Combat Report
February 16, 1942
The dice land on the table with a LOUD thunk!
Geraldton
The Japanese Invasion Force is not spotted until it begins unloading its troops at the earliest possible phase of the 16th's turn. The 3 embedded CAs POUND the Aussie resistance and cause 803 initial casualties. Looks like the CD unit and a Base Force present. Two complete Inf Div, a Para unit, and 9 other units storm ashore. We'll take the base tomorrow...
Pull the Invasion Force out of aircraft strike range. They will respond but the question with how much? I get all the troops ashore on the 16th and still have 60,000+ supply on board. I want ALL of those supplies safely unloaded!
Esperance
This TF poses the true treat to the Allied position. It is not spotted this day. We are D-2 from landing.
Air Bridge
Three Base Forces sit in Denpasar with 54 Zero and 81 Transport planes ready to hop to Broome. At Broome is the 11th Air Fleet (currently unloading) and--finally--we have the Air Division and 3 Base Forces waiting to takeover the Airfield.
At Sea (near Perth)
A STF of CL Minase and 4 DD tangle with 3 Dutch DDs. Witte de With is sunk and Piet Hein/Kortenaer are probably sunk in the action.
CARDIV2 announces its presence by launching a small strike of 21 Zero and 10 Val hitting two AKs moving away from Perth. I don't have to protect the Geraldton Invasion Force right now so CARDIV2 makes a solid move to stay within strike range of the fleeing Allied ships.
Looking pretty darned good at this point. Screenshot:
