16 August 1942

16 August 1942 (Full Version)

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Rob Roberson -> 16 August 1942 (5/22/2002 8:17:40 AM)
The Japanese navy has vanished. Perhaps their navy is as battered as mine. THere has been no attempt to rescue or supply the shrinking enemy units at Gili Gili. I have begun to withdraw the 21st Australian brigade by air. The 7th has arrived and has replaced them. USS Enterprise has arrived at Pearl. I won't be seeing her again for 6 months. Hornet is on her way, though with the state of escorts and transports, I do not know what operation I would use her in. The war in this theater is now about airpower and airpower alone. My B-17s are making regular visits on Rabaul. Betty bombers drop their loads over Gili Gili. Calm before the storm? Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 16 August 1942

Rob Roberson -> 17 August 1942 (5/22/2002 8:34:07 AM)
Gili Gili has been reported clear of all enemy forces. I intend to spend the next few days transfering air groups around the map until I have have enough land based bombers stationed at PM to level Rabaul. No thrust into New Britain or Lae can expect to succeed as long as Japanese LBA remains a threat from that airfield. Bloody Gili Gili has taught me that. Rest Refit and Repair. Those are the watch words for the next few days in this theatre. As long as the Japanese navy doesnt make a surprise visit. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 17 August 1942

Rob Roberson -> 18 August 1942 (5/22/2002 2:39:29 PM)
If I wasnt an Admiral I would of hugged one of my subchaser commanders. Lt. Lance Hickman in command of the subchaser 641 (Known by her crew as the Betty Grable) caught and sank a Japanese sub off New Caledonia today. The young man got a navy achievement medal from me. He may end up being in charge of the whole subchase squadron soon! Needless to say my ASW crews, like my marines and sailors are learning on the job. Problem remains...while they learn. People die. I hit Rabaul hard today with B-17 bombers. If I can keep my supply level up I can put that airbase out of commission and quickly. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 18 August 1942

Rob Roberson -> 19 August 1942 (5/22/2002 3:07:58 PM)
Two in two days. A second SC (SC 646 THe Betty Davis) skippered by Jarrett O'Neil caught and sank a Japanese submarine off New Calendonia. THose "Splinter Fleet" captains are really starting to learn thier jobs. The Japanese launched a 60 bomber strike against the Gili Gili airbase today. The devastation was massive. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 19 August 1942

Ron Saueracker -> Betty Boop? (5/22/2002 3:54:54 PM)
Where did ya come up with the names for the SCs, Rob?:D

Rob Roberson -> 24 August 1942 (5/22/2002 4:17:44 PM)
It is all but silent in my operational area. Gili Gili continues to receive its daily bombing from Rabaul (I have rested my B-17 crews for the last five days.) But beyond the occasional submarine attack. Silence. Where is the Japanese navy? Have I dealt it a blow that it will not recover from? USS Hornet is just 3 days away now. I have USS Long Beach on escort duty south of PM. My staff is toying with the idea of a our next major landing to be at Gasmata. Dangerous and bold. My watchwords for this campaign. Gasmata is close enough to Rabaul to force the Japanese navy to sortie. But to do that I must close the Rabaul airfields. By the time that I gather the forces to do this I will have a major surface force to use again. Currently. I am scrapping just to get my forward areas supplied. (I have even begun to use Bombers to supply Gili to keep my precious transports away from Japanese air). I have given my bomber crews plenty of R & R. Its time for them to earn their pay. Strength is on the horizon from a surface ship point of view. Washington has come around to my way of thinking finally (of course the great victory at Gili Gili makes them want to back a winner "The Fighting Admiral" is what the NY Times headlined recently). Whatever it takes to get my boys the material they need to drive the Japanese back to their own shores. I believe I will all but ignore the Solomons. Concentrate the bulk of my effort up New Guinea, New Britain, and finally New Ireland. At that point the Japanese navy should be in full flight. And the Solomons will be mine for the taking. Of course, every good plan goes to hell after the first hour of actually fighting so we shall see if this works. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 24 August 1942

Rob Roberson -> Ron (5/22/2002 4:21:27 PM)
Sailors like women (speaking as a former sailor) since those boats actually didnt have a name, makes sense to me that some the ship's crewmen would do the honors. :)

Crocky -> (5/22/2002 5:59:55 PM)
Just remember its a looooong campaign :)

Rob Roberson -> 28 August 1942 (5/23/2002 8:13:10 AM)
After several days of relative calm (as relative as you can get during a way) the seas around Gili Gili boiled over with the sounds of battle. A Japanese carrier group has entered the area and is pounding my convoy groups. I cannot afford the losses and my base at Gili just isnt big enough yet. The ships that were lost today hurt, my precious transports ladened with supplies for Gili. The supply level there is getting dangerously low, I am managing with air supply, but that is starting to wear out crews and aircraft. My campaign to cut the Japanese supply line to Rabaul is going quite well. My submarines dominate the area and that combined with my air campaign over Rabaul has got to be having an effect, perhaps its why I finally see a major naval group off my coasts after many many days of nothing. I will continue as before. I will only supply Gili through the air until the Japanese carrier withdrawal, I am hoping a raid from B-17s out of PM will send them packing, but given the lack of accuracy from army air versus naval forces I don't have a lot of confidence in that. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 28 August 1942

Rob Roberson -> 2 September 1942 (5/23/2002 9:53:33 AM)
I have found the Japanese navy, or I should say they have allowed themselves to be found. 4 aircraft carriers are demonstrating Northwest of Gili Gili and what a demonstration. I can neither get shipping on or out of Gili Gili. The base is totally dependent upon air convoys, that is dependent when the runway is open. Last night a battleship service action group pounded the area, only the brave crew of PT48 fought them. A fly against an elephant. The crew reported that they had closed to 3000 yards and were firing torpedos. The last anyone heard of them. I have decided that since I cannot get anything near the Japanese through the air or land I will try underneath them. I have ordered every submarine in the region to the area where my air is reporting the fleet. Perhaps one of my submariners can get on the inside the escort and do some damage, for the brave men now hanging on at Gili I hope so. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 2 September 1942

Rob Roberson -> 3 September 1942 (5/23/2002 10:14:57 AM)
One of my returning submarines (S-boat) reported that they are having some success getting inside the escort screen, though no hits. This commander claims he struck one of the carriers, but the torpedos did not explode on impact. He says that the Gato sank a light cruiser. Gili and PM are throwing everythign they have at the carrier task force. But the attacks are disjointed and ineffective. I still believe the best hope we have to drive the Japanese away is our submarines, if only one of the torpedoes would strike home. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 3 September 1942

Rob Roberson -> 6 September 1942 (5/23/2002 11:10:38 AM)
The Japanese carriers have withdrawn from the area. While my staff likes to believe we had something to do with it. I find that unlikely. While several of my submarines report taking shots at the carrier groups. They only claim one hit on a light cruiser. We did have a submarine fail to report to PM. Gili Gili has been devasted. The airfield is completely out. I have to big transport taskforces enroute to supply the place and I intend to force them in. No matter what losses I might take. I have 4500 combat troops still there from the invasion. I need those men in fighting trim not broken from malnutrition. My time table for any move against New Britain or Lae has been thrown off. Like I said in a previous entry....no doubt the plan will last all of an hour. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 6 September 1942

Rob Roberson -> 12 September 1942 (5/23/2002 5:14:41 PM)
It's been nearly a week since I have written in my diary. There has been a lack of anything to report. Gili still receives its daily punishment from Rabaul. My submarines continue to sink commerce. My B-17s out of PM have begun to pound Lae. I have moved a small detachment of troops and a seaplane tender up to Rennell in the Solomons. I have also shifted a couple of level bomber squadrons to Irau, San Cristobal to continue to harass the Japanese at Lunga. My staff did order commandos onto a small island North of Gili where we intend to build a fighter base. The routine of war...if war can be considered routine. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 12 September 1942

Rob Roberson -> 13 September 1942 (5/23/2002 5:18:55 PM)
Routine indeed! The japanese have established what appears to be a major fighter base at Lunga. My daily pin-****s were met there by fighters. Later that afternoon Val dive bombers bombed my base at San Cristobal. One of my submarines reported that a major Japanese convoy passed them and got hung up in one of my minefield off Guadalcanal. The commander reported at least 3 ships burning from the mines. I still don't feel like this area of the Solomons is worthy of a major effort. I have shift a second fighter group to San Cristobal and ordered the Hornet east to the area to provide security for my transports supplying San Cristobal/Rennel and interdiction of Japanese transports north of Lunga. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 13 September 1942

Rob Roberson -> 16 September 1942 (5/24/2002 2:43:52 AM)
That fighter base on Guadalcanal is proving to be more of a thorn then I first imagined. The Japanese have also placed bombers there. It must be dealt with. Dive bombers attacked USS Hornet today but were beaten off. I now have my staff working over time on a plan to carry off simultaneous operations in New Guinea and the Solomons. I still am not convinced that a landing on Guadalcanal would be necessary, perhaps we can isolate the Japanese there and starve them out. Only time will tell. As soon as USS South Dakota arrives (2 days perhaps) I will reform a task group with her and North Carolina to make the enemy forces at Guadalcanal evenings...uncomfortable. My PT boat commanders have begun to raid commerce in and around the islands. I will try to starve them out. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 16 September 1942

Rob Roberson -> 17 September 1942 (5/24/2002 8:19:40 AM)
I don't think anyone was more shocked then me when a battleship task force suddenly appeared off the coast , except possibly the commanders and crews of the three pt boats who attempted to prevent their entrance into the Gili Gili harbor. More amazing was the pt boats got to within 2000 yards of these steel behemoths before releasing their torpedos, two of them striking home. The battle group quickly brushed the PTs aside and sank several transports near the beach area (full of troops leaving for Australia). When the battle short exchange was over USS San Juan joined four transports and two pt boats on the bottom of the Gili Beach area. RADM Lee was on the San Juan and hasnt been heard from. Even more surprising was a report from the Australian mainland that Betty bombers attacked and sank three transports in Cooktown. Another Betty attack left a transport and a destroyer ablaze at PM. Putting all this together leads me and my staff to believe the Japanese are about to make a major move into the southwest Pacific. I have got to get my staff to stop reacting to what the Japanese are doing and to start to take the iniative or we will lose this war. The question is. Where? Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 17 September 1942

Rob Roberson -> 25 September 1942 (5/24/2002 11:34:49 AM)
It has been eight days since I have written in my diary. The tidal wave of Japanese warships, planes and troops my staff predicted to descend up us never occured. The entire SWSoPac has become a routine of airstrikes. My planes at Lae, which we have reduce to smoking ruin, my planes at Guadalcanal, the Japanese at Gili and San Cristobal. Routine is an easy thing to fall into, but it wears on fighting men and their morale. To shake things up a bit I have ordered a bombardment of Guadalcanal with the Newly arrived Washington and North Carolina. The NC is suffering from a serious need of yard work, but I want her big guns to do some business before I send her to Pearl. I hope the bombardment closes the fighter field at Lunga for a day or two. If this works as I think it will then I will repeat as often as necessary. I still feel like I can avoid a general landing there. Starve them out. But I must do a better job of interdicting more Japanese convoys if that is going to work. I have begun to marshal naval forces at Noumea. I intend to make a major landing as soon as I have gathered enough transports. I still don't know where. I feel like a bold thrust at Gasmata or Lae will shake up the Imperial High Command. Admiral Nimitz still would like me to do something in the Solomons, perhpa Tulagi or New Georgia. I do not have enough naval forces to do both. Fortunetly I dont have to make the descision yet. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 25 September 1942

Deadpan -> (5/24/2002 1:13:16 PM)
Rob, kudos. The Japanese have given you hell, but you've given it right back to them. I have been following events closely, but one question. If you are so able to, could you tell us what the losses of both the Allies and the Japanese have been since the beginning of May? Men, Ships, Aircraft, whatever you feel like sharing. Just to give us a clearer picture of what kind of damage each side has had to deal with. Thanks, and keep the entries coming!

Rob Roberson -> Losses (5/24/2002 3:20:14 PM)
I had not actually paid attention to the numbers. Actually losses of ships seem light to me, but it doesnt account for the number of ships (including transports) that I have had to send to Pearl for repair. Mine: 79 This includes 2 CVs 7 CAs 4 CLs 13 DD 49 Transports 4 Subs We believe the Japanese have lost : 68 that includes 1 CVL 1 CA 5 CL 10 DD 49 transports and an unknown amount of submarines. The lack of any Capital ship movement leads me to believe he also has quite a few at the shipyards. To date I have had 653 aircraft lost including 296 through "operational" losses. The Japanese have lost 492 planes 181 through operational losses. I am unsure how many men I have lost. The Japanese lost more then 15000 at Gili Gili by my count. In game terms he is cleaning my clock right now. He holds all the big ticket items still. I don't honestly see me doing anything major to contest that for another month, though I am considering something big in the near term to try to get his fleet out of port so I can get to them.

Rob Roberson -> 26 September 1942 (5/25/2002 10:07:56 AM)
I have made a major error and I hope correcting it will not cost me the lives of my brave marines and sailors. The Japanese are building a major air field at Guadalcanal. I decided I could just isolate the strip, but it is becoming increasingly clear to me that the Japanese consider this island a worthy of a major effort. My first mission will be to put it out of commission. I had intended to use the Battleships North Carolina and Washington to hammer the field, but North Carolina is still suffering the effects of a torpedo in actions off of Gili. I have bowed to my staff's beliefs that she cannot do the job and ordered her back to Noumea. I have added a third bomber group to my base at San Cristobal. I intend to keep that airfield wrecked. Force the Japanese to expend resources repairing the field. I will have my task forces make runs at it at night and my planes during the day. I have also mined the waters in "the slot" and moved submarines in the area. I will continue to starve them out there, but this effort must take a higher priority then I first thought. I intend to make a small landing somewhere in New Georgia. I will be dispatching navy frogmen to several of the islands there to scout for possible landing sites. I believe I have put the airfield at Lae out of business for now. No shipping is getting through in the area and fighters no longer rise to meet my in bound bombers. I will now concentrate my efforts on Rabaul. I would like to end the Japanese 100 bomber raids on Gili.

Rob Roberson -> 27 September 1942 (5/25/2002 10:51:43 AM)
The air war in the south pacific continues in all its terrible glory. I have shifted my emphasis from Lae to Rabaul and hope to see results of this soon. I need to rotate some bomber crews out of PM soon, the strain of daily missions has begun to wear them out. About three weeks ago I sent an Australian brigade marching up the Owen Stanleys. They still have not arrived at their destination. I am begining to believe that was in error. When I decide to move against Lae I wanted to pressure the Japanese from two sides. I now feel that those Aussies will require too much rest when they reach their jumping off postiions at Wau to be of much use. We will see. I have narrowed the list of invasion possibilties in the Solomons. I am considering using the Marine parachute battalion in this operation. If I can find a useful area to drop them in. I have begun to move them up to Luganville. The lack of Japanese submarine activity had bothered me. No more. They are now hunting off of San Cristobal. I intend to send my "splinter navy" there to combat them. My bombardment group should arrive off Guadalcanal this evening. I eagerly await the results. Not much word about the tempo of operations from CinCPac lately. Admiral Nimitz was recently meeting with Admiral King in San Francisco. I believe CinCPac wants to make a visit here soon. I welcome anything that will bring more ships and planes to my operating area. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 27 September 1942

Rob Roberson -> 28 September 1942 (5/25/2002 11:35:40 AM)
My bombardment against Luna did not come off. The group spotted a fat Japanese transport, chased them down and wiped them out. By the time the action was over they had to withdraw. They will give it another go tonite. I have ordered a submarine to land a recon patrol at New Britain. Navy frogmen are on their way to New Georgia. Admiral Nimitz is due to come out sometime in the middle of October, while I feel no pressure from his visit I would love to have my marines routing out the enemy somewhere in the Solomons. But where. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 28 September 1942

Rob Roberson -> 29 September 1942 (5/25/2002 11:53:04 AM)
My bombardment group pasted the airfield at Guadalcanal tonite. I intend to do this every nite that there is no carrier prescence in the Solomons. Battleship by night and aircraft by day. The Japanese there will come to believe they have been sent to hell. CinCPac has told me to expect no more warships in the near future. It looks like I will have to make war on the Japanese with what I have in port at Noumea. The ghost of gili gili continues to hamper my operations. I must decide soon where I will put troops down. It is time to bring the Japanese back to battle. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 29 September 1942

Rob Roberson -> 4 October 1942 (5/25/2002 4:33:43 PM)
The weather in theatre has been miserable over the last few days. Not many air missions from either side have gotten off the ground, particularly in New Guinea. My airfield at Kiriwina, (an island north of Buna) is operational. I moved an army fighter squadron and some navy dive bombers there. I look at it as an unsinkable escort carrier. If Pearl can't ship me new carriers, I will make do with what mother nature has given me. THe air and sea battles around Guadalcanal continue to rage. If I didn't have to refuel my battleship task group on occasion, Guadalcanal's airfield would be out of business. Thanks to a combination of poor weather and slow replenishments it remains somewhat operational. When Admiral Nimitz arrives I hope he brings plenty of medals for the 2nd Patrol Boat command. Those brave sailors have certainly given the Japanese hell off of Guadalcanal. Two more were lost the other night when they made runs at a Japanese Heavy Cruiser group. No hits this time, but I don't think men get braver then these. Operation Gabrial is set for tomorrow. Marines of the 1st Parachute Battalion will be landing on the Island of Vila just south of Shortland. This is the second phase at cutting the supply lines to Guadalcanal. My staff believes that the area (based on incomplete recon) can hold a single engine airbase. The marines are there to secure it and follow on troops will be brought in by destroyer. This operation of course is assuming the weather holds up and right now its not looking good. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 4 October 1942

Rob Roberson -> 5 October 1942 (5/25/2002 5:22:50 PM)
Weather is seriously hampering my air operations at New Guinea. Only a recon sortie went up today in the southwest Pacific. The Japanese made their daily visit to Gili and no sooner then the airfield opens then bombers attack Kiriwina. Which is exactly what I had hoped. The Solomons remains quiet. I had to delay Gabrial by a day due to weather. I have ordered my battlegroup home for rest and refit. They should arrive at Noumea day after tomorrow. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 5 October 1942

Rob Roberson -> 6 October 1942 (5/25/2002 5:49:40 PM)
Vila was unoccupied by enemy forces. I have a destroyer group enroute with supplies, a second one will follow with Navy Seabees. I had previously sent a group of Navy frogmen to the island. The marines did not make contact with them, and they are MIA. The rain continues to fall in New Guinea and with it my air campaign there. Tomorrow is another day. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 6 October 1942

Rob Roberson -> 7 October 1942 (5/26/2002 7:28:57 AM)
The Japanese airfield on Guadalcanal is much bigger and more sophisticated then we first thought. My staff now believes that it could hold level bombers which would represent a huge threat to my command here on Noumea. I may not be able to wait to starve out the garrison. I have ordered my staff to begin to work on the infrastructure and plans for a possible invasion of Guadalcanal. I believe there may be as many as 2 Japanese Regiments there now. It will be a bloody affair if I must take it by force. Carrier planes struck Kiriwina, this is good. I invite my enemy to continue to throw himself against that outpost. Japanese submarines continue to be a menace off of San Cristobal. I have a group of subchasers in the area know I hope to see some results of that soon. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 7 October 1942

Rob Roberson -> 8 October 1942 (5/26/2002 8:08:23 AM)
Heavy air battles in and around the New Guinea operational area. I believe a carrier group has come south into the area based on the type of aircraft we are seeing. My carrier group is on the wrong side of the south Pacific to be able to do anything about it. I will have to depend on land base air. Rabaul sent a 100 plane raid against PM that was the first time in many weeks. Up until now they had concentrated all their airpower against Gili. I am attacking every ship trying to get near Guadalcanal. Some are still getting through, but the Japanese are paying a heavy price for it. Between my airpower, subs and the occasional sorties by my warships. I believe a near perfect blockade is up. A Japanese Val dive bomber succeeded in putting a bomb in Washington. Minor damage and she is still proceeding towards Guadalcanal for tonite' s nightly raid. Surprisingly the Japanese appear to have not taken much interest in Vila. Although I have been hammering their port at Shortland with daily raids from PM, I believed that they would at least hit the area with LBA. The longer they delay the better for me. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 8 October 1942

Rob Roberson -> 9 October 1942 (5/26/2002 9:42:10 AM)
I do not understand what the Imperial Navy is trying to do. He has placed his carriers well underneath the range for my bombers north west of Gili. (Though army pilots couldn't hit the broadside of a barn standing next to it, never mind maneuvering warships). Away from their starving troops at Guadalcanal. I can not counter carrier airpower in the Solomons despite my unsinkable carrier at San Cristobal. It just doesnt make sense. With the kind of carrier air I have seen he could easily break the blockade in the Solomons. No matter. I continue to bomb the Japanese on that island during the day and shell it at night with my battle group. Nothing is getting in and when it does it doesnt leave. I have ordered Raymond Spruance to sea with USS Hornet. I can not sit by and watch Japanese aircraft carriers off New Guinea and not challenge them. It may end up 1 against two, but with army bombers making sorties the odds might be even. I only hope I don't lose Hornet. If I do I have a feeling that Admiral Nimitz's visit next week will be to relieve me. Admiral Robert ROberson commanding 9 October 1942

Rob Roberson -> 10 October 1942 (5/26/2002 10:33:18 AM)
Shortland - Operation Landshark I believe that while Shortland maybe well defended it is the most vulnerable of Japanese bases in the area currently. My bombers from PM and Gili have wrecked the Port. The majority of the shipping my submarines are attacking are not coming from Shortland. By all my intelligence estimates I believe it is ripe for the picking. I have assembled a huge task force with 1 bombardment group led my North Carolina and the second by Washington (who will rendevous with the invasion fleet). USS Hornet is headed towards the Gili area and will hopefully keep the enemy carrier pinned there. The invasion will be conducted by the 1st, 7th Marine Regiments and the 1st Marine armored Battalion. The land portion of the operation is under the command of General Vandegrift. The naval portion Admiral Jack Fletcher. Spruance will be in command of the air components should the Japanese carrier choose to retire prior to the invasion. The whole show should start about the time of Admiral Nimitz's arrival on the 15th weather permitting. I will push the time table up or back depending on the clean assembly of units at the jump off point. The Japanese carriers continue thier patrol off Gili. I hope Spruance can get there soon and give them something to do. USS South Dakota and her escorts are due any day now. She will take over bombardment duties from Washington during Landshark. Admiral Robert Roberson commanding 10 October 1942

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