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

[Cap Mandrake]

We go after the level 1 field at Launceston. B-25's from Hobart.

Morning Air attack on Launceston , at 82,176

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 36 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 6

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 6

[Cap Mandrake]

Carrier attacks on fleeing AKL's. Better than you know what.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Hobart at 91,182

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 4,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A5M4 Claude x 12
A6M2 Zero x 18
B5N1 Kate x 5
B5N2 Kate x 13

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
xAKL Matthew Flinders, Bomb hits 8, and is sunk
xAKL Wear, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk

Aircraft Attacking:
5 x B5N1 Kate bombing from 2000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
13 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp


<snicker>

Morning Air attack on TF, near Hobart at 92,182

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 20
D3A1 Val x 9

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
xAKL Hetton Bank, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

Ut-oh. Looks like Exeter and Dorsetshire have been detached. Some spillover CAP as most of the fighters at Melbourne are trying to cover PoW.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Geelong at 80,171

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 37 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A5M4 Claude x 7
B5N1 Kate x 6

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 18

Japanese aircraft losses
A5M4 Claude: 2 destroyed
B5N1 Kate: 3 damaged
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
CA Dorsetshire, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Exeter, heavy fires, heavy damage

[Cap Mandrake]

I think this may be PoW but I can't tell from the combat test.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Geelong at 80,171

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 38 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A5M4 Claude x 5
B5N1 Kate x 4

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 21

Japanese aircraft losses
A5M4 Claude: 3 destroyed
B5N1 Kate: 2 destroyed

No Allied losses

[Cap Mandrake]

N&IC: Out of spite after being mercilessly mocked, the incoming USN BB's loiter around west of Koumac and we send in the new-fangled
aeroplanes.

Unfortunately, the Japan-mens have even newer-fangled aeroplanes and the number is going back up.

Morning Air attack on Koumac , at 113,156

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 9 NM, estimated altitude 23,100 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 21

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 16

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 4 destroyed


The BB at Koumac escapes to the West and the IJN shows up...but we turn loose some SBD's

Morning Air attack on TF, near Koumac at 113,156

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 15

Allied aircraft
P-40B Warhawk x 10
F4F-3 Wildcat x 14
SBD-1 Dauntless x 18

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
P-40B Warhawk: 1 destroyed
SBD-1 Dauntless: 5 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Mutsu, Bomb hits 3

Airfield attack is inept despite the new-fangled Norden bombsight

Morning Air attack on Koumac , at 113,156

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 13

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 6
P-39D Airacobra x 23
P-40B Warhawk x 5

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 3 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 damaged
P-40B Warhawk: 1 destroyed

Minor action at La Foa

Morning Air attack on 4th/A Division, at 114,159 (La Foa)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 39 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Allied aircraft
A-20A Havoc x 6
F4F-3A Wildcat x 7

No Allied losses

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


Maybe Mutsu will go away.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Koumac at 113,156

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18

Allied aircraft
P-40B Warhawk x 6
F4F-3A Wildcat x 7
F4F-3 Wildcat x 13
SBD-1 Dauntless x 13

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 2 destroyed
SBD-1 Dauntless: 2 destroyed, 2 damaged
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed by flak

Japanese Ships
BB Mutsu, Bomb hits 5, on fire

[Cap Mandrake]

Another Jap Div is embarked for Melbourne. Loose lips sink ships.

5/48th Division is loaded on xAK Kikukawa Maru moving to Geelong.

[Cap Mandrake]

I watched the replay. Disappointing number of white splashes near the CV's. Zuikaku is burning.

Neither RN CA sunk yet and it seems PoW made good progress to the West to escape. Every ship in the IJN cruiser force is burning badly.

[desicat]

Nice to see the Royal Navy weighing in, I wonder if the Lord Admiral brought their CV's?

[John B.]

8 bomb hits on the Mutsu is not too bad and nice to see it on fire. What sank the AP Montevideo Maru? A PT torpedo?

[Cap Mandrake]

**************Aboard Montevideo Maru, 07:30 March 19******************


Chief Petty Officah Abe: No, no, no, no, NO! Hata idiot! Abe say CROSE drain prug...not-ah open!

[Cap Mandrake]

Got the file back. Ship losses. We lose two RN CA's, they lose a CA and CL and many damaged but we missed the big score....just barely.

1) The KB task force "scattered" when the USN CL's showed up. Probably the IJN escorts were low on ammo after encounters with the PT boats and Piet Hein on the 18th.
As a consequence, the USN force had several rounds of uncontested target practice at the mostly helpless CV's. [:(]

Also, both the PoW TF and the USN TF were in the same hex with the CVE's at daybreak. In both cases the IJN CA force intercepted the Allied TF's and, in the case of the USN force, they were largely out of ammo and burning.

Out plan to bait the KB eastward with Task Force Anchovy worked perfectly. We were just a couple of die rolls away from.....

[Cap Mandrake]

TF Tokyo Internationurh is 600 nm ESE of Melbourne

PoW can make 26 kts and has no major damage. She may have transferred fuel to one of the DD's after the high speed run in as she enters the turn with 250 op points expended.

Probably best for her to head for Adelaid and try to get some fighters up

[sprior]

Probably best for her to head for Adelaid and try to get some fighters up

Tom Philips is a plucky little bugger, he'll keep the navy's end up.

[Cap Mandrake]

***************March 20, 1942(e)************

N&IC: Heap big fight. Many squaws cry in teepee tonight (unless they have really good life insurance policy)

First a Jap sub sneaks in and Nevada takes one "up the chuff" although fortunately perhaps in a torpedo bulge.

Sub attack near Noumea at 115,160

Japanese Ships
SS I-22, hits 2

Allied Ships
BB Nevada, Torpedo hits 1
DD Monaghan
DD McCall
DD Crane
DD Dent
DD MacDonough

[Cap Mandrake]

Didn't we drop some eggs on Mutsu yesterday? I wonder if she were self-illuminating herself with deck fires or something? This is the most one-sided night battle with an otherwise capable IJN force I have ever seen.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 4,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Mutsu, Shell hits 38, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Isokaze, Shell hits 1
DD Hibiki, Shell hits 1
DD Shikinami

Allied Ships
BB Maryland
BB Nevada
BB Mississippi
DD McCall
DD Shaw
DD Monaghan
DD MacDonough
DD Dent
DD Crane

[Cap Mandrake]

Here comes a Jap cruiser force.

ASW attack near Noumea at 115,159

Japanese Ships
DD Yukikaze
CA Atago
CL Tatsuta
DD Shiranui
DD Hayashio

Allied Ships
SS S-18

[Cap Mandrake]

They are intercepted by the USN cruiser force on duty at Noumea.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Atago, Shell hits 1
CL Nagara
CL Abukuma, Shell hits 1, on fire
CL Tenryu, Shell hits 1, on fire
CL Tatsuta, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Kagero
DD Yukikaze
DD Hayashio
DD Shiranui

Allied Ships
CL St. Louis, Shell hits 2
CL Helena, Shell hits 2
DD Smith, Shell hits 1
DD Case
DD Selfridge, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

Little Yellow Baaahstards get past our combatants.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 10,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Atago
CL Nagara
CL Abukuma, on fire
CL Tenryu, on fire
CL Tatsuta, on fire
DD Kagero
DD Yukikaze
DD Hayashio
DD Shiranui

Allied Ships
DM Sicard

And

Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 9,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Atago, Shell hits 1
CL Nagara
CL Abukuma
CL Tenryu, on fire
CL Tatsuta
DD Kagero
DD Yukikaze
DD Hayashio
DD Shiranui

Allied Ships
AK Procyon, Shell hits 22, and is sunk
PC Nemaha, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
xAK Horace Luckenbach, Shell hits 23, and is sunk

Allied ground losses:
Vehicles lost 24 (16 destroyed, 8 disabled)

These are the vehicles from an arty unit.

[Cap Mandrake]

This one is unloaded already.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 7,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Atago, Shell hits 1
CL Nagara
CL Abukuma, on fire
CL Tenryu, on fire
CL Tatsuta
DD Kagero
DD Yukikaze
DD Hayashio
DD Shiranui

Allied Ships
AK Almaack, Shell hits 14, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
KV Quesnel
PG Soerabaja, Shell hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

Our support vessels. Importantly, Pyro looks to be OK.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Atago
CL Nagara
DD Kagero

Allied Ships
AD Dobbin, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
AE Pyro, Shell hits 1
AM Rail
AO Bishopdale, Shell hits 4, heavy fires