Nightmares were tasked to hit A10 with TBMs and escorting F4Fs. Depending on the Gravediggers turnout (they were also to escort us in F4Fs) we were allowed to change the mix of F4Fs to TBMs. I didn’t expect the Gravediggers to show up since looking at the MA logs there CO and XO haven’t flown this tour, so I figured that the rest of the squad did not get emailed orderspassed onto them for the frame. Which would also be why they didn’t show for frame 1.
Three Gravediggers did show up and we briefed them on the attack plan.
So we launched out of CV25 (10,8,4/2) with 3 F4F Gravediggers, 12 F4F Nightmares (handle for last 2 would not set .. they had problems and ended up exiting and coming back later to try to fix), and 10 TBMs.
This force flew W to 8,8,5 to build up alt; TBMs climb slowly. We also took the route to avoid setting off IJN radar (which was a good thing since later we found out their was a IJN fleet at 9,9,2) and to try to flank the defenders and come in from an unexpected angle .. the SW.
Once at 8,8,5 we turned NE and struck toward A10. The Gravediggers were sent ahead to probe A10 to determined what was there while the Nightmares F4Fs staid 4K above the TBMs and off to the sides.
A10 proved to be clear of enemy (at least from the direction we were coming from) so the Gravediggers dropped their small bombs (they they got a gun) and then zoomed back up to their perch. Nightmares F4Fs took high station over A10 while the first TBM flight went in and took out the FHs. The second TBM flight came in and took out the BHs, a few guns and a fuel depot. Later Daddog reported damage to A10 to be at 60% to 70%.
About this time the F4Fs hollered that we had incoming KI61s and A6M5s .. I believe from the NE but wasn’t sure or if it was from the NW. Anyway the TBMs struck S on the deck while the F4Fs held positon for 5 minutes (to give us time to get clear) and then faded S by SE. It was while egressing S we ran into the IJN fleet at 9,9,2 and had to adjust to S by SE to avoid its AAA.
During the fall back Nightmares shot down 2 and lost 2-4 planes (I think 2 actually lost and then later 2 were counted lost due to damage and then accidents).
We started to head back to CV25 but AKiron then said he needed us to follow up on the strike at V38. So we changed course to land and rearm at A5 (long haul for us). During the flight there the DAMNED spotted the IJN fleet in 10,10,5 but died to a man before getting close enough to drop eggs. So AKiron told us to rearm at A5 and go after the IJN fleet instead while the AKs would rearm at A5 and strike V38 to follow up on the earlier USMC strike.
The Gravediggers lost all their planes do to fuel exhaustion. My fault .. I should have sent them back to CV25 after they dropped their eggs. Instead kept them to long capping A10.
We landed 9 TBMs (lost 1 to fuel leak) and 10 F4Fs at A5 and then found out that taxing those planes on the ground to the rearm pad is bit more difficult than in AH1. Do to various accidents trying to rearm we ended only launching 5 TBMs and 7 F4Fs out of A5. We launched out to 11,8,1 as our rally point just as the IJN forces triggered base under attack alerts at A5, V4 and then P31. We were able to slip away to the SW undetected.
Rallying at 11,8,1 we formed up and built alt and then headed to 10,8,8 and once their turned N and zoomed to 10,10,5. We lost 1 TBM to a CTD so when we got to 10,10,5 we had 4 TBMs and 7 F4Fs. There wasn’t a IJN fighter in sight (nor did we spot any along the way although their were a few suspicious dots we managed to avoid and not get spotted by to our E).
The F4Fs dove in to draw the AAA fire of the fleet and then the TBMs went in. We sank 2 DDs from our bombs and then while the F4Fs danced over head drawing fire we put down the third DD with rockets. Well actually almost with Rockets an F4F got the kill message on the 3rd DD when he scrafed it.
I think we hit the IJN fleet around T+90 or T+95.
We then zoomed back to S as fast as we could and landed at CV25. I think we landed with just minutes to spare.
