Bad Day for the 248^th: 2-Jan-44

Background: Nothing seemed to be going right for Major Shin-ichi Muraoka, commander of the 248^th Hiko Sentai. An early morning fighter sweep from Wewak to Madang along New Guinea's north coast had not brought the expected encounter with American strike aircraft. Then Muraoka learned that a large American force had landed at Saidor and threatened to cut off forward elements of the Japanese 18^th Army. A strike mission was hastily organized.

Thirty-four Ki.43-II and Ki.61 fighters joined nine Ki.48 light bombers for the mission - that's what was available. A weather front between Wewak and Saidor delayed and disorganized the Japanese formation. When they finally reached clear skies in the vicinity of Karkar Island, Muraoka could see that the nine light bombers were flying in good formation below him. The fighters were not in such good shape. Hardly half the original number was still together trailing a little behind the bombers. Few of the ki.61s were to be seen.

In the distance to the southeast, Muraoka could see no warships or large transports. The delay in mounting the mission had allowed the main American task force to get away. The bombers would have only landing craft and shore installations as targets. Worse, due to the delay caused by the storm the Japanese fighters were getting low on fuel.

Suddenly Muraoka saw P-40s. Dropping his external tank, he led his headquarters flight against the first element of approaching P-40s.

1^st Lt. Duncan Myers, flying one of eleven P-40N's of the US 7^th Fighter Squadron, passed over the nine bombers too high to immediately identify them as Japanese. Ground control had, however, alerted him to approaching Japanese planes so he searched for a possible fighter escort. As he turned right “three Japanese radial engine fighters popped up in front of me."

Small form can be lead flight vs lead shotai (not pretty)

Map: Ground Map

Game Length: 20 turns

Setup

• Set up Japanese fighters as scattered. Set up the Japanese commander in 2520 at alt 15.5 heading E, in a shallow climb at speed 5.5. Lead flight in Shotai formation with lead.
  Set 2^nd shotai D3+2 hexes in the rear arc of western most (lowest numbered hex) the nearest member of the 1^st shotai;
• 1 more flight can start D6+2 hexes behind the 2^nd shotai. If this is off the map, the flight can enter next turn.
• For this 2nd and subsequent shotai flights, roll 1D10 for the distance of the wingmen from the leader:

  Roll	Hexes from Leader	Notes
  1-2	1	-2 for Shotai#2, minimum distance 1.
  3-5	2	+2 for Shotai#5 & 6.
  6-8	3	Additionally, the US player may apply 1 scatter to each shotai.
  9-10	4

• Other flights can enter on subsequent turns at combat speed, alt 15.0, any bank from entry edge. Set the shotai up off map, allow the US player to apply a scatter and move them onto the map.
• Set up P-40s in 3 flights (4, 4 and 3). The leader is in 1523, alt 16.0 heading NW, speed 6.0, in level flight, banked right. Set the rest of the squadron up within flexible formation paramaters.

Additional Rules

1. National Training Standards:
   • Japanese: average (leader of first flight is Vet)
   • USA: Good
2. All fighters initially start with a drop tank. Aircraft that start on the board may attempt to drop their tanks before the start of the game. Each fighter can attaempt to drop it at the beginning of the turn they enter (before moving).

Special Rules

1. Japanese roll 1 D10 for each flight after the lead flight. on a 1-2, it is the flight of Ki.61s. Once one shotai of Ki.61s is selected, do not roll again; all remaining aircraft are Ki.43-IIs. If none have been rolled previously, the last flight is Ki.61s.
2. After turn 10, each Japanese pilot must roll 1D10 each turn. One a roll of 1, that aircraft disengages automatically unless the aircraft is being tailed or is tailing.

ADCs

• Ki.43-II published in Air Power #37.
• P-40N was published in Air Power #37

History

Myers immediately attacked.

"I fired at a Zeke (sic), followed him through a circle to the left, and observed explosives hitting the cockpit area. He didn't smoke or burn, just plunged straight into the water…”

The 248^th Sentai pilots saw their leader plummet to his death. The Japanese pilots jousted with the Americans for several minutes as the bombers approached the target area. The ranks of the Japanese began to thin as pilots turned back, no doubt concerned about dwindling fuel and the weather front between them and their base. As the bombers withdrew from the target area, the Americans found them unescorted.

In this combat several P-40 pilots engaged in turning combat with the more maneuverable Japanese fighters. If the Japanese fighter gained in the turn, the P-40 pilot would tighten his turn, spin out, and use the spin as an evasive maneuver. Lieutenant Myers used this technique to avoid the second Japanese fighter he engaged.

Lieutenant Myers and his wingman Major Seldon Wells each shot down a bomber. The fight ended with two Japanese fighters and two bombers lost. One P-40N also went down. The bombers caused only minor damage and casualties.

Variants

Half Size:

• 6 P-40s in 3 pairs; 7 Ki.43-II (1x 3, 2 pairs), 2 Ki.61s
• Use the same entry rules.

Sources

248th Sentai: A Hard Luck Japanese Fighter Unit (Part 1), R Dunne