19th - 21st June 1942
Three days of Battleships
Burma
As I stated before, Allied HQ decided to provide battleships cover to transports unloading troops at Ramree Island. Their mission: “To protect convoy from active Surface Task Force from Rangoon”. That decision almost immediately brought its fruit.
On 19th June, Japanese Task Force attacked Ramree Island and Royal Navy ships moved to action.
Unfortunately this was day when Japanese torpedoes hit targets almost every time.
Night Time Surface Combat, near Ramree Island at 54,48, Range 7,000 Yards
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
E7K2 Alf: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Walrus II: 1 destroyed
Japanese Ships
CA Nachi, Shell hits 8, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Naka, Shell hits 10, and is sunk
CL Isuzu, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Kinu, Shell hits 2
DD Nowaki, Shell hits 5, on fire
DD Arashi, Shell hits 2
DD Hagikaze
DD Oshio, Shell hits 7, heavy fires
Allied Ships
BB Prince of Wales, Shell hits 1
BB Royal Sovereign, Shell hits 23, Torpedo hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB Resolution, Shell hits 10, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
CL Hobart, Shell hits 1
CL Emerald, Shell hits 4, on fire
CL Glasgow, Shell hits 5, on fire
CL Caledon
DD Thanet, Shell hits 2
DD Arrow, Shell hits 2, heavy fires
DD Decoy, Shell hits 2
DD Express, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
Poor visibility due to Rain with 32% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Rain and 32% moonlight: 6,000 yards
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 7,000 yards
William-Powlett, P. crosses the 'T'
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Ramree Island at 54,48, Range 1,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Nachi, Shell hits 24, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Isuzu, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Nowaki, Shell hits 1
DD Arashi
DD Oshio, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
Allied Ships
BB Prince of Wales, Shell hits 1
CL Hobart
CL Emerald
CL Caledon, Shell hits 1
DD Thanet
Poor visibility due to Rain with 42% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Rain and 42% moonlight: 1,000 yards
William-Powlett, P. crosses the 'T'
Japanese Task Force Manages to Escape
Task forces break off...
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Ramree Island at 54,48, Range 2,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Nachi, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Isuzu, Shell hits 10, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Nowaki, on fire
DD Arashi
DD Oshio, and is sunk
Allied Ships
BB Prince of Wales
CL Hobart, Shell hits 1
CL Emerald
CL Caledon
DD Thanet
Low visibility due to Rain with 42% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Rain and 42% moonlight: 2,000 yards
Both Resolution and Royal Sovereign sunk.
I hope that Nachi and Isuzu didn’t survived either.
On next day Allies had more bad luck.
Japanese ace submarine I-153 sunk CL Emerald with three direct hits.
21st brought change in Japanese tactics. They send IJA air force to deal with Allied convoys, but not everything went as they planned.
Morning Air attack on TF, near Akyab at 54,45
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 23 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 13
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 12
Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 11
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 4 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
AM Bittern
xAK Tricolor
xAKL Sarpen, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
AM Whippoorwill
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Ramree Island at 54,48
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 24
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 16
P-40E Warhawk x 2
P-40E Warhawk x 16
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 8 destroyed, 6 damaged
No Allied losses
Allied Ships
CL Ceres
BB Prince of Wales
I expect sweep attacks in next days.
Java
Batavia and Bandoeng are still in Dutch hands in spite constant bombardment.
Fiji
Suva airbase was operational, but fruit of air attacks were rather small.
TB Hato, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
AK Kaga Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
TB Kamo, Bomb hits 1, on fire
So Allied command decided to prepare bombardment of Nadi by held in reserve, in Pago Pago, small fleet detachment led by BB Pennsylvania.
There could be no worst timing
At first everything went as planned… Almost. Allied TF attacked unloading transports
Night Time Surface Combat, near Nadi at 131,160, Range 8,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Yugumo
DD Hamakaze, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
DD Shirayuki
AK Kaga Maru, Shell hits 2, heavy fires
xAK Yamasimo Maru
Allied Ships
BB Pennsylvania, Shell hits 1
DD Gwin
DD O'Brien, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Nizam
Allied Ships Reported to be Approaching!
Japanese TF suspends unloading operations and begins to get underway
Allied Ships Reported to be Approaching!
Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions and 53% moonlight: 8,000 yards
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 8,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 8,000 yards
DD Yugumo collides with DD Hamakaze at 131 , 160
2 Torpedo hits and one allied destroyer sunk. Allied commander decided not to bombard base and withdraw to Pago Pago.
In the same time few miles to the west, Japanese battleships TF bombarded Suva base and inflicted losses to Allied air groups and they closed airbase.
Night Naval bombardment of Suva at 132,160
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 32 damaged
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed on ground
P-40E Warhawk: 17 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 5 destroyed on ground
PBY-5 Catalina: 15 damaged
PBY-5 Catalina: 2 destroyed on ground
P-38E Lightning: 21 damaged
P-38E Lightning: 1 destroyed on ground
B-17E Fortress: 57 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 4 destroyed on ground
LB-30 Liberator: 18 damaged
LB-30 Liberator: 1 destroyed on ground
B-26 Marauder: 15 damaged
Vildebeest IV: 16 damaged
Vildebeest IV: 3 destroyed on ground
SBD-1 Dauntless: 24 damaged
SBD-1 Dauntless: 2 destroyed on ground
F4F-3 Wildcat: 11 damaged
F4F-3 Wildcat: 2 destroyed on ground
Japanese Ships
BB Mutsu
BB Haruna
BB Kongo
CA Ashigara
CA Myoko
CL Abukuma
Allied ground losses:
1254 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 18 destroyed, 85 disabled
Engineers: 6 destroyed, 12 disabled
Guns lost 37 (12 destroyed, 25 disabled)
Vehicles lost 24 (12 destroyed, 12 disabled)
Airbase hits 35
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 108
BB Mutsu firing at Suva
BB Haruna firing at Suva
BB Kongo firing at Suva
CA Ashigara firing at Suva
CA Myoko firing at Suva
CL Abukuma firing at Suva
And to add to bad luck, this TF met with Allied Pennsylvania TF returning from Nadi. Allied Task Force was surprised.
Day Time Surface Combat, near Suva at 131,161, Range 16,000 Yards
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
OS2U-3 Kingfisher: 1 destroyed
Japanese Ships
BB Kongo, Shell hits 4, heavy fires
BB Haruna, Shell hits 3
BB Mutsu, Shell hits 3
CA Myoko
CA Ashigara
CL Abukuma, Shell hits 3
DD Amatsukaze
DD Michishio, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Yamagumo
DD Murasame, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Kawakaze
DD Yuzuki
Allied Ships
BB Pennsylvania, Shell hits 29, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
DD Gwin, Shell hits 2, heavy fires
DD Nizam, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions: 20,000 yards
Range closes to 16,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 16,000 yards
Japanese launch Long Lance torpedoes at 16,000 yards before allies detect Japanese presence
More torpedo hits. And Pennsylvania went down.
3 days and 3 Battleships sunk.