January 9, 1942
Johnsoned!!!!
("My name is Raymond J. Johnson, Jr. Now you can call me Ray, or you can call me J, or you can call me Johnny, or you can call me Sonny, or you can call me Junie, or you can call me Junior; now you can call me Ray J, or you can call me RJ, or you can call me RJJ, or you can call me RJJ Jr. But you doesn't hasta call me Johnson!")
If you're old enough you might have heard that before. Makes me smile.
Developments near Hawaii today. What a shocker. [;)]
1) Getting to the title action, the men of TF 135 close the shore to 1000 yards and open up again on Johnson Island with everything that will shoot, down to the .50s and the admiral's silverware chucked by the wardroom steward. Then they book for home.
Night Naval bombardment of Johnston Island at 164,112
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
H6K4 Mavis: 44 damaged
H6K4 Mavis: 1 destroyed on ground
G4M1 Betty: 16 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed on ground
A6M2 Zero: 27 damaged
A6M2 Zero: 3 destroyed on ground
Allied Ships
CA San Francisco
CA New Orleans
CL Honolulu
CL Phoenix
CL St. Louis
CL Concord
CL Raleigh
DD Hughes
DD Sims
Japanese ground losses:
78 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Airbase hits 20
Airbase supply hits 18
Runway hits 53
Port hits 1
2) In the DEI comes this S-boat heartbreaker:
Sub attack near Serasan at 56,85
Japanese Ships
BB Haruna
CA Atago
DD Mikazuki
TB Kasasagi
CA Chokai
Allied Ships
SS S-40
3) But the odds balance out with this clean miss:
Sub vs Sub: SS RO-64 attacking SS S-18 at 182,110 - near Kona
Japanese Ships
SS RO-64
Allied Ships
SS S-18
SS RO-64 launches 2 torpedoes at 3,000 yards
4) Bettys hit Bataan and destroy three Stearmans. Just not nice abusing the elderly, guys.
5) Back at Hawaii the Allies send about 40% of their CAP total on LRCAP over Hilo and Kona on the off chance those phantom Mavis(es)(i)(uses) can fly in paratroopers. This makes sense since the KB would never hit Pearl AGAIN, from that range, and with about 50 good AA suites out in the harbor. Right? Right?
At first this looks like a good bet as a weak sweep comes at Hilo:
Morning Air attack on Hilo , at 183,111
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8
Allied aircraft
P-40B Warhawk x 2
F4F-3 Wildcat x 1
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
P-40B Warhawk: 1 destroyed
Aircraft Attacking:
7 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 15000 feet *
But later in the morning:
The KB has moved significantly west. This could be due to submarine pressure. Or it could be a pause while more landing TFs arrive. Or they might be leaving, giving up on a Big Island landing after Johnson's rough treatment. Perhpas, top-line, Japan has looked at the calendar and decided to press harder on traditional first phase objectives. The next days will tell, but today Pearl gets a show.
From long range, large bodies of Zeros fly multiple stirkes escorting small numbers of Kates only, with bomb and fish mixed. They are met by a motley crew of fighters, largely Mohawks. These are chewed up, but they hold, burn through the escort, and take down and disrupt the Kates. Overall these raids are a failure for Japan. It should be mentioned that one P-40 squadron was placed at 5000 ft.
Morning Air attack on TF, near Pearl Harbor at 180,107
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 103 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 44 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 39
B5N1 Kate x 8
Allied aircraft
P-36A Mohawk x 16
P-40B Warhawk x 15
P-40E Warhawk x 3
F4F-3A Wildcat x 2
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N1 Kate: 4 destroyed, 4 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
P-36A Mohawk: 4 destroyed
P-40B Warhawk: 1 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
DD Flusser
BB Warspite
Aircraft Attacking:
2 x B5N1 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
1 x B5N1 Kate bombing from 6000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
--------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Pearl Harbor at 180,107
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 118 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 50 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 35
B5N1 Kate x 8
Allied aircraft
P-36A Mohawk x 10
P-40B Warhawk x 11
P-40E Warhawk x 3
F4F-3A Wildcat x 2
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed
B5N1 Kate: 4 destroyed, 1 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
P-36A Mohawk: 3 destroyed
P-40B Warhawk: 1 destroyed
F4F-3A Wildcat: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
CA Salt Lake City
BB Warspite, Bomb hits 1
DD Aylwin
Aircraft Attacking:
1 x B5N1 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
1 x B5N1 Kate bombing from 6000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
2 x B5N1 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
Air Search gives this:
PBY-5 Catalina sighting report: 7 Japanese ships at 180,122 near Hilo , Speed 10 , Moving Southwest
PBY-5 Catalina sighting report: 7 Japanese ships at 180,122 near Hilo , Speed 8 , Moving Southwest
PBY-5 Catalina sighting report: 8 Japanese ships at 177,114 near Pearl Harbor , Speed unknown
6) Batavia B-17s shift back to Miri from naval targets, but are met by Oscars and score no hits. They will rest.
7) Vacant Rangoon is again bombed. 10 Sallys damaged, more Port damage and supply loss.
8) Four xAKs unloading at Pt. Blair are attacked twice by Bangkok Bettys for two 60kg bomb hits. Probably will cut off the unload. There is little at Pt. Blair which needs the supply now. These ships were Rangoon refugees.
9) A small xAKL carrying 1000 supply and trying to sneak into Singers form Palembang is caught and sunk by Vals from the MKB, which is hanging around the deep water line east of Singers. The British bastion is now officially on internal power.
10) Palembang is bombed for supply denial and AF closure. Singers is as well. Four just-arrived Hurricanes at the latter are damaged before they fly a mission.
11) Tarakan Oil strikes lose 2 Blenheims for no hits.
12) Supply denial strikes at all of the next line of Chinese front line cities. The evac continues without pause. Most of the northern stragglers are near Yenan or Sian.
13) Vacant Mergui falls. Only Tavoy and Victoria Pt. remian to be vacuumed up in the region.
