ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock
Over the period of 3-4 days, thousands of sorties were made from land bases in China and approximately 12-15 American CV/CVL and 5 English CV versus AF, transports off Okinawa and IJN surface units. IJN losses were staggering, as the IJA fighters could not keep the strikes from hitting home.
Spectacular! What was the damage to the RN cruisers?
CL Dragon is a hulk in Swatow harbor (98/56); will probably remain there for the duration
CA Suffolk and DD Grenville are in the 60's for SYS and 20's for FLT; when pumped out, will transfer to either Camrahn Bay or Singapore for repair, but will likely miss the end of hostilities also.
The only loss that I can see was the Dutch DD Tjerk Hiddes; I don't remember any others.
Losses have been greater at the landings at Takao that I have just done and will report on later this weekend. 3 Divisions are ashore, but 2 DD were sunk by 8" CD fire; at least 4-5 LST will probably sink soon and 2 AP are in a hard way right now with fires aboard.
Here is the total reports that I have for the fighting around Swatow. In the end, it was evident that the IJ ships had used most of their ammo up; in the final engagement, the English ships closed to under 10000 yds
(perhaps as close as 5k, I don't recall for sure) in a long daylight shooting spree. The air attacks must have drained the light guns of most of their ammo; plus the damage to the upperworks of the heavy ships.
Report follows:
Losses during the fighting:
Canton: DD Meredith, while escorting Alabama vs. IJN Mikuma, Kinugasa and escorts. All Japs sunk; Alabama 1 torpedo hit, retires to Canton harbor
Outside Canton: 7 MSW to Mikuma force the night before Canton action.
Swatow:
Day Air attack on TF, near Swatow at 46,42
Allied aircraft
Thunderbolt II x 2
Mosquito FB.VI x 14
P-40N Warhawk x 47
P-38J Lightning x 43
A-20G Havoc x 32
B-25J Mitchell x 40
B-24J Liberator x 2
Allied aircraft losses
Mosquito FB.VI: 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
DD Makigumo, Shell hits 20, Bomb hits 1, on fire
BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 4, on fire
CA Mogami, Shell hits 8, Bomb hits 1
CA Tone, Shell hits 12, Bomb hits 1
BB Haruna, Bomb hits 4, on fire
DD Yugumo, Shell hits 20
Hellcat II x 23
Corsair IV x 5
Firefly x 11
Barracuda x 28
Avenger II x 5
B-24J Liberator x 13
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
BB Haruna, Bomb hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
DD Makigumo, on fire
F6F Hellcat x 19
SB2C Helldiver x 28
TBM Avenger x 14
Allied aircraft losses
SB2C Helldiver: 3 damaged
Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima, on fire, heavy damage
BB Haruna, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
CA Tone, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Yugumo
Day Air attack on TF, near Swatow at 46,42
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 6
Allied aircraft
P-40N Warhawk x 35
P-38J Lightning x 58
A-20G Havoc x 55
B-25J Mitchell x 46
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 5 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
A-20G Havoc: 12 damaged
B-25J Mitchell: 1 destroyed, 15 damaged
Japanese Ships
BB Yamato, Bomb hits 10, on fire
BB Musashi, Bomb hits 3, on fire
P-38J Lightning x 31
PB4Y Liberator x 3
B-24J Liberator x 17
Allied aircraft losses
PB4Y Liberator: 3 damaged
B-24J Liberator: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged
Japanese Ships
BB Haruna, Bomb hits 5, on fire
BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 2
Day Air attack on TF, near Swatow at 46,42
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 2
Allied aircraft
Thunderbolt II x 5
A-20G Havoc x 18
B-25J Mitchell x 38
B-24J Liberator x 16
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
A-20G Havoc: 2 damaged
B-25J Mitchell: 1 destroyed, 7 damaged
B-24J Liberator: 4 damaged
Japanese Ships
CL Abukuma, Bomb hits 2, on fire
BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 1
BB Haruna, Bomb hits 7, on fire
CA Tone
Day Air attack on TF, near Swatow at 46,42
Allied aircraft
PB4Y Liberator x 15
B-24J Liberator x 69
Allied aircraft losses
PB4Y Liberator: 1 damaged
B-24J Liberator: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 15, on fire
BB Haruna, Bomb hits 5, on fire
CA Mogami
DD Teruzuki
CL Abukuma, Bomb hits 2, on fire
Day Time Surface Combat, near Swatow at 46,42
Japanese Ships
BB Yamato, Shell hits 6, on fire
BB Musashi, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Amatsukaze, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Yamakaze, Shell hits 8, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Hibiki, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Usugumo
DD Sagiri, Shell hits 1
DD Ushio
DD Numakaze, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
Allied Ships
CA Suffolk, Shell hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
CL Dragon, Shell hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
CL Durban, Shell hits 3
DD Le Triomphant, Shell hits 2
DD Van Galen
DD Tjerk Hiddes, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Ulysses, Shell hits 1
DD Undaunted
DD Undine, Shell hits 1, on fire
Day Time Surface Combat, near Swatow at 46,42
Japanese Ships
BB Yamato, on fire, heavy damage
BB Musashi, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Amatsukaze, on fire
DD Hibiki, and is sunk
DD Usugumo
DD Sagiri
DD Ushio
Allied Ships
CL Kenya
CL Swiftsure
CLAA Capetown
CLAA Van Heemskerck
DD Relentless
DD Rocket
DD Saumarez
DD Grenville, Shell hits 1, on fire
Day Time Surface Combat, near Swatow at 46,42
Japanese Ships
BB Yamato, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
BB Musashi, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Amatsukaze, on fire
DD Usugumo
DD Sagiri
DD Ushio
Allied Ships
CL Kenya, Shell hits 1
CL Swiftsure, Shell hits 1
CLAA Capetown
CLAA Van Heemskerck, Shell hits 1
DD Relentless
DD Rocket
DD Saumarez
DD Grenville, on fire
Day Time Surface Combat, near Swatow at 46,42
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
F1M2 Pete: 3 destroyed
Japanese Ships
BB Yamato, Shell hits 25, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
BB Musashi, Shell hits 29, and is sunk
DD Amatsukaze, Shell hits 18, on fire, heavy damage
DD Usugumo, Shell hits 13, on fire, heavy damage
DD Sagiri
DD Ushio, Shell hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
Allied Ships
CL Kenya
CL Swiftsure
CLAA Capetown, Shell hits 2
CLAA Van Heemskerck, Shell hits 1
DD Relentless, Shell hits 3
DD Rocket
DD Saumarez, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Grenville, on fire, heavy damage
