LordHawke
Posts: 80
Joined: 2/12/2004 From: Singapore Status: offline
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Aboard the Akagi, SE of Townsville. July 2nd, 1942. 1700h He should've seen it coming. Admiral Yamaguchi shook his head slowly as he scanned the damage to his fleet through his binoculars. The Kaga was still burning somewhat, but miraculously afloat despite taking 4 bombs. Shokaku and Soryu had had a bomb apiece, and their crews were working furiously to contain the damage. It had all started to go wrong in the morning. The Tone's No. 4 scout had reported only a battleship and a destroyer due North. The Myoko's No. 1 scout, however, had reported yet another cruiser force sailing up the Great Barrier Reef to contest the landings at Townsville. "Let Admiral Nagumo handle the battleship, we'll attack the cruisers." And thus did he set in motion the whole sorry chain of events. The attack on the cruisers had gone smoothly enough. Again and again the attack planes poured out of the sky and bombed and torpedoed the hapless ships. Only 2 destroyers had managed to slip into a passing squall and escaped the punishment being dealt out to their sister ships. Then the divebombers appeared over the fleet... "At least the Combat Air Patrol was ready," mused Yamaguchi. Eventually, they managed to shoot down over a hundred enemy planes. But it had not been enough to prevent them from exacting their price. Yamaguchi had managed to launched a late afternoon counterstrike, but it was too small and uncoordinated to make an impression. "Sir, perhaps we should make for port?" Commander Genda, his tone downcast. Yamaguchi took a deep breath. "No, signal Combined Fleet. Enemy carriers sighted. We are engaging them." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/01/42 Weather: Overcast Sub attack near Townsville at 10,62 Japanese Ships AP Kaika Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage CL Yura Allied Ships SS S-38 Japanese ground losses: Men lost 33 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night Time Surface Combat, near Townsville at 10,62 Japanese Ships BB Kongo BB Haruna BB Hiei BB Kirishima BB Nagato BB Yamato CL Naka CL Kuma DD Kazegumo DD Michishio DD Arashio DD Yamagumo DD Fubuki DD Usugumo DD Uranami Allied Ships DD Arunta, Shell hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Naval bombardment of Townsville, at 10,62 Allied aircraft Allied aircraft losses P-39D Airacobra x 1 destroyed P-39D Airacobra x 1 damaged B-26B Marauder x 1 destroyed B-26B Marauder x 3 damaged Allied ground losses: Men lost 156 Guns lost 1 Airbase hits 17 Airbase supply hits 2 Runway hits 201 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Naval bombardment of Townsville, at 10,62 Allied aircraft Allied aircraft losses P-39D Airacobra x 1 destroyed P-39D Airacobra x 2 damaged Airbase hits 6 Runway hits 73 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sub attack at 9,60 Japanese Ships AP Aiyo Maru, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage Allied Ships SS S-40 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sub attack at 10,61 Japanese Ships SS I-21 Allied Ships DD Henley, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on Cairns , at 7,56 Allied aircraft B-17E Fortress x 27 no losses Port hits 3 Port supply hits 1 Attacking Level Bombers: 3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet 3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet 3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet 5 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet 3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet 4 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet 3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet 3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF at 18,67 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 34 D3A Val x 68 B5N Kate x 51 Japanese aircraft losses D3A Val x 1 destroyed D3A Val x 26 damaged B5N Kate x 13 destroyed B5N Kate x 23 damaged Allied Ships CA Canberra, Bomb hits 2 CA Portland CA Chicago, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage DD Helm CL Honolulu, Bomb hits 6, on fire CA New Orleans, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage DD Monssen, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage DD Gridley, Torpedo hits 1, on fire DD Mugford -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF at 18,67 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 4 D3A Val x 22 B5N Kate x 18 Japanese aircraft losses D3A Val x 1 destroyed D3A Val x 10 damaged B5N Kate x 2 destroyed B5N Kate x 7 damaged Allied Ships CA Canberra, Bomb hits 7, on fire CL Honolulu, on fire DD Gridley, on fire CA Portland, Torpedo hits 1, on fire -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF at 18,67 Japanese aircraft B5N Kate x 20 Japanese aircraft losses B5N Kate x 3 destroyed B5N Kate x 14 damaged Allied Ships CA New Orleans, on fire, heavy damage CA Portland, on fire DD Mugford -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF at 18,67 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 11 D3A Val x 26 B5N Kate x 20 Japanese aircraft losses D3A Val x 1 damaged B5N Kate x 10 damaged Allied Ships CA Portland, Bomb hits 6, on fire CA Canberra, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage CA Chicago, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage DD Monssen, Bomb hits 9, on fire, heavy damage DD Helm DD Patterson, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF, near Townsville at 10,62 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 22 A6M3 Zero x 6 D3A Val x 9 Allied aircraft P-40E Kittyhawk x 12 Japanese aircraft losses D3A Val x 1 destroyed D3A Val x 8 damaged Allied Ships DD Hughes, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF at 19,67 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 64 Allied aircraft F4F-4 Wildcat x 15 SBD Dauntless x 34 TBD Devastator x 15 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero x 1 destroyed A6M2 Zero x 1 damaged Allied aircraft losses F4F-4 Wildcat x 4 destroyed SBD Dauntless x 16 destroyed SBD Dauntless x 18 damaged TBD Devastator x 4 destroyed TBD Devastator x 8 damaged CPO W.Handa of AII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 2 Japanese Ships CV Zuikaku CV Akagi CV Kaga CV Shokaku CV Soryu, Bomb hits 1, on fire -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF at 19,67 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 52 Allied aircraft F4F-4 Wildcat x 4 SBD Dauntless x 18 no losses Allied aircraft losses F4F-4 Wildcat x 1 destroyed SBD Dauntless x 14 destroyed SBD Dauntless x 6 damaged LTJG R.Ikura of AII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 2 Japanese Ships CV Kaga DD Ariake, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF at 19,67 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 53 Allied aircraft F4F-3 Wildcat x 16 SBD Dauntless x 34 TBD Devastator x 15 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero x 1 destroyed A6M2 Zero x 1 damaged Allied aircraft losses F4F-3 Wildcat x 7 destroyed SBD Dauntless x 11 destroyed SBD Dauntless x 23 damaged TBD Devastator x 2 destroyed TBD Devastator x 12 damaged CPO P.Sagara of AI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 2 Japanese Ships CV Akagi CV Shokaku CV Soryu, on fire CV Kaga -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF at 19,67 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 59 Allied aircraft F4F-4 Wildcat x 30 SBD Dauntless x 34 TBD Devastator x 15 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero x 4 destroyed Allied aircraft losses F4F-4 Wildcat x 10 destroyed F4F-4 Wildcat x 4 damaged SBD Dauntless x 5 destroyed SBD Dauntless x 11 damaged TBD Devastator x 4 destroyed TBD Devastator x 9 damaged CPO W.Handa of AII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 4 Japanese Ships CV Soryu, on fire CV Kaga, Bomb hits 4, on fire DD Shigure CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 1, on fire -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF at 16,65 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 22 A6M3 Zero x 8 Allied aircraft SBD Dauntless x 18 TBD Devastator x 13 no losses Allied aircraft losses SBD Dauntless x 2 destroyed SBD Dauntless x 14 damaged TBD Devastator x 5 destroyed TBD Devastator x 7 damaged PO1 C. Isozaki of F1/Tainan Daitai is credited with kill number 3 Japanese Ships CVL Shoho, Bomb hits 1, on fire CVL Ryujo CV Junyo CVL Zuiho DD Makigumo, Bomb hits 1, on fire -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF at 17,65 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 16 A6M3 Zero x 5 D3A Val x 6 B5N Kate x 8 Allied aircraft F4F-3 Wildcat x 9 F4F-4 Wildcat x 52 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero x 6 destroyed A6M3 Zero x 2 destroyed D3A Val x 1 damaged B5N Kate x 1 destroyed Allied aircraft losses F4F-4 Wildcat x 2 destroyed F4F-4 Wildcat x 2 damaged -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF at 17,65 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 39 D3A Val x 16 Allied aircraft F4F-3 Wildcat x 9 F4F-4 Wildcat x 50 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero x 7 destroyed A6M2 Zero x 2 damaged D3A Val x 11 destroyed D3A Val x 2 damaged Allied aircraft losses F4F-3 Wildcat x 4 destroyed F4F-4 Wildcat x 5 destroyed F4F-4 Wildcat x 2 damaged WO M.Kawakubo of AI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 3 LCDR C. Fenton of VF-42 bails out and is RESCUED Allied Ships CV Hornet CV Lexington -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Time Surface Combat, near Townsville at 10,62 Japanese Ships CA Takao, Shell hits 2 CA Atago, Shell hits 6 CA Maya, Shell hits 7 CA Chokai, Shell hits 1 CA Nachi, Shell hits 1 CA Ashigara CL Jintsu DD Yukikaze, Shell hits 2, on fire DD Tokitsukaze, Shell hits 2, on fire DD Urakaze DD Shikinami, Shell hits 1, on fire DD Ayanami DD Yugiri DD Akebono Allied Ships DD Wilkes, Shell hits 20, and is sunk DD Blue, Shell hits 20, and is sunk DD Ralph Talbot, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk DD Worden, Shell hits 8, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Time Surface Combat, near Townsville at 10,62 Japanese Ships CA Takao CA Atago CA Maya CA Chokai CA Nachi CA Ashigara CL Jintsu DD Yukikaze, on fire DD Tokitsukaze, on fire DD Urakaze DD Shikinami, on fire DD Ayanami DD Yugiri DD Akebono Allied Ships DD Hughes, Shell hits 7, and is sunk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Naval bombardment of Townsville, at 10,62 Allied aircraft Allied aircraft losses P-400 Airacobra x 2 destroyed P-400 Airacobra x 1 damaged P-39D Airacobra x 1 destroyed P-39D Airacobra x 4 damaged Allied Ships SC 522, Shell hits 1 Airbase hits 6 Runway hits 57 Port hits 1 Port fuel hits 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Naval bombardment of Townsville, at 10,62 Allied aircraft Allied aircraft losses P-39D Airacobra x 3 destroyed P-39D Airacobra x 2 damaged Allied ground losses: Men lost 16 Airbase hits 19 Runway hits 101 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< Message edited by LordHawke -- 6/5/2004 1:24:17 AM >
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Lord Hawke Qui desiderat pacem, preparet bellum. "He who desires peace, prepares for war."
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