Just a little AAR after an early Barbarossa mission, one that showed another gem of an AI trait:
"June 24, 1941. Just finished a mission over Lemberg (south-eastern Poland) flying CAP over friendly artillery positions, just east of Pshemyisl. I'm the leader of the second of three schwarms of bf109-F2s.
A Squadron of Soviet SB2s attacks the guns. The leading schwarm spots them first and goes after the bombers. After shooting down two SB2s they go after the escorting enemy fighters (I-16s). I order my wing into an extended line astern formation and we immediately chase after the bombers. The Soviet aircraft were bombing from about 1000-1500 meters, and we spotted them from 4000 meters, so we had a good starting position. The third schwarm goes after more of the fighters.
From a good angle, I order my wing to dive down on the bombers. I pick one and dive down into position. I place my aircraft directly astern and slightly below him, from about 400 meters, so that his rear fuselage blocks his upper rear-facing gun, and he can't get enough positive elevation to aim at me from the lower fuselage gun. As long as he flies straight and level, he can't fire a shot at me. I get in closer and closer before firing, to be sure of a kill. From about 100 meters, just as I'm about to open fire, I observe the gunner's canopy suddenly pop away and fall from the aircraft, then the pilot's! I quickly pull up and bank over to observe the crew jump from their perfectly operational aircraft, as I have not fired a shot!
In the space of five minutes, all known enemy fighters and bombers in the immediate area were destroyed, with no losses for us."
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