Historicon 2021 Game #4 Circling Sharks
Historicon game 4
Circling Sharks
Game four’s mission was an attempted rescue of a downed pilot. A USN pilot was downed and the location known. A PBY Catalina was sent to pick him up with an escort of Hellcats. The Japanese weren’t about to let this happen without a fight….
Pre-game photo looks like a game looking for players but by game time I had overflow with one more pilot than I submitted for. I always have extra planes with me so I rarely have to turn people away. When I do it’s only because there is no physical space to fit them in.
The Catalina begins it’s approach to land close to the pilot in a raft with his Hellcat escort and three more heading his way.
A flight of A6M5s closes in. Also an unassuming, unidentified boat slowly clears the islands.
The fighters climb and dive trying to get to grips with each other.
The Catalina about to land while the fighters above claw for position.
The fast Hellcats have blown past the Zeros that now get to think about what is happening below.
While the Catalina was on the water the model was moved to the edge of the table. No, it is not in an overdive!
A pair of Hellcats team up to splash a Zero. The downed Zero pilot (BobP) asked the American in the raft if he could join him but was emphatically refused.
The Catalina lifts off seemingly well protected by his little friends.
What’s that? Another American in a raft? A little too far away to get to on the water so maybe get airborne and over to him?
It may look good with all those Hellcats around but they are a bit high up to interfere with the green Zero.
The Catalina doesn’t get far and is sent back to the surface.
A second Catalina flies in to rescue the first’s crew and pilot. (This is Mike Jacob’s AIM Catalina. Mine is from Shapeways. AIM is much nicer!)
It immediately is attacked and an engine is hit and is smoking.
One Zero is set on fire by a pair of Hellcats. At least the later Zeros had some armor protection for the pilot and self sealing fuel tanks.
The second Catalina picks up the first’s crew and pilot. Like the first, it doesn’t get far after lifting off the ocean. The Hellcats can do nothing for their friends in the water. After downing another Zero they must leave as their fuel runs low.
The unassuming trawler hoists a Japanese flag and picks up it’s downed pilots and then captures the Americans.
Not a good day got the USN flyboys.
Victory to the Japanese!
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Originally Posted by malachi
I guess the speed of the large movement cards threw some of the Hellcat pilots off a bit.
I had a volunteer to fly it. Shot down twice.
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