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Don't wait too long to see if Mogami is going to be a threat. She's the only cruiser you've seen racing towards your transports.....

A bit of a lull - sorry, I had to go to a wedding. Before I left Herbie-san and I were still grappling over GG.


AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/08/42

Weather: Partly Cloudy

Night Time Surface Combat, near Gili Gili at 17,42

Japanese Ships
AP Arizona Maru, Shell hits 9, and is sunk
AP Florida Maru, Shell hits 11, and is sunk
AP Hakusan Maru
AP Heito Maru, Shell hits 21, on fire, heavy damage
AP Hikade Maru, on fire
AP Hino Maru #3, Shell hits 16, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CLAA San Diego, Shell hits 1
CL Boise
DD O'Bannon
DD Swanson
DD Buchanan
DD Lardner
DD Barton
DD Hammann
DD Russell
DD Dunlap
DD Tucker
DD Porter
DMS Southard

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 125

Scott continues with the killing at GG. Herbie-san refuses to retreat his ships, the thinking must be that it is

probably better to loose the ships and not the men rather than giving them no hope in mid ocean.
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Gili Gili at 17,42

Japanese Ships
AP Hakusan Maru, Shell hits 37, on fire, heavy damage
AP Heito Maru, and is sunk
AP Hikade Maru, on fire, heavy damage
AP Hino Maru #3, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CLAA San Diego
CL Boise
DD O'Bannon
DD Swanson
DD Buchanan
DD Lardner
DD Barton
DD Hammann
DD Russell
DD Dunlap
DD Tucker
DD Porter
DMS Southard

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 45

Scott attacks again causing more pain. However this is the last attack for the night and Lee should have

made it to the show - bit of a disappointment.
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Sub attack near Gili Gili at 17,42

Japanese Ships
AP Hikade Maru, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Flying Fish


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Air attack on Gili Gili , at 17,42

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 45
A6M3 Zero x 9
G3M Nell x 9

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 2
P-40E Kittyhawk x 15
P-40E Warhawk x 17

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 3 destroyed
G3M Nell x 2 destroyed
G3M Nell x 7 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat x 1 destroyed
P-40E Kittyhawk x 1 destroyed
P-40E Kittyhawk x 1 damaged
P-40E Warhawk x 2 destroyed

ENS K.Minowa of BI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 3

LT L. Mankin of VF-6 is KILLED

Attacking Level Bombers:
2 x G3M Nell at 6000 feet
5 x G3M Nell at 6000 feet

I am not sure what this is about but the attacks definately knock down some of my fighters - the Kittyhawk

sqd is down to 14 planes!!!
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Air attack on TF, near Umboi Island at 11,31


Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 19


Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra x 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
AP Kaisho Maru
AP Tenryu Maru, Shell hits 4
AP Sado Maru, Shell hits 12
AP Tosei Maru, Shell hits 12, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AP Kaito Maru, Shell hits 12, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 102

Come sun up the GG defensive airforce takes it to the remaining transports around GG.
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Air attack on TF, near Gasmata at 17,32

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9

Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 3

no losses

no losses

Japanese Ships
TK Kenyo Maru


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Air attack on TF at 18,43


Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 23
SBD Dauntless x 12
TBF Avenger x 13
P-39D Airacobra x 22
P-40E Kittyhawk x 5
P-40E Warhawk x 16


Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless x 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Shiratsuyu, Shell hits 36, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage

A massive strike against one DD when I have a flotilla of troop laden transports sitting right at the end of

the runway they take off from!
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Air attack on TF, near Umboi Island at 11,31


Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 6


no losses

Japanese Ships
AP Nankai Maru, Shell hits 8, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AP Sado Maru

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 12
Guns lost 1


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF, near Gili Gili at 17,42


Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 3
SBD Dauntless x 31
P-40E Kittyhawk x 3


Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless x 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
AP Hikade Maru, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage

The carnage continues
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Day Time Surface Combat at 0,0


1LT C. Johnson of 7th FS is credited with kill number 3
Japanese Ships
AG 108, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
AG 115, Shell hits 1, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CLAA San Diego
CL Boise
DD O'Bannon
DD Swanson
DD Buchanan
DD Lardner
DD Barton
DD Hammann
DD Russell
DD Dunlap
DD Tucker
DD Porter
DMS Southard

Again Scott is the instigator of attack, finding some barges that had alluded him the night before.
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Ground combat at Gili Gili

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 11170 troops, 153 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 17740 troops, 67 guns, 38 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 5)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 4


Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 253

Allied ground losses:
Men lost 215

Herbie is becoming more desperate to take the place back from me. He has engineers on hand and they

manage to reduce the fortifications by one level, our losses are about the same. I still feel reasonably

confident about hanging on.
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Ground combat at Port Moresby

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 24397 troops, 331 guns, 8 vehicles

Defending force 14938 troops, 128 guns, 4 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0)


Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 249

Allied ground losses:
Men lost 522
Guns lost 1

PM is a whole different story. I have the means on hand to take PM, but they are not in place at the

moment. The men who are in place are struggling against the numbers herbie has managed to bring to bear.

My invasion forces are still unloading, they should help hold the ground before the rest of the aussies

arrive.
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Ground combat at Gili Gili

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 530 troops, 10 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 11633 troops, 153 guns, 0 vehicles



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The seas are finally empty of enemy ships. I don't think Herbie-san has managed to bring enough party

poopers along to ruin the bash at GG. I will have to wait to reduce their supplies. To this end I put the

fortresses on ground attack to try and cull some of their numbers.
The dauntlesses and P-39s get a break after 5 days of constant action. I keep some Avengers ready just so

that Herbie stays honest.
Lee takes some of the ships that Scott has been using so effectively and is going hunting tankers.

Apparently there are 3 or 4 at Gasmata. He has managed to defend them very effectively with fighters (from

my bombers) but doesn't appear to have any warships there.
Scott is told to retire. I don't actually have enough supplies to re-arm the warships at GG.


A bit of a change of tack - I have the recent combat report attached to this report.
I have to give it to my erstwhile opponent - here he comes again!!
Transport ships are clogging the harbour at Buna, with another TF one hex out. I only have one infantry

brigade at Buna nad this is unlikely to be enough to hold back the new Japanese tide threatening to take

the place.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/09/42

Weather: Clear

Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40


Allied aircraft
B-26B Marauder x 4


no losses

Attacking Level Bombers:
4 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet

I can't have turned these guys off night attack.
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Gasmata at 17,32

Japanese Ships
AG 355, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AG 358, Shell hits 5, and is sunk
AG 359
AG 361
AG 366
AG 5032
AG 5033
AG 5049
AG 5050
AG 5051, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
AG 5052

Allied Ships
CA Minneapolis
CL Nashville
CL Boise
DD Lardner
DD Sims
DD Hughes
DD Blue
DD Ralph Talbot
DD Sterett
DD Mahan
DD Conyngham
DD Perkins
DD Preston
DD Tucker
DD Dale
DMS Southard
DMS Hovey

Lee sneaks into Gasmate - the DMS's manage to sweep mines allowing the surface units through without

incident. With barges everywhere, it is their numbers that eventually save some. Also my ships are on a

bombardment mission.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Gasmata at 17,32

Japanese Ships
TK Kyokuto Maru, Shell hits 44, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
TK Genyo Maru, Shell hits 64, and is sunk
TK Kenyo Maru, Shell hits 34, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CA Minneapolis
CL Nashville
CL Boise
DD Lardner, Shell hits 1
DD Sims
DD Hughes
DD Blue
DD Ralph Talbot
DD Sterett
DD Mahan
DD Conyngham
DD Perkins
DD Preston
DD Tucker
DD Dale
DMS Southard
DMS Hovey

This is far more satisfying, I have sunk 5 of his fuel transports now (all of these sink).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Gasmata, at 17,32

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3 Zero x 3 destroyed
A6M3 Zero x 12 damaged
A6M2 Zero x 6 destroyed
A6M2 Zero x 8 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 12

Airbase hits 9
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 51

The bombardment is also very fruitful. His LRCAP should be thinner after this.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on Buna , at 12,38

Japanese aircraft
H6K Mavis x 2

no losses


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Air attack on 66th Regiment, at 17,42


Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 58


no losses

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 174

Attacking Level Bombers:
8 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
9 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
4 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
6 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
4 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
9 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
6 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet

The Heavies get through and pound his troops again - no losses. However, it's supplies I would love to be

culling - his men must be starting to starve.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF, near Gasmata at 17,32

Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 8

Allied aircraft
TBF Avenger x 13

no losses

Allied aircraft losses
TBF Avenger x 4 destroyed
TBF Avenger x 7 damaged

Japanese Ships
CL Tatsuta, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CA Myoko

My high morale Avengers go without support - and pay. Their morale is not so flash now!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 12,37

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8

Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 20

no losses

no losses

Japanese Ships
AP Hokuyo Maru, Shell hits 12, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AP Gosei Maru, Shell hits 8, Bomb hits 1
AP Tama Maru #2
AP Kyosei Maru, Shell hits 12, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AP Toei Maru, Shell hits 12, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 115
Guns lost 1

With all my naval bombers at GG resting it is only the P-39s at DBD that attack the incoming transport tf.

They do good damage but not enough to hold back the invasion.
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Air attack on Buna , at 12,38

Japanese aircraft
H6K Mavis x 2

no losses


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF, near Gasmata at 17,32

Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 8

Allied aircraft
TBF Avenger x 7

no losses

Allied aircraft losses
TBF Avenger x 1 destroyed
TBF Avenger x 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Haguro
DD Uzuki

More fruitless attacks at Gasmata - the Avengers are fried.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack at 12,37


CPT K.Gates of 22nd TCS bails out WOUNDED and is RESCUED
Japanese Ships
AP Nankai Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire

Allied Ships
SS Albacore

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 45
Guns lost 1

Woo hoo 2 torp hits on this 3000 type AP and some men are lost. I only have this one sub in the area - one hex outside Buna - but she has done me great work.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Gili Gili

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 10470 troops, 151 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 17595 troops, 67 guns, 38 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 4)


Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 502

Allied ground losses:
Men lost 77

This backfires something shocking on Herbie-san. The aussies find their metal and repel the screaming hoards. I very much doubt he will do a shock attack again next turn - the heavy bombers probably doing good work just before his attack.
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Ground combat at Port Moresby

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 24023 troops, 329 guns, 8 vehicles

Defending force 21436 troops, 187 guns, 15 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 0)


Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 596
Guns lost 2

Allied ground losses:
Men lost 299
Guns lost 1

A large shock attack against the aussies in PM as well. With more defenders off the boats I am on the better side of the ledger, this will only improve.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Gili Gili

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 530 troops, 10 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 10817 troops, 151 guns, 0 vehicles



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This new threat against Buna cannot be defeated on the shore. For once he really does have the hop on me and I can't fly reinforcements in - there are none left to use!!
Lee used all of his ammunition against Gasmata so he's useless.
So it is up to the air forces to again sink men in the ships. As much as this tactic can net you many casualties I don't think it will be enough to stop him taking Buna. Doing so gives him a retreat hex for the beleagured defenders of PM.
Does anyone know if having a unit on the Kokada trail will stop his ability to retreat?

I think it will, I've never seen units move into an enemy controlled ground hex save for an invasion/paradrop, etc.

Good going sinking his tankers! Hang in there - GG defense should be no problem, and you should be able to hold PM as well! Make him pay!!

Thanks Condor, I'll give it a try it can't hurt. I'm just having to hang in there while he tries to inundate me with troops. I must be taking a heavy toll of the men he sends before they even make the shore. He just isn't defending them, maybe he is that short of surface warships....
However, the men that are making it ashore are providing some interesting moments!

Buna does appear to be the target. Transport ships are approaching in droves and my fly boys go out to meet them. I am running into a morale issue. All my pilots are on the verge of packing up and going home. I know I have been pushing them reasonably hard, and they have been shot at, but I no longer have fighter squads with enough morale to guarrantee they will stay in a fight. The one consolation is that herbie-san appears to be having the same problem with his fighter jocks - in two of the catfights today - his fighters started breaking off.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/10/42

Weather: Clear

Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40


Allied aircraft
B-26B Marauder x 5


no losses

Attacking Level Bombers:
5 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
Umm, alright already, I'll take them off night flights THIS TIME.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Buna, at 12,38


Allied ground losses:
Men lost 22

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 2
Port hits 1

As I expected Herbie-san tries a bombardment run into Buna. I have no surface ships there for him to munch on - the damage will congregate as I have no engineers here.
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Air attack on Buna , at 12,38

Japanese aircraft
H6K Mavis x 2

no losses


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Air attack on TF, near Buna at 12,38

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 29
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 5

Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 16
TBF Avenger x 13
P-40E Warhawk x 9
P-38G Lightning x 21

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 4 destroyed
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless x 1 damaged
P-40E Warhawk x 2 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk x 1 damaged
P-38G Lightning x 2 destroyed
P-38G Lightning x 1 damaged

LCDR S. Itaya of BI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 6

LTJG V.Kawamura of F1/Tainan Daitai bails out and is CAPTURED

Japanese Ships
AP Kyosei Maru
AP Tama Maru #2
AP Sado Maru
AP Hokuyo Maru
AP Shoan Maru

Escorted by the P-38s (I didn't want to use them as I was trying ot get enough planes in the reserves to allow another another squad to convert) the bombers get through, only to have them miss everything!!
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Air attack on TF, near Buna at 12,38

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 5

Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 27
Wirraway x 10
P-39D Airacobra x 21

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless x 4 destroyed
SBD Dauntless x 3 damaged
P-39D Airacobra x 1 destroyed
P-39D Airacobra x 1 damaged

LTJG I.Nojima of BI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 4

Japanese Ships
AP Otori Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AP Nojima Maru, Shell hits 12, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AP Hiyoshi Maru, Shell hits 12, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AP Shinko Maru, Shell hits 8, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AP Shinwa Maru, Shell hits 8, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AP Tenzan Maru
AP Nagisan Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Instead I have to rely on my fighter bombers again, I don't care what the board says, Wirraways and P-39s are worth their weight in gold! Only one of these bomb hits was from the dauntlesses.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on Buna , at 12,38

Japanese aircraft
H6K Mavis x 2

no losses


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF, near Gasmata at 17,32

Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 1

Allied aircraft
TBF Avenger x 10

no losses

Allied aircraft losses
TBF Avenger x 1 destroyed
TBF Avenger x 5 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Fumizuki
CA Myoko
DD Uzuki

Poor, badly lead Avengers again head off to Gasmata to take on the surface warships there. They are bombing rather than torpedoing and the flak just hammers them out of the sky.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 13,36

Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 12

Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 7
P-40E Warhawk x 8
P-38G Lightning x 18

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3 Zero x 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Wirraway x 1 damaged
P-38G Lightning x 1 destroyed
P-38G Lightning x 1 damaged

2LT B. Davis of 67th FS is credited with kill number 3

Japanese Ships
AP Kenryu Maru, Shell hits 4
AP Iwaki Maru

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 8

A very well escorted raid of 7 Wirraways. I actually only loose 2 P-38s during the day. This leaves me with 26 planes in reserve, just short of an upgrade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Port Moresby

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 1770 troops, 30 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 25433 troops, 202 guns, 24 vehicles


Herbie-san has returned to bombardment - can't say I blame him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Gili Gili

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 530 troops, 10 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 10907 troops, 150 guns, 0 vehicles


Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 9

I want to set the aussies to attack again but the suppression bombers are unlikely to fly so it will have to wait.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The weather this turn is thunderstorms. This of course means my bombers are going to be unlikely to hit his invasion. Instead Scott - who left from Townsville yesterday - is now in the GG straits and will attack the invasion forces. I know Herbie-san bombarded last turn, I am hoping he hasn't got enough fuel on board the ships that did the bombardment to be there two nights in a row.
Lee is at Cairns and he refuels and heads to the GG straits again.
Another BB is arriving in Pearl tomorrow, there are plenty of ships to escort her so I hope she is released.

Agree with you wholeheartedly about the FBs, especially the Warhawks and Wirraways. Unfortunately, they have to take a beating early in the game, functioning more as fighters than bombers. Against lightly armored ships, like non-combatants or destroyers however, the SYS damage piles on as they rake the vessels with 37mm cannon, .50 cal machineguns, and the occasional 500 pounder down the smokestack - which can give even a first line cruiser a headache (as mine did against Quark's Maya).
The biggest drawback I've encountered is having to fight the urge to send them on escort missions against Zeroes - where they get a lamb's eye view of the slaughterhouse

Keep at 'em, Admiral!

Man O man did that backfire! Herbie slaps me round and calls me susan!

Scott, with a bad case of "head up arrrsssee" is asleep on the most important night of his career (other than the night he had control of my two brand new sparkly battleships and wrote them off at Munda). He gets the same appendage handed to him by Bosun 3rd class Sucki Rizewyn. Needless to say he is sacked and will not be allowed to control anything else that floats other than his rubber ducky. He should have done me a favour and gone down with his ship - in this also he fails as an Admiral, that way higher command (read AI) wouldn't allocate him command by default.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/11/42

Weather: Thunderstorms

Sub attack at 12,37

Japanese Ships
AG 5031, Shell hits 11, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Tautog


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Buna at 12,38

Japanese Ships
DD Nagatsuki
DD Minegumo

Allied Ships
SS Albacore


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Buna at 12,38

Japanese Ships
CA Myoko, Shell hits 3
CA Haguro, Shell hits 2
DD Onami, Shell hits 1
DD Hayanami, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Minegumo, Shell hits 5, on fire
DD Shikinami, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Uzuki, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Fumizuki, Shell hits 1
DD Nagatsuki, Shell hits 4, on fire

Allied Ships
CLAA San Diego, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
DD O'Bannon, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Swanson
DD Buchanan
DD Barton, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Hammann, Shell hits 6, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Russell
DD Dunlap, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Porter, Shell hits 1, on fire

Bloody long lance - I get my third of the game. They will ruin any attack you happen to be on the wrong side of and this is a whipping. I feel like I've had a run in with Dominatrix Helena - but that's another story.
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Buna at 12,38

Japanese Ships
CA Myoko, Shell hits 5
CA Haguro
DD Onami
DD Hayanami, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Minegumo, on fire
DD Shikinami, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Uzuki, on fire
DD Fumizuki
DD Nagatsuki, on fire

Allied Ships
CLAA San Diego, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Swanson, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Buchanan, Shell hits 5, on fire
DD Barton, Shell hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
DD Hammann, and is sunk
DD Russell, Shell hits 1
DD Porter, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

14 torpedo hits in all - my god!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Buna at 12,38

Japanese Ships
CA Myoko
CA Haguro, Shell hits 2
DD Onami
DD Hayanami, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Minegumo, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Shikinami, on fire
DD Uzuki, on fire
DD Fumizuki
DD Nagatsuki, on fire

Allied Ships
CLAA San Diego, Shell hits 9, on fire, heavy damage
DD Buchanan, Shell hits 10, and is sunk
DD Barton, Shell hits 11, and is sunk
DD Russell, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Porter, Shell hits 6, on fire, heavy damage

Not only do I suffer the ignomy of longlance but I have to put up with the evil Bosun turning the ships around twice to keep dishing out the hurt.
By morning I have only the Russel left!!! 1 CL and 8 Destroyers sunk. For those of you that wanted an example of Tassafaronga I have been the unwitting and unwanted provider!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Buna at 12,38

Japanese Ships
AG 5050, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Albacore


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 15,35


Allied aircraft
Beaufighter VIC x 24


no losses

Japanese Ships
DD Hayanami, Shell hits 32, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage

It is left up to the airforce to find some silver lining to an otherwise awful day - the Hayanami sinks.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 13,37


Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 10
P-39D Airacobra x 18


no losses

Japanese Ships
AG 5048
AG 5030, Shell hits 24, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AG 374, Shell hits 8, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage

More AGs reach the bottom - they shouldn't be out on the open seas anyway.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Buna at 12,38

Japanese Ships
DD Shikinami, on fire

Allied Ships
SS Albacore


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Port Moresby

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 1766 troops, 30 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 27532 troops, 202 guns, 28 vehicles



Allied ground losses:
Men lost 7


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Buna

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 11832 troops, 107 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 4011 troops, 31 guns, 0 vehicles



Allied ground losses:
Men lost 88

Look at the death he hands out in one bombardment!! Again I am very short of knowledge as to the make up of his forces until I go through a bloody shock attack (see next). The very strange thing is Herbie has bought the 11th Air HQ - why???
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Ground combat at Buna

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 3938 troops, 31 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 17421 troops, 169 guns, 0 vehicles

Allied assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 0)


Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 31
Guns lost 1

Allied ground losses:
Men lost 414

The aussies are crippled. I have about 28 squads able to defend themselves - from about 75 to 28 in one attack. I order them to retreat to DBD.
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The weather is again thunderstorms so Herbie-san again gets to hide beneath the weather.

Lee, with a much more powerful force is at GG and is going to try attacking the invasion forces that Scott so pathetically failed to dent. This time the cruisers of Herbie force should not be able to get in the way - they MUST have to re-arm.
Next turn I should get all of the aussies to PM and then I go on the attack. I hope I get a bit of better weather to help with suppressing the defenders.
My transport TF of supplies is at GG - as yet unscouted.
The BB Colarado is now at Pearl but is not released, she anchors alongside the Chicago and they invite each other to barbeque's and parties