GreyJoy
Posts: 6750
Joined: 3/18/2011 Status: offline
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July 8, 9, 10, 11 1943 So as the KB retires towards Truk and Rader's BBs remain at Rabaul, or campaign of terror against his front line bases continues. On the night of the 8th we naval bombed again Thousands Ships Bay, while on the day of the 9th our 4Es, despite a stiff resistance by 100 of his fighters on LRCAP, mauled back Russell Is. On the night of the 10th the allies put a little further the line of fire, hitting hard Rekata Bay. It's the first time we hit this very important base (AF 7) and the first time our bombardment groups go beyond the Russell-Thousands-Auki line. On the very same night another lighter bombing group made a bombing passage on Auki. AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Jul 10, 43 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night Naval bombardment of Rekata Bay at 113,134 Japanese aircraft no flights Japanese aircraft losses A6M3a Zero: 36 damaged A6M3a Zero: 10 destroyed on ground Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 105 damaged Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 15 destroyed on ground A6M5 Zero: 88 damaged A6M5 Zero: 8 destroyed on ground E13A1 Jake: 3 damaged Allied Ships BB Massachusetts BB South Dakota BB North Carolina CA San Francisco CL Denver CL Columbia CL Detroit CL Raleigh DD Jarvis DD Blue DD Monssen DD Grayson DD Gwin DD Bache DD Aulick DD Abbot Japanese ground losses: 343 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 37 destroyed, 26 disabled Engineers: 9 destroyed, 5 disabled Guns lost 5 (5 destroyed, 0 disabled) Vehicles lost 15 (5 destroyed, 10 disabled) Airbase hits 19 Airbase supply hits 13 Runway hits 82 Port hits 27 Port supply hits 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night Naval bombardment of Auki at 115,136 Allied Ships CL Montpelier CL Leander DD Lamson DD Cummings DD Dunlap DD O'Brien DD Hammann DD Woodworth DD Duncan DD Eaton DD Beale DD Fletcher Japanese ground losses: 52 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled Airbase hits 27 Airbase supply hits 6 Runway hits 56 Port hits 25 Port supply hits 7 Now, on the day of the 12th, Rader has finally moved one of his SAG TF (seems to be composed by BBs) to Vella la Vella. I don't know if it's his usual movement of deception or if this time he will try to engage at Tulagi...we will be ready anyway. In order to prevent any surprise, we've moved the TF that bombed Rekata Bay to Lunga (with an AKE that is supposed to rearm the 16inch guns, while all other guns have already been rearmed at Tulagi this turn), supported by a TF led by CL Montpellier and CL Leander. At Tulagi will wait another BB TF, composed by 2 modern BBs, CA Hawkins (recently returned to service after the battles of early june) and Witchita, 3 Cleveland Class CLs and some 9 Fletcher Class DDs, along with an Heavy Cruiser TF (5 old CAs + 10 old DDs) and another TF composed by BB Missisipi, 3 Old CAs and 8 DDs. CAP will be provided by 170 Crack fighters based at Tulagi (Range 0), 280 fighters based at Lunga (Range 1) and 160 based at Karaikira (Range 3). 150 Liberators will bomb Thousands Ships Bay just in case. Subs all around the possible access to the TLT area. Heavy night naval search ordered. Interesting to note that the first P-38H squadron is now operative on Karaikira, while another one is arriving at PH in these days.
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