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JJ lost a fair number of aircraft yesterday. Not completely sure how they still have sorties left.

**************Feb 8, 1942(e)***********

We lose..but considering the firepower arrayed against Noumea. It might have been worse. Hory crap! Ensign McGoo either didn't see this coming or thought it was a fishing boat.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Mutsu
CL Oi
DD Natsushio
DD Amatsukaze
DD Yamagumo

Allied Ships
DMS Hovey, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
DMS Trevor

Hovey is not even a road bump.

Hory crap, again. These are the escorts for 34th RCT convoy. <makes Dominican baseball player good luck sign>

Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 114,160, Range 10,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Isuzu
CL Abukuma, Shell hits 1
DD Hayashio
DD Isokaze
DD Tokitsukaze

Allied Ships
DD Hull, Shell hits 3
DMS Zane
DM Tracy
DM Sicard

Small surface group at Noumea. USS Kane has 9 lives.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 9,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Isuzu
CL Abukuma
DD Hayashio
DD Isokaze
DD Tokitsukaze, Shell hits 1, on fire

Allied Ships
DD Van Ghent, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Kane

Oi vey! Da planes, boss, da planes!

Night Naval bombardment of Noumea at 115,160

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3A Wildcat: 17 damaged
F4F-3A Wildcat: 1 destroyed on ground
P-40E Warhawk: 11 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed on ground
P-39D Airacobra: 8 damaged
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed on ground
F4F-3 Wildcat: 8 damaged
P-38E Lightning: 1 destroyed on ground

Japanese Ships
BB Mutsu
CL Oi
DD Yamagumo
DD Amatsukaze
DD Natsushio

Allied ground losses:
106 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 8 destroyed, 17 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 10 (4 destroyed, 6 disabled)
Vehicles lost 15 (6 destroyed, 9 disabled)

Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 20

We literally just fixed everything up YESTERDAY!

Night Naval bombardment of Noumea at 115,160 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 4 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed on ground
F4F-3 Wildcat: 5 damaged
F4F-3A Wildcat: 4 damaged
P-39D Airacobra: 5 damaged

5 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
CL Abukuma
CL Isuzu
DD Tokitsukaze
DD Isokaze
DD Hayashio, Shell hits 1, on fire

Allied ground losses:
34 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 3


See what I mean about USS Kane. This isn't the first time either. She has had other nights/days like this.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 23,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Mutsu, Shell hits 2
CL Oi
DD Natsushio, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Amatsukaze
DD Yamagumo

Allied Ships
DD Kane, Shell hits 2, on fire

Trevor puts up a good fight.

ay Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,159, Range 15,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Mutsu
CL Oi, Shell hits 2
DD Natsushio, Shell hits 1, heavy fires
DD Amatsukaze, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Yamagumo

Allied Ships
DMS Trevor, Shell hits 1

Acck! The IJN runs away because they heard USS Kane was still around.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 25,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Isuzu
CL Abukuma
DD Hayashio
DD Isokaze
DD Tokitsukaze

Allied Ships
APD Waters
AM Kingfisher
AP Henderson
KV Wetaskiwin
KV Chilliwack
xAP President Buchanan
xAP President Taylor
AMC Cap des Palmes
xAP Tjisadane
xAK Corinda

Isaac: Right ohn
You see, this cat Dane is a baaad motha'

Colored girls: Shut yo' mouth!

Isaac: But I'm takin' about Dane

Colored girls: We can dig it.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 114,160, Range 21,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Isuzu
CL Abukuma
DD Hayashio
DD Isokaze
DD Tokitsukaze

Allied Ships
DD Kane, on fire

Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions: 28,000 yards
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 21,000 yards
Japanese TF attempts to evade combat
Range increases to 21,000 yards...
Japanese task force evades combat

The poor commander of the 34th RCT convoy has limited options. He ends up 1 hex west of Noumea with NO CAP. Even more curious is he is Free French.
(Notice I resist the urge to make a running away joke, eh?). A fat target with an entire regiment embarked and they send 3 Kates? They all have torps. They all hit the same ship. The ship doesn't sink.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Noumea at 114,160

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 6
B5N2 Kate x 3

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
xAP President Buchanan, Torpedo hits 3, on fire

Allied ground losses:
122 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

No CAP over Noumea either. This means the airfield is shut down. Crap.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Noumea at 115,160

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 39
B5N2 Kate x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 1 damaged

Allied Ships
DM Tracy, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires

An inbound cargo AK that was intended to soak off Jap bombers. It worked. The juicy transport convoy is only 80 mi away.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Isle of Pines at 115,161

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10
B5N2 Kate x 4

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
xAK British Columbia, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

An inbound cargo AK that was intended to soak off Jap bombers. It worked. The juicy transport convoy is only 80 mi away.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Isle of Pines at 115,161

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10
B5N2 Kate x 4

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
xAK British Columbia, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk

So how exactly do those orders read?
Signal Ensign "Please ensure new camo pattern of cherry red circle within larger white circle applied to ship prior to arriving at Noumea"
CAPT of British Columbia "Read that part again, ensign..."

Be a shame to convert her to an APD at this point. Damn good mileage out of Clemson class laid down in 1918

ORIGINAL: Justus2

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

An inbound cargo AK that was intended to soak off Jap bombers. It worked. The juicy transport convoy is only 80 mi away.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Isle of Pines at 115,161

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10
B5N2 Kate x 4

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
xAK British Columbia, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk

So how exactly do those orders read?
Signal Ensign "Please ensure new camo pattern of cherry red circle within larger white circle applied to ship prior to arriving at Noumea"
CAPT of British Columbia "Read that part again, ensign..."

Well, it's not like President Buchanan was having a good day either.

ORIGINAL: Justus2

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

An inbound cargo AK that was intended to soak off Jap bombers. It worked. The juicy transport convoy is only 80 mi away.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Isle of Pines at 115,161

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10
B5N2 Kate x 4

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
xAK British Columbia, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk

So how exactly do those orders read?
Signal Ensign "Please ensure new camo pattern of cherry red circle within larger white circle applied to ship prior to arriving at Noumea"
CAPT of British Columbia "Read that part again, ensign..."

I don't know, it may fool the Japanese pilots but it could bring on some friendly fire.

Small surface group at Noumea. USS Kane has 9 lives.

I don't know, the CO of the Kane may need to rein things in a bit or he may have some problems with his crew......

[font="Courier New"]3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment is planning for an attack
on Melbourne.[/font].

Hmmm...not sure I believe this but this is the second unit said to be prepping for Melbourne

Portsea is quite vulnerable (just South of Melbourne). Clear hex. No CD guns. Of course it would induce the emergency reinforcements but if they were to invest Melbourne it would stop the arrival of the two US RCT's in 18 d.

Seems like they would need carriers. Maybe the Australian brigades arriving in Aden should come down to Oz. Perhaps the RN too.

Of course, that might be what they want us to do. [:)]

Game mechanics question: When in the turn cycle does airfield runway repair occur?

Is it before the sun comes up? [:)] I have to know to decide what to do at Noumea this turn.

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Game mechanics question: When in the turn cycle does airfield runway repair occur?

Is it before the sun comes up? [:)] I have to know to decide what to do at Noumea this turn.

Technically don't know but I see messages scroll by near the end of the turn, so I think it is intended to include that day's work: so say at the end.

Yes, that was my first suspicion.

***************Feb. 9, 1942(e)************


We pay our dues. Poor USS Buchanan has nowhere to go. Hit by 3 torpedoes, making only 7 kts and with 890 men of 34th IR aboard, she is ordered to Noumea to try to off load during the night.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 10,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Chikuma
DD Michishio
DD Amagiri

Allied Ships
PT-38
PT-46



Ut-oh, this could be trouble.

Yes, yes it is.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 10,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Chikuma
DD Michishio
DD Amagiri

Allied Ships
KV Wetaskiwin, Shell hits 10, and is sunk
xAP President Buchanan, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk

Allied ground losses:
2252 casualties reported
Squads: 48 destroyed, 17 disabled
Non Combat: 50 destroyed, 24 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 25 (20 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Probably should have sent her to Isle of Pines. Oh well. No do-overs. Other casualties at Noumea. There is a second cruiser force.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Nachi, Shell hits 1
CL Sendai
DD Sagiri
DD Yugiri
DD Oboro

Allied Ships
PC Morris, Shell hits 10, and is sunk
xAK Comliebank, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk


And a third.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Nagara
DD Yayoi
DD Kikuzuki
DD Harukaze
DD Hatakaze

Allied Ships
xAK Lewis Luckenbach, Shell hits 13, and is sunk