Spidery
Posts: 1821
Joined: 10/6/2012 From: Hampshire, UK Status: offline
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June 30th 1942 Air Losses: 32 Japanese, 11 Allied, 21 Pilots Japanese occupy: Malu (air drop) Allies occupy: Cox's Bazar (auto) Japanese land at: China Strikes at Kweiyang keep the airfield closed and continue to damage troops. Night strike by Mitchells at Lanchow has no effect. Usual Allied and Japanese bombardments continue. Burma Magwe is swept by Lightnings. 4 are shot down. Australia Lightnings sweep Katherine but find noone there. Pacific Ineffective ASW. Between Noumea and Fiji an Allied task force is spotted. It reports as below. Some Nells and Zeroes attack but are unable to penetrate CAP and the Nells do not return. The Zeroes however take down more defenders than they lose. That is 6 different squadrons on CAP. quote:
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Nadi at 126,162 Weather in hex: Partial cloud Raid detected at 72 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 28 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 22 G3M2 Nell x 11 Allied aircraft Martlet II x 15 F4F-3 Wildcat x 14 F4F-4 Wildcat x 59 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed G3M2 Nell: 8 destroyed Allied aircraft losses Martlet II: 1 destroyed F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed CAP engaged: VF-2 with F4F-4 Wildcat (0 airborne, 10 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 3000 and 15000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 33 minutes 10 planes vectored on to bombers VF-3 with F4F-3 Wildcat (0 airborne, 10 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 5000 and 8000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 29 minutes 12 planes vectored on to bombers VF-71 with F4F-4 Wildcat (0 airborne, 10 on standby, 13 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 1000 and 13000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 30 minutes 19 planes vectored on to bombers No.881 Sqn FAA with Martlet II (0 airborne, 10 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 4 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 2000 and 15000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 31 minutes 6 planes vectored on to bombers VMF-213 with F4F-4 Wildcat (0 airborne, 6 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 3 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 8000 and 10000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 34 minutes 9 planes vectored on to bombers VMF-214 with F4F-4 Wildcat (3 airborne, 6 on standby, 0 scrambling) 3 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 4000 and 15000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 27 minutes 6 planes vectored on to bombers Two subs off New Zealand are spotted by carrier aircraft, showing that there are more carriers in the area. Engineering Roi-Namur forts expand to 4. Production The air groups on the Shokaku and Zuikaku resize so I am now free to set their size as preferred. I am thinking 15 Kate, 21 Val and 36 A6M5 might be a good split. Any thoughts on this? When the other carriers return to base I will follow the same plan 50% fighters, torpedo bombers to use 1/3 of sorties at a time, dive bombers for the rest. The H8K1 Emily is available. I should have the H8K2 available 23rd September and plan to swap all the patrol groups as soon as possible so I will not build this. Harbin is short fuel.
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