GreyJoy
Posts: 6750
Joined: 3/18/2011 Status: offline
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Feb 20, 21 1943 A bloody two-days indeed. But overall i'd say a good turn. At night my Honolulu CL was attacked at Tulagi by 7 Mavis on night torpedo attack...luckly we went away without any prorblem...then it begun the unloading operations of the cargo screened by the Honolulu TF...unloading supplies and the 148th RCT. ...the enemy was close...i could even sniff it! However th dawn came without any sight of enemy combat ships... ...and with the day they arrived...the jap bombers! Rader didn't sweep Tulagi this time and the CAP trap worked as intended. Betties, Kates and Vals arrived in waves escorted by Tojos, Zeros and Oscars. ...and the waves broke on my CAP wall made up by Australian pilots with their new Kitty III, by Yankees with their P-40Ks and by brave red jackets with their spitfires. 100 of them didn't come back to kiss their childs and are now part of the Tulagi Coral Reef. We lost 2 SpitsVIII, 3 Spits Vc and a bunch of Kitties and P-40s, but only 1 pilot was KIA, while 4 were WIA...not bad at all!!! My ships went unscratched, safe for CM Terror that got a couple of 250kg bombs...but he managed to get back at Ndani and, above all, he delivered nearly 200 mines to Tulagi! Then the night arrived...and with the night my transports moved 1 hex south even if their operations weren't finished...an enemy's SCTF was reported approaching... The CL Honolulu and its DD escort moved into position using the Radar.... however the japs, using the moolight, managed to cross the T and opened immediately fire...2CLs and 4DDs...suddenly a number of fishes came out from the Kikitami and one of those hit the Honolulu...what a mess!!!...my flagship was burning like a torch in the night...and became the target of all enemy ships...so my DDs moved on to cover their "mother"...and they started to reply...one shot after another we managed to get back on the fighting pit...a torpedo hit the Tama, who then started to burn and to slowly sink...another torpedo hit the Tadeyame who exploded where it was...then the Japs decided they had enough and moved away with their leading ships moving slowly...our DDs got closer so...and managed to hit again the Suresushio and the Kikitami...but that bastard, fleeing, managed to deliver another torp to the Honolulu...which was already struggling to remain afloat...there was no hope to save her at that time...we disengage...with the sight of our brand new cruiser getting beneath the waves... But then we heard the typical sound of a sinking ship....i bet CL Tama sunk near Tassafarong few minutes after that... Night Time Surface Combat, near Tulagi at 114,137, Range 11,000 Yards Allied aircraft no flights No Allied losses Japanese Ships CL Tama, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage CL Kitakami, Shell hits 3 DD Arashio, Shell hits 4 DD Suresushio, Shell hits 6, on fire DD Tadeyame, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk Allied Ships CL Honolulu, Shell hits 8, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk DD Laffey, Shell hits 4 DD Duncan, Shell hits 1, on fire DD Anderson DD Hammann DD Blue, Shell hits 2, on fire DD Arunta Improved night sighting under 96% moonlight Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions and 96% moonlight: 12,000 yards Range closes to 23,000 yards... CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 23,000 yards Range closes to 17,000 yards... Range closes to 11,000 yards... CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 11,000 yards CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 11,000 yards Nishimura, Teiji crosses the 'T' CL Honolulu engages CL Kitakami at 11,000 yards CL Tama engages CL Honolulu at 11,000 yards DD Blue engages DD Tadeyame at 11,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Blue at 11,000 yards DD Anderson engages DD Tadeyame at 11,000 yards DD Duncan engages DD Suresushio at 11,000 yards DD Laffey engages DD Suresushio at 11,000 yards Range closes to 5,000 yards CL Tama engages CL Honolulu at 5,000 yards CL Honolulu engages CL Tama at 5,000 yards DD Tadeyame engages DD Anderson at 5,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Blue at 5,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Duncan at 5,000 yards DD Tadeyame engages DD Laffey at 5,000 yards CL Honolulu engages CL Kitakami at 5,000 yards CL Tama engages CL Honolulu at 5,000 yards DD Laffey engages DD Tadeyame at 5,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Anderson at 5,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Blue at 5,000 yards DD Tadeyame engages DD Duncan at 5,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Laffey at 5,000 yards Range closes to 4,000 yards DD Tadeyame engages DD Arunta at 4,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Blue at 4,000 yards DD Hammann engages DD Suresushio at 4,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Anderson at 4,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Duncan at 4,000 yards DD Tadeyame sunk by DD Laffey at 4,000 yards Range closes to 3,000 yards CL Honolulu engages CL Kitakami at 3,000 yards DD Arunta engages DD Suresushio at 3,000 yards DD Blue engages DD Suresushio at 3,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Hammann at 3,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Anderson at 3,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Duncan at 3,000 yards DD Laffey engages DD Suresushio at 3,000 yards Range increases to 4,000 yards CL Honolulu engages CL Kitakami at 4,000 yards DD Arunta engages DD Arashio at 4,000 yards DD Blue engages DD Suresushio at 4,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Hammann at 4,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Anderson at 4,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Duncan at 4,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Laffey at 4,000 yards Range closes to 3,000 yards CL Kitakami engages CL Honolulu at 3,000 yards CL Tama engages DD Arunta at 3,000 yards DD Duncan engages DD Suresushio at 3,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Hammann at 3,000 yards DD Laffey engages DD Arashio at 3,000 yards Range increases to 4,000 yards CL Kitakami engages CL Honolulu at 4,000 yards CL Tama engages CL Honolulu at 4,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Laffey at 4,000 yards DD Blue engages DD Arashio at 4,000 yards DD Anderson engages DD Arashio at 4,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Duncan at 4,000 yards DD Laffey engages DD Arashio at 4,000 yards Range increases to 6,000 yards CL Kitakami engages CL Honolulu at 6,000 yards CL Tama engages CL Honolulu at 6,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Blue at 6,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Laffey at 6,000 yards DD Anderson engages DD Arashio at 6,000 yards DD Duncan engages DD Suresushio at 6,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Laffey at 6,000 yards Range increases to 7,000 yards CL Kitakami engages CL Honolulu at 7,000 yards CL Tama engages CL Honolulu at 7,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Laffey at 7,000 yards DD Hammann engages DD Arashio at 7,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Anderson at 7,000 yards DD Duncan engages DD Arashio at 7,000 yards DD Laffey engages DD Arashio at 7,000 yards CL Honolulu engages CL Kitakami at 7,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Arunta at 7,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Blue at 7,000 yards DD Hammann engages DD Suresushio at 7,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Anderson at 7,000 yards DD Duncan engages DD Suresushio at 7,000 yards DD Laffey engages DD Suresushio at 7,000 yards Range closes to 5,000 yards CL Honolulu sunk by CL Kitakami at 5,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Arunta at 5,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Blue at 5,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Anderson at 5,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Anderson at 5,000 yards DD Duncan engages DD Suresushio at 5,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Laffey at 5,000 yards Range closes to 3,000 yards CL Kitakami engages DD Arunta at 3,000 yards CL Tama engages DD Anderson at 3,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Anderson at 3,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Anderson at 3,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Duncan at 3,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Laffey at 3,000 yards Range increases to 6,000 yards CL Kitakami engages DD Duncan at 6,000 yards CL Tama engages DD Blue at 6,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Anderson at 6,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Blue at 6,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Duncan at 6,000 yards DD Laffey engages DD Arashio at 6,000 yards Nishimura, Teiji orders Japanese TF to disengage Range increases to 10,000 yards CL Kitakami engages DD Laffey at 10,000 yards CL Tama engages DD Blue at 10,000 yards DD Laffey engages DD Suresushio at 10,000 yards DD Anderson engages DD Suresushio at 10,000 yards CL Tama engages DD Duncan at 10,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Laffey at 10,000 yards Range closes to 9,000 yards CL Kitakami engages DD Blue at 9,000 yards CL Tama engages DD Arunta at 9,000 yards DD Arashio engages DD Hammann at 9,000 yards DD Anderson engages DD Arashio at 9,000 yards DD Laffey engages DD Suresushio at 9,000 yards Hanson, E. orders Allied TF to disengage Range closes to 5,000 yards CL Kitakami engages DD Duncan at 5,000 yards DD Hammann engages DD Suresushio at 5,000 yards DD Duncan engages DD Arashio at 5,000 yards DD Laffey engages DD Suresushio at 5,000 yards Range increases to 11,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Arunta at 11,000 yards DD Suresushio engages DD Hammann at 11,000 yards Task forces break off... overall a good engagement. We were not lucky with those damned torps of his CLs...but we exchanged 1 CL for 1 CL and 2 DDs...which is a good result imho...and, above all, we gave Rader the message that there is no more walk in the park for him against my ships...we're growing stronger!! The day ended with a couple of 4Es missions (followed by P-38s on sweep) against Russell island...not a good deal indeed...we lost more than what we chewed...and our 4Es and P-38s badly need some rest... Oh, and our paras went without the proper preparation at Auki and didn't achieve the goal...they face more than double their number...ok, we're evacuating them...we'll be ready to use them again soon enough...
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