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Von Rom -> (11/7/2002 1:21:28 PM)
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Current Date: March 28, 1943
Currently, I am building up my bases and re-supplying them.
I have isolated Shortland Island: the Japanese based here are receiving NO supplies. I am bombing Shortland with medium bombers based on Lunga.
In addition to Gasmata, I have also been building up the airbase at Hoskins, which is just 30 miles away. I've been sending engineers, etc overland to Hoskins. At these two bases I have stationed 525 fighters, dive bombers, torpedo planes and medium bombers. They have been attacking Japanese shipping, air bases and port facilities non-stop for 6 weeks now. The results have been devastating. The results I have achieved gives an indication of the importance of holding the "Central Position" with the acquisition of Gasmata - it sits right in the heart of the major Japanese bases. If you are the Allied player, seize this base at all costs and build up the airfield. If you are the Japanese player, HOLD this base at all costs.
In a short period of time I have achieved a 96% air superiority, and have crippled Japanese air power and naval movements with a withering hail of air attacks.
Oh, and those three Japanese carriers I mentioned previously, made their appearance just east of Rabaul. The IJN was planning to strike at my convoys supplying Gasmata. Silly IJN. My land-based aircraft plastered those carriers, and they soon limped away. . .
I have put together an eight carrier Task Force (consisting of 2 heavy carriers, 2 light carriers, and 4 escort carriers) that contains 340 planes. I intend to send this carrier task force just north of Kavieng and have my way with Japanese ships that are steaming down from Truk. I also want to smoke out any other carriers the IJN may still have that are tooling around in the area. To give these carriers a little experience working together, I have positioned the task force just south of Shortland, and will be bombing the island using its carrier planes.
Here are the results of a SINGLE DAY of Allied air attacks. As you read through the list of air attacks, pay close attention to how many times the battleships Yamashiro and Ise are hit:
Air Sorties Flown on March 28, 1943
Allied - 2,254
Japan - 158 (!)
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 03/28/43
Air attack on Rabaul from Gasmata:
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 2
A6M3 Zero x 7
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 24
Hudson x 6
Beaufort x 15
P-38G Lightning x 25
A-20G Havoc x 14
B-25J Mitchell x 15
B-26B Marauder x 27
A-20B Havoc x 15
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3 Zero x 1 destroyed
J1N1-R Irving x 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
B-25J Mitchell x 1 destroyed
B-25J Mitchell x 1 damaged
PO2 E.Matsuo of BII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 3
Japanese Ships
CA Mogami, Bomb hits 2, on fire
DD Harusame, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Oite, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
BB Yamashiro, Bomb hits 1
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 172
Guns lost 1
Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 35
Port hits 1
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Air attack on Rabaul from Port Moresby:
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 1
A6M3 Zero x 3
Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 3
no losses
Japanese Ships
DD Oite, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
BB Yamashiro, Bomb hits 1
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Air attack on Rabaul from Lunga:
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 1
A6M3 Zero x 4
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 15
PB4Y Liberator x 24
B-24D Liberator x 22
Japanese aircraft losses
J1N1-R Irving x 1 destroyed
Japanese Ships
BB Yamashiro, Bomb hits 2
CL Sendai, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CA Mogami, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 114
Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 10
Port hits 5
Port fuel hits 1
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Air attack on Kavieng from Gasmata:
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 3
Allied aircraft
Beaufort x 15
P-38G Lightning x 36
P-70A Havoc x 12
B-25J Mitchell x 16
no losses
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 87
Airbase hits 4
Runway hits 33
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Air attack on Shortland Island from an Allied task force consisting of 8 carriers:
Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 113
TBF Avenger x 63
no losses
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 56
Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 37
Port hits 1
Attacking Level Bombers:
15 x TBF Avenger at 10000 feet
18 x TBF Avenger at 10000 feet
7 x TBF Avenger at 10000 feet
5 x TBF Avenger at 10000 feet
9 x TBF Avenger at 10000 feet
9 x TBF Avenger at 10000 feet
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Air attack on Shortland Island from Lunga:
Allied aircraft
P-70A Havoc x 11
B-25J Mitchell x 63
no losses
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 10
Airbase hits 3
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 48
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Air attack on IJN TF from Hoskins:
Allied aircraft
TBF Avenger x 12
P-38G Lightning x 11
Allied aircraft losses
TBF Avenger x 3 destroyed
TBF Avenger x 8 damaged
LCDR W. Dye of VT-8 is KILLED
Japanese Ships
DD Harukaze
BB Ise
DD Inazuma
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Air attack on IJN TF from Gasmata:
Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 89
TBF Avenger x 30
Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless x 2 destroyed
SBD Dauntless x 3 damaged
TBF Avenger x 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
CA Aoba, Torpedo hits 2, on fire
CA Suzuya, Torpedo hits 2, on fire
BB Ise, Bomb hits 17, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Shikinami, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Asagiri, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
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Air attack on IJN TF from Hoskins:
Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 22
P-400 Airacobra x 22
P-38G Lightning x 10
no losses
Japanese Ships
CA Aoba, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Harukaze
DD Asagiri, Shell hits 12, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Shikinami, Shell hits 36, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
BB Ise, Bomb hits 8, on fire, heavy damage
DD Inazuma
CA Suzuya, Shell hits 8, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
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Air attack on IJN TF from Finschafen:
Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 17
P-400 Airacobra x 11
no losses
Japanese Ships
CA Suzuya, Shell hits 12, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
DD Asagiri, on fire, heavy damage
DD Inazuma, Shell hits 8
CA Aoba, on fire, heavy damage
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Air attack on IJN TF from Finschafen:
Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 16
P-400 Airacobra x 10
no losses
Japanese Ships
DD Inazuma, Shell hits 8
DD Harukaze
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Air attack on IJN TF, near Rabaul from Gasmata:
Allied aircraft
Beaufighter VIC x 7
B-25J Mitchell x 9
Allied aircraft losses
Beaufighter VIC x 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
DD Wakazuki, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Yugure, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Ayanami, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Shirayuki
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Statistics To Date:
Ships Lost
Allied - 213
IJN - 323
Planes Lost
Allied - 2,076
IJN - 2,657
Bases Held
Allied - 25
IJN - 8
Score
Allied - 15,172
IJN - 10,071
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