RE: USN CVs HAMMER JAP SHIPPING OFF RABAUL
Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:59 am
Bradley7735....thankyou for your insightful comments. I hope you are right about BB Mutsu and that she sank.....unfortunately she was in the Rabaul hex when I bombed her so we will see.
Nevertheless......BB Mutsu and BB Yamashiro...if not sunk......should be out of action for the upcoming critical period of the war where Japan will be conducting offensive ops both to isolate Australia and then invade Australia in spring 1942. Up until BB Yamato enters the war......we now should have BB parity with Japan...the IJN is now able to field 8 BBs while the USN has 4 pre-war BBs and the RN has BB PoW, BB Warspite and 2 R class BBs available. The Allies have a slight advantage in CAs and a huge advantage in CLs. Im estimating that Japan now has...or will soon have....7 CVs, 3 CVLs and 3 CVEs. The Allies now have 5 CVs and 1 CVL and CV Hornet should put out to sea on the east coast US in 15 days. Im currently shaping the naval battlefield off the E coast of Oz and New Zealand/New Caledonia/Fiji and hopefully will be able to base enough land based AC to offset Japan's carrier air advantage.
2/11-2/12/42
Quiet turn overall.
RABAUL
The USN carriers withdraw to the SE and Dave hits them with additional A6M2s that are staged into Rabaul and Shortlands:
Morning Air attack on TF, near Ontong Java at 117,132
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 47 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 32
G3M2 Nell x 3
Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 23
F4F-3A Wildcat x 18
F4F-3 Wildcat x 38
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 4 destroyed
G3M2 Nell: 2 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3A Wildcat: 1 destroyed
Morning Air attack on TF, near Ontong Java at 117,132
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 42 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3
G4M1 Betty x 6
Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 15
F4F-3A Wildcat x 13
F4F-3 Wildcat x 31
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 3 destroyed
This confirms my decision to withdraw the carriers.....the Allies are critically short of naval fighters until the F4F-4s start going into production in 4/42 and even with the lousy F2A-3 Buffaloes it is important for the USN to hang on to each and every naval fighter available.
MALAYA
Japan resorts to bombardment attacks this turn at Singapore.....the IJA troops there must be accumulating some heavy disruption.
PHILIPPINES
The Allied advance to northern Luzon is accomplishing its goals....Dave switched his bomber targeting from Clark to the Allied LCUs and Clark....which has been bombed daily from 12/7/41 to present......increases its fortification level to 2.
DEI
Japan invades at Oosthaven. I am leaving this invasion unopposed and prefer to hunker down in across the river in Palembang. I have some 420 AV in Palembang and should be able to mass another 1200 AV in Batavia. This isnt enough to stop Japan on either island but it is enough to attract substantial Japanese forces and should bloody them quite a bit by the time all is said and done......trading Dutch troops and space for time....the passage of time is Japan's greatest threat.
Ive attached a screenshot of Java.....mini KB and KB are tag teaming Java and have virtually eliminated the Dutch air force....too bad for Japan there are no other carriers available to cover their advances or buildups in other theatres.

Nevertheless......BB Mutsu and BB Yamashiro...if not sunk......should be out of action for the upcoming critical period of the war where Japan will be conducting offensive ops both to isolate Australia and then invade Australia in spring 1942. Up until BB Yamato enters the war......we now should have BB parity with Japan...the IJN is now able to field 8 BBs while the USN has 4 pre-war BBs and the RN has BB PoW, BB Warspite and 2 R class BBs available. The Allies have a slight advantage in CAs and a huge advantage in CLs. Im estimating that Japan now has...or will soon have....7 CVs, 3 CVLs and 3 CVEs. The Allies now have 5 CVs and 1 CVL and CV Hornet should put out to sea on the east coast US in 15 days. Im currently shaping the naval battlefield off the E coast of Oz and New Zealand/New Caledonia/Fiji and hopefully will be able to base enough land based AC to offset Japan's carrier air advantage.
2/11-2/12/42
Quiet turn overall.
RABAUL
The USN carriers withdraw to the SE and Dave hits them with additional A6M2s that are staged into Rabaul and Shortlands:
Morning Air attack on TF, near Ontong Java at 117,132
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 47 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 32
G3M2 Nell x 3
Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 23
F4F-3A Wildcat x 18
F4F-3 Wildcat x 38
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 4 destroyed
G3M2 Nell: 2 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3A Wildcat: 1 destroyed
Morning Air attack on TF, near Ontong Java at 117,132
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 42 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3
G4M1 Betty x 6
Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 15
F4F-3A Wildcat x 13
F4F-3 Wildcat x 31
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 3 destroyed
This confirms my decision to withdraw the carriers.....the Allies are critically short of naval fighters until the F4F-4s start going into production in 4/42 and even with the lousy F2A-3 Buffaloes it is important for the USN to hang on to each and every naval fighter available.
MALAYA
Japan resorts to bombardment attacks this turn at Singapore.....the IJA troops there must be accumulating some heavy disruption.
PHILIPPINES
The Allied advance to northern Luzon is accomplishing its goals....Dave switched his bomber targeting from Clark to the Allied LCUs and Clark....which has been bombed daily from 12/7/41 to present......increases its fortification level to 2.
DEI
Japan invades at Oosthaven. I am leaving this invasion unopposed and prefer to hunker down in across the river in Palembang. I have some 420 AV in Palembang and should be able to mass another 1200 AV in Batavia. This isnt enough to stop Japan on either island but it is enough to attract substantial Japanese forces and should bloody them quite a bit by the time all is said and done......trading Dutch troops and space for time....the passage of time is Japan's greatest threat.
Ive attached a screenshot of Java.....mini KB and KB are tag teaming Java and have virtually eliminated the Dutch air force....too bad for Japan there are no other carriers available to cover their advances or buildups in other theatres.
