[font="Times New Roman"]March 20, 1942[/font]
At Palembang the bombers of all types continue the barrage. A surprise element arrived as well, with the Tainan group supplying LR CAP over an IJN TF that arrived at Palembang. I wonder if they were after the supply TF that moved through and should just be arriving at Singers? Whatever the reason, our SBDs flew with decent escort and got through the CAP for diving sessions in both the morning and afternoon phases, but couldn't land a hit. Damn.
Lost about 5-7 SBDs, plus a number of escorts, but all of the Palembang bombing runs came in just fine and this also served as great intel on ships here. I can send out much stronger TFs tomorrow if I have a look around and think nothing else is on the way once I can see the turn file. I've got decent search going now and a lot of subs in the approaches.
At Palembang there were some more sunk confirmations, including another DD down, which is great. I'll tabulate the losses after these posts. I can't tell if we're completely closing the fields, but it's dicey for him to put any more panes here in case we do get a decent strike one day. I think over the course of the two phases we got about 20 hits on the airfields and a good number on the ports as well. Engineers were hit hard by the naval bombardments and should be both low in numbers and morale right now.
Four hits were recorded not eh Djambi oil as well, and tomorrow more planes will strike there to try and knock it out in 3-4 days. I need the brigade moving there to take it quickly and move back to Palembang.
Liberators struck at Pnotiniak, but couldn't hit anything in port, if in fact the Myoko is still there. There was a decent CAP up too, so I may have to wait on that ship. The oil is more important right now.
There was another ops report that another Japanese DD sank this past turn, but I can't find where it was hit. Maybe it was damaged previously and he tried to move it out of Palembang?
[font="Trebuchet MS"]DD Umikaze is reported to have been sunk near Palembang on Mar 20, 1942[/font]
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR March 20, 42, 42
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ASW attack near Palembang at 49,90
Japanese Ships
DD Wakaba
DD Hatsushima
Allied Ships
SS S-34,
hits 4
SS S-34 is sighted by escort
DD Wakaba fails to find sub and abandons search
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ASW attack near Muntok at 50,89
Japanese Ships
DD Shigure
Allied Ships
SS O21
SS O21 launches 4 torpedoes at DD Shigure
DD Shigure fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Palembang at 48,91
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 2
P-40E Warhawk x 7
F4F-3 Wildcat x 18
SBD-3 Dauntless x 13
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed
F4F-3 Wildcat: 2 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
CL Yura
CA Kinugasa
Aircraft Attacking:
2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
7 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
CAP engaged:
Tainan Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (9 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
9 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 15000.
Raid is overhead
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Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 2
Allied aircraft
DB-7B x 5
B-26 Marauder x 26
P-40E Warhawk x 10
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
Ki-27b Nate: 1 destroyed on ground
Allied aircraft losses
B-26 Marauder: 3 damaged
Japanese Ships
PB Toko Maru #4, Bomb hits 1
xAK Yahiko Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
xAK Kinkasan Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 3
Aircraft Attacking:
5 x DB-7B bombing from 10000 feet *
Port Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Allied aircraft
139WH-3 x 5
Hurricane IIb Trop x 2
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
xAK Hawaii Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
Port hits 1
Aircraft Attacking:
5 x 139WH-3 bombing from 10000 feet *
Port Attack: 2 x 300 kg GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Djambi , at 48,88
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 11 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Allied aircraft
Hudson I x 5
Vincent I x 6
No Allied losses
Oil hits 2
Aircraft Attacking:
6 x Vincent I bombing from 10000 feet
City 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 18 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 2
B-26 Marauder x 13
P-39D Airacobra x 12
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-27b Nate: 1 destroyed on ground
Allied aircraft losses
B-26 Marauder: 1 damaged
Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply 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 18 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 2
A-24 Banshee x 13
P-40E Warhawk x 3
Allied aircraft losses
A-24 Banshee: 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
xAK Holland Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Shinko Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
Port fuel hits 1
Aircraft Attacking:
13 x A-24 Banshee bombing from 9000 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 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 2
B-17E Fortress x 8
P-40E Warhawk x 9
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 5 damaged
Japanese Ships
AKE Kashino, Bomb hits 1
xAK Shirogane Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Hakonesan Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Umikaze, and is sunk
Port hits 2
Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 8000 feet
Port Attack: 8 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 9 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes
Allied aircraft
A-24 Banshee x 12
Allied aircraft losses
A-24 Banshee: 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
PB Edo Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
Aircraft Attacking:
12 x A-24 Banshee bombing from 9000 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 9 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes
Allied aircraft
B-26 Marauder x 10
P-40E Warhawk x 3
Allied aircraft losses
B-26 Marauder: 2 damaged
Japanese Ships
xAK Yamagata Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Yamadori Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Yahiko Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
Port hits 1
Aircraft Attacking:
10 x B-26 Marauder bombing from 10000 feet *
Port Attack: 3 x 500 lb GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Djambi , at 48,88
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Allied aircraft
B-17D Fortress x 4
Allied aircraft losses
B-17D Fortress: 4 damaged
Oil hits 2
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B-17D Fortress bombing from 8000 feet
City Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Pontianak , at 56,90
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid spotted at 2 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 0 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8
Ki-27b Nate x 3
Allied aircraft
LB-30 Liberator x 6
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
LB-30 Liberator: 4 damaged
Port fuel hits 1
Port supply hits 1
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 Palembang , at 48,91
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 9
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 5 damaged
Japanese Ships
xAK Yamadori Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
PB Toko Maru #4, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Hakubasan Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
xAK Yamagata Maru, and is sunk
Aircraft Attacking:
6 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 8000 feet
Port Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Palembang at 48,91
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 7
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 2
SBD-3 Dauntless x 10
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 3 destroyed
Japanese Ships
CL Yura
CA Kinugasa
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Palembang at 49,90
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 14
SBD-3 Dauntless x 2
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
CL Oi
Aircraft Attacking:
2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Palembang at 48,91
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid spotted at 11 NM, estimated altitude 4,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3
Allied aircraft
Do-24K-1 x 3
P-40E Warhawk x 4
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Do-24K-1: 1 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed
Japanese Ships
DD Hatsuharu
Aircraft Attacking:
2 x Do-24K-1 bombing from 1000 feet
Naval Attack: 4 x 300 kg SAP Bomb
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"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
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