Dave came over today just before noon for a couple of hours. We set some planes on the table and randomly chose sides. It was a Khalkin Gol scenario with Nates, Sallys, I-16s and I-153s. Dave flew for the Emperor while I flew for Uncle Joe.
Two Sallys were to cross a mat plus to bomb a supply dump. They were escorted by a pair of Nates. The Russian’s intervened with a pair of Polikarpov I-16s and another pair of I-153s.
All the fighters were quite nimble but slow compared to later WW2 aircraft. We started a few turns apart to get a feel for them.
First exchange saw all but two planes trading shots.
The Chaikas turn sharply towards the Sally as the escorting Nate flies closely past.
Shots are traded with the bomber taking the worst of it.
After the first attack on the Sallys one of the the pesky Chaikas overlap and can’t get off any shots. An I-16 overlapping the green Sally gets in a fatal long range shot at the brown camo Sally. (A boom chit for 11 hits really hurts!)
One Nate gets in a long range burst at an I-16.
The four Siberian wolves can smell another kill as they chase down the remaining Sally.
(Another boom puts the Sally’s crew in a black mood.)
Sure enough, the next round takes the bomber down.
The Nates get back into the fight and get some unanswered shots into the Russians.
A wild swirling dogfight ensues with six nimble planes twisting and turning in a small area. The two I-16s collide, one doesn’t seem to notice but the other feels the jolt and takes 6 hits.
More Japanese fire with no Russians shooting back.
The Japanese form up and fly through the middle of the Russian group. Tracers fly in all directions.
(The 2nd Nate is the card on the table.)
Both I-16 are now smoking but one of the Nates bursts into flames.
The fire is too much for the badly weakened Nate and it falls to the plains below.
The remaining Nate, seeing his wingman downed, heads for home.
Two Russians cannot even think of catching the Nate as their engines are sputtering so they also head home. The remaining Russians are not in position to chase so escort their badly damaged comrades back to their airfield.
Sadly this was a very one sided battle as the damage chits were not at all friendly to the Japanese.
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