Hairy Asian Experiences - GreyJoy (J) vs. Q-Ball (A)

[GreyJoy]

"Small" just because if my CVs did launch all their planes, i could have sunk all those BBs, CLs and the APAs that escaped... But, don't get me wrong: i'm happy with the results!

Now it's time to deal with the CVE/CVLs parked near Ndeni....

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

"Small" just because if my CVs did launch all their planes, i could have sunk all those BBs, CLs and the APAs that escaped... But, don't get me wrong: i'm happy with the results!

Now it's time to deal with the CVE/CVLs parked near Ndeni....

Indeed, that was a serious smackdown....and with virtually no losses on your side.

[GreyJoy]

A screenshot that explains the strategy behind the ambush...PATIENCE

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

"Small" just because if my CVs did launch all their planes, i could have sunk all those BBs, CLs and the APAs that escaped... But, don't get me wrong: i'm happy with the results!

Now it's time to deal with the CVE/CVLs parked near Ndeni....

Indeed, that was a serious smackdown....and with virtually no losses on your side.

The battle isn't over yet. Till now, Luck has been on my side...finger crossed for the second part

[Cap Mandrake]

Wow...that is mind-numbingly cool. I have to install that. How did you sit at Sorong for 60 days and not get spottted by a search B-24 or something?

[GreyJoy]

May 2, 1943
 
Ok, i transformed a victory into a defeat.
4 CLs and 3 DDs sunk for no gain... he created an impenetrable screen of PTs...My BBs lost all their ops point against them while the CLs passed through...and got smashed [:o]
 
The operation is over. 4 CLs and 3 modern DDs lost really really hurt... but hey, that's war..
 
His B25s arrived strafing and put 3 bombs on 1 CVE and 1 CVL....[:@] damn

[Cap Mandrake]

Yet, the classic defintion of victory is to retain possession of the field of battle at the end of the fight. [:)] In that sense you can claim victory.

[GreyJoy]

We're now retiring...but we have another problem: the enemy is moving lots of troops with flying boats to Moe... which is damned too close to Lautem!!!

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Yet, the classic defintion of victory is to retain possession of the field of battle at the end of the fight. [:)] In that sense you can claim victory.

Thanks Cap!
A but or morale boost that's what i need!

Now Brad has managed to retire all his assets back to Darwin...

[GreyJoy]

May 02, 43
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Selaroe at 77,119, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Kuri
DD Tsuga
DD Kiku

Allied Ships
LCT-66, Shell hits 6, and is sunk
LCT-67, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LCT-150
LCT-156, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
LCM 542E
LCVP 542F, Shell hits 1, and is sunk

Allied ground losses:
621 casualties reported
Squads: 6 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 26 destroyed, 22 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 3 (3 destroyed, 0 disabled)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Babar at 76,119, Range 5,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Agano
CL Yura
CL Kinu
CL Oi
DD Kiyonami
E Hato
E Sagi
E Kari
E Kiji
E Kamo
CL Teshio

Allied Ships
LCT-326, Shell hits 6, and is sunk
LCM 542D, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LCVP 542R, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LCVP 592R, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
SC-521, Shell hits 1, and is sunk

Allied ground losses:
400 casualties reported
Squads: 15 destroyed, 27 disabled
Non Combat: 6 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Ouch!!!!![:o]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Bathurst Island at 76,121, Range 5,000 Yards

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
E13A1 Jake: 2 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CL Agano, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CL Yura, Shell hits 6, heavy fires
CL Kinu
CL Oi, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Kiyonami
E Hato
E Sagi
E Kari
E Kiji, Shell hits 1
E Kamo
CL Teshio, Shell hits 2, on fire

Allied Ships
BB Colorado, Shell hits 2
BB Royal Sovereign
BB Ramillies, Shell hits 2
CL Java, Shell hits 2
DD Cony
DD Taylor
DD Bancroft
DD Hughes
DD Aylwin
DD Worden, Shell hits 1
DD Van Nes

Reduced visibility due to Rain with 3% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Rain and 3% moonlight: 5,000 yards
Range closes to 23,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 23,000 yards
Range closes to 17,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 17,000 yards
Range closes to 11,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 7,000 yards
Range closes to 5,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 5,000 yards
Allies open fire on surprised Japanese ships at 5,000 yards

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Babar at 77,118, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Hatakaze
DD Shiokaze
DD Yakaze
DD Hokaze
DD Nokaze

Allied Ships
PT-37
PT-38
PT-39
PT-40
PT-42
PT-46
PT-74, Shell hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
PT-118


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Bathurst Island at 78,121, Range 3,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Isuzu
CL Kuma
CL Tama
DD Nowaki
DD Arashi
DD Hagikaze
DD Tanikaze
DD Hatsuyuki
DD Ayanami

Allied Ships
LCT-60, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LCT-65, Shell hits 9, and is sunk
LCT-128, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
LCT-129, Shell hits 5, and is sunk
LCVP 532F, Shell hits 1, and is sunk

Allied ground losses:
142 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 18 destroyed, 24 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 33 (19 destroyed, 14 disabled)
Vehicles lost 14 (7 destroyed, 7 disabled)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Bathurst Island at 78,121, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Isuzu
CL Kuma
CL Tama
DD Nowaki
DD Arashi
DD Hagikaze
DD Tanikaze
DD Hatsuyuki
DD Ayanami

Allied Ships
PT-257, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
PT-258
PT-259
PT-260
PT-261
PT-262
PT-263
PT-264
PT-298
PT-299
PT-301
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Bathurst Island at 77,121, Range 12,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Kongo
BB Haruna
CA Tone
CA Chikuma
CA Takao
CA Kumano
DD Murasame
DD Yamakaze
DD Hatsuharu
DD Nenohi
DD Hatsushima

Allied Ships
PT-62
PT-65
PT-166
PT-167
PT-168
PT-170
PT-171
PT-188
PT-190
PT-191
PT-196
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Bathurst Island at 77,121

Japanese Ships
SS RO-67

Allied Ships
APA John Penn, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage

Allied ground losses:
16 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

SS RO-67 launches 2 torpedoes


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Bathurst Island at 77,123, Range 17,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Isuzu, Shell hits 1
CL Kuma
CL Tama, Shell hits 7, on fire
DD Nowaki, Shell hits 2, heavy fires
DD Arashi
DD Hagikaze
DD Tanikaze
DD Hatsuyuki, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Ayanami, Shell hits 1

Allied Ships
CL Leander, Shell hits 1
DD Chevalier, Shell hits 1
DD DeHaven
DD Nicholas, Shell hits 1, on fire

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Bathurst Island at 78,122, Range 17,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Isuzu, Shell hits 5, on fire
CL Kuma, Shell hits 2
DD Arashi, Shell hits 1
DD Hagikaze, Shell hits 1
DD Tanikaze
DD Hatsuyuki, on fire
DD Ayanami, on fire

Allied Ships
CA Chicago, Shell hits 2
CL Honolulu, Shell hits 3
CL Nashville, Shell hits 4
DD Morris, Shell hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
DD Helm
DD Ralph Talbot
DD Shaw
DD Reid, Shell hits 4, on fire, heavy damage


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Bathurst Island at 78,121, Range 20,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Kongo
BB Haruna
CA Tone
CA Chikuma
CA Takao
CA Kumano
DD Murasame
DD Yamakaze
DD Hatsuharu
DD Nenohi
DD Hatsushima

Allied Ships
PT-62
PT-65
PT-166
PT-167
PT-168
PT-170, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
PT-171, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-188
PT-190
PT-191
PT-196
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Bathurst Island at 78,121, Range 20,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Kongo
BB Haruna
CA Tone
CA Chikuma
CA Takao
CA Kumano
DD Murasame
DD Yamakaze
DD Hatsuharu
DD Nenohi
DD Hatsushima

Allied Ships
LCT-150, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
LCM 542E, Shell hits 1, and is sunk

Allied ground losses:
180 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Bathurst Island at 77,121, Range 19,000 Yards

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
E13A1 Jake: 1 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CL Yura, Shell hits 15, and is sunk
DD Kiyonami, Shell hits 18, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CA Chicago, Shell hits 1
CL Honolulu
CL Nashville
DD Helm, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Ralph Talbot

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Selaroe at 77,120, Range 10,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Kinu
E Hato
E Sagi
E Kari
E Kiji
E Kamo
CL Teshio

Allied Ships
PT-37, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
PT-38, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-39
PT-40, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-42
PT-46
PT-74, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-118, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Bathurst Island at 77,123, Range 19,000 Yards

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
E13A1 Jake: 1 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CL Tama, Shell hits 11, and is sunk
DD Nowaki, Shell hits 3, heavy fires

Allied Ships
BB Colorado
BB Royal Sovereign, Shell hits 1
BB Ramillies
CL Java
DD Cony
DD Taylor
DD Bancroft
DD Hughes
DD Aylwin
DD Worden
DD Van Nes

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Bathurst Island at 77,123, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Nowaki, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Allied Ships
PT-126
PT-176
PT-220
PT-225
PT-226
PT-227
PT-228
PT-229
PT-230
PT-231
PT-232
PT-233


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 1st USMC Parachute Battalion, at 74,116 (Moa)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 40
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 20

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 2 damaged

Allied ground losses:
40 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Saumlaki , at 78,117

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 22

Allied aircraft
P-40K Warhawk x 8
F4F-4 Wildcat x 6
SBD-3 Dauntless x 7

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
P-40K Warhawk: 3 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 2 destroyed

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Kai-eilanden at 81,116

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 78 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 26
A6M5 Zero x 74

Allied aircraft
Beaufort VIII x 10

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Beaufort VIII: 3 destroyed


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Dobo , at 83,116

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 31 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 19

Allied aircraft
Hudson III (LR) x 9
B-17E Fortress x 6
B-24D1 Liberator x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed, 5 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Hudson III (LR): 2 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 2 damaged

Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 3


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Morning Air attack on Dili , at 71,115

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 24 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
Beaufighter Ic x 16
Beaufighter VIc x 32
B-17E Fortress x 14
B-17F Fortress x 14
B-24D Liberator x 15
B-24D1 Liberator x 37

Japanese aircraft losses
E13A1 Jake: 3 destroyed on ground
D4Y1 Judy: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 4 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 1 damaged
B-24D1 Liberator: 2 damaged
B-24D1 Liberator: 1 destroyed by flak

Airbase hits 27
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 65

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Kai-eilanden at 81,116

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 36 NM, estimated altitude 3,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 73

Allied aircraft
B-25D1 Mitchell x 6

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D1 Mitchell: 5 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Soryu
CVE Taiyo, Bomb hits 1[:o]
DD Amatsukaze
CVL Ryuho, Bomb hits 2[:@]

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x B-25D1 Mitchell bombing and strafing from low level
Naval Attack: 6 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

CAP engaged:
Akagi-1 with A6M5 Zero (9 airborne, 12 on standby, 0 scrambling)
9 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 2000 and 11000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 8 minutes
Kaga-1 with A6M5 Zero (4 airborne, 4 on standby, 4 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
5 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 13000 , scrambling fighters between 5000 and 38500.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 34 minutes
Hiryu-1 with A6M5 Zero (5 airborne, 11 on standby, 0 scrambling)
5 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 6000 , scrambling fighters between 4000 and 17000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 11 minutes
Shokaku-1 with A6M5 Zero (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 12000
Raid is overhead
Zuikaku-1 with A6M5 Zero (9 airborne, 7 on standby, 0 scrambling)
9 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 13000 , scrambling fighters between 10000 and 13000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 9 minutes
Soryu-1 with A6M5 Zero (0 airborne, 2 on standby, 0 scrambling)
Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters to 5000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 5 minutes




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Saumlaki at 79,118

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 20

Allied aircraft
P-40K Warhawk x 11
F4F-3 Wildcat x 12
F4F-4 Wildcat x 10
TBF-1 Avenger x 15

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed
TBF-1 Avenger: 1 destroyed by flak

Japanese Ships
CL Teshio
CL Kinu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at 75,46 (near Chungking)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 39290 troops, 423 guns, 209 vehicles, Assault Value = 1151

Defending force 21007 troops, 48 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 10

Japanese adjusted assault: 976

Allied adjusted defense: 16

Japanese assault odds: 61 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), fatigue(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
79 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Allied ground losses:
2084 casualties reported
Squads: 126 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 306 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 4

.....FINALLY we're starting to reduce this stack!!!


Assaulting units:
39th Division
27th Division
35th Division
Botanko Hvy Gun Regiment
13th Army
9th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
4th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
5th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
71st Chinese Corps
30th Chinese Corps
85th Chinese Corps
8th Route Army
51st Chinese Corps
61st Chinese Corps
89th Chinese Corps
1st Group Army

[GreyJoy]

Ok guys...time to retire and R&R. I need to regroup, send some ships back to repair yards, some back for upgrades...my air groups need to rest and refill their ranks...my subs need rest too...
 
But the enemy is still there...very close...and he's getting stronger every day...and where are his CVs?.... MY bet? PERTH...too many radio messages intercepted recently....
 
Those CLs will be missed... but his landing troops must be in a very bad shape now...those who survived!

[GreyJoy]

Your Penguin Admiral now needs some sleep...
 
Night guys. It's been an exciting night

[Cap Mandrake]

Morning Air attack on TF, near Kai-eilanden at 81,116

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 36 NM, estimated altitude 3,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 73

Allied aircraft
B-25D1 Mitchell x 6

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D1 Mitchell: 5 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Soryu
CVE Taiyo, Bomb hits 1
DD Amatsukaze
CVL Ryuho, Bomb hits 2

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x B-25D1 Mitchell bombing and strafing from low level
Naval Attack: 6 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

Wow! Amazingly effective attack by 6 unescorted B-25's. Those boys are dy-no-MITE! He has been training them for a bit. Amazing they even took off without escort like that. He has evidently created an elite skip-bombing B-25 squadron.

[Cribtop]

Well done, GJ. Shame about the weather but that's life.

Were the B-25s skip bombing? Might explain the hits.

KB didn't launch again on day two? I would have thought that surface force that smacked your CLs would be dead meat come daylight.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Morning Air attack on TF, near Kai-eilanden at 81,116

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 36 NM, estimated altitude 3,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 73

Allied aircraft
B-25D1 Mitchell x 6

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D1 Mitchell: 5 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Soryu
CVE Taiyo, Bomb hits 1
DD Amatsukaze
CVL Ryuho, Bomb hits 2

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x B-25D1 Mitchell bombing and strafing from low level
Naval Attack: 6 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

Wow! Amazingly effective attack by 6 unescorted B-25's. Those boys are dy-no-MITE! He has been training them for a bit. Amazing they even took off without escort like that. He has evidently created an elite skip-bombing B-25 squadron.

After i find that my opponent is training his bomber pilots in low naval attack i always keep some planes on low CAP. Maybe You do so and it was just bad luck. But for me low CAP is working well. Also having at lest one fighter units at CAP with range 0 i making CAP more efficient.
May you give as rest of rapport how CAP was behaving. How many planes in air, how many scrambling, interception time, attitude etc. I hope ships are ok.

EDIT:
Any of Your ships in that TF have radar? I learn that Radar (especially that allied one) is big game changer for CV defense.
In April all Japanese CVs and CVLs get radar. But You know all of that

[GreyJoy]

May 3, 1943
 
As we retire, we managed to avoid most of his dreaded subs that are infesting those waters. My CVs are still covering the retreat of the main fleet (lots of damaged slowed warships to sheperd) so we are still at max alert.
In this turn we both licked our wounds with the enemy 4Es that, for the first time in months, stopped their daily runs.
Near Rabaul our other CVs retire, but a pesky sub managed to torpedoe a Fubuki Class DD....[:o]...i'm losing way too many DDs...more than 33 till now...can't stand these numbers!!!
 
Koniu, yes, i had 37 zeros on 0 range at 4000...didn't work. They scrambled but got to the B25s too late!
I had 2 CVs with radars and 5 DDs equipped... but at those low altitudes japanese radar is pretty useless
 
Hard to say how performed my CAP... it wasn't really engaged in numbers, so this couldn't be a real test.
 
 
The good thing about this whole operation is that i managed to resupply Saumlaki with 8000 supplies...badly badly needed. Also Koepang recieved 50,000 supplies and Ambon some more 30,000... enough for the next 2 months.
 
 
So what's next now? Well, hard to tell...i need to track the enemy CVs first... dispacted my glenn-equipped subs once again to scout Western Oz and SOPAC....
 
1 CV and 3 CVLs are ready at Tokyo, fully upgraded, along with 15 DDs and 2 CAs. These guys will move to CENTPAC and 1 CV+1CVL+2CVEs will get back to HI to get their upgrades.
 
The CVL and the CVE hit yesterday can still make 20 knots, so they aren't in danger...if the enemy subs don't get them first![:-][:-][8|]
 
LBA bombers and fighters are recombining...slowly we'll get back to a full operative mode...however the pressure is rising.
 
Now it's time to reinforce Sumatra and Thailand. Troops are already loading at Singapore.
 
1 HQ Air Flottilla is moving to Ponape. It will be used to create a torpedo coverage of Kusiae Island and the whole SE approaches to Truk.
 
 

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Well done, GJ. Shame about the weather but that's life.

Were the B-25s skip bombing? Might explain the hits.

KB didn't launch again on day two? I would have thought that surface force that smacked your CLs would be dead meat come daylight.

Yes, they were skip bombing Crib...as Cap said, it was an amazing perfomance by those B25s... and a scary one too!
And yes, KB didn't launch for two days in a row... bugger[:o]

[veji1]

One thing I find irritating, but I am probably wrong here, is to see PTs cross 200 miles of open water, including some real ocean stuff, quite deep, to go and fight in ennemy waters.

Some experts here will probably correct me and tell me this is historical, and I suppose so many RL advantages of the allies are not implemented in the game that it all balances out in a sense, but still..

I would just think it natural for PTs to have a radius from a friendly base of say 3 hexes where they can cross ocean hexes, and otherwise be limited to shallow waters, something like this.

Did PTs really just cross taht type of water like that ?

Anyway great Ambush Greyjoy, too bad the weather wasn't with you...

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: veji1

One thing I find irritating, but I am probably wrong here, is to see PTs cross 200 miles of open water, including some real ocean stuff, quite deep, to go and fight in ennemy waters.

Some experts here will probably correct me and tell me this is historical, and I suppose so many RL advantages of the allies are not implemented in the game that it all balances out in a sense, but still..

I would just think it natural for PTs to have a radius from a friendly base of say 3 hexes where they can cross ocean hexes, and otherwise be limited to shallow waters, something like this.

Did PTs really just cross taht type of water like that ?

Anyway great Ambush Greyjoy, too bad the weather wasn't with you...

Well, i agree on general terms. PTs should be allowed only in shallow waters... but the code allows them to move just like any other TF and they have enough endurance to be able to move easily up and down from Darwin to Lautem...
I have to admit that against Rader i used them very effectively sending them from Lunga up to Shortland Island... so i cannot really complain now if i got treated with the same medicine

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Wow...that is mind-numbingly cool. I have to install that. How did you sit at Sorong for 60 days and not get spottted by a search B-24 or something?

Well, i've spent several hours and turns looking for a dead spot in his search arcs...and, once found, i've done everything i could to create smoke and mirrors in order to make him believe the whole KB was somewhere else (the CVTF at Rabaul had to be big enough to be believed as the KB... 4 CVs, 2 CSs, 5 BBs, several CA/CLs and 24 DDs...enough to mislead his catalina pilots)