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Sasquatch
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Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2014 8:31 pm |
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Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2013 12:29 am Posts: 230
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Gums wrote: Salute! Hey!! I was pretty sure the 23rd showed up with the buffs when the Blue Noses had to RTB. Would like to hear more about that part of your mission. You guys showed how to get with the buffs and use the routes/DTF and such. Lessons to be learned.
Gums.... The 74th and 76th Fighter Squadrons (4 pilots each) RV'd with the buffs using the DFT and grid location/groundspeed along with the 4th FG near Kassel after the CO asked us to discontinue our feint N of the Buff group. Since the 4th was tasked with close escort, we tried to keep to either side working our way up to the 109's that were shadowing the group. Since the LW seemed more intent on looking for unwary targets of opportunity and staying high, we tried to lure them to the sides, away from the box. For the most part we suceeded, as almost every one that came down to our altitude (30-33k), made 1 pass and then was driven off. The 2 that I saw that made a deliberate attack on the high 6 of the box paid the price as I saw both go down although I think only 1 was credited. After the final drop at Berlin, the LW made a spirited attempt at breaking us up and although we scored several hits, none of the 109s dropped. The 76th lost visual contact with the buffs at this time but we knew as long as we were mixing it up, the LW would have a long stern chase to catch the buffs returning to base. We unfortunately lost 1 pilot to a sneaky Ninja 109 pilot (never saw him) but after they thinned out, we pointed our nose down the DTF and eventually caught back up to the heavies knowing that pursuit was clear (we were at high power to catch up), landing back home with @40 gallons left.
Lessons Learned: 1) High power settings (80+) were used almost constantly. High Speed made the 109s job of weeding out the escorts very difficult as the closing rate was slow and they constantly overshot giving opportunities away (I saw hits on at least 4 LW myself). 2) By using a 'persecute to drive away' rather than a 'persecute to kill' philosophy, we were able to keep altitude, prevent multiple attacks and most importantly, maintain contact with the heavies while preserving fuel/ammo for the entire sortie. 3) Using point 1, the 74th and 76th roved the high 6 and flanks of the buffs constantly, compounding the LW attack problem. It's not the Merchantmen the Sub Commander fears, it's the aggressive escorts that manuever around them, dangerous and unpredictable.
Sasquatch" =sqtc= 23rd Fighter Group CO
"You know you loaded too much fuel only when you see fire"
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Gums
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Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2014 9:44 pm |
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Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2013 3:00 pm Posts: 672 Location: Florida
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Salute!
Yeah, Squatch, you guys followed the "Red Tail" ROE.
No sense chasing a 109 down below 2,000 of the buffs. The enema dweebs will try the six o'clock attack, and they should be meat on the table for our lites sitting on the perch, The smart ones don't hang around.
We saw Dobs' call for you all to come south, BTW. Nofly and Gums tried to give location every time we could.
Great workin' with ya.
Gums sends...
"God in your guts, good men at your back, wings that stay on - and Tally Ho!"
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