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Burch -> The Gods Smiled on me at last! (6/7/2002 9:29:13 AM)
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It is early November 42 Lunga is home to 2 F4, 1 P-38, and 1 F400? squadron making the daily bombing raids on Lunga painful for the Japanese they have 2 SBD squadrons and a Marauder squadron for company. My CV's are resting up at Cairns and Noumea and I have recently transfered a Surface group with 2 BB 2 CA 2CL and 5 DD to Lunganville. The San Cristabol airfeild is coming along nicely. Enter the IJN...
My Catalinas from Tulagi spot a force with at least one BB in route to Shortland. I now where this is headed, I have been pummeled enough by bombardment TF's to recognize one when I see it.
I quickly dispatch my SAG to Lunga, knowing full well that I will only arrive in time to rescue the PT boat survivors.
The next night there they are 1 BB 3 CA 2CL and 7 DD's against my brave little PT squadron. 3 Pt's go down with empty torpedo tubes and one or two hits to their credit. The IJN force goes on to pummel Lunga. While my SAG is a day away. Another successful bombardment? Not this time!:D
The Haruna and Kako strike mines on the way out slowing the task force enough to be caught by a small airstrike that scores a few more hits though failing to inflict serious damage. The bombardment group makes it to Shortland as my SAG rounds the bend at Guadalcanal. I notice that i am unable to locate the IJN force around Shortland, so I take a huge gamble and switch my SAG group to bombardment and send them on toward Shortland with P-38 LR-CAP. That night I fight it out with little groups of MSW, AGs and APs sinking several with minimal damge to my fleet.
Now comes the bombardment of Shortland.... to my delight the enemy had disbanded the bombardment group in the port and I caught them with their kamonoes (sp?) down. :eek:
End result.. My ships reportedly sink 4 DD 1CL 1CA and the Haruna:D :D
I also escaped the following air strikes with only minor damage.
God takes care of fools and drunks!!
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