John 3rd
Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005 From: La Salle, Colorado Status: offline
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September 14, 1942 Wow. Holy Cow. I don't know whether I should exult or curl up in a little fetal ball and sunk my thumb! Well...there was action. A whole BUNCH of action. I told Dan that it took me an HOUR just to watch the turn. Add another 45 minutes to do orders. Now we sit at the AAR... Night: AKYAB The best way to describe the evening action is that there was only 17% moonlight. It is a DARK night. As detailed earlier I had ordered a TF of 5 DD to Sweep ahead of the two bigger TF. After them (by TF number) were the 4 CA, 2 CL, and 5 DD who were to pave the way for the 4 BB, 1 CL, 6 DD to PLASTER Akyab's AF. That was the PLAN. Didn't happen. The BBs go in first and find a TF of British CLs and DDs with CA Vincennes and a pair of US DD. Adm Ching Lee is in charge. The 1st Battle of Guadalcanal holds little to this wild fight. The Allies get the drop on the Japanese at 5K yards, it then closes to 2K, and continues for nearly 20 gunnery rounds. Wild crazy and NUTS describe this as Vincennes, 3 CL, 1 CLAA, and 4 DD effectively fight off a force immensely larger and more dangerous. CL Tenryu and 2 DDs go down (DD Akatsuki due to a mine explosion). The Allies see all the cruisers hit and Vincennes badly damaged along with a pair of DDs in sinking condition. The BBs slide by this defense with only Ise having any issues. She took 11 Shells and a TT. The heavies continue in to continue their mission... The Allied TF moves a hex west of Akyab fleeing the pummeling they took only to stagger into the 5 Japanese DDs moving in to the area. DD Shirayuki gets sunk by 6" shells, however, a pair of TTs sink CA Vincennes. NICE! Do we kill Ching Lee? That would be FANTASTIC! All 4 BBs open up on the AF and PLASTER it destroying nearly a dozen planes and damaging nearly 50 more. NICE! There are now 3 BBs running away WITH NO ESCORT! These ships run into a CA, CL, and 5 DDs. What little ammunition is left on the BIG BOYS is used fending off this TF and they make good their escape. Moving in LAST are the 4 old Aoba/Furutaka Class CAs, 2 old CLs, and 5 DDs. These venerable ships run into something just as venerable in the form of BB Revenge (plus a CA, CL, 3 DD). Revenge's guns are HOT and DANGEROUS. Her 3 DDs are effectively dealt with but she sinks CL Abukuma, CA Kingugasa, and CA Kako. This fight runs 18 rounds and the STUPID Japanese Admiral refuses to give up keeping the fight running as his ships get blasted. Later in the day CA Aoba and CL Kuma go down. SUMMARY: 3 CA and 2 CL are sunk in exchange for pummeling 3 DDs. Not exactly something to brag about. Rather depressing actually. DAYLIGHT Once AGAIN weather plays a terrible hand. All those 150+ Tojo in Magwe sit out the day. NICE! No Allied bombers rise to attack the warships trying to leave the area. This is GOOD. Japanese Strikes go in and score a pretty good tally: CL Helena is hit by 1 TT, CA Pensacola takes a pair of TT and is in sinking condition, CL Mauritius takes another pair of TT and looks to be in sinking condition, CL Nashville takes a single Torp but BLOWS UP from a Magazine Explosion. Aerial Losses are not terrible. They aren't good EITHER. Lose about 45 planes in exchange for about an equal number of Allied Fighters. Totals for two Days of Action Sinkings: Japan: 3 CA, 3 CL, 3 DD Allies: BBs Royal Sovereign and Ramillies possibly sunk, CA Vincennes, CL Mauritius, CL Nashville, several DDs, and a pair of APDs Damaged: Japan: 1 BB moderately damaged (Ise) and 4-5 DDs banged up. Allies: CA Pensacola (possibly sunk), 5 CL (Boise 2TT, Achilles 1TT), 1 CLAA, and 6-8 DDs The Mini-KB didn't launch ANYTHING for the 2nd day in a row. Planning Withdraw all damaged warships but keep Mini-KB in place for one last day. We'll try to get something of the cripples. Tojo to fly--theoretically--SWEEPS over Akyab. Pull back more beat-up Bomber units but still have over 100 TT aircraft available with good morale to fly from Prome and Rangoon. One more day and then we conclude this monster.
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< Message edited by John 3rd -- 5/14/2013 6:39:22 AM >
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