wobbly
Posts: 1095
Joined: 10/16/2002 From: Christchurch, New Zealand Status: offline
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A very eventful day, the battle being fort over an extended area of land and sea from PM to the reefs outside GG. Despite the weather many of my strike missions manage to launch and find targets. Most importantly for me is the fact Scott reacts to the invasion at GG and makes it in time to add to the attacks the ACs have caused (they actually target the invasion forces today!) AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/07/42 Weather: Thunderstorms Sub attack near Gili Gili at 17,42 Japanese Ships DD Onami DD Minegumo Allied Ships SS Drum, Shell hits 1, on fire It's the Minegumo - that d@mn ship has put more of my subs on the bottom than any of his other ships. My terrible luck with my subs continues. Drum is not dead, and being so close to GG she should make it and (as long as I hold the place) be fit to return to Noumea and then Pearl. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night Time Surface Combat, near Gili Gili at 17,42 Japanese Ships CA Atago CA Myoko, Shell hits 2 CA Haguro CL Tatsuta DD Onami DD Hayanami DD Asashio DD Minegumo DD Shikinami DD Uzuki DD Fumizuki DD Nagatsuki Allied Ships DD Jarvis, Shell hits 33, and is sunk I left the Jarvis in the hope I could catch the transport TF undefended, herbie-san sees through this, sending his heavy steel into GG harbour to bombard. On the way the do away with the hapless Jarvis. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Naval bombardment of Gili Gili, at 17,42 Allied aircraft Allied aircraft losses P-40E Warhawk x 1 destroyed Japanese Ships DD Asashio, Shell hits 1 Airbase hits 3 Runway hits 24 Everything is fixed by morning. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF, near Gili Gili at 17,42 Allied aircraft TBF Avenger x 13 P-40E Warhawk x 8 Allied aircraft losses TBF Avenger x 2 damaged Japanese Ships AP Hakusan Maru AP Florida Maru AP Hikade Maru AP Heito Maru The Avengers have suddenly established a case of "no detonators work". Four little puffs of smoke appear but no explosions. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF, near Gili Gili at 17,42 Allied aircraft F4F-4 Wildcat x 26 SBD Dauntless x 37 PBY Catalina x 8 P-39D Airacobra x 42 P-40E Kittyhawk x 8 P-40E Warhawk x 15 no losses Japanese Ships DD Hokaze, Shell hits 32, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage DD Hibiki, Shell hits 28, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage DD Minazuki, Bomb hits 6, on fire, heavy damage DD Shiokaze, Shell hits 20, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage Japanese ground losses: Men lost 184 At first opportunity my airforces will always target the surface units: in this case an FT mission bringing still more units to the battlefield at GG. All are sunk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF at 19,45 Allied aircraft F4F-4 Wildcat x 3 P-39D Airacobra x 17 no losses Japanese Ships DD Shiranui, Shell hits 16, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage One of the victims oif yesterdays attacks - she also sinks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF, near Gili Gili at 17,42 Allied aircraft SBD Dauntless x 35 P-39D Airacobra x 3 no losses Japanese Ships AP Heito Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage AP Argentina Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire AP Hikade Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire AP Hakusan Maru, Shell hits 8, Bomb hits 1, on fire AP Canberra Maru AP Hino Maru #3, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage Japanese ground losses: Men lost 29 At last some of my bombers decide the trasnport TF is a worthwhile target - I don't sink many of the men though! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF at 20,45 Allied aircraft F4F-4 Wildcat x 24 TBF Avenger x 9 P-39D Airacobra x 18 P-40E Kittyhawk x 8 P-40E Warhawk x 13 no losses Japanese Ships CA Kumano, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage DD Maikaze, on fire, heavy damage Kumano - still retreating is hit by another torp. I don't know how she fares but I have a sub in her way for another crack. The Maikase sinks from wounds received in the last battle -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sub attack near Gili Gili at 17,42 Japanese Ships AG 112, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage Allied Ships SS Drum, heavy damage She is just asking for trouble! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Time Surface Combat at 0,0 Japanese Ships AG 105, Shell hits 1, and is sunk AG 107, Shell hits 22, and is sunk Allied Ships CLAA San Diego CL Boise DD O'Bannon DD Swanson DD Buchanan DD Lardner DD Barton DD Hammann DD Russell DD Dunlap DD Tucker DD Porter DMS Southard Scott arrives on the scene having pushed his hodge podge armada from Townsville at full speed. This is small fry stuff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Time Surface Combat at 0,0 Japanese Ships AG 110, Shell hits 1, and is sunk AG 111, Shell hits 1, and is sunk AG 113, Shell hits 1, and is sunk Allied Ships CLAA San Diego CL Boise DD O'Bannon DD Swanson DD Buchanan DD Lardner DD Barton DD Hammann DD Russell DD Dunlap DD Tucker DD Porter DMS Southard Talk about save the ammo - 1 shell each should do it! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Time Surface Combat, near Gili Gili at 17,42 Japanese Ships AP Argentina Maru, on fire, heavy damage AP Arimasan Maru, Shell hits 35, on fire, heavy damage AP Arizona Maru AP Canberra Maru, Shell hits 2 AP Florida Maru AP Hakusan Maru, on fire AP Heito Maru, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage AP Hikade Maru, Shell hits 33, and is sunk AP Hino Maru #3, on fire, heavy damage Allied Ships CLAA San Diego CL Boise DD O'Bannon DD Swanson DD Buchanan DD Lardner DD Barton DD Hammann DD Russell DD Dunlap DD Tucker DD Porter DMS Southard Japanese ground losses: Men lost 171 The transport TF at last has to do it tough. The 2 ships hit in this attack sink. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Port Moresby Japanese Shock attack Attacking force 24973 troops, 331 guns, 8 vehicles Defending force 11875 troops, 92 guns, 0 vehicles Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0) Japanese ground losses: Men lost 149 Allied ground losses: Men lost 172 Guns lost 1 Herbie-san is really trying to break me out of my hole now. The invasion TF holding the 6th Division is ordered to land its men. They should be unloaded in time to welcome the Aussies travelling across from Buna. I hope he can't get 2-1 in that time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Gili Gili Allied Bombardment attack Attacking force 545 troops, 10 guns, 0 vehicles Defending force 10996 troops, 148 guns, 0 vehicles A sizable increase in troops in GG - the navy and airforce must have whittled them down and I wonder how much in the way of supply is getting off to feed and arm this increased component. Importantly Herbie-san HAS included engineers in the mix: I can't rely on my fortress. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lee will also make GG tonight, so if Herbie-san turns his 2 cruisers around they will meet more than he will have bargained for - still only 1 cruiser to 2 but I don't feel so outnumbered now the Airforce has whittle his usable numbers down. The land based naval pilots are all set up to fly again, I have changed the amount of CAP however, I don't want Herbie turning on his 2E bombers and torpedoing my scant surface force. The 2 transport tfs in the east have finished unloading and now begin loading the troops I want to return to Noumea. I notice the Mogami, alone, racing to the area. It may look like invasion to Herb but this isn't my intention - yet. Even so, his single cruiser could make a horrible mess of my priceless transport ships with their valuable cargo. I will watch her movements and try and judge if I can finish my loading and scarper before it becomes an issue.
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