CINCSoPac/SWPac

[Rob Roberson]

Battle of North Coral Sea day six

Naval Battle of Gili Gili Beach area.

The morning started early with a visit from Japanese LBA. They promptly put two torpedos in the side of the cruiser New Orleans. THe New Orleans surface group was made up of the combination of both the Wasp and Saratoga escorts. They caught a small Japanese surface group against the beach at 11:27 am in the morning.

The lead Japanese ship the Light Cruiser Natori was caught by the burning New Orleans and Minneapolis. The ships engaged each other in a one sided gun duel at 13 thousand yards. Destroyers from both sides joined the action adn by 12:07 New Orleans suffered a third torpedo hit and for all purposes was out of action. The rest of the task force continued to hammer the Japanese for another 20 minutes until the destroyer Arashio made smoke which allowed the badly damaged Japanese forces to escape the beach area.

There has been no report on whether either side lost a ship in this battle at this time.

My compliments to the captain of the New Orleans Harold Good who kept the task group on station in Gili Gili despite heavy enemy air presence.

The Aussies are on schedule to go into Gili Gili.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

23 July 1942

[Rob Roberson]

Invasion

After 3 days of delays the Aussies have finally begun unloading at Gili Gili. After alot of thought I have decided to go forward with their landing...despite their being at sea longer then I would of prefered. I have over 30 warships off Gili Gili right now. They have spent the last few days picking of Japanese transports who wander into the beach area. You would think with all the LBA attacks the pilots would be talking to the sailors on the other guy's side.

I have lost two ships to date. USS Warramonga struck by torpedos was sunk by a marauding Japanese service action group. USS New Orleans succombed to fire and multiple torpedo hits after several days of being towed to PM. Now that my warships are providing a nice target for Rabaul, PM is coming back strong. Morale is up there and not a single plane raid has occured in the last 96 hours.

Japanese warships keep slipping past the Gili Gili slide and shelling PM. I may have found a way to put a stop to that. I have moved Wasp and her 18 Wildcats/12 Dive Bombers to a position southwest of PM. Though she is operating at just or 60 percent she can launch and recover and I have high hopes she will catch one of these bombardment groups inbound to PM. We will see.

I don't know if I won the battle of the North Coral Sea, but I have cleared the area of Japanese naval assets and my Aussies are now wading ashore. I will keep my own "ring of steel" along the beach until the Aussies are completely ashore. Already supply task forces are headed their way.

My one fear is Japanese naval air. If they make an appearance I will have to retreat from the area. While LBA air makes the occasional torpedo strike against my warships. I have no doubt about the abilty of the empire's naval pilots.

I finally have Buna operational as an airfield. 1 fighter and 6 Navy dive bombers. Hopefully they can harras any Japanese shipping in the area.

All my assets are now supporting this operation. If I can clear the Japanese from Gili I will next make a move on Lae. At least that is what my operational thinking is currently. If I had followed the plan sent by Washington. PM would be in Japan's hands and my troops would be fighting it out on some no-name island in the Solomons. Better this way I think.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

27 July 1942

[Rob Roberson]

I can honestly say I do not understand what the Japanese high command was thinking. A huge and I mean huge effort to reinforce and resupply their troops attempted to pass through the Gili Gili slide. It was a disaster for the Japanese. No escorts. Just fat transports. The North Carolina barred the door to Gili Gili. It was literally a turkey shoot. I would estimate at least 2000 troops died in the water. I can not say how many transports went down. It was truly a great day for the American Navy.

The 3rd and 7th Australian divisions are heavily engaged with the Japanese at Gili Gili. The Aussies are suffering heavy, but are there to stay. MY transport group is getting clobbered by landbased air. Any resupply effort here will ahve to come from Noumea with the daily arriving new ships. Enterprise Battle group is now enroute to the area. I will use her to provide Cap for any resupply effort at GG. Wasp will be withdrawn to Pearl when Enterprise arrives.

Admiral Robert Roberson Commanding

28 July 1942

[madflava13]

Rob, this is great reading... I don't think you slept all night though from your every-twenty-minute posts!

[Hartmann]

Finally some light on the horizon! Congrats for pounding these transports, that must really hurt them. If Gili Gili falls, this will be a turning point in the campaign.

Hartmann

[Rob Roberson]

The Japanese are trying to break the blockade around Gili Gili with something new. Using destroyers to scream pass my warships drop men and supplies and slip out before sunrise. One of my cruiser groups (USS Portland) caught the Light Cruiser Isuzu and a group of destroyers sliding into the beach area tonite. They managed to make it past the blockaders losing just the Destroyer Uzuki, but on their way out my alert forces sent all of the Japanese ships to the bottom of the beach area. While searching the area in the morning the bodies of Japanese army troops were found in the surf. This tells me the situation must be getting desperate on Gili Gili for the imperial command to throw away warships like this. In the twin engagements with the reinforcement group both USS Chester and USS Louisville were heavily damaged.

My other two surface groups are stalking a Japanese bombardment group that keeps raiding PM. Led by the battleship North Carolina I hope to box in it and kill it. THe Enterprise is due to join the hunt in two days.

The fighting remains heavy on Gili Gili. My forces have stood down from any offensive actions until reinforcements arrive. That should be another 48 hours. Intel is estimating as many as 20 thousand Japanese in and around Gili-Gili. This could be a long tough fight.

The destroyer Anderson sank off of Gili Gili from damage she acquired during the many Japanese LBA attacks.

I need more transports. This operation cost me heavy in them. If I had more I feel like I could also be conducting operations in the Solomons. Based on recon out of San Cristobal, the place is ripe for the taking. I can only hope CinCPac releases more to me soon.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

29 July 1942

[Rob Roberson]

While I have little doubt the fighting on Gili Gili is vicious. The fighting in the sea areas around it is equally so. Last night one of my surface action groups stumbled upon another attempt by Japanese naval forces to resupply their army "by destroyer." The two sides stumbled upon each other at just 4000 yards. They closed rapidly and it became a knife fight at 2000 yards. When the action was over USS Honolulu and USS Hughes were both heavily damaged. My forces are reporting they sank on destroyer and crippled two others. 30 minutes after this fight another fat set of Japanese transports entered the harbor. Most of them didnt leave.

USS North Carolina was struck by an aerial torpedo while refueling. She suffer moderate damage and is underway contining the hung for the Yamato.

Whoever Yamato's skipper my hat's off to him. He slides in, pounds PM, slips out under cover of darkness, then picks off stragglers from the Gili Gili naval action.

His days are numbered, when Enterprise arrives.

I am starting to suffer from a serious shortage of warships. I have quite a few now sitting in the docks at Brisbane awaiting repair. Two days ago things were going very well shipwise, but now my forces are begining to make mistakes and mistakes are proving costly.

I have decided to reinforce the AUssies with the 1st Marine Division out of Noumea. The Aussies are doing well at Gili Gili, but the marines are better able to provide the umpf I think I need to take the place.

Australian Air Force Pilot Officer Alan Gardner has added two more kills is now the top ace in theatre with seven Japanese planes downed.

No word from CinCPac on my plan to delay a Solomon's move. No news isnt good news and I may have to muster something up there to make King and Washington happy.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

30 July 1942

[Rob Roberson]

Things have quieted down a great deal in the last few days. Part of it was I had to abandon the blockade of Gili Gili. I am hard pressed to find any warships that are not damaged. I am gathering what undamaged ships I have and planning to return to Gili with them. The hunting is very good there and with Enterprise on the scene I can do more to cover them from air attacks.

I think the Yamato escaped. Scared off by the arrival of my carrier no doubt....or at least I hope.

2 days ago a Japanese sub off of New Caledonia torpedoed USS Calvert, who was filled to the brim with Marines. At least 200 of them died. I have ordered a court of inquiry into why troop transports were allowed to operate unescorted by destroyers, but frankly I already know the reason. 60 percent of my warships are at least 30 percent damaged or more from the heavy fighting around Gili Gili. THere simply are no escorts.

Speaking of Japanese submarines. I don't understand how command could say they would be ineffective. They have be devastatingly so effective. It's almost as if someone turned off the Japanese submarine doctrine toggle switch.

A flight of B-17s has arrived in Cooktown. They will go on around the clock bombing runs of Gili Gili. My real challenge there is to keep the place supplied with the limited number of transports I have.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

3 August 1942

[Rob Roberson]

Gili Gili continues to be a meat grinder for men and materials. USS Enterprise was the latest victim of this battle. 3 Japanese torpedo bombers got up from the Gili Gili airfield (I had been able to keep it out of action with bombardment attacks, the last two turns I had not been able to get anything that direction). The flight director did not pick them up until it was too late. Two torpedos struck home and in an instant Enterprise was a raging inferno. Several fighter pilots had to ditch and are still be rescued at this time. Another disaster.

I fear I am becoming frustrated by this battle. My active ship list continues to go down. USS Pensacola was struck by landbase air while trying to interdict Japanese shipping off Gili Gili. She is strugglnig to make steam and may be losted.

Aircraft from the Enterprise did strike a Japanese surface group badly damaging two cruisers.

I wish I could get more intelligence on the Japanese state of forces. Mine are pretty devastated right now. I can only hope that the Japanese Admiral is having similiar problems.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

4 August 1942

[Hartmann]

Uhh ... the Enterprise lost. Darn, what a sad day. Just as everything started to look real good ...

Hartmann

[Rob Roberson]

A small task group of destroyers stopped in here at Noumea. The first of many ships due back from the hell on earth that Gili Gili has become. These once proud ships with hulls twisted, blackened and stained where men fell in battle. The souls of warriors who once occupied the passageways long since passing on to their next existance. A sad sight that will be repeated many times in the coming days as ships bound for repair at Pearl pass through. It helps remind me that I am not just sending cardboard cut outs on my map into battle. But man in machine. To be sacrificed with only the greatest of forethought.

The battle for Gili Gili continues. I have been blessed with poor weather both over Rabaul and Gili Gili. The timing could not of been better as transports ships are able to make their supply runs and only have to contend with the rain of water this day, not the rain of enemy bombs. The Marine Units I have sent to Gili Gili are due soon. I have sent them unescorted and that battleship group still prowling the area has me afraid for their safety. I continue to hunt the predator who stalks my transports, but no sightings recently.

I have assembled a small task force and placed the 1st Marine Raiders on it. Their destination is Lunga. I hope to seize the island quickly and quietly. We will see.

I continue to throw whatever units I have into Gili Gili. Once again the dark clouds have dampened my morale. I am afraid I will run out of fighting ships before I kill the Japanese fighting spirit.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

7 August 1942

[ccoul]

WOW! What great reading! I actually feel like i am in the hot seat of command. Well Done! Good luck around Gili Gili.

God speed

Chris

[Rob Roberson]

From: Commander Task Force 202 (Saratoga)
To: Commander in Chief South Pacific

Have been torpedoed off New Caledonia <stop> Have ordered ship abandoned <stop>

[Rob Roberson]

Victory at last. After more then three weeks Gili-Gili is now in allied hands. The 5th Marine Regiment supported by elements of the 754th Tank Brigade waded ashore last nite and this morning backed by the 15th, 18th, 21, and 25th Australian brigades puncture the Japanese lines and took both the fortress and airfield. Nearly 8 thousand Japanese troops were killed. Major-General Andrew Allen of the 7th Australian division has reported to me that he believes they will be mopping up enemy forces in the days to come, but as soon as they can get engineers flow in to repair the field Gili-Gili will be opened. Once that is done I hope we can close the Gili-Gili slide once and for all and Port Moresby will be secured.

The war continues. USS Chester was torpedoed and sunk off New Caledonia. This is frustrating me to no end. Every air squadron here and every warship around this island is on ASW duty. Yet the Japanese continue to escape our nets.

Prior to the fall of Gili-Gili several US destroyers led by the USS Atlanta got into another knife fight off beach. When it was over the Atlanta was limping from the battle the victim of two torpedos. Our sailors report two Japanese destroyers were heavily damaged.

Rear Admiral Willis Smith was killed when his flagship USS Astoria was torpedoed and sank off the Gili Gili coast while providing security for the Marine transports.

1st Raider continues its silent trek to Lunga. I hope they can slip in undetected.

Admiral Robert Roberson reporting.

[Rob Roberson]

With the great news that Gili Gili is in our hands my staff and I have come up with the following options.

1. Declare a 48 hour "pause" in all operations that can be considered offensive in the Southwest Pacific. My people need to rest. Both men and machines are spent. I was very close to evacuating the Gili area. It was that close.

2. Consolidate our gains at Gili Gili. I want to make sure that the Japanese cannot retake the place.

3. Decide on the next area of advance on New Guinea or perhaps move on to New Britain. I am considering advancing past and isolating big concentrations of Japanese troops. I do not want to get bogged down in long struggles of attrition.

4. Seize Lunga a prepare for the coming storm there. If we take it. You can be sure the Imperial command will want it back.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

10 August 1942

[Rob Roberson]

Gili Gili may be in our hands but for the remaining enemy forces the struggle goes on. The airfield is already functional and army dive bombers have already reached out and hammered a small Japanese surface group. I hope keeping the airfield functional here will close the Gili Gili slide once and for all.

The liberation of Gili Gili has also allowed me to begin to move heavier bombers back to PM. Already the army is flying strikes against Rabaul. I would of truly enjoyed seeing the Rabaul commander's face when the first air raid siren went off.

I have ordered a general standing down of my air and naval forces for another 24 hours. My men need the rest. There is no rest for the Marines and Australians still fighting at Gili -Gili, but thier time will come soon enough.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

11 August 1942

[Rob Roberson]

USS Wasp finally succumbed to her damage and sank off the Australian coast. Fleet tugs were attempting to tow her back to Brisbane. Heavily damaged in the Battle of the North Coral Sea and again during the assault on Gili-Gili it would of been a miracle to of gotten her patched up enough to make the trip to the shipyards at Pearl. She is the latest victim of the vicious land, air and naval campaign at New Guinea.

Fighting continues on the ground. The Aussies are exhausted but still pressing. The Marines are begining to fatigue after several hard days of fighting. Supply laden transports are in route. I am considering replacing one of the Aussie brigades with a fresh one. IF I can whistle up enough floating transports.

My Marine Raider troops are off the coast of Lunga. So far. So good.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

12 August 1942

[Ron Saueracker]

Rob. I like your AAR alot. Not dry at all. Sounds to me that it's time for Rosie the Rivetter to get her buns moving. Your CV losses are brutal but if you can get Gili Gili operational as an airfield, LBA should win the day for you in that meat grinder.

I think offensive ops, outside of a few raids, are all you might be capable of for awhile. 48 hrs seems a little "**** the torpedoes! Full speed ahead, Gridley" esqe if you ask me.

Sounds like you are throwing away the Riader Battalion...any emergency evac plans? Is this a sub op job? Are you just taking the empty base or do you plan to defend it? If your plan is occupation, HOW are you going to defend it...is your San Cristobal base a level 4 airfield yet?

Arrgh!!!!!!!!!!!! I need my game, NOW!:mad:

[IChristie]

Ron,

I fell your pain. Your campaign for Gili Gili remind of the nights and days of Luganville. I just couldn't believe how expensive enforcing a blockade could be!

I'm willing to be that the real kicker comes when you try to prepare for the next offensive. The loss of all those small ships and transports really starts to hurt as you try not only to keep the expanding empire supplied, but also try to build up for another invasion.

This, to me, is one of the strongest parts of the game. In the long campaigns, it really makes you pay for over extending yourself.

ic

[Rob Roberson]

Intermission

The Marines were rebuffed at Lunga. The small operation answered a big question. To take the step there will be costly and require a great deal more resources then I currently have. I will continue to harrass the enemy there with no firm plans to take them on just yet.

The fighting at Gili Gili continues. I have ordered the 7th Australian brigade in. I will be with drawing the 21st as soon as they are in place. Fresh legs are what is now needed to rout the rest of the Japanese still there.

I have ordered the 14th Australian brigade to move forward from its base at PM to Wau.

CinCPac says another carrier is enroute.


Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

13 August 1942