Some random pics from a couple of quick combat sessions in Il-2 BoS+BoBP...

My flight of four Tempests is chasing down some Junkers 88s escorted by Bf100s, over the Rhineland, Autumn 1944.

I should have picked a skin for my kite, but never mind.



The Hun bombers have seen us coming and are showing signs of nerves.



Yes, they've definitely got the wind up.



The 110s break after us...



...but they're too late to stop us mercilessly chopping down the Ju88s.



The 110s finally catch up...



...but it doesn't do anyone much good, really.



The 'on the ground' bit is coming up here next!

Just over a year earlier and several hundred kilometres to the east, my company of Stalingrad-built T-34s is meeting the panzers head on near Prokhovovka. This is using the tank (not full-featured) included with BoX, as I won't consider Tank Crew till it has AI infantry but was keen to get a better idea of what I was missing.



The enemy have two platoons. One is of late-model of Panzer IIIs, which stupidly insist on driving into action with their guns at full elevation, and with the tank commanders fully buttoned up. Fascist numpties!



The other platoon has Panther Ds, who sensibly have their guns ready for business. TCs are still buttoned up though. Apparently (per Richard von Rosen's Sch.Pz.Abt. 503 autobio 'Panzer Ace') Tiger 1s fought this way due to their hinged hatches being liable to deflect nasty stuff into the TC, until they got the vision cupola with swivelling hatch.



There German force races towards us. They can see less of us than we of them initially, as we're partially hull- or turret-down on a slight reverse slope. The second shot is a Steel Fury STA/ITM mod Panther D, for comparison.





This doesn't last forever. I hold back my platoon but the other T34s charge to meet the panzers. They get some of the T-3s (as the Soviets called the Panzer III) but the T-5s beat them up badly.



Repeating the action with Panzer IVGs in place of the Panzer III was only liable to be worse, and it is. Despite the Panzer IVs again driving into battle fully closed up but otherwise, like they are on parade.



The Panthers seem to do most of the damage.



I'm hopelessly unfamiliar with every control and just about manage to get my driver to rumble far enough forward to halt then get off some shots at the oncoming enemy as the range comes down.



But no sooner have I started hitting them, I'm hit myself and knocked out at once. Das vidanya!