CINCSoPac/SWPac

[Rob Roberson]

I have ordered a general slackening of offensive operations theatre wide. My submarine and airforces will remain active though not at the previous tempo. I am going to attempt rest my forces as much as possible prior to the next phase of operation. I still fully intend to hit two Japanese targets at the same time and depending on how the next three weeks of whittling ops go will decide where. I have assembled a 4 battleship task force supported by heavy cruisers and destroyers and ordered them into the waters around the Solomons. Led by Ray "lifejacket" Spruance I have told him simply to find trouble. The admiral says he intends to hit the airfield at Lunga and the port of the Shortlands and see if the Japanese heavys come out and engage him. I know they are in the area, one of my submariners reported torpedoing a Japanese battleship. My intel also has reported that the carrier Hiyo sank recently, my army pilots finally got credit for their kill.

I must build up shipping and supplies for the undertaking I am planning. So, I don't see my forces returning to offensive operations on the ground for several weeks, but as always if a situation presents itself I will take it.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

5 January 1943

[Rob Roberson]

I may be slowing down operations, but the enemy clearly is not. A Japanese task force slipped past my air cover and bombarded Gili Gili. The attack itself wasn't major, but the psychological effect was damaging. If the Japanese still have the self-confidence to make these kind of strikes, then I'm not as close to ending this campaign as I thought.

My submariners are having quite a bit of success. I cannot not praise them too much. Today one of my submarines reported torpedoing the Mogami off Rabaul. Unfortunetly two of my submarines failed to report home from thier cruise. It is the saddest thing to acknowledge a missing submarine, you never know how they met their fate.

Spruance's battleships have begun to make thier move north towards Guadalcanal. They will be in the area for at least two days before heading towards Shortlands. I believe the Japanese will come out to fight.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

6 January 1943

[Rob Roberson]

Old habits seem to be the hardest to break and once again I find my army pilots not flying at navy targets. My searches have found 3 battleship task groups well within range of my Army air at Gili and yet they sit on the runway. Last night battleships again hammered Gili, this has become such a serious threat that I have ordered Washington and South Dakota to leave the yards at Noumea and steam for Gili. Spruance and his group will hit Lunga tonite and drive up the slot looking for these three phantom Japanese groups. If the Army can't get to them you can bet my warships will.

I have switch targets with my massed heavy and medium bombers and begun to pound the troops at Finschafen. Like Mandang before them recon/intell has said the results were devastating. I intend to hammer Finschafen for an extended period of time. If my air power does enough damage I may just send a couple of army units to the area to mop up the remaining Japanese troops there.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

9 January 1943

[Rob Roberson]

A major Japanese effort to supply Lunga is underway. Spruance and his battleships met and destroyed two groups of transports off Lunga (unescorted) and now my air recon is reporting at least four more headed down the slot. After sending most of the enemy supply ships to the bottom Spruance kept his date with Guadalcanal and pour shells into the airfield there. Amazingly enough when daylight came Japanese bombers got off the ground and attacked the task group without result. Given the amount of Japanese supply ships trying to slip through to Lunga I have ordered Spruance to hang off the coast of Guadalcanal and give them a hot greeting, canceling the second part of his operation to hit the SHortlands.

P-39s out of Kiriwana attempted to attack the Battleships that have been making nightly runs at Gili without result.

I just received a surprising report. Japanese troops out of Finschafen are on the move towards Lae. An interesting development to be sure. I to hamper their march with my bombers out of Port Moresby.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

10 January 1943

[Rob Roberson]

I now have between one and three thousand troops at LAE! I am floored. I have halted the withdrawal of the marines (2nd marine is already gone) and sacked yet another air general. How can this many troops slip through my air searches? There is no way that the Japanese could of marched 60 miles in 48 hours!

Japanese bombers out of Rabaul attacked Spruance's group of Lunga without result. Spruance pounded another unescorted convoy under the waves off of Guadalcanal.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

11 January 1943

[Rob Roberson]

Heavy fighting at LAe as my forces come out of their slumber and attack the phantom Japanese forces. I still have no idea how they go there but I intend to make them pay.

In a move that is sure to be debated by historians for years. Spruance moves his task force south of Guadalcanal and misses Japanese warships escorting supply vessels to Lunga. No rhyme no reason...he just misses them. I have now sent Spruance towards Milne Bay (Gili). Let's hope he can be more aggressive defending that base from the Japanese then he has seeking out the enemy in the Solomons.

Indiana struck a mine on her way out of the slot, I'm unsure whose it was but it reduced my battleships in Spruance's group by one.

I have also dispatched a destroyer squadron led by Captain Henry Howden to Guadalcanal. If those Japanese warships are still there I hope Howden does a better job catching them then Spruance has.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

12 January 1943

[Rob Roberson]

I have begun to embarked the 103rd RCT for the trip to Lae. I have decided that the Marines that I have already pulled out will not be sent back in. I do not want to interupt my timetable for the twin strikes against the Japanese. I am very concerned with this sudden presence of three thousand Japanese troops. Thier troop ships appeared and vanished unseen. Either way the 103rd should help the remaining army and Australian troops clean out the enemy.

The long lost Japanese carriers have been spotted north of Bougainville. With no prospect of any carrier forces on my own. Depending on where they go I will once again have to depend on my army pilots to keep them out of my shipping lanes to Lae. I may have spoken too soon with my declarations of victory at Lae. I may be in for a long battle there. So much the better. The more enemy ships I can attract the more I can sink and the sooner this war will end.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

13 January 1943

[Rob Roberson]

I have received word through my intel officer that the Allied leaders of the world are holding a conference in Casablanca, Morocco. No doubt decisions there will filter down to our work here. I can only hope they will see our efforts and supply us with more of everything.

The once docile Japanese armed forces have come back in force. Twice today Bettys out of Rabaul attacked Spruance off Gili. My fighters at Gili managed to deal with the threat (and claimed 11 kills). No damage to any of the warships off of Rabaul. Given the threat of the Japanese carriers, I will be ordering Spruance south of Gili. No point in putting him in harm's way if he can't strike the enemy.

The Japanese naval air arm appeared to be striking...everywhere. They caught and sank two oilers off of Villa. Pounded the airfield there (I lost over 100 men in the strike). Liberators out of Gili attacked the carrier group, but failed to do any damage.

The one good thing today was my army and Australian troops managed to drive the phantom Japanese army back into the jungle. I am not really sure what to think at Lae. Obviously there were less troops there then first reported, but is this the first of several major operations to retake the area or simply a diversion. With Japanese battleships, carriers and troops suddenly on the prowl in force, the last thing on my mind is attacking the enemy anywhere. I believe I have lost the iniative, at least for now. My lack of carrier air and limited transport capabilites is once again hamstringing my operations.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

14 January 1943

[Rob Roberson]

I am off for a trip to Colorado. I will be taking my laptop, but I am unsure if I will have any access to the net. Because of this I am taking a pause in my AAR to be resumed Sunday the 7th of July. I would like to take this moment to thank everyone who has been reading, encouraging and criticizing my every move. I never thought for a moment there would be this much interest in my poor admiralship...the nearly 7000 hits on this thread amazes me. Thank you! See you guys in a week.

Admiral Robert Roberson

[Rob Roberson]

Despite the many mines, submarines and air superiority over the waters off Guadalcanal, the Japanese continue to slip supplies into the area. My single engine bombers are not getting the job done against the Japanese supply depots on the island (though they have all but eliminated any Japanese land based air threat) and I may slide some heavier bomber units to San Cristabol soon to better soften the area up.

The Japanese carriers continue to run wild north of Vila hammering my fighter strip on that island. My P-38s are holding thier own there but my dive bomber squadron is completely ineffective due to heavy operational and combat losses over that wretched little island.

Operational losses of aircraft in this campaign are as high as combat losses. The part of the world is clearly not meant to be a place where a sustained modern campaign should be fought. To date I have lost nearly 700 planes of various types to accidents, pilot error and poor navigation. I have only lost 500 to combat! The jungle is harder on my forces then the Japanese ever will be. I wonder if they are suffering the same way we are.
To date I have lost nearly 150 ships including three fleet carriers. My intelligence estimates the Japanese to have lost nearly 200 ships, but just one of their fleet carriers. I am sure the bulk of their losses have been in merchant shipping.

On a happy note the USS Enterprise is back at Pearl after extensive repairs on the west coast. My staff has already sent a stack of messages to CinCPac requesting her.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

15 January 1943

[Rob Roberson]

Yesterday I moved a Havoc and Marauder squadron into Irau and they chewed up a couple of Japanese transports trying to slip into Guadalcanal. It kicked off a two days of air battles above the slot as the enemy moved his carrier group into the slot in attempt to force supplies into Guadalcanal. For two successive days my dive bombers out of Vila attacked what they report to be a light carrier and fleet carrier. For two days they failed to achieve a hit. Unfortunetly the planes at Vila are they only one within range as the Japanese carrier commander stays just out of range of my heavier units at Irau.

After several days of rest I sent my B-17s and Marauders into action against Rabaul. They were met in the skies by a fighter we had not seen in the South Pacific before. This "Oscar" fighter was no more effective then the Zeros have been against my bombers and my B-17s but bombs into a Light Cruiser and two destroyers int he Rabaul anchorage. A second strike of Marauders later in the day did limited damage to the port.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

17 January 1943

[Rob Roberson]

Much of the battle is being carried to the Japanese by the Army Air Force now. Raids by my heavy and medium bombers caught a Japanese warship (reported to be a destroyer) at the Rabaul anchorage. My air general also has launched a major airstrike against the airfields at Gasmata devastating the flight lines there.

The Japanese carrier task forces continues to hang just out of single engine bomber range and my medium bombers at Irau continue to avoid attacking the carriers despite their closeness. Leave it the the army to avoid the sharks and go after the guppies. Both squads attacked transports of Guadalcanal which I suppose in the grand scheme of things is helpful.

No fleet carriers are in enroute, but Rear Admiral Clark has arrived with four escort carriers. He has posted his flag aboard the USS Sangamon and I have ordered him north to the Solomons with all four escort carriers. Clark has stuffed these birdfarms as full of planes as he could. Intelligence believes that there is only one Japanese big carrier and one light carrier causing the problems off Guadalcanal. We will see if my 4 small carriers are up to the task.

My staff is against this move, it certainly isn't what escort carriers do the best.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

18 January 1943

[Rob Roberson]

My army heavy bombers made 4 strikes at Rabaul today. They reported attacking and hitting three more Japanese ships at the anchorage (though it could of been the same three from two days ago). I believe my PM bomber force has put Gasmata's fighter strip out of business completely. No enemy fighters rose to contest thier sorties there today.

For the last two days I have been shuttling fresh dive bombers into Vila. Since the Marines there are the only ones going after the enemy carriers I thought I would get fresh pilots and planes to that island. Different pilots no hits on the carriers, but my Marines there are claiming a hit on one of the Japanese escorting destroyers. The Marines continue to throw theirselves against the carriers attempting to drive them away. Thier situation has begun to get a bit desperate, supplies and ammo are low, as is morale. Hopefully Clark's mini-carriers will arrive soon.

The Guadalcanal Japanese made a rare strike against Irau today. It cost them a plane for their efforts.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

20 January 1943

[Rob Roberson]

Jackpot

After 3 days of shuttling my TBD and fighter crews in and out of Vila I finally managed to put a 1000 pound bomb into one of the Japanese fleet carriers. I have taken heavy heavy losses among my Marine pilots and will withdraw them back to Noumea to rest and refit. The pilots finally caught the carrier group as they were withdrawing north to Truk. Ironically it was the second airstrike of the day with just 3 Dauntlesses (with several P-40 escorts) that got through.

Clark's carriers did not bring the enemy to battle and instead joined with the land based army and navy air at Irau in the destruction of a large transport group bound for Guadalcanal. One of the fighter pilots leaving the area was heard to say, "Tell Tojo the Navy is here now and this road is closed for business." I can only hope he is right, I have thought that before only to discover that the Japanese were slipping more supplies into their troops on that beleaguered island.

I will leave Clark's escort carriers in the area (though I will move them further north and west towards Shortland) to interdict all shipping in the Solomons. I want to hurt the Japanese resupply effort. Prior to the invasion of their base at the Shortlands.

I am ordering a 2 day stand down of my Army bombers based in the Southwest Pacific for Rest and replenishment of air crews. After that I will go to a day/night bombing of Shortlands and Rabaul as a build up to my twin strike landings.

I have begun to build up shipping for the invasion with troop transports of all types due to arrive at Noumea in the coming days. Once I have an acceptable level I will strike at the Shortlands and ....where, I do not know. I still feel the Japanese are on the ropes...it may be time to knock them out soon.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

21 January 1943

[Rob Roberson]

"Every man must do his upmost." Japanese admiral says, standing on the bridge of his flagship the cruiser Atago. 15 of the IJN's cruisers and destroyers are making steam towards Admiral Ray Spruance's Battleship group. A floatplane had spotted the American's a half an hour before headed for their base at the Shortland Islands. Every gun on the Japanese ships are armed and ready.

On this moonless night the American warships are also armed and ready. They don't expect a fight this night, for them this would be another milk run. Sail past the base, paste it with 16 and 14 inch shells and then slip off like thieves in the night. Poor intelligence would cost a lot of bluejacket lives tonite.

Spruance is just 8 miles south of his intended target when lookouts aboard the destroyer Blue spot the closing Japanese columns. The two forces had closed to 5000 yards before the first torpedoes strike Maryland staggering the mighty battleship. The volley of torpedoes causes the American line to separate, half the ships following the Light Cruiser Cleveland the other half following the Canberra. All of the trying to avoid the deadly Japanese torpedoes arcing through the dark water.

The two destroyers, Blue and Helm plow straight towards the Japanese ships, guns blazing and all the while dropping torpedos in the water.

The lead Japanese column makes a quick turn to port and bring their guns to bear on the illuminated USS Portland. The cruisers Takao, Atago and Maya, pump shell after shell in the Portland and she quickly falls out of line burning furiously. Portland is then struck by two torpedos and begins to capsize before her captain can give the abandon ship order.

Canberra begins to take evasive action as lookouts report more torpedoes in the water. Her manuvering brings her directly into two torpedoes and she loses speed causing the battleship Colorado (who was following her) to make an emergency evasive manuever to get around her. While Colorado is turning three Japanese destroyers pound Canberra aided by the guns of the IJN Myoko. Soon she begins to list and sailors begin to pour over her sides.

The action is just 10 minutes old and already two American cruisers are out of action.

Colorado's massive guns bark and her shells find the Cruiser Takao. Flames roar up from the port side and her searchlights go dark as Colorado's guns strike her over and over. The American destroyer's torpedoes find their mark, only to break up against the sides of Atago and Maya. Duds.

Tennessee has somehow managed to turn the wrong direction in the chaos of the battle and is not seen by the Japanese, but cannot aid the flailing Americans ships. Spruance is now out of contact with the American ships and orders the Tennessee to come about quickly hoping to get a handle on the situation before it is too late.

It already is.

Maryland manages to get back into the action and begins to exchange volleys with the cruisers Takao and Maya. Maryland's heavier guns begin to take their toll on both cruisers and soon they too are blazing.

Blue crosses between the Americans and the Japanese making smoke so the American vessels can withdraw. This action succeeds, but Blue pays for it as the search lights of several of the Japanese destroyers find her and their guns rain shells into her leaving her burning to the waterline guns silent.

Spruance aboard Tennessee finally gets turned around and soon her guns are felt by the Japanese. It is now 45 minutes since the battle has started and the Japanese believe they have attacked a cruiser column, not realizing they have instead engaged 3 American battleships.

Cleveland untouched so far in the battle turns what is left of her column and steams south taking advantage of the smoke. Both Maryland and Wichita follow her. Helm continues to engage the Japanese destroyers and and somehow avoids any damage. Colorado's gunners find and knife through cruiser Kinugasa. Very quickly the heavier American guns from Colorado and Tennessee are breaking up the Japanese lead column.

The Japanese admiral, realizing that these are Battleships he is facing gives the order to withdrawal and the Japanese ships come about and begin to steam away from the battle.

Tennesse virtually unscathed joins with Colorado and the two American battlewagons put Kinugasa beneath the waves.

Helm begins rescue operations of the stunned sailors of the Portland and Canberra. Picking up as many as possible before Spruance orders the remaining American warships to reform up and moves quickly south before the sun, and enemy airplanes find him in these bloody waters.

Aftermath: The Americans lose the cruisers Canberra and Portland. The Battleship Maryland and destroyer Blue are heavily damaged and are retreating south under the escort of the destroyer Helm. Tennessee, Colorado, Wichita and Cleveland were lightly damaged. Only Helm escaped the battle unscathed. My intel says we sank Kinugasa, heavily damaged the Takao, Maya, and 1 of the destroyers. About two hours later a pair of my subs attacked the Cruiser Myoko putting at least two torpedoes in her. About a half hour later these same two subs caught and claim to of sunk a Japanese destroyer. Despite this, the action was a decisive victory for the Imperial Japanese navy and will likely delay any plans I had for moves into the Shortlands. Spruance has already been relieved of his command.

More Japense soldiers have come out of the Jungle at Lae. I have ordered more army troops into secure the area. My lofty plans of a quick victory have vanished into the bloody Solomons morning.

Admiral Robert Roberson Commanding

23 January 1943

[Luskan]

Great post - you've got to keep going - I have to know how this ends!!!! Am counting down the days until UV arrives . . .

[Rob Roberson]

It has been two days since the Battle of the Shortlands Island. My intelligence has reported the sinkings of a cruiser and two destroyers we believe were in the battle. It takes some of the sting away from the the battle, but for the crews of the Wichita(far more heavily damaged then first reported)Blue, and Maryland the struggle for survival continues. All three ships are limping home, I think the Blue will succumb to her damage soon though.

Clark's escort carriers have spent the last 48 hours exacting a toll on the Japanese at Shortlands. Though certainly not as effective as fleet carriers, these "Jeeps" do get the job done. Their domination of the waters in and around the Solomons is probably the main reason Spruance's stricken task group will arrive home.

I have also begun a massive air campaign over the skies of Guadalcanal. Despite all that I have done, Japanese transports continue to pour through to that island. The bravery of their merchant crews continues to amaze and astonish me.

The 2nd Battle of Lae continues to rage on. I have used all my heavy and medium bombers in that theatre to pound the attacking Japanese troops. I have no idea how many troops face the tired Australian forces there. I have landed the 103rd Regiment on the Hopei beach behind the attacking Japanese in hopes of cutting of supplies, reinforcements and taking the pressure off my exhausted forces. THe Japanese for their part are fighting hard (including a nite attack by Bettys yesterday). Just like their sailors, the tenacity their soldiers show amazes me.

The following submarines have failed to return from their patrols areas since this theatre erupted:

S-Boats:37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45
Greenling, Flying Fish, Albacore, Grayback, Amberjack, Cabrilla

Admiral Robert Roberson Commanding

25 January 1943

[RobertT]

I read your posts like a historical text, only this time I don't know what happens next. Keep 'em coming!

[Rob Roberson]

Heavy fighting in the air over both Lae and the Solomons throughout the day. The Japanese seem to be trying to support their attack at Lae as no less then 4 strikes of Bettys hit both my troops and my ships off the coast. A Betty strike against my ships supporting my Hopei operation left two of my destroyers heavily damaged and limping back to port. That op went very well as the 103rd caught and destroyed at least a 1000 Japanese support and headquarters troops. That will no doubt hurt the Japanese effort at Lae. I intend to reembark the 103rd and use them to reinforce my Australians at Lae.

Guadalcanal was saturated with bombs today. Clark's carriers struck it and the ocean around it several times. Army-Navy planes out of Irau again pummeled the airfield and joined the carrier planes in shooting up any Japanese shipping in the waters off Lunga. Low flying Hudson's swept in and strafed barge after barge. While some supplies may have gotten in. The ships the Japanese used will never see the sun again. All in all a good day to be an Allied pilot.

The Japanese did try to strike Clark's carriers with Betty bombers (they were everywhere today). Clark put up a wall of CAP and nothing got through. A bad day to be a Japanese pilot.

MY search planes detected a carrier off the Finschafen coast. A strange place for one. I intend to send out several waves of bombers in that direction to investigate and hopefully drive it beneath the waves if Combined Fleet has in fact been foolish enough to send a carrier that close to my land based air.

Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

26 January 1943

[Rob Roberson]

It has been nearly a week since the disaster off the Shortlands. The three most badly damaged ships continue to inch their way to Luginville. Noumea is far too far for them. Admiral Spruance is still aboard stricken Maryland leading the damage control effort and doing everything in his power to get the broken warship to port. I think Spruance and Maryland will lose this battle, Luginville is a long way for a ship only able to make 6 knots.

USS Sangamon caught a Japanese torpedo while steaming south of Guadalcanal in my continuing effort to close the island to enemy shipping. THe escort carrier was lighly damaged and is still able to launch and recover her planes. Escort destroyers made the enemy submarine pay for its attack.

I think I may have solved how the Japanese are getting troops into Lae. They are using specially converted destroyers to land troops at New Guinea during the night. The destroyers are fast enough to be gone before my airpower can do anything about it the next day. This discovery has further bogged down my operations as my staff and I try to figure out how to stop this "Finschafen express". The discovery was made by a PT squadron I have stationed at Lae who caught and attacked a destroyer flotilla on a run to the beach. My torpedo boat captains report they heavily damaged a Light cruiser at the loss of two of their boats.

All my aggressive offensive operations have been put on hiatus until I can decide how to stop the troop landings at New Guinea. I have already dispatched another army regiment (164th) to take Finschafen. More and more soldiers pour into that wretched island. We also believe there is another concentration of rear echlon and support troops at Finschafen so it will be no walkover for the 164th. I will also be sending more Australian soldiers from Port Moresby to reinforce their brother forces at Lae itself. My troops there are completely exhausted and as soon as I can rotate them I will. It is now my highest priority next to cutting off Guadalcanal entirely.


Admiral Robert Roberson commanding

28 January 1943