Veer -> Nowhere is safe (7/7/2005 2:59:01 AM)
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October 21 -22 1942 Japanese Betty bombers swoop in and massacre the mass of allied shipping at Noumea… No CAP was flying as the weather men had promised thunderstorms and… this NOUMEA for Christ’s sake!! Seems nowhere is safe [:(]. Allied AA crew were too busy taking pictures of these strange beasts to heed orders to open fire. 5 transports sunk and many badly damaged. This loss of shipping will seriously retard attempts to establish a foothold at Irau… [:@] ------------------------------------------------------ Air attack on TF, near Noumea at 52,67 ------------------------------------------------------ Japanese aircraft G4M1 Betty x 49 *** + another 46 in the afternoon *** Japanese aircraft losses G4M1 Betty x 1 destroyed *** 6 lost*** G4M1 Betty x 18 damaged Allied Ships TF1: MSW Swallow DMS Zane, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage ***48 sys*** DMS Trevor, Torpedo hits 1, on fire ***40 sys*** AK Celeno, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, ***sunk*** [:o] AP Feland, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, ***sunk*** [:o] AK Asphalion, Torpedo hits 1, on fire AK Eridanus, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage AP McCawley AK Murzim, Torpedo hits 1, on fire AK Mintaka, Torpedo hits 2, on fire AP William P. Biddle, Torpedo hits 3, on fire ***sunk*** [:@] AK Albireo, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, ***sunk*** [:o] AK Barwon, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, ***sunk*** [:o] TF2: MSW Toowoomba AP George Clymer, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage ***89 sys*** AP American Legion, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage ***72 sys*** ------------------------------------------------------ 22 October 1942, Noumea: What curious birds [image]http://img273.echo.cx/img273/2875/bettypicture4eu.jpg[/image] Not to mention that the troops at Rennell have been getting a regular pounding from Vals and Kates flying from Lunga. Supplies have dwindled to next-to-nothing and airfield construction is far slower than anticipated. The only good news is that enough ground troops were flown to hold the base for now. Though the Japanese can reinforce at will, so maybe it’s time to bid the island bye-bye [:(].
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