Aurorus -> RE: Argentina vs. Slovakia (Aurorus against 821Bobo) (7/7/2017 5:02:59 PM)
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Dawn breaks and Japanese LBA continues to support ground actions at Padang and Sabang: also attacking the airfield at Batavia for a second day. Allied B-17s continue their relentless assault on Moresby. Meanwhile, 650 miles west of Darwin, Tamon Yamaguchi has moved his CVs into position off the coast of northern Australia. His original assignment was to reduce the airfield at Koepang and support landings on Timor. He was given wide latitude in how to do so, however, and he decided move his CVs far south of the landings. By 8:30 AM, he began receiving reports of several allied TFs in the region, including a group of APs loading at Derby. He ordered the carriers to turn into the wind and all planes aloft. 2 hours later, he began receiving strike reports. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on TF, near Derby at 64,127 Weather in hex: Light rain Raid spotted at 45 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 16 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 18 B5N1 Kate x 6 D3A1 Val x 13 Japanese aircraft losses D3A1 Val: 1 damaged Allied Ships AMC Manoora, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires xAP Empire Star xAP Boschfontein, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage Allied ground losses: 216 casualties reported Squads: 5 destroyed, 5 disabled Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 10 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled Guns lost 4 (2 destroyed, 2 disabled) Aircraft Attacking: 6 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000' Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb 6 x B5N1 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo 7 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000' Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AMC Manoora Massive explosion on xAP Boschfontein Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAP Boschfontein -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on TF, near Derby at 66,124 Weather in hex: Light cloud Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 8 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 14 B5N2 Kate x 26 Japanese aircraft losses B5N2 Kate: 1 damaged Allied Ships xAK Siantar, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk xAKL Oorama xAKL Sipirok xAKL Minnipa, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk xAKL Soerabaja, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk xAKL Noora, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk xAK Woolgar, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk xAKL Kaiping, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk Aircraft Attacking: 13 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo 13 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Hedland at 57,129 Weather in hex: Moderate rain Raid spotted at 24 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 8 minutes Japanese aircraft B5N2 Kate x 13 D3A1 Val x 13 No Japanese losses Allied Ships AM Latrobe, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk xAK La Cordillera, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk xAK Gorgon, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk Aircraft Attacking: 9 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000' * Naval Attack: 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb 13 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo 4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000' * Naval Attack: 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Gorgon Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AM Latrobe -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Hedland at 56,125 Weather in hex: Thunderstorms Raid spotted at 6 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 2 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 9 B5N1 Kate x 9 No Japanese losses Allied Ships xAK Adrastus, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk xAK City of Exeter, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk Aircraft Attacking: 9 x B5N1 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on TF, near Derby at 64,127 Weather in hex: Light rain Raid spotted at 24 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 10 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 9 B5N1 Kate x 6 Japanese aircraft losses B5N1 Kate: 1 damaged B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak Allied Ships xAP Australia Star, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk xAP Empire Star, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk Allied ground losses: 1618 casualties reported Squads: 42 destroyed, 16 disabled Non Combat: 68 destroyed, 29 disabled Engineers: 34 destroyed, 3 disabled Guns lost 6 (5 destroyed, 1 disabled) Vehicles lost 5 (5 destroyed, 0 disabled) Aircraft Attacking: 5 x B5N1 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo As the planes returned, they were ordered to refuel and rearm as quickly as possible. By 3:30 PM, a second wave was in the air. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Derby at 66,124 Weather in hex: Severe storms Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 6 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 18 D3A1 Val x 24 Japanese aircraft losses D3A1 Val: 1 damaged Allied Ships PG Soerabaja, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage xAKL Prominent, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk xAKL Sipirok, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage xAKL Parigi xAKL Schouten, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage Aircraft Attacking: 9 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000' Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb 6 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000' Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb 9 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000' Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAKL Prominent Heavy smoke from fires obscuring PG Soerabaja Massive explosion on xAKL Schouten Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAKL Schouten -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Broome at 64,123 Weather in hex: Heavy cloud Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 7 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 9 B5N2 Kate x 27 No Japanese losses Allied Ships PC Tydeman, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk xAKL Legazpi, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk xAKL Silindoeng, Torpedo hits 5, and is sunk xAKL Kwangtung xAKL Oriskany, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk xAKL Sinabang, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk Aircraft Attacking: 27 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Derby at 64,127 Weather in hex: Severe storms Raid spotted at 25 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 9 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 14 D3A1 Val x 24 No Japanese losses Allied Ships AMC Manoora, Bomb hits 10, heavy fires, heavy damage Allied ground losses: 196 casualties reported Squads: 10 destroyed, 5 disabled Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 13 disabled Engineers: 2 destroyed, 3 disabled Aircraft Attacking: 6 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000' Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb 10 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000' Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb 8 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000' Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AMC Manoora 821Bobo was upset with himself for not dispersing these TFs. He had spotted the CVs about 130 miles North North-west of Koepang 2 days ago, and then received reports of a TF just west of Koepang yesterday. This was the first time that the Japanese have moved their CVs outside of LBA cover, however, and the move south 650 miles west of Darwin was rather surprising. ( It was, in fact, the lack of contact by submarines that prompted the move. This was one of the few areas in which I did not have active submarines. I figured the allied shipping has to be somewhere).
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