[font="Times New Roman"]17 October, 1943[/font]
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SUBS: [/font] The Apogon takes 4 hits near Miri. Our subs do nothing again, but we lose one midget at Marcus.
The midget driver gets a good report out on the Allied TFs before going down with the boat, and damn Allied damage control anyway! Lots still left afloat here from the strike, but some show heavy damage so may not be long for this world if they attempt an escape. I've also set up a surprise for the next turn.
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BURMA: [/font] Ramree is bombed, putting a bunch of hits on the base in spite of thunderstorms. No other developments here. usually he has a flurry of action in the air, then nothing for weeks.
This is one of the nothing periods when the pools are replenishing and 4Es getting patched I think. We're managing to do some upgrades though, so no worries. The CAP will be even tougher when he comes back as Tojos convert to the IIc model and a full Jack group is filled out. Oscars will upgrade to the much improved IIIa model soon, and Franks are right around the corner. [:)]
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CENT PAC: [/font] The Allies try a strike against the troops at Marcus again and continue to land (and shock) which destroys another 143 Allied devices. I think I know what he's doing here now. He's most like trying to reduce troop numbers without pulling the units, just killing off the wounded, basically, while letting the more capable troops rest and prepare for a later attack. Although the attacking numbers show only 3,553 troops, the total number in the Japanese bombardment is 10,687. It's not many now though after landing 22k earlier.
This still seems like it won't work well, but I could be wrong. It'll be hard to get troops to recover here, still overstacked. His AV before the adjustment is still going down, not up, every turn.
I don't like that there are still so many ships here floating that we hit, and that my subs are doing nothing about it. I've got 6 midgets and four subs in the hex now, but tomorrow another surprise will show itself, hopefully. Stay tuned.
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SW PAC: [/font] Sweeps go over Saidor perfectly, drawing up the LR CAP and knocking them down with no radar to guide them together to the attackers. Then after the Corsairs are cleared Helens do some damage again on the base, getting a very welcome 25 airbase supply hits! [X(]
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR October 17, 42
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ASW attack near Marcus Island at 123,85
Japanese Ships
SSX Ha-30, hits 11, heavy damage
Allied Ships
CL Concord
CL Detroit
CL Raleigh
SC-632
SC-519
AM Whippoorwill
AM Robin
AM Penguin
APA Callaway
APA Arthur Middleton
APA President Adams
APA President Jackson
APA Barnett
APA Henry T. Allen, heavy damage
APA Harris
APA Wharton
AKA Bellatrix
LCI-335
LCI-333
LCI-75
LCI-63
LCI-21
xAP Santa Elena, heavy damage
xAP Mariposa
DE Wileman
DE LeHardy
DE Gilmore
SSX Ha-30 is sighted by escort
DE Wileman fails to find sub, continues to search...
DE LeHardy fails to find sub, continues to search...
DE Gilmore attacking submerged sub ....
Underwater explosion, debris and oil appear on surface!
Escort abandons search for sub
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Morning Air attack on Saidor , at 99,124
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid spotted at 44 NM, estimated altitude 34,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 40
Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 14
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 2 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1 Corsair: 2 destroyed
Aircraft Attacking:
23 x A6M5 Zero sweeping at 31000 feet
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Morning Air attack on Saidor , at 99,124
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid spotted at 29 NM, estimated altitude 31,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5b Zero x 13
Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 12
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5b Zero: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1 Corsair: 1 destroyed
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Morning Air attack on Lae , at 99,126
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid spotted at 43 NM, estimated altitude 35,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 27
Allied aircraft
Spitfire Vc Trop x 14
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Spitfire Vc Trop: 1 destroyed
Aircraft Attacking:
20 x Ki-44-IIc Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet
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Morning Air attack on Ramree Island , at 54,48
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 27
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 48
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 11 damaged
Allied ground losses:
12 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Airbase hits 15
Airbase supply hits 6
Runway hits 56
Aircraft Attacking:
24 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 8000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
24 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 8000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Saidor , at 99,124
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 25
Ki-49-IIb Helen x 28
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 1 damaged
Airbase hits 17
Airbase supply hits 25
Runway hits 43
Aircraft Attacking:
28 x Ki-49-IIb Helen bombing from 7000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
25 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 7000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
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Afternoon Air attack on 62nd Naval Guard Unit, at 123,85 (Marcus Island)
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Allied aircraft
Sea Hurricane Ib x 8
F6F-3 Hellcat x 219
SB2C-1C Helldiver x 26
SBD-5 Dauntless x 194
TBF-1 Avenger x 240
Allied aircraft losses
SB2C-1C Helldiver: 5 damaged
SBD-5 Dauntless: 8 damaged
TBF-1 Avenger: 2 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
193 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 11 (5 destroyed, 6 disabled)
Aircraft Attacking:
20 x SBD-5 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Ground Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
18 x TBF-1 Avenger bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb
12 x SBD-5 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
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Ground combat at Marcus Island (123,85)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 3553 troops, 141 guns, 99 vehicles, Assault Value = 192
Defending force 4023 troops, 51 guns, 27 vehicles, Assault Value = 117
Allied adjusted assault: 0
Japanese adjusted defense: 49
Allied assault odds: 1 to 99 (fort level 5)
Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), disruption(-), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)
Allied ground losses:
571 casualties reported
Squads: 75 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 18 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 11 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 29 (29 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 16 (13 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Assaulting units:
1st USMC Amphb Tank Battalion
1st Cavalry (Spec) Cavalry Division
25th Infantry Division
143rd USA Base Force
146th USA Base Force
Defending units:
8th Armored Car Co
2nd South Seas Gsn
78th Naval Guard Unit
Sasebo 7th SNLF
62nd Naval Guard Unit
34th Ind. Engineer Regiment
Det. 3rd Special Base Force /1
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[font="Trebuchet MS"]Two very important things are in this air losses report. One, but least important, is that Corsairs can't be Corsairs if they're on the defensive with no radar help and in small numbers. The A6M5 group that won the sweeps today is nothing special, so that bodes well for the future.
The second and most important thing is more subtle. Have a look at the Hellcat losses. This is from a turn where they flew three hexes on an escort mission against NO opposition.[:)]
They are wearing down. If we do have to go toe to toe, those fighters are not going to be in good shape. He needs to pull back and rest, but will he, and do I dare push to a confrontation to put them to the test? 
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"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
