No one ever said Raver was dumb (well, I think I did at some stage, but anyway
He's packed all his p-38s, beaufighters, just about every good fighter he's got into Brisbane on CAP. He had wirraways, warhawks, kittyhawks and airacobras packed into rockhampton. So obviously I hit Rockhampton rather than brissy. The combat report was way off - my losses aren't nearly as bad as it says here.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 12/26/42
Weather: Partly Cloudy
Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40
Allied aircraft
Hudson x 10
B-25D Mitchell x 9
Allied aircraft losses
Hudson x 1 damaged
B-25D Mitchell x 1 damaged
Port hits 2
Attacking Level Bombers:
10 x Hudson at 6000 feet
9 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet
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Air attack on Rockhampton , at 18,71
Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 14
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell x 14 damaged
Allied Ships
CL Achillies, Bomb hits 1, on fire
Port hits 1
Port supply hits 1
Attacking Level Bombers:
14 x G3M Nell at 1000 feet
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Air attack on Noumea , at 52,67
Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 15
G4M1 Betty x 6
Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 11
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell x 3 damaged
G4M1 Betty x 1 damaged
Allied Ships
AP J. Franklin Bell, Bomb hits 1
Attacking Level Bombers:
6 x G3M Nell at 6000 feet
9 x G3M Nell at 6000 feet
6 x G4M1 Betty at 6000 feet
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Sub attack near Rockhampton at 18,71
Japanese Ships
SS I-21
Allied Ships
AK Murada, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
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Air attack on TF, near Rockhampton at 18,71
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 107
A6M3 Zero x 4
D3A Val x 28
B5N Kate x 26
Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 15
P-39D Airacobra x 15
P-40E Kittyhawk x 40
P-40E Warhawk x 11
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 13 destroyed
A6M2 Zero x 2 damaged
D3A Val x 1 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
Wirraway x 15 destroyed
P-39D Airacobra x 1 destroyed
P-40E Kittyhawk x 9 destroyed
P-40E Kittyhawk x 7 damaged
P-40E Warhawk x 1 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk x 1 damaged
LTJG T. Kikuchi of AI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 4
Allied Ships
AK Rhesus, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
AK Etamin, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AK Mildura, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AK Carina, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
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Air attack on TF, near Rockhampton at 18,71
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 106
A6M3 Zero x 5
D3A Val x 24
B5N Kate x 11
Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 6
P-39D Airacobra x 15
P-40E Kittyhawk x 34
P-40E Warhawk x 13
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 27 destroyed - more like 7 in reality. CR looked like it had "jammed" with the same warhawk attack (warhawk guns blaze on the graphic constantly while 20 zeroes were destroyed before the next combat message appeared).
A6M2 Zero x 2 damaged
A6M3 Zero x 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Wirraway x 1 destroyed
P-39D Airacobra x 2 destroyed
P-40E Kittyhawk x 13 destroyed
P-40E Kittyhawk x 3 damaged
P-40E Warhawk x 5 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk x 2 damaged
PO2 H.Akashiba of AI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 5
PO2 H.Akashiba of AI-1 Daitai bails out and is CAPTURED
Allied Ships
AK Rhesus, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AK Carina, Bomb hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
AK Etamin, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AK Mildura, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
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If I'd lost 44 zeroes this turn I'd be down to 502 planes on my CV decks - but I still have 528 (out of 550). I have only lost one kate and no vals so far and my naval bomber exp is all in the 70s - my zeroes are even better. All arms of my air forces are still very, very highly experienced (70 or above) with the notable exception for my float planes (50s), 2 of my 20 level bomber groups (50s), and my 2 land based val squadrons (low 50s) - and although one group of Oscars is 73 exp, the newer one is at 49. Plenty of training going on around the place to get those up to scratch.
However, my sub has snagged two easy kills (and no one is depth charging at him yet) and at a guess I've now totalled 10 transports off the Aussie coast, and 2 over near Luganville in 3 turns. More than I expected - so my CVs go home for some R+R before their next surprise visit to Raver-ville.
Best thing Raver could have done was to get some bombers out after my (unprotected, uncapped, seperate from my CVs) tankers. I had a CL and a dozen DDs escorting those tankers (they'd just done a supply run to PM and were on hand) but I've had to refuel my CVs twice to get this far south and stay there. If he'd got those tankers with a sub or something I would have had to go home almost immediately.
All the transports I sank were AKs, which Raver probably wouldn't have used for an invasion anyway. Still haven't sunk enough transports - need to stop his plague-like spread north from Luganville, and make it a pain in the neck to supply his 50-odd little bases.
