325th AAR:
Mission: Attack and destroy A38
Squads: 325th (Strike Lead) 347th escort
AKDOGG (Axis CIC) put up a good mission. We all lifted from C51 and generally moved NNW as per the assigned flight route. In flight I issued a change to the flight route and escort mission. Since the 325th was in B5N’s I wanted a chance to get higher and into some of those great thick clouds at 20K. So I routed us around and got in behind the A38 and attacked from the west and not south. Made it to target on time at about H+50. To assist our chances I released our escorts 50 miles from target and gave them about 20 minutes to soften up the defenders at A38 prior to the main effort arriving. Plan worked, the 347th mixed it up with the defenders and pulled them out of sector and away from A38. Most importantly the 347th kept A38 radar flashing the entire time. This allowed the slow B5N’s to come in unseen. 325th plan was to make a high level bombing run but the clouds kept that from happening. Once over A38 the planes were released to dive on target through the clouds. Primary targets were the Hangers and all planes were authorized just one attack. After attack egress was SSW and RTB to C51.
BDA from the first sortie was 2 Hangers destroyed and 2 damaged
<S> to the 347th. They really made this mission work. They got to target and pulled the defenders out of sector, shot down and or damaged a few. The B5N’s of the 325th never saw an enemy plane! This was the first time the 325th ever flew in B5N’s and made it home! Then as 347th pilots went down they joined 325th planes as gunners to allow better coordination’s between the squads. You can’t ask for anything more. WTG 347th.
Once safely back to C51 which had a nice camp fire burning the 325th switched planes to our second ride the A6M2’s with fuel and mini bombs and lifted again for A38 to finish the job. The remaining time wouldn’t allow for anything other than a direct flight to A38 and at low altitude 10K. Made contact with the remaining defenders of A38 about 35 miles from target. We stayed low on their 5 O’clock and I don’t think they saw us as we flew all the way to A38 within ICON range. The 325th and the remains of the 347th descended on A38. First pass was a coordinated deacking pass which worked pretty well. Remaining bombs were put onto the damaged hangers. Cannon fire was used on the radar and a few ords / barracks. Out of bombs, ammo and time we departed and headed south. By then C51 had been sunk and our alternate was now C28 which was steaming north at high speed. On egress from A38 the P-40’s dove in and fight was on. Did our best to stay in a group and keep moving south but after a few loses had no choice and had to stand and fight. All Axis planes were lost. I know the 325th didn’t score a kill during this engagement.
BDA from 2nd srike: All hangers distroyed, Radar, 1 ord or 1 barrack, field deacked.
Hindsight being 20/20 for our second strike we should have upped and defended C51 and not went back to A38 (from a points gained to a points lost prospective) as we lost more than we gained. However A38 has heavily destroyed and being frame 01 I thought we ought to push the envelope in order to gain a better position for frame 02. Hopefully we did.
Good frame set up from a map, weather and side numbers break out. The plane sets are heavily in favor of the Allied side as everyone knows. If the Axis planning can continue to pull off miracles like in Frame 01 and we can destroy Allied targets without interference then we might win. But in any meeting engagement in which the sides are evenly matched the Allies will win in most cases. The proof was in the 325th 2nd strike to A38. We lost at least 10 planes without a single Allied lose. The zero just isn’t any match against the Allied plane set unless you have either a 3 to 1 ratio or the Allied pilot descends into a turn fight with you and most know not to do that.
Viper 61
