Attack Condor
Posts: 425
Joined: 12/27/2002
From: Chicago
Status: offline
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Station Rose (aka GG) again draws blood (and oil) from the AP TF desparately steaming north to get away from the dive bombers.
Today's air action was the most successful in the campaign so far, with a total of 27 1000 lb bomb hits were reported on the APs, and an IJN DD was also hit once by the SBDs - at a cost of only one SBD damaged. It is reported that each of the nine transports discovered is burning brightly..........
At PM, [I]Kanimbla[/I] and three other transports successfully delivered the bulldozers of the 808th EAB to PM, before being sunk by an IJN submarine lurking in the harbor. The other three transports, having delivered their load, have already headed south away from PM.
The loss of [I]Kanimbla[/I] is regrettable, but the delivery of the bulldozers assures that the engineers on PM are now able to repair base defenses and facilities even faster than they had already been doing.
Action from today's fighting:
[I]AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 05/19/42
Weather: Partly Cloudy
Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40
Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 10
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell x 1 damaged
Allied ground losses:
Men lost 12
Attacking Level Bombers:
10 x G3M Nell at 4000 feet
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Naval bombardment of Kiriwina, at 18,37
Naval bombardment of Woodlark Island, at 22,39
Sub attack near Port Moresby at 10,40
Japanese Ships
SS I-28
Allied Ships
AP Kanimbla, Shell hits 10, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
Allied ground losses:
Men lost 26
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Air attack on 170th Regiment, at 10,40
Allied aircraft
P-400 Airacobra x 4
B-25D Mitchell x 4
B-26B Marauder x 9
Allied aircraft losses
B-25D Mitchell x 1 damaged
B-26B Marauder x 2 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 34
Attacking Level Bombers:
9 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
4 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet
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Air attack on TF at 13,42
Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 6
SBD Dauntless x 3
P-400 Airacobra x 3
no losses
Japanese Ships
PC Tama Maru #8
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Air attack on TF at 19,37
Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 38
P-400 Airacobra x 4
Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless x 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
DD Oite
AP China Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AP Marsue Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
PG Keijo Maru
AP Akibasan Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Asanagi, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
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Air attack on TF at 19,37
Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 14
SBD Dauntless x 17
no losses
Japanese Ships
AP China Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AP Mogamigawa Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Oite
AP Marsue Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
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Air attack on TF at 19,37
Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 19
SBD Dauntless x 12
P-400 Airacobra x 4
no losses
Japanese Ships
AP Akibasan Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AP China Maru, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
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Air attack on TF at 19,37
Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 3
SBD Dauntless x 27
no losses
Japanese Ships
AP Goyo Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP Yamakuni Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AP Mogamigawa Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP Nichibi Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
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Air attack on TF at 19,37
Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 6
SBD Dauntless x 11
P-400 Airacobra x 3
no losses
Japanese Ships
AP Asakasan Maru, Bomb hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
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Ground combat at Port Moresby
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 23612 troops, 255 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 17945 troops, 122 guns, 20 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 0)
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 349
Guns lost 5
Allied ground losses:
Men lost 265
Guns lost 1
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SBD pilots want another shot at the AP TF, but the IJN CV [I]Zuikaku[/I] has made an appearance NNE of GG, apparently heading SE around the Rennel (?) Is.
Luck continues to favor us, as the IJN CV TF was only 90 miles SE of the AP TF at 19,37. I'm sure the IJN staff debated whether or not to provide LRCAP for the APs, but were still smarting from the mistake in leaving [I]Shokaku[/I] uncovered for even one day. If the SBDs had in fact targeted the CV TF instead of the APs, the day's results would have been very different indeed.
With the AP TF trailing oil and limping badly, submarines have been dispatched north to provide the killing blows to the crippled ships.
Staff planners at USN HQ at Noumea are happy about the mauling the Japanese transport fleet has taken so early in the campaign, but remain wary of becoming overconfident. The fact the IJN CV TF did not join the AP TF and escort it home was very suprising. An oversight, or do the carriers have plans of their own.........?
Either way, Operation Rose has been an unparalleled success to this point.
But, like gambling, do I pick up my winnings and go home.... or roll the dice "just one more time..."
More to come......
_____________________________
"Shouldn't we be leading the shark into shore...instead him leading us out to sea?"
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