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

[Cap Mandrake]

***********Feb. 3, 1943(e)**********

I may have missed Feb 2? Oh well, can't be helped.

New Ireland and New Britain: JJ picking up or dropping off at Rabaul. These guys aren't going home.

Night Naval bombardment of Rabaul at 106,125

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 1 damaged
A6M2 Zero: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAP Miike Maru, Shell hits 1, heavy damage
xAK Kuraido Maru, Shell hits 1, heavy damage

Allied Ships
BB Indiana
CL Perth
DD Gansevoort
DD Lansdowne
DD Duncan
DD Radford
DD Chevalier

Japanese ground losses:
745 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 14 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 54 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 11 (1 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Vehicles lost 4 (1 destroyed, 3 disabled)

Airbase hits 7
Runway hits 22
Port hits 2

[Cap Mandrake]

Beauforts actually work if they enemy does not fight back but you need to give them soft gigs.

Morning Air attack on Gasmata , at 103,127

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 32 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Allied aircraft
Beaufort VIII x 31

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 3
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 24

[Cap Mandrake]

Ditto Ansons

Morning Air attack on Port Moresby , at 98,130

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 31 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Allied aircraft
DB-7B x 16
Anson I x 10
Wirraway x 13

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 14

[Cap Mandrake]

Crappy raid considering all the hardware. Clouds maybe? Good raid cohesion

Morning Air attack on Rabaul , at 106,125

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 10
B-17F Fortress x 5
LB-30 Liberator x 5
B-24D Liberator x 16
P-40E Warhawk x 7
F4U-1 Corsair x 10

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 3
Runway hits 3

[Cap Mandrake]

Siam: Japs go after 5 Brigade

Morning Air attack on 5th British Brigade, at 56,60 , near Ayuthia

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 1 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 0 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 32
Ki-48-Ib Lily x 30

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 3 damaged
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied ground losses:
21 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
29 x Ki-48-Ib Lily bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 100 kg GP Bomb

And 254

Morning Air attack on 254th Armoured Brigade, at 56,60 , near Ayuthia

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 13
Ki-49-Ia Helen x 22

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-Ia Helen: 7 damaged
Ki-49-Ia Helen: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied ground losses:
8 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
21 x Ki-49-Ia Helen bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb

RAF strikes back.

Morning Air attack on 23rd Nav Gd Unit , at 59,62 , near Nakhon Ratchasima

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 21 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 2

Allied aircraft
Beaufort I x 9
Blenheim IV x 9
Blenheim VD x 6
Hurricane IIc Trop x 9
Wellington Ic x 9

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
309 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 22 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 17 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

Oops...well..we have more of those. Nobody wants the crappy Fulmar

Morning Air attack on 23rd Nav Gd Unit , at 59,62 , near Nakhon Ratchasima

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 48 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 13

Allied aircraft
Fulmar II x 15
Hudson IIIa x 16

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Fulmar II: 2 destroyed

Japanese ground losses:
65 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

Maybe they will send some Typhoons

Morning Air attack on 23rd Nav Gd Unit , at 59,62 , near Nakhon Ratchasima

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 41 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 11

Allied aircraft
Fulmar II x 14
Beaufort I x 11
Blenheim IV x 16
Hurricane IIc Trop x 9
B-24D Liberator x 6

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Fulmar II: 1 destroyed
Blenheim IV: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
84 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

[Cap Mandrake]

Vengeance is a better plane but you have to get rid of the Tojos first.

Morning Air attack on 23rd Nav Gd Unit , at 59,62 , near Nakhon Ratchasima

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 41 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 9

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 9
Vengeance I x 15

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIc Trop: 2 destroyed
Vengeance I: 2 destroyed, 8 damaged

[Cap Mandrake]

Finally the Jap CAP is worn out.

Morning Air attack on 23rd Nav Gd Unit , at 59,62 , near Nakhon Ratchasima

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 26 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 3

Allied aircraft
Blenheim VD x 16
Hurricane IIc Trop x 6

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Blenheim VD: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
27 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

Now the heavies

Morning Air attack on 23rd Nav Gd Unit , at 59,62 , near Nakhon Ratchasima

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 6
Liberator II x 9

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
105 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

USAAF

Morning Air attack on 23rd Nav Gd Unit , at 59,62 , near Nakhon Ratchasima

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 27 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 6
B-24D Liberator x 10

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
135 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disable

[Cap Mandrake]

I think the LYB's were lined up four abreast in column. That was a serious smackdown.

[Cap Mandrake]

PI: This is a typical day in Luzon...

Afternoon Air attack on Clark Field , at 79,76

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 48 NM, estimated altitude 23,190 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 6
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 1
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 38

No Japanese losses

Aircraft Attacking:
38 x Ki-45 KAIa Nick sweeping at 21190 feet



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Clark Field , at 79,76

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 39 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 22
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 68
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 1
Ki-48-Ib Lily x 11
Ki-48-IIa Lily x 16
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 23

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 11 damaged
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 1 damaged
Ki-48-IIa Lily: 6 damaged
Ki-48-IIa Lily: 1 destroyed by flak
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 12 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed by flak

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

Airbase hits 2

[Cap Mandrake]

Fulmar II comes with the distilled water tank to water the orchids in the greenhouse. Whoever greenlighted that thing should have been forced into retirement

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Crappy raid considering all the hardware. Clouds maybe? Good raid cohesion

Morning Air attack on Rabaul , at 106,125

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 10
B-17F Fortress x 5
LB-30 Liberator x 5
B-24D Liberator x 16
P-40E Warhawk x 7
F4U-1 Corsair x 10

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 3
Runway hits 3

Social distancing?

[Cap Mandrake]

Quite nice wing-folding scheme...I will grant you that....but it looks like it was designed in 1928 and assembled by a needlepoint club of old ladies.

[Cap Mandrake]

Meanwhile, in Karachi, the lead burro ranchero takes his job too seriously. "Does this turban make my ass look big?"

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I think the LYB's were lined up four abreast in column. That was a serious smackdown.

Drop the B-24D altitude down to about 6,000 feet if you want to see some real fireworks.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I think the LYB's were lined up four abreast in column. That was a serious smackdown.

Yes, they forgot to bring AAA with them

Drop the B-24D altitude down to about 6,000 feet if you want to see some real fireworks.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Quite nice wing-folding scheme...I will grant you that....but it looks like it was designed in 1928 and assembled by a needlepoint club of old ladies.

Does that pinball machine those two guys are playing fit into that spacious canopy? That's a nice bonus to have on board for long over-water flights: the crew must have racked up some nice scores on that.