OPERATION CITADEL - second week of operations
The Führer expects our armed forces to break through the Russian lines within the month. It seems though that Russia had intel of our offensive far ahead of the German offensive. Their defensive lines are very well prepared and the VVS airforce has shown up in strength. Gestapo will hunt down the British spies suspected for providing the Russians with info. Nevertheless we have the better tanks and airplanes and will prevail for the Fatherland! It is imperative that we assist our ground troops and help them break through by weakening the Russian defensive lines from the air.
--== THESE ARE THE ORDERS ==--
-= 1st Sortie =-
4th FG
Base: F50
Launch Bf 110G-2's with 2x 1000 kg bombs. Climb as indicated until 25 000 ft. Then proceed to the target area and pass your intended target, cut the throttle, reset your trims and roll over inverted. Dive bomb from NE to SW and release your bombs at latest 8000 ft. Then go Bst1 and run straight back to F50. The targets are F95, F99, F116 & F117.
LF6, JG 27, 39 CW & 23rd
Base: F68 & F53
All launch in fighters. Climb to at least 30 000 ft (9000 m) and hold at the 3.10x. When the Bf 110's are ready and the order is given, commence a forward sweep towards the target area and start a cat n' mouse harrassment. Do NOT engage in turn fights. Do NOT get below 20 000 ft (6000 m). Just keep the VVS busy but use your superior speed above 20k to boom n zoom but keep out of harms way. When the Bf 110's arrive, do what you can to protect them. The Bf 110's will dive bomb from 25k down to 5k and then haul a$$ to the south west towards our base at F50. Try to keep the clear as they make their escape, and all fighters RTB as soon as the strike is done. Land at F50 if possible, otherwise land where you need and then fly to rebase at F50 asap.
The 23rd JG will also launch one Ju-88's to hit the northernmost field F98 and one Ju-88 to hit the southernmost field F112. Make sure to time it so that these Ju-88's hit fairly simulatenously as the Bf 110's move in to strike. You may provide one escort fighter for each of the Ju-88's, the rest of the squad need to be in fighters and help with the forward sweep in the middle.
-= 2nd Sortie =-
LF6, JG 27, 39 CW & 23rd
Base: F50
All pilots launch Ju-88's and climb according to the Sortie 2 map posted below. Get to at least 20 000 ft (6000 m) and hold and assemble all bombers at the 2.10x until cleared to ingress. Once cleared to go make sure the lead bombers run at 95% throttle so that all bomber pilots can keep a tight formation. If the visibility is good then bomb from 25 000 ft (7000+ m). Otherwise descent prior to target and bomb at the altitude required for visibility. Only do maximum one bombing pass on ingress and one bombing pass on egress then run like a madman back to safety. Do NOT try to make multiple passes on target. Make use of the speed of the Ju-88's to survive. Your targets are F94, F93, F92 & F110.
4th FG
Launch all fighters and meet up with the bombers at the 2.10x. Then provide escort to and from target.
-= Subsequent Sorties =-
At this stage it is expected that our various geschwaders are desyncronized as well as the Russian squadrons. As such it is imperative that the geschwader commanders try to urge their pilots of forming up in at minimum wingpairs so that we do not send our planes in piecemeal. It is however by now up to each geschwader commander to delegate his pilots to operate with bombers, fighters or troopers as he finds best, unless other orders are given. Just note that anyone flying a bomber need to announce this in the buffer so that any free fighters can provide escort if possible.
The 4th JG will launch a Ju-87D Stuka raid during this stage of operations. Basing + target will be decided depending on the scenario that unfolds.
<S>
/Robert
4th Jagdgeschwader
"Vierter aber zuerst!"
