wneumann....I think you said you were playing CHS NikMod....USN CVs work just fine in this scenario.....naval bombers will get through even against IJN "Black Hole" tactics. Its smart that you didnt commit your CVs if you were at a disadvantage...but dont fear using them if you can create a situation where you are relatively equal or even have favorable odds. Just remember to construct your Air Combat Tfs with 1 CV apiece....preferably have Lexington and Saratoga in your lowest numbered TFs, put a BB in each TF, maybe create a TF with one or 2 BBs, one CV and CVE Long Island and put as much AA in that TF as possible. The naval AA will heavily attrition Japanese 1st generation bombers. If you can get 2-3 high priority targets in one TF the Japanese strikes will concentrate on that one TF.....meanwhile maybe you can shut down his flight operations on 4-5 of his CVs and then annihilate him in the next days combat.
JANUARY 6TH-7TH, 1942
SOUTH PACIFIC:
IJA troops stormed ashore at Port Moresby in the AM:
Coastal Guns at Port Moresby, 54,93, firing at TF 68
TF 68 troops unloading over beach at Port Moresby, 54,93
164 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
PG Shotoku Maru, Shell hits 1
Japanese ground losses:
1522 casualties reported
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Coastal Guns at Port Moresby, 54,93, firing at TF 68
TF 68 troops unloading over beach at Port Moresby, 54,93
105 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
PG Heijo Maru
AK Penang Maru, Shell hits 6
PG Saiko Maru
Japanese ground losses:
660 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Then the land based A-24s and A-29s went to work on the invasion forces but sored few hits:
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Day Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 54,93
Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 2
A-24 Dauntless x 2
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
CA Kinugasa
Aircraft Attacking:
2 x A-24 Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
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Day Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 54,93
Allied aircraft
A-29 Hudson x 8
Allied aircraft losses
A-29 Hudson: 3 damaged
Japanese Ships
DD Oboro
CA Kako
CA Kinugasa
Aircraft Attacking:
1 x A-29 Hudson bombing at 6000 feet
3 x A-29 Hudson bombing at 6000 feet
4 x A-29 Hudson bombing at 6000 feet
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Day Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 54,93
Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 6
A-24 Dauntless x 2
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
AK Hitachi Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
Aircraft Attacking:
2 x A-24 Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
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Day Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 54,93
Allied aircraft
A-29 Hudson x 3
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
AK Kanayama Maru
An IJN cruiser force bombarded Port Moresby:
Naval bombardment of Port Moresby, at 54,93
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
A-24 Dauntless: 5 destroyed
Japanese Ships
CA Kinugasa
CA Aoba
CA Kako
CA Furutaka
Allied ground losses:
125 casualties reported
Guns lost 4
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 27
The A-24s finally score some hits....on another invasion TF at Finschafen:
Day Air attack on TF, near Finschhafen at 57,90
Allied aircraft
A-24 Dauntless x 15
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
AP Taiho Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AP Shinwa Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
On the second day of the battle the 3 USN CVs arrive at Port Moresby and Admiral Halsey manages to launch a full strike with all the naval bombers:
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Day Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 54,93
Allied aircraft
F2A-2 Buffalo x 22
F4F-3 Wildcat x 6
SB2U Vindicator x 15
SBD-3 Dauntless x 108
TBD Devastator x 44
Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 damaged
TBD Devastator: 1 destroyed
Japanese Ships
AP Horai Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Yamaura Maru, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AK Kanayama Maru, Bomb hits 4, on fire
AP Gyoko Maru
AK Penang Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire
AK Taga Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AK Taihei Maru, Bomb hits 1
AK Oregon Maru, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
AK Yamagiri Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AK Tokiwa Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AP Haruna Maru, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
AK Kenzan Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AK Kazuura Maru
PG Shotoku Maru, on fire
AK Tatsutake Maru, Bomb hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
AP Sangetsu Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AP Hie Maru
AK Shoko Maru, Torpedo hits 1
AK Higari Maru
AP Shanghai Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
AK Somedono Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Shoto Maru, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AK London Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
AK Hidaka Maru
AK Hitachi Maru, heavy damage
Day Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 54,93
Allied aircraft
F2A-2 Buffalo x 11
SBD-3 Dauntless x 67
TBD Devastator x 36
Allied aircraft losses
TBD Devastator: 3 damaged
Japanese Ships
AP Kongo Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Taga Maru, on fire, heavy damage
AK Penang Maru, Bomb hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
AK Kenzan Maru, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AP Tango Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AK Yamamiya Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP Kiyosumi Maru, Bomb hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AK Tarushima Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AP Shanghai Maru, on fire
AP Gyoko Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AK Ryujin Maru, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AK Kimishima Maru, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AP Eiko Maru, Torpedo hits 1
AK Tatsuho Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
AK Taihei Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
Japanese ground losses:
45 casualties reported
Guns lost 3
Even the A-24s score some hits today:
Day Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 54,93
Allied aircraft
A-24 Dauntless x 2
Allied aircraft losses
A-24 Dauntless: 2 damaged
Japanese Ships
CA Furutaka
Aircraft Attacking:
2 x A-24 Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
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Day Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 54,93
Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 3
A-24 Dauntless x 21
Allied aircraft losses
A-24 Dauntless: 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
AK Shoko Maru
AP Kiyosumi Maru
AP Hie Maru, Bomb hits 1
PG Saiko Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Taihei Maru
PG Shotoku Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
Day Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 54,93
Allied aircraft
A-24 Dauntless x 11
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
AK Yoneyama Maru
AK Yamagiri Maru, on fire, heavy damage
PG Shotoku Maru, on fire
AK Tatsutake Maru, on fire, heavy damage
Japan lands 30,000 troops at port Moresby:
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Ground combat at Port Moresby
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 2774 troops, 25 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 69
Defending force 30180 troops, 93 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 609
Japanese ground losses:
9 casualties reported
With 30,000 Japanese troops already ashore the situation is already hopeless for the Allies at Port Moresby. The whereabouts of KB is not 100% certain(one of our subs was spotted by a Val off Truk a few days ago) and with the location of the USN CVs now known it would be dangerous to linger for 2 more days. Steve has broken down his entire invasion and support Tfs down into single ship Tfs at Port Moresby and while resistant to air attacks they would be helpless against surface attacks.
Admiral Halsey gives the orders for the USN CVs to withdraw south at full speed towards Brisbane....the CVs still need to fill out their fighter complements and upgrade the Buffaloes to F4F-4s. Meanwhile, some cruisers are detached from the USN carrier TF and ordered to bombard Port Moresby at full speed during the night and then withdraw towards Brisbane at full speed tomorrow day.....there should be a target rich environment for them.
Kavieng is overrun today by IJN forces.
DEI:
Just a bombardment at Soerabaja today as Japan rests its troops for the final battle to take the city.
Japan captures Hansa and Nabire.
CHINA:
2 IJA divisions counterattack at Kiukiang and drive the Chinese back across the Yangtze....Japan's supply line to their 45,000 troops in Nanchang has been re-opened.
