1275psi
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18/1/43
Toady is no different from the string of days before. Inoue drags himself from his sleeping mat in the pre dawn cool –washed briefly in the basin, surveys the world from the flap of his tent.
There are too many bugs for him in the palm frond huts some of his friends share –this is his excuse anyway –an older wiser brain tells him that the huts are just too an inviting target……….
The area to the mess is muddy –and slippery –yesterdays brief storms.
Breakfast –the usual jokes, profanity –references to the human anatomy.
Then, as dawn breaks –to work.
His ground crew are cheerful today –full bellies can do that –and with 2 big fat transports arriving today –with more supplies, and promised mail, what is there to be glum about?
He bows briefly, curtly to the crew chief –his plane is mostly good – the brakes –well , he might choose the grass when he returns suggests the chief with a wry smile.
No dud shells?
No – the old chief has inspected every single one as they have been fed into the wings and cowl –they will be good.
To work
Its going to be a busy day – Nakamura is sweating over these two fat buggars in the harbour –honour demands they be protected.
His Tojo performs well today –starting easily, and the climb is smooth, swift, a delight.
The oxygen mask is still dry andfresh as they slip through 12000, inoue leads his flight to 20000, flying to his orders.
The skies are brilliantly clear, the air smooth. The enemy must, surely must come.
The zeros come – and mix in, and the patrol drones on.
Nakamura believes the enemy will come today –and has stacked Dilli with fighters on patrol – fighters from Koepang, from bases further east –from Dilli itself. Everywhere he looks he can see the small dots – a dozen planes here, a dozen or so there.
Inoue smiles behind the mask – if they come today –they will have a true fight indeed.
“Enemy fighters”
Uchida is calm. He might have been saying ‘its raining” for the lack of excitement.
Inoue swings his head towards the sun –a momentary panic flashes through him –am I being jumped? -No - then where the ?………..
“Where please ? –you scared the crap out of me Uchida!’
Still no excitement “3 p-38’s –3 o clock low –check your 3 friend”
Inoue banks slightly –crap –he’s right, 3 twin tailed devils, cruising as if they owned the entire world, heading north east.
Inoue quickly checks up sun, peering intently, looking for the trap.
Empty sky
#$%^$#@ it, this is too good to waste.
He rocks his wings, once, and pushes straight over into the dive, and his flight, and the zeros follow him down.
The dive is steep and fast, and the range closes rapidly –and still they do not see the death diving on them.
Inoue lines up the leading fighter, and Oh so sweet –his guns hammer out, the tracer floating down –striking, striking the startled target.
The three 38’s scatter like pigeons before the hawk –2 going left, one going right , Inoue’s men flashing pasts, pulling up , pulling up hard for the second pass –which wont be needed –2 broken 38’s tumble down, the zero’s have finished the job.
The third?, the third? –where did? – and Inoue see’s more dots on the horizon, bombers!
No hesitation, he banks hard right, his friends following, engine snarling.
Enemy planes peeling of from the bombers –twin engines, British?
No time to think – both formations charge each other, guns spitting.
Head to head the enemy looms, larger and larger, Inoue slams the left rudder, skidding his fighter violently to the side, away from the seeking tracer, the shock of the enemies passing, the flash of tilting wings
“barsteds going left –more a impression than thought –hard, hard left rudder, hard left stick now, top rudder, top rudder, breath! Truk it!, breath!, where are they ?
The enemy have turned hard left, the tojos’ too, a whirling circle of potential death
There is time to think about it – time to even appreciate it – the world almost vertical in the screen, the ache of the neck as he strains to watch the enemy, the weight, oh, truk, the weight of the Gee’s………………
The Tojo’s turn quicker…………
Impressions of a sky full of whirling , diving , snarling fighters – and this little private war, 4 on 5..
The tojo’s turn tighter………… ‘Going to get you my friend…………”
The beaufighter floats into the sight, almost, almost………CRRRRRRRRRRACK!
Missed……………..Come on, come on………………….CRRRRRRRRRACK!
Some hits…………
And then the barsteds roll onto their backs, dive away………….
Hard right stick, hard right rudders, groaning as the gees come off, come on, stomach sagging as Inoue pulls into a climb.
“Bombers!” –get the bombers!”
A glance, a glimpse
His 2 wing men are still there, Uchida to the left, Igarashi to the right.
The sky is suddenly , magically clear –except for them, and the bombers above- neatly stacked –30 odd mitchells
There is no hesitation, 3 vs 30
The tigers race at max throttle parallel under the enemy bombers –Inoue looking up, looking up, they are less than 1000 feet above, and falling behind .
Stick hard back –the world drops away –and a fat belly flashes into view –and Inoue fires again –briefly, tellingly.
Vertical climb, bombers below, below –speed, falling, falling –Hard stick forward, hard left rudder –and the great torque of the blade slings him hard around in the sky, his fighter pirouetting on the spot –and Inoue plumments down into the tail of the formation – and shoots again.
The B25’s cockpit takes the full effect –it stumbles –and even as Inoue dives away , guns now empty, there is no doubt
Inoue has finally broken his duck.
18/1/43 Operations report 47th sentai
Heavy enemy raids on Lautern, Kendari
3sorties flown AM –13 Tojos’, 17 zero intercepted 3 P38, 16 Beaufighters, 30 plus medium bombers in vicinity of Lautern
1 Tojo lost (rookie pilot)
3 P38 claimed shot down (2 to zeros, one probable to 47th sentai)
1 B-25 confirmed shot down by Lt Inoue
Unit stands at 35 planes available, 36 pilots.
Bipographers note : the tojo lost appeared to be piloted by a WO Iwaya – the second rookie pilot by that name lost on his first combat mission.
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RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 
That's the problem with your AA! 
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