AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Feb 04, 43 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Invasion Support action off Kavieng (106,122) 11 Coastal gun shots fired in defense. Allied Ships CL Detroit CL Raleigh DD Hammann DD Laffey DD Aaron Ward APA Barnett DD Mustin Allied ground losses: 6 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled CL Detroit firing at 15th GEACPS Brigade CL Raleigh firing at 15th GEACPS Brigade DD Aaron Ward firing at 15th GEACPS Brigade DD Aaron Ward fired at enemy troops Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft at 1,000 yards -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night Naval bombardment of Kavieng at 106,122 Allied Ships BB Indiana BB South Dakota BB Washington CA Vincennes CA Minneapolis CA New Orleans CLAA San Juan DD Power DD Mutz DD Moon DD McColley DD Fletcher Japanese ground losses: 22 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Airbase hits 19 Airbase supply hits 6 Runway hits 65 Port hits 18 Port supply hits 4 OS2U-3 Kingfisher acting as spotter for BB Indiana BB Indiana firing at 15th GEACPS Brigade OS2U-3 Kingfisher acting as spotter for BB South Dakota BB South Dakota firing at Kavieng BB Washington firing at Kavieng CA Vincennes firing at 15th GEACPS Brigade CA Minneapolis firing at Kavieng CA New Orleans firing at Kavieng CLAA San Juan firing at 15th GEACPS Brigade DD Power firing at 15th GEACPS Brigade DD Mutz firing at 15th GEACPS Brigade DD Moon firing at 15th GEACPS Brigade DD McColley firing at Kavieng DD Fletcher firing at 15th GEACPS Brigade -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Invasion Support action off Port Moresby (98,130) Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force 1 Coastal gun shots fired in defense. Allied Ships AM Punjab AM Launceton AM Geelong AM Dubbo AM Cootamundra xAP Minnipa AM Punjab fired at enemy troops AM Launceton fired at enemy troops AM Geelong fired at enemy troops AM Dubbo fired at enemy troops AM Cootamundra fired at enemy troops -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sub attack near Kavieng at 105,123 Japanese Ships SS I-174, hits 9, and is sunk Allied Ships BB South Dakota CLAA San Juan DD Moon DD Fletcher DD Power DD Mutz SS I-174 launches 4 torpedoes at BB South Dakota I-174 diving deep .... DD Power fails to find sub and abandons search DD Mutz fails to find sub, continues to search... DD Mutz fails to find sub, continues to search... DD Mutz fails to find sub, continues to search... DD Mutz fails to find sub, continues to search... DD Mutz attacking submerged sub .... SS I-174 forced to surface! DD Power firing on surfaced sub .... DD Power firing on surfaced sub .... DD Power firing on surfaced sub .... DD Power firing on surfaced sub .... Sub slips beneath the waves -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on 9th GEACPS Brigade, at 100,132 , near Milne Bay Weather in hex: Clear sky Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 4 minutes Allied aircraft Kittyhawk IA x 2 SBD-3 Dauntless x 27 No Allied losses Aircraft Attacking: 7 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000' Ground Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb 4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000' Ground Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb 8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000' Ground Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb 2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000' Ground Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb 2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000' Ground Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb 4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000' Ground Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on 9th GEACPS Brigade, at 100,132 , near Milne Bay Weather in hex: Clear sky Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 7 minutes Allied aircraft SBD-3 Dauntless x 19 No Allied losses Aircraft Attacking: 3 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000' Ground Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb 8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000' Ground Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb 8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000' Ground Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on 9th GEACPS Brigade, at 100,132 , near Milne Bay Weather in hex: Clear sky Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 5 minutes Allied aircraft SBD-3 Dauntless x 15 No Allied losses Aircraft Attacking: 11 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000' Ground Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb 4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000' Ground Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on 9th GEACPS Brigade, at 100,132 , near Milne Bay Weather in hex: Clear sky Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 4,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 9 minutes Allied aircraft B-25C Mitchell x 5 B-26 Marauder x 9 TBF-1 Avenger x 15 No Allied losses Aircraft Attacking: 15 x TBF-1 Avenger bombing from 3000 feet Ground Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb 3 x B-26 Marauder bombing from 3000 feet Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb 5 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 3000 feet Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb 3 x B-26 Marauder bombing from 3000 feet Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb 3 x B-26 Marauder bombing from 3000 feet Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on 9th GEACPS Brigade, at 100,132 , near Milne Bay Weather in hex: Clear sky Raid spotted at 11 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 2 minutes Allied aircraft B-26 Marauder x 12 No Allied losses Japanese ground losses: 6 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Aircraft Attacking: 12 x B-26 Marauder bombing from 3000 feet Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on 9th GEACPS Brigade, at 100,132 , near Milne Bay Weather in hex: Clear sky Raid spotted at 1 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 0 minutes Allied aircraft B-26 Marauder x 12 No Allied losses Japanese ground losses: 6 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Aircraft Attacking: 12 x B-26 Marauder bombing from 3000 feet Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on 9th GEACPS Brigade, at 100,132 , near Milne Bay Weather in hex: Clear sky Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 4 minutes Allied aircraft B-26 Marauder x 12 No Allied losses Japanese ground losses: 6 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Aircraft Attacking: 12 x B-26 Marauder bombing from 3000 feet Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sub attack near Hollandia at 94,116 Japanese Ships PB Tamaura Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage PB Tamo Maru #7 Allied Ships SS S-33 SS S-33 launches 2 torpedoes at PB Tamaura Maru S-33 diving deep .... PB Tamo Maru #7 fails to find sub, continues to search... PB Tamo Maru #7 fails to find sub, continues to search... PB Tamo Maru #7 fails to find sub, continues to search... PB Tamo Maru #7 fails to find sub, continues to search... PB Tamo Maru #7 fails to find sub, continues to search... Escort abandons search for sub -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Invasion Support action off Port Moresby (98,130) Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force 2 Coastal gun shots fired in defense. Allied Ships AM Punjab AM Launceton AM Geelong AM Dubbo AM Cootamundra xAP Minnipa AM Punjab fired at enemy troops AM Launceton fired at enemy troops AM Geelong fired at enemy troops AM Dubbo fired at enemy troops AM Cootamundra fired at enemy troops -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Port Moresby (98,130) Allied Deliberate attack Attacking force 13683 troops, 153 guns, 340 vehicles, Assault Value = 570 Defending force 3517 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 46 Allied adjusted assault: 488 Japanese adjusted defense: 23 Allied assault odds: 21 to 1 (fort level 3) Allied forces CAPTURE Port Moresby !!! Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), fatigue(-) Attacker: leaders(+) Japanese ground losses: 1379 casualties reported Squads: 37 destroyed, 2 disabled Non Combat: 37 destroyed, 19 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Units retreated 1 Allied ground losses: 41 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Defeated Japanese Units Retreating! Assaulting units: 2/8th Armoured Regiment 2/7th Armoured Regiment 8th Australian Division Defending units: 53rd Div /1