RGIJN
Posts: 1057
Joined: 11/24/2006 From: far away from battlefield :-( Status: offline
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As Frank already pointed out - there was another slaughter in the PM vicinity. First I was cheering about the crushing victory of my BBTF. But the morning brought severe headaches then... The local AirOps Commander at Vunakanau & Lakunai airtsrips in Rabaul´s hills scrambled together some 44 Zeros to escort torpedo-loaden Betties & Nells beyond the Owen-Stanley-Range to Port Moresby. Obviously this was much too less to push aside a 120-odd strong CAP over the target destination. And my bombers sold themselves for absolutely nothing! Not even a single fish made it into the allied freighter hulls assembled in the harbour. I was thundering mad about that... At least I caught these APDs... What a minuscule relief! AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/29/42 Weather: Partly Cloudy Night Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 10,40 Japanese Ships BB Haruna, Shell hits 4 CA Takao CL Naka, Shell hits 1 DD Kazegumo, Shell hits 1 DD Makigumo DD Asashio DD Oshio Allied Ships APD Manley, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage APD Gregory, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk APD Little APD McKean, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk APD Stringham, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Naval bombardment of Port Moresby, at 10,40 Allied aircraft Allied aircraft losses no losses Airbase hits 5 Runway hits 23 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF, near Rabaul at 21,28 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 4 Allied aircraft B-17E Fortress x 3 no losses no losses Japanese Ships AP Arizona Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage Attacking Level Bombers: 3 x B-17E Fortress at 15000 feet -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF, near Woodlark Island at 22,39 Allied aircraft B-17E Fortress x 12 Allied aircraft losses B-17E Fortress x 1 damaged Japanese Ships CL Yubari CS Chitose, Bomb hits 1 Attacking Level Bombers: 3 x B-17E Fortress at 15000 feet 6 x B-17E Fortress at 15000 feet 3 x B-17E Fortress at 15000 feet -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 10,40 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 44 G4M1 Betty x 28 Allied aircraft F4F-4 Wildcat x 35 P-39D Airacobra x 30 P-40E Kittyhawk x 11 P-40E Warhawk x 41 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero x 14 destroyed A6M2 Zero x 1 damaged G4M1 Betty x 15 destroyed G4M1 Betty x 15 damaged Allied aircraft losses F4F-4 Wildcat x 4 destroyed F4F-4 Wildcat x 3 damaged P-39D Airacobra x 6 destroyed P-39D Airacobra x 4 damaged P-40E Kittyhawk x 2 destroyed P-40E Warhawk x 2 destroyed P-40E Warhawk x 2 damaged 1LT D. Meuten of 8th FS is credited with kill number 4 FLT F.Chadwick of No. 76 Sqn RAAF is KILLED Allied Ships DD Hull AK Carina AK Etamin Attacking Level Bombers: 4 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet 3 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet 4 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet 3 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on 228th Regiment, at 53,53 Allied aircraft F4F-3 Wildcat x 9 SBD Dauntless x 58 no losses Japanese ground losses: Men lost 140 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF, near Lae at 9,33 Japanese aircraft A6M3 Zero x 3 Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 3 Allied aircraft P-39D Airacobra x 4 P-40E Warhawk x 9 B-17E Fortress x 21 no losses no losses Japanese Ships CL Jintsu, Bomb hits 2 DD Takanami DD Shikinami DD Ayanami, Bomb hits 2, on fire Japanese ground losses: Men lost 53 Attacking Level Bombers: 4 x B-17E Fortress at 15000 feet 3 x B-17E Fortress at 15000 feet 3 x B-17E Fortress at 15000 feet 5 x B-17E Fortress at 15000 feet 0 x Beaufort at 6000 feet 0 x Beaufort at 6000 feet 3 x B-17E Fortress at 15000 feet 3 x B-17E Fortress at 15000 feet -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 10,40 Japanese aircraft A6M3 Zero x 21 D3A Val x 16 Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 29 Allied aircraft F4F-4 Wildcat x 30 P-39D Airacobra x 26 P-40E Kittyhawk x 9 P-40E Warhawk x 39 Japanese aircraft losses A6M3 Zero x 2 destroyed D3A Val x 4 destroyed Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 7 destroyed Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 1 damaged Allied aircraft losses F4F-4 Wildcat x 2 destroyed F4F-4 Wildcat x 4 damaged P-39D Airacobra x 5 destroyed P-39D Airacobra x 6 damaged P-40E Kittyhawk x 1 destroyed P-40E Kittyhawk x 1 damaged P-40E Warhawk x 9 destroyed P-40E Warhawk x 4 damaged LTJG S.Ohara of F2/6th Daitai is credited with kill number 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 10,40 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 31 G3M Nell x 16 Allied aircraft F4F-4 Wildcat x 18 P-39D Airacobra x 9 P-40E Kittyhawk x 8 P-40E Warhawk x 31 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero x 1 destroyed G3M Nell x 6 destroyed G3M Nell x 11 damaged Allied aircraft losses F4F-4 Wildcat x 3 destroyed F4F-4 Wildcat x 1 damaged P-39D Airacobra x 2 destroyed P-40E Warhawk x 2 destroyed PO2 F.Nishiura of F1/Tainan Daitai is credited with kill number 5 Allied Ships AK Etamin PG Moa AK Arided Attacking Level Bombers: 3 x G3M Nell at 200 feet 1 x G3M Nell at 200 feet 3 x G3M Nell at 200 feet 4 x G3M Nell at 200 feet --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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