5 Dec 42
Small Allied minesweepers go to work around Darwin. 2 task forces moved around to the western approaches to Darwin to avoid mines. They'll move into Darwin tonight, hoping that all the mines are cleared. Can't linger out there with no air protection at Darwin yet. Darwin's airfield is too damaged.
P-40Es and P-38Gs sweep Lae from Port Moresby. The Warhawks went in first, which wasn't good for them. 10 were lost with just a couple of A6M3s Zeros downed. The P-38s did very well though. Total losses were 20 A6M3s for 10 P-40Es and 1 P-38G. The P-38s will go again today. A cruiser and destroyer task force appeared at Lae, probably unloading troops. Unfortunate that I didn't have the divebombers at Port Moresby ready to go. I didn't see the ships coming.
The usual bombing in China from the Japanese. I had an artillery unit disperse due to no supply in a contested hex. Don't remember seeing a unit disperse without any recent combat.
Enemy bombers hit Cox's Bazar.
US bombers hit Japanese troops south of Darwin, but did very poorly in heavy rain. Hoping for better weather.
51 Bettys with 31 Zeros hit Milne Bay, doing moderate damage to the airfield and port. No CAP there presently. Fragments of units at Milne Bay are now leaving on ships from Port Moresby. I'll put fighters at Milne Bay tomorrow for when the ships arrive.
US troops attack at Buna.
Ground combat at Buna (99,129)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 11940 troops, 197 guns, 125 vehicles, Assault Value = 327
Defending force 11240 troops, 105 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 237
Allied adjusted assault: 498
Japanese adjusted defense: 259
Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 2)
Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 1
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
242 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 21 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 14 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Allied ground losses:
633 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 49 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 9 disabled
Assaulting units:
41st Infantry Division
I US Corps
Defending units:
90th Infantry Regiment
4th Division
III/84th Naval Guard Unit
8th JNAF AF Unit
41st Field AA Battalion
13th Naval Construction Battalion
15th Naval Construction Battalion
14th Naval Construction Battalion
39th Field AA Battalion
3rd Base Force
85th Naval Guard Unit
40th JNAF AF Unit
Not good enough to continue. The troops will wait for reinforcements. I'd be happy if the enemy continues to reinforce this part of New Guinea. I think that is happening at Lae. I'm not planning a big offensive here, just a continued war of attrition and attention grabbing.
The enemy flew recon over Nauru. This is a new development.
Here's a graphic of my pilots in the P-38G squadron at Port Moresby. These pilots are the best of what I have. In P-38s, I highly value the defensive skill. P-38 reinforcements are slow. There just aren't many of them coming, so I don't want to lose them. They seem to do excellent work sweeping in the hands of elite pilots.
" - BBfanboy
