moses -> PM (3/31/2007 2:26:21 AM)
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13 Mar: The battle begins and its not starting off well. My B25's did not fly at all. And then: Day Air attack on Port Moresby , at 53,91 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 51 No Japanese losses These guys flew in from the Admiralties and found air. Day Air attack on Port Moresby , at 53,91 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 24 No Japanese losses Likewise these guys from Lae. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Air attack on Port Moresby , at 53,91 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 52 G3M Nell x 24 G4M1 Betty x 179 Allied aircraft no flights Japanese aircraft losses G4M1 Betty: 2 damaged Allied aircraft losses B-25C Mitchell: 9 destroyed PBY Catalina: 2 destroyed SBD Dauntless: 1 destroyed Allied ground losses: 20 casualties reported Airbase hits 14 Airbase supply hits 9 Runway hits 106 Aircraft Attacking: 3 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 9000 feet.... But 200 bombers!!!!! All from Rabaul. I should note that he still has not managed to close the airfield. I have near 50 airfield service damage and only about 20 runway damage. Still he nailed my B25. Day Air attack on TF at 51,93 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 51 G3M Nell x 13 G4M1 Betty x 18 Allied aircraft F4F-3 Wildcat x 24 F4F-4 Wildcat x 42 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero: 15 destroyed G3M Nell: 2 destroyed, 9 damaged G4M1 Betty: 17 damaged Allied aircraft losses F4F-3 Wildcat: 14 destroyed F4F-4 Wildcat: 25 destroyed Allied Ships CV Yorktown, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage CV Hornet CA Portland BB Nevada BB Colorado--And this hurts. Yorktown may make it home but it will join my other two damaged carriers in drydock for some time. So what now. Well I will just send the transports in anyway. My carriers are of course running for home. I have around 150 fighters in PM now and they will fight as best they can and success will depend upon many things. It's still bad weather and the Jap planes must be a little tired and their airfields must be overworked. Plus any bombers that attack the transports are at least not attacking my carriers. Maybe the raids will split leaving me with some good fighter battles. I'm thinking that even in the worst case my troops will reach land. After that I will just grimly defend PM for as long as possible. I have to believe that this massive air effort indicates that PM will be the Jap main effort. Although it could be that he saw my fleet heading in and so tranfered everything in range to try for a quick kill. But I'm still also seeing heavy ships in Truk
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