CINCSoPac/SWPac

[Rob Roberson]

#16 Historical Japanese sub doctrine is off, difficulty is historical 1 day turns.


I have been handed command of the entire south Pacific region until the army can appoint someone to take command of the defense of Australia. I will post my flag on the island of New Caledonia. It is a gathering point of ships and supplies and it is where I believe my defense of the Coral Sea region can be most effective.

Our current statis is one of need. After the Battle of the Coral Sea (and the loss of Lexington in said battle) all major US Naval units have been withdrawn to by order of CinCPac. As of today, 1 June 1942 I find myself with a major shortage in both men and materials. Despite these limitations I have been given the following orders and will use what men and materials we have on hand currently to do the job.

1. Reinforce Buna, the next expected area of forward Japanese movement.

2. Build up Port Moresby and make it a supply center for the entire southwest Pacific Region.

3. Prepare units in the South Pacific for an expansion into the Solomon Islands.

I am told that I must act quickly in the case of the Buna area a Japanese landing is expected at that area at anytime. I will use elements of the 10th Australian Brigade to reinforce the area. The men and material are currently boarding a transport task force led by the Destroyer Farragut and will depart as soon as loaded. Friendly CAP will be provided by Moresby as soon as the Task Force is in range.

I have decided to make Moresby a major fighter base. The Japanese will no doubt visit the area every day from Rabaul I intend to make the visits unwelcomed and will transfer as many army fighters as the base will hold.

I have decided to send elements of the 182nd RCT commanded by Col Hogan to San Cristobal. The 182nd will provide security for the 57th Engineer Battalion commanded by LTC Lindsey. I will build a fighter strip on the south end of the island to cover help provide air cover for future operations into the Tulagi/Lunda region. This landing will be led by Captain Getting of the USS Canberra. There will be no air cover for this operation. We feel due to the lack of Japanese intel is this area, that there are no major Japanese units in the area that can prevent the landings at San Cristobal. It is a risky move, but I believe the risk is low.

I will move major bomber units to Luganville to begin the harrassment of Japanese units at Lunga. They have begun to build an airfield there and I will attempt to hamper that progress until I receive enough men and materials to make a landing there.

I have asked CinCPac for a reinforcement of ships and men for operations in this area. They will be forthcoming, but are involved a yet unnamed operation.


1 June 1942
Admiral Robert S Roberson, commanding

[Rob Roberson]

Task Force 202 led by Captain Getting of the Canberra is underway. I saw them off personally this morning. I feel as if I am sending these men to their deaths due to the lack of support I can give them. I have told them to press forward to San Cristobal no matter what units are in the area. I can only hope the lack of ship sightings in the region by my coastwatchers and the rumored actions in the central pacific have the bulk of the Japanese navy occupied until I can slip these men into that island.

Rabaul, as predicted, is getting a daily pounding by Japanse land based air. I will continue to rotate fresh fighters into that area and give as good as we get. The airfield is currently holed but repairable.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding,

3 June 1942

[Rob Roberson]

Task Force 201, the reinforcement of Buna left Brisbane this morning.

Intelligence believes that there is a Japanese convoy just north of Gili Gili. I have dispatched two submarines to the area. I will probably send some air to the area from PM to deal with it. PM continues to get attention from Rabaul.

Getting's Task Force continues towards San Cristobal undetected. I can only hope their luck holds out.

My intelligence officer says there is a major naval action occuring in the central pacific. That might explain where all my (and the Japanese) naval assets are.

[Rob Roberson]

Getting's task force was attacked by Japanese air with no effect. They have begun offloading troops and supplies at San Cristobal.

Japanese ground forces have taken Gili Gili. This came as a suprise to me and I fault my lack of intelligence of the area. One of my submarines has torpedoed a transport there. I have dispatched two more submarines to the area and will fly airstrikes against the task force, but the damage is already done and now must begin operations to retake Gili Gili from the Japanese.

The major naval engagement in the central pacific has ended. My intelligence reports as many as three Japanese and two American aircraft carriers are out of commission. In the coming days I'm sure CinCPac will update me on it.


Admiral Robert Roberson Commanding

6 June 1942

[Rob Roberson]

High praise for Captain Getting. The army is offloaded and his ships are on their way home without a single loss.

The 10th Aust Brigade is now ashore on Buna.

I have begun a siege at Gili Gili using submarines. It is my hope that I can starve the troops out there. I would prefer to use heavier units, but my lack of air cover (and naval units) prevents this at this time.

CinCPac has begun to send heavier naval units to my area. I expect them in a few days. This will give me the abilty to conduct more aggressive operations per Admiral King's request.


Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

10 June 1942

[Hartmann]

Just wanted to drop by and say that I'll read the AAR in the evening. Looking forward to it!

Hartmann

[Rob Roberson]

Japanese Battleships skirt my air and sea zones and pound PM into rubble. I am amazed by this. Between subs and aircraft there is no way they should of been able to do this, yet they did. The airfield will be operational again tomorrow, but I have appealed to CinCPac that I must have heavier units to counter this now!

I have moved a PBY squadron to San Cristobal to begin search operations so there will be no surprise bombings of my troops there. I have another supply convoy headed that way from Luginville. All in all this operation is moving along very much to my liking.

I have begun to explore possibilities of an early landing at Gili Gili. My subs should be able to box out any supply efforts of the troops there. I have decided that until I can get heavier naval units in the area I will hold off on any offensive action there. But my siege will continue.


Admiral Robert Roberson Commanding

15 June 1942

[Rob Roberson]

CinCPac agrees with me and says that a major commitment of troops/ships/materials is headed my way. He further went to say that it is the belief of Admiral King that the based on the losses of the Japanese Navy in what is being called the Battle of Midway the Japanese have lost the iniative and are on the defensive. This is good news for us here. Admiral Nimitz sent me a poem purported to be a dispatch from the Japanese commander in chief, second fleet, to the commander in chief, first fleet during the Battle of Midway, it reads:

Send aid,
Send it fast.
Have lost face,
Am losing ***.

PM continues to get pounded, I must rotate aircrews from there soon due to plummenting morale.

I have dispatched to Americal HG and the 70th AAR to my toehold on San Cristobal. I am there to stay.

[Rob Roberson]

My first two surface losses in theater. Subchasers 640 and 638 were torpedoed off of New Caledonia. I have dispatched several new arriving destroyers to deal with the problem, I fear my ASW crews are not yet up to the task of defending rear areas from theses thieves in the night.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

19 June 1942

[madflava13]

Rob - I like the way you've structured your AAR so far... I'm reading with interest....

[Rob Roberson]

I am growing weary of army pilots. THey are neither precise with their reports of enemy shipping nor the bombing of them. I have sent my level bombers out time and time again against Japanese warships off of gili gili without results. As soon as I have enough naval air I will base them out of PM. The army pilots will do for now, but are headed for a secondary role in this campaign.

I can't be less pleased with my submariners off of GG. No sinkings despite the reports of transports in the area. I may start replacing commanders soon.

I have dispatched RADM Norman Scott to the Gili area with a small surface task force. Let's see if he can plug the holes in my siege there.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

20 June 1942

[Rob Roberson]

A major Japanese surface group surprised me at PM. **** those army pilots! They should of never gotten that close undetected.
I will feel better when Scott arrives with his ships. I will likely put him in charge there. The Japanse sank two subchasers and rendered PM's airfield useless. To add insult to injury, the land based air struck PM for the first time in several days...I believe the airfield will be out for several days. I may send Nimitz's poem back to him as a subtle hint.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

23 June 1942

[Rob Roberson]

Naval Battle of Gili Gili

RAdm Norman Scott's surface group caught the retreating Japanese bombardment group just south of Gili-Gili at 1 am this morning. Scott's group engaged 3 Japanese Cruisers 2 light cruises and 4 destroyers with his force of one Heavy cruiser, two light cruisers and two destroyers.

Scott slipped in at 6000 yards and suceeded in crossing the Japanese T lay devastation to the heavy cruiser Kumano. At that point the Japanese heavy's made Scott pay withering fire devastating his flagship the Salt Lake City. By 1:16 am the Salt Lake City was burning from bow to stern and settling in the boiling sea. After action rescue operations managed to pick up 24 members of the Salt Lake City. Norman Scott was not one of those and is listed as missing in action. The Japanese then turned their guns on the light cruisers Achillies and Phoenix both of whom suffered heavy damage, but are now limping back to port. American scout planes reported seeing two 1 heavy cruiser "Kumano" and one light cruiser limping away north burning furiously. The heavy cruiser Mogami as well as Suzukya were also reported on fire. The entire action lasted just 34 minutes.

While the loss of Scott and the Salt Lake City is a blow. This action should signal to the Japanese that the days of cruising up to Port Moresby unmolested are over.

Once again Army fliers let me down by failing to track the Japanese task force despite the trail of oil and smoke. I am now assigning them strictly to ground ops...which I belive is what army pilots are best suited for.

My subs did engage the retreating Japanese. No significant damage was done.

I have now been force to devote quite a bit of my forces at New Caledonia to hunting Japanese submarines. They have become quite the menance.

Saratoga and Wasp are now in route. Soon I will have naval air to deal with the situation at Port Moresby.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

26 June 1942

[Rob Roberson]

Apparently the Japanese ignored the message about no more free rides to PM. They brushed aside two destroyers and two subchasers in the harbor and leveled the airfield again. The Perkins sank with all hands, the Porter is still afire. Once again the army failed to pick up the inbound assault force and once again the army pilots failed to scratch the ships with bombs. I have moved some dive bombers into the area now. The situation is very grave at PM. I am starting to wonder if the Japanese are softing up the area for a possible landing. Needless to say I feel the two promised carriers cannot get her fast enough.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

27 June 1942

[Rob Roberson]

Naval Battle of Port Moresby

A second Japanese task force entered the area attempting to gain entrance to the harbor led by the Battleship Kirishima. A small force of cruisers and destroyers led by RADM Smith met them. In a very brief exchange of fire the Japanese left the field for a reason not yet determined. They did finish off both Achilles and Phoenix who were attempting to gain entrance to the port facilities still burning from pervious battles.

The army finally got into the battle and reaffirmed my belief that medium bombers are not suited for naval attacks. Army dive bombers put bombs into the Kinugasa and Mochizuki. Later in the afternoon one of my submarines put a spread of torpedoes into the Aoba. I believe it was S-37 now overdue at Moresby.

Outside of New Caledonia I have lost another subchaser. They might chase them well but are useless for bagging them.

My inabilty to control the sea lanes in and around Port Moresby has forced me to order all allied naval forces to Cooktown. I just do not have the warships to spare.

I have received word that Washington wants me to make a major landing in the Solomons by the end of next month. Unless they are prepared to send me far more ships and men I can't see that as a realistic objective.

At this point I would say the situation in the Southwest Pacific is very grim. Unless Allied air can put a dent in the Japanese navy I believe they will take Moresby soon. I will be moving another brigade of Aussies to Moresby by the end of the week.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

27 June 1942

[Hartmann]

Keep going, Rob! I somehow like AARs where *not* everything is going well best. Of course, I´m waiting for you to turn the tide some day.

Aloha,

Hartmann

[Preacher]

Same here. Keep it up!

Preacher

[Rob Roberson]

My Destroyers outside New Caledonia are getting better. They have claimed two Japanese subs, though not without loss, two more tin cans limped back to port today. The Japanese sub menace continues to suck away resources that I could use in other places.

At Port Moresby the commander there (now a navy man I might add) says the area has settled into a routine. Japanese task forces cruises in and bombs the airfield. With daylight dive bombers fly out and attack Japanese task force. Japanese LBA flys in and adds to the destruction at the airfield. The airfield is now operating at just 50 percent. Army pilots are claiming to have put bombs in several cruisers and destroyers. This remains to be seen according to my man on the scene.

I still do not know what the Japanese intentions are. I am hurting badly for naval units (though a big task force from pearl is now just 3 days away). The Japanese could land forces anywere. Or nowhere. Only time will tell.

Washington has repeated its demands for a landing in the Solomons. With my airstrip still uncompleted at San Cristobal I must wait until the Saratoga or Wasp arrive...probably another week away before I will attempt any landing at Tulagi or Lunga.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

1 July 1942

[Admiral DadMan]

I'm slobbering. Maybe I devote some beer funds to a UV purchase...

BTW, history shows that subs are no use against an alert invasion force with plenty of Aircraft and DD's patrolling. Better to use them to interdict along known shipping routes...

[Rob Roberson]

The Grind at PM continues. My aircrews there are all but used up morale wise. I can't rest them due to the constant attacks from Japanese air and naval units. I can't transfer them because the airfield is constantly full of shell and bomb holes. PM is a living hell for the fighting men there. Fortunetly, the supply base is pretty high there.

My submarine forces besieging Gili-Gili had a successful day with two sinkings. One troop transport (rumors are the captain machined gunned Japanese soldiers floundering in the surf) and one destroyer. I intend to add several more subs to this blockade. I must deny the enemy at Gili-Gili supplies if I am going to defeat him there.

I have gathered a small task force being led by Rear Admiral Will Smith aboard the Australia. I have sent them north to the PM area and told him to seek and and engage the enemy. I hope this well help take the pressure off the aircrews at PM.

Irau air base , San Cristobal welcomed the 67th fighter squadron today. Open for business and I have assigned them the task of keeping the Japanese busy at Lunga. I now feel much better about making a move against that area. I have decided to send PBY recons into the air so I can get an idea how many troops are on the ground there.

I will also be establishing a PT Base at Irau. It's time to start the harrassment of Japanese units in the Solomons. Thier free hand there is hopefully coming to an end.

Still no sign of the promised carriers. Soon I hope.

I haven't heard from Admiral Nimitz regarding the move against the Solomons. I assume the orders will come aboard the Carrier task groups I believe are inbound.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

4 July 1942