65 Squadron - afternoon, 13 August 1940

I'm glad as a (virtual) common-or-garden RAF squadron pilot that I wouldn't know that today is Adler Tag, the day the Luftwaffe's balloon goes up. Because if I did know, I would be wondering where all the eagles had got to. They did turn up, though. Just not on my first show of the afternoon.

This is another one of those tense, but potentially ultimately dull, defensive patrols with no particular Hun target in mind. Instead, we are briefed to patrol the Chain Home Low radar station at Truleigh, a little inland and west of the coastal town of Brighton.



With 'reduced strength' still selected in Workshop/settings, at least we aren't wearing out the whole squadron - just the six of us in A Flight - actually comprising A's Red Section and B Flight's Blue Section. That's me at the head of the pack, Red 1, in YT-A, with Red 3 to my left, then Blue 1 with Blue 3 on his left.



We reach the patrol area without incident and tootle around at about Angels fifteen, or one five if you prefer. As in the title of the1952 film, which incidentally is a good source for realistic early war RAF R/T voice procedure if ever you're looking for such a thing - one of the fighter controllers in the film was played by a real one. And I love the line when Pimpernel Squadron's star pilot apologises to new arrival 'Septic' Baird for landing cross wind in front of him with a damaged Hurricane - 'Yes my fault, of course, very Second Eleven'. Pure period stuff, wooden though it may sound today.



Anyhow, the Luftwaffe First Eleven is no-where to be seen, and calls to the Controller reveal only that he can't find anything for us, either. You can see the text response to my request displayed at the top of the next screen, as I have text display turned on - also visible, slightly truncated, below the TAC if that's turned on. You can only hear the R/T exchange if you are in the cockpit view, though. WoTR radio reception is crackly at best, as it was with the HF TR9D sets used for much of the Battle.



Truleigh I think lies in the open countryside somewhere off the western fringes of the woodland that's visible beyond my starboard wingtip. CHL stations lacked the four huge masts of the 'regular' CH stations and I never see the Truleigh site the whole trip. I'm not sure whether the patrol is designed to defend it, or less implausibly, to pre-position us against a possible attack in the sector generally.



But the party's potential guests don't show up, so home we eventually go.



The most Hunnish thing I see is the steam locomotive trundling east from Chichester as I come in to land. The red wheels are pure Reichsbahn, and it may have typical continental smoke deflectors, too. And those angular vans it's hauling look decidedly un-Southern Railway-like.



But more Hunnish things than trains are not so far away, as I will find out on my next hop.