1st Sentai takes off from Rangoon. From bottom to top: one of the IJA1 pilots, me (Brooke), See2, Boozer, KKEN, Notch, gas50, DaPup, Culero, and Redtail7. Not shown are Shamus and Rollins.
After-Action Report
8/2/2008
by Brooke, GL, IJN1 (1st Sentai)
This was a scenario that ran in the multiplayer on-line air-combat simulation Aces High.
I was the GL of IJN1 (1st Sentai). IJN1 consisted of me (Brooke), Gas50, KKEN (as FL and 2nd in command), Redtail7, Boozer, Culero, DaPup, Notch, Shamus, Rollins, and walkon pilot See2. We were in A6M5b's, loaded with 100% fuel. Our takeoff field was A2 (Bangkok).
1st Sentai takes off from Rangoon. From bottom to top: one of the IJA1 pilots,
me (Brooke), See2, Boozer, KKEN, Notch, gas50, DaPup, Culero, and Redtail7.
Not shown are Shamus and Rollins.
Here, I'm joining up with SpiveyCH, GL of IJA1. IJN1 and IJA1 are to join up
and head NW to Moulmein. We are to intercept enemies if we can and scout the
Moulmein area.
IJN1 and IJA1 on the way to Moulmein from Culero's point of view. From left
to right behind Culero's plane: SpiveyCH, Reverend, Kwik, mcboi, Drem, perdue3,
Denber, gmoney20, KKEN, Notch, Boozer, Simba6, gas50, see2, DaPup, Rollins,
Redtail7, and Shamus.
IJN1 patrolled in a racetrack pattern just west of the radar circle around Moulmein. IJA1 patrolled in a racetrack pattern over Moulmein. We didn't spot any enemies and after a while were ordered to go patrol the Rangoon area.
A picture from my cockpit with Rangoon city and town visible in the lower left
of the picture. I'm turning away from them as soon as the ack started up to
get back out of the ack. I just wanted to do a brief pass at Rangoon perhaps
like bombers might in an attempt to lure in the enemy (unlikely, but worth a
try). IJA1 is about a sector behind us.
Ack bursting around me as we head south from Rangoon. Here, I take a piece of
shrapnel to my left wing root (the visible tiny flash on my wing root). IJN1
behind me goes through the flak, too, although, I think only Rollins took any
hits. He lost a landing gear to ack. We patrolled just outside the ack radius
of Rangoon for a bit, joining back up with IJA1. Then Leitwolf (the IJAAF CO)
ordered us to come south from Rangoon to clear the way for the bombers. We went
south a little, then I had us turn SW briefly to get exactly south of Rangoon
before continuing straight south.
Heading SW, we started to see a large number of bogies up ahead of us (barely
visible forward of my aircraft, through the front windshield). We hoped that
they were friendlies, but we'd know soon.
They ended up not being friendly. We got one P-40 icon, then another, then another,
then this. I called out a position report on the radio and told the squadron
to engage the P-40's but when I saw how many of them there were and that they
were headed south to the bombers I changed that to have us fly through the P-40's,
breaking them off their course where possible, and to continue pressing forward.
A few IJN1 and some IJA1 engaged some of the P-40's that merged with our flights,
but a lot of us were able to keep pushing south, causing lots of P-40's to break
off. We continued to chase the leaders.
I'm continuing to press forward, chasing the bulk of the P-40's. We have already
merged with some, causing them to break off, but there are plenty left. I'm
above 12k altitude here, maybe at 13k. I've been in continuous icon contact
with enemy aircraft for a while at this point, and I'm working to be at or slightly
above the P-40's so that I can overfly stragglers and continue forward.
I break another P-40 out of his formation (visible lower left, 200 yards out).
Diving and merging onto his tail, I chase enough so that he has to break off.
I then zoom back up to altitude and continue on straight after he breaks away.
DaPup is ahead of me pushing ahead.
Eventually, one high P-40E loops back from the front group and engages me aggressively
and maneuvers hard to stay on me. I have to get into a fight with him a bit,
but I try to stay fast and look for opportunities to continue my flight south.
I got on his tail briefly, but only once he was 400 yards out and accelerating
away, rolling this way and that. I break off and cointinue south.
Continuing south, we come across a bunch of Hurricane Mk I's and some FM2's,
mixing it up with some Zeros. The P-40's are continuing through, and I tell
IJN1 not to engage the Hurricanes and to stay after the P-40's, trailing elements
of which are still in icon range in front of me.
Behind me at this stage, a fair number of IJN1 are still pressing south. From
left to right behind me: Rollins, ZoniX (from another squadron), gas50, see2,
Notch, VanceVP (from another squadron), and KKEN.
As I continue to press forward, I run up on the tail of a Hurricane Mk I. I
close to 200 yards and let him have it with my cannon. Unfortunately for me,
his plane stays together after several cannon rounds hit his plane, and he is
able quickly to pull into a hard break turn.
The Hurricane breaks hard left, and I don't follow. I ask for IJN1 to continue
to press forward to the bombers if possible.
Shortly after my attack on the Hurricane, a very high P-40E that was off to
my left comes diving down to engage me. I have to evade. This is a view back
and up from my cockpit -- the P-40E is visible 600 yards back and closing. Also
visible are the large number of Hurricanes and FM2's about, some with lots of
altitude.
I evade the P-40E's attack.
I saddle up on him after his pass, but he is going very fast. The range is 400
yards and rapidly increasing, and he's rolling this way and that. I can't hit
him under those conditions and don't even fire any cannon.
After my fight with the P-40E, I come around to head south again. Looking left,
I see some of IJN1 getting forced into combat with the Hurricanes and FM2's.
From left to right are: KKEN, gas50, Rollins, and See2. We've gone through so
many formations of enemy aircraft that I fear our bombers are (or very shortly
will be) in enormous trouble. I continue to try to press south to them.
I get engaged by another P-40E that circles back from in front of me to engage
me as I press south. I have to evade him. I don't take any damage from him,
but he keeps me pinned down for a bit, and then several more enemies show up
to jump me.
More P-40's and an FM2 come in. Here, I work to evade a P-40E that, with a large
amount of speed, zoom climbs at me for a shot. He sprays me with lead from 700-800
yards out, and, with good aim, gives me a fuel leak in my left wing tank.
My hope that I (at 13-14k altitude) had an advantage over this group is illusory.
I'm shortly fearing that they started with more altitude than I had and dove
just prior to engaging me. Not a good position for me to be in.
I'm pulling a hard evasive into a high-speed, forward-quarter attack from a
P-40E. He hits me and gives me a pilot wound (as evidenced by the blood on the
canopy). There is an FM2 zooming up at me. There is another P-40 forward of
my plane zooming up at me (visible just left of my fuselage). There is a P-40
about 5.5k away coming in at co-alt. At this point, with the pilot wound, I'm
screwed.
I decide that I'll attempt to pull the 5-6 enemies attacking me low and away
from any action before I die. I dive out, trying to thread the head-on passes.
This is a view forward.
This is a simultaneous view left rear. So, one P-40E just did his head-on pass,
and I have three more to go, while the P-40 1.5k back turns back after his pass
on me. Damage to my left wing is visible.
Me running for my life with all of them chasing and the closest two firing.
When fired at, I maneuvered, then got back to diving east toward land. They
broke off here and there, leaving two in pursuit, then one in pursuit. As the
last enemy closed on me, I maneuvered around to get on his tail (hampered by
my blacking out here and there), then once chasing him, broke off to head back
toward shore. At that point, he continued away from me and headed back toward
his fellows, leaving me free to head back to shore.
I head back toward shore. Unfortunately, despite pleasant weather and pretty
clouds, I die of my pilot wound before I get there. Various bullet holes are
visible on my left wing and tail.
I got one assist (Hurricane) and bled to death before making it back to base.
IJN1 overall got 5 kills, and had 2 pilots return safely to base.
-- Brooke, GL, IJN1