14.12.1941 HUNTER BECOMES HUNTED
CENT.PAC. AREA
As smoke from carrier battle near Hawaii clears, our carriers are under orders to return to Kwajalein to replenish aircraft, fuel and supply and then to aid bogged down invasion of Wake. But as threat of surface fleet still remains, we’ve left several smaller TFs to acts as rearguard. And lo and behold here they came:
Night Time Surface Combat, near Johnston Island at 155,108, Range 4,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
PB Ikuta Maru, Shell hits 17, and is sunk
Allied Ships
CA Minneapolis
CL Helena
DD Bagley
DD Blue
DD Helm
DD Tucker
DD Cassin
DD Downes
DD Schley
Reduced sighting due to 17% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions and 17% moonlight: 4,000 yards
And just how close they came to our carriers can best be seen in morning phase of our air attacks on them:
Morning Air attack on TF, near Taongi at 148,103
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 14
D3A1 Val x 58
Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 6 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
CL Helena, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Tucker, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
CA Minneapolis, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires
DD Blue, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Cassin, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Downes, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Schley, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Bagley, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
Aircraft Attacking:
3 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
5 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
3 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
3 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
12 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
8 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Minneapolis
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CL Helena
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Tucker
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Blue
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring a Admiralty 'T' class DD
