Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Krusty on December 10, 2005, 01:26:21 AM
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Bish mounted a huge bomber operation to A27 tonight. Knit put up a good defense. This is an AAR (After Action Report) from my point of view as a Knit in defense of A27.
I had taken a 110G with DTs and WgR rockets and climbed to 15k in anticipation of high alt massed missions to 27 on the bish's part. DTs +75% gave me plenty of cruising gas. I took off from a31 (2 sectors away) because I would pass HQ and there had been several HQ raid attempts. Should I pass one I'd send a few rounds of ammo their way. Unfortunately there is an offmap con down SE so myself and JB17 (or was it JB18??) go there to check it out. JB17/8 finds a lone A20 at 15k and dispatches it, leaving me at 20k and 2.5 sectors away. I use msot of my DTs just getting up N to a27.
At a27 there are plenty of cons, some closer some further. I really want to use these cursed rockets so I pick the closest B24 formation and close in on it. He's in a slow turn and I close in. I shoot my rockets off one by one but none are close enough to damage (2 are very close, however). I then fly up his butt blazing fast unloading countless 20mm (4 20mm) and countless 30mm (2x30mm) directly into the enemy plane.. but.. WHAT THE HELL?!?!?! No damage. So as I'm making my way out I spray his wingman too. I am forced to make several passes before I set all 3 bombers on fire. Just as I'm setting his last one on fire I lose my #2 engine's oil! The bugger not only put a bullet throught me bullet-proof armored windscreen, he hit my engine and starboard gas as well. I left his last bomber burning and spiralling down, and turned back into the fight. I've got plenty of ammo left, but my engine won't hold out forever. I'm watching my oil pressure and it's steady for now. I head W following some distant cons hoping to kill some bombers on their way out. Unfortunately they're all too fast for me. A 110G will barely break 330mph TAS at 20k. I am sorely missing my Ta152 here.
Turns out a couple of the hording Bish buggers kept going E to V28. I turned around and headed to them as fast as I could. Just before I get within V28 range I lost my engine. The oil pressure dropped and it siezed up on me. So I take a quick look. The con directly over the field had 2 friendlies on it and had to be a fighter. I'm not willing to tangle with a fighter in a 1 engined 110G. I turned toward the other cons, further out. They're a bit below me. One con disappears so I hastily turn toward the other just before it comes into icon range -- a flight of b24s. I've got lots of rudder trim to help my 1 engine fight torque, and this screws up my attack run. I hastily spray at the lead bomber's cockpit but I miss horribly, pinging it lightly and instead setting the wing of the port drone on fire. I was praised for my "good attack run" by a fellow pilot in the area. I kept it to myself that I had "Pulled a Homer". I turned as gently as I could, put in full RPM, and entered a tail pursuit. The bombers were now higher but I could not climb because on 1 engine I wouldn't make it. Entering a shallow dive I performed a series of asps-head like moves, pulling up, firing, and diving back down. I smoked a couple of engines (no fire) and some gas tanks but they bombers were getting further away. In one last desperate attempt I dove under the bombers, cringed and waited for the 50cal to rip my wings off (heard plenty of hits, no more damage), pulled up and let loose... I unloaded all my remaining 30mm and much of my 20mm in one long burst. Much of my hits landed on the wings and fuselage of the lead. I knew he was done for. I saw plenty of parts fall off and plenty of fire, so before I had to dip back down I let go with all my might on the last drone. I hit it solidly with 20mm but could not kill it. I was too far now, and too low, but I tried one last time and from 1k I landed a few hits from my 4x20mm. Perhaps the poor bish pilot had felt his plane had taken enough, or perhasp I landed a sweet pilot kill from 1k. Either way, the plane died seconds later and I was awarded my kill message.
Now with 11 mins gas left (that's at max cruise, fyi) I was up by v28 but didn't think I could land there with 1 engine. I set max cruise and head S to 31. 29 is too hot, I'd be vulched instantly. It had to be 31 or 28, and I didn't like the looks of 38's hills. I head S and before I'm even to HQ I see I'm down to 9 mins, and my estimated range is 44 miles. I'm barely above stalling here, I'm at 170mph IAS, and with 1 eng that was only decreasing slowly. I realized the fultility of reaching even 29, let alone 31. I had to turn around and make for 28. I lined my approach up along the long axis of the field. It is a vehicle base, and not suited for emergency landings.
I dial back throttle to minimum, enter a dive to lose some altitude, line up, but I'm far too hot. The hills had forced me to dive down and arrive too hot. Side slipping with the rudder helped a little. I pulled gear up at the last minute to avoid over-shooting the cement pad by the bombed-out VHs.
Sadly, I touched down nicely but could not stop in time and skidded into a bombed out VH at far too high a speed to be safe. I must have blacked out because the next thing I know I'm recupperating in the tower!
6 kills lost. Despite losing my plane, and despite a 0.78 perk multiplier, I sitll made just short of 5 perks that mission. Enough for my next Ta152 sortie!
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Great story Krusty, thanks for sharing (And nice job flying there :aok )