Malta 1940: (Boulogne Variant BoB scenario 2)
Briefing: 2359hrs
Location: Tripoli
Ground:
Enemy Forces: Gloster Gladiator, outdated biplanes. Light AA around harbour.
Friendly Forces: 2 ME110 of 4/ZG 76 here in Tripoli and Italian fighter support from Trapani.
Atts & Dets: Nil
Mission: To destroy all shipping in Kalafrana Bay.
Italian reconnaissance aircraft have ascertained that an Allied Merchant and a destroyer escort has docked in the southern port of Marsaxlokk in Kalafrana Bay.
They arrived late last night and have not unloaded their cargo yet.
Take off 0430hrs.
RV with Italian fighter cover 0530hrs over harbour.
Sunrise: 0445hrs.
You will have the benefit of attacking out of the sun.
Estimated RTB: 0615hrs.
No messing around. Identify the targets, get in, drop your bombs, get out and be back for breakfast. The Italians will look after themselves. Questions? None. Good. Good hunting.
ME110's en route to target
FAlco's en route to Rv with ME110's
ME110's over target
“Hans we take the lone fool, then the harbour. Our allies have arrived to the east!”
“Ja. Gut. Kein problem”.
“Ok, Guisseppi, can you see the Germans yet?”
“No. Good job we brought some bombs along. We might as well do the job ourselves. Now what do we do with that Gladiator?”
“Pah, we shoot him down of course!”
PO Peter Alexander was on his first flight from Hal Far. He had drifted too far south and had turned the Gladiator around and headed for home.
The sun was in his eyes as he remembered the warning of the CO, ‘The enemy like to attack out of the sun, but always watch behind you’.
PO Dom Sheffield had taken off from HMS Eagle 2 hours ago and was glad to see Malta looming up before him bathed in the morning glow of the rising sun. A glint off to his left and instinct took over. Pushing the stick forward he went into a steep dive in the Martlet as two ME110’s flashed by.
Looping over he took aim on the left ME110 and let rip a close burst into its tail. The rear gunner, awake, fired a desolutry burst into Dom’s left wing.
“Hans, stop messing around and deal with that lone fool”.
“Jawohl, Stefan; we have him”.
Dom had missed the ME110 as it turned left and just out of his arc the rear gunner peppered his left wing again. Well that will have to stop, he said to himself. Must radio in too:
“Hello Hawk Control this is Sparrow, 2 bandits 4 miles north of Foxtrot Bravo, Angels 5, I say again Angels 5. Am engaging over”
“Hello Sparrow this is Hawk Control roger out”.
PO Peter Alexander was looking all around when he spotted an aircraft not unlike his approaching from behind. Knowing he was the only Gladiator in the air, he correctly assumed that this was an enemy plane. Looping over he flew straight at the enemy and fired his guns. He could see flames beginning to shoot out of the enemy aircrafts engine.
Dom was in his element. He was sticking to the tail of the ME110 relentlessly.
“Ach, Stefan; I think he has us!”
“Hans, stop whining and get him before he gets you!”
Hans’ ME110 was rocked as an AA shell exploded beneath his left wing, flinging the 110 violently in the air.
“Hans, watch out for the AA, the ground gunners are wide awake!”
Stefan held his nerve and flew through the barrage, Hans followed. Stefan lined up on his target, the merchant as Hans lined up on the destroyer. Dom realising he was flying into a tight flack barrage held his nerve and fired once more into the ME110 as the rear gunner fired back.
Peter knew he had a fight on his hands. Where there was 1 enemy before, now there were two.
He kept on at the enemy plane on fire.
Both bombs gone, Stefan threw the 110 into a climbing loop. Both bombs hit the target. He could see a small fire starting forward, then whoosh, boom, boom, boom. The merchant disappeared in a pall of smoke and flame. Ha, he thought, 1 down 1 to go!.
Now Hans rand the gauntlet of flak as Dom banked right and steered his precious Martlet away from the deadly barrage. Luckily for Hans the gunners aim was off and he readied to drop his bombs on the motionless destroyer.
Peter was enjoying himself as he caught the Falco again causing more damage. The second one though was flying away from him. He remembered the Co’s words again “Stick with the enemy you’re dealing with, shoot him down, make sure you shoot him down, then go back for another one. One at a time ,my lad, one at a time’.
Hans had dropped his bombs too early and both exploded in the water short of the destroyers bow. Stefan was now about to fly through the flack barrage for a second time and witnessed Hans’ bombs missing the target. He would have to have words with him when they returned to Tripoli. Guisseppi flew on and concentrated on the destroyer looming up before him.
Dom could not believe his luck as a second enemy plane flew in front of his guns. So he let him have some too!
Peter would not let the Falco shake him. He was more determined than ever to get him. The Falco pilot had had enough and was trying to get home.
Dom pressed home his attack on the 110 again as the Falco flew out of his sights. He fired a long sustained burst and was rewarded when the rear of the canopy exploded into a red mist. He had nailed the rear gunner.
Hans tried in vain to jink the ME110 away from the resolute enemy pilot. More bullets thudded into the cockpit and he felt a sharp blow to his right shoulder.
A flak burst right under the 110 and lifted it as more bullets from Dom’s machine guns blasted into the 110.
Dom’s relentless pursuit paid dividends as the now stricken 110 nose dived into the sea.
Peter pursued the Falco pouring more and more bullets into it, until at last it just fell out of the air and crashed into the sea.
Butchers Bill
Falco 1: SD/ET/SEA/FLM
Falco 2: RTB/4 damage/ 2 misses
Hans ME110: SD/Sea/ET/19 damage+ 3 flak damage/2 misses
Stefan ME110: RTB/8 damage/ 2 hits/1 ship sunk.
PO Peter Alexander: RTB/1 kill
PO Dom Sheffield: RTB/ 14 damage/1 kill
Merchant ship: Sunk/unloaded 13 points of cargo
Destroyer: unloaded 16 points of cargo
Axis: -2 (ME110 shot down - 2 (Falco shot down) + 20 Merchant sunk = 16 points
Allies: +25 (destroyer cargo, unloaded during game 17, but carried 25) -7 (cargo left on merchant when it blew up) = 18 points
Allies win by 2 points
Summary:
1. Thank you to Rob and Joaquim for letting me use named pilots from their squadrons.
2. Great mission, perhaps I should have stayed in France and not Malta for this one!
3. AA was played by allocating a 2 markers with the same number to each gun. The I placed one of the 2 markers out as the line of fire. As long as an enemy aircraft flew between the gun and the marker then I picked a C damage chit and applied the result. Of course if a friendly aircraft veered into the line of fire it too would have to take a damage chit.
4.What a way to hit 5001 posts.
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Originally Posted by Marechallannes
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