"Save Your Tanks:" McGuire's Last Flight - 7-Jan-45

Background: Major. Thomas McGuire led a P-38 flight on Patrol from Dulag to Fabrica in the Philippines. McGuire was the 2nd highest scoring US ace in the Pacific at the time, with 38 kills - 2 kills behind Richard Bong - and scheduled to go home soon. He commanded the 431st FS of the 475th FG.

The flight came upon a Ki.43 II piloted by WO Sugimoto Akira on a landing approach near Manapla field over Negros Island. Sugimoto was below and in front, heading on almost a reverse course - they nearly missed him. McGuire, anxious for more kills before being rotated out, ordered the attack, but foresaw an easy victory followed by a continued patrol, so he ordered that the flight keep their tanks kept on.

Sgt. Fukuda Mizunori, veteran ace flying a Ki.84, saw the battle from a few miles off and closed, entering just the Ki.43 was shot down. During the furball, McGuire performed an inverted turning stall at the wrong time (fight down to 200 ft), and crashed. Fukuda shot down one of the other P-38s and then broke off combat.

Map: Ground Map

Aircraft: US AAF = 4 P-38L
Japanese = 1 Ki.43 II
1 Ki.84 Hayate

Set Up:

  1. Set up the Ki.43 in 2510 heading East, alt 1.2, Speed 4.0, wings level, in a shallow dive.
  2. Set up the P-38s in hexes 2318 (McGuire), 2520 (Reg), 2121 (Green), 1923 (Reg) facing W, alt 1.7, Speed 5.0, wings level, in a shallow dive.
  3. The Ki.84 will enter on turn 6 along the board edge determined by rolling 1D10 and consulting the Combat Scale Aircraft Map Entry for Attacks table. Minimum range to nearest enemy a/c must be 10 hexes. Set alt 1.5, speed 6.0, pilot's choice of bank and heading, in a shallow dive.

There is a cloud ceiling at altitude 2.0.

Game Length: 20 turns

Special Rules

  1. The US aircraft cannot drop their drop tanks due to McGuire's order.

Additional Rules:

  1. Pilot Quality :
  2. P-38s each have 2 165 gal. drop tanks and fly as Loaded. The DTs cannot be dropped (orders). The Japanese aircraft are clean.

Variants:

For a smaller fight, fight this as a 1v1, Ki.84 vs P-38L starting at low level (400 ft + 1D5). Remove 1D6 of ammo from the P-38.

Sources:

Return to the Philippines Campaign.