mogami
Posts: 12789
Joined: 8/23/2000 From: You can't get here from there Status: offline
|
Greetings, On 9 May weather overcast transports are unloading the 7th Aus Div at PM. US CV TF under Spruance 12 hexes south of Gilli IJN CV TF spotted in channel 2 hexes ne of Gilli. I did not want to risk my CV except to protect the transports so I moved in nw direction placing me 10 Hexes SW of Gilli (I was uncertain whether IJN would move along north coast of NG to attack transports or come south.) 10 May weather raining I moved north (14,43) to be within SBD range if IJN had moved north Japanese transports had unloaded on Gilli several days earlier and I wanted to be in position to strike any follow on TF. My recon being provided by the 4 CA with the CV (each CA has 4 floatplanes I launched 2 from each) and another CA TF under Lee (3 CA 1 CL 5 DD) I did not expect the battle that resulted when enemy TF appeared in hex right next to mine. (Japs moved south when moving along NG coast would have been just as good for reaching my transports, prehaps they had after all spotted my CV the day before. (If I had seen them spot me I would have moved full speed to the west) I had changed CAP from 20 to 50 percent. Spruance got off a good strike and it appears won a DV AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 05/10/42 Air attack on TF at 15,43 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 32 Allied aircraft F4F-3 Wildcat x 23 SBD Dauntless x 72 TBD Devastator x 20 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero x 2 destroyed A6M2 Zero x 9 damaged Allied aircraft losses F4F-3 Wildcat x 1 destroyed F4F-3 Wildcat x 2 damaged SBD Dauntless x 3 destroyed SBD Dauntless x 11 damaged TBD Devastator x 7 destroyed TBD Devastator x 2 damaged LCDR N.Reese of VT-5 is KILLED Japanese Ships CVL Shoho, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage CV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage CA Myoko, Bomb hits 1 CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage CA Haguro -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF at 15,43 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 18 Allied aircraft Hudson x 6 Wirraway x 5 P-39D Airacobra x 11 A-24 Dauntless x 6 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero x 1 destroyed A6M2 Zero x 1 damaged Allied aircraft losses Hudson x 1 destroyed Hudson x 1 damaged Wirraway x 2 destroyed Wirraway x 1 damaged WO T.Nikaido of EIII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 2 SLDR K. Hampshire of 23rd RAAF Squadron is KILLED Japanese Ships CVL Shoho, on fire, heavy damage CV Shokaku, on fire, heavy damage CV Zuikaku, on fire, heavy damage Attacking Level Bombers: 1 x Hudson at 6000 feet 4 x Hudson at 6000 feet -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air attack on TF at 14,43 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 34 D3A Val x 38 B5N Kate x 46 Allied aircraft F4F-3 Wildcat x 15 Japanese aircraft losses D3A Val x 2 destroyed D3A Val x 7 damaged B5N Kate x 9 destroyed B5N Kate x 6 damaged Allied aircraft losses F4F-3 Wildcat x 3 destroyed F4F-3 Wildcat x 1 damaged CPO V.Kamisaka of EI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 2 LCDR W.Isaacs of VF-42 is KILLED Allied Ships CV Yorktown, Bomb hits 4 CV Lexington, Torpedo hits 1 CA Astoria DD Morris CA Chester, Torpedo hits 1, on fire -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The rain prevented a second strike, the IJN TF has split and I've ordered Lee to move to their present location at full speed and we will track them day by day till he finds them. Spruance is moving 5 hexes south east to be in position for another battle on the 11th. There was no message concerning the IJN TF 2nd strike being cancelled by weather so I am hoping they can not do flight ops. Damage to Lex and Yorktown very minor.
_____________________________
I'm not retreating, I'm attacking in a different direction!
|