Last evening was a fun time for me. Arriving in the tower at 45, I discovered that an enemy fleet was close ashore. So close that one could launch torpedos from the beach. So, I upped a TBM and dropped a torpedo for the Cruiser. I returned, reloaded and delivered another torpedo. My first torpedo hit and sank a destroyer. My second sank the already weakened Cruiser. I was also carrying six HVAR rockets. So I nailed a PT too. Coming off the rocket run, I found an F6F on my tail. Carrying decent speed from the rocket run dive (about 325 mph), I hauled around in a climbing turn, and was amazed to find myself gaining ground on the Hellcat as he continued around in a circle. Finally I got in a good shot that caused smoke to appear from the F6F's engine. Just then, one of my teammates (I'm a Rook) finished off the Hellcat and I had to settle for an assist.
Encouraged by the TBM's surprising ability to mix it up with fighters, I decided to take one on the attack heading to 47. I loaded 100 pounders and 6 rockets. Climbing out to 12k, I arrived over 47 and rolled in. Using the bombs and rockets, I managed to kill the VH and two field acks. However, there were a great many enemy fighters swarming all over the field. Clearly, I wasn't going to be able to run away, so I figured my best course of action was to be aggressive and attack everything in sight. For about 5 minutes I threw the Avenger all over the place, gaining two assists and damaging several others before I took a hit (probably from an ack or Ostwind).
Back in the tower at 45, I upped another TBM, this time without any bombs or rockets. Just for the hell of it, I climbed out to 25k. Spotted by another Rook, I was asked, "Widewing, what the hell are you doing up here in a TBM?"
"Hunting Ponies" was my reply.
"You're a brave man Widewing, either that or you're an idiot."
Finally, I spotted my Pony. Actually, three of them, down around 20k diving into the fight between 45 and 47. Pulling off power, I roll in after the Mustangs. Spiraling down to control my speed, I finally push over vertically at 8k. But, wait a minute, something is coming straight up at me. It's a Spitfire Mk.XIV in a vertical portion of a loop. As he bears his belly, I open fire raking him with .50 cal rounds. Going by at nearly 400 mph, I have no time to observe the result of my fire. One of the Mustangs comes off an HO trailing coolant, I adjust my angle to get a good lead and shoot off his left wing as I go by. Damn, another assist! As before, I yank and bank through the furball, getting minor but frequent hits on several enemy fighters. Spotting a Mustang going too slow for his own good, I ease into position and get ready to fire… Just then, I get hit hard and had to bail out. Fester and his P-38 saved the Pony's bacon. But not for long, as another Rook makes the Mustang jocky pay for his poor energy management.
Later at A8, I have another go at it, the big TBM proving to be anything but an easy mark. I picked up three more assists and slugged it out with a Mustang at 8k. He tried several head-on passes, which I dodged. As he went by, I'd jump to the turret seat and spray him down. He would extend and come back. This went on for several minutes until he took a radiator hit and left for a less stressful environment. However, my Avenger had absorbed some damage during the sortie and when a second Pony showed up I didn't dodge the HO. As we passed, my TBM took a hit that shot off the outer wing, and I was forced to bail. However, the Mustang was hit too. Honch finished him off, as I urged him on from my parachute.
Despite losing three TBMs, I did manage 6 assists, and a considerable number of damaged enemy fighters. Add to that one Cruiser, one Destroyer and a PT boat, acks, a VH and fuel storage. Therefore, the losses cannot be viewed as unreasonable. More importantly, I had a great deal of fun and left a few enemy pilots scratching their heads in confusion. Later, (flying a Spit) I killed enough enemy aircraft to restore my K/D ratio, so the fun cost me nothing in the stats.
Try the TBM as a dogfighter. If nothing else, you'll have a blast.
My regards,
Widewing
