Spidery
Posts: 1821
Joined: 10/6/2012 From: Hampshire, UK Status: offline
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February 28th 1942 Air Losses: 0 Japanese, 2 Allied, 0 Pilots Japanese occupy: Thousand Ships Bay(auto) Japanese land at: NORPAC I do like the way surprises, good and bad, unfold as the replay runs. In the night air phase there are reports of task forces at Ominato and Hakodate being spotted by float planes and torpedo bombers. During the Day phase Nells spot task forces near Hakodate and then there are a flood of spottings by Allied forces and SBD-3 all around the area. Then the air strikes: In the morning: 18 F2A-3, 7 F4F-3, 42 SBD-3, 30 TBD-1 strike and sink one xAK. In the afternoon: 2 more attacks totalling 18 F2A-3, 7 F4F-3, 42 SBD-3, 29 TBD-1 sink another xAK This doesn't sound too bad but then then in the damage control phase the ship sinkings keep coming. End result: 1 Yusen-N, 7 Aden, 1 Gozan lost with another Aden needing scuttling as it has 98 fires. Another dozen ships are damaged but all should control their fires and repair without difficulty as most are disbanded in Hakodate and can use the shipyard there. Jakes from Shimushiri-Jima spot supporting task forces and 3 have a go at an AO (and 2 at a DD). Unfortunately, they miss. Even a 60kg bomb could have been nasty on an oiler laden with fuel. Elements of VT-2, VB-2, VB-5, VT-6, VS-2, VS-6 are seen in the attack but there may have been others allocated to night search. This suggests the Lexington, Enterprise and Yorktown may all have been present but as he has taken the groups off the carriers once there is no reason they will have gone back onto the same carriers. (Saratoga is showing as sunk on the 12th December but that is unconfirmed.) Australia Bad weather grounds planes. China Forces enter Sian but not in enough strength to attack it yet. Forces are one day from attacking Lanchow. Philippines BB bombardment restarts. Engineering Kukong airfield expanded to 2. Planning With most, if not all, USN carriers in the North Pacific this gives me a green light to run ops in the Indian Ocean. Indomitable was seen a week back near Karachi. KB is at Truk so it can head North to threaten an intercept which probably won't come off but would then cover the Aleutian invasions which is where I want it anyway. If the tankers can be attacked, before they refuel the carriers, that would cause serious problems for MrKane.
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