My favorite solo moment was a Coral Sea Scenario. I was behind/detached from my torpedo squadron, lingering to rearm after my first sortie, providing carrier cap given I had good fuel, and everyone else was in need of rearming more than me. It was our turn/frame to fly TBMs, so up I relifted in mine and I plotted my own flight plan to attemt to rondevou with the rest of my group before they reached target.
About 1/3 out on this ad-hoc flight plan, and I had just passed an outer-perimiter friendly patrol of F4Fs. I watched them disapear from range channel and pulled up my map to do a quick cource check and throttle adjustment. As I esc out of the notepad I notice a large mass of dots, below me and of to my right, traveling precisely in my opposite heading. I check my range, still empty. I count down 30-seconds, range is still empty. Definetley enemy... but I'm just in a TBM. First thing I do is shout out on country my find, urging the F4Fs that I knew were still less than a sector away (but traveling in an away direction) to turn imediatley to intercept. Second thing I do, thinking at best that I can keep my alt advantage and shadow them until friendlys intercept, is ditch my 2k lb torpedo.
Just as my bomb bay doors close from the ord ditch, the first of them pop into icon range under me as they pressed onwards. And lo and behold, there were about 12-18 torp-laden Kates, all unescorted... hesitate I did not, wing over and down I dove. On this first pass, my first victim managed to shoot out one of my two forward 50-cals. So I finished him off (and 4-5 others) with a single fixed-forward .50cal. I claimed another one or two with my rear turret after passing the group and going into auto climb. I had them worked almost to the deck, just about half (8-10) left when the pair of F4s I passed and called to turn around pounced and made quick work of the remaining Kates (seriously like 1-1.5 passes, all done, I didn't even have time to reset and go in for another BnZ pass together with them).
With the 5-minute distraction taken care of, the only downside was I had enough time/gas to continue to my target and make a drop... if I didn't ditch my ord and have to fly back to a friendly carrier (the oppostie direction).
