shot Wilder's tail off in the first pass, but once the Germans had burned off their energy, the Mustangs made short work of them in the turn fight. All six "Doras" were shot down without loss. Wilder claimed 3.

 

Wilder was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant at the end of October. He scored a couple more (a Bf-110 and Ju-88) in the first days of November, so by the time he took off on the 10th, his plane had 17 little swastikas next to the cockpit. On that mission, the flight encountered an unescorted group of Ju-88s and another of Fw-190 jabos. Wilder claimed 2 88s and 3 FWs, thinking as his engine stopped at Venlo, "Wow, 'ace in a day.' I'll never top that!"

 

Four days later--the 14th. Cold, rainy, cloudy. Hard to even keep formation. Another line patrol. Wilder was flying as "Bluebird 2", and his plane had 22 little swastikas.

 

Over the lines near Kleve, "Bluebird 4" was hit by flak and veered out of formation, trailing smoke. An inauspicious start to the day. Then--"Fighters at 4 o'clock!" The Mustangs spread out to engage. FWs again, 4 of. Probably novice pilots, too. Not so terrible. Wilder quickly pulled onto the tail of one FW, fired, then veered off, thinking he saw tracers. (Interesting fact: raindrops on a P-51 canopy look remarkably like tracers.) As he turned to attack another FW, Wilder saw the first spiraling in, trailing smoke: 1 victory. A second later, the second nosed over: 2. He had to chase down the third one, which quickly flipped out of control: 3. Catching sight of the last FW trying to escape, Wilder overhauled it and shot it down: 4. A decent day's work, he said to himself.

 

Then things got interesting. "Wilder, break! Fighters, 6 o'clock high!" He pulled into a "split-s." He looked back: four more Germans, and no P-51s (but who had called "break?"). 1v4 at disadvantage: nothing for it but to make a run for the front. He dove and headed west. The FWs were gaining. If they didn't veer off soon, he'd have to fight. Four more victories?

 

Finally, flak bursts. Friendly AA from Nijmegen. The FWs were veering off. Now or never: he half-looped back. Still 1v4, but now he was on the attack! An FW cut across him and he took a snap shot. He didn't think he'd hit it, but he turned and saw it spiraling in. Lucky shot: 5. He made a pass at another, left it smoking, looped away before the others could attack--but they were still circling in confusion. They almost looked like they were fighting more than one plane. No time to think about it: Wilder turned to attack a third--down to 2 guns now, careful!--and sent it out of control: 6. He rolled onto the damaged one's tail and attacked again. Got it smoking more vigorously but still flying. As he looked for the fourth one, though, he saw another plane tailing the damaged FW. They were fighting more than one plane! Another Mustang? No: too big, too round. A P-47! Where did he come from? No matter: 1v4 was now 2v2. Excellent! Leaving the crippled German to the "Jug" driver, Wilder chased down the last FW. A few bursts set its engine on fire and Wilder watched the pilot bail out: 7. Couple rounds left for the last one. Not hard to spot the smoke, still limping back toward the front lines, but before Wilder fired, he saw its propeller stop turning: 8!

 

The atmosphere that evening was not jubilant. Rogers was still missing, Petrone was shot down, presumed dead, and no one else had scored. Rogers's unexpected return next day (he ditched and escaped back to the lines) did more for morale than Wilder's 8. Still, Wilder thought, as he painted eight more little swastikas on his plane, "Well, eight in a day... I really will never top that!"

 

 

 

 

Sorry for the long story, but if it isn't obvious, I'm way too pleased with myself for this one. Don't think I've ever got 8 before even in QMB. Lucky pilot snipes, AI in FWs are pushovers, and the P-47 was a lucky break. Still, the Mustang is growing on me. Before this campaign I preferred the P-38 (cannon, ez-mode gunnery, climbs like a rocket). Now, well, I actually still prefer the P-38 but I like the P-51 a lot more than I used to. Doesn't hurt that the AI is a lot better with it than with the P-38 so my squadron mates actually score now and again.

 

Also, just wanted to add @PatrickAWlson: this sort of experience is one of the things I love about your campaign generator. Not that vanilla career isn't fun too, but I can just only shoot down the same 3 Hurricanes in my 109 so many times before it gets old. With PWCG there's really a sense that each mission is unique, especially now I seem to have the settings set up a way I like. And incidentally the ability to customize things like plane and flight numbers is a huge help to those of us trying to play in VR on 2017 hardware. Thanks!

Edited October 23, 2021 by Hotaru_Ito
trimmed a bit

[Varibraun]

3 hours ago, Hotaru_Ito said:

Wilder thought, as he painted eight more little swastikas on his plane, "Well, eight in a day... I really will never top that!"

 

Really nice story of an awesome flight!

 

3 hours ago, Hotaru_Ito said:

Also, just wanted to add @PatrickAWlson: this sort of experience is one of the things I love about your campaign generator. Not that vanilla career isn't fun too, but I can just only shoot down the same 3 Hurricanes in my 109 so many times before it gets old. With PWCG there's really a sense that each mission is unique, especially now I seem to have the settings set up a way I like. And incidentally the ability to customize things like plane and flight numbers is a huge help to those of us trying to play in VR on 2017 hardware. Thanks!

 

+1

[Varibraun]

Check out the first installment of @Requiem's challenge of Johnson (also shows PWCG in Coop):

 

 

[grcurmudgeon]

I decided to go back to the Spit IX which is just so much fun to fly and give Buerling another go. It started off splendidly, including a mission where we came across 6 Ju-88s. I went in, the squadmates ignored them, and I got one pilot kill and set 3 engines on fire for four kills in one mission. The next mission we ran into some FW-190s, I got one and then ran into some Me-262s bombing infantry. Chased one, saw some 190s but they were staying high so I kept after the 262, and missed on of the 190s dropping in on my 6. Took some hard hits, tried to bail, then he blew the plane apart. Ended after only 4 missions with 7 kills, sigh.

 

Sticking with the Spit for a while, going back to the 109 was just not as interesting, I missed the twin cannons and twin 50s...

[Varibraun]

Just saw @Requiem's next Johnson Challenge mission was up on Youtube.  Nice shooting!

 

 

[Varibraun]

@Requiem's WO Wood makes ace in an ill advised zero dark thirty rain soaked furball with Night Fighters!  No idea what his squadron commander (Johnnie Johnson) was thinking in sending his boys out into this one:

 

 

[Requiem]

10 hours ago, Varibraun said:

@Requiem's WO Wood makes ace in an ill advised zero dark thirty rain soaked furball with Night Fighters!  No idea what his squadron commander (Johnnie Johnson) was thinking in sending his boys out into this one:

Yep definitely not a good idea. Missions after midnight with rain and low level clouds….definitely not going out in that again. It was hard enough to fly and navigate let alone fight LOL lesson learned!

[Varibraun]

13 hours ago, Requiem said:

Yep definitely not a good idea. Missions after midnight with rain and low level clouds….definitely not going out in that again. It was hard enough to fly and navigate let alone fight LOL lesson learned!

 

I was sweating just watching it on Youtube with the spins, near mid airs, and enemy rounds landing!  Really nice work to you and the flight flying in that and even bagging some kills (but sorry about your brother, LOL).

 

Based on one of your comments, are you guys actually flying together cross Pacific?  If so, that is an awesome testament to the power of Coop I think.

[Requiem]

1 hour ago, Varibraun said:

 

I was sweating just watching it on Youtube with the spins, near mid airs, and enemy rounds landing!  Really nice work to you and the flight flying in that and even bagging some kills (but sorry about your brother, LOL).

 

Based on one of your comments, are you guys actually flying together cross Pacific?  If so, that is an awesome testament to the power of Coop I think.

Yeah I'm hosting the server in Atlanta and my brother Peregryn is in Australia. It helps with me being on fiber having 300 mb/s down and 200 mb/s up though!

[Varibraun]

Headline Pravda: Hero of the Soviet Union and Soviet Ace of Aces, Maj Uri Chebykin, was killed in action while valiantly leading the 273rd into action against superior enemy numbers on 29 June 1942.  Other hero pilots vow revenge for cowardly strike.

 

Headline Das Reich: OLt Karl Porsche, the young ace commanding officer of I./JG51, braving hordes of enemy fighters and heavy anti-aircraft fire brought down the "Red Terror" Chebykin on 29 June 1942.  Soviets left completely demoralized while our pilot and panzer aces continue to add to their victory tally.

 

273rd Dispatch:  29 June 42 - Maj Chebykin (75 victories) was killed today while attempting to land under fire at a forward field.  SLt Ivan Pyanykh (acting squadron commander) reports that Maj Chebykin was leading a flight of 4 Yak-1bs (including Pyanykh) when they encountered 2 separate enemy attack groups of approximately 14 total aircraft, including at least 6 fighter aircraft. 

 

Maj Chebykin led into the fight, attempting to gain altitude in order to isolate one group of the escorting fighters.  However, just as the groups merged he immediately radioed Pyanykh to report that he had been wounded by a cannon round and was egressing to the emergency field close to the front.  Chebykin made the field, and likely could have landed his damaged Yak, but seemed to have decided to attempt to assist his squadron mates who were following to cover their commander.  It appeared that Chebykin was unaware that in addition to a pursuing 109, another German fighter squadron flying FWs was approaching from a higher altitude.

 

Pyanykh immediately climbed and engaged the lurking 190s, heavily damaging their lead aircraft.  Maj Chebykin only then seemed to realize the danger above and dropped his landing gear and flaps turning back toward the field.  The lead German aircraft, possibly recognizing Chebykin's distinctive paint scheme, broke away from Pyanykh ignoring the damage to his own aircraft and the hail of AA the field was throwing up, to take the opportunity to make a run on the Chebykin's helpless aircraft.  Pyanykh and ground personnel reported seeing several strikes on the red nosed Yak which was just a few feet above the field.  It is believed that Maj Chebykin was killed or rendered unconscious by cannon rounds before his aircraft then struck the ground and exploded.

 

SLt Pyanykh will take command of the 273rd.  He reports that since passing the German ace Graf a few weeks earlier, Maj Chebykin had been focusing his efforts on training the squadron and even sharing kills to increase their confidence.  Therefore it is believed that Maj Chebykin's victories exceed the official report of 75.

 

Varibraun's take:  Sad to see Uri #3 go, I have been flying him for the past few months.  @PatrickAWlson really does a great job of getting me attached to pixels.  I got this Uri killed by violating the #1 rule of Ironman, which is to survive.  He was wounded (with blurred vision) in the merge and I should have just put the plane down instead of stupidly turning back into the fight (which I thought was just a lonely 109 pursuing) without full situational awareness.  Uri #4 will be reporting to the squadron soon. 

 

Some highlights/lowlights from Uri Chebykin's final flight:

 

 

Too late Uri realizes he is in serious trouble:

 

 

Olt Porsche (yeah - that is really the AI German's name, at least Uri went down in style) sees opportunity and finds his mark: 

 

 

The fatal round strikes:

 

 

The result - until that moment I thought I was still going to put it down safely and see the 190 overshoot:

 

 

The victor makes his escape in a battered machine to return home with a "Roy Brownesk" tale of giant slaying:

 

 

 

[oFlyingDutchman]

@Varibraunsad to see such a good campaign end the way it did
I like to feel that i'm a good pilot and would at least know how to handle myself if i were a pilot in ww2
Then i get killed a few times and put back on my place.
Cheers for the amazing score you got there

[krebs]

@Varibraun an unfortunate end, but an impressive run nonetheless! That reminds me, I should probably pick back up where I left off with Vasily the last time.

[grcurmudgeon]

I forgot the "if you hear an engine nearby and it's likely a friendly, get out of the way and let him have the target" rule. Of course, you may not have time to look around, find out where he is, and decide which way to bug out before he hits you. Squadmate took me out while I was pulling lead on a 190. Of course, HE was only seriously wounded. Another Buerling Attempt bites the dust.