Dark Side of the Moon

[AdmNelson]

ORIGINAL: Raverdave

AP Heito Maru, Mine hits 1, on fire [:D]
AP Keisho Maru, Mine hits 1, on fire [:D]
PG Nishho Maru, Mine hits 1, on fire [:D]
AP Jouban Maru, Mine hits 1, on fire [:D]
CA Tone, Mine hits 1, on fire [:D]
CVE Hosho, Mine hits 1, on fire [:D][:D][:D][:D]
AP Yosyu Maru, Mine hits 1, on fire [:D]
DD Hatsushima, Mine hits 1, on fire [:D]


Thats the best combat report that I have seen in awhile.  That will teach you !

Nothing is more fun than watching a carrier hit a mine.

[Raverdave]

Damn if I know why he even bothered doing an amphib operation.........he was able to come overland from Darwin and north from Sydney.

No need for him to waste ships like that.

[Honda]

Pure propaganda. Raver is trying to make me look bad. First he says I don't have time and then he asys I should have taken a more time consuming and less flexible route...Anyway, Rokhampton operation has been drawn up months ago.

Bad new continue. Two PTs chargi into my fleet, battlecruiser task force intercepts, surprises, sinks one and then the other puts a torp right into Kirishima:
Day Time Surface Combat at 47,110

Japanese Ships
BB Kongo
BB Hiei
BB Kirishima, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CA Haguro
DD Arashi
DD Tanikaze
DD Oshio
DD Arashio
DD Asagumo
DD Uranami
DD Kikuzuki

Allied Ships
PT PT-33, Shell hits 19, and is sunk
PT PT-35, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
What can I say...

Of note, also a bothed attempt by Brisbane RAAF to hit Rockhampton airstrips:

Day Air attack on Rockhampton , at 46,109

Japanese aircraft
A6M2-N Rufe x 8
A6M2 Zero x 34
A6M3 Zero x 9

Allied aircraft
Beaufort V-IX x 13
P-40B Tomahawk x 3
B-25C Mitchell x 7

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
A6M3 Zero: 2 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Beaufort V-IX: 11 destroyed
P-40B Tomahawk: 3 destroyed
B-25C Mitchell: 6 destroyed

Japanese ground losses:
25 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 2

In the Solomons, Lunga Bettys find another lone transport making his last run:

Day Air attack on TF at 71,96

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 15

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
AK Empire Flamingo, Torpedo hits 6, on fire, heavy damage

[Raverdave]

Day Time Surface Combat at 47,110
 

BB Kirishima, Torpedo hits 1,  on fire
 
 
Oh the joy the joy !

 

[pauk]

ORIGINAL: Honda

Two PTs chargi into my fleet, battlecruiser task force intercepts, surprises, sinks one and then the other puts a torp right into Kirishima:
Day Time Surface Combat at 47,110

Japanese Ships
BB Kongo
BB Hiei
BB Kirishima, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CA Haguro
DD Arashi
DD Tanikaze
DD Oshio
DD Arashio
DD Asagumo
DD Uranami
DD Kikuzuki

Allied Ships
PT PT-33, Shell hits 19, and is sunk
PT PT-35, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
What can I say...

Perhaps: I should sent some PGs and MSWs to clear Rockhampton waters first...[:'(]

sorry, couldn't resist[;)]

[Honda]

IJN is a strong navy. The fact that we use CVEs for minesweeping only goes to show we have crews that are trained for every contingency!

[Raverdave]

...........................any ship can be a minesweeper once.

[Honda]

Good job Raver! As your opponent, I am honor bound to congratulate you on your victories, no matter how small...[:D]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 08/16/42

Great success in Melbourne. I decided to force an attack with troops sieging Melbourne fo weeks now. Those troops, as Ravrs said, are insufficent to take the city. But that wasn't their mission anyway. They were to establish a strong siege and attack in order to lower the forts. And that they did.

Ground combat at Melbourne

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 64115 troops, 463 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 1184

Defending force 59220 troops, 440 guns, 7 vehicles, Assault Value = 890

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 4

Japanese max assault: 1140 - adjusted assault: 596

Allied max defense: 969 - adjusted defense: 10641

Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 4)

Japanese ground losses:
3709 casualties reported
Guns lost 71
Vehicles lost 1

Allied ground losses:
921 casualties reported
Guns lost 29

One or two days away are significant reinforcements. The seige is about to enter its final stage now that the forts are relatively low - assult on the city itself.


AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 08/17/42

For a few days now, up to 10 Spits have been flaying CAP over Melbourne. Thay caused a temorary halt in the bombar ops and the time was well used to get some deserved rest. Zeros were now to earn their paychecks and they did:

Day Air attack on Melbourne , at 28,125

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 66
Ki-46-II Dinah x 1

Allied aircraft
Spitfire Vb x 8
Kittyhawk I x 1

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Spitfire Vb: 6 destroyed
Kittyhawk I: 1 destroyed

This combat report doesn't tell a story of an epic battle between S. Evans (I belive him to be a leading Aussi ace with 10 kills) and Honda of F1/ Tainan Daitai:
ENS Honda, T. of F1/Tainan Daitai is credited with kill number 12
FLT Evans S. of No. 76 RAAF Sqdn bails out and is RESCUED

For all fans, Saburo Sakai is still alive and has a staggering 1 kill to his name!

Bettys from Luganville catch another fugitive:
Day Air attack on TF at 71,104

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 8

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
DMS Long, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage

And a perfect sweep over Chengtu to top off an almost perfect day:
Day Air attack on Chengtu , at 41,29

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 6
A6M3 Zero x 22
Ki-15 Babs x 1

Allied aircraft
I-16c x 10

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
I-16c: 8 destroyed

[Raverdave]

"Pure propaganda. Raver is trying to make me look bad. First he says I don't have time and then he asys I should have taken a more time consuming and less flexible route...Anyway, Rokhampton operation has been drawn up months ago. "
 
 
 
I don't need to make you look bad.....you are doing such a good job without my help [:D].  I still maintane that an amphib operation was a waste, but I am more than happy to let you waste what you want and when you want, and given enough warning will do my best to help you with that waste.

[Honda]

Man...look where that thinking bought you[:-]
where was I suppose to supress Brisbane from? Canberra? And do you really thing I would be stupid enough to make a 4 div frontal assult on Brisbane via land route. C'mon. Taunt all you want, but this...

Of course, IJN has suffered terrible losses in this operation. I don't know if I will ever recover from losing 1-2 APs and 3 MSWs. I mean, they ARE the most important types for late war period, right?[:D]

[Raverdave]

***NEWS FLASH***
 
I have long suspected that there are some MAJOR holes in ratbrain's defence and this probbing bombardment just carried out supports that theory with facts.  I have just hit Tarawa and found NOTHING there !  Time to send in the Marines.
 
 

[Raverdave]

Oh and here is the combat report.
 
Naval bombardment of Tarawa, at 85,91
 
Allied Ships
CL Nashville
CLAA San Juan
CLAA San Diego
CLAA Juneau
CLAA Atlanta
CA Vincennes
CA Quincy
BB North Carolina
BB Mississippi
BB New Mexico
BB Idaho
BB Tennessee
BB West Virginia
 
Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 6
Runway hits 35
Port hits 7
Port supply hits 22

[Honda]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 08/19/42

And now, some new from the REAL war. GG on the target practice. Flawless...

PM express has been destroyed! Docked in Townsville harbor, it met its doom in an inapropriate way - as sitting ducks:
Day Air attack on Townsville , at 46,103

Japanese aircraft
E7K2 Alf x 1
Ki-21 Sally x 98

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21 Sally: 2 destroyed, 8 damaged

Allied Ships
TK Semiramis, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Perkins, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD King, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
DD Lawrence, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Humphreys, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Preston, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Benham, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Craven, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Rathburne, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Sands, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage *eksplozija magazina -> potonuo*
MSW Maryborough, Bomb hits 1, on fire
MSW Goulburn, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DMS Hopkins, Bomb hits 2, heavy damage
DD Sims, Bomb hits 2, on fire
DD Edsall, Bomb hits 1, on fire


Allied ground losses:
58 casualties reported
Guns lost 4

Port hits 3
Port supply hits 2

Oh yes, the strike is from Rockhampton, taken a few days ago in an "unnecessary operation"...[;)]

[Raverdave]

Bah humbug

[rtrapasso]

DD Sands, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage *eksplozija magazina -> potonuo*

[X(]

OK - i think i know what "eksplozija magazina" is, but...

potonuo? i that what i think it means [:'(] (glug, glug, glug...)

[bradfordkay]

" I have long suspected that there are some MAJOR holes in ratbrain's defence "

I thought that this was your game against Honda, not Banana Boy...[;)]

[pauk]

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

DD Sands, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage *eksplozija magazina -> potonuo*

[X(]

OK - i think i know what "eksplozija magazina" is, but...

potonuo? i that what i think it means [:'(] (glug, glug, glug...)

Bingo! you are very talented man![;)][:D]

Honda, from where this solid[:D] strike comes?

BTW, have a nice afternoon tomorrow at Lake Jarun, i'm going to the countryside[:)]

[Honda]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarghr!!! Session timed out!!! I had such a nice post to share. Now I go to bed. I give you nothing, you hear me, nothing![:@]

[Raverdave]

I going to "potonuo" Honda's entire farking fleet !  I will NEVER give up ! 
 
@bradfordkay...........a ratbrain is a ratbrain is a ratbrain !

[Raverdave]

Major planning is now in full swing to rush troops to Tarawa.  I am undecided if to divert troops earmarked to stage out of NZ for Oz or to use troops for the US.    I must admitt to being somewhat shocked that he does not have these Islands covered even with a small force.
Honda is spread like cold butter on toast....big lumps here are there but over all stuff all. Will he rush his CVs to head me off?  If so will he comit all of them or just the odd one or two?
Should I throw caution to the wind and just rush troops in without support?? 
 
Or is the whole bloody thing a big trap???????[:(]