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

[Cap Mandrake]

Ammo eaters.

[Cap Mandrake]

Yo...Harashio...EAT THIS!

TF 50 encounters mine field at Sorong (82,107)

Japanese Ships
DD Hayashio, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

[Cap Mandrake]

Moluccas: Ternate AF is toast. Nice

Morning Air attack on Ternate , at 78,102

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 31 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 5
B-24D1 Liberator x 24

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 16
Runway hits 33

and


Morning Air attack on Ternate , at 78,102

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 19 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-24D1 Liberator x 8
B-25D1 Mitchell x 10

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D1 Mitchell: 1 damaged

Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 11

[Cap Mandrake]

Mindanao: ut-oh. 1:1 odds. Forts down 1. We are going to get our asses kicked.

Ground combat at Cagayan (79,89)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 41928 troops, 398 guns, 129 vehicles, Assault Value = 1291

Defending force 11154 troops, 174 guns, 110 vehicles, Assault Value = 297

Japanese adjusted assault: 943

Allied adjusted defense: 665

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 3)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 2

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), disruption(-), preparation(-)
experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
779 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 54 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1108 casualties reported
Squads: 43 destroyed, 26 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 61 disabled
Engineers: 7 destroyed, 14 disabled
Guns lost 22 (16 destroyed, 6 disabled)
Vehicles lost 9 (1 destroyed, 8 disabled)

Assaulting units:
28th Division
10th Division
14th Division
25th Army
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
54th British Brigade
4th Marine Regiment
93rd PA Infantry Regiment
101st PA Infantry Division
73rd PA Infantry Regiment
182nd Infantry Regiment
Agusan Constab Battalion
134th Field Artillery Battalion
Del Monte AAF Base Force /1
11th Base Group
Far East USAAF
I/43rd PS Inf Battalion
Mindanao Force
2nd RAA Med Arty Regiment
4th Marine Def Bn /3

[Cap Mandrake]

The remaining 500 men of 4th Marine Regt at Cagayan get to go home in two days....if they survive the next two days.

[Cap Mandrake]

Beans and Burrets for Mindanao

[Cap Mandrake]

***************July 30, 1943*************

Sumatra: Evidentarry, recon guys at Langsa were taking the day off. 3 IJN CA's and a ton of DD's show up at Sabang with almost no moon. Evidentarry both side think it prudent to turn off the radar too.

HMS Sussex puts up a good fight. RN and RAN torpedoes actually work. Ranges down to 2000 yds

Night Time Surface Combat, near Sabang at 44,70, Range 7,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Atago, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CA Mogami
CA Mikuma, Shell hits 1
DD Makinami
DD Harusame
DD Ikazuchi
DD Shinonome
DD Isonami
DD Uranami

Allied Ships
CA Sussex, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Warramunga, Shell hits 3
DD Racehorse
DD Relentless, Shell hits 3

Reduced sighting due to 3% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions and 3% moonlight: 9,000 yards
Range closes to 19,000 yards...
Range closes to 13,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 7,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 7,000 yards
CA Atago engages CA Sussex at 7,000 yards
CA Atago engages DD Relentless at 7,000 yards
CA Atago engages CA Sussex at 7,000 yards
DD Warramunga engages CA Atago at 7,000 yards
DD Warramunga engages DD Isonami at 7,000 yards
Range closes to 2,000 yards
CA Sussex engages CA Mikuma at 2,000 yards
DD Isonami engages DD Relentless at 2,000 yards
CA Atago engages CA Sussex at 2,000 yards
DD Isonami engages DD Warramunga at 2,000 yards
DD Relentless engages DD Ikazuchi at 2,000 yards
DD Warramunga engages DD Harusame at 2,000 yards
DD Makinami engages DD Warramunga at 2,000 yards
Range increases to 6,000 yards
CA Sussex engages CA Atago at 6,000 yards
DD Isonami engages DD Racehorse at 6,000 yards
DD Uranami engages DD Racehorse at 6,000 yards
DD Shinonome engages DD Relentless at 6,000 yards
DD Ikazuchi engages DD Racehorse at 6,000 yards
DD Makinami engages DD Relentless at 6,000 yards
Range increases to 11,000 yards
CA Atago engages CA Sussex at 11,000 yards
CA Mogami engages DD Relentless at 11,000 yards
CA Atago engages CA Sussex at 11,000 yards
DD Uranami engages DD Relentless at 11,000 yards
DD Warramunga engages DD Isonami at 11,000 yards
DD Racehorse engages DD Ikazuchi at 11,000 yards
DD Makinami engages DD Warramunga at 11,000 yards
Task forces break off...

[Cap Mandrake]

The Beaufighter squadrons are ordered to turn on their naval artillery homing beacons.

Night Naval bombardment of Sabang at 44,70 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
Vengeance I: 29 damaged
Vengeance I: 1 destroyed on ground
Beaufighter VIc: 23 damaged
Beaufighter VIc: 1 destroyed on ground
Catalina I: 3 damaged
F-5A Lightning: 5 damaged
Hurricane IIc Trop: 1 damaged

3 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
CA Mikuma
CA Mogami
DD Isonami
DD Shinonome
DD Ikazuchi
DD Harusame
DD Makinami

Allied ground losses:
1215 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 16 destroyed, 95 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 12 disabled

Airbase hits 11
Airbase supply hits 8
Runway hits 54
Port hits 14
Port supply hits 9

[Cap Mandrake]

Atago has been detached and takes a Dutch torpedo up the chuff.

Crackatago East of Sumatra

Sub attack near Langsa at 46,72

Japanese Ships
CA Atago, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
DD Uranami

Allied Ships
SS KXV

[Cap Mandrake]

Atago is within range of the Vengeance and fighter bombers at Sabang when the sun comes up but I guess everyone is running around putting out fires.

[Cap Mandrake]

Sussex is at 57 system and 55 flotation damage and is headed for Port Blair

[Cap Mandrake]

New & Improved Guinea: Jap high command has worked out the importance of Sorong as well.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Sorong at 82,107, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Kumano
CL Oyodo
DD Shimakaze
DD Makigumo
DD Oyashio
DD Hamakaze
DD Natsugumo
DD Sazanami

Allied Ships
PT-338, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-339
PT-340
PT-341, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
PT-342, Shell hits 1, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

I think there were only about 15 C-47's at Sorong. Looks like everyone got hit 2 or 3 times.

Night Naval bombardment of Sorong at 82,107

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1 Corsair: 7 damaged
C-47 Skytrain: 31 damaged
C-47 Skytrain: 2 destroyed on ground
Boomerang C-12: 3 damaged
P-47D2 Thunderbolt: 6 damaged
P-47D2 Thunderbolt: 1 destroyed on ground

Japanese Ships
CA Kumano
CL Oyodo
DD Natsugumo
DD Hamakaze
DD Makigumo
DD Shimakaze

Allied ground losses:
384 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 6 destroyed, 42 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

Airbase hits 14
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 32
Port hits 11
Port supply hits 2

[Cap Mandrake]

<makes raspberry sound>

TF 34 encounters mine field at Sorong (82,107)

Japanese Ships
DD Oyashio, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

[Cap Mandrake]

Sundas and the Like: Good guys bombard Boela but not as effectively.

Night Naval bombardment of Boela at 80,110

Allied Ships
CA Frobisher
CL Detroit
CL Java
DD Arunta
DD Endicott
DD Woodworth
DD Farenholt
DD Aaron Ward

Japanese ground losses:
207 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 27 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

Oil hits 2
Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 12
Port hits 6
Port fuel hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

USS Muskelunge torpedoes two target in one night (including several dud hits)

Sub attack near Morotai at 83,99

Japanese Ships
xAK Ryoka Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
PB Kiso Maru

Allied Ships
SS Muskallunge

and

Sub attack near Morotai at 83,99

Japanese Ships
xAK Ryoka Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PB Kiso Maru

Allied Ships
SS Muskallunge

[Cap Mandrake]

USS Growler gets one two. It's the air search from Southern Mindanao increasing the efficacy of the subs.

[Cap Mandrake]

Numerous air to ground attacks at Namlea but they are hiding in the trees.

Morning Air attack on III/66th Naval Guard Unit, at 76,108 (Namlea)

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 9 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Allied aircraft
Mitchell II x 3
B-24D1 Liberator x 3
B-25C Mitchell x 6
P-38G Lightning x 4
P-38H Lightning x 13

No Allied losses

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

[Cap Mandrake]

1500 men of Br 2nd Para drop on Namlea but the LYB's are not quite ready to give up.

Ground combat at Namlea (76,108)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 1449 troops, 26 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 73

Defending force 1626 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 31

Allied adjusted assault: 18

Japanese adjusted defense: 37

Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 3)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-), disruption(-)

Japanese ground losses:
117 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
40 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
2nd British Para Bde /1

Defending units:
III/66th Naval Guard Unit
3rd JNAF Coy
9th JNAF Coy

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

USS Muskelunge torpedoes two target in one night (including several dud hits)

Sub attack near Morotai at 83,99

Japanese Ships
xAK Ryoka Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
PB Kiso Maru

Allied Ships
SS Muskallunge

and

Sub attack near Morotai at 83,99

Japanese Ships
xAK Ryoka Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PB Kiso Maru

Allied Ships
SS Muskallunge

Real muskies sometimes try to eat people!