Tehtävässä neuvostokoneiden piti pommittaa Malmin lentokenttää, jota suomalaisten piti puolustaa.
Kirjoitin taisteluraportin englanniksi, jotta mahdolliset ulkomaiset lukijat selviävät ilman suomenkurssia.
------------------------
RAID ON MALMI - 17 May 1943
The Task
We played a Sturmovik Commander game with "Air Superiority Scenario 3: Scramble!". The task of the Soviet Air Forces was to bomb the the Malmi airfield (major airfield close to Helsinki, the Capital of Finland). Finnísh Air Forces had planes both in the air and at the air field. New Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2's had been bought from Germany. Some of these were already in service while some of them were being serviced in the hangars the airfield. It was of great importance for Finns to protect the new more capable planes which would even the odds in the air a bit.
In real life, the most of the air war was being fought ca. 1 hours flight South-East from Helsinki. Major air raid on helsinki were mostly made in 1944 (link).
Newly received Bf 109G-2's at Malmi airfield on 16 May 1943 (Link from www.sci.fi/~fta/me-fin-1.htm):
The squadrons
Soviet Air Forces
1x Il-2 "Sturmovik" (w/ bombs & rockets)
3x Yak-9
3x Mig-3 (w/ bombs)
= ca. 200 p
Finnish Air Force
4x Brewster B-239 (3 in air, 1 on runway)
2x Bf 109G (2 in air)
2x Gloster Gladiators (in air)
= ca. 150 p
2x Bf 109G (2 in air, 2 parked)
2x Curtiss Hawk 75 (parked)
2x Fiat G.50 (parked)
= not counted in points
2x 2cm FlaK 38
1x 8,8cm FlaK 36
= ca. 75 p
The figures
All figures are 1/300. All Russian and most Finnish equipment (also A-A) are from Heroics & Ross. Finnish Curtisses and Fiats are from Scotia Grendel. The flying bases are Forge World Aeronautica Imperialis bases. All planes and flight stands are magnetised (using 3x3 and/or 1x3 cylindrical magnets). Finnish planes are mine and Russian are UrielVentris's.
The Story
View over Malmi airfield towards east, where the Soviet squadron in approaching.
(Image of Malmi airfield taken from Google Earth. On each turn one Finnish fighter may take off.
Soviet squadron in line formation: 3 Yak-9's protecting the slow Il-2 and 3 Mig-3 on the background.
Malmi airfied and the Finnish fighters on patrol (click the pic for a zoom).
Soviets advance: 3 Mig-3's on the left and Yak-9's have to stay back with the Il-2. Two Brewster about to engage full throttle.
2nd turn: The second Finnish fighter, a Curtiss Hawk, is getting airborne (speed 2, altitude 1).
Dogfighting: Remains of one Yak-9 and Brewster on ground east of Malmi after fatal collision in the air. Top-right: Yak-9 (striped) and Mig-3 speeding towards Malmi. Brewster and two Bf-109G passing Il-2 (on far left) getting ready to curve behind the Il-2.
The Mig-3's are approaching Malmi with Finnish fighter on their tails. One Bf-109G can been seen stationary at the airfield.
Bombs are falling - the Finnish intercept has failed (click the pic for a zoom).
Finns were lucky today: only the "eighty-eight" was destroyed by the bombs. The Bf 109G seen in previous pic got into air just before the bombs fell.
After dropping their bombs, the Mig-3's gain agility and speed. The try to escape the furious Brewsters (yellows engine covers). One Mig-3 has been shot down. The second one is already in sights. The Mig-3 closest to the camera in escaping.
Views on the wreckage littered path of the unfortunate raid.
The results
Malmi airfield remained operational, but Finns suffered quite heavy losses in the air.
Russian losses: 1xIl-2, 3xYak-9, 2xMig-3 =170p
Finnish losses: 2xBrewster, 1xGladiator, 1x8,8cm FlaK 36 + 1xdamaged Gladiator =72p
Minor victory for Finns
It should be noted that both lost Brewsters were collided in the heat of the battle by the two Yak-9's.
We had great time playing this scenario. If and when you go to the Sturmovik Commander site, you'll notice that the Finnish squadron can't yet be found as I was playing with the still unreleased alfa version.
Addition:
We were a bit surprised that both Finnish A-A fire and Russian air-to-air rockets were totally unsuccessfull. Not a single hit was obtained by a total of a big handful of dies. Also, the three Russian bombs that fell within the airfield caused damage on only one unit, which was destroyed by extra damage caused by one hit.
