Commander Career War Stories

[Justicier10-7]

Thought I'd start a thread for those wanting to share some of their experiences with Commander Career mode. Screenshots to go along with stories are welcome of course 🙂

I'll start with my closest call so far... 

After a combat air patrol of the front lines, my flight of F-86's were engaged by a gaggle of MiGs who were providing cover for Il-10's on an attack mission. I fire a burst on the lead Il-10 in a fast pass, which apparently completely seized its engine. Lucky. While I climbed, my second wing shot down 2 Il-10's before they ran away back to the north. At the same time, my wing engaged the MiGs. After a minute or two of jockeying for position, I managed to shoot down one, while, unbeknownst to me, another (their flight lead?) was climbing up to me from below and behind at my 7 o'clock. I started a slow, left banking turn after my kill, to orbit and scan for targets. A mistake. I only saw the MiG behind me just as he started firing. His 23mm burst hit my F-86 center mass...  I immediately banked and deployed airbrakes while corkscrewing into a spiraling dive. The MiG didn't follow me down, thankfully, as he was being engaged by two of my wingmen.

I, apparently, was wounded by some shrapnel, but not terribly. Looking to instruments everything looked normal, but when I tried to retract my airbrakes I learned that, in fact, everything was not normal. The hydraulics system had been pulverized by the 23mm shells, and the airbrakes were stuck fully deployed. In addition, and more concerning, I was streaming fuel. I didn't take drop tanks, thinking I would have plenty of internal... I didn't expect to be flying all the way home with airbrakes locked open. Thankfully, K-14 airbase was not terribly far, and I was already out of the NK's Flak range so I didn't have to worry about that extra damage. I watched my instruments like a hawk as I flew back, hoping that the engine was not seriously damaged... to my surprise, all instruments continued looking nominal, and the fuel leak was apparently not terrible.

Got back to Kimpo and set up my landing approach. I attempted to deploy flaps. No joy there either. Deployed gear... expecting the worst... but thankfully I get 3 green lights and an increase in drag that was consistent with (I hope) normal gear deployment. Touched down gently, but nearly immediately the aircraft started fishtailing, almost uncontrollably. I didn't know until then, that the 23mm shrapnel had blown both the main tires and I was riding on rims. Took a long time to slow down, but after I was at a safe speed, I pulled off the runway. Got out and briefly inspected the damage before going to medical to spend time with the nurses to get patched up. First purple heart I suppose was my consolation prize, along with my 5th air medal in the career.

[AndreiTomescu]

It was a sudden start for the 9th F-84 squadron. With the planes missing their full combat functions available, but hoping that Colonel LukeFF will get things sorted out with the higher brass, these green pilots expected the most out of their state-of-the-art aircrafts. Except for their commander, an old, even gray if not being bald Great Battles veteran, they were green. And all quite green on this new rocket propelled fighter.

First day of operations went well and hard: after the first free hunting easy combat mission, the next, attacking a railway junction brought a first casualty, and no less that 2 aircrafts damaged.

Their airfield, although well hidden in ROKA territory, was a juicy target for the resilient red forces. In that confusing late afternoon, the on-duty flight was made of 3 worn out men: the commander and 2 wingmen, since the 4th was already mixed in the dirt, blood and twisted metal of that railway junction.

Scramble !! Incoming attack planes!

The Commander wanted to add some late minute man to the task: impossible, the way things were designed by the higher programmers forbade this.

As soon as he took off, our handsome (for the blind), brave (for the fools) and skilled (for the single player) commander asked the control tower for enemy bearing. North. The wingmen were instructed to report air contacts, and the hole squad of 3 went north, up but still below clouds to meet the attackers. 

A little black spot on a perfectly fluffy cloud. The spot is now separated : a little one upwards, a thicker one lower. Damn, man, they have escort. Closer and closer, but getting a higher advantage would deny visual contact: have to stay just below clouds, just as they do.

The picture is now clear: there are some larger aircrafts, MANY, probably 8 Il-10s. And 2 escorts. As the escorts turn to get position advantage, it's clear again: they are fat, silver and V-shaped. 2 of them, that's something to worry. Nr 2 and nr 4 (nr 3 is dead, remember..) announce with undying enthusiasm that they have spotted jets and going to engage them.  ok, you are going to take them off my plate, but the menace are attack planes!! we have to protect the airfield !

So, it's just like in the old days, over the Caucasus, me, a lonesome rider in a Bf-109 pitted against some one dozen of Il-2...... ok, been there. done that. only now this new aircraft of mine is sooo much faster and unstable. the aiming window is sooo small. the radar gunsight is not functional, maybe for rockets in ground job. The fixed gunsight is a large circle with no mills. I would have done like Chuck Yeager with his chewing gum, but i will ruin my curved screen (LG, cheap and poor, don't buy it. ASUS is the way, but i lacked the money).

Have to think, and fast. My aim is to ruin their aim. I will rush head on into Il-10 formation with bursting guns,  Just like the final scene from RDR 1 !! 

Hit nothing, ... oh yes, hit something a bit, but their formation is scattered. 

Hard up and left turn! This is no Mustang. My airspeed was over 700 km/h, so as i regained contact with the enemy formation, i tried to align my black&white gunsight with the black&white Il-10s... fading image..... as each plane came to my sight, a short burst for each. There is no time to kill, but to kill their attack run. Still, a couple of these large birds got a share of .50 cals. As the formation broke, it is time to pick them one by one.

The MIGs were busy, as my wingmen kept reporting. So was I . 3 Il-10s were committed to blasting my airfield. So was my airfield, committed into blasting them, but missing successfully.

In the mean time, i was setup for picking up the upper attackers. Wait a second. WHERE IS my gunsight? Switch buttons, switch everything, the gunsight is gone. Took damage from Il-10s rear gunners, and my damn large circled dot was gone. Who needed it anyways... (me, i did). So let's do it like in WW1 !! Using this bird's huge speed, i simply busted into each Il-10's rear close to impact and fired as it filled my screen. 3 enemies down, 6 white flowers softly decending to the Earth.....

After inflicting some minor damage (ammo boxes, tents, no aircrafts) the remaining attackers gathered for retreat. Proud as a cock, wondering where my wingmen are, found myself in a star wars scenario: you know, with all those orange lines on the sides, as to jump into hyperspace.....

Well, in my case the reason was mundane and Russian-build: a vengeful MIG on my tail. Scissors, oh, my High Gs !!!! Luckily my friend with no G-suit didn't know i was aimless.... like in no gunsight, what have you thought ???? And suddenly, luckily and fortunately I had his orange red exhaust in front. Could see even the rotor blades turning inside!!!

No aim needed. It was total disintegration. No chute this time. Also, no time to rejoice, since his wingman i saw turning on my upper right sector. As i initiated a up and left hard turn, for no apparent reason, my engine STOPPED. Wheeeiiiiiii...... DEAD. WTF?!?!!?!? What to do???? Where am I ????

First things first: dive a bit and turn. Hard. "Cover me!" - for wing men. Really dunno what they did, but the second Mig didn't bothered me. Good thing, as I was a sitting duck. So, where am I ??? Look: that Y shaped river junction. That's near the airfield. Closed that, at about 350 km/h airspeed, in a shallow dive. After some 3-4 attempts to start the engine , got more worried about wheels and flaps. Wheels down, check, flaps, no go. Will do. Large, large turn, and a perfect touch down at about 250 km/h, airbrake out. 

This I am ,after landing. 

Last thoughts:

- the F-84 is too fast for ground pounding, and too unstable as a gun platform as a fighter.

- the hole mission was superb, although i've lost some kilos in sweat

- quite often the microstuttering was disturbing, with 0.5-1 sec freezing, and fps drops from 90 capped to the lower 50s

Edited September 6 by AndreiTomescu