ConsimWorld Expo 2004 Down In Flames Debriefing Report

First, a big thanks to the 45 players, with 21 first time players, who participated in the third ConsimWorld Expo DIF Aces' Campaigns by flying in at least one mission.  I was unable to post any reports during the con as I was very busy with the DIF game table always in use.  At the opening reception, I presented last year's winner, Patrick Mills, with his personalized "2003 ConsimWorld DIF Aces of Aces" T-shirt.

DAILY MISSION TOTALS:

With two tables in use this year, a record total of 97 missions (34 on the second table) were played.

• Wednesday -10

• Thursday - 22
• Friday - 28
• Saturday - 22
• Sunday - 15

CAMPAIGN THEATERS MISSION TOTALS AND W-L RECORDS

The 97 missions covered 5 separate campaigns:

• 1941 Western Front - 6 missions, won by the Luftwaffe 4-to-1 with 1 tie

• 1942 Pacific - 18 missions, won by the US 13-to-5
• 1943 Western Europe  - 22 missions, won by the US 13-to-8 with 1 tie
• 1943 Eastern front - 34 missions, won by the Luftwaffe 22-to-12
• 1944 Pacific campaign - 17 missions, won by the US 12-to-4 with 1 tie

TOP PLAYERS IN NUMBER OF GAMES PLAYED:

• Mike Lam with 46 games with 38 total kills
• Martin Scott (45 games & 43 kills)
• Jack Beckman (41 games with 44 kills)
• Greg Smith (31 games& 40 kills)
• Chris LeFevre (27 games & 23 kills)
• Bob Workman (23 games & 16 kills)
• Patrick Mills (22 games & 20 kills)
• Mitch Ledford (20 games & 12 kills).

ACE OF ACES 2004:

Patrick Mills (Bloomington, ILL) was again this year's Ace of Aces with 9 kills in 6 missions flown by his new US 8th AF pilot, Michael Moore, in the 1943 Western Europe campaign. Pat came from behind with 4 kills on Sunday beating out Jack Beckman's 8-kill Luftwaffe pilot. Pat's victory was helped by Jack having to leave early on Sunday morning to make his flight back to Michigan. Patrick wins the Grand Prize of free admission at the 2005 ConsimWorld Expo. A big thanks to John Kranz for this prize in making the event a very competitive one.

BEST KILL RECORD BY A CONTINUING PILOT:

The honors for the best record for a continuing pilot from previous years again went to Greg Smith (Phoenix, AZ), for amassing 16 kills against the Soviets in the 1943 Eastern Front campaign in 9 missions with his 18-kill ace Sturmer Schmidt. A close second was Martin Scott's Japanese Naval ace, Shintaro Mendo, with 14 more fighter kills in 14 missions to add to his 35 previous kills.

Players who achieved 5 kills or more by one pilot:

• Jack Beckman (Sterling Heights, Mich) had 8 with his Fw-190 pilot, Willie Brandt, on 9 missions in the 1943 Eastern Front campaign. Brandt was killed trying to improve on his score.
• Kevin LeFevre (Chandler, Az) with 7 by his 1942 P-40 Pacific pilot, Kyle Roweling.
• Mike Lam (San Jose, CA) with 7 kills by his 1942 P-40 Pacific pilot Robert Hartley, 6 kills with his 1942 RAF Spitfire pilot S. Baldrick, and 5 kills by his 1943 Soviet La-5FN pilot Boris Budinsky.
• Martin Scott (Goleta, CA) for his 1941 Luftwaffe pilot, Walter Koenig. Unfortunately Koenig ends his career with 6 kills when on his next mission he was WIA. Martin also create a new US 8th AF P-47 pilot with 5 kills, Daniel Hood.
• Nick Markevich (San Bruno, CA) with his 6 kills IJN 1944 George Pilot, Kaga Musashi. Like Martin's Koenig, Musashi was KIA on his next mission just right after he shot down a B-25.
• Pat Mills in addition to his 1943 8th AF P-47 pilot Michael Moore (9 kills), his 1943 Soviet La-5FN pilot Slurpski Vodski (5 kills)
• Rick Young (Durham, NC) with a pair of La-5FN pilots, Mikhail Tal and Valeri Vorobyov, each with 5 kills.
• Alan Gieske (Phoenix, Az) with 5 kills by his 1943 Fw-190 Luftwaffe pilot, Joachim Metzler.
• Carrington Ward (Ill?) a first time player earns a Luftwaffe Bf-109 ace with Hans Morganthal on the Eastern Front with 5 kills in 3 missions.
• Mitch Ledford (Chicago Ill) with 5 kills by his 1943 P-47 8th AF pilot, Mike Lambert.
• Greg Smith with 5 kills by his 1943 P-47 8th AF pilot, Pat Buchannan.
• Eric Lane (Scottsdale, Az) with 5 kills by his 1942 USMC Wildcat Pacific pilot, George Tree. Eric's pilot becomes the first Wildcat ace pilot in the short history of the Aces' competition.
• Tom Meier (Junction City, Kan) with his 5 kill Japanese Army 1944 Frank pilot, Mota Rei. Tom pilot becomes the first IJA Frank pilot in the Aces' campaigns.

All players using new pilots with 5 or more kills also received the new "I Became An Ace" t-shirt version that has on its front side the Ace card drawing from ZERO! but the P-40 was replaced with the F6F Hellcat.

TOP ACES:

• The top Japanese player in the 1942 Pacific campaign was by Martin Scott's 35-kill pilot Shintaro Mendo (from previous DIF campaign games played at GMT-West and last year's CSW expo). Jack Beckman was second best with a pair of pilots with 3 kills.
• The top US player in the 1942 Pacific campaign was by 12-year Kevin Lefevre (Chandler, Az) with 6 Zekes and 1 Betty in 7 missions by his P-40 pilot Kyle Roweling. Kevin won the Osprey Aviation book, "P-40 Aces of the Pacific and CBI".
• The top RAF honors went to Bob Workman (Farmington, NM) by his Spitfire V pilot, Stuart Tibbits, who had 3 kills achieved in 4 missions in the 1941 campaign. Bob won the book, "Spitfire - Flying Legend" by John Dibbs and Tony Holmes.
• The Top 1941 Luftwaffe pilot belonged to Steve Viltoft (Burnsville, MN) with his Wolfgang Puck with 4 kills in 2 missions. Steve won the book, "JG26: Top Guns of the Luftwaffe" by Donald Caldwell, which he can pick up at next year's Expo.
• The top 1943 Luftwaffe pilot on the Western front belonged to 3 players, Eric Lane, Jim Gutt (Chandler, Az) and Jack Beckman. All had Fw-190 pilots with 3 kills with each flying between 3-to-5 missions. All won the book, "JG26: Top Guns of the Luftwaffe".
• The top Soviet player was Rick Young with 5 kills each by his La-5FN leader and wingman, M. Tal and V. Vorobyov (9 and 4 missions). Rick won the Time-Life book, "The Soviet Air Force at War".
• And as previously mentioned, the top US player in the 1943 Western Europe campaign was by Pat Mills' P-47C pilot, Michael Moore. Pat wins the book "An 8th Air Force Fighter Pilot: An American Fighter Pilot's Air War in Europe" by Norman "Bud" Fortier.

Other honorable mentions: Rick Young and Martin Scott for each player shooting down 5 medium bombers with their pilots and Carrington Ward for his pilots downing two B-17 heavy bombers.

NEXT YEAR:

John Kranz has given his full support to have this type of event again in 2005. And based on the participation level this year, that this event will return next year, provided I can get vacation days off from work.

For any DiF players, if you like playing DiF all day like I do, consider making the trip to Tempe next year.

I hope everyone enjoyed it and had fun learning how to play and playing DIF. I hope to see everyone again as well as some new players for more aerial mayhem in 2005!

Mike Lam, The ConsimWorld Expo DIF Flight Coordinator

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