[font="Times New Roman"]March 18, 1942[/font]
In the DEI it's another busy day around Palembang, and a very interesting strike on Kuching.
In the night our DMS take out a few handfuls of mines at Palembang. USN cruisers then run into DD Samidare and put her under mercilessly. I'll have to total the DDs destroyed in the past few weeks. It feels like a lot!
DM Pruitt from this TF then ran into a mine in Palembang and sank immediately.
During the day a lot of strikes hit ships at Palembang, setting fires. Only a few hits on the runways, so I'll have to make sure more planes target the fields tomorrow.
The 4Es hit Kuching and the last few strike packages got through unscathed to drop on ... BB Haruna!! [&o] Only 7 deck armor hits, but fires are started, and really, if system damage goes up from fires it could still be a while to repair a BB. He also has to think about whether to remove the ships there now, making them vulnerable to subs. We also hit and a big AV ,Kamikawa Maru.
Tomorrow I have to put some 4Es on the Djambi oil and she on Palembang fields, so these ships will have to wait.
The Dutch did manage to clear the rail line from Oosthaven to Palembang so we can now send the Indian Division, a USMC tank regiment and another brigade to Praebemolih.
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR March 18, 42, 42
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TF 346 encounters mine field at Palembang (48,91)
Allied Ships
DMS Wasmuth
DMS Chandler
11 mines cleared
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Palembang at 49,90, Range 10,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Samidare, Shell hits 8, and is sunk
Allied Ships
CA Portland
CA Chicago
DD McCall
DM Pruitt
DM Sicard
Reduced sighting due to 0% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions and 0% moonlight: 12,000 yards
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TF 152 encounters mine field at Palembang (48,91)
Allied Ships
DM Pruitt, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
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Night Naval bombardment of Palembang at 48,91
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-27b Nate: 2 damaged
Ki-27b Nate: 1 destroyed on ground
A6M2 Zero: 9 damaged
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed on ground
Japanese Ships
xAK Kaiko Maru,
Shell hits 1
CL Natori, Shell hits 2, heavy damage
xAK Eihuku Maru,
Shell hits 1
xAK Yahiko Maru,
Shell hits 1, on fire
xAK Natisan Maru,
Shell hits 1
xAK Yamagata Maru,
Shell hits 1
DD Fuyo,
Shell hits 1, heavy damage
Allied Ships
CA Chicago
CA Portland
Japanese ground losses:
199 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 17 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Vehicles lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 5
Port hits 2
SOC-1 Seagull acting as spotter for CA Chicago
CA Chicago firing at Palembang
CA Portland firing at Yokosuka 4th SNLF
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Night Naval bombardment of Singapore at 50,84
Allied Ships
BB Resolution
BB Ramillies
BB Royal Sovereign
BB Revenge
Japanese ground losses:
340 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 20 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 24 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Walrus II acting as spotter for BB Resolution
BB Resolution firing at 5th Division
BB Ramillies firing at 18th Division
BB Royal Sovereign firing at 18th Division
BB Revenge firing at 18th Division
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Night Naval bombardment of Singkawang at 56,88
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 13 damaged
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-30 Ann: 9 damaged
Ki-30 Ann: 1 destroyed on ground
Allied Ships
CL Capetown
CL Ceres
CL Dauntless
CL Emerald
Japanese ground losses:
16 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Airbase hits 3
Runway hits 27
CL Capetown firing at Singkawang
CL Ceres firing at Singkawang
CL Dauntless firing at Singkawang
Walrus II acting as spotter for CL Emerald
CL Emerald firing at Singkawang
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Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Allied aircraft
139WH-3 x 4
Hudson I x 11
B-26 Marauder x 5
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
xAK Kaiko Maru,
Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Daigen Maru,
Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x 139WH-3 bombing from 10000 feet *
Port Attack: 2 x 300 kg GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 2
Vincent I x 19
P-39D Airacobra x 11
P-40E Warhawk x 9
F4F-3 Wildcat x 9
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
xAK Kozan Maru,
Bomb hits 1, on fire
Port hits 1
Aircraft Attacking:
7 x Vincent I bombing from 10000 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft
B-26 Marauder x 36
P-39D Airacobra x 15
P-40E Warhawk x 9
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
B-26 Marauder: 3 damaged
Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 6
Aircraft Attacking:
7 x B-26 Marauder bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 1 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 0 minutes
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 2
A-24 Banshee x 10
P-40E Warhawk x 9
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
xAK Brisbane Maru,
Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
Port hits 2
Aircraft Attacking:
10 x A-24 Banshee bombing from 9000 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Kuching , at 58,88
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-27b Nate x 4
Allied aircraft
LB-30 Liberator x 6
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-27b Nate: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
LB-30 Liberator: 4 damaged
Japanese Ships
BB Haruna,
Bomb hits 1
CM Aotaka,
Bomb hits 1, on fire
AV Kamikawa Maru,
Bomb hits 1, on fire
Port hits 2
Aircraft Attacking:
6 x LB-30 Liberator bombing from 8000 feet
Port Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Kuching , at 58,88
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 27 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-27b Nate x 1
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 9
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 3 damaged
Japanese Ships
BB Haruna,
Bomb hits 6, on fire
CM Aotaka,
Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
Port hits 5
Port fuel hits 1
Aircraft Attacking:
6 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 8000 feet
Port Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
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Ground combat at 47,94 (near Oosthaven)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 1111 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 27
Defending force 792 troops, 8 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 9
Allied adjusted assault: 46
Japanese adjusted defense: 16
Allied assault odds: 2 to 1
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(+)
Japanese ground losses:
232 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 11 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Units retreated 1
Allied ground losses:
11 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
Padang Cdo
Defending units:
18th JNAF AF Unit
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"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
