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Posts: 2661
Joined: 10/7/2003 From: Estonia Status: offline
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1/31/1942 - 2/12/1942 Almost two weeks of game time has passed since my last update. It has been very quiet in the Pacific, but in SRA the action has finally arrived. DEI After capturing Manado the IJN hung around for a day or two and then escorted another invasion convoy near Tarakan, where they invaded various small bases around Tarakan, but not Tarakan itself. I expect some unhappy SNLF troops to arrive from the jungle in a few weeks. After this the IJN sailed for Singapore, via the northern coast of Borneo, and from there escorted a major invasion convoy to Java. They captured Merak via paratroops (good move, if they mine the place i'll be unable to use the straits) and landed at Kalidjati. Because the base was also taken by paras before the main landings i've been unable to identify all of the forces there, but SIGINT has detected atleast two divisions. I have about 650AV at Batavia and that's about it, everything else has left Java for the Fortress. The KB, after covering those landings, sailed back north and is currently midway between Java and Singapore. Japanese troops also finally arrived at Singkawang and shock attacked, achieving 1 to 1 odds there. Meanwhile, when the japanese were busy in western DEI, I sent a cruiser task force to bombard Manado, and achieved great results, destroying 15 planes on the ground there and thoroughly nuking the base. B-17's from Ambon will follow in tomorrow. This operation, however was in support of another, which yielded great results... PI A week ago or so I observed the mini-KB hanging around east of Leyte. A few days later a large invasion convoy came down and the mini-KB escorted it to Butuan, where it began its landings, obviously aiming to take Cagayan. The big-KB meanwhile, was leaving for Singapore. This is where I saw my chance, my carriers had been lurking around the western end of Java, and I decided to loop them around Timor and make a full-speed run for Mindanao, to catch the mini-KB. Sadly, by the time my carriers arrived today, the mini-KB had already left, also heading for Singapore. However, four Furutaka class heavy cruisers, escorting destroyers and an invasion convoy still unloading supplies was present. In the two attacks all cruisers and destroyers were hit numerous times and also several patrol boats four of the biggest xAP's in the japanese merchant marine were blown out of the water. Morning Air attack on TF, near Butuan at 80,89 Weather in hex: Heavy rain Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 15 minutes Japanese aircraft Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 19 Allied aircraft Albacore I x 18 Fulmar II x 9 Sea Hurricane Ib x 3 F2A-3 Buffalo x 18 F4F-3A Wildcat x 13 F4F-3 Wildcat x 26 SB2U-3 Vindicator x 17 SBD-2 Dauntless x 18 SBD-3 Dauntless x 124 TBD-1 Devastator x 58 Japanese aircraft losses Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 3 destroyed Allied aircraft losses SB2U-3 Vindicator: 1 damaged SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 damaged TBD-1 Devastator: 2 damaged Japanese Ships CA Kinugasa, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage xAP Brazil Maru, Bomb hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage xAP Hakozaki Maru, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk DD Kikuzuki CA Furutaka, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage xAP Hakusan Maru, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage PB Kamitu Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire PB Chitose Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire PB Busho Maru, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage xAP Hikawa Maru, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage PB Kensin Maru, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage CA Aoba, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage PB Shosei Maru, Bomb hits 1 CA Kako, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires PB Tyuwa Maru, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage PB Kyo Maru #8, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage PB Nako Maru #2 PB Hirota Maru PB Chosa Maru PB Heiei Maru #7, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage PB Syozui Maru DD Uzuki DD Oboro PB Kenkon Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage PB Taikei Maru DD Shiokaze PB Tatsumiya Maru, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Butuan at 80,89 Weather in hex: Moderate rain Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 15 minutes Japanese aircraft Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 11 Allied aircraft Fulmar II x 5 Sea Hurricane Ib x 3 F2A-3 Buffalo x 18 F4F-3A Wildcat x 11 F4F-3 Wildcat x 24 SBD-2 Dauntless x 18 SBD-3 Dauntless x 104 TBD-1 Devastator x 41 Japanese aircraft losses Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 1 destroyed Allied aircraft losses Fulmar II: 1 destroyed F2A-3 Buffalo: 1 destroyed F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed SBD-3 Dauntless: 2 damaged TBD-1 Devastator: 2 damaged Japanese Ships CA Furutaka, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage DD Uzuki, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires PB Yomei Maru DD Shiokaze, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk DD Kikuzuki, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage DD Yuzuki, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage CA Kinugasa, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage PB Chitose Maru, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk DD Oboro, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage CA Aoba, heavy fires, heavy damage PB Chosa Maru PB Taikei Maru Intel reports two cruisers sunk currently, but I'm not sure. I figure I still have a turn to hang around, and the port facilities at Butuan aren't exactly stellar. In addition I have 143 air support and 600+ AV at Cagayan, so it's unlikely that he's gonna take the place in a while.
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Surface combat TF fanboy
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