The Double D's

[Lt. James Cater 62]

12APR72

 

Old target but new approach and diffrent defenses to cope with.

 

Due to the weather and anticipating the possibility of a SAM site being in the area, dive bombing was out of the question so we decided on low level with High Drag MK117s.

 

The takeoff and initial approach was usual with the exception of being in instrument conditions and our northeast flight path taking us up towards RPs 3 and 4. Care was taken not to be in to quick but by the time we wee at the IP i knew we were running late. About 20 miles out, other strikes were in the area and the worst possible thing happened. SAM LAUNCH, SAM LAUNCH!!

 

Oh Damn!

 

I ordered LT Lang to hit the target and i manuvered to put myself in a better spot vis a vis the SAM. Another SAM site came up fireing. To our luck they seemed to be ignoring us and the swing in from the northwest gave us a backdoor approach. I bet who ever laid out the defenses never thought that someone would come in low from our bearing. Lang seemed to be having trouble because he was going really slow. no matter what he could not (or would not) go any faster. Man he was really a sitting duck.

 

Anyway, some Navy A-7s were also taked with a target at the POL site and they blew away our primary along with theirs. Oh well, might as well bore in and get something else. I saw something for Lang to hit and concentrated on my own attack. I could see the buildings and some surviving oil tanks so i angled the aircraft a bit in order to get the most advantageous drop.

 

It was about as fine a bomb run as i ever will make. The closest thing to perfection i will ever achieve. It was soo good that even the flight path just right. A little right rudder and full speed for the GArden just like old times. Forget about our planned and briefed egress route, we're out of here!

 

Except that Lang was still moving at a crawl and swiftly becoming one of the few aircraft in the area seeing as mostly everone was on the way out by now.

 

So i turned around and went to help. Seems he was lost a bit so i ordered him onto another target as i got the guns ready. I shot up the most convenient thing i could find, the POL site. From about .8 of a mile out i hosed down the area and saw multiple explosions where the tracers were hitting. Zoomed low over the smoke and flames with some light AA shooting at me but no joy for them. Lang finally made his attack (and missed!) ans so we were back to our planned egress sseing as i was heading in the right direction. Ordering the LT to close up, it was back to the hills and clouds, with the knowledge that SAM could come up and swat us down at any moment. with that in mind i kept the engine going all out until i was sure that we were out of range.

 

Was a hairy flight and Lang is now officially in the Doghouse! He is on every tough mission until he shows better performance.

Edited February 21, 2010 by Lt. James Cater

[+Cliff7600 1,148]

Hey Unknown, that sucks! Hope you'll get that fixed soon...

 

 

6^th mission

 

2Lt Sean Rosewood

 

87^th FIS, Wiesbaden-Erbenheim – F-106A Delta Dart

 

11/05/68

 

Take off : 10.23 – Landing : 11.40

 

Target : Wunstorf, Sweep

 

1 MiG-17, 1 MiG-21

 

Memphis 11 : 2Lt Sean Rosewood

 

Memphis 12 : 2Lt Clayton Jefferson

 

Memphis 13 : Capt Clifton Massen

 

Memphis 14 : 2Lt Gerald Day

 

Memphis 21 : Maj Richard Howerton

 

Memphis 22 : 2Lt Norman Howenton

 

Memphis 23 : Capt Rolland Kullman

 

Memphis 24 : 2Lt Billy Pickett

 

Report :

 

Big show today, we must go to Wunstorf and clean the sky from enemy threats.

 

No less than 2 sections, I’m in charge of the first and the Major Howerton will lead the second. I feel confident with my team but before we flew over the tasked area, we were told to RTB. We stayed and tried to engage any fighters and there were few bandits left. I hunted a MiG-17 and took him out with an AIM-4F. I went after another one but went Winchester. I radioed Memphis 12 to take care of him but the guy answered “Unable”. So I decided to broke up, but realized soon that it could be more dangerous for my wingmen to turn back than to fight. I climbed to have a high level rendez-vous and everybody managed to rejoin. Capt Kullman shot down a MiG-21 to clear the way, as usual Capt Massen left far behind searching for one more kill, but my number 2 didn’t made it and a MiG shot him down. He was rescued but wounded.

 

Back to Wiesbaden, there were a bunch of Phantoms, asking their clearance at the same time we did. I landed first, but Billy (Memphis 24) waited damn long before he could land.

 

2 for 1 ain’t a success to me, but I got promoted to 1Lt grade and I got a citation for the Air Medal. I’m honoured and proud to serve with my squadron, and I will not take that citation for my own. The whole squad deserves it.

_

 

[Lt. James Cater 62]

14APR72

 

Had a Recce mison and so decided to take a long a few friends. 3 flights worth of em to be exact. As far as i'm concerned, everyone's along for the ride just in case the enemy fires upon my number two and me. Then we can do the natural thing and protect ourselves.

 

Instead of going right at them, i figured that there just might be some defenses that we don't know about somewhere over the Ho Chi Mihn trail. The usual long flight to the Ubon area was called for and it was hoped that the somewhat cloudy condition would cover us from any guns we would overfly on the flight over Laos.

 

The only thing of note on the ingress was a warning from Red Crown. Gopher flight, a pair of F-4s on patrol intercepted the bogey and it turned out to be a lousy AN-2. What a laugh! Gopher two got it and i bet it went over in their O'club after they landed. Still, a kill is a kill.

 

Well, we came in on Khe Phat and from 10 miles out, i led everyone down through the clouds and sure enough we drew fire as we closed in. The rest was a foregone conclusion. My term for these missions is "Stepping" because that's what we do to an area, we STEP on it.

 

Khe Phat was utterly denuded of defenses after we were done. We could have done more but the boys were getting too agressive and were out to hit places were we are going to take care of in the future.

[Slartibartfast 153]

Well had 1 flight yesterday a basic out and back intercept...

 

2 Tornado's Full weps and droptanks

 

Plucked a pair of Mig-23's out of the sky. Made for home until we got into very very nasty fight with a pair of Mig-21's they hugged us close they where so close you could smell em... Got one with a gun and the 2nd one fought like a demon until I decoyed him away and my wingman took him out with a Skyflash... job done and nothing else about so we went home... Looks like all the rookies are done for as the fighter's are now getting very very aggressive...

Edited February 23, 2010 by Slartibartfast

[Lt. James Cater 62]

11MAY72

 

Had one hell of a fight on this mission.

 

Seeing that Chan Hoa was up for us i decided to continue stepping on target areas so we went out 3 flights strong again.

 

That something was unusual was apparent by the lack of ground fire to those that ventured into the target area ahead of us. Gopher flight (a pair of F-4s) didn't even find anything to attack. Neither did a pair of Marine A-4s which flew somewhere else to find targets.

 

As we closed in, prople began spiking and it was quite a task to hold them until the proper moment. About 7 miles out i let everyone loose and the fight was on.

 

I angled us slightly between Chan Hoa and the airfield at Dong Hoi and it was a good thing as lots of triple A opened us on us. I myself, had it tough in the initial moments with fire that was close and relentless. I know that there were Firecans in the area and it was showing. LT Atterbery made a determined run and dropped EVERYTHING. Can you imagine what 4 MK117s and 10 Rockeyes look like when they go off right after each other?

 

That was my cue and so i manages to avaoid the fire just long enough to make a run at the base. My bombs added nicely to the conflagration and now it was open hunting for me also. We went on a tear but the enemy wasn't exactly asleep. As i started my run, MAJ Jasperson was hit and went down.

 

So the battle went on.

 

I found myself attacking targets at Quang Khe. As much as i hate dueling with guns, there were some juicy targets in the area and so the guns had to be suppressed. The cost was steep, LT Atterbery was shot down near the river mouth.

 

I found myself stalking and taking out the guns that got Atterbery. It took multiple passes but they were wiped out by us. In between, i hit one of the river ladings with a pair of Rockeyes and caused witnessed multiple secondaries from trucks that were waiting to cross the river.

 

By the time the last guns on the river were destroyed i figured that enough was enough and gathered everyone together for the flight home.

 

The attacks stretched from Dong Hoi to the Arrowhead. Enemy fire was intense to say the least but we overcame the defense.

 

 

Maj Francis Jasperson has been declared MIA since no one saw what became of him after he was hit. 2LT Karl Atterberry bailed out but was taken POW. I really thought he could have made a run for it but he must have been injured. If Jasperson made it out his aircraft in one piece, he stands a good chance since the hills weren't too far away from where he went down.

 

I intend to put up LT Atterberry for some high decoration since his initial attack destroyed no fewer than 18! vehicles, including 3 SAM transporters and a BDRM.

 

Damn, i really regret their loss.

[Lt. James Cater 62]

13May72

 

I feel sick.

 

Decided to take two flights on a Recce In Force.

 

When near the target area i spotted some trucks and ordered everyone to attack and went in myself. By the time i realized what was happening, five of my men had crashed to their deaths. 3 and 4 of my flight and 1,3 and 4 of the second.

 

With recent casualties, this spells the end of any missions in numbers greater than a flight until some replacements show up.

[+Dave 2,322]

3 missions into my career, boom blown out of the sky by an SA-8! I was having a good career so far too and was going to show you the screenies after this mission.... I suck...

[Slartibartfast 153]

Welcome to the Fun Dave... its not fun watching the hardwork die...

[Lt. James Cater 62]

14May72

Mission #45

 

I was killed today.

 

Should have been a routine mission but i got disgusted at the meager targets around and so went hunting for a bit more before going home.

 

The endpoint came when i knocked out a 57mm gun that had shot down my wingman and tore up my #4 at a scarcely defended base. I went in and got the 57mm in two passes. Swinging around after that kill i thought i'd drop some Rockeyes on a 23mm emplacement and head on home.

[Slartibartfast 153]

Ouch not good LT... but I thought by now you should have realised not to play with multiple guns at a single site...

[+Cliff7600 1,148]

Aw! Bad news...

 

No-one will tell you how to deal with triple A, but Slartibartfast's remark sounds right.

It's a huge price to pay for your bravery.

 

Best DiD pilot ever! #1 without contest.

45 combat missions is the record.

[Lt. James Cater 62]

What i should have done was stay up and and pickled the Rockeyes as i overflew the gun. Judging from the explosion, a shell must have hit the ordnance i was carrying.

 

Oh well.....

 

Learned a lot about going low and slow in horrible weather conditions in terrain that would be considered impossible to fly a plane around. Also survived in a putt putt antique in places that would have destroyed any jet you could name.

 

Anone who wants a long life should fly a SPAD.

 

For my next attempt i will be revisiting an old campaign of mine in WOE. I had a French F-100 pilot who racked up 59 kills before going down. I'm going to see if i can beat his record.

[Lt. James Cater 62]

Here's my new pilot...

 

Jean Lefevre

 

Campaign-WOE Red Thunder

 

Unit-EC 2/3 Champagne, Armee de l'Air

 

Start Date-26OCT62

 

Aircraft-North American F-100D Super Sabre

[Lt. James Cater 62]

26OCT62

 

1st mission wasn't bad even if we didn't accomplish our primary goal. The distance we had to fly was ridiculous and the timings were a given were a joke. Nonetheless we took off and did battle.

 

The only problem i see is that the pilots in this squadron don't seem very agressive. To compensate, i'm putting the shooters in first two flights.

 

Anyways, it was a wild fight and we got three Mig 17s and a Mig 19. I got the 19 with a burst from about 800 meters out. He made the mistake of trying to run for it and stayed wings level just a bit two long. The 17 was defensive as two of us had him. I got him with a deflection shot when he was forced to become predicable for a few seconds.

 

All to soon the calls of "bingo" came about and we had to race away with some Migs chasing us. Luckily everyone got away.

 

Edit-Flew a second mission but didn't feel the Buzz i need. Also, the AI of the Squadron is so pitiful that it's virtually suicide to take them out with me in F-100s.

 

Campaign abandoned.

Edited February 28, 2010 by Lt. James Cater

[Slartibartfast 153]

Flt Lt Graham is still flying though how is my next question 75 kills for 18 sorties...

 

Anyway last sortie was to provide close cover to Bison flight...

 

4 Tornado's

Full weapons and tanks

 

Well take off was as expected into the early morning dawn god I hate mornings... Cruised up to 10000ft and went looking for our charges when the Yanks popped up with there 2 flights of Eagles... found our charges where 4 A-10's looking to cause some trouble as Nato is pushing for Hamburg, now that we have slowed the red's down. Anyway as we approached the target area all we got from the Eagles was Fox 1 Fox 1 what they where firing at was a flight of 4 Mig-31's going the other way fast and they where about 30 miles away... leaving my flight to watch over the A-10's. The Reds had also sent a flight of Mig-27's into the fray which where duly dispatched by our flight 2 for me both with sidewinders and 1 each for 3 and 4. We reformed to orbit at 5000ft over the area when the Eagles started screaming turns out those Mig-31's led them into a trap of 4 Mig-29's and 8 Mig-23's by this time the A-10's where heading for home so we went to help out the Eagles after running on burner for 3 minutes we got into contact and I took out a 29's that was causing an Eagle more trouble than it needed... it was about this point that number 3 was lost no-one saw it or heard anything so we valiant 3 took on the Mig-23's just for fun I think somedays attacking those crates... it's fast but it dogfights worse than the Tornado. Anyway got 2 with Skyflash and 1 with gun making it a 6 kill sortie when everyone started calling bingo... So we trooped of home mission accomplished and me having a bottle awaiting me at Bitburg in case I have engine trouble and need to land there...

 

[MaverickMike 10]

Damn. Unlucky on losing your pilot LT. I think im going to be starting another campaign myself this coming week. I need to get back into the swing of things.

 

Mike

[+Cliff7600 1,148]

Hey Lt, sorry that your french wingmen wasn't skilled enough...

(Jean Lefebvre was a french actor, playing often silly characters.

Btw, John Sykes is a tremendous british rock guitar player. )

 

Anyway...

 

 

7^th mission

 

2Lt Sean Rosewood

 

87^th FIS, Wiesbaden-Erbenheim – F-106A Delta Dart

 

11/06/68

 

Take off : 11.23 – Landing : 12.53

 

Target : Schwerin, CAP

 

2 IL-28

 

Tomahawk 11 : 2Lt Sean Rosewood

 

Tomahawk 12 : 2Lt Jerry Watson

 

Tomahawk 13 : Capt Clifton Massen

 

Tomahawk 14 : 2Lt Gerald Day

 

Tomahawk 21 : Maj Richard Howerton

 

Tomahawk 22 : 1Lt Edward Thomas

 

Tomahawk 23 : 1Lt Eldon Rose

 

Tomahawk 24 : 2Lt Billy Pickett

 

Report :

 

Once again, we flew 2 sections, Major Howerton led the 2^nd one.

 

We went to Schwerin, further in the enemy lines. I like that.

 

All went Ok, the weather was clear and we followed the flight plan. We engaged 4 Il-28 Beagles. Two of them were flying alone and we jumped on the first one all 8 together. I launched my SuperFalcon and my AIM-4Gs and went to chase the second bomber with my number 2. I thought that they would shot down the first bomber ; they were 6 fighters against 1 bandit. I locked on my target and took him out with my second AIM-4F. But they didn’t got the first bandit! I called for #2 to attack it, and he finally shot him down. We were told to RTB and set a course to home base.

 

As usual, the egress wasn’t that easy with MiG-19 trying to engage second flight. Maj Howerton tried to shoot one down without success and Billy escaped from another one, climbing hard full power.

 

I’ve noticed that Tomahawk 13 and 14 were quite far from the fight and I know that Capt Massen is trying to get his 5^th kill. I think he would have made ace if he had stayed with us today… but it’s only my opinion.

[Lt. James Cater 62]

Fighter ops are such a drag sometimes with CAP and Sweeps.

 

It's almost impossible to know what are the priority targets at the moment and you just can't ingore other enemy planes just to wait around to see if something "special" will show up.

 

In the past, i've changed Recce to a decent percentage and used them as fighter sweeps. At least then you can plan a route and roam around looking for action.

 

I've done a mission flying an F-111 during Linebacker II but it was just a bit too blase and going low made my computer chug unacceptably.

 

Guess i'll go back and fly SPADS again, i wanted to fly a Thud in Rolling Thunder badly but the spike situation would make it impossible to take wingmen along with you.

[Uhu 2]

Cater, if you did not feel well flying a french F-100, I suggest that you a Mirage IIIC (coming with one of the NF campaigns)!

 

It's a nice plane, in my opinion, having a quite well balanced armament and a good level of manoeuvrability- I would really appreciate reading some action reports of a DiD campaign of yours in it.

 

Greets, Uhu

[Slartibartfast 153]

Fighter ops are such a drag sometimes with CAP and Sweeps.

 

It's almost impossible to know what are the priority targets at the moment and you just can't ingore other enemy planes just to wait around to see if something "special" will show up.

 

In the past, i've changed Recce to a decent percentage and used them as fighter sweeps. At least then you can plan a route and roam around looking for action.

 

I've done a mission flying an F-111 during Linebacker II but it was just a bit too blase and going low made my computer chug unacceptably.

 

Guess i'll go back and fly SPADS again, i wanted to fly a Thud in Rolling Thunder badly but the spike situation would make it impossible to take wingmen along with you.

 

Yup your right on the Fighter Sweeps etc even in something fairly Modern like the Tornado Pilot DiD I am running at present I am itching to kill ground targets which is why I am getting fairly relaxed about what I am doing and the kills keep racking up...

[Lt. James Cater 62]

Cater, if you did not feel well flying a french F-100, I suggest that you a Mirage IIIC (coming with one of the NF campaigns)!

 

It's a nice plane, in my opinion, having a quite well balanced armament and a good level of manoeuvrability- I would really appreciate reading some action reports of a DiD campaign of yours in it.

 

Greets, Uhu

 

Took this advice on a whim and did two missions. So far it's been good as far as fighter vs fighter, our losses (4 Mirages) have been to Iron Beagle tail gunners.

 

Will do AARs when i get home from work in the morning.

[Lt. James Cater 62]

So i got going in my new campaign...

 

The pilot is David DePaul. Flying a Mirage IIIc with the EC 1/13 "Artois" Squadron of the Armee de l'Air of France.

 

 

I will make this brief since i am about to go on another mission.

 

So far things seem to be alright as far as the aircraft goes. It flys great and is extremely fast compared to some of the other aircraft availabe. So far the only drawback is the incredibly unreliable AIM-9Bs and the limited 30mm ammo. Both victories so far (Beagles) have been achieved by guns.

 

My wingman are a mixed lot as their gunnery during intercepts is quite poor and so they are falling victim to the gunners. On every intercept now i wonder how many will go down. A2A we got 4 MIG-17s on our first mission. I just hope we ca avoid the 19s for a while until we get more experience.

 

Action began on 26OCT1962 and we are baseed at Neuburg, West Germany.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Lt. James Cater

[Uhu 2]

So far things seem to be alright as far as the aircraft goes. It flys great and is extremely fast compared to some of the other aircraft availabe. So far the only drawback is the incredibly unreliable AIM-9Bs and the limited 30mm ammo. Both victories so far (Beagles) have been achieved by guns.

 

I've noted that when you manage a hit with an AIM-9B on a Beagle, it does not come down in approximately one third of the cases, but it seems to often kill the tailgunner, fortunately... On the other side, you've got a radar guided missile and the mixed tank/rocket pods, very handy for hunting ground targets of opportunity...

 

Je te souhaite bonne chance, Cater!

 

Uhu

[Lt. James Cater 62]

So far we've been doing with the AIM9 as no other missile has been supplied to us yet. The rocket/tank pod should come in handy provided the Beagles aren't too far away from our base.

 

The funny thing is seeing successes with the Sidewinder vs Migs, but only a single kill of a bomber.

[Lt. James Cater 62]

28OCT62

 

Once again we suffer casualties and have little to show for it. If it was not for some Amis in F-100s and F-101s becoming involved we would have failed miserably. It's a good thing that we chose to intercept them early and so engaged them 30 miles east of their target. Unfortunatly, some Mig19s were run into short of the interception point and chased after us. In a furball at low level, they are especially deadly and got one of our fellows. As for me, i cannot believe that i did not down an IL-28 despite numerous attacks and visible hits on two different targets. Things just weren't quite right today.

 

Thank God that we didn't lose anyone today. For some ominous reason, this is reminding me of May 1940. If this continues, we shall have no aircraft to fly!

Edited March 2, 2010 by Lt. James Cater