[Matt Wiser]

The next segment:



Over Central Texas, 1555 Hours Central War Time:


Corvette Flight was orbiting just north of the I-20, in a holding pattern at 10,000 feet. They were waiting for either AWACS or the EC-130 Airborne Command Post to clear them onto a FAC, or plain direct them to a target. If there was one thing everyone agreed on, it was this, the waiting.

“They tell us to bust ass getting down here, then they tell us to wait?” Goalie asked from 512's back seat.

Guru grinned. That low, they didn't need their oxygen masks until it was time to go to work. “Same old-same-old: hurry up and wait. You know that.”

“Yeah,” she replied. Out of GIB good habits, she took a look around. Everyone was tucked in, waiting for the go-ahead.

“Boss, Starbuck,” Kara called. “Anything?”

“No joy so far,” Guru replied. He glanced to the west, and saw the sun getting lower. Wouldn't be long, he knew, until it got too dark for them to strike visually. Of course, night flying for them wasn't a problem, but night combat was something rare. The squadron needed Pave Tack pods for that, and having a grand total of three meant nearly all of their tasking was in the daytime. Then he heard an EC-130 controller calling.

“Corvette Lead, Tampa,” the controller said. “Contact Nail Six-nine for tasking.”

“Roger, Tampa,” Guru replied. He then called the FAC. “Nail Six-nine, Corvette Lead.”

“Copy, Corvette,” the FAC replied. “Say aircraft and ordnance, please.”

“Roger, Nail. Corvette Flight is six Foxtrot Four-Echoes, with twelve Mark-20 Rockeyes each bird, and full air-to-air.”

“Roger, Corvette. Got some armor for you. Moving northwest from Star Hollow Lake towards Lipan.” The FAC said.

“Copy that, Nail,” replied Guru. “Say threat?”

“Corvette, threat is regimental and divisional level air defense. Be advised that both helos and fast-movers are in the area as well.”

Bad guys doing CAS, Guru knew. “Roger that. Can give you one run only. South to North.”

“Your call, Corvette. Be advised there are friendly helos in the area.”

“Copy. Can you mark the target, Nail?”

“Roger that, Corvette,” the FAC told him.

Guru watched as an A-7K rolled in and fired several rockets, and WP exploded on the ground below. “That's your target, Corvette.”

“Roger that, Nail. We're rolling in,” Guru said. “Flight, Lead. Masks on, switches on, and music on. Time to go to work, people!”

As the flight acknowledged, Goalie told him, “Switches set. We're hot.” That meant the armament controls had been set. “Everything in one pass.” That was a squadron rule: one pass in a target area unless there was zero surface-to-air threat.

“Good girl,” Guru replied. He put the F-4 in a shallow dive from 10,000 feet, and flew past the armor before rolling in. As they did, several SAMs-what kind, they didn't know, came up and flew past, but their ECM pods were working. “Looks like a regiment down there.” He said, noticing the armor moving to the northwest.

Goalie was scanning with a pair of mini binoculars. “Looks like it.”

“Time to go. Flight, Lead. Target's in sight. Watch for friendly choppers, people!” With that, Guru rolled in on his bomb run.


Down below, the East German 20th Motor Rifle Division was pushing forward-again. They had been roughly handled on the 4th, and the divisional commander knew it. But Army had ordered a series of spoiling attacks, and the Generalmajor had no choice but to get on with it. His panzer regiment was near full strength, with 95 T-55AM2Bs, which were could give the M-60 a good fight, and deal with the Ami paratroopers who were to the north, but if the First Cavalry Division and Third Armored Cavalry Regiment were about, they had M-1s, and that meant trouble. His lead motor-rifle regiment had pushed into what appeared to be undefended terrain, and so he committed his panzer regiment, as per doctrine.

With that, the 20th Panzer Regiment moved forward. The regimental commander, a Colonel, was pleased. His regiment had passed through the motor-rifle boys, and though there was little sign of the enemy, he knew the Amis were out there. The fate of a reserve motor-rifle regiment on the 4th, and the mauling that the 33rd MRR had received as well, reminded him that the Amis could be waiting. With luck, he'd get the regiment to Lipan, and get there before the Amis could react. Then the 31st MRR with their BMP-2s would arrive to relieve them, and this would force the enemy's III Corps to commit to a major action to push them out, preventing them from an attack to get around the Fort Worth-Dallas area, or so what the Divisional Commander had been told, and then told the regimental commanders. No matter. His regiment was moving forward, out of some hills and into open country. The Colonel was riding in his T-55AM2K command tank when his loader, who was manning the DshK 12.7-mm machine gun, tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the south. The Colonel's heart stopped a beat as he saw what was coming. Smoke trails, which meant only one thing. Ami aircraft. “AIR ATTACK WARNING-SOUTH!” He shouted into his mike.

“Lead's in!” Guru called as he rolled in. A full regiment of armor in the open meant plenty of targets, and the bad guys were still in column. Big mistake, Franz.....He centered the center battalion in his pipper. Some flak started to come up, but it was too little, too late. No way, not now......”Steady, Steady...” Guru muttered. “And HACK!” He hit the pickle button and released his Rockeyes. Then he pulled 512 up and away. “Lead's off target.”

“Verdammt!” The Colonel shouted as the F-4 flew over his command tank and released its bombs. He saw the CBUs fly open and released their bomblets over the tanks of his Second battalion. T-55s took hits to their thin top armor and engine decks and several exploded, while several others were disabled and caught fire. The regimental commander turned into a rage, shouting for his regimental air defense battalion, with their Strela-1 missile vehicles (SA-9) and ZSU-23-4s, to move forward, while the motor-rifle battalion had their men with Strela-2 (SA-7) missiles riding on top of their BMP-2s and fire. Then the Colonel glanced to the south and saw another Fascist F-4 coming in.

“SHACK!” Goalie shouted. “GOOD HITS!”

“Secondaries?” Guru asked. He banked to the right and headed due north, not noticing an SA-9 that flew past his bird.

“Got some.” That meant tanks or APCs had gone up.

“Service with a smile,” the CO grinned beneath his mask as he headed north.


“Two in hot!” Kara called as she rolled in. She picked out the regimental supply columns following behind the regiment, and without those fuel and ammo trucks, that regiment wouldn't be going anywhere. Kara noticed the flak coming, and it was mostly small-arms or heavy machine guns, but there was some ZU-23 fire coming up as well. Not today.....”Steady....and....NOW!” Kara hit her pickle button and a dozen Rockeyes fell onto the regimental supply column. Ignoring the 23-mm and SAMs-both SA-9 and SA-7, she overflew the regiment and headed north, following in the CO's wake. “Two's off safe.”

Kara's F-4 flew by, and the Colonel grimaced as it did, but then the explosions behind him caught his attention. “DAMMT!” He shouted into his mike-for all his commanders to hear-as explosions erupted behind him, and they were both fuel and ammunition fed. That told him his regiment's supply column had been hit, and hit hard. Shaking his head, he ordered all his units to disperse, but then he saw another Ami Phantom coming in.....

“GOOD HITS!” Brainiac shouted in 520's rear seat. “We got secondaries!”

“Big ones?” Kara wanted to know.

“Good ones,” her GIB replied.

“Fine by me,” Kara said as she headed north, an eye out for either MiGs or Hinds. To her disappointment, none were visible.


“Three in hot!” Sweaty called as she rolled in. She picked out what looked like artillery pieces deploying. Those were always good targets, Sweaty knew, and as she lined them up in her pipper, she also noticed what looked like ammo trucks following the guns. Oh, well...maybe some of the CBU bomblets might take out some of the trucks. Franz, you're having a bad day, she said to herself. “Steady...steady....and...NOW!” Sweaty hit the pickle button, releasing her CBUs, then she pulled up and away, ignoring the 23-mm and SAMs coming up. “Three off safe,” she called.

The Colonel groaned as Sweaty's F-4 flew by, then he saw the explosions in its wake. His regimental artillery commander had been on the radio to him, then his transmission was suddenly-and permanently-silenced as not only had several of the 2S1 122-mm SP howitzers exploded, but the battalion commander's own command vehicle had gone up as well. He shook his head, then ordered his regimental command element to disperse as well. As his command tank moved into a creek, he didn't see a fourth F-4 coming in.

“SHACK!” Preacher yelled to Sweaty as she pulled away.

“Good hits?” Sweaty asked as an SA-9 flew past. Those things, for some reason, had a hard time guiding. Not that she-or anyone else she knew-was complaining.

“Righteous ones!” Exclaimed the ex-Seminary student.

“Good enough for the man upstairs, good enough for me,” Sweaty said as she headed north, scanning for enemy aircraft or choppers as she did so.

“Four's in hot!” Hoser called as he came in behind his element lead. He saw where Sweaty had laid her CBUs and noticed the trucks that had largely escaped her attention. Well, if she couldn't get them, he would. He centered the trucks in his pipper, ignoring the flak-and even a couple of SA-7s-that came up. “And...and...and...NOW!” Hoser hit his pickle button and released his Rockeyes, and a dozen CBUs came down on the East German artillerymen. He pulled wings level and away, calling out, “Four's off target.”

“DAMMT!” Shouted the Colonel as Hoser's F-4 flew by, leaving more explosions in its wake. This time, he knew, the artillery battalion's supply trucks had been hit, for there were several large sympathetic detonations that no one could miss. What had been an easy ride to the objective was now becoming his worst nightmare, and it had been inflicted from the air. Where were the Amis on the ground? The Colonel was checking his map when another F-4 came in....


“SHACK!” KT called. “GREAT HITS!”

“Secondaries?” Hoser asked as he headed north, picking up Sweaty visually as he did so.

“Big ones!”

Hoser grinned beneath his oxygen mask. “Good enough.” He scanned for enemy aircraft or choppers and was disappointed not to find any.


“Five in hot!” Dave Golen called. He rolled in, and noticed several vehicles clustered together. That might be the regimental command group, he thought, and decided to take them out. Like the others, he ignored the flak coming up, and saw a tank in the middle. He centered the tank in his pipper. “Steady....and steady....and....NOW!” He hit the pickle button, sending a dozen more CBUs down on the East Germans. He, too, pulled up and away, and called, “Five's off target.”

In his tank, the East German Colonel ducked as Golen's F-4 flew by. He heard the CBUs going off, then nothing as several Rockeye bomblets struck his T-55, hitting the engine deck and the thin top armor of the turret. The Rockeye bomblets burned through the armor-and him, then set off the stored ammunition in the ready rack......no one in the tank had time to scream, much less try and escape the tank, as it fireballed.

“GOOD HITS!” Golen's GIB shouted.

“How good?” Dave asked as he headed north,

“Got a few secondaries.”

“I'll take those,” Dave said as he picked up the others.


“Six is in hot!” Flossy called. She rolled in, and picked out some more vehicles moving up. Those looked like BMPs, and they were a worthy target. She, too, ignored the flak and the missiles, and lined up the middle of the column. You're having a bad day, Franz.....”Steady....and...steady....NOW!” Flossy hit the pickle button, and released her twelve Rockyes, then she pulled up and away. “Six off target,” she called.

Below, the East German deputy regimental commander, a Major, scampered out of a BTR-60PB that had taken a single CBU hit to the top deck. Normally, that might not be a problem, but the bomblet had wrecked both engines, and the vehicle had caught fire, so everyone had gotten out of the vehicle. He saw the burning hulk of the regimental command tank, and no signs of survivors, and that meant he was now in command. As he called for a radioman, not only did he see Flossy's F-4 fly over, but nearly tripped over the body of the regimental political officer. No great loss, he noted, as the radioman came up. Time to get some order out of this mess, and find out where the Amis were, for a counterattack could be coming and he had to get the regiment ready. This air strike was probably just the beginning.

“GOOD HITS!” Jang called to Flossy. “We got some secondaries!”

“How good?” Flossy asked, knowing that Jang was still a relative newcomer to combat.

“Four or five fireballs.”

Flossy grinned underneath her mask. “Good for them.” She, too, headed north, and followed her element lead towards the I-20, keeping an eye out for enemy aircraft as she did so. Like the others, she was disappointed none were present. Oh, well....better luck next time.


In 512's rear cockpit, Goalie was beaming. “Six in, six out,” she said.

“Still got a game on,” Guru reminded her. “Not yet to the fence.” That meant the I-20 line. He glanced to his five, and saw Kara pulling in alongside, and his wingmate gave a thumbs-up. “Two, glad to see you. Sweaty, you and Hoser?”

“Right behind you,” Sweaty replied. “Got you two in sight.”

“Dave?” Guru asked.

“On your six,” Golen replied. “Flossy's with me.”

“Roger that. Nail, how'd we do?” Guru asked the FAC.

“Corvette, Nail,” the FAC replied. “Good work, fella. Maybe we can do this again sometime.”

Guru smiled. “Our pleasure, Nail.”

The flight crossed the I-20 line, and saw not just more aircraft above, but Army attack helicopters forming up to head south. And these weren't Cobras. AH-64s were in town, and they were going to make their presence known. All through the night, if necessary. The flight joined up on the tankers for their post-strike refueling, then headed back to Sheppard.

When Corvette Flight returned to Sheppard, they had to wait in the pattern, as several Marine and Navy flights were ahead of them. Then it was their turn. The six F-4s took their turns in the landing pattern, then as they taxied back to the squadron dispersal, they noticed the news crew filming them. “Need to ask her when the interview airs,” Guru said. Both he and Goalie had been interviewed by the crew's correspondent, Jana Wendt.

“Forgot about that,” Golie said. “Been a bit busy,” she deadpanned.

“That we have.”

The crews taxied to their revetments, and when Guru and Goalie got to 512's, they saw the ground crew waiting. This time, the ordnance crews were not there, and that meant that they weren't likely going back out. Good thing, both crew members thought. The sun was very low on the horizon, and unless someone strapped on a Pave Tack pod, they were through for the day. Guru taxied in, and after shutting down, both he and Goalie popped their canopies, then they did a post-flight check. “Glad that's done?” she asked.

“For now,” Guru replied. “We could be back at CAS tomorrow.”

“Maybe. Or the Army cleans up on those bastards.”

The ground crew brought the crew ladder, and both pilot and GIB stood up in the cockpit. Then they climbed down, where Sergeant Crowley, the Crew Chief, was waiting. “How'd things go, Major?”

“Made some East German tankers reconsider their choice of vocation,” the CO deadpanned.

“Those who lived, that is,” Goalie added as she picked up a bottle of water.

The Crew Chief was beaming. “Shit hot, sir! And Ma'am.” He looked at his CO. “Anything I need to know, sir?”

“Five-twelve's working like a champ, Sergeant,” Guru said. “Get her ready, because menana, we might just be going back and teach those East Germans something about staying in their own country.”

As both pilot and GIB headed out of the revetment, Goalie asked him, “You still going to bump him up on the R&R Rotation or promote him?”

“I might just do both,” replied Guru.

“Boss,” Kara said as she and Brainiac came to the entrance to the revetment. “Looks like we did good.”

Guru nodded. “We did, and we might be going back there tomorrow.”

“Where were the MiGs?” Kara wanted to know.

“I'd like to know myself,” Sweaty said as her element arrived. “Where were they?”

Dave Golen and his people arrived just as she said that. “I, for one, would like to know that as well.”

“Maybe somebody hit their fields,” Flossy wondered.

“Maybe,” Guru said. “Or they hadn't been called yet.”

“Too bad,” Kara muttered.

“You're not the only one feeling that way,” Guru said. “Okay, people.” He checked his watch. “It's 1635. We're not going out again, so let's debrief. You need to check your desks, then we can hit the Club.”

“Wonder if we'll get some stories from General Yeager,” Sweaty thought. “Wouldn't mind hearing some of those.”

“Ace in a day....” Kara said. “Five Me-109s in one afternoon, I heard.”

“Not to mention his test flying,” Hoser added. “Going supersonic, then the X-1A and nearly getting killed.”

“Then the NF-104,” Flossy told them. “Remember the movie The Right Stuff?” Heads nodded, as most of them had seen the movie.

Guru nodded, “All of that, and one other thing. He's got one kill General Olds doesn't.”

“And that is?” Kara asked.

“Yeager got an Me-262,” Guru said. “Come on. Get the debrief done, clear your desks, then we can get a little crazy.”