Operation Boxing Day has been very interesting to date. a lot of action on the 13-15th December!
The other regions were, as usual, fairly quiet except a surprise appearance by the CAF shot down 15 x un-escorted Sallies over China.
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13th December:
Forces approached Siberoet and the first Japanese attack came in from Padang 80 miles west of the target beaches. 36 x enemy planes attacked and were comfortably thwarted by the 120 x CAP. A retalitory raids by TBF/M's caused little damage but destryed 4 x Tojo on Padang's runways.
SS I-30 was detected and reported sunk ASW assets.
In the PM a raid appeared from Singapore by A6M5's and Jills (51 planes in total). Once more the CAP did well preventing any planes from breaking through.
Siberoet was reached by nightful.
Planes losses for the day:
Allied: 13 (5 x Hellcat)
Japanese: 73 (27 x Val, 20 x Tojo, 17 x Jill, 14 x A6M)
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14th December:
Troops went ashore the empty Siberoet Island early on the 14th.
A series of Japanese air raids started at first light. The first by 56 x planes from Palembang was decimated but the 1 x Betty that got through torpedoed CVE Santee (34/45/0).
The second raid from Padang (39 x planes) was shot up by the 300+ CAP.
A 63 plane raid from Singapore followed and was also roughly handled with 2 planes getting through hitting nothing.
Plane losses for the day:
Allied: 21 (12 x Hellcat)
Japanese: 124 (32 x Betty, 21 x Jill, 21 x Tony, 20 x Jack, 15 x Sally, 11 x Val, 10 x A6M)
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15th December:
The 15th saw the heaviest air raids as more troops and material went ashore at Siberoet.
SS I-175 was detected entering the area and reported sunk ASW vessels.
SS I-39 had more success and hit CV Chimera with a torpedo (12/18/0) before being sunk by escorts.
The air raids started with a Sweep by 24 x George.
A 56 x plane raid from Singapore couldn't breakthrough the 286 x CAP.
A follow up 39 x plane raid met a similar fate.
Then came the main event with a 154 plane raid from Singapore. The CAP was already a bit depleted from the earlier raids and 30 x Betty broke through:
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 28
G4M1 Betty x 67
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 24
Ki-44-IIb Tojo x 27
Ki-45 KAIc Nick x 8
Allied aircraft
Seafire IIC x 6
F4F-4 Wildcat x 39
FM-1 Wildcat x 27
F6F-3 Hellcat x 167
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 5 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 38 destroyed, 3 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 2 destroyed by flak
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 4 destroyed
Ki-44-IIb Tojo: 5 destroyed
Ki-45 KAIc Nick: 2 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
FM-1 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
F6F-3 Hellcat: 4 destroyed
Allied Ships
CVE Anzio, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CVE Corregidor, Torpedo hits 1
CVE Chenango, Torpedo hits 2, heavy damage
CVL Hermes
CVE Sangamon
CVE Suwannee, Torpedo hits 1
These 4 x CVE limped to the tiny port of Siberoet to join CVE Santee.
2 x further raids were also prevented in breaking through.
Air losses:
Allied: 51 (27 x Hellcat, 20 x Wildcat)
Japanese: 219 (64 x Betty, 30 x Tojo, 26 x A6M, 24x Oscar, 19 x George, 17 x Tojo, 16 x Jack)
I've attached a screenshot of the damaged CVE's and the action area.
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Submarine warfare:
7 x dud/missed attacks.
SS Sturgeon heavily damaged AK Manshu Maru off Daito Shoto.
SS Tullibee blew up PB Bisan Maru #3 off Fukue-jima.
On the 13th SS Guardfish sank TK Teikai Maru off Daito Shoto.
SS Aspro damaged TK Nisshin Maru in the Malcca Straits.
On the 14th SS Scorpion broke AKL Toshim Maru in half near Hamamatsu.
SS Hoe left AO Shinkoku Maru heavily damaged after a torpedo hit near Groot Natoena on the 15th.
Later in the day SS Hake heavily damaged AK Konzan Maru NE of Formosa.
