Firebomber47
Posts: 68
Joined: 12/27/2009 Status: offline
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US Navy units have successfully turned back every attempt by the Japs to land on the Philippines throughout December 1941. Tactics have involved putting a PG in several of the ports on Luzon, while having at least two DDs patrol from San Fernando up through Vigan to Laong. Another pair of DDs plus two groups of PT boats patrol Appari. One CA and a CL (Houston and Boise) patrol off Lingayan, while a DD and CL (Marblehead) patrol off Davo on Mindanao. The Mindanao force was in jeopardy from a Jap CV force consisting of Akagi, Kaga, and Shokaku towards the end of the month, but a strategic reserve force of UK naval vessels took them out. The naval relief force was built around a BB and BC (Prince of Wales and Repulse, both of whom survived the Jap airstrike on 12/8), including two CAs (Exeter and Cornwall), along with a few CLs and DDs, raced in at flank speed and mauled the CV force after three engagements in one day. The little CVL Hermes followed the Surface Group in to deliver the coup de gras (not bad for a few Swordfish stringbags, and poetic justice, considering that the Hermes was sunk by these selfsame carriers in real life). A US CV force is refueling at Rabaul and Sydney with an eye on taking out Truk next. For the moment, the Philippines are hanging on, with no successful Jap landings anywhere (nor in the Dutch East Indies or New Guinea area).
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