CapAndGown
Posts: 3206
Joined: 3/6/2001
From: Virginia, USA
Status: offline
|
Jan. 18, 1943
The highlights of this turn were the fall of Savii, the first deliberate attack at Upolu, and a raid on Exmouth.
The turn started with our subs around Samoa taking more shots at the enemy. Only one shot scored. Too bad we missed the CL! The following are only a small portion of the sub and ASW attacks that took place. All the others were of little interest.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submarine attack near Savaii at 147,159
Japanese Ships
SS I-10
Allied Ships
xAK Fairland, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Ta'u at 150,159
Japanese Ships
SS I-22, hits 3
Allied Ships
CL Columbia
CL Cleveland
DD Fanning
DD Drayton
DD Cummings
DD Mahan
SS I-22 launches 6 torpedoes at CL Columbia (6 and they still miss!)
Next up was a surface raid against Exmouth. My Emily's at Port Hedland had spotted some shipping coming and going from Exmouth, so I decided I would attempt a quick in-and-out. A CL and some DDs were based at Banjowangi waiting for the next allied convoy to make a call on Exmouth. When I got word they were on the way, I sortied the small TF. I kept it very small to try to avoid detection. It worked. But I did not find one enemy convoy, I found two! Getting surface raiders in amongst merchant ships and light escorts usually means a slaughter, and that is precisely what happened. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Exmouth at 50,129, Range 8,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CL Agano
DD Minekaze
DD Sawakaze
Allied Ships
AM Latrobe, Shell hits 6, and is sunk
AM Lithgow, Shell hits 4, and is sunk
xAKL Lee Sang, Shell hits 26, and is sunk
xAKL Lorinna, Shell hits 8, and is sunk
xAP Rooseboom, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAP Siberg, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
Allied ground losses:
Guns lost 3 (3 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 42 (19 destroyed, 23 disabled)
Combat ends with last Allied ship sunk...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Exmouth at 50,129, Range 8,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CL Agano
DD Minekaze
DD Sawakaze
Allied Ships
AM Ipswitch
AM Mildura, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
AM Wollongong, Shell hits 8, and is sunk
xAP Darvel, Shell hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Joan Moller, Shell hits 12, heavy fires
xAP Kanchow, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Kwangtung, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
PC Formalhaut, Shell hits 16, and is sunk
PC Tydeman, Shell hits 10, and is sunk
Allied ground losses:
Vehicles lost 22 (11 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Although a lots of these shell hits were by 25mm AA guns, my sense is that all of these ships except the Ipswitch sank. The Ipswitch was probably hightailing it out of there as fast as they could.
As the final act of the day, the allies captured Savii, even though they did not kill everyone there. They also launched an attack at Upolu and achieved 3-1 odds and dropped the fort to level 2. The attack at Savii was a shock attack while at Upolu it was a deliberate attack. But the real difference was that I was able to evac a large portion of the Naval Guard unit at Savii, leaving the defenses severely weakened.
I am also evacing the JNAF aviation battalion at Pago-Pago. Basically, I have cadres of just about everyone on those three islands back at Fiji ready to be rebuilt.
 Attachment (1)
|
Printable Version
RE: One Year of War - 
. I suppose that by doing so, it would expose his supply lines to attack from naval bases in Java. How is your western defense in Sumatra look?
) 
They really need to fix this. Sweeps were an important part of aerial strategy and need to be included. But not if they always, every single time, are going to benefit the attacker. 
(this is out of an estimated 216 fighters available on the 6 fleet CVs) 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread