Pacific War 3.0 (No Encircled please!)

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July 10, 1943.

Port Moresby reached airfield level 9 yesterday in Allied hands. Heavy Allied night bombing of Rabaul results in more Japanese flies being swatted, but at least a few Allied bomber losses in exchange. These 4Es are beasts!

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July 12, 1943.

Another day, another series of night bombing runs. Japanese aircraft die to 4Es and in once case a small P-38 vs Tojo fight, and several Allied 4Es are downed by Flak. Not terrible.

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July 13, 1943

A little more city bombing in China with a few Liberators lost and a Rufe ambush took a bite out of some Beauforts on a daily milk run over the almost-abandoned southern Solomons.

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July 13, 1943.

Now that the HR allows full strat bombing, I managed to get some strategic points strat bombing resources in Cloncurry with extended range Nells.

[RangerJoe]

That is one more thing that those Nells with the lovely, long legs are good for.

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July 18, 1943.

First combat debut of the Frank was underwhelming. Georges that were supposed to sweep Merauke came in late (and they got around a dozen F4Fs for no losses when they did come in after the bombers), but some Franks escorting low naval Helens lost ten of their number for about even losses in F4Fs.

The Helens mostly got through to attack some DDs (was hoping for transports). One DD was hit and claimed sunk, but with a single 250 kg bomb, the sunk claim is highly dubious.

[RangerJoe]

Not necessarily dubious. The Kisargi (sp?) was sun at Wake Island from one 100 pound bomb. [X(] All hands lost . . .

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July 21, 1943.

Pretty quiet these days!

Buna is under siege, but since the Japanese army is larger than the Allied one (and behind forts in the Jungle), he's going to have to either bring in more reinforcements or go elsewhere:

Ground combat at Buna (99,129)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 19912 troops, 415 guns, 453 vehicles, Assault Value = 691

Defending force 22583 troops, 235 guns, 84 vehicles, Assault Value = 780

Japanese ground losses:
56 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

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

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Here's a list of the most valuable ships sunk so far:

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And destroyers sunk:

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July 23, 1943.

A CAP trap of Nicks at Kwajelein in what's left of the Marshalls shot down a corsair, Ventura, and 10 Dauntlesses. Fun, but hardly consequential.

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Meanwhile, he appears to be pushing forward in Burma, and possibly into the open plains (at least the movement arrow shows this). Is this a feint, advance in force, or major Allied offensive? Time will tell.

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July 25, 1943.

First Deliberate attack at Buna after a battleship bombardment:

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July 26, 1943.

Another series of night bombing attacks on Magwe which shot down Japanese fighters in droves but also a few 4Es, along with a P38 sweep near Rabaul that got a bit chewed up by some Georges + Franks at about even losses.

And... Allied land forces have emerged into the Central Burma plains. Looks like an offensive of sort.

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July 27, 1943.

A series of sweeps in Burma results in disproportionate attrition to US airforces as the Japanese fighters on CAP have a great showing in the air.

[PaxMondo]

George/Frank rule in '43

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ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

George/Frank rule in '43

Yeah, I was surprised at how well they did vs Corsairs and Lightnings (definitely better) and seemed only slightly worse than Thunderbolts.

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July 31, 1943.

There's a large enemy force making its way around the plains in Burma... not sure what it's doing but we're bombing it heavily, while also taking fairly heavy flak losses. Probably worth it to try to soften it up before it can get into attack position.

[PaxMondo]

Yeah, that's definitely something and you are hurting it. Keep it up .... that's what those helens are for ...

[RangerJoe]

Fly at 10k or 11k so those 40mm Bofors may leave you alone.