[Soto Cinematics] Air battles and operations - cinematic documentaries

[AWC]

This is my series on selected WWII air battles and operations. I have aimed to make my recreations as accurate as possible. I will update this topic as I complete each video. Please show your support by commenting or sharing my videos!

 

Soto

 

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 Palm Sunday Massacre added 26 May 2022

 

On 18th April, 1943, American P-40s intercepted a massive formation of Ju 52 transports between Tunisia and Sicily. Of 65 Ju 52s, 24 were completely destroyed, while 35 were heavily damaged or forced to land for the loss of 6 P-40s and 1 Spitfire. The massive Allied victory came about as part of the air offensive ‘Operation Flax’ that aimed to sever the airborne supply link between the Afrika Korps and Sicily and Italy. The Luftwaffe transport fleet, combined with losses at Stalingrad never recovered and was severely weakened for the rest of the war. 

 

Sources:

https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2019/02/18/tunisia-and-the-end-in-africa-november-1942-may-1943-part-iv/

Desert Kuban: https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/66068-kuban-autumn-nth-africa-desert-beta-upload-updated-version-to-40-04-04-2021/

Tank crew textures: https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/63745-4k-crew/

 

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Independence Day raid added 26 May 2022

 

On 4^th July 1942, 12 A-20 Bostons of 226 Squadron fly a raid on the Netherlands. 6 of the planes are manned by American crews of the 15^th Air Bombardment Squadron (VIII Air Force) as part of a media stunt to show the US presence in the European theatre. For the Americans to gain operational experience, four airfields are targeted along the Dutch coast: Haamstede, Valkenburg, Bergen-Alkmaar, and De Kooy. Despite some magnificent flying, 3 planes are lost in the attacks, including 2 American-crewed Bostons, and little damage is achieved on the airfields. The raid marks the beginning of the US daylight bombing effort that will come to define the Second World War on the Western Front.

 

Sources:
Daylight Bombing Operations 1939-1942 by Martin Bowman
Eager Eagles: The US Eighth Air Force in Europe, 1941-43 by Martin Bowman
Jagdgeschwader 1 ‘Oesau’ Aces 1939-45 by Robert Forsyth
https://www.historynet.com/july-4-1942-the-mighty-eighths-first-bombing-raid/ 
https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2020/06/14/first-raid-for-the-mighty-eighth/

@BlackHellHound1 https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/13781-blackhellhound1s-skin-museum/page/3/#comment-308900
http://things-wit-wings.blogspot.com/2016/07/
https://www.americanairmuseum.com/mission/1241
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/lynn-william.html
http://aircrewremembered.com/loehrl-frederick.html

 

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Raid on Tatsinskaya Raid added 26 May 2022

 

The Tatsinskaya Raid was a ‘deep penetration’ raid on the airfield and town of Tatsinskaya by Soviet forces as part of Operation Little Saturn in late 1942. From 16th to 23rd December 1942, the Soviet 24th Tank Corps under the command of Major General Vasily Badanov broke out past the Italian and German lines to the North-West of Stalingrad and drove deep into the rear of the enemy’s territory. An epic journey of endurance took place as Badanov’s roughly 500 vehicles crossed over 200km of snow-covered Russian country while encountering light enemy resistance, bombing attack, and poor radio communication. On the morning of 24th December 1942, 24th Tank Corps launched an attack on Tatsinskaya, reaching the airfield while air operations were taking place and subsequently destroying 46 German transports as they attempted to evacuate. This operation singlehandedly destroyed a significant part of the Luftwaffe transport fleet and seriously disrupted the Stalingrad airlift. However, the remnants of 24th Tank Corps were surrounded and almost completely destroyed by 28th December before a small force including Badanov managed to escape to Soviet lines. 

 

Sources:
Red Christmas: The Tatsinskaya Airfield Raid 1942 by Robert Forsyth
https://web.archive.org/web/20050421022505/http://grandesguerras.com.br/artigos/text01.php?art_id=13 
https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2017/03/02/twenty-fourth-tank-corps-of-1st-guards-army-in-the-tatsinskaya-raid-december-1942/
https://en.topwar.ru/84172-tacinskiy-reyd-generala-vasiliya-badanova.html

 

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Operation Oyster added 26 June 2022

On 6th December 1942, No. 2 Group RAF undertook a raid on the Philips Strijp and Emmasingel radio and vacuum tube works in Eindhoven, one of the biggest producers of electronics in Europe at the time. Also known as the Eindhoven Raid, much of the raid took place at ground level to avoid anti-aircraft defences, with the Bostons, Mosquitos and Venturas successfully knocking out the Philips works for an estimated six months. Tragically however, fourteen British aircraft were lost and 135 civilians were killed. Huge thankyou to @Hamaha15 for his fantastic mission which I modified here and there ?, and @Taurus for their awesome historical skins for this operation.

 

Sources:

Operation Oyster World War II's Forgotten Raid: The Daring Low Level Attack on the Philips Radio Works, Paul Schepers, Kees Rijken, Arthur G. Thorning
FILM ID: 1346.14 MEDIA URN:44408 GROUP: Pathe newsreels ARCHIVE: British Pathé ISSUE DATE: 17/12/1942 https://www.britishpathe.com/video/raf-raid-holland-in-daylight 
https://www.key.aero/article/low-level-daylight-mosquito-raids-world-war-two

Mission: https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/14893-the-missions-sharing-corner/page/13/

Skins: https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/35456-a-20b-skins/page/4/?tab=comments#comment-990601
@RaFiGer http://rafiger.de/Homepage/IL2-BOS-Museum/Info-JG1/Info-JG1-Early-Birds.htm
@JG1_Vonrd https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/67402-fw-190-a3-sharkmouth/

 

 

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Remagen bridge attack added 26 June 2022

 

During the afternoon of March 14th 1945, 11 Arados from III./KG 76, 6./KG76 attacked the newly constructed pontoon bridge adjacent to the Ludendorff bridge at Remagen. Heavy flak and fighter defenses were encountered, and four Arados were lost.

 

Sources:

Arado Ar234 Blitz by Smith and Creek. (Monogram 1992).
Me-262 Bomber and Reconnaissance Units by Robert Forsyth and Nick Beale.
http://www.v2rocket.com/start/deployment/v2s-on-remagen.html
https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2019/03/24/ludendorff-bridge-at-remagen/

 

@E69_julian57 https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/79327-ar-234-skins-request/#comment-1197540

@CCG_Pips https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/55056-356th-fighter-group-p-51d-skin-pack/

 

Cape Bon massacre added 18 February 2023

 

On 22nd April, 1943 South African Air Force Kittyhawks and Spitfires of 1, 2, 4 and 5 Squadrons intercepted a formation of fourteen Me 323 Gigants and a small escort of fighters between Cape Bon and the small island of Zembra. Alongside Polish Spitfires of 145 SQN RAF and later arrivals from 112 SQN and 260 SQN RAF and 450 SQN RAAF, all fourteen Me 323s were shot down into the Tunisian sea with very few Allied losses. Many of the Gigants shot down carried up to 12 tons of fuel and supplies which explained their uncharacteristically fiery demise and easy nature to shoot down. The unsustainably high loss of the Gigants in the Cape Bon massacre and dozens of other transports in other supply missions led to Reichsmarschall Herman Goering and Field Marshal Albert Kesselring to halt the doomed air supply of the Afrika Korps. 

 

Sources

Messerschmitt Me 321/323: The Luftwaffe's Giants in World War II
by Hans-Peter Dabrowski
Giant Killers: Battling the Axis transport aircraft - Britain at War, 2013
SAAF WWII Heritage https://fritzjohl.yolasite.com/home.php

Edited February 18, 2023 by Lemsip

[tribal50]

Nice work, Lemsip. A-20s are big babies. It was a little bit challenging to do a touch-down , was it? ?

[AWC]

Operation Oyster, The Eindhoven Raid, added

[Bonnot]

5 hours ago, Lemsip said:

Operation Oyster, The Eindhoven Raid, added

One more excellent story !

The Mossie will probably inspire more films like this .... for instance, Max Guedj , the Free French wing Co of the Coastal Command and the raid on Ofot Fjord.

It is a masterpiece of Clostermann's  "Feux du Ciel" short stories......

20 mosquitoes attacking flakships and oil tanker in the long, narrow iced fjord will be a F... challenge  ?

[Taurus]

Fantastic videos Lemsip!

Magnificent to watch. Great camera angles and notation, narration, audio, attention to detail and with documented references.

A huge amount of work went into them I bet!

 

(Very clever with the Ventura's work around too!)

 

Cheers,

 

Edited June 28, 2022 by Taurus

[AWC]

Jet attack at Remagen added

[E69_julian57]

Very good videos 

[AWC]

Cape Bon massacre added

[Knarley-Bob]

Bravo!!!!! 

[tribal50]

Nice work, Lemsip.