Let The Good Times Roll

[a1981stingray]

yes, your IJN subs have spotted the line of PG picket ships I placed on patrol from Noumea to Luganville... I was hoping these would use up all your torpedoes so your subs will leave or get hit with a depth charge and then be sunk... besides PH continues to send these to me when I really need more AP/AK transports and some more CA/CLAA/DD....

[RGIJN]

yeah, those guys in the HQ often have their own "logic", mostly far away from the real needs on site...

[a1981stingray]

The troops that were "relocated" from Lunga to Taivu - some have been rescued and unfortunately the remaining 6000 men were lost to an all out attack from the IJA as they pursued them thru the jungle and onto the beach.... some tried to swim away but were shot in the back and became shark food....
 

[RGIJN]

these poor guys were waiting for some pick up, but their relief never showed up...

[RGIJN]

in the meantime the enemy tries to get some lucky shot at my fleet. They massed in the Shortlands vicinity, just to fell victim to our IJN a/c on ASW patrol.
Two US submarines are reported sunk the last two days, while several others were also seriously hit.

Besides this, not much action to report. Obviously the Allies retreated south, run for cover and re-organize their assets.


at the start the IJN is pretty good in ASW...

[a1981stingray]

Here is a shot of Allied Ships Lost so far to date:

[RGIJN]

at least four enemy SS went to the bottom during the last three (!) days...

[a1981stingray]

Pearl Shipyards have released 51 AP/AK to me in 1 turn...  I really would like to have some WARSHIPS!!! first to protect the transports but I dont see them releasing them anytime soon.... so I now have to figure this out?????

[RGIJN]

ORIGINAL: stingray

Imperial HQ asked me to forward you utmost thanks for this free intel... [;)][8D]

[RGIJN]

due to the obvious lack of A/C (the enemy lost all these PBYs along with C-47s at a rate of 1...2 per day while on airlift duty) KB was able to sneak all along the Aussie caost undetected, and met another allied force consisting of warships. It seems there were on a supply run to or from PM...

A rain of bombs and torpedoes sealed their fate... However, in exchange for 25 of our attacking A/C.



AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 06/28/42

Weather: Partly Cloudy

Air attack on TF at 10,50

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 42
D3A Val x 45
B5N Kate x 34

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A Val x 1 destroyed
D3A Val x 21 damaged
B5N Kate x 5 destroyed
B5N Kate x 15 damaged

Allied Ships
CA Louisville, Bomb hits 12, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CL St. Louis, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
DD Lamson, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
DD Mustin, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Mahan, Bomb hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
CA Chicago, Bomb hits 8, on fire, heavy damage
DD O'Brien
DD Lang, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 10,50

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 5
D3A Val x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A Val x 3 damaged

Allied Ships
CA Chicago, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 10,50

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 5
A6M3 Zero x 7
B5N Kate x 14

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N Kate x 2 destroyed
B5N Kate x 13 damaged

Allied Ships
DD Hughes, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Balch
CA Chicago, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 10,50

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 7
D3A Val x 17
B5N Kate x 12

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A Val x 2 destroyed
D3A Val x 4 damaged
B5N Kate x 2 destroyed
B5N Kate x 5 damaged

Allied Ships
DD Ellet
DD Selfridge
CL St. Louis, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CA Louisville, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CL Leander, Bomb hits 2
DD O'Brien, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Hughes, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[a1981stingray]

hopefully the miracle workers at Pearl Shipyards will release better equiped warships with the 40mm bofors instead of popguns from WWI era...
 
Strange behavior from the KB to lurk so close to LBA from Townsville... Are there any troop transports heading for Cairns/Townsville/PM???

[RGIJN]

ORIGINAL: stingray

hopefully the miracle workers at Pearl Shipyards will release better equiped warships with the 40mm bofors instead of popguns from WWI era...

tell those guys not to forget fitting additional anti-torpedo-bulges!

[RGIJN]

news from the South Pacific...



at night, some wrecked allied vessels slipped beneath the waves

[RGIJN]

The following day our airforce was busy at PM, heavily attacking some FT TF consisting of AV type seaplane tenders... Again, they had troops on board. And got lost...

Port Moresby is crammed with LCU, but seems to be pretty impotent to us since there is not a single fighter providing CAP. Either supply is desperately low (what all the FT tries might suggest) or the enemy pulled back his fighter squadrons...?




easy pray for G4Ms with their deadly fishes...

[RGIJN]

and even the floatplanes with their 60kg mini-bombs joined the raid. unfortunately for them, these AVs aren´t protected well by armour...

[RGIJN]

finally, one of our subs got some target too...

[a1981stingray]

Yes Ralf is correct... Port Moresby is in the red zone for Supply.... with no supply on the way since every FT TF has been sunk by the IJN KB of 6 carriers plus CVL escorts....
 

[RGIJN]

ouch...! some of these monster shells went straight thru this vessel´s belly

[RGIJN]

stats as for early July 1942... Note there are almost no allied flight operations at all amymore... (only 15 sorties the last turn)

[a1981stingray]

Another Day/Turn and 1 more AP/AK transport TF showed up in Noumea, but still no Warships!  Aircraft have been ordered for SWPAC but replacements are slow to arrive....
 
last turn RGIJN landed some troops at PM to get intel on the type and number of Allied INF units located there...  it is only a matter of time before the big FT TF shows up with the SNLF units to evict the Allied INF from their homes...