Deuces has done it again. We are building up his Wake Island and testing the missions for it. Here are a few shots:





You fly this mission without a takeoff or landing...unless Deuces wants to make Kwajalein just for that one trip that nobody is going to want to fly...1200 miles round trip in a G3M2.



Are those feet dangling beneath the bomber?









Here we are testing the field length. It's a little too short. Pull out the eraser.









And some more of these guys...

Nearly finished product. The Wildcats need a little more wear and tear.









We will fly 6 missions in the story of the Battle of Wake Island in the G3M2, F4F-3, B5N2, A6M2 and D3A1.

Then on to Burma.

Looks Great! So, the missions will be set up like YAP?

Regards,

J. P. Kelly

Sort of an evolution from YAP. Here's an example:

You are probably acquainted with the Battle of Wake Island but most people are not. While there is always heroism in warfare on both sides, it's our thought that the acts of common men in uncommon situations is a story. We tell stories of Japanese pilots whose fathers were farmers...or poets...or fishermen themselves. Rising Sun is not about America at war. It is about pilots at war.

And then there is this guy named Herbert Freuler. He was a Marine pilot at Wake. Opening day, G3M2's from Kwajalien blew up 7 or 8 of the F4F-3's that had just been dropped off on the atoll. For the next two weeks, air cover was flown by the ever decreasing list of pilots in and ever decreasing list of aircraft.

The carriers Hiryu and Soryu that had been diverted after Pearl Harbor because the Marines, it seems, were a little harder to remove than expected.

The air was full of Japanese aircraft and American AAA. It was not an easy place to bomb. In fact, the crew that sunk the Arizona died there. On December 22nd, Lt. Freuler and Lt. Davidson took the last two Wildcats into this swarm of Zeros, Vals and Kates to engage aircraft to engage their enemy.

Lt. Davidson did not come back. Lt. Freuler dropped one airplane before being shot up. He dove away and was not chased. Wounded, he managed to get back to Wake and crash land. And then Wake had no more air cover.

After the fight, the Japanese commander commented on the way the Marines had defended their positions. They are not loose with comments on bravery.

So we will let you read a bit, show you their pictures and shots from the episode. Then we will hand you your Wildcat, let you taxi to the end of the strip, swing around and launch through what is left of your island into a swarm of aircraft to take your chances. You will be lucky to get back. It's not going to be a shooting gallery video game. If you don't outfight your opponent, you will eat it.

We hope that when you land you know more than a mere book could tell you about an adventure too amazing to be fantasy...WWII in Asia and the Pacific.