Question for end of War (ETO) Missions on the Rhineland Map: historical missions until 08th May possible?

October 21, 2023

Hi,

Are there locations on the Rhineland map where historical correct aircraft operations took place until 08. May 45?

There was a part of north west Netherlands that was still occupied until end of war, but were there air operations? Maybe one sided only allied ground attacks?

At which location of the map were the latest Luftwaffe units stationed / were the latest Luftwaffe missions flown.

Could be interesting for creating missions for ending a wartime career.

October 21, 2023

51 minutes ago, kraut1 said:

Hi,

Are there locations on the Rhineland map where historical correct aircraft operations took place until 08. May 45?

There was a part of north west Netherlands that was still occupied until end of war, but were there air operations? Maybe one sided only allied ground attacks?

At which location of the map were the latest Luftwaffe units stationed / were the latest Luftwaffe missions flown.

Could be interesting for creating missions for ending a wartime career.

On the Allied side, there were at least Operations Manna and Chowhound; supply drops over Holland to provide food to the starving population, which were negotiated with the Germans. There were probably some ground attack operations over the Netherlands too, as well as possibly some Luftwaffe aircraft flying to Allied airfields on the eastern fringes of the map to surrender to the western Allies rather than the Soviets.

The only place on the Rheinland map still occupied by the Germans on May 8 is the western Netherlands:

October 22, 2023

21 hours ago, kraut1 said:

Hi,

Are there locations on the Rhineland map where historical correct aircraft operations took place until 08. May 45?

There was a part of north west Netherlands that was still occupied until end of war, but were there air operations? Maybe one sided only allied ground attacks?

At which location of the map were the latest Luftwaffe units stationed / were the latest Luftwaffe missions flown.

Could be interesting for creating missions for ending a wartime career.

JG27 was based at Rheine, Achmer and Hesepe until the 18th or 19th of March and then moved to the fields around Paderborn (Gutersloh, Stormede, Bad Lippspringe) except for the IV gruppe which was caught on the ground by the 8th AF and wiped out before they could retreat, and was subsequently disbanded. The rest of the Geschwader retreated from those bases around Paderborn, off the map into central Germany, at the end of March.

JG26 was based at Nordhorn, Furstenau, and Plantlunne until the end of March and then retreated to the North and East. I think the Stab may have been at Drope for a few more days before retreating off the map at the beginning of April.

JG2 was based around Nidda, Ettinghausen and Merzhausen. By the beginning of April they were down to just 16 serviceable aircraft and retreated to Bavaria.

Edited October 22, 2023 by 357th_KW

October 22, 2023

On 10/21/2023 at 12:35 PM, AEthelraedUnraed said:

On the Allied side, there were at least Operations Manna and Chowhound; supply drops over Holland to provide food to the starving population, which were negotiated with the Germans. There were probably some ground attack operations over the Netherlands too

12 hours ago, 357th_KW said:

JG2 was based around Nidda, Ettinghausen and Merzhausen. By the beginning of April they were down to just 16 serviceable aircraft and retreated to Bavaria.

Thanks for your answers!

Some ideas after reading your answers for missions until 08.may45 or until a more or less realistic surrender.

I mean I search for possible ends of careers were the allied / axis pilots reaches the end of war or a surrender of the unit that took place on the available maps.

Netherlands:

Allied Missions:

-allied supply missions for the starving population (historical correct)

-allied ground attack missions (probably historical correct, currently I don't know if there were ground attack missions from march to may but I suppose)

Axis missions?

historical correct: I suppose not, does anybody know if there axis air units in the Netherlands in 1945? I suppose not.

semi historical possible: some Luftwaffe Units have some planes hidden (in woods?) and fly from time to time some missions.

or maybe: some over-motivated / fanatic pilots refuse to fly their planes to west allied airfield and instead of this escape at low level to the Netherlands.

There they find on one of the destroyed existing airfields some some fuel, ammo spare parts and continue fighting...

Germany / Hessen

(I am living there near Franfurt)

Allied Missions:

the allied units can fight until end of march but they have to continue outside the map, so flying in this area they can not really end the war at this area.

Axis missions:

Jagdgeschwader 2:

-the HQ unit Stab) retreated to Bavaria (as you wrote 357th_KW).

-But a think at least 1 or maybe all 3 Gruppen were disbanded in late march or early April in Nidda, Ettinghausen and Merzhausen and the pilots could have surrendered.

I just tried the official IL2 GB Pilot Career of II.Jg2 in Nidda with fast progress and ending each mission after autopilot take off:

after ca. 31th march the career is over and the pilot has survived. For me this means this could be a realistic end for this unit.

Maybe I will fly this career, but I have one wish / suggestion:

Please change the mission design and avoid extreme long range missions:

Maybe ground attack missions were flown until the end, but I don't think at this stage of war more than 100km in enemy area behind the front line.

France / Dunkirk:

Thanks for the map AEthelraedUnraed! I found there a red dot at the Channel Coast and have read just now that Dunkirk / Dünkirchen was occupied until 8th may 45.

-of course there were no axis air units left there (no place to hide).

-but there were some allied air units and there took place some ground action until end of war and the Germans managed even in May45 to transport some supplies with midget submarines. (maybe the small Uboat class II or E-Boats could be used for missions.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Dunkirk_(1944–45)

and on Wikipedia / Dunkirk I found this:

"The artillery siege of Dunkirk was directed on the final day of the war by pilots from No. 652 Squadron RAF, and No. 665 Squadron"

This means some allied squadrons could fight there on the existing Normandy map until the (european) end of the War.

But for the mission design it has to be considered that Dunkirk is at the edge of the map to avoid the "you are leaving the map..." messages.

But in general it is possible to create missions there, I have created / flown some EMG 1940 missions there.

Added later:

Transfer Allied Career from Eastern Front to western Front?

I think it is currently not possible for USSR pilots to end the war, or am I wrong?

Maybe by a new pilot character, e.g.:

-A US-Russian Pilot or a British-Russian pilot with who starts the war flying in the Red airforce and later transfers to Great Britain to continue fighting with RAF or USAAF?

-A russian pilot of the "Soviet 1st Air Transportation Division in Scotland in 1943-1944" (historical correct), who (fictional, but could have happened) volonteers for RAF / USAAF and flys missions vs the Luftwaffe.

-A russian pilot POW in german captivity who escapes to GB by stealing a plane...

These Characters have to be available already for the USSR pilot careers with some hints and after ending the Kuban USSR Pilot Career the Career continues in the Normandy.

So currently these questions are still interesting for End of War missions design:

-Which german air units were disbanded and surrendered on the Rhineland Map area?

(I suppose I./II./III. Jg2 / Stab retreated to Bavaria)

-Which allied air units flew ground attacks until May 1945 in the Netherlands and near Dunkirk?

-Where there some small rests of Luftwaffe air units in the Netherlands until April, May 45?

Edited October 22, 2023 by kraut1
added later some ideas concerning a combined allied eastern / western front career

October 5, 2024

Concerning my question about air war action at the end of war May 1945 on Rheinland map:

I found some similarities to Courland Pocket and a part of the Rheinland Map:

With the modified GUI map and EMG modification for quick mission generation for eastern front Courland Pocket Missions it is possible to fly a bit in this area.

I know, it is a matter of taste, but e.g.: I./II. JG54 missions are really working well.

Total flight time without time acceleration ca. 15 ... 35minutes per mission and always plenty of air activity.

Soviet Red air force missions are of course possible too.

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/89214-kurland-kurzeme-194445-mod-v03-released-22092024/