Ok gents, after less than 4 hours of sleep (jeffk

), here we are with some aftermath
Nov 19-20 1943
Yes, as far as i can tell, Rader since our moves in NG, has started to redeploy his forces in NG (from Hollandia down south), garrisoning and moving airframes (for ex our recon says that at least 300 fighters have been relocated between Lae, Finishtafen and Nazareb)...i think he was ready to start reducing PM when this operation started because he sent a small detachment of Rexes (the floating george version) to sweep PM, obviously to see which composition my forces had there. In the Solomons he's trying a whole evacuation...i think we stopped once for all the evacuation of Thousands-Russell and now, with Rekata Bay almost in our hands, the door is more or less closed behind those 50,000 japanese that still lingers there (at Tulagi there are still 16,000 men...[:)]).
While Bouganville is clearly a strongpoint in Rader's defences...
Ok, let's analyze the turn (with a map!).
First, during the night of the 19th, we sent a DD division to bomb Vella La Vella, where were based 60 Kates devoted to ASW patrol...i wanted to ground them if possible...
Always on the night of the 19th another DD division positioned itself on the western approaches of Rekata Bay, along with 2 PTs groups (4 PTs each) (all these ships were coming from Tulagi), while a cruiser division (2 old CAs + 8 Fletchers) moved to cover the eastern approach of Rekata (Rekata has a coral barrier on its north side and land on its southern side, so it only can be approached either by east or by west).
In the very same moments 20 PTs along with Lee Ching SCTF (2 BBs, 2 CAs, 3 CLs and 8 fletchers) moved to Rekata bay, in order to secure the landing place.
In the morning, despite the heavy rain over Rekata, enemy planes attacked our amphib TFs that were already in place (not unloading yet).
Early in the morning our sweepers took off from Tassafaronga in order to clean the path towards Treasury for the upcoming transports...fierce air battles occured...again our P-38s on LRCAP performed poorly compared to those sent on sweep and got punished badly...but we wore down the enemy Leaky CAP...
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Morning Air attack on Treasury Islands , at 109,132
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid spotted at 35 NM, estimated altitude 35,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 21
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 12
Ki-84a Frank x 36
Allied aircraft
P-38H Lightning x 24
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 1 destroyed
Ki-84a Frank: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-38H Lightning: 3 destroyed
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Morning Air attack on Treasury Islands , at 109,132
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid spotted at 39 NM, estimated altitude 38,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes
Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 17
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 10
Ki-84a Frank x 27
Allied aircraft
P-38H Lightning x 25
P-47D2 Thunderbolt x 18
Japanese aircraft losses
N1K1-J George: 1 destroyed
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 1 destroyed
Ki-84a Frank: 3 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-47D2 Thunderbolt: 1 destroyed
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Morning Air attack on Treasury Islands , at 109,132
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid spotted at 26 NM, estimated altitude 31,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 11
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 8
Ki-84a Frank x 16
Allied aircraft
P-38H Lightning x 48
Japanese aircraft losses
N1K1-J George: 2 destroyed
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 1 destroyed
Ki-84a Frank: 2 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-38H Lightning: 2 destroyed
Again the king of the skies is the P-47s...which is defenetly the best sweeper we have!
Then our mitchells took off from Lunga...lightly escorted...but sweeps and LRCAP have already torn apart the enemy CAP and we're able to pass through...
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Morning Air attack on 57th JNAF AF Unit , at 109,132 (Treasury Islands)
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 4
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 3
Ki-84a Frank x 5
Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk IV x 2
B-25C Mitchell x 20
B-25D1 Mitchell x 15
P-38H Lightning x 15
P-40N5 Warhawk x 5
No Japanese losses
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
389 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 21 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
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Morning Air attack on 3rd Infantry Regiment, at 109,132 (Treasury Islands)
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 4
Ki-84a Frank x 3
Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 11
F6F-3 Hellcat x 9
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
F6F-3 Hellcat: 1 destroyed
Japanese ground losses:
54 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
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Morning Air attack on 3rd Infantry Regiment, at 109,132 (Treasury Islands)
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 2
Ki-84a Frank x 3
Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 12
P-38H Lightning x 15
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-84a Frank: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-38H Lightning: 1 destroyed
Japanese ground losses:
59 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
If i remember correctly the 3rd Inf Regiment took part in the failed assault at Tulagi so probably these guys were what Rader managed to extract in the last months...
Then, in the afternoon, as predicted, our landings took place...
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Pre-Invasion action off Rekata Bay (113,134)
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force
64 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
BB Mississippi
BB New Mexico
DD Frazier
SC PC-1081
SC PC-1079
SC PC-779
SC PC-778
SC PC-777
SC PC-596
SC PC-579
SC PC-578
SC-1069
SC-1064
SC-1061
APA Fayette
DD King
Japanese ground losses:
142 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Allied ground losses:
7 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
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Amphibious Assault at Rekata Bay (113,134)
TF 389 troops unloading over beach at Rekata Bay, 113,134
Allied ground losses:
2 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 4 (1 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Vehicles lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled)
37mm M3 AT Gun lost from landing craft during unload of 33rd Infantry Div /4
10 Support troops lost overboard during unload of XI US Corps /3
....our BBs did a great job suppressing the defenders...and by the end of the 1st day we already had 688 AVs ashore...
...but, above all, at Treasury, our transports found their way pretty much clear and dropped the equivalent of 2 regiments of Paras...
The enemy, already heavily beaten by our bombers, shocked and confused, opposed a very light resistance and got wiped out immediately...
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Ground combat at Treasury Islands (109,132)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 2246 troops, 12 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 145
Defending force 1601 troops, 11 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 38
Allied adjusted assault: 57
Japanese adjusted defense: 2
Allied assault odds: 28 to 1 (fort level 2)
Allied forces CAPTURE Treasury Islands !!!
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
E13A1 Jake: 1 destroyed
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 3 destroyed
Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), leaders(+), disruption(-), preparation(-)
experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)
Japanese ground losses:
1063 casualties reported
Squads: 24 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 17 disabled
Engineers: 10 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 8 (8 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
78 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 34 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
1st USMC Parachute Bn /1
2nd USMC Parachute Bn /1
503rd Parachute Rgt /1
1st Fiji Commando Bn /1
2nd Fiji Commando Bn /1
Defending units:
3rd Infantry Regiment
57th JNAF AF Unit
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3rd Infantry Regiment Wiped Out at Treasury Islands by attrition!!!
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57th JNAF AF Unit Wiped Out at Treasury Islands by attrition!!!
On the night of the 20th our landings kept on going on without a problem at Rekata....
Not a single naval asset of Rader came into play...
Then, unfortunately, our micthells that bombed Treasury, having no more targets, decided to go after the heavily defended Shortland....[:@] ...in this unwanted mission we lost something like 25 planes and pilots...[:@][:@][:@]
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Morning Air attack on 71st Infantry Brigade, at 109,131 (Shortlands)
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid detected at 67 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes
Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 19
Ki-84a Frank x 23
Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk IV x 2
B-25D1 Mitchell x 12
P-40N5 Warhawk x 2
F6F-3 Hellcat x 9
Japanese aircraft losses
N1K1-J George: 1 destroyed
Ki-84a Frank: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
B-25D1 Mitchell: 4 destroyed
B-25D1 Mitchell: 1 destroyed by flak
P-40N5 Warhawk: 1 destroyed
F6F-3 Hellcat: 4 destroyed
So the combat we've seen in the replay over the beaches of Rekata between 30 Betties escorted by 60 fighters and our CAP never took place...FOW or synch problems...[:o]
Anyway...by the end of the second day, this is what we have ashore at Rekata...tomorrow we'll take the base!
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Ground combat at Rekata Bay (113,134)
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 1314 troops, 12 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 103
Defending force 41081 troops, 741 guns, 904 vehicles, Assault Value = 1223
Japanese ground losses:
6 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
14 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
89th Naval Guard Unit
4th Div /3
21st JAAF Base Force /3
31st JNAF AF Unit
20th JAAF Base Force
77th JAAF AF Bn
33rd Ind. Engineer Regiment
56th Construction Battalion
18th JAAF Base Force
26th Air Flotilla
3rd Infantry Rgt /10
Defending units:
33rd Infantry Division
27th Australian Brigade
104th Combat Engineer Regiment
131st Combat Engineer Regiment
3rd NZ Armoured Sqn
4th USMC Tank Battalion
3rd Marine Div /1
109th Tank Attack Regiment
XI US Corps
16th USN Naval Construction Battalion
46th Construction Regiment
9th Marine Defense Battalion
40th USN Naval Construction Battalion
2nd Eng Amph Bde /1
177th Construction Regiment
7th USMC Field Artillery Battalion
21st USN Naval Construction Battalion
82nd Mortar Battalion
259th Cst Art Bn /1
Our raiders arrived at Ontong Java and conquered the base...now i need to understand how to hold it...
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Ground combat at Ontong Java (115,131)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 434 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 31
Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 0
Allied adjusted assault: 11
Japanese adjusted defense: 1
Allied assault odds: 11 to 1 (fort level 0)
Allied forces CAPTURE Ontong Java !!!
Combat modifiers
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-), disruption(-), fatigue(-)
Assaulting units:
2nd Marine Raider Bn /4
