Q-Ball
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Joined: 6/25/2002
From: Chicago, Illinois
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Combat Report, Jan 26, 1942
I had set a number of air attacks around Java for today, including Naval Attacks to look for shipping, and a Port Attack on Balikpapan, to hopefully finish off CL Tama, which ate a torp and reported heavy damage right outside the harbor. Although it was pretty much a slaughter of Allied pilots, I am not totally displeased with the results.
Port Attack on Balikpapan
There was no CAP at all off Balikpapan, so we sent in the Dutch Bombers. They didn't do too badly:
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Morning Air attack on Balikpapan , at 64,97
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid spotted at 41 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes
Allied aircraft
139WH-3 x 8
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
DD Namikaze, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
Port hits 1
Aircraft Attacking:
5 x 139WH-3 bombing from 10000 feet *
Port Attack: 2 x 300 kg GP Bomb
3 x 139WH-3 bombing from 10000 feet *
Port Attack: 2 x 300 kg GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Balikpapan , at 64,97
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Allied aircraft
139WH-3 x 10
B-339D x 9
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
DD Namikaze, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
Port hits 2
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x 139WH-3 bombing from 8000 feet *
Port Attack: 2 x 300 kg GP Bomb
6 x 139WH-3 bombing from 8000 feet *
Port Attack: 2 x 300 kg GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Balikpapan , at 64,97
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes
Allied aircraft
B-17D Fortress x 11
No Allied losses
Port hits 1
Port supply hits 1
Aircraft Attacking:
5 x B-17D Fortress bombing from 12000 feet *
Port Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
3 x B-17D Fortress bombing from 12000 feet *
Port Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
3 x B-17D Fortress bombing from 12000 feet *
Port Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
I didn't find CL Tama, but Namikaze is likely hurting from those two bomb hits.
Despite the risk of CAP, I am attacking again tommorow; Dutch bombers can't hit much at sea, so while I have a target in port, I may as well keep attacking it, CAP be damned. I expect some bomber losses tommorow.
Attacks on Kido Butai
As you can see, we have confirmed that this is Kido Butai. Our SBDs attacked, and 21 SBDs made it through CAP to start their attack run......
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Semarang at 53,100
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 35
Allied aircraft
F4F-3A Wildcat x 17
SBD-2 Dauntless x 32
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3A Wildcat: 2 destroyed
SBD-2 Dauntless: 9 destroyed, 17 damagedActual Losses: 7 F4F, 12 SBD
Japanese Ships
CV Kaga
CV Zuikaku
CV Akagi
CV Hiryu
CV Soryu
Aircraft Attacking:
8 x SBD-2 Dauntless diving from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
10 x SBD-2 Dauntless diving from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
CAP engaged:
Akagi-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 2 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 3 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters between 9000 and 16000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 23 minutes
6 planes vectored on to bombers
Kaga-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 4 on standby, 1 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 8000 and 12000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 27 minutes
2 planes vectored on to bombers
Soryu-1 with A6M2 Zero (3 airborne, 2 on standby, 1 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 14000 , scrambling fighters between 6000 and 17000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 27 minutes
4 planes vectored on to bombers
Hiryu-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 2 on standby, 1 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 3 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 9000 and 12000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 26 minutes
6 planes vectored on to bombers
Shokaku-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 4 on standby, 1 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 10000 and 17000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 24 minutes
1 planes vectored on to bombers
Zuikaku-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters to 16000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 5 minutes
1 planes vectored on to bombers
Cuttlefish Admits this gave him a heart attack
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Afternoon Air attack on Soerabaja , at 56,104
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid detected at 35 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 24
B5N2 Kate x 16
D3A1 Val x 16
Allied aircraft
B-339D x 5
F4F-3A Wildcat x 8
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 3 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
B-339D: 1 destroyed
F4F-3A Wildcat: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
CM Prins van Oranje, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
SS KIX, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
CM Krakatau, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
PT TM-15, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
AS Zuiderkruis, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
Port hits 1
Port supply hits 2
Aircraft Attacking:
16 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 9000 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
16 x D3A1 Val diving from 10000'
Port Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
Port Attack on Soerbaya; I had moved most of the ships out of town
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Semarang at 53,100
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 24
Allied aircraft
Vildebeest III x 12
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
Vildebeest III: 8 destroyedActually, it's all 12 lost. It would be nice if they went with the escort. Without escort, this is a predictable result against crack KB pilots
All in all, alot of Allied losses on airpower.
Tommorow
It's probably time to pull out Enterprise's air. We have lost about 35% of the pilots and almost 1/2 the planes, so time to move it out. Enterprise will be in the yard for 3 months, so we have plenty of time to rebuild those airgroups. That attack would have been worth it if we could have managed 1 or 2 hits, but c'est la guerre.
Cuttlefish brought the KB hammer down on the DEI to no doubt restore order and chase away the Allied Navy. I now have nothing up there but Subs and a couple auxilliaries, so I suppose that mission is accomplished. I hope KB lingers for awhile longer, and doesn't move back to SW Pacific, I am taking this opportunity to move convoys without fear of intervention.
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RE: Operation Retribution - 
Not sure what this means. The sighting report indicates that it's Kido Butai, and the Vals would indicate that as well. But wouldn't the strike be much larger than that? And CF could easily load some Vals on a CVL to fool me there.....I can't decide if it's KB or Baby KB. I had planned a possible incursion by Lexington, if I can't be sure it's NOT KB, then best stay away....so sense getting killed up there. 
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