I think the main difference is that they didn't run into flak and fighters on every mission IRL. Bomber crews did, and many of them didn't survive a 30-mission tour...

(Something like 50% of RAF Bomber Command aircrew were KIA.)

Joey boy would be proud!

I'm doing a DCG Marianas '44 written by Jasta 5. Flying Hellcats off a carrier so a landing is a nerve wracking as strike mission ...

Somebody (Siggi???) had a website where people were listing their campaign achievements

Yes that cool Dead Is Dead idea, very interesting and no better way of bumping up the immersion. Let's hope he'll do that for BoB because I'll be the first one in. Homecoming it'll be of sorts for some <sigh> Roll on I say

Ming

I got to mission 12 in that campaign, then got whacked by AAA over the island. No warning, no indication of flak even going up. Think I took the first round right in the tush. I had just started an ntrk of the sortie too... looking back at it I saw no other flak bursts before my plane exploded. Lot's of flak afterwards though.

Interesting landings?? How about attempting a carrier landing while in this condition? :


(click for larger version)

No vertical tail at all thanks to a collision with a Ki-84 (he went down minus a wing). Made it back to the carrier and actually managed to land safely. A bit roughly, but safely, and without bending any more parts.

My chair had an odd cone shape in the center of it after that attempt however...

If by homecoming you mean the fact that the next one is for the Brits, I kind of identify... But if that's not what you meant, then I didn't post this.