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Dive Bomber1 -> The USN strikes back (9/5/2007 12:16:19 AM)
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June 10, 1942 – AuTiger got into a bit of an offensive mood this turn and send a few USN DDs to hit Baker Island. My own local surface combat TF just arrived at Tarawa, so I am leaving them there for a while, just in case AuTiger decides to try sometime similar again. As usual, none of the Bettys or Nells in the region bothered to go after the retiring USN DDs that were halfway between Baker and Canton.
There was more night time action as my Fast Transport TF went into Efate to drop off supplies, but one of the DDs hit a sub-laid mine and the entire TF turned and ran. So I am redirecting them to other bases in the region that could benefit from some supply. I guess that I'll have to fly in some transport planes to be able to supply Efate.
In some night time "non-news"; for some reason my bombardment TF off of the northwest coast of Australia decided not to bombard Broome this turn. Fortunately, they weren't spotted by any Allied patrol planes during the day phase. "In theory", they now ought to be in position to hit Broome next turn, but one never knows.
And finally, some British DDs chased after one of my subs off of the south coast of Ceylon. The sub got in the first blow and hit a DD with a torpedo, but subsequently the other DDs hammered my sub with depth charges. So there is yet another Japanese sub that will be heading home for major repairs.
BTW – my wandering Surface Combat TF in the region ended up close enough to the action to be in a position to try to intercept the returning DDs at or near Trincomalee, and for a while I was sorely tempted to let them do it. But when I checked the Air Balance over the Ceylon bases and saw that it had increased even more, I decided that this was definitely a case of "discretion being the better part of valour" and ordered the ships home for refuelling. In any event, they accomplished their major task which was to make AuTiger antsy about that region.
In China AuTiger sent his B-17s out of Chungking and hit the airfields at Wuhan, destroying some Nates on the ground. The Nates on CAP did their best to intercept the Flying Fortresses, but it was no match. So I pulled those Nates back to Manchuria for more training until "real" planes start to arrive in August. I also continued with reorganizing ground troops. This may sound repetitive, but I have a lot of troops in China that need to be moved into rational locations, and fortunately, AuTiger appears to be giving me the time to do that.
In the Aleutians, my troops captured Amchitka this turn, with no response from AuTiger. One surprising thing happened – a report was received that the port at Umnak had increased to level 2. I hadn't known that there were any troops at Umnak, so that was useful information in itself. But what is very odd is that the airfields at Umnak are still at level 1. I can't see why AuTiger would be bothering to make bigger ports in the region instead of bigger airfields, but I'm certainly not going to complain.
In any event, I've got more troops on their way to various locations in the Aleutians, and I've sent out a fast bombardment TF too, just to "test the waters". At the same time the main portions of the Combined Fleet are sailing into the waters of the Kuriles on their way to meet at Paramushiro Jima. My real attacks will start soon enough.
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