Some Tiny Air Combat at Koepang, DEI

[Techno]

 

Cheers - Phil

[bigjackmac]

Thanks, Phil!

V/R,
Jack

[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!

[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

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Very nice Jack

[Techno]

Great fun, Jack.

Cheers - Phil

[Womble67]

Very good

Take care

Andy

[bigjackmac]

Thanks guys!

Got two more dogfights in this weekend.  Yeah, only two, I was teaching my 9-year old boy so the games took a loooooong time, but lotsa fun!  I'll get them posted this week.

V/R,
Jack

[Jesus]

uauuuuuu 

[toxicpixie]

Looks good - I always approve of bringing in the wee one's to join in

[bigjackmac]

Thanks TP and Jesus, and yeah, it's great getting the kid to the table.

Just slowwwww, so I'll definitely keep playing solo fights as well. 

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

It's noon on 19 January 1942 (yes, we've gone back in time about a month from the seven Killer Pelicans dogfights I just posted), and only days before a squadron of US Army Air Force P-40 Warhawks under Captain Brian Jordan was sent to Makassar on the southwest tip of the island of Celebes, to aid in the American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) defense of the Dutch East Indies (DEI) from the marauding forces of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy.  Captain Jordan and his men with their eighteen sleek, Curtiss Warhawks quickly settled into life on the dusty tropical airfield, happy be in the fight and ready to avenge Pearl Harbor!

As a matter of fact, just yesterday Captain Jordan and three of his pilots took to the air and  managed to shoot down three enemy fighters and two enemy bombers, at the cost of only one P-40 damaged!  But the Japanese are keen on making Celebes theirs (in the Killer Pelicans games, the enemy aircraft were flying out of Kendari, Celebes), and the Army pilots expect their stay at Makassar to be short-lived as Japanese landing forces are sure to arrive any minute now.


The new setup.  North is left, where the Imperial Japanese Army aircraft are, south is right, where the U.S. Army Air Force is.  East is up, West is down.  The Japanese are charging in, intent on destroying Dutch coastal artillery batteries covering the Japanese Navy's intended landing beaches on Celebes.


The Americans, six P-40 Warhawks, from top to bottom:
Chicken 22: 2nd Lt Macon, his first combat sortie
Chicken 21: 1st Lt Pace, 2 kills in his first sortie
Chicken 23: 2nd Lt McKyer, his first combat sortie
Chicken 52: 2nd Lt Verdin, his first combat sortie
Chicken 51: 1st Lt Potts, his first combat sortie
Chicken 53: 2nd Lt Beach, his first combat sortie


The Japanese, from top to bottom:
Oscar 02
Oscar 01
Left: Helen 06, Helen 04, Helen 05
Right: Helen 03, Helen 01, Helen 02
Oscar 03
Oscar 04

Still using Bettys as Helens, but actually got the Oscars on the table this time.


Turns 1 and 2 bring us to the merge.  The sun is giving a nasty glare off the warm, South Pacific waters...


And this why they're called the Chickenhawks!  To see the U.S. Army Air Force have a very bad day (or, more appropriately, to see me get my butt kicked by my son), please check the blog at:
https://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2018/12/dutch-east-indies-19.html

The boy and I immediately played another game, so next fight coming right up!

V/R,
Jack

[Techno]

The boy 'done good !!'

Cheers - Phil

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

He's still kicking your derrier! Go the boy!