Torpedoes Away!

Having finished the Pacific side of  the project with decals and sorted out the magnets I wanted to get a proper bash in.

The scenario has the LST, presumably a straggler from an amphibious task force, being attacked by randomly arriving groups of Japanese aircraft. A section of two Wildcats is patrolling overhead and the others will arrive randomly as well.

The Japanese began with two Bettys on table. At the turn of the "Blank" card I'd roll a d10 to see if anything arrived. Another d10 to see what it was if Japanese, a d6 for arrival point and d6 for altitude. An American result was always a pair of Wildcats arriving from the same point. I also rolled for pilot quality when they came on.

Aircraft miniatures are 1/600 scale from Tumbling Dice. The ship is a 50 plus year old 1/700 scale Airfix kit.

CAP begins with sunward advantage but moving away from bogeys. Can't break patrol circuit until Japanese are spotted 

Bettys roaring in

Bandits! Wildcats go after the bombers 

A pair of Val dive bombers arrive on a different vector 

Starting their run 

Wildcats can't catch them and go after the Vals instead of flying into the flak

The LST turns into the threat. Clouds of flak make the Bettys break away. Wildcats get on tail of lumbering Vals 

Some Kate torpedo bombers arrive

Another flight of Bettys follow the first

Crowded sky!

Wildcats pour fire into the Vals. 1 loses control and eventually crashes.  The other has its pilot wounded, gunner killed and controls destroyed.  It turns for home 

Flight of Zeros arrive to help

1st pair of Bettys (upper left) circling to try again but one is on fire and going to crash. Wildcats have broken off from Vals and are going after the new threats. 2nd pair of Bettys flying in line, drop their torpedoes  (red micro dice)

Kates begin their attack run 

Blue Leader fires the last of his ammo into a Kate which drops it's torpedo  and breaks off. Next turn the others drop theirs too. Rear gunners damage Blue Leader's engine. Flak splashes a Kate. Blue flight heads back to the carrier. Torpedoes from Bettys have missed and they are climbing away through clouds of flak  

Red flight arrives

Overview 

Flak blows one Betty up and the 2nd catches fire. It explodes next turn 

Zeros go after Red flight and get a face full of .50 cal! One Zero vaporizes 
Note the Val at altitude 1 about to splash

Swirling dogfight 

Torpedoes passing to port

Green flight arrives! 

Splash another Zero 

Dodging and weaving the last zero fights to survive 

Brace for impact! Torpedo hits amidship with a heart stopping CLANG! It's a dud.

Fuel line  hit, canopy shattered, the Zero tries to break off

But Red Leader gets on his tail, pouring in a long burst. Leaking aviation fuel ignites into a fireball. Red leader has his 2nd kill!

.

A 2nd flight of Zeros with green pilots  has arrived 

Zeros engage and both flights of Wildcats converge on them. One Zero explodes dramatically 

Fighters circling trying to get a target

After much circling the last Betty drops it's torpedo practically onto the deck. Depth is good. It runs straight into the target and CLUNK! Another dud. I'm taking bombs next time.

After that I decided to call the game. A pretty solid USN win with 9 kills and no damage to the ship. The LST took down 3 Bettys and a Kate.  Blue flight got a Val. Red flight got 3 Zeros and Green flight one. 

Learned the ship, flak and torpedo rules.

Need to make torpedo markers. Next time I should drop the torpedoes farther out. The first flight of Bettys waited too long and dodging the flak kept messing up their attack run.