Don't know if I can really buy into this "drop-tank" not being used theory.
Part of my doubt comes from lack of any historical references to it. Most of the information I have point to the contrary.
Furthermore, given the current logistical system, it is next to impossible to exert any meaningful Luftwaffe presence over Smolensk in July 1941 given the very overly-short combat radii of the Bf 109Fs.
So, in the absence of drop-tanks, the following historical account of the Luftwaffe flying 12,653 sorties over Smolensk in July 1941 is pure fantasy in WiTE2 -
The most concerning aspect for the Axis at this stage as the lack of aircraft. The VVS Western Front had received 900 new aircraft in July. In contrast, Luftflotte 2 had lost 447 in the opening battles for Smolensk, 6 to 19 July. On the Eastern Front the Luftwaffe had lost 1,284 aircraft, half of its original strength. The Kampfgruppen still contributed to the fighting; claiming 126 trains and 15 supply bridges destroyed at Orel, Korobets and Stodolishsche. Another 73 precious motor vehicles, 22 tanks, 15 rail cars had also been destroyed by German air attacks along with another 40 on 25 July. As the pocket was finally destroyed in early August, the Luftwaffe contributed with another round of claims; 100 tanks, 1,500 trucks, 41 artillery pieces and 24 AAA batteries in Smolensk alone. The intensity of the air war over Smolensk it indicated in the number of operations and sorties flown; 12,653 German and 5,200 Soviet.
And furthermore, considering:
Propeller pitch was changed electrically, and was regulated by a constant-speed unit, though a manual override was still provided. Thanks to the improved aerodynamics, more fuel-efficient engines and the introduction of light-alloy versions of the standard Luftwaffe 300-litre drop tank, the Bf 109 F offered a much increased maximum range of 1,700 km (1,060 mi) compared to the Bf 109 E's maximum range figure of only 660 km (410 miles) on internal fuel, and with the E-7's provision for the 300-litre drop tank, a Bf 109E so equipped possessed double the range, to 1,325 km (820 mi).
any claim that drop-tanks were not being employed on the Eastern Front, at a time when advanced air bases were at a premium and impossible to fully supply, is utter hog-wash.
For Matrix to claim that the Luftwaffe is going to pass up the opportunity to nearly double the range of their fighter forces at this critical juncture in order to extend air coverage over their advancing Panzer forces? At a time when they are needed the most?
I personally find that less than credible and highly suspect.
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In a perfect game, July 27th is the absolute earliest you can get a rail connection to Smolensk. Even then, it will take some weeks to repair the rail infrastructure to the point of having a supply network capable of supporting any meaningful localized Luftwaffe airbases in the area.
