First sortie for Adj Sef Ionescu

Traded in my playtest copy of Bag The Hun II for the final. Great artwork and some inspiring rules! Rivet counters won't like them but they reward good tactics and show why a veteran pilot is always dangerous. Needless to say did not play Platoon Forward this week but a bit a good news on that front. Rich of Too Fat Lardies has agreed to pubish it and stated he will do so right after he finishes Charlie Don't Surf. I expect to see it this summer. Soon you will be inspiring me with your tales of heroics!!

Still tinkering with Squadron Forward and my Romanian Air Force...
Adj Sef Ionescu had been in the AAR for 9 years and had finally wrangled a combat assignment when his friend (wingman) was posted as the wing commander of a fighter base at the start of the war to rid the world of Communism. If you read the last post you will remember the escadrille was down to 4 planes. The mission assignment today was a fighter sweep. Lt Macri would lead the mission along with the flight sergeant. The 2 wingmen would be Adj Stag Toma and Adj Baciu.
Characters:
Lt Marci Plesant
Adj Sef Ionescu Cultured Veteran pilot
Adj Stag Toma obnoxious
Adj Baciu cunning 1 kill

Shortly after takeoff Lt Macri had engine trouble and had to abort. (random event) There was discussion of cancelling the mission but Ionescu felt strongly that they should at least stay over Romanian lines and protect the troops. He was spoiling for a fight!

3 IAR-80s in a loose "V"

The blue stand denotes veteran pilot

(You can get away with that solitaire!)

"Bandits 4 o'clock low" Toma calls out. Obnoxious on the ground, Toma was a fine wingman in the air and his eyesight had prevented a bounce today! 5 I-16s. Ionescu pulled the V around right and allowed Baciu to detach as the battle was joined! (Toma had complained that he was senior but in the air performace counted and Baciu had downed a plane.) The battle is joined

A swirling dogfight ensued with the IARs using their speed to accelerate out of trouble when needed. Toma Lost Ionescu early on (on purpose?) as Ionescu dove and quickly turned hard to port to get on the tail of an apparently lost (sprog) I-16. As his machine guns rattled he saw hits in the cockpit of the small fighter. [ Using a modified version of my damage table that appeared in a Lardie Special a while back; the I-16 had back seat armor which turned the damage roll from a temporary loss of control to a cockpit glass smashed result; curses!] The startled pilot throttled down, flipped the agile rata into a left turn that Ionescu could not quite follow. He lost airspeed pulling Gs and dropped a level of altitude to aviod a stall.

Meanwhile...

3 I-153s show up to party

A random reinforcement brings 3 more russian aircraft into the battle. 3 against 8! Baciu is quickly shot down but bails out unharmed. Adj Sef has seen enough. He tells Toma they have to retreat!!

Sound retreat! Toma on the tail of a I-153 upper left

Adj Sef Ionescu swinging wide of his prey middle right

Adj Stag Toma pulls the trigger as the I-153 fills his sights. He sees hits on the engine and then the plane explodes in a ball of fire! Joyously he dives for the deck and heads for home. Adj Sef thinks, "There will be no living with him after this."

Enjoy

Joe