[Rain Man]

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B-17 #5 – El Duderino

Pilot ENDelt260 (10)
Copilot SNR (10)
Bombardier Garcia Bronco (10)
Navigator philfree (10)
Engineer Talisman (10)
Radio Op. AJKCFAN (10)
Tail Gunner Radar Chief (10)
Ball Turret Gunner hawaiianboy (10)
Right Waist Gunner PennyWise (10)
Left Waist Gunner tk13 (1)

Target: The U-boat pens at Brest (western France)
Mid-formation horizontally, high vertically (moderate vulnerability)
Distance: 6 zones

Brest is one of the most heavily defended targets of the war. It has beefed up flak AND beefed up fighter defenses. Best of luck, El Duderino

Zone 1 Out: Britain

No enemy

Zone 2 Out: English Channel

2 Me109s are driven off by fighters

Zone 3 Out: Western Channel

No enemy

Zone 4 Out: Western Channel

No enemy

Zone 5 Out: Western Channel – out of fighter coverage

1 Me109 attacks

Hawaiianboy fires, kills Me109
Talisman fires, simultaneously kills the same Me109, creating a big ball of fire

Zone 6 Out: France (Entering Target Zone)

1 Me110 driven off by B-17s

1 Me110 attacks

Garcia bronco fires, misses
Hawaiianboy fires, hits Me110
Radar chief fires, simultaneously kills the same Me110

1 Me109 attacks

Garcia bronco fires, misses
Radar chief fires, misses

Me scores 2 hits
-superficial damage to tail
-superficial damage to radio room

Me circles, attacks again

Tk13 fires, misses
Garcia bronco fires, misses

Me scores 2 hits
-superficial damage to pilot compartment
-nose – Garcia bronco gets nailed, taking serious wounds to the left hip, mid-chest, and right chest

Me circles, attacks again

Philfree fires, misses
Talisman fires, misses

Me misses, breaks off attack

Entering Bomb Zone
Good Weather
Heavy Flak – 5 hits
-superficial damage to port wing
-superficial damage to port wing
-radio room – radio is knocked out of commission
-starboard wing - #3 engine blows a puff of smoke and sputters to a stop
-superficial damage to starboard wing

It’s too late to turn back, so Endelt keeps the three-engined plane headed over the target, sans a conscious bombardier.

Philfree shifts over and releases the bombs, but he’s inexperienced and they fall off target – 0% score

Zone 6 Back: Germany (Leaving Target Zone)

Endelt can keep up with the other planes now, and he tucks in tightly within the formation. The planes together drive off an attack by 1 Me110.

3 Me109s attack

Radar chief fires, misses
Hawaiianboy fires, misses
Pennywise fires, hits Fw190
Talisman fires, misses

2 Fws miss, break off attack

Fw scores 2 hits
-superficial damage to port wing
-superficial damage to tail

Fw circles, attacks again

Radar chief fires, misses
Tk13 fires, misses

Fw misses, breaks off attack

2 Me110s attack

Talisman fires, misses
Radar chief fires, misses
Philfree fires, misses

Me misses, breaks off attack

Me scores 2 hits
-radio room – radio is hit again and destroyed
-waist – pennywise loses his heating system

Me circles, attacks again

Ajkcfan fires, misses

Me misses, breaks off attack

Zone 5: North Sea

5 Fw190s attack

Philfree fires, misses
Talisman fires, kills Fw190
Ajkcfan fires, misses
Radar chief fires, hits Fw190
Tk13 fires, misses

4 Fws miss, break off attack

Zone 4: North Sea – back in fighter range

Endelt drops the plane out of formation and drops to 10,000 feet to keep pennywise from getting frostbite. El duderino is now out of formation.

No enemy

Zone 3: North Sea

No enemy

Zone 2: English Channel

No enemy

Zone 1: England

Good weather
Good landing

Aftereffects

Alas, Garcia Bronco survives for 8 days in the hospital, but succumbs to his wounds.

Eligible for next mission

Pilot ENDelt260 (10)
Copilot SNR (10)
Bombardier philfree (10), promoted
Navigator Talisman (10) , promoted
Engineer AJKCFAN (10) , promoted
Radio Op. Radar Chief (10) , promoted
Tail Gunner hawaiianboy (10) , promoted
Ball Turret Gunner PennyWise (10) , promoted
Right Waist Gunner tk13 (1) , promoted
Left Waist Gunner XXX

The bombing runs aren’t exactly doing much this time around. At least (most of them) came back.