Lightning-Bolts over Luzon

As 1944 was coming to an end in the Philippines, the US Army was still fighting a bitter battle on Leyte. A second US landing at Ormoc came on December 7th, cutting off the remaining Japanese on the island from resupply. Despite the fact that the Japanese had been isolated, the fighting on Leyte would continue for several more months. 

A week after the Ormoc landings on Leyte, US 6th Army forces landed on Mindoro with intentions on capturing and constructing airfields to strike Manilla and the entire island of Luzon. General MacArthur had set his sights on Manilla for his infamous return and January 9th he would land Sixth Army troops in the Lingayen Gulf.

During the last few months of 1944, Marine Air Group 12 would move to Leyte under the command of the US 5th Air Force and would operate together supporting the troops on the ground, defending the invasions, and interdicting Japanese shipping and air attacks. P-38s of the 49th FG and 475th FG and P-47s of the 348th FG and 35th FG were operating next to Marine F4U’s of VMF-115, 211, 218 and 323 as well as various bombers and attack planes.

It was in these last months of 1944 that the fiercest air battles of the Philippines were fought at Leyte, Mindoro, and Luzon as Japanese losses continued to mount and pilots and aircraft could not be replenished. This FSO is set around these last major air battles and the Allied landings in the Philippines in late December 1944 and early January 1945.

PLANE SET

*SPECIAL RULES*

 - Rockets are disabled for the P-38L

- 1000lb Bombs Disabled for the F4U-1A, P-38L, and P-47D-25

AIRCRAFT SCORING

OBJECT SCORING

SHIP SCORING

 

ACE MISSIONS

 

Each side will have one mandatory Ace mission per frame. These frames will represent notable pilots of the time and theater. One pilot from each side will designated an "Ace" Pilot. They must fly the Aces listed aircraft. 

 

They will be scored as follows. 

 

Frame 3 – Maj. Thomas B. McGuire Jr. - (USAAF) - (P-38L) Maj. Thomas B. McGuire scored 38 aerial victories in a P-38, making him America's second highest scoring ace. Among his many decorations was the Medal of Honor awarded for his actions on Dec. 25-26, 1944, when he shot down seven enemy aircraft. On Jan. 7, 1945, he crashed to his death on Los Negros Island in the Philippines while risking an extremely hazardous maneuver at low altitude in an attempt to save the life of a comrade. McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey is named in his honor.

 

AXIS:

 

Frame 1 - Lt Commander Ayao Shirane (IJN) – (N1K2-J) A veteran of the carrier battles of Midway, the Eastern Solomons, and Santa Cruz. In July of 1944 he was given command of the 401st Sqaudron of the Yokosuka Air Group flying the new N1K Shinden (George). In October 1944 he took his squadron to Luzon where they saw immediate action. Shirane was shot down and killed by P-38s from the 433rd FS on November 24th 1944. He had 9 aerial victories.

 

Frame 2 – Master Seargeant Satoshi Anabuki (IJAAF) – (Ki-84) Anabuki fought in the 1941 invasion of the Philippines and then in Burma. In October 1943 he shot down three B-24s and 2 P-38 escorts. He downed one of the B-24s by ramming it, wounding himself. He would later ferry Ki-84 fighters from Formosa to the Philippines where he would shoot down 6 F6F Hellcats. He would survive the war claiming 59 victories but was officially credited with 39.

 

Frame 3 – Chief Petty Officer Shoichi Sugita (IJN) – (N1K2-J) Sugita saw fierce action in the Solomons and became a leading ace in the campaign and flew in the infamous Yamamoto mission. Sugita was given a chance to redeem his honor and continued to fight on in the Carolines, Marianas and scored numerous kills in the Philippines. Sugita was killed while trying to take off on 15th 1945 in the defense of Japan. He was recognized as having achieved 70 victories.

 

 

SETTINGS

 

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