At dawn we slept...in the cab on the way back from Olongapo

[Cap Mandrake]

**************Bar at the Royal Hawaiian************

FAM: <sets down a report> Bartender, double please.

Barkeep: Of what?

FAM: Doesn't matter.

Foreign looking man in Hawaiian shirt..same one he had on yesterday: What-ah wrong, my friend?

FAM: Well, I shouldn't talk..but...you guys are from LA....we lost Enterprise.

2nd foreign looking man in Hawaiian shirt..same one he had on yesterday too: BANZAI! <is elbowed heaviry by othah ferrow>

[Cap Mandrake]

**********December 27, 1941(e)************

Improbably, no, almost miraculously, Lexington escapes any damage on the 27th...at least according to the
combat text file...but not the combat replay.

Not sure how we repeat that tomorrow.

[Chijohnaok2]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

**************Bar at the Royal Hawaiian************

FAM: <sets down a report> Bartender, double please.

Barkeep: Of what?

FAM: Doesn't matter.

Foreign looking man in Hawaiian shirt..same one he had on yesterday: What-ah wrong, my friend?

FAM: Well, I shouldn't talk..but...you guys are from LA....we lost Enterprise.

2nd foreign looking man in Hawaiian shirt..same one he had on yesterday too: BANZAI! <is elbowed heaviry by othah ferrow>

Kirk is not going to be happy.

[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: chijohnaok

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

**************Bar at the Royal Hawaiian************

FAM: <sets down a report> Bartender, double please.

Barkeep: Of what?

FAM: Doesn't matter.

Foreign looking man in Hawaiian shirt..same one he had on yesterday: What-ah wrong, my friend?

FAM: Well, I shouldn't talk..but...you guys are from LA....we lost Enterprise.

2nd foreign looking man in Hawaiian shirt..same one he had on yesterday too: BANZAI! <is elbowed heaviry by othah ferrow>

Kirk is not going to be happy.

He shouldnt complain. How many of those ships did he total?? I remember him sending one crashing through the atmosphere of a new planet. What do you think the deductible is on one of those??

[Cap Mandrake]

The thrust vector for Kirk's Enterprise is quite obviously not on axis with the center of mass. Every time you step on the gas the thing would pinwheel like Hell throwing the crew in their sissy uniforms into bulkheads and ceilings. If you were unlucky enough to be in the crapper at the time they would have to write a letter home to your family.

[Cap Mandrake]

The plan: Lexington task force relabeled as "Escort" to try to trick the target planning guy with the KB. LRCAP from PM. Few dive bomber remnants at PM have their range chopped down so they might get lucky on a SCTF. No CAP over PM to soak off some bombers toward the AK's there. Cripples from the previous day's battle pretty much on their own.

[Cap Mandrake]

JJ, recognizing we might block the exits to the Bismarck, has SCTF out ahead. Either that or they got lucky. We do not get free shots at their carriers.
Indianapolis and her sister ship are set on high threat tolerance because the mission is important.
Indianapolis holds her own agains Hiei

Night Time Surface Combat, near Umboi Island at 100,125, Range 10,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Hiei, Shell hits 2
CL Jintsu, Shell hits 1
CL Natori
DD Kasumi
DD Fubuki
DD Shirayuki

Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis, Shell hits 2
DD Craven

[Cap Mandrake]

HMAS Wollongong is sent West from Rabaul to cause trouble. They succeed in using up a few rounds of BB ammo. Fortunately, there are no real people aboard or I might have more trouble sleeping.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Cape Gloucester at 101,124, Range 16,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Ise
BB Hyuga
DD Umikaze
DD Suzukaze

Allied Ships
AM Wollongong, Shell hits 4, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

Now it is time for Houston guarding the Western patrol box. JJ has BB's "arr ovah prace"

Houston pays the ultimate price but does manage to set both BB's alight and Flusser sinks Hatsukaze. This is a prolonged gunfight. Most likely the BB magazines are low and they will be out of the fight tomorrow.


Day Time Surface Combat, near Cape Gloucester at 101,124, Range 23,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
SOC-1 Seagull: 3 destroyed

Japanese Ships
BB Nagato, Shell hits 4
BB Mutsu, Shell hits 2
DD Hatsukaze, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Arare

Allied Ships
CA Houston, Shell hits 22, and is sunk
DD Flusser, Shell hits 2, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

An IJN cruiser force nearly catches Lexington but runs into retreating Indianapolis.

We lose this battle but probably another surface group out of the fight for tomorrow.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Oro Bay at 101,130, Range 20,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Tone
CA Atago, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Hamakaze, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Tanikaze
DD Oshio
DD Arashio

Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Craven, Shell hits 2

[Cap Mandrake]

The route chosen for cripple Astoria wasn't "good enough". She is already a Roman candle with 70% fire level. No DD escort. DD's are for the living.

Submarine attack near Goodenough Island at 102,130

Japanese Ships
SS RO-34

Allied Ships
CA Astoria, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage

[Cap Mandrake]

A small SBD raid from PM goes after the cruisers. They have LRCAP from somewhere.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Oro Bay at 101,130

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8

Allied aircraft
SBD-2 Dauntless x 3

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-2 Dauntless: 2 destroyed

And a few more.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Oro Bay at 101,130

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8

Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 2

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed

Go Boeing!....ahhh..close

Morning Air attack on TF, near Oro Bay at 101,130

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 6

Allied aircraft
B-17D Fortress x 2

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-17D Fortress: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Hamakaze, on fire

Aircraft Attacking:
2 x B-17D Fortress bombing from 6000 feet *
Naval Attack: 4 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

[Cap Mandrake]

I think Lexington is in a rain squall. God is on our side. Japan-mens itchy to "brow something up"


Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 98,130

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 22 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 28
B5N1 Kate x 10

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N1 Kate: 2 damaged

Allied Ships
xAK Age, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Skagerak, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

Poor Gridley. Another Roman candle from the previous day.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Buna at 100,129

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
B5N1 Kate x 2

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
DD Gridley, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

Another strike group finds poor Indianapolis in and out of the rain squalls and pulverizes her. Lexington is nearby.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Oro Bay at 100,131

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 6 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 1 minutes

Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 13
D3A1 Val x 9

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 11

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 1 damaged

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
DD Craven, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Indianapolis, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage

[Cap Mandrake]

Astoria's misery is not over.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Kiriwina Island at 103,131

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 10 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11
B5N2 Kate x 9

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 4

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
CA Astoria, Bomb hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 5000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb

[Cap Mandrake]

Ellet, another cripple. [:(]

Morning Air attack on TF, near Lae at 99,126

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10
D3A1 Val x 22

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 3 damaged

Allied Ships
DD Ellet, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage

[Cap Mandrake]

JJ has to be getting a bit frustrated at this point.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 98,130

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 38 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
B5N2 Kate x 13
D3A1 Val x 13

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
xAK Johanne Justesen, Bomb hits 7, and is sunk
xAK Anshun, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

Snicker

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 98,130

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 31
D3A1 Val x 15

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 1 damaged

Allied Ships
xAK Herstein, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Cycle, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
AM Townsville, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk

[jwolf]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 13
D3A1 Val x 9

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 11

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 1 damaged

Your CAP did nothing? What was wrong? [&:]