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wobbly -> (10/20/2003 11:53:31 AM)
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The rising sun pokes its ugly head out from behind the rock it has been hiding behind.
The sea between GG, Woodlark and Shortlands is suddenly alive with enemy shipping - including one TF of surface units and a carrier force.
Worse, a small enemy carrier force appears in the shipping lanes between GG and Noumea finding a fuel tanker force.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 10/23/42
Weather: Clear
Sub attack at 20,3
Allied Ships
SS Albacore
Up by truk
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Air attack on Gili Gili , at 17,42
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 3
Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 9
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty x 3 damaged
Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x G4M1 Betty at 1000 feet
The beginning of his air assault
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Air attack on Gili Gili , at 17,42
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 12
Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 9
no losses
Allied aircraft losses
B-25D Mitchell x 1 destroyed
Allied ground losses:
Men lost 12
Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 7
Attacking Level Bombers:
12 x G4M1 Betty at 5000 feet
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Naval bombardment of Port Moresby, at 10,40
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 94
Airbase hits 1
Port hits 1
Port supply hits 3
My naval bombardment does next to nothing at PM - the supply hits are nice though.
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Air attack on Dobadura , at 13,38
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 9
no losses
Alot of these fighter sweeps - probably to cut down on my fighters - his timing finds all my fighters resting.
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Air attack on Dobadura , at 13,38
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 15
G3M Nell x 13
G4M1 Betty x 7
Allied aircraft
no losses
Allied aircraft losses
F-5A Lightning x 1 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 1 destroyed
Allied ground losses:
Men lost 10
Airbase hits 3
Runway hits 7
Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x G4M1 Betty at 11000 feet
4 x G3M Nell at 1000 feet
9 x G3M Nell at 1000 feet
4 x G4M1 Betty at 11000 feet
With resting fighters his bombers get in and manage to damage DBD knocking out a couple of planes - damage is all fixed by days end though.
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Air attack on Dobadura , at 13,38
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 24
no losses
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Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40
Allied aircraft
Beaufort x 14
A-20B Havoc x 26
no losses
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 103
Attacking Level Bombers:
5 x A-20B Havoc at 6000 feet
9 x Beaufort at 6000 feet
0 x A-20B Havoc at 6000 feet
5 x Beaufort at 6000 feet
0 x A-20B Havoc at 6000 feet
12 x A-20B Havoc at 6000 feet
9 x A-20B Havoc at 6000 feet
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Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40
Allied aircraft
Hudson x 29
P-40E Warhawk x 22
B-25D Mitchell x 14
B-26B Marauder x 24
no losses
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 78
Attacking Level Bombers:
5 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
6 x Hudson at 6000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
4 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
3 x Hudson at 6000 feet
3 x Hudson at 6000 feet
12 x Hudson at 6000 feet
8 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet
9 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
3 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet
3 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet
5 x Hudson at 6000 feet
More bombing raids at PM - Herbie san continues to keep it open though.
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Air attack on Gili Gili , at 17,42
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 26
Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 2
no losses
no losses
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Air attack on TF at 12,32
Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 14
no losses
Japanese Ships
AP Heiyo Maru, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 82
Guns lost 1
I don't know what these guys were about. The ship gets hammered and must be very close to sinking.
Maybe herbie-san was trying to sneak in a single ship TF and not twitch the feelers of the ACs at DBD.
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Air attack on TF at 32,52
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 9
B5N Kate x 10
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N Kate x 1 destroyed
B5N Kate x 1 damaged
Allied Ships
TK Kurumba, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
A lovely little move by my opposite number here: Herbie-san must have watched sore ships leaving, and supply ships entering, GG from Noumea. He sneaks a little CV with an escort or two down to the middle of the Coral Sea and then searchs for targets. Finding my 4 ship fuel transport TF he hammers Kurumba and she explodes; only the lateness of the day and the relative lack of bombers on his CV saves me from loosing
more tankers.
I head this TF to Gavigmana and just hope he doesn't follow.
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Air attack on Dobadura , at 13,38
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 9
no losses
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Air attack on Dobadura , at 13,38
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18
no losses
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Air attack on Gili Gili , at 17,42
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 18
Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 13
no losses
Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk x 1 destroyed
Early warning enables a few Warhawks to get airborne only to have 1 shot down for no return.
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Air attack on TF at 32,52
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 9
B5N Kate x 5
no losses
Fortune fortune fortune. I think Kurumba separated from the rest of the tankers here and the planes attacked her rather than the healthy ships (in the same hex). Karumba is a target in name only.
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Sub attack at 20,3
Japanese Ships
PC Ch 12
Allied Ships
SS Albacore
This time Albacore tries to get a shot in - both sides will be remembered for their lack of marksmanship.
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Ground combat at Port Moresby
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 1696 troops, 30 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 12567 troops, 95 guns, 0 vehicles
Allied ground losses:
Men lost 14
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Ground combat at Port Moresby
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 12553 troops, 95 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 19743 troops, 241 guns, 0 vehicles
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 9
The bombardment duel is going the way of the hated Imperials.
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With what remains of the Japanese navy bearing down on me a radical change takes place in the headings of the ships in the danger zone. Everyone without guns heads to safer waters.
As stated the tanker fleet mid-ocean attempts a run towards Gavigmana - I can only hope this is not the direction Herbie-san moves his carrier and I can save the other 3 tankers.
The Bombardment TF retiring to Carins is given react orders and a home base of GG - I don't think they will make it to GG in time to help stave off the incoming surface fleet hoards.
That job is reserved for Lee and his fleet of 8 DDs: there are BBs in the incoming fleet and we are likely to suffer heavily.
There is also a six boat PT squad here. All other shipping Tfs are ordered back to mainland Oz or disbanded to port.
At DBD the MSW skylark with 2 DD escorts is clearing mines. Although I cannot see any bad guys coming at me it is possible. I really don't want to loose anymore MSWs - or DDs for that matter. There is also a 5 boat PT force here.
Spruance is called back from a barramundi fishing trip he had been taking to command the hastily recreated Air Combat Tf at Townsville - the fighter pilots aren't that much more impresed (their morale only just made it above 60). He will sail directly towards GG.
Mitscher is handed the Wasp plus escort and moves North on the Western side of New Caledonia. He is chasing the perpetrators of the Tanker attack.
Level bombers at DBD and GG are set to Naval attack at 1000 feet. 2 Sqds of Kittyhawks and one of Warhawks are set to Cap GG - the rest of my fighters are set to escort.
My DC-3s at Townsville pick up the Aussie 4th Brigade of the 3rd Division and prepare to drop them into GG.
A transport TF is hastilly created at Townsville and picks up the 2 rested and battle hardened Brigades of the 6th Division - they also head to GG.
Let the games begin. My stated plan is to keep GG open she is the key to holding my current gains.
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