The checkered career of Maj John Lightning

 First, thanks to all you stopped by the table and played Boom and Zoom at the Williamsburg Muster last weekend!  Lots of fun and good feedback and it rekindled my zest to actually get the rules done.  Was so busy running the games that I only took one picture...

 Vals bombing a cargo ship off Guadalcanal.  She was damaged [ a bomb hit the bridge and killed the captain!] but managed to offload her supplies to the marines.  

One of the things out of kilter after streamlining the maneuver attacks is the wingman defense.  So I have played several Pacific battles where it is easiest to test wingman verses no wingmen.   That led me to my P-38 pacific squadron, the Headhunters!

I rolled this squadron up using Squadron Forward years ago and they are interesting.  They are led by none other than Maj Johnny Lightning.  Based in New Guinea, they are normally up against Oscars and Tonys so should do well.  The problem is they haven't.  Of their seven missions they have only won 3.  Their kill ratio is good but not great.  They have escorted B-25s twice and it has been a cluster both times. Few make it to the target to drop bombs.  The group commander, LtCol John Birch, almost sacked Johnny after the last B-25 raid for not "accomplishing the mission of protecting the bombers".  Birch flew the last mission with the squadron where Lt Adkins shot an Oscar off the LtCol's tail.  

The squadron morale is average but their reputation on base is terrible at -3.  Birch is prioritizing the other squadrons for parts and planes.  Needless to say, Johnny is on thin ice.  

Birch calls Johnny into his office.  Johnny, your mission today is to go to the north side of the island and bomb a small bridge that the japs are using to run supplies.  The B-25s can't hit it; too small.  G-2 thinks rockets won't work.  Load 250lb bombs and take out that bridge.  And Johnny, no excuses!

[ Rolled up a fighter bomber mission with target of bridge.]

The squadron only has 6 sat fighter so that is what they have to go with.  Johnny with 3 kills with fly top cover and take "Bone Nixon as his wingman.   In charge of the bombing flight will be the senior Lt, Paul Browne.  Paul is obnoxious but he is steady.  He had 3 kills in P-40s prior to coming into the squadron.  Lt Porky Greenway will lead the other bombing element.  Porky has grown up in the squadron and is now a veteran with 1 Oscar to his credit.  The two wingmen will be the new guys Smally and Peters.    Smally has been in some scrapes but just isn't catching on.

Top Cover

Maj John Lightning                 Veteran             3 kills

           2LT "Bone" Nixon             Avg

Bombing flight

Lt Paul Browne                        Veteran             3 kills prior

            2LT   Max Smally         Green

Lt Porky Greenway                  Veteran             1 kill

           2Lt  Chip Peters             Green   
 

 

Things go well until 8 minutes out from target.    Johnny sees a glint of silver to his left; too late!

 6 Tony's bounce the formation!  Rats!

The Bomber flight is bounced.  Fortunately the P-38 is tough and no one sustains damage except for one Tony who latches on to 2Lt Smally's tail and chews it up.  Smally jettisons his bombs and calls for help.

 

Lt Browne might be obnoxious but he can't loose a wingman.  He drops his bombs and uses his superior speed to get a quick shot on the Tony's tail...

 and is rewarded with a stream of fire from the Tony!  First kill in a P-38 for Paul.  Smally is saved.  His plane badly damaged, he turns and heads for home.

 Johnny gets kill #4 up high!

Lts Greenway and Peters continue towards the bridge. 

Browne needs to buy Smally time to get away so charges at 2 Tonys even though he now doesn't have a wingman.  

 

Unfortunately a Tony [flown by an ace] quickly latches on Browne's tail.  The P-38 takes hits but keeps chugging.  Meanwhile...

A Tony takes position on Porky's tail and starts to fire.  Loaded down by bombs Porky and his junior wingman can't do anything.  The bombs must go!  Without bombs...

Porky not only escapes but manages to damage his assailant.  

 

Unfortunately all the twisting and turning is beyond 2Lt Peter's ability to keep up.  He loses Porky.  Now both are without wingmen.  Things just got easier for the Tonys.   Meanwhile...

Johnny hears Browne in trouble over his headset.  He knows Browne doesn't have a wingman because he ordered Smally home with his damaged bird.  Browne can't shake the ace and now has a small fuel leak.  Johnny, ignoring the last Tony up high, goes and does a Boom and Zoom on the Ace attacking Browne.   He sees strikes on the Tony and fuel leaking but it doesn't go down.  Still it breaks off.  Browne is saved. 

Meanwhile...

Since Porky and Peters aren't fighting as a team they both get into trouble fast.  The ruggedness and the light armament of the K-61a's keep them in the fight.  

Suddenly...

The Tony left high by Johnny does his own B&Z high attack on Lt Browne.  No one really saw the attack but they do see Browne's parachute drifting towards the jungle. 

 As the fuel gauges move toward bingo Johnny catches up with the Tony and claims his 5th kill!  

Not enough fuel to get to the bridge and even if they did, they have no bombs.  Johnny hopes LtCol Birch understands that they had quite a fight on their hands!  They radio Browne's position and head for home.  

Johnny goes through in his head their success today.   4 Tony's down for the loss of Browne.  [ Plus he made ace!]   The ground folks should be able to find Browne.  Surely that is a successful mission?  Plus I am an ace now!

As they approach the field to land there is a still smoking wreck of 2Lt Smally's P-38 on the runway.  

[ He failed his landing roll.]  Fortunately his is only injured but the plane is a loss.   

In the debriefing room LtCol Birch is clearly agitated but congratulates Johnny on making ace.  He refuses to say the mission was a success.  "The mission was to bomb the bridge, not engage Tonys".  

Three days later Johnny is told to report to Gen Holland's office, the wing commander.  Lt Col Birch is also there.  "Johnny, you are a damn fine pilot.  We need your expertise up here at the wing helping us with training."  "But what about the squadron?" Johnny asks? I think Capt Strong is ready to take the reigns.  Report here tomorrow at 07:30."  

So Johnny is out and Capt Strong will take over the headhunters.  Johnny can still fly every third mission but will not be in command.  WOW!    I set AKOT at unlikely that Birch would relieve Johnny after the mission and rolled a "2".  I was shocked but how cool is that?  So now Strong has to get this group heading in the right direction but Birch will give him a lot of support.  Should be fun to find out what happens!

The playtest worked great with the wingmen rules as well.  You could see how the P-38s suffered without wingmen.     Getting closer to a finished product!

Enjoy

 

Joe