Form 540 Reports for Desert Campaign - 20 October 2012

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Gromic
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Form 540 Reports for Desert Campaign - 20 October 2012

Post by Gromic » Sat Oct 20, 2012 8:56 pm

Date: September 1941
Location: Buqbuq airfield
A/C: P40 Q for Quebec

Took off from the airfield with Osprey, Robo and Urizen. We were CAPing allied a/c on route to attack german units on the ground. Flew quite a long way course 270° until we reach angels 18 in finger four. R/T broke out with calls of inbound a/c and we soon spotted the hun attacking the ground attack units. BF109 F4s were making fast passes on hurricanes and P40s in vertical zooms. Robo called out the first one and proceeded to drop on a hun at the top of his climb. 50 cals broke out and I saw Robo make several hits on a 109. Osprey and Urizen were also engaged at this time, each covering the other while trying to stay at height. I lost sight of Robo but saw another P40 six a 109 in the vicinity of an airfield. The Tomahawk fired his guns serveral times but didn't cause any catostrophic damage on the 109 so I pressed my attack to help end the fight quickly. I too registered hits on the starboard wing but this hun wasn't about to go back to berlin. We eventually engaged in scissors with me maintaining an altitude advantage.

Then things went bad.

Flak peppered my aircraft and apparently damaged all control cables. I had no control over my aircraft. The canopy also wouldn't budge, obviously the release mechanism had also been damaged. I called out for the last time on R/T, reporting my situation to F/L Osprey and watched in horror as my aircraft headed towards terra firma....

....closing my eyes before the world went dark.

R.I.P.
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Re: Form 540 Reports for Desert Campaign - 20 October 2012

Post by Urizen » Sat Oct 20, 2012 10:08 pm

Date: September 1941
Location: Buqbuq airfield
A/C: Tomahawk MkIIa J for Johnnie

Took off from the airfield in 3. Position. Heading 270 climbing to Angels 18 for a while, we received R/T from No.30 on incoming Bandits, quickly followed by calls for help. I latched onto S/L Osprey covering his six, when he called a bandit on my six. During my evasive manouvers i lost track of everybody. Whilst trying to make contact, Osprey approached my six, at which point we formed up again, with me being in lead for a short period of time, until Osprey called out a target, at which point i turned over lead to him, as i didn´t see it. After weaving around for a while, we lost track on that bogey and then went on intercept, with Robo guiding us in, as he was following a Me109F-4. On interception we recognized a "Tail end charly" following a bunch of P40s and quickly engaged it. On engaging, he spotted us and quickly latched on my six, at which point i dragged him, after a few of unsuccessful passes from him, Osprey got onto his six, at which point i was able to form up on Osprey´s six. As he passed my 12, i pulled the trigger, but don´t know if i did any damage. Osprey scored multiple hits on him, but did no serious damage. Later we found out, that he had to Crashland and was captured. Robo was still in chase of a 109 heading for Tobruk, which turned west. Osprey went on intercept and we managed to get onto his six, at which point the Hun decided to dive and run away. As there was no chance of us catching him, we decided to head for Tobruk AF. On touchdown my brakes went nuts, turning my plane upside down.

1 109 probably damaged

Tomahawk MkIIa damaged

Pilot Ok

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Re: Form 540 Reports for Desert Campaign - 20 October 2012

Post by Dickie » Sun Oct 21, 2012 12:09 am

Date: September 1941
Location: Buqbuq airfield
A/C: Tomahawk IIa K for King

I led the flight out from the 'drome on escort duty. The 8th has been pushing hard back at Rommel and Tobruk will soon be free. We headed west climbing to angels 15 and then 300 to Tobruk direction DR, climbing to angels 18. Nearing the coast the leading party had got stuck into 109's of JG27 and we arrived minutes later above the whole lot of them. Robo led the flight down but the targeted Hun broke away, it was then we became split. Urizen and I stuck with it and ended up vectoring north to cut off a Hun which Robo was tracking, and we discovered it was actually 2 Huns in idiot trail. The lead one spotted us and scarpered, he had no stomach for a fight, so we cut off the tail end charlie. Urizen was bait and set him beautifully but I pulled the trigger and damn well missed from 150 yards. At this point he'd seen me tracer and dived, turning all the way. I stuck on him like glue from angels 15 to the deck firing where I could and managed to hit him twice. Once on the deck he managed to pull away with superior speed, I had no gravity left to help me along, so I broke off. As I did I suddenly saw a chute appear and an explosion 1 mile into the distance - I must've hit something because he bailed out. I claim this 109 as destroyed. Urizen and I headed toward Tobruk climbing back to angels 14 because Robo had tracked a cowardly Hun on the run. At Tobruk, safely in Aussie hands, was not a place to stay so he dived and ran back east to his lines. We tried to cut him off but I couldn't get inside 300 yards before he dived. I gave chase, my new Tomahawk shaking and creaking, but we couldn't catch him. Low on fuel we landed at Tobruk airfield. The brownshirts had caught the Jerry I shot down and brought him in. We gave him some beer to loosen up his bosh mouth and the fool spilled all kinds of beans which we promptly passed onto intel. He started line shooting about this bloke called Marseille who had shot about 80 of us down apparently and was going to win it for them. What a clot - sounds like some serious over claiming is going on. Good, let them think they are winning and we'll smash them again just like we did in 11 group.

On a sad note we lost F/L Gromic today, he did not return from the mission, I do not know what happened to him.

Destroyed:
1x Bf109

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Re: Form 540 Reports for Desert Campaign - 20 October 2012

Post by Robo » Sun Oct 21, 2012 12:39 am

Date: September 1941
Location: Buqbuq airfield
A/C: Tomahawk MkIIa R for Rabbit

Jerry is a wuss. Today, we got invovled in a nice scrap at 18k right over the hot zone. I was diving on multiple targets with my lead F/O Gromic, picking enemy fighters as they were zooming up. I damaged two, chewed them quite well. I have seen one flying south at rather high altitude, so I decided to give a chase. The enemy pilot had faster aircraft but could not fight at all and avoided combat for all costs. I got my guns on him three times during the race, damaging him slightly. Unfortunately, I did not hit any vital parts although he took quite a beating. I reported his position to S/L Osprey and his wingman Urizen and they also gave a chase after I returned to base at bingo fuel. They were more succesful and bagged one Hun. Unfortunately, during the initial fight, my leader F/O Fromic got hit by the AAA and reported diving to the ground. It was a terrible feeling that I could not have helped him, God bless him. Jerry is a wuss.

3x Bf 109 damaged

Tomahawk MkIIa ok
Pilot Ok

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