400th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
403rd Bomber Squadron
After Action Report
Yankee Princess Captain Davion’s Crew
Target Abbeville, France / Airfield
Group Position Middle Squadron
Fighter Waves
Zone 2 (-3) Zone 3 (0)
Zone 2 Out: One {5 Fw-190}
Zone 3 Out: Three {12 Bf-109}
Zone 3 Back: Three / Three {3 Fw-190, 12 Bf-109, 4 Bf-110}
Zone 2 Back: One / One
{4 Fw-190, 2 Bf-109, Bf-110}
In the narrative with over 12 separate waves to resolve
some results were combined.
BOMB RUN
Off target 5%
CLAIMS
Five Bf-109 and 1 Fw-190 shotdown:
Bf-109 Top Turret Master Sergeant Takashi
Bf-109 Port Waist Sergeant Redburn
Bf-109 x2 Tail Gunner Sergeant Steiner
Bf-109 RO Sergeant Liao manning top turret
Fw-190 BTGnnr Sergeant Marik manning Nose Gun
CASULATIES
KIA Five
First Lieutenant Galen Cox Co-Pilot
Second Lieutenant Jamie Wolf Bombadier
Second Lieutenant Morgan Kell Navigator
Sergeant Janos Marik Ball Turret Gunner
Sergeant Sergeant Daniel Allard Starboard Waist Gunner
WIA Four
Captain Hanse Davion Light Wound x2 Pilot
Master Sergeant Takashi Kurita Engineer Serious Wound (TICKET STATESIDE)
Staff Sergeant Maximillian Liao Radio Operator Light Wound x2
Sergeant Andrew Redburn Light Wound
DAMAGE
Number one and three engines out
Auto pilot knocked out
Control cables 2 hits
Heat out Pilot and Radio compartments
Norden bomb site destroyed
Oxygen Systems out
Numerous Fuel Tank hits
Port Wing Root 2 hits 40% damage
Starboard Wing Root 3 hits 60% damage
408 bullet holes
B-17 IRREPAIRABLY DAMAGE
“No need to worry its just a MILK RUN into France, diversionary raid against some Kraut Airfield. We even drew Middle Squadron.” Captain Hanse Davion told his girlfriend RAF Leftenant Melissa Sanglamore, German Radio Intercept Section, as he left the S-2’s Intelligence Briefing. She didn’t look very convinced and as the truck drove him and his crew to the dispersal stand, those words would come back to haunt him. As the crew grabbed their gear and loaded up. The Crew Chief Technical Sergeant Monty Scott had just finished his final walk around the aircraft and stopped as Captain Davion prepared to swing up into the nose hatch.
“Quite an improvement over the Fortress I’s from 90 Squadron, eh sir? Captain Davion looked at Technical Sergeant Scott a little surprised. “How do you know about that chief?” He replied, “Word gets around sir,” glancing down at the RAF flight boots the Captain was wearing, and rumor has it some of the American orientation and technical people went along on some raids with the Brits.” Captain Davion shrugged and said, “I wouldn’t know about that; still we have come a long way from those B-17C’s.
The Yankee Princess taxied out to the flight line, took off and formed up with the 403rd Squadron which tucked itself into the middle of the 400th Bomb Group’s formation. The Spitfires flying close escort were late for the rendezvous, because the weather had socked in their field. They found covering the bombers in the thick soup difficult to say the least.
Back at Deopham Green, Station 142 Leftenant Sanglamore monitored known German radio frequencies. Elements of JG 26 109’s and ZG 76 twin engines destroyers, were being alerted. She switched briefly to the American bomber frequency, but the Americans were maintaining radio silence. Hopping back to Luftwaffe frequencies...
{Achtung, American Bombers in site, approaching the coast near sector three}
The Yankee Princess was still over the Channel, with the French Coast fast approaching, when the cry of “Bandits” was heard over the intercom. Five Focke Wulfs ploughed through the heavy haze, streaked by the surprised Spitfires and hammered the bomber. Sergeant Marik reported, “the ball turret is knocked out skipper.” Three fighters came around for a head on second pass, only the top turret replied, the nose and cheek guns were ominously silent. No one in the nose answered. Captain Davion told Sergeant Marik get up front and check on Lieutenants Kell and Wolf. Sergeant Marik scurried out of his wrecked turret grabbed a portable oxygen bottle and made his way forward. Several minutes lator, he reported in a low voice, “They’ve both had it sir.” {OOC Bombadier and Navigator KIA}With considerable difficulty the bodies were moved to the radio compartment and Sergeant Marik took over the nose gun.
As they approached the I.P. the group had definitely stirred up a hornets nest as Messerschmitts were all over the place and the hard pressed Spitfires couldn’t be everywhere at once. Four 109’s came in fast on the nose, two broke left and two broke right as they completed their firing passes all hell broke loose. The good news was the tail gunner Sergeant Steiner had nailed one of the 109’s as it swept by, the bad news two of the engines were out. Oil pressure dropped and the temperature soared on engine three at the same time engine number one burst into flames. The Co-Pilot Lieutenant Cox hit the fire bottle twice before it went out. Captain Davion attempted similiar measures with number one to no avail. He yelled over the intercom, “Hang on boys,” and pushed the yoke forward slamming the big bomber into a dive. As the Yankee Princess dropped out of the formation she appeared to be out of control and burning
Back at Back at Deopham Green, Station 142 Leftenant Sanglamore was monitoring Luftwaffe frequencies when one of her Flight Sergeants monitoring the American Bomber frequency, pulled off her headphones and hit the speaker
{Say again, Yankee Princess, on fire, out of control, going down fast, no chutes; damn, close it up or they’ll have a lot of company}
As Captain Davion pulled out, just shy of ten thousand feet, the fire had gone out. Unfortunately the formation had just finished bombing Abbeville, and was disappearing off in the distance. The Messerschmitts that had thought the bomber was finished and gone off in search of other prey soon returned. To the crews amazement they had leveled off just shy of the target so Captain Davion yelled over the intercom to Sergeant Marik, “drop the bombs.” Marik replied, “I’m not sure I know how.” Flak started bursting all around them and Captain Davion replied, “just push the button.” He felt the plane almost leap up as it was relieved of 5000 pounds of ordnance (10x500pounders). The tail gunner reported the tail was shaking badly (rudder hit and tail wheel gone) and the bombs had appeared to hit a bunch of small buildings at the edge of the field. The Yankee Princess was moving sluggishly despite being relieved of her bombload as she pulled clear of the target area followed by no less than six Bf-109s and single Bf-110. The German pilots got to confident as they closed in to finish off the crippled bomber. Top Turret Gunner / Engineer Master Sergeant Takashi, Port Waist Gunner Sergeant Redburn, and the Tail Gunner Sergeant Steiner all claimed a 109 in quick succession. One exploded and two chutes were observed from the others. It wasn’t all one sided as Sergeant Marik now in the nose and Master Sergeant Takashi were both wounded but stayed at their posts. Sergeant Allard reported the starboard waist gun knocked out and went forward to man the cheek guns, while the Radio Operator Sergeant Liao performed first aid and redistributed ammo. Meanwhile the 110 was hanging back at long range, hammering the rudder and elevators with 20mm cannon shells.
Finally running low on ammo they broke off. It was only a short respite as the Yankee Princess struggled along on two engines she seemed to attract every fighter heading back to Abbeville Airfield. Three fresh Focke Wulfs and single 109 all whom made several passes riddling the crippled bomber which to their amazement refused to go down. It wasn’t all one sided as the Flying Fort lashed back. Sergeant Allard StdWGnnr manning the cheek guns nicked a Focke Wulf, while Sergeant Marik BTGnnr flamed one from the nose. Staff Sergeant Liao / Radio Operator and Sergeant Redburn / Port Waist Gunner were both wounded but still able to function, unfortunately Master Sergeant Takashi was hit twice more and lost consciousness as his guns ran out of ammo.
The lone Messerschmidt was flown by a true Experten as he walked his raking burst down the length of the bomber. Sergeant Marik and Sergeant Allard in the nose were killed, the Co-Pilot Lieutenant Cox suffered a serious wound, and the Pilot Captain Davion took a light wound.
Finally they left the French Coast, Staff Staff Liao took over the top turret while Sergeant Redburn got some ammo from the tail guns and brought it foward.
Back at Back at Deopham Green, Station 142 Leftenant Sanglamore continued logging intercepts
{Achtung this Oberst von Hammer we have a crippled bomber in sector two, my staffel is low on fuel and returning to base, I am out of ammo, but following, any aircraft in this sector rendezvous at these coordinates}
{Fighter control to Gruppen Leader a staffel from JG 101 (School Unit) on a training mission has been routed to your sector
The Yankee Princess struggled out over the Channel, the engines were overheating, fuel was leaking from both wings, only 4 of her crew was conscious and three of them were wounded. Three older model Bf-109E’s {OOC two green pilots} swept in to attack as a lator model 109F hung back and observed. The YP fired back with her top turret and tail guns only. Staff Sergeant Liao watched a Messerschmidt explode as the other two raked the bombers cockpit killing the already wounded co-pilot, wounding the pilot a second time and the new top turret gunner. The tail gunner nicked one as they swept by and apparently seeing their comrad go down in flames made them reluctant to press the attack closely and they missed on several suceeding passes. As the attacking planes broke off the lone Messerschmitt closed in but didn’t fire.
The sleek yellow nosed fighter pulled alongside the B-17. Captain Davion could see the German pilot clearly, the numerous kill bars on the 109’s tail clearly marked this pilot as one of Luftwaffes Experten. Then the German brought his hand up smartly in salute, Davion was puzzled then realized it was over as he slowly returned the gesture. The German then banked sharply and turned back for France. Minutes lator the B-17 crossed the English Coastline at barely 500 feet and was met by a combat air patrol of Spitfires from Manston Field on the coast. They offered to escort the crippled Fort to their own nearby field but Captain Davion politely declined. “We come this far we’re going home,” he said over the radio. To himself he said and if you think I’m going to try and land this thing on short grass fighter strip your crazy.
Back at Deopham Green, Station 142 over 45 minutes after the last Fort had landed a rumbling and clanking was heard in the distance. The startled ground crews looked up at the battered inbound bomber firing off flairs to indicate wounded on board and with obvious battle damage. Two engines out and the two still running sounding pretty rough. As the crash crews and ambulances raced out; the B-17 slowly dropped toward the runway, as soon as she touched down it was apparent the pilot had no brakes to slow the big plane down; and he ground looped the aircraft to keep it from going off the edge of the runway. As the bomber went off the concrete the starboard landing gear collapsed and the wingtip and prop blades bit into the English countryside. Only the lightning quick response of the crash crews kept the gasoline saturated aircraft from catching fire. Everyone was excited and happy about another Fort making it home until the five blanket covered bodies were laid out next to the ambulance.
Lator
Sir
Five of my men didn’t make it today and one has with a ticket stateside. If the rumors we heard about this flying gunship, a YB-40? to escort our planes, are true. I want a crack at one.
[OOC]
Locally we use all optional and variant rules per the
AH General and Battleplan
House Rule if a gun is knocked out its ammo is not
available
If the Engineer or Bombadier is attempting to land the
B-17 the modifier is 11-1D6
Each Superficial damage hit equals 2D6 bullet holes
