Mission Report - 1 feb 1941

Discussion in 'I/JG54 Grunherz' started by -haupt, Jul 29, 2003.

  1. -haupt

    -haupt Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 24, 2002
    Messages:
    1,165
    Location:
    Brasil
    Mission: freie jagd
    Pilots: -herz- and redley
    Plane: Bf109E
    Flight time: 50 mins
    Claims: 3 (1 Spitfire MkV by redley and 2 I-16 by -herz-)
    Losses: 1 (redley K.I.A)

    Comments:
    We too off from F18 to hunt at F32's area. Yet otw there we met a Spitfire wich redley attacked shooting him down. After arriving over F32 field was clear so -illo- as radar operator started vectoring us to the cons. SW of F32 we engaged a I-16 wich i shot his tail off... the con spinned down till the deck where the pilot was seen bailing out.
    After that we started climbing headed south to F21 where lots of cons were reported by the radar operator illo. Arriving there with redley on my wing i attacked another I-16 that was going verticaly up behind another friend's 6 and shot it down in flames. As i recovered from the attack i simply was unable to find redley, checked around and nothing but many dots. So i told him to go over the CV that was about 10 miles NE of us so we could regroup there. We met again but soon lost contact again as many cons arrived and started a fight until when we found eachother things were messed up with many cons, no golds, CV fleet half sunk and the nearest friendly field was 30 miles away.
    We first thought we could run to CV acks for protection but while doing the evasive move i told redley to go NW where i was and head to rtb F27 while running away but he went to CV to get clear first and actualy he got for a while and headed home. Few seconds later a loud scream on radio: "Shit! My plane is breaking apart oh God!...shhhhh (static)"
    Redley was shotdown by a sneaky Lagg-3 who managed to get his low 6 unoticed.
    Few minutes later i landed safe at F27.

    Mission outcome: 3 kills and 1 loss.

    Oh.. what to say. Things are not going that good for us. We are getting kills but losing too much pilots! And just because simple mistakes.
    In this case the problem was that redley simply lost contact with me. A wingman is supposed to stay at a max of D20 from its leader and being a 1 life veteran he knows very well but this mistake costed his life, a life of a good guy, good husband and good father of 3 beautiful daughters - yum yum -.

    Keep in mind that you must stay ALWAYS with ur leader and doing AlWAYS what he tells you to do. Because the guy whos leading got plans for the pair and it will only work if both cooperate. If fla kept with me all the time, this would not happen that way.

    So, wingmen: stay with your leaders and do what he says. Always.