Sometimes it’s important to be a bit more lighthearted and when Combat Box’s newest multiplayer involves attacking a factory located within the Dutch city of Gouda. We designated it a cheese factory (a strategic target I’m sure) and made a whole mission of it. Here’s what happened!

Back on the Combat Box server

It’s been a bit since I spent any serious amount of time on the Combat Box server but the team there has been busy adding features (like voice activated comms with mission controllers) and new maps to keep things fresh and interesting. One of the new maps was in rotation on the night that we joined and we conducted several A-20 raids as the night wore on. This one was by far the most fun and interesting one.

Setting out from our base south east of Antwerp, we headed north west almost directly at our target at low altitude. For this flight we had four A-20’s with one human gunner for five human players joining us on the raid.

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Just after takeoff we established a connection via SRS with an Allied fighter-bomber group also heading out into the area. They swept forward keeping an eye on enemy fighter cover while we pressed straight in on the target. SRS ensured that we were able to check in with each other and keep tabs on the situation as it unfolded… fortunately it appeared that German fighters were covering other targets and we had a free hand to attack.

Commencing the attack

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Crossing the wetlands just to the east of Antwerp we pressed on at low altitude skimming just above the trees with the occasional pop-up to check and make sure we were on target. And we were as the city of Gouda appeared ahead of us rather quickly.

The targets included a factory (surely making the strategic cheese reserve) and nearby bunkers. There was also light and heavy flak batteries with everything from 20mm to 88mm being brought to bear on us as we approached.

Our flight broke off and attacked targets individually with one striking a line of bunkers with a brace of 250kg bombs while I pressed in on the factory itself dropping four 250kg bombs spaced out over several seconds.

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Explosions rung out as each of the four A-20’s payloads connected with the target.

Turning around we each unleashed further groupings of FAB-100 bombs from the internal bomb bay destroying bunkers and factory buildings alike.

Our .50cals were then brought to bear on the AAA fire with one A-20 dragging the fire while another A-20 would put rounds onto the target.

Limping home on just one engine

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Most of the A-20’s in the group took some sort of flak damage. Having watched the replay I’m not sure if I over-stressed an engine during the attack or if a sneaky 20mm round went into the engine but either way, my port engine suddenly emitted a puff of black smoke and ground to a halt.

Nothing would bring it back so I quickly feathered the engine and flew the return trip on just one engine.

The A-20 is an impressive aircraft with its overpowered engines making the loss of a single engine far less of an issue than with some of the other twin engine aircraft I’ve flown. It’s still cause for concern and a change of flying but it is doable.

Before long I was back at base with all four of the other A-20’s having accomplished our mission. No enemy fighters were spotted and the target was marked as destroyed. Definitely one of the best mission I’ve flown in a while and made all the better by the combined tactics and superb flying from the rest of the group!