(This is the Allied mission map for this frame)
Please be patient, this page contains A LOT of pictures.
(This is the Allied mission map for this frame)
I was a walkon for this frame, and got assigned to 4eme Escadre just a few minutes before takeoff. I hadn't flown the Hawk (simulated by a P40B) before. Our flight leader was "--joch", who took over since the original leader "=eadg=" was missing.
We took off from Lille (F11), our mission was to station 25k CAP over radar stations south, then sweep back over Eindoven (F18) finishing at Antwerp(F17).
(Turning east at our first waypoint)
Near our second waypoint we spotted a group of enemy 109s on our high 12 o'clock. They flew over us, and as we dove north from under them they did not follow us.
(Cons 12 o'clock high!)
(Diving away from the 109s)
Just southeast of F18 we spotted a group of low dots, and a couple of 109s a bit higher coming from the sun.
(Low dots at 1 o'clock!)
(Two 109s from the sun!)
All of our squadron then attacked the low Stukas.
(Attacking the Stuka formation from above)
After a few passes several more 109s bounced us, and pretty soon I found myself on the deck with two 109s on my tail. As I tried to evade their attack I almost crashed, pulled back hard, and got shot in the head by one of the 109s. The time from our spotting the JU87 formation to my death was about 4 minutes.
(As can be seen from the radio buffer, I got an assist of one Stuka,
killed another, and then a 109 killed me.)
Only two pilots of our squadron managed to get away alive ("hening" and "bugjam"), and we killed at least 7 Stukas (of which our flight leader "--joch" killed 5!!). The rest of the frame I spent in the tower of Antwerp (F17) taking pictures. I saw "bugjam" kill one 109 that was tailing "chagos", for example.
(Here is "bugjam" clearing "chagos"'s six)
This AAR brought to you by Patrick -Pate- Aalto.