At dawn we slept...in the cab on the way back from Olongapo

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Mundy

Number of hits on Mandrake-san's AAR: 34683

Number of hits on my AAR: 37683

Creepy...

Both Mersine prime numbers too.[:)]

[Cap Mandrake]

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

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 32 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A5M4 Claude x 13
A6M2 Zero x 30
B5N1 Kate x 9
B5N2 Kate x 18
D3A1 Val x 14

Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 5
P-400 Airacobra x 3
P-40B Warhawk x 5
P-40E Warhawk x 19
F4F-3 Wildcat x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
A5M4 Claude: 3 destroyed
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N1 Kate: 4 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed, 4 damaged
D3A1 Val: 11 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
P-400 Airacobra: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
BB Arizona, Bomb hits 3
BB New Mexico
xAP Perida, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
BB Mississippi
AP Zeilin, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk

Allied ground losses:
1910 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 94 destroyed, 99 disabled
Engineers: 10 destroyed, 8 disabled
Guns lost 31 (20 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Vehicles lost 66 (37 destroyed, 29 disabled)


Perida, Zeilin, an AK and AVD sunk...and quite a portion of a base force along with them...and some Grants.

[Cap Mandrake]

Air losses. We shot down a lot of crappy Claudes and Jakes but not enough Kates or Vals.

[desicat]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Perida, Zeilin, an AK and AVD sunk...and quite a portion of a base force along with them...and some Grants.

At least they didn't get the Hudepohl!

[Cap Mandrake]

Situation: N&IC et environs. Koumac goes to level 1 AF with 53 fighters. We need to do something fast so we send some DM's too bombard tonight and order the LB-30's to attack the AF at night.

The good news is you can't run a fighter sweep from level 1 but they certainly can order LRCAP over La Foa or Noumea.

[desicat]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Situation: N&IC et environs. Koumac goes to level 1 AF with 53 fighters. We need to do something fast so we send some DM's too bombard tonight and order the LB-30's to attack the AF at night.

The map shows US BB's all over the place, its probably going to take you sorting them out to get a good AF bombardment to put Koumac out of action. Any ground troops on the way for the N&I C AOR?

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: desicat

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Situation: N&IC et environs. Koumac goes to level 1 AF with 53 fighters. We need to do something fast so we send some DM's too bombard tonight and order the LB-30's to attack the AF at night.

The map shows US BB's all over the place, its probably going to take you sorting them out to get a good AF bombardment to put Koumac out of action. Any ground troops on the way for the N&I C AOR?

Yes, it does seem chaotic but the BB's (other than Arizona) have just arrived in theater. Quite a number were completing AAA upgrades. With the striking power of the KB, it's too dangerous to get stuck out in the open.

We could definitely use an Iowa class about now.

Not sure what JJ will do with this situation. Maybe another day of antishipping raids on Noumea or perhaps an attempt at a night bombardment first

Another US Army Rgt was inbound but turned around and there are a number of units prepping for La Foa to land behind them again.

[desicat]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: desicat

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Situation: N&IC et environs. Koumac goes to level 1 AF with 53 fighters. We need to do something fast so we send some DM's too bombard tonight and order the LB-30's to attack the AF at night.

The map shows US BB's all over the place, its probably going to take you sorting them out to get a good AF bombardment to put Koumac out of action. Any ground troops on the way for the N&I C AOR?

Yes, it does seem chaotic but the BB's (other than Arizona) have just arrived in theater. Quite a number were completing AAA upgrades. With the striking power of the KB, it's too dangerous to get stuck out in the open.

We could definitely use an Iowa class about now.

Not sure what JJ will do with this situation. Maybe another day of antishipping raids on Noumea or perhaps an attempt at a night bombardment first

I did not mean to infer that the BB's were randomly deployed, I was just stating that it will take a bit of work to concentrate them for an effective strike.

At this point the KB has got to be low on sorties as they have been in theater for what seems like forever.

[Cap Mandrake]

Not to mention depletion of aerial torpedoes and fatigue and morale hits on their fighters. They might be flying in replacement squadrons but the limitation to that strategy is there is no way to push the disabled planes off the deck.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Air losses. We shot down a lot of crappy Claudes and Jakes but not enough Kates or Vals.

I think you did very well. It's not the airframes that are of utmost importance. IMO, it's the pilots of the aircraft. He's likely losing a lot more of them than you, based upon where the fighting is taking place.

[Cap Mandrake]

************Feb 23, 1942(e)***********


N&IC et environs: Trenton sunk from her own flooding after the encounter with the Jap BB's yesterday.

O'Brien was intercepted by the same BB's in the night and was finished off. We sent some DM's up from Noumea to harass Koumac and interrupted some unloading of WJD's

Night Time Surface Combat, near Koumac at 113,156, Range 10,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
AMC Kinryu Maru
AMC Aikoku Maru, Shell hits 2

Allied Ships
DM Thracian
DM Montgomery

Japanese ground losses:
8 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

We lose a couple of 17's because of the anticipated LRCAP from Koumac. This much effort may mean La Foa is ready to go Level 1 as well

Interestingly, the number of fighters at La Foa is down to 9 today. Probably, they joined the carriers.

Morning Air attack on 25th JNAF AF Unit , at 114,159 (La Foa)

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 29

Allied aircraft
B-17D Fortress x 3
B-17E Fortress x 3

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-17D Fortress: 3 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 3 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 4000 feet *
Ground Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
3 x B-17D Fortress bombing from 4000 feet *
Ground Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb

[Cap Mandrake]

No naval engagement at Noumea. Instead, JJ sends in their naval bombers again but the recently arrived P-39's at Suva have most of their wings glued on so we have a better CAP today.

Looks like the Kates have no torps. No serious damage to the BB's

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

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 47 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 20 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A5M4 Claude x 3
A6M2 Zero x 28
B5N1 Kate x 9
D3A1 Val x 30

Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 45
P-400 Airacobra x 1
P-40B Warhawk x 16
P-40E Warhawk x 15
F4F-3 Wildcat x 1

Japanese aircraft losses
A5M4 Claude: 1 destroyed
A6M2 Zero: 7 destroyed
B5N1 Kate: 2 destroyed, 4 damaged
D3A1 Val: 6 destroyed, 2 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
BB Arizona, Bomb hits 1
BB Idaho, Bomb hits 1
PT-42
BB New Mexico
DD Morris
PT-46
PT-38


Alcoa Prospector, already damaged from yesterday's attack, still had some 2 1/2 ton trucks aboard. Instead of staying at Noumea as ordered Cmdr McQueeg decides to run for it....at 6 kts.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Mare' at 118,161

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 9 NM, estimated altitude 2,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A5M4 Claude x 3
B5N2 Kate x 13

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 3 damaged

Allied Ships
PC Haida, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk
xAK Alcoa Prospector, Bomb hits 7, and is sunk

Allied ground losses:
Vehicles lost 32 (7 destroyed, 25 disabled)

Aircraft Attacking:
13 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 2000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb

[Cap Mandrake]

Idiot! Not like we didn't warn him.

[Chickenboy]

It's been far too long since this AAR had a dose of juvenile scatologic humor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJk-roFa9oY

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

It's been far too long since this AAR had a dose of juvenile scatologic humor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJk-roFa9oY

If his opponent decided to take the stage name of the ancient Greek deity of the sky then it would be Mainus vs Uranus.

[Cap Mandrake]

***************40 Mi E of Noumea, bridge of Wing Po, Feb. 23*****************


Lookout Wong Hung Lo: Captain Ho Lee Fuk! White lines in watah ovah there.

Captain Ho Lee Fuk: <puts glasses to eyes> Oooooh Nooooo. Sum Ting Wong, HARD RIGHT RUDDER!

Helmsman Sum Ting Wong: Aye, aye Captain Ho Lee Fuk, hard right rudder!

[zuluhour]

Glad I read this tonight, some of the office fellows think I'm nuts when I break out in laughter first thing in the morning.[:D]

[Chickenboy]

***************40 Mi E of Noumea, Wing Po boiler room #1, aft, Feb. 23*****************


Engineer So Dam Hot: [sweating profusely] More coal in the furnace!

Coalman Who Flung Dung: Aye aye, sir! [a tremendous burst of flatulence issues forth as he sets to work shoveling coal]

Engineer So Dam Hot: Hory crap! [waves hand in front of face]

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

***************40 Mi E of Noumea, Wing Po boiler room #1, aft, Feb. 23*****************


Engineer So Dam Hot: [sweating profusely] More coal in the furnace!

Coalman Who Flung Dung: Aye aye, sir! [a tremendous burst of flatulence issues forth as he sets to work shoveling coal]

Engineer So Dam Hot: Hory crap! [waves hand in front of face]

All flammable wind should be aimed into the furnace to achieve maximum stoke of the coal fire. Give Who Flung Dung more fish head soup with cabbage and soya beans.