tocaff
Posts: 4781
Joined: 10/12/2006 From: USA now in Brasil Status: offline
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August 13, 1943 Guadalcanal Intel 16th Army is located at Rabaul. 5th Air Division is located at Pagan. 19295 men are based at Shikka. South Seas Det. is planning for an attack on Townsville. 17th Construction Battalion is located at Mutanchiang. 31st AA Regiment is located at Sapporo. 2nd AA Regiment is located at Tokyo. 1st Air Division is planning for an attack on Chungking. 62nd Construction Battalion is located at Lunga. 129th IJA Base Force is located at Marcus Island. 32nd Heavy AA Battalion is located at Aomori. 18th Reserve Coastal Artillery Regiment is located at Toyama. Recon Pe-2R takes recon photos of Fushan 1 LCU 1700/3/0 F-5A Lightning takes recon photos of Deboyne Island vacant F-5A Lightning takes recon photos of Pagan 2 LCUs 920/0/0 Combat Mandalay was attacked by 78 X Liberator VI, 43 X B-24D and an escort of 96 X P-38G against which the Japanese threw a CAP consisting of 37 X Zero, 4 X Zeke, 64 X Jack and 17 X Tony. Absolute mayhem resulted in the Japanese suffering the loss of 16 X Zero (5 damaged), 2 X Zeke, 40 X Jack and 12 X Tony. The Allies had 7 X Liberator VI damaged, a B-24D downed (6 damaged) and 36 X P-38G destroyed (15 damaged). The escorts did well protecting the bombers as the base took very heavy damage and the ground troops had heavy casualties. Later in the day Mandalay was swept by 18 X Corsair IV and 19 X Zero, a Zeke, 12 X Jack and 3 X Tony engaged them. 10 X Zero were shot down, 5 X Jack destroyed (2 damaged) and a Tony went down (another damaged) while the British lost 3 X Corsairs and another was damaged. Lunga was swept by 72 X F6F and the CAP of 16 X Zero, 30 X Zeke, 30 X Jack and 16 X Tony tangled with them. 14 Hellcats were destroyed and another 9 damaged as they downed 8 X Zero, 16 X Zeke, 15 X Jack and 16 X Tony. Later Lunga's CAP of 8 X Zero, 14 X Zeke and 15 X Jack attacked an American raid made up of 198 X SBD, 54 X TBF and 101 X F4F-4. In the ensuing melee 8 X Zero went down, 5 X Zeke were destroyed (another damaged) and 14 X Jack were shot down. American losses were an SBD destroyed (1 damaged), a TBF damaged and 23 X F4F-4 downed (2 damaged). The following ships were on the receiving end of the raid. AK Yamahuzi Maru, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage AK Yamasimo Maru, Bomb hits 12, on fire, heavy damage AK Tatsuura Maru, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage MSW W.18, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage AK Yosida Maru #1, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage MSW Wa 101 AK Yamazuki Maru, Bomb hits 10, on fire, heavy damage MSW W.19, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage AK Yamabiko Maru, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage AK Yamazato Maru, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage MSW W.6 MSW Wa 15, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage The Yokosuka 2nd SNLF was once again visited by 25 X B-25J and 9 X P-40N. The planes dumped their bombs and departed untouched after inflicting moderate losses on the unit. The IJA 13th Division, located in the road junction area was attacked by 39 X B-25J and 23 X P-40N. Japanese losses were light and the Chinese departed safely. Elements of the IJA 33rd Division, at Mytikyina, were attacked by 20 X B-25J, of which 1 was downed and 6 others sustained damage. Japanese troops took moderate losses. Minutes later another 15 X B-25J appeared and 2 were damaged by flak while they inflicted additional light losses on the unit. The S-42 was attacked by IJN DDs, but slipped away unharmed. Later the Japanese reacquired the sub, but the attack was ineffectual. The SS Tullibee torpedoed a TK, setting it ablaze. Bill watches the returning planes landing on the deck of a nearby CV. This is something that he rarely got to observe when he was on the O'Bannon as she was a screening vessel on the outer perimeter of the TF and an older, less capable DD would be on standby in case a plane splashed during flight ops. With the sun setting there's little to do so he leaves the bridge and heads to the wardroom for some food. Ed reads the reports and he and his staff give knowing looks as they sense that the time is ripe to attack their targets. All they need is to be turned loose by HQs. Operation Hedge Cutter is proceeding as planned and there are those at HQs who are getting increasingly nervous for that very reason. There has been no contact with the Japanese as of yet, but it is still early. Reports filtering back to SWPAC HQs paint the picture of a very bad day to be Japanese. The USN CVs have shown that they can steam where they want and inflict a devastating punch. Now the only question that remains is where is the KB? The British have finally agreed to having a part in Operation Hedge Cutter and they will join as soon as the coast of Australia has been liberated. Victory Points Japanese 24567 Allied 12285
< Message edited by tocaff -- 8/13/2011 10:27:29 PM >
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