fochinell
Posts: 287
Joined: 11/19/2005 Status: offline
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12th December 1943. A: 306/2524 (24aa), X: 260/2688 (0 gd). A major bloodbath , but while the Axis losses are high, Werner's concentration on my bombers leads to very heavy B-17 losses. It will take a few turns to build up the 1st Bomb Division of the 8th AF after today's slaughter. 15 Spit Vb, 2 Spit IX, 14 P-38L, 2 P-38H, 2 P-47C, 22 P-47D, 9 P-51B, 228 B-17G. I've hit the 10% attrition I wanted, and inflicted more than 250 losses on the LW, but the price was steeper than I wanted - Werner inflicted 12% attition on me, and more importantly cost me almost 1 B-17 per a/c destroyed. MTO: Lots of tactical fighter strikes in Italy, a few cancelled by weather. The only combat is between a 12th AF P-38H group and one of the Stab units OKL have left behind in southern Italy. Just for variety, today's LGO raid was a P-40 strike on southern Italian RR. ETO: Armageddon. Three joint forces of B-17G's head into the Reich for a deep penetration attack under maximum escort - two forces of 132 B-17's each to Bernberg and Ammoniawerke CHEM, with a smaller force of 68 to cut back at a point on the inbound route to hit Continental RUBBER at Hannover. All is quiet until the force gets past Kassel, when OKL throw everything and the kitchen sink in. The Zerstorers do most of the damage again, but lose eighty in return. The NJG join in for a cripple hunt at the end, losing almost all of their 28 NJG and 10 WS lost this turn in the day battle. The 56th FG overtake the 78th this turn by means of some good RTB kills on the way in to cover the exit route (123 kills vs 112). Result - 41/615f 228/332b 335e for minimal bombing results, with only Continental taking any kind of visible damage. The 9th AF Marauder raid in support comes in too early and too shallow, but does some useful damage to Fridrich-Alfred STEEL in the SW Ruhr as well as claiming some RTB's - 5/158f 0/64b 39e. The 2TAF Mitchells going to industry near Brussels absorb a lot of slant-range flak, and lose some fighters despite 132 Sqn doing superbly with their Spit Vbs - 10/146f 4/72b 16e. A Typhoon and a mossie FB raid into western France do little, while a Spit Vb strike on Tille AF loses some Spit Vb's for no result. BC: 5 Group to Stettin. A good but not outstanding raid, with about 85% of the bombers on target. 3/352b to flak, NI's make 4 claims. Wedau and Hohenbudberg RR PR'd at 99% damage which makes me feel a bit better. PS - one of the losses was F/Off W. Balard of 351st BG, who became the only B-17 ace shortly before his death....
< Message edited by fochinell -- 9/7/2007 12:24:12 PM >
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