Official Free Historical Campaign "Wind of Fury"

[BlackSix]

Wind of Fury

It is dedicated to the No. 486 (New Zealand) Squadron RAF that flew Tempest Mk.V fighters and will picture the unfolding of the air battle in the skies of North-Western Europe since October 1st, 1944, till January 1st, 1945. In general, Wind of Fury campaign will make you familiar with nearly the entire range of the real combat missions flown by Tempest pilots during the second half of 1944, briefly including the Battle of the Bulge, and will end with the Bodenplatte strike on the allied airfields.

Timeframe: October 1st, 1944 - January 1st, 1945
Unit: No. 486 (NZ) Squadron RAF
Available aircraft: Tempest Mk.V
Duration: 10 missions
Average playtime: 5 hours

This free campaign requires IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Bodenplatte. 

  

Historical Background
The failure of Operation Market Garden, which aimed to circumvent the northern end of the Siegfried Line, forced the Allied High Command to reorder their priorities. After the unsuccessful offensive in Arnhem was aborted, supplying Allied troops through the port of Antwerp – which was blocked by the German 15th Army’s defensive dispositions at the western Scheldt estuary and in the neighbouring area –  became the primary objective.

While General Omar Bradley's US 12th Army Group was battling the enemy on the western German border, the First Canadian Army in the 21st Army Group under Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery was ordered to clear the enemy from the western Scheldt estuary and capture the South Beveland peninsula and Walcheren Island. The British Second Army was to pursue the offensive between Turnhout and s-Hertogenbosch to destroy a lodgment located south of the Meuse and occupied by troops of the German First Parachute Army. The air support for the 21st Army Group was provided by aircraft of the 2nd Tactical Air Force.

  

After the V-1 launch sites in Northern France were seized and destroyed and the threat of rocket attacks against England was eliminated, it was agreed to reassign five Tempest squadrons from the Air Defence of Great Britain to the Continent. Nos. 3, 56, and 486 Squadrons of No. 150 Wing RAF were ordered to relocate to Grimbergen Airfield (B-60) in Belgium on September 28 and replace Nos. 19, 65, and 122 Squadrons of No. 122 Wing RAF, which were equipped with P-51B Mustangs. In addition to that, on September 29, Nos. 80 and 274 Squadrons arrived at Deurne Airfield (B-70), temporarily joining the Spitfires from No. 125 Wing RAF.

  

  

  

 

[AndreiTomescu]

Althought i lack Shamrock's sharp and detailed mission review qualities, BlackSix is kind enough to let me pour some of my stories concerning his remarkable campaigns. So, here we go:

In my mental setup, the pilot from the Ram squadron, having a proud Canadian father and a beautiful Kiwi mother, was easily reassigned to the .486 squadron.

Never really flew this bird, the Tempest before. I've imagined it is like a Typhoon, meaning a Hurricane (🥰) on steroids. Well, not quite. I mean, yeah! it really is on steroids, but those made her quite temperamental. Maybe a slight 190 comparison....but, no again, not there. Crazy fast, bad turner with crazy habit of dropping wind and stalling if turned by a novice like me, i found that 190 skills (that i mostly lack) are in order.

But, gentleman! a short, just a short burst of 4 20 mm cannons sets everything of fire..... it's like having 2 Spits glued together!

so, first mission, that I imagined it's more for getting acquainted , offered the thrill of testing that cannons. Still, the air fight was short, and since i had both ammo and mood, took my flight for a visiting trip just a bit north to a "friendly" airfield. Which, for my great disillusion, found to be empty. Except for some fuel tanks. Booom!

However, on the road nearby our generous mission maker didn't left us disappointed : a large vehicle column on the move. Thx, mate, this way of building missions is what i love most: there is life everywhere. (This obsession of mine to stick my propeller outside flight path forced Vendigo to populate every airstrip of Odessa with defending fighters in the Ruspoli campaign, so to cut my explorations, or, at least, to make them worth it)

Second mission, i really discovered Catch's wisdom: air combat and 90 degrees snapshots are the best:  the enemy loves to get into those bullets, if shot properly.  Now, really dunno why, but with this aircraft i found that exiting a low yo-yo just perpendicular and upwards towards turning enemy's trajectory and giving a 1 sec burst to work perfect. I guess it's the guns spread and low nose.

Now, one thing that maybe it's gonna upset those criticizing game AI (a game that is older than GTA5, to be honest ....)

Some Spits were decimated by Krauts. on my order we left the other Tempests that we were escorting to help the Spits.

Climb, Napier, climb!

Friend and foe, crazy go, it was quite a fight. When i reckoned that all enemy fighters were done for, or fled, since we had about 3-4 shot down, i called the squad back to regroup and try to catch up Charlie team. Looking back, saw them, all 3 teammates, approaching. The surviving Spits already turned back for home, i guessed.  Wait. They are 4. And one of them is smoking differently. What the fu.... I've pulled up and right and got only 2 x20 mm and several 13.5 mm hits on my tail and starboard wing.

So what happened was that one Bf109 hid among the Tempests, a bit below, unseen, and at the right time rushed upwards towards me and fired. (my speed was just about 350km/h, as i was waiting for the others and resting my Napier after the fight)

What is this? Just a coincidence or some interesting good AI ? Just asking for a friend, 🙂 because i've seen over the years some AI things that really resembled the "I". 

So far, can't wait for the next missions.

Edited April 27 by AndreiTomescu
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[BlackSix]

@AndreiTomescu

Thank you very much for your feedback! Many airfields will indeed be empty. I try to only assign the appropriate aircraft types to airfields that were actually in use on a specific date, and I keep track of this constantly.

I don't want to brag or tease you, though... )) I'd like to show the progress in increasing object density without losing performance that has been achieved over the past 6 years since the campaign was released.

On the left is a screenshot from the editor, October 13, 1944, Tempests take off from Volkel. On the right is a screenshot from the upcoming Spitfire IX campaign, October 15, 1944. The player's plane is in the center, and all the green lines that are responsible for the appearance of convoys, trains, artillery and anti-aircraft batteries, as well as groups of aircraft in the mission are connected to it.

 

[AndreiTomescu]

Om, my, God! Looks like a hole Galaxy of objects! 

Obviously the newer campaigns are more immersive and literally ALIVE (Ram squadron was incredible, as I've mentioned).

But this one is also very good. I was positively impressed on finding targets there, outside the flight path.

My idea is" guys, play them, they are awesome".

Also, the Ram campaign is now on sale at under 2 $. Who doesn't get it, it's a huge loss. My opinion....

[AndreiTomescu]

God damn it! Guys I Have to write about this . It was too ducking exciting!

So , half into the campaign. orders to overpower an enemy airfield prior to our main strike force. 2 flights of us , going ahead. We were met by about 4+4+2 190s with a bit of height advantage. Crazy fight! The Jerrys were quite good, got us a bit decimated. Obviously each was on it's own, and the best way I could tell apart Tommys from Jerrys in the swirl was when they fired. Still managed to get 3 190s down, one that was coming head-on from a bit above i've shot down by firing a short burst while banking hard, as to have a vertical spread from my cannons. It worked.

After the battle cooled down, giving up on chasing a retreating 190 that gave me an unsuccessful burst as it shot away in the opposite direction, I've decided to climb, rest the Napier powerhouse and gather my flight around. Well, nobody to gather, and the reason i've found only later on.....

Spoiler

 So decided to take a tour around our target to see what damage the Angel flight did, hoping this air massacre at least worth it. Not so much damage to be seen, half the AAA guns were still happy, and some parked aircrafts seemed to still sleep there. So engine on combat power, shallow dive and got good aim at about 750 km/h , thus destroying 2 parked Junkers . Crazy fast level and shoot back to base, followed by lightweight AAA. This german gunners should learn from their Soviet foes: those guys are deadly.

As i was approaching the frontline, slowly climbing at about 400km/h, flight Plastic, God knows where its whereabouts, announced being bounced by fighters. Hell, yes, 11 o'clock and above planes were swirling!

Now as a reflex i've checked my ammo: 60 round left total. One short burst with the 4 pipes throws away about 10-12 rounds. so just 5 attempts left.

Back to full power and a strong climb, till i've reached the fighting area, 1 P-47 was shot down, one was smoking fuel and 2 of the Bf-109s (yes, those nimble skinnes were in action) were nowhere to be seen.

The smoking P-47 made a shallow dive dash towards our lines, followed by 2 109s and after them a P-47 close by, but not firing (out of ammo, probably?) and some 800 m away myself and my 60 rounds. You could draw a straight line with the 4 of us.   As i was painfully slowly closing the gap, the forward 109 fired a long burst and zoomed out to the starboard, followed by the second one doing just the same. Poor Plastic 4 went to afterlife. I've banked right and lead the first 109, knowing my ammo count was in his favor. From about 300 m a snapshot failed. Same for the second. High yo-yo. Where the f... is the second 109 ???? Guess Plastic 2 kept him a bit busy? Dunno, kept the chase. The 109 was really swinging good. No stupid turns, and the speed was about 450 km/h. Third and forth snapshots, missed. Nearly blackout, damn!

Ammo count : 12 bullets.

Was loosing hope, and really thought i will became from predator , prey.

Distance, approx 150 meters. The 109 enters a controlled stall (yes, really, the AI did this) and crosses my screen with his full belly.

Last burst. Nr 5. guess all 12 went on target. Mr 109 is flaming from his engine, and i could actually see the canopy flying away, as the pilot prepared to jump. He went to kingdom come.

My concerns now were the second 109, coupled with my empty guns. Nowhere to be seen, nor the other P-47, so i've rushed for home.

Post mission check-up showed only one small caliber bullet hole behind the engine.

Damn, that was intense.

Edited April 29 by AndreiTomescu