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Attack Condor -> Return to New Guinea (3/20/2003 2:59:40 PM)
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I didn't know whether to title this portion of the AAR as "Return to New Guinea" or "Playing possum in Australia". :)
The return to Port Moresby (Operation Pacific Wind) is predicated on the fact that the IJN already has a limited ability to perform engineering tasks. Weakening an already limited capability is the goal.
By giving PM away, I let him bring his engineers to me. I kept them busy with air attacks on a base with no ability to support aircraft (he bombed it into submission while I left. His engineers had to fix their own damage. Then the B17s showed up). After the massing of the USN subs in the Slot during the "LQ" phase of Pacific Wind, they withdrew to the Coral Sea to interdict re-supply of PM by sea.
With his supplies going into base repair, his combat force had to be feeling the effect. Meanwhile, I had a chocie between combat units from Australia's 7th, 3rd, or the New Guinea [I]divisions[/I] to effect re-capture.
The only danger was from the air. IF his CVs showed up to early, then the operation would be hastily cancelled and the APs would scurry back to Oz. With his victory over my CV TF (two carriers sunk and [I]Enterprise[/I] limping home), [I]Hornet[/I] was the only carrier in the area. She was dispatched to support the re-capture of PM.
Apparently, my opponent was caught unaware that I had an active CV TF in the Coral Sea. Even [I]Long Island[/I] played her part in the deception, sailing north (well east of [I]Hornet[/I]) - being spotted, and reported as a USN CV by IJN naval avaition.The AP TFs actually sat in the Coral Sea undected for two days waiting on thunderstorms to move into PM and GG. The MSWs went in on 6/28 with the bombardment TFs.
Tomorrow, (6-30-42) - the ground attacks begin.
Enjoy the two days of prepatory action posted here :)
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 06/28/42
Weather: Thunderstorms (Perfect!)
[I]*** A diversionary attack has disatrous results ***[/I]
Night Time Surface Combat, near Shortland Island at 29,34
Japanese Ships
CS Chitose
CL Isuzu, Shell hits 1
CL Yura, Shell hits 2
DD Murakumo
PG Seikai Maru
PC Takunan Maru #2
PC Ch 5
Allied Ships
DD Mustin, Shell hits 28, and is sunk
DD Patterson, Shell hits 23, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
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Naval bombardment of Port Moresby, at 10,40
[I]*** [B]Chicago[/B] escorted the minesweepers into PM's harbor, and took the opportunity to lob a few shells in ***[/I]
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 11
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 2
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[I]*** Destroyers aren't much good at bombardments, but hopefully something else for the IJN to wonder about ***[/I]
Naval bombardment of Gili Gili, at 17,42
Naval bombardment of Rossel Island, at 25,44
[I]*** The IJN locates and launches an attack on my transports (thank goodness for the bad weather!) ***[/I]
Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 10,40
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 9
B5N Kate x 14
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 14
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N Kate x 2 destroyed
B5N Kate x 7 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat x 2 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 1 damaged
PO2 K.Nakajima of DII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 2
Allied Ships
AP President Hayes
AP Katoomba
AP Westralia
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Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 10,40
[I]*** Another attack, this time the pilots miss the transports altogether and send [B]Lismore[/B] to the bottom ***[/I]
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 5
B5N Kate x 9
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 12
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N Kate x 1 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat x 1 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 2 damaged
CPO A.Murakami of DII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 2
Allied Ships
MSW Lismore, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
MSW Launceton
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[I]On the 29th, my fighters from [B]Hornet[/B] had fatigue in the 50s. I had to stand them down and gamble on the APs surviving without fighter cover......... [/I]
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 06/29/42
Weather: Rain
[I]*** The culmination of Pacific Wind begins in the wrong place...what was meant as a harassment bombardment
quickly turns into close in knife fight between a USN CA raiding force and a IJN SC TF, with two fat battleships in the harbor. The raiders closed to 2000 yds, and were able to seriously hurt Kirishima, whose main guns were silent and returned fire with anti aircraft guns against Pensacola's armor plated hull. Once the range opened up, two destroyers were caught trying to escape. ***[/I]
Night Time Surface Combat, near Russell Islands at 35,39
Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima, Shell hits 14, on fire, heavy damage
BB Mutsu, Shell hits 5
CA Atago
CA Maya, Shell hits 6
CA Kumano, Shell hits 1
DD Makigumo, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Hayashio
DD Tanikaze, Shell hits 1
DD Oshio
DD Akatsuki
DD Isonami
DD Asagiri, Shell hits 3, heavy damage
DD Amagiri
DD Uzuki
DD Minazuki
Allied Ships
CA Pensacola, Shell hits 3
CL Nashville, Shell hits 3
DD Jarvis
DD Ellet, Shell hits 38, and is sunk
DD Lang
DD Gridley, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Craven, Shell hits 3, on fire
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Night Time Surface Combat at 0,0
[I]* An IJN DD is caught in GG as the transports arrive with the invasion force ***[/I]
Japanese Ships
DD Oyashio, Shell hits 75, and is sunk
Allied Ships
AP Arthur Middleton
AP President Monroe
AP Largs Bay
AP Kanimbla
AP Manoora, Shell hits 1
AP Wanganella
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Night Time Surface Combat at 0,0
[I] Steaming past the wreckage of Oyashio, the "battle transports" dispatch another IJN DD in the way ***[/I]
Japanese Ships
DD Hamakaze, Shell hits 10, and is sunk
Allied Ships
AP Arthur Middleton
AP President Monroe
AP Largs Bay
AP Kanimbla
AP Manoora
AP Wanganella
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Naval bombardment of Woodlark Island, at 22,39
[I][B]Swanson[/B] and [B]Wilkes[/B] take a break from hunting subs to join the harassment of the IJN bases in the Solomons ***[/I]
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 1
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Sub attack near Port Moresby at 10,40
[I]*** I-28 tries to defend Port Moresby ***[/I]
Japanese Ships
SS I-28
Allied Ships
MSW Launceton
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Air attack on Lae , at 9,33
[I]*** With sketchy intelligence on Lae, the B17s go in at 20000 to try and impact the amount of planes the IJN can launch against the invasion ***[/I]
Allied aircraft
F-5A Lightning x 3
B-17E Fortress x 5
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress x 1 damaged
Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 1
Attacking Level Bombers:
5 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet
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Air attack on Lae , at 9,33
[I]*** The second wave ***[/I]
Japanese aircraft
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 7
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N Kate x 1 destroyed
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 22
Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 3
Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-17E Fortress at 16000 feet
4 x B-17E Fortress at 16000 feet
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Air attack on TF, near Buna at 12,38
[I]*** The 3 DDs assigned to bombard Buna lie directly in the path of the IJN CV TF and the transports unloading at PM. Sorry to see the hits on the destroyers, but I would be even sorrier to see the hits on the transports ***[/I]
Japanese aircraft
D3A Val x 21
B5N Kate x 18
Japanese aircraft losses
D3A Val x 1 destroyed
D3A Val x 7 damaged
B5N Kate x 5 damaged
Allied Ships
DD Hutchins, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
DD Monssen
DD Grayson
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Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 10,40
[I]*** Finally, the IJN CVs get a strike at PM. They miss the APs and hit the supply ships ***[/I]
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 47
D3A Val x 16
Japanese aircraft losses
D3A Val x 5 damaged
Allied Ships
AK Demodocus, Bomb hits 3, on fire
AK Diomed
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Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 10,40
[I]*** Fully aware to what is happening, IJN LBA desparately tries to stop the transports from unloading. Fortunately, with the the rain, the amount of aircraft launched is reduced. The attack misses the [B]Cairns[/B] ***[/I]
Japanese aircraft
B5N Kate x 8
no losses
Allied Ships
MSW Cairns
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Air attack on TF, near Gili Gili at 17,42
[I]*** The transports in GG aren't as lucky as the PM invaders ***[/I]
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 14
G3M Nell x 12
G4M1 Betty x 12
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell x 1 damaged
Allied Ships
AP Wanganella, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP Largs Bay, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
AP Manoora, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP Kanimbla, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AP Arthur Middleton, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
Allied ground losses:
Men lost 152
Guns lost 1
Attacking Level Bombers:
4 x G3M Nell at 200 feet
4 x G3M Nell at 200 feet
4 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
4 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
4 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
4 x G3M Nell at 200 feet
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Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 10,40
[I]*** Finally, the PM transports are hit by IJN naval avaition ***[/I]
Japanese aircraft
D3A Val x 25
B5N Kate x 12
Japanese aircraft losses
D3A Val x 1 damaged
B5N Kate x 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
AP Moreton Bay, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AP Katoomba, Bomb hits 1
AP Crescent City
AP Orungal, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AP Westralia
AP President Hayes
Allied ground losses:
Men lost 10
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Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 10,40
[I]*** Another strike, the LBA riding the wavetops, damaging the APs ***[/I]
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3
G3M Nell x 14
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell x 5 damaged
Allied Ships
AP Ormiston, Torpedo hits 1
AP President Hayes, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AP Harry Lee, Torpedo hits 1
Allied ground losses:
Men lost 7
Guns lost 1
Attacking Level Bombers:
4 x G3M Nell at 200 feet
4 x G3M Nell at 200 feet
2 x G3M Nell at 200 feet
4 x G3M Nell at 200 feet
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Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 10,40
[I]*** With so many targets in PM harbor, I'm sure the IJN avaitors are hard pressed to pick out the right ships for their bombs... ***[/I]
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 3
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty x 1 damaged
Allied Ships
PG Swan, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
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Sub attack near Port Moresby at 10,40
[I]*** I-28 tries to finish off [B]Demodocus[/B], but fails ***[/I]
Japanese Ships
SS I-28
Allied Ships
AK Demodocus, on fire
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Naval bombardment of Buna, at 12,38
[I]*** The remaining USN DD bombardment force puts a few holes in Buna's airstrip ***[/I]
Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 10
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Sub attack near Port Moresby at 10,40
[I]*** I-28 furiously reloads and singles out [B]Launceton[/B] from the thundering herd of vessels over its head... ***[/I]
Japanese Ships
SS I-28
Allied Ships
MSW Launceton, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
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More to come....... :)
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