Last night in Mechanicville we flew P-38 Lightning's and IJN Zeke's in an air war over Rabaul, NOV 1943 using Warbirds in Miniature aerial rules.
The USAAF order CPT JD and his wingman 2LT JD #2 to fly a recon mission and track two Japanese's cargo ships skirting the coast; when they we jumped by four zeros (2ea Zeke's) flown by 1LT Ron san and SrSgt Zachy san.
Zach being new at Warbird in Miniature (WBiM) rules put one of his zeros into a spin on turn 2 but quickly picked up the rules once he recovered as his other plane faced one of the P-38's head to head on turn 3. Both planes took heavy hits…sending the P-38 into a spin. The other Zeros quickly swooped in on the spiraling P38 and attacked it but due to poor dice did minimal damage before JD pulled out 3 turns later.
The aerial battle went 19 turns with CPT JD shooting down two Zeke's (one of Zach's and one of Ron's) Ron's other pilot hit JD twice but rolled bad and cause NO damage! But the next turn he hit the P-38 hard with his last round of 20mm cannon fire! Knocking out one of the Lightings engines and putting the other engine to smoking. The next turn the smoke turned into flames! 2LT JD #2 got revenge the next turn and hit Ron with his 4 50cals and started the "rice burner" on fire. Dammed tracer rounds!
On turn 19 with Ron's remaining Zeke and both of the P-38s on fire and Zach's Zero wing about to fall off both sides called it quits…But with WBiM you still have to roll to make it back to base and land!
CPT JD P-38 was last seen flaming out and falling into the jungle. He is listed as missing in action and never found. 2LT JD#2 had to bail out over the ocean only to be picked up by the Japanese navy and is spending time in a POW camp near Tokyo.
Ron san Zero also flamed out into the jungle but was quickly rescued by a naval Infantry patrol. Zach San returned safely to base and claimed he shot down at least" 4" American "twin tailed devils!"
It has been way too long since we last played WWII aerial uisng WBiM rules. We had a blast and look forward to flying gain soon!
Bing
