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The USN decided to take matters into their own hands and launched TBF strikes from their Task Force southeast of Kyushu. Targets were ports inside the Inland Sea at Kure and Hiroshima. USAAF medium bombers along with USMC Corsairs were tasked to hunt down and sink as many Japanese ships to the western and northern approaches to Kyushu. For the first time P51Ds would operate out of Okinawa taking on the best Japanese fighters.
Trouble started early when the USAAF and USMC aircraft were not detected by Japanese radar until well on the way to their targets. This allowed the entire Japanese fighter defense to concentrate on the inbound TBFs. Despite brilliant escort by navy corsairs which accounted for 7 Ki84s they were overwhelmed with 24 TBFs and 2 Corsairs being shot into the ocean. The attacking strike force made the Inland Sea but failed to reach their targets.
Soon after this to the north the USMC aircraft hit the most important Japanese port in the area sinking at least 6 anchored ships in the Shimonoseki Straits but defending flak was fierce shooting 6 of the F4U1Ds from the sky. B25s were operating to the south against Japanese coastal convoys found at least three and sank a total of 11 ships including two destroyers. Six Mitchells failed to return from these sorties.
A second TBF strike against Kochi on Shikoku Island was even more disastrous than the first with the strike ordered to scrub their mission by the USN Commander but poor radio reception meant this was not acknowledged and Japanese fighters again took the TBF formations apart piecemeal. This again pulled the majority of the IJ forces east allowing the B25s to return and hit shipping and ports at the southern end of Kyushu. A total of 13 anchored ships were sunk at Ibusuki Port and Kanoya with three moving ships thrown in for good measure. Only one B25 was lost but an Japanese veteran flying a Ki43 managed to knock down two much faster F4U1Ds in the swirling fights above the wave tops.
Allied pilots shot down 15 enemy fighters(mainly Franks) while loosing 22 player flown aircraft and 51 drones aircraft.
Score is too close to call for the frame. It is a dead heat until we get pilot losses from the S6. No BDA other than static ships and AI ships this frame. Allies will probably have a slight lead going into the final frame making frame 5 the deciding one.
Notes
1. TBFs are clay pigeons without uber otto. B24s are better as they have more guns and at least stop an attacker from zooming right in. AI are a work in progress.
2. Apology to Fooo who tried to cancel the final TBF strike and was over-ruled. Need more control in the system but hard to do with scripted events.
jabo
