gladiatt
Posts: 2576
Joined: 4/10/2008 Status: offline
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8th april - 20th april 1943 - on 8th april, japs DD Kiji hit a mine at Tulagi and sink. One less, still 140 to destroy JAPS ARE COUNTERING MY MOVES After the seizure of Gasmata, the japs made some moves, wether to prevent me from holding bases, or to try to build new bases to defend Rabaul : - As soon as 2nd april, Munda in the Solomons fall in the hands of 66th Nav Guard - on 12th april, 40 4E attack 3 japs DD at Mussau Island. DD Kisaragi is hit by one bomb, DD Asakaze by 2 bombs, but no sign of sinking since. - 13th april, KAVIENG is captured by fragment of 2nd Parachute Regiment, probably by airdrop. - 14th april, EMIRAU Isl is captured by another fragment of 2nd Parachute Rgt. - 15th april, ADMIRALITY Isl is captured by another fragment of 2nd Parachute Rgt. I tried to slow down any building of theses bases, with raids from Port Moresby from time to time (on Port if Airfield is size 0, overwise it won't attack). - Munda is bombed 10th april ( 3 ports hits), 15th april ( 5 ports hits), 18th april ( 1 port hit) - Kavieng is bombed as soon as 14th april by SBD operating from Gasmata; and also by B-24 from Port Moresby on 15th, 16th april - Admirality Island bombed 18th april by 29 B-24, 2 hits on port. On 19th, a raid score no hits. - 2 raids on Emirau score no results. JAPS ATTRIT MY SHIPS WITH AIR STRIKES OR SUBS My planes on LRCAP cannot be everywhere, thus bettys from Truck or Guadalcanal sometime find an uncovered TF in the Bismark Sea. - on 8th april , Gasmata, 1 AP and 1 AK are hit (both will sink) - on 9th april, at Gasmata, 1 AP and 2 AK hit (both will sink trying to reach Port Moresby) - on 18th april, 1 AK is hit at Lae. These attack cost the japs 5 bettys. - on 11th april, a TF crossing the cap of Gili Gili unload by accident a fragment of Seabees at Fergusson Island (just West of Gili Gili) after an AP hit a jap mine. Same day, SS I-5, west of Port Moresby, sink an AK with a fragment of Aviation Regiment; hunted by australians MSW, it manage to sink MSW Nipigon on 13th april... - on 17th april, at Gili Gili, 14 Bettys score 1 bomb hit on an AK but 1 betty is downed by my dutch Brewsters. - GILI GI/I is captured on 14th april. "Ticket to Ride" is complete And Lae, empty of troops until now, now host a australian base force and Australian 30th Brigade, and is building. CENTPAC - Funafuti is raided 4 times, with a few hits scored on airfield, and 2 bettys destroyed on ground. Nukufetau is raided 2 times with no particular results. Nanomea airfield reach level 1 on 14th april. It is out of bomber range. KB SHOWS BACK - on 16th april, a japs raid from Guadalcanal targets my subchasers near Luganville: 43 Zeros and 27 Bettys face my 51 fighters. For the losses of 1 Corsair and 2 P-40E, 20 zeros and 4 bettys are destroyed - on 17th, KB come close to Efate, and strike an AK that unloaded supply in Luganville few days ago. 21 Kate score 8 bombs hits on AK Andrew Furuseth, sinking it. Same day, 21 Vals alone attack Luganville, all destroyed by my CAP; 2LT Landers, of 49th FG (P-40E) score 4 kills, reaching 18 kills. Another raid from Guadalcanal gathering 38 zeros and 18 bettys fight my CAP; 1 P-40E is downed for 32 zeros and 3 bettys; and 2nd LT Landers score 4 more kills, downing 8 planes in a day and reaching 22 kills. Once more my CV are unable to react in time, being too far away, and on 18th, KB withdraw north toward Ponape.
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