IRL health problems in family really have eaten into game time...
Feb 25, 1943
I think the Allies are looking to spring board into Korea with a lightning amphibious invasion. Perhaps joined by another parachute drop...Japan is hard pressed to dig up any spare troops.
Moppo was heavily bombed this day during daylight by beasts along with several of the Japanese Islands.
The IJN snuck two light cruisers south of Formosa...and they sink three PT boats and then some passenger ships. Nicely done, can they escape back out the way they came?
Nope, they take a northerly route and run into a screening force of enemy light cruisers, but perform quite nicely, to my surprise, in the daytime fight.
Japan has been racking up some quite impressive kills of flying boats near Okinawa, been like this for several days. Keep waiting for the Lightnings to show up...but they haven't so far.
A Kongo has been bombarding the bases to prevent runway building, so far so good...but I expect the Allies to sidestep this area and attempt an invasion of Korea.
All those Oscars were lost to beasts, but they did manage to down a few.
Japan is getting royally trashed, vp ratio is close to 3-1 Allies.
The 2nd Tank Division's blocking position north east of Port Arthur has fallen...and 40+ units are forcing the river. Not good...plus rail lines are cut all over.
Meanwhile, the KB was up in the Tsingato area, while the Allies sortie their navy to reinforce the two islands they have taken by Naha...so the IJN will sortie south, flank and look for a long range KB engagement, while a SAG will run in from the Japanese Islands looking to scatter the Allied fleet....
But, all plans fail at first contact, and here the KB spots the Indiana during the night and reacts away, and away, but is caught way out of position during the morning! It is a long fight, and the fleet carriers have never been upgraded, so at least they still have some decent sized guns to fight with.
Then, the KB is engaged by three different PT boat squadrons, and manage to dodge and escape into Tsingato...which is under siege and likely to fall.
However, the Allies launch an all out land based air attack against the KB...and the KB weathers the storm. Only 10% of fighters are set to CAP, but all the Rufes are set on CAP, and the flight controllers really scale back the air attacks on the Indiana to the north...
Heavy air losses, but all the short flank runs, causes the CVE Taiyo to founder....
And down by Naha, the SAG commander decides to pull up short and not go in...but two squadrons of high flying Betties, do go in...the first chewed up with a miscommunication and no fighter escorts, but the second does well:
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Kume-jima at 94,65
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 28,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 23 minutes
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 13
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 32
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 2
Hurricane XIIb x 1
P-40K Warhawk x 13
F4F-4 Wildcat x 48
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed, 4 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 2 destroyed by flak
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 4 destroyed
No Allied losses
Allied Ships BB Prince of Wales, Torpedo hits 3
CA Hawkins
Aircraft Attacking:
11 x G4M1 Betty launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
However during the night, the KB sorties and flees to meet up with some surface ships around Moppo, while a SAG goes looking for the Indiana, and the SAG group near Naha retreats to Nagasaki.
In the early hours of the night, the KB is spotted surrounded by enemy fleets, but no engagements...when this shocker occurs, the Allied fleet is pushing north and east. Uh, oh!
Night Time Surface Combat, near Amami Oshima at 95,61, Range 2,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
PB Tama Maru
PB Ryuto Maru, Shell hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
Allied Ships
CV Yorktown
CV Hornet
CV Wasp
CVL Hermes
CLAA Atlanta
CLAA Juneau
CLAA San Juan
CLAA Van Heemskerck
DD Barton
DD Bagley
DD Perkins
DD Flusser
DD Litchfield
DD Stuart
DD Humphreys
Wonder, of wonders, the KB makes Moppo dodging a few submarine attacks, while the Indiana is nowhere to be found...and at dawn, the KB turns into the wind and launches a strike from their depleted decks. Offense is still prioritized -- a scant 10% of fighters are on CAP (but all the Rufe).
First strike to the IJN this morning! Poor Hornet! Weather and distance play havoc with coordination.[:(]
Allied Ships
CV Yorktown, Bomb hits 1
CV Hornet, Torpedo hits 2, on fire
CV Wasp
CLAA Van Heemskerck
CVE Sangamon
CVE Nassau
CVE Suwannee, Bomb hits 1
CVE Prince William, Torpedo hits 3, heavy damage
CVE Copahee
CVL Hermes
Aircraft Attacking:
8 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
3 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
1 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
6 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
10 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
5 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
11 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
1 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
Japanese Ships
CV Shokaku
CV Zuikaku
CV Soryu
CV Hiyo
CV Kaga
CVE Hosho
Aircraft Attacking:
9 x TBF-1 Avenger launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22.4in Mk 13 Torp.
6 x TBF-1 Avenger launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22.4in Mk 13 Torp.
4 x TBF-1 Avenger launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22.4in Mk 13 Torp.
2 x Albacore I launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Mk XII Torpedo
; Julia Child
