PTO Prologue 2: Initial Strikes - Blackronin
December 13, 1941
Honored Father:
I hope this letter will reach you and mother and that both are in good health.
I also hope that my previous letter has reached your hands. Brother is well. After his exploitation and kill he became one of our carrier favorite pilots. I'm very proud of little brother.
We are now at the Philippines sea. Yesterday we took several airstrips from the allies. We sent some dive bombers from our carrier to one airfield and I had the honour to escort them with Taii Mitsuo Fuchida, our squadron leader and a true warrior and ace.
This morning we left Laoang to get back to the Carrier and Taii Mitsuo Fuchida said that we would make a final pass over the airstrip to honor our comrades. And we were glad we did it...
We passed over the airstrip in perfect formation. The four Vals were resting, shining at the first light of the day. Our carrier group was stationed in the Philippines sea waiting for us.
I saw them first, coming low and fast. "Taii Fuchida! Four bandits coming 12 low!" "Great eyes you have Chūi Quinn Mikeyung. Let's see who they are."
But we already knew who they might be... "We must take them before they reach the airstrip, Sentai no rīdā!" He laughed. "Hai, Quinn! But not in a frontal assault. The Americans have a formidable firepower in their fighters."
So we've banked right as they approached.
The Americans seemed uncertain about taking us or strafing the airfield.
Taii Fuchida manoeuvre was perfect. We caught them from their side. Mine... less so...
And I took a terrible amount of damage... "Are you alright?" "Hai!", I replied ashamed of being hit.
We fired a terrible volley that hit the engine of the P-39. But the plane kept on flying.
As they turned right we crossed their line. "They won't go against the airstrip", I said. "Excellent! We'll take them before they damage the Vals!"
And we filled a P-40 with lead, but the plane kept on going. "By the kamis", I said, "they keep flying."
Two of them quickly understood that they couldn't match our maneuverability and went for a vertical reverse.
We fired against the fourth one but again we failed to take him down.
The other two also went for a vertical reverse and we already had two on our tails. "Turn hard", Taii Fuchida said. But my white falcon was already answering my commands.
And we caught the P-40 finishing his half-loop. I saw his face. he knew it was too late for him.
We fired together. Our bullets raking the already damaged plane. He went down.
"It's a honor flying with you Sentai no rīdā Fushida. Your aim is flawless. Congratulations for one more kill", I said as the P-40 was diving to the ground. His reply was very honorable. "Baka! This was as much a kill done by you as one done by me. We'll share it!" "Domo arigato, Sentai no rīdā Fushida. You're a most honored man." And he laughed.
And with a quick turn we aimed for the damaged P-39.
We fired from long range and my cannon bullets cracked it open.
Once again as he went down I switched the radio on. "It's indeed a honor fighting by your side, Sentai no rīdā Fushida. Your aim is flawless. Congratulations for one more kill", he cursed back. "Baka! Double baka!! I didn't even hit the American! This kill is yours! Congratulation for your excellent marksmanship!" "Domo arigato, Sentai no rīdā Fushida." And he laughed once again.
The remaining American fighters seemed to lose courage and start retreating. "They're faster than us, but let's chase them away." Sentai no rīdā Fushida said.
And so we did.
But we knew that we wouldn't be able to gain terrain. "Things will get worse when they learn how to fight us..." I thought that Sentai no rīdā Fushida was thinking aloud and I didn't reply. But his voice and his words made me think of you, father.
And we saw them as they went away...
We landed again to refuel and repair my plane and soon we got back to the Ryūjō.
In this Mission:
Taii Mitsuo Fuchida (Ace - Acrobatic Pilot, Evasion) (1 shared kill in this mission)
Chūi Quinn Mikeyung (Veteran - Evasion) (1 kill and 1 shared kill in this mission)
1. The American pilots are Standard.
From this scenario on these house rules will be always used in the PTO campaign:
My PTO Hose Rules
After the first mission I decided that something must be made to achieve the true feeling of Eastern early war combat.
All accounts point to a drastic difference in performance between the Zero and Ki-43 and the allied fighters. We can't feel that difference between C deck and the other decks.
Also, even knowing that the Ki-43 was brutally under-armed, the truth is, a vast number of allied fighters and bombers fell under the guns of this fighter.
And finally the 16 damage the zero has comparing with the 17 and 18 damage points of the American fighters doesn't really shows how much more fragile the Japanese fighters were in the initial stages of the war.
In order to offset this and without wanting to change the spirit of the game or making it more complex I devised the following house rules that I'll use in my Solo PTO Campaign:
1. The C+ deck - I add 1 left and 1 right 90º turn card from the L deck. The ki-43 Hayabusa and the A6M2 Zero will use the C+ deck instead of the C deck.
2. No self sealing fuel tanks - The early versions of the Japanese planes didn't have self sealing fuel tanks. A damage chit of smoke becomes automatically a fire chit.
3. No cockpit protection armor - When a Japanese plane takes a pilot wounded damage take another yellow damage chit. If a special damage (any) appears in the chit, the pilot is mortally wounded and the plane crashes. If not, it's a normal wounded damage and a second one will kill the pilot as per normal rules.
(The next rule wasn't used in this scenario but it will be used from now on.)
4. Angling Shots - All shots that don't enter the enemy plane in its rear arc and front arc are always long range shots;
All close range shots that enter the enemy's plane rear arc at close range add an A damage chit;
All close range shots that enter the enemy's plane frontal arc suffer reduction. All B, C and D chits become A chits instead.
These rules adds to the extra A damage chit for continuous fire (i.e. firing against the same enemy plane for consecutive turns).
Example: A ki-43 is firing for the second consecutive time against a P-40 in the P-40 rear arc at close range. It would make AAB damage.
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Originally Posted by Blackronin
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