AmiralLaurent
Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
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4-5 August 1942
Thanks, Leo, I forgot the Wasp hit
Actually the (probably final) count is now: USS Saratoga, USS Wasp and HMS Formidable sunk. HMS Indomitable damaged (two torpedoes). USS Hornet and HMS Victorious undamaged. This turns the battle into a great Japanese victory. This will allow Japanese forces enough time to invade New Caledonia, New Zealand and even maybe a part of Australia before the American forces may advance again in the Pacific in 1943. By this date, I will have enough new land and air units to try again to hold Hawaii.
Central Pacific
During the night of the 3-4, the old and damaged DD Wakatake sailed alone from Pearl Harbor to Hilo and found the burning AVD Chincoteague but was only able to hit her with one shell before she escaped.
In the morning 18 Betties and 14 Nells attacked Hilo airfield. Six Wildcats tried to intercept but were bounced by the escort (45 A6M2 and 9 A6M3) and all shot down. The bombers then destroyed two B-26Bs and 1 P-39D on the ground, disabled 34 men and 1 gun and scored 2 hits on the base, 4 on supplies and 4 on runways. The only Japanese loss was an A6M2 Zero lost in an accident.
At the same time Japanese airmen continued to chase fleeing Allied ships between Hawaii and the West Coast. As usual the fact CV TF spent the morning under clouds. The slow CV TF sent 19 Kates and 13 Vals escorte by 10 Zeroes to attack two convoys and sank an AO and a SC, and set two more AO on fire, but the main attack of the morning was a raid by 31 Vals and 26 Zeroes against the BB Arizona. The Vals managed to hit her 8 times for one loss, and destroyed a 5in turret and an AA position, they also heavily damaged a DD escorting her with 5 bombs. Bombers from PH also participated, 22 Betties in 6 groups attacking 7 Allied ships between 60 and 720 miles of Hawaii. One was shot down by AA fire but they sank the AK Edgar Allan Pose and torpedoed another.
In the afternoon, the fast CV TF found clear weather and his Vals reported two CV TF 180 miles NE of its current position. A lonely Wildcat of VF-8 defended them and managed to shot down one of these Vals, while at the same time a Walrus getting too close of the Japanese CVs was shot down by the CAP. The Japanese carriers sadly all several TFs just close by and could only send 20 Vals, 9 Kates and 7 Zeroes attacked the Allied CVs. 9 Kates arrived first and attacked the Hornet TF. The first managed to torpedo the CLAA HMS Capetown and the other used the breach in the AA protection screen to attack the American CV, but they missed and two were shot down by AA fire. Then the main raid struck the USS Wasp and scored 4 bomb hits, leaving her burning, while losing 2 Vals to AA fire. During this time this CV TF used 31 Vals and 5 Kates to clear the waters around it. They attacked a DMS TF, and sank the Hovey with 10 bombs while damaging another and missing two. The Allied ships didn’t engage the CV TF in naval combat.
More west PH sent only 3 Betties (but escorted by 44 A6M2 and 9 A6M3) against a damaged AK 300 miles east of PH, but she was missed. The slow CV TF had many small targets around it and sent 19 Vals, 13 Kates and 35 Zeroes in 5 raids. They sank the AO Pecos, heavily damaged the AO Sabine and hit an already burning AK, while losing a Kate to AA fire during an attack against another AO.
Also during this day another Kate hit by Allied AA ditched and an Emily was shot down by AA too.
In the evening the commander of Kona (held by two Base Forces, including the one defeated in Hilo) reported that two Allied units (15 000 men) had reached his area from Hilo. The convoy bringing two Naval Guard units was schedueld to arrive and start to unload troops the next night, but to be sure the base would hold all PH bombers were ordered to bomb Allied troops in Kona while transport aircraft would carry men of the 56th Div to the threatened base.
At sea Japanese ships were ordered to continue the chase, the fast CV TF sailing to 660 miles SW of San Francisco to try to achieve the burning Wasp, while the slow CV TF would continue to hit the slower transports and try to finish the Arizona. The BB TF (2 BB, 1 CA, 12 DD) escorting this last CV TF was released to search targets to sink on his own.
It succeeded next night, finding an Allied convoy of 5 AK escorted by the DD USS Grayson 800 miles ENE of Pearl. The DD and two AK (Mahukanu and Kahilu) were sunk, but not before the DD managed to hit the BB Fuso with one torpedo, heaviling damaging here. The Fuso left the TF under escort by a DD to return to PH, but in the evening was damaged at 44/59/12 (Japanese damage control at his best….).
In the same area the SS I-7 was chased during the night by an American DD but escaped, while after dawn the RO-65 sank the damaged AK Bellatrix with two torpedoes.
Far more to the east the Japanese airmen of the fast CV TF found two Allied CVs nearby and the admiral reacted toward them, arriving 600 miles off California. Two Kates flew then 180 miles east to try to attack the CV Illustrious. They evaded the 3 Fulmars covering the CV but then AA shot down one and the other missed. The main raid by this TF was sent to kill the Wasp and had 50 Vals, 5 Kates and 9 Zeroes. The poor American flattop took 16 bombs and 1 torpedo, capsized and sank (with a SBD and a TBF aboard). In the afternoon the usal clouds covered this CV TF… It was under clouds for half of the chase, while the slow CVs always had clear weather. A Walrus getting too close was shot down by the CAP.
The slow CV TF started the day as usual, sending 11 Vals and 6 Kates attacking two small convoys, hitting two Aks and a Dutch DD without loss. But then an Allied CV was reported 180 miles SE of the TF! All aircraft on deck, 34 Vals and 29 Zeroes, were sent to attack her. It was the Formidable that was thought to have been sunk on the 3 but was still afloat. The Vals scored 17 bomb hits but all bounced on the armor while one Val hit by AA ditched on return. But then came a second wave, 11 Kates escorted by 6 Zeroes. They scored 4 torpedo hits on the British CV, bringing her total to nine during the whole battle, and she finally sank. In the afternoon, this TF sent 32 Vals, 2 Kates and 34 Zeroes against four small Tf in the area, setting on fire an AO and two Aks at the cost of a Val shot down by a destroyer. 5 Kates were sent to attack the BB Arizona 120 miles south of the CV and scored a new torpedo hit on her (the second of the battle).
During the day one more Val and a Zero were lost in accidents.
In Hawaii, 36 Betties and 9 Nells from Pearl bombed the 24th US RCT in Kona, hitting 42 men, while 21 P-39D and 3 B-26B from Hilo attacked the Japanese transports off this base. A Zero unit was scheduled to cover them but never received the orders and the American airmen managed to heavily damage an AK with 3 bombs, hitting 43 men and 1 gun aboard.
Tomorrow 3 CL and 3 DD will arrive in Kona from Palmyra. 22 Zeroes from PH will fly LRCAP over them and the still unloading transports. PH bombers will bomb troops here, but also Hilo airfield where recon-flying Petes counted 95 aircraft (40/13/42).
The first IJAAF reinforcements arrived in the evening of the 5 but found PH overcrowded (my home rule is not not have more AC than AS squads, even under the magic 250 mark). PH was able to support 390 aircraft and had more than 400 with the arrival of 27 Ki-49s, but the departure of some Emilies to Lahaina and some Kates to rear area bases liberated some room. Also 21 Ki-21s arrived in Lahaina, also from Midway, where 27 other Ki-21 will wait their turn to move.
At sea the fast CV TF is now short of fuel and will come back to Hawaii, picking up targets as it went back. It will send two CA and two DD for an anti-shipping sweep east during the night, and they will return on their own after being the Japanese surface warships that came the closest from the States during the war. The slow CV TF still has fuel and will continue to chase ships, especially the Arizona. The surface TF split into two forces to try to sink as much Allied ships as possible.
Southern Pacific
Four MSW swept two Allied minefields off Suva on the 4 and 5. The convoy carrying the 2nd Div to Hawaii left on the evening of the 4, and was the last one to do it.
Japanese engineers expanded Pago-Pago port to size 4, while Allied engineers expanded Efate airfield to size 5. In Pago-Pago enginners will now build fortifications.
Repeated recon of Noumea by Glens and Emilies from Suva reported no CAP over the base, but 282 aircraft on the ground (86/108/88), 15 units (50 000 men), 52 ships anchored (9+ APs) and 3 surface TFs, 2 SS and 2 convoys off the base.
Solomons-New Guinea
The Glen-carrying I-35 was attacked several times by Allied aircraft south of Port Moresby on the 4 and moved SE to escape them.
Timor-Amboina-Australia
During the night of the 3-4 the “leisure bombardment run” to Tenimbar by the small TF sent in Banda Sea, that decided to bombard this island rather than come back to base having done nothing, turned bad as the Dutch Navy reacted from Darwin and intercepted it. The Japanese had the CA Nachi, the CL Yubari and 3 DD and were intercepted by 4 Dutch light CL and 6 Dutch and US destroyers. Once again the Imperial Navy lost a night naval battle in these waters. The DD Hayashio was heavily damaged by 10 enemy shells, while the CA Nachi was hit by an US torpedo and set on fire and the DD Yukikaze was hit by one shell. Only one Allied DD was slightly hit by 2 shells.
Worse was to came, as with dawn 215 Allied aircraft (75B-17E, 64 B-25C, 31 LB-30, 20 P-40E, 17 Kittyhawk I, 4 Beaufort V-IX and 4 Brewster 339D) took off from Darwin to chase the raiders. They flew past Tenimbar and 120 miles north of it found the badly damaged DD Hayashio. The four Beauforts attacked and missed her and then turned back with the escort. The other bombers flew farther north but due to a false position in the sighting reports, most of them (75 B-17E, 45 B-25C, 31 LB-30 and 4 Brewster) only found the DD Yukikaze 240 miles N of Tenimbar. The poor little ship was overwhelmed, as Allied crews released their bombs on the only available target, and was sunk by 8 bombs. The main Japanese TF (Nachi, Yubari and a DD) was nearby but was only found and attacked by 19 B-25C. One bomb bounced on Nachi, another destoyed a turret on Yubari but failed to penetrate. One B-25C hit by AA crashed during the return flight.
In the afternoon the Allied raid was better aimed and the main Japanese TF was attacked by 51 B-17E, 44 B-25C and 29 LB-30. Both Japanese cruisers suffered several hits and were damaged respectively at 56/32/44 and 49/36/39. AA shot down none of the attackers but during the day 3 B-25C and 2 B-17E were lost in accidents during these raids.
At the same time 44 B-25C from Derby bombed Koepang and scored 1 hit on the airbase and 6 on the runways, wounding 8 men.
All three Japanese damaged ships (including the Hayashio with damage 60/49/21) were ordered to try to reach Kendari. 19 Zeroes of Kendari flew LRCAP over the cruisers the next day. The ships were not attacked, Darwin airmen attacking barges off Aru. One was sunk by two patrolling aircraft (a B-25C and a B-17E) while another was strafed, but missed, by 6 Brewster. Also 32 B-25C from Derby bombed again Koepang, scoring two runway hits while losing one of their number in an accident.
Both damaged cruisers will reach Kendari tomorrow, the Hayashio will follow one day later and all are now considered saved. Kendari has gone under 20 000 supplies, so stopping aircraft replacements, and a convoy unloading 12 000 supplies in Macassar was ordered to stop unloading and sail to the main base of the area.
Southern Ressource Area
Four 7000-ton AK loaded supplies in Palembang for Rangoon. Miri port was extended to size 3 (and reminded me I haven’t sent tankers to Brunei or this port for a while).
Burma
In the morning of the 4th, 34 B-17E from Dacca raided Moulmein. 17 Oscars flying CAP over Rangoon (with several tens of Zeroes) managed to intercept them. One Oscar was shot down and another lost in a crash, but they damaged several bombers and one crashed during the return trip. The bombers scored 3 hits on ressources and disabled 12 centers, leaving 70 running.
At the same time Myitkyna was bombaed by 58 Blenheim IV, 15 Il-4c and 12 Wellington III from Dacca, that hit 6 men and scored 1 hit on the airbase, 1 on supplies and on runways. And 30 Hurricane II from Imphal attacked the 81st Naval Guard unit on the railway bend north of Mandalay and hit 18 men and 2 guns.
Japanese recon aircraft identified this day the Allied unit north of the railway as the 200th Chinese division, and reported that no other Allied unit was on the trails coming from India. So the 33rd Div that had left Rangoon by train was recalled to the Burmese capital as it won’t be needed in the north.
On the 5 a Ki-46 Dinah was shot down by the British CAP over Ledo. 30 Hurricane from Imphal attacked again the 81st Naval Guard unit on the railway bend north of Mandalay and hit 6 men and 2 guns. In the afternoon 58 SB-2c, 25 Beaufort V-IX and 24 Beaufort I from Chandpur attacked Akyab and scored 3 hits on the base and 17 on the runways.
Philippines
The usual pounding of Manila continued. In two days, airmen from Clark Field flew 132 sorties (63 Ki-48, 36 Ki-21, 33 Ki-49) against the airfield and 186 (80 Zeroes, 60 Vals, 46 Kates) against the Allied troops. 165 men and 4 guns were disabled, 10 hits scored on the airbase, 6 on supplies and 102 on runways, as usual without loss. Artillery fire killed and wounded 337 men, and the lack of supply disabled 307 more.
China
In the north, on the 4, 23 Hurricane II and 7 P-40B from Lanchow attacked the 26th Div near Kungchang and hit 40 men and 3 guns, while 8 Vals from Yenen missed the 30th Chinese Corps 120 miles SW of their base. The next day the usual Val raid (8 Vals and 5 Oscars) found 9 P-40B of the AVG flying LRCAP over the target, but lost only 1 Oscar in air combat, while one American pilot was lost in a crash. The Vals missed their target and moved in the evening for the safer base of Canton.
On the ground nothing much new, artillery fire hit 52 Chinese in Kungchang, 75 and 2 guns in Wuchow and 31 Japanese and 4 tanks in Lanchow. Two Chinese units seemed not to move anymore between Homan and Sian and the main troops in Homan (3 Div, 1.5 Bde, and an Army HQ) will march west and defeat them before returning to Homan, that will be kept by a Rgt and a Base Force.
Japan
The new CL Agano was commissioned on the 4 in Tokyo and joined a convoy for Hawaii. She will be a nice AA escort for the Kido Butai.
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Printable Version
1 August 1942: the orders - 
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It is most annoying when you take it on the chin as Allied until the Japanese suffer a major setback and bail. 
But poor Pomphat will have to endure pure hell until 44. 
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