[font="Times New Roman"]6 July 1944[/font]
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SUBS: [/font] Lots of subs making contact with Allied ships, a few being sunk. No hits. Got another Allied sub in the Sulu Sea though.
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S/SW PAC:[/font] The big fleet is now two hexes off Sorong and several DD groups hit the base to clear subs and MTBs. Those didn't go down easily and two MTBs are left wandering the area, hopefully ready to slow things during the night, but all it will cause is a potential ship collision as no air strikes or naval interdictions are planned. This is up to the ground troops now.
Aitape falls and a bunch of refugee units are struggling through jungle to Vanaimo. Wewak will go soon. I'm hoping Nabire will hold out for a while.
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S DEI: [/font] Still in the building phase here. Ships have moved out from Darwin, looking like three SAGs, but not in our air strike range and probably preparing to charge in and try to remove our naval assets in the area. I'll send the BBs in closer to around Dili.
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BURMA: [/font] Still no sweeps at Rangoon. The previous threat posed by ships in the IO has evaporated and now it's back to a locked MLR and sporadic air battles. I probably should pull my fighters out of Rangoon as the DL went up again today, so he knows they are there. I'm just curious how they will do if sweeps come in, and I'd like to keep wearing down the pools of P-47s, even at a loss of 2-3:1.
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CENTRAL PACFIC:[/font] No major combat ships or CVs located in the Central Pacific, but something is happening as there are a few TFs out in the middle of nowhere below Marcus, including one with 10 ships listed as AK. I'll pursue at mission speed with the KB to see what happens there, and then pull back to refuel and if nothing else of note occurs, head around to the PI area.
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR July 6, 44
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Submarine attack near Manokwari at 85,107
Japanese Ships
SS RO-43, hits 16, and is sunk
Allied Ships
BB Queen Elizabeth
BB Mississippi
BC Renown
DD Downes
DD Crane
DD Kennison
DD Nepal
SS RO-43 is sighted by escort
DD Crane fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Kennison fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Nepal attacking submerged sub ....
SS RO-43 forced to surface!
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Sub attack near Talaud-eilanden at 82,96
Japanese Ships
E No.13, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
E No.3
Allied Ships
SS Haddo, hits 3
SS Haddo launches 2 torpedoes at E No.13
E No.3 fails to find sub, continues to search...
E No.3 attacking submerged sub ....
Escort abandons search for sub
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ASW attack near Jolo at 73,87
Japanese Ships
E No.12
E Yomogi
E Nomi
Allied Ships
SS Flounder, hits 7, heavy damage
SS Flounder is located by E No.12
Flounder diving deep ....
E Nomi fails to find sub, continues to search...
E Nomi attacking submerged sub ....
Escort abandons search for sub
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Morning Air attack on Tinian , at 108,94
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid spotted at 37 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes
Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 31
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 18
Ki-49-IIb Helen x 4
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 3 damaged
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 3 damaged
Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 18
Aircraft Attacking:
18 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 10000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
4 x Ki-49-IIb Helen bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Tinian , at 108,94
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Japanese aircraft
P1Y2 Frances x 6
Japanese aircraft losses
P1Y2 Frances: 4 damaged
P1Y2 Frances: 1 destroyed by flak
Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 5
Aircraft Attacking:
6 x P1Y2 Frances bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
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Sub attack near Biak at 89,110
Japanese Ships
SS I-17, hits 13, heavy damage
Allied Ships
DD Talbot
DE Sederstrom
DD Quality
SS I-17 launches 2 torpedoes at DD Talbot
I-17 diving deep ....
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Morning Air attack on Tinian , at 108,94
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid spotted at 33 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 22
Ki-49-IIb Helen x 9
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 6 damaged
Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 8
Aircraft Attacking:
9 x Ki-49-IIb Helen bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Tinian , at 108,94
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid spotted at 30 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 18
G4M1 Betty x 27
Ki-84a Frank x 29
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 10 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied ground losses:
7 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 12
Aircraft Attacking:
20 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
6 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
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Afternoon Air attack on Tinian , at 108,94
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 39 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 18
P1Y1 Frances x 6
Japanese aircraft losses
P1Y1 Frances: 4 damaged
Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 2
Aircraft Attacking:
6 x P1Y1 Frances bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
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Ground combat at Aitape (95,118)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 34530 troops, 703 guns, 760 vehicles, Assault Value = 1284
Defending force 10932 troops, 131 guns, 22 vehicles, Assault Value = 170
Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 1
Allied adjusted assault: 585
Japanese adjusted defense: 105
Allied assault odds: 5 to 1 (fort level 1)
Allied forces CAPTURE Aitape !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), fatigue(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
3692 casualties reported
Squads: 147 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 191 destroyed, 29 disabled
Engineers: 123 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 55 (54 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Vehicles lost 23 (23 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 4
Allied ground losses:
192 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 19 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 50 disabled
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
102nd Combat Engineer Regiment
38th Infantry Division
1st Marine Division
24th Infantry Division
5th USMC Tank Battalion
1st USMC Field Artillery Battalion
148th Field Artillery Battalion
1st Medium Regiment
2nd USMC Field Artillery Battalion
2nd Medium Regiment
Defending units:
6th Guards Inf. Regiment
Maizuru 1st SNLF
4th Brigade
Yokosuka 1st SNLF
52nd JNAF AF Unit
2nd Naval Construction Battalion
44th Road Const Co
23rd Field AF Construction Battalion
58th JNAF AF Unit
12th JAAF AF Coy
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Ground combat at Derby (64,127)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 720 troops, 0 guns, 106 vehicles, Assault Value = 59
Defending force 786 troops, 8 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 36
Allied adjusted assault: 54
Japanese adjusted defense: 10
Allied assault odds: 5 to 1
Combat modifiers
Defender: op mode(-), leaders(+), leaders(-), preparation(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
340 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 14 disabled
Non Combat: 7 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Units retreated 1
Allied ground losses:
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
2/7th Armoured Regiment
Defending units:
Sasebo 3rd SNLF
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Ground combat at Kiriwina Island (102,131)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 391 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 25
Defending force 1295 troops, 0 guns, 87 vehicles, Assault Value = 3
Allied adjusted assault: 2
Japanese adjusted defense: 13
Allied assault odds: 1 to 6 (fort level 4)
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), fatigue(-), experience(-)
Attacker: leaders(-), fatigue(-)
Japanese ground losses:
5 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
2nd Fiji Commando Battalion
Defending units:
22nd Ind. Engr Rgt /1
8th Area Army /1
51st JNAF AF Unit /1
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Reinforcements:
[font="Trebuchet MS"]LST T-135 arrives at Nagoya
MGB G-878 arrives at Hiroshima/Kure[/font]
Losses: None of these did much to slow anything down at Sorong.
[font="Trebuchet MS"]Loss of SSX Ha-5 on Jul 06, 1944 is admitted
Loss of MGB G-875 on Jul 06, 1944 is admitted
Loss of MGB G-876 on Jul 06, 1944 is admitted
Loss of E No.13 on Jul 06, 1944 is admitted
Loss of MGB G-4 on Jul 06, 1944 is admitted
Loss of SS I-17 on Jul 06, 1944 is admitted
Loss of SS RO-43 on Jul 06, 1944 is admitted[/font]
Ships Sunk:
[font="Trebuchet MS"]AK Serpens is reported to have been sunk near Hollandia on May 03, 1944[/font]
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[font="Trebuchet MS"]Guess what will happen in the night? Sorong and probably some other bases in the North New Guinea area should be invaded tonight. The difference is that there will be no air strikes aiming for these fleets. I'll conserve for now while the entire Allied fleet is there. [/font]
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"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill