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27th Sep 1943
Oil centers destroyed:
- Palembang 249
- Balikpapan 218 (+50)
- Djambi 155
- Samarinda 56
- Lanchow 0 fires ...
- Java Oil captured 225
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total count: 935
Southwest Pacific HQ: Operation "Bigfoot"
US Destroyers engaged and sunk PB Shinko Maru #5 and next they fight off Japanese 3 CA and 5 DD lead by Tanaka.
USS Taylor and USS Converse will need 6 - 10 days in shipyard. On other hand destroyer Isonami was sunk and Shikinami will need shipyard.
However I did pushed enemy fleet out of Balikpapan, which is now open for shore bombardments.
Martin already noticed it and moved his fighters to Samarinda airfield. I am observing his LCUs moving to towards Samarinda too.
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Balikpapan at 64,97, Range 5,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Chikuma
CA Mogami, Shell hits 2
CA Aoba
DD Asashio
DD Arare, Shell hits 1
DD Isonami, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Shirayuki
DD Shikinami, Shell hits 1, on fire
Allied Ships
DD Charles Ausburne
DD Bache
DD Bennett
DD Claxton
DD Converse, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Foote
DD Taylor, Shell hits 5, heavy fires
5th USAAF were bombing 143rd IJA Ragiment at Cheribon flying over 400 sorties. 20+ Franks were trying intercept bombers by my escorting P-39 and P-40 did not allowed to do it. 11 fighters were lost but for cost 14 Franks on Japanese side.
Next Armored Combat Team of 6th US Army and 6th AUS Division "Shock attacked" 143rd positions and crashed it. Cheribon is liberated.
Generally recon photos suggest that all Japanese LCUs left on Java are withdrawing to Batavia.
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Ground combat at Cheribon (51,100)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 3454 troops, 53 guns, 493 vehicles, Assault Value = 712
Defending force 2287 troops, 26 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 35
Allied adjusted assault: 381
Japanese adjusted defense: 1
Allied assault odds: 381 to 1 (fort level 3)
Allied forces CAPTURE Cheribon !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: leaders(+), leaders(-), disruption(-), preparation(-)
Attacker: shock(+)
Japanese ground losses:
2116 casualties reported
Squads: 152 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 17 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 20 (20 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Assaulting units:
767th Tank Battalion
193rd Tank Battalion
637th Tank Destroyer Battalion
641st Towed Tank Destroyer Battalion
194th Tank Battalion
632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion
766th Tank Battalion
9th Australian Division
Defending units:
143rd Infantry Regiment
South Pacific HQ:
Several PBY4-1 attacked ships around Hollandia, 9 are lost due to heavy CAP scoring 0 hits.
Over 300 Ground support and AF bombing sorties against Buka Rabaul by Salomons Air Force. [/font]
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