August 24 was a very bad night to be in the merchant navy of either the Allies or Japan.
In the Moulacca straight a Japanese force of CLs and DDs raided Bankha and sunk 2 AKS and a PT. They hit the AKs first, the PTs completely failed in their efforts to screen the port.
Japanese Ships
CA Myoko
CL Oi
DD Natsushio
DD Maikaze
DD Usugumo
DD Amagiri
DD Sazanami
DD Sawakaze
DD Akikaze
DD Yakaze
DD Yukaze
Allied Ships
AK Kalani, Shell hits 11, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AK Empire Success, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
Round 2:
Allied Ships
PT PT-115
PT PT-122
PT PT-123
PT PT-124
PT PT-125, Shell hits 23, and is sunk
PT PT-126
At the other end of the Netherlands East Indies Allied search planes had noticed a large concentration of Japanese shipping at Dili but no heavy forces escorting. The British Cruiser force in the area took advantage of this to make one of thier signature raids:
Round one:
Japanese Ships
PC Hachijo, Shell hits 1, on fire
MSW Wa 2
AP Kozui Maru, Shell hits 2
AP Akashisan Maru, Shell hits 1, on fire
AP Kogi Maru
AP Rakuyo Maru, Shell hits 2, on fire
AP Toko Maru #2, Shell hits 3
AP Tenpei Maru
Allied Ships
CA Cornwall
CL Enterprise
CL Mauritius
DD Pillsbury
DD Express
DD Foxhound
DD Griffin
DD Hotspur
Then they found another TF (same British ships, they only thing they are losing is ammo.)
Japanese Ships
AK Amagisan Maru, Shell hits 36, and is sunk
Round 3
AK Tamon Maru, Shell hits 61, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
Round 4
Japanese Ships
AP Heiyo Maru
AP Kizan Maru, Shell hits 15, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
AP Manila Maru, Shell hits 13, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AP Shinyu Maru, Shell hits 17, on fire, heavy damage
AP Tacoma Maru, Shell hits 1, on fire
AP Tatsutake Maru, Shell hits 1
AP Nikki Maru
The Allies Bombed Kendari and the Japanese hit Keopang, both sides took losses but as usual nothing decisive. Dauntlesses based at Koepang attacked the survivors of the Biritsh Raid and put a few bomb hits on some APs but no sinkings are reported. The Japanese struck back with Kates and sunk an AK bringing badly needed supplies into Lautem.
The Japanese also reached out and touched Sumatra putting torpedos into an AK in the area.
At New Guinea Betties hit a pair of AKs at Thursday Island with torpedos, the P39s flying CAP failed to stop the attack, and the Allies bombed Port Moresby and Buna. There were air combats between CAP and Escorts in both places but the fighter pilots seem to have agreed to fly around without actually shooting anyone down over both bases. They must all be reading Catch-22 though I have no idea how the Japanese got hold of it.
On the 25th things got very bloody in the air and the merchant ships continued to get pounded as well. Intelligence reports 111 Japanese planes shot down across the areas marked on the map.
Off Sumatra Betty struck again putting torpedos into a pair of Alllied AKs in the port of Sabang. This time the Japanese met 16 Hurricanes and 5 Wirraways and several Betties were shot down.
The air battles over Timor remained intense. Koepang and Kendari both saw air raids aimed at shutting down the airfields. Judgeing by the fact that both sides are flying bombers out of their respective bases this seems to be a losers game, but we are both still playing it. The Allied fighter cover at Koepang takes a pound of flesh out of the Japanese every time they come over but Blackwatch seems to have an infinite supply of planes to throw at me as can be seen by this unescorted raid:
Day Air attack on Koepang , at 28,77
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21 Sally x 57
Ki-49 Helen x 14
Ki-46-II Dinah x 1
Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 3
F4F-4 Wildcat x 8
Hurricane II x 1
P-40E Warhawk x 10
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21 Sally: 36 destroyed, 4 damaged
Ki-49 Helen: 4 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 damaged
F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed, 3 damaged
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 1
How much longer can he do this?
At the Japanese Kates at Dili struck the AKs at Lautem again and sunk another one. This time the Spitfires flying CAP over the port shot down a plane or two but they did not stop or even slow down the attack. At the same time the Dauntlesses at Koepang struck Japanese APs at Dili as well. The torpedos from the Kates tend to sink the ships right away, I am hoping the bombs from the Dauntlesses will start fires that eventually sink the Japanese.
The US CVs were cruising South of Gili Gili when they were discovered by PC Shonan Maru #6 which proceeded to prove that the US CV Dauntless pilots need more training.
Day Air attack on TF at 58,94
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 26
SBD Dauntless x 32
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
PC Shonan Maru #6, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
Then a big raid from Rabual came in to try and sink the CVs.
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 44
G3M Nell x 9
G4M1 Betty x 39
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 145
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 92 destroyed, 1 damaged
G3M Nell: 11 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 73 destroyed, 19 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 97 destroyed, 10 damaged
Allied Ships
CV Lexington
CA San Francisco, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
Fortunately they decide to hit the San Fransico not the Lexington. The amazing thing about this raid was the damage the Zero's did to my escorts. Out numbered 3 to 1 and they still inflicted 1 to 1 losses on the CAP over the CVs. Of course they were almost all shot down but its still pretty scary, if KB has pilots like these then it will be very difficult to win a battle with it even with full strength air groups.
China has calmed down a lot as the Chinese armies have gotten away from thier bases, run out of supply and slowed down. There are still some Japanese on the wrong side of the Yangtze river but they will be safe soon, at best the Chinese may get one more good attack in before the Kweiyang/Chungking battles are over and even that may not happen.
