AmiralLaurent
Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
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Hi, all. Admiral Laurent wasn't intercepted but RL priorities made that AAR stop by total lack of time (while there was more and more to say). Game advanced slowly and is now closing on the end of the month. It had been a bloody and hard month, with me going trough all sorts of psychological states, but the game is going on... And this week-end I have time to advance on the AAR between two turns (I was away all other week-ends this month).
So here is the day when the promised mega-naval battle took place.
8 October 1943
Northern Pacific
During the night the main Japanese surface fleet searched the Allied CV SW of PJ but they had moved and were not there. The fleet only met the SS USS Rasher that attacked the CA Kako. Her torpedoes failed and she was then chased by a CL and 5 DD but escaped after a near-miss.
The two small DD TF (3 DD each) sent to disturb Allied operations off PJ met this same night an Allied TF made of the CA Pensacola and Salt Lake City, the CL Emerald, Honolulu and Richmond and 7 US destroyers. Both Japanese TF were surprised and all six destroyers (Fubuki, Tachikaze, Shiokaze, Shinomone, Mutsuki and Uranami) were sunk while scoring only 5 hits that bounced on the Pensacola, the only result being to destroy one of her radars. The same Allied TF also engaged a barge convoy and sank four of them with shells and torpedoes. This covering TF protected perfectly the other Allied TF.
So a bombardment TF hit PJ with the BB Alabama, Colorado and West Virginia and the CA Louisville but was repulsed by the CD defence and didn’t reach the crowded airfield. Japanese losses were 83 men, 7 guns and 1 vehicle.
The convoy TF continued to unload troops on PJ during the night and a little more during the day. Japanese defenders fired a total of 1019 shells on it, but only set a LST on fire and hit more lightly 3 DD, 1 DE, 1 DMS and 1 MSW. Allied landing losses were 426 men, 5 guns and 14 vehicles.
The only small Japanese success during the success in the area was the intercept of two damaged AK by two Japanese DD 120 miles WSW of PJ. The AK Edmund Fanning was sunk by gunfire and 4 torpedoes, and the AK Jeremiah S Black was heavily damaged by 6 shells before the Japanese warships retreated southwards.
Dawn brought a new Japanese success. The submarine I-40 sank the damaged destroyer USS Helm with two torpedoes 360 miles west of Kiska. The morning was then almost peaceful, thanks to clouds that covered PJ, OJ and the KB north of them. The Allied CV were now SE of PJ in a cloud-clear area but so had no target. They nevertheless scored a hit this morning when a patrolling SBD sneaked close to the KB and claimed a hit on the CVL Chiyoda. It was either FOW or did very small damage anyway.
But the weather cleared in the afternoon and only PJ remained under clouds. The KB, the Allied CV and the Allied convoy off OJ (covered by a CAP of 13 F6F and 10 FM-2) were under clear weather and bloody air battles were fought in some hours.
The first battle took place over PJ that was the target of 21 B-24J, 18 B-24D and 6 PB4Y from Attu. 25 Ki-61, 17 A6M3, 15 Ki-44, 13 Irving, 6 A6M3a and 6 Rufe intercepted them and shot down 9 B-24J, 4 B-24D and 3 PB4Y for the loss of an Irving to return fire, but couldn’t stop the bombers that reached the airfield and destroyed on the ground 7 aircraft (2 Irving, 2 Ki-61, 2 Ki-49 and 1 A6M3a), did 26 casualties and scored 2 hits on the airbase and 8 on the runways. They were followed by 3 B-24J from Kiska that went without much trouble trough the CAP, shooting down a Rufe without loss, but then missed the target and lost one of their number to AA fire.
The next Allied attacks were on the KB and were launched by the Allied CV in two waves:
_ the first was flown by 100 SBD and 29 TBM escorted by 52 F6F and 9 Hellcat II and met a CAP of 246 A6M5 and 12 A6M3a that shot down or repulsed all of them, but with heavier losses than in the previous battles. It was still a success as the CAP suffered 68 losses (66 A6M5 and 2 A6M3a) for shooting down 140 Allied aircraft (59 SBD, 48 F6F, 24 TBM and 9 Hellcat II).
_ a smaller second wave then attacked with 26 SBD and 16 TBF escorted by 7 F6F. 177 A6M5 and 10 A6M3a repulsed the attack and shot down 32 Allied aircraft (15 TBF, 10 SBD and 7 F6F) for 8 losses (all A6M5)
So far the Japanese air plan has gone not too bad, with the Allied CV airmen being decimated for no result. The fact that PJ was still covered by clouds was a major problem as so Japanese CV airmen could not support the BB TF sent there but they had targets in range (the planned range being 1 for all attack aircraft) as an Allied convoy and a surface TF were off OJ.
But CV airmen didn’t attack them. Toyohara bombers didn’t fly either and so this concentration was only attacked by 27 Betty from Shikka. Two missed a LCI, the other attacked a surface TF but with little success. They claimed two torpedo hits on the heavy cruiser USS Chester but she was not seen to be heavily hit. Another CA, a CL and two DD dodged torpedoes and AA fire shot down 6 bombers (4 G4M1 and 2 G4M2).
And then took place the first big disaster of the day. Only torpedo bombers units had correctly received the order to attack only targets at 60 miles or less, dive-bomber units still had their old orders. And so Japanese CV wing leaders had decide to send all available escort fighters with the dive-bombers against the Allied CV and the unescorted torpedo bombers didn’t fly at all, even against the unprotected ships off OJ.
At least the Japanese strike was well coordinated and all units reached together the target with 71 Val and 42 Judy escorted by 117 A6M5 and 6 A6M3a. But the Allied CAP intercepted them with 170 F6F, 18 Hellcat II and 3 Wildcat V. At this stage the Japanese commander who was anxiously following the day’s battles left the radio room of his HQ in Hiroshima and isolated himself with several sake bottles (in real world, I stopped watching the animation and just ended the turn by clicking, clicking, clicking… furious after myself).
Even the relative good news that this strike was not in vain was not enough to calm him down. On the positive side, the CVL Langley was set on fire by two bombs, the Yorktown was hit by another and a fourth one bounced on the armoured deck of the Indomitable. And 38 F6F were shot down.
But at an awful cost of 113 A6M5, 58 Val (5 to AA), 43 Judy (7 to AA) and 6 A6M3a.
The last air battle of the day took place when the Ki-57 bringing as usual reinforcement troops from Toyohara to PJ were intercepted by Allied fighters flying from the CVE of the beachhead, and Japanese fighters on CAP reacted. The latter managed to protect the transports but suffered 20 losses (9 Ki-61, 7 Ki-44, 2 A6M3 and 2 Irving) to score 14 victories (7 F6F and 7 FM-2). PJ-based fighters also suffered three losses (1 Irving, 1 A6M5 and 1 A6M3) in accidents.
When the staff had finished counting the naval search losses for both sides (14 Japanese losses (5 Judy, 4 Val, 2 Jake, 2 Pete and 1 Dave) and 33 Allied (14 SOC-3, 9 TBM, 5 SBD, 2 TBF, 2 Walrus and 1 Barracuda) shot down by enemy fighters, and a Mariner shot down over PJ by AA fire), the final body count for this day in the area was:
_ 330 Japanese losses: 299 CV aircraft (196 fighters, 98 dive-bombers and 5 floatplanes) and 31 land-based (23 fighters and 8 bombers).
_ 265 Allied losses: 257 CV aircraft (116 fighters, 125 attack aircraft and 16 floatplanes) and 18 land-based (17 heavy bombers, a Mariner).
The worst losses of the day were among the elite CV fighter units. Tens of veteran pilots were lost due to the Japanese commander mistake and will never be replaced.
The evening report of the KB fighter units was the following (from the best kill ratio to the worst one):
_ CI-1 claimed 10 kills and lost 2 fighters and 2 pilots (at least one WIA)
_ FI-1 claimed 24 kills and lost 8 fighters and 6 pilots (at least two WIA)
_ EII-1 claimed 26 kills and lost 8 fighters and 7 pilots
_ DI-1 claimed 27 kills and lost 9 fighters and 8 pilots (at least one WIA)
_ DII-1 claimed 15 kills and lost 9 fighters and 5 pilots
_ BII-1 claimed 21 kills and lost 9 fighters and 8 pilots (at least two WIA)
_ EIII-1 claimed 14 kills and lost 7 fighters and 7 pilots (at least one WIA)
_ DIII-1 claimed 16 kills and lost 8 fighters and 8 pilots (at least one WIA)
_ JII-1 claimed 14 kills and lost 9 fighters and 8 pilots
_ JI-1 claimed 13 kills and lost 8 fighters and 8 pilots
_ BI-1 claimed 12 kills and lost 12 fighters and 10 pilots
_ EI-1 claimed 8 kills and lost 8 fighters and 7 pilots
_ AI-1 claimed 11 kills and lost 13 fighters and 10 pilots (at least two WIA)
_ CII-1 claimed 6 kills and lost 6 fighters and 6 pilots
_ AII-1 claimed 6 kills and lost 8 fighters and 7 pilots
_ F1/261st claimed 5 kills and lost 26 fighters and 21 pilots
_ F1/653rd claimed 4 kills and lost 19 fighters and 18 pilots
_ F2/653rd claimed 3 kills and lost 20 fighters and 18 pilots
_ JIII-1 claimed 1 kill and lost 7 fighters and 6 pilots
The four worst units were logically the training units sent into the battle to boost the numbers of available fighters. Rookies were slaughtered. These four units lost 72 fighters and 63 pilots (KIA, POW, WIA) to score only 13 kills, while the experienced KB units lost 134 fighters and 107 pilots to score 223 kills.
More bad news arrived later, concerning the naval battles off PJ. The expected air support (either from PJ or from the KB) had been unable to get trough the clouds covering the area during the whole day and so the Allied TFs were intact to engage the Japanese warships, setting the place for the bigger battle since the Jutland as 5 Japanese BB, 8 CA, 4 CL and 19 DD met 3 Allied BB, 5 CA, 5 CL and 22 DD. On the paper the Japanese had the advantage but in reality late-war Allied CL are better than CA while Japanese CL are more close to a DD, so the only net advantage of the IJN was in the number of BB. The plan for this battle was to engage warships damaged and disorganized by air strikes, not an intact fleet.
Each side was divided into a BB TF and two cruiser TF.
On the Japanese side:
_ the BB TF had 5 BB, 3 CA, 1 CL, 6 DD
_ the first cruiser TF had 3 CA and 8 DD
_ the second (led by Tanaka) had 2 CA, 3 CL and 5 DD
On the Allied side:
_ the BB TF had 3 BB, 1 CA, 8 DD
_ the first cruiser TF had 2 CA, 3 CL and 7 DD
_ the second (led by Tanaka) had 2 CA, 2 CL and 7 DD
The battle started badly for the IJN as the Imperial BB TF was surprised in bad weather by the Allied BB TF. The BB Hiei was critically hit during the first minutes of the minutes and was later sunk by more shells but the exchange of fire was then more equilibrate. None of the other Japanese BB was seriously hit, but two DD (Niizuki, Minekaze) were heavily damaged and one (Satsuki) set on fire. The Allied TF lost the DD USS Wilson and HMS Panther sunk, the BB USS West Virginia, the CA USS Louisville and the DD USS Smith, Porter and Phelps heavily damaged and the BB USS Alabama and the DD USS Clark and HMAS Stuart on fire.
The IJN BB TF was then attacked by the first Allied cruiser TF that managed well despite its inferior firepower. All three Japanese destroyers damaged in the previous battle (Niizuki, Satsuki and Minekaze) were sunk, two more (Kishinami and Amagiri) were damaged and the BB Kirishima and Musashi, the CA Atago and Ashigara and the DD Yamakaze were set on fire. The Allied TF achieved this with moderate losses: the DD Thatcher sunk, the CL Richmond and the DD Stevens, Monssen and Gwin heavily damaged and the CA Pensacola and Salt Lake City, CL Emerald and DD Trathen set on fire.
The first Japanese cruiser force was following the BB TF but was also surprised by the second Allied cruiser TF and all of its ships were badly hit in the close-range battle that followed. Five destroyers (Hayanami, Maikaze, Shiranuhi, Shiratsuyu and Samidare) were sunk, a sixth, the Murakumo, was heavily damaged, and the five last ships (CA Maya, Myoko and Mikuma and DD Arare and Harukaze) were set on fire. On the Allied side, the DD Walke was sunk, the CA Wichita and the DD Warrington and O’Brien were heavily damaged and the CL Newcastle and the DD Welles and Frazier were set on fire.
This long series of Japanese disasters was finally stopped by Tanaka that led the second Japanese cruiser TF into the battle. It first engaged briefly the first Allied cruiser TF that was retiring and sank without any damage two damaged ships, the CL Richmond and the DD Stevens.
Tanaka then sailed at full speed towards the Allied beachhead and found the Amphibious TF that was leading the Allied landing (the AGC Blue Ridge, having aboard an Amphibious HQ, escorted by 3 DE, the Osterhaus, McConnell and Charles R Green). The DE did their best to cover their flagship and managed to hit and set on fire the DD Oshio and Namikaze, but the Japanese TF sank all four Allied ships and 1059 men of the HQ were drowned.
Tanaka had still an almost intact TF and attacked the second Allied cruiser TF and defeated it. The DD Namikaze took more shells and was heavily damaged while the DD Tokitsukaze was set on fire, but they were the only Japanese losses. On the Allied side three damaged ships (the CA Wichita and the DD O’Brien and Welles) were sunk, and the DD Duncan, Woodworth and Frazier were heavily damaged.
And so ended the naval battle of PJ on this second day of the battle. Losses were heavy on both sides. Including the night “suicide” of the Japanese destroyers and the DD sunk by a Japanese submarine, they were:
Sunk: 15 Japanese ships (a BB, 14 DD) vs 15 Allied ships (1 CA, 1 CL, 1 AGC, 8 DD, 3 DE, 1 AK)
Heavily damaged: 4 Japanese DD vs 11 Allied ships (1 BB, 1 CA, 9 DD)
On fire: 12 Japanese ships (2 BB, 5 CA, 5 DD) vs 8 Allied ships (1 BB, 2 CA, 2 CL, 3 DD)
More or less intact: 12 Japanese ships (2 BB, 4 CA, 4 CL, 2 DD) vs 7 Allied ships (1 BB, 1 CA, 2 CL, 3 DD)
On the ground at PJ, both sides exchanged artillery fire. Allied losses were 56 men, Japanese ones 129 men, 1 tank and 6 guns. Allied troops on the island numbered 235 977 men (+4891), 2435 guns (+22) and 528 vehicles (+29) for 4708 AV (+26) against 99 620 men (+80), 798 guns (-2) and 6 tankettes (-1) for 1790 AV (+2).
The evening report of PJ showed damage of 24/0/0 (airbase/runway/port), 425 engineers, and 30 530 supplies (-864). OJ showed damage 5/28 (airfield/port) and recons reported 10 units (+1) with 23 900 men (+8 760), 53 guns (+14) and 54 vehicles (+16). So at least a new unit was unloaded in OJ, and given the number of landed men it might be an infantry division.
Of the ship hit today, 5 damaged DD were disbanded in PJ port. Two will probably sink, the others were so damaged that they could move only one hex a turn and so couldn’t escape with Allied CV in the area.
The less critically hit ships (2 BB, 5 CA, 4 DD, all still able to do 16 knots) will sail NW of PJ and then go to Shikka.
Tanaka gathered together the combat worthy ships (2 BB, 3 CA, 4 CL and 2 DD) and received orders to remain off PJ. The Allied remaining ships should be weaker than this TF. Tanaka reloaded shells in PJ, but there was no fuel available.
The pic below will show you the state of the surviving Japanese ships:
At the end of the day PJ had 143 aircraft able to fly CAP (including Rufe and Irving) and 124 available, and 8 Oscar II arrive to reinforce them. They should be enough to cover Tanaka ships, as both Allied CV attack aircraft and heavy bombers were decimated today.
The KB will move 60 miles west and will attack tomorrow Allied ships off OJ to stop Allied reinforcements landing there. In the evening Japanese CV had 223 fighters (209 serviceable), 55 dive-bombers (49) and 127 torpedo bombers (127). Tomorrow all AC will have a range of 1, and fighters will fly 90% CAP. 18 Kate (2 more crashed on the way) flew from Toyohara and 76 Val (1 crashed) from Sapporo to reinforce the KB. There was no available reserve fighter unit. Two units (JI-2 and JII-2) both reduced to a Judy left the KB and flew to Sapporo where they will be degraded to training units. So tomorrow, the KB will have 223 fighters (209 serviceable), 129 dive-bombers (119) and 145 torpedo bombers (143).
By the way it was hoped that the Allied CVE(s) off PJ will react to chase Japanese CV and so may come in range and be destroyed tomorrow.
Betties of Shikka and Toyohara also received orders to attack ships off OJ only, so were reduced to range 8.
The CL Isuzu was detached from the KB escort and will sweep waters 60 miles east of PJ tomorrow. At this place it should find only very damaged ships and achieve them. It might also attack Allied convoys that will be chased from PJ by Tanaka and which escort will be in a bad shape then. It will then sail at full speed to Etoforu Jima.
The three Japanese submarines sailing between Kuriles and Aleutians islands will also chase cripples. All moved in the area roughly midway of PJ and Attu/Kiska.
Both ARs of Etoforu Jima will sail at full speed and unescorted to Shikka. They may run into an Allied submarine but to save Japanese warships is worth the risk.
In Toyohara the troops gathered for the OJ operation (2nd, 18th, 48th and 116th Div, 21st and 25th Eng Rgt, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Yokosuka SNLF) boarded ships. In one day all troops were aboard and the ships began to load supplies. That should assure a one day landing in OJ. The speed will be essential for the success of this operation.
This force was planned to be escorted by the KB’s surface TFs but the strong losses of warships today made that no more possible. So a quick survey was made of Japanese ports and a CA, a CL and 8 DD that were repaired here and were combat worthy (SYS < 5) were ordered to rally Toyohara at full speed, starting from half a dozen of ports.
Six submarines also left Japanese ports towards Kuriles waters: two with Glen, another I-boat and 3 Ro boats, including a brand new one commissioned today in Tokyo.
Southern Pacific
The 4th Div finished to land in Guam. It was then divided into three parts and each part received orders to defend Guam, Tinian and Saipan, until more troops will be available.
New Guinea-New Britain- Solomon Islands
In the afternoon 19 B-24D, 11 B-25C and 10 B-17E from Dobadura escorted by 18 P-38G and 2 P-38J bombed Rabaul, did 17 casualties, and scored 2 hits on the airbase and 44 on the runways, while 45 B-25J from Lae escorted by 20 P-38G attacked Wewak, did 11 casualties and scored 7 hits on the airbase, 4 on supplies and 38 on the runways. Two B-25J and two P-38G were lost operationally, while Allied fighters shot down two Dinah III during the day.
Rabaul reported damage of 91/60/28 (airbase/runway/port) and 534 supplies (-0) for 4731 (-6) required, Kavieng had still no damage and was building again fortifications (6, 27%, +5%) and Wewak finally didn’t repair all damage and had 8/0/0 in the evening, but had now only 37 remaining supplies (+33).
I-176 reported three Allied AP 360 miles south of Gili Gil, probably sailing for Brisbane. She will try to follow them, and the damaged I-31 (17/0/0) will come close to track them too with her Glen. The Naka and her escort DD sailed from Noumea and will try to intercept this convoy off Australia.
Japanese airmen identified an Allied MLE off Lae, probably to lay mines off new Allied bases only some days after their capture.
Timor-DEI-Australia
During the night the CA Furutaka and 10 DD attacked Allied ships off Kai Island. Their first target was a convoy of six Dutch AP escorted by two old DD, the HMAS Vendetta and the HMS Thracian. The only damage to the Japanese DD was a 4in hit on the DD Sazanami but that was enough to set her on fire, while the Vendetta was sunk by gunfire, the AP Van Rees heavily damaged by two torpedoes (with 68 casualties amongst embarked troops) and the Thracian was set on fire by 6 shells. The Japanese TF then found the solitary AK American Leader and sank her with concentrated gunfire before retreating at full speed.
In the morning five squadrons of P-38J took off from Kai Island to sweep Kendari skies. 57 P-38J reached the target area and met 87 Japanese fighters on CAP (68 Ki-44, 15 A6M3a and 4 Oscar II) that won the battle. For 16 losses (7 Tojo, 5 Zero and all 4 Oscar) the Japanese pilots shot down 30 P-38J and three more were lost operationally, bringing the cost of the raid to a 60% casualty rate.
In the afternoon, Koepang was attacked by 15 B-25C from Derby and 33 B-24J and 33 B-24D from Darwin that did 40 casualties, disabled 2 guns and scored 18 hits on the airbase, 7 on supplies and 46 on the runways, Dili was the target of 39 B-17E escorted by 9 Kittyhawk III from Darwin that did 20 casualties and scored 1 hit on supplies and 34 on the runways, and Lautem was attacked by 10 B-25C from Darwin escorted by 19 Kittyhawk III and reported 1 hit on the airbase and 5 on the runways. A B-25C was shot down by AA fire over Koepang and a B-17E and a B-24D were lost operationally.
The evening area report listed the airfield status as: Maumere was OK (fort 4, 54% (+6%)), Koepang had damage 29/45/0 (system/runway/port), Dili 82/74/0, Lautem 53/32/38, other bases undamaged.
The DD Sazanami had damage 34/8/12 and was unable to follow the TF. All ships will return to Kendari to refuel.
Betty bombers had still naval search orders, and so didn’t attack the Allied convoy that retreated and so was no more covered by Allied CAP….
Two Chutai (one of Oscar II and one of A6M3a) left Kendari for Clark Field after being reduced to 2 and 3 pilots respectively. There they were recompleted with rookie pilots that will be trained here.
SRA
A convoy will load 21k resources in Rangoon and bring them to Singapore.
Burma
Allied airmen flew 841 sorties today, all in Myitkyina area: 45 B-25J and 79 escorts from Ledo, Imphal, Jorhat and Kohima on the airfield (62 casualties, 2 hits on the airbase and 72 on the runways), 330 fighter-bombers, 283 bombers and 104 escorts from Imphal, Jorhat, Ledo, Kohima, Dimapur and Dacca against 4 divisions and 1 regiment of the garrison (453 men and 15 guns hit). Two B-25J, two P-35A, a B-25C, a P-47C, a P-40N, a P-40E and a Beaufighter Mk 21 were lost in accidents. A Japanese Dinah III was shot by Allied fighters during a recon sortie to Jorhat.
On the ground Allied artillery didn’t fire at Myitkyina. More west Japanese guns pounded Allied troops in Katha (64 Allied men and 3 guns hit), where 1085 Japanese AV (+2) faced 1722 Allied (-4).
The evening report showed damage of 67/63 (airbase/runway) in Myitkyina. In this town there were still 120 supplies (-14) for needs of 12 436 (-115). Mandalay was damaged at 10/0 (airbase/runway) and Lashio at 69/36.
The Allied retreat from Myitkyina continued. They were now 24 units near the city (-6) and 14 north of it (+4). Recon aircraft will fly tomorrow to the hex south of Ledo to confirm that troops were here too, as two units were lacking in the above numbers.
China
114 training and 31 escort sorties were flown from Wuhan against Chinese troops NW of Changsha, and hit 22 men for three operational losses (2 Oscar II and a Val).
 Attachment (1)
< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 10/28/2007 12:58:27 AM >
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RE: 30 September 1943: successful Allied attack in Myit... - 
. And I am quite sure that aircraft research didn't use any HI. 
you are the Japanese player's light in the tunnel! 
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