Some Tiny Air Combat at Koepang, DEI

Started by bigjackmac, 01 December 2018, 02:54:07 PM

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Duke Speedy of Leighton

Good teport, however, when reporting back to base their senior officer may well be saying "Allen, you're hopeless, go fly a Catalina!"
You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

bigjackmac

Yeah, if he gets any worse we might have to sh*t-can him to the Army!  ;D ;D ;D

V/R,
Jack

bigjackmac

All,

It's noon on 16 February 1942, at an Allied airbase at Koepang, Dutch Timor, on the eastern edge of the Dutch East Indies (DEI). The Killer Pelicans immediately scrambled five Wildcats to meet the enemy.


Five Wildcats taking on six bombers with three escorts, this should be interesting!


The Wildcats are all up in the bombers' business.  Click the link to see the fight:
https://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2018/12/dutch-east-indies-15.html?m=1

See ya tomorrow.

V/R,
Jack

Duke Speedy of Leighton

You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

bigjackmac

Thanks, Will.  Three more batreps to go, one per day.

V/R,
Jack


bigjackmac


bigjackmac

All,

It's noon on 17 February 1942, at an Allied airbase at Koepang, Dutch Timor, on the eastern edge of the Dutch East Indies (DEI).  Japanese bombers are inbound but the Killer Pelicans were only able to scramble a single Wildcat to meet the enemy.


Looking pretty lonely out here, but hey, we got this, one stud fighter pilot taking on three bombers.


Let Dapper has broken the formation, knocked one bomber down, and is on the tail of a second, but there's thick black smoke pouring out of the cowling of his damaged Wildcat!  To see how it ends, please check the blog at:
https://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2018/12/dutch-east-indies-16.html?m=1

See you tomorrow for more shoot'em up action, courtesy of the Killer Pelicans.

V/R,
Jack

bigjackmac

All,

It's noon on 18 February 1942, at an Allied airbase at Koepang, Dutch Timor, on the eastern edge of the Dutch East Indies (DEI).  The Killer Pelicans have scrambled three Wildcats to meet the enemy.


The Wildcats are all over the Japanese bombers.  To see how it went, please check the blog at:
https://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2018/12/dutch-east-indies-17.html?m=1

For the squeamish amongst you, you may not want to click the link.  Japanese defensive fire has proven quite formidable...
Anyway, one more fight to post, coming at ya tomorrow.

V/R,
Jack

Duke Speedy of Leighton

Oh heck!
You know what you are missing?
Your tracer shot and your dakkadakka noises!
You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

bigjackmac

Missing dakka-dakka noises???  That's what you think! ;)

But yes, the orange tracer is missing.  The reason is 1) the planes are so small the orange tracer will dwarf them, and 2) the planes are so small that I couldn't (didn't?) use magnets on them, so there's nothing for the tracer to stick to.  Using the tracer on a separate stand, like I do in the ground fights, won't work, it's too long, the squares are only 1" x 1".

V/R,
Jack

Techno

Good ones, again, Jack !  :)

Cheers - Phil

bigjackmac

Thanks, Phil, and the last batrep is coming right up.

V/R,
Jack

bigjackmac

All,

It's noon on 19 February 1942, at an Allied airbase at Koepang, Dutch Timor, on the eastern edge of the Dutch East Indies (DEI). The Killer Pelicans have scrambled three Wildcats to meet the enemy.

Yesterday the Pelicans shot down one Oscar and one Helen, at the cost of two of their own precious Wildcats (Ensign Radecek made it back to base, but Lieutenant Collins, the Squadron Commander, was KIA), and a nearby munitions factory was nearly destroyed (10 more damage points, 29/32).

Two days ago the Pelicans shot down one Helen and lost their only Wildcat engaged, with Lt Dapper being declared Missing In Action.  Two Japanese bombers bombed the munitions factory, causing moderate damage (11 more points, 19/32).

Three days ago the Pelicans shot down one Oscar and three Helens, at the cost of three of their own precious Wildcats (Lt Case made it back to base, shot, Ensign Green made it back safely, and Ensign Davis was KIA), and the radar station at Koepang was destroyed while a nearby munitions factory was lightly damaged (8/32).

Four days ago the Pelicans shot down one Oscar and one Helen, at the cost of two of their own precious Wildcats (Lt French made it back to base, burned badly, Ensign Bordagaray was KIA), and the radar station at Koepang was lightly hit (another ten damage points, 23/32).

Five days ago the Pelicans shot down one Oscar and four Helens, at the cost of one of their own precious Wildcats (and the pilot, Ens Bruce, is missing), and the radar station at Koepang was not hit (still 13/32), and one of their pilots (Lt Case) won the Medal of Honor, scoring five kills to become the Pelicans' first ace.

Six days ago the Pelicans shot down three Oscars and two Helens, at the cost of three of their own precious Wildcats, and the radar station at Koepang suffered moderate damage (13/32), though one of their pilots (Fitzsimmons) won the Navy Cross, scoring three kills before getting shot down.


Last run out of the poster board playing surface, thanks for bearing with me!  Three Wildcats climbing to intercept three Helens escorted by two Oscars.


As usual, it's an aerial melee!  To see the fight, please check the blog at:
https://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2018/12/dutch-east-indies-18.html?m=1

At this stage of the game, the Killer Pelicans are down to 5 serviceable aircraft and Koepang is in danger of being overrun by Japanese landing forces, and so the evacuation is ordered and they boarded a ship for northern Australia, hoping to re-group and get back in the fight to halt the Japanese onslaught across the Pacific.

Total score:
Japanese fighters shot down: 8
Japanese bombers shot down: 13

US Navy fighters shot down: 13
Land Targets destroyed: 2.44 of 3.00

My next campaign stop is with the USAAF Chickenhawks, flying their P-40s out of Australia and then New Guinea, but back to the USN Killer Pelicans for action in the Coral Sea and Midway, then linking up with the USMC Dirt Divers out of Henderson Field on Guadalcanal.  By that point I'll be working the ground side of the Solomons as well, maybe back to some cruiser actions on the water.  Stay tuned!

V/R,
Jack

bigjackmac

All,

So I've gotten deep into Thomaston's "Tiny Air Combat," having bought and mounted a slew of them:


The whole mess, a ton of WWII and Post-WWII stuff.


I finished up all the WWII stuff.  I'd been playing a makeshift gaming surface; I'm happy to report that I've finished my new, permanent gaming surface, which you can see under the box holding the aircraft.


A closeup of an SBD Dauntless on the new gaming surface.  What, you're 1/900-1/1200 aircraft don't have red and white tailstripes? ;) 
To see a bunch more pics, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2018/12/tiny-air-combat-wwii.html

Anyway, wanted to show off what I'd finished in terms of aircraft and my new board, and I'm looking at getting those USAAF P-40s into the action this weekend.

V/R,
Jack