35 Sqn RAF
Good evening chaps tonight is another bombing run for you. You are to act as pathfinders for tonight's raid on Cherbourg. 12 Halifax MK111 bombers armed with 24 500Ib Bombs are your creates for this mission. the Squadron is split into 4 smaller flights each focusing on different targets and are also responsible for covering each others back. the flights are as follows:
A flight:
A for Able
B for Baker
C for Charlie
B flight
D for Dog
E for Easy
F for Fox
C flight
G for George
H for How
I for Item
D flight
J for Jig
K for King
L for Love
Each flights targets will be detailed later in the brief.
Navigation to target
OK chaps all eyes on the map. As you can see take off will be at 01:20 hours. On take off you turn to a heading of 180 for Bournemouth and climb to 12000ft. Over Bournemouth you are to continue your clime circling until all aircraft are ready to form up. Once everyone is ready, you are to form into you allocated flight with the top listing aircraft being the flight leader.
Once all flights are formed up individuality the bombers are then to form a group (do this by flight leaders B-D leading their flight off the wing of A flight) and turn on a heading of 170 to Target maintaining an altitude of 12000 ft. Once the French coast is in site open your bomb bay and prepare for the drop.
Over the Target
This image shows the target area. Our objective is to illuminate what we can of the dock area while trying to avoid the western flack battery.
A flight will target the area around the battleship.
B flight will target the submarine docks
C flight will target the Water front flack battery
D flight will target the Cargo ship dock.
this is a closer look at the target area for A and D flights. You can see what ships are around and their location. A hit on that tanker from D flight should illuminate the area nicely!
Here you can see the water front battery the larger pads are the searchlight while the smaller are 88mm flack emplacements destruction of these emplacements will ensure a smooth flight for the rest of the bomber group.
OK the final slide shows the Western Flack Battery. DO NOT BOMB THIS! illumination of the wrong area could prove very costly in terms of wasted ordnance! so ensure ALL bombs are dropped on the dock area.
Navigation home
OK once again turn to the map gentlemen. to get home you MUST avoid the city that you have just bombed. Flack will be like a storm and you my run into friendly bombers still en route to target. So once eggs are gone flight lead turn your flights to a heading of 145 to clear the target. Once clear turn again to a heading of 070 to the coast.
When feet wet assume a heading of 350 to Southampton maintaining 12000 ft for the leg. Once over Southampton you can then reduce altitude down to 1500ft assuming a new heading of 340 to home base keeping clear of the active runway while circling for clearance to land. These bombers are expensive and if you collide there's allot of paper work to fill out and if I'm honest you guys arn't worth all that time!
Emergency procedures
OK we all don't want to use this part of the brief but the likely hood is one of you will need it! These aircraft can when need be fly on 3 engines but you will need to use your trim to do so. If you do loose an engine due to a fault on the way to the target then return to base on your own you should be clear of any night fighters. However if you suffer damage over France DO NOT LEAVE YOUR FLIGHT Doing so will result in the loss of supporting fire from friendly aircraft leaving you open to attacks from night fighters. If you do suffer damage then report it to your flight leader and he is then responsible to adjust the speed of the flight to compensate for your damage.
If you find yourself unable to make it back to the home station try and land at a field suitable for aircraft this size. If that is not possible execute an emergency landing at any field you can find. there are no stations within your range then try and bring her down gear up in an open unpopulated area. If over water try and get the aircraft as close to and as possible but a water landing should minimise the risk of lost crew just prepare for a speedy exit.
Fires:
In the case of a fire in the engines the aircraft is equipped with fire extinguishers so if you are set ablaze attempt to fight the fire. however if this fails in three attempts or the fire spreads to a fuel tank hit the silk.
Hitting the silk:
Due to the large numbers of crew in the Halifax bailing out is a long process. as a pilot if possible before hitting the silk attempt to trim the plan to slightly raised nose flight to maximise the amount of crew that can escape the aircraft.
May I remind you all that hitting the silk MUST be the LAST OPTION and only done if no alternative is available.
Water:
If over water while ditching or bailing inform your flight commander who can then ensure rescue can be sent to your location as quickly as possible.
OK now get to your aircraft and brief your crews take off is only an hour away!
Now I just gotta finish building it! See you when I do folks
![=D]](./images/smilies/eusa_clap.gif "Applause"){kind=small}
