Mission Date: 12th August 1940
Name: BUBI (that's German for "bodacious ta-tas")
Rank: Gefreiter (that's German for "wipeout")
Unit: 5./JG26 (that's German for "totally rad and knarly dudes")
Aircraft: Bf 109 E-4 (that's German for "Beemer")
Markings: Black 10 (that's German for "Hang-10)
Aerodrome: Marquise-Ost
Status: Pilot - Quickly becoming a
British Ace, that's my second crate and three more to go. The bright side being this is my second batch of silk I can bring home for the wife to make stuff out of. Ditched, PIlot parachuted A-OK.
Victory Claims:Time | Place | Aircraft | Opponent | Confirmed |
~12:17 | 2K plus, feet wet, off Manston harbor | Hurricane | Unknown | Kill, KRASS |
- | - | - | - | - |
Witnesses:
KRASS: Confirm for 1-Spit kill He did a cracken job and was really chuffed. Well done!
LEE: Spin out (lost track of him there after)
FLYBY: Mechanical issues, RTB
After Action Report (AAR):
Today was a mixed bag of joy and sadness, far too common Im told with this profession. So there I was....
Took out my camera from my flight jacket and snapped a shot of the 5th second Schwarm over my starboard wing.
Unfortunately, that's the last camera shot I got today. Apparently my camera did not capture many of the shots I took during the course of this sortie, so Ill try to make it up with a narrative.
I was selected as the Rotten-Furher as I was taxiing up to the tarmack being the Schwarm rotte (LEE, KRASS) was starting to roll. Soon both of us in the second Rotte (BUBI, FLYGUY) were up and catching the lead Rotte, which was behind the 6th Staffel. All look great and the power of the LW was spreading her golden wings over western France. I sight to behold!
As we climbed to 4K, my wingman (FLYBY) started to stream something white. Surely it was those damned French Resistance fighters.... my wingman was sabotaged! I informed my #1 (Rotte Furher) of the misfortune and asked if I could/should escort #4 (FLYBY) back to base and was given the go ahead. As we got back down to landing pattern #4 had catastrophic conditions and we lost his crate. I radioed for instructions and was told to catch up and reform with my Scwharm2 to form a KETTE. Which is easier said than done going from base to back up to 4-5K and find my schwarm out of the many formations above. But I did after some guess work and wing waggles; and then off we went - minus our most experienced pilot. War is hell!
Our placement by this time was pretty much tail end Charlie to the whole JG gaggle, with the 6th a bit ahead and higher than us. We continued to climb up to about 5~6K and not too far off Manston harbor when the first bandit contact tallies were coming over the wireless. Onward we continued and soon enough there were E/A formations below and co-Alt with us. The first dogfights were engaged!
Our #1 latched onto a Hurricane trying to around our left flank and he pulled Gs to honk around him being that we had good speed (400 kph plus). Unfortunately, at these higher altitudes where the air is thinner, I think he yanked and banked too hard and went into an immediate and hard downward spin. Meanwhile, #2 KRASS and #3 myself-BUBI, continued to persecute the Hurri and some Spits that were at out altitude. Going down for LEE at this point seemed dangerous for us to loose our energy as we still didn't know if LEE was able to pull out of his hard spin. I found a Spitfire pretty soon and followed him a few turns and then got in under 200m and gave him a 1 second burst with guns/cannons. It punched a large whole in his starboard elliptical wing and he also went spinning down. Because I was still in the area with KRASS, I didn't want to leave him unsupported so I went back to his cover position.
By now we heard from LEE that he was recovering at 2K and in hot pursuit of a Hurri. We all were moving closer to the Manston harbor and city areas, but at different altitudes. Next I heard KRASS' voice at about 3 octaves higher than normal, either he was dying or something miraculous was happening! After his noises become intelligible, he was reporting that he was all over a Spit like ugly on an ape, getting solid hits. Being his cover, I looked over my wing and sure enough he was hammering away at his victim, but below me so I couldn't see the registry. Then KRASS gave out a victory roar similar to one you would expect to hear at a football game. Yes, its was clar that KRASS got his first piece of ASS!!! Well done mate, well done and in good enthusiastic cheer.
As the tides of war go, soon we heard the plaintiff calls of our #1 who by now was in the kettle of steam. We were too far and high up to help our mate, and we witnessed only his last radio transmission... then that ghostly hissss-snap! of a transmitter gone dead, and our mate along with it. Such how KRASS and I went through the rollercoaster of emotions of elation to depression. War is hell.
KRASS and I continued on to our #1's last known position near Manston harbor and city. Along the way I spied a pair of Hurris heading back to Manston below us about 1000m, so I radioed my wingman KRASS and he covered my attacks on the lead Hurri until it belched black and white smoke and fell away, I called for witness and watched her hit the channel in a spray of sea water. Hit the camera button several times, but unfortunately my first witnessed kill went un-filmed. War is hell!
What remained of our schwarm our ad-hoc rotte comprised of one pilot from each original rotte continued on towards what we thought was the area with shipping. I continued looking around for Indians, but was soon being called by my wingman for assistance. In the short time it took to look around to gain SA, my wingman was down a couple of thousand feet over the Manston city and airbase in a dogfight with a hurricane. So the fight was afoot again! KRASS had dished out some damage but was not being pursued himself and was calling me help ASAP. I got there just in time to chase off the Hurri on his tail with a quick inaccurate burst with tracers. We exited left out to sea and the Hurri off to his right back to base in hopes to drag us into their FLAK guns. Sorry mate, not this time. Rain check. War is hell.
This was our 3rd dogfight of the day, where we dished more than we took, when made us feel rather manly and all. Upon looking at my petrol gauge which read 1.4 liters, I suggested that we RTB and call it a day. Number 2 assented and we headed for France. No sooner did we make that call, KRASS then spied a Hurricane below us making it back to base.... oh schiese, to hell with caution we are LW fighter pilots; lets do it for LEE... and off we went down to get this poor chap. War is hell, no?
KRASS was quick to put the hurt on this fine flying fellow who probably would not make it to base, but we could not confirm the kill because soon 2 of his buddies and came to his aid the the tides of war has changed quickly. KRASS was getting attacked so I honked around and came to his assistance, giving KRASS a chance to extend. Unfortunately for me, the turn put me too slow and now I was fodder for KRASS' tormentors. I started taking hits and called for KRASS to help, which he did in quick order. He put some holes into the guy at my six and they took off for home. Unfortunately we both received golden radiator BBs and had to get as close to the French coast we could, got sufficient altitude and bailed safely. Thanks to the Kriegsmarine for pulling us out of the drink again. Dang it, war is hell!
Three dogfights was a charm, Four was a whore. We should have in hindsight, RTBed when my first intuition said to. A lesson we both lived to fight yet another day. Sorry LW for the lost Messers, we shall be sure to pay you back after the war, OK? When we get back to base, we have to visit LEEs widow and to return some personal effects
and deal with the French Resistance that messed up FLYBYs crate, we needed his guns today. The base police have snapped a picture of the saboteurs. They shall be caught and dealt with swiftly!
Yup, you guessed it... War Is Hell!
That's all Ive got.
BUBI
Im a dot....
BTW, Im selling my personalized boat from this lastest mission, slightly used and in great condition. Inquire at the front office desk.