It's the Pacific. We (the Japanese) are scouting in front of our main
bomber force, looking for the American P40 fighter patrols. We are flying
Ki-43s.
It's the Pacific. We (the Japanese) are scouting in front of our main
bomber force, looking for the American P40 fighter patrols. We are flying
Ki-43s.
We have hit the American airbase. Bati (our of our bombers) limps towards
home with a damaged left engine. The remnants of the scout force and escort
fighters are covering him.
Pay no attention to the German markings on
the plane: we are using Ju-88s are stand-ins for Japanese level bombers.
Final approach. Bati tries to put his gear down, but fails: his gear light
flashes red. He requests a flyby by the fighters to look at his undercarrage.
No go - enemy fire has hit the wheel-wells. Note: at the time, the fighters
thought that his left gear was OK. On reviewing these pictures, it looks as
if we mistook his left propeller blade for the gear. The left
engine is now dead - the prop is not spinning.
Bati decides on a belly landing. Oil smoke drifts up from the damaged
engines.... but he makes it down. Note suvs, tima, and bate (mostly hidden
behind my wing) are also landing. Mission accomplished.