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John 3rd -> West of Hong Kong (2/25/2009 3:46:31 AM)
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October 6, 1944
West of Hong Kong
The Flagship of the British Fleet is the HMS Howe. This is a modern KGV-Class BB and it has been working the Malaya and Indochina Theatre for about 3 months now. The warship sails at the center of a defensive ring comprising BB Howe, BB Valiant, CA Cumberland, 5 CL, and 10 DD.
The morning dawns with about 75% overcast as the Admiral reads about the good news coming from the Hong Kong invasion forces. He has decided to pull away from the LR CAP over Hong Kong for reasons known only to him. It shouldn't be any concern since the Japanese have been pretty docile over the last few months...
This illusion is shattered within about 90 minutes of time.
Flying in from Amoy is the first large Kamikaze Strike Force of the war. A baker's dozen Jacks protect 59 Randy/Nicks suicide planes, 8 Elite Frances TB, and 9 Judy DB. The Japanese Strike Commander divides his suicide planes with one group hugging the wavetops at 1,000 Ft and the other flying at 31,000 Ft. The rest of the formation flies at various altitudes.
The Commander wisely ignores the battle going on at Hong Kong. Though there are dozens of AK/AP, he hunts larger game. Additionally, he has little desire to tangle with the nearly 100 Allied Fighters flying over Hong Kong. Guided by his recon planes, he finds the British Surface Task Force...
Radar picks up the strike at a range of nearly 50 miles but there is little the Admiral can do. Luckily for the Brits a squadron of 10 Mosquitoes happen to be in the area and are quickly vectored in to attack. The veteran Jacks easily handle the British FB. For a cost of only 2 Jacks and 1 Randy, the strike attacks the British Fleet.
Though AA is thick around the formation, the Japanese attack from all heights and employ dive-bombing, torpedo bombing, and crash diving. Very quickly the Howe becomes the center of a smoking maelstrom of attacking Japanese planes.
Nicks and Randys repeatedly crash into the new battleship. AA fire becomes more sporadic as the attack continues. In the midst of it the Frances crews slams 2 Torpedoes into the vulnerable Port flank of the great ship. Not to be outdone the Judy Chutai scores a hit as well. Within 10 minutes the battle is over with all the Japanese FB destroyed and the Howe is clearly staggered from 11 Kamikazes slamming into her.
Off the Port side of the formation the Light Cruiser Ceylon has also taken a Kamikaze.
As the attack begins to wind down the Admiral attempts to rally his shaken crew when the radar operator cries out that another formation of planes is rapidly approaching from the SE at a low level. With a sickening sensation the Admiral realizes that it isn't over yet...
Indeed it isn't.
Following the amplified messages of the contact report, a group of Elite torpedo bombers has left Aparri and seeks to finish the job so well begun by the earlier strike. Arranged to the left and right of his view are 9 Frances and 37 Peggy torpedo planes. They are piloted by elite bomber crews that have flown together for years.
Smoke betrays the British formation and the Japanese quickly move in to capitalize on the confusion of the previous attack. The Britsh get the 8 surviving Mosquitoes vectored into an attack but they have a hard time following the quick Japanese planes. The FB shot down only 2 planes before the attack commences.
Commander Owara orders the Frances to concentrate on the damaged battleship and reminds all the rest of his crews to hit OTHER ships then just the BB! The assault is masterfully carried out as the hammer-and-anvil attack works to perfection.
Torpedoes begin to criss-cross the Allied formation.
Cruiser after cruiser takes torpedoes. Throughout the British TF large explosions echos back-and-forth. CA Cumberland takes a Torp, the damaged CL Ceylon gets one, and the big CL Birmingham staggers out of formation from a hit.
At the center of the attack the Japanese release 18 of their precious cargo at the burning Howe. With jubilant calls of hit and hit again the pilots watch as FOUR more underwater missiles slam into the the battlewagon slowing it to a halt.
Having lost just 8 bombers total Commander Owara knows that this single attack has cut Britsh heavy strength by better then half!
Weather closes in during the afternoon but one strike of 6 Frances and 12 Peggy (Aparri again)find the burning CA Cumberland and CL Birmingham. Each ship takes another Torpedo at the cost of a single bomber.
Thus closes one heck of a pleasant day for the Empire of Japan! The Tiger still has teeth BABY! [8D][:D][8D]
[image]local://upfiles/18041/B6BC88B9E85C4685B64A20F0F93DD3E8.jpg[/image]
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