apbarog
Posts: 3769
Joined: 5/23/2002 Status: offline
|
23 Mar 42 Near Koumac, sub Trout spots CA Haguro and 3 DDs, but doesn't get a shot. Near Balep Island, north of Koumac, sub Seal fires 4 torpedoes at DD Akikaze but misses. An AMC and 2 AKs are spotted. Could be carrying the 16th Division listed on SigInt recently. Just east of Noumea, RO-66 spots the Allied cruiser TF speeding to Noumea. 2 torpedoes miss DD Benham. At Noumea, a naval battle takes place, in the rain, with maximum visibility at 1,000 yards. The fight started at that range, and ended at just 4,000 yards, resulting in a rather short and indecisive fight. Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 1,000 Yards Japanese aircraft no flights Japanese aircraft losses E7K2 Alf: 1 destroyed Japanese Ships CL Natori, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk DD Fubuki DD Shinonome DD Usugumo DD Shirakumo DD Isonami, Shell hits 2, heavy fires DMS W-16, Shell hits 8, and is sunk DMS W-17, Shell hits 3, on fire DMS W-18 Allied Ships CA Indianapolis, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage CA Houston CL Leander, Shell hits 2 CL De Ruyter CL Perth CL Marblehead CL Boise DD Benham DD Ellet, Shell hits 4 Reduced visibility due to Rain with 39% moonlight Maximum visibility in Rain and 39% moonlight: 1,000 yards Range closes to 17,000 yards... Range closes to 11,000 yards... Range closes to 7,000 yards... CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 7,000 yards Range closes to 5,000 yards... Range closes to 3,000 yards... Range closes to 1,000 yards... Katagi U. crosses the 'T' CA Houston engages CL Natori at 1,000 yards DD Isonami engages CA Indianapolis at 1,000 yards DD Shirakumo engages DD Ellet at 1,000 yards DD Ellet engages DD Usugumo at 1,000 yards CL De Ruyter engages CL Natori at 1,000 yards CL Leander engages CL Natori at 1,000 yards DD Ellet engages DMS W-17 at 1,000 yards CA Houston engages DMS W-16 at 1,000 yards Range increases to 2,000 yards CL De Ruyter engages CL Natori at 2,000 yards DD Ellet engages DD Isonami at 2,000 yards CL Marblehead engages CL Natori at 2,000 yards DD Shinonome engages DD Ellet at 2,000 yards CL Natori engages CL De Ruyter at 2,000 yards CL Natori sunk by CL Leander at 2,000 yards DD Ellet engages DMS W-17 at 2,000 yards CA Indianapolis engages DMS W-16 at 2,000 yards Range increases to 4,000 yards DD Isonami engages DD Ellet at 4,000 yards DD Ellet engages DD Shirakumo at 4,000 yards CL Boise engages DD Isonami at 4,000 yards DD Shinonome engages CL Leander at 4,000 yards DD Fubuki engages CA Indianapolis at 4,000 yards CL De Ruyter engages DMS W-17 at 4,000 yards Massive explosion on DMS W-17 CA Indianapolis engages DMS W-17 at 4,000 yards DD Ellet engages DMS W-16 at 4,000 yards Task forces break off... The hero of the fight was light cruiser Leander, who launched the 2 torpedoes that hit the Japanese light cruiser. I had debated whether to include non-US ships in this task force, and decided to do so due to the lack of ships. Leander was the key in this short fight. Cruiser Indianapolis was badly damaged, with SYS 5/FLOT 57-41/ENG 1-1/FIRE 0. Destroyer Ellet has SYS 26/FLOT 18-10/ENG 2-0/FIRE 0. The Allied ships were not spotted during the day as they retired. The enemy TF retired to Koumac, not hitting any mines at Noumea or the ones off the east coast. A PT boat did hit an enemy mine at Noumea and sank. Interesting that this type 88 minefield was there and Aurorus still moved ships in. It could be that the mines were dropped simultaneously today. More enemy fighter sweeps and bombing in Burma, China, and Sumatra. Hengyang in China is becoming not operational for aircraft. Cairns was bombed for the first time, by Bettys from Port Moresby, escorted by Zeros. No damage to the airfield. Ichang in China is bombed for the first time. A recon bombing no doubt, as it targeted ground troops. There's just one Chinese corp there. The defensive line is behind Ichang, in better terrain. It's been awhile since Malaybalay on Mindanao was attacked deliberately. It gets an artillery attack every day. The previous two or three deliberate attacks went very badly for the Japanese. Today was no exception. Still plenty of supply here in the mountain holdout. Ground combat at Malaybalay (80,90) Japanese Deliberate attack Attacking force 8622 troops, 68 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 263 Defending force 6135 troops, 25 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 201 Japanese adjusted assault: 167 Allied adjusted defense: 250 Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 2) Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-) Attacker: Japanese ground losses: 828 casualties reported Squads: 5 destroyed, 99 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled Guns lost 9 (2 destroyed, 7 disabled) Allied ground losses: 82 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Assaulting units: 143rd Infantry Regiment 144th Infantry Regiment Defending units: 3rd Constabulary Regiment 101st PA Infantry Division Agusan Constab Battalion Mindanao Force Del Monte AAF Base Force
Attachment (1)
|