Canoerebel
Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002 From: Northwestern Georgia, USA Status: offline
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6/14/44 and 6/15/44 Singapore: Figuring Dave would send fighters to Singers (he did - roughly 75 the next turn), I set the B-29s to nighttime. They didn't encounter fighters and scored a few more hits on a couple of CAs and DDs. Sinking sounds were heard, I think for a hard-hit DD. The next two turns, the Superforts rested (a rare instance of forced moderation). DEI: On the 14th, CV Franklin and two CVLs (the latter had been damaged in the Battle of Timor Sea and went to Pearl for repairs) neared Darwin. Dave's ships continued landing troops at Ternate, so I ordered DS & The Herd to sortie. The armada moved out on the 15th, making six hexes. They're now about 17 hexes shy of Ternate. Dave's army is beat up by landing and hasn't tried an attack. If I can get supply ashore, that would probably be enough to secure the base. But reinforcements are aboard ship, too. There are also TFs with troops for other bases, like friendly Boela and unfriendly Namlea. And over at Koepang, troop ships are loading for possibly forays to Bima, Denpassar and even Celebes (just in case things go remarkably well). While I have to allow and assume that Dave is fully apprised of where my ships are and their intentions, it seems like there's at least one other possibility. For some reason, he subs flooded the area near Ambon, as though he expected any relief effort to come solely from Koepang. Perhaps he's unaware DS was at Darwin? None of the TFs were picked up by NavSearch today. If that continues tomorrow (unlikely) there may be a shot at an ambush at Ternate (his carriers are there) the day after. I wanted to wait longer to seek battle, but a battle should be worthwhile if, in so doing, Ternate is saved. I had hoped to wait 30 days for some of the triage carriers to return, but Dave moved too soon. Yet it's great that Franklin and the CVLs arrived just as the Essex Class carriers finished upgrading.
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