Our orders: "Do your best to try to get a location on the Lexington, so the primary strike force can make their run. You will not have escort and are on your own with the 5 B5Ns. " Hoghntr made a joke on mumble, "Locate? We're gonna sink the motherf-er!" It's GO time! We launch from our carrier and head Southwest to the IP and turn south to begin our search for the USS Lexington.
Halfway to the IP, we see 8-10 contacts between 5-8K passing from SW to NE heading, which appeared to be an attack group heading for one of our Japanese CVs. I radioed to command their location, alt, and heading. They didn't see us so we pushed on. Arriving at the IP, one of our pilots was MIA, and another nosed into the waves reaching for his sake. Our attack group was now down to 3 aircraft and continued on with the mission.
We spread out line abreast to cover the entire southwest sector (8.7) and after coming up empty, we perform a tac turn NE to search the NE sector (9.8).
Tally Ho! CV Group steaming NW at 1 o'clock, perpendicular on the horizon! I reported into command the CV location, heading, and indicated that the 416 was making a torpedo run.
We must have been flashing the CV as they turned the boat SW in an attempt to avoid any attackers from the NE, but they still hadn't spotted us coming in from the SW. I radioed in to command again the new heading of the Lexington, they turned her head on, directly into us.
The 3 remaining 416 pilots begin our torpedo run, slowing to less than 200 mph for release, and lining up for the shot, when we are spotted by a US Wildcat. He dives in from 12 o'oclock high as fast as he can to protect his boat, but he's too fast and overshoots with a head-on pass.
We release 3 torpedoes and bank away to the east from the CV group.
BOOM, 1st torpedo hit secured by hoghntr taking out most of the guns on the bow of the ship. BOOM, 2nd torpedo hit directly in the bow as well by Tazz69, but no additional guns were destroyed. BOOM, 3rd torpedo hit by Pand, a little left aspect on the bow sending the USS Lexington to the bottom of the Pacific.
Tazz69, and hoghntr were taken out shortly after releasing torpedoes by ack and fighters; however, I was able to egress east forcing a maneuver kill on the desperate Wildcat who now had no where to land.
Staying on the waves, I was able to sneak away from the CV group and recover my aircraft back at A22 to close the frame for the 416.
With a little luck and a little strategy, it was great to see 3 Kates take out the capital ship of the enemies CV Group.
416!
