Page 778 of 788
RE: Firestarter
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:41 am
by Cap Mandrake
Hokkaido: WJD DD's raid toward Bihoro, braving a sub gauntlet.
Night Time Surface Combat, near Bihoro at 124,51, Range 5,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Shimakaze
DD Tachekaze
Allied Ships
DD Harding, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Baldwin
Well, that was manly. A second group of USN DD's arrive. We lose
Night Time Surface Combat, near Bihoro at 123,51, Range 1,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Shimakaze
DD Tachekaze
Allied Ships
DD Saufley
DD McCalla, Shell hits 5
DD Bancroft
DD Frazier
A PERFECT opportunity for PT boats. 2000 yds visibility. No go.
Night Time Surface Combat, near Fukue-jima at 101,58, Range 2,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Oite
DD Urukaze
Allied Ships
PT-287
PT-288
PT-332
PT-333
PT-334
The PT boats finally drive off the IJN DD's.
RE: Firestarter
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:47 am
by Cap Mandrake
In the morning, a well escorted attack on the transports. Spillover CAP from the F6F's 40 miles away.
Morning Air attack on TF, near Bihoro at 123,51
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 65 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 27 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 10
B5N2 Kate x 19
Allied aircraft
P-38H Lightning x 4
F6F-3 Hellcat x 44
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 2 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 9 destroyed, 2 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
F6F-3 Hellcat: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
APA Wayne
xAP Kajang
Remember Indiana, (which was one of the most beautiful ships of WWII) that stopped to look at flying fish and bioluminescent wakes?
Morning Air attack on TF, near Bihoro at 124,49
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 57 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 24 minutes
Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 7
Allied aircraft
P-38H Lightning x 6
F6F-3 Hellcat x 8
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 3 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
No Allied losses
Allied Ships
BB Indiana, Torpedo hits 2
DAMN! It's not very bad but she will need drydock
A couple of unescorted Val attacks on the landing vessels are trashed.
Morning Air attack on TF, near Bihoro at 123,51
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 29 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes
Japanese aircraft
D3A2 Val x 6
Allied aircraft
P-38H Lightning x 1
F6F-3 Hellcat x 35
Japanese aircraft losses
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed
No Allied losses
Some carrier SBD's break a few AK's near Hakodate (western Hokkaido)
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Hakodate at 119,53
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 47 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 17 minutes
Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 24
SBD-5 Dauntless x 14
Allied aircraft losses
SBD-5 Dauntless: 2 damaged
Japanese Ships
xAK Kamogawa Maru
xAK Konzan Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAK Shanghai Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAKL Taganoura Maru
RE: Firestarter
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:56 am
by Cap Mandrake
We might have saved 2 of the infantry regiments and landed them AFTER capture but intel was incomplete and speed was important as we have already triggered emergency reserves.
Ground combat at Bihoro (123,51)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 6311 troops, 121 guns, 375 vehicles, Assault Value = 346
Defending force 1780 troops, 10 guns, 36 vehicles, Assault Value = 11
Allied adjusted assault: 126
Japanese adjusted defense: 2
Allied assault odds: 63 to 1 (fort level 1)
Allied forces CAPTURE Bihoro !!!
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-36 Ida: 2 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 17 destroyed
D3A1 Val: 2 destroyed
Combat modifiers
Defender: disruption(-), preparation(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
670 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 91 destroyed, 26 disabled
Engineers: 13 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 10 (5 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Vehicles lost 26 (26 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 1
Allied ground losses:
22 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
4th USMC Tank Battalion
58th (Sep) Infantry Regiment
762nd Tank Battalion
27th Infantry Regiment
201st(Sep) Infantry Rgt /1
209th Field Artillery Battalion
North Pacific /1
Defending units:
1st Air Division
27th JNAF AF Unit
RE: Firestarter
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 1:00 am
by Cap Mandrake
Port Hedrand: The walking dead grow weaker...BRAINS...BRAINS
Ground combat at Port Hedland (57,129)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 14362 troops, 200 guns, 815 vehicles, Assault Value = 544
Defending force 17292 troops, 25 guns, 20 vehicles, Assault Value = 162
Allied adjusted assault: 460
Japanese adjusted defense: 13
Allied assault odds: 35 to 1
Combat modifiers
Defender: disruption(-), fatigue(-), supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+)
Japanese ground losses:
1764 casualties reported
Squads: 211 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 78 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 14 (13 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Units destroyed 1
Allied ground losses:
241 casualties reported
Squads: 10 destroyed, 23 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 8 (1 destroyed, 7 disabled)
Assaulting units:
1st Motor Brigade
6th Australian Brigade
2/6th Armoured Regiment
2/11th Armoured Car Battalion
2/5th Armoured Regiment
4th Armoured Brigade
3rd Motor Brigade
11th Australian Battalion
3rd Australian Brigade
19th USN Naval Construction Battalion
177th USAAF Base Force
1st RAAF M/W Sqn
15th USN Naval Construction Battalion
18th USN Naval Construction Battalion
4th RAAF M/W Sqn
3rd RAAF M/W Sqn
Defending units:
5th Division
6th Guards Division
16th Army
24th Infantry Regiment
4th Ind. Engineer Regiment
56th Engineer Regiment
4th Infantry Regiment
65th Brigade
22nd Air Flotilla
66th Infantry Group
51st JNAF AF Unit
RE: Firestarter
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 1:10 am
by Cap Mandrake
USS Indiana
RE: Firestarter
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 2:31 am
by Chickenboy
ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake
USS Indiana
Bad a** b****! [&o]
RE: Firestarter
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 11:37 am
by Cap Mandrake
Situation on Hokkaido, July 27. 8500 LYB's at Sapporo. Lots of transport activity. Maybe they are stripping Hokkaido of everything valuable?
RE: Firestarter
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 11:39 am
by Cap Mandrake
Indiana is at 13/15/6 damage. She will head back to Shikoku for some bondo and shop vac work and then back to Seattle. Bummer. Mr. Mnderbinder will have a chain of transistor radio factories by the time she gets back.
But you say, "Wait, the transistor is not invented yet!"
That's what you think.
RE: Firestarter
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:03 pm
by BBfanboy
ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake
Situation on Hokkaido, July 27. 8500 LYB's at Sapporo. Lots of transport activity. Maybe they are stripping Hokkaido of everything valuable?
Can you "activate" the Russians by marching Allied troops across the border from Shikuka? If so, whose side would they be on?
I sent an xAKL to Russia once with some supply which they happily accepted, but would they give the ship some fuel to get back home?
NYET!
I think the port commander was Alexander Putin Sr. [8|]
RE: Firestarter
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 1:47 pm
by Cap Mandrake
I don't even think you can get Japan-mens to retreat into Red Menace territory. Even so, there are opportunities for trade.
RE: Matryoshka
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 2:01 pm
by Cap Mandrake
************"Downtown" Shikuka, July 27, 1943(c)*********
A large line of GI's queue outside a storefront. A sign reads.
UNIQUE RUSSIAN MATRYOSHKA DOLLS:
A GREAT GIFT FOR YOUR GIRL
M&M Importers, Inc.
RE: Matryoshka
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 2:04 pm
by Cap Mandrake
I am pretty sure "Matryoshka" means "useless" in Russian.
I'd rather have a beat up Lawn Jockey than a crate of those stupid things.
RE: Matryoshka
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 2:10 pm
by Cap Mandrake
Alaska class was pretty bitchen' too. Except for that AA battery on the bow. Not sure the taxpayers got a good value in terms of utility with the Alaska class...but somebody put bread on their table.
What the USN should have done is have a gay guy look over the final design and get rid of crap like that AA gun on the bow. Just purely on esthetic grounds I mean. Ditto on the paint color choices.
RE: Matryoshka
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 2:15 pm
by Cap Mandrake
Oh...I just realized I may have insulted folks who do ship art mods. Sorry. Was just a joke.
Even so, I'm thinking a hint of summer dawn teal on the superstructure.
RE: Matryoshka
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 2:46 pm
by BBfanboy
ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake
Alaska class was pretty bitchen' too. Except for that AA battery on the bow. Not sure the taxpayers got a good value in terms of utility with the Alaska class...but somebody put bread on their table.
What the USN should have done is have a gay guy look over the final design and get rid of crap like that AA gun on the bow. Just purely on esthetic grounds I mean. Ditto on the paint color choices.
I like the Alaska Class lines too - the well dispersed superstructure and mack (mast/stack) were unique.
They were used mainly for bombardments and AA escort because the threat they were designed to counter never existed.
Call it Fog of Pre-War: the Japanese hid the size of their three new Yamato battleships by announcing they were also building three Chibuchi class BC of 27,000 tons, to account for the money and material
going into the Yamatos. So the US promptly planned five (to maintain the 5:3 ration) CB to counter the phantom Chibuchis. By the time it was clear that
there were no Chibuchis, the US needed the ALaskas to take on the nasty Japanese CAs. Then it was clear that the CAs would be countered by air power, but
construction was far along and the USN needed good, fast, long-range AA escorts for the carrier fleet, so they kept construction going. Alaska and Guam were
completed and used, while the third (Hawaii? Samoa?) was nearly finished.
After the war there was talk of making them missile-armed ships, but it was more economical to convert and operate some of the CAs and CLs instead.
I'm not sure, but on a flight departing San Francisco many years ago we went over the Mare Island area and I may have caught a glimpse of the Alaska tied
up with the mothball fleet. Wished I had driven up to the area and rented a boat!
RE: Matryoshka
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 3:01 pm
by Disco Duck
ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake
Alaska class was pretty bitchen' too. Except for that AA battery on the bow. Not sure the taxpayers got a good value in terms of utility with the Alaska class...but somebody put bread on their table.
What the USN should have done is have a gay guy look over the final design and get rid of crap like that AA gun on the bow. Just purely on esthetic grounds I mean. Ditto on the paint color choices.
I like the Alaska Class lines too - the well dispersed superstructure and mack (mast/stack) were unique.
They were used mainly for bombardments and AA escort because the threat they were designed to counter never existed.
Call it Fog of Pre-War: the Japanese hid the size of their three new Yamato battleships by announcing they were also building three Chibuchi class BC of 27,000 tons, to account for the money and material
going into the Yamatos. So the US promptly planned five (to maintain the 5:3 ration) CB to counter the phantom Chibuchis. By the time it was clear that
there were no Chibuchis, the US needed the ALaskas to take on the nasty Japanese CAs. Then it was clear that the CAs would be countered by air power, but
construction was far along and the USN needed good, fast, long-range AA escorts for the carrier fleet, so they kept construction going. Alaska and Guam were
completed and used, while the third (Hawaii? Samoa?) was nearly finished.
After the war there was talk of making them missile-armed ships, but it was more economical to convert and operate some of the CAs and CLs instead.
I'm not sure, but on a flight departing San Francisco many years ago we went over the Mare Island area and I may have caught a glimpse of the Alaska tied
up with the mothball fleet. Wished I had driven up to the area and rented a boat!
Be Glad you didn't waste the money. She was scrapped in 1960.
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-u ... -a/cb1.htm
RE: Matryoshka
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 1:40 pm
by Chickenboy
What a monumental waste of a beautiful and capable ship...[:(]
Commissioned in 1944, decommissioned in 1947. Sent to the breakers in 1960.
RE: RIP???
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 12:51 pm
by Cap Mandrake
*************July 27, 1943(c)***********
Formosa: Possible LYB surface combatants were spotted hugging the coast of China so a
plan to embark ground units at Taihoku was scrubbed and mighty PC-776 was ordered to stand guard. I think the least we could do is a unit citation medal.
Night Time Surface Combat, near Taihoku at 87,63, Range 1,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Akebono
DD Ushio
DD Kisaragi
Allied Ships
SC PC-776, Shell hits 12, and is sunk
RE: RIP???
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 12:59 pm
by Cap Mandrake
Hokkaido: We retreated our unloading transports back from Bihoro, anticipating another surface night
raid. Indeed, Chikuma was seen in the area. The carrier planes broke 8 or 9 WJD AK's without troops aboard (in and around Hokkaido)....but our troop transports somehow got separated from the carriers and something bad happened.
750 men of 58th IR were aboard that ship. Sorry about that.
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Kunashiri at 126,50
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid detected at 48 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 17 minutes
Japanese aircraft
D3A2 Val x 11
G4M1 Betty x 4
Japanese aircraft losses
D3A2 Val: 3 damaged
Allied Ships
xAP Josiah Royce, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAP Trade Wind, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Beale
xAP William B. Allison, Bomb hits 2, on fire
SC-632, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
Allied ground losses:
864 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 124 destroyed, 46 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 14 (11 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Vehicles lost 27 (24 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Chikuma evidently cleared the area by daylight.
RE: RIP???
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 1:04 pm
by Cap Mandrake
Kyushu: Orderly disembarkation of thousands of troops underway at Kanoya. No IJN night raid.
Kogoshima airfield is plasterized again by heavies and B-25's. Looks like the WJD have given up defending it. Time to go after Sasebo/Nagasaki.