This mission I think came with the Expansion. I'm still flying in the ETO's Battle of Britain era and have been tasked to intercept enemy shipping off the coast of France. I'm leading a force of Beaufort torpedo bombers of 22 Squadron (ID letters OA) Coastal Command, from RAF St Eval in Cornwall.

We're in the mid-1940 version of the Temperate Land Scheme for General Reconnaisance (GR) aircraft, Dark Green and Dark Earth uppers and Sky below. And the weather's not great.



Off we go!



Our base is in northern Cornwall so we have to turn about...



...and fly south, overland, to reach the English Channel.



This gives the boys plenty of time to get into formation. We're supposed to have a Spitfire escort, but I can't see them at this stage.



We're soon out over the Channel, the waters a dull dark green under the low grey overcast.



It's quite a long trip, which is when CFS3's warp function (actually, high-rate time acceleration) comes in handy. Coming out close to the target area, not a lot has changed.



The first time I notice the Spitfire escort is when two of them swing across my nose. They get stuck into some enemy fighters which were creeping up behind us.



Anxious not to get caught after coming all this way, I increase speed and edge lower, looking ahead for the enemy shipping.



It looms into view - a fat target, two tankers but with two destroyers for escort. I order everybody to get stuck in. If there weren't enemy fighters around I would have orbited the convoy, ordering pairs of aircraft to attack from different points on the circumference of the circle, before going I myself.



I hear the rattle behind me as my air gunner opens up - at a 109, by the look of it. Crikey, they're onto us!



As if that's not bad enough, I discover during my torpedo run that they key I thought dropped the thing, doesn't!



My embarrassment is saved when somebody or something shoots off my rear fuselage, shortly after the last picture above is taken!

Time to check my CFS3-ETO key assignments!

...coming next - Hurricanes!

Great stuff 33lima

I love this sort of aircraft. Give me a Hampden,Blenheim, Fairey Battle,Wellington. Basically the underdog and I will fly it. Unfortunately you don't come across these aircraft in the more modern sims. (I mean IL-2 and DCS).

+1