Author Topic: AAR Friday Squad Ops 12/5/03 (Read 1863 times)

daddog · « **on:** December 05, 2003, 11:41:33 PM »

332nd Flying Mongrels launched about 10 TBM’s from our CV with about 10 F4F escorts. Our target was Choiseul (A30). About 2/3 of the way to the target our escorts engaged several A6M’s north of the base. We lost approximately 2 escorts and one had to RTB to the CV, but he landed successfully despite damage to wing and tail. About 6 A6M’s were shot down. Our TBM’s made two passes on A30 and did not see any other fighters. Our target was lightly damaged. We all returned to the CV and just landed when some low level bombers with torps made their run. A single TBM and F4F were still up. They both engaged the low level bombers, but were shot down. It is unconfirmed at this time if they shot any down. The torps of the bombers missed our CV by only a few feet!

Had a good time despite the whines on C1 about it being a porked event. C.O.’s you need to keep your guys in check. If it happened on my event that pilot would sit out the three week tour. Always take your complaints to the BB, not during the event on C1.

------------------------
CO CM daddog
332nd Flying Mongrels
Roster
Noses in the wind since 1997.

Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. - Napoleon Bonaparte

Dux · « **Reply #1 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:08:48 AM »

Rogue Squadron was that group of Ju-88s ummm Bettys. After flying for almost 60 minutes we finally got word as to where the enemy CV was... about another 20 minutes away!

When we finally started our torpedo run, it looked like we might just sneak in.

Nope.

2 F4Fs and a swarthy TBM made sure we had our hands full.

There is no logical explanation as to how we could have possibly missed.

War is Hell.

Re-upping F4Fs chewed us up as we made our way home. There were no survivors.

Swager · « **Reply #2 on:** December 06, 2003, 07:48:25 AM »

Dux,

If it makes you feel better, the F4F with no wing is me! I got 1 of the bombers, maybe 2. Damaged 1 or 2 more. It was hard to play catch up once I made my first pass.

Nicely flown!!

jordi · « **Reply #3 on:** December 06, 2003, 08:20:58 AM »

Great pics DUX !

Sorry it did not turn out successfully !

wklink · « **Reply #4 on:** December 06, 2003, 09:55:18 AM »

It was a blast. The 332nd upped 1/2 TBMs and 1/2 F4Fs to attack the unfinished field at 30. En route we picked up what appeared to be a half dozen A6Ms which attacked our formation.

The Zeke drivers seemed to attack piecemeal though, not as a formation so we managed to take out all of them with the loss of only a couple of wildcats (one down, one damaged and had to return to base). Individually the A6M pilots flew well but we were much closer together and gave each other better coverage. Over long trips it is easy to get spread out, this is the end result if you do.

Needless to say the rest of the flight was uneventful. We rendevoused with the bombers (we kept 4-5 fighters with them while the rest of us tangled with the zekes) and bombed 30 with no opposition. We went back to the Enterprise and almost all of us had landed when...

Dux and his Ju88(Betty) squadron attacked. Dux, you don't know how lucky you were. If you had attacked three minutes earlier you would have ran into 10 wildcats and 12 TBM's circling the carrier in the landing pattern. We sat on the carrier and watched the fun. It was close, I mean really close with those torps. Every single one of us thought they were going to hit. That was a magnificent job of ship steering.

Lots of fun, look forward to next week now.

daddog · « **Reply #5 on:** December 06, 2003, 10:04:06 AM »

Great pictures Dux!

B17Skull12 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 06, 2003, 10:57:14 AM »

Well since Commander Jb73 and JB42 were a no show last night i was left in command of the JBz since i was the only one who had orders. only 4 of us showed and so i decided to work with what numbers we had. 3 of them upped zekes while i upped a kate. 3 mins later jordi tell us that all kates can fly a zeke if they die. When he said that im like damn. We should have all flown kates.

After we watch our inflight movie we encountered a group of TBM's i sent our 3 fighter to go get them. we have 3 comfirmed kills of TBM's then I guess a few f4f's came in and killed all of our zekes. By that time i was almost my target A1. I litterally snuck in unnoticed. hehe. i start my bombing run.

I start to dive ack doesn't exist with how high i am hehe.

I drop 2 bombs on 2 fuel bunkers. 2 Seconds later they are in flames. and a tree has been killed.
I pull up and come around for another drop

i have one bomb. I come around i see no more strat targets so i go ahead and decide to hit what i can. I dive i drop and i kill 1/4 of the town and tons o trees.

most of the town behind the smoke is down. i bug out of there and head to a37. by this time something is chasing us. a p40. He gets a lucky shot on my pilot while i am turning and so I die. Since my new video card was coming i had to log. It was fun though.

Skull12

Sikboy · « **Reply #7 on:** December 06, 2003, 11:14:31 AM »

Sorry for the big bellybutton pictures, B17 had the right idea there lol.

I spent a lot of time working on this mission this week. Probably more time than I've ever spent preparing for a Squad Ops (even when I was Side CO lol). You need to make note of that for later.

Shillelagh Upped 10 Pilots in TBMs, loaded with Torpedoes. We were part of a split Attack on the IJN CV, with the AKs going in high and fast, while we came in with torps. Given that I wanted to climb to 20k, Iron and I thought it would be best if the AKs went in, then rendevous with us after their drop. The Shills were going to Rally way to the south to avoid Japanese fighters.

Due we had two of our Flight leaders (out of 4) disco on takeoff, so we began to orbit to form up and wait for them.

Yet, despite our fairly remote location, we ran into a bunch of Zeros!

After a prolonged dogfight with the Zekes, the Calvary (played by the DoW, big guys!) showed up and cleared us for a return to Henderson. We lost 5 planes, but we took out 5 Zekes.

We had dumped our Ord during the fight, so we landed at Henderson to rearm.

Here's where you can't tell that I spent any time preparing for this. We couldn't find the Re-arm pads at Henderson. Someone said "is that a pad under that netting? No. As it turns out, not only is there no re-arm pad there, but a TBM wont fit under it. Porked my Engine and ended my flying for the evening. I joined d345 as a Gunner.

We had 4 TBMs remaining, and they set off to locate and attack the IJN fleet, which no longer had a CV, thanks to the AKs (WTG!) On the way there, Runny had to turn back due to fuel shortage (being unable to rearm with the rest of us, because of damaged gear), but we located the Fleet and began to form up for an attack.

In the end, IGshill sank a DD, and everyone survived the attack... then, in hollywood movie fashion, as we were celebrating the sinking of a Japanese Destroyer, a big black puff of flack decimated d345's TBMs. Poof! and then there were three.

Runny bought it trying to land his damaged plane, leaving only -IG- and -SN- to land safely.

Of 10 TBMs, we were reduced to 3 (once they replaced my prop and rebuilt my engine lol). But we hear that replacement pilots will be here shortly.

-Sik

68falcon · « **Reply #8 on:** December 06, 2003, 11:15:42 AM »

I'll say you snuck in there where 20 planes capping that base. Good job Skull

Sikboy · « **Reply #9 on:** December 06, 2003, 12:07:28 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by B17Skull12
After we watch our inflight movie we encountered a group of TBM's i sent our 3 fighter to go get them.

I think you guys were the second group of Zekes to attack us. I got one of the Zekes, and we lost one TBM during the engagement I think (It will be fun to see the logs lol). The F4Fs were the DoW who came in and saved me when your three zekes were about to gun me down.

-Sik

68falcon · « **Reply #10 on:** December 06, 2003, 12:20:40 PM »

Wonder why all those zekes where way out where your squad was Sik:confused:

Zanth · « **Reply #11 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:36:01 PM »

Darn Dux I can't believe we didn't hit! I thought sure at least some of the torpedos would make it, oh well such is war.

B17Skull12 · « **Reply #12 on:** December 06, 2003, 02:31:24 PM »

we had only 3 zekes and a B5n. JBz objective was to attack 1 so we headed south for a bit then turen north east to a1 when we ran into the TBM's

Dux · « **Reply #13 on:** December 06, 2003, 02:35:17 PM »

LOL, Zanth... looking at the films now, I think I may have had a beacon problem or something last night. My first impression of the fleet was that it was moving from left to right across our view; then it seemed to suddenly be moving right to left, and then left to right again. I thought this was just "fog of war", but I think I see now from Daddog's pics that I was getting contrary info from the servers. I'm not sure what was real now.

Zanth, it was a pleasure to have you guest with us, as it was to have Smuz, Drone, AirHonda, and Mystical gunning for us. Big to all of you.

Okay, I apologize for another couple of bigass pictures, but I'm having fun with it.

An overview of what we flew into...

Sandog in the thick of it all...

I seriously do not know how Sandog got this far in and almost out again!

Well done, Rogues.