Brief Update from Allied Commanders and HQ.
Imperial Forces continue to mount unprecedented assaults against the Allied front lines. Allied Bases fall with little resistance to the might of the Japanese Empire. The US Navy's Fleet and Allied Support ships move around under the cover of thunderstorms and night to avoid all possible detection. There have been many reports of IJN submarines lurking at every port near Australia. It's possible these forward scouts are reporting the positions of the Allied Fleet.
May 29, 1942
A entire week goes by as the Base Force Engineers at Port Moresby continue to use bamboo and coconut shells to repel the IJA attacks.
Unfortunately, time has run out for these troops as the Allied Fast Transports of Cruisers and Destroyers pull up alongside the docks at midnight. No one was left behind for the IJA to take prisoner and interrogate.
It was reported by the Captains of these fine Navy ships that IJN Invasion Task Forces were spotted entering the harbor as they were leaving. Allied Command implements the Dusk / Night / Dawn maneuvers for all ships that will be moving LCUs.
Weather: Rain
Sub attack at 52,65
Japanese Ships
SS I-22
Sub attack at 9,41
Japanese Ships
SS I-21
Allied Ships
DD Walke
Ground combat at Port Moresby
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 702 troops, 6 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 7 to 1 (fort level 0)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Port Moresby base !!!
June 01, 1942
I guess this means I get to play golf for the next several months as Yorktown sits in Noumea dry dock. There were no casualties reported from the Long Lance hit the Yorktown had from the sneaky sub.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 06/01/42
Weather: Thunderstorms
Sub attack at 54,63
Japanese Ships
SS I-19
Allied Ships
CV Yorktown, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
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Sub attack at 54,63
Japanese Ships
SS I-19
Allied Ships
PG Tui, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
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Sub attack near Tassafaronga at 37,39
Japanese Ships
MSW Tama Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
Allied Ships
SS S-44
It must be reported from Allied Command that this Air Combat Task Force was completely surrounded with over 100 escort ships from CA, CL, DD, PG, SC, MSW, DMS, and in addition, this task force was following a massive Troop Transport Task force of 25 APs of the largest variety of 3K each.
The Emperor probably will reward this sub captain a medal or an extra supply of Saki or maybe some unfiltered rice wine. It's too bad they are not part of the Port Moresby invasion group, they could have enjoyed some of that Kanga's Jungle Fever rum rum rum...
June 7, 1942
In other news, a daring Allied trap was successful today. Port Moresby was put back into Allied control. All IJA troops were reported running back across the Owen Stanley mountains towards Buna.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 06/07/42
Weather: Thunderstorms
Ground combat at Port Moresby
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 1392 troops, 9 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 662 troops, 4 guns, 0 vehicles
Allied assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 0)
Allied forces CAPTURE Port Moresby base !!!
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 90
June 10, 1942
Allied FT TFs uses the Dusk / Night / Dawn maneuvers successfully.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 06/10/42
Weather: Partly Cloudy
Ground combat at Port Moresby
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 2854 troops, 18 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 88 to 1 (fort level 0)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Port Moresby base !!!
For most of June the weather has been rain, thunderstorms, and severe, with only a couple days of clear skies. This has proved very valuable to the Allied Command. Their operations have so far been very successful. If the weather had been clear, it's possible that the Imperial Forces would have had better success with the Air War.
July 01, 1942
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/01/42
Weather: Partly Cloudy
Air attack on TF, near Koumac at 47,63
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11
G4M1 Betty x 12
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty x 4 damaged
Allied Ships
AP Ormsby
AP Pierce
AP Orungal, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AP Feland
Attacking Level Bombers:
4 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
2 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
4 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
2 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
July 04, 1942
The weather has changed direction again to thunderstorms for almost a week. So the Imperial Forces decided to use the IJN big guns to deliver some shells into the jungles.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/04/42
Weather: Rain
Naval bombardment of Koumac, at 47,63
Allied Command had a new book published prior to the outbreak of war. It had a chapter on building fake structures above ground and having Base operations underground using tunnels and bunkers.
July 10, 1942
The mini-KB was sighted and tracked from North of Koumac to just a few miles West of Luganville for approximately 7 days. There replenishment task force was also spotted several miles behind them. This could have been easy pickings for the Allied Submarine Fleet, since their nets have been cast near Guadalcanal and San Cristobal. The Allied Subs have been dispersed in a wide array in order to better catch the mini-KB as it returns north under the cover of land based fighter cover.
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