[font="Times New Roman"]Dec 11, 1941[/font]
[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]
PACIFIC: [/font]A tense turn!!
The Lex and escorts were engaged by the Wake surface support group in the day, luckily just the old Tenryu CLs and Old Mutsuki DDs, and our cruisers got the better of the battle. By the air phase the IJN were out of range, but the Lex groups found other targets! [:)]
We weren't able to get to the Guam troops before landing unfortunately, so that base will fall next turn as usual. It wouldn't have changed much, but that TF has Tjsugaru, an AV and a bunch of PBs that are useful in the beginning and a good lot of points.
The air groups did find some decent targets. Two AMCs are hit hard. Troops on board so that is fantastic. [8D]
They also hit two bigger xAK at Saipan and a few of the Guam TF ships. While this kind of delay to the Japanese So Pac and Cent Pac conquests might be short lived, it could open door to delay other larger projects if the KB is needed to shepherd bigger tougher convoys into the area.
Now to see if Lex can survive. The four older Furetaka and Aoba class cruisers and their 4 DDs are out here somewhere, but haven't shown up in searches yet. [X(] Yikes!!
Evasive manoeuvres are ordered, and if we do avoid or escape relatively unscathed, there could be more fireworks in the naval strike department tomorrow too. The Enterprise is also just passing Wake and should close in on some of the action as well. The goal would be to join the two TFs and create a SCTF as well, then sail on where opportunity for mischief looks likely! [;)]
Fingers crossed it's not a night surface battle with IJN CAs ...
[font="Trebuchet MS"]
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Dec 11, 41
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Day Time Surface Combat, near Saipan at 118,96, Range 24,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CL Tenryu
CL Tatsuta,
Shell hits 3, heavy fires
DD Mutsuki, Shell hits 1
DD Kisaragi, Shell hits 1
DD Yayoi,
Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Mochizuki
Allied Ships
CV Lexington, Shell hits 1
CA Portland
CA Chicago
CA Astoria,
Shell hits 5
DD Mahan
DD Drayton
DD Lamson, Shell hits 1
DD Flusser
DD Porter
Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions: 30,000 yards
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 24,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 24,000 yards
CV Lexington screened from combat
- escorted by DD Porter , DD Flusser , DD Lamson ,
DD Drayton , DD Mahan
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Saipan at 113,96
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 11
SBD-3 Dauntless x 15
Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
AMC Kongo Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
AMC Kinryu Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
Japanese ground losses:
494 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 16 disabled
Non Combat: 6 destroyed, 41 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 4 (1 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Aircraft Attacking:
3 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
12 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AMC Kinryu Maru
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Saipan at 108,93
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Allied aircraft
SBD-2 Dauntless x 15
TBD-1 Devastator x 8
Allied aircraft losses
SBD-2 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak
Japanese Ships
xAK Nikki Maru, Bomb hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Nanman Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire
Aircraft Attacking:
6 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
8 x TBD-1 Devastator bombing from 1000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Nikki Maru
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Guam at 106,95
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Japanese aircraft
E13A1 Jake x 3
E7K2 Alf x 1
F1M2 Pete x 6
Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 11
SBD-3 Dauntless x 14
Japanese aircraft losses
E13A1 Jake: 1 destroyed
E7K2 Alf: 1 destroyed
F1M2 Pete: 1 destroyed
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
xAK Yokohama Maru
xAK Matsue Maru,
Bomb hits 1
xAK Daifuku Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAK China Maru
Aircraft Attacking:
2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
CAP engaged:
Kiyokawa Maru-1 with F1M2 Pete (2 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 3000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 6 minutes
Kiyokawa Maru-2 with E13A1 Jake (1 airborne, 2 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 3000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 6 minutes
Tsugaru-1 with E7K2 Alf (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 3000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 3000.
Raid is overhead
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Daifuku Maru
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Saipan at 113,96
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes
Allied aircraft
SBD-2 Dauntless x 14
Allied aircraft losses
SBD-2 Dauntless: 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
AMC Kongo Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
PB Hakkaisan Maru, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Oite, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
Japanese ground losses:
26 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
6 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
8 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AMC Kongo Maru
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring PB Hakkaisan Maru
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Oite
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Saipan at 108,93
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid spotted at 9 NM, estimated altitude 4,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Allied aircraft
TBD-1 Devastator x 8
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
xAK Nanman Maru, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Shofuku Maru, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk
Aircraft Attacking:
8 x TBD-1 Devastator bombing from 1000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb SAP Bomb
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