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

[sprior]

Sorry mate, we're going the other way until Broome is pounded to dust then going back to PH, hugging the coast all the way.

I think we've sent a large chunk of JJ's CV fleet to the shipyard for a few months which means we can continue with Otter. If JJ isn't careful Northern Oz will become the largest PoW camp in the world.

[Cap Mandrake]

Admiral Lord Sprior;

Here is a map. The West coast of Oz is just within range of Zero escorted Bettys until you get a few hexes SW of Exmouth

Of course, there is no "safe" area as the Bettys can attack well beyond the Zeroes and the Nells too, but at least we have a CAP

[Grollub]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: 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? [;)]

Well, I'm speaking (well writing) to an Englishman half of the duo, so thought I'd use my understatement lingo.

For the sake of our Swedish compatriot and any Americans reading-so there's no misunderstandings-I offer the following assessment:

YEE-HAW! HOT HORSE S***! BEER AND VAGINAS!!! Y'ALL KICKED THE **** OUT OF THOSE ****ERS!!!!

[:D]

You're still understating the result [;)]

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

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

Naw. That's way too aggressive a BDA, IMHO. I'd say the Hosho is probably going to sink (but hasn't yet sunk), but I'd be surprised if almost all the others don't make Soerbaja. Maybe either Shokaku OR Akagi, will fall behind and get pounded, but not both.

As honorary JFB commentator, here's what I'd do:

After having the airgroup(s) commit hara-kiri, I'd throw Hosho at you. The flaming wreck oughta bork your autorouting on the carriers. She's a goner anyways, may as well use her to throw you off the scent.

Alternatively If I could get you to react into Koepang air range (14 being the magic number), by reacting to the flaming wreck of Hosho into the hot zone, I'd use it for bait that way and maybe throw CVL Ryuho at you to bork your pathfinding routine to the north.

I'm really surprised that after catching an alleged three bombs (1000lbs, I assume) that Ryuho is not heavily damaged. I suspect FOW at play re: the bomb hits.

All other combatants would be ordered to clear the area, making best speed for Soerbaja. Even badly damaged, the carriers should be able to open up 6 hexes by morning.

I approve of your plan to aggressively pursue the remnants of his air combat fleet. Makes for entertaining reading. Finally. [:'(][;)]

They may make Soerabaja - but i am guessing they will sink anyways... Heavy Fires + Heavy Damage on an IJA carrier is usually a death sentence (not so on an Allied ship).... we shall see.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: sprior

Sorry mate, we're going the other way until Broome is pounded to dust then going back to PH, hugging the coast all the way.

I think we've sent a large chunk of JJ's CV fleet to the shipyard for a few months which means we can continue with Otter. If JJ isn't careful Northern Oz will become the largest PoW camp in the world.

Yeah baby! [:D]

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I just added it up. 102 Allied torpedo bomber sorties and one rousy torpedo hit on Kirishima.

We could do more damage with rice paper baloons or maybe Sam Snead hitting time-fused exploding golf balls off the deck of Wasp.

All the more reason to speed up the R & D on developing those drop tanks as ordnance for the fearsome Wapiti.

Alfred

[sprior]

WE just got our arses handed to us on a plate. More to follow.

[sprior]

Not a bad start:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Exmouth at 50,127, Range 8,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
BB Kongo, Shell hits 10, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CA Chikuma
CA Maya
DD Yugumo, Shell hits 2
DD Asashio, Shell hits 1
DD Michishio, Shell hits 1, on fire

Allied Ships
BC Repulse, Shell hits 1
CA Canberra
CA Dorsetshire
CA Exeter, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CL Danae, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CL Durban
CL Dauntless
DD Morris, Shell hits 10, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Craven
DD Mahan, Shell hits 1
DD Conyngham

But then:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Exmouth at 50,127, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima, Shell hits 6
CA Atago, Shell hits 2
CA Haguro
CL Tama
DD Naganami
DD Tanikaze
DD Arashio
DD Usugumo

Allied Ships
CV Enterprise, Shell hits 6, heavy fires
CV Hornet, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB North Carolina
CA Chicago
CA Australia, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
CLAA San Diego
CL St. Louis
CL Boise, Shell hits 2
CL Honolulu
DD Woodworth
DD Bancroft, Shell hits 3
DD Dunlap
DD Flusser, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Cassin

And then:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Exmouth at 50,128, Range 8,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima, Shell hits 5
CA Atago, Shell hits 1, on fire
CA Haguro, Shell hits 2, on fire
CL Tama, Shell hits 1
DD Naganami, Shell hits 2
DD Tanikaze, Shell hits 1
DD Arashio, Shell hits 1
DD Usugumo, Shell hits 3, on fire

Allied Ships
BB Ramillies, Shell hits 19, on fire
BB Resolution, Shell hits 8, heavy damage
CA Quincy, Shell hits 18, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CA Cornwall, Shell hits 4, heavy fires
DD Benham, Shell hits 1
DD Dale
DD Nestor, Shell hits 1
DD Nizam, Shell hits 10, and is sunk
DD Norman

And finally:
Night Time Surface Combat, near Exmouth at 50,127, Range 9,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
BB Haruna
CL Oi
DD Oboro
DD Satsuki
DD Minekaze
DD Nokaze
DD Namikaze
DD Numakaze

Allied Ships
CV Hornet, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CLAA San Diego, Shell hits 1

[sprior]

Meanwhile over at Norfolk Island:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Norfolk Island at 113,170, Range 4,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Ashigara, Shell hits 4
DD Yukikaze, Shell hits 8, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Hagikaze, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Shirayuki, Shell hits 1
DD Hatsuyuki
DD Yuzuki

Allied Ships
CA Portland, Shell hits 2, on fire
CL Detroit
CL Trenton, Shell hits 5, on fire
CL Phoenix, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Anderson, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Helm
DD Preston, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Balch, Shell hits 1

[sprior]

And the devastating air reponse:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Exmouth at 53,126

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 41 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 19 minutes


Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 2
TBF-1 Avenger x 4


Allied aircraft losses
TBF-1 Avenger: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Haruna



Aircraft Attacking:
4 x TBF-1 Avenger bombing from 5000 feet *
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb SAP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Exmouth at 49,124

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 41 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 24 minutes


Allied aircraft
Albacore I x 11


Allied aircraft losses
Albacore I: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Kongo, Bomb hits 3



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Exmouth at 53,126

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes


Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 25


Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 4 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Haruna, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires
DD Namikaze, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Oboro

[Chickenboy]

My goodness...[:(]

[sprior]

Well, that was no fun at all. Okay so we lost a CV, 2 more damaged more or less. The dmage to the BBs was linmited to the poor old R class ships. We still have 3 CVs, Repulse and another modern USN BB (? Dakota?).

We don't have the turn yet but I still think we've come out on top and they've shot their last bolt for now. Now we can get Otter going. Or not.

[Chickenboy]

That's basically the entire IJN combined fleet you've just encountered (save Yamato and a handful of others perhaps). Most are going to be hors de combat for some time, so I agree with you there.

What the heck happened to the Australia? Single large caliber shell touch off her mags?

What're your airframe losses on the day?

ETA: Looks like North Carolina is your token modern American battleship to pull through unscathed. Pray tell how a modern BB emerges from a gunfight at night unscathed whilest its charges are put to the rack and burned to the waterline?

[sprior]

To be honest, I don't remember why Australia went down so quickly.

I don't have an airframe loss count yet, still waiting for the turn file. This was fun though:

Morning Air attack on Daly Waters , at 76,131

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 37 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 24



Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 21


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 11 destroyed, 2 damaged

[sprior]

Yep, IJN committed 3 BBs and they've all taken a severe battering.

[sprior]

Pray tell how a modern BB emerges from a gunfight at night unscathed whilest its charges are put to the rack and burned to the waterline?

I dunno but on the next run ashore at Perth that crew is going to take a beating from the Ramilles ship's company, as well as the crews of a couple of CVs who will be wanting a word with them.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: sprior

Yep, IJN committed 3 BBs and they've all taken a severe battering.

Will you remind your loyal readers of the World's Worst AAR (TM) of capital ship losses to date for both sides? I don't recall what went down over a year ago in the battles for New Scotland, et. al.

[sprior]

I refer the honourable member to my previous answer.

[Cap Mandrake]

I think it must have been "movie night" on North Carolina.

I dont think she fired a shot.

Bloody annoying.

We still have 3 prewar BB's and North Carolina in the area and the equivalent of two carriers (total of 150 plane capactiy).

We can put 50% F4F's and 50 %SBD's on the 3 carriers, get the worthless torepdo bombers out of there, create an new surface TF around North Carolina, and have the viable carriers follow North Carolina to the NNW 3 or 4 hexes and try to kill crippled BB's.

Meanwhile the surface group escorting 32nd ID can link up with the PH landing force and we keep going. [:)]

I think Broome was beat up pretty bad this last turn even though the B-24's refused to fly again.

[Cap Mandrake]

The naval air attacks that turn were.....hmmmm......what's the word.....shitty! That's it!