Falling Blossoms (21-Mar-45)

by MK Schwartz

Background: On 29-Nov-44, the IJN Shinano was sunk by a US submarine en route to Formosa. Shinano carried to the bottom the existing 50 MXY7 Okhas. Would their delivery have made a difference?

In the middle of March, 1945, The Americans are busily landing on Okinawa, within easy air range of the Japanese home islands. The IJN chose to launch an attack with the available MXY7 Okha manned glide bombs carried by G4M2e Betty medium bombers against the American carrier task force. Removing a few carriers would greatly enhance the effectiveness of the wave of kamikaze attacks to come.

On 21-Mar-45, Lt. Cmdr Nonoka Goro, commander of the Jinrai Butai (Corps of Divine Thunder) led 18 G4M2e Bettys each carrying an MXY7 manned glide bomb, ecorted by 30 Zeros (originally wanted 55, but only 30 were available). They flew 300 miles at low level before being intercepted by some 50 Hellcats about 50 miles short of the carriers.

Map: Blue Sky (over Ocean)

Setup:

• Set up the G4M2es in two vics, one centered in 2020, the other in 2014. Speed 4.5, Heading East, Alt 4.0. (Var: select alt 1.0-20.0.) The bombers are overloaded with 1 MXY7 Okha each.
• Set up the Zeros in three vics around the bombers:
  • 1 Vic is centered 5+1D10/2 (round down) hexes north of the leading bombers. Speed 4.5-5.5 (player choice), heading NE-SE (player choice), altitude 3.5-5.0 (player choice), wings level, AoA level.
  • 1 Vic is centered 5+1D10/2 (round down) hexes south of the leading bombers. Speed 4.5-5.5 (player choice), heading NE-SE (player choice), altitude 3.5-5.0 (player choice), wings level, AoA level.
  • 1 Vic is centered 5+1D10/2 (round down) hexes west of the trailing bomber formation. Speed 4.5-5.5 (player choice), heading NE-SE (player choice), altitude 4.5-5.5 (player choice), wings level, in level flight.
    
• Set up the Hellcats as 4 finger-four formations that roll separately for placement. Roll 1D10/2 (round up) to determine arc (based on lead bomber). Roll 1 D10 for initial placement. Roll 1D10 as follows:
  
  

  Roll 1D10	Interceptors Appear...	Interceptor Altitude
  1-5	Begin on the board at least 10 hexes from the nearest Japanese aircraft. Roll for altitude.	Lead Bomber altitude +/- 300 ft.
  6-7	Roll 1D3. On that turn, place lead aircraft of formation within 10 hexes of nearest Japanese aircraft in proper arc. Roll for altitude.	Lead Bomber altitude +1500 ft.
  8-9	Roll 2+1D3. On that turn, place lead aircraft of formation within 10 hexes of nearest Japanese aircraft in proper arc. Roll for altitude.	Lead Bomber altitude -D10*100 ft.
  10	Roll 5+1D3. On that turn, place lead aircraft of formation within 10 hexes of nearest Japanese aircraft in proper arc. Select altitude.	1500 ft above highest Japanese aircraft.

  For all delayed entry aircraft, 1 turn before entry, tell the Japanese player of the arc the aircraft are approaching from (that is, at the beginning of Turn 1, alert the Japanese player of flights entering on turn 2).

  All Hellcats have choice of speed (up to Max Level) and heading. All enter in level flight, wings level.

Game Length: 20 turns

Special Rule: The Japanese win if they can exit 2 Bettys carrying Okhas off the east edge of the board or disengage east of hex row 30.

Notes:

• Crew quality for the bomber vics: (V,R,G) and (R,G,G). Pilot quality for the fighter vics is: (V,R,G), (R,R,G), and (R,R,G).
• Roll for USN pilot quality for each formation as they enter:
  • 1-3: V,R,R,G
  • 4-5: V,R,R,R
  • 6-8: R,R,R,G
  • 9-10: R,R,R,R
    
• The MXY7 Okha is not needed for this scenario. It is the bombload being carried by the bombers.
• The G4M2e Bettyand MXY7 Okha are available from Uncle Ted's. The F6F-5 Hellcat and the A6M5b Zero were published in Air Power #40.

Variants:

Additional Sizes: The current scenario is at about 1/3 scale of the actual combat. If you wish to try other sizes:

Create additional Japanese bomber pilots from the Limited table.
Create additional Japanese fighter pilots from the Poor table.
Create additional American fighter pilots from the Average table.

Mission: Delivering Blossoms (21-Mar-45)

Background: This is the expanded mission version of the Falling Blossoms scenario. Can you actually attack a US carrier?

Mission Orders:

• US - Stop the bombers from attacking the carriers.
• IJN - Sink 1 or more US carriers.

Special Rules:

The interceptors are Hellcats on CAP covering the carriers. There are six flights of them. However, they are committed in flights of four that are vectored in and arrive staggered. Each flight searches for the attackers separately. More flights can join an interception during the combat. Formations that miss intercept can try again on the next Ops turn.

Notes:

MXY7 Ohka: The MXY7 Ohka is a manned rocket bomb that is carried to within 20 miles of its target, and then glides to contact a large vessel. The G4M2e Bettys are carrying the Ohkas. They can release the Ohkas in Ops Box 8 at MH (alt=20,000) once they have spotted the carriers. The G4M2es can drop the Ohka earlier, but that entails jettisoning the rocket and its pilot.

Variants:

Additional Sizes: If you wish to try other sizes:

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