It has been 3 frames since my last AAR. Two of them were not action worthy and one was when I was CIC and away from the unit's fight for most of the frame.
This one seemed to fit the bill and here we go..
Reporting for duty were 11 pilots, Gavagai assumed lead for the frame and assignments were made by the CO, Fencer, as follows;
Takeoff was from A116 with TAC rolling SW. We were tasked with along with JG54 (in KI-84s) to escort Jokers Jokers in KI-67s to A110. Twelve sets of Ki-67s upped with 11 TAC Drivers in KI-84s and 12 KI-84s of JG54 escorting. The TAC Drivers took the left side of the bombers and JG54 took the right.
We continued climbout to 22k and leveled. It was difficult keeping position on the bombers as they were so fast, but Gavagai did a nice job of balancing our need to climb with maintaining position. The bombers leveled at 18k and we all proceeded south for A110 down the sectorline between columns 0 and 1. The AKs (assigned CAP for A114) flew with us part way and wished us luck and they broke off to begin Combat Air Patrol.
We leveled at 24k. At T+13:11 Larry (JG54) called out "Dot right in front of me at 12'oclk co-alt". This turned out to be 3 LA-7s at 20k, which blew through JG54 running north. The LAs dove down and ran north, JG54 turned and followed them down disappearing north. Twizzty (Jokers Jokers Lead - Strike CO) called "They will not catch the bombers now guys, we need some of you back up front". At 14:02 4510 called out "Multiple dots, low 10'oclk." These were heavy LA-7s (2 eggs each) at 15k heading north. Soon after Twizzty reported B25s low on the deck heading north under the LAs. We let them go and stayed with the bombers. Fencer reported the strike on country channel.
By T+16:30 we were clear, nothing had turned to engage. Fencer and Jenks switched over to the right side of the buffs to fill the spot vacated by JG54's departure. At T+20:00 4 LA7s of the 327th appeared behind the bombers at co-alt to them. Gavagai sent 4510 back They attempted a stern co-alt attack on the bombers. They were all shot down, 3 of them died within 20 seconds of each other by gunner fire and Shamus got the other.
At T+22:40, As Shamus was engaged below the bombers with the remaining LA7 of the 327th, B4Buster called out "multiple cons coming in 3 oclock, 25k". There was one straggler buff way out beyond the rest of the bombers at high alt, and a Yak nearby. At T+23:52 Twizzty called out cons ahead of the bombers at 15k. This was a portion of (+)Precision in 5 LA7s. I punched my tanks and went after the trailing LA which was making an attack from 2oclk to the bombers as the rest of the LAs went down the bombers from below. Meanwhile Shamus was still tied up with Corrs on the remaining LA from the first attack. I opened up at 400 yds while calling for the bombers to watch low 6. My first burst missed completely but my second blew the outter half of his left wing off.
He spun hard left and I stopped firing, but he regained control and continued up after the bomber. DrDea and TheMaj were close but held fire as I had called out he was down, the LA continued up after the bombers. DrDea and TheMaj got quick shots at him, as I barrel rolled and dropped on him again hitting him from his cockpit out to the end of his right wing and he blew up.
This had taken me from the right to the left side of the bombers and down to 16k. At T+25:30 the bombers turned to 270 for approach to A110. Jenks and 4510 were in a fight down low back a ways with some LA7s. Mean while 10 sets of the bombers were on final approach to the target with 7 TAC Ki-84s still close escorting. Bombers dropped on target at T+28:34. An LA made a run at the lead bombers right over the target. Sirloin blew him up as I closed to 800yds and I broke to avoid friendly fire. At T+30:00 Twizzty informed us that they were going to make a second pass. At T+30:50 the lead two sets of bombers hit the wall at the edge of the map. At least 5 sets of bombers were lost. Meanwhile northwest of A110 a scattering of 7 defenders were regrouping at 12k. 4510 called multiple bad guys coming south and Fencer, Shamus and Corrs picked them up and went to help Jenks and 4510. Jenks had 3 on him, 2 LA7s and 1 Yak9. There were 4 more bad guys within 8k and 5 TACers total. After manuvering and relaying where we were to Gavagai I took a 90 degree snap shot at an LA7 from 400yds, missing him. I turned and followed him as he was heading into the furball. I closed and hit his right wing at 400yds blowing the outter half off and his right elevator. He spun down and out of the fight, he crashed minutes later. Jenks had taken a fuel hit, but our choice to take drop tanks and 100% internal fuel was to benefit him. There was an LA above me and I turned up into him pulling vertical and took a shot at 400yds in a 90 degree deflection, hitting his left wing, cockpit area, right wing and tail. He blew up.
Corrs had ripped both aerolons off. The bombers decided they were going to go in low and strafe down targets at the base. At this point it was obvious they were not planning on returning to A116 or interested in the survival of the remaining 3 sets, so we discontinued our escort. Gavagai called for a rendezvous in 0,15,2. A few of us got tied up shortly with a higher Yak9 but he was no threat. TheMaj and B4Buster had some bandits on them along the coast NE of the target. Alot more came in and 5 of us ended up in with them. Alot of turning and chasing ensued but they were not interested in fighting and we all met up. We met up at the rendezous point. Nine of us headed out back north. We landed at A114 and rearmed.
Jenks called it a night due to damage and TheMaj tore his gear off. That left 4510, Gavagai, Fencer, DrDea, Shamus, Lothmog, and B4Buster still up. We turned south following behind what was left of the Arabian Knights as they too swept south. A single LA ran under us after we went feet dry and was quickly dispatched by B4Buster. LAs were reported NE of 112 and we turned to engage them. There were 6 of them and they were on the remnants of the AKs. One got Shamus and I got on his six with DrDea and Gavagai close by, he cut it hard left but I was able to chop throttle and turn in on him. I hit his right wing in a hard bank and blew it off. He spun and impacted. We wiped them up quickly and started moving on toward A106 when more appeared. B4Buster and I went to help Lothmog who had one tight on his six. The LA5 got his on Lothmog taking off his wing and setting him on fire, he went in, no chute. I was not happy and opened up on the LA5 at 200yds as he pulled up. I got some hits but he broke right and out of my sights. I continued to follow him, he rolled back left and tried a negative G push as 4510 took a shot at him. He dropped and rolled wings level and tried to take it back left, but he was right under my nose and I rolled slightly left to follow him and opened up again. I got one hit on his right wing, kicked some rudder and turned tighter to follow him, getting more hits on his wing. Again knocking it off. He rolled inverted and impacted.
The skys were clear and the 5 of us left turned for A106. As soon as we got level a Yak came in from 12oclk high. He looped over and took a shot at Gavagai. Alot of manuvering took place with 5 of us below 3 of them. B4Buster followed one up and paid for it. He got caught hanging on his prop, a LA5 blowed him up despite my calls for him to break, he couldn't he was too slow to manuver.
That left 4 of us, DrDea, Gavagai, 4510 and Fencer. I followed the one who got B4Buster up but didn't have the E to stay with him so I rolled inverted leveled and told Gavagai that we needed to get out of here. I was right, there were 8 of them closing on us. The one I had followed up came back down on me, at this point I was at 9k. I rolled pulled into him and started spiraling down. Gavagai called "Yak down" but there were still 7 of them on 3 of us. DrDea had got clear and RTBed at my suggestion he just get out. Gava called for me to bring him low. As I got to the deck I broke left and Gavagai neetly cut in on his six and cleared me. Unfortunatley I was heading NORTH not south. So I had to turn and make for 106. I ended up with Gavagai running south ahead of me and 3 LA7s chasing me. I tried to dodge but they closed and a burst of cannon ended my night. DrDea, Gavagai and 4510 all made it out.
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