I began playing this campaign game last summer and completed the first three missions. Then I got caught up with getting my daughter off to graduate school in the UK, preparing for and visiting her "over there" during the holidays, and closing up her apartment and getting her home in March when the pandemic shut down her school. So I was resolved on Father's Day to resume my participation in the campaign. With Richard Rodgers complete score of "Victory at Sea" rolling out of the speakers, I played the fourth mission of Midway Rising: Dogfight !
USN Wildcat F-4 flown by Lt.j.g. John Saunders, DFC (entering mission with 4.0 aerial victories) and Wildcat F-7 flown by Ensign Jimmy Crosby (entering mission with 0 aerial victories).
Turns 1 & 2
USN and IJN planes approach each other at high speed after visual sighting. AI causes the IJN to disperse and then continue to manuever.
Turns 3 & 4
USN and IJN planes maneuver to engage.
Turn 5
USN Wildcat F-4 fires long range at Red Stripe Zero inflicting 2 points damage. Camo Zero fires long range at Wildcat F-4 inflicting 6 points damage.
Turn 6
General dogfight ensues -- F-4 fires close range at Camo zero (11points damage, wounds pilot), F-7 fires long range at Camo zero (5 points damage). Camo zero shot down (Saunders and Crosby each credited with 0.5 victories. Saunders now 0.5 victories short of Ace status). Blue stripe zero fires long range (just outside short range) at F-4 and misses!
Turn 7
USN planes maneuver to re-engage, Blue stripe zero fires short range at F-7 (3pts. damage and a miss!).
Turn 8
Everybody Immelmanns! F-7 fires close range at Blue stripe zero (4 points and rudder damage), F-4 fires long range on Blue stripe zero (1 point damage).
Turn 9
F-4 and Blue stripe zero overlap -- no action. F-7 and Red stripe zero fire point blank head on -- Zero pilot must be rattled! (two 0s), F-7 puts 4 points and smoking engine on Zero.
Turn 10
Blue stripe zero Immelmann's and F-7 does a stall, both fire at close range -- Zero takes 6 points damage and right rudder damage -- now it can only go straight for 2 turns-- BUT the Zero puts 11 points on F-4 shooting him down! Rolling for Saunders on the campaign Shot Down Table reveals he is Killed in Action (he rolled a one) -- veteran status didn't save him and if he had 0.5 more victories he would have been an Ace which would have saved him. Saunders posthumously awarded the Purple Heart for combat wounds. Red stripe zero and F-7 go straight with no action.
Turns 11 & 12
F-7 Immelmann's (young Jimmy Crosby is on his own!) as does Red stripe zero. Both fire long range -- F-7 puts 7 points damage (good shooting Jimmy!) and Zero puts 0 points damage in return (smoke must be in his eyes)..On turn 12 everyone goes straight and overlaps -- no action.
Turns 13 & 14
F-7 and Red stripe zero trade close range shots -- F-7 puts damage on Zero shooting him down (Crosby now has 1.5 victories on this mission). However, the Zero puts 13 points damage on F-7 putting the aircraft in serious jeopardy. Blue stripe zero goes straight as does F-7 for one final shot before breaking off the engagement and returning to their respective carriers -- F-7 puts 4 points damage on the Zero. Both limp home.
The Butcher's Bill
Squadron Status Update
F-2 Lcdr. Sterling Moore (1.83 victories)
F-3 Lt.j.g. William (Lucky Billy) Sims (1.5 victories)
F-4 Lt. Robert Johnson (replacement pilot rolled on replacement table -- has veteran and Ace status -- will appear after next mission)
F-7 Ensign Jimmy Crosby (1.5 victories)
KIA -- Lt.j.g. John Saunders, DFC (4.5 victories), Lt.j.g. Gary Hughes (2.33 victories)
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