B-17 Queen of the Skies: Miss Punctuality's War Career (Mission 2 Complete)

[BanzaiCat]

B-17 QUEEN OF THE SKIES: MISSION TWO

Miss Punctuality

It was with trepidation that the crew of Miss Punctuality boarded her for their second mission on 28 July 1943. The first time around, they had plenty of big scares, covered up post mission with the usual bravado and jokes.

It was a new day, a new mission, and everything on Miss Punctuality was ready to roll.



When the officers exited the briefing and told the crew they were going back to Lille again, to once again bomb the industrial targets they utterly missed the last time...they were less than enthusiastic. The holes were patched in Miss Punctuality, but the fact that they were able to even appear in the first place made these young men, otherwise convinced of their invincibility, to doubt themselves.



Everything was squared away, though, with the usual precision of both the air crew and the ground crew. Everyone climbed aboard, outwardly eager and inwardly grim, to get things moving along. Fortunately, the bomber wasn't going to be in that Low Squadron position that had attracted so much attention to it, previously. This made the men feel a little better about their chances this time around.



Miss Punctuality took her place in the takeoff pattern, groaned and strained as she took to the air, and formed up with the other heavy bombers, aiming back at occupied France. They flew over the English countryside, the early morning rays starting to bake the fields below in a typical Northern European summer, and the sweat the men had put into their suits started to turn cold as the air thinned and the temperatures dropped.



Eventually the English coast came and went as the mass formation of heavy, droning bombers moved along, the sun sparkling off of the tiny waves far below. Ahead, the French countryside was immediately apparent; Calais was virtually on their flight plan, which meant German observers could see them coming from miles upon miles away. The pilot called out for everyone to man their guns - they were open for business.



Tucked as she was in the heart of the B-17 formation, Miss Punctuality didn't have any callers. In the distance, they could see their friendly fighter escorts dancing with their German counterparts, knowing there were men dying out there as they sat relatively safely where they were. No German fighters got near Miss Punctuality...this time.



Lille was, fortunately, not that far inland. The minutes of flight time ticked slowly by as they approached it, and kept a sharp eye out for any unwelcome guests.



Our bomber had to rely on 2LT Mirth's navigation skills, because the cloud cover started to become thick. The front that was moving through the area, predicted by the weather jockeys back home, was coming through 12 hours earlier than they said it would. This would not make bombing the target easier.



As we approached Lille and the scattered storm clouds that patchily covered it, several voices barked out at once - incoming German fighters spotted nearby! They were pretty close, so we might see some action.



Note: The roll was a 5, but modifiers reduced it to a 3.

The German defenses were throwing everything they had at us; a variety of German fighters came at us. This time, despite our protected position in the formation, a pair of FW-190s, one ME-110, and one ME-109 singled us out!



Friendly fighters weaved between our bombers, searching out targets of opportunity, but without getting too close (and taking fire themselves!). We didn't have as many friendlies around as we did in the first mission (go figure), but this time around, they did chase off one of our attackers.



The FW-190 that was coming in at 12 Low veered off when a friendly jumped him. However, we still had three coming right for us! Quickly, the crew of Miss Punctuality brought their guns to bear on the attackers...



First, SSGT Staggerwing in the Tail Gunner position and SSGT Jarhead in the Ball Turret position took on the slow, laborious ME-110 that was trying to come in for a belly shot. The German must have been having a bad day, or they both got incredibly lucky, because BOTH HIT THE KRAUT!



SSGTs Staggerwing and Jarhead watched and cried out as they opened fire on the heavily-armed but easy target ME-110. Jarhead's twin guns ended up hitting the cockpit of the ME-110, tearing it to pieces, while Staggerwing's formidable guns managed to shoot a few chunks out of the aircraft.

Miss Punctuality scores her first kill, thanks to SSGT Jarhead's aim!



As Jarhead screamed over the intercom that he "waxed that sumbitch but good" and UCG replied "great, mate, don't get cocky," we turned our attention to the front of Miss Punctuality, where 1LT Nefaro and MSGT Barthheart are taking aim at the tank-like FW-190 bearing down on us...

MSGT Barthheart's aim proves to be a lot better than the bombadier's, as he's right on target!



Unfortunately, it was 'tis but a scratch. A deep, scarring scratch that would have seriously damaged an ME-109, but not the versatile FW-190.



Still, Barthheart's aim manages to throw the German off just a bit...



That leaves the ME-109 coming at us from 1:30 Level, a relatively 'safe' attack angle as we cannot bring heavy guns to bear, there. It doesn't matter, anyway, as 1LT Mirth's aim is way off...



The Germans open fire on Miss Punctuality...



Normally, the FW-190 would hit...it only needs a 5 or a 6 to take a bite out of Miss Punctuality's hide, but the -1 on the attack means a miss! MSGT Barthheart's defensive fire helped save us from a potential disaster, there. The FW-190 passed quickly over us, moving on to other bombers in the formation. The ME-109 completely missed, almost as bad as our Navigator did, and moved on, too.

As we approached the all-too familiar defenses of Lille - despite being covered with relatively poor weather conditions - the German fighters moved on, aware that we were moving into their flak belt. Fortunately, the flak wasn't nearly as bad this time around, so the weather must have affected their aim, or they were too drunk from the night before...who knows. The point is, we're not facing flak so thick we can get out and walk on the bursts.



The light flak is wildly inaccurate, coming nowhere near Miss Punctuality, thank goodness.



With the target below, 1LT Nefaro takes over the flight controls, peering through his Norden sight and anticipating the target's appearance, wth 2LT Mirth giving him direction. The clouds are thick, but they catch a break and see part of the complex through a hole in the dark clouds, below. As the target lines up, Nefaro opens the bomb bay doors, and as the raid leader calls out the bomb run, he hits his switch, and Miss Punctuality audibly groans and lifts up as tons of bombs fall out of her belly.

This time, we are fortunate to be On Target, with a 20% bomb accuracy. Not the greatest result, but certainly a helluva lot better than zero percent!



Following the raid, CPT Banzai_Cat and 1LT JasonPratt turn the much-lighter Miss Punctuality towards home. There's still challenges to face before they touch down back at their home field, but the crew feels elated that their bombs hit close to home this time.



The Germans, however, do not share our elation. After we turn around, we find not one but TWO waves of fighters coming after us!



However, the Poor weather turns this into just one wave. Thank goodness!



This time, we're jumped by a FW-190 and another ME-110. Our friendly fighter cover unfortunately does not thin out our two attackers...



The ME-110 coming up at us in a Vertical Climb is an unusual attack, and one that is especially dangerous...for the ME-110. It's not the greatest bomber-interceptor, and it's highly vulnerable to SSGT Jarhead in the Ball Turret. Jarhead barely catches their attacker in time, getting a shot in fast on it. He just barely manages to hit it as it lines up on Miss Punctuality...



The shot might be quick, but it's nearly perfect! SSGT Jarhead hits the left engine and wing root, snapping it clean off. The ME-110 immediately loses power and, on fire, starts to tumble back to earth. Jarhead immediately goes to the intercom, telling UCG that 'getting cocky isn't such a bad thing!'

That's TWO kills now for Miss Punctuality, both for SSGT Jarhead!



The crew, already buzzing with adrenaline and triumph are already telling SSGT Jarhead he owes everyone two rounds of drinks for the two Krauts he put into the ground today. While equally elated, the pilot interrupts their reverie, telling them they're not home yet to enjoy those drinks, so they'd better keep an eye out!



Fortunately, there is no more excitement on this trip. Miss Punctuality makes it back to Thorpe Abbots and lands safely. Mission accomplished (this time)!



The final report was rather clean, and testimony to how 'easy' these first few missions are. Later, they'll get a LOT more hairy...



End Result: 8th Air Force Victory

[Barthheart]

Err... what happened to that last FW-190 on the way home?  ???

Otherwise great mission again. I liked the previous style more but I understand how time consuming they can be. This one is good too, seeing the rolls and charts.

I need some gunnery practice to catch up to JH....

[mirth]

How many more missions til we can go home ? :P

[Barthheart]

Oh and... YOU MANGLED THE COUNTERS!  :pullhair:

[mirth]

He streamlined them for improved aerodynamics

[BanzaiCat]

Err... what happened to that last FW-190 on the way home?  ???

Otherwise great mission again. I liked the previous style more but I understand how time consuming they can be. This one is good too, seeing the rolls and charts.

I need some gunnery practice to catch up to JH....

Dammit, sorry...it was late. The FW-190 missed and I failed to report that. :(

Oh and... YOU MANGLED THE COUNTERS!  :pullhair:

O:-)

He streamlined them for improved aerodynamics

Anything to improve our odds of survival.

[undercovergeek]

hey, we made it!!

[mirth]

hey, we made it!!

the oddsmakers take a beating again

[Staggerwing]

hey, we made it!!

And I got to shoot at something!

[undercovergeek]

thats cool, if i have no targets i shoot at bob

[mirth]

Bob's stache is piloting one of the FW-190s.

[BanzaiCat]

Too bad someone doesn't have the images of bawb's flying stache laying around, all handy-like...  :-"

[mirth]

Like this?

[mirth]

Who do we know with the Photoshop skills to create such a thing?

[bawbs flying stache]

Vhat? Are you a shcpy or schomthing?