IL-2 Great Battles || Battle of Stalingrad Career || Ep.2 - Dogfight Over the Volga

[@FarmHend]

Later this day, somewhere in the backrooms of 9th GIAP HQ: "...So, you telling me, that Twice Hero Of the USSR and Twice the Red Banner Order Bearer does not even know how to land properly after whole year of war?! Extreme indiscipline! Commander, you have to nip this-" "Tell me, comissar, do you prefer landing aces or fighting aces?"

[@gasmonkey1000]

"August 29th, 1942. I thought we'd be supporting our own infantry but somehow we ended up over a facist airfield. Honestly I'm amazed any of us made it back. Vsevolod and our flight lead didn't make it. Aside from Yuri none of us have been able to find any use for the LaGG 3, they're not fast enough and there isn't enough ammo. I nearly had one but the ammo ran out. Apparently Stepan got a kill but honestly with that braggart it's hard to tell. When Yuri landed he nearly crashed his plane, nearly giving the ground crew a heart attack. Apparently Anton nearly crushed Yuri's back with how hard he was hugging him, all the while cursing him for scaring him so badly. Still I can't help but wonder if I'll actually be able to get a coffin by the time we drive the Germans out of Russia." - Excerpt from the journal of Bogdan Biryukov, August 29th, 1942.

[@tinchorb1340]

NICE Its always gud to have more lore

[@Wolfpack345]

Awesome! I love it when you all do journal entries like this!

[@gasmonkey1000]

@@Wolfpack345 Glad to hear ya like it man, I really appreciate it

[@acerimmer3754]

Love the lore.

[@Mister_G.D._Muscovy]

Binged watched all of the Moscow series in preparation for this episode. Thanks for getting me interested in IL-2.

[@Wolfpack345]

Thanks man! Glad you like it :)

[@jtofgc]

With Yuri's record at Moscow I'm sure he'd be on the priority list to get into the La-5, which started being supplied to squadrons right around this time. P-39s were available in small numbers and becoming more common every month. Yak-9 also drops in just a few months' time, but idk which of those you can actually use in this campaign. What are your plans for advancement during this campaign?

[@mrorome5064]

Yak 9 would be sick!

[@Шарнхорст]

Yak-9 and P-39 are available on Kuban map but La-5 is available for Stalingrad

[@ladela7348]

At this point I think Comrade Lieutenant Yuri Antonov will pick up more medals than Georgy Zhukov himself

[@WWXspartan058]

Wolf: Oh hey, I see specks on the horizon looks like 6. Meanwhile, I'm squinting at my monitor and seeing nothing lol.

[@Wolfpack345]

They were super distant. I am surprised I saw them myself.

[@RSoppe]

@@Wolfpack345 yeah... i think its because of youtube compression

[@mr_confuse]

@@RSoppe We can thank JPEG compression for that actually, it discards the details that you usually don't see and don'T recognize, but in this case the data lost is the exact information we need :D You might actually get more details across when messing around with render settings in the editing software now that I think about it...

[@TheRaptorXX]

Comrade Antonov, unfortunately on your landing you managed to bend one of the undercarriage struts. However, no need to worry as we have a spare 'donor' in our shed! Boris is, as we speak, readying his now infamous painting skills and will be adorning your machine as soon as we get the repairs done. Salut! Staff Szt Raptowsyak.

[@HunterTeddy010]

Little wing stall at the end there, lol. "You don't like my landings you can stick it in your medal case. Your empty medal case, comrade."

[@aussiegrif8729]

My heart sank when that singular cannon shell fired and the guns fell silent. It's a damn shame that the lag-3 doesn't carry a larger ammo supply considering it's not the most nimble plane as it is. Would love to have seen Yuri just go to town on fascist airwings with more rounds to use.

[@Tacticaviator7]

Its actually quite an agile plane but the underpowered engine sadly makes more agressive turns drain speed really quickly, I imagine more ammo would worsen its performance even more.

[@aussiegrif8729]

@@Tacticaviator7 That's really interesting to learn. I guess everything is a trade-off (like gun pods or no gun pods).

[@adamtruong1759]

I have to say, that Mig-3's landing way honestly not bad at all, considering all the bullet holes it had in it. Probably more smoother than your land in what basically is a untouched LaGG-3.

[@Wolfpack345]

The AI lands perfectly almost every time.

[@adamtruong1759]

@@Wolfpack345 Yeah, I kind of figured.

[@e.kent.d9561]

Just good to see Yuri staying alive and doing his part in the air war. The staying alive is the most important part. Don't want this to end.

[@GodfreyRaphael]

From the diary of Sergeant Isay Isaakovich Kirilenko Entry #2 There's something about Lieutenant Antonov that bothers me. I can't really explain it, but I think it has something to do with the fact that he's still a senior lieutenant despite all of his medals and all of his achievements with the Air Force. I know that if I was in his shoes, I would definitely try to get promoted as much as I could, and I would definitely try to be assigned as far away from the front as possible, and not just because of the selfish reason of wanting to preserve my own life. The Comrade Lieutenant is possibly the most decorated ace of the Soviet Air Forces, and should the unthinkable happen and he is felled in battle by the Fascist machines, it would be a massive victory for the Germans, not only in terms of the actual human cost but also by its propaganda value and the blow to Soviet morale. And now I should probably stop going down this line of thinking before Commissar Yefimov comes here and sees all of my private thoughts in writing. In any case, I should probably go to Comrade Antonov and ask him about it himself. Having said that, I'm not sure if he's going to answer me at all, or if I'm going to be satisfied by any of his answers. I almost didn't get the chance to ask him though, but not because of enemy action. The bastard almost landed his LaGG on its wing instead of the wheels! But a pilot with the skills that he has was more than capable of bringing that machine back down to the ground on three wheels, just as it should. I can't say the same for the two Vsevolods though. Vsevolod Andreyevich Veselov and Vsevolod Pavlovich Merkushev both bought it today. Merkushev's plane crashed on our side of the frontline so my men were able to recover his body for a proper burial, but Veselov's plane splashed right into the Volga, and no one in their right mind wants to jump into the river to recover him. The squadron went up again in the afternoon to intercept enemy aircraft, with six LaGGs going up to meet the Germans in the skies. Only five LaGGs returned to the field, but while his plane was destroyed, Stepan Vladimirov managed to bail out in time, and he hitched a ride with some soldiers and got back to the airfield later that night. Lucky dog, that Stepan Maksimovich is. If only both Veselov and Merkushev were just as lucky, but this is war. Much as we might wish we can all go back to our homes, some of us definitely won't. It doesn't matter if they die one day or one month or even one year later, some of us are definitely not coming back from Stalingrad alive. Maybe even most of us. But I'd rather not think about that a lot. I'd rather think about anything else. ~ Entry dated 29 August 1942

[@Wolfpack345]

Great entry! I think the reason Yuri hasn't received his promotion is due to his exciting landings! I appreciate you doing these journals. It is fun to get the community involved in the series.

[@GodfreyRaphael]

@@Wolfpack345 Thank you sir! I first got into your channel through your Silent Hunter series, and when I decided to give your IL-2 series a try, I was hooked. I've been waiting for the next installment in Yuri's campaign since.

[@richardarcher7177]

3 Fascists for 2 of your own men is a very good exchange - especially at that stage of the war and flying LaGG's.

[@chucknorriswontdies]

When you d these IL2 videos Especially with the story of Yuri, its by far the best thing on youtube. When the Yuri career is over I hop you do another character that is this in depth.

[@VELIkiq8]

More like send Yuri to korea

[@markcummins4037]

@@VELIkiq8 That’s a great idea, stick him in a Korean Mig

[@philipwhitinger933]

Longitme watcher, first time commenter. I always look forward to this series! Its great to see Yuri back in the saddle. The Katyusha song at the end is a nice addition, hopefully we will get to hear the more bombastic section as the Germans get pushed back!

[@systemshocker7634]

Dirt on the wings and some bullet holes in the fuselage... Any landing you walk away from is a good one!

[@Deamon93IT]

Boy that final shot was so well setup to be denied by lack of ammo. Still this sortie has shown more the limitations of the LaGG, as a properly flown 109F can do as it pleases pretty much (unless it is damaged or otherwise limited). Then again, you're handling this bird nicely and it is enjoyable to watch! Sure I would also love to see you fly an La5 or another of the fancier birds but still

[@taraeggers9122]

I admit...Im hooked on this!! Watched all of your stuff....Brilliant!! Especially love the naration as you fly.. Gives one a better perspective..THANKS!!

[@greysonholtzclaw5276]

This'll be a bit late because I wanted to finish watching the Battle of Moscow series, but after checking Yuri is now at 52 Individual air combat kills + 1 parked planes, marking him as the #5 Soviet Ace in the entirety of WW2. You have to beat Kirill Yevstigneev, Nikolai Gulaev, Grigory Rechkalov, and then finally Ivan Kozhedub, who are at 53, 55, 61, and 63 respectively, to be #1 Soviet ace of WW2

[@emanuelrodriguezrivera9065]

Thank you for your videos! They are all incredibly intertaining and well done.

[@SilencedMi5]

I like that you held on that MiG-3 that was landing - even the AI can't keep her from bouncing on touchdown!

[@notfeedynotlazy]

That 109 pilot at the end will be telling of that lone cannon shell over beers for quite a time...

[@nikbear]

Always a joy to see our eponymous hero Yuri take to the skies and bag some bad guys, but your right, that flak burst was way too close! 😯😲 🐺👍

[@vf-114jock2]

OMG On a whim playing TTE I built 4 fleets of DD's about 42 and loaded them with troops and supplies and hit Guadalcanal at night - went back a second time and on 12:02 PM on 8 August Guadalcanal fell to my 4,697 troops with 3,395 supplies. I'm invading Renell island and Milita at the same time. I'll then release all my DD's and wait 3 days and launch an armada!

[@th3freakie]

One German pilot went home with quite the story to tell

[@tmo_117]

I once had a friendly go down close to one of the enemy airfields farther back in enemy lines, somehow made it back to base and avoided capture

[@jonqueller4444]

A bug, maybe?

[@tmo_117]

@@jonqueller4444 no I just think the guy was a legend

[@jonqueller4444]

@@tmo_117 Lol

[@stevenshaw1353]

Hey Wolf, letting you know man I love your stuff! I’m a big fan of your IL-2 and SH3 stuff! Keep It up my dude legit!

[@TheJudge2017]

I literally can not wait between uploads! I love your IL-2 content so much

[@cosmiccowboy776]

You brought down three at a cost of two. At this point in the campaign, that is about what one should expect. The thing is that the Soviets can absorb those losses for awhile and the Germans can't.

[@pepiksunkaflek6513]

Love the IL-2 gameplay! I hope to see some tank videos in the future.

[@hughbie7]

I'm sure Yuri's mechanic has lots of Vodka before Yuri comes in to land🤣

[@knightsolitaire3610]

I missed seeing you and Yuri in the Skies!

[@skeeterd5150]

Love the gratuitous stars shot near the beginning.

[@datonegamer218]

I really like that you have added Katysha at the end. It feels that you have accomplished a great task while the dark Nazi army is still at large.

[@cmsxcb]

"That 109's just made a pass at me!" - He could at least have bought you dinner first 😉

[@TLDelapore]

I want p39 flights so bad. My favorite mid war aircraft.

[@crazywarriorscatfan9061]

This is a fun series!

[@paprika8795]

i have to buy this. didn't see a more realistic ww2 flight game. definetly like movie.

[@mikhailiagacesa3406]

Thanks for reminding me I can go defensive and attack damaged planes. I get target focus.

[@SammySathya]

Its always a good day watching the epic adventures of our intrepid hero Comrade Yuri. Wolfpack how many kills does Comrade Yuri have now? I've lost count. He must be at the top of the Soviet Aces list by now. Update us on the next mission.

[@Wolfpack345]

Glad you like it! I'll give an update on the kill situation next episode!

[@arthurcrego8297]

Excellent job, loved it.

[@SikihoGamingCZSK]

Would love to see you switch to la5, u will definitely get it for your perfomance!!

[@raptor22o90]

The revolution never ends

[@roebuck4120]

Always nice to see Yuri again

[@koragg3399]

nice flying as allways im learming Il2 now and its hard. but wery fun

[@LichuStar64]

Nice shooting, Iván.

[@Zulgurub]

Damn, need to find a way to get more ammo in your ride.

[@DL541]

would love to see the FW-190

[@bluenproductions5739]

this game needs a pacific war dlc with aircraft carriers and such

[@Mu5hman]

Im a fan of how quickly I found your video 😉

[@IrishCarney]

Yuri is a two-time Hero of the Soviet Union and he's only #3? What's it take to become Flight Lead in the Red Air Force??

[@notfeedynotlazy]

Party membership, duh!

[@jrotela]

I really hope you upgrade to the Yak-3. I need to syou flight that legend

[@rodneymiller5086]

Yuri has the record to back up that sass

[@nigelheffernan3857]

Amazing the few german aircraft that flew past totally ignored you and never engaged they must be blind or maybe its how the game is set up

[@cameron5802]

Love these Wolfpack, what's the method that you use to get those cinematic shots on enemy planes and yourself?

[@brandonleconte4922]

yo wats ur setup? joystick rudder pedals. And if you could make a control guide that would be dope. But good videos ace!

[@esbenk.d.jensen9345]

Another good episode

[@tedarcher9120]

I hope they give you a Kobra next!

[@michaelstone4582]

It'd be interesting to play this game in full 4K resolution

[@Wolfpack345]

Certainly an upgrade I want.

[@ronaldfinkelstein6335]

Ever do missions in the West. Not Battle of Britain...perhaps fighter sweeps...JG26 vs. RAF, for example. They clashed a lot in the 1941-1942 period, with the RAF making fighter sweeps, and bomber escort to attack Luftwaffe airfields in France. Plenty of opportunity for dogfights against an equal foe.

[@227bomber4]

Hey, wolf any tips and tricks on how I can become a better fighter pilot as when I fly, and encounter enemy fighters I tend to miss most of my shots? Thanks

[@martinspeck7482]

i can never watch one of your flying vids without having to clean my monitor! i think hawkeye345 would of been a better name :-)

[@leejames929]

That was one lucky Jerry

[@firestorm165]

I forgot how much I missed this

[@Perkelenaattori]

Nothing like starting a video with "Sacred War" playing on the background to get you in the mood for fighting some fascist invaders.

[@Abcdefghhhh]

If Yuri dies this series. I will genuinely cry... I have grown attached to Yuri and I would hate to lose him.

[@metaphyzikal1]

holy Bolshevik, that was a nice lurch on landing..great mission, pity you don't carry more ammo.... perhaps though, there were a few occasions when conservation could be observed, and only firing when you're impossible to miss! Easier said than done though I know (I'm a terrible shot, much much worse than you).

[@nealboswell8786]

The Lagg seems to be well named.

[@heyho2752]

hello wolf did you use any mod or reshade while you were filming this? the ground texture,tone of the color it looks way better than default game to me if you did use the mod can you share what mod you were using?

[@namelessundead1046]

What difficulty and frontline density are you using during this series? It looks well balanced.

[@roberts1938]

Comrade, when ammunition is low, a real communist rams a cursed fascist.

[@jcee2259]

Gets better,,,,,,,,,,,,

[@VELIkiq8]

Can you show the aces in the next video?

[@beefch3315]

*imma watch this now

[@beefch3315]

“Stalingrad is still in dust and smoke. Our best pilots will be up today again, we are on the defensive. More aircraft from the Nazis were spotted. This is going to be a short entry from Stalingrad. This also may be our last. They are pushing up the front. This is a key battle we must win. Glory To The Premier!” - Stalingrad Radio Network by BEEF ch3, Сталинградская битва будет обостряться!!!

[@beefch3315]

Sorry about trash RP, i have little background knowledge. I do do RP games but i cause a lot of trouble.

[@beefch3315]

Man il2 looks beautiful

[@beefch3315]

“Our 9x ace and double hero, Yuri, has came back with two 109s succumbing to his flying lead.”

[@tinchorb1340]

@@beefch3315 i think its good Having someone to add lore as a radio station is interesting

[@nealboswell8786]

Did the Lagg 3 only have the nose cannon???

[@stanikicin]

Hi friand, do you use track ir or VR? Thank you

[@joshbenedetti1292]

What's the Music used at the end of the video? just wondering.

[@deltasixgaming]

Are you Using Keyboard and Mouse, Controller or do you have a Flight Sim Setup I've been using Keyboard and Mouse and it's a Pain

[@andersonluiz8240]

Boa tarde ,esse jogo não tem identificado o inimigo?

[@dmdj8588]

Stalingrad airlift mission series when?

[@StevenMRA]

That single cannon is .... not good. Does the bird not have a "cannon round count" in the cockpit.

[@sabertoothgaming8988]

Im guessing you use a joystick to fly. Are you using vr or mouse to look around. Cause i have a stupid white circle which i think is because i use mouse

[@krzysztofbroda5376]

Will you transition to yak 1 during the campaign?

[@Pshor]

Man, how do you manage not to end up in circles and circles just behind the AI? I cannot figure this out... thanks

[@stevenahlberg1542]

Keep it up Yuri

[@riffmeister101]

A comment to appease our algorithmic overlords

[@JoeUseres]

are u using mouse and keyboard?!? how u can look so fast in all direction?!

[@ejcruz3520]

Both brothers lost within the same sortie. Rip

[@Cyberfender1]

"DOVAI!"

[@edicius9836]

Comment for the algorythm gods ^^

[@_-ronin-_5521]

Whats the intro song?

[@knightmare8083]

GG

[@HerrLindstrom]

I feel like you almost handicapped yourself by bringing a full tank. Nothing adds more weight quite like liquids. You probably could have gone with 3/4 or 2/3 of a full tank on this one.

[@alexspicer5089]

Trying to sus out if it's a propaganda angle the Soviets are trying to exploit, or something with Yuri's past or his families past that is seeing him in the LaGG-3. From a propaganda angle, showing that the Soviet soldier can destroy the fascist no matter what equipment he's given is worth an element of risk. Especially since at this stage they're throwing unarmed soldiers into the breech over in Stalingrad. Alternatively maybe Yuri or his family haven't always been loyal communists, or maybe Yuri's superiors are worried about being overshadowed by his success. It's better for them if he dies a hero in a subpar machine.

[@glenntungay5140]

How much respectively was 1000 rubles worth during the war?

[@marcastals7886]

The average soviet worker earned like 400 rubles per month, is a nice sum.

[@p3th3t1c]

more tank multiplayer please!

[@masonmoore3473]

What game is this?

[@buk1237]

Maybe I should get this game *Checks Steam* That price is a little high for a 2014 game... how much is the DLC? *Sweats*

[@reggiekoestoer1511]

Ohhh wait till you see DCS...

[@glenchapman3899]

It is on very discounted sale right now

[@tinchorb1340]

Epic

[@СергейГатовский-б5щ]

👍👍👍

[@jannevirtanen3242]

Hi. I saw you in Finnish virtual pilots server Sunday. I invite you to fly with 334th if you have interest to fly with Squadron for fun or other reasons. Salut ! 334th CO