fochinell
Posts: 287
Joined: 11/19/2005 Status: offline
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OK, here's the data for the end of October 1943. Action has been heavily constrained by the weather (no missions on 31st October, for example), and has mostly devolved down to ineffective FB strikes in Italy to keep Axis fatigue up and inflict some losses, while the 8th Af has hit RR yards in the Ruhr and Cologne. A couple of CHEM sites were hit in the last week, with the 8th going to Paris to hit the Kuhlman factory after hitting the Ludwigshafen factory, while 5 Group made a rare visit to the major Ammoniawerke site outside Leipzig. The HB units of the 12th AF have been very quiet due to the poor weather. A couple of new Spitfire squadrons have joined the OB, while the 12th AF P-40 Groups have entirely re-equipped with the P-47C now that it has been replaced by the P-47D in the 8th and 9th AF. The top-scoring allied fighter units are: 8th AF - 78th FG (P-47D) 82 kills, 56th FG (P-47D) 75 kills, 20th FG (P-38L) 70 kills, with 19 Sqn leading the RAF 8th AF wing with 32 kills. The 8th has seven P-47D groups, three P-38L groups and the two Spit IX sqns. 9th AF - Two new P-47D Groups have only flown about 2 missions apiece for zero kills, so the two RAF Spit IX squadrons have the kills, with 66 Sqn leading on 14 kills. With two P-47 groups joining the two Spit IX squadrons, the 9th can stop draining escorts from 2nd TAF which should allow my sweep and escort options to open up a bit. 2nd TAF - 222 Sqn (Spit IX) in the Hornchurch wing leading with 22 kills, with 416 RCAF (Spit IX) tied with 132 Sqn (Spit Vb) on 20 kills. There are now 11 Spit Vb sqns and 9 Spit IX sqns available. The four FC Spit Vb sqns are lead by 616 Sqn with the grand total of 2 kills. Yee-hah! 12th AF - The fighter groups continue to languish, with the re-equipment of the four P-40 Groups in Corsica with P-47C's only taking place a few days ago with no impact on their scores (3 with 1, the new 324th FG with zero), while the four P-38H groups based around Naples lead the way - just- with the 81st FG on 6 kills. The main fighter force remain the P-38 squadrons based in Sardinia, with only two groups (the 325th and 31st) remaining on P-38H's while the rest are all using the L. The three leading units are 95th FS on 29 kills, the 71st FS on 25 kills, and the 48th FS and 308th equal on 22 each. The 308th is the top-scoring P-38H unit. Med Air Command has 8 P-40 squadrons doing fighter-bomber work (4 in Corsica, 4 around Foggia) with zero kills, 7 Spit Vb squadrons (3 in Corsica, the rest at Foggia) and 11 Spit IX squadrons (8 in Corsica, 3 in the south). The leading scorers are all Spit IX units in the Borgo wing, with 145 Sqn on 13 kills, 92 Sqn on 11 kills and 1 SAAF sqn on 10 kills. On the night-fighter front, there are two Mossie NF XIII squadrons (both in 100 Group), and 7 Squadrons plus 3 Flights of Mossie NF II's operating in the UK. The leading units are 68 Sqn with 21 kills, 605 Sqn with 16 kills, and B Flight of 25 Sqn with 12 kills. None of the NF units in the MTO (1 sqn plus 1 flight MAC, 4 Sqns in the 12th AF - all Mossie NF II) have been active yet.
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