New tactic for Spitfire 1 on ATAG server: first off, I have no problem from a gameplay aspect with Luftwaffe fighters/fighter bombers vulching RAF airfields. It happened in the BoB, so it should happen in CoD. The obvious solution is to spawn from a more distant airfield, such as Maidstone, in a Spit 1a, and take the 10 minutes to travel overland to gain altitude while watching for telltale flak bursts over Hawkinge, Lympne, or Littlestone.
Last night I did things a little differently.......
Hawkinge was under attack when I spawned in a Spitfire 1. Sitting between two airdromes warming my cold-blooded Merlin (and feeling very vulnerable) I could see and track the fast 'n furious flak bursts as they pursued a fast-moving 109 skimming the tarmac. With my canopy open I could only admire the great new external DB601 engine noises as I hunched lower in my seat. Fortunately, the mottled brown & black intruder didn't see me as he passed overhead. At that moment I kicked the throttle wide open and waddled out from between the buildings, then picked up speed as I bumped along the grass -- all the while keeping an eye on the black dot receding way ahead of me. As I lifted off I could see the black dot turning back and I knew I had been spotted. Low and slow -- heck!!!
If I tried to gain height I knew I'd be easy meat for this energy-fighter. I reduced throttle to bring revs down to about 2800 (peripheral vision at 30 POV - can't take my eyes off that now-rapidly approaching black dot-of-death!). Hugging the terrain I took advantage of the Spit 1's primary strength -- manoeuvrability. Glad I had switched back to my Sidewinder MSFFB2, I was able to keep within the boundary of accelerated stall as I trimmed the trees with my prop and followed the hilly contours in crazy figure 8's. The 109 stayed high and nipped in frequently to take a shot, but my wild twisting and course reversals were frustrating his otherwise all-too-accurate marksmanship. Suddenly, the 109 seemed to stop in mid-turn, then fell almost straight down in a leaf-like flutter. Stalled! He had no room to recover, and, cheap opportunist that I am, I even gave an unaimed squirt in his general direction hoping that I might get credited with a kill!
A quick check on Netstats said "NOT!" LOL. THE 109 "blew up real good" which I saw and heard through the still-open canopy.
Looking back to Hawkinge.......MORE flak bursts!!! Tree-hopping back at high speed still at 2800 rpms (full rich, fine pitch, radiator about 3/4 closed) I could plainly see another black dot (thank you, Bliss!) low over the airfield, with an explosion occurring near the airdromes. As I ruddered into position the black dot materialised into a rapidly growing 110! As it climbed out of its low-level run I followed his trajectory and opened fire just as my nose began to cover him. With a kick of left rudder he came back into view to starboard heading for the coast with white smoke streaming behind. Suddenly, I was entering a stall myself, and after narrowly recovering I had lost sight of my quarry.
At this point all was quiet at Hawkinge and I decided not to push my luck and pancaked right there. A quick check of Netstats showed ".79 kills". Not sure if that was the 109 earlier or if the 110 had ditched out to sea. Either way, it was another good night on the ATAG server!
