Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L

[BBfanboy]

Lexington and Saratoga are in danger, disbanded at Sydney in Jan 42. Don't forget to off-load their air groups so that they can help defend if KB comes calling!

[kaleun]

KB was severely damaged off Pearl early in the game. Only one of the carriers was confirmed sunk though.

[kaleun]

Jan 30th 1942
Waiting. Patience. The distances are so vast in the Pacific that everything takes time, lots of time and lots of fuel. The French garrison at Noumea, angry and reluctant, is ordered to Koumac at the northern tip of the island. It is unlikely that the Japanese will try to invade this far south, but it is not impossible. Anyway, the French local garrison, always happy to pick up a fight with the Americans, is better off away from Noumea, so they get sent off.

Umboi island falls to Japanese paratroop assault.

BB Idaho arrives at San Francisco.

And the month ends, with the allies holding hope for February. Hope that they get a blow, or two in.

[kaleun]

And the shiptards at Pearl.

[kaleun]

Alex L will be dropping by to visit for a while.

[kaleun]

February 1st 1942

At Sidney, Lexington, major flotation damage repaired only needs some of her systems to be functional again to be ready for transfer. That, and to get some of those pesky enemy submarines to clear off Sidney waters also. Malaybalay in Mindanao was captured by the Japanese who also seized Cape Gloucester via paradrop.

The date for operation Counterpunch is set for March 1st.

February 4th

The seventh Marine Defense Detachment is unloading at Koumac.

At Sidney, Saratoga is 14 days away from completing her repairs.

[kaleun]

This is again and Alex L free zone.

[kaleun]

February 5th

Buka (SE of Tulagi) is taken by air assault by the Japanese. This is not considered a reason to abort or delay operation Counterpunch.

At Perth, the 27th Australian Brigade (rescued from Singapore) begins prepping for Koepang as part of operation Rampart.

February 6th

Leading pilot for VB 3 on Saratoga is now eligible for transfer to TRACOM. The transfer will be delayed until after completion of operation Counterpunch.

Assets assemble slowly on the South Pacific. The 8th Marine Regiment and the 34th Infantry regiment are at Noumea already. The 110th USA Base force, 2nd Marine Defense battalion, 2 USMC Parachute battalion and 2nd USMC Tank battalion are unloading at Noumea. These assets begin to prepare for their targets. Wild rumors begin to spread but the general impression is that a counteroffensive is planned for the Solomon Islands.

February 7th.

Operation Cold Comfort is complete. All survivors from the Rabaul garrison have been evacuated to Port Moresby.

[kaleun]

February 10th

Enemy submarines swarm around the entrance and approaches to Sidney harbor. It is clear the enemy knows of the presence of Lexington and Saratoga and is ready to stalk the carriers when they, as they must, exit. ASW task forces, made up with whatever will float and carry a depth charge, sortie from the harbor while, in the air, any and all bombers patrol at low altitude over the waves.

CV Lexington, with 6 system damage and 33 flotation is ordered to make steam. It is time to get the ship out of the harbor, and to get her to a port where her damage can be properly repaired.

At Noumea, the 2nd Marine defense battalion and the 2nd USMC tank battalion unload.

February 11th

Japanese forces land in Shortland, Lashio is captured.

Saratoga still has 8 days to go before repairs are complete.

[kaleun]

February 13th

Lexington departs for Pearl Harbor. 4 destroyers and one light cruiser will escort the carrier. One ASW task force with 4 destroyers will accompany the task force until well into the Pacific Ocean. Despite all efforts to clear the Sidney area waters, using anything that will float, the waters teem with enemy submarines. They know that the carriers are in port and that the shipyard is not big enough to accommodate Lex. They are waiting.
At Perth, the 26th Australian division begins to load, its destination Koepang. Timor is to be reinforced, and fortified. The Australian command would much rather fight in Timor than in North Australia.

The best laid plans of mice and men.

Allied transport task forces, after the enemy cruiser raids of late January, are now escorted by heavy cruisers at least or even a battleship.

The Japanese must have guessed right, or their intelligence is better than expected.

160 NM from Baker Island, a flight of 22 B5N2 Kate torpedo bombers and 36 AGM2 Zero fighters attack a transport task force. Missisipi is hit by a bomb and a torpedo. BB Warspite is not so lucky. Hit by three torpedoes, the old warrior sinks.

120 NM to the North of Vaitapu, a second raid hits New Mexico with two bombs and Colorado with 4.
Only Kate bombers are seen to attack. The allied estimate is that this task force is composed of CVL and CVE, with perhaps one full sized carrier.

The good news is that CV Zuikaku and BB Nagato are confirmed sunk.

[kaleun]

February 14th

In Sidney harbor, Saratoga interrupts her repairs and is ordered to readiness. It will take two days for the ship to be ready to sail. Lexington changes course and steers ENE to San Diego, giving the enemy carrier forces a wide berth. The ASW task force escorting her, unneeded now, returns to Sidney.

One of the enemy carriers is identified, it is CV Soryu. Her Kates attack Colorado and score a torpedo hit on the battleship. A second raid sinks New Mexico and Colorado.

It now appears that all Australia convoys must be escorted against submarine, surface and air attack both ways. There are not enough escorts to do so.

As a temporizing measure, all convoys are routed east of Palmyra. All patrol aircraft from Baker and Canton are to provide early warning and perhaps allow the transports to escape.

Ramilles, Resolution and Revenge arrive at Capetown. The obsolete and slow battleships, practically useless in naval battle will take their place as convoy escorts.

[kaleun]

February 15th

Enemy carrier aircraft continue to attack task forces around Baker Island. The enemy aircraft consist of B5N2 Kate attacking with torpedoes and bombs as well as AGM2 Zero fighters used as bombers. Halsey takes Yorktown out of Sidney to intercept Soryu. Saratoga will follow as soon as possible.

Feb 16th
Soryu’s airplanes attack east of Baker Island. Among other casualties, CA Northampton is sunk. No dive bombers are seen, except for the Zero fighters.

It appears that there are two carrier forces breaking havoc around Baker Island. Best estimate is that there is a mix of CVE and CVL with one or two CVs, all equipped with Kate bombers.
Air 1 (Halsey) and Yorktown, heading north, with Air 2 (Spruance) and Saratoga following and will meet and merge west of Espiritu Santo.

Feb 17th

SS Trusty torpedoes SS I-165 at Malacca straits.

A slew of Kate and Zero fighter bombers attack a transport task force in Suva! One of the airplanes is reported to be from Shokaku.

Feb 19th

After five days of raiding, the enemy carriers disappear. Intelligence estimates them to be withdrawing towards Kwajalein. At Espiritu Santo, Noumea and Suva, the invasion forces for operation counterpunch begin to load. The 8th Marine Regiment will invade the enemy held island of Tulagi. Lunga will be occupied by the 112 USA base force, the 34th Infantry regiment and the 2nd Marine defense battalion.

Time is of the essence. The enemy carriers are withdrawing towards Kwajalein. Air 1 and Air 2 have been giving chase but might not be able to engage them before coming into range of the deadly land based torpedo bombers out of Kwajalein.

[Sangeli]

That's quite bold to try a counterattack this early. What's the preparedness of your Marine units landing? What sort of cover do you have? To be honest I think that counter landings when the Japanese still have their amphibious assault bonus is pretty risky. Especially since you are splitting your invasion force into two landings of regimental size as a single Japanese division can take the out one at a time. Good luck.

[kaleun]

Thought I saw an opportunity, especially as Lunga had not been occupied, and the damage on the enemy carriers had to be significant, so he can not have them all.

[kaleun]

Feb 21
Air one, low on fuel, ordered to refuel and merge with Air 2 West of Espiritu Santo. There is a window of opportunity while the enemy carriers rearm and refuel in Kwajalein (we believe) to launch Counterpunch. It would take too long for our carriers to return to Sidney.

At Timor Island, in the harbor of Koepang, the Task force bringing in the 27th Australian brigade is attacked by enemy heavy carriers Chikuma, Takano, Chokai and Maya. The escorts, CA Camberra, CL Sumatra, Perth and Destroyers Fox, Porter, and Tucker mount a spirited defense. In the running battle, Fox and Perth fall to enemy torpedoes, followed later by Canberra, Sumatra. One of the troop transports sinks too. Fortunately, most of the brigade had unloaded already. The 27th Australian brigade is definitely not a favorite of Fortune as far as naval transport is concerned.

Feb 22
Air one and two merge into a single task force. Air one is now composed of Saratoga and Yorktown with RAdm Spruance in command.

[kaleun]

Feb 24
Mississippi (S 5 Flt 33 Eng 1) leaves Pearl Harbor for the West Coast.
Feb 25
Recon reports unidentified enemy shipping at Tulagi. Submarines? Stewart Island seized.
Feb 26
D Day.
Allied forces land and occupy Lunga. 15 Enemy Betty bombers attack the landing force but are intercepted by 18 F4F. 22 Zero fighters escort the bombers. 1 Zero and 3 F4F lost.
Hornet is 12 days away from arrival at Balboa and Formidable will arrive at Cape Town in 16.
As night falls, an enemy force is reported approaching from the North West. The American carriers prepare.

[kaleun]

Feb 27th 1942. Battle of the Solomon Is.

The best laid plans of mice and men. The carrier task forces, advised by the naval search aircraft, react to each other. Only some react better than others. 84 Kate bombers with 80 Zero escorts appear over the allied task force. 38 F4F fighters scramble to defend the fleet. The results are predictable. All Kate bombers get through. Saratoga sinks after 4 torpedo hits, Yorktown takes 5. For some unknown reason, the allied strike comprised only 11 SBD3 and 14 F4F fighters. Met by 36 AGM2 fighters, no bombers get through.

As night falls, the escorts conduct rescue operations. The Tulagi invasion force turns back. The task force carrying the 34th Infantry regiment continues to Lunga; it is too close to the carriers to escape. Most of the men may be able to unload at Lunga instead of being lost at sea.

Feb 28th 1942. Aftermath.

Betty and Kate bombers have a field day savaging the task force carrying the 34th Infantry. Most of the men have unloaded, but the equipment and supplies will be sorely missed. The Marine defense battalion has dug in and the beach now boasts size one fortifications.

The enemy captures Munda on the Solomon Island chain.

CV Hornet will arrive in 10 days at Balboa, Formidable in 14 at Cape Town, Illustrious in 58 days. Wasp is expected at Balboa on June 10th

[kaleun]

March 1st 42.
SS S-39 torpedoes AO Tsurimi.

Japanese cruisers attack the empty transports that carried 34th infantry. At the same time the oilers come under air attack near Koumac and the 2n Marine regiment transports are attacked near Espiritu Santo.
Lexington switches destination to Pearl Harbor. In the shipyards, PA 78SD/45FD/25ED has 529 days to go and MD 88/25/19 has 467 days.

March 2nd and 3rd.
Enemy surface forces and naval air attack targets all over the Coral Sea as the allied transports rush for the relative safety of harbor and LBA. Interestingly enough, all the enemy bombers are Kate type with no dive bombers seen anywhere. This despite the only carriers identified are Hiryu, Soryu, and Shokaku.

It is interesting to speculate on what the Vals are doing.

[kaleun]

March 5th 42.
Alex-san’s carriers continue to attack shipping at Luganville. We could consider his tendency to linger with his carriers risky, but reality is that the allies can do nothing about it.

Enemy lands forces at Tassafaronga.

March 6th.
Butuan and Rennell Island captured.

March 7th
Enemy G4M1s assumed to be based at Rabaul attack a task force near Port Moresby. AM Wollogong sunk by torpedo.
At least one of the enemy carrier task forces continues to operate between Noumea and Espiritu Santo.

Enemy parachute forces capture Tagula Island.

March 8th 42
CV Lexington ordered to full speed to arrive at Pearl Harbor in one day. The extra wear and tear on engines and systems is considered acceptable to decrease the danger of lurking submarines (always a threat around Pearl) and the remote, but distinct chance of enemy carrier forces intercepting if they got wind of her destination.

SS-S27 misses on xAK Borneo Maru off Toyohara.

SS Sealion duds on APD Yomogi off Toboali.

March 9th 42

Upon arrival at Pearl, Lexington enters dry dock. At the same time, work priority on Pennsylvania drops to low and Maryland is moved out of the shipyard to increase speed on Lex. Estimates are of 90 day turn around on the big carrier.

Hornet is expected tomorrow at Balboa. CV Indomitable ordered to Perth from Colombo. Plan is for Hornet and Indomitable to operate together in hit and run raids.

[kaleun]

March 10th

Japanese submarines, operating off Australia sink xAK Iron Warrior and xAK Akaba.

Over Noumea, 36 AGM2 fighters are met by 17 P40E 7 P40 and 1 Zero were destroyed before the enemy fighters returned to their carriers East of Efate.

A second enemy carrier force spotted in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Rossel Island captured.

CV Hornet arrives at Balboa. Her air groups are incomplete. The carrier is ordered to San Diego where it will fill out (we hope) her air groups.

March 11th

A task force of small cargo transports was intercepted by CA Tone and her escorts. The transports were returning from Dili where an Australian Machine Gun battalion had been delivered. Fortunately, the transports, on their way back to Darwin were empty.

At Noumea, the enemy fighters were met by only 5 P40s After the sweep, 42 Kates savaged the ships in harbor.