Octopus Overlords

I'll take another (shared) kill!

Nov 19th, 1943

Good morning, gentlemen. Command has tasked us with disrupting troop concentrations around the area of Monte Cassino. It's a short distance so you should be back in time for lunch. The abbey at Monte Cassino can be used as a landmark but under no circumstances is it to be bombed due to its historical status. You'll also be pleased to know that there will be substantial fighter escort coverage on this mission as well due to various fighter squadrons being tasked with their own air to ground attacks. Good luck to you all and come home safely. Today's lunch special, I am told will be...pasta...again. Regardless of the meal, I hope to see you all in the mess tent later. You will now be briefed on weather conditions and ground intel. Godspeed, gentlemen.

So this mission is taking place before the offensive around Monte Cassino starting in Jan so I didn't make any references to any ongoing operations in the area because there weren't any at the time. Unfortunately, in February the abbey was completely destroyed by allied bombing and there's a nice Wikipedia article about it that you can look up. The resulting destruction made for good cover for German forces and would be a major problem for the Allies...

NickAragua listens on the intercom as the crew goes through their pre-flight checks and reports that everything is good to go. The ground chief after grumbling something about "ham fisted gunners breaking his aircraft" said that all the jammed or destroyed guns have been replaced and everything is in working order. It looks to be a good day for takeoff and when the signal is given, NickAragua taxis into position and pilots the bomber into the air to join the formation. Today you're in the high combat box, plane #8. There are no adverse incidents over the base as hundreds of planes get organized into formation. You are comforted by the number of little friends who will be joining you today and soon the bombers start off towards Monte Cassino...

$iljanus wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2020 10:40 am So this mission is taking place before the offensive around Monte Cassino starting in Jan so I didn't make any references to any ongoing operations in the area because there weren't any at the time. Unfortunately, in February the abbey was completely destroyed by allied bombing and there's a nice Wikipedia article about it that you can look up. The resulting destruction made for good cover for German forces and would be a major problem for the Allies...

Wiki

Can I have a heating pad for my gun?

Daehawk wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2020 12:38 pm Can I have a heating pad for my gun?

Sure, but there aren't any outlets on the plane, so you'll have to supply your own extension cord.

I plan to take pictures of the Cassino.

No wagering, please.

I betcha it gets destroyed.

<pats gun controls>Okay baby, don't let me down.

Not much time has passed before the bombers reach their target. No bandits can be seen but the flak is thick and heavy as the plane is pelted with shrapnel. A burst hits the left flap but it comes through dinged but functional. Shrapnel peppers the nose of the Aiming to Misbehave and sparks fly from the heating unit connected to Isgrimnur and Raydude's flight suits. The extra layers that all bomber crews wear will buy them some time but they can already feel the cold slipping through. The target has fairly good visibility with just some smoke obscuring it. The lead bomber drops its bombs and Isgrimnur hits the switch, dropping your ordinance. NickAragua banks the plane towards home through more flak but you make it through unscathed. The skies are still filled with friendly fighters and no bandits can be found. Fortunately for Isgrimnur and Raydude, the bomber soon arrives over the airfield and other than a bit of shivering they haven't suffered any frostbite on the return trip. NickAragua and Smoove work to land the plane and it's a gentle landing with everyone in one piece! Enjoy your lunch gentlemen. You now have four missions under your belt!

Post-bombing intel puts your bombing accuracy at a reasonable 50%.

This is a nice milestone because when the bombardier has flown less than 5 missions there's a penalty on the bomb run so that's now removed for future missions. Hopefully Isgrimnur will stay healthy for the foreseeable future...
The next time I bring this to the table your next mission will be bombing the marshalling yards in Milan. Italy sure does have a lot of railroad stations to destroy.