Oriskany's US 28mm Reinforcements
Elessar2590 takes a turn as "Maverick's" Dad
Okay, everyone … I’ll try to upload some kind of video highlights of this recorded game this week, but for now, here is a traditional battle report for the game of AirWar C21 my friend @elessar2590 and I had last Sunday.
AirWar C21 is a great system by Wessex Games, available on Wargames Vault, recreating jet air combat in the modern age. Think X-Wing except real. For this game, I used the Data Annex supplement for slightly older aircraft to create a game set during “Operation Rolling Thunder,” the American tactical bombing effort against North Vietnam during 1965-68.
Elessar590 will wind up playing the Americans here. These are US Navy F-4 Phantoms in 1968 Vietnam, so just for fun we decided they were from Squadron VF-51, based aboard the carrier USS Oriskany. Movie buffs might know this is the squadron of “Duke” Mitchell, father of Tom Cruise’s “Maverick” Pete Mitchell in TOP GUN.
So let’s see how Maverick’s dad does today!
The scenario will be a simple fighter sweep / interception just north of the DMZ, near Dong Hai, North Vietnam, set near the end of 1968. Two US Navy F-4J Phantoms (Squadron VF-51, based off the Essex class carrier USS Oriskany) will penetrate North Vietnamese airspace, where they will be intercepted by four MiG-17 “Fresco” (and/or Chinese Shenyang J-5 knockoffs) fighters of Fighter Regiment 921, the first and premiere jet-powered formation of the VPAF (Vietnamese People’s Air Force) at this time.
So here’s the equipment featured in this game. Obviously we have the MiG-17, each with one Nu-37mm autocannon and twin 23mm autocannon. Now MiG-17s carry NO MISSILES, so I decided to gun them up with ADDITIONAL 37mm guns, one on each wing, via external hardpoints. The North Vietnamese will have support from a battery of SA-2 “Gainful” surface-to-air missiles, the “flying telephone pole” B-52 killers. Not the most accurate things in the world, but against these Phantoms, if even one of them hits … Please note this is the “pre-Top Gun” era Phantom, a “J” variant (flares, ECM pod, and chaff) but NO GUNS. This was the era when the US was just realizing that missiles aren’t in fact ALL THAT COUNTS in air-to-air combat in the latter half of the 20th Century, but they have a fleet of fighters without internal gunnery weapons. Future variants of the Phantom and new aircraft will ALWAYS gave guns (usually the M61 20mm Vulcan rotary cannon) but for now, quick-fix measures are the best available. Hence these Phantoms have Mk 4 external gun pod, with twin Mk 12 20mm single barrel cannon. By no means the best … but give the North Vietnamese guns … Also, each Phantom will carry x2 AIM-9G Sidewinder SRAAMs and x2 AIM-7E Sparrow MRAAMs. This is a half missile load, but those gun pods are heavy. These variants of the Phantom, Sidewinder, and Sparrow are the most advanced I can “legally” use given the timeline of the scenario. 
Here comes the initial approach. I didn’t know which side Elessar2590 would want to play. In the live stream he said he was cool with either side. So I rolled a dice and I wound up with the Socialist Heroes of the People of Vietnam. Death to the Yankee Imperialists! The Phantoms are MUCH faster than my poor little MiG-17s … but my MiGs are much more maneuverable, I have twice as many, and of course I have missile support from the ground. Then again, Elessar’s Navy pilots have missiles as well. For now, Elessar’s Sidewinders cannot get a lock (these are the G variant, they have to be BEHIND me). The Sparrows can lock on from any TARGET angle (semi-active radar homing) but they are too far away. Not so with my SAMs, which can try three locks in a turn. I get two (my radar rating is 5+ on a d10), so two SA-2s are off the rails and tracking. Now they will be hitting the Phantoms from the front … and deflection IS a major factor here. Elessar dumps chaff, but maybe I’ll get lucky … 
My missiles miss. Elessar chooses the “Unload” maneuver, going into a powered dive and basically dumping altitude for what the Phantom does best, raw speed. Two more SA-2s are off the rails (I have six in all), and these are approaching from the tail … easier to hit. MiG “Pair One” cuts inside the Phantoms for a gunnery burst. It’s not great, again note the high angle of deflection, and the range could be better … but I hold the hammer down and put a SUSTAINED BURST from all five guns on two planes (ten autocannon in all). Yes, I get some hits, but Phantoms are big and Phantom 02 survives for now … damaged but still in the fight. MiG Pair 02 could had sealed the deal but they lost initiative, and one of them fluffed their Immelmann roll to boot (almost stalled out … MiG-17s are only “medium” powered aircraft) .
Again my SAMs miss, and will spend the next 6-7 phases trying to get a lock for my last two missile launches. Man, I need some new SAM operators. Meanwhile, Phantom 02 has previously launched a Sidewinder from behind MiG 04, while Phantom 01 has launched a Sparrow from the front. I have selected a “BREAK” maneuver to avoid these warheads, and made the roll, giving me a nice bonus to evade incoming fire. I dodge the Sparrow but not the sidewinder, which rolls “6” on the d10 damage, blowing the MiG-17 out of the sky. SPLASH THAT SUCKER, YEAH! Another missile is then launched at MiG 03. Meanwhile, I seem to have forgotten how to roll well at initiative, or maneuver checks for that matter. COME ON, GUYS! UNCLE HO IS COUNTING ON YOU! 
My last two SA-2s finally launch. Do you think they hit? Oh, of course not. MiG 01, meanwhile, has been but by those Phantom gun pods, I have lost a maneuver class (control surfaces hit) and all guns … so he’s now a flying clay pigeon whose best move is to dump altitude for speed and bug out to the southwest. Damaged or not, Phantom 02 is now TAILING the SIX of MiG 02. Elessar is in position and makes the tailing roll (this rule allows you to stay behind an eligible target and move with him regardless of initiative) … but my airbrakes, slower stall speed, and much tighter turn radius will fly the bird to the Yankee dog’s efforts to stay on my six. If only my wingman (MiG 01) hadn’t failed his Split-S roll … 
Yes, this game gets desperate at the end. After cutting to within 400 feet of me at one point, Phantom 02 overshoots. I pull a Split-S, rolling on my back and curling down, pulling out and rolling back over with pretty much any facing I choose ... Right at the Phantom. Unfortunately for me, Elessar’s declared the same maneuver (yes, declarations like this are made blind). Long story short, we wind up 1000 feet lower, screaming toward each other at 12” a turn (each 1” of movement = 50 knots, each grid on this map is ¼ mile). So again we’re at 400 feet or so (blue dot designates actual position of the aircraft) … each doing 600 knots for 1200 knots closure. ALL GUNS FIRE! He only nicks me but I clobber the Phantom, doing another three points of manage. He’s now at 5 damage, over half, so he’s now “Crippled.” Crippled aircraft have half speed, which he’s now exceeding by 2. That’s two MORE damage points. He’s out of ammo, and his missile system is basically ripped out of the plane, and his damage is now 7. He has ONE DAMAGE POINT LEFT … completely unarmed, and crippled. I CAME SO CLOSE!
Well, the game ends on Turn 6 with merciful speed. As Phantom 02 bugs out, Phantom 01’s Sidewinder missile from last turn hits MiG 01 despite his successful Break Turn … and a half-deflection gunnery shot from Phantom 01 also hits damaged MiG 02. That’s three MiGs shot down and one bugged out (all MiG pilots made successful bail out checks but one), after which Phantom 01 will be escorting his limping, smoking, crippled, unarmed wingman back to the carrier. CONGRATS ON THE VICTORY @elessar2590! You’re warned, though! I’ll get you next time! 😀
I love how you’ve laid this out, really great report!
Thanks very much @omega1976 ! I’m trying to have the first part of the video replay / highlights up in the next couple of days. 🙂
Danger Zone! 🙂