Flying for Fighter Command with Daiwilletti's new version of MrJmaint's classic campaign!
Having always had an abiding interest in the Battle of Britain, I was delighted to read here on Sim Outhouse that Pat_Pattle's BoB mod is coming in for attention, as mentioned here. Also that Daiwilletti was working on a 'new package' for MrJMaint's BOB campaign for the ETO. Having got Daiwilletti's package working (after a few hitches of my own making) I decided to re-start my ETO-BoB campaign with it, applied as a JSGME mod to automate most of the installation steps.
Quick Combat actions can be a lot of fun, and campaigns based on historical mission sets very engaging, but I agree with Daiwilletti that there is also a lot to be said for CFS3's dynamic campaign. It's a bit less anonymous than it used to be now you can have skins with accurate unit markings and for an air fight whose outcome was intended to decide the prospects for an invasion, CFS3's ability to link the two actually fits well with the historical situation in the summer of 1940. That the result could be different adds to the mix!
This is the first mission report of a series which I hope will cover the campaign, as far as I get with it. I should mention that following advice from Daiwilletti, I tweaked the campaign file in an effort to get two missions a day instead of the one I was getting before, which I think better reflects the experience and the strain of the typical RAF fighter squadron in 11 Group during the Battle. I also edited the file in an effort to get more aircraft available to fly from the start, and succeeded to the extent that I found myself flying a Spitfire, rather than the default Hurricane.
As usual, festivities begin on the Battle's official Air Ministry start date of 10th July 1940.
92 Squadron, Martlesham Heath, 10 July 1940
It's early morning when our eight Spitfires are scrambled from our grass airfield to intercept a raid to the east of Dover.
The mission map shows the location of our base, near Ipswich, the mission briefing, and our vector - the Controller rightly intends us to hit the Huns well short of their target, even if it's coastal shipping.
Few Fighter Command airfields had got hard runways by the Battle, and ours isn't one of those that did, but the weather is fine and we have no difficulty in getting away smartly.
The sun is just beginning to show above the eastern horizon as we straggle away from base.
I throttle back and settle into a gentle right-hander, to allow the boys to form up...
...then, still turning, open her up again as we near the coast, north of the port of Felixstowe. Ahead is the RDF station at Bawdsey Manor, now a museum and which pioneered the technology which was to play such a vital part in the Battle.
Which technology will soon direct our merry little band straight to a bunch of unsuspecting Huns - we hope!
Martlesham Heath falls away behind us as I level off and check the boys are in formation.
The headland at Orfordness is prominent on our left, as we edge out over the North Sea.
I resume the climb and we pass through some light, scattered cloud.
The port facilities at Felixstowe and Harwich are to our right rear as we gain height to the south-east.
By now, the sun is well above the eastern horizon.
Time to warp ahead! We come out at above twenty-one thousand feet, a few miles short of our calculated interception point. What's waiting for us out there, just up ahead?
Up ahead is the coast of northern France. I turn on the TAC, simulating communication with the Controller. This tells me there's Bogies to my right, but the Bandits - our target, indicated by the purple arrowhead - are ahead and slightly left, out of our range of vision.
I bank left to look down, wondering if they're slipping in below us. But not this time - there they are! A ragged group of twin-engined aircraft, coming at us nearly head on. I start snapping out orders to attack.
I roll into them, recognising them as Junkers 88s, as I do so.
Instead of holding formation, the Huns break in all directions, pursued by sundry Spitfires. I begin to black out as I tighten my own turn after them.
These boys are throwing their big aircraft around like fighters. I'll find out why later, but for now, I try concentrate on one of them without blacking out completely.
I cut across the turn of the nearest Junkers and the range begins to wind down. Soon, now!
The Ju88 pulls up steeply and I go with him, shooting as I come.
Up and up he goes, ever more steeply. My rounds hit home, tearing fragments from his airframe...
...which stream past my kite, joining the streams of spent cases from my eight Brownings. Meanwhile, unseen just below, another group of Huns is racing north for England.
My Hun falls off to one side and I break away to avoid him. Then I wing over to find him again. A Ju88 is corkscrewing steeply down with one wing torn off. If that's my target, he's clearly done for, but it's hard to be sure it's him.
It's at this point that I finally get a clear view of the lower German formation. By now, the R/T chatter tells me some of the boys have got kills and are joining up again, so I start some of them on attacking these fresh targets.
These Huns look like Heinkels, and they're headed for the North Foreland. They could be after shipping in the Channel or the Thames Estuary, the airfield at Manston, or any number of other targets. Clearly, my job is to see they don't make it!
Off to my right is a pair of Heinkels, with another one closer in and lower down on the same side. These are the fellows I've ordered attacked by those who've reported themselves free. My commands were acknowledged, but no attacks have yet developed.
I press on with my own attack on the Heinkel that's well to the left. Poor formation-keeping will be the death of these people. At least, that's my plan. Weaving to avoid return fire, I close in and start shooting.
Too much weaving! My aim is awful. I'm compelled to orbit and set up a second pass. This takes me wide to the right, giving me a grandstand view of two Spitfires blazing away at one of the other bombers. That's the way to do it, as Punch would have told the kiddies.
Their target is soon on fire. So I waste no further time in rolling left and going after my own.
I'm soon closing in...
...and this time, there's no mistake!
So far, so good. Time to regain control and take stock.
Pulling up and looking around, I can see the action is continuing over on my right. The damaged Heinkel is going down steadily and the two Spits have moved onto the pair in front.
My own aircraft has taken several hits but is flying well. The same can't be said for the bomber I just attacked.
For my next trick, I latch onto one of the aerobatic Ju88s.
I get some hits, but before I can finish him off, one of the boys does the job for me in emphatic fashion.
It's no surprise that nobody gets out. Such are the hazards of war, one might say.
Suddenly, I see a fighter pulling up ahead and to my left. Have the 109s arrived?
CFS3
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