DF_1943_The Big Show -'First successes over France'

[DFLion]

Fly with the Biggin Hill Wing as they sweep ahead of USAAF Marauder bombers targeting Luftwaffe JG2 fighter bases and Le Havre harbour. Watch out for Major von Graff and his Focke-Wulfs protecting their airfields. USAAF Mustang P51B’s will escort the bombers.

Mission notes: This is big mission and you must keep a close eye on your fuel gauge (hopefully Han and the team are working on the fuel drop tanks for the game?)

This is another historic mission based on Pierre Clostermann’s book ‘The Big Show’ – Clostermann successfully shot down 2 Focke-Wulfs during this mission, see how you go? Thank you to the skin makers and to ‘Jaegermeister’ for his advice in making this mission.

DFLion

DF_The Big Show_First successes over France.zip

[Numenor225]

Thanks for this mission, you’ll update when We have drop fuel tanks? ?

[DFLion]

Thanks Numenor225, 

Any mission made pre-D Day needs 'drop tanks' to comfortably get across the Channel and back. Prior to D-Day, there are hundreds of missions you could make because the Allies were now on the offensive. I was just reading one of my books on the Spitfire, they produced three versions of the 'slipper tank' 30gal, 45gal, and 90gal - 300,000 tanks were subsequently manufactured for the Spitfire until the end of the war.

When the team produces the 'drop tanks' I will reproduce this mission.

I am thinking of shortening the mission, in a future version, to get the Spitfires safely home, prior to getting the drop tanks. Hope you read this reply Han.

DFLion

[DFLion]

The Big Show -'First Successes over France' version 2. 

This version of my mission includes Maj. Herman Graff's yellow all-over Fw190a5. I read that Graff was posted to JG2 to help train the pilots on the Focke-Wulf. During the training he flew a 'yellow all-over' Focke-Wulf which he occasionally took into battle. Watch out for Herman Graff he is an 'experten' pilot. Pierre Clostermann reported in this mission, his friend Lt. Martell, actually shot Graff down. I did notice there was quite a gap in dates before Graff returned to the Russian Front - maybe he was wounded?

I would like to sincerely thank 'E69_julian57' for making the yellow Focke-Wulf skin so quickly, do not hesitate to use his skins in your missions, he does them so well.

DFLion

DF_The Big Show_First successes over France_Ver.2.zip

[1111mark*norma*]

I would like to know how you get this mission on my PC I'm 80 years and i'm not computer savvy. Thank you for your help. markstr777@gmail.com

[DFLion]

How are you '1111mark*norma*. You may need some help downloading the mission into game if you are not computer savvy. You will need the program 'WINZIP' to unzip the compressed mission file into the game. When you unzip the file, 'DF_The Big Show_First successes over France' you have to place it in the 'Missions file' found in the 'Data file' under the 'IL2 Surmovik Battle of Stalingrad' file in your file structure. 

My advice is to get some help with this and write all the steps down.

DFLion

[1111mark*norma*]

Thanks very much for your help. DFLion

[Cricri]

Hello every one , I manage to do this mission until the moment when we attack the FW 190 , after that it necessarily goes into dogfiht , when I have finished my munitions without dying , I take the course of the return to the shortest without following all the waypoints ,  other spitfires usually join me on the way back , I manage to land on the airfield designated on the map, and the mission is missed , is this related to the fact that I do not pass the waypoints marked on the map ? 

On the other hand I really appreciate the realism of the aerial combat compared to those of the online servers which are aberrant .

Best regard . 

[francop]

Je suis justement entrain de lire le livre de Pierre Clostermann.

Merci pour cette mission qui est vraiment superbement réalisée.

Je rêverai d'une campagne scénarisée basée sur "le grand cirque".

Ce serait vraiment génial.

Salutations sincères.

Edited January 5, 2023 by francop

[agile_aardvark]

Thank you, @DFLion for sharing these campaigns with us. You are generous as you are talented.

I believe it to be a misinterpretation of Clostermann's account about the "yellow all-over" Fw-190 that Maj. Hermann Graff was supposed to have flown during the time and place. I visited other sites where discussions about this very same topic were had. it all pointed me to this picture. to me, I can see how easily anyone could've described this bird as "all-yellow" in the fog of war. 

[Spidey002]

Hey @DFLion, any chance you’ll compile all your “Big Show” missions into a complete campaign? That would be epic. 

[DFLion]

Spidey002 -  I certainly propose to compile my ‘Big Show’ missions into a complete campaign - it’s just the time factor? I’m currently working on a combined ground attack/air attack mission about the Normandy battle outside Caen on Hill 112. Apart from a ferocious tank battle on the ground, Johnnie Johnson’s Wing and RAF Typhoons were involved above the battle. I will produce 2 missions, one for our ‘Tankies’ and one for our ‘fighter planes’ - look up the ‘ The Battle of Hill 112 Normandy’ on Wikipedia. DFLION

[DFLion]

I'm back from a nice Family Christmas/New Year break from the other side of the World (the weather is hot, though hail storms where persistent). I am still struggling with my combined Fighter/Tank campaign -  'Hill 112' which is just not working? I will have to get it looked at! This is a pity because we want to combine air and ground ops. in the same mission and you will have the choice to play each one.

I am very excited about getting the Spitfire IXC (thanks team), now I can emulate accurately Pierre Glostermann's early missions (see above), especially when he was posted to the 341 'Alsace' Squadron. Han and Team, please give the Spitfire VB clipped wings, we all would be very happy with this decision.

See you all soon with another interesting mission.

DFLion