Canoerebel
Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002 From: Northwestern Georgia, USA Status: offline
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9/8/43 Thin Man: On the bombardment run to Kwaj, BB Washington takes two TTs from a sub. She's moderately-heavy damaged and can only make 8 knots. She'll limp to Maloelap (following an ASW TF), disband, and pump out water. Since she's in a high-friction area and far from the shipyards, she's out of the war for a long, long time. Her bombardment TF (reduced to Alabama and Indianapolis and DDs) bombards Kwaj, focusing on the infantry (meaning, I think, that the CD unit is highly disabled). Both sides then engage in ground bombardments to get a measure of the other side. Both seem to have raw AVs of 100, though some of the information during the battle sequence suggests that John's troops may be reduced to about 25 effective AV. The Allied units have 93 raw AV. I'm going to let them rest and remain on defense for the time being. All troop-retrieval TFs are loaded, meaning the last of the merchantmen (with the exceptions of a few supply ships) will depart the Marshalls tonight, joining a train that began leaving the station two days back. So far the egress has gone smoothly. The carriers and combat TFs will remain on station at least another day and perhaps much longer. I'm weighing between a number of options. Fuel levels are good; sorties are good; and I can probably replenish sorties at Jaluit; and two big AO TFs are on call if needed. So the carriers can remain on station or they can retire to Pearl, depending on circumstances as I'll explain further. The big decision is whether to focus on the Marshalls and vicinity or whether to focus on Amchitka. The weather will close down operations in the Aleutians in less than three months, so that's a factor. If I want to head north, I can't spend the next two months in the Marshalls. Too, where is Steroid KB and Mini KB? No sign of them today. If they pop up in the Aleutians, I'll probably jump at the chance to expedite things in the Marshalls. If they show their ugly selves in the Marshalls, I'll probably stick close in order to protect the troops at Kwaj. But if John manages to extinquish the troops at Kwaj (that's not likely, but not impossible), I might move to Amchitka. I have ten days or so to decide, mainly the period in which troops ships will retire to Pearl, unload, and then reach the stage of being ready to re-load. CV Bunker Hill and a CVL will be ready to depart Balboa tomorrow. BB South Dakota will be repaired at Pearl in about 40 days. I "found" a RCT 100% prepped for Eniwetok up at Anchorage (had forgotten about it), so it's now en route to theater. So the Allies will have units fully prepped for Wake and Eniwetok (both 6k limits), highly prepped for Roi-Namur (6k limit), and 100% prepped for Ponape and Kusaie (high limits). I'm inclined to focus on this theater unless something happens to change my thinking. Japanese air sortied from Roi-Namur today and overwhelmed decent CAP at Ailinglaplap, sinking two supply xAK and a supply xAP. 20 Judys were downed during this clash. Circus: Big enemy combat TF seems inbound for Ulak or Adak. I think John may try to cross me up here and hit Adak, so the Fletchers will stay put. I received interesting inconsistent SigInt today - that parts of 14th Div. are aboard ships bound for Ulak...but that 14th Div. is prepping for Adak. No way John lands an unprepped unit, so I think Ulak is not a target. Adak might be, but given the size of its garrison (632 AV behind five forts with 160 mines), it would take an all-out effort. The might include Steroid KB. On the chance that John might also try a raid into the Gulf of Alaska to pick off some of the shipping there, I'm reconfiguring the picket-ship arrangements and pulling back some of the better high-value shipping, including the CVEs.
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