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Squad Night
29 March 2005
"Out of
Bubble Gum"
by Skeksis
"We came to chew bubblegum and
kick butt, we were all out of
bubblegum"
Field of Departure:
A38
Targets:
A12, A8
Pilots in Attendance:
Fuzeman
Lees
Luft
RTS
Skeksis
SK
Greetings!
:-)
If I wanted to just cut to the
chase I could say look at the
title and then check out the kill
board but if I did that it would
leave out anything that would
indicate what a phenomenally fun
evening the 29th was!
For myself the evening started
around 19:30 when I came on line
for some practice before Squad
Night and Lees arrived shortly
after that. Looking over the map
I found exactly what I was looking
for; a flak complex with friendly
bases nearby and not a lot of
enemy action and I found it in
2-11-1. While I was practicing my
dive-bombing Lees was
panzer-hunting a V2 and before too
long had bagged one. With no
enemy action at my target I was
having a literal field day putting
Fuze's dive-bombing training to
good use, destroying 13 factories
in one run bombs, rockets, and
then gun attacks. This was so
much fun that I decided to repeat
the process twice more bringing
down an additional 12 and then 16
factories. I had even been highly
and uncharacteristically
successful in using the re-arm
pads rather than re-planning each
time. The only fly in the
ointment was that the flak factory
kept re-spawning too fast for me
to put it entirely out of action.
I think the best I did was reduce
it to 54% for a short while.
While I was doing this two things
happened fairly close together.
Lees had to sign off for a while
and a bunch of Knights decided to
try and take A76 which was
reasonably close by and in enemy
hands. I figured I would go along
and see what I could do to help
but along the way I saw my course
would take me over an already
damaged ammo complex at 1-11-9 and
since I was coming down with cold
feet about going into combat with
a 38 heavy I decided to give the
complex my undivided attention.
It was a good decision as I was
able to knock out 16 ammo
factories on my first run but as I
was starting to pull up to head
back to the field one of the
Knights heading to 76 asked if the
mission was to take out the ammo
complex. I let them know that I
was just acting on my own and they
continued on to 76. I hope they
did well but I do not recall
seeing anything about the Knights
taking 76 that evening.
While I was re-arming RTS and Fuze
came on line and since there was
some time before Squad Night
officially started RTS decided to
add to the pressure at 1-11-9.
Since I had been racking up an
almost embarrassing number of
buildings destroyed I gave RTS
first crack at the complex. RTS
handles the Liberators beautifully
and before too long was lined up
and ready to drop unfortunately he
only hit 2 ammo factories. What I
think happened is that he dropped
on the part of the complex I had
been attacking, the new graphics
for destroyed buildings don't look
like destroyed buildings from any
kind of alt. Instead of staging
another run I waited for RTS to
come back for another pass but he
had accidentally dropped
everything on his first run.
Since I had plenty of ordanance to
work with I followed the same
pattern of over flying the target,
pulling a split-s, and dropping on
the way down. This time I didn't
do so well but before I left I had
relieved the enemy of another 7
ammo factories.
While we were in route Fuze asked
if we had any ideas for Squad
Night but I didn't and he kept
checking out the map and came up
with a plan as I was making my
last strafing pass. Tonight we
would be doing a high alt buff run
from A38 to A12, A8, and back over
A12. Also Luft came online while
RTS was OTB and they headed over
to A38 to get ready. I wasn't
pushing the 38 as fast as I could
as I wanted to land all of this
devastation and get credit for it
(I was concerned about screwing up
the landing) but Fuze was cool
about it and suggested that he and
Luft take 17s and let RTS and I
follow in the 24s. RTS landed and
Fuze decided to wait for me as I
wasn't too far behind but I
managed to screw up my landing
regardless (I didn't screw up so
badly I didn't score the attack
but I had to wreck the 38 to keep
it from slamming into a mountain.
It was still listed as a
successful landing).
As we were sitting on the
southwest runway at A38 in
Liberators with 50% fuel and 1000
pound bombs Lees returned in time
to join the group and we started
rolling when Fuze gave the word.
Since I find it harder to take off
when there is a crowd on the
runway I waited until last to roll
and that was when things started
to get back to normal (for me at
any rate). To start with I found
I had no drones so I ditched off
the end of the runway and it
looked like it might have been
successful except for a close
encounter with a stand of trees.
I made sure I was set for
Formation, re-planed, and took off
with no further incident. Once
the drones were locked in I
started to join the group and
eventually I was within 4 k of the
main formation. It is at this
point I have to say that I must
have a problem following
directions or something. Let me
give you an example. Fuze said at
one point to fly level and turn
right to 70 degrees or so which I
did but somehow the group got way
over there and I did not seem to
be getting any closer but I
followed the course regardless.
Before that there was one point
where I was to turn left to 135
but since I was already flying
around 030 I just did not
understand where I was to go. I
am pretty sure though that it is a
good thing that we can't ram each
other as I am sure I would find a
way to make it happen.
;-)
(Skunk ups in an ME262 to
escort!!!)
It didn't take too long after that
to get to A12 and we had a free
and clear shot at it. I should
point out here that I am not very
experienced in level bombing but
what the heck, I will give
anything a try for Squad Night.
:) The short version is that I
did something wrong somewhere and
my salvo of bombs landed a mile or
two north west of the field. I
can just imagine a flyboy and his
sweetheart having a picnic when
suddenly all hell breaks loose as
these errant bombs hit the
ground. All I am going to say
though is that I wasn't the only
one who missed but the good news
is that some hits were made. We
left the area of A12 unopposed and
headed on to A8. On the way I
tried to get lined up better to
the field and recalibrated for the
next drop. I must have done
something right this time as I at
least got the bombs on the
field.
;-) Everything I dropped
wound up around the fighter
hangers but without any hits but
at least it was a lot closer than
my last try.
We all had bombs left so we headed
back to A12 (and then would go to
A38 to land) but by this time we
had picked up an unfriendly
escort. We had time so we
adjusted course as needed and I
elected to recalibrate as I had
some how climbed to over 17,000
feet. I do not recall climbing so
I guess that with the plane being
12,000 pounds lighter my trim was
not right. As the first enemies
came into range I was able to make
some of them regret it as I took
out the 109 and the two unknowns
at this time and while doing so
saw SK attacking the enemy as
well. I am pretty sure that he
got one or two kills in the melee
but I do not have any details.
This did not last long as either I
ran out of ammo or lost crucial
turrets or both and eventually my
formation was shot down but I was
able to buy the rest of the group
some time and then after I bailed
I opened the chute early to keep
an eye on the enemy for the rest
of the squad. Although the fight
moved too far away for me to act
as a spotter I think that everyone
else made it back and if I had
thought to go into a slight dive I
might have made it further but
that is the way these things
happen.
Once we were all down Fuze
announced Phase Two of the
operation. We were going back to
finish what we had started only
this time it was going to be FOC
medium/heavy. Before we took off
Fuze found that the Knights had
taken A12 but we took off anyway
as he had spotted enemy tanks in
the area. Except for SK who was
flying a 109 we all took 51D's
with rockets and 500 pound bombs
and went hunting. When we got
there we found that there were not
only enemy tanks but also two
groups of B24s in the area. While
everyone else went after the tanks
I tried to intercept one of the
groups of B24s, mostly because I
had arrived after everyone and was
in a better position to give it a
try. After a short exchange of
fire I broke off and went back to
the mission as the B24 pilot had
scored some 'non-damaging' hits
and there were enough Knights to
deal with the 24s. Shortly after
I broke off I got credit for an
assist on one of the 24s, which I
will gladly take.
Lees and Luft were harassing an
enemy Panzer so I came in and
dropped my bombs, bracketing him
very nicely. Lees said that I hit
but there was no kill until later
after we had all worked on him and
then the Knight tanker in the city
got a good clean shot at him. I
don't know what happened as I got
credit for the kill and Lees and
Luft both got assists. Maybe I
was over him when the tanker took
him out, I do not know, but we all
landed and re-armed ready to come
back out. Luft got hung up on one
of the buildings at the re-arm pad
and before he could maneuver his
way out his prop was put out of
commission so he went back to the
tower and came out again. The
three of us started loose patrols
watching for more tanks only to
have an enemy 110 show up. I was
closest but was lower and slower
than I wanted to be so I reversed
(successfully) and Luft dropped in
behind the 110 and knocked him
down in short order.
About that time a 190 came through
and vulched a guy and instead of
getting out of there decided to
come back only this time he met a
group of four Knights that wanted
to object to the vulching (which
they did quite handily) As the
Knights were chasing the 190
another Panzer showed up. I was
close so I flew over and as he
disappeared below my nose I
dropped both of the 500 pounders
on him, getting the kill right
away. That was my last action as
I landed and logged off for the
evening after almost 3 hours in
the cockpit.
It was a great night and one that
I hope is just the start of a
trend but I have to be honest, I
am not sure who was flying my
plane.
;-) Salute to everyone
who flew on Tuesday, once more we
did a lot of damage and showed the
enemy that The Specialists are a
serious threat.
Fuzeman - Commanding Officer
Lees - 1 Panzer*, 1 BH, 1 FH, 1 VH,
1 Fuel, 1 Panzer assist
Luft - 1 BH, 1 110, 2 Panzers, 1
Panzer assist
RTS - 2 Ammo factories*, 1 BH, 1
Field Gun
Skeksis - 41 flak factories*, 23
ammo factories*, 1 109G6, 2 Panzer
IV, 2 unknowns, 1 B24 assist
SK - ME262 Escort |
