The Pacific War, Frame 2, Midway

After-Action Report
6/14/2014
by Brooke, GL, VT-IJN

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

Mission 1

VT-IJN consisted of me (Brooke), Popsman, tudza, 1stpar3, HB555, KillrDan, and 1ijac.  Our main mission today was to sink enemy carriers.


I'm following the rest of the group after taking off in our B5N2 torpedo bombers from the Akagi.  From left to right:  1ijac, KillrDan, tudza, HB555, Popsman, and 1stpar3.  t=0:12


We are flying along with the D3A dive bombers.  From left to right:  me, ammo (our CO in a Zero), POPS949, tunesV, tunes, Coalcat1, Sg, Raynos32, Tex78, Mogex, and McTunes.


Above us is an escort of HighTone's group of Zeroes (TxCoyote, HighTone, INK, Splatt10, and EmanHill).  We had another 12 Zeroes with us as well, but out of icon range at this point.

We climbed east from the Akagi, awaiting scout reports of location of enemy carriers.  At 18k altitude, we B5N's levelled off.  There was a report of a close enemy CV, and all of us turned SE toward its location.  However, it turned out to be a task group without a CV in it.  I asked on range channel for folks to turn back to a heading of east.  We B5N's, along with HighTone's escort turned east.  The D3A's continued SE, and the other 12 Zeroes went with them.  In about another minute or two, a report came in from one of the Finn pilots of two CV's in 11.11.6, which was confirmed.  I turned our group to the SE to go toward it.  The D3A's radioed that they were going to Midway first, then toward the reported CV's.  15 minutes later, the D3A's were attacked by a large force of enemy fighters and shot down.  Our strike force was now down to 7 torpedo bombers and 6 Zero escorts.

As we drew near the reported enemy CV location, I saw an enemy F4F ahead of us and a bit lower than us, which started to climb ahead of us.  Shortly thereafter, we spotted the enemy CV with fighters down low.  I asked for one fighter to get on the high F4F and for the other fighters to engage the low enemy fighters.


VT-IJN circling the enemy carrier while I request for the escorts to engage the low enemy fighters.


A look out my left window as I call for VT-IJN to chop throttle and dive in.  Unfortunately more and more F4F's are showing up down low, and I'm thinking we will have a lot of trouble on our attack runs.  t=0:51


I am coming in for my attack run on the enemy carrier.  KillrDan is on his run to my left.  Off picture to my right, 1ijac is on his run.


A ship gunner blows me out of the sky with a single hit before I get to my drop point.

All of VT-IJN was shot down.  1ijac got a torpedo hit on the enemy CV.

Mission 2


A view back from my B5N at VT-IJN as it is back up and on its way, this time out of the Kaga.  We have lost 1stpar3 to a disconnect, and Popsman had a disconnect, but got back up and was trailing us.  t=1:30


A good amount of Zero escort ahead of us with Dantoo's group (Dantoo, Vudu15, skewer, Snibbo, front, and Hand) and HighTone's group.


The D3A's below us:  Mogex, POPS949, Coalcat1, tunes2, raynos32, and tunes.

We had a good strike package formed up for mission 2:  7 B5N's, 6-8 D3A's, and 11 Zeroes.  It stayed together on our way to 11.11.3 area for the enemy CV.  Over the enemy CV, there were a few enemy fighters up higher, which the escort engaged, and the D3A's went in on their divebombing runs.


I'm starting my dive, following the divebombers as they go screaming in.  D3A's have hit the CV and set it on fire.  Way to go, divebombers!  Down below are Mogex, Coalcat1, raynos32, and tunes.


I am turning back in toward the enemy carrier, but I have a Brewster on me.  I'm calling on the radio for Dantoo to help me (I saw him ahead of me in icon range).  The divebombers have made their drops, and we B5N's are jockeying to get in there (1ijac, HB555, and tudza are in the picture, too).  t=1:43


I drop my torpedo as a Brewster (off picture to left) shoots off half my left wing.  Also coming at me ahead is a Brewster.  KillrDan and HB555 have either made their runs or are about to.  I'm dead a moment later, but my torpedo hit the enemy CV (although it doesn't look like it would from this picture because the CV in the film isn't in the same place as the CV in the attack).

Although air opposition looked somewhat light, all B5N's were shot down on this attack, and our group got one torpedo hit.

Mission 3

We launched from the Kaga again.  At first, we joined up with 6 D3A's and 13 Zeroes -- a good strike package.  However, within 10 minutes of that, we were down to 2-3 Zeroes in icon range and nothing else around.  We did have a course change or two to avoid some reported enemy fighter groups, and I announced course changes on range mic and typed out our positions and courses.  A couple minutes after that, we ran into a few co-alt F4F's at our 12 o'clock.  Our 2-3 escorts engaged them, and I had us do an emergency 180 to run away.  We escaped thanks to the several guys escorting us. <S>!  Now we had no escort, and I flew us around trying to avoid enemy patrols and to get toward the enemy CV.  I kept up position reports and requests for escort for the next half hour, but escort wasn't able to get to our location.  We got to within about 5 miles of the enemy CV.  It was capped by Brewsters.  I called for us to reverse course and dive to the nearest friendly fleet, which we did, but we got run down and all killed.

Mission 4

We took off to see if we could get to Midway and bomb it before end of hostilities.  Time ran out while were were still about 25 miles from target.


Along the way, we ran across Ditto being chased by a bunch of enemy fighters.  Knowing that we wouldn't make it to Midway in time, I called for us to attack the enemy fighters.  Our rally cry was "Dittoooooooooo!"  t=2:59

 


I've saddled up on an F4F that can't shake me.  End of hostilities has been called.  Lucky for him, as I was going to chew his tail off with my prop. ;)  Popsman is up there coming around for a pretend gunnery pass.  Dantoo was in the area laughing at us.

Conclusion

I got a torpedo hit on c9 and died a lot.

Overall, VT-IJN got two torpedo hits on c9 and died a lot.

-- Brooke, GL, VT-IJN