[font="Times New Roman"]19 - 20 March 1944[/font]
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Interesting results, but nothing as major as the last strike at Chittagong.
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SUBS: [/font] Subs have been quiet lately. I fear though that Jocke has either seen or guessed well about where the KB is hiding as three subs have been on station at Davao for a few weeks. On the other hand they're not hanging out at Babeldaob or Balikpapan, two other likely spots. I've sent in two ASW teams of new Es. I have Hiryu's Jills flying ASW as well as Jakes, so these subs might suffer soon.
RO-105 got 4 TT off at CL St. Louis before getting an ear-splitting DC attack thrown back. It then got more hits against another amphib TF coming into Dagua. This would have been a good turn to use the KB as the subs made the transports slow and have to sit in the open during daylight. I'll remember that for the next time he comes.
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SOUTH PACIFIC:[/font] Things got very interesting here as I tried a behind the lines incursion. He hasn't closed bases behind him and most of the Solomons has good fields, are TT enabled still (!!) and can even support and repair some planes. I threw some Bettys in to attack at Finschafen as there was no CAP up and BBs listed in port! Guess what? Two 800kg bombs reported on Prince of Wales!!! [&o][8D][&o] That is almost surely a trip to the repair yards at Sydney, and 'heavy fires' were burning after the attack.
That is not all. A Frances group also attacked an amphib TF and put 2 TT into xAP Santa Barbara. No troops on board, which is too bad. This wil again probably make him have to deal with rear bases and spread out the CAP.
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NORTH PACIFIC: [/font] He's on the move! Two TFs sighted, one with DDs and another with LSTs. Subs interact with them, but my Jakes were set to Naval and search at only 2-3 hexes away from Cold Bay, so nothing has gotten in there yet. I brought some Kates in closer too and readied a small SAG that departed Yokohama for Paramushiro on the 20th. One modern CL and three DD is all I can spare right now, but timed correctly, they could make a difference. Looks like next turn would be D-Day.
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WEST OZ: [/font] Another unit moved into Exmouth, but no indications yet of any attacks. I have some bombardment TFs nearing Darwin, but I'm worried they're going to stall again and not get in there.
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BURMA: [/font] After the first major attack Jocke has gotten wary, as he should. Helens hit Chittagong again, with only some 100+ P-40N5 on CAP. He still didn't commit anything good, possibly because the field was still a mess and it might affect the top class fighters' performance. Anyway, we hit the fields well, but only took out a handful of planes and a lot of fighters. At some cost however, as 12 Georges are lost as well as another 9 Oscars and 11 Helens.
The Allied stack moving toward Bassein is still showing the icon, so either he's spreading me out nicely or he's really going in. Hard to imagine he would without 4E support and they've never hit this base in the clear. Too close to Rangoon for daily raids I guess, and I am keeping fighters up with range to interdict there. Now he's had to take the 4E base back somewhere else also which gives time both for troops near Lashio and possibly at Bassein. Here is pretty good list of what's in that hex at least. Those Chinese units aren't going to like the tanks I have across that river if they keep going! [:D]
US 43rd Infantry Division
Also attacking 7th New Chinese Corps ...
Also attacking 5th Chinese Corps ...
Also attacking 26th Indian Division ...
Also attacking 81st (West African) Division ...
Also attacking 14th Indian Division ...
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CENTRAL PACFIC:[/font] Two more small Naval Guard units depart for rear areas.
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR March 19, 44
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Morning Air attack on 5th Chinese Corps, at 54,51 , near Prome
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 37
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 48
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 26
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 23
Ki-49-IIb Helen x 49
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 20 damaged
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 4 destroyed by flak Nicks don't like flak much!
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 6 damaged
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 6 damaged
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied ground losses:
23 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
19 x Ki-49-IIb Helen bombing from 10000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
lso attacking 7th New Chinese Corps ...
Also attacking 5th Chinese Corps ...
Also attacking 26th Indian Division ...
Also attacking 81st (West African) Division ...
Also attacking 14th Indian Division ...
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR March 20, 44
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ASW attack near Aitape at 96,118
Japanese Ships
SS RO-105, hits 5
Allied Ships
CL St. Louis
SC PC-581
APA President Adams
AKA Aquarius
AKA Almaack
AKA Virgo
AKA Fomalhaut
SC PC-781
SS RO-105 launches 4 torpedoes at CL St. Louis
SC PC-781 fails to find sub, continues to search...
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ASW attack near Aitape at 96,118
Japanese Ships
SS RO-105, hits 5
Allied Ships
LCI-62
LCI-22
LCT-330
LCT-322
LCT-166
LCT-143
LCT-137
LCT-132
SC-707
SS RO-105 is sighted by escort
RO-105 diving deep ....
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Morning Air attack on Chittagong , at 55,41
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 20 NM, estimated altitude 33,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 29
Allied aircraft
P-40N5 Warhawk x 110
Japanese aircraft losses
N1K1-J George: 3 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-40N5 Warhawk: 4 destroyed
Aircraft Attacking:
7 x N1K1-J George sweeping at 31000 feet
CAP engaged:
33rd FG/58th FS with P-40N5 Warhawk (0 airborne, 6 on standby, 9 scrambling)
3 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 15000 and 31000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 45 minutes
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Morning Air attack on Chittagong , at 55,41
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 48 NM, estimated altitude 32,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes
Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 25
Allied aircraft
P-40N5 Warhawk x 79
Japanese aircraft losses
N1K1-J George: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-40N5 Warhawk: 7 destroyed
Aircraft Attacking:
3 x N1K1-J George sweeping at 31000 feet
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Morning Air attack on Chittagong , at 55,41
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 36 NM, estimated altitude 33,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 33
Allied aircraft
P-40N5 Warhawk x 49
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar: 2 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-40N5 Warhawk: 2 destroyed
Aircraft Attacking:
16 x Ki-43-IIIa Oscar sweeping at 31000 feet
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Morning Air attack on Chittagong , at 55,41
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 14 NM, estimated altitude 36,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-84a Frank x 44
Allied aircraft
P-40N5 Warhawk x 25
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
P-40N5 Warhawk: 1 destroyed
Aircraft Attacking:
36 x Ki-84a Frank sweeping at 31000 feet *
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Morning Air attack on Chittagong , at 55,41
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 38 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 37
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 24
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 46
Ki-49-IIb Helen x 45
Allied aircraft
P-40N5 Warhawk x 11
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 2 destroyed
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 4 destroyed, 4 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
P-40N5 Warhawk: 1 destroyed, 10 damaged
P-40N5 Warhawk: 2 destroyed on ground
Catalina I: 1 destroyed on ground
Hurricane FR.IIb: 1 destroyed on ground
Allied ground losses:
4 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Airbase hits 18
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 33
Aircraft Attacking:
18 x Ki-49-IIb Helen bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Rabaul , at 106,125
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 79 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 27 minutes
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft
PV-1 Ventura x 18
Mitchell II x 16
B-17E Fortress x 22
B-24D Liberator x 3
B-24D1 Liberator x 73
B-24J Liberator x 89
B-25C Mitchell x 45
B-25D1 Mitchell x 117
B-25G Mitchell x 18
B-25H Mitchell x 14
PB4Y-1 Liberator x 29
Japanese aircraft losses
E13A1 Jake: 1 destroyed on ground
Allied aircraft losses
PV-1 Ventura: 1 damaged
B-24J Liberator: 5 damaged
PB4Y-1 Liberator: 1 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
56 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Airbase hits 109
Airbase supply hits 7
Runway hits 254 This closed both fields and service at 100, but the base still has 200 engineers and 50k supply. It'll be open in 5-7 days again.
Aircraft Attacking:
8 x PB4Y-1 Liberator bombing from 12000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Finschhafen , at 100,126
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 33
N1K2-J George x 22
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 11 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 6 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
BB Prince of Wales, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
Allied ground losses:
5 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
30 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 6000 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Finschhafen at 100,126
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 4,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Japanese aircraft
P1Y1 Frances x 32
Japanese aircraft losses
P1Y1 Frances: 8 damaged
P1Y1 Frances: 4 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
APA Wharton
xAP Santa Barbara, Torpedo hits 2
CL Helena
xAP Santa Maria
CL Honolulu
xAP Santa Paula
Aircraft Attacking:
27 x P1Y1 Frances launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
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Reinforcements:
[font="Trebuchet MS"]SC Ch 53 arrives at Osaka/Kyoto
LST T-111 arrives at Shimonoseki
MTB G-554 arrives at Shimonoseki[/font]
Losses: none
Ships Sunk:
[font="Trebuchet MS"]Previous report of sinking of SS Drum incorrect. Intelligence reports ship is still in service[/font]
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[font="Trebuchet MS"]The IJN 2E bombers show their worth, as range still has it's advantages. [/font]
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"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill