wobbly
Posts: 1095
Joined: 10/16/2002
From: Christchurch, New Zealand
Status: offline
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THe surface attack at Port Moresby is massive, destructive and ultimately a setback.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/14/42
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Sub attack at 76,70
Japanese Ships
AP Kaihei Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
MSW Ataka Maru
Allied Ships
SS Guardfish
It all starts very well with the Guardfish finding a retreating AP North of Eniwetok
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 53,91
Japanese Ships
DD Yamakaze
DD Suzukaze, Shell hits 3
DD Ikazuchi, Shell hits 32, and is sunk
DD Inazuma, Shell hits 13, on fire, heavy damage
DD Usugumo, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Mochizuki, Shell hits 1
Allied Ships
BB New Mexico, Shell hits 2
BB Mississippi, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 1
CA Chester
CA Louisville, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CA Astoria
CL Hobart
DD Hughes
DD Anderson, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Cushing
DD Porter
DD Le Triomphant
DD Crane
An incredibly audacious defense by these DDs sees them score a major blow against the Mississipi - I can only imagine it was a cracker as I never get to see it but the result show themselves later. The French ship: Le Triomphant does very well hitting the opposition with plenty of its hard hitting 5.5 inch shells.
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 53,91
Japanese Ships
DD Okikaze, Shell hits 13, and is sunk
DD Yukaze
DD Numakaze, Shell hits 19, and is sunk
DD Wakatake
DD Kuretake, Shell hits 4
Allied Ships
BB New Mexico, Shell hits 6
BB Mississippi, Shell hits 1
CA Chester, Shell hits 1
CA Louisville, on fire
CA Astoria, Shell hits 1
CL Hobart
DD Hughes
DD Anderson, on fire
DD Cushing
DD Porter
DD Le Triomphant
DD Crane
This is a better attack, these DDs may not even have torps as none are fired, consequently 2 go to the bottom. The Okikaze had the ignomy of wearing three 14 inch shells!
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 53,91
Japanese Ships
MSW Asahi Maru
MSW Banshu Maru #8, Shell hits 13, and is sunk
MSW Mejima Maru
MSW Tamaura Maru
MSW Takasago Maru, Shell hits 5, and is sunk
Allied Ships
BB New Mexico
BB Mississippi
CA Chester
CA Louisville, on fire
CA Astoria
CL Hobart
DD Hughes
DD Anderson, on fire
DD Cushing
DD Porter
DD Le Triomphant
DD Crane
Almost a non event in the scheme of things - any calibre could have dealt to them and the ships pass on.
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 53,91
Japanese Ships
DD Satsuki, Shell hits 29, and is sunk
DD Fumizuki, Shell hits 9, and is sunk
DD Mikazuki, Shell hits 14, and is sunk
DD Yunagi, Shell hits 11, on fire
Allied Ships
BB New Mexico
BB Mississippi, Shell hits 3
CA Chester, Shell hits 4
CA Louisville, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CA Astoria
CL Hobart, Shell hits 1
DD Hughes
DD Anderson, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Cushing
DD Porter
DD Le Triomphant
DD Crane
Louisville is really starting to feel it's torp hit as it registers as "heavily damaged" The allies pour all kinds of hurt on this unhappy band. I am surprised the Yunagi isn't listed as heavily damaged - another 14" shell hit her.
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Naval bombardment of Port Moresby, at 53,91 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
43 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
CA Astoria
CA Chester, Shell hits 5
BB New Mexico, Shell hits 10
CL Hobart
Japanese ground losses:
159 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
As I stated in the previous post this was a bombardment - after all the surface combat it is pretty pathetic - but understandably so.
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Day Air attack on 70th Division, at 45,35
Allied aircraft
SB-2c x 36
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
37 casualties reported
Guns lost 4
Not bad form the Chinese air force out of Chungking.
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Day Air attack on 124th IJNAF Base Force, at 30,29
Allied aircraft
Buffalo I x 16
Wellington III x 43
B-24D Liberator x 28
Allied aircraft losses
Wellington III: 2 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
146 casualties reported
Not bad from the British contingent either at Akyab.
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Day Air attack on TF at 53,95
Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 16
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
PG Nikkai Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire
PG Seikai Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
Some of Herbie-san's ASW ships have tried to scatter to get away from the area. Despite moving the Carriers a good distance away these guysa re still in range.
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Day Air attack on TF at 53,95
Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 33
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
PG Seikai Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
PG Nikkai Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
And a few more for the ocean floor.
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Day Air attack on TF at 51,93
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 3
SBD Dauntless x 21
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
MSW Choun Maru #6, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PG Koei Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
PC Toshi Maru #3, Bomb hits 1, on fire
PC Tama Maru #8, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
Then out to the West of the previous targets another ASW group is foudn and dispatched
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Day Air attack on TF at 51,93
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 4
SBD Dauntless x 32
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
MSW Banshu Maru #56, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
PG Koei Maru, on fire
PC Toshi Maru #3, on fire
MSW Bisan Maru
MSW Choun Maru #6, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
Day Air attack on TF at 51,93
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 6
SBD Dauntless x 29
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
PC Tama Maru #8, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PG Koei Maru, on fire
PC Toshi Maru #3, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
MSW Choun Maru #6, on fire, heavy damage
MSW Banshu Maru #56, on fire, heavy damage
Day Air attack on TF at 51,93
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 4
SBD Dauntless x 16
Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless: 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
MSW Choun Maru #6, on fire, heavy damage
MSW Bisan Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
By the end of the day there is only match wood
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Day Air attack on TF at 52,93
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 49
G3M Nell x 21
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell: 3 destroyed, 11 damaged
Allied Ships
BB Mississippi, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
CA Louisville, on fire, heavy damage
The final say of the day though is herbie-sans. Nells out of Lae get airborne and the Missippi and the Louisville are lagging behind the rest of the retreating surface forces. They therefore have no air cover from the fleet and the Mississippi pays heavily. She has not sunk but is at 85 float damage and very likely to.
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Herb has the benefit of fighting on home territory now and so the damaged ships will all go into PM harbour - or I figure they will.
The Mississippi tries to limp towards Noumea with a single DD escort. Louisville is damaged but able to make capable speed - she will head straght for Cairns harbour.
The carriers come across to provide air-support - I can still see the Jap Carriers way up the New Guinea coast so they will not be able to hit me this turn.
Since his ships will be going into harbour I set the Heavies at Cooktown to bomb the port. May as well try and hit some while I can - he has 70 or so at last count and this should mean that plenty of bombs find targets.
Received the Wasp today and she and 8 DDs are headed for Pearl. She loads up an extra 24 wildcats of a new marine sqd for delivery there as well. She is the first carrier to get the new Avengers.
Oh hullo - while writing the above a new turn comes in:
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/15/42
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Day Air attack on 124th IJNAF Base Force, at 30,29
Allied aircraft
Buffalo I x 16
Wellington III x 30
B-24D Liberator x 34
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
133 casualties reported
Another very large raid over Akyab. This base force myst be loosing its contingency.
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Day Air attack on 41st USA Division, at 54,91
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 21
Ki-21 Sally x 24
No Japanese losses
Allied ground losses:
35 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
Herb starts doing the same to the troops in the Owen Stanleys.
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Day Air attack on TF at 53,94
Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 17
TBD Devastator x 15
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
PG Koei Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
While I provide cover for the Mississippi a few more patrol boats waudner into the sights.
Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 16
Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless: 2 damaged
Japanese Ships
PG Daido Maru, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 15
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
PG Daido Maru, on fire, heavy damage
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 30
SBD Dauntless x 21
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
DD Inazuma, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
All are sunk with the loss of one dauntless.
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The Mississipi is at float damage 95 - the destroyers move in grabbing the skeleton crew and a spread of torps is put into her. So ends the first allied BB in this war but without doubt not the last and adds to my deficit in warships I have lost to the japs.
With nothing else to cover the carriers start their journey back to Noumea. From there I plan to split them into a group of 2 and a group of 3 and take the duo group around to the Timor Sea where they can take part in an invasion with Help from the British. The other 3 will move to the Central Pacific where they will be joined by the Wasp to interdict shipping here.
At Noumea the Americal starts unloading again and with that the 37th Division aboard ships North of Fiji changes course to land at Luganville instead of Noumea.
A sub in the straits above the very Northern tip of New Guinea notes a large Tf of warships traversing the waters. No Carriers sighted but it does look like a marked amount of the Combined fleet is moving back towards Truk most likely.
Up in China I have been covering Wuchow with fighters. They get scouted today and I think Herb will try another sweep there so I move them on.
2 Chinese units have escaped from Ichang. For how long I don't know as he is likely to attack them again. He got 7 to 1 last time so I imagine he can do this again. I do try the Chinese SB2s against these forces to see if I can't disrupt any attacks and this time the 15 tomahawks of the AVG will escort.
Back in the US the CVE long Island picks up a 24 plane wildcat squad and heads back to Pearl.
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Printable Version
RE: AVG hammered again but they take a few with them - 
PM falls - but not too hard - 
) this would take him maybe another month or even another contested landing... 
Allied Carriers hitting hard - 
Huge surface battles at PM - 
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