November 27, 1944

[JDO3]

I'm trying to look in to this huge battle to make a mission for ETO.
Basically, USAAF fighters simulated bombers and drew up a massive Luftwaffe defense, so they could engage. It worked a bit too well, and two gaggles of German planes (80-100 aircraft each) intercepted.
I'm looking for some more facts. Here's what I have so far.

American Groups consisted of:
352nd Fighter Group operating from RAF Bodney
353rd Fighter Group
357th Fighter Group operating from RAF Leiston

On Wikipedia (page for 357th Fighter Group) it has that P-47's were involved, but I haven't found anything about that.

German Groups consisted of:
I/JG 1
II/JG 1
I/JG 3
III/JG 26
I/JG 26
III/JG 27 - Bf-109?
IV/JG 27 - Bf-109?
IV/JG 54 - Fw-190A-8
I/JG 300 - Bf-109G-14
III/JG 300 - Bf-109G-14
IV/JG 300 - Bf-109G-14
Stab/JG 301 - Fw-190A-8
I/JG 301 - Fw-190A-9
II/JG 301 - Fw-190A-9

The Germans and Americans clashed 100 miles SW of Berlin, N of Leipzig.

Thats all I have. Any input would be appreciated.

-JDO3

[MajorMagee]

Distinguished Service Cross
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Awarded for actions during the World War II

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Service Cross to Captain (Air Corps) Ray S. Wetmore (ASN: 0-675960), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a P-51 Fighter Airplane in the 370th Fighter Squadron, 359th Fighter Group, EIGHTH Air Force, in aerial combat against enemy forces on 27 November 1944, during an air mission over Germany. On this date, Captain Wetmore was leader of a flight of four P-51 fighter aircraft on a fighter sweep mission over north central Germany. During the mission he sighted three formations of enemy aircraft, totaling more than 200 FW 190's and Me-109's. With total disregard for his own personal safety, Major Wetmore tracked the hostile fighters, radioing their positions, altitude and course to his nearby fighter group. Supporting fighters failed to arrive, and Major Wetmore, ignoring the fact of the overwhelming odds of 200 to 2, chose to attack three of the enemy aircraft in the air. The action of Major Wetmore on this occasion was a clear demonstration of the willful selection of the more hazardous of two acceptable and honorable courses of action, since his withdrawal from the combat under such overwhelmingly unfavorable circumstances would certainly have been acceptable. Captain Wetmore's unquestionable valor in aerial combat is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 8th Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces.

General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army Air Forces in Europe, General Orders No. 168 (1945)

Action Date: 27-Nov-44

Service: Army Air Forces

Rank: Captain

Company: 370th Fighter Squadron

Regiment: 359th Fighter Group

Division: 8th Air Force

[MajorMagee]

Silver Star
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Awarded for actions during the World War II

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain (Air Corps) John B. England (ASN: 0-739263), United States Army Air Forces, for gallantry in action as a Pilot of the 362d Fighter Squadron, EIGHTH Air Force, while participating in a fighter sweep over Germany, on 27 November 1944. Sighting a formation of approximately fifty hostile fighters, Captain England unhesitatingly led his Flight to the attack. By skillful maneuvering, he gained the initial advantage of surprise and was successful in destroying two FW-190s. Having become separated from the rest of his Flight, he never-the-less exhibited utter disregard for personal danger by engaging alone another large force of enemy aircraft. Although only three of his guns were now operational, he pressed home his attack with such forceful determination that he was able to shoot down two more enemy planes before withdrawing. Captain England's gallantry and zealous desire to destroy the enemy at all costs served as an inspiration to all who participated in this action.

General Orders: Headquarters, 8th Air Force, General Orders No. 66 (May 8, 1945)

Action Date: 27-Nov-44

Service: Army Air Forces

Rank: Captain

Company: 362d Fighter Squadron

Division: 8th Air Force

[MajorMagee]

The Jagdverbände made three concerted attempts to attack Eighth Air Force bombers between 21 November and 27 November 1944, and on the last generated an estimated 750 fighter sorties, the largest defensive reaction of the war. The three fighter wings of the Eighth used a tactical ruse to score a significant victory. Assigning 13 groups to a fighter-bomber mission, P-51s and P-47s simulated heavy bomber formations while other P-51s flew escort patterns above them. The resulting radar contact triggered the heavy fighter reaction near Magdeburg, and the force was directed towards them by a microwave early warning (MEW) site ("Nuthouse") at Gulpen, Netherlands.
In the 66th Fighter Wing, the 353d and 357th Fighter Groups engaged approximately 200 Fw 190s of JG 300 and JG 301, with the 353d downing 22 and the 357th, 30 in the ensuing combats. Captain Leonard K. "Kit" Carson, on the 38th mission of his second tour and having nine previous credits, became the second 357th pilot to become an "ace in a day", while Yeager and Capt John B. England claimed four kills each.[22] One week later, on 5 December, the 357th escorted 3rd Division bombers to Berlin and encountered 100 more German fighters, claiming 22 against a loss of two

[MajorMagee]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/archiv...hp?t-1290.html

[ndicki]

Just to make life even more interesting, each Gruppe could be using several types of Bf109 concurrently - the supply situation was totally chaotic at the time, and the nomenclature of certain types of Bf109g had become almost meaningless. For example a Bf109g-14 is effectively the same as a late Bf109g-6, unless it is fitted with an AS engine, in which case it is virtually identical to the g-6AS or even g-10AS, but different from the g-10ASM... In other words, a typical Gruppe could be flying a mixture of late-production g-5 and g-6, g-5/6AS, g-14, g-14AS and by November 1944 would have been receiving or about to receive k-4s, which entered service a few days before the g-10... Not to mention the mess around GM-2 and MW50 power boost...

But to be honest, if you use essentially g-14s, you'll be about right.

JG 27 was flying Bf109gs at this time - it never flew any other type than the 109 as far as I know.

Feel free to use any of the DL or DR2 Bf109s as you wish!

[ndicki]

Subject to caution, but:

I/JG 1 - FW190a-8
II/JG 1 - FW190a-8
I/JG 3 - Bf109g
III/JG 26 - Bf109g
I/JG 26 - FW190a-8

[JDO3]

Hey, Thanks for all the input.

I think that I'll just do the combat with 353rd and 357th Fight Groups against JG 300 and JG 301. I can't find JG 300 or JG 301 airbase info - can anyone give me that?

Or could someone inform me on how to set up spawns (I haven't been able to do that kind of thing right...)

JDO3

[ndicki]

I./JG 300 - Borkheide - Bf109g
II./JG 300 - Löbnitz/ Bitterfeld - FW190a-8 etc
III./JG 300 - Jüterbog-Damm - Bf109g
IV./JG 300 - Reinsdorf - Bf109g, FW190a-8 (?)

http://www.jg300.de/
http://www.ww2.dk/air/jagd/jg300.htm

If you look for "Jagdgeschwader" rather than "JG" you get more results...

[JDO3]

Ok. I'll start building now, unless I can get this one last piece of info.

Are there repaints of 353rd FG P-51's, 357th FG P-51's, JG 300 Bf-109's/Fw-190's, and JG 301 Fw-190's?

[mrjmaint]

Or could someone inform me on how to set up spawns

What do you want the spawns to do?

[JDO3]

What do you want the spawns to do?

Well, basically just spawn a couple hundred German aircraft so that I won't have to have them loitering while the Americans come to attack them.

[Led Zeppelin]

Or could someone inform me on how to set up spawns (I haven't been able to do that kind of thing right...)

PM me youe e-mail

[ndicki]

Ok. I'll start building now, unless I can get this one last piece of info.

Are there repaints of 353rd FG P-51's, 357th FG P-51's, JG 300 Bf-109's/Fw-190's, and JG 301 Fw-190's?

There are g-10s of JGs 300 and 301, but not g-14s. If you can give me a few days, there's no reason why you can't have a special JG 300 g-14. If you can find a photo of one, it would make life even easier - the Reichsverteidigung band should be blue-white-blue for JG 300 and yellow-red for JG 301 at that date. I don't have the necessary to run off an FW 190a. Having said that, if you use Dancat's beautiful a-8 (which you really should) then there is already a JG 301 scheme available, although the bands appear to be inverted; normally the yellow band is to the fore for JG 301. As E.Gr. KG 51 (J.) used red-yellow bands with red to the fore on Me410s...

[ndicki]

1./JG 300 - hypothetical I admit. For once I have utterly failed to find a photo. The problem is that you have a window of perhaps two or three months between the introduction of the blue and white bands in October - and they won't have been painted on immediately, either - and the attrition of the Bf109g-14s in service. As they were replaced essentially by g-10 and k-4 aircraft, which did wear the blue and white RVT bands, there are not that many photos...