tocaff
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Joined: 10/12/2006 From: USA now in Brasil Status: offline
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November 3, 1943 The Solomon Islands Intel 7th AF Construction Battalion is located at Soerabaja. Elements of the 10th Ind. Brigade are located at Yenen. 5158 men are based at Wonsan. 21st Reserve Engineer Regiment is located at Shimuzu. 24015 men are based at Kanazawa. Tsugaru Fortress is located at Aomori. 52nd Division is located at Kanazawa. 21st AA Regiment is located at Changsha. 104th IJN Base Force is located at Osumi. 9th Fleet is located at Truk. 15th Tank Regiment is located at Homan. Recon F-5C Lightning takes recon photos of Rangoon 13 LCUs 42780/362/303 PBM Mariner takes recon photos of Dili 5 LCUs 8720/49/0 F-5A Lightning takes recon photos of Buna 1 LCU 780/5/0 PBM Mariner takes recon photos of Lunga 119 fighters, 29 bombers, 101 aux, 19 LCUs 88440/352/8 PB2Y Coronado takes recon photos of Eniwetok 1 LCU 1260/2/0 PBY Catalina takes recon photos of Tulagi 10 LCUs 29700/248/5 Combat The MSW TFs have located and started sweeping minefields at Tulagi and Guadalcanal while Hellcats keep a watchful eye overhead and surface combat TFs lurk to try and prevent the IJN from disrupting things. Coastal guns at Lunga erupt and 5 MSWs are savaged. At Tulagi the same happens to 5 more MSWs. If the mines can't be swept will Operation King fail or be called off yet again? Lunga's airfield was attacked by 135 X B-24D and 95 X B-24J and they ran into a CAP of 60 X Zeke, 24 X George and 15 X Jack. A fighter sweep was supposed to have proceeded the arrival of the heavies, but they find themselves on their own. They keep their defensive boxes tight and the Japanese rip through the formations with lead flying all over the place. 7 X Zeke were shot down (46 damaged), 3 X George were destroyed (18 damaged) and 5 X Jack will not return home (5 damaged). 40 X B-24D were downed (55 damaged) and 34 X B024J were scratched (27 damaged) in their attempt to knock out the base. The airfield was heavily damaged, numerous secondary explosions were observed by the snooping flying boats, of which 2 were damaged, ground troops had moderately heavy losses. The MSWs off of Tulagi were jumped by 19 X Judy, 10 X Zeke, 7 X George and 5 X Jack who in turn were bounced by 17 X Hellcat. 4 X Judy went down, 9 X Zeke destroyed, 3 X George splashed (another damaged) and 5 X Jack were shot down. A Hellcat was lost and 2 others were damaged while the MSW Token was hit by 3 bombs, setting her ablaze with heavy damage. 3 X MSW quickly sink while others fight for their lives. In the end all but 1 of the MSWs are gone and Operation King hangs helplessly in the balance. The TF 78 miles N of Tulagi was attacked by 7 X Betty and 3 X Tony and the LRCAP was not in position to intercept. The ships threw up a steel curtain that downed 2 X Betty and damaged 3 others. 5 of the torpedo bombers executed a classic anvil strike and the CL St. Louis was struck by a torpedo. Another strike of 21 X Betty and 28 X Frances arrived and the TF threw everything at them, including the kitchen sink which accounted for 3 X Betty downed (15 damaged) and 2 X Frances destroyed (24 damaged). All of this was to no avail as there was still no air cover and when all was quiet the CA Quincy had absorbed 2 torpedo hits which caused fires and heavy damage, the CA San Francisco was struck by 3 fish and is a blazing hulk the will sink in short order. The DD Mahan got hammered by 2 torpedoes and the catastrophic damage caused her to sink quickly. Mandalay was bombed by 42 X B-24J, 3 X Spitfire VIII and 23 X P-38G. A bomber is destroyed and another damaged by the AA while the base is moderately damaged. Japanese casualties were placed at light. Lautem was raided by 55 X B-25J, 2 X Kittyhawk III and 17 X P-40N. 4 of the Mitchells went down and 24 others were damaged by flak. The airfield was moderately damaged and casualties were thought to have been heavy for the ground units. The O 16 is getting very close to Trimcomalee, but it'll take another day or 2 to get there and the flooding isn't worse and not improving either. FDR looks at the reports and sighs before he says, “Gentlemen, unless you can tell me in all certainty that Operation King can go forward and succeed I think that it's time to toss it on a back burner. I want the orders sent out to send those 2 divisions to take Eniwetok on their way to Wake Island. Why have a reserve force for an op that is going nowhere? The Navy will shift it's strength to Wake as I believe it's time to kick the door in on the Japanese, as you put it George. If the Japanese shift their forces once we hit the Marianas then maybe Operation King can be reincarnated, but until then let's cast our eyes elsewhere.” Nobody objects and the orders will go out in the morning. How fast SOPAC responds will be seen. Ed is galled by the news that he reads in the radio intercept that was just handed to him. “The MSWs got clobbered by coastal guns and planes while the other surface force got beat up by planes too. We have no choice, but to remain here on station until ordered to do otherwise.” The officers are dismissed and they leave to go about their duties. Ed wonders how the minefields can effectively be dealt with. If the sweeps go in the get shot up. If we go in to bombard those coastal guns we hit the mines. He's to aggravated with the news of the day and the problems that are presenting themselves to get any sleep so he take a walk to the ship's fantail and stares at the stars, thinking. Word has spread through the fleet of the 1, 2 punch delivered today by the Japanese and morale, while not suffering, has dipped a bit and the men are itching for a shot at revenge. Aboard the Helena Bill has heard several of the crew pass remarks about the people running the war need to get more aggressive, amongst other things. He agrees with their views, but of course keeps it to himself. He writes to Sandy telling her that he looks forward to leave and some time with her in the mountains, away from the war. The troop transports are circling and Slim comments that something seems amiss. Gunny nods and says, “Don't be surprised if we end up back where we started.” Sam asks if anybody knows why they seem to be going in circles, but there is no answer for him. He's in no rush for combat, but is smart enough to know that the war can't be ended without fighting. He has a smoke and just stares at other ships that are in view. When all was done for the day the burning questions were where are the USN planes? Why didn't the fighter sweep get launched? Where was the strike against Lunga's airfield? What was the LRCAP doing when it should've protected the surface ships? Today was a day that will go down in the annuls of history as a black day for the Allied war effort in the PTO and more specifically the shame of the USN. A massive Russian offensive from the Dnieper bridgehead north of Kiev erupted today. The USAAF hit Wilhemshaven with 400 bombers and 600 fighters. Victory Points Japanese 26517 Allied 16579
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