Luke, You Don't Know The Power of, uh, Air Power

[Admiral DadMan]

Ross Perot, eat your heart out...

[Blitzer]

Originally posted by dgaad


The entire attack goes in like this :

1. Dozens of P-38s come in first, sweeping the area for stray or exceptionally brave and/or stupid and/or rookie enemy fighter pilots. This lasts about 7 minutes. Occasionally, several enemy pilots are in fact found that are all of the above : stray, brave, stupid, AND rookies.

2. 10 minutes behind the P-38s are the Mitchells. The 140+ come in "Beeswarm" formation, which is really just a cluster in no particular order, but which provides maximum theatrical effect. The Beeswarm looks like a tornado, and the stack of aircraft goes up to about 3000 feet, all the way down to the deck. The Beeswarm begins zeroing in on the airfield and facilities, so it begins to lose visual consistency as it approaches the enemy airfield.

3. Travelling about 30 seconds behind the Mitchells, on either flank of the Beeswarm, are the 50+ Beaufighters. These are spread out in a double stack line, and they converge on the port facilities from two different directions, at an altitude of 1000 feet.

4. The Beeswarm and Beaufighters go in, wreaking havoc. Not a second goes by without one or more 500lb bomb explosions. This goes on for about 3-6 minutes. Some of the aircraft make strafing runs also, blowing up aircraft, fuel tanks, what have you, on the ground.

5. About halfway through the Beeswarm/Beaufighter attack, if you were there, you would begin to hear a loud rumbledrone from above, getting a bit louder with each passing second. It would eventually get so loud that it would seem to you like the ground itself was beginning to shake, except that its already shaking from the numerous 500 lb bomb explosions. Between the explosions, however, you hear what amounts to a horrific sound of about 700 large engines 30,000 feet above, sounding something like a demonic-bestial scream. Looking up, you see what appears to be a large thunderhead. You thank god, because maybe this will drive off the present attackers. You curse god, however, when you realise that the thunderhead is really 150 B-17s who are in fact just now dropping their bombs.

6. The Mitchells and Beaufighters begin to bug out, rather quickly, in all directions. From above the bestial demon scream is now close to driving the remaining souls on the ground totally insane. Now added to this sound, among all others, is a high pitched whine, like a thousand sirens calling you to the utter peace and relief of death. Its the bombs. Hundreds of them. Screaming down at you.

7. Your last thought is of the Emperor. Of eating him, and then cooking your own arm. Because you are now quite insane. Or dead. Which, no longer matters.

[Blitzer]

Impressive. Most impressive.

Didn't something like this happen at Tora Bora?:eek:

[dgaad]

I should add that after these repeated air attacks against Rabaul, Kavieng, Shortland, along with carrier operations lasting about 2 weeks, I cheated around August 13, 1943 to look at the Japanese side.

Truk is the only base left with ANY supplies at all. Every other base has zero or near zero supplies. All the Japanese Base Forces besides Truk have zero or near zero aviation support, and all Japanese bases have, as a result zero or near zero operational aircraft.

[Admiral DadMan]

I'm getting there myself...

[Diealtekoenig]

Me. I would hate to be in an allied bomber going in at 1000 feet with all those groups of B17s coming from all directions at 33,000 feet!

Just how many B25s did the B17s get?

[dgaad]

The aftermath of Lae Raids on Rabaul :

[von Murrin]

Eeeeeevil!

What a read! Last time I had this much fun on a forum was when I made UV 23. :p