I come out of the turn and find myself behind the second raid. seeing that it's now under attack - by Hurricanes, from the look of it - I rest a temptation to go for it.



The second raid is also composed of Heinkels, many with yellow rudders. They are pressing on inland, past the smoking ruin that is our own base.



Off to their left rear, the first raid is now withdrawing towards the Channel, under sustained attack by at least one squadron.



Ignoring some isolated bombers that are streaming home to France trailing smoke...



...I race to join in the attacks on the first raid...



...which is by now in fairly serious trouble.



As I come in, I can see that there's a regular conveyor belt of Spits coming in for stern attacks on the retreating Huns.



I get some hits on one of the Heinkels, but on running into cloud don't press my attack closely for fear of a collision.



Right, who's next? There's still plenty of choice.



I fire off my remaining rounds at this fellow, with results of which I'm once again not certain.



Then it's back north to the coast I go. A check on the R/T reveals nearly everyone else is also disengaged so I order a recall and fly anxiously back towards the pall of smoke that marks Hawkinge, Seen from the east and clear of most of the smoke, the damage isn't entirely as bad as it first looks. The sticks of bombs have fallen across the dispersal area on the west of the perimeter track and amongst some of the station buildings. The hangars and the dispersal area on the eastern side appear to have escaped.



This is the somewhat unclear picture by mid-morning. It doesn't look like the Intelligence Officer has sorted out the squadron's claims yet. One Heinkel is credited to me with another damaged, with four of our Spits damaged. The mission folder, however, shows 72 as the only squadron which intercepted Hostile 704 and making nineteen claims for three losses - which seems better to correspond with what I saw in the air.



The most significant thing is that the Luftwaffe has already shifted up a gear. As well as attacking convoys, they are now also hitting docks and our own airfields. Hawkinge is lightly damaged, and Lympne - a few miles west of Hawkinge and slightly further inland - has been critically damaged. The Battle of Britain has entered a new phase!

...to be continued!

July 20th is a busy day for 72 Squadron. Late morning sees us scrambled again from Hawkinge and when airborne, vectored to intercept a raid coming in from the south.



There it is - headed for Dover and under Ack Ack fire. At this stage, I'm out in front of the squadron...



...and before I can either get the boys to close up or get to the bombers, I find myself engaged by the Messerschmitt 110 escort.



After some inconclusive combat, I find myself in a position to have a go at the bombers after they have turned around and are headed back across the Channel.



The Huns are in Dornier 17s and their gunners give me a hot reception, including a round in the amoured glass windshield and more in the fuselage.



In return, I've knocked one of the Dorniers out of formation.



I call up the others on the R/T and try to get them to engage, without much luck that I can see. So I make another solo pass on the Dorniers...



...and despite hardly being to see through the damaged windshield, send another one down.



There are some 110s nearby, but they seen uninterested - except for one, who despite trailing smoke, comes after me. By now, my engine is surging, my ammo low, and this I can well do without!



...to be continued!

I push the nose down and run for it, leaving the raid behind and hoping the pursuing 110 will be a sensible fellow and go home with his friends.



I steer for the port of Folkestone, whose defences will I hope encourage the Hun to give up.



Sure enough, as we cross the coast, the 110 veers off.



At this point, despite my damaged kite and low ammo, overconfidence overcomes me. Deciding I now have the upper hand psychologically, I cut in behind the 110 and start shooting. Sadly for me, my rounds run out before I can knock him down.



To make matters worse, I find I have succeeded only in encouraging the Hun to come after me again. So I race across the short distance to our airfield, whose defences open up on the Messerschmitt.



I hastily drop my undercart and come in for a very short final approach, but as I'm lowering my flaps, rounds whack into my kite and down I go. I think it was the Hun who got me, but it's hard to be sure!

The net result is that my pilot log records my surviving a bad crash, in return for one of the three enemy aircraft the squadron is claiming, per the Squadron Diary. We've lost two aircraft and one pilot, plus two Spits damaged, so not a great show. But the day is young!



...to be continued!

Our third scramble of the days sees us sent up against thirty Junkers 88s, apparently unescorted. There they are!



It looks like they're headed for the port of Folkestone, but they could be after our airfield at Hawkinge, which is in plain view just beyond.



In my anxiety to get at them before them bomb, I again attack before the rest of the squadron has caught me up. This time, it pays off. Ignoring the Ack Ack fire from Folkestone's defenders, I make a determined and successful attack on one of the rearmost bombers.



Anyone not in the shelters down below will have a grandstand view. What they won't notice is that my spit has been hard hot by return fire.



Struggling to maintain control, I come around for another pass. By now, the Huns are in a turn to the left.



Some unit's air gunners are better than others, and these boys are hot stuff. I get some hits, but my kite is again riddled...



...and falls away out of control, before I be sure of my second victim!



I'm unable to regain control so I chop the throttle, slide back the canopy, then say goodbye to RN-B.



Behind and above me, the rest of 72 is at last getting stuck in.



Happily, my 'chute pops open and I get to watch the fight for a while.



Early indications are that we're claiming two bombers Destroyed and two Damaged, in return for one in each category of our own, with no pilots lost. Room for improvement there! To make matters worse, Hawkinge was the target and our base is is now badly damaged.



...to be continued!

The sun is dipping towards the western horizon when 72 Squadron is scrambled for the last time on what's been a long summer day. Our target is Hostile 951, thirty-plus, and coming pretty well straight for us.



At first sight, our airfield doesn't seem too hard hit...



...but once off the ground, the damage is more obvious.



I turn to the south with the boys close behind...



...and report that we're airborne to Sector Ops at Hornchurch. In response to my call, the Controller gives us a vector nearly due south and tells us to be quick about it - 'Buster'!



I see the enemy at once.



Unfortunately, by now the boys have fallen behind.



Hell! No matter. I report 'Tally ho!' to the Controller and just order the boys to get stuck straight into them.



Here we go!

...to be continued!

The Huns are in Dornier 17s and I race after them as they cross inland. Once again I'm not waiting for the boys to catch up. Or put off by the 'friendly' Ack Ack barrage.



They're turning! Likely, they've just bombed and I'm too late. There's no sign of fighters so in I go anyway.



This lot's air gunners are also pretty hot shots but I manage to knock one of the Huns out of formation before breaking away.



Looking down, I can see that they've just clobbered Dover.



The bombers are now flying west along the coast, before turning south for France. Let's see if I can do them some further harm.



Yes, there goes another one...



...but once again, I'm laced by tracers from the Hun gunners.



Time to go home! I bank around over Folkestone harbour. Our aerodrome at Hawkinge is just visible, top left.



I chop the throttle, slide back the hood and begin a decent back to base. Finally, a few other Spits have begun the nibble at the withdrawing raid.



They get a hot reception, too.



That will be our last sortie of the day - four times we've been up and in action!



This time, we're claiming three down and the same damaged, in return for two Spitfires damaged - I'm not sure why there's a difference with the Mission Folder's results. From readiness, intercepting raids aimed at coastal targets from coastal airfields like ours is proving a challenge, here at the narrowest part of the Channel! Nevertheless, the Squadron is holding up well so far, as regards fatigue and skill. Unfortunately, Dover is now rated as critically damaged.



...to be continued!

The morning of July 21st sees 72 Squadron, and its new companion at Hawkinge, 41, scrambled to intercept Hostile 701, sixty-plus, crossing the Channel at about its narrowest point.



For some reason, I ended up opting to fly with 41 instead of 72. Here I am in EB-Z at the head of the pack on the grass at Hawkinge, with 72's Spits, coded RN, in the background...



...and here I am just after taking off, with the Channel just ahead.



I call up LUMBA - the sector Controller, at Hornchurch - and let him know that Radpoe squadron is airborne. He responds by vectoring us to the south at maximum cruising speed ('Buster'). His estimates of height and strength of the raid, I've learned not to trust, so a rapid climb will be in order.



There's no sign of the raid yet so I ease off briefly to allow the squadron to catch up. Off to my left, I can see 72 Squadron, also heading south.



There's the raid! Well above and crossing our track at a shallow angle left to right.Looks like three double wedges of bombers, about thirty all told. I don't see any fighters.



Time to get a move on! Up and at 'em we go. 'B' Flight is lagging slightly but I'm not waiting any longer.



Blue Leader - 'B' Flight being Blue and Green Sections - is complaining, but I'm more interested in the fact that I can now make out groups of smaller specks around the bombers - they've got an escort!



This is going to be a dicey business!

...to be continued!

The raid sweeps overhead as I order the boys in - 'B' Flight after the escorts, leaving my own 'A' Flight to go for the bombers.



The bombers are Heinkels from KG 53...



...and the escorts 109s from I/JG 51, on either side and slightly lower. Rather a lot of them.



The 109s aren't just going to sit there while we go for the Heinkels. Some of them break away and come down at us.



To my surprise, the 109s keep on diving. Perhaps they're after 72 Squadron. I contemplate going after them...



...then decide to stick with the bombers. Even one knocked down means less bombs on somebody's head!



...to be continued!

The 109s are by now heavily engaged with Spitfires...



...from my new squadron, 41, but possibly also from 72, my former outfit.



This gives me the chance to slip in and shoot down one of the Heinkels.



But my Spitfire has been hard hit, and down below, the neighbouring fighter base of Lympne has been badly clobbered by the raid.



I call up the boys, but only two answer. Rather downcast, I order a return to base, then come around in a wide descending turn over the Channel on my way back to Hawkinge, my engine surging. The first of my survivors rejoins as I come abreast of Folkestone, while a heavy cloud of dark smoke still shrouds Lympne...



...which is still burning as I make my approach, with the other two Spits in the circuit nearby.



It's been a bad day for both of Hawkinge's two Spitfire squadrons. We in 42 have lost nine and six pilots, with one Spit damaged - my own, probably. For 72, it's been even worse, with ten aircraft destroyed.



Later that day, 72 is moved north and out of the combat area to 13 Group. And on the following day - 22nd July - I make the switch permanent by 'transferring' to 41 Squadron, which, though hard hit, still has enough operational aircraft and pilots to remain in the front line with 11 Group...for now...



...to be continued!

My first show after formalising my switch to 41 Squadron comes on the evening of 22 July. We're tasked to patrol over Convoy FELIX, which is just to our south. However, on reporting ourselves airborne, we're vectored to intercept an incoming raid; whether it's aiming for the convoy or not is unclear.

The ships are just offshore and can be seen immediately after takeoff.



Better gain some more height!



There's no sign of the raid yet so we begin to orbit the convoy, staying to seaward, from whence the threat is coming.



There's the Huns! Up ahead and coming in fast! I report them to the Controller and order the boys to attack.



The raid's composed of unescorted Junkers 88s. I reach their height just in time for a short crack from just off dead ahead...



...with little apparent effect. So I come around behind the Huns and go for the bombers on the outer left of the bunch.



In a devastating single pass, I send one bomber reeling out of formation and damage a second in front of him, which blows up just after I've passed through the formation!



But my Spitfire has been well riddled by the Hun air gunners. She noses down and begins a roll, not responding to the controls. Then I realise she's on fire! Time to get out!



My 'chute opens and I see nothing more of the fighting. It seems we got my two Junkers and damaged two others, in return for my Spit shot down. Not a great result - 41 will need to do a lot better than that, especially against unescorted bombers!



...to be continued!

The morning of 23rd July sees 41 and 607 Squadrons being scrambled to intercept Hostile 701, sixty-plus believed headed for RAF Manston.



Here we are about to take off from Hawkinge. To our left are the Hurricanes of 607 Squadron, who are now our companions at the airfield.



The vector we're given from the Controller seems to be a dud. After following it for a while, I turn the squadron to the left, along the coast.



There they are! Five groups of what look like bombers, well inland, with some smaller specks nearby - escorts. The group visible out to the right is I think 607, who took off just after we did and drifted off to the left.



In we go! The bombers are Heinkels and there are 109s just below them, leaving us an opening. They're all headed out to sea and have likely already paid Manston a visit.



I've already ordered the boys in and am gratified to see several Spitfires going in ahead of me.



Weaving to help keep my tail clear, I swerve out to the left of the nearest bunch of Heinkels...



...and get some hits on one of them before breaking off.



Coming around to finish off the smoking bomber, I see something more pressing - a Spit in trouble, with a 109 shooting the spots of him.



I hesitate for a moment then switch targets. I have to save that Spit - or at least, try!

...to be continued!

Loving these.

Very appreciated.

Thanks! BoB2 is still one of the best sims out there, there's few quite like it in so many respects.

I bank left and try to cut off the 109...



...but before I can get off a shot, the Spitfire goes down in flames!



Right - that's it. I'm going to get this b**tard, whatever it takes.

But the Hun isn't making it easy. He races off at full speed, making only the gentlest of turns. I just can't gain on him.



I stick with him though, and finally he makes a mistake, going into a steep climbing turn. I cut inside and clobber him, the pilot bailing out.



There goes the 109. The rear section of the canopy including the radio mast and the headrest armour should jettison with the central portion, but BoB2 isn't the only sim that doesn't get this right.



Time now to pay the price for a spot of target fixation. That price is closing from behind, in the form of three more 109s.



Well if a turning fight is what they want, that's what they'll get. After a couple of circuits I'm coming in behind the tail end Hun.



He tries to get away at high speed and I cut loose with a long-range burst, in an effort either to hit him, or force him into making a turn that I can cut across.



But I've spent too long on him, for the next second - Thunk! Thunk-thunk! Rounds hammer into my kite, which starts rolling uncontrollably - and goes on fire!



By now the drill is ingrained - chop the throttle, open the canpoy, wait as long as I dare, then get out. My 'chute pops open - I'm getting rather good at this bailing out lark.



For 41 Squadron, it's the second drubbing in as many days - and the end. We've lost all twelve Spitfires committed and seven pilots. What's left - two serviceable aircraft, two under repair and nine pilots - is transferred north to 13 Group, out of the battle for the foreseeable future.



...to be continued!

There's little point in sitting out the Battle in 13 Group, watching the campaign play out from the Ops Room, in the hope that 41 Squadron may be brought back up to strength and moved back south. So rather than giving up the campaign, I again transfer my pilot - or rather, the squadron with which I will get offers to fly.

This time I opt for 65 Squadron, ID letters YT. again, I'll be flying Spitfires and in 11 Group, but this time from an inland airfield - Hornchurch, just east of London and to the north of the Thames.



This is the squadron in which Aussie Gordon Olive served, as recorded and illustrated in his highly-recommended memoir 'Spifire Ace'. Supermarine test pilot Jeffrey Quill, 'poached' from Fighter Command by the company before the war, also flew ops with 65 for a time, during the Battle.



Our first call to arms comes on the morning of 24th July.



As we take off, you can see from the patches of rubble that Hornchurch has not escaped the battle unscathed.



I report that we're airborne to the Controller. Only later have I discovered that his reply, which appears to give an impossible vector to the enemy, is actually reporting the position of your own squadron, behind you! The low strength and altitude are giveaways.



Not then knowing this, I turn the squadron around...



...and lead us to the west, climbing above London's balloon barrage.



After a fruitless search and being unable to get an enemy vector from the Controller, I turn the squadron to the south.



Orbiting over the Thames Estuary, we get a sighting at last - a dogfight is going on, out to the east.



I turn towards it and open the throttle. A distant group of aircraft is proceeding to the south, with other aircraft milling about in its wake. What's going on over there? We'll soon find out!



...to be continued!

As we close the range, I see one aircraft go down, trailing smoke. I still can't make out friend from foe.



In fact, the main group is a bunch of 109s from II/JG 26, heading south for home.



Some of them are involved in combat with Hurricanes.



I order the boys in and our formation begins to break up. Over to my left, I see an aircraft chasing another which is trailing smoke.



Closing in, I see that it's a 109 pursuing a damaged RAF fighter, a Spit in fact.



Just as I'm about to give the Hun what for, he fires again...and the Spit blows up!



This is now personal! The victorious Hun quickly notices me and wisely, races off at full speed, leaving me in a tail chase. I try a long range burst, but to no effect.



The wily Hun avoids making any turns I can cut across, and seems to be trying to link up with others of his ilk, whose presence is revealed by Ack Ack fire.



Still on his tail, I see he's now headed towards the balloon barrage at Dover, the chase having now taken us all the way a cross Kent. To avoid the balloons and cables presumably, the Hun finally makes a steep turn....



...and I get some hits on him. Down he goes!



The 109 is damaged, but not out of it.



Suspecting as much, I stick with him. after another burst, the 109 wobbles, seems to lose control, and crashes in a field near a large barn. The score has been settled!



...to be continued!

The combat has truly taken me across Kent from north to south - orbiting to clear my tail and re-orient myself. I can see the port of Dover and the nearby RDF station.



It's clear from calls on the R/T that the squadron is still engaged and just to the north, I run into a fight between Spits and 109s.



I shoot a Hun off a Spitfire's tail then chase him out to sea.



After a couple of bursts, the 109 flips over, goes down, and smacks into the ground! I've got another one!



I'm soon chasing a third Messerschmittt just under low cloud.



But I know I don't have much ammo left. It runs out almost at once and when he breaks left, I break right.



I last see the Hun flitting into and out of cloud just above the Dover balloon barrage, chased by Ack Ack bursts.



His only thought is escape, apparently.



I don't think he makes it, though. I think that's him, going down over Dover. Looks like the air defence people got him!



After some serious hammerings at the hands of the 109s in 72 and 41 Squadrons, 65 have had a relatively good day - we're claiming nine of them shot down and as many again damaged, though at a price - two pilots and their aircraft, and another two Spits damaged.



At any rate, we're not struggling from a coastal airfield to intercept raids that are already on top of us, so I've high hopes for my time with 65!

...to be continued!

We have two further scrambles on 24th July. The first one is uneventful, inasmuch as we fail to locate the enemy.



An evening scramble brings similar frustrations, but this time we finally spot the enemy on his way home. The raid is approaching the French coast but I'm ready to take a chance in the hope of grabbing a kill or two.



I order the boys to have a go and they veer off to the right, while I steer left. Behind us, another RAF squadron looks to be giving up and going home. Sensible people!



Undeterred, I race on after the Huns.



The group on the left I'm after is a bunch of Dorniers. Despite being nearly over France, their air gunners are wide awake and start shooting. As do I.



Both sides get hits. My fuselage and port wing are holed, but my target comes off worse - a lot worse!



My Spit is hit again and I make a diving turn to get away as smoking Dornier parts fall from the evening skies.



I run for home with flak bursting all around me.



I draw out of range, but have a good few miles of Channel to cross. No point pushing our luck, I decide, so I order the boys to break off and go home. My engine is surging, the rev counter is flicking up and down, and oil temperature is rather high.



After what seems an eternity but is only a few minutes, there it is - Dear Old Blightly, looking lovlier than ever in the evening mist and setting sun.



All in all, it's been a good first day with 65 Squadron. And now I know to ignore the Controller after reporting airborne, and to get a vector to the target by requesting 'Patrol position' (radio command R-2-2) and 'E/A vector' (R-2-3) instead, as explained by Stickman here: https://a2asimulations.com/forum/vi...p=402198&hilit=radio+command#p402198

...to be continued!

25th July's first show for 65 comes in the afternoon. We're scrambled to intercept Hostile 202, thirty-plus, over Kent.



We're quickly off the ground from Hornchurch, which is battered but still in the fight....



...and racing after the raid, which is now heading back to France.



It's only in mid-Channel that we finally make contact. We're quickly sucked into a fight with the 109s.



Both formations are quickly lost. These Huns seem to know their business...



... and I have more than the usual trouble catching them.



So when I finally get one in my sights, I give him my full attention.



The result is that I'm caught and peppered from behind by another 109.



After that, I was lucky to get away. The squadron was also fortunate to avoid losses from those 109s, no kills being claimed. While our fatigue level is still rated as 'Excellent' and our skill as 'Regular', I have the impression that we're losing our edge!

...to be continued!

Later on the 25th, we again find ourselves chasing a raid back over the Channel. There looks to be three groups of bombers, two of which are beginning to turn, plus a cloud of escorts above and ahead.



I order the boys in, but already, a group of Messerschmitt 110s is swinging around to cut us off.



The boys are son engaged with the fighters. Sod it! I decide to have a go at the bombers - Heinkels - if I can.



Take that, you beggar!



The Heinkel slides out of formation as I break left.



Coming around for another go, I try to get the boys to attack the bombers...



...but instead of going for my first victim, I leave him smoking and swing out to the right. I'm going to have a crack at someone in the outside formation, on the right.



Got him, too!



My original victim is still struggling along, so I decide to try to finish him him off.



A few bursts is all it takes!



By now, I'm close enough to occupied France to be attracting flak. Time to go home, with two Hun bombers under my belt! A pleasant note on which to finish the day.