Battles over Brewer 2023
Battles Over Brewer 2023 Part 1
First weekend in September I traveled up to visit Dave in Brewer Maine for some WGS gaming. It has been a long time since I’ve seen Dave and he has painted a lot of planes since my last visit. Time to get some in the air!
We got in 3 WW2 games on Saturday, the afternoon game with a friend of Dave’s joining in.
Saturday morning Dave and I started off with a battle off Malaysia. The Japanese were landing troops to the north unopposed. The RAF sent a scratch force with its only torpedo capable planes, the Vickers Vildebeest, to try to stop one of the landings.
Game 1, Vildebeest’s on the Prowl.
A pair of torpedo ladened Vildebveests with one Buffalo escort made for a Japanese landing site in Malasia. Hoping to catch a transport still loaded.
A trio of Ki-27 Nates barred their way.
The Buffalo pilot overturns leaving the Nates a clear run at the Vildebeests.
One shot and one critical hit. The first Beast takes a hit to it’s engine. Being far from their base the Vildebeest crew weigh the severity of the situation and decide to carry on.
Vildebeest #2 gets harassed but a silver Nate while a camo version flies high above.
The silver Nate continues to plink away causing some rudder trouble for Vildebeest #2.
A second Nate gets in on the action against Beast #2. The damage is adding up. The Beast has more rudder damage and begins to smoke.
Vildebeest #1, trying to help his wingmate, gets in a good shot at the green Nate.
The torpedo planes battle for their lives while the Buffalo watches helplessly from above.
Radio chatter gets frantic, “Get the %$@* down here and help”!
Beest #1’s consecutive fire on the green Nate does some serious hurt to it.
Beest #2 gets a little relief as the green Nate is too close to shoot. Unfortunately, the silver Nate keeps up the fire and adds some more pain.
The green Nate pulls away from Beest #2 only to get wacked by Beest #1.
While the green Nate falls to the sea the silver Nate keeps up its fire on Beest #2. Sliding into a Blind spot the Nate shoots at close range without having to take any return. Time is running out for this Beest.
When the Buffalo finally drops to engagement level it is unfortunate for him as he is in front of the camo Nate.
Beest #1 can take no more and spirals into the sea.
Vildebeest #1 chugs along as fast as it can. Seeing its accompanying Beest splash the rear gunner takes some revenge on the silver Nate.
The Beest dives down to torpedo level but still takes some incoming fire from the silver Nate. (missed a photo before this one)
Lining up on a transport makes it easy for the Nate to hammer the Beest.
With the Beest making its torpedo run the Buffalo knows it can’t help and concentrates on the camo Nate. Their dance begins in earnest.
They turn at each other but pass too close to get off any shots.
The slow speed of the Voldebeest confounds the Nate pilot. He cannot slow his plane enough to keep it in his guns. The troops on the transport watch in terror as the torpedo plane gets closer and closer.
The Nate now finds itself in front of the Beest and takes a few rounds in the tail.
The fish is in the water!
As the Nate pulls away from the Beest the destroyer in the cove (just below out of the photo) can finally get a shot at the enemy. He hits and scores some damage.
Not enough of a distraction for the Nate as the Beest pilot rissles him again, killing him outright.
The camo Nate gets a free shot on the Buffalo as it speeds forward trying to get to the Beest. He didn’t realize the great marksmanship of the Beest pilot and would have been better off countering the camo Nate.
The Buffalo pilot feels the sting of a 7.7mm round.
The Buffalo takes more punishment but it has done its job distracting the Nate from the Beest below.
Back in the cove, the torpedo passes harmlessly beneath the transport.
The Buffalop turns back towards the Nate. With the incoming rounds hitting the Buffalo the pilot regrets his decision.
With the Nate heading away the Vildebeest crew hope the Nate keeps on going.
The Buffalo passes just over the Nate and wishes for the same thing.
Unfortunately the Nate reverses and latches on to the Buffalo’s tail.
The Buffalo pilot knows he’s done for if he tries to run so reverses back at the Nate. The Nate is caught by surprise and takes a hammering.
The destroyer’s AA finishes off the Buffalo.
Vildebeest #1 gets away with the camo Nate watching it head off to the south.
This was considered a Japanese victory as both transports survived the day.
If a torpedo drew any damage other than ‘0’ from the D deck the transport would be considered destroyed. Sadly for the
Vildebeest crew their torpedo missed.
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