Snigbert
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Chapter 2, The Unsinkable Saratoga (or, How Not To Invade Port Moresby)
From: Commander, South Seas/8th Area Army
To: Comander, Combined Fleet
Subject: Situation Report, June 22nd 1942-July 6th, 1942
The Zuiho has been sent on it's long voyage to Truk, and eventually to return to Tokyo where she will be repaired and refitted to fight again another day. Filling her place is the Zuikaku, just arrived from the homeland. She has been fully repaired after the Coral Sea battle, but the Shokaku is still sitting in dry dock, it seems and no date has been issued for her release to our command.
If the Saratoga shows itself again, we will be ready to pounce upon her with the might of two carriers and one light carrier. Arriving with the Zuikaku were more cruisers, destroyers, and two more battleships...bringing the number of battleships under our command to six.
During this time we form another surface task force, this one with two battleships included among the destroyers. We increase the frequency of our bombardments on Port Moresby, and on several occasions catch Allied resupply task forces in the open. The tonnage of shipping being sunk around Port Moresby must be raising the dander of the Allied commanders because they reciprocate by shelling Lunga for several nights.
Luckily they only catch one ship (an oiler) resupplying our base there, and sink it.
To alleviate the situation at Lunga, I send two squadrons of Nells and a squadron of Bettys to interdict Allied naval forces in the area. Seaplane tenders in the area work around the clock to locate targets for these level bombers. Reinforcement squadrons of Bettys and Zeros have arrived at Truk so I don't feel we'll be selling Rabaul short of aircraft. Despite shelling, the progress on the airfield at Lunga is coming along nicely and the level bombers will not be affected by the small size of the air strip any longer.
The 65th regiment and 35th regiment have arrived in Rabaul, and I begin boarding them onto transports to assault Port Moresby by sea. I considered a safer landing location of Buna or Lae, but felt that it would be too time consuming to bring the troops overland, and their supply lines would be stretched too thin when they reached their destination. However, my plan to invade is spoiled by the spotting of two Allied task forces approaching Gili Gili from the east. Patrol planes report three American carriers.
I sortie my carriers, although they have the advantage I must hope that luck will be on our side. A single task force is formed with the Junyo, Ryujo and Zuikaku and escorts, and dispatched to intercept the American ships. Two battleships and several heavy cruisers were included in this force, in hope that the antiaircraft fire they provided could help carry the day.
Our planes struck first this time, and concentrated on the first task force, which included the Saratoga. The other task force had 2 carriers. Our pilots hit the Saratoga several times, along with some near hits on the Indianapolis, the Juneau and the San Diego. Our planes returned to our carriers with the unsatisfied feeling that they had failed to knock out the Saratoga on yet another opportunity. And it wasn't long before American planes filled the sky over our task force.
The Zuikaku was the object of most of their attack, although the Junyo had several opportunities to avoid enemy torpedos and bombs. Two bomb hits scored against the Zuikaku, along with two torpedo hits. We had the sinking feeling that she might not be soon going the way of the Zuiho, or worse.
Fortunately there was not enough light left in the day for a second wave of attacks, and our task force withdrew in the darkness with it's tail between it's legs...back to Rabaul. The Zuikaku staggered along behind the rest of our ships, and we had a moment of utter panic when a periscope was spotted by the Zuikaku's look outs. But at the last moment a destroyer, the Kamikaze, swept by and chased off the submarine.
The next few days were spent in frustration as we watched the American carriers remain on station near Gili Gili, subjecting our troops there to regular bombing. Surely Gili Gili will be the location the Allies have chosen for their landing. They have spent so much time concentrating on it. Finally, we become aggravated by the presence of the American carriers and our inability to invade Port Moresby due to their presence, and we come up with an ingenious plan.
A surface task force is created, consisiting of the Hiei, Haruna, Furutako, Chokai, Mikuma, and Tenyru. If the American carriers are so comfortable stationed at the small area of sea, we will sneak some battleships in there by night and create some chaos for them. Wolves in the chicken coop, if you will.
The plan went perfectly, except for one fatal blunder...the carriers with a sense of precognisence had withdrawn slightly towards Port Moresby, and we couldn't reach their location before daylight came. And there was our task force caught in open water with no air defense, spotted by American carrier aircraft.
I don't recall if it was the third or fourth wave of bombers that sank the Tenyru...it was definitely the second wave that sank the Chokai and crippled the Hiei so badly she would have to be scuttled before the end of the day. The Haruna was left burning, it was only luck that allowed her and the Furutako and Mikuma to make it back to Rabaul.
And what do we have to show for all these losses? A Saratoga still defiantly patrolling the waters just out of range of our bombers at Rabaul, and two of her sister carriers sailing in a task force beside her.
Eventually they were forced to retire back to New Caledonia, and we took advantage of the lull in American air power to launch our attack on Port Moresby. It began with a heavy bombardment from the air, three groups of Bettys and two groups of Nells. This was followed by a naval shelling by six cruisers. We imagined the defenses must be softening up nicely. The troops came ashore next, we managed to land almost ten thousand men the first day.
However, the Allied commander at Port Moresby didn't give us time to consolidate our beachhead or land the other ten thousand troops still on the transports. The counter attacked immediately, with a shocking 30,000 veteran Australian troops. My men went fleeing into the jungles surrounding Port Moresby, my attack had totally floundered. I withdrew the rest of the troops on the transports and sent the to Buna, where the survivors of the landing would be ordered to congregate as well.
In summary, we have had nothing but defeats for the last month or so. Something must happen soon to turn the tide, as morale is beginning to suffer. The Shokaku still has not been ordered to come to our aid from Japan. The Zuikaku is on her way back to Japan to be repaired. Still no word on the Kaga, Akagi, Soryu or Hiryu. Perhaps their timely arrival could turn things around and help us carry the day. Reports have come that a fourth American carrier is operating in the area. Perhaps we should change to a defensive posture in this region, it doesn't seem possible to threaten the Allies anymore with the assetts we have available.
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"Money doesnt talk, it swears. Obscenities, who really cares?" -Bob Dylan
"Habit is the balast that chains a dog to it's vomit." -Samuel Becket
"He has weapons of mass destruction- the world's deadliest weapons- which pose a direct threat to the
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