Coral Sea, Day 1, Fight 2

All,

1747
7 May 1942

Greetings, and welcome to my return to the Pacific!  Both the US Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy are on the prowl in the southwestern Pacific; the Japanese have their eyes on Australia, or at least cutting off the lines of communication between the US and Australia, and the Americans are looking to not allow that to happen.  On 3-4 May 1942, while fighting raged on New Guinea, the Japanese attempted secure their flank, sending an invasion fleet into the Solomon Islands to put troops ashore on Tulagi (across the channel from Guadalcanal), in order to conduct an amphibious assault on Port Moresby on 10 May.

But the Americans noted the Japanese invasion force in the Solomons, and the USS Yorktown launched strike aircraft that sunk or damaged several Japanese warships, though now the Japanese were aware the US carriers were in the vicinity, made doubly worse by the fact the Americans were shorthanded: they had only the Yorktown and the Lexington in the area because the Hornet and Enterprise had just returned to Pearl Harbor following the Doolittle Raid.  These were faced by the Japanese fleet carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku, and the light carrier Shoho.  The two opposing forces marshalled their troops, refueled, consolidated, and began searching in earnest for each other.

This morning, Lt(jg) Casey led the fighter escort for the Lexington strike force which, combined with the Yorktown's strike force, managed to sink the Japanese light carrier Shoho.  But the Killer Pelicans' escorts had a rough go: they downed three Zeros and damaged another, but they lost one Wildcat, had the other three damaged, and five of their six assigned dive bombers were shot down, the sixth returning to the Lexington, damaged.  Lt Casey scored two more kills to become a Veteran (total of four kills), but he was shot down and badly wounded, which will cause him to miss the Battle of Midway.

Admiral Inoue very aggressively continued to scout for the US carriers, and at 1515, when the strike force that hit the Sims and Neosho returned, he even quickly rearmed them and sent them south, certain his scouts would locate the US carriers, and then he could vector the strike force to them.  But it was not to be; the Japanese scouts were unable to locate the US carriers, but the strike force, flying bling in bad weather, stumbled close enough to them that the Lexington and Yorktown were able to vector their CAP over to intercept.  At 1747, Lt(jg) Fitzsimmons led aloft the Lexington's Wildcats to intercept the Japanese, which still (and never would) had not spotted the US carriers!

This is my arena for aerial combat; simple, yet durable and, to me, beautiful (in a simple, durable way).  I'm using tiny aircraft designed by my buddy Thomaston; not sure what size they are, just that they are much smaller than 1/600.  They're 3D printed models that I mounted on cut-down bases from Litko, and I'm using a very simple rules system called "Battle of Britain," which I found for free over on The Miniatures Page (I've already played a good 20 or so fights with them).  South is left, where the Japanese strike group is present, while at right, approaching from the north, is the Lexington's CAP, the Lexington herself present there.  After a minute I would think about it and move the Lexington up top (west), the idea being that the Japanese were trying to escape to the north and return to their carriers, and they wouldn't run into the US carriers.

The US CAP, from top:
Ensign Theisman, rookie on his first hop
Ensign Radecek, a regular with one kill on one sortie
Ensign Green, a regular with one kill in two sorties
Ensign Galan, a regular with one sortie under his belt
Ensign Head, a regular with one sortie under his belt
Ensign Manley, a rookie on his first hop

Of course, missing from this fight is the flight leader, Lt Fitzsimmons, and several other pilots.  Some experienced engine problems, one had to turn back with a radio on the blink, and the Lieutenant got caught out chasing phantom bogeys.*

*CAP missions only get six fighters, and I've got twelve assigned, so this is the cheesy back story to explain why some pilots are not in the fight.  And if you're wondering why these pilots are in and other, better, pilots are not, it's because I rolled dice to see which US pilots would be in the fight, and this is how it turned out.  Not optimal, by any means, but it does mean the missing pilots will definitely be in the CAP fight(s) on Day 2.

The Japanese Strike Force, looking to locate and attack the US carriers, or at least get home safely.  I made a big mistake by listening to Thomaston, which will soon become apparent, and rolled up pilot experience for the Japanese.  To refresh your memory, pilot experience goes: Rookie, Regular, Veteran, Ace, and Natural Born Killer.  Based on the fact that some of these Japanese pilots have been flying, and fighting, for years, I rolled it so that a pilot had about an 8% chance of being a Rookie, and it went up from there, all the way to Natural Born Killer.  So, here we go, from the top:
Zero 02: Regular
Zero 01: Natural Born Killer

Val 02          Kate 02
Val 01          Kate 01
Val 03          Kate 03

Zero 03: Ace
Zero 04: Regular

Perfect, right?  The Japanese Zeros are already getting a +1 for being superior (in terms of maneuverability and climb) to the F4F Wildcats, and now the pilots are markedly better in terms of quality.

Anyway, time to fight!

There, the Lexington teleported to the west. Though it should really be to the east (bottom).  Whatever...

The situation after Turns 1 and 2.

All Japanese fighters have moved except Zero 03 (bottom center left)...

He dashes straight in, splitting his prey (right, from far left).

Where did my pipe cleaner go???  There it is.

Ens Manley charges past Zero 03 (far right), and goes head to head with Zero 04!  Both pilots mash their triggers, sending tracers to reach out for their opponent's aircraft...

Zero 04 is damaged, and immediately Ens Manley's wingman, Ens Head, swoops in, laying on the guns...

And the combined fire disintegrates the wooden Zero, coming apart in mid-air, floating to the sea like confetti!

Now that is interesting; first, that's a helluva start for the Americans.  Second, Manley roughed him up, and Head finished him off.  For the first time ever, I'm going to give each pilot 1/2 a kill.

Ens Galan pushes straight in...

As does Ens Green.

While Ens Theisman tries to catch up.

And Ens Radecek cuts left.

The Japanese bombers push north (right), not seeing the Lexington and just hoping to break through the US fighters in order to get home.

Zero 02 moves straight in.

As Zero 01 cuts right and opens fire on Ens Galan.  The 20mm rounds begin to tell...

And the Wildcat goes down!  Ensign Galan bailed out and would shortly be picked up by a whaleboat from one of Lexington's escorts, but he was badly wounded and will be out of action for a few months.

*Normally that run would hit on a 5+, but since Zero 01 is a Natural Born Killer, he's hitting on 3+...

His wingman shot down, Zero 03 flips an Immelman to pursue his comrade's assailants.

Ensign Green runs straight in on Val 01, dodging defensive fire as he blazes away with his .50-cals...

Both miss and he zooms past, making a head-on run on Kate 01, again having to deal with defensive fire, but this time from Kate 01 and Val 01's tail gunner.

Ens Green smiles as Kate 01 noses over and crashes into the turbulent sea!

Ens Manley pulls right, defensive, trying to force a bad angle on Zero 03 (right, with Ens Head next to him).

As Ens Head pulls a Split S, reversing course, an excellent play to force the situation.

Up top, Ens Theisman is finally in the fight, and cuts left, sticking with his wingman, Ens Radecek.

And Radecek, his tail secure, immediately rolls right and takes a deflection shot on Zero 02...

But he misses and cuts left, defensive, or at least trying to be defensive, but it's not going to be hard at all for Zero 02 to cut right, onto his tail.  Having said that, if he survives, he should be in a good position to tail Zero 01 (bottom left), and if he doesn't, Ens Theisman should be in good position to get revenge on Zero 02...

The Japanese strike group continues pushing north, still a ways to go.

Deciding his wingman, the super Ace, Zero 01 (bottom left), can take care of himself, so he jinks left and takes a deflection shot on Ens Theisman...

Ens Theisman's Wildcat is stitched by enemy fire, but still in the air, as Zero 02 flashes past.

And then Zero 01 cuts hard left, opening fire...

And finishing off the rookie pilot, before swooping back left, in behind Ens Radecek!

Like Ens Galan, Ens Theisman bailed out and would be picked up, though he was injured and would miss a couple weeks of action.

Down at the bottom, Zero 03, an Ace, runs straight in on Ens Head and cuts loose...

Ensign Head's Wildcat is damaged, as Zero 03 cuts right, defensive.

That was masterful, getting in a decent shot, then snuggling up to both Wildcats so that neither can get a shot off.  Not only that, but the chances of them being able to turn inside of him, defensive, is pretty slim, so one of them is probably going to open up the range and leave himself exposed.

Actually, it doesn't matter: Ens Head's aircraft is damaged badly enough that he needs to head for the barn, and that's exactly what he does, leaving Ens Manley (far left) alone to deal with the Japanese Ace (Zero 03).

Ens Manley says 'hell with it,' and ignores Zero 03 (bottom right) to go after the Japanese strike group.  The rookie pilot cuts right and goes to guns on Val 02, hoping to cut a swath through the Japanese formation, and that a friendly pilot moves over to cover his tail.

The .50-cals hammer the Val into submission, sending it careening into the ocean for his first full kill!  Ens Manley continues his run, firing on Kate 03, but he misses.

Ens Radecek finds himself in a pickle, so he cuts hard left, defensive against Zero 01 (left), but in good shape on Zero 02 (right).

As Ens Green pulls a lazy right turn, looking to continue savaging the Japanese strike group.

As the Japanese strike group continues its march to the north.

And, just as expected, Ens Manley is in trouble: the Japanese Ace, Zero 03, zooms straight in on his tail and opens fire...

But the sturdy Wildcat absorbs the enemy rounds and keeps chugging along.  The Japanese Ace curses and pulls right.

Zero 02 pulls hard right, defensive, putting a bad angle on Ens Radecek, and making it easier for Zero 01 (top left) to support him.

But Zero 01 has got his own plans, and zooms off to the left, scanning the sky for the Yankee Imperialists attacking the strike group (just visible at bottom left).

Ens Head runs for home.

Ensign Manley checks his gauges,* and he's okay!  He quickly flips an Immelman to stay with the Japanese strike group, although doing so submits his wounded bird to defensive fire from Kate 02, though, luckily, he's able to dodge it.

*Passed his damaged/return to base roll.

As Ens Green cuts right and lines up a great shot on Kate 02.  The .50-cals hammer away at the Japanese torpedo bomber, and while the enemy tail gunner misses, he's close enough to throw off Green's aim!  And now Ens Green is in a bad way, with Zero 03 (center) staring straight at him...

Up top, Ens Radecek turns and pursues Zero 01, though he's not able to line up a shot.  He's confident Zero 02 (bottom right) can't catch him...

But the Japanese master simply shrugs him off, cutting left and going after Ens Green.  Zero 01 walks his tracers onto the stubby Wildcat and scores several hits, even sees pieces of the aircraft fall away, but it remains in the air!

Ens Radecek shouldn't have been so confident: Zero 02 pulls off a graceful, yet deadly maneuver to reverse course and wind up on Ens Radecek's tail: the Zero's guns roar...

And Ensign Radecek bails out as his aircraft comes apart around him!  Once more a US Navy pilot bails out, is picked up, but is wounded and will miss some time (70 days)...

And, as predicted, Zero 03 runs straight in on Ens Green's damaged Wildcat, opening fire...

Then cutting right as Ensign Green bails out and his Wildcat slams into the water, cartwheeling.  Ens Green would be picked up shortly by the overworked Lexington escort crews, but he's fine, ready for action.  If he had an aircraft...

Alone, damaged, and badly outnumbered, Ensign Manley decides discretion is the better part of valor and breaks off the engagement.

Linking up with Ensign Head before pushing towards home.

As the Japanese re-form and head for their homes, the Zuikaku and Shokaku.

Hmmm...  If you thought the morning's fight was a debacle, I don't even know what to call this!  Six Wildcats jumped four Zeros and six torpedo- and dive bombers.  The US Navy pilots managed to down exactly one Zero, one Val, and one Kate, while losing four (4!!!) Wildcats and having the remaining two damaged!  Just as bad, three of the US pilots are going to miss some time.  Needless to say, the remaining Japanese pilots made it home safely (even though, after dark, some got confused and tried to land on the Lexington!) and are rearing to go for the engagements sure to happen tomorrow.

The only relative bright spot was that Ensign Manley was able to rack up a whopping 1 and 1/2 kills, though it wasn't enough to push him up to Veteran status, just Regular.  The bad news is that Ensign Theisman was shot down on his first sortie, so he doesn't even become a Regular, he'll still be a Rookie when he finally gets back in action...

Ensign Theisman, shot down, WIA, out of action until June 1942, remains a Rookie
Ensign Radecek, shot down, WIA, out of action until August 1942
Ensign Green, one kill, shot down, okay
Ensign Galan, shot down, WIA, out of action until August 1942
Ensign Head, 1/2 kill, damaged but returned to ship
Ensign Manley, 1 and 1/2 kills, damaged but returned to ship, becomes a Regular

Both sides carried out preparation for battle throughout the night, then launched scouts shortly after 0600 the next morning, to find the other side's carriers.  The Americans got lucky first, sighting the Japanese carriers at 0820, though the Japanese were only two minutes behind.  Both sides hurried to turn into the wind and launch their strike groups!  The Japanese launched 18 fighters, 33 dive bombers, and 18 torpedo bombers, while the Yorktown and Lexington launched a combined 15 Wildcats, 39 Dauntlesses, and 21 Devastators, though the Lexington's contingent was about 10 minutes behind the Yorktown's.

At 1055 the Lexington's air search radar acquired the inbound Japanese strike group at a range of 68 nautical miles and vectored nine Wildcats to intercept, while the Lexington strike group arrived over the Shokaku and Zuikaku at 1130, facing a Japanese CAP of 13 Zeros, and went into the attack.

Coming right up!

V/R,
Jack