Lt. James Cater

CBUs are THE best thing you can arm your fellow pilots with. At least then they have a more than better chance of actually hitting something. If you ever get the WOV GOLD mod, napalm there works just as advertised.

I agree with everyone here. First fly the stock game some to get used to the feel and controls. Then get the WOV GOLD mod for a much more intense adventure.

http://combatace.com/gallery/image/16569-clipboard-c13jpg/ http://combatace.com/gallery/image/16570-clipboard-c14jpg/ NOV62 Nothing much to report. Both missions were pretty much milk runs. The CAS sortie did have a bit of action. just after we got to work, a flight of MIG19s came into the area so i sent everyone home after deciding to make a quick strafing pass and then run for it. As it turns out, one of the MIGs got onto me and was determined to get me even as i exited the area on full burner. So i decided to make him work for it. Puling up hard, i zoomed the Thud up to 22,000ft and kicked the rudder a bit so i could watch him burning fuel climbing up after me. I was at full throttle and so no way was i an easy target for him. Once he leveled off at about 25,000ft about 1.5 miles back and started coming i got set. When his nose dropped, so did mine. All the way back down to the deck and then full burner. He finally thought better of it and turned away. Too bad i didn't have a missle as he would have made a nice target.

http://combatace.com/gallery/image/16536-clipboard-c12jpg/ 6NOV62 We lost our first man today. 2LT Ken Pankhurst crashed after bombing some gun site. It was a long mission and we took a full three flights to let loose. Another radar is gone but nothing is worth the loss of Pankhust. Combies had a close call. On the way out we were being chased by MIG 21s and one of them got a missle hit on his bird. Good thing the Thud is a tough aircraft.

http://combatace.com/gallery/image/16507-clipboard-c10jpg/ http://combatace.com/gallery/image/16507-clipboard-c10jpg/ http://combatace.com/gallery/image/16509-clipboard-x5jpg/ NOV62 Looks like i made some errors concerning earlier sorties. Anyways, since this was going to be a deeper penetration, we chose to forgo using anyone but Lyle and myself. We wanted to get things together without having to waste the time and fuel required for form up. It was a milk run. Both of us carrying a pair of 2000lb bombs and the only hassle was during the actual attack. During the dive, i saw a pair of AN-12s on the ramp and so decided to drop high and then strafe them while still in the dive.. Well, one switch error lead to another and not only did i waste the bombs, i couldn't set up the guns fast enough before i got to a critical altitude. The last straw was knowing that some MIGs were heading into the area from the southwest so we just got the hell out of there at mach+ on the deck. Good thing Combies did his job better than me.

Thanks Romflyer, i went step by step after downloading the extractor (turns out i had the wrong thing)following Wrench's instructions in the KB.For some strange damn reason, i never saw that before. Talk about looking in all the wrong places! Then i adjusted what you advised. It took me a while but things were A-OK after Ace Pilot took an F-105 and A-7 up and there was nothing up in the right corner. It'll be a while before i do the rest. I'm so used to the way things are.

This has been bugging me for a while now. What do you use to see this info? I open mine up just like anything else and it's a bunch of gibberish that comes up. Somehow i just could never figure out exactly what had to be done.

http://combatace.com/gallery/image/16434-clipboard-c9jpg/ http://combatace.com/gallery/image/16435-clipboard-x3jpg/ 3NOV62 Sometimes you can have things go bad and still get lucky. Max effort once again and we so put up three flights with Blankenhiem being the area to be stepped on while me and Combies went in to hit the strip at Zerbst. From the start it was a screwed up mission. It took a long time for everyone to get settled at 18,000ft and so that meant that we had to go slower than usual and due to the drag from our loads, burnt too much fuel for our satisfaction. By the time we got to where everyone went down, Combies and i had big problems as we were deep into our drop tank levels and even though we climbed up to 20,000 to try to stretch our fuel. It was going to be rough going if we had to use full burner for an extended period, say MIGs chasing us. And Migs are what happened next! About 40 miles from the IP, a pair of MIG 21s were coming up from 9 low and we knew we had a big problem. Despite that i waited until they were turning on our six before taking us down in a steep full throttle dive. At about 5,000 ft, Combies gave warning of a missle launch amd even though i thought they didn't have a chance i whipped the Thud around and hoped that they would just shoot and run. Well, that was a forlorn hope so we jettisoned everything and set up for a fight. To hell with the mission, we were just trying to get out of here in one piece! 2V2 at low level, MIG21 vs F-105. What they had was manuverability and being over than their own turf. Our advantage was better low level speed. Lyle and i concentrated on the leader, while also keeping an eye out for a chance to make a run for it. The last thing we wanted to be was defensive so we did our best to keep on the MIGs. They were turning hard and i did what some WWII P47s vets told me about fighting ME109s. When they break, pull the nose up and roll away from them. The Thud is no P-47 but i tried it. It was sorta rough going but luckily the fight started going up in altitude we ended up making a few head on passses at each other before i got an angle on the lead MIG. He was in a shallow dive at about 2 O'clock low and as he would break left i knew i had a chance as he would bleed off speed while i would be coming in full bore. I closed in and as he began to break, i pulled lead for all the plane was worth and pulled the trigger as soon as a flicker appeared at the bottom of the canopy. Scratch one MIG! The plane blew up in a fireball and an ejection seat flew out of it. As i came back around a chute was clearly visible. Time for deal with second MIG. He didn't seem so agressive after one head on pass so idecided to run for it. Another pass in the direction of the front and we just kept on going at 5,000ft. The MIG tried chasing us but he didn't have a chance. As soon as we were clear, i led us up to 20,000ft and set course back to where the others were shooting up the enemy. As we got near, we received some great news. Apparently, one the other units heading up to Zerbst took care of our primary target as well as their own. Oh Happy Day! Time for everyone to go home. They did a hell of a job and CAPT Shields destroyed another radar. That was great since three of our guys got hit. COL James Kasler got it the worst and was wounded. Number 4 in his flight 2LT Jerry Williams's plane was hit also but 2LT Cecil Wells from number three flight was lucky not to have been shot down as his plane was riddled. How Kasler made it back is really something as his aircraft was shot up really bad. We all hope he makes it back soon.

http://combatace.com/gallery/image/16434-clipboard-c9jpg/ 3NOV62 What a hell of a mission! We decided to expand on the previous misson by taking up more birds. http://combatace.com/gallery/image/16435-clipboard-x3jpg/ Combies and i had six MK117s while everyone else was hauling ten CBUs each. http://combatace.com/gallery/image/16436-clipboard-x4jpg/ The plan was the same. Pick a route near some Red bases and go down on them while the strike guys keep on going and hopefully attract the attention of enemy fighter controllers. Can't say that the enemy was distracted by the strikers as we didn't have a Mig come anywhere near us the whole flight and the guys pounding the ground targets were undisturbed. They took advantage to make a number of training range style attacks. The enemy ground fire was heavy, as there were numerous guns in the area. Three Thuds took serious damage but everyone was alright. 1LT Lawrence Fox and 2LT Holbert Cary really hit the jackpot by destroying Bar Lock radars. Taking into account the radar CAPT Shields knocked out the previous mission, we probaly are degrading their ability to track friendlies as they near the front in that area. We have a good idea where another Bar Lock is a bit to the west of the ones knocked out. Looks like it's time to take out that one as well.

Hey Cliff, i went through a rut in which i lost about 5 pilots in a single week. A hiatus from DiD followed and back into battle with Jefferson Nighthawk. Now i'm doing everything possible to get the odds in my favor before i ever take off. Get in, do the mission, get out fast and go home. I got a feeling that Edwin Flowers is the right successor to Jonathan Sykes. Nightshift...Do what you have to and fly home. Never let complacency kill you. When you get blase', you die!

http://combatace.com/gallery/image/16427-copy-of-clipboard-c8jpg/ 2NOV62 We had our first loss today. We were fragged to hit the runway at Merseburg and so decided to do something a bit different. http://combatace.com/gallery/image/16428-clipboard-x2jpg/ We chose an inbound route that would take us between two Red air bases. The plan was for 2LT Barton Mosier and myself to go in with a standard loadout while everyone else was loaded with 10 CBUs each. When we got to the right spot, everyone would go down and nail the bases while me and Mosier kept on towards our IP. It almost worked out that way. 3 and 4 of our flight went after one base, but COL Kasler was after something more and so took his flight on a direct heading to the target area and went to work. In the meanwhile, me and Mosier went on our way at 18,000ft and all was rather routine until we were just a few miles from the IP. We knew some Migs were in the area as a big fight was going on over and around Merseburg. Damned if a MIG17 came out of 11 low and neatly converted on us. I pulled hard onto a heading towards the target, now 24 miles away. Mosier fell behind in the turn and i ordered him to get back on my wing fast. He didn't react fast enough and so the MIG was on him. I then ordered him to get out of there and go home but he was too busy evading to pay attention. Finally there was the dreaded call and i looked in my mirrors to see his Thud smoke heavily and begin to go down. I knew i was next and so punched tanks and dropped the nose some to increase speed. Damn, from our intial altitude of 18,000ft i was now at 14, and i wondered if i could stay ahead of the MIG before i got to 12,000. Finally i rolled in and set up for the attack. I had to move the plane around a bit to line up on the runway, but i knew the MIG shouldn't be able to catch me now that i was in a dive. Bombs away and full burner escape at 5000ft! Knowing that the others were still around and more Migs were entering the area, i sent 3 an 4 home and ordered everyone else to form up. It was the right move as the primary target was hit and we already lost one bird today. No need to tempt fate. We stayed low and fast until we were out of danger from enemy fighters and then zoomed up to 15,000ft for the trip home. Top man today was CAPT Stanley Shields. Number 3 in the lead flight. He went on a rampage and knocked out a number of AAA guns as well as a Bar Lock radar. his wingman,2LT Ken Pankhurst did a nice job as well and had his right stabilator shot up by a 14.5mm gun. luckily that was all and he nailed the gun with a CBU. As for Barton? The SAR guys went in and got him out of from where he went down about 20 miles from the target. He's banged up pretty bad i guess, but at least he made it home! Better to lose a plane than a pilot.

http://combatace.com/gallery/image/16421-clipboard-c6jpg/ http://combatace.com/gallery/image/16422-clipboard-c7jpg/ OCT/NOV62 The missions just keep on coming and we are taking them in stride. The CAS mission was a really nice one. The Reds were making a big push and even as were were taking off to support our troops, enemy aircraft were within 30 miles of the base. Had four Thuds loaded with 5 CBUs each on alert and so away we went. We knew the situation was drastic, so we just went up to 10,000ft and headed towards the front at high speed. Once we got there, there were masses of Soviet tanks and we went to work. Just as we began our attack, someone called "Bandits" and sure enough we had some Mig17s to keep us company. It was all over in two passes. Bombs away and tanks exploding. Then off to the races! It wasn't even close though, the Migs gave up quick and so up to 15,000 we climbed. It was soon apparent that a massive enemy airstrike was going on in the vicinity of our base, so everyone throttled back and we swung south of the worst of the fighting. The radio was full of calls and our side was taking a beating. I lost count of how many Huns were seriously hit after nine. The Reds just slaughtered them. When the worst was over we turned northeast and hoped to get in the pattern quick before the Migs noticed us. As we were about 15 miles out and dropping below 10,000ft, a MIG17 stooging along the deck on a reciprocal course, flew right under us. 3 and 4 were to continue home while 2 covered me. I already had the gun set up so i rolled the plane and turned hard to get behind him. The MIG was really moving, but nothing outruns a Thud on the deck. The range closed swiftly and i doubt that he even knew i was there. Once within 400 meters i pulled the trigger and bagged the MIG! Oh happy days! Needless to say it went to my head a bit and so decided to repeat the trick with another MIG17 we ran across. This one broke into two attacks so i said "to hell with it" and went on home. The Finsterwalde mission was another wild one. 2LT Combies and i took 4 CBUs and a 650 gallon centerline tank each as we wanted to be in and out fast. It didn't quite work out that way. As we neared the roll in point, i noticed a nearby airbase and decided to hit the fuel tanks there as well. So Combies went after the primary while i went after the base. It would have been nice but Combies missed the target and so we were in a bind. Luckily, i only dropped two CBUs so i quickly set up and went after the primary, which was a little over two miles away. To make matters worse, a pair of MIG17s came out of nowhere. Combies was evading for all he was worth, i was dodging AAA, the MIGs were trying to kill us. The CBUs dropped and no doubt they were going to do the trick so full burners and let's get the hell out of here! Talk about agressive MIGs! They were on us so long i was worried about fuel and so we did the "rollercoaster". Zoom climb to about 15,000ft and wait for the MIG to climb up, then push the nose down and haul ass. We did it twice before they gave up trying to get us. Another mission i didn't get a debrief on was to Karl Marx Stadt. We were after a warehouse and it really showed the THUD at it's best. Me and Combies took a standard loadout on this one. Six MK117s and two 450 gallon tanks. We took our time climbing to altitude and didn't really push the throttle forward till we got to the front. Then it was high speed to the IP. We had it set up so the IP was 30 miles NW of the target with the egress route continuing towards the SE for 20 miles. Then we would head back to the front over a heavily forested area. It all went according to plan. As we were nearing the target, a pair of MIG 21s tried climbing up from 11 low but they were no threat. We were already nose down within 20 miles and no way were they going to be able to convert on us. That's how it played out. We dropped bombs within a second of each other and went full burner at 5,000 ft. The flight home was routine. Turns out i put three 117s into the warehouse, and those two MIGs we left in the dust? Intell monitoring radio told us they were both Honchos! Really made us feel a whole lot better!