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wobbly -> (7/9/2003 3:43:01 AM)
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Thanks Quark - very informative to hear from the Jap perspective: anyway the die was cast and tis was the result:
Excellent turn for the allies! Despite that Herbie-san did not play to the dance card and we were unable to grapple with the single carrier isolated from his friends.
Herbie-san's target appears to have been Koumac. A FT transport of DDs and APDs pulls up during the night and 2 of them hit mines unloading a small unit (Condor you'll be pleased about this). These mines slow the TF down.
His 2 Carrier groups move up in the night - however, his CAP layout is very odd: there are no planes above the single Carrier group and none above the FT group. Maybe he wanted them to be bait so that I tired my crews out hitting them before he bought in his carriers - if this is the case - it worked perfectly!
The retreating FT group is still in range of Koumac, and in range of Luganville, and my CV force!!! I could hear Herbie scream ouch all the way from Sydney!
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 08/02/42
Weather: Partly Cloudy
Air attack on 10th Aus Brigade, at 9,39
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 17
G3M Nell x 19
no losses
Attacking Level Bombers:
19 x G3M Nell at 5000 feet
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Air attack on 10th Aus Brigade, at 9,39
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 27
D3A Val x 17
B5N Kate x 16
G3M Nell x 9
G4M1 Betty x 44 (his number s are increasing - I know he has a betty sqd at Lunga)
no losses
Allied ground losses:
Men lost 18
Attacking Level Bombers:
20 x G4M1 Betty at 6000 feet
24 x G4M1 Betty at 6000 feet
9 x G3M Nell at 5000 feet
16 x B5N Kate at 20000 feet
If you look at the number of naval bombers he has in this attack he seriously wants to kill my troops - for the damage he is doing why does he bother - reasonable exp I suppose.
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Air attack on TF at 48,60
Allied aircraft
TBD Devastator x 13
B-25D Mitchell x 3
B-26B Marauder x 7
Allied aircraft losses
TBD Devastator x 1 destroyed
TBD Devastator x 8 damaged
Japanese Ships
APD 35, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
APD 31
DD Okikaze, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
APD 39, on fire
Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet
4 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
Koumac starts proceedings - 4 more torps hit than the 2 that actually explode.
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Air attack on TF at 48,60
Allied aircraft
TBD Devastator x 25
B-25D Mitchell x 8
B-26B Marauder x 6
Allied aircraft losses
TBD Devastator x 6 damaged
Japanese Ships
DD Satsuki, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
APD 35, on fire, heavy damage
APD 39, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
APD 31, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Okikaze, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
APD 2
DD Kamikaze, on fire, heavy damage
Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
4 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
4 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet
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Air attack on TF at 48,60
Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 64
Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless x 2 damaged
Japanese Ships
DD Satsuki, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
APD 35, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
APD 31, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
DD Kamikaze, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
Now the carriers launch - notice no escorts - this would have been ugly against fighters.
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Air attack on TF at 48,60
Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 15
TBF Avenger x 13
Beaufort x 9
A-20B Havoc x 12
Allied aircraft losses
TBF Avenger x 2 damaged
Japanese Ships
DD Okikaze, on fire, heavy damage
DD Shikinami
DD Satsuki, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
APD 2, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
Attacking Level Bombers:
4 x Beaufort at 6000 feet
4 x Beaufort at 6000 feet
4 x A-20B Havoc at 1000 feet
4 x A-20B Havoc at 1000 feet
1 x Beaufort at 6000 feet
4 x A-20B Havoc at 1000 feet
Luganville joins the carrier planes as they attack the same hapless FT mission.
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Air attack on TF at 48,60
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 4
SBD Dauntless x 34
no losses
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Air attack on TF at 48,60
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 16
SBD Dauntless x 15
TBF Avenger x 14
Allied aircraft losses
TBF Avenger x 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
APD 39, on fire, heavy damage
APD 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Shikinami
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Air attack on TF at 48,60
Allied aircraft
TBD Devastator x 27
B-25D Mitchell x 10
B-26B Marauder x 3
Allied aircraft losses
TBD Devastator x 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
APD 39, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
APD 2, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Okikaze, on fire, heavy damage
APD 35, on fire, heavy damage
Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet
4 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet
3 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
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Air attack on TF at 48,60
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 9
SBD Dauntless x 62
TBF Avenger x 11
no losses
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Air attack on TF at 48,60
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 11
SBD Dauntless x 32
no losses
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Air attack on TF at 48,60
Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 10
SBD Dauntless x 28
Hudson x 6
B-26B Marauder x 9
no losses
Attacking Level Bombers:
2 x Hudson at 6000 feet
1 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
4 x Hudson at 6000 feet
4 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
4 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
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Air attack on TF at 48,60
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 8
SBD Dauntless x 17
no losses
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Air attack on TF at 41,59
Allied aircraft
B-26B Marauder x 5
Allied aircraft losses
B-26B Marauder x 5 damaged
Japanese Ships
CV Junyo
Attacking Level Bombers:
1 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
4 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
This is the single carrier TF - the carrier being Junyo. Again there is no CAP up! 2 marauders are lost however.
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At the conclusion of the day about 7 ships go under the waves. I lost 7 ACs in the battle - many more damaged.
My naval bomber pilots are at about 30 fatigue - the fighters are at 45! I move the lowest moral (and highest fatigue as it happens) sqd to Luganville and replace it with the Lex's F4F-4s and set them to high CAP. The Carriers move back two hexes NE of Luganville. He may try and take on my carriers now - again I try to shorten the range for Luganville to join in.
At Koumac the naval bombers and MRBs are given ground attack missions and the Cavalry regiment their is set up to shock attack.
My transport TF is in luganville and should unload tonight.
Over in Oz my approaching FT mission to Lea Lea notices a DD and an AP in PM harbour - 1 CL and 3 DDs change to a surface group and move to intercept - all of these ships are above 10 SYS damage! However it will be worth trying to grapple with more of his APs. The remaining APD and DMS of the FT group continue with their mission.
These have continued very well - despite all the Naval air he has over in NG they never seem to get attacked.
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