To a history geek like myself this game is at his best when it sucks me back and time and puts me in the cockpit. It did just that last week when the 80th decided we would get together a roll some P-39D's for some fun. The 80th Fighter Squadron cut it's teeth on 39's and P-400's defending Port Morseby before it received the P-38.
After we finished and I had wandered off to bed, I picked up my copy of the group history and read about a certain action that occurred on August 26th 1942, it was the first time the 80th would engage the Japanese in aerial combat.
The flight takes off and forms up for climb out.
Once assembled with Venom in the lead we turn towards the enemy field
Arriving over target we find a group of low bandits that have just recently taken off and dive to engage
Low on ammunition and fuel, and missing a few comrades in arms the survivors turns towards home
Finally touching down four have brought their planes home of the six that took off that morning, the cartoon 80th would claim 9 victories to the 39 drivers that evening.
Sixty Seven years ago, eight volunteers of the 80th Fighter squadron took off into the morning haze to strafe a Japanese airfield near Buna, soon two turned back with engine trouble leaving six to continue on the mission. Arriving over the target they caught a flight of zeroes that had just lifted off for a morning patrol. Streaking across the field four zeroes fell in the initial onslaught, pulling up in a zoom climb and coming back around for another pass Danny Roberts and Bill Brown bore back in and claimed another two zeroes before the flight reassembled and headed back to 12-Mile strip. All in all the 80th claimed six victories that day for the loss of Gerald Rogers who's aircraft was apparently hit by anti-aircraft fire. He would find is way back to Port Moresby a few weeks later.
Aces High had done it again, the modern world had managed to vanished for a few minutes and I was in the cockpit 60-70 years ago flying alongside of the people I had grown up reading about and idolizing. It was a fun night.
