The Oft Overlooked Efficacy of Port Attacks.

[dgaad]

I was a little miffed that the AI kept sending BBs down the slot to hit Lunga, which by October was a really large airbase. Most of my surface fleet was tied up escorting huge transport convoys to the PM area, to keep that base at humongo supplies so my B17s could pound the bejeezus out of Rabaul. So, I decided on some new tactics to deal with Shortland. Note : Ships are much less manuverable when at anchor or docked in ports, as evidenced by the Pearl Harbor attack (and many other attacks during the war). Here are the results :

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 10/15/42


Air attack on Rabaul , at 21,28

Japanese aircraft
A6M2-N Rufe x 3
A6M2 Zero x 6
A6M3 Zero x 13

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 59

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2-N Rufe x 1 damaged
A6M2 Zero x 2 destroyed
A6M3 Zero x 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress x 4 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Isonami, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AP Sasago Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 13

Port supply hits 1

Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-17E Fortress at 32000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 32000 feet
5 x B-17E Fortress at 32000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 32000 feet
8 x B-17E Fortress at 32000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 32000 feet
6 x B-17E Fortress at 32000 feet
10 x B-17E Fortress at 32000 feet
7 x B-17E Fortress at 32000 feet
5 x B-17E Fortress at 32000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 32000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 32000 feet

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Air attack on Shortland Island , at 29,34

Japanese aircraft
A6M2-N Rufe x 4
A6M3 Zero x 15

Allied aircraft
B-26B Marauder x 78

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2-N Rufe x 1 destroyed
A6M2-N Rufe x 2 damaged
A6M3 Zero x 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-26B Marauder x 12 destroyed
B-26B Marauder x 49 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Ikazuchi, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
CL Tenryu, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AG 2050, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Michishio, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
BB Kongo, Bomb hits 8, on fire
CL Kiso, Bomb hits 6, on fire
DD Matuskaze, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Fumizuki, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AG 2060, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Akebono, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Kazegumo, Bomb hits 1, on fire
APD 35, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 304
Guns lost 1

Port hits 5
Port fuel hits 2
Port supply hits 1

Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
1 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
2 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
1 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
2 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
2 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
6 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
6 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
5 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
5 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 1000 feet

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Air attack on Shortland Island , at 29,34

Japanese aircraft
A6M2-N Rufe x 3
A6M3 Zero x 13

Allied aircraft
Hudson x 30

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3 Zero x 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Hudson x 8 destroyed
Hudson x 15 damaged

LTJG R.Ogawa of F1/6th Daitai is credited with kill number 2

Japanese Ships
CL Tenryu, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Kazegumo, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Yukikaze, Bomb hits 1
BB Kongo, Bomb hits 2, on fire
DD Ikazuchi, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Michishio, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 24

Port hits 2
Port supply hits 1

Attacking Level Bombers:
2 x Hudson at 3000 feet
5 x Hudson at 3000 feet
3 x Hudson at 3000 feet
2 x Hudson at 3000 feet
2 x Hudson at 3000 feet
9 x Hudson at 3000 feet

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I get the feeling the Jap navy will never be the same. Also, alot of the hits destroyed gunmounts of various types.

[AlvinS]

Wow. Your B-26's really plastered the ships at Shortland. Is 1000 feet for the Marauder considered to be skip bombing?

[Mark Hemns]

This is an excellent tactic for attacking major fleet bases.
I had 8 CV's/CVL's attack Noumea sinking 12 vessels, damaging another 25 or so and scoring 60 bomb hits on the BB Washington.

[KevinRohrer]

Level bombers have to be at 100-foot altitude to skip bomb.

[NorthStar]

What determines whether ships take hits in port attacks?

I was having problems where my aircraft at Port Moresby would not attack a Trasport TF in Buna. So, I set the secondary mission to Port Attack, figuring at least if they didn't go after the TF directly, they would at least hit them in port. However, three days later, the Transports left Buna, which had 34% Port Damage, but no ship was ever hit in port! Is this just random chance, or do skill/morale/leadership/altitude affect it?

[von Murrin]

Originally posted by NorthStar
What determines whether ships take hits in port attacks?

I was having problems where my aircraft at Port Moresby would not attack a Trasport TF in Buna. So, I set the secondary mission to Port Attack, figuring at least if they didn't go after the TF directly, they would at least hit them in port. However, three days later, the Transports left Buna, which had 34% Port Damage, but no ship was ever hit in port! Is this just random chance, or do skill/morale/leadership/altitude affect it?

Your a/c need to be on Naval Attack to hit a Task Force. To hit ships in port (the port will have an anchor symbol), you need to set them to Port Attack. One setting will not target ships with the other status.

[dgaad]

Originally posted by NorthStar
What determines whether ships take hits in port attacks?

I was having problems where my aircraft at Port Moresby would not attack a Trasport TF in Buna. So, I set the secondary mission to Port Attack, figuring at least if they didn't go after the TF directly, they would at least hit them in port. However, three days later, the Transports left Buna, which had 34% Port Damage, but no ship was ever hit in port! Is this just random chance, or do skill/morale/leadership/altitude affect it?

Also, the manual does mention at some point that only a certain number of aircraft will actually go after ships anchored in port, and this is in turn dependent on the number and "juicyness" of those ships. If there are a few barges in port, for example, and nothing else, you may not get any ship attacks at all.

[Hartmann]

Was that result achieved with the patch? I ask because it is supposed to reduce the "Pearl Harbour effect" quite a bit ...

Hartmann

[dgaad]

This was pre-patch.