Although the air control range of JG51 and JG52 wings is very large, it is very small in the vast Soviet territory. Due to fuel limitations, the skies above these two German fighter wings cannot be bypassed by the Soviet fleet. The hurdle must be passed through.
Soon, the Soviet fleet was less than 300 kilometers away from Moscow and was about to enter the sky over Smolensk.
Zhou Zhihan and others knew that a severe test was coming. Although the Messerschmitt chasing after them was still dozens of kilometers away, these dozens of kilometers were only a matter of minutes for the fighter jets. Once the Soviet fleet If it is intercepted by a German plane, it will soon be attacked from both sides.
The enemies ahead were getting closer and closer, and Zhou Zhihan could no longer find time to set up an ambush and shoot down the pursuing enemies behind him.
The sun was rising high, and the sky was extremely clear. There were gradually more white clouds like cotton candy in the sky, which was perfect for Messerschmitt to hide, which made Zhou Zhihan and others even more uneasy.
At the same time, half of the JG51 wing, which had received the order from Marshal Kesselin, had already launched an ambush and was ready to wait in Tver for the Soviet fleet to fall into a trap. The other half was preparing to take off to intercept the reinforcements coming from the direction of Moscow. Soviet fighter plane.
At the same time, the JG52 Wing in Smolensk was also facing a formidable enemy. All pilots were in place, waiting for orders, and could fly to Tver at any time to support the JG51 Wing.
The reason why 11 Soviet fighter-bombers allowed the two German wings to stand ready was because the Germans firmly believed that the Soviet bombers contained secrets and must be intercepted or shot down.
Smolensk.
The commander of the JG52 Wing, Johannes Steinhoff, has long been ready. He has just received information from the headquarters that the Soviet bomber fighter group is flying over the JG51 Wing. By then, the Soviet fighter planes located in the direction of Moscow will definitely It will take off to contain the German aircraft group.
Therefore, the headquarters ordered his regiment to go at any time to intercept Su Ji who wanted to reinforce.
In this regard, Steinhoff shook his head secretly, why all the good things went to the JG51 Wing. These 11 Soviet planes flying long distances from Leningrad were obviously destined to kill people.
Steinhoff's first old club was the Condor Legion. He had participated in the Spanish Civil War and had very rich combat experience.
He was calm-minded, decisive in killing, and had superior air combat skills. At the end of 1939 after the outbreak of World War II, he shot down several British bombers in the battle to intercept British bombers bombing Wilhelmshaven in the German Gulf. During this period, He was appointed commander of the 26th Squadron of the Condor Legion.
Most of those who were able to serve as commanders in the Vulture Legion later became famous figures.
In 1940, in order to increase the combat effectiveness of the JG52 Wing, he was transferred to the 32nd Squadron of the JG52 Wing, which had insufficient combat experience, as commander. He then participated in the French and British campaigns. After these two battles, his record reached He fought 16 aircraft. It was in these two battles that his tactics and combat capabilities improved rapidly.
In just one month after the invasion of the Soviet Union, Steinhoff shot down 28 Soviet aircraft, won the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and was appreciated by Goering. He was promoted to major and commanded the JG52 Wing.
At this time, Steinhoff, who was waiting for takeoff at the airport, had no idea that the rookie named Gerhard Buckhorn next to him was about to soar into the sky and shock the jaws of all the pilots on the entire Eastern Front.
This rookie has been in the JG52 wing for more than a year, but he has not shot down an enemy plane. Up to now, he alone has zero record in the entire wing.
For this reason, Steinhoff was very depressed and personally led Gerhard Buckhorn into the sky more than once. However, luck seemed to have ignored the rookie. No matter how hard he tried, his record was always zero.
"Sergeant Buckhorn, tell me, how many times have you been out on missions today?" Steinhoff asked the rookie next to him with a cigarette in his mouth.
50 meters away, parked their Bf 109E7/Z.
The Bf 109E7/Z added some bulletproof armor plates to the radiator under the wings, engines and fuel tanks, and installed the GM 1 jet boost system.
This system injects liquid nitrous oxide into the engine's supercharger via compressed air.
Nitrous oxide is used as an oxidant in the engine, which is very important for aircraft to perform tasks at high altitudes. It can greatly increase the power of the engine. The nitrous oxide container of the GM system is installed behind the pilot's cockpit. Since this container is relatively heavy , destroying the balance of the aircraft, so although this fighter aircraft has outstanding performance, it is more likely to stall and enter a spiral state than other aircraft.
Although Steinhoff is a commander, he usually treats the pilots like a brother and is deeply loved by everyone.
Gerhard Buckhorn's face was not red at all, not because he was thick-skinned, but because he was used to it: "It's the 119th time, sir!"
"It's really touching. Poor guy!" Steinhoff looked at the hairy guy next to him, patted him on the shoulder, and encouraged, "I think you may have to wait until 911 times to get a good start. However, this Isn’t the time a little short?”
There was laughter that was playful but not cruel immediately, and someone whistled to celebrate Gerhard Buckhorn. Before every game, everyone made some jokes to adjust the atmosphere, which has become a daily routine.
At the beginning of the war, what was needed was mobilization and morale-boosting words. Nowadays, pilots are more willing to let themselves laugh and relieve tension. Only God knows whether they can laugh again after flying into the sky in the next second. Come back soon.
What Steinhoff said was actually full of goodwill. If he could fly into the sky 911 times, he would definitely be able to survive World War II and return home safely.
Although the Soviet Air Force's fighter planes are old and backward in technology and tactics, the Luftwaffe is unstoppable and has frequent victories. However, it is an indisputable reality that the Soviet Union has a vast territory. Especially as the war deepens, the losses of the experienced Luftwaffe are actually gradually increasing. The number of aces killed in battle is increasing gradually, and the pilots of many wings have participated in frequent battles and are exhausted physically and mentally. It can be seen that the German army is actually seriously short of pilots, but now all the shortcomings have been covered up by victory.
Suddenly, a reconnaissance plane sent an early warning: "Sir! Enemy aircraft were spotted 50 kilometers ahead, including two bombers, flying towards us."
Steinhoff never expected that this piece of fat would fly into his bowl. He was ecstatic, but his voice was very calm and his facial expression did not fluctuate. He said to the scout: "Make sure again!" Then, He said to all the pilots on standby, "Everyone, get ready for takeoff!"
The reconnaissance plane pilot confirmed again: "OK! Several Soviet fighter jets escorted two bombers, flying quickly towards our JG52 wing's defense area."
Steinhoff first ran towards the landline and ordered loudly: "Quick, quick, quick... The Russians are flying towards us. Boys, let's accept all these gifts. I will hold a celebration banquet for you tonight."
Prior to this, the pilots of the JG52 Wing did not say they were unlucky, but in their hearts they were envious of the JG51 Wing's good luck, and a large piece of fat was actually delivered to their bowls.
Although 11 fighter-bombers are not too many, you must know that this is a net profit without losing money.
Nine Spitfires cover two SB-2s. In the encirclement of JG52 Wing, they are lambs to be slaughtered.
Now that they heard that this piece of fat suddenly changed course and flew into their bowls, the pilots immediately jumped up and ran to their respective planes following Steinhoff.
Before getting into the cabin, Steinhoff turned his head and shouted loudly: "Mr. Buckhorn, I wish you good luck!"
