The Pacific War, Frame 1, Pearl Harbor

After-Action Report
6/7/2014
by Brooke, GL, VT-B5N

This was a scenario that ran in the multiplayer on-line air-combat simulation Aces High.

Mission 1

VT-IJN consisted of me (Brooke), 1ijac, HB555, Hajo, KillrDan, Popsman, tudza, Warspite, Unk, and 1stpar3.  I broke us up into four flights.  Two in front, and two trailing by 5000 yards.  One in front and one in back would go after the fuel tanks, and one in front and one in back would go after the ammo factory.  That way, the following group could see which buildings and tanks were already hit.  (More on the ammo factory below.)


My view approaching Pearl Harbor.


Some of my bombs exploding in the factory (bottom of the picture).  Others in VT-IJN have hit the factory and the fuel tanks (visible burning at top of picture).  Some of our D3A dive bombers have hit ships, with at least one ship burning in the harbor.

We were clear to target, but right after target, we got jumped by P-40's.  I didn't see them come in, as I was assessing bomb damage.  I heard "Check six, Brooke!" on the radio and looked back to see one right on my tail.


My last moments before getting shot down by a P-40C.  Popsman is going down without a wing.

Most of us were shot down at this point, but a few managed to survive and get back to our carriers.  We got an estimated 11 fuel tanks and 27 buildings at the factory.  I had counted tanks and buildings earlier in preparation for the mission.  There were 25 fuel tanks and 77 buildings at the ammo factory, so to destroy 50% of each would require 13 tanks and 39 buildings.

Mission 2


1ijac, Popsman, and I are taking off from the mighty Zuikaku.  It is on fire from a bombing attack that happened right before we took off.


A view from below me on our way back to Pearl Harbor.  We have lots of fighter escort on this run.  In bombers:  Hajo, KillrDan, and me.  In fighters:  dagger1, Tshark, Ra1vo, kiaku, Hand, BizMan, ammo (our illustrious CO of the IJN), Ditto (hello, Ditto!), Tehunter, Jakke, Tikto, and shifty.  Many Finns up there -- hello, Finns! <S>


Bombs away on the fuel tanks.  1ijac and I are hitting those.  Other B5N pilots are hitting the factory, and a couple are going after ships.  There are A6M2's down below engaging enemy fighters.


A view behind 1ijac as we pass over target:  1stpar3, me, KillrDan, Hajo, and Hand up above in a Zero.

We were still clear after drop.  I had everyone run north after drop.  I turned around to do a bomb-damage assessment, then egressed.


The factory looks to be significantly damaged, but by eye it is not clear if 50% of it is destroyed yet.  My count put it at 50%, but the count was too close to have 100% confidence.


We have definitely destroyed more than 50% of the fuel tanks.  There are still lots of ships to attack.

We were unmolested exiting the area, and the several B5N pilots who survived the first mission (and thus who were later in taking off) were now flying into the target area.  I requested that the Zeros that were still escorting us break off to cover the incoming second wave of B5N's.  I had some incoming B5N's go for the factory and some go for ships.

We were clear exiting the area, but about 30 miles from Oahu, a group of our returning B5N's were happened upon by enemy fighters that were either going to or coming from an attack on our carriers.  Several B5N's got shot down.  I saw one P-40 appear 3000 yards ahead of me, and I broke off back to the south, hoping that he hadn't seen me.  I survived, but it was probably because he was focused on B5N's below him.  As I drew closer to our carriers, several of them were under attack, and I had to fly around the periphery of the carrier groups for a while, waiting for it to clear out so that I could go in to land.


An A-20 (small plane lower right in picture) over our carriers as I scout for an opening to land.  The carriers are sending up AAA in response.

The area over Zuikaku cleared after a while, and I dove in hurriedly to land.  ROC had warned me that another attack was incoming and to hurry in if I could.


I am catching the wire on the Zuikaku.  1stpar3 is in the distance.


I am climbing out from the task group with HB555, Unk, tudza, and 1stpar3 on our way to Pearl.  Off to our right, we see bogies (the faint dots) that we think is an attack headed to the carriers.  We call in a warning.

It was getting late, but we had just enough time for a third mission.  HB555, Unk, tudza, 1stpar3, KillrDan and I were in a first wave, and a second wave was about 10 miles behind us.  I had KillrDan go for the factory (as my count still wasn't so large that I had 100% confidence in it all being down -- it was proving a lot harder target than I thought it would be) and the rest of us go for ships, with me, 1ijac, and 1stpar3 holding one bomb in reserve to hit the factory again.  With the attacks on the carriers, we didn't get escorts, but a few Zero pilots were on their way to join up with us over Oahu.  We were clear of enemy fighters until we were about 10 miles from Pearl Harbor, but then . . .


A view behind me as a P-40 attacks 1stpar3.  1stpar3 fires back with his rear gun but is soon on fire and going down.  HB555 is behind me.


The P-40 continues over me and then ahead to shoot down Tudza.


He turns back and goes for HB555.  HB goes evasive, but enough shots land to take off his wing.  HighTone in his Zero is racing in to help.

Next, the P-40 attacks me, and I go evasive.  HighTone charges in and ties him up.  Unfortunately, more P-40's then show up.


I am doing my best to evade multiple attacks.  Popsman has joined me as a gunner.  HighTone is still out there doing what he can.   Thank you, HighTone! <S>


I evade and live for many passes on my B5N, but here, I pull too hard evading a run by the closest three P-40's and black out.  I don't regain consciousness in time and hit the ground in sight of Pearl Harbor.

Most of us were shot down, but we pulled the enemy fighters low, and KillrDan up higher got through, as did (I think) one or two other guys in the second wave.  There were a couple more hits on the factory and ships, I believe.

Conclusion

I destroyed 7 buildings at the factory and three fuel tanks.

Overall, VT-IJN for sure destroyed more than 50% of the fuel tanks, and I estimated that we had destroyed 41 buildings at the factory (needing 39) -- but that wasn't enough to make me fully comfortable with possible counting errors.  In fact, we destroyed 36 buildings, three short of 50%.  That damned factory was a lot tougher than what I thought it would be.  We sank five or more ships in the harbor.

However, remember when I wrote "more on the ammo factory below"?  All along, I had us attacking the ammo factory, but the AAA factory was the correct target.  For some reason, weeks ago, the ammo factory is what stuck in my head as the target, and I never questioned that.  Even though I read the writeup many times, my mind never registered that it lists the AAA factory as the target.  All of my planning was for the ammo factory, and I had us attacking the wrong factory the whole frame.  My sincere apologies to the IJN pilots.  One pilot (HB555) *did* attack the AAA factory each time, as he correctly thought that was the target.  So his counts of objects were rightly for the AAA factory, not the ammo factory.

-- Brooke, GL, VT-IJN