AAR PTO Mission 5--- Coral Sea- Tulagi attacks by USN.

[gully_raker]

USS Enterprise had been tasked to launch an attack by Dive Bombers accompanied by Wildcat fighters on any Japanese shipping attempting to build up forces at Tulagi Atoll.



Lt Bob Galer of VF-6 who was already a veteran & Ace was ordered to lead the Wildcat escort & as his regular wingman Tommy Lee Holland & Howard "Bird" Hawkes were still recovering at Pearl Harbour he selected Esn. Sam Elliott to accompany him on the mission.
The Dauntless flight from VB-6 would be led by the experienced SBD pilot Lt. Richard "Dic*" Best with his usual rear gunner Jim Murray who had the reputation as a good "sniper". The second Dauntless would be flown by Esn. Fred Murray with gunner AIM Ron Regan.

The slower Dauntless took off first from Enterprise to ensure the Wildcats did not get too far ahead.



After some time in the air the four USN aircraft saw the Atoll in the distance & as they approached Bob Galer gave instructions over the radio to separate into two sections so as to divide any AA fire from the Japanese light cruiser anchored off the entry to the wharf area of the Atoll. "Sam!" he called "You take care now buddy & dont take any unnecessary risks & try to keep that SBD safe!"

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Bob was heartened to see an RAAF Catalina in the area to take care of any Air Sea rescues that might be needed.

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As the 4 American aircraft approached, the pilots of the SBD's saw 2 Japanese freighters commencing unloading at the wharfs in the harbour area.

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As Bob approached shielding the Dauntless he came under fire from the Cruiser defending the Harbour entry.

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On the other side of the Atoll Sam Elliott also came under attack from a Jap Zeke which had appeared from over the Atoll.

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As Bob turned away to allow the Dauntless to commence its approach to the target it also came under long range AA fire but fortunately the Japanese AA was off & no damage occurred.

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Back on the other side of the Atoll the Zero flew between the two American aircraft & although the SBD got in some good hits disaster struck when the Zero blasted Sam Elliott's Wildcat from the sky.
The crew of the Dauntless did not see any sign of a parachute before the Wildcat hit the Sea.

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"Skip" radioed Murray. "Sam's gone, damn Jap just blew him out of the sky!"
"S*it"" said Bob. "Do your best Buddy & watch out for the AA when you get close to those freighters!"

Another 2 Zero's headed towards Galer & Best & Bob exchanged shots with the nearest Zeke & although his Wildcat's engine started to smoke he knew he had hit the Zero hard with his 50 cal. shells.

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As Murray lined up for his bombing run he took a minor hit from a machine gun on the freighter.

AAR Coral Sea 012.JPG  Views: 36  Size: 110.7 KB  ID: 156775" class="thumbnail" style="float:CONFIG" />
NOTE: After taking this picture I realised the rules said the aircraft can only strafe from short range so I removed the A damage token from the ship.

As Best also commenced his Bombing run he took heavy fire from the Cruiser but thanks to his veteran Evasion skill was able to discard the heaver damage chit. In return his rear gunner scored some hits on the Zero.

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Meanwhile Bob Galer got onto the tail of a Zero & got in a good burst.

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On the far side of this action the 2 Zero's suddenly collided & whilst the pale one did not appear to have been damaged the spotted camo one lurched & obviously suffered some real damage.

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Bob Galer who had been following his Zero until the smoke from his engine had dissipated now saw his opportunity as the Zero turned across his nose & with one burst saw it explode in a shower of smoke & flame. "Thats for Sam!" he shouted & shook his fist in the air.

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The two Dauntless now commenced a simultaneous attack on the freighters to try to split the fire from the cruiser but to no avail as a salvo caught the side of Bests aircraft & shrapnel tore into Jim Murray's shoulder incapacitating him.

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Both SBD's had dropped their bomb loads but the explosions blocked their line of sight so they could not see how effective their aim had been.
Their one task now was to get out of there as quickly as possible & for Best to get his injured gunner to medical assistance.
As both aircraft turned away over the atoll they both came under fire from the guns of the Cruiser & took damage with Best's Dauntless showing a lick of fire from the mid cockpit area. Notwithstanding his wound Jim Murray operated the on board fire extinguisher to try to control the fire.

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Meantime Bob Galer had lined up on another Zero & with a good burst damaged its engine!

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The SBD's were still under fire from Japanese AA fire buy fortunately no serious damage resulted.
As they passed over the Atoll it became more difficult for the Japanese gunners to be accurate as the range increased.

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Finally out of range of the Cruiser they now came under attack from one of the remaining Zero's. After the collision the spotted camo one had drifted away from the fighting. Maybe the aircraft was badly damaged or the pilot had had one hell of a fright?
As the 3 aircraft converged they all opened fire & the Zeke which had already been damaged by Bob Galer now crashed into the ocean.

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Galer now flew between the SBD's to act as protector as they made their way back to Enterprise with Best & Murray still fighting the fire which waxed & waned.

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Having given the Dauntless's enough lead Galer now Immlemaned but ready to turn on any remaining Zero's that might threaten the slower bombers especially Best who was still twisting & turning to try to control the fire.

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Finally the returning aircraft reached the relative safety of their carrier & the Japanese pursuers turned back towards their own base as they were running short of fuel.

The Butchers Bill:

Esn Sam Elliott: Wildcat
SD/Sea/Boom card---MIA presumed KIA
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Ltn Bob Galer: Wildcat
RTB 1 kill Zero (explosion)
6 damage points
AAR Coral Sea 034.JPG  Views: 36  Size: 60.7 KB  ID: 156792" class="thumbnail" style="float:CONFIG" />

Esn Fred Murray/AIM Ron Regan: Dauntlass.
RTB---1 kill (Murray) Zero
12 Damage points
AAR Coral Sea 032.JPG  Views: 36  Size: 65.3 KB  ID: 156793" class="thumbnail" style="float:CONFIG" />

Ltn Richard Best/Chief Radioman Jim Murray WIA
RTB/ on fire
18 damage points
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NOTE: Fire damage draws on second line.


Zero Spottrd camo:
RTB 5 damage points
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Zero (Blue band)
RTB 4 damage points
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Zero (red band & tail tip)
Shot down by Bob Galer
10 damage points plus Explosion
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Zero (thin red band)
Shot down by Fred Murray
13 damage points inc Engine damage
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2 Japanese Freighters Bombed:
Recon showed one freighter sunk by Esn Fred Murray/Ron Regan
Drew 3 B chits---3, Fire 3 & RHT 1

2nd freighter near miss---bombs hit cargo on wharf,
Drew 3 B chits 8, 0 & 3. No special damage.

Mission Drawn.

Mission Overview

Well that was a real buzz. The Japanese AA fire meant it was a real challenge to reach the Freighters with the Cruiser guarding the Anchorage.
It did not help loosing Sam Elliott right at the start of the game but it ended up a good contest.
I gave the Zero's 12 damage points plus a 90 degree turn both L & R.

I will leave it up to Neil to roll the results for the Shot Down & wounded etc. No doubt he will embellish the return of the heavily damaged Dauntless & we wait to see its fate!
I suppose there is a slim chance Elliott might have survived the ditching & was picked up by the Catalina but its a very slim chance!








Ltn

[Flying Officer Kyte]

That was a real humdinger Baz.
Action packed from start to finish.
Good tactics by the American pilots saw them through.
Just a pity about the near miss and young Elliott.
c'est la guerre.

Rob.

[tikkifriend]

Good plan of attack Baz and a 50% hit rate on the freighters . Elliot may be the second Shark bait pilot of the campaign unless he remembered his repellant. Well played and well recounted Thanks.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Galer looked over at the two struggling birds. He wondered wether they would make it back to the Big 'E'. "Ok, you two listen up, and listen good. I want you both to begin a slow climb get to 6,000 ft then level off. If anything goes wrong you bail out. Do you understand". Both Dauntless pilots confirmed that they understood and began a long slow climb to 6,000 ft. As they climbed Galer gave both planes a good look over. He didn't like what he saw. It would take a miracle for them to land on the deck. Let's get them home first then we can decide what to do, he thought to himself.

"Ok. Big 'E' on the horizon lets start a gentle descent and come in around 1,000 ft". Again both Dauntless pilots confirmed. "Murray I want you to ditch, then you Best. The Big 'E' will launch a boat and have you back on board before you know it, ok?". "Nope", came the reply from Murray. "I'm gonna land on the deck, can't swim, Pappy never did get round to teaching me back home in Arkansas". With that Galer could only watch as Murray lined up for a landing.
Galer could only watch in horror as Murray came in too low and was about to hit the stern of the Big 'E' but at the last second he pulled up and landed on the deck. "Ok Best I want you to ditch alongside the Big 'E' ok?". "Nope can't do that either, Fred's brother Jim is out cold and might not make it. Anyhow's I can't see Freds Pappy not teaching Fred to swim and teaching Jim so I guess they both can't. I'm going in. You'd better get down first, then I'll take my chances." It didn't take Galer long to put the Wildcat down on the deck as Best lined up his battered and on fire Dauntless. He gently put the plane on the deck as the fire took hold. But the deck crew were there in an instant. The flames out. Plane badly scorched but both Best and Murray had made it. It was a few hours later that Murray came round in the sick bay to be told the bullet that grazed his skull must have just knocked him unconscious.

Esn Fred Murray 1 kill/AIM Ron Regan: Dauntless. 12 damage
carrier landing rolled:5-1(50%+ dam)=4 = landed just made it
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4768316/

Ltn Richard Best/Chief Radioman Jim Murray WIA Dauntless
RTB/ on fire 18 damage
carrier landing rolled:5-1(50%+ dam)=4 = landed just made it
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4768318/
Jim Murray WIA rolled:6 = just a scratch
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4768319/

Esn Sam Elliott: Wildcat
SD/Sea/Boom card---MIA presumed KIA
rolled: 3-2(EXP)-1(SEA)=0 = KIA
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4768344/

[Flying Officer Kyte]

That was a nail biter as well Neil.
I'm glad Baz only lost one pilot in this mission.
Thank you for rounding it off in your own inimitable way.
Most enjoyable.
Rob.

[Mau Fox]

What a nice AAR, great tactics and great "location"!

The atoll, the docks, the ships ... no, I am DEVOTED to WWI.
I must resist, ohm ... ohm ... ohm ... I must resist!

[Gotham Resident]

That is a really nice play area. Whew, what a battle. Ma Murray can't be happy with 2 boys both flying at the same time! RIP Sam Elliot, I liked him in Roadhouse.


===
Mau, I try not to read too many campaigns in the WWI section for the same reason.......I however was able to fill a tiny itch by getting the Gladiator on clearance, so I CAN fly a WWI plane.

[Mau Fox]

Mau, I try not to read too many campaigns in the WWI section for the same reason.......I however was able to fill a tiny itch by getting the Gladiator on clearance, so I CAN fly a WWI plane.

Misha, I am hovering over the Cr.42 in Mediterranean camo scheme ... but I KNOW that if I open THAT door it will be an endless pain.
At least for my wallet

[gully_raker]

Many thanks Neil for that great finale to my mission.

You had me biting my nails as the 2 SBD's decided to try for a landing.

Good rolls for those boys & I really did think poor old Sam was a goner!

[ptownhiker]

Barry, that was an action packed AAR with great photos. I also liked the model work on the islands. Well done.

[fast.git]

Great AAR, Barry. Bad news about Ens. Elliott. Galer even the scales somewhat... And I agree with Paul: putting 50% of the targets on the bottom is worthy of note!

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Barry if I had taken the crews the opposite way round it would have been Jim Murray biting the bullet or the Dauntless splashing with both KIA. Just the luck of the rolls. Or unlucky. Me thinks some commendations will be forthcoming soon.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Misha, I am hovering over the Cr.42 in Mediterranean camo scheme ... but I KNOW that if I open THAT door it will be an endless pain.
At least for my wallet

What's a little pain in order to fly for the esteemed Regio Aeronautica Mau.
Even I as a foreigner was won over when Attilio took me to the Aero Museum whilst we were in Rome last year.
So many wonderful and graceful aircraft to choose from.
Go on you know you want to do it. You are a man not a mouse. Just get the CR 42 you know you want to. Just the one won't hurt.
Rob.

[Mau Fox]

What's a little pain in order to fly for the esteemed Regio Aeronautica Mau.
Go on you know you want to do it. You are a man not a mouse. Just get the CR 42 you know you want to. Just the one won't hurt.
Rob.

Oh ... what is this suasive voice ... what is this purring sound resembling a Fiat A.74 two-row, fourteen-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine ... ohm ... I know I want to do it ... ohm ... I am a man not a mouse ... ohm ... I know I want to ... ohm ... in the end, it's only one ...

Mau

[fast.git]

Go on you know you want to do it. You are a man not a mouse. Just get the CR 42 you know you want to. Just the one won't hurt.

The first one is almost always nearly free. Sweet temptation... Ohh... beware the slippery slope!

[Flying Helmut]

Fantastic AAR - love the islands and docks!

Reminds me of my 1/700 WW2 Pacific games; I must dig them out again.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Oh ... what is this suasive voice ... what is this purring sound resembling a Fiat A.74 two-row, fourteen-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine ... ohm ... I know I want to do it ... ohm ... I am a man not a mouse ... ohm ... I know I want to ... ohm ... in the end, it's only one ...

Mau

Nice riposte Mau.
Rob.

[Gotham Resident]

Oh ... what is this suasive voice ... what is this purring sound resembling a Fiat A.74 two-row, fourteen-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine ... ohm ... I know I want to do it ... ohm ... I am a man not a mouse ... ohm ... I know I want to ... ohm ... in the end, it's only one ...

Mau

Yes, it's just one. But what a shame it would be if it was just sitting on a shelf with noone to fly against. Perhaps just one gladiator to have it fly against....or perhaps that little Reggi. It is a very slippery slope though!!! If you decide to plunge - miniaturemarkets.com has the White Gladiator and 2 of the Fiats for $6.95 each (clearance).

[Mau Fox]

Yes, it's just one. But what a shame it would be if it was just sitting on a shelf with noone to fly against. Perhaps just one gladiator to have it fly against....or perhaps that little Reggi. It is a very slippery slope though!!! If you decide to plunge - miniaturemarkets.com has the White Gladiator and 2 of the Fiats for $6.95 each (clearance).

Tu quoque, Misha!

Well, it is clear that I should buy at least one Gladiator ... who am I to bereave that poor CR.42 of its valiant opponent?

Mau

P.S. Pardon me Barry for having hijacked your thread!

[gully_raker]

Tu quoque, Misha!

Well, it is clear that I should buy at least one Gladiator ... who am I to bereave that poor CR.42 of its valiant opponent?

Mau

P.S. Pardon me Barry for having hijacked your thread!

Not a problem Mau!
You really do need to get one of each & at only $6.95 how could you refuse.