kokubokan25
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SPECIAL REPORT: THE 2ND BATTLE OF RABAUL
OPEN MOVES
The allies decide the operation WORLDGORGER scheduled to mid April. The objetive is take the main Solomon islands except Lunga (to isolate the japanese stronghold) and disembark over Gasmata, and from there, march to Rabaul and siege it.
The allies leaves Noumea with their forces between 6th and 11th april.
This huge amphibious force is escorted by two carrier task forces in overall command of RADM Bogan G.F.
TF 30.1 (main cover force)
CVs Yorktown and Bunker Hill
CVLs Princeton, Monterey and Cabot
BBs Washington and Indiana.
CAs Indianapolis and Wichita.
CLs Nashville and Honolulu
DDs Fletcher, Callaghan, Dashiell, Foote, Hazelwood, Jenkins, Phillip, W.Porter, Remey and Thatcher.
TF 30.2 (secondary cover force) RADM Whiters
CVs Enterprise and Intrepid.
CVLs Langley and San Jacinto.
BBs Massachussets and Alabama.
CAs Baltimore and Boston.
CLs Cleveland, Columbia and Santa Fe.
DDs Hale, Fullam, Erben, Ingersoll, Knap, S.Porter, Sprouston, Murray, Waller, Wickes and Bagley.
Between 9th and 12th april the japanese air bases in operations area are visited almost diary by the carrier and level bomber allied planes. The nipon air forces in Rabaul, Lunga, Munda and Lae are virtually destroyed. However, the japanese sunk some allied ships, inclosed two CVEs.
The Kido Butai maintain your ships in Truk because the allied superiority but the low level of supplies in Lae (really the main japanese base in south Pacific), force the japanese to leave your safe heaven the 25th.
JAPANESE FORCES
The KB that abandon Truk is the most formidable carrier force to japanese disposal in the entire Pacific War:
First Division: RADM Yamaguchi
-CVs Hiyo, Taiho, Unryu and Kasagi, CVL Chitose
-BB Hiei
-CA Tone, Chikuma and Maya, CLs Oyodo and Noshiro.
-DDs Shimakaze, Teruzuki, Shimozuki, Natsuzuki, Kazegumo, Umigiri, Yamagiri, Tanigiri, Hayashio and Suzukaze.
Second Division: VADM Komatsu
-CVs Akagi, Hiryu, Soryu, Shokaku and Katsuragi. CVL Ryuho, CVEs Taiyo, Chuyo and Shinyo.
-BBs Kongo, Yamato and Musashi.
-CAs Chokai, Myoko and Mogami, CLs Yahagi and Naka.
-DDs Shinonome, Amagiri, Mutsuki, Uzuki, Minazuki, Fumizuki, Kikuzuki and Nagatsuki.
THE EVENTS
April 27
-The two american carrier forces maintain your position around 180 miles south Buka but the group of RADM Whiters must go to south to refuel.
-The japanese protect the supply convoy to Lae NW of Emeriau island.
April 28
-The allies take the Shortlands and Munda in the morning and the Whiters force return to your station near Gasmata. In this base the american disembark a base unit to traslate at once the VP-81 from Noumea and operate next morning with those search planes.
April 29
-The american forces and the japanese discover the one to the other. The japanese decide maintain your position cover the supply force to all cost and the allies leave Gasmata going to west to confront the menace. The battle is open.
April 30
-The japanese position is very near to Talasea and the allies are very near to Arawe.
-1st American raid: 21 Hellcats and 7 Helldiver. Japanese CAP: 135 zeros. The japanese lost 23 zeros. The allies lost 13 Hellcats and the seven SB2C. No hits.
-2nd American raid: 39 Hellcats and 4 TBF. Japanese CAP: 122 zeros. The japanese lost 45 zeros. The allies lost 16 Hellcats and one TBF. Again no hits on ships.
-3rd American raid: 95 Hellcats, 16 SBD, 58 SB2C and 47 TBF. Japanese CAP: 67 zeros. 65 zeros are shot down. The attackers lost 18 Hellcats, 1 SBD, 6 SB2C and 4 TBF. This time was a plenty of hits.
The battleship Kongo was sunk by six bombs and one torpedo. Heavy damage on the CV Katsuragi and CVL Ryuho; moderate damage on CV Akagi, CV Hiryu, CV Soryu, CV Shokaku and BB Musashi.
-1st Japanese raid: 77 Zeros, 110 Judys and 70 Jills) American CAP: 50 Hellcats. 16 F6F are shot down, the attackers lost 56 zeros, 21 D4Y and 22 B6N.
The CV Bunker Hill is heavy damaged by three bombs, moderate damage on CV Yorktown and minor damage on CVL Cabot, Princeton and Monterey.
-2nd Japanese raid: 66 Judys and 85 Jills without escort. American CAP: 34 Hellcats. The attackers lost 21 Judys and 50 Jills. The CVs Enterprise and Intrepid are hit by bombs but the damage is very light.
May 1
-The japanese convoy almost reach Lae and the KB try to form a barrier to protect. Some crippled japanese carriers try to refuge in Lae. The japanese are virtually without zero cover because the heavy losses and the american get profit.
-1st American raid with support of planes from P.Moresby: 11 FM-2, 54 Hellcats, 10 Corsairs and 23 P-38G escort a force with 28 SBD, 21 SB2C, 33 TBF, 18 TBM and 64 B-25J. The japanese CAP only have 10 zeros. All japanese fighters are shot down, the allies lost two fighters and seven bombers.
The CV Hiyo is hit by five bombs and one torpedo and is abandoned. The CV Unryu rest dead in the water with uncontroled fires. The CV Kasagi have moderate damage and the CA Chikuma is hit by three bombs and reduced your speed to 17 knots.
-2nd American raid: 36 F6F, 32 SB2C and 31 TBF. The japanese are without CAP. The japanese lost the battle.
The CV Kasagi is heavy damaged beside the CVL Chitose. More damage is inflicted over the CV Hiyo, CV Unryu and BB Hiei.
-3rd American raid: 53 F6F, 11 SB2C. No zeros on CAP. The CV Katsuragi is hit by another bomb, the CV Akagi also get a bomb and the CVE Kaiyo is hit by another artifact.
-1st Japanese raid: 25 D4Y without escort. 35 Hellcats on CAP. 21 D4Y are shot down. No losses.
-2nd Japanese raid: 33 D4Y and 14 B6N with five zeros. 35 Hellcats on CAP. The japanese hit the CV Enterprise with a bomb but the damage is light. 41 japanese planes are destroyed.
-3rd Japanese raid: 6 Judys and 20 Jills without escort. 68 Hellcats on CAP. 21 japanese are destroyed with no allied losses. No hits.
-4th Japanese raid: 4 Judys and 28 Jills with a escort of 53 fighters from Lae base. 68 Hellcats on CAP. The japanese lost 11 zeros, 3 Judys, 13 Jills, 12 Tojos, and 17 Ki-61. The CVL Langley is torpedoed and the damage in flooding is severe.
AFTERMATH
May 2
-The CV Unryu and Hiyo are sunk near Buna.
-Yamaguchi and Komatsu forces enter in Lae port to refuge. The base is attacked all day from P.Moresby without success.
-The american forces retire your ships to Buin to repair urgent damage and get supplies and fuel.
-The CA Chikuma lost your propulsion near Talasea and is sunk by the allied planes.
May 3
-The CV Kasagi reach Lae but your damage is so serious that is scuttled.
May 11
-The american most damaged ships (especially the Yorktown) enter in Noumea port.
-The KB abandon Lae to Truk. The CVL Chitose must remain in Lae to patch your flooding systems.
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