AAR: Midway Rising - Mission 1 Bombing Midway (Kaga NAG, 601st Kokutai)

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

(Offending remarks removed)

The bombing of Midway.

Sjirō Chōno and his wingman Osamu Kudō would be escorting a flight of Val dive bombers to Midway island. The take off presented no problems as the planes took off from the carrier Kaga.


Both pilots belonged to the 601st Kokutai , currently attached to the naval air group (NAG) on the carrier Kaga in the 1^st carrier division. Their parent ship, Zuikaku, was undergoing repairs in Japan.
Gaining height it was not long before they could see the island of midway in the distance. They could also see a flight of wildcats, F4F-4 Grumman fighters. What they missed was the lone P40, scrambled off Midway to meet the threat.


Chono took the lead from the left with Kudu in close support. They would take on the Wildcats and give the Vals’s a clear run into the target.


The lead wildcat banks right and Chono follows leaving the 2^nd wildcat for Kudo.

Chono’s shot goes wide…pic 102 leaving Chono to the mercy of the 2^nd wildcat, they exchange shots from close range, kudu fires in support. Whilst the Val’s get bounced by the lone P40…
.

The fighters fly past each other, the Val’s have turned to close the distance with their fighters but only to leave themselves at the mercy of a wildcat and the P40. Disaster strikes the lead Val as bullets rip through his plane from the wildcat causing the plane to go into an uncontrollable dive and it smashes into the sea. The rear gunner in the 2^nd Val and P40 exchange shots. Pic 107/108. The remaining dive bomber is sandwiched and tries its best to engage both enemy planes but there can be only one result. Pic 110 and it joins its partner heading sea ward.


Chono and the 1^st wildcat have both immelmanned but only chono is in a position to fire. As the P40 takes on Kudo. The 1^st wildcat joins the party and Kudo is heading for the sea as the P40 closes in and shreds the fuselage of Kudo’s plane.

Chono seeing his wingman’s plane falling from the sky fires a blast into the P40.


Luck cannot last forever and Chono gets caught out by the wiley 1^st wildcat and his engine cuts out as he heads for the sea.

The Butchers bill:


Wildcat 1: 12 damage returned to Midway for repairs. 1 possible no wreckage.
Wildcat 2: 21 damage, crashed in the sea, picked up by a flying boat returned to Midway. 1 kill
P40: 10 damage, returned to Midway. 1 kill, 1 possible no wreckage.


Sjirō Chōno (Ace - Perfect Aim - evasion): 15 damage returned to Kaga.
Osamu Kudō (Veteran - Evasion): 19 damage crash landed in the sea. Picked up by sea plane.
Val 1: Catastrophic damage crew killed.
Val 2: 19 damage shot down. Prisoners. Picked up and captured by US forces.


This was my first SOLO campaign WW2 game. I made a few mistakes, namely the ace skills. But didn’t the AI US planes do well? Hopefully my next game will run a lot smoother.

[Marechallannes]

Nice first Midway solo mission, Neil!

Unlucky explosion hit for the Val.

...and the AI driven Fighters could be a real pain in the ***.

The F4F-4 and the P40 combine a lot of firepower. Close range shots with 3 B-damage counters it's something that hits really hard...

Just a question: Why did you treat the red nosed Wildcat as a F4F-4 instead as a F4F-3? (B at long range and BB at short range)

Do you used Joaquims advanced WW II solo rules? ...with the possibility for AI Immelmanns?

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Um got mixed up as my eyes aint as good as they were, and its damn difficult to see the letters in the coloured circle. Just a mistake. But not one I am making in the second scenario, which I've taken a break from for dinner. That P40 is damn fast too.

[Marechallannes]

Fast - sturdy - deadly, indeed.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Just picked this game up Neil.
Very entertaining.
Rob.

[THECCRICH]

Awesome battle pictures... It is just the Pacific Ocean, the US, and the IJN.... Nice aircraft collection also... Very nice...