Adlertag Event #1 - Saturday, October 7, 2023 at 1900 GMT on the ATAG Server

[ATAG_Noofy]

Hi Noofy,

if you're referring to this information on the Wikipedia page you mentioned above - "The RAF had re-equipped with the new version by April 1941.[31]", I understand it a different way - that the replacement of all MkI Spitfires with MkII ones was completed in April 1941. In other words, all Spitfires MkI were taken out of service in combat squadrons and replaced with MkII ones by April 1941.

The same page you're referrring to shows a picture of one Spitfire MkIIa and says following - "Spitfire Mk IIa P7666 of 41 Squadron. P7666 "Observer Corps" was flown by Squadron Leader Donald Finlay; Finlay shot down two Bf 109s in P7666 in November 1940."

And this Wikipedia page - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_Spitfire shows a picture of P7666 too and mentions this - "Although resolving the problems took time, in June 1940, 10 Mk IIs were built; 23 rolled out in July, 37 in August, and 56 in September.[37]"

I think DerDa is right. A small number of Spitfires MkII was available and probably operational already during the Battle of Britain period.

Josef

You and DerDa are probably right, and I probably misread the April 1941 quote

[Yo-Yo]

Yes I'd agree, conversion was complete by April 41, so some would have been appearing from the start of the production chart I had found up until that point. The earlier date suits my purposes, but it all depends on what you're looking for.

Thanks.

[OBT~Polak]

I think I need to provide some clarification on how the campaign is going.
We are going to replay part of the events concerning the Adlertag.
The campaign includes eight missions retracing the days of August 13, 14, 15 and 16, 1940.
A mission every two weeks, we will try different days of the week so that as many pilots as possible can participate.
I created the campaign to start out completely focused on fighters, with Luftwaffe pilots escorting bomber raids and RAF pilots trying to intercept them (Bomber raids are managed by the AI).
This will be the priority objective of each mission (fighter pilots in the briefing).
There will be at least two bomber raids per mission, the first for the pilots who will be connected from the launch of the server, a second raid a little later for the pilots who will have joined the server a little late.
I also added secondary objectives (Bomber pilots in the briefing) for pilots who wish to pilot bombers and only for the blue side because the RAF at this period was in a strictly defensive position.
For secondary objectives I will publish reconnaissance photos as quickly as possible.
No messages during the game if you destroy the objective...the pilots of the time did not have this luxury!
Make a track of your bombing and publish the photos of your bombings, for the reds I hope that Noofy will not publish too many photos...
And for the red side one and only one objective... SCRAMBLE!!!
All pilots must take off in their fighter and intercept the German bombers and their escort!
Everything won't be perfect of course but I hope you have a good time over the Channel and the south of England!!!

[OBT~Polak]

Some photos of the Adlertag









shot_20231002_232039.jpegshot_20231002_232059.jpgshot_20231002_232240.jpegshot_20231002_232456.jpegshot_20231002_232846.jpegshot_20231002_232954.jpegshot_20231002_233311.jpegshot_20231002_233417.jpegshot_20231002_233417.jpeg

[checkhov]

I think I need to provide some clarification on how the campaign is going.
We are going to replay part of the events concerning the Adlertag.
The campaign includes eight missions retracing the days of August 13, 14, 15 and 16, 1940.
A mission every two weeks, we will try different days of the week so that as many pilots as possible can participate.
I created the campaign to start out completely focused on fighters, with Luftwaffe pilots escorting bomber raids and RAF pilots trying to intercept them (Bomber raids are managed by the AI).
This will be the priority objective of each mission (fighter pilots in the briefing).
There will be at least two bomber raids per mission, the first for the pilots who will be connected from the launch of the server, a second raid a little later for the pilots who will have joined the server a little late.
I also added secondary objectives (Bomber pilots in the briefing) for pilots who wish to pilot bombers and only for the blue side because the RAF at this period was in a strictly defensive position.
For secondary objectives I will publish reconnaissance photos as quickly as possible.
No messages during the game if you destroy the objective...the pilots of the time did not have this luxury!
Make a track of your bombing and publish the photos of your bombings, for the reds I hope that Noofy will not publish too many photos...
And for the red side one and only one objective... SCRAMBLE!!!
All pilots must take off in their fighter and intercept the German bombers and their escort!
Everything won't be perfect of course but I hope you have a good time over the Channel and the south of England!!!

Hi Polak, if Spitfire MkII is available for the Reds do blue players have access to the Bf109E4/N i think they were deployed in very limited number in July 1940? I would be happy with your original planeset but it seems like the brylcreem boys want to gain a slight advantage.

[OBT~Polak]

The planeset will be modified shortly, for maximum historical reality the Beaufighter will be removed because we are certain that it did not participate in this part of the Battle of Britain. For the Spitfire Mk IIa I have no certainty that it took part in the events that interest us or in very small numbers... it will therefore not be integrated into the mission.

[DerDa]

Hi Polak, if Spitfire MkII is available for the Reds do blue players have access to the Bf109E4/N i think they were deployed in very limited number in July 1940? I would be happy with your original planeset but it seems like the brylcreem boys want to gain a slight advantage.

Indeed one Gruppe was equipped with E4/N by mid July, increasing the 109's advantage over the Spitfire (higher speed, higher dive speed, better climb, better roll, much much better armament) even more.

Don't be afraid, if I come I'd fly a Hurri anyway.

[ATAG_Snapper]

Hi everyone,

Please note the RAF planesets have been tweaked a bit. Beaufighters removed, as well as 85 octane Spitfire and Hurricane variants.

Cheers!

Snapper

[rmiles]

Saw a post about this on Instagram from Team Fusion - and I reckoned I ought to drop in on this if I can on Saturday. Can't forget my IL-2 roots!
I'll try to make it if I can, so hopefully see you lads then

[checkhov]

Indeed one Gruppe was equipped with E4/N by mid July, increasing the 109's advantage over the Spitfire (higher speed, higher dive speed, better climb, better roll, much much better armament) even more.

Don't be afraid, if I come I'd fly a Hurri anyway.

Have you any idea which gruppe was so equipped was it one from JG51 by any chance?

[OBT~Polak]

Saw a post about this on Instagram from Team Fusion - and I reckoned I ought to drop in on this if I can on Saturday. Can't forget my IL-2 roots!
I'll try to make it if I can, so hopefully see you lads then

Always a great pleasure to see veterans return
Hoping to meet you somewhere above the Channel

[checkhov]

The planeset will be modified shortly, for maximum historical reality the Beaufighter will be removed because we are certain that it did not participate in this part of the Battle of Britain. For the Spitfire Mk IIa I have no certainty that it took part in the events that interest us or in very small numbers... it will therefore not be integrated into the mission.

Thanks for the feedback and bravo for putting this event on Saturday!

[9./JG52_Meyer]

Salute all.
I bring you all hearty greetings from 9./JG52.
I have passed on the warning order to our pilots
The only flieger i cant find is Mindle, but i imagine
He is shacked up in Sandbag Sadies Bordello in
Le Harve, so i shall despatch the Staffel Kubel wagon
To said establishment with a couple of MP's and winkle him out.


We shall be there

Hals und beinbruch

[rmiles]

Always a great pleasure to see veterans return
Hoping to meet you somewhere above the Channel

Fair warning, I'm only a veteran because I've been playing IL-2 games for a few years... doesn't mean to say I'm any good at them even now!
Either way, I look forward to seeing quite a few familiar faces myself this Saturday too - and hopefully if enough of them are convinced, some of my fellow ACG squadmates might get in on the action too!

[DerDa]

Have you any idea which gruppe was so equipped was it one from JG51 by any chance?

Sorry, no I don't know.
All I have found was this page by 'Kurfurst' who is certainly a very knowlegable but allegedly not always reliable source.

The relevant part is:
"On the Generalluftzeugmeister meeting on 19 July 1940 at the it was noted that up to that date one Gruppe (Wing, each with 3 Staffeln, or Squadrons with 12 planes) of Bf 109 had re-equiped with DB 601N." With footnote 1 giving "1. Page 24 in Heinz Mankau/Peter Petrick : Messerschmidt Bf 110, Me 210, Me 410. Aviatic Verlag, 2001. ISBN: 3925505628§ as a source.

So, there might have been some E4/N taking part in the Adlertag fights, while it seems certain to me that Spit IIa did.

[checkhov]

Sorry, no I don't know.
All I have found was this page by 'Kurfurst' who is certainly a very knowlegable but allegedly not always reliable source.

The relevant part is:
"On the Generalluftzeugmeister meeting on 19 July 1940 at the it was noted that up to that date one Gruppe (Wing, each with 3 Staffeln, or Squadrons with 12 planes) of Bf 109 had re-equiped with DB 601N." With footnote 1 giving "1. Page 24 in Heinz Mankau/Peter Petrick : Messerschmidt Bf 110, Me 210, Me 410. Aviatic Verlag, 2001. ISBN: 3925505628§ as a source.

So, there might have been some E4/N taking part in the Adlertag fights, while it seems certain to me that Spit IIa did.

I remember reading about an E4/N getting shot down by a Hurricane in Kent around October 1940 and the pilot was captured but i am only guessing the Luftwaffe was conducting Jabo attacks against England by this time, pretty sure this aircraft was part of JG51? i think most of the DB601N engines were assigned to the Bf110s so only around 15 E4/N were ever built.

[OBT~Polak]

Salute all.
I bring you all hearty greetings from 9./JG52.
I have passed on the warning order to our pilots
The only flieger i cant find is Mindle, but i imagine
He is shacked up in Sandbag Sadies Bordello in
Le Harve, so i shall despatch the Staffel Kubel wagon
To said establishment with a couple of MP's and winkle him out.


We shall be there

Hals und beinbruch

A big thank you to the JG 52 pilots for joining our event

Pressure is monting on Red side

[checkhov]

I remember reading about an E4/N getting shot down by a Hurricane in Kent around October 1940 and the pilot was captured but i am only guessing the Luftwaffe was conducting Jabo attacks against England by this time, pretty sure this aircraft was part of JG51? i think most of the DB601N engines were assigned to the Bf110s so only around 15 E4/N were ever built.

Hptm Hans Asmus was the pilot shot down by 2 hurri's from No501 Sqn on the 25/10/1940, it seems he was flying with some F4s but was unable to keep up with them and got bounced over Marden Kent. (info Kracker Luftwaffe Archive).. Any chance we can have a few F4s mister Polak haha!.