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

[Cap Mandrake]

Ohhhhhh...I get it....this is why JJ has been nibbling at our bases in NW New Guinea...the freaking KB is sitting 40 MW of Sorong to kill our ships. These are big AK's unloading supplies at Kaimana, which is on the New Guinea coast South of Babo. We lose two AK's and a sub chaser and maybe more.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Kaimana at 83,113

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 35
A6M3a Zero x 16
B5N2 Kate x 16
D3A1 Val x 18

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 2 damaged

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
xAK Sage Brush, Bomb hits 8, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
SC-636, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
xAK West Nilus, Bomb hits 4, on fire
xAK Ima
xAK San Alvaro, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires
xAK Cornish City, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

and

Morning Air attack on TF, near Kaimana at 83,113

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 31
B5N2 Kate x 13
D3A1 Val x 16

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
xAK Ima, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAK Sage Brush, and is sunk
xAK Cornish City, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Trevilley, Bomb hits 1
xAK San Alvaro, Bomb hits 10, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK West Nilus, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

Dinahs set to attack? Hmmm. Doesn't go well.

Morning Air attack on Terapo , at 96,127

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 26,160 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-46 KAI Dinah x 5

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 14
F4F-3A Wildcat x 4
F4F-4 Wildcat x 17

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-46 KAI Dinah: 2 destroyed

[Cap Mandrake]

Either way, Terapo (New Gunea) is now getting serious attention. better suspend landing there for a bit.

Morning Air attack on Terapo , at 96,127

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 12 NM, estimated altitude 19,070 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 26

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 13
F4F-3A Wildcat x 4
F4F-4 Wildcat x 17

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed

[Cap Mandrake]

PI: Two large fighter sweeps and a night raid over Malaybalay in the Mindanao mountains. Luzon gets the day off.

Afternoon Air attack on Malaybalay , at 80,90

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 21 NM, estimated altitude 25,190 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 14

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 7

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed

[Cap Mandrake]

Solomons: Buka gets pounded again by medium bombers but the supply situation has been impproved with sub runs. There are only a few damaged P-39's left. Surprisingly, the airfield is being repaired again. I think JJ has switched over to ground attack. Engineers and aviation support being flown in to Rekata which has a nice supply store left by the LYBs. Airfield ready at Tassy, Thousand Ships Bay now is level 2. Ground force at Tassy is walking down to Lunga and forces are readying for a landing at Auki to trap the 6000 LYB's there.

Recon over Shortlands and Buin. We got all these Marines sitting around. Might as well do something.

[Cap Mandrake]

The "settler phase" of WITP is not as fun but there is little choice right now after the Japs dinged up our carriers. [;)]

[Cap Mandrake]

***************VT-5 Officer's Tent, Tulagi**************


Lt JG Lee: I can't believe he heard us. It's you, McDonald. You breathe with your mouth open. Like this..."uuccchhhhh"

Ens. McDonald: I do not.

Lt JG Lee: Sure. You sound like sasquatch.

<high ranking officer enters tent..they all salute>

Cpt. Peter: At ease. I'm looking for Lt Lee.

Lt JG Lee: That's me sir.

Cpt. Peter: Son, I'm with SouPac. We heard about your achievements. You are just the type we need at HQ.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Ohhhhhh...I get it....this is why JJ has been nibbling at our bases in NW New Guinea...the freaking KB is sitting 40 MW of Sorong to kill our ships. These are big AK's unloading supplies at Kaimana, which is on the New Guinea coast South of Babo. We lose two AK's and a sub chaser and maybe more.

I count at least 3 xAKs sunk, plus the sub chaser and maybe more. Unless you're saying that's FOW? [:'(]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Disco Duck
i am looking at the pilot with 163 missions and he still can't hit the broad side of a barn. I think you need to withdraw the TBF squadrons and train them for six months.

Aye caramba! Mad skills-he ain't got 'em. [X(]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Ohhhhhh...I get it....this is why JJ has been nibbling at our bases in NW New Guinea...the freaking KB is sitting 40 MW of Sorong to kill our ships. These are big AK's unloading supplies at Kaimana, which is on the New Guinea coast South of Babo. We lose two AK's and a sub chaser and maybe more.

I count at least 3 xAKs sunk, plus the sub chaser and maybe more. Unless you're saying that's FOW? [:'(]

Well I did say "two AK's sunk" not "exactly two AK's sunk"

[Disco Duck]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

***************VT-5 Officer's Tent, Tulagi**************


Lt JG Lee: I can't believe he heard us. It's you, McDonald. You breathe with your mouth open. Like this..."uuccchhhhh"

Ens. McDonald: I do not.

Lt JG Lee: Sure. You sound like sasquatch.

<high ranking officer enters tent..they all salute>

Cpt. Peter: At ease. I'm looking for Lt Lee.

Lt JG Lee: That's me sir.

Cpt. Peter: Son, I'm with SouPac. We heard about your achievements. You are just the type we need at HQ.

This is the type of pilot you need.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAf0maieLjs&app=desktop

[Cap Mandrake]

***********Christmas Day, 1942(e)**********

New & Improved New Guinea & the Sundas: We finally get some gasoline and Spam to Boela and the LYB's bombard them in a very intolerant fashion.

Night Naval bombardment of Boela at 80,110

Japanese Ships
DD Sazanami
DD Natsugumo
DD Yukikaze
DD Yugumo

Allied ground losses:
34 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Resources hits 1
Runway hits 8
Port supply hits 1

DD Sazanami firing at Boela
DD Natsugumo firing at Boela
DD Yukikaze firing at 43rd Construction Regiment

and

Night Naval bombardment of Boela at 80,110

Japanese Ships
CA Kumano
DD Amagiri
DD Isonami
DD Umikaze
DD Arashi

Allied ground losses:
106 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Resources hits 1
Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 14
Port hits 4
Port supply hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

Sorong gets plasterized too.

Night Naval bombardment of Sorong at 82,107

Japanese Ships
CA Mikuma
DD Yugiri
DD Uranami
DD Hatsuyuki
DD Maikaze

Allied ground losses:
164 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 8 (1 destroyed, 7 disabled)

Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 7
Runway hits 33
Port hits 13
Port supply hits 3

[Cap Mandrake]

First a sweep, which was unnecessary....

Morning Air attack on Sorong , at 82,107

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 37 NM, estimated altitude 24,810 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 30

No Japanese losses

Aircraft Attacking:
30 x A6M3a Zero sweeping at 22810 feet

[Cap Mandrake]

and then bombers

Morning Air attack on Sorong , at 82,107

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-48-IIa Lily x 7

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48-IIa Lily: 1 destroyed by flak

Airbase supply hits 1

and

Morning Air attack on Sorong , at 82,107

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 23 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 14
G4M1 Betty x 19

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 1 damaged

Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 21

[Cap Mandrake]

We needed fighters to cover the embarked 35th IR running from the KB in the Sundas so we moved the ships out of Terapo and most of the fighters with some P-40K's coming over from the Solomons. P-40's made a good defense of Terapo. In retrospect, it would have been better to leave the ships there....but it doesn't work that way.

Morning Air attack on Terapo , at 96,127

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 28 NM, estimated altitude 24,070 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 21

Allied aircraft
P-40K Warhawk x 15

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 4 destroyed

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
2 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 19070 feet

[Cap Mandrake]

Time to shut down PM...unfortunately, the Vals seem to be in the air already.

Morning Air attack on Port Moresby , at 98,130

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 21,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 10

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed on ground

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 29

[Cap Mandrake]

Time to reduce Milne Bay AF too, which has been built up to level 4

Morning Air attack on Milne Bay , at 101,133

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 9 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 3

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

Supply AK's near Terapo. I think a staff flunkie forgot to click "cancel unloading"...dumbass. At least we downed some planes.

Morning Air attack on Milne Bay , at 101,133

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 9 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 3

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

35th IR was saved..so that is good.