tocaff
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Joined: 10/12/2006 From: USA now in Brasil Status: offline
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February 21, 1944 Saipan Intel 99429 men are based at Heiho. 8th Ind. Brigade is planning for an attack on Chungking. 10th Division is located at Heiho. 2nd Aviation Rgt is located at Mutanchiang. 4th South Seas Det. is planning for an attack on Wake Island. 53rd Heavy AA Battalion is located at Mutanchiang. Elements of the 15th Division are located at Ichang. 14th Air Fleet is located at Tokyo. 12th AA Regiment is located at Peking. 4th Aviation Rgt is located at Nanning. North China Area Army is located at Nanning. 5852 men are based at Takamatsu. Recon Mosquito PR.IX takes recon photos of Tavoy 1 X AP, 9 fighters, 8 bombers, 6 aux, 4 LCUs 9440/50/0 F-5C Lightning takes recon photos of Andaman Island 7 aux, 4 LCUs 12040/56/0 PB2Y Coronado takes recon photos of Marcus Island 12 LCUs 36580/205/6 OS2U-3 Kingfisher takes recon photos of Saipan 15 LCUs 50700/321/0 PBM Mariner takes recon photos of Ulithi vacant F-5A Lightning takes recon photos of Port Moresby 129 fighters, 30 bombers, 117 aux, 22 LCUs Mosquito PR.IX takes recon photos of Kendari 1 X SS, 8 X AK, 9 X AP, 13 X CA, 1 X APD, 5 X DE, 1 X BB, 5 X DD, 1 X CL, 1 X CVE, 1 X PG, 5 LCUs 17800/147/7 F-5C Lightning takes recon photos of Waingapu vacant Combat The coastal guns at Saipan continue to take a very heavy toll of troops coming ashore and the ships disgorging them. Ed's Old Gals continue to plaster Saipan's defenses and the BB Pennsylvania was hit 3 times. The airfield was lightly damaged, as was the port, were some secondary explosions and troop losses were placed at very heavy. The IJA 3rd Division was attacked by 63 SBDs (1 damaged), 78 TBFs (2 downed, 20 damaged), 68 P-39Ds (1 destroyed, 1 damaged), 22 PB4Ys (1 damaged), 14 F4F-4s, 56 F6Fs and 12 F4U-1s. Japanese losses were light. Then before the Japanese could dust themselves off 30 SBDs, 15 P-47Ds, 91 B-25Js (1 damaged), 22 PB4Ys (1 damaged), 27 B-24Js, 19 FM-2s, 37 F6Fs, 27 F4U-1s and 11 F4U-1Ds. This time around the casualties were heavy. 25 TBFs, 29 TBMs (3 damaged), 14 F4F-4s and 46 F6F Hellcats did light damage to the port and negligible casualties to the personnel there. 27 SBDs (1 downed, 3 damaged), 31 TBFs, 14 P-47Ds, 22 FM-2s, 46 F6Fs, 30 F4U-1s and 12 F4U-1Ds did light damage to the airfield. The Japanese hit the Americans with a Banzai charge in a effort to drive them into the sea, but the defender's firepower was to much and the Japanese troops were shredded for extremely heavy losses as the Americans had heavy casualties. The RN MSWs continue to seep the mine field at Andaman Island. The SS O19 was laying mines near Amboina when an AP happened by and the sub hit it with a torpedo, causing fires and heavy damage. A short while later an IJN MSW detected the sub laid mines and started her dangerous work of clearing them. Lunga was swept by 16 P-38Js and they were met by 23 Zekes, 33 Jacks and 3 Tonys. In the furball that followed 3 Zekes were shot down, 4 Jacks were splashed and a Tony went down while 4 Lightnings were destroyed and 2 others sustained damage. The IJA 56th Brigade, 29 miles SE of Pagan, was jumped by 9 Spitfire VIIIs and 30 Thunderbolt IIs, 4 of which were damaged. Japanese losses were light. The IJA 29th Ind. Mixed Brigade, nearby, was attacked by 25 X Corsair IV (2 damaged), 10 X Spitfire VIII, 28 X Thunderbolt II (2 damaged), 18 X P-38J and 46 X B-25J (1 destroyed, 3 damaged). The LCU lost heavily. The Japanese lobbed shells at the Allied troops all day and caused moderate casualties while the CW gunners accounted for very heavy Japanese losses. The 5th New Chinese Corps had light casualties at the hands of 12 Helens. Stick is beat as today he flew a morning and an afternoon escort mission for planes attacking the Japanese on Saipan. He has been credited with 6 combat missions and he still hasn't seen a Japanese plane. “Sam,” says the LT commanding his platoon, “Your squad, what's left of it, is yours. It'll be on the platoon's right when we get orders to advance so see to it's repositioning.” This shocks Sam as for 2 days staying alive has seemed to be an impossible task. His squad is down to 7 men, including himself, and with the way the Japanese artillery, mortars and machine guns pelt anything that moves it looks like that number will be dwindling. More troops continue to come ashore, but it's water, ammo and food that is needed the most. The Japanese attack of today was a horrifying thing as it started last night with infiltration by the Japanese where there was hand to hand combat. Some men who left their positions were shot by their own troops. Flares were constantly in the air and just when things would seem to quiet down there would be a scream. Trying to get some sleep while your buddy kept watch was impossible and then just before dawn thousands of Japanese surged forward and actually over ran some positions. The machine guns, mortars, artillery and naval guns saved the day and now a horrible stench is in the air as the day's heat has started to decompose the dead bodies. There are flies everywhere. It's like a living hell and the American troops are waiting for the orders to push inland in a major attack just to get away from this horrible place. I can't ever remember being this tired and thirsty, thinks Sam, and now I have to worry about more too. I hate the Army almost as much as I hate the Japs, he thinks. Pete reads the newspaper about the Americans roughing up the Japanese in the Marianas and he pictures a map of the Pacific in his mind. “Jeez!” he lets out, “They are driving towards Japan and leaving Australia exposed.” He realizes that he's talking out loud and shuts up. What the hell are they up to leaving the Japs in control of so many bases that can threaten Australia? Victory Points Japanese 30564 Allied 23487
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