At dawn we slept...in the cab on the way back from Olongapo

[Cap Mandrake]

Marshalls: JJ tries to sneak in some Zekes to ambush our Polish TBF's.....wrong move. Daitai now mohr! Hai!

Night Naval bombardment of Kwajalein Island at 132,115

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3a Zero: 20 damaged
A6M3a Zero: 7 destroyed on ground

Allied Ships
BB Massachusetts
BB Washington
DD Conyngham
DD Doyle
DD Hobby
DD Gillespie
DD Bailey

Japanese ground losses:
289 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 20 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 12 (2 destroyed, 10 disabled)

Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 30
Port hits 2
Port fuel hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

hehe

Night Naval bombardment of Kwajalein Island at 132,115

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3a Zero: 5 damaged
A6M3a Zero: 2 destroyed on ground

Allied Ships
BB New Mexico
CA Frobisher
CL Detroit
CL Java
DD Downes
DD Taylor
DD Eaton

Japanese ground losses:
272 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 8 destroyed, 16 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 10 (5 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Airbase hits 10
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 25
Port hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

Not a single Zeke up in the air when the sun comes up.

Unfortunately, this attack may give away the presence of carriers. The fighters were on escort so they joined the TBF attack from Wotje

Afternoon Air attack on Nimur Naval Fortress, at 132,115 (Kwajalein Island)

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Allied aircraft
Martlet IV x 2
F4F-4 Wildcat x 27
FM-1 Wildcat x 18
F6F-3 Hellcat x 10
TBF-1 Avenger x 53

Allied aircraft losses
TBF-1 Avenger: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
44 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

Sumatra: Revenge at Medan.

Morning Air attack on 11th Special Base Force, at 46,76 (Medan)

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 36 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Allied aircraft
Liberator II x 6
B-17F Fortress x 6
B-24D Liberator x 12
B-24D1 Liberator x 20

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D1 Liberator: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
276 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 19 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

Will a carrier-originated TBF AF attack (level bombing) fly at an 8 hex range or do shore-installation strikes carry the same range/coordination limitations of anti-shipping strikes?

[BBfanboy]

Cap Mandrake: I think Essex had a collision as she has 5% system damage. Annoying.

Oh no! The ice cream machine is destroyed! Now how are you gonna get those flyboys to go on missions?

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Cap Mandrake: I think Essex had a collision as she has 5% system damage. Annoying.

Oh no! The ice cream machine is destroyed! Now how are you gonna get those flyboys to go on missions?

Well, you don't want to start a big fight with a broken ice cream maker. What if if shorts out, shuts down the main electrical bus, incapacitates the radar and starts arcing and set off the aviation gas fumes because the CO2 pump fails??

[Cap Mandrake]

I think that happened to Kaga once.

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I think that happened to Kaga once.

I thought it was twice. She sank both times, but fortunately for the IJN it was in shallow water. "They" also claim it was not USN bombs that sank her at Midway, but a recurrence of the problem due to the overworking of the "gedunk" machines trying to give the pilots extra energy during the battle. [:'(] [:D] [;)]

[Cap Mandrake]

**************************July 1******************

Philippine Sea: Jap DD's get in among our outbound AK's from Mindanao.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Babeldaob at 95,87, Range 6,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Fujinami
DD Hayanami
DD Minegumo

Allied Ships
AK Bullock, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

and

Day Time Surface Combat, near Babeldaob at 93,91, Range 17,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Kagero
DD Maikaze
DD Hatakaze
DD Akikaze
DD Hokaze, Shell hits 1

Allied Ships
xAK Admiral Wiley, Shell hits 11, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

PI: PA unit at Iolio is getting murdered. I am trying to get them out by air to Mindanao

Morning Air attack on 61st PA Infantry Division, at 79,84 (Iloilo)

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIb Sally x 21
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 28
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 64
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 27

No Japanese losses

Allied ground losses:
109 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 15 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)

[Cap Mandrake]

Sundas and Northern Oz: Diversion in the Sundas.

PT boats attack the two BB's at Boela.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Boela at 80,110, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Fuso
BB Ise, Torpedo hits 1
CL Natori
CL Yura
DD Hayashio
DD Kawakaze
DD Murakumo

Allied Ships
PT-249
PT-250
PT-251, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
PT-252, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-253, Shell hits 1
PT-254
PT-277, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-278, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-279, Shell hits 4, and is sunk
PT-280
PT-281
PT-282

[Cap Mandrake]

Turns out all the fighters at Ternate are on the ground. I am trying to make noise and keep Jap aviation in place.

Morning Air attack on Ternate , at 78,102

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 43 NM, estimated altitude 28,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Allied aircraft
P-38G Lightning x 20

[Cap Mandrake]

Big raid on Darwin. I had moved the fighters up to New Guinea. Evidentarry JJ spotted this and surmised an opportunity. The problem is Darwin now has level 7 forts, four full AAA regiments and hundreds and hundreds of smaller AA guns. Also, once you put a hole in a Nell, the balsa wood tends to fall apart on the long way home to Kendari. 30-40 Nells lost.

Morning Air attack on 197th Coast AA Regiment, at 76,124 (Darwin)

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 72 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M3 Nell x 72

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 33 damaged
G3M3 Nell: 3 destroyed by flak

Allied ground losses:
55 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
35 x G3M3 Nell bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
35 x G3M3 Nell bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 197th Coast AA Regiment, at 76,124 (Darwin)

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 73 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 27 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M3 Nell x 36

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 16 damaged
G3M3 Nell: 3 destroyed by flak

Allied ground losses:
55 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

Borneo: Revenge on the landing forces at Tawau. Sunfish creeps right up to the beach and gets roughed up but will survive

Sub attack near Tawau at 69,90

Japanese Ships
CVE Unyo, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
AK Canberra Maru
xAP Teibi Maru
xAP Hoten Maru
xAP Kongo Maru
DD Fuyo

Allied Ships
SS Sunfish, hits 3

[Cap Mandrake]

PI:Iolio is indefensible with the Jap air forces on Luzon now idle. Still trying to get that PA Div out by air.

Morning Air attack on 61st PA Infantry Division, at 79,84 (Iloilo)

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIb Sally x 21
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 28
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 64
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 27

No Japanese losses

Allied ground losses:
109 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 15 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Aircraft Attacking:
21 x Ki-21-IIb Sally bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
12 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
15 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 61st PA Infantry Division, at 79,84 (Iloilo)

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIb Sally x 21
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 9
Ki-61-Ia Tony x 11

No Japanese losses

Allied ground losses:
70 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

Kwajelein: The new P-47's are here! The new P-47's are here!

Morning Air attack on Nimur Naval Fortress, at 132,115 (Kwajalein Island)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Allied aircraft
P-47D2 Thunderbolt x 5
TBF-1 Avenger x 21

Allied aircraft losses
TBF-1 Avenger: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
8 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

Siam: Say "cheese"..OK hold still!

Morning Air attack on 16th Garrison Unit , at 58,61 (Nakhon Ratchasima)

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Allied aircraft
A-29A Hudson x 2
Liberator II x 6
B-17F Fortress x 3
B-24D Liberator x 12
B-24D1 Liberator x 28

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
419 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 26 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Vehicles lost 12 (1 destroyed, 11 disabled)

[Cap Mandrake]

Carolines: About 200 B-24 sorties over Truk and Wolei without any air cover. You can guess how that looked. AAA at Truk is reconstituting so we go in at 28K feet

[Cap Mandrake]

************July 2*************

Night raid over Beazelbob to make generalized noise everywhere

Night Air attack on Babeldaob , at 90,97

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-24D1 Liberator x 3

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D1 Liberator: 2 damaged