racndoc
Posts: 2519
Joined: 10/29/2004 From: Newport Coast, California Status: offline
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SITUATION REPORT: 9-25-43 CENTPAC: USN FAST CARRIER RAID The largest concentration of carrier power to date......8 CVs and 4 CVLs with over 900 AC...sortied from Guadalcanal to both cover the Wewak invasion and strike Japanese shipping in port at Palau. After refueling yesterday, the CV TFs made a high speed run-in to Palau overnight and launched naval raids on Japanese shipping in the morning. 1st strike was a fighter sweep over Palau to prevent any interference with the operation: Day Air attack on Palau , at 52,67 Japanese aircraft A6M2-N Rufe x 8 A6M3a Zero x 22 Ki-44-IIb Tojo x 11 Allied aircraft F6F Hellcat x 104 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2-N Rufe: 7 destroyed A6M3a Zero: 22 destroyed Ki-44-IIb Tojo: 11 destroyed G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed Allied aircraft losses F6F Hellcat: 7 destroyed, 10 damaged Japanese Ships PG Hirotama Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire Japanese ground losses: 20 casualties reported Next, the Japanese had ordered a surface combat TF with 4 CAs to Yap: Day Air attack on TF, near Yap at 54,66 Allied aircraft SBD Dauntless x 288 TBM Avenger x 128 Allied aircraft losses SBD Dauntless: 1 destroyed, 5 damaged TBM Avenger: 1 destroyed Japanese Ships CA Kako, Bomb hits 17, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage CA Mikuma, Bomb hits 20, on fire, heavy damage CA Maya, Bomb hits 15, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage CA Mogami, Bomb hits 9, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage Then a squadron of Avengers found a lone transport off Palau: Day Air attack on TF, near Palau at 52,67 Japanese aircraft A6M2-N Rufe x 1 Allied aircraft TBM Avenger x 17 No Japanese losses No Allied losses Japanese Ships AK Yamasimo Maru, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage That afternoon, the USN CV TFs lauched a port strike against Palau: Day Air attack on Palau , at 52,67 Japanese aircraft A6M2-N Rufe x 1 A6M3a Zero x 2 Ki-44-IIb Tojo x 5 Allied aircraft SBD Dauntless x 210 TBM Avenger x 134 Japanese aircraft losses Ki-44-IIb Tojo: 1 damaged Allied aircraft losses SBD Dauntless: 2 destroyed, 10 damaged TBM Avenger: 2 destroyed, 6 damaged Japanese Ships AS Chogei, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage CL Abukuma, Bomb hits 54, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage AP Kisogawa Maru, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage AP Dainiunyo Maru, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage AP Ryujo Maru, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage AK Shogen Maru, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage AK Fuyukawa Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage PC Shonan Maru #2, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage AG AG-369, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage PT Gyoraitei #6, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage PC Shimushu, Bomb hits 6, on fire, heavy damage PG Hirotama Maru, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage MSW Choun Maru #18, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage PG Takunan Maru #10, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage Japanese ground losses: 54 casualties reported Guns lost 1 Port hits 20 And finally another strike was sent to work over the hapless CAs: Day Air attack on TF, near Yap at 54,66 Allied aircraft F6F Hellcat x 78 SBD Dauntless x 17 No Allied losses Japanese Ships CA Maya, Shell hits 4, on fire, heavy damage CA Mogami, Shell hits 4, on fire, heavy damage CA Mikuma, Shell hits 8, on fire, heavy damage Sinking immediately were CA Maya, CA Mogami, CA Kako, CA Mikuma, CL Abukama, an AP and 3 support ships.
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