Il-2 '46 - North Africa!

[33LIMA]

Another great Luftwaffe fighter pilot campaign from FlatSpinMan!

 

 

Having thoroughly enjoyed his Defence of the Reich campaign, I was keen to try out another of FlatSpinMan's German campaigns and picked this one, for a change of scenery - and climate! No more footering about over the cold waters of the North Sea for me, it's 'Off to Darkest Africa', as the song goes. This campaign is a sort of a prequel, featuring the same Luftwaffe fighter pilot, Willi Jedermann, as the Reichs Defence campaign. This is available from Mission4Today, which site is unfortunately down at the time of writing, so I can't post a link. Edit, 5 Feb '15 - Mission4today, the ultimate Il-2 resource, is back up and you can get FlatspinMan's campaigns here.

 

The campaign's first mission is a transit flight, simulating the arrival in force of the Luftwaffe, as part of the Deutsches Afrika Korps' 1941 deployment to prop up the Italian forces, after the latter's disastrous defeat at the hands of the British forces based in Egypt. Although there's no action, this mission is a nice scene-setter, featuting an air start with the player's Bf 109E-7, still in European theatre camouflage and carrying long-range tank, slipping in from the Mediterranean amidst a veritable horde of incoming German aircraft.

 

 

The scene at the airbase I was bound for was equally impressive, with the field positively awash with German aircraft of all types!

 

 

Apparently, our Willi has been posted to JG 27, which if course is the Luftwaffe fighter wing most closely associated with the war in the desert. However, before he can join his unit, Willi is scrambled at the head of a flight of three other pilots in transit, to intercept an incoming force of RAF bombers which is evidently hoping to smash up the tempting target presented by so much Luftwaffe aircraft and matériel sitting at this staging airfield.

 

The plane I ferried in wasn't available so I was allocated been given another machine, 'Yellow 5'. Like my last mount, this still in Eurpoean camouflage but with a white theatre fuselage band and yellow quick recognition markings in the form of yellow cowling and rudder.

 

 

My flight-mates were in similar interim markings, as you can see from 'Yellow 6' and 'Yellow 8'. As with FlatSpinMan's Defence of the Reich campaign, the inclusion of very high-quality 'skins', like these, is a nice feature.

 

 

 

Our brief was to patrol at 2500 meters over the sea, just north of our base, watching out for the raid we're expecting. Once airborne, headed east, I cleaned up my aircraft and climbed out to about 1000 metres, then throttled back, to let my three flight-mates catch up.

 

 

 

Climbing again, this time northwards out to sea, I could sea below and ahead a flight of tan-coloured biplanes, on the same course. Evidently, these were the Italian allies I'd been briefed would also be on this operation. Fiat CR 42s most likely, I thought.

 

 

As I watched, the Italians, who had been climbing fairly gently, suddenly pulled up into a much tighter climb.  Had they seen something I hadn't? The answer was 'Yes!'  At least two flights of larger aircraft were coming more or less directly at us, slightly high. This looked like it! I pulled up my nose in an effort at making a head-on pass to begin with, though from the high closing speed I quickly realised I would be just too late.

 

 

As the enemy ran in towards us, I saw that they were slim twin-engined bombers, and that a couple of tan-coloured monoplanes - more Italians, most likely - had beaten us to the punch.

 

 

I quickly gave the flight the order to attack and pulled up and around as the enemy - Blenhiems, they were - swept past. No sign of a fighter escort, that I could see. Time to get stuck in, before they hit our base, which they would reach in a matter of a very few minutes...unless we could stop them!

 

 

...to be continued!

[33LIMA]

Into action!

 

 

Having cut loose my three wingman to attack the bombers, I concentrated on making my own pass. I picked the right-hand Blenheim in a flight of four and closed in fast, weaving slightly to put off the gunners.

 

 

I opened up first with my cowling MGs and seeing some hits, hit the trigger for my wing-mounted cannon. Explosions blossomed on the bomber's port wing which promptly snapped off, just outboard of the engine nacelle. Down he went, trailing burning petrol.

 

 

I had a quick look behind, fearful of an escort, but saw only some Italian CR.42s. If the British fighters were up there, hopefully the friends behind would keep them off our backs. No way were we going to be able to prevent our nearby airfield from being bombed, I realised, but every bomber we knocked down or forced off its bomb run would be that much less damage done.

 

 

I chased after the three remaining Blenhiems from the flight I'd attacked, padlocking one and ordering 'Attack my target'. As I closed in, another Messerschmitt did just that, so once again I picked the Blenheim on the outside of the little formation and went for him. As the range wound down, the other two bombers turned left but my target kept straight on. So far, I hadn't seen any bombs fall. Time to get busy.

 

 

I gave the speeding Blenheim several good bursts from all weapons. He slipped right and down, shedding a cloud of small fragments and trailing some light smoke.

 

 

 

I broke hard left to avoid return fire. The bomber levelled off. I hadn't knocked him down, but I think I had stopped him from bombing our base, which was my main object.

 

 

Although I didn't know it, there were RAF fighters with the raid. But in arriving ahead of us, the Italians seemed to have succeeded in tying down the Desert Air Force Tomahawks.

 

 

Unaware of the air fight taking place just out to sea, I reversed my turn and came back in for a beam attack on the Blenheim. But before I could get into position, another 109 went for him.

 

 

The other Messerschmitt completed his pass but still the bomber flew on, though apparently somewhat the worse for wear. He swung back inland. 'Now you are mine again!' I said to myself.

 

 

But it was not going to be so simple. To my surprise, the Blenheim slipped back into formation, presumably with the two machines from which he had earlier split up. The odds were soon evened, though, for one of my 109s dived down and promptly shot the wing of the left-hand bomber.

 

 

I fired off my remaining cannon rounds at the machine I'd attacked earlier and this time, down he went. My wingman wasn't convinced, though, for he dived after the Blenheim and kept on shooting.

 

 

I picked out another flight of bombers - there had been two groups of four, at least - and once again attacked the right-hand machine. I took a couple of rounds in return but bored on in, determined to do as much damage as I could with my remaining MG ammo, before I broke away.

 

 

That Blenheim just seemed to soak up my rounds. I just held down the triggers as he grew and grew in my windshield. Then I broke hard away...too late!

 

 

I idled the throttle, jettisoned the canopy and bailed out. For a few seconds I was trapped in the plunging, twisting fighter but finally I was out and falling free. Phew! A close shave...too close!

 

 

The Blenheim crew didn't seem to be so lucky, unfortunately for them.

 

 

The fight went on. All three of my wing-men seemed to have come through the battle unscathed, with at least two kills to their credit...possibly three, counting the second bomber I had attacked but seen apparently finished off by another 109.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, the Italians continued to keep the escort at bay. Their nimble fighters - some Fiat G.50s as well as the CR.42s I had seen originally - seemed to present the big, meaty P-40s with rather difficult targets.

 

 

 

 

Well, for me at any rate, my first combat mission in Africa was over. Though I had lost my plane, I believed that I had done reasonably well, in terms of the number of bombs I'd prevented from being dropped, both personally and through the flight I had led in action. Having shot down one Blenheim and destroyed another by ramming (albeit unintentionally) I was a little miffed only to be credited with one kill, but such is life. Not a bad day's work, all in all.

 

 

FlatspinMan's Afrika campaign is proving to be every bit as enjoyable as his Reichs Defence one and I'm really looking forward to future missions. Highly recommended!

 

[Do335]

eh Africa is awesome. The yellow sandy terrain is just eye watering. And for the Messerschmitt it's king of the skies. Too bad it's often neglected by the masses and cool that it's getting some love!

I've flown a scripted 109F-4/G-2 Africa campaign as well in the early days of Il2 and it was great fun... well, the 109F4 part was. The G2 was a bit too sluggish for my taste:| You have the emil here and it should be great!

[MrGoTime]

Wow, outstanding. Is this the stock 4.12 IL-2 1946? 

[33LIMA]

Wow, outstanding. Is this the stock 4.12 IL-2 1946? 

 

It's Il-2 '46 4.101m plus Dark blue World 1.71, tho I think this campaign doesn't need DBW. I have a separate install for 4.12, the Team Fusion modded version.

 

The new Compressed Full Monty when it's released will be based on the latter and may be the new standard fro IL-2; per this recent announcement, it's been delayed to incorporate some further work:

 

http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php?action=post;quote=499474;topic=40015.2220;last_msg=499641

eh Africa is awesome. The yellow sandy terrain is just eye watering. And for the Messerschmitt it's king of the skies. Too bad it's often neglected by the masses and cool that it's getting some love!

I've flown a scripted 109F-4/G-2 Africa campaign as well in the early days of Il2 and it was great fun... well, the 109F4 part was. The G2 was a bit too sluggish for my taste:| You have the emil here and it should be great!

Yeah I remember playing that campaign or one very like it but lost it when I had to re-install. Must see if I can find it again, when Mission4Today is back up.

[MrGoTime]

That's impressive! Especially all the ground stuff added at the airfields. Might have to re install ol' IL-2 1946 and give it a go. 

[jeanba]

It's Il-2 '46 4.101m plus Dark blue World 1.71, tho I think this campaign doesn't need DBW. I have a separate install for 4.12, the Team Fusion modded version.

The problem with 4.12 when playing older campaigns is that AI is completly modfied (good or bad ? I don't know) which completly changes the balance of missions.

So if you play an old campaign, it is best to stay in 4.10 or 4.09

 

I have seen this in Magyar Zerstroers and in my DGEN Courland Normandie Niemen Campaign

[+Crusader]

Nice screenshots, as usual.

Makes me want to play over the Med ...