All,
It's noon on 15 February 1942, at an Allied airbase at Koepang, Dutch Timor, on the eastern edge of the Dutch East Indies (DEI). The VF-63 Killer Pelicans, led by Lieutenant Shawn Collins and sporting brand new F4F Wildcats, were on the way to Philippines when the decision was made two days ago to cancel that trip and instead divert them to the DEI, so the USS Langley made a quick detour to Timor, dropped them off, and headed to Australia. The Naval aviators had just enough time to get settled in and check their aircraft out before incoming bogeys of the Japanese 1st Air Fleet, operating out of Kendari, Celebes (captured 24 Jan 1942), were spotted. The Killer Pelicans immediately scrambled four Wildcats to meet the enemy.
Yesterday the Pelicans shot down one Oscar and four Helens, at the cost of one of their own precious Wildcats (and the pilot, Ens Bruce, is missing), and the radar station at Koepang was not hit (still 13/32), and one of their pilots (Lt Case) won the Medal of Honor, scoring five kills to become the Pelicans' first ace.
Two days ago the Pelicans shot down three Oscars and two Helens, at the cost of three of their own precious Wildcats, and the radar station at Koepang suffered moderate damage (13/32), though one of their pilots (Fitzsimmons) won the Navy Cross, scoring three kills before getting shot down.
My new setup. Yes, it's homegrown and ugly, and I'll get it fixed, but bear with me, this and the following five fights are all on some posterboard that I gridded myself and my daughter colored. Hey, it works...
I'm using some amazing, but teeny-tiny aircraft from "Thomaston," whom I met over on The Wargames Website when he posted some pics of what he calls "Tiny Air Combat" (https://www.thewargameswebsite.com/forums/topic/tiny-air-combat/page/3/), and I'm using some simple rules posted by "Tango" over on The Miniatures Page (http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=489811).
Part of the cool thing with the rules is the campaign set up: the campaign starts with the Japanese having six sets of two fighters and six sets of three bombers, while the Americans have six sets of three fighters. Each game you roll 2D6 per set to determine which 'flights' will be present in the fight, and if that 'flight' previously fought and suffered casualties, that is reflected in the current fight. For example, the Americans have four fighters on the table; this is because they have one three-plane 'flight' that has not fought before, but they have one one-plane 'flight' because that flight fought in the last game and lost two of its three aircraft.
Turns 1 to 3, Tally Ho!!!
The lone Japanese fighter moves up, looking to get past Lt Allen and see what the tactical situation holds...
And Lt Allen is happy to oblige him, pushing past and heading straight for the enemy bombers.
While his wingman, Ens Bordagaray loiters (top right) to see what the Japanese Oscar (top center) is going to do. Lt French loiters in the south (bottom center); after three fights he's bit more seasoned and knows how easy it is to overshoot the Japanese bombers. And Ens Camili is hot to get after the Oscar (top center), so he forgets all about the bombers and cuts hard right to get at him (right).
The Japanese bombers move up, but Lt Allen's slashing attack has broken up their formation.
Alone and outnumbered, the Oscar cuts right (center), keeping his options open, playing defense, setting up Ens Camili (bottom center) for a bad shot and hoping Ens Bordagaray (top right) can't reach him. It's about this time that Lt Allen, seeing his first action (far left), realizes...
He screwed up, and zooms straight by the bombers without getting a shot...
Quite surprisingly, Ens Bordagaray is able to get within range of the Oscar, but the Japanese pilot's craftiness pays off, the rounds zip by harmlessly due to the terrible deflection.
And that freaks out Ens Camili so bad he actually turns hard right and almost collides with Ens Bordagaray!
*Let's go boys, get your @#$% together...
While the rodeo clowns are having fun with the lone enemy fighter (top right), Lt French is timing it up: he cuts right and throttles back (bottom left), waiting for the Japanese bombers to cross his bow.
And here they come.
The Japanese fighter pilot is purely defensive (hard to blame him): still surviving, he looks to keep it that way, wheeling his nimble fighter around 180 degrees, staying close to Ensigns Camili and Bordagaray.
And they can't get at him: Ens Camili turns with him (top right)…
And Ens Bordagaray turns into him, overshooting (bottom right).
While Lt Allen (far left) is making a left, turning too slowly, trying to get back into the fight, and while Lt French is seasoned and has been timing up the Japanese bomber formation, he made a mistake and got too close, allowing two different Helens to engage him (center right) with defensive fire...
They didn't hit him, but it was good enough to hold him up while they cruised on by.
The Japanese fighter pilot sees some space to maybe make something happen, so he whips his Oscar back around 180 degrees again (left), with Ens Camili (right) unable to engage and everyone else (including Ens Bordagaray, who really screwed up his attack on the Oscar, but finds himself right in the middle of the Japanese bombers, bottom center) focused on the bombers.
But once again he screws it up! Bordagaray ends up looping left, which does not allow him to get a shot on any of the Japanese bombers, but does allow two of the three to fire on him with their defensive machine guns (though, luckily, he isn't hit). He's quite surprised to look out the cockpit to the left and find himself escorting Helen 01 (bottom right)…
Though Ens Camili manages to impress when he performs his own Split-S to pull the Wildcat around 180 degrees and pull up right behind the Oscar!
Lt Allen charges in (center) to help Ens Camili with the Oscar (top right), while Lt French (bottom center)…
Bungs it again (center bottom), unsure of whether to go after the bombers or help out with the fighter...
The Japanese bombers continue to push east, though Helen 02 is forced south due to Ens Bordagaray's presence in the middle of their formation.
*It's really going to suck if four Wildcats charge into 1 Oscar and three bombers and the bombers still get through because of my incompetence...
The Japanese fighter pilot is crafty, indeed: outnumbered 4 to 1, his maneuvering has been immaculate, playing defense until space opened up, and now he cuts hard left and charges in (right), onto Ensign Bordagaray's Wildcat (far right), the only one currently in position to engage the bombers! The 20mm cannons and 7.7mm machine guns hammer away and Bordagaray's Wildcat goes down in flames!!!
Lt Allen screams into the radio "Nooooooooooooo!!!!" and he cuts hard right to engage (center), but before he can get there Lt French cuts in and guns down the Japanese fighter!
As Ens Camili joins his comrades...
In watching the Japanese bombers become dots on the eastern horizon...
Lt French gunned the throttle and moved in to engage the pair of Japanese bombers (right), but they're tail gunners opened fire and shot him down!!!
The bombers keep running as the two remaining Wildcats try to catch them.
They get closer...
And they get farther...
Until Lt Allen makes his move, closing in on Helen 02, opening fire, and sending her careening into the ocean!
But they just can't catch the other two...
And two Japanese bombers reach the Koepang radar station, doing light damage to the site (another 10 points of damage, brining the total to 23/32).
Well, that could have gone better. I couldn't believe how good things were going for the Japanese fighter pilot, some incredible maneuvering to keep him alive, then pouncing on Ensign Bordagaray! But just as quickly Lt French was able to send him down in flames, which really shocked me, very lucky, but to only get one of the three enemy bombers, and to have them shoot down Lt French, really hurts my feelings... Oh, and the fact that Ensign Bordagaray was killed in action, unable to get out of his burning aircraft, and while Lt French was able to bail out and get back to base, he was burned pretty badly.
Next fight coming right up.
V/R,
Jack
Another nice one, thanks very much for posting. The Oscar pilot did very well!
ReplyDeleteJohn,
DeleteThank man, and my pleasure. That Oscar pilot sure was aggravating the piss out of me!
V/R,
Jack