Not a good day for the Allied: Yenen fell, Java was invaded and Allied ships were attacked again around Pago-Pago.
Central Pacific
The wrecks of the MSW Tern and AK Atlanta City were identified in Pearl Harbor.
Southern Pacific
Bad weather was all over Pago-Pago area in the morning and reduced drastically both side's aerial activity. The good news was that both CV TF of Kido Butai were now together again. Clouds cleared in the afternoon and three floatplanes flew recon missions to Pago-Pago. They reported there 1 unit (1720 men, 13 guns, 7 vehicles), 3 docked ships (1 APD), 8 P-40E on CAP and 20 aircraft (3/0/17) on the airfield.
But the main raids of the day were launched against the fleeing Allied convoy. The CL Concord, alone 180 miles E of Pago-Pago, was the first attacked. 11 Kates sank her with 3 torpedoes, and when 16 Vals arrived late they found no target and returned to their CVs. 60 miles more east the AP Hugh L. Scott was also fleeing alone and was attacked by 10 Kates. One was lost to AA fire and they only scored one torpedo hit, not enough to sink the AP.
The main target was the convoy, that had not scattered and was now 60 miles east of Pago-Pago. The first wave against it was of 55 Vals and 55 Kates escorted by 18 Zeroes. It was followed by 17 Vals and 4 Zeroes, and then 17 Vals and 8 Zeroes. They sank the DD Waters and the PC Reliance, heavily damaged 3 AP and damaged 2 DD, 1 PG and 3 other AP. AA shot down one Val during the attack and hit another and 1 Kates that ditched later. 3 Vals, 2 Kates and 1 Zero were lost in accidents.
A PBY was seen near the troop convoy today, so my opponent should now know it is not a CV raid but an invasion. The fast BB Hiei and Kirishima, 2 CA and 6 DD will sail west and bombard Pago-Pago tonight. They will also probably meet cripples of the convoy attacked those two last days. All other TF will gather 180 miles E of Pago-Pago, so the convoy will reach the atoll the next day, and land troops in the evening. One phase of landing should be enough against the garrison, that is very probably a base force alone. Just to be sure 12 Kates were ordered to bomb ground troops on Pago-Pago and 20 Zeroes were ordered to fly a sweep over the island to open them the way.
An Emily flying recon over Suva counted 15 F4F-4 on CAP and was then shot down by AA.
More north 97 B-25C from Canton raided Baker Island. Two were lost in crashes but they hit 22 men and scored 1/1/12 airfield hits.
Two DD detached from the convoy bringing troops from Kwajalein to Tarawa and increased speed toward this atoll. They will be used for FT missions from Tarawa as soon as they arrived.
Solomons-New Guinea
10 Hudson I from Port Moresby bombed and missed Saidor.
Philippines
45 Ki-49 and 59 Ki-21 from Lingayen bombed the 71st PA Div in San Marcelino, hitting 80 men and 7 guns. One Nate unit returned from China to Lingayen, that has now more than 200 air support squads, to join this raids and resume training.
Timor-Amboina-Australia
29 B-17E and 26 LB-30 from Darwin raided Amboina and hit the airfield (1 Topsy destroyed, 172 men and 2 guns hit, 2/2/20 airfield hits) and the oilfield (25 centers disabled, 22 remaining). AA shot down one Liberator. 30 more B-17E didn't find the target. The convoy carrying there the 8th Base Force arrived in the evening and will unload tomorrow. 26 Zeroes from Kendari were ordered to LRCAP it.
Japanese recon reported that the CA are still off Darwin, and that now 21 units were in the base.
Sumatra-Java
During the night, 2 CA and 3 CL bombarded Soerabaja. The Japanese admiral knew there were CD guns defending the base, but was surprised by their power. The CL Nagara was heavily damaged (damage 64/42/28), the Isuzu less seriously (44/9/17) and the Haguro was hit but not damaged much (5/1/2). Japanese shells disbabled 277 men, 9 guns and 4 vehicles and scored 14 hits on the airfield and 1 on the port. The two damaged CL and the remaining intact CL will be escorted by 1 DD and 4 MSW to Pontaniak.
At the same time both Kondo's BB bombarded Batavia and were far more efficient. Two LB-30 were destroyed on the ground, 2987 men, 69 guns and 12 vehicles hit by the bombardment, 29 hits scored on the airfield and 5 on the port.
The invasion of Java started in the afternoon when paratroops took the undefended bases of Madoien (140 men) and Kragen (60 men). The convoys approaching Java were not attacked. Two of the Ki-43 flying LRCAP over them were lost to engine failures but one pilot was saved.
The strong CD defences in Soerabaja were a nasty surprise and both troop convoys were ordered to land in Kragen. The CA that bombed Soerabaja and their escort will join them to cover them. As planned transport aircraft will bring troops to both captured bases. 28 Tabbies from Koepang and 26 Ki-57 from Balikpapan will bring 35th Bde troops to Madoien, 12 Tabbies will carry to Kragen a small BF from Palembang. 34 Oscars flew from Singkawang to Kragen to fly CAP here, and one crashed during the ferry flight.
Bombers from Palembang (81 IJNAF bombers) and Batavia were ordered to bomb respectively Soerabaja and Batavia to keep the airfield closed, or at least empty.
The 4th Bde will land in Bali tomorrow, covered by the 2 CA and 7 DD coming from Koepang. In Kendari the BB Ise and Hyuga and their escort DD arriving from Bataan refueled and then sailed toward Java.
In the Indian Ocean the Allied convoy was not found again and the raiding force (1 CA and 3 DD) was recalled to Sabang.
The map of the day: Java operation
In black, the moves of this day.
In red, those of tomorrow.
In orange, the neutralisation raids on Java airfield.
Burma
A quiet day saw only ineffective Japanese artillery fire against surrounded Allied troops W and NE of Lashio. The 4th Rgt marched west 45 miles from Mandalay and will launch its shock attack across the river tomorrow. The SNLF allready there was ordered to attack too, and 2 Tk Rgt received orders to leave Mandalay also westwards to join the attack, that will be supported by Hanoi-based Ki-21s.
The 4th Eng Rgt finished landing in Rangoon and at once boarded trains for Mandalay.
In the north recon are only showing Buffaloes flying CAP over Chandpur. A Zero sweep will be done as soon as the weather cleared.
China
The Japanese Command has overestimated the garrison of Yenen. The city fell at the first deliberate attack after it was surrounded. The Japanese troops (HQ Northern China Area and HQ 1st Army, 7 Div, 1 Bde and a half, 2 Eng Rgt, 1 Tk Rgt, 4 ART units) lost 1771 killed and wounded but managed a 7 to 1 ratio against fortification level 3. The Chinese troops (1 HQ, 3rd New, 16th, 77th, 90th and 99th Corps, 1st Chinese Air BF) surrendered and Japanese counted 65 000 prisoners (+390 troop points). The city was taken intact (2 manpower, 91 HI, 180 ressources).
The city was supposed to last more but I won't complain. NW of the city the regiment of the 27th Div that completed the surrounding will attack tomorrow the 1st Chinese Tk Rgt. West of the city, Japanese troops that were only suppied by air for months received at once supplies. The bulk of the Japanese army in China will join them to repulse the Chinese to Kungchang. Some units won't follow them: the 8th Bde and both Eng Rgt will remain in Yenen to garrison it and build fortifications. The 35th and 40th divisions will march south and return to the Kaifeng-Hsinyang line, that had been left a little undermanned during the Yenen battle.
Two of the small base forces created today will be shipped to Yenen and build the airfield here.
30 Ki-48s escorted by 3 Ki-44 and 18 Ki-43 bombed Sian, scoring one hit on the ressources and losing one Ki-48 to AA fire.
Japan
South of Japan, the SS S-35 was chased NW of Tori Shima by an ASW group (3 DD and 3 PG) twice during the night and once during the day. Only the last time was a Japanese DD able to drop depth charges, and she missed.
