Sallys and Helens bomb the circled group, recon by bombing, and it is stacked with AA shooting down or later write offs of a half dozen bombers.
Really looking scary all over.[X(] Shot down a half dozen transports...Allies are sucking wind for supply. I suspect he will sweep today...which probably will go badly for my lrcap.
I think the Allies might have an invasion force headed to Pearl...not much there but supply any more. 9th Division arrives in a few days...but it is at 20% TOE.
KB is massed near Taberfane and will pretty much stay there. Hiryu and Soryu finish their radar, just awaiting the Katsuragi and then they will join the KB.
No sub sinkings in two days...I temporarily switched over two Sally squadrons to sub hunting. The Army is screaming for them back, so no more than a few days coverage as the Navy finishes sorting out their escorts.
River crossing in China south of Chihikiang, and then those divisions will move on the rest of the Changsha Production Triangle. Still can't take Urumchi.
Fighters down almost a dozen transport planes over Burma.
Buin is attacked by the Australians, and we hold with a 1-1. Forts dropped to 0. Trying to rush in the 144th Rgt today...also putting down 80 sub mines.
2nd Division respawns, but I can't buy it out since all the points go to purchasing a Tank Division on the Paoshan to Lashio road. Need those tanks in Burma.
No sub strikes on Japan's merchants, and we escorts put 5 hits on the Growler near Singers -- a couple of direct hits.
Japanese troops moving in open north of Shwebo...will Allies bomb?
As far as sweepers go, I have the Frank A (2 sqdrns); Tojo IIa, IIb and IIc; Oscar IIIA, Nick A or C, A6M5 or 5b as the 5C is being prioritized onto the carriers. Oh, the Ki61a too (only two squadrons).
No Jack or George till fourth quarter (but only 1 squadron of each I remember correctly) but by then I will most likely have the Frank R and the A6M8.
No, as far as sweepers go, you have Frank A (2 squadrons). The rest are not sweepers.
An APD task force tries to get elements of the 144th Rgt into Buin, but they are cursed from the get go. Two sub encounters, then they blunder into a minefield above Buin and then at Buin run into a Brooklyn/DD task forces which sees the hapless APD that hit a mine sunk with several infantryman going down with her. They retreat and blunder into another sub scoring a few hits.
Meanwhile the Brooklyns and Fletchers bombard buin for scant damage, but the tired troopers can't stand up to a full division anymore and are forced to retreat back to the north. Buin falls.
80 Sub laid mines fail to get a hit at Buin on the Allied task forces present.
Over in Burma, the IJA holds easily despite a bombing by 4E beasties. Another 8-10 transports are shot down by various LRCAP. Allies do sweep, but pick the wrong bases to sweep with Corsairs (Marines).
Despite a very heavy ASW aerial patrol, a lark AKE eats a torpedo just outside of Truk, while another tanker goes down this time near Java despite having a very strong ASW escort presence.
Raid detected at 110 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 41 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 27
A6M5c Zero x 99
B5N2 Kate x 40
B6N1 Jill x 17
B6N2 Jill x 61
D3A2 Val x 27
D4Y1 Judy x 165
Japanese aircraft losses
D3A2 Val: 2 damaged
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
D4Y1 Judy: 2 damaged
D4Y1 Judy: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
CL Boise
xAK Alaskan, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Trento, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Moonta, Bomb hits 9, and is sunk
xAK Elisavet, Bomb hits 6, and is sunk
xAK Chickasaw City, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Canadian, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Lancaster, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Charles H Cramp, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
CL St. Louis, Bomb hits 2
xAKL Noora, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Challenger, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
xAK Sagadahoc, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Ensley City, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
xAKL Oorama, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Santa Teresa, Bomb hits 7, and is sunk
DD Smith
xAKL Mulcra, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk
xAKL Minnipa, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
CL Helena, Bomb hits 2
PC Wilcannia, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
PC Zeeman, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
DD Preston, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Perkins
Aircraft Attacking:
10 x D3A2 Val releasing from 1000' *
Naval Attack: 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
2 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg GP Bomb
18 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
6 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
18 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 15000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
3 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
13 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
22 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
12 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
14 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
10 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg GP Bomb
12 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
14 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
17 x B6N1 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
17 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
9 x D3A2 Val releasing from 3000' *
Naval Attack: 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
12 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg GP Bomb
6 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
15 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
10 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
6 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
7 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
3 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg GP Bomb
6 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
7 x D3A2 Val releasing from 2000' *
Naval Attack: 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
12 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg GP Bomb
11 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg GP Bomb
4 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 10000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg GP Bomb
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Moonta
Challenger dead in the water ...
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Charles H Cramp
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAKL Mulcra
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Alaskan
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Chickasaw City
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Sagadahoc
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Lancaster
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAKL Noora
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Ensley City
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring PC Zeeman
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Santa Teresa
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAKL Minnipa
Nice KB strike. He'll feel lucky those CLs didn't go down, but anytime you get troops on ships it's a good day for Japan. [:)]
Hopefully, it will slow him down some. Feels good to actually get a decent strike in.[:)]
I am so glad he is going after Pearl. Way too many supplies still there, but at least 0 fuel. Supply I can make back in 20 days by being frugal; if I lost the oil and fuel this early in the DEI it would be a disaster.
Japan is really weak as a kitten with all the ground losses from California, but two months or so will see her fairly strong with another division bought out from China plus all the returning divisions.
With the sound of bugles, the Chinese attack seeking retribution for Japan taking over their country, only to be gunned down by the veteran Japanese units dug in...but the battle shows weakness. Supply not flowing well to the troops, and more antitank units needed here.
The only reason I can think of why the Allies would attack with splinters is that some have upgraded their equipment and others haven't.
I set up a CAP Trap, but no bites. Then I promptly forgot to change it, so it is still up now. Allied fleet has 0 dl on an E at Pearl, but 10/10 dl on a PB at Kona. I did down a few search planes over Kona.
All other shipping looks to have fled Pearl without problem taking some fragments along.
I thought about using midgets etc., but don't think this is the place for them.
Jocke is real enthused, the Allied juggernaut is moving and he is excited which is always good to see in an enemy. Alice Springs is overbuilt today, but work hasn't started on Tenant Creek. I will probably abandon Darwin.
