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John 3rd -> Operation The Man Trap (7/26/2015 11:36:06 PM)
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Combat Report
Off Busselton, Australia
May 13, 1942
Vc-Adm Yamaguchi Tamon has fretted all night regarding his mighty Kido Butai being spotted or 'accidentally' bumping into enemy shipping. Will the weather be bad? Are there enough air search aircraft allocated to search? Should he have used ALL of them for that instead of dedicating 15 planes to recon Australian bases? In reaching the absolute edge of fuel in several of his warships, will it be worthwhile? A fitful sleep awaits the Admiral...
May 13, 1942
0430-0435 Nearly 40 Jakes and 18 Recon-Kates launch from their respective motherships.
0510-0535 Impossibly quick, word begins to reach Flagship Shokaku that a large enemy fleet has been spotted only 125 miles SE of the Japanese. That is mighty close! Many carriers and capital ships are seen. Little can be fully gleaned as a large number of search planes are being shot down as they work to ascertain the EXACT ships present.
One thing is certain. The force that Admiral Yamaguchi has been searching for and, in fact praying to find, is nearly right next door. Thanking the Gods, there is only one order that can be given!
0545 "Attention all carriers: Commence Flight Operations immediately. Enemy Fleet is SSE, Range 120+ miles, Bearing 195*. Prepare to turn into the wind at 0600. Do not. Repeat. Do not close the Range to the enemy."
0600--0645 From the decks of 7 Fleet Carriers, 5 Light Carriers, and the two odd Flightdeck Cruisers the strike rises. It is a mighty force indeed: 158 Zero, 127 Vals, 172 Kates. Getting all these planes aloft takes time. Forming them up takes just as long. Roughly 90 Zeros rise to 21,000 Ft while the strike aircraft and the remainder of the Zeros settle in at 11,000 Ft.
0703-0718 The Combat Air Patrol launches to protect the Fleet from the inevitable counter-attack. Nearly 170 planes take the air and settle at their split altitude of 21,000 Ft and 11,000 Ft. Yamaguchi has only to wait now...
0747 Cmd Kobayashi of the Hiryu commands this massed fist for Japan's Sea Eagles. After just an hour of flying, his strike finds the immense Allied Force. A very quick count reveals at least 3 Fleet Carriers (CV Lexington, Formidable, and Illustrious), CVL Hermes is with the British contingent, both Commonwealth Flightdeck Cruisers (Melbourne and Wellington), and the American Flightdeck Cruisers (Charlotte and Jacksonville). Numerous cruisers and at least three British Capital Ships are protecting the carriers.
It appears every ships the Commander was expecting to see is present with the exception of CV Enterprise.
Dozens of Allied Fighters are clawing for the sky and quite quickly the fight will be joined. Kobayashi instructs his strike force to attack by CARDIVs. Quickly the strike breaks into four groups and moves in to attack.
0750-0802 The air battle is a chaotic mess. Literally, hundreds of planes and pilots seek to kill each other or die trying. Japanese Zeros, as is normal, do quite well with the 21,000Ft high cover getting the bounce on their opponents. Planes begin falling left and right. It is readily apparent that there are too many Allied planes to shield from their vulnerable bombers. Fighters slash through the formations exacting a deadly toll. In particular Shokaku's Vals and Soryu's Kates and Vals are badly beaten up. Despite the heroism of the Allied fighters (some even flying old Buffalos) the Japanese strikes arrive over and aside their targets in good shape. They push over or begin their attack runs...
0803--0841 "All planes go in."
Keeping track of the attacks now falls to the senior leaders of each CARDIV.
CARDIV1 Attacks the USS Lexington, USS Charlotte, USS Jacksonville and their screen.
CARDIV2 Strikes at HMNZS Wellington, HMAS Melbourne and their screen.
CARDIV4 and 5 concentrate on the HMS Formidable, HMS Illustrious, HMS Hermes and their screen.
The Americans
The mighty Lexington is immediately hit and many witnesses claim several massive fuel and ammo explosions (2 Fuel and 1 Ammo) as she is staggered under the weight of 6 Bombs and 3 TT. The proud ship slides beneath the waves. Jacksonville is crushed under 4 Bombs and 2 TTs. She sinks as well. CLV Charlotte nimbly dodges nearly everything sent her way until a bombs catches her inducing an ammo explosion.
CA Astoria is hit by 2 TT and a Bomb while CA Pensacola takes 2 TT. Destroyer Ellet goes dead-in-the-water from a pair of bombs.
The Commonwealth
These ships are well Captained this day. Numerous attacks occur but only 1 B hits Melbourne and 3 B stagger Wellington.
The British
Armored flightdecks prove their worth this day as many bombs simply dent in the Brit's deck! It is not enough, however, HMS Formidable is smashed by 3 TT that hit all on her starboard flank. A fuel explosion helps to further cripple her. Illustrious also takes a bomb and TT as well as another fuel explosion! Damaged but still in the fight. Hermes does not have an armored flightdeck and heavily pays for that. A massive 7 bombs and 2 TTs smash her as she also suffers from both an ammo as well as fuel storage explosion. She immediately slides beneath the waves with heavy loss of life.
The valiant HMS Paladin attempts he help Harmes but gets pulverized by 3 bombs from a single group of 4 Vals.
End of strike. BANZAI! BANZAI!! BANZAI!!!
0841-1055 Anxious eyes scan the skies over the Japanese Fleet. The sweep of the few early radar sets keep constant lookout as well. What comes at the Japanese Fleet? NOTHING! Where are the American SBDs? Devastators? Stringbags? Who knows?
All that matters is that there is no Allied counterattack whatsoever.
The damaged and whole planes land for nearly an hour. There are several crack-ups as pilots try to land their planes. Though there are many missing faces, emotions run high as elation fills the decks of the Fleet. Heavy damage done to the Allies for NO DAMAGE to Kido Butai.
Planes are brought below decks, re-arming occurs, and pilots get a chance to eat. Mission reports and damage is assessed.
1230--1330 "All ships Commence Launch." The ballet and choreography of a second massed launch occurs again. Though not as strong, a large aerial strike of 130 Zero, 114 Val, and 113 Kate form-up and head for the survivors of the morning attack.
1425--1433 This time, over the shattered cripples beneath them, only 36 Allied Fighters meet the attack. Some still get through but the balance of the assault waves easily punch through the CAP.
1433--1525 For nearly an hour Daitai and Chutai are vectored in on the remaining enemy ships. The AA is intense!
Results:
HMAS Melbourne sunk by 5 Bombs and a TT
USS Charlotte explodes from a magazine hit while being hit by 3 TT.
HMS Illustrious is smothered under a further 4 Bombs and 2 TTs. She is believed to be sunk.
The Japanese cannot keep themselves away from the British Capital ships this time. Numerous strikes go after Prince of Wales, Repulse, and Renown. Only single bomb strikes ding them. They account for over a dozen Japanese planes though. OUCH!
CLAA Van Heemskerck takes 3 Bombs and a TT--perhaps sunk.
CL Birmington is smothered under 4 Bombs hits and severely damaged.
DDs Tucker and Panther each take a Bomb.
1530-1620
Two Japanese strikes fly off at other targets in the afternoon. Yamaguchi felt it safe enough to authorize CV Hiryu and CVL Ryujo to launch separate strikes at tempting targets.
9 Zero and 22 Val hit a troop convoy planting bombs on a PC, 2 AK, an AP, and an AMC. NICE!
9 Zero and 18 Kate attack a Tanker TF at Albany hitting two of four Tankers.
By 1830 hours all planes are home and the air crews gain a much-deserved Saki ration. From Vc-Adm Yamaguchi to the Fleet: "Well Done! May the Sun rest upon Japan's Glory for the next thousand years. I commend you: BANZAI!
[image]local://upfiles/18041/65EB30F878EB414BBF8A4809C53C9B5F.jpg[/image]
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