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USN Destroyers in the Yellow Sea

Again

Interesting clash shaping up here...

Good enemy losses for the day

Sitrep

Allied forces have been in the Marshalls since 1942, but we have been content to let the bypassed IJ forces slowly dwindle....but now we are starting to clear up the bases with follow on forces....I would be very surprised if the Maloelap garrison puts up much of a defense but they do have some CD guns I believe.

Rather than send in a steady stream of small task forces, we have convoyed up and heading to our 3 size 3 ports & 2 size 2 ports along the Chinese Coastline.

There might now be 1 IJN destroyer around Luzon, and the KB is somewhere east of Luzon (I think)....this force is primarily now concerned with iboats and enemy air, but most of the airbases on Formosa are heavily damaged and Hong Kong is at 70% damaged.

our next convoy is already forming, protected by CVEs and the Queen Elizabeth. The Tennessee is with this first large group, and will start bombarding the Japanese once it gets to the Chinese Coastline. Arizona, Indiana and Alabama are already on station, either with the Deathstar or bombarding the Japanese. I think our heavy cruisers pack just as much punch as the old slow battleships....but I need to use them for something other than cap traps.

We have got 7 AE, 7AKE, 7 AD to support arming operations present at size 3 ports...plus one of the large fleet base forces (400+ naval support) will land today at a size 3 port giving a great boost to port rearming and general light repairs. Only 1 AR present so far however....the rest are in Vietnam, Singers, and New Guinea.
I am sure task force 257 is leaking intel radio messages for the Japanese to figure out where it is daily....evidenced by its DL.

This task force had blundered into a lone IJN destroyer task force last turn....but was not detected. I felt sure it was going to get trashed....and rushed the Kidd there flank speed and some other manuevers....which worked. During the night the task force escaped the IJN Destroyer...which headed back towards Hong Kong, where in the morning hours our returning bombardment task force closed with the lone IJN destroyer and left her a smoking wreck.

If there were two IJN destroyers there, instead of just one....would the enemy task force have detected our troopships? Who knows....

I have a sneaking suspicion that the KB might be headed for New Guinea in an attempt to raid our shipping lines...

Jan 13, 1944

I think that is the last DD raider in the area...Hong Kong probably builds E's every now and then...

I had a nice night attacks:

Night Air attack on TF, near Canton at 77,59

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 8 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-25G Mitchell x 6

Allied aircraft losses
B-25G Mitchell: 3 damaged

Japanese Ships
AMC Asaka Maru
xAK Seattle Maru, Shell hits 1
AMC Kongo Maru
xAK Johore Maru, Shell hits 1
xAK Nankai Maru
xAP Ohtaka Maru, Shell hits 1, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x B-25G Mitchell bombing and strafing from low level
Naval Attack: 6 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

I am still pretty much ignoring the IJN....and moving forward.

BB Tennessee will attempt to bombard Hong Kong, sweep by some fighters, and then the heavy bombers will hit -- about 30% on Port and 70% on manpower. There is stiff AAA there, but I think it really upgrades to heavy guns in March or April. My HQa organization is a mess so this is a good worse case attack.

Jan 15, 1944

Our horribly unorganized (by HQa) attacks on Canton, Hong Kong go off....with lots of disjointed attacks.

But the sweepers went in first, in dribs and drabs but did their jobs. Swept LRCAP over IJA troopers near to Canton with P51 Mustangs and they did the worst job sweeping. Corsairs and Jugs did much better.

We only got the fires up to 10k, very poor numbers, but we did savage the shipping at Hong Kong including sinking a destroyer.

We will need to bombard with more than just one slow battleship:

Night Naval bombardment of Hong Kong at 77,61

Allied Ships
BB Tennessee

Japanese ground losses:
63 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

OS2U-3 Kingfisher acting as spotter for BB Tennessee
BB Tennessee firing at Hong Kong Special Base Force

Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 1
A6M8 Zero x 1
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 1

Allied aircraft
B-24J Liberator x 19
B-25C Mitchell x 3

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-24J Liberator: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
ACM Senyu Maru #2, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
TK Kenwa Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
AS Rio de Janiero Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
xAK Ryugi Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
AMc Muroran Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage

Manpower hits 1
Fires 375
Port hits 2

Morning Air attack on Hong Kong , at 77,61

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 77 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes

Allied aircraft
Beaufighter VIc x 6
B-24D1 Liberator x 6
B-24J Liberator x 21
P-38H Lightning x 15

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D1 Liberator: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
AMc Konei Maru, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
DD Mutsuki, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk
TK Etashima Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
TK Meizan Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
ACM Tamo Maru #6, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
ACM Bisan Maru, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk

Manpower hits 1
Fires 2250
Port hits 3

Helldivers are nice attack planes...
Morning Air attack on TF, near Canton at 77,59

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 17 minutes

Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 21
SB2C-1C Helldiver x 25

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
xAK Kamogawa Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
AMC Akagi Maru, Bomb hits 1
AMC Asaka Maru, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Nankai Maru, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Seattle Maru, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires
xAK Panama Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AMC Kongo Maru, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires

Aircraft Attacking:
7 x SB2C-1C Helldiver releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb, 2 x 250 lb SAP Bomb
14 x SB2C-1C Helldiver releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb, 2 x 250 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SB2C-1C Helldiver releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb, 2 x 250 lb SAP Bomb

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AMC Asaka Maru
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Seattle Maru
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AMC Kongo Maru

Losses

Moving forward...will stand down bombers, let supply catch up, rotate sweepers, and perhaps interfere the the IJN amongst the islands.

Where did those 14 points come from? Formosa? One VP for every 2 damage if so. In 15 days the Allies have added c3k vp to their total.

I sent several PT boat squadrons and about 20 total Fletchers and one light cruiser to mess with the IJN around the islands....

More strategic bombing of Formosa to check some theories about scoring....

Deathstar moves to attack the IJN around the islands....sweeps by Corsairs and Jugs. 2 Squadrons of Helldivers ordered to attack. Maybe 3.

Jan 16, 1943

Corsair Sweeps and company clear our morning attack:

Afternoon attack sees a fresh lrcap from Japan....but also good coordination on the USN strike