John 3rd -> The BREAKOUT--I can't kill 'em all! (6/27/2015 11:05:07 PM)
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March 26, 1942 Operation Eastern Storm 0215 Rr-Adm Tanaka Raizo sat on the bridge of his mighty BB Hitachi and wondered when the 'milk runs' of these bombardments to Pearl Harbor would end. Before departing Lahaina this day he had seen the entire 20th Inf Div loading onto waiting ships. The same scene was described at Hilo and Kona. Finally, this siege would move into its last phase. Who would ever have guessed this plan would work for so few losses? Amazing. His reverie is interrupted when his lead DD announces "ENEMY Vessels spotted 11,000 yards bearing 345*." It has got to be some of those damned PT Boats that the enemy had been using the last few days. Grabbing binoculars, Tanaka immediately spotted an freightor attempting to turn away. What the hell? Is this the American attempt to finally breakout? More ships were spotted in the dim distance. Confirming that even more, the pair of Battlecruisers following his bombardment radio they too had spotted enemy ships. THRILLING! "Captain--Open fire but make sure of your targets and DO NOT waste ammunition." The secondaries of his battlewagon open up almost immediately. The slaughter begins... 0947 A weary but happy Admiral orders the Task Force to return to Kahaina. "Captain--We must reprovision quickly. Many ships did manage to slip past us. We're faster so we should get in more hunting tomorrow. Signal to the Task Force--'Well done!'" Michael mostly empties Pearl Harbor and the day long slaughter is precisely that. Totals: 4 PT, 12 AK, 2 YO, 2 AKL, 3 AM, 1 TK, 1 AO, 1 PG, 5 AG, AV Wright, AV Tangier, 2 AD, 2 AE, 2 AP, 1 CM, 1 AM, 1 AVP , 1 AD. In an exciting moment, the heavily damaged Battleship California was attacked by 3 CL and 4 DDs. The engagement got close with one CL taking moderate but saveable damage in return for hitting the California with 56 Shells and one TT. Probably sunk but not for sure... A few warships are interspersed with the breakout and one of them--CL Phoenix--catches 4 DMS heading for Lahaina. She sinks 3 of 4 but that is not too much payment for what we bagged this day. SS Operations I-8 SINKS AD Rigel near Pearl I-25 SINKS AE Mauna Loa also near Pearl Air Operations The breakout is perfectly timed with bad weather closing down my flightdecks in the morning. Vals attack enemy shipping during the afternoon while a massed strike hits Pearl again. All remaining battleships are still in Pearl and they get PLASTERED. No Torps but BB Pennsylvania BLOWS UP! Nice... Planning EVERYTHING hunts shipping tomorrow! I only have one real day to do this before we get everyone back to reload for the landing but one more day should see another 20-40 ships sunk. [image]local://upfiles/18041/3610667C41A0465C8A34A8E6109C38F7.jpg[/image]
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