ETO Battle of Britain campaign Mark III

[Daiwilletti]

Actually I would look forward to that, I'll just have to replace the menu music with 'Bomben auf England' and get into character

If this ETO Blenheim campaign is anything to go by, bomber missions in the BoB mod's campaign will be a heck of a lot more exciting...and dangerous...that they ever were in stock CFS3. If I can have a second staffel for company, I'll be in Heinkel Heaven and any escorts will be icing on the cake. Hopefully, most cakes will come with icing

You've put you finger on one of the more problematic areas . Things like having 7 or less wingmen, and flying as a bomber pilot you get an escort of 7 or 8 fighters (or less depending on the squadron health) seem to be hard-coded. One thing I've been thinking of including is instructions how to set up a desktop shortcut to the AppData _mission.xml file. When starting a campaign mission (ie when sitting on the runway waiting to takeoff), you can Alt+Tab to the desktop, click on the shortcut, edit the skill level from 1 to 3 for the player flight and escort flight. What I haven't tried, is to increase the number of wingmen and escort aircraft in the _mission.xml file. After making the edits, you can switch back to CFS3 where you are sitting on the runway, and hopefully the AI world will wobble a bit, and a whole lot more aircraft will be buzzing about.

If that works, you will be closer to getting what you wanted. Of course, you can probably already get that by shelling our $$ and using the product that the clever boys at OBD sell, which probably does all that editing invisibly . .

I have uploaded a hotkey here at SOH which does the skill level editing automatically, but the trouble is, it only works on one pathway, everyone has their install in a different pathway, so it is hard to include an automated bat file to achieve this stuff.

 

[33lima]

JJJ65 made a mission editor for WoFF, adapted for with WotR, which I think allowed you to do that 'jump out, edit mission, jump back in', thing: https://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4439753/1/wotr-mission-editor

It was in the 1.19 update to WotR that OBD introduced tighter formation options, for fighters...

...as well as for bombers. With that update, I am using settings which still generate some small raids...

...but also some respectably-sized ones, like this...

If hard-coded CFS3 stuff restricts the player's flight to eight aircraft with a similar size of escort in campaign missions, we'll have to live with that, like we had to live with 'ghost' bombers making up what, even modded, was still a lone, small Combat Box in B-17 II Mighty Eighth. When playing as a bomber pilot, anyway. With the best you might get being other friendly flights spawning nearby.

However, I'd be hopeful that if playing for Fighter Command, we could see bigger AI bomber formations, like those I saw with Rince33's experimental spawns, even if the formation spacing and keeping is still typical CFS3 fare...

This, we'll have to live without, or turn to BoB2 for...

Each sim brings its own thing to the party!

 

[33lima]

59 Squadron, Newton, morning, 14 July 1940

We've relocated again, this time well to the north, to a former Flying Training Command (FTC) airfield near Nottingham. Due to mixing up my keys, I didn't get any pics before take-off, but I sorted that out in time to get this shot on the grassy airfield. Our target, once again, is shipping south of the Isle of Wight.

Actually, having seen on the last trip how plentiful ground targets are in the enemy bridgehead, I'm tempted to divert my attentions. However, being unlisted, I suspect ground targets attacked might not contribute to pushing the enemy back. So it's a-ship-hunting we will go, once again. Here I am, started up and ready to lead off.

As usual, I need quite a lot of differential braking to keep reasonably straight, until the rudder bites. I'm getting better at this with practice.

Our base seems very well equipped for a mere training airfield, but it is a pre-war RAF station that only switched to FTC in 1941, not some commandeered flying club, according to its entry in David Wragg's 'RAF Handbook'.

Anyway, gear's up and it's time to check my map and my surroundings.

We have company in the air, as usual these days. But friend or foe? That's the question!

...to be continued!

 

[33lima]

The skies ahead are clear, apart from a distant single aircraft, to the right and low above the horizon...

...but out to our left, we have a squadron of Heinkels for company. Happily, they are unescorted and don’t appear to be interested in us or our airfield.

They’re being set about by some Blenheim fighters, the short-nosed Mark I variety with the cute little belly packs of four Brownings.

One of the Huns is already going down...and doesn’t look like getting back up again.

Fair enough. None of our business, really. Except that once again our escorts have been distracted, and will not catch up again as fast as Spitfires would. At least they’ll have the range to cover us all the way to our target, which is well over a hundred miles to the south. As we turn in that direction, another Heinkel is attacked.

Our lot have managed to avoid becoming embroiled in this little fracas and our base has avoided being bombed. Now I just need my stragglers to catch up and then we'll be on our way.

...to be continued!

 

[33lima]

I'm not sure where the Heinkels are going. Maybe they're not sure either. But they're still going there, wherever it is, when I last see them.

Our course to the south brings us back past RAF Newton. It's a nice base, but just too far away from the Channel.

We press on. I don’t generally have the time or patience to fly long transit flights in real time and this one is very long. So I end up warping and accepting the horribly excessive ascent to over 20,000 feet.

From past experience of the busy, spawn-filled skies of this particular campaign, I know we’re unlikely to cover the whole distance without bumping into some Huns. In fact, we get maybe half-way to the coast before we’re kicked out of warp and it’s time to find out why.

Over to our right, a bunch of what looks like Me110s is coming in for a beam attack!

The good news is that our escorts are between us and the Huns and are already turning into them.

This is going to be interesting!

…to be continued!

 

[33lima]

The 110s are obviously keen to make our acquaintance. But first, they’ll have to get past our protectors.

I recall that a patrol of 'B' Flight, 600 Squadron’s Blenheim fighters was all but wiped out over Rotterdam Waalhaven when they met Me110s in May 1940, so I feel for these boys today. They’ve the heart of a lion, but the aircraft of a rather more harmless beast.

From a purely selfish point of view, the outcome is satisfactory, for the time being. The Huns turn to take on our escorts…

…then the fighting begins to drift astern...

...leaving us able to press on.

So far, so good. But not for long...

...to be continued!

 

[33lima]

Some of the Huns have been drawn well astern by the intervention of our escorts...

...but not all. The first I know of this is when my air gunner opens fire. His target is a 110 who's rolling in from above.

I switch to the dorsal turret, and there's the usual waggling of wings and adjustment of course as the AI pilot takes over. Despite this, I manage to get my sights onto the Hun as he dives down on us.

A couple of quick bursts has the desired effect and the Hun sheers off and disappears somewhere behind and below. I feel like one of Pequod's whaleboats that's waiting on the surface for Moby Dick to breach again.

But nothing happens, and I transfer my attention to another 110 who's shadowing us, up on our right. Evidently, more that one Hun has avoided our escorts.

I get a shock when one of the boys reports on the R/T that he's catching a packet. I get my sights onto his attacker but the range is long, the target is moving, and the friend I want to avoid hitting is inhibiting me from allowing enough deflection. My rounds go wide.

Now we're in big trouble!

...to be continued!

 

[33lima]

The stricken Blenheim begins to slide out of formation...

...while the victorious Messerschmitt swoops below us, out of our gunners' fields of fire. He hasn't got away unscathed.

His victim is clearly doomed. Nobody gets out.

The Hun climbs up to shadow us again, this time on our left. I given him a couple of bursts as he overhauls us, just to test the range and maybe put him off. I can see that he's leaving a faint trail of something...

...but he isn't ready to give up yet, despite being well holed.

'Go home and be content with the one you got!' I tell him, mentally, but he's not persuaded.

A single rifle calibre machine gun isn't much use against these people, and I'm wishing I had a later model with twin guns. I'll be wishing even harder, very shortly.

...to be continued!

 

[33lima]

The 110 looks like he's trying for a beam attack and sure enough, that's what he does, just as we start drawing some flak. And it looks like it's me he's after!

I get my gun onto him quickly and he breaks off and dives away. I give him another burst, to see him on his way.

This seems to have the desired effect! The Hun isn't going down, but it looks like he's had enough of us, at last.

Suddenly, a frantic message on the R/T reminds me there were other 110s stalking us. Now one of them has slipped in and clobbered another one of the boys!

Blenheim and Hun both go down, the former for good.

There's no sign of our escort; they're probably in worse shape. This really isn't going too well!

...to be continued!

 

[33lima]

Seconds later, another attack comes in, from high on the starboard quarter.

Ignoring the return fire, the Hun rakes a bomber on that side of the formation...

...then dives away, even as another luckless Blenheim plunges to destruction.

The Messerschmitt pulls up and drifts astern, pursued by a final burst. But two more Huns are now regrouping on our left. It's clear enough that's where the next attack will come from.

...to be continued!

 

[33lima]

Here we go! One of the Huns banks right and comes sweeping in.

The 110 cuts across astern of us, then rolls in behind me. I reckon I'm his target and rake him with long bursts - there's no point in conserving ammo now!

The Hun breaks off and dives away. That'll teach him!

But he's not done yet! He pulls up his nose and lets fly at the Blenheim to my left rear. And hits him, too!

It's all over in a split-second. The bomber's tail is shot clean off and down he goes, trailing fire.

This has all the makings of a massacre!

...to be continued!

 

[33lima]

I get in a good burst at the Hun as he breaks up and away.

But any satisfaction is short-lived. On the other side of the formation, another Blenheim is being clobbered. The only consolation is that the crew wastes no time leaping to safety from their doomed aircraft.

The 110 takes up station above and behind us...

...from where he has a good view of what's left of our formation.

Which is just three aircraft, out of the eight we started with!

...to be continued!

 

[33lima]

I have a good rattle at the Hun as he crosses to our rear....

...but next second, there's another 110 rolling onto his back as he swoops down on us.

He slides past behind me and gets under my tail before I can even bring my gun to bear.

Meanwhile, the other 110 is shooting up the Blenheim above me on my right.

The bomber on my right then gets the same treatment, only worse.

At this point, just when I'm thinking it can't get much worse, my ammo runs out. Now what?

...to be continued!

 

[33lima]

Back in the pilot's seat, I shove the nose down and head for the deck. It's a long way down, but what else can I do? A Hun is already coming in from my right.

I turn hard into him, but keep my nose well down. Up above us, one of his mates is closing in to finish off the burning Blenheim.

Partly to lighten my load, partly as it's the only chance I'll get to do any damage - if we're still over enemy-held territory - I dump my bomb load. One other Blenheim has survived without serious damage and does likewise.

I roll right over until the wings are nearly vertical and spiral down as tightly as I can.

Tunnel vision sets in...

...and I ease off a little, the better to see if I'm gaining on the Huns. I'm not - a cannon round hits right on my nose.

I'm way to high, defenceless and just about out of options.

...to be continued!

 

[33lima]

I briefly try to out-turn the nearest 110, if only to stay out of his line of fire. This just gets me hit again, in the wing and tail.

The Hun is sticking to me like glue...

...and the ground is still a long way below.

Simply reversing a turn in front of an enemy usually isn't a good idea, but I'm now so desperate that I'll try anything.

This move actually seems to catch the Hun by surprise and he's slow to follow.

His next burst goes well wide. Maybe, just maybe, I'll get out of this yet!

...to be continued!

 

[33lima]

Not a chance! The Hun is quickly back on my tail.

In desperation, I risk a quick glance at my map, in search of a nearby airfield. This reveals there's one not far off - you can see it in the next pic, near my tail-wheel.

I roll out onto a course for the airfield and dive for it. It takes me about two seconds to realise I have no hope of making it. Even if I did, my controls feel sluggish and I reckon a landing attempt would be risky. I hate abandoning an aircraft while she's still airworthy, but there's no point in committing suicide and taking my crew with me. The decision to bail out is no sooner made, than a burst of fire from my left puts the matter beyond any remaining doubt.

Have I left it too late? Apparently not, but's a close run thing!

Another crew member makes it out too, as I tumble through space. That parachute harness looks awfully loose, though!

Nevertheless, all is well and as my 'chute opens, I get a grandstand view of my poor kite's last seconds.

,
Now I just need to avoid breaking my neck on landing, and find out if I'm down in enemy territory!

...to be continued!

 

[33lima]

That bloody-minded Hun is making sure of his kill!

The 110 plunges after my doomed aircraft, practically machine-gunning the wreck, and I’m disappointed when it manages to pull up, before also hitting the ground. Below me, two more ‘chutes pop open – you can only see one in the pic below, but there are two.

This is a bit of a puzzler. At first I thought the 110’s crew had bailed out too, but the aircraft flies on happily. They must be the other two from my own aircraft – the gunner/operator from the dorsal turret, and my invisible navigator/bomb aimer. I’d been wondering where he’d got to, as I never saw him on his little jump seat beside me or up in the nose. Strange. Great they got out, though.

I land lightly enough but then go for a little drag when my ‘chute fills with the wind.

It seems I must have landed in friendly territory, so I hope those bombs I dumped didn’t do any harm! Back at base, the squadron Intelligence Officer is evidently doing his best to cheer me up at the debriefing.

But there’s no mistaking that with eight Blenheims destroyed, many crews likely lost, our escort probably decimated and nothing to show for it all - apart from a Heinkel or two downed at the start - this show was a disaster on the scale of many suffered by the Blenheim squadrons in 1940.

As for next time - sod the briefing and sod the ruddy ships down in the ruddy Channel - I’m staying low and going for ground targets, close to hand!

 

[33lima]

59 Squadron, Newton, morning, 15 July 1940

Once again, only anti-shipping missions are on offer, so I accept one that's more or less due south, on a course that will take me over enemy-held territory. Which I will bomb - somewhere around Reading, if only because it's a prominent town that I know to be just inside enemy lines.

After last time, I pay a bit more attention to the tab in the briefing that tells me about the escort. There's only six of them, but they're Spitfires. Thank goodness!

Is that them, to our right as we take off? I think so.

Time to get the undercart up and start the left-hand turn that will get us onto our course to the south.

I take it wide and relatively slowly, so that the boys can catch up, which they begin to do.

It's around this time that I become aware that our airfield is about to be bombed!

...to be continued!

 

[33lima]

Our escorts waste no time in tackling the Huns...

...but are unable to stop them clobbering our airfield. The hangars seem to escape the worst of it, but the buildings behind them catch a packet. Bang goes the Officers' Mess, probably.

But there's no point crying over spilt gin and tonic. The best we can do is pay back the Huns in kind, like the Spitfires are already doing.

There'll be no warping to twenty-odd thousand feet on this show. I settle down at about a thousand feet and trim her out, heading south. The first ground targets we meet are going to get bombed.

...to be continued!

 

[33lima]

At about nine hundred feet I lead the boys south. The first large town we come to is Leicester, the navigator tells me - strictly speaking the observer, as they were called until 1942.

As we reach Leicester's leafy suburbs, I decide to set up the Tactical Display so that it will pick up all targets; no point waiting till the last minute. This reveals the startling fact that we have enemy aircraft close by to our right!

An angry swarm of what looks the dreaded Me110s is storming straight at us, through a barrage of Ack Ack fire.

The last time this happened, our Blenheim fighter escorts were able to cut off the attackers. This time we have Spitfires for escort, but they haven't yet re-joined after their encounter with those Heinkels.

The Huns tear into the right flank or our formation with devastating speed and effect.

We're no-where near any conceivable target and have lost a quarter of our force in the very first pass. This looks like being another massacre, unless those Spits show up!

...to be continued!