Map of our battle area. Mostly, we worked to protect Sasebo (p86) and Nagasaki (a124 area).
After-Action Report
6/28/2014
by Brooke, GL, 203rd Kokutai
This was a scenario that ran in the multiplayer on-line air-combat simulation Aces High.
Today's mission was to protect Japan against attacks from US B-29's and escorting P-51D's, P-38L's, and P-47N's. Our B5N pilots were therefore transferred into fighters.
Map of our battle
area. Mostly, we worked to protect Sasebo (p86) and Nagasaki (a124 area).
About half of the Japanese airforce. We are added into jeffdn's group.
I (Brooke) am up in a Ki-84, along with HB555, Popsman, 1stpar3, and KillrDan.
We race at full speed, no climbing, to Sasebo, hoping that we can beat B-29's
there. t=0
I asked for us to carry drop tanks in case we didn't beat the US forces to Sasebo and then needed to be airborn for an hour before more action. Close to Sasebo, the base was not flashing, so we were lucky and beat the US aircraft there. We dropped our tanks and climbed hard, doing a racetrack just north of p86. We were able to get up almost to 30k before enemies started showing up. We were ordered north into suspected enemies. I asked for permission to blow through enemy fighters in search of bombers behind them. First one P-51 showed up at about 30k, then a couple more.
Blowing through the forward P-51's and seeing bomber formations to my right
(faint dots upper left of picture).
I turned right toward the bombers, diving for speed. I went for a formation of B-29's on the right of the formation. They were too fast for me to overtake and make a high side pass. Also there were enemy escorts in the area. I figured I'd get only one pass, so I bored in on the tail of my B-29 and opened fire beyond 1000 yards, figuring I might as well be lavish on my ammo usage on this one pass.
I concentrate my fire on the right wing of the center B-29, working it over
substantially, but unfortunately not lethally. The B-29 is in the process
of dropping bombs.
I wasn't used to attacking B-29's, and my closure rate was nowhere near as rapid as what I was used to. I was out of cannon before my gunnery pass was done. I should have held to under 1000 before opening up.
The B-29 gunner has excellent aim (<S>, MAKAYLA), and he blasts me out of the
sky with a couple of bursts as I close to within 400 yards. t=0:17
Several of us were shot down in that first engagement with the B-29's. I spent some time giving radar reports on the radio, then launched in a Ki-61.
I'm up in a Ki-61 along with 1stpar3, Popsman, and luckie. t=0:32
The enemies who had attacked Sasebo and Nagasaki were long gone. KillrDan joined up with us, and we patrolled around a while. Then we were ordered up to patrol sector 1.9 in the Korea Straight, looking for enemies coming out of sector 0.10. There were reports of a couple of P-38's heading back to their base through our area. Popsman came across one or two, but by the time we others of us got to him, the P-38's were gone. After a while, we were ordered back to protect p86. After a while down there, we got a report of a P-51 low, which we ignored, and behind it I spotted a B-29, which we attacked.
Popsman screaming by after his firing pass on the B-29. The B-29 is
missing a rudder. t=1:47
I
do a high side pass and put a couple of hits into the B-29's right wing, but it
wasn't a very good run. The B-29 doesn't fire at me, and I'm wondering if
it's out of ammo on working on calibrating the bomb sight.
Luckie screaming by after his firing pass. His right wing misses the
underside of the B-29 by a few feet! The B-29 is now missing also a right
aileron.
I
do a more-agressive run and put rounds in all along the side of the B-29.
It still isn't firing at me, so I pull up and around tightly to get back on it
right away.
I
rake the B-29 from right wingtip to the left, concentrating more on the left
wing, pouring in the cannon rounds.
It's left wing catches fire, then blows off. t=1:47
We climbed back toward p86 and within a few minutes were sent north against a raid headed in. Reports started coming in of lots of enemies. Popsman spotted a large formation of enemy bombers, and I saw them right after that. I called it out on the radio as best I could. There were lots of escorts up high, too.
We
go in to attack those B-29's. Popsman and I are picking out a trio on the
right of the formation. t=1:51
I concentrate fire between the two left engines and pour in the cannon rounds.
The bomber explodes.
I look back to see an angry P-38 closing on me. I dive for speed.
Popsman, luckie, KillrDan, and HighTone are in there mixing it up.
Trying to work my way out from under the umbrella of escorts.
I tried to fly toward the front of the bombers, but the occasional escort would do a run at me and force me to dive some more. I worked my way to the left side of the bombers, then climbed. I kept up radio reports. As I climbed, I kept an eye on the B-29's, but they were a lot faster than I was while trying to climb to their altitude, and I had to give up pursuit. I went back toward Sasebo again and came across a single B-29 straggler. I called it out on radio and went for an attack.
I attack the straggler, and he puts some rounds through my engine block.
(It's MAKAYLA again.) I was out of cannon rounds partway through my
attack, so I broke off and landed at a nearby airfield. t=2:00
1stpar3 and I up in our beautiful A6M5b Zeroes.
Several of the other guys were not down at the same time, and in the meantime, Sasebo started getting shelled from enemy cruisers. So, I had the other guys go up repeatedly in Zeroes with bombs to go bomb the cruisers. The guys got several hits, and both enemy cruisers were eventually sunk. I patrolled way up north until the end of the frame, but no enemies showed up.
I got two B-29 kills, one B-29 assist, was shot down once, and used up one plane with an oil leak.
Overall, 203rd Kokutai killed 4 B-29's and sank a ship.
<S>, guys -- it was a pleasure flying with you!
-- Brooke, GL, 203rd Kokutai