AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Apr 10, 42
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 98,130, Range 3,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
BB Yamashiro
BB Hyuga
CA Atago
CA Myoko
DD Umikaze
DD Suzukaze
DD Hatsuharu
DD Isonami
DD Sagiri
DD Amagiri
Allied Ships
PT-44
PT-45
PT-46
PT-47
PT-48
PT-59, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
enemy SAG coming in to bombard Port Moresby once more but still no invasion convoy spotted... with the enemy fighting at Clark, a div on Timor, one at Palembang and probably some still resting at Singapore I doubt there will be an invasion soon anyway... if I would have to guess I would say IJ recon over PM is telling Cuttlefish I've got something like 200,000 troops there, he knows I've got loads of mines and CD so I think the chance to see the Japanese to even try for PM is small or nil... gotta say I would really like to see him attacking there...
the PT squadron achieved nothing even though the engagement started at close range... pity...
Reduced sighting due to 28% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions and 28% moonlight: 3,000 yards
Range closes to 9,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
Range closes to 5,000 yards...
Range closes to 3,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 3,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 3,000 yards
DD Isonami engages PT-59 at 3,000 yards
DD Hatsuharu engages PT-59 at 3,000 yards
Range closes to 2,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages PT-59 at 2,000 yards
DD Isonami engages PT-59 at 2,000 yards
DD Hatsuharu engages PT-59 at 2,000 yards
DD Umikaze engages PT-59 at 2,000 yards
Range increases to 5,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages PT-59 at 5,000 yards
PT-59 sunk by BB Yamashiro at 5,000 yards
Range increases to 6,000 yards
PT-44 engages DD Isonami at 6,000 yards
Range increases to 8,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages PT-48 at 8,000 yards
CA Atago engages PT-45 at 8,000 yards
DD Amagiri engages PT-48 at 8,000 yards
DD Isonami engages PT-45 at 8,000 yards
DD Umikaze engages PT-48 at 8,000 yards
Walton P. orders Allied TF to disengage
Task forces break off...
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TF 191 encounters mine field at Port Moresby (98,130)
Japanese Ships
DD Amagiri
DD Suzukaze
DD Umikaze
CA Myoko, Mine hits 1
5 mines cleared
and then there is Myoko running on a mine... [:)] I am not aware that mine effect has been changed in Babes but so far my mines really never hurt the enemy... when I think about the three or four DD that ran onto (US) mines at PM, all of them happily sailed back to Rabaul... and those US mines really should have quite a bang...
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 98,130, Range 6,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
BB Nagato
BB Mutsu
BB Fuso
CA Takao
DD Hayashio
DD Amatsukaze
DD Asashio
DD Shiratsuyu
DD Shigure
DD Hibiki
Allied Ships
PT-37
PT-38
PT-39, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-40
PT-42
PT-43
spotted only one of the BB task forces yesterday but there is another one coming in, no less than five BB operating against Port Moresby... Cuttlefish is once more either overconfident, careless or takes quite some risk because there is no sign of KB being around so these two BB task forces got no air cover at all... Townsville is my main fleet base in the area and I could as well have my carriers stationed here (had them there not long in the past) but due to reaching April I have my carriers in the shipyard for upgrades which I decided to do just a week or so ago and that wasn't a clear decision of mine...
if I would have decided different Cuttlefish's BBs would have ended up in range of 4 USN and 2 RN carriers tomorrow...
Reduced sighting due to 28% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions and 28% moonlight: 6,000 yards
Range closes to 10,000 yards...
Range closes to 8,000 yards...
Range closes to 6,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 6,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 6,000 yards
Kogure, Gunji* crosses the 'T'
PT-43 engages BB Fuso at 6,000 yards
PT-39 engages CA Takao at 6,000 yards
DD Shigure engages PT-38 at 6,000 yards
DD Asashio engages PT-38 at 6,000 yards
Range closes to 3,000 yards
BB Mutsu engages PT-39 at 3,000 yards
DD Shigure engages PT-39 at 3,000 yards
DD Amatsukaze engages PT-39 at 3,000 yards
MacDonald N. orders Allied TF to disengage
Range increases to 4,000 yards
BB Nagato engages PT-43 at 4,000 yards
CA Takao engages PT-43 at 4,000 yards
DD Shigure engages PT-39 at 4,000 yards
DD Asashio engages PT-39 at 4,000 yards
Range increases to 8,000 yards
PT-39 sunk by BB Mutsu at 8,000 yards
BB Mutsu engages PT-38 at 8,000 yards
Task forces break off...
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Day Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 97,131, Range 28,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
BB Nagato
BB Mutsu
BB Fuso
CA Takao
DD Hayashio
DD Amatsukaze
DD Asashio
DD Shiratsuyu
DD Shigure
DD Hibiki
Allied Ships
PT-37
PT-38
PT-40
PT-42
PT-43
now this is really strange, the enemy SAGs sprinted in during the night but there were no nav bombardments and they are still there during the day... is this going to be a day bombardment? Wow, Cuttlefish seems to feel absolutely save... hopefully he stays in that mood as this would sure offer me a possibility to really hurt him soon again... thought he would be a little more careful after his disasters with his heavy cruisers and light carriers early on already...
Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions: 28,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 23,000 yards
Allied TF attempts to evade combat
Range increases to 28,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 28,000 yards
Allied PT Boat TF evades combat
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Day Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 98,130, Range 23,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
BB Yamashiro
BB Hyuga
CA Atago
CA Myoko
DD Umikaze
DD Suzukaze
DD Hatsuharu
DD Isonami
DD Sagiri
DD Amagiri
Allied Ships
PT-44
PT-45
PT-46
PT-47
PT-48
Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions: 28,000 yards
Range closes to 23,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 23,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 23,000 yards
Range closes to 21,000 yards
Range increases to 23,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages PT-46 at 23,000 yards
Range increases to 24,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages PT-48 at 24,000 yards
Range increases to 26,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages PT-48 at 26,000 yards
Range increases to 27,000 yards
CA Myoko engages PT-48 at 27,000 yards
Walton P. orders Allied TF to disengage
Range closes to 24,000 yards
CA Atago engages PT-48 at 24,000 yards
Range increases to 28,000 yards
Task forces break off...
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ASW attack near Milne Bay at 101,135
Japanese Ships
DD Hatsuharu
BB Hyuga
CA Myoko
CA Atago
DD Isonami
DD Suzukaze
DD Umikaze
DD Amagiri
DD Sagiri
Allied Ships
SS S-36
hmmm... did he have his settings wrong? Surface combat instead of bombardment perhaps? His BB moved in during the night and moved out during the day without firing a single shell at Port Moresby... all they achieve today was sinking two PT boats which is a rather bad outcome for the fuel spent travelling from Truk to PM... not to talk about the risk he takes moving through an area where over a dozen subs are patrolling...
SS S-36 launches 2 torpedoes at DD Hatsuharu
DD Amagiri attacking submerged sub ....
DD Sagiri fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Amagiri fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Sagiri fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Sagiri fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Sagiri fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Sagiri fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub
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Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ia Oscar x 29
Ki-48-Ib Lily x 42
No Japanese losses
Port hits 1
Aircraft Attacking:
19 x Ki-48-Ib Lily bombing from 9000 feet
Port Attack: 4 x 100 kg GP Bomb
23 x Ki-48-Ib Lily bombing from 9000 feet
Port Attack: 4 x 100 kg GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Palembang Base Force, at 48,91 (Palembang)
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 23
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 1 damaged
Allied ground losses:
11 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
23 x Ki-21-IIa Sally bombing from 15000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
Also attacking So.Sumatra Garrison Battalion ...
Also attacking Palembang Base Force ...
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Morning Air attack on Kendari , at 70,106
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 30
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 2 damaged
Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 15
back to back attack on Kendari in heavy rain with only a coule of Sallies being damaged, the undamaged ones flew out already... we lost again two B-17E to ops, so in the end those two attacks against an undefended target has cost us 5 B-17E for 5 enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground... heck, thos B-17 really are indestructable... no flak, no fighters, just flying to the target, drop some bombs, fly back and land results in 5 bombers lost out of something like 65 attacking... nerf those Allied 4E pls...
Aircraft Attacking:
5 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 6000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
5 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 6000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
4 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 6000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
4 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 6000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
6 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 6000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
6 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 6000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
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Afternoon Air attack on Clark Field , at 79,76
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid detected at 109 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 34 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 15
Ki-48-Ib Lily x 28
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 1 damaged
Allied ground losses:
7 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Runway hits 24
Aircraft Attacking:
13 x Ki-48-Ib Lily bombing from 9000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 100 kg GP Bomb
15 x Ki-21-IIa Sally bombing from 9000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
15 x Ki-48-Ib Lily bombing from 9000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 100 kg GP Bomb
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Sub attack near Milne Bay at 101,135
Japanese Ships
DD Umikaze
BB Hyuga
CA Myoko
CA Atago
DD Amagiri
DD Isonami
DD Suzukaze
DD Sagiri
DD Hatsuharu
Allied Ships
SS S-36
about time to see one of the subs firing at a worthwhile target again... the BBs aren't escorted by that many destroyers so there should be a chance to get a shot at some point, especially when I consider over how many of my subs those BB have to run over...
SS S-36 launches 2 torpedoes at DD Umikaze
S-36 diving deep ....
DD Sagiri fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Hatsuharu fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Hatsuharu fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Hatsuharu fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Hatsuharu fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Hatsuharu fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Hatsuharu fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub
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Amphibious Assault at Ontong Java (115,131)
TF 255 troops unloading over beach at Ontong Java, 115,131
Japanese ground losses:
20 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
17 troops of a SNLF Squad lost overboard during unload of 1st Sasebo SNLF Coy
17 troops of a SNLF Squad lost in surf during unload of 1st Sasebo SNLF Coy
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Ground combat at Palembang (48,91)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 11496 troops, 125 guns, 40 vehicles, Assault Value = 260
Defending force 3698 troops, 37 guns, 5 vehicles, Assault Value = 79
Japanese adjusted assault: 98
Allied adjusted defense: 85
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 1)
Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(-), experience(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
419 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 36 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Allied ground losses:
120 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 23 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 7 (1 destroyed, 6 disabled)
Assaulting units:
21st Division
15th Ind. Engineer Regiment
56th Field Artillery Regiment
Defending units:
Zuid KNIL Battalion
So.Sumatra Garrison Battalion
Teloekbetoeng Base Force
Palembang Base Force
even though we are going to lose this battle for sure, when I look at the enemy division it will really take some time to recover... it's April, the amphib bonus ended, the enemy is stuck at Clark Field and hasn't been landing on Java yet with a good number of his frontline divisions needing time to recover, I really wonder if Cuttlefish will go for any real target the Japanese didn't take real life... if I would have to bet, I would say no...
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Ground combat at Clark Field (79,76)
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 2590 troops, 162 guns, 179 vehicles, Assault Value = 2004
Defending force 72253 troops, 965 guns, 657 vehicles, Assault Value = 2536
Japanese ground losses:
7 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 6 (1 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Vehicles lost 8 (7 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
87 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
16th Division
11th Division
2nd Tank Regiment
3rd Ind. Engineer Regiment
38th Division
4th Tank Regiment
48th Division
7th Tank Regiment
9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
3rd Mortar Battalion
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
21st Ind. Engineer Regiment
14th Army
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
Defending units:
31st PA Infantry Division
45th PS Infantry Regimental Combat Team
57th PS Infantry Regimental Combat Team
194th Tank Battalion
91st PA Infantry Division
61st PA Infantry Division
71st PA Infantry Division
4th Marine Regiment
21st PA Infantry Division
31st Infantry Regiment
41st PA Infantry Division
81st PA Infantry Division
14th PS Engineer Regiment
51st PA Infantry Division
1st PA Infantry Division
11th PA Infantry Division
192nd Tank Battalion
26th PS Cavalry Regiment
2nd PA Constabulary Division
803rd Engineer Aviation Battalion
Clark Field USAAF Base Force
I Philippine Corps
200th & 515th Coast AA Regiment
Provisional GMC Grp
USAFFE
301st Construction Battalion
Far East USAAF
86th PS Coastal Artillery Battalion
201st PA Construction Battalion
Manila USAAF Base Force
88th PS Field Artillery Regiment
PAF Aviation
1st PI Base Force
II Philippine Corps
Asiatic Fleet
202nd PA Construction Battalion
301st PA Field Artillery Regiment
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Ground combat at 56,89 (near Pontianak)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 3737 troops, 21 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 138
Defending force 792 troops, 8 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 16
Japanese adjusted assault: 57
Allied adjusted defense: 5
Japanese assault odds: 11 to 1
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker: leaders(+), fatigue(-)
Allied ground losses:
397 casualties reported
Squads: 14 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 10 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 7 (4 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Units retreated 4
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
124th Infantry Regiment
Defending units:
2/15 Punjab Battalion
Singkawang Base Force
Sambas Base Force
106th RN Base Force
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Ground combat at Ontong Java (115,131)
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 525 troops, 2 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 20
Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 0
Japanese adjusted assault: 18
Allied adjusted defense: 1
Japanese assault odds: 18 to 1 (fort level 0)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Ontong Java !!!
Combat modifiers
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-)
Assaulting units:
1st Sasebo SNLF Coy
... if the fighters all take off and fly to the target, what kind of silly explanation is there for a broken routine to not have the bombers attack the shipping? Clarifying again, not even taking off to attack the invasion convoys...