May 4, 1942
"Scratch One Flattop!
A wild day at sea. No activity ashore at all.
1) In the Bay of Bengal RN command yesterday, with a solid fix on a carrier TF of changing composition, ordered the three RN carriers, very low on fuel, to head NE on a course calculated to cross the enemy if they struck Akyab/Chittagong, and retreated on a course to stay outside TB range from Pt. Blair. Both Beests and Fish live there with a torpedo HQ and Japan has seen TBs in ground AF strikes. A small surface TF is ordered to meet and merge with the carriers to up the AA and provide some fuel sharing. Of import, the RN steers the TF across a chord of the LRCAP circle for drop-tanked Hurricanes at Pt. Blair. The enemy has read as all CVEs, CVEs plus CVL, and now CV, CVL, and CVE, plus at least one BB and two CAs. Vals and Kates both have been seen. And whatever it is it has more fighters than the RN motley crew of pick-up CVs, which includes HMS Hermes, hardly a carrier at all.
The course is perfect, as shown by the screen shot in the post above. Looks good, accomplishes nothing. The TFs disengage at 25,000 yards and avoid conflict. But the IJN reacts away in exactly the wrong direction, right into Pt. Blair TB range with the RN at three hexes to the NW. A perfect hammer and anvil, completely by accident.
The Japanese react more quickly and get off the first stirke. It is weak. That is good. The FAA fighter jocks are gooder.
Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Blair at 43,52
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 95 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 35 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18
B5N2 Kate x 4
D3A1 Val x 3
Allied aircraft
Sea Hurricane Ib x 7
Martlet II x 17
Hurricane IIb Trop x 1 (Pt. Blair's contribution)
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged
D3A1 Val: 2 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Martlet II: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
CV Formidable
Aircraft Attacking:
1 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
The Royal Navy responds, and cuts deep:
Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Blair at 43,55
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 36 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
(CAP weak)
Allied aircraft
Albacore I x 20
(tight, coordinated strike)
Fulmar II x 9
Sea Hurricane Ib x 8
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Albacore I: 5 damaged
Albacore I: 1 destroyed by flak
Fulmar II: 2 damaged
Fulmar II: 1 destroyed by flak
Japanese Ships
CA Kumano
CVE Unyo, Torpedo hits 5, and is sunk
CA Mikuma, Torpedo hits 1
CVL Zuiho
CV Junyo
BB Nagato
Aircraft Attacking:
8 x Fulmar II bombing from 15000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 lb SAP Bomb
3 x Albacore I launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Mk XII Torpedo
6 x Albacore I launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Mk XII Torpedo
9 x Albacore I launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Mk XII Torpedo
CAP engaged:
Zuiho-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 2 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(1 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 7 minutes
Unyo-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(1 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
Junyo-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 3 on standby, 1 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 10000 and 16000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 26 minutes
1 planes vectored on to bombers
Ammo storage explosion on CVE Unyo
In the afternoon phase the Japanese do it again:
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Port Blair at 43,52
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 45 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 14
B5N2 Kate x 10
D3A1 Val x 2
Allied aircraft
Sea Hurricane Ib x 6
Martlet II x 5
(11 on 14, but the long warning time lets the FAA figthers burn through at long range and get at the spear-chuckers. The Kates are heavily disrupted.)
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 3 destroyed, 1 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
Sea Hurricane Ib: 1 destroyed
Martlet II: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
CV Formidable, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CVL Hermes
CV Indomitable
HMS Formidible gets a fuel explosion text, but no counter-flooding. Her three squadrons divert to Pt. Blair. This is good and bad. Good in that the base has torpedoes and should get a kick at the Japanese on the retreat if detection is maintained. Bad in that the Pt. Blair CAP can't protect them on the ground. May have to shutle them through Burma to Calcutta or something. But for tomorrow they eat at Pt. Blair.
The Royal Navy rebuts and brings the day to a close in the Bay:
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Port Blair at 43,55
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid detected at 34 NM, estimated altitude 21,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 7
Allied aircraft
Albacore I x 17
(another tight, cohesive stirke between aircraft with big speed differences. Well done!)
Fulmar II x 6
Sea Hurricane Ib x 7
Martlet II x 6
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Albacore I: 1 destroyed, 6 damaged
Albacore I: 1 destroyed by flak
Fulmar II: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
CVL Zuiho
BB Nagato, Torpedo hits 1 (belt penetration noted)
CA Mikuma
CV Junyo
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The Beests and Fish at Pt. Blair both strike with 4 each planes. They achieve no hits. One of each is lost.
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The retreat will be critical. The RN carriers might be in range in the morning, and Pt. Blair almost certainly will be if there is search detection enough. Force Z is coming north, but is still far to the west of Sabang. Given the ferocity of the Sabang bombing today I think a landing there is sooner than later, so I will try to hold Z in my pocket. There are still five subs betwen this IJN TF and Singers if they try the Strait, and Nagato should be moving slower than Mission speed. Tomorrow could be interesting, or a bust. It's faintly possible the Japanese will pursue toward Colombo, figuring the Kates' range is a deal-breaker. But the Albacore is almost as good, and the Vals aren't so important with armored flight decks. So . . . we shall see.
2)
The air war.
--Cat & mousing, Batavia is night bombed again, but this time there is a small Cobra CAP. 3 Bettys damaged, no Allied. No AF damage. There are no industry attacks, even though I invited Mike to do some. [:)]
-- Palembang is mega-swept, but there is no CAP. It is then bombed, but it has built forts every day for several weeks. Sabang fort-building is being restrained, but Palembang has a pant-load of engineers, and more are on the way from CONUS. I want huge Forts here.
-- Pt. Blair is swept and attacked from the mainland. A few Zeros are lost, and I assume their pilots as well.
-- Prome is Oscar-swept for no real effect. An Oscar is downed. A LOT of A/V is headed for Prome and Bassein, but if Japan wants to play in the air box I'm OK with that. To all JFBs reading this: air attacks are NOT a panacea. Sometimes to attack LCUs you need . . . LCUs!
-- As above, Sabang is cratered. Sweeps (no CAP, just an AA unit shipped in last January.) About 65 heavy bombers. Some Ground attacks as well. Did I mention I think a landing is coming?
-- At Chiang Mai the two Chinese corps are hit by Nells again for light losses. I change my mind on a forced cross-river assault. The base now shows 5 LCUs all of a sudden and two under-supplied corps are not decisive. I want to maintain this force-in-being deep in the guts of Burma, so I order the LCUs to march on Uttadett (sp?) and the dot base just before it. If I can suck some tanks down here to attack these guys I'd be happy. Otherwise I'm going to find a railroad to sit on.
3) Of interest, in the mountians next to the Big Stack three LCUs have left Tsuyung and positioned themselves on the the yellow road heading toward Paoshan. I think this is an attempt to stop supplies. I hit the '5' key and it looks like supply should still flow from Mikyunma (sp?) but we shall see. I can do a couple of things here if supply becomes critical. Right now the Big Stack is 80% of green supply, so I have time. I'm not going to jump every time Japan moves. Tsuyung still shows as 24 LCUs in the hex. Plus three on the road and it's still a stalemate with time passing.
4) Operaiton SWEET POLLY continues. The carriers are away and the minesweepers launch at Cruise to let the carriers get farther ahead. The bombardment group goes tomorrow and the landing forces the day after that. Everything is loaded at Pearl. Searchers saw a five-ship something headed east fo Palmyra. Could be a FOW sub, or it could be the carrier TF previously seen. Could be the KB. Fun times. [8D]
