June 26, 1943
A disaster off the coast of Burma.
In the night surface combat occurred. AS happens a lot, the IJN torpedoes wrecked havoc on my ships.
Night Time Surface Combat, near Ramree Island at 53,47, Range 1,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CL Natori, Shell hits 13, on fire, heavy damage
DD Asashio, Shell hits 1
DD Oshio
DD Michishio
DD Natsugumo, Shell hits 2
Allied Ships
CL Hobart
CL Emerald
CL Dauntless, Shell hits 12, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
CL Mauritius
CL Birmingham
CL Newcastle, Shell hits 19, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
CL Caradoc
DD Stronghold
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Prome at 52,50, Range 1,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Asashio, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Oshio
DD Michishio
Allied Ships
CA Dorsetshire
CA Devonshire
CA Frobisher, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1
DD Van Galen
DD Tjerk Hiddes
DD Jupiter
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Day Time Surface Combat, near Ramree Island at 53,48, Range 7,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CL Natori, Shell hits 10, and is sunk
DD Natsugumo, Shell hits 17, and is sunk
Allied Ships
CA Dorsetshire
CA Devonshire
DD Van Galen
DD Tjerk Hiddes
My TFs were supposed to exit to Chittagong, but instead they ended up going to Akyab, where I had no
fighter cover. I suppose that most of them were stripped off into escort TFs and routed to the nearest
bae, which was Akyab. Bad planning on my part, I should have had some CAP up over Akyab, but I didn't.
And then an endless stream of Betty/Nell bombers hit most of the survivors
Morning Air attack on TF, near Akyab at 54,45
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 78 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 29 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18
G3M3 Nell x 48
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 16 damaged
G3M3 Nell: 2 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
CL Hobart
CA Dorsetshire, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CL Mauritius
CA Devonshire
CL Birmingham
CL Caradoc
CL Emerald, Torpedo hits 1
Aircraft Attacking:
32 x G3M3 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
15 x G3M3 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
---------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Akyab at 54,45
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 70 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes
Japanese aircraft
G3M3 Nell x 18
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 11 damaged
Allied Ships
CL Mauritius
CL Caradoc
DD Stronghold
CL Hobart
Aircraft Attacking:
18 x G3M3 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
---------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Akyab at 54,45
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes
Japanese aircraft
G3M3 Nell x 15
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 6 damaged
Allied Ships
CL Mauritius, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CL Birmingham
CL Caradoc
CL Hobart, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
Aircraft Attacking:
15 x G3M3 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
---------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Akyab at 54,45
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid detected at 64 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 23 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18
G3M3 Nell x 28
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 1 damaged
Allied Ships
CL Caradoc, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
CL Birmingham
CL Emerald, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Stronghold
Aircraft Attacking:
23 x G3M3 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
5 x G3M3 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
---------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Akyab at 54,45
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18
G3M3 Nell x 49
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 25 damaged
G3M3 Nell: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
Seagull V: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
CA Dorsetshire, heavy damage
CL Hobart, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
CL Birmingham
CA Devonshire, Torpedo hits 1
CL Emerald, on fire, heavy damage
CL Mauritius, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
CL Caradoc, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
Aircraft Attacking:
17 x G3M3 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
31 x G3M3 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
Hobart dead in the water ...
----------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Ramree Island at 52,48
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 30 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18
G3M3 Nell x 18
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 2 damaged
Allied Ships
CA Frobisher, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Jupiter, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
Aircraft Attacking:
18 x G3M3 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
And it didn't help that SS Trusty got hammered also
ASW attack near Rangoon at 50,53
Japanese Ships
DD Michishio
Allied Ships
SS Trusty, hits 8, heavy damage
Here is the sunk ship list, it will grow much larger in the next few days

- 430627 ships sunk so far.png (260.85 KiB) Viewed 641 times
This is what is in Akyab now

- 430627 ships damaged at Akyab.png (501.96 KiB) Viewed 641 times
Add to that DD Jupiter is 4 hexes SW of Akyab with extensive damage
And of course SS Trusty, which might make it back to a port, but with 85(52) float damage and 35 sys damage
it will be close. I have 75 P-47D2s on CAP over Akyab, they might be able to guard to port, but I doubt it.
CL Birmingham along with DDs Van Galen, Tjerk Hiddes and Stronghold are able to make a full speed run back to Calcutta, they have very minor damage.
On paper this should have been a victory for me, but this did me in
Reduced visibility due to Thunderstorms with 35% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Thunderstorms and 35% moonlight: 2,000 yards
This meant the fight started at 1000 yards and his torpedoes were murder. Notice that in the
daylight fight I sank two ships and suffered no hits at all.
Meanwhile in the Marshall Islands, normal activity, naval bombardment of Roi-Namur and air
bombing of both Roi-Namur and Kwajalein.
And I do get to report that SS Truant has made it safely back to Calcutta and is in the repair shipyard there.
I am not sure if I reported it before, but SS S-36 has made it to Rabaul and is now repairing there.