The next patch promises to bring a mix of content for the IL-2 Great Battles Series with new aircraft for a couple of different areas represented by the sim and now a new western front campaign focused on the P-51B Mustang. It’s called Overlord and this is what we know.

Mustangs over D-Day

James =Jaegermeister= Yarbrough, the creator of several campaigns for IL-2 Great Battles including the P-38 focused Lightning Strikes campaign is back with a new one. Overlord is focused on the P-51B flying with the 354th Fighter Group.

The campaign is slated to launch with the next update and unlike some of Jaegermeister’s prior creations, this one is a paid campaign. There’s no indication yet of the length of the campaign but I’m guessing it will be similar to other paid campaigns typically ranging into the 10-15 missions in length.

A few promotional screenshots have been released in an update yesterday.

We also have the background on the campaign provided with information on the 354th and what they were doing around the time of the Normandy D-Day invasion.

The 354th Fighter Group, commonly referred to as the “Pioneer Mustang Group,” was the first USAAF unit to be equipped with the new P-51B/C Mustang during WWII and to see combat in Europe. They flew long-range escort missions over the English Channel with the 8th Air Force’s heavy bombers in the months leading up to D-Day. As final preparations were made for the invasion of Normandy, the 354th Fighter Group was reassigned to the IX Tactical Air Command and committed to direct support of the ground troops going ashore. The 354th flew escort for C-47s dropping paratroopers and towing gliders on D-Day.

Your role in this campaign begins as a replacement pilot arriving with the 354th Fighter Group on D-Day and assigned to the 356th “Red Ass” Squadron under the command of Major Richard Turner. In mid-June 1944 the Pioneer Mustangs flew strike missions across the English Channel from ALG Lashenden during the first V-1 rocket attacks on London and were directly in the path of the “Doodlebugs” as they headed towards their intended targets. They moved to ALG-2 at Criqueville in late June where they flew ground attack, search and rescue, fighter-bomber escort, and fighter sweep missions during all the major battles of Operation Overlord. After the Allied breakout at Saint-Lô, the 354th FG was reassigned to the new XIX Tactical Air Command and moved east with Patton’s 3rd US Army through Paris and eventually into Germany. Due to the hectic flight schedule and squadron reorganization, you will move up from wingman to element leader and finish the campaign as a flight leader.

Check out the announcement for more!