PzB74
Posts: 5076
Joined: 10/3/2000 From: No(r)way Status: offline
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Today the battle line visited Sydney! Saved the best for last - wanted to make sure we didn't miss anything!-) Nice to see 16" shells rip into all kinds of ships Hopefully the Yorktown will sink, her sisters have managed to escape... That ships can move 15-16 hexes before they can be attacked makes it very very hard to intercept them. Today will be the climax of the battle; I'm re-grouping the fleets and will RTB to replenish and repair. Planning more visits "down the slot" over the next 6 months. Smaller carrier TF's will also be used to keep Andy honest; will be hard for him to know if it's the KB or a Car Div that approaches. Hopefully we will keep him from using the facilities in Sydney for some time to come AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Jul 08, 42 Surface Combat - Bombardments First casualty; a mine blows the Hatsuyuki out of the water. Had to scuttle her - first fleet destroyer lost in this war. TF 161 encounters mine field at Sydney (90,167) Japanese Ships DD Hatsuyuki, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 carrier, 2 cruisers and 12 subs are among todays casualties Naval bombardment of Sydney at 90,167 Japanese Ships BB Ise BB Mutsu BB Nagato BB Kirishima CA Suzuya CA Myoko CA Tone Allied Ships CV Yorktown, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage CL Achilles, Shell hits 15, heavy fires, heavy damage CL Marblehead, Shell hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage xAKL Iowan, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage SS Grampus, hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage xAK Vito, Shell hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage SS Cachalot, hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage xAKL James Cook, Shell hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage xAP Raranga, Shell hits 10, heavy fires, heavy damage SS Gato, hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage SS Stingray, hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage xAK Salamaua, Shell hits 10, heavy fires, heavy damage CL Leander, Shell hits 20, heavy fires, heavy damage SS Pollack, hits 2, on fire, heavy damage xAKL Canopus, Shell hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage SS Snapper, hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage SS Skipjack, hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage SS Narwhal, hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage SS S-23, hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage SS Pickerel, hits 10, heavy fires, heavy damage xAKL Oorama, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage xAKL Georgian, Shell hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage xAKL Matthew Flinders, Shell hits 4, on fire SS Finback, hits 12, heavy fires, heavy damage AM Katoomba, Shell hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage SS S-18, hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage xAKL Mulcra, Shell hits 3, heavy fires xAKL Darvel, Shell hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage AMc South Sea, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage xAKL Vichy, Shell hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage AMc Tongkol, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage AM Junee, Shell hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage xAKL Wawa, Shell hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage xAKL Kaiping, Shell hits 3, on fire AMc Goolgwai, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage AMc Futurist, Shell hits 1 AM Punjab, Shell hits 1, heavy damage Allied ground losses: 75 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 26 disabled Engineers: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled Guns lost 14 (7 destroyed, 7 disabled) Vehicles lost 6 (1 destroyed, 5 disabled) Airbase hits 5 Runway hits 110 Port hits 24 Port fuel hits 2 BB Ise firing at Sydney BB Mutsu firing at Sydney BB Nagato firing at Sydney BB Kirishima firing at Sydney CA Suzuya firing at Sydney CA Myoko firing at Sydney CA Tone firing at Sydney -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air Combat Some shore based SBD's sortied against our battle line...not a very rewarding target; almost bomb proof and strutting with AA guns. Morning Air attack on TF, near Sydney at 92,171 Weather in hex: Light rain Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 21,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 4 minutes Japanese aircraft F1M2 Pete x 3 Allied aircraft SBD-3 Dauntless x 11 No Japanese losses Allied aircraft losses SBD-3 Dauntless: 2 destroyed, 9 damaged Japanese Ships BB Nagato BB Kirishima BB Ise Aircraft Attacking: 9 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000' Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've learned and won't move the KB too close to enemy LBA. So Andy changed tactics; now LRCAP'ing his remaining warships. Was quite happy to see that our strikes were heavily escorted and a prolonged A2A battle took place and our Zero's held the upper hand even outnumbered 71 vs 54. Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Kembla at 90,169 Weather in hex: Partial cloud Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 15 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 54 B5N2 Kate x 10 D3A1 Val x 10 Allied aircraft Martlet II x 24 Kittyhawk I x 7 F4F-3 Wildcat x 20 F4F-4 Wildcat x 25 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero: 4 destroyed B5N2 Kate: 3 destroyed, 2 damaged D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 4 damaged Allied aircraft losses Martlet II: 6 destroyed Kittyhawk I: 1 destroyed F4F-3 Wildcat: 6 destroyed F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed Allied Ships DD Mahan, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage DD Craven DD Gridley, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A small payback from Andy as one or two carriers attack our evacuation ships. The troops belonged to a guards division waiting in Java. Morning Air attack on TF, near Albany at 48,160 Weather in hex: Moderate rain Raid spotted at 28 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 11 minutes Allied aircraft F4F-3A Wildcat x 1 SBD-3 Dauntless x 17 No Allied losses Japanese Ships xAK Ume Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire xAK Keisyo Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage Japanese ground losses: 236 casualties reported Squads: 3 destroyed, 10 disabled Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 13 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on TF, near Albany at 48,160 Weather in hex: Moderate rain Raid spotted at 48 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 28 minutes Allied aircraft Albacore I x 9 No Allied losses Japanese Ships xAK Keisyo Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage xAK Ume Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage Japanese ground losses: 348 casualties reported Squads: 3 destroyed, 14 disabled Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 26 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled Guns lost 10 (1 destroyed, 9 disabled) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56 Zero's and 4 Kate's....again I won't complain! The Kate's all got through but were shot down after completing their attack despite a strong remaining escort. Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Port Kembla at 90,169 Weather in hex: Partial cloud Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 15 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 56 B5N2 Kate x 4 Allied aircraft Martlet II x 1 Beaufighter Ic x 10 Kittyhawk I x 2 P-39D Airacobra x 20 P-40E Warhawk x 11 F4F-3 Wildcat x 7 F4F-4 Wildcat x 14 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero: 6 destroyed B5N2 Kate: 3 destroyed Allied aircraft losses Beaufighter Ic: 1 destroyed Kittyhawk I: 1 destroyed P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed Allied Ships DD Craven, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I think there ain't more fuel in Sydney...numerous ships reported dead in the water. Despite this we missed them. Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Sydney at 91,167 Weather in hex: Thunderstorms Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 17 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 31 B5N1 Kate x 22 Allied aircraft P-39D Airacobra x 9 P-400 Airacobra x 5 P-40E Warhawk x 29 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 6 damaged Allied aircraft losses P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed P-400 Airacobra: 1 destroyed P-40E Warhawk: 9 destroyed Allied Ships DD Russell DD Helm DD Gwin Gwin dead in the water ... Russell dead in the water ... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Newcastle at 93,167 Weather in hex: Overcast Raid spotted at 11 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 3 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 8 D3A1 Val x 14 Japanese aircraft losses D3A1 Val: 2 damaged Allied Ships AM Cowra, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage AM Cessnock, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk AM Kalgoorlie, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage Cowra dead in the water ... Cessnock dead in the water ... Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AM Cessnock Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AM Kalgoorlie -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground Combat At Geraldton Andy is reinforcing; time to discourage him slightly... Ground combat at Geraldton (49,141) Allied Bombardment attack Attacking force 11779 troops, 127 guns, 800 vehicles, Assault Value = 1147 Defending force 27034 troops, 278 guns, 189 vehicles, Assault Value = 919 Japanese ground losses: 9 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Allied ground losses: 80 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 8 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Guns lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled) Vehicles lost 4 (0 destroyed, 4 disabled) Assaulting units: 2/9th Armoured Regiment 27th Infantry Division 159th Mot Infantry Regiment 1st Motor Brigade 194th Tank Battalion 192nd Tank Battalion 255th Armoured Brigade 2/11th Armoured Car Battalion 10th Light Horse Battalion 7th Armoured Brigade Defending units: 2nd Tank Regiment II./124th Infantry Battalion 16th Recon Regiment 2nd Recon Regiment 20th Infantry Regiment 65th Brigade 1st Engineer Co 6th Guards Division 18th Mountain Gun Regiment 2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion 40th Field AA Battalion 26th Air Flotilla 21st Army ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Day: "Battle of Sydney"
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"The problem in defense is how far you can go without destroying from within what you are trying to defend from without" - Dwight D. Eisenhower
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