IL-2 Great Battles | Mustang P-51B-5 - Wilson Overton | Bomber Escort Missions

Allied leaders have been gearing up for the invasion of german-occupied France for over two years Allied operations to soften up the acts of Southern flank in North Africa Sicily and Italy has slowed preparations in the build-up for the retaking of France however these operations including the disastrous related die yet and the operations in the Pacific allowed the Allies to gain valuable experience in amphibious Landings and develop effective combat tactics the time to take back France had finally come by June 1944 command of the invasion was given the U.S general Dwight D Eisenhower the Germans had built what they called the Atlantic Wall which was a series of fortifications all along the French Coastline facing England and the Allies employed many deceptions to try and keep the actual Landing beaches secret the Allied deception was aimed at making the Germans think they would land in the Pod de Calais area not Normandy one example of this deception was that Allied aircraft flew many more emissions over the Calais area than Normandy in the months prior to the invasion their support for the invasion was carried out by the British second Tactical Air Force in the American ninth Air Force Station in Southern England during the week's leading up to the invasion these units would attack targets including Rail Yards Vehicles airfields radar installations and Communications all throughout Northwestern France they would also strive to destroy any luftwaffe aircraft that could pose a threat to the invasion Force preparations of the invasion code named Operation Overlord were completed by the end of May 1944 due to poor weather the invasion was postponed from the 5th of June to the 6th this became D-Day the Allied invasion of Normandy Washington airfields the 18th of April 1944 7 A.M fresh-faced Wilson Overton the newest pilot of The 355th Fighter Squadron stepped up to his p-51b5 Mustang having completed his training this would be his first sortie into enemy territory the fines of eight aircraft will be escorting bombers to the town of Amal where they will attack their target the 355th is tasked with protecting these bombers and ensuring they make it to their target and home again foreign just nearly clipped one of the other flight members I'm flying through some pretty horrible Cloud here I can see that one aircraft so I'll stick with them hopefully we'll get out of this Cloud fairly soon coming up for our first flights in our P51 oh there's more than that okay hang on that's uh more aircrafts what are the rest why are we why are we trying to pull them up in heavy sector okay why are we trying to form up in heavy Cloud boys this is this is ludicrous I know I'm the rocky pilot but this feels stupid but anyway yeah we're in a um the 350 fit 355th Fighter Squadron flying these P-51 Mustangs April 44. and so hopefully we'll I've lost them ah and hopefully um we'll survive through April and May oh hello let's home base we'll talk about getting disorientated in the cloud all right where are they this is not an auspicious start for a market requesting landing approach all right I may have to um yeah somebody over there right so we're gonna come up with this aircraft over here and hopefully make our way to the Rendezvous point if not I will make myself uh direct to the Rendezvous point to find the bombers and then hopefully we'll meet up with the rest of the flight there uh yes I say not a great start okay A bit of good news I found the flight there they are heading towards the Rendezvous point was the right um move look at this what a beautiful morning a bit of heavy Cloud though but absolutely stunning up here today it's an absolute pleasure to be up here so the bombs are just in front of us um so we're gonna close in on them now and hopefully um Over the Sea This Cloud will clear up we get a better view of what's going on I'm guessing that they've met up with one of them started their zigzagging which is good can't see them yet everything's obscured there we are ah they're the bombers can't quite work out what they are from here ah V26 more orders [Music] [Music] okay uh we've been released to land our own face now thanks to the successful completion of the escort mission the following day the 350 fifth Fighter Squadron will be going up once again for another bomber escort as they continue to pound Targets in northern France today there will be rendezvous with the bombers before heading east to hit a Target in the port town of Dunkirk our job once again is to make sure the bombers get in bomb their target and will safely return back to Britain welcome back everyone we're up again today for Wilson's second mission again we're escorting a flight of the 26 Marauders as they go across the channel to uh hit some Targets in the ports of Dunkirk probably part of the invasion preparation looking at vital targets and convincing the enemy that this is where the invasion will come shortest distance between the mainland and the UK and uh Calais to Dunkirk region would be the obvious choice for The Invasion so far nothing to report that's just one of the the friendlies flying loops around the um the bombers so we don't leave them behind the cloud assay is cloudy but it's nowhere near as overcast as yesterday it's a lot it's a lot higher and uh yeah it's um some quite good visibility down here so um we're going to continue to escort and uh maybe find a little bit of enemy activity further on there is Dunkirk see it looks like there's already been a couple of fighter to the southeast range three miles out rough man five Cajun Friday to the South ranged about three and a half miles out let's see him release on my command out built the bombers over there just about to set up for their attack run um let's sit in this class to the southeast race two miles let's climb Above This Cloud engaging fighter to the southeast five range I see them fighter to the Southwest range about two miles out I think this is enemy one man for engaging fighter to the southeast low range half mile Out rough man five game Fighter for the Southwest away engaging fighter that could be a football for nine slipping at the uh two and a half miles the black smoke and the shape of the Wings a little climbing they are football for 90s range half mile out here we go fighter to the Southwest range half mile out man engaging fighter low range Smiles Out rough man six engaging proprietor to the Northwest low range about one mile out squeeze squeeze the blood back into the uh extremities fighter I'm smoking his body went out there we go okay range five and a half miles out back on his tail range five and a half miles he's slowing down he's got an engine fire stop that's a Mustang as well okay appears to be the actions behind us so race back to where the the other five so you see the bombers down there in the Gap in the clouds aircraft contacts up high I can hear the radio chat over so often saying they're engaged and maybe one of those is you know but the ones going to the right he's not being followed by the others hello I was like somebody's trying to get on his tail let's just cut the corner and have a look what's going on here he's down there can't tell from this distance that's a Mustang it's obviously a Mustang as well smoking Mustang I can't see anyone chasing them wait who's this got two down here somebody's just got in okay we've got this isn't another flood of aircraft is it they look like can I tuck him behind them the north range half mile now oh they're going on here it's close out okay um I think it's time we um made some uh play some tracks and got out of here we've got three four four four nineties over there to jump them shot one down to the Northeast range two and a half the others turn around and come in I will come in as well but I'm not going to take on three uh when I'm low on ammo fighter to the Northeast high range three miles sounds like they're in some sort of Engagement with another flight as well okay there's the rest of the flight a few days bombers below engaging fighter to the East Range five miles out all right I wonder if those spotlights is coming for the uh the bombers to the east range two that could be them they're engaging rights engaging fighter to the southeast range about two miles out here we go engagement with the 190s take two five five miles out five range about one mile out acrossman through the clouds trying to keep it under control we're so close foreign I could be kill number three though Mustang managed to shake him off that six engaging fighter fight at range two and a half miles boy it came in far too quick coming in on his tail again as he tries to jump on somebody else we've got third one's over there that's the Mustang Mustang oh there is hiding in the uh the metal work of the canopy following his smoke Trail oh I'm gonna shut him all played sir well played thankfully I've got friendlies to try and keep him off my tail is that it no sorry yes no that's a Mustang destroyed rough man three Target destroyed good shooting boys have they gone both who's the bad guy here it's probably the Skype he'll swore me in careful not to get hit by friendly Flack it's coming in or won't block him we've got another one up here we'll just find Our Time good kill right I think we should be safe now the bombers are landing so hopefully that was a good Mission lots of uh action yeah the bombs Landing good stuff right that should free us up as we're forming up to um head back to our own base and add to his Pilot's badge Wilson Overton has been awarded the air Medal look at that beautiful and a silver star fantastic three kills in a mission still relatively inexperienced as only our second timeout and we have received the Silver Star incredible oh and if we look at the full mission briefing um our flight lead he was a a major major Jason Fern was shot down and killed unfortunately on this mission um Gene Hernan was also uh up but um was able to come back to base but uh was no um appeals to his name Wilson managed to down three aircraft in his second mission which is fantastic and um Manuel receta uh he's been wounded okay well he's a captain um he'll be out for some time um Jack running Runyan also came up with no kills to his name Donovan Lasko the same Rodney Schmick came up uh he's just a flight officer as well uh he managed to do bag a enemy aircraft as did Horace Robinson look at that that's some lowly fly officers managing to uh get the five aircraft kills for the Squadron this time looking into the unit HQ look at that The 355th Fighter Squadron or the the bulldog with the the flight cap isn't that an awesome emblem love that uh scrolling through uh the commander is Donovan lasso and there you can see the the wonderful boys that fly with us and here we are Wilson Overton in service suddenly we lost the major and here we are Wilson Overton our new hero which we're following this time born on 23rd of July 1918 in Northern Texas he was the last child of five siblings his family and his ancestors had lived in Texas for over 100 years having migrated to the region in the late 1830s and the end of the Texas Revolution it was at this time that the Everton family received a land grant for several hundred acres of the Republic of Texas and turned the land into wheat and cotton Farm fantastic he's a cotton he's a Wheaton cotton farmer from Texas and look at that this Pilot's badge and a day later he earns his air medal and the Silver Star fantastic and just for confirmation three enemy aircraft kills to his name so join me next time when we will see what Further Adventures Wilson Overton has it to experience as we come up to a critical time in the war and the lead up to the invasion of June 1944 it should be exciting if we can survive thanks for watching I'll see you next time bye-bye

Channel: Taff in Exile

Views: 18,290

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Id: 5WhPl0y_oSY

Length: 30min 5sec (1805 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 10 2023