tocaff
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Joined: 10/12/2006 From: USA now in Brasil Status: offline
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August 6, 1944 81 Miles From Sansapor Intel Northern Area Force is located at Etorofo Jima. 1726 men are based at Fushan. 2nd South Seas Det. is planning for an attack on Wake Island. 49th Ind. Mixed Brigade is located at Kadina. 7th Division is located at Sapporo. 6th Reserve Tank Regiment is located at Osaka/Kobe. 19th Division is located at Mishan. 8th Reserve AA Regiment is located at Davao. 9th Aviation Rgt is located at Hailar. 61st Ind. Mixed Brigade is located at Aparri. 57th Construction Battalion is located at Maizuru. 81st Naval Guard Unit is located at Sabang. Recon PBM Mariner takes recon photos of Hiroshima/Kure 1 X AP, 2 LCUs 9000/72/0 Mosquito PR.IX takes recon photos of Saigon 11 X AK, 7 X AP, 41 bombers, 12 aux, 1 LCU 6120/27/0 F-5C Lightning takes recon photos of Pisanuloke 1 LCU 1960/12/0 Mosquito PR.IX takes recon photos of Kendari many ships, 23 bombers, 13 LCUs 44060/383/89 F-5C Lightning takes recon photos of Hansa vacant F-5A Lightning takes recon photos of Emirau Island vacant PBY Catalina takes recon photos of Lunga 8 LCUs 16780/101/0 F-5C Lightning takes recon photos of Cagayan 1 LCU 5360/29/0 Combat The SS Grampus was attacked by 4 PCs 33 miles W of Bataan, but managed to escape unharmed. Ichang was attacked by 63 X B-25J and 66 X P-40N. 3 Nicks and 7 Tonys were aloft and the fight was on. All of the Nicks and 3 Tonys were destroyed (1 damaged) then the flak added to the woes of the Chinese Mitchells who lost 8 Warhawks and had 6 bombers damaged. The airfield took moderate damage, there was a secondary explosion and casualties were light. Next came a fighter sweep of 44 X P-38J and 4 Tonys were up until they were jumped and then they fell like leaves. A Lightning was lost in the fight. Tavoy was bombed by 109 X B-29 and the AA fire damaged 10 of the planes. The airfield was heavily damaged, there were some secondary explosions and personnel losses were heavy. Later 44 X Mosquito FB.VI (1 lost, 9 damaged) and 17 X Thunderbolt II attacked doing light damage to the port, causing some secondary explosions and inflicting very light casualties. The Japanese had heavy losses from the Allied artillery barrage. Krung Thep was raided by 34 X B-29, 31 X B-24J, 106 Liberator VI and 13 X Thunderbolt IIs. Flak damaged 3 of the Liberator VIs. The airfield took very heavy damage, there were many secondary explosions and casualties were heavy. The IJA 48th Division was hit by 41 X B-25J and 12 X Spitfire VIII for very light losses. Japanese artillery tried and failed to do any damage. Truk was struck by 24 X B-24J for moderate damage to the airfield, a secondary explosion was claimed and troop losses were light. Buna continued to suffer from the concerted bombing campaign against it as 48 X B-17E, 46 X B-24D, 42 X B-24J, 12 X Kittyhawk III and 18 X P-40N attacked with impunity. The airstrip was heavily damaged, the port lightly, there were some secondary explosions and troop losses were heavy. The IJA 1st Engineer Regiment, bogged down on the Kokoda Trail was attacked by 48 X P-38J and 14 X P-40N for heavy casualties. The Japanese ships 81 miles NE of Sansapor were finally brought under fire as the USN's planes found and attacked them. The American strike threw 26 X SBD (1 damaged), 28 X SB2C, 9 X TBF, 36 X TBM (1 damaged) and 41 X F6F at the virtually defenseless ships and the results were deadly. AP Neikai Maru 3 bomb hits, on fire, heavy damage AP Hakozaki Maru 1 bomb hit, 1 torpedo hit, on fire, heavy damage AP Keisho Maru 1 torpedo hit, on fire AP Meiu Maru 3 torpedo hits, sunk AP Kamikaze Maru 5 bomb hits, 2 torpedo hits, sunk AP Mexico Maru 5 bomb hits, 2 torpedo hits, sunk AP Awa Maru 3 bomb hits, 2 torpedo hits, on fire, heavy damage AP Awajisan Maru 2 torpedo hits, on fire, heavy damage AP Kuroshio Maru 1 torpedo hit, on fire The airmen reported seeing soldiers jumping off of the ships to escape the fires. This lends credence to the thought that the Japanese are trying to pull troops out of the Solomon and Caroline Islands. Later another strike of 21 X SBD, 18 X TBF and 28 X TBM attacked the luckless Japanese ships. AP Awa Maru 2 bomb hits, 1 torpedo hit, sunk AP Keisho Maru 3 bomb hits, on fire, heavy damage AP Awajisan Maru, 1 torpedo hit, on fire, heavy damage AP Matsukawa Maru 2 bomb hits, on fire, heavy damage AP Kasuga Maru 1 torpedo hit, on fire The reports of Japanese jumping into the water continued. The Japanese attacked the USN surface TF with 6 Bettys and the AA fire downed 3 of them. A torpedo found the BB North Carolina. A final strike of 24 X SB2C Helldiver and 39 X F6F dropped down on the Japanese and the PC Hachijo took 4 bomb hits and was a roaring inferno that the Pacific's waters extinguished as the ravaged vessel went under. The USN surface force then managed to deliver the final blow. AP Awajisan Maru 2 shell hits, sunk AP Hakozaki Maru 11 shell hits, on fire, heavy damage AP Kasuga Maru 11 shell hits,1 torpedo hit, sunk AP Keisho Maru 14 shell hits, sunk AP Kuroshio Maru 11 shell hits, sunk AP Matsukawa Maru 8 shell hits, sunk AP Neikai Maru 4 shell hits, sunk The BB Indiana took a shell as did the DD Conner. The water was full of helpless Japanese sailors and soldiers who were doomed with no hope of rescue as the American ships moved off, wary of the possibility of IJN subs. The North Carolina is making for Ulithi with light systems damage and some flooding. The fires are expected to be put out soon. The BB will need some yard time to make her fit once more. 6 PB4Ys attacked the Japanese ships near Morotai and were met by 24 X Zeke and 3 X Jack. 2 Zekes were damaged as the fighters swarmed all over the bombers. A PB4Y went down and another was damaged, but the bombs fell off target. The O'Bannon spent the day running along at a sprint and then drifting to a stop, repeating the process again and again. Frank had GQs drills run 4 times before they returned to Mare Island. He's pleased with just about everything except his new Exec, LT Arthur Wagner. He's a naval officer, but how he ever advanced is beyond Frank's figuring. Frank had to leave the bridge with Art in tow and upon reaching his cabin he wheeled and said, “Mister I don't know how you achieved this berth, but I'll be damned if I'll tolerate you second guessing me on my bridge, in front of my crew. If you have something to say keep it private. We don't air our differences in front of the crew. Got it?” Art nods. “Furthermore we will always drill to sharpen the crew and then to keep them sharp. It just might save our lives. I don't give a crap about being popular with the men, only that when I issue an order it's obeyed? Got it?” Again Art nods. “We've gotten off on the wrong foot together so let's put this matter behind us and do our jobs. I might seem hard, but for a reason and I always maintain the same toughness, though my door is always open. I'm fair, but I expect a lot from my crew and even more from my officers. OK?” Once again Art nods. “Now then let's go to the wardroom and relax with a mug of coffee.” Art has never served on a ship before and he now wonders if it was a good idea to use family connections to get him this berth. The family wants him to have a war record that will help in politics in the future. Frank wonders how the hell the Navy can fight a war when it saddles it's fleet with guys like this. This problem will also be resolved by the time they reach Pearl Harbor or I'll jettison him like flotsam, he tells himself. Elaine sits at the dinning room table writing a letter to Gil when her father strolls by saying, “Tell Gil that his Yankees don't seem to have it this year as they're in the same boat as the Bucs, trailing the leaders by a bit with not much hope.” She grins and pens the message after giving him a peck on the cheek and a hug. She also tells him that she misses him so much. Phil sits in the office and is handed orders. He thanks the orderly, reads the sheet of paper and emits a low whistle. It seems that he's landed a staff job with Admiral Landy and he's to make his way to Ulithi, post haste. I'd rather have a command, but this'll do, he thinks. No he asks about transport and is told that any flights to Pearl that have room for him he'll grab. He might even be able to wave his orders under some noses and bump people off of flights. The best part is that hes been promoted to CDR, effective yesterday. Things are looking up. Now about the ride to Hawaii. The Lucky 11 will depart tomorrow morning, with a stop at Wake Island on the way to Guam. “I was right! It's the Marianas where we're heading to,” says Gil. There are mixed emotions among the crew as Hawaii has been fun, but boring too and now they're really heading into the fight, finally. 2 days ago the Germans evacuated Florence. American troops entered Laval. The Red Army took Drohobyez. The last Jewish ghetto in Poland (Lodz) was liquidated, sending 60K Jews to Auschwitz. Victory Points Allied 37141 Japanese 33366
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