Here's what I was thinking:
the zekes are going to have an alt advantage on the p40b. They climb better, they turn better, their cannons, bad as they are, pack more punch, and above about 18,000 feet they fly faster. The ju 88s are tough planes, and if they got to cruise altitude and speed, we would have trouble catching them. I was hoping, however, that the enemy would unwisely add underwing bombs and give us enough of a chance to interceive them on climbout. Moreover, Vals were on the enemy's OOB, and I figured the requirements of this aircraft would keep the battle low.
So I set up two wings: one to fly from A6 towards A12, where I figured the Ju-88s had to be coming from, scatter the zekes and bite into the fresh flesh of the bombers, and another to fly from A3 and set up a barcap along the 9 meridian to dissuade fighter sweeps and to provide some cover while we brought in C-47s laden with badly needed supplies.
18k was selected as being the altitude that would give the p40s the highest energy advantage for a dogfight at 15k (the "wheelhouse" of the warhawk). The plan was to instruct all pilots to try to drag the zekes low, then extend under friendlies.
The squadrons were as follows:
Interception Force (wedge):
point (15k) 418 (wing command - DsrtRat)
right (18k) 272/880 (combined) (Kronos)
left (18k) Airmeg (rotty?)
Defense force
North (A6): MAG 33 (Swoop)
South (A3): 308 (BikeKil)
C47 pilots:
A4-A3
APDrone
MRPLUTO
SnoGoose
A5-A6
SkyFoxx
GWjr3
Dinger
--
Well, the C-47s had a milk run.
418 climbed out and it looks like they ran into the higher zekes. They sustained heavy casualties (about 50%). I guess the other squads wound up in the blender out there too. It must have been a helluva fight.
Meanwhile, MAG-33 was reporting bandits inbound to A6, and 308 was calling out a high fighter sweep coming to A3. I tried to concede A3 and pull 308 N, but they got engaged. Meanwhile, A6 calmed down, so I committed MAG-33 S.
As MAG-33 was heading to bail out the 308, I tried to establish contact with what was left of the interception force and have them rally over A6. 272 and 880 had broken apart, 418 RCAF was in shambles, and nobody from Airmeg was answering the phone. Before I got things organized, one of these groups called bombers inbound, and the first wave of ju-88s (with about four high escorts, it looked like), overflew A6, raining hatred. The tatters of the interception force engaged them, but when I noticed the next formation had no escort, the focus shifted to the easier prey.
At this point the 308 was climbing off the deck over by A6, and MAG-33, having restored order down south, reported a formation of Ju88s inbound from the southeast.
Since I didn't really have any other units in C&C, I wished MAG-33 good luck.
Those first couple waves of bombers revved and, now scattered, dropped more bombs. More bombers came to A6 from the E, and these guys were scattered all over the sky. The 308 joined the fray.
MAG-33 did what they could with the formation coming from the SE, but most of them made it to V32, where they performed a precision bomb drop and practically flattened the Vfield/town (I counted one ammo, one fuel and one ack after they did their will).
Finally we had a moment to consolidate, but the picture was ugly:
the remaining ships of the 272 were refueling at a5; 880 was somewhere around A8 I think. MAG-33 had sustained serious losses attacking the ju-88s. The 308 was cut in half; the 418 was down to the one guy who had driven the C-47. AirMeg was now at A6.
So I appointed APDrone the leader of "Strike Force Pink G-String" with control over all the remaining units. Instructions were to rearm, refuel, and rally over A6, then go to A7 to catch ju88s coming back for more, or to encourage them to stay down. As they got underwray, four high zekes harassed them. Two or three guys broke off and held them at bay while Pink G-String went on its dirty business.
They swept to A7, but didn't find much trade.
Meanwhile seven zekes were spotted over A6, but they then disappeared. That group of 4 was somewhere around v32.
While pink gstring was doing a panty raid on 7, another bomber force hit A3 from the E (maybe 8x3 ships plus four escorts), inflicting light damage before turning south.
Without much left to shoot, except those 4 zekes with alt advantage, I ordered all ships home.
Objectives:
all 6 c47s delivered their cargo.
A6 sustained moderate damage
V32 sustained serious damage
A3 sustained light damage
(I'm biased, of course).
In all, it wwas a well fought, if extremely bloody frame. Japan
