It started out as a low level, tree top clipping strike mission into the heart of enemy territory on one of IL-2 Great Battles most popular multiplayer servers. It ended in a dramatic victory. This was a fun Flight Journal to first experience and then later relive. Here’s what happened!

Setting up and setting out

Back flying on the Combat Box server again the other night. The scenario running at the time was the server’s tried and tested Operation Market Garden scenario with waves of AI controlled C-47s trying to drop troops in the target zones.

The mission we chose to do was to tackle the radar station and associated facilities deep inside Axis controlled lines. While other ground targets were around, primarily flak guns, we decided it’d be more fun to fly a low level strike into the heart of enemy territory. Our weapon of choice was the FB.VI Mosquito with a pair of 500lb bombs located on the internal bomb bay. No wing bombs as they would slow us down and we needed maximum speed to give us a chance at getting through.

Requiem (from the Air Combat Tutorial Library) and I started up at our base located near Antwerp, taxiied out and headed out for our mission.

I have to once again remark on how much nicer it is these days to have a built in ruler on the map screen. It’s a very useful tool for setting up our flights. Sometimes we, in our heads, create waypoints but this time we largely flew straight in using a couple of cities such as Eindhoven as a marker.

Staying low, just over the trees, surely helped us evade detection as no enemy fighters spotted us and we continued on to target unscathed. The Mosquito feels extremely capable in this kind of operation and its no small wonder that the plane was used like this during the war.

On target

A lake near the target area was our cue to prepare to strike and sure enough it came into view just a short while before we noticed the target area. We had heard reports of enemy aircraft near the target zone so we stayed vigilant while we pressed in to attack.

Requiem popped up first and I followed closely behind. Bomb bay doors open! And then …bang. I was hit by flak as I rolled over the top of my pop-up attack. The aircraft continued to fly and I was committed so I released my bombs on target.

Turning off the target I looked back and several columns of smoke were now billowing up from the target area. Both of us had struck our targets successfully!

I rolled around and made a strafing attack before turning for home. Requiem did the same making a strafing run just moments after I had pulled away from the target.

Having made our mark, delivered our bombs, and damaged the target area, it was time to get out of there before enemy fighters reacted. And so we set off for home heading west after evading the flak batteries successfully the second time.

Excitement, back at base

It was at this point that I surveyed the damage done to my Mosquito. A direct hit on the port side between the fuselage and engine had caused a fuel leak and damaged the engine. For a time the engine ran fine with no RPM drops and no boost pressure issues. But that would soon change and the engine died very suddenly. I feathered it, retrimmed the aircraft, and continued on.

At this point I was back in friendly lines with Requiem out ahead and in the landing circuit. At this point I saw two dots dropping down into the airbase area near Antwerp. They weren’t friendly!

Flak erupted and the two Fw 190s began fighting with the Spitfires and Mustangs around the base. As luck would have it, both Fw 190s had turned back towards my Mosquito now limping along with just one engine. The first one pulled up ahead of me and I let loose with .303s and 20mm. A glancing hit on the elevator was all that I ultimately managed but the now defending Mustangs and Spitfires were landing their own shots and that Fw190 went down.

His wingman was hot on their tails and also, as it turned out, just above my gunsight. I pulled up hard, trading what airspeed I had for angle, and let loose a second time. This time my shots were on target and the Fw190 took multiple 20mm hits on the wing root and in the engine. It lit on fire and crashed shortly there after. A victory!

With the airbase area clear and my Mosquito still leaking fuel, I made a hasty landing gently setting it down but then struggling to control the asymmetric nature of the now single engine plane. The Mosquito ground looped and dug in on the side of the airfield.

What a sortie and a clear reminder to me at least at how compelling this type of simulator flying can be. I’ll be back on again soon!