In the southern SRA we catch three tankers, what they were doing there is anybody's guess.
Night Time Surface Combat, near Taberfane at 82,117, Range 2,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Myoko, Shell hits 1
DD Arare
Allied Ships
TK Augustina, Shell hits 16, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
TK Marpessa, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
TK Herborg, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
And then after two small skirmishes in the night to no effect, TF Tone closes with the Antigone (Leander class) and my favorite IJN Cruiser puts those forward turrets to work:
Day Time Surface Combat, near Kalidjati at 51,99, Range 23,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Tone, Shell hits 1
DD Okikaze
DD Hakaze
DD Nokaze
Allied Ships
DD Baroda, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
CL Antigone, Shell hits 5, and is sunk
DD Fearless, Shell hits 13, and is sunk
Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions: 28,000 yards
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 23,000 yards
Japanese open fire on surprised Allied ships at 23,000 yards
CA Tone fires at DD Fearless at 23,000 yards
DD Baroda sunk by CA Tone at 23,000 yards
CL Antigone sunk by CA Tone at 12,000 yards
CA Tone engages DD Fearless at 24,000 yards
Massive explosion on DD Fearless
DD Fearless sunk by CA Tone at 10,000 yards
Nicks are doing good work at Rabaul...one of many fights.
Morning Air attack on TF, near Rabaul at 106,125
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid detected at 36 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 12
Allied aircraft
Beaufighter Ic x 6
P-38G Lightning x 6
I was afraid these ships had a Qboat with them, which would shred my air attack, so Nagato was tasked with the intercept, despite 3 of her destroyers being upgraded nearby.
The Wakatake class DD are the pitifully weak destroyers, but they do their job and protect Nagato from eating any torpedoes.
The Chokai with 2 destroyers is in a support position, unable to make the engagement and the enemy destroyers escaped. Another American SAG is spotted however, or is it the fleeing destroyers plus 1 ship due to FOW?...we will pull back a bit and put the torpedo bombers on alert at Ominato until Nagato can be rearmed.
In the Aleutians, the Americans have yet to build their bases up.
You are still causing more in losses. But it looks like there needs to be more IJN ships in the pipeline.
Historically, I am very tough on Japanese destroyers. [:(]
I got a destroyer yesterday, and here are my builds. Thanks to enlarging my naval shipyards I am able to accelerate lots of CVs plus the destroyers while still building all warships.
I have also accelerated the CVE which fall under merchant shipyards domain.
Still, I can't afford to trade destroyers for cruisers.
Splitting up my one recon Sentai here, let me get some good intel on three bases...it is not too late to grab some of these, as there is now four AA units at Rabaul to help protect them. Getting the troops and supplies in under the nose of the massive air threat at PM will be tricky though.
I want to create a mined festung with DP guns at Umboi and Long Island.
Trying to figure out exactly what the AI is doing is always very difficult![:D]
6th Carrier Division will ultimately be Junyo and Hiyo and Nisshin with 18 Rufes.
A good day in the air, as the Java based Allied air force sortied against Carrier Divisions 1 and 2 that are escorting the Ambon invasion force...
Also the Rabaul Zeroes and Nicks covering Task Force Yamashiro nailed some bombers that lacked escorts.
I am so hurting for Zeroes, I have had to use some Claudes...which just get shot down at an amazing rate. 13 lost for 1 kill! Doesn't help that they aren't good pilots either, a consequence of no squadron resizing.
Tomorrow I will get the engine bonus for r&d on the A6M8, and the plane should start production in November I think.
I wish I would have focused a bit on getting this plane earlier. I surely could have had the engine bonus sooner, and I am now of the opinion that the A6M8 ranks behind the Frank and Sam only in importance. Putting 10 factories on the Rufe, and then advancing them to M8 means getting that fighter in late 1942 and it gives the KB a huge leg up for the inevitable carrier clashes in late 42 and 43. The mere presence of the fighters in numbers (in a Jack role from land bases) might very well intimidate the Allies into being rather meek until Hellcat turnover occurs.
Against the AI none of that is a consideration, it is simply a great defensive counter very early.
An engagement by Soerabaja...the IJN Yuzuki is crippled and left behind for torpedo bombers to practice on. Scratch another IJN destroyer. Didn't want to have a daytime encounter.[:(]
Day Time Surface Combat, near Soerabaja at 55,103, Range 20,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Kako, Shell hits 8
DD Yuzuki, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
Allied Ships
CA Pensacola, Shell hits 7, heavy fires
CLAA Colombo, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Walke
DD Shaw
DD MMS B, Shell hits 1, on fire
The war is starting to get real![X(] Invasion Etorofu!! Umnak is the closest island in the Aleutians that is built up -- I thought I had more time here.
Thank goodness I had the foresight to put Nagato and Chokai with some 3rd rate destroyers here in this theater. The 301st Independent Infantry Battalion is nothing to write home about: 42 AV, 36 squads, 6 hmg, and 4 70mm ww1 artillery antiques behind forts 2. But they were good enough! They have been cooling their heels on Etorofu for 30 days or so and even now the 303rd is unloading at Paramushiro.
What a royal pain it would be to lose one of the Kuriles this early. Of course, I have done it in a previous AAR perhaps even in two).[:D]
My worthless recon had the taskforce being cl/dd.[:(] These Americans could probably have steamed into Shikuka and taken that wiping out the oil there...as there is only a construction company there (don't tell Andy[;)]).
The Chokai got roughly handled by one 5.25 inch shell...
; Julia Child
Umnak is the closest island in the Aleutians that is built up -- I thought I had more time here.
