In message , Bob Urz
writes
I know similar scenarios were made into a movie.
But, if on Dec 1941 you had two strike eagles.
Only two. Your sortie arrived at the Japanese fleet
about the time 1/2 of the first wave was launched.

Question 1#
given the choice of any weaponry available for the F15,
(even some that may not be normally used)
what would your weapon load be? This is using all available hard points
and taking fuel out of the equation.

If you're not counting nukes, then I'd go for laser-guided bombs. Don't
know what the options are for type and number of LGBs on a F-15E, but
they're probably the best option for doing maximum damage off limited
pylons against moving targets.

Air-to-air weapons are pretty much irrelevant - you'll get maybe eight
Sidewinders and 900 rounds of 20mm for two planes, so a dozen kills.
Won't hurt to shoot off the AIM-9s on egress, but the priority is
killing the carriers.

Question #2
Given the choice of weapons above, what would your tactics be to
maximize damage to the carrier fleet and prevent as many planes
as possible from reaching Pearl. (while saving your own butt)

Lofted LGBs from standoff and altitude, with one aircraft designating
and the other dropping: as the weapons fly, the dropper keeps an eye for
any Japanese fighters trying to claw up to engage and lets them have a
Sidewinder or two in the face to dissuade them.

If fuel's not a problem, then hit the carriers with one LGB at a time,
from ahead or astern and targetting elevators for maximum disruption.
That should rapidly eliminate their flying capabilities and give a good
chance of causing catastrophic damage.

Resist the temptation to come in and strafe afterwards: they'll still
have a lot of barrage AAA and you can't do enough damage to justify the
risk.

Warning Pearl might be a problem by radio, but a few high-speed flypasts
and some strafing runs shooting up the water off Battleship Row should
alert Oahu that *something* is unusual and heightened alert would be
wise. If you want to go air-to-air with the attackers, waiting until
they're nearly at Pearl might be the best idea in order to disrupt and
confuse their attack even if you can't kill many of them.

Now there would have to be a balance between destroying the carriers
from future use and destroying the attacking planes that have already
left the carrier.

Kill the carriers: with the carriers gone, so is the strike force and
its irreplaceable pilots.


Have it it. Hang as much on the plane as you can.
But when your out of munitions, what other tactics could you use?

Get on the ground, and prepare to be *very* persuasive - your knowledge
of history is a vital weapon if you can persuade anyone to believe you


--
He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.
Julius Caesar I:2

Paul J. Adam MainBoxatjrwlynch[dot]demon{dot}co(.)uk