An RAAF Lockheed Hudson returning from a coastal reconnaissance radioed to the RAAF H.Q. at Milne Bay that they had observed Japanese Infantry disembarking from landing barges 80 miles North West of Milne Bay.
Circling to check the situation they watched as the Jap troops moved inland towards a narrow jungle track for which they plotted co ordinates.
Immediately the C.O. of 77 Squadron alerted Flt Ltn Rodger "Rocky" Rhodes to take a Wingman & destroy or delay the advancing Japanese Troops so the Army garrison could prepare to defend the valuable Airfield.
Rhodes called Flt Sgt Barry McRae whose Kittyhawk was fueled & ready for takeoff as was his own P-40 painted with the familiar Shark mouth. Both Aircraft carried the White painted tail assembly to avoid any possibility of receiving friendly fire which thay had attracted when they first flew over Milne Bay.
The two Australian Pilots flew towards the ordinates given by the Hudson & soon they picked up the Jungle Track & they could see 3 separate groups of Jap soldiers moving along the track but worse they saw in the far distance two Jap Aircraft coming from the opposite direction no doubt sent to give air cover to the troops.
Rocky radioed to his wingman "Bazza concentrate on those bloody Nips! We should hit the first column well before the bloody Jap Air Force arrives!"
Rocky homed in on the first lot of Infantry & opened fire as McRae closed in from the Port side.
Rocky could see his 50 cal shots knocking down Japs but in return had some well aimed small arms fire hit his plane.
McRae now also turned in to attack & decimated the remaining Jap soldiers.
"Well done Baz!" Rocky radioed "That'll teach 'em!" However both Aussie Aircraft received hits before the last Japanese soldier fell.
In the meantime the two Jap aircraft continued to close rapidly.
The last shots from the ground had caused Rocky's P-40 to commence smoking but a check of the controls showed nothing apparently important had been hit but he kept an eye on the engine temperature.
The speed of the two groups of Aircraft meant they met very close to the next group of Japanese troops & soon a real fuselage of machinegun fire erupted. Rocky choose to shoot at the Zero which had made directly for him whilst McRae concentrated on the ground troops & ignored the Jap fighter shooting at him.
To Rocky's horror the Jap fighters bullets caused McRae's Kittyhawk to explode & crash into the Jungle a burning wreck!
"Ch***t!" Swore Rocky "Poor bloody McRae, no chance of surviveing that!"
NOTE!: The damage tokens near the Jap plane is damage to the ground troops!
Whilst Rocky took serious damage from the cannon of the Zero his return shots disabled the Zero's engine & caused it to crash into the Jungle on the far side of the track ( I was using Zoe's 12 damage points for the early M2 model with no other modifications)
As Rocky flew around the end of the troop column they fired at him but missed.
Rocky how pushed the throttle wide open to give himself some space from the last Jap aircraft & to vector in on the third column of troops. He knew his fighter was badly damaged but he had to try & destroy this column which was the closest to his base. Nothing else mattered!
He fired his guns at close range & was gratified to see the column disintegrate as he must have hit an ammunition storage box being carried by two of the troops. "Scratch those little B's" thought Rocky but his satisfaction was short lived as a combination of ground fire & shots from the Japanese fighter finally caused his Kittyhawk to spiral towards the Jungle but he opened the canopy, rolled out & floated towards the ground. If he was lucky he would be found by some of the friendly Papuan "fuzzy wazzys" taken to the coast & returned to his base by Canoe!
The Butchers Bill
Flt Ltn "Rocky" Rhodes, Veteran, Ace, Always coming home.
1 kill/Shot down/NML/
Rolled 4+Ace 2+ Veteran 1 + ACH +3 =10
(Flash not sure what this result will mean?)
Flight Sgt Barry McRae
Shot down/Explosion
Rolled 2 - 1 Explosion =1 = K.I.A.
Japanese Zero
Shot down/No Mans Land
Rolled 3 = K.I.A.
Kawasaki Fighter
Eiji Bando
RTB/1 Kill/no damage points
Jap Column One
Destroyed---14 P0ints
Jap Column Two
Heavily damaged---8 Points
Jap Column Three
Destroyed---12 points
Overview:
2 Jap Columns Destroyed
1 Jap Column 2/3 Destroyed
1 Jap Aircraft Destroyed
1 Jap Aircraft RTB
2 Australian Aircraft Destroyed
1 Pilot KIA
1 Pilot Bailed out, presumed returns to base safely (?)
Narrow Victory to Japanese Forces.
Rolled for replacement Aussie Pilot
Rolled 4 = Standard
Flt Sgt Andrew "Mac" McFarlane
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