Task Force 8 Leaves the Marshall Islands

[Kopfdorfer]

...the sun over the Pacific falls fast , and it was doing just that as the final CAP flights of Feb 2, 1942 ran up their engines on the deck of the Big E. LtJG John E. Carson , the 20 year old farmboy from northern Michigan, was sweating in his F4F-3 cockpit , but not due to the temperature. It was to be his first flight as section lead , and his first landing in near darkness outside of training.
His mission was to find the 3 big Cruisers of TG8.2 and CAP them as long as light would allow - but he had to guide himself and his wingman to them first. He was doubtful whether he and his wingman , SubLt Ed McMAhon were even going to be able to get to the Cruisers in daylight , let alone find them and CAP them for a few scant minutes before dark. He knew damn well that every minute over the Cruisers would translate into buckets of sweat on the flight back.
The flight deck of Enterprise was not nearly as busy as it had been earlier in the day ; only two flights of F4Fs and a single Dauntless Scout of VS-6 were on the flight line.
Enterprise's Air Group Ten had pummelled Woleaia all day long , leaving the Jap base there smouldering in its wake. Admiral Ray Spruance's Cruisers had pounded the ground installations remorselessly. Carson's last flight over the atoll had led him to believe there could be nothing left alive.
The LSO gave him the go ahead signal and he revved his Pratt and Whitney to near 50 lbs of mercury , and released his brakes. The F4F slid cooperatively off the nose of Enterprise , and his flightpath jitterbugged gently as he wound up his landing gear. He circled to the right , to allow his flight's path to cross above the deck of Enterprise enabling him to make an accurate bearing to TG8.2. McMahon's F4F gradually caught up and formed in echelon off Carson's right wing...

...Ensign Koichi Shimuri was watching the same Pacific sunset as he looked over his left shoulder. The lumbering L2D headed SW into the dimming light. Shimuri was peering ahead looking to spot the atoll of Woleai. The control yoke in his hands was rubbery , and it felt like the L2D was making little headway ; Shimuri was not surprised at all - she was filled to the ribs with SNLF troopers , and barrels of aviation fuel.
It was some time since Shimuri had passed over the small flotilla of Daihatsus loaded with more troops and supplies headed in the same direction , but he would arrive hours before them. He only hoped the Americans weren't there to shoot him down in the gathering gloom.
His thoughts that he would have difficulty making out Woleai in the dusk were without foundation - there were anumber of smouldering fires all over the base. His difficulty was going to be putting her down without colliding with the wreckage of the burning aircraft spotting the landing strip...


I hope everyone had as much fun flying this as I did designing it. Any feedback at all would be very helpful and appreciated.

Kopfdorfer

[IV/JG7_4Shades]

From a combat point of view, IJN forces were always going to take a beating. TF8.2 (3 cruisers) was immensely strong and would always overpower the atoll defences. IJN had the extra difficulties of anticipating where the attack would occur, and having to concentrate their forces across a very wide defensive front to deflect any attack. Woleai was an hour's flying away from the main bases at Ulithi and Yap - no chance to mount a strong defence at Woleai.

The final result was that the USN forces had freedom to execute a powerful strike against Woleai, almost without resistance. Nevertheless, flying conditions were not good and the USN air attacks had little effect. By comparison, naval bombardment was the key weapon.

From a participant's point of view, this campaign demonstrated once again that Pacific operations are really where the best and most challenging experiences are for IL-2 campaigning. Navigation, technical landing skills, airmanship, concentrated combat zones; altogether an immersive campaign. The signaller features were both useful and interesting.

Many thanks Kopfdorfer, and many thanks to all who took part.

Cheers,
4S