The Cuban crisis has gone bad. The soviets under leadership of Nikita Krushchev did not back down, despite the US naval blockade. When all diplomacy fails, President Kennedy is left but one option: Destroy the soviet missiles on Cuba. Ousting the Cuban leader Fidel Castro will be a nice side-effect.
Squadron: 331st Flying F-104A's from Homestead AFB
As our Navy colleagues keep pounding the Cuban defenses, we are tasked to perform a fighter sweep over Gustavo Rizo Airfield. It's not the kind of mission I like to perform in a F-104. This fighter can only carry heat-seeking missiles. Unlike the Phantom we have to get in close for our kills. However we have the advantage of carrying an internal gun. If it gets real hot we can at least throw some lead at the enemy.
With full afterburner, I take to the sky. The additional fuel tanks will allow us to reach Cuba with plenty of fuel left for a brawl.
The first leg of our flight takes us to open sea, to confuse the Cuban radar operators of our target.
F-100's take of behind us, equipped with bombs to attack the radar sites.
As we cross the coastline, we are greeted by Skyhawks, returning from their mission. There are some Mig's hot on their tail they need to get rid off.
I order my wingman to drop the fuel tanks and do the same myself. Without the fuel tanks the F-104 is much more agile.
Unfortunately we approach the Mig's head-on. We need a tail-lock for our sidewinders. A brawl in sky erupts as Mig's and F-104's try to get a shot at each other.
Finally I get on the tail of a Mig. A whining tone warns me that the sidewinder has spotted his target. I pull the trigger and the missile leaps from its rail.
But the first missile misses its mark. I keep trailing behind the Mig and get a second warning from the remaining sidewinder. I fire and this time the missile disappears in the tailpipe of the Mig, which explodes in thousand pieces.
I am now right on top of the enemy base, Mig's surrounding us and I have no more missiles left.
I spot a second Mig below me. As I dive towards him, I realize I am without missiles. In a reflex I lead him and pull the trigger of my gun. The tracers lead nice up to the Mig, tearing away its tail.
I pull hard on the stick to get out the suicidal dive towards the Mig, behind me its wreckage plummets to the ground.
Meanwhile the Cubans have send Mig-21's to the sky. Unlike the Mig-15 and Mig-17's these fighters carry missiles. It's time to bug out.
Using my higher altitude, I fly in full afterburner back towards the US. The Mig's don't follow me, perhaps out of fear for our own anti-aircraft artillery?
I land safely back at base with two kills, one made with guns like in Korea or during WW2. That is something the F-4 jockeys will never be able to do.
The End
