15/02/42
I received loads of Kate reports from subs off Kwajalein, so the KB is still there or thereabouts. CL Adelaide bombarded Tarawa, doing no damage. Because of the proximity of the KB, I ran her back South towards Suva at high speed.
Johnston is 0/20/0, while Christmas is now 0/49/40. 4 DMs sailed from PH to thicken the minefields at Johnston Island. The Omaha class CL Raleigh has completed repairs at Colon and is cruising back to Hawaii. 12,325 tons of resources are being discharged at Long Beach, with another 10,000 tons being unloaded at LA. All ships will then move to San Francisco. 63rd, 64th and 65th BS flew their B-17s out to Palmyra on the first leg of their journey to SWPAC. The 64th lost one plane and crew. 117th USN BF at San Francisco transferred to SOPAC and is loading onto transports for Luganville. The last of 110th BF at Seattle loaded for Cold Bay, while VP-42 moved from Dutch Harbor to Umnak Island (well you never know, that extra hex warning might come in handy...).
5325 tons of supplies from the South Atlantic arrived at Pago Pago. Getting all these remote bases above 20,000 tons is hard work with so few AKs and such large distances.
The Jap task force near New Guinea was attacked by RAAF Hudsons. 1 was lost to flak. The Petes on CAP were ineffectual. CA Kako was hit by 2 250lb GP bombs. Despite such small bombs, this seemed to be enough to make the Japs run away (see screenie). One Hudson unit will undertake recon of Rabaul, while the other remains on Naval Attack. The understrength FAA 733 sqn flew their Beauforts into PM also.
28th BS (B-25) flew from Darwin to Brisbane to take replacements. RAAF 7 sqn also flew in to exchange their Hudsons for Beauforts, while 14th BS arrived to upgrade from the D model B-17 to the E model. 2/2 Flight RAAF returned to Balikpapan and recon duties as there would seem to be no use for them off PM.
