Eastern Front KG51 Ju88 Campaign Status 03 missions Updated 29.05.2026

[kraut1]

 

Hi,

I am one of the impatient fighter pilots who normally never fly bomber careers / campaigns.
But I have read some 35 years ago the book by P.W.Stahl about his KG30 Ju88 missions and his other book about KG200 and so I know that in many situations the Ju88 pilots acted as real individualists, not only strictly flying in big formation.

Motivated by by discussion started by @jokash (thanks very much for the idea!)
I have started to create missions for a KG51 campaign with focus on real short range tactical combat missions beginning in the early stages of the Siege of Odessa.
https://ww2.dk/air/kampf/kg54.htm
It will be for me something like a test campaign to learn which type of Ju88 missions I like and which maybe not. And I have to learn to operate  the complex technical features of the Ju88.
The frontlines and dates are semi historical, but not the individual missions.
I assume a medium rank like Leutnant or Oberleutnant to assign the pilot sometimes as flight leader and sometimes as wingman...
In late 1942 the pilot will transferred to another Kampfgeschwader at the eastern front or alternatively he will fly missions in Italy...

 

As it is usual for me for each mission the first flight is a real campaign combat mission and test at once.

New missions will be published from time to time.

But all missions will have the focus on short flight time of maximum 25...45minutes without time acceleration for a full mission from take off to landing.

All missions will be with installed german audio warnings by gunners / wingmen and ground observer plane sightings...

I have added the campaign already to "IL-2 Campaign Tracker and Service Record" by @Arrow_1974 to get some motivation and immersion by promotions, orders and logbook.

 

Campaign Download:
updated 29.05.2026: first mission with increased wp1 radiuses for easier navigation and with reduced fuel load 

https://www.mediafire.com/file/07iu0wgfxv7ooje/Eastern+Front+KG51+Ju88+Campaign+status+03+missions+updated.zip/file

For Odessa Missions:

Please install the Mod with JSGME for the Romanian Hurricane and Romanian tank / truck skins skins:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/m6c9wif63bchs8k/Odessa-1941-Mod-v1.zip/file

Note about the mod:
beside the mentioned Romanian skins there is a weapon mod to increase the dispersion of the airplane weapons that is not mendatory to be used.

If you don't want to use this Weapon mod you can remove this folder from the mod:

 

 

"IL-2 Campaign Tracker and Service Record" (different language options are available):

Edited May 29 by kraut1

[jokash]

I tried the first mission,and dont know how should i handle the wingmen...i ordered "Patrol for ground" but they are hesitant to actually attack,i have seen maybe one bomber go for attack (and i think it was a very shallow dive).I know the Ju88 can dive at quite a bit of angle and i have seen the AI do it in quick missions.

[kraut1]

9 hours ago, jokash said:

I tried the first mission,and dont know how should i handle the wingmen...i ordered "Patrol for ground" but they are hesitant to actually attack,i have seen maybe one bomber go for attack (and i think it was a very shallow dive).I know the Ju88 can dive at quite a bit of angle and i have seen the AI do it in quick missions.

Changed later:

Do you mean the very first mission that I have published in your post / the discussion?

1941-08-05a-Odessa-Ju88-KG51-Close-Air-Support.Mission?

When I have "restarted" the campaign I have used 3 missions beginning with 21th. August. But no Problem.

You can put the later published missions in the campaign folder too.

I have tried again the the 5th August mission:

-When I flew in the direction of the fortification and at a distance of ca. 1km... to 2km I ordered "attack nearest ground target" and the others attacked independently.
1st test with exact navigation wp1 and wp2 hit, the wingmen attacked. 🙂 (I have repeated this a second time and it worked again)
 

2nd test: manual navigation, wp1 and wp2 not hit. In this  test with "attack nearest ground target" they did not attack independently.
But patrol for ground targets seemed to work: they report ground targets and that they want to attack, but they do not attack, they just circle. Maybe the fuel / bomb load load is to heavy.

General trick: sometimes, regardless of the plane type, some of your wingmen do not retrackt the flaps and will not be able to follow you. If you activate the autopilot just for 2...5 seconds they will retrackt the flaps...

Maybe it is better for starting with the bombing topic to use my later campaign version in this post:

In the 3 published missions you fly as wingman...

 

 

 

Edited May 29 by kraut1

[kraut1]

11 hours ago, jokash said:

I tried the first mission,and dont know how should i handle the wingmen...i ordered "Patrol for ground" but they are hesitant to actually attack,i have seen maybe one bomber go for attack (and i think it was a very shallow dive).I know the Ju88 can dive at quite a bit of angle and i have seen the AI do it in quick missions.

Campaign Download updated:
updated 29.05.2026: first mission with increased wp1, wp2 radiuses for easier navigation and with reduced fuel load / planes were over-loaded, to heavy.

Hi @jokash I have updated the first mission in the campaign download.
Thanks for your comments: in my first answer from yesterday evening I was wrong, the mission belongs to the actual campaign!

-WP1, WP2 increased radius for more realistic and easier manual navigation for flying as a leader without autopilot.

-Reduced fuel load (0.25 instead off 0.6) for easier take off, climbing and for AI "MCU Attack Area / ground targets "

 

I will try to implement the mentioned changes into the EMG template settings for the later missions when the pilot is flight leader again.
The next missions 21.08....23.08.41 are working, because player is wingman.

 

Edited May 29 by kraut1

[kraut1]

Hi @jokash,

Here some test/demos for Ju88 ground attacks / player = commander

https://www.mediafire.com/file/1uvqu8o3x90c9hi/temp-demo-Ju88-ground-attack-missions-without-fighter-opposition.zip/file

 

-It is importent that you reach wp1 and wp2 before the target. I have increased the radiuses of these waypoints in my modded EMG template so in the next missions manual navigation will be easier.

-Hint by SYN_Vander: for attack missions just fly straight towards the target, wingmen attack frequently automaticly.

-"Attack next ground target" works frequently too, after you have reached wp1 and 2. But don't follow your wingmen to observe them, because sometimes they will rejoin formation.

-I was 2 times able to perform a successfull low level formation attack against not active ground targets.
(WW1941-08-26a-Odessa-Ju88-KG51-Close-Air-Support)
For such and attack sufficient SC50 are required, min 28x SC50 with salvo interval 0.1 second:
Just press the bomb release trigger when you are close to the target...

 

Edited May 29 by kraut1

[jokash]

I have followed waypoints best i could,but we went wide cause i needed time to reach altitude was meaning to mention that maybe the waypoints are bit to close for bomber formation flight

[kraut1]

In EMG all wp distances are proportional to the overall distance airfield to target.

This means in a mission with a bigger distance airfield to target all other distances between the wps will increase too, e.g. wp2 to target.

If you are the leader you can decide to fly some extra circles for climbing.

The 3 next released missions were you are wingman are working, you can follow the formation / climbing without problems with realistic engine management.

But your comment is helpful, I will consider for extreme short range missions, where the pilot is wingman, to limit the max. altitude.

[jokash]

Dont limit the max altitute,you need some to perform the dive and not be in range of small AA

[kraut1]

9 minutes ago, jokash said:

Dont limit the max altitute,you need some to perform the dive and not be in range of small AA

Don't worry, for short range missions were the player is the leader I will not do....