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

[Cap Mandrake]

Evidently, JJ has anticipated a landing at Bathurst. Yamato heads NE through the channel East of Bathurst. The minesweepers at Bathurst have been moved leaving only one SC behind to inhibit a LYB fast transport taffy.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Bathurst Island at 76,123, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Yamato
DD Takanami
DD Kuroshio
DD Oyashio
DD Minegumo

Allied Ships
SC-699, Shell hits 1, and is sunk

Yamato runs across retreat USS Weller

Day Time Surface Combat, near Bathurst Island at 76,123, Range 14,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Yamato
DD Takanami
DD Kuroshio
DD Oyashio
DD Minegumo

Allied Ships
DD Waller, Shell hits 6, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

The problem for the Empire is the sun is up......

An odd attack by Tojos without bombers..

Morning Air attack on TF, near Bathurst Island at 79,123

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 100 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 27 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 13



Allied aircraft
Sea Hurricane Ib x 9
Martlet II x 17
P-40K Warhawk x 7
F4F-3A Wildcat x 6
F4F-4 Wildcat x 81


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 4 destroyed

Then Zeroes without bombers..

Morning Air attack on TF, near Bathurst Island at 79,123

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 24 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4



Allied aircraft
Sea Hurricane Ib x 9
Martlet II x 14
P-40K Warhawk x 7
F4F-3A Wildcat x 3
F4F-4 Wildcat x 70


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed

B-17's over Darwin...not bad..

Morning Air attack on Darwin , at 76,124

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 14
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 10



Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 20
B-17F Fortress x 10


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 2 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 4 damaged
B-17F Fortress: 6 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
5 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 18
Port hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

A Jap cruiser force near Babar...to the NNE

Morning Air attack on TF, near Babar at 75,117

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 7 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes


Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 8
SBD-3 Dauntless x 15


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
DD Hayashio
CA Furutaka

Better target selection. Weak CAP over Yamato.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Bathurst Island at 76,123

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 3
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 4



Allied aircraft
Albacore I x 6
Sea Hurricane Ib x 4
Martlet II x 8
F4F-3A Wildcat x 2
F4F-4 Wildcat x 34
SBD-3 Dauntless x 13
TBF-1 Avenger x 16


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 1 destroyed
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Albacore I: 1 damaged
Martlet II: 1 destroyed by flak
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed, 5 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak
TBF-1 Avenger: 1 destroyed, 4 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Yamato, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage

5 hits out of 26 surviving bombers. Good performance by the TBF's

[Cap Mandrake]

Another morning attack on the cruiser force...

Morning Air attack on TF, near Babar at 75,117

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes


Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 8
SBD-3 Dauntless x 22


Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 4 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Furutaka, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CL Kuma
CL Isuzu

Wildcat sweep over Darwin down 2 Oscars.

Afternoon attack on Yamato and friends.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Bathurst Island at 76,123

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes


Allied aircraft
Albacore I x 17
Sea Hurricane Ib x 3
Martlet II x 6
F4F-3A Wildcat x 2
F4F-4 Wildcat x 47
SBD-3 Dauntless x 59
TBF-1 Avenger x 24


Allied aircraft losses
Albacore I: 4 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 damaged
TBF-1 Avenger: 2 damaged
TBF-1 Avenger: 1 destroyed by flak

Japanese Ships
DD Takanami, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
DD Oyashio, Bomb hits 1, on fire
BB Yamato, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Kuroshio, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Minegumo, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk

[CT Grognard]

I think BB Yamato will be an artificial reef soon.

[Cap Mandrake]

Koumac: The base falls on the first attack with about half the regiment ashore.

Burma: Night raid on Mandaray very effective: We will be sure to send aporogy retter.

Night Air attack on Mandalay , at 59,46

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights


Allied aircraft
Wellington Ic x 8


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed on ground

No Allied losses



Airbase hits 3
Runway hits 5

Aircraft Attacking:
8 x Wellington Ic bombing from 5000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Mandalay , at 59,46

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights


Allied aircraft
Liberator II x 5


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
Liberator II: 1 damaged



Runway hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
5 x Liberator II bombing from 5000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Mandalay , at 59,46

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 21 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights


Allied aircraft
Liberator II x 7


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 3 destroyed on ground
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 2 destroyed on ground
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 2 destroyed on ground
Ki-21-Ic Sally: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
Liberator II: 1 damaged

There was also this effective sweep over Swebo

Morning Air attack on Shwebo , at 59,45

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 28,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 15
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 4



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 7
Hurricane IIc Trop x 17


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 2 destroyed
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIc Trop: 1 destroyed

[CT Grognard]

Mandalay must be overstacked.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: CT Grognard

I think BB Yamato will be an artificial reef soon.

She is certainly out of the fight even if she avoids subs and aircraft. I think Washington and Indiana can take Musashi if she shows up.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: CT Grognard

Mandalay must be overstacked.

Not anymore [:D]

[BBfanboy]

Great to see this long anticipated op executing - so far so good!
What is Devonshire's status? Was she able to creep away with that torp damage and all?

[Chickenboy]

Arried dogs! Big burryies! [:@]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Great to see this long anticipated op executing - so far so good!
What is Devonshire's status? Was she able to creep away with that torp damage and all?

Don't know about Devonshire as I have not seen the replay. I suspect she was detached which is why Waller got into a solo engagement later. Let's hope that doesn't mean she sunk before the engagement.

[mbk2043]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Chickenboy, you are dating yourself with that reference to R. Jeremy. As I understand it he never led in the field - his fitness report said he was only able to command women ...

R. Jeremy, great commander & master of deep penetration & damn, the damage he could cause when he got into your rear area [X(]

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: mbk2043

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Chickenboy, you are dating yourself with that reference to R. Jeremy. As I understand it he never led in the field - his fitness report said he was only able to command women ...

R. Jeremy, great commander & master of deep penetration & damn, the damage he could cause when he got into your rear area [X(]

I DO hope you are not speaking from personal experience ...

[Cap Mandrake]

Not that there is anything wrong with that....

[Cap Mandrake]

Imagine this actually works...then what?

If we define success as either capturing Darwin or laying seige to Darwin and building up Bathurst to achieve local air superiority..what will be the LYB reaction? They might be hyper-aggressive and try to retake Bathurst or land more troops at Darwin..but most likely they would have to begin to withdraw toward Wyndham.

It wouldn't be long before Wyndham became untenable with air raids from Darwin or Bathurst. What is the best way to convert Northern Australia into "the largest Jap POW camp on the planet", if I may borrow and expression from Admiral Lord SPrior?

[Cap Mandrake]

Turn is somewhere West of the Mississippi and South of the Missouri...starting the old familiar itch....getting irritable....kicked pinhead twice on the walk for eating grass....

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Imagine this actually works...then what?

If we define success as either capturing Darwin or laying seige to Darwin and building up Bathurst to achieve local air superiority..what will be the LYB reaction? They might be hyper-aggressive and try to retake Bathurst or land more troops at Darwin..but most likely they would have to begin to withdraw toward Wyndham.

It wouldn't be long before Wyndham became untenable with air raids from Darwin or Bathurst. What is the best way to convert Northern Australia into "the largest Jap POW camp on the planet", if I may borrow and expression from Admiral Lord SPrior?

It's a decent hike from Darwin to Wyndham. Let them march about half way, then sealift most of your Darwin troops to Wyndham. If they head back to Darwin, bring the troops back but keep Wyndham. No supplies and four weeks of marching should be nasty for them.[;)]

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Imagine this actually works...then what?

If we define success as either capturing Darwin or laying seige to Darwin and building up Bathurst to achieve local air superiority..what will be the LYB reaction? They might be hyper-aggressive and try to retake Bathurst or land more troops at Darwin..but most likely they would have to begin to withdraw toward Wyndham.

It wouldn't be long before Wyndham became untenable with air raids from Darwin or Bathurst. What is the best way to convert Northern Australia into "the largest Jap POW camp on the planet", if I may borrow and expression from Admiral Lord SPrior?

It's a decent hike from Darwin to Wyndham. Let them march about half way, then sealift most of your Darwin troops to Wyndham. If they head back to Darwin, bring the troops back but keep Wyndham. No supplies and four weeks of marching should be nasty for them.[;)]

I like the way you think!

[Chickenboy]

Meh. It won't be your land forces that supply the majority of the hurt. No more spoilers for you though, Yankee dogs!