Japan seems intent on bulling their way thru:
A bit of bad luck on my sub and pt boat screen...although the subs do manage to sink an xakl and a tanker, but miss on some other juicy merchant ships. No shots on the IJN heavies.

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Morning Air attack on TF, near Obi at 77,106
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid detected at 74 NM, estimated altitude 39,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 22 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 1
A6M5 Zero x 25
A6M5b Zero x 19
A6M5c Zero x 5
A6M8 Zero x 6
F1M2 Pete x 12
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 14
Ki-43-IV Oscar x 43
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 6
F6F-3 Hellcat x 11
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5b Zero: 1 destroyed
A6M8 Zero: 1 destroyed
F1M2 Pete: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
F6F-3 Hellcat: 3 destroyed
Japanese Ships
BB Hyuga
xAK Asakaze Maru
Aircraft Attacking:
6 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 36000 feet
Naval Attack: 8 x 500 lb SAP Bomb
CAP engaged:
Sasebo Ku S-1 with A6M3a Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 16000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 19 minutes
1 planes vectored on to bombers
253 Ku S-2 with A6M5b Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 19 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 3000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 3000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 2 minutes
261 Ku S-1 with A6M5 Zero (7 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 16000.
Raid is overhead
7 planes vectored on to bombers
281 Ku S-1 with A6M5 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 18 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 16000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 10 minutes
18 planes vectored on to bombers
958 Ku T-3 with F1M2 Pete (0 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 5000 , scrambling fighters to 30970.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 41 minutes
2 planes vectored on to bombers
Yamato-1 with F1M2 Pete (0 airborne, 4 on standby, 1 scrambling)
1 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 3000 , scrambling fighters to 30970.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 30 minutes
3 planes vectored on to bombers
24th Sentai with Ki-43-IV Oscar (25 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
25 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 16000.
Raid is overhead
25 planes vectored on to bombers
54th Sentai with Ki-43-IV Oscar (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 18 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 16000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 8 minutes
18 planes vectored on to bombers
63rd Sentai with Ki-43-IIb Oscar (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 14 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 16000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 25 minutes
14 planes vectored on to bombers
282 Ku S-1 Det B with A6M8 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 6 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 16000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 8 minutes
284 Ku S-1 Det A with A6M5c Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 5 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 16000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 11 minutes
5 planes vectored on to bombers
Bombers too high for some aircraft to intercept.