as Ken already said, Paul (BigRed) took over this game. Hopefully we´ll bring it around till 1944.
We´re still mid July 1943, and the allied punishment on the Japanese heads increases.

He started another bombing campaign in the PNG area. GG and PM get some pounding now, they had been merely unscathed before. Needless to say my CAP could not even think about any kind of "protection". [:@]
After some fumbling to get into the right location hex to launch the highspeed dash in, I managed to sneak into Irau again. My 1CL+2DD met a small allied counterpart with 1CA, 1CL and a lone destroyer. We clashed two times after I achieved initial surprise. Though I received alot of hits some LongLances made it thru... [:D] One of my DDs is probably doomed, the other two combatants will make port with only medium damage. Not too bad for me, especially since it seems the Allies are already short on warships by now.
See the report below:
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/16/43
Weather: Clear
Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43
Japanese Ships
CL Nagara, Shell hits 13, on fire
DD Takanami, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Hamanami, Shell hits 5, on fire
Allied Ships
CA Northampton, Shell hits 2
CL Achillies, Shell hits 2
DD Wadsworth, Shell hits 8, on fire, heavy damage
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43
Japanese Ships
CL Nagara, Shell hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
DD Takanami, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Hamanami, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
Allied Ships
CA Northampton, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CL Achillies, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
DD Wadsworth, on fire, heavy damage
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Sub attack at 43,44
Japanese Ships
SS I-21
Allied Ships
AP Doyen
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Air attack on Gili Gili , at 17,42
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 21
A6M3 Zero x 3
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 15
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 11
Allied aircraft
P-38G Lightning x 24
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 2 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-38G Lightning x 1 destroyed
P-38G Lightning x 1 damaged
1LT C. Wooley of 41st FS is credited with kill number 4
LCDR C.Imamura of EII-1 Daitai is KILLED
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on Lunga , at 38,40
Allied aircraft
PB4Y Liberator x 20
B-24D Liberator x 41
Allied aircraft losses
PB4Y Liberator x 1 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 255
Airbase hits 7
Runway hits 64
Attacking Level Bombers:
0 x PB4Y Liberator at 10000 feet
3 x B-24D Liberator at 10000 feet
9 x PB4Y Liberator at 10000 feet
0 x PB4Y Liberator at 10000 feet
3 x PB4Y Liberator at 10000 feet
0 x B-24D Liberator at 10000 feet
0 x B-24D Liberator at 10000 feet
6 x B-24D Liberator at 10000 feet
3 x B-24D Liberator at 10000 feet
0 x PB4Y Liberator at 10000 feet
5 x B-24D Liberator at 10000 feet
11 x B-24D Liberator at 10000 feet
3 x B-24D Liberator at 10000 feet
0 x B-24D Liberator at 10000 feet
5 x B-24D Liberator at 10000 feet
0 x PB4Y Liberator at 10000 feet
0 x B-24D Liberator at 10000 feet
5 x B-24D Liberator at 10000 feet
8 x PB4Y Liberator at 10000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40
Allied aircraft
Hudson x 3
Allied aircraft losses
Hudson x 1 damaged
Attacking Level Bombers:
0 x Hudson at 20000 feet
3 x Hudson at 20000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on Gili Gili , at 17,42
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 28
A6M3 Zero x 3
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 8
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 11
Allied aircraft
Hudson x 17
P-38G Lightning x 18
B-25J Mitchell x 42
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 5 destroyed
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 1 destroyed
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 1 damaged
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 4 destroyed
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 2 damaged
D3A Val x 2 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Hudson x 3 destroyed
Hudson x 1 damaged
B-25J Mitchell x 1 destroyed
B-25J Mitchell x 6 damaged
1LT U.Wilder of 41st FS is credited with kill number 7
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 37
Airbase hits 6
Runway hits 26
Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
0 x Hudson at 20000 feet
5 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
4 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
2 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
2 x Hudson at 20000 feet
0 x Hudson at 20000 feet
0 x Hudson at 20000 feet
5 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
1 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
7 x Hudson at 20000 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
5 x Hudson at 20000 feet
0 x Hudson at 20000 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
0 x Hudson at 20000 feet
5 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
0 x Hudson at 20000 feet
4 x B-25J Mitchell at 15000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on Gili Gili , at 17,42
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4
A6M3 Zero x 1
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 7
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 50
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 1 damaged
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 1 destroyed
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 2 damaged
D3A Val x 4 destroyed
D3A Val x 4 damaged
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 1 destroyed
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 92
Airbase hits 13
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 32
Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
0 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
0 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
0 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
0 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
4 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
0 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
0 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
0 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
0 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
0 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
0 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
0 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
0 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
0 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
5 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
0 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
5 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
0 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
0 x B-17E Fortress at 10000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on Russell Islands , at 35,39
Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 16
SBD Dauntless x 26
no losses
Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 14
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack at 47,43
LTJG B.Hirano of EII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 5
Japanese Ships
SS I-175
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------