SSO Frame 1 AARs

[Grayarea]

Hi all,

I hope you enjoyed frame 1 of Decoy at Luzon, after a short delay due to setup difficulty.

Please post your AARs here.

[Dantoo]

Things were slow to start because of a complex fleet positioning problem but the CM's worked through it.

Once it was sorted out 9GIAP got away safely in F6F's (super heavy) to hit the port P22 our primary target.  Our escort of F4U's were slow catching us but we were fuel critical and an orbit or 3 was not really an advisable risk.  Climbing to about 20K we approached the target area where we discovered 4 Ki61's in our
long 6.  A steady dive took us to the target before they caught up.

We took the port apart super quick.  It was totalled in less than 2 minutes, all the while the KI61's trying to shoot us.  We lost a couple of good men to the fighters.  The rest of us seemed to get away reasonably well.  Our escort arrived at about that time
and took on the KI's except for 3 that tagged us half way back to
the ships.  They caught up with the back two and we sadly lost both.  The f4u's caught them soon after and took some revenge I hear. The remaining 4 of us rearmed and took up a fleet defence stance.

Low KI67's with escort were reported retiring south of the fleet so we went for a look.  We followed them south receiving guidance from our remaining FM2.  We didn't actually contact them until they were low and landing at A9. It became apparent that they were rearming and a short battle broke out with their remaining CAP over the field.  We didn't do as well as we might have due to carelessness, ack and some spirited defense.

Our remaining F6F escorted the massive enemy KI67 formation back to the fleet where the 56th's remaining f4u's joined him.  The escorts collided furiously whilst the torp planes attacked the fleet.  I suspect their real target was the fleet carriers which were only about 3 miles away from the ships they attacked.  Many of the KI's torps failed to run (too fast or too high?) and remarkably the ones that did, slid through within a hairs breadth of the ships without a hit.  

We took out our primary target and I think we prevented them from taking out theirs.  Plane losses were just about total on both sides.. BZ frame

Dantoo

[Panzzer]

Sunday Squad Ops April 4th 2004 - Decoy near Luzon

Lentolaivue 32 AAR

Our formation of 4 Ki-61's (Wasq (group leader), Zuum, Sasmox and myself) took off from A12 according to our instructions and headed E. Our task was to patrol the port P22 with Lentolaivue 34. After we got to our first waypoint there weren't reports on enemy activity, so we followed our route towards 10,18 cross. After about 5 min we noticed many co-alt (or slightly lower) dots coming from the east and decided to go take a closer look. We soon noticed that there was second group of dots flying lower than the first group. Lentolaivue 34 was coming in after us, so we decided to follow the higher dots and leave the lower group of dots to LLv34.

We had some trouble catching the cons, but slowly we got closer and closer and once within icon range we id'd them as F6F's, there were about 10 of them. We started catching them somewhere between P26 (grid 9,17) and P22, which was their target. Some F6's dropped their ordnance and the others continued towards P22. The ones who dropped their ordnance tried to turn to stop us from attacking the other F6's who were continuing towards P22, but since we were now higher we continued chasing the other F6's.

We didn't get close enough for attacking until the cons were over P22, so they managed to drop their bombs, but right after that we engaged them in a fierce combat. After about 5 minutes of action we noticed that they started breaking off east. After the encounter we had lost 2 of our 4 planes (Wasq and Zuum), with the pilots safely bailed from their burning planes. The enemy had also lost 2 of their planes. Sasmox and I started to climb east too, since we knew that LLv34 was coming from there.

The F6's were going full speed at the deck, so they soon got away from us. But we saw some high dots coming from the south, so we turned north and continued climbing. Soon one dot was within icon range and it was a F4U-1D. He dived on me, but I managed to evade the bursts he was firing and in the following battle I managed to get some hits on his wing. But before we could finish him off, he was joined by another F4U. We continued fighting them, but they soon got help and there were a couple of more F4U's on us.

At this point I decided to try to run, but got one F4U behind me at about 1.2k. I tried to scan the sky for other planes but didn't see anyone, and as I checked my six again the F4U wasn't there anymore... Well, I rolled my plane to see whether he had gotten under my tail, and there he was - but now at 600 yards. Just when I decided that it might be time for evasive maneuvers, he opened fire and I noticed that it might be better to bail out since I had obviously lost control of my plane. Probably some vital parts from my tail had gone missing.

While hanging in the chute I saw that Sasmox had at least 2 cons on him, and soon he had to bail out too.

As a conclusion it might have been better had we stayed as one group with the Lentolaivue 34, since we now had to fight the F6-F's outnumbered resulting in the loss of two planes. And on a more personal level, with better shooting I should have had at least 2 kills of F6F's and the one F4U, but my shooting just sucked this sunday.

I had a good time flying, thanks & !

[bikekil]

not much to type for 308

We rolled in fully loaded TBM's, we got cought by the fighters. I've ordered to drop the ord. and to die brave... and that happened.... we all died

[Tilt]

332  launched 16 kates (with torps) from c43 on a long route SE NOE with WoD and 880 high above them running shot gun in A6m5's.

315 launched 4 x NiK2's from A9 in a search pattern looking specifically for the eastern fleet and then for the wastern fleet.

LLv 32 & 34 were on guard duty for 22 from a12.

315 found the western fleet at about t plus 30 but never located the eastern fleet which apparantly turned out tyo be north of the search pattern used.

So the attack proceeded toward the western target located circa 10.15.5/3. As the attack group entered the fleet zones we learnt of massive enemy contact from LLv32/34 and were not able to offer support in time.

315 had sufferred some CTD's (or a ctd) and were ordered north to form a screen for returning allied AC. 880 were sent west ahead of the attack to cap the fleet area.

Any way both 315 got tangled in something and were taken out.

880 engaged high FM2's and this fight was still ongoing as the main attack arrived. Wod engaged the remaining FM2's and the Kates went in relatively unmolested.

What was not planned for or spotted by scouts (my bad) that there were two fleets at this local a 4 carrier cv fleet and a DD flotilla. The Kates actually split  between the two.........had I have had the good sense to understand the possible confusion here I would have taken time out from the FM'2s to direct them in from my high vantage point. Again my bad.

After dropping the torps the remaining Kates turned for A9 to rtb i think we left one FM2 hiding in the ack. However we were down to two A6m5's.

Mean while LLv 32 and 34 had been lost in the north.

The kates and thier escort made it to A9. Escorts got there first and immediately rearmed to meet a collection of f6's and F4u's that had followed us in. The rearmed zekes engaged claiming two enemy for one loss (me). Then some bloo planes attacked the kates landing.

Kate pilots had a 2nd life so 332 were re upping in formation Ki67's and 3 ki61's.  I am not sure what happened but suddenly all the bloo planes were gone we still had two ki61's a zeke and all the ki67's were airborn or getting airborne.

Unfortunatley we had few if no gunners! all other axis had logged!

Then we had to refind the fleet.

The Ki 67's NOE well bunched are pretty formidable. The Ki61's engaged several groups of bloo planes but no bloo planes attacking the group of ki67's escaped unharmed.

But where was the fleet?

Eventually it was sighted and we turned to attack (I was gunning)

Again the DD flotilla came to confound us.........it was located just like a row of picket ships...........indeed many torps were dropped behind it instead of infront of the CV's............. the approach was all wrong


We were in too much of a rush under time pressure.

A few of us limped home. I was with Forsy and otw to A9 our little formation was attacked by an F4u who after a couple of pings actually augered under us. Then an F6f slowly approached on our long 6. Ammo was low and the F6f was obviously trying to draw our teeth........... which he eventually did and succeeded in taking out a drone. He then turned and went home presumably empty himself.

Leaving us and other stragglers to limp home.

[Vladd]

The Firebirds rolled 10 F4Us tasked with escorting the strike group to P22. As our birds were heavy, takeoff neccesitated rolling the planes back down the deck in sections... by the time the squad was up we were several miles behind the rest of the strike group, and unfortunately they were unable to loiter.

Result - the TBMs got slaughtered, but together with the F6s P22 was fairly flattened. As the F6Fs wirthdrew we engaged a number of scattered cons, Ki61s, me Tjay and Adjuster taking on 2 successfully at first, with 3 more rtb being chased down and shot down by the rest of the guys. 2 F4Us were shot down in return, Gremlin unluckily took a pilot wound from a single ack hit and didnt make it back as well.

After the first sortie then 7 aircraft rtb'd. Adjuster got down safe but spiked his prop and had to sit the second sortie out. 2 F4Us then splashed into the sea on takeoff leaving just 4 of us to defend the CV from the incoming Ki67s. After sterling work from Swoop paring down the remaining Japanese escort, all planes were lost engaging the torp bombers whose massed defensive firepower was totally deadly! On the whole we should have left it to the AA gunners on the ships

Still, a really good, fun frame.

[Swoop]

Did you film the backwards landing and turnaround?

[Vladd]

Nah, I'd landed at one of the other CVs in the group, so I missed the whole thing.

I'd like to see the film if you have it tho

[Swoop]

I didn't film it.  

If I film it I'll crash.  If someone else films it then I might not get jinxed.