This is by far toughest mission in the game. While insanely difficult it's not impossible. I will show you strategy that will greatly increase your chance of winning it. Let's get started.

Warming up before real fight here. Take off all 4 squadrons of Zeroes and send them to the south.


The B-17 will start spawning, intercept them sending 2 squadrons against 1


Hint: to deal more damage, try not to engage straightly from behind, but from different angles, and aim for the engines to shut them down.


This part shouldn't be the problem for you, if it is - give up. There will be only worse later. After last bomber is shot down, we are proceeding to the next stage.

This is where the fun begins. You have to defend 2 Fubuki - class destroyers from waves of dive and torpedo bombers. Why these are so important - no one knows. We only know that we must defend them at all costs. At least one must remain afloat to proceed to the next stage.


This part can be done entirely from the level of tactical map, but you can manually take down some aircraft. If one of your squadrons gets shot down, immediately get next to the skies. Always make sure that every single squadron has a target. NEVER. STOP. DOGFIGHTING. If you are forced to choose - shot down dive bomber or torpedo bomber - shot down dive bomber. Torpedoes can be avoided by destroyers, bombs - very unlikely.
NOW THE MOST IMPORTANT PART - WHEN THERE ARE 4 OR 3 ENEMY SQUADRONS REMAINING - SEND YOUR FIGHTERS HERE:


You will see why. Your destroyer(s) should take care of itself. If you have 1 plane in squadron left, crash it to the sea and take off next squadron. After last bomber is shot down, we are proceeding to naxt stage. Prepare yourself, because now sh*t is becoming serious.

Welcome in hell. Now you have to defend facilities made of f*cking glass because they can asorb 5-6 bombs before going down against lots, lots of dive bombers coming from east. You have very little time to intercept them. Because of this part, beating this mission in first try is purely impossible, because if you don't send fighters here during destroyer defense sequence - you're screwed. I cannot guarantee that you will succeed, because this is more matter of skill than strategy here, but this gives you at least chance.


Shoot down every bomber as fast as you can until there are no more of them.

(F*CK YOU SHIPYARDS!!!)

Last, and easiest part of the mission. If some of your squadrons were taken down, take off new ones, you can now also equip them with bombs.


Don't bother with the Higgins now, instead focus on troop transports that spawn them


This is where the bombs comes in handy


When Sabine and Tippecanoe is no more, get rid of those small bastards rushing your beaches. Small burst of machinegun fire will put them at the coral.


After last Higgins goes down, the mission is over.


Now you can take the breath. Well deserved breath. That was HARDCORE.