Phillipines: The Manila attack went well. Some 125 Netties pound Manila harbor effectively. Then this happens:
Morning Air attack on Manila , at 79,77
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 45 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 78
B5N2 Kate x 144
D3A1 Val x 135
No Japanese losses
Allied Ships
SS Sculpin, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
SS Porpoise, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
SS Tarpon, Bomb hits 1
AV Langley, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD John D. Ford, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
SS Saury, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
TK Gertrude Kellogg, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
TK Mindanao, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
AO Trinity, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
SS Spearfish, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
SS Salmon, Bomb hits 1
SS Snapper, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Si Kiang, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
SS Pike, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
SS S-38, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
SS S-41, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
AS Otus, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
SS Stingray, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
PG Asheville, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Neptuna, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Tantalus, Bomb hits 1, on fire
SS Seawolf, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
SS Skipjack, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
AO Pecos, Bomb hits 2, on fire
DD Peary, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
SS Sailfish, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
SS Seadragon, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
SS Swordfish, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
SS Sturgeon, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
SS Sealion, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
DD Pillsbury, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
SS Sargo, Bomb hits 1
SS S-37, Bomb hits 1
SS Perch, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
SS S-40, Bomb hits 1
SS Seal, Bomb hits 2, heavy damage
SS Pickerel, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
xAKL Palawan, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PG Tulsa, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
AM Quail, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
AS Canopus, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAK Capillo, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAP Rochambeau, Bomb hits 1
AM Whippoorwill, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAKL Don Jose, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAKL Paz, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
Bombers based in Canton and Formosa dealt heavy damage to shipping in Hong Kong:
Morning Air attack on Hong Kong , at 77,61
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
Ki-27b Nate x 7
Ki-48-Ib Lily x 39
Ki-51 Sonia x 24
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 4 damaged
Ki-51 Sonia: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged
Allied Ships
xAKL Joan Moller, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Fatshan, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
xAKL Halldor, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAK Bennevis, Bomb hits 2
xAK Hanyang, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Hinsang, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAKL Yat Shing, Bomb hits 2, on fire
xAKL Chengtu, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAKL Kanchow, Bomb hits 2, on fire
xAK Haraldsvang, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Nanning, Bomb hits 2, on fire
xAK Hai Lee, Bomb hits 2
xAK Ming Sang, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Munlock, Bomb hits 2, on fire
and in the PM...
Japanese aircraft
Ki-36 Ida x 27
Ki-44 Tojo x 9
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-36 Ida: 2 destroyed, 7 damaged
Allied Ships
xAK Munlock, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Fatshan, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Ming Sang, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Bennevis, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAKL Joan Moller, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Hai Lee, Bomb hits 2
xAK Nanning, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
Repair Shipyard hits 2
Port hits 1
Port fuel hits 1
The Ships sunk list below for December 7, 1941. S-41 is on the list too.
That makes 20 submarines. Combat replay accounted for several more that had been hit and damaged, but not obliterated. That means 4-5 heavily damaged subs remaining, but not dead yet.
SS-121 dropped 42 type 88 mines on Bataan, so any injured ships transiting will be required to move through a minefield at this point.
Elsewhere, the three British DDs left Hong Kong and tangled with some TBs I put in the area as blockers. The TBs emerged the worse for wear after two rounds of combat. That's the bad news. All are shot up, one may not make port. The good news is that the IJN TBs and RN DDs went through several rounds of combat, including several rounds of torpedo fire, and main gun battery exchanges. The RN DDs are assuredly low on ammo. now and ready to be rolled up by more capable forces. These are en route.
Steve sortied the entirety of his PT force from Hong Kong as well. These boats ran into a small (2 DD) force of the IJN south of Hong Kong. Several PTs fired torpedoes-to no avail. Alas, my shooting was not up to snuff either.
KB for turn 2: 90% of the damage I sought to inflict on Manila has been inflicted. Time to extend the pain elsewhere. I will move KB two hexes SE of Puerto Princessa on turn two. Mini KB will be operating just East of Mindanao. Between the two of them, they should be able to intercept most shipping leaving the area. In particular, I want a crack at CL Boise and the USN CA around Leyte (CA Chicago, IIRC).
Force Z?: In emails, I have intimated strongly that I intended to hunt force Z starting on turn 2. Of course, I intend nothing of the sort on turn 2. My opponent knew that I intended to schelaque Manila.
A large force with numerous "CA" type ships was sighted leaving Singapore in this phase, heading Southwest. My guess is that this force included the RN BB POW and BC Repulse and will rendevous with ancillary Dutch DDs, CLs and the remnants of CAs and CLs from elsewhere in the Phillipines somewhere around Southern Borneo or Java. I may see if I can beat them to the rendevous site and bag the lot of them.
Summary: The turn one strikes, subdued as they were intended to be, were successful. I'll update the AAR tomorrow with additional turn two adjustments and movements.
