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Morning Air attack on TF, near Ailuk at 135,113
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 77 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 41
B6N2 Jill x 49
D4Y4 Judy x 45
Japanese aircraft losses
B6N2 Jill: 17 damaged
B6N2 Jill: 1 destroyed by flak
D4Y4 Judy: 6 damaged
D4Y4 Judy: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
BB West Virginia, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB Massachusetts, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
BB Maryland, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB Colorado, Bomb hits 11, on fire
APA President Adams
APD Manley, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
good weather and also nearly 100 bombers attacking this amphib force hitting those old BBs hard... nearly all 800kg penetrated the BB's armor, some hit a main gun turret or the belt and failed to penetrate... damage done is severe, only Colorado seems to be still seaworthy as she was only hit be several 250kg bombs and the couple of 800kg bombs must have hit non critical areas...
Aircraft Attacking:
13 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
4 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
12 x B6N2 Jill bombing from 3000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
7 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
15 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
6 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
8 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
15 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
8 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
3 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring BB West Virginia
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring BB Maryland
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Ailuk at 139,112
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 99 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 29 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 13
D4Y4 Judy x 15
Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y4 Judy: 2 damaged
D4Y4 Judy: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
BB Washington, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
BB Arizona, Bomb hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
these two BBs were hit yesterday already, I consider them being sunk...
Aircraft Attacking:
11 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
4 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Maloelap at 136,118
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 13
B6N2 Jill x 14
Japanese aircraft losses
B6N2 Jill: 7 damaged
Allied Ships
BB Idaho, Torpedo hits 2
BB Mississippi, Torpedo hits 1
APA Wharton
there are so many high value targets around that the carriers launch several small strikes, this one achieves a nice three hits...
Aircraft Attacking:
10 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
4 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Ailuk at 139,114
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 63 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 20 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 6
B6N2 Jill x 7
Japanese aircraft losses
B6N2 Jill: 2 damaged
Allied Ships
DD Nicholas, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
a previously hit DD is sunk... I'd preferre my bombers wouldn't waste torps on these targets though as long as there are BBs around... as soon as the BBs are sunk I'm fine with the Jills attacking with 2x250kg bombs as they've got quite a nice hit rate usually...
Aircraft Attacking:
7 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Ailinglaplap at 134,117
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 43 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 24
B6N2 Jill x 7
Japanese aircraft losses
B6N2 Jill: 1 damaged
Allied Ships
DD Lansdowne, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
SC PC-1078, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
also that group took damage earlier already...
Aircraft Attacking:
7 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Taongi at 140,110
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid detected at 17 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Japanese aircraft
B6N2 Jill x 9
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
B6N2 Jill: 1 damaged
B6N2 Jill: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 14 destroyed
TBF-1 Avenger: 16 destroyed
Allied Ships
CVE Barnes, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
DD Smith
Barnes survived the attack of the first wave but is sunk now...
Aircraft Attacking:
8 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Ailuk at 135,113
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 14 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Japanese aircraft
D4Y4 Judy x 18
Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y4 Judy: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
APA President Adams
BB Colorado, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires
AKA Fomalhaut, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB West Virginia, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Detroit, Bomb hits 1
more heavy hits on the old BBs... two hits on an AKA but no troops are killed...
Aircraft Attacking:
8 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
4 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
6 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring BB Colorado
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring BB West Virginia
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Ailuk at 135,113
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid detected at 79 NM, estimated altitude 20,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 23 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 24
D4Y4 Judy x 129
Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y4 Judy: 4 damaged
Allied Ships
CL Detroit, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB Massachusetts, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
APA President Hayes, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
AKA Alhena, Bomb hits 1, on fire
LST-450, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB Colorado, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
APD Crane, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Monssen, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
APD Kennison, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CL Raleigh
LST-343, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Buchanan
DD Duncan, Bomb hits 1, on fire
APA McCawley
AKA Fomalhaut, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB West Virginia, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
APD Humphreys, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
APA Cambria, Bomb hits 1
APA Custer, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
APD Manley, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
LST-447, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
APD Colhoun, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
APD Gregory, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AKA Betelgeuse, Bomb hits 1, on fire
APD Schley
AKA Mercury, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
APD Little, Bomb hits 1, on fire
Afternoon now and the carriers start launching their attack waves, a big strike of Judies attacking the amphib group that was unloading at Roi Namur hitting them hard... the escorting BBs are nothing but floating wrecks already and this time the bombers also target the high number of troop transports... weather was bad (again [8|]) so I was surprised to see so many hits on the APDs even though I had preferred seeing more attacks on the APA/AKA... looks like I stand corrected as we haven't killed any troops on these ships so all troops must have come ashore in one phase at Roi Namur, they only seem to miss most of their supplies...
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
8 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
8 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
8 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
11 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
6 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
4 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
10 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
2 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
8 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
3 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
4 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
9 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
6 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
13 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
10 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
6 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
5 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
4 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CL Detroit
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AKA Alhena
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring LST-450
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring APD Crane
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring an Allied CA
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Monssen
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AKA Fomalhaut
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring APD Manley
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring BB West Virginia
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring APD Gregory
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring APD Little
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Maloelap at 141,116
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 12
B6N2 Jill x 65
Japanese aircraft losses
B6N2 Jill: 23 damaged
B6N2 Jill: 2 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
APA Sumter, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
APD Parrott, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CA Louisville, Bomb hits 1
APD Waters
CA New Orleans
xAP Santa Elena
CL Santa Fe
CL Columbia, Bomb hits 1, on fire
APD Litchfield, Bomb hits 1, on fire
APD Gilmer
CA Quincy
LSD Carter Hall, Torpedo hits 1
Allied ground losses:
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 6 (1 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Jills were attacking another amphib group, our carriers already start running out of torps as we also see the Jills dropping bombs in this attack... the combat replay was far from over and we see attack after attack, I hardly could believe my eyes at what damage we have been doing since yesterday... first I started to take notes on hits on main targets but soon totally lost track...
really been unhappy about the hit rate here, the torp runs on the cruisers all failed...
Aircraft Attacking:
13 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
14 x B6N2 Jill bombing from 15000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
11 x B6N2 Jill bombing from 3000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
13 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
6 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
6 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring APD Parrott
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Taongi at 140,110
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 24 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 38
D4Y4 Judy x 50
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y4 Judy: 5 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 15 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 3 destroyed
Allied Ships
DD Smith, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD O'Brien
AO Cossatot, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
AO Saranac, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
CVE Prince William, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk
Judies are what makes our carriers ship killers... CVE Prince William also still afloat takes another 4 tons of bombs and is sunk together with DD Smith and two more oilers in sinking condition...
Aircraft Attacking:
3 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
15 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
1 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
13 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
7 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
7 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 10000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
4 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AO Cossatot
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Smith
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring an Allied CVE
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Maloelap at 136,118
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 74 NM, estimated altitude 4,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 24 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 24
B6N2 Jill x 8
Japanese aircraft losses
B6N2 Jill: 7 damaged
Allied Ships
CL Montpelier
BB Mississippi, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
Mississippi taking another one, tough lady...
Aircraft Attacking:
8 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Ailuk at 139,112
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid detected at 44 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 16
B6N2 Jill x 11
Japanese aircraft losses
B6N2 Jill: 5 damaged
B6N2 Jill: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
BB Arizona, on fire, heavy damage
BB Indiana, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
modern BB Indiana sunk! [&o][&o] I was actually surprised to see modern fast BBs escorting the amphib convoys, the old BBs would have just been fine doing that task alone...
Aircraft Attacking:
10 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Wotje at 135,116
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid detected at 29 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 16
B6N2 Jill x 9
Japanese aircraft losses
B6N2 Jill: 4 damaged
B6N2 Jill: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
BB Pennsylvania, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
Pennsylvania is done... I know that the old BBs were undergoing their AA upgrades as Mundy told me some time ago that he's got some nice flak platforms now and while they put up really some lead in the air the BBs had no chance...
Aircraft Attacking:
8 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Ailuk at 139,114
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 78 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 23 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 16
D4Y4 Judy x 18
Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y4 Judy: 2 damaged
Allied Ships
SC PC-579, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
DD Nicholas, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
18 Judies attacking that group was pretty much a waste...
Aircraft Attacking:
10 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
8 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 10000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Maloelap at 141,116
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid detected at 34 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes
Japanese aircraft
B6N2 Jill x 10
Japanese aircraft losses
B6N2 Jill: 3 damaged
B6N2 Jill: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
CL Columbia, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
LST-469, Bomb hits 1, on fire
APA George Clymer, Bomb hits 3, on fire
CA Louisville, Bomb hits 1, on fire
another 10 Jills doing bomb runs, like the accumulating damage on the cruisers as well...
Allied ground losses:
26 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
10 x B6N2 Jill bombing from 3000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
Massive explosion on LST-469
enemy carriers were not engaging, the enemy seems to be keeping them away from my force which means we will completely eat the rest of the fleet as all those transports just aren't fast enough to run if the enemy carriers won't engage... our level 5 airfields have been reinforced with bombers so LBA will be ordered to attack the enemy carrier groups with a high number of escorts to take whittle down enemy CAP...
with Hornet taking one torp and Wasp (heavy damage) taking two torps form subs on day one it could well be that due to the already high bomber losses the enemy carriers disengage and move SW to Australia to save them... we have hit the BBs already so hard yesterday and today that they are doomed anyways so I wonder if the carriers will be moved into strike range to save the transports of which several task forces must be carrying troops as only the one at Kwajalein was unloading... seeing only one landing also surprised me, I was expecting at least three simultanous landings in the Marshalls...
we lost another two dozen bombers today but did extreme damage so that was well worth it... on the other hand every bomber counts when we would go up against the Allied carrier groups even though we will for sure outnumber them in both number of carriers and by a big margin in carrier based aircraft due to the losses the enemy took against my land based fighters...
; Julia Child