Webster, J.D. - Jan 29, 2004 8:05 am (#6059 Total: 6064) WD scenario AAR Here's another recap of a solitaire game I did. This time I chose Wilson's War (Page 52) This scenario pits a lone SBD-3 against a japanese Yugumo class DD and two barges loaded with four infantry each. There is a solid overcast at 3,000 feet and the map is fixed meaning the SBD can escape off map after attacking or back up into the clouds. The victory conditions are that the SBD must lob its 1000 pound bomb at the DD from valid parameters and damage both barges to some extent and then escape with more points. As always, easier said than done. Each barge is equipped with a 25mm gun, and six 7.7mm guns, four manned by the carried infantry. The DD has three twin gun turrets, and multiple twin and triple 25mm mounts. Some ERRATA I found. Kagero/Yugumo DD card 1. 5" Gun Turrets 3 and 4 should be labled 2 and 3. 2. Mount 25-4 and 25-5 (stern mast) should be on separate lines. 3. Mount 25-4 gun arc should be 01 to 05 4. Mount 25-5 gun arc remains 07 to 11 5. Mount 25-6 gun arc should be 02 to 10 (not 12 to 06). IJN Coastal barge card sheet 1. 1 x 25mm Type 96 gun data missing from tablee at bottom of sheet. Transpose the data from another card there is space under the 80mm gun data. Okay - frustrating, but at least when its all compiled, corrected cards will be available on the internet for download. On to the Game. The set up is on Page 52. Turn 1. Lt. Wilson has a tough job. The first question is whether to go for a hit on the DD or just to get the bomb off with any chance to hit and then go after the barges. My warlike mindset tells me, go for the throat. So I decide I will do a low altitude steep dive and drop as low as I dare at the DD. No guts, no glory. I ease the SBD into a shallow dive to pick up speed, snap rolling right and then turning in toward the DD which is at my 2 o'clock. The DD opens up with all available guns, which are the two rear turrets and two twin and a triple 25mm guns on the port side. All miss. Barge 1 fires its 25mm and misses, the 7.7mm guns are out of range. Barge 2 also fires and its gunner hits for 1 attack. A good damage roll inflicts four hits and two crits. One crit. wounds lt. Wilson (dam!) and causes the plane's controls to become sluggish, limiting its maximum G. Well this is annoying. Turn 2. Lt. Wilson (angry) - dips into a steep dive and turns in toward the DD. His position now unmasks the forward 5" turret and 25mm guns. All enemy ships blaze away at the lone plane. The aft turrets are reloading, but the forward turret fires and misses. The 25mm guns on the DD miss, but the one on barge 1 scores an attack which fortunately does no damage. Turn 3. Lt. Wilson steadies up his dive and spends the turn aiming at a hex just in front of the ship's bow. He is down to 1700 feet, dive breaks in (for all available speed). The DD advances a hex and the rear twin turrets blaze off a shot but miss. As do the 25mm guns. The barges chime in and the 25mm gunner on barge 1 shows he has the range scoring two attacks which again end in no effect (damage rolls 90 and 94). Big golf balls are all around our little Dauntless. Turn 4. Down to 900 feet, full aiming done, speed a blazing 6.5+0.5. Time to pickle the bomb if I survive the AAA. I am 4 hexes from the DD's stern and inside its 5" turrets min. range and smack in the middle of the 25mm gun envelopes. The front turret of the DD can't see me. The DD misses with its 25mm suite, as do both barges. Yeah! Bombs away. TOF = 0. Turn 5. With enough speed for an ET turn, the sluggish controls allow a BT pull out. I use an HT-2 pull to level flight and level off at 300 feet as I pass over the ship to its front. The move keeps me safe from the ship's mast and its guns for the turn due to acquisition rules and the rear turrets have to spend this and the next turn swinging around after me. The barges let fly at me with their 25mm guns and miss. Things are looking better, except for my bombing. Being wounded, and rolling poorly cause the bomb to scatter 2 hexes to 1 o'clock, incredibly putting it in the hex just in front of my SBD. I will have to fly directly through its blast next turn (dang!). Turn 6. The bomb explodes, I spend 3 FPs passing through its frag pattern, emerging out the other side while turning hard for the barges which are some 8-10 hexes away. The DD lets me have it with a full broadside of all three turrets and four 25mm mounts on the starboard side. Thankfully its gunnery remains dismal. The barges open up now with all guns, their 25mm and all the 7.7mm guns they can scrounge. At this range all miss. I now suffer a blast zone attack which inflicts 1 point of damage to the SBD. (Total 5 points). Turn 7. The SBD lines up on the rearmost barge closing in for a strafing attack. The odds are 1-2 with a long burst. Adding in the wounded pilot mod results in a miss. The DD turrets reload while their 25mm blazes away but misses. All guns on barge 1 miss and the 25mm on barge 2 misses but the combined fire of six 7.7mm machine guns ripples all around the SBD smacking it for a total of 3 points of damage. (Total 8 hits). Turn 8. I will overfly the Barge but elect to strafe in mid move at range 0, dropping down to 100 feet. die you dirty nips! die! The Barges open fire when I declare my shot. Thankfully, the die rolling is atrocious and all miss. The DD waits until the end of the turn when I am past the barge and fires another full broadside, although my range is starting to make the 25mm fire less effective. My strafing run is good. I target the barge inflicting 1 point of damage allowing me to then attack the ground units on it. Bullets inflict 4, 2, 3 and no hits respectively on the four infantry units. So far I have dropped my bomb at the DD and damaged one barge. To win I simply need to damage the other barge and get away! Turns 9 to 10 The SBD passes the two barges and then turns N to get some separation. With sufficient speed for an ET gained (4.5) I can use BT turns despite the sluggish controls. Staying right on the deck, I waltz into a 5 BT turn from N to SSE eyeballing the undamaged barge. I forget that the rear gunner could have strafed on the way by. I resolve not to forget on this run. AAA is hot and heavy. The DD scores one 25mm attack which does no damage. and then another two turns later, also for no damage. All other shots miss, but some are uncomfortably close. Turn 11. I turn in and strafe barge 1 with a long burst. AAA fire is all around and the DD's 25mm guns score one point of damage (9 hits total). My plane is close to severe damage. This will have to be the last attack if I want to get away alive. My strafing roll is excellent, even with the wounded pilot modifier I manage to score 1 hit on the barge and 3, 0, 0, 1 hits on the carried infantry. Turn 12. I close in to range 0 blasting the barge again! This time my rear gunner opens up on the other barge just two hexes away. All AAA shots miss. I am death and destruction personified. The front guns inflict two points of damage to the barge taking it over 10% damage and inflict 2,3,2 and 0 hits on the infantry aboard. The rear gunner is equally deadly scoring 1 hit on barge 2 and 2, 2, 5, and 0 hits on the carried infantry. The internal crit on barge 1 calls for a DC team loss. The barge has none so its ignored. Clearly the VP ratio is in my favor and its time to run! Turn 13. All I can do is try and distance myself now from the targets so I turn and head straight S for the edge of the board which is some 10 hexes away. Although all other AAA shots miss, including another 5" broadside from the DD, the 25mm gunner on barge 1 has different thoughts about my plan to run away. He tags the SBD for 1 attack, then rolls a 02 for damage which inflicts 6 hits (total 15). Did I mention that the SBD can only sustain 14 hits. The SBD is shot down and neither crewmember is able to escape prior to crashing into the sea from 100 feet. Thats the end of LT. Wilson and his little war. Victory - the SBD acheived all victory conditions and scored 34 VPs between damage to infantry troops and the barges but was shot down (8 VPs lost) which is a draw by the scenario standard. War is hell! But cardboard wars are fun! J.D. Lessons learned...the Real Lt. Wilson was one brave fellah!