The battle for Fiji began softly enough 3 days ago on March 7th with 10 Hudsons spotting and launching a strike vs 10 transports, 1 AV and 1DD one transport was hit, but this force was spotted a scant 60 miles from Fiji! there was no air cover over this group.
That did not last long for on the 8th Scott found out that not just 10 Hudsons were on Fiji, but 24 F4F Wildcats and over 60 bombers from B-17's, Hudsons, B-26 Maruaders and A-20B Bostons, what I figured would be a field day on unsupported transports turned into 3 days of bloody airbattles.
It turns out the KB was escorting and has thrown up its CAP, but it cannot be everywhere.
My bombers are taking hits, but so are his transports, he has lost 1 DD and the AV should go down. He has landed the 65th Nav Gd, Yoko 8th SNLF and 10th Special base force on Suva. There is another transport fleet of 10 ships inbound and further NW it looks like 5 Tankers.
The KB has not been attacked but I do run into its cap, my bombers prefering the soft transports, I hope I get lucky and get a shot on the CV's.
I have the advantage on land but must await the next fleet to see what it has.
Here are the big airbattles
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Day Air attack on TF at 82,118
March 8th Near Fiji
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 89 [X(]
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 24
Hudson I x 9
A-20B Boston x 9
B-26B Marauder x 31
B-17E Fortress x 8
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 40 damaged [:)]
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 22 destroyed [:(]
Hudson I: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged
A-20B Boston: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
B-26B Marauder: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 2 damaged
Japanese Ships
AK Montevideo Maru
AK Fugi Maru
AK Kanju Maru
AK Kagu Maru
AV Kinagawa Maru, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage [:D]
AK Yodogawa Maru
PC Ch 27
AK Kinugasa Maru
DD Sazanami
March 9th
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Coastal Guns at Suva, 83,117, firing at TF 95
TF 95 troops unloading over beach at Suva, 83,117
160 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
PC Ch 27, Shell hits 2, on fire
AK Yodogawa Maru, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Sazanami
Japanese ground losses:
659 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Allied ground losses:
12 casualties reported
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Coastal Guns at Suva, 83,117, firing at TF 95
TF 95 troops unloading over beach at Suva, 83,117
158 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
DD Sazanami, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
Will Sink
AK Nichiran Maru, Shell hits 3, on fire
AK Tatsukami Maru
Japanese ground losses:
391 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
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Day Air attack on TF, near Suva at 83,117
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 2
Hudson I x 13
A-20B Boston x 13
B-26B Marauder x 40
B-17E Fortress x 2
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
AK Montevideo Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Sazanami, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AK Noshiro Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AK Nichiran Maru, on fire
AK Yamazuki Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Fugi Maru
AK Kirisima Maru
AK Kamogawa Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Olympia Maru
AK Canberra Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
Japanese ground losses:
20 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
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Day Air attack on TF at 81,116
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 2
Hudson I x 12
A-20B Boston x 7
B-26B Marauder x 30
B-17E Fortress x 7
Allied aircraft losses
B-26B Marauder: 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
AK Chohei Maru
AK Hokusho Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Momokawa Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AK Bandoeng Maru
PC Ch 25
AK Samarang Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Morioka Maru
AK Shinsho Maru
TK Nisshin Maru #2
AK Madras Maru
AK Taisho Maru
AK Umegawa Maru
Japanese ground losses:
104 casualties reported
March 10th
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Day Air attack on TF at 81,117
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 88
Allied aircraft
B-26B Marauder x 5
B-17E Fortress x 3
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed, 8 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
B-26B Marauder: 5 destroyed
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
AK Samarang Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
2 B-17's break thru 1 gets a hit! [:)]
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Day Air attack on TF, near Suva at 83,117
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 12
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 3
Hudson I x 10
A-20B Boston x 7
B-26B Marauder x 23
B-17E Fortress x 3
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 3 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed
A-20B Boston: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
B-26B Marauder: 3 destroyed, 2 damaged
Japanese Ships
AK Tatsukami Maru
AK Kamogawa Maru
AK Yodogawa Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AK Noshiro Maru, on fire, heavy damage
AK Kashii Maru
AK Tamagawa Maru
PC Ch 27
AK Yamazuki Maru
AK Kagu Maru
AK Kanju Maru
AK Olympia Mar
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Day Air attack on TF, near Suva at 83,117
PM strike
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10
Allied aircraft
Hudson I x 9
A-20B Boston x 9
B-26B Marauder x 22
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 4 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
Hudson I: 1 damaged
A-20B Boston: 1 destroyed
B-26B Marauder: 3 destroyed, 4 damaged
Japanese Ships
AK Kashii Maru
AK Kagu Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AK Tamagawa Maru
AK Kinugasa Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Noshiro Maru, on fire, heavy damage
AK Fugi Maru
AK Kamogawa Maru
AK Nichiran Maru, on fire
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Ground combat at Suva
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 8152 troops, 57 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 197
Defending force 7813 troops, 31 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 97
Japanese ground losses:
78 casualties reported
Guns lost 4
At Palembang, Scott has increased the pressure with landing of additional troops as his first two units could not do the job. He also brought in some heavies to bombard Palembang!
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 03/09/42
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Naval bombardment of Palembang, at 20,55 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
3 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
DD Sawakaze
DD Hatsuyuki
DD Shirakumo
DD Hibiki
DD Arashio
DD Oshio
DD Arashi, Shell hits 1
DD Nowaki
CL Oi
CL Kitakami
CL Kinu
CL Yura
CA Suzuya
CA Atago
CA Takao
BB Hyuga
BB Nagato
BB Haruna
BB Kongo
Allied ground losses:
713 casualties reported [:(]
Guns lost 19
Vehicles lost 4
Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 16
Port hits 3
Port fuel hits 1
Port supply hits 6
In a surprise I get my first shot at a CV with submarines and its the Hosho, unfortunatly the dutch sub misses!!
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Sub attack at 22,56
Japanese Ships
CVE Hosho [:-]
DD Mikazuki
DD Ayanami
DD Shikinami
Allied Ships
SS KVII
His ships have left the Timor area, Burma is quiet, China for the most part quiet although he had a divide division running rampant and pushing my guerillas around but I have it stopped finally and soon will start pushing it back.
All else quiet, Palembang, Suva are the Hotspots for the moment!
Below can be seen Fiji area, There are 10 AP's spotted at Suva, KB and another TF of 10 transports 60 miles west of Nandi, and appears 5 TK moving in from NW
