Spanking Lowpe (NJP72 vs Lowpe (A))

[Lowpe]

A raid from two CVEs goes in....lots of smoke obscuring the targets...plus the weather is horrendous.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Kofiau at 79,107

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 35 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Allied aircraft
FM-1 Wildcat x 10
SBD-5 Dauntless x 15

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-5 Dauntless: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
CL Kuma
BB Hyuga, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Aircraft Attacking:
15 x SBD-5 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring BB Hyuga

[Lowpe]

The weather clears in the afternoon a bit...and our brave pilots fly, despite most fighters being grounded. The Yamato is a tough, hard ship, but those 1,000#ers can destroy devices and every little bit helps.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Kofiau at 79,107

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 34 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 16
A6M5b Zero x 6
A6M5c Zero x 2
A6M8 Zero x 2
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 6
Ki-43-IV Oscar x 24

Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk IV x 2
SB2C-1C Helldiver x 19
TBF-1 Avenger x 12

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk IV: 1 destroyed
SB2C-1C Helldiver: 8 destroyed, 5 damaged
TBF-1 Avenger: 7 destroyed

Japanese Ships
BB Yamato, Bomb hits 6, on fire
CA Atago
CL Kuma

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x SB2C-1C Helldiver releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb, 2 x 250 lb SAP Bomb
3 x TBF-1 Avenger launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22.4in Mk 13 Torp.
5 x SB2C-1C Helldiver releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb, 2 x 250 lb SAP Bomb
2 x SB2C-1C Helldiver releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb, 2 x 250 lb SAP Bomb

[Lowpe]

Some of air groups divert to other targets, and even worse weather...

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Misool at 80,108

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 1,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
F1M2 Pete x 6

Allied aircraft
B-25D1 Mitchell x 3
P-39D Airacobra x 9
OS2U-3 Kingfisher x 4
TBF-1 Avenger x 11

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
xAK Nitti Maru
DD Shiranui
xAP Naminoue Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAK Huzikawa Maru
xAK Tamagawa Maru
xAK Aso Maru

Aircraft Attacking:
11 x TBF-1 Avenger launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22.4in Mk 13 Torp.
4 x OS2U-3 Kingfisher bombing from 1000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 lb SAP Bomb
1 x B-25D1 Mitchell bombing and strafing from low level
Naval Attack: 1 plane(s) with no ordnance
2 x B-25D1 Mitchell bombing and strafing from low level
Naval Attack: 6 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

[Lowpe]

And of course we nail the 2vp tanker....

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Misool at 80,108

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 3,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
F1M2 Pete x 1

Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 9
TBF-1 Avenger x 2

Japanese aircraft losses
F1M2 Pete: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
TBF-1 Avenger: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
TK Rikko Maru, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

Aircraft Attacking:
2 x TBF-1 Avenger launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22.4in Mk 13 Torp.

[Lowpe]

And some of our best fighters fly a milk run protecting the Boomerang....which does really well.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Bara at 75,106

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Allied aircraft
Boomerang C-12 x 13
P-47D2 Thunderbolt x 11

Allied aircraft losses
Boomerang C-12: 5 damaged

Japanese Ships
TK Sanraku Maru, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk
TK Kyoko Maru, Shell hits 4, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
TK Kuremente Maru

Aircraft Attacking:
13 x Boomerang C-12 bombing from 100 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

[Lowpe]

Australian Beauforts miss a nice ship:

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Boela at 79,112

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 11 NM, estimated altitude 22,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Allied aircraft
Beaufort VIII x 4

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
AMC Awata Maru

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x Beaufort VIII launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22.4in Mk 13 Torp.

[Lowpe]

We keep dribbling in....

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Kofiau at 79,107

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 73 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 27 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 10
A6M5b Zero x 5
A6M5c Zero x 1
A6M8 Zero x 1
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 5
Ki-43-IV Oscar x 11

Allied aircraft
SBD-5 Dauntless x 15

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-5 Dauntless: 2 destroyed, 5 damaged
SBD-5 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak

Japanese Ships
BB Yamato, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Amagiri, on fire, heavy damage

Aircraft Attacking:
8 x SBD-5 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-5 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

[Lowpe]

And the fight is over...who won?

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[Lowpe]

Finished the turn, finally, had a tornado warning storm...no tornado but high winds, power out for a bit, flash flooding (a bit).

We are pursuing the Yamato and Hyuga....and trying to pincer the other fleets.

[Lowpe]

Sept 29, 1943

Pushing ahead, a bit recklessly in an attempt to sink the Yamato...

First blood goes to the the IJN...with Lang taking three torpedo hits!
Night Time Surface Combat, near Misool at 80,108, Range 5,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Shikinami
DD Satsuki
DD Fumizuki
DD Hatakaze
DD Hakaze
DD Kyukaze

Allied Ships
DD Bullard
DD Sigsbee
DD Lang, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk

Reduced sighting due to 0% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions and 0% moonlight: 5,000 yards

But then bingo!

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[Lowpe]

Lots of action around Ambon it seems...

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[Lowpe]

Another sub scores!

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[Lowpe]

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Yamato is in trouble!

[Lowpe]

Didn't find the Yamato...but taking down Destroyers in the daytime is our cup of tea!

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[Lowpe]

In among the sheep!

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Day Time Surface Combat, near Namlea at 76,108, Range 24,000 Yards

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
F1M2 Pete: 3 destroyed

Japanese Ships
PB Kinsyo Maru #2, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
AV Kunikawa Maru, Shell hits 50, and is sunk
xAK Asakaze Maru
xAK Sinko Maru, Shell hits 1
xAK Tamagawa Maru, Shell hits 5, heavy fires
xAK Yamazato Maru, Shell hits 1
xAK Yodogawa Maru, Shell hits 10, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Nichiyu Maru, Shell hits 3, on fire
xAK Nitti Maru, Shell hits 1, on fire
xAK Nitisan Maru, Shell hits 4, heavy fires
xAK Huzikawa Maru
xAK Kozui Maru, Shell hits 4, heavy fires
xAK Nippo Maru, Shell hits 1, on fire
xAK Kaiko Maru, Shell hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Akasisan Maru, Shell hits 2
xAK Aso Maru, Shell hits 1, on fire
xAK Lyons Maru, Shell hits 4, on fire
xAK Tusima Maru, Shell hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Hakonesan Maru, Shell hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
PB Daiya Maru, Shell hits 5, on fire

Allied Ships
BB Nevada, Shell hits 2
DD Bradford
DD Daly
DD Aaron Ward
DD Bancroft
DD Thompson, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Warrington

Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions: 28,000 yards
Range closes to 24,000 yards...

[Lowpe]

And that is about it...a few encounters with no ammo...a few lost planes. But fresh ships are on the way...and the IJN is in trouble here.

Meanwhile in China....supplies make a difference.

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[RangerJoe]

A good showing for the naval battles, I wonder if the Yamato and friends are going to try to stay in port for repairs. I mean try because if there are 4Es in the area . . .

Meanwhile, your Chinese forces seem to be doing quite well.

[Lowpe]

The Yamato group seems to make 4 hexes a day...maybe 6-8 if they risk a full speed run. They are definitely still short of ammo...

Also there is four or five juicy AMCs down at Taberfane...loading with troops or dumping supply?

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[Lowpe]

Sept 30, 1943

Is this day three of hunt the Yamato? Losing track...Jenkins and Satterlee find Atago...but where is Yamato?

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[Lowpe]

Radford Group finds a slippery aden class I believe that manages to get away...

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