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mind_messing -> RE: mind_messing's (J) Marianas Mastery - vs XTRG (A) (5/6/2019 12:56:04 PM)
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Turn 2 - May 23rd, 1944
Things don't start off great for Japan this turn, and just get worse.
First off, Angler makes a re-appearance and scores the first sunk ship of the scenario, putting two more torps into the already crippled Kiyokawa Maru. The Japanese seaplane tender, already wounded, takes her captain down with it.
quote:
Submarine attack near Babeldaob at 93,97
Japanese Ships
AV Kiyokawa Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
Allied Ships
SS Angler
AV Kiyokawa Maru is sighted by SS Angler
SS Angler launches 6 torpedoes
This is a nice coup for the Allies, as I'd hoped to use the seaplane tender to bolster the already strained network of airbases in the Marianas. Seaplanes have a nice advantage in that they don't need a working airbase to fly from - and the Allies can't bomb the ocean...
Allied submarines still haunt Babeldoab, with the Cod deciding to fire two torpedoes at a small Japanese coastal freighter, but missing with both .
However, the Barb gets lucky, catching another Japanese seaplane tender sprinting out of Babeldoab:
quote:
Submarine attack near Peleliu at 90,99
Japanese Ships
AV Akitsushima, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
Allied Ships
SS Barb
AV Akitsushima is sighted by SS Barb
SS Barb launches 4 torpedoes
The Akitsushima is one of the best seaplane tenders Japan has, being a purpose built warship rather than a merchantmen. The damage to the ship is moderate, and she should survive if the crews can put out the fires and keep the flooding under control. The ship will limp to Woleai at 7 knots to try and make emergency repairs, and then transfer to Satawal to set up a seaplane base there.
The war under the waves is all in the Allied favour, as a Allied hunter-killer group of destroyer escorts catches the I-8 off Pearl Harbour and puts her under:
quote:
Submarine attack near Pearl Harbor at 179,109
Japanese Ships
SS I-8, hits 25, heavy damage
Allied Ships
DE Wileman
DE Whitman
DE Tisdale
SS I-8 is located by DE Wileman
I-8 diving deep ....
DE Wileman fails to find sub, continues to search...
DE Whitman fails to find sub and abandons search
DE Wileman attacking submerged sub ....
DE Wileman attacking submerged sub ....
DE Wileman is out of ASW ammo
DE Wileman is out of ASW ammo
DE Wileman is out of ASW ammo
DE Wileman fails to find sub, continues to search...
DE Wileman attacking submerged sub ....
DE Wileman is out of ASW ammo
DE Wileman is out of ASW ammo
DE Wileman is out of ASW ammo
DE Wileman is out of ASW ammo
DE Wileman is out of ASW ammo
SS I-8 forced to surface!
DE Whitman firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Tisdale firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Whitman firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Tisdale firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Whitman firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Tisdale firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Wileman firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Whitman firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Tisdale firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Tisdale firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Whitman firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Tisdale firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Wileman firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Whitman firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Tisdale firing on surfaced sub ....
Sub slips beneath the waves
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ASW attack near Pearl Harbor at 179,109
Japanese Ships
SS I-8, hits 6, and is sunk
Allied Ships
DE Wileman
DE Whitman
DE Tisdale
SS I-8 is sighted by escort
DE Wileman firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Whitman firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Tisdale firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Wileman firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Whitman firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Tisdale firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Wileman firing on surfaced sub ....
DE Whitman firing on surfaced sub ....
Sub slips beneath the waves
Another Allied sub takes a potshot at the DD escorting the light cruiser Oi, but misses.
About the only good news is that the Gurnard clears a mine, the hard way:
quote:
TF 497 encounters mine field at Saipan (108,93)
Allied Ships
SS Gurnard, Mine hits 1
Gurnard's luck turns later as even hurt, it still packs a punch. It slams a torp into a Japanese patrol boat unloading tanks at Saipan.
quote:
Japanese Ships
PB Kohuku Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
Allied Ships
SS Gurnard
Japanese ground losses:
Vehicles lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)
While not sinking the patrol boat outright, it's almost certain to succumb to it's wounds.
The air war is a completely Allied affair - American Liberator bombers hit Truk and Ponape to no Japanese opposition. My scant bands of fighters are in the rear rapidly training to hopefully counteract two years of Allied qualitative advantages...
Some reinforcements arrive at Babeldoab this turn, consisting of some patrol boats, a tanker, an oiler, a submarine tender and a coastal merchantmen. The submarine tender will relocated to Uluthi to join the destroyer tender already en-route. The patrol boats and merchantmen will run supply in to the Marianas while the tanker and oiler load fuel and head north to give me a floating gas station north-west of the Marianas.
Other than that, there's not much to do this turn. Still waiting for more information on Allied movements, meanwhile troops on Saipan, Guam and Tinian dig in.
I've earmarked the Iwo Jima Naval Guard unit for redeployment to Guam if possible - it has a solid TOE with some decent CD guns and hopefully will make the landing that little bit harder for the Allies...
[image]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_cm_11th_Year_Type_naval_gun#/media/File:12_cm_11th_Year_Type_naval_gun.jpg[/image]
Guns akin to the 12cm 11YT CD gun will hopefully cause damage and disruption to any Allied landings on Guam...
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