357th 'Yoxford Boys' Campaign

[Oberon]

357th Fighter Group 'The Yoxford Boys'

The 357th Fighter Group, arrived at Leiston from RAF Raydon on 31 January 1944, replacing the P-47-equipped 358th Fighter Group in the 66th Fighter Wing, VIII Fighter Command. After March 1944 aircraft of the group were identified by red-yellow-red rings on the propeller spinner and a 12" red and yellow band around the forward part of the nose in the checkerboard pattern of the 66th Fighter Wing groups.
The group consisted of the following squadrons:

• 362d Fighter Squadron (fuselage code G4), dispersals along the 18-00 runway (357th technical site)
• 363d Fighter Squadron (code B6), dispersals along the 06-24 runway (Buckles Wood)
• 364th Fighter Squadron (code C5), dispersals along the 13-31 runway (Moat Farm)

The 357th FG served as an escort group, providing penetration, target, and withdrawal support for bombers that attacked strategic objectives on the Continent and began operations in the assault against the German Air Force and aircraft industry during Big Week, 20-25 Feb 1944.
The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for two escort missions in which heavy opposition was encountered from enemy fighters: on 6 March 1944 provided target and withdrawal support during the first attack that heavy bombers of Eighth AF made on Berlin. On 29 June 1944 the group protected bombers that struck targets at Leipzig. The unit received second DUC for operations on 14 January 1945 when the group, covering 3rd Division B-17's on a raid to synthetic oil plants at Derben broke up an attack by a large force of interceptors and in the ensuing aerial battle destroyed 56.5 German fighters (later credited as 55.5), the largest number of claims by any Eighth Air Force group on a single mission.
In addition to escort the 357th conducted counter-air patrols, made fighter sweeps, and flew strafing and dive-bombing missions in which it attacked airfields, marshalling yards, locomotives, bridges, barges, tugboats, highways, vehicles, fuel dumps, and other targets. Participated in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944, the breakthrough at St Lo in July, the Battle of the Bulge, Dec 1944-Jan 1945; and the airborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945.
The group flew its last mission, an escort operation, on 25 April 1945 and moved to Neubiberg, Germany on 21 July and was assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe for duty with the army of occupation.
357th Aces Chuck Yeager(the man who broke the sound barrier) and Bud Anderson were stationed in Leiston.

[Schroeder]

To bad it didn't work that well this day.
But we have had some problems in the beginning with my squadron too. After some time you get used to the airfield and then it is no longer a concern.

[HunterICX]

My apology for the venting a bit there, but I was too tired to start this campaign especialy after how it went.
ok, I can enable the free cam...but I rather dont...we have to learn how to do this without the help of the free cam anyway.

Oberon, thanks for the effort to start a thread for the new campaign, stickied

HunterICX

[XabbaRus]

I'm downloading a whole bunch of skin packs for the 357th. m4t has loads of them.

PS can we shoot down chuck yeager?

[Oberon]

No probs Hunter, least I could do for the Yoxford Boys I understand what you mean about the airfield though, it is a bugger to navigate, but what I think might be a good idea is if we stick as much as we can to the same planes each time, so that we'd be in the same squadron in each sortee, from the looks of it I was in the 364 Moat Farm squadron for the last 3 gos.
At least if we're in the same squadrons we know where we have to go for take-off, for me it was right and then first left
After that it's a long fly over into occupied Holland and Germany, and then we have some 262s to tangle with

I wonder if we can rival the 357ths kill count? I know Chuck Schroeder might

[Dowly]

What kinda campaign is this? Custom map? What planes? Do I need to download something if I wanna join in? When's the next sortie?