A beautiful flight today
made better by the fact Hori did not fly, now I have 57 combat missions, and he has 56!
79 zeros, a raggardly bunch, our rookies are still terrible at formation flying, still no opposition though, but they are active -bombing various points in China
Rumours of a "phased withdrawal" in Burma appear to be true!
Rumours of a major operation down south -intelligence talks of "operation trident" also circulate
I think we will be headed south again
I spend this evening letter writing, from here at least I feel the mail will get through.
Wobbly vs herb, ens hanamato
Moderators: wdolson, Don Bowen, mogami
RE: 56 missions
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: 56 missions
3/7/43
flew CAP today
Actually, translate that to 3 hours of stunting
As a pilot one must never forget the joy of flying.
flew CAP today
Actually, translate that to 3 hours of stunting
As a pilot one must never forget the joy of flying.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: 56 missions
4/7/43
Big air battles reported south of truk today, a enemy convoy has been attacked enroute to the Admiralties islands
it appears the rumour of operation trident is true!
and pagan has fallen!
I was right
High command responds!
The 3 daitais are ordered to manilla!
we look set to return to the war for real.
today will be a short hop -we cannot afford op losses.
Big air battles reported south of truk today, a enemy convoy has been attacked enroute to the Admiralties islands
it appears the rumour of operation trident is true!
and pagan has fallen!
I was right
High command responds!
The 3 daitais are ordered to manilla!
we look set to return to the war for real.
today will be a short hop -we cannot afford op losses.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: 56 missions
manilla was terrible
we flew in, and refuelled, and moved on, dodging the thunderclouds , as the formation -80 plus strong flew to Tacloban
never met such apathy at a base
has the tropical sun baked their brains?
One would be excused that the war was just a rumour at manilla
Stupified ground crews
Officers clearly under the influence
No fortifications
My Bushido spirit has been affronted!
With some of the army like this -little wonder that the enemy advances with such speed.
a thousand curses on them!
we flew in, and refuelled, and moved on, dodging the thunderclouds , as the formation -80 plus strong flew to Tacloban
never met such apathy at a base
has the tropical sun baked their brains?
One would be excused that the war was just a rumour at manilla
Stupified ground crews
Officers clearly under the influence
No fortifications
My Bushido spirit has been affronted!
With some of the army like this -little wonder that the enemy advances with such speed.
a thousand curses on them!
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: 56 missions
6/7/43
another tiring day, we have arrived at Moriata, a surprisingly well developed field, and certaintly in stark contrast to Manilla
The rumours about Burma are true! -it appears that there is a race south between our armies and the british.
We must fear another flanking attack -cannot comprehend why the river was given up otherwise!
No time to rest, the daita must continue south!
another tiring day, we have arrived at Moriata, a surprisingly well developed field, and certaintly in stark contrast to Manilla
The rumours about Burma are true! -it appears that there is a race south between our armies and the british.
We must fear another flanking attack -cannot comprehend why the river was given up otherwise!
No time to rest, the daita must continue south!
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: 56 missions
7/7/43
Again have been left behind -looking after brocken birds
Am pleased, our planes have gone to madang -in range of the enemy.
I am not afraid, just very tired, and I would prefer a days rest before battle!
Again have been left behind -looking after brocken birds
Am pleased, our planes have gone to madang -in range of the enemy.
I am not afraid, just very tired, and I would prefer a days rest before battle!
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: 56 missions
8/7/43
A terrible flight south in the belly of some beaten up old transport, along with 19 of my fellow fliers.
The jungle below looked, as usual very nasty, shrouded in mist in places, and always the forbidding hills.
But we made it
madang
A series of dirt fields jammed between the coast and the cursed jungle mists , and the hills.
But already I feel better
Madang is a FIGHTING base, led by an aggressive son of a Bitkh.
And here at last there is plenty of support, and supplies, and a detirmination to fight.
We expect betties tomorrow, and more planes to come.
Accomodation, again, is crude, and the army is thin, this is a navy air show.
We can again pick up the BBC -promising to smash us.
let them come.
100 sons of nippon await them.
A terrible flight south in the belly of some beaten up old transport, along with 19 of my fellow fliers.
The jungle below looked, as usual very nasty, shrouded in mist in places, and always the forbidding hills.
But we made it
madang
A series of dirt fields jammed between the coast and the cursed jungle mists , and the hills.
But already I feel better
Madang is a FIGHTING base, led by an aggressive son of a Bitkh.
And here at last there is plenty of support, and supplies, and a detirmination to fight.
We expect betties tomorrow, and more planes to come.
Accomodation, again, is crude, and the army is thin, this is a navy air show.
We can again pick up the BBC -promising to smash us.
let them come.
100 sons of nippon await them.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: 56 missions
9/7/43
Orientation flights, CAP patrol
It is good to be looking again.
Somewhere south, on the other side of the hills, we are told the enemy is gathering, many ships south of Lea, and in Milne bay.
Recon is poor though, our poor Babs unit is all but destroyed.
Orientation flights, CAP patrol
It is good to be looking again.
Somewhere south, on the other side of the hills, we are told the enemy is gathering, many ships south of Lea, and in Milne bay.
Recon is poor though, our poor Babs unit is all but destroyed.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: 56 missions
10/7/43
A terrible frustrating day.
The enemy are landing at sag, sag, well within range of us!
This is terrible dangerous, and here we sit -still awaiting the betties!
Full CAP today -the rookies fly, our unit still has 42 pilots for 27 planes -plus many planes still in crates.
I am bursting at the seams -action is so close!
A terrible frustrating day.
The enemy are landing at sag, sag, well within range of us!
This is terrible dangerous, and here we sit -still awaiting the betties!
Full CAP today -the rookies fly, our unit still has 42 pilots for 27 planes -plus many planes still in crates.
I am bursting at the seams -action is so close!
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: 56 missions
11/7/43
At dawn the field shakes to the sounds of 80 plus engines -our 3 Daitai line up, and in great clouds of dust, stream into the sky.
The betties have arrived, and armed with their deadly torpedoes, they join the fighters.
Hori and I remain alone -another rookie mission!
It will be a steep learning curve for them!
We listen at the radio hut as they approach the target.
"target in sight!"
"Many ships!"
"Enemy fighters, p38 -20 or so!"
"Fighters attack"
Then agonisingly, an eternity later -"bombers go in!"
We gather at the fields edge as the planes return, there are planes missing, but it is not as bad as it could be -the P38's seemed reluctant to fight for too long.
We tally the score -3 enemy shot down, 5 enemy ships claimed hit!
14 zeros lost
Nobody we knewthough, and we know- this is war, losses will occur.
Overall we are pleased -the attack went in well.
The betties are leaving, tomorrow Helens will fly, the fields are filling as reinforcements flow south, and one feels, here we will stop the allies, here the fight will be made!
At dawn the field shakes to the sounds of 80 plus engines -our 3 Daitai line up, and in great clouds of dust, stream into the sky.
The betties have arrived, and armed with their deadly torpedoes, they join the fighters.
Hori and I remain alone -another rookie mission!
It will be a steep learning curve for them!
We listen at the radio hut as they approach the target.
"target in sight!"
"Many ships!"
"Enemy fighters, p38 -20 or so!"
"Fighters attack"
Then agonisingly, an eternity later -"bombers go in!"
We gather at the fields edge as the planes return, there are planes missing, but it is not as bad as it could be -the P38's seemed reluctant to fight for too long.
We tally the score -3 enemy shot down, 5 enemy ships claimed hit!
14 zeros lost
Nobody we knewthough, and we know- this is war, losses will occur.
Overall we are pleased -the attack went in well.
The betties are leaving, tomorrow Helens will fly, the fields are filling as reinforcements flow south, and one feels, here we will stop the allies, here the fight will be made!
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: 56 missions
12/7/43
sag sag has fallen
And today the mists roll in, and we sit, and curse the weather.
But it also grounds the enemy too, and today a special warning -take extreme care on naval strike tomorrow -as "heavy units of the fleet are expected to be in the area!"
I miss my carrier days -and my dry, clean bunk.
sag sag has fallen
And today the mists roll in, and we sit, and curse the weather.
But it also grounds the enemy too, and today a special warning -take extreme care on naval strike tomorrow -as "heavy units of the fleet are expected to be in the area!"
I miss my carrier days -and my dry, clean bunk.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: 56 missions
13/6/43
Another day of watching others launch -26 zeros today, and 20 helens.
They report no opposition, and a scene of carnage at the beach head
Kido Baru has struck!
Our excited companions tell of about a dozen burning, sinking, or sunk vessels off the beaches, and bodies on the beaches.
And the enemyinvasion fleet is fleeing south.
A good day -our rookies are rapidly turning into men.
Hori and I chafe at the lack of opportunity -we could murder the pilot rosterer at this point!
Another day of watching others launch -26 zeros today, and 20 helens.
They report no opposition, and a scene of carnage at the beach head
Kido Baru has struck!
Our excited companions tell of about a dozen burning, sinking, or sunk vessels off the beaches, and bodies on the beaches.
And the enemyinvasion fleet is fleeing south.
A good day -our rookies are rapidly turning into men.
Hori and I chafe at the lack of opportunity -we could murder the pilot rosterer at this point!
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: 56 missions
14/7/43
Again the fields become clouds of dust -63 zeros and 11 helen leave today -we are experiencing trouble co ordinating the fields
They attacked ships south of Sag, sag -and again met the P38's
6 zeros lost, 2 from our unit, and 2 helens lost to flak -but poor bombing today.
Tomorrow another big effort, the fields have recieved re inforcement -40 odd jacks join us, 40 odd helen, 40 odd sally are here as well.
The enemy must not be allowed to open Sag sag for business.
tonmorrow we hope to catch many planes on the ground
Now for the roster guy.....................
Again the fields become clouds of dust -63 zeros and 11 helen leave today -we are experiencing trouble co ordinating the fields
They attacked ships south of Sag, sag -and again met the P38's
6 zeros lost, 2 from our unit, and 2 helens lost to flak -but poor bombing today.
Tomorrow another big effort, the fields have recieved re inforcement -40 odd jacks join us, 40 odd helen, 40 odd sally are here as well.
The enemy must not be allowed to open Sag sag for business.
tonmorrow we hope to catch many planes on the ground
Now for the roster guy.....................
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: 56 missions
A scary day!
Finally lined up with the squadrons, part of the great herd, ready to strike
sag sag agin
The planes move off-, I follow Hori - throttle to the wall.
It took too long, far too long before I realised that something was wrong -Hori pulling away, tail reluctant to come up!
No power!
Ingloriously I end stranded at the end of the field, my plane brocken in some hidden way!
Curses!
I begin the long, long trek back to the dispatch line -the rumble of our bombers fading into the distance, the dust hanging in the air.
Except the noise was not fading
Enemy Bombers!
I sprinted to the edge -diving into a slit trench, as the heavy bombers swept overhead -and the bombs screamed down!
26 big craters in the field, many store houses alight!, bunkers burning
I helped as best I could.
Hori returns.
He has seen action, our fighters downed 9 kittyhawks, and we lost only 2
A great raid.
The base is quickly recovering, sag sag is not -we must keep it closed.
We go again tomorrow
More fighters join us.
I gain much confidence, here we will truly fight for the emperor
Finally lined up with the squadrons, part of the great herd, ready to strike
sag sag agin
The planes move off-, I follow Hori - throttle to the wall.
It took too long, far too long before I realised that something was wrong -Hori pulling away, tail reluctant to come up!
No power!
Ingloriously I end stranded at the end of the field, my plane brocken in some hidden way!
Curses!
I begin the long, long trek back to the dispatch line -the rumble of our bombers fading into the distance, the dust hanging in the air.
Except the noise was not fading
Enemy Bombers!
I sprinted to the edge -diving into a slit trench, as the heavy bombers swept overhead -and the bombs screamed down!
26 big craters in the field, many store houses alight!, bunkers burning
I helped as best I could.
Hori returns.
He has seen action, our fighters downed 9 kittyhawks, and we lost only 2
A great raid.
The base is quickly recovering, sag sag is not -we must keep it closed.
We go again tomorrow
More fighters join us.
I gain much confidence, here we will truly fight for the emperor
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
57 missions, 71 experience,3 kills
Lt Oda is dead
he got 2 kills as far as I can tell, and went down to a P38 today over sag sag, part of a huge furball there.
This AAR is now going to close, I had plans that if Oda died His Brother would continue on the nagato -but he got killed too.
being an ex navy engineer a stokers view of the war might have been fun, but I bow to the writer of the HIbiki AAR, its too good for me.
Wobbly is really winning this war, maybe its best Oda did not see the defeat of his empire.
Thanks for reading
herbie
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: 57 missions, 71 experience,3 kills
Ah well... C'est la vie...
Could you close the AAR with a brief summary of ens Hanamoto's life ? and Oda's ? Just so that the whole feel of this great AAR is rendered in a single piece of text ?
Anyway I loved this AAR and was really saddened when Hanamoto died... Oda's isn't as bad, I guess I am battle hardened...
Could you close the AAR with a brief summary of ens Hanamoto's life ? and Oda's ? Just so that the whole feel of this great AAR is rendered in a single piece of text ?
Anyway I loved this AAR and was really saddened when Hanamoto died... Oda's isn't as bad, I guess I am battle hardened...
Adieu Ô Dieu odieux... signé Adam
RE: 57 missions, 71 experience,3 kills
I to followed your excellant AAR, is there a last not to he family.
Once again great job on the AAR.
Once again great job on the AAR.
Showa rules!
RE: 57 missions, 71 experience,3 kills
ORIGINAL: 1275psi
Lt Oda is dead
he got 2 kills as far as I can tell, and went down to a P38 today over sag sag, part of a huge furball there.
This AAR is now going to close, I had plans that if Oda died His Brother would continue on the nagato -but he got killed too.
being an ex navy engineer a stokers view of the war might have been fun, but I bow to the writer of the HIbiki AAR, its too good for me.
Wobbly is really winning this war, maybe its best Oda did not see the defeat of his empire.
Thanks for reading
herbie
Perhaps his brother was saved from the Nagato sinking? Or did she have a magazine explosion?
Surface combat TF fanboy
An Epilogue
This is a congrats to Wobbly , japan conceding a hopeless position in the 8th month of 43
Some time after the last post here, Wobbly invaded Victoria point with about 6 divisions.
A bitter, bitter battle developed, with huge caso's on both sides
At one point it seemed that allies would lose entire army, as it was trapped in taiping, Kuala Lumpar and mallacca -and all the fields were closed, and 270000 japanese faced 70000 allies at taiping
But japan had shot her bolt, and the attacks failed
Truk had gone, Woleai also, and the allies were on a roll in the pacific, as all had been committed to malaya.
He took a bold leap, but Wobbly gets away with one!
Well done mate[&o][&o][&o]
Some final losses
him
2CV(maybe 3or 4)
3cve
7bb
10 CA
12CL
37 DD
290 ships
7620 planes
me
4cv
2cvl
1cs
6bb
1ca
18cl
80plus dd
443 ships
11400 planes
But only3Cv and 5cvl might be called operational, 1BB only.
I personally like "reasonable games", and try to play this way, unfortunately we got into a smash fest, meggar land combat -and wob was plain too good!
We are of course debating another clash.[:)]
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: An Epilogue
As anyone who plays me knows, if I think I am on top I really try and put the boot in. I tried this in Malaya, as Herb writes, attacking with only the Brits. My thinking was that the Americans had thumped all hell out of the combined fleet and I had been tearing strips out of the Jap airforce - there can't be anything left right?
Um well, no, there was plenty left. The battle for Malaya took on the feeling of Ragnarok, Herb battering me with hundreds of aircraft. True he was taking 4 to 1 losses but the Brits don't have a very big pilot pool and man did it start to sink in that the quality was falling. I figured I had enough pilots to hold him off forever, but he moved his navy in and pounded the coastal bases so that I could no longer mount defensive missions.
As Herb writes though, I held Taiping. This base made all the difference - he could not hit it from the sea and the quality of his pilots had fallen so that he was having awful trouble getting through the thinning but still capable ranks of the aerial defenders above the base. Eventually they allowed my struggling ground troops enough latitude to build the fortresses up enough in Taiping to stop a numerically superior army. But a close run thing does not amply define the 'skin of my teeth' closeness to which this "put the boot in" exercise had been reduced to.
Plans were in the wind to attempt a rescue or even a reinforcement, but in all truth it was probably the giant strides the Americans had made in the Pacific that really did the damage.
As always Herb is a pleasure to play and like all Aussie battlers refuses to recognise he can't beat the boys form over the ditch [:D] We are lining ourselves up to play Niks mod... only this time it is me on the end of an allied hammer!!!
Um well, no, there was plenty left. The battle for Malaya took on the feeling of Ragnarok, Herb battering me with hundreds of aircraft. True he was taking 4 to 1 losses but the Brits don't have a very big pilot pool and man did it start to sink in that the quality was falling. I figured I had enough pilots to hold him off forever, but he moved his navy in and pounded the coastal bases so that I could no longer mount defensive missions.
As Herb writes though, I held Taiping. This base made all the difference - he could not hit it from the sea and the quality of his pilots had fallen so that he was having awful trouble getting through the thinning but still capable ranks of the aerial defenders above the base. Eventually they allowed my struggling ground troops enough latitude to build the fortresses up enough in Taiping to stop a numerically superior army. But a close run thing does not amply define the 'skin of my teeth' closeness to which this "put the boot in" exercise had been reduced to.
Plans were in the wind to attempt a rescue or even a reinforcement, but in all truth it was probably the giant strides the Americans had made in the Pacific that really did the damage.
As always Herb is a pleasure to play and like all Aussie battlers refuses to recognise he can't beat the boys form over the ditch [:D] We are lining ourselves up to play Niks mod... only this time it is me on the end of an allied hammer!!!
[center]
[/center]
[/center]