Aoyama Sota looked to his right and saw his friend Asahi Uchida, piloting a red tailed D3A, grinning back. They had been flying for 45 minutes and their targets were just coming into sight. The Americans had been caught sleeping as no interceptors had been encountered. The rear gunners, Fujiwara Tatsuya and Takizawa Hideaki gave each other the thumbs up.
A-O, (Aoyama) as his squadron mates called him, was carrying a larger bomb than he had ever flown with before. It was a great honor to be given but he was not feeling easy. As the American ships came into view he told Asachi to first go for the smaller ship on the right while he would hit the larger one on the left. Just then he noticed two dark specks in the sky ahead.
They were coming in fast, American fighters. The fighter on A-O’s left looked like he would fly right past so he turned in towards it to try to get by it taking a short burst while doing so.
Asahi and another fighter flew straight at each other and fired too soon. Asahi felt his D3A shake a bit as he was hit.
As the fighters flew past the rear gunners took their first shots of the war at the new American enemy.
Fujiwara hit his fast moving target as did the rookie Takizawa.
As the Yank flew past Taki kept firing and grinned when he saw the fighter start to smoke.
It turned towards A-O and Fujiwara leaving the red tail a clear path to a destroyer. Fuji plinked off a shot as he saw the fighter turn towards him.
Asahi started his dive on the destroyer. “This was too easy”, he thought as the destroyer gave no resistance!
Fuji fired again and the Yank got his guns lined up and tore into the Val. A-O felt his plane rocked by the hits it was taking as he turned to make a run at a cruiser.
Fuji and the Yank were exchanging fire until Fuji was hit and slumped out of sight.
A-O started his dive lining up the cruiser’s stern. A-O didn’t notice that Fuji’s gun went silent as he concentrated on the cruiser.
Asahi released one of his bombs on the direct center of the destroyer. As he pulled out of his dive he looked back and saw the ship jump out of the water and roll on it’s side. Taki let out a “Banzai”! seeing that they had sunk their target with one bomb.
A-O let his bomb go, hitting just fore the rear battery. The Yank fighter followed him in the dive but had difficulty keeping his aim.
With his bomb released A-O set up a wing-over to head back. His plane could not take much more damage as the Yank had punished the D3A badly. The Yank’s dive had taken it too far left so A-O felt he could shake him.
Asahi saw A-O hit the cruiser. He knew he had to score another hit if it was to be destroyed. There was nothing in his way so this should be easy as the ships didn’t seem to want to shoot back.
A-O pulled off his wing-over as the Yank flew past.
Asahi saw an enemy approaching and had to get past it to attack the cruiser. He felt confident as his D3A barely had a scratch on it.
As Asahi lined up a bomb run on the cruiser the American came straight on at him. The weight of the American machine guns shredded the D3A. Taki was hit and the plane plummeted into the bay.
A-O didn’t notice his friend’s plight as he flew through the rising smoke over the cruiser.
A-O hoped his now lighter plane could out run the Yanks. If he could only get closer to his carrier he would get fighter support.
By the time the Yank had stopped smoking and turned to give chase but was too far behind to catch A-O.
Minutes seemed like hours as A-O flew back to the Shokaku. Fuji moaned in pain from his wound and did not respond to A-Os’ asking him where he was hit and how was he. A-O did the best he could on landing his badly shot up plane. The landing was a rough one and the plane didn’t take it well. A-O was hurt in the crash as was Fuji...
Butcher’s Bill
Americans both RTB
Asahi Uchida SD SEA ET
6 -1(sea) =5, Bailed out OK, captured
Takizawa Hideaki SD WIA SEA ET
2 -1(wia) -1(sea) = 0 KIA
Aoyama Sota 50%
Carrier landing 4 -1(50%) = 3, miss 1 mission,
plane 5 = miss 2 missions
Fujiwara Tatsuya WIA 50%
2 -1(wia) -1(50%) = 0 badly wounded, home for you!
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