Bring me the head of Diego Garcia...and the Mayor of Addu Atoll too!

[sprior]

We kept a couple for ASW patrols.

[Cap Mandrake]

When are those annoying little yellow bastards going to send back the replay? I am pretty sure they are toying with us.

I see three possibilities:

1) It's really good for them and they broke open the champagne

2) It's really bad for them and them broke open the Scotch

3) Rord Admirar Nerson is out chopping wood again and Rod Admirar Fabertong is out camping in the rain again.

[sprior]

Until then we can entertain each other, if nobody else.

[Chickenboy]

LS Jones bears quite the resemblance to that other Englishman of fame: Eric Idle.

[sprior]

Except Jones is Welsh.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: sprior

Until then we can entertain each other, if nobody else.

You know, Cap'n Mandrake COULD use this respite effectively and return some other PBEMs that he's so far behind on.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: sprior

Except Jones is Welsh.

Apparently, he's covering up that deep dark secret in his family past: that he's really an Englishman. Can you imagine the stigma for a Welshman?

[sprior]

Morning Air attack on TF, near Exmouth at 52,128

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 160 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 68 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 29
B5N1 Kate x 33
B5N2 Kate x 61
D3A1 Val x 39



Allied aircraft
Martlet II x 6
P-38F Lightning x 7
F4F-4 Wildcat x 57


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed
B5N1 Kate: 10 destroyed, 4 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 11 destroyed, 2 damaged
D3A1 Val: 13 destroyed, 6 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed

Allied Ships
KV Chilliwack, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Ellet, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Mustin
BB Resolution, Bomb hits 5, Torpedo hits 4, on fire
xAP Devonshire
CL Enterprise
BB Ramillies, Torpedo hits 1
DD Kortenaer
DD Benham, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
CA Quincy, Torpedo hits 1
CL Perth
CL Caradoc


Morning Air attack on TF, near Exmouth at 52,128

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 40 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
B5N2 Kate x 9



Allied aircraft
Martlet II x 2
P-38F Lightning x 4
F4F-4 Wildcat x 33


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 7 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed


Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Exmouth at 53,127

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 160 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 68 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 35
B5N1 Kate x 9
B5N2 Kate x 56
D3A1 Val x 28



Allied aircraft
Martlet II x 6
Beaufighter Ic x 1
P-38F Lightning x 1
F4F-4 Wildcat x 46


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 6 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 16 destroyed, 3 damaged
D3A1 Val: 8 destroyed, 6 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Martlet II: 1 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Wasp, Bomb hits 2, on fire
CV Hornet
CV Enterprise
CL Honolulu
CL Boise
BB North Carolina
CL St. Louis


Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Exmouth at 53,127

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 160 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 53 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11



Allied aircraft
Martlet II x 1
Beaufighter Ic x 1
F4F-4 Wildcat x 17


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Beaufighter Ic: 1 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Wasp, on fire
CA Australia

[sprior]

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Exmouth at 53,124

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 53



Allied aircraft
Albacore I x 17
Martlet II x 1
F4F-4 Wildcat x 25
SBD-3 Dauntless x 119
TBF-1 Avenger x 65


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Albacore I: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged
F4F-4 Wildcat: 11 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 7 damaged
TBF-1 Avenger: 6 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Akagi, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
CV Zuikaku
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
CVL Ryuho, Bomb hits 3, on fire
CV Soryu, Bomb hits 1, on fire
BB Kirishima, Torpedo hits 2
CA Takao, Bomb hits 2, on fire
CVE Hosho, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Suruyame
DD Ariake

[Chickenboy]

Looks like a more than fair exchange for you lot. I trust Wasp isn't too badly off? How's BB Resolution looking?

[rtrapasso]

Looks like 2 CV and a CVE will sink (if they haven't already)! [8D] [&o] [&o]

[Grollub]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Looks like a more than fair exchange for you lot. I trust Wasp isn't too badly off? How's BB Resolution looking?

IMHO, that's a gross understatement. Could it be that our dynamic duo actually knows what they're doing? [;)]

[sprior]

I haven't run the turn yet, that's all lifted by the CR provided by JJ. I'll get you some screenies when I can.

[Cap Mandrake]

The odd inability of the Eastern Strike Group to keep up with the retreating Amphib Group proved fortuitious as the old BB's absorbed most of the damage.

[Cap Mandrake]

Massive hemorrhage of aircraft on both sides (theirs more than ours).

We lost a bunch of TBF's and Albacore at the end in two uncoordinated raids without fighter cover.

The F4F's were dented pretty badly

[Cap Mandrake]

The Amphbious Group. Cornwall is hurt from a previous sub attack.

[sprior]

Reso doesnt look too bad for 5 bombs and 4 toprs (allegedly).

[Cap Mandrake]

The Bombardment Group

[Cap Mandrake]

TF 299. Wasp is apparently able to conduct flight ops.

[Cap Mandrake]

We are down to 41 operational fighters on the carriers although morale and fatigue are good. There are probably another 20 damaged F4F's, some of which will be repaired by next day.

Several carriers are out of aerial torps but given our abysmal hit rate I'm not sure that is a bad thing.

Now what? Do we go after the wounded Jap carriers and send the Amphib Group further South? Do we retire? Do we turn around and go back to Port Headland?

I am thinking we join up North Carolina and Repulse and send the Dickensian surface group to the Japs last position with the two carrier groups to follow and everything set to react 3 or 4. That should keep us out of range of escorted raids from Koepang. Dangerous..yes..but two Jap carriers are reported burning heavily. [:)]