Heheh that explains it.
We held for a fix on the CV. Intermittent reports, but not enough to go on. The Ki67s burned holes in the sky. Finally we were tasked an escort. Then the escort had to refuel -- at A7. So we overflew A7, but then we started having fuel concerns ourself. Fine, time to move towards the target. We turned E towards the suspected target location, then spotted a number of dots on our six. The escorts were still refueling -- fariz was our only cover. He bravely did what he could, but soon we had hawgs above and behind us.
It looked bad, real bad. I've got a dozen bombers about to get bounced by some fast air pirates. The nearest escorts are on the other side -- some zekes down low and the remnants of another group that are up a little higher. Everybody is yelling at me to drag low and reverse.
Have any of you ever tried even a minor altitude or heading change as a leader of a buff squadron in a scenario?
I gotta admit, I froze for a second there. If this guy would only dive in and kill himself, it'd make my choice a lot easier. It wasn't going to happen. Was he hounding us to his friends? Now there were two on us.
Okay, do nothing sudden. Call a descent to 15k, and resist the temptation to firewall the throttle.
They still hung up there.
Now call a turn LEFT from 090 to 270 in 30 seconds.
Orze1's repeating every command for me so there'll be no mixups.
I wait until the hawgs are out of position and from the 20mm cupola, stomp the rudder, yelling on the radio.
Guns blazing, the whole formation turns. 12 ships, and not a straggler. The hawgs are still tentative. We make contact with the zekes, now having climbed to our altitude. The lead calls "Turn 180". Another perfect formation turn, and we hand off the corsairs to the escorts.
We're still heading south 5 miles later when we get the call that the CV has been spotted -- heading for the spot we just came from. Idle throttle, reverse and dive to the deck heading 010; then 030. Now things get really interesting. Working on an intercept course, spreading the formation out, clipping whitecaps, I don't have time to worry about bandits. The line's looking pretty good, when someone calls a bandit in. The zekes have followed us down, and a corsair comes shooting through. We're all in the cupolas as it attacks. Hoses on -- I land hits, as does just about everyone else. Krotki buys it; I take some 50s, but the corsair loses most of its parts (that detroit 6 year/60,000 mile deal is only good for the powertrain), and smacks the waves, sending aluminum shrapnel in all directions. Back tot he front. Looking good, looking good.
"Bandit In"
Another corsair, but this guy gets cold feet and pulls off. Back to the front.
Crap, we're coming in too steep -- this is going to be close to a bow attack. I yell into RW for a hard turn and fire; orze1 repeats. YAnk, pickle, rudder turn away.
Then the ack comes up. First shot takes off my rudder. Time for me to ride this one out. I just hope nobody follows. Right when I think I'm going to make it, I explode.
...
I watched the second run from the gunner position of the lead ship. At one point, I heard the noise of a screaming fighter, saw tracers, but by the time I looked around, all I saw were a couple of rocket streaks.
So THAT's what happened.
