Check Your 6!

First Ace
AFTERMATH
Lt. Wagner led the attack on the Japanese airstrip with Lt. Russell
M. Church, Jr. as his wingman, and with Lt. Allison W. Strauss as
top cover. The P-40s came in on their target from the sea, taking
the Japanese by surprise. Church was killed pressing home his
bombing attack, and posthumously received the DSC. Wagner and
Strauss continued in strafing attacks on the airfield, damaging and
destroying numerous Japanese planes. Historically, only a single
Japanese fighter was able to take off, attacking Wagner's P-40.
Wagner chopped his throttle, causing his opponent to overshoot.
Once in position behind the enemy aircraft, Wagner shot it down.
Having previously scored 4 aerial victories, Wagner became the
first USAAC ace of the war, and earned a DSC.

NOTES
SETTING Soon after, as a lieutenant colonel, Wagner was reassigned to the
Date: 16 December 1941, dawn 5th Fighter Command Headquarters. He went to Port Moresby,
Location: Vigan, Luzon, Philippines New Guinea, in April 1942, with two P-39 squadrons of the 8th
History: On 10 December, the Japanese landed at Vigan, some Fighter Group; there he was credited with three Zeros destroyed
200 miles north of Manila, on the west coast of Luzon. Five days on 30 April. By late summer 1942, Wagner was back in the United
later, 25 enemy planes were sighted on a field near the town. A States. On 29 November 1942, he was killed flying a new P-40K in
fighter attack was ordered for the following day, to be led by Lt. an accident 25 miles east of Eglin Field, Florida.
Boyd "Buzz" Wagner, who commanded the 17th Pursuit .
Squadron. SCENARIO SET-UP
Conditions: Max/Auto Visibility: 20/10; Sun: center of Edge 6
border
CAB: SURFACE LOW
Clouds: Table Clouds: none; Cloud Border: none Edge Edge
USAAC Orders: Achieve more victory points than the
opponent. Score +10 VP if airfield is successfully bombed or
strafed.
1
A B
Airfield
2

IJAAF Orders: Achieve more victory points than the

opponent. Score +10 VP if airfield is not bombed or strafed.
Game Length: No limit. Edge Edge
SCENARIO RULES
1. Place the Japanese airfield in a hex approximately at the border
of board sections A, B, C, and D.
3 C D 4

NORTH
2. The airfield is guarded by two Light AA batteries. Place these in
any hexes adjacent to the airfield.

3. The two American aircraft in the strike element each start the
Edge
5
E F Edge
6
game with a Very Light bomb load, suffering the usual
penalties for Loaded Aircraft (Agility +0, halved climb rate
rounded down, no Special Maneuvers, no Power Climb). The
USAAC may receive +1 to hit on their ground attack rolls if Japanese Home Edge American Home Edge
bombing from TAL 1 or TAL 2.

Imperial Japanese Army Air Force United States Army Air Corps
TH
TH 17 Pursuit Squadron (strike element)
Elements of 50 Hikō Sentai
1 x Curtis P-40E w/ ace (+3) aircrew
3 x Nakajima Ki-27a "Nate" w/ skilled (+1) aircrew
1 x Curtis P-40E w/ green (+0) aircrew
(Set up first on-table in block B, within 3 hexes of the centre-line
facing west, TAL 3, Speed 2) (Set up second on-table, in block E, TAL 3, Speed 3)
TH
17 Pursuit Squadron (top cover)
VARIABLE RULES 1 x P-40E w/ green (+0) aircrew
1-5 Reinforcements (Set up third on-table, in block C, TAL 5, Speed 3)
On turn 4, bring on a flight of Ki-27a’s from Edge 2, TAL
3, Speed 3; they have all already used up their First Fire: VARIABLE RULES
1 x Ki-27a w/ veteran (+2) aircrew 1-3 Forced down by CAP
2 x Ki-27a w/ skilled (+1) aircrew The strike element has been forced to low level; they
6-8 Upgraded Armament MUST start at TAL 1 or TAL 2.
Choose one Ki-27a and replace its 2xLMG with 1xHMG & 4-6 Hard-won experience
1xLMG. Replace one green (+0) aircrew with skilled (+1) aircrew.
9-10 Combat Fatigue 7-10 Resolute ground attack
Replace one Ki-27a skilled (+1) aircrew with green (+0) The green (+0) aircrew of the strike element is a highly
aircrew. motivated pilot, excelling at bombing attacks; treat this
aircrew as a veteran (+2) for their bombing attack.