Mike Solli
Posts: 15792
Joined: 10/18/2000
From: the flight deck of the Zuikaku
Status: offline
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31 Dec 43
Sub War
The I-36 was hanging out about half a dozen hexes NW of Pearl Harbor, part of the sub screen being formed for detection purposes. A small TF ran over her. It seemed odd, an AK escorted by a DD. My sub sank the AK and got away. It felt weird, an AK out there seemingly doing what an xAK should be doing, figuring it was a supply run. I discovered what was going on after the turn. She was hauling an A20G squadron. It turned out to be a nice little bonus, an AK and bomber squadron. I’ll take it. 
Off Guam, the Runner caught and sank the Etorofu class Manju. Her sister, Mutsure, damaged Runner with a depth charge. Man do they carry a lot of DCs! 
Later in the day, the E Tsuga hit a Dutch sub off Balikpapan.
5 Fleet
Nothing exciting.
4 Fleet
Interesting day today, full off opportunities and disappointments. It started with an undetected KB2 parking itself 6 hexes NW of what turned out to be 3 US CVLs still sitting 2 hexes SW of Tarawa and focused exclusively on the Japanese garrison there. I got the drop on them:
Morning Air attack on TF, near Maiana at 134,129
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 20 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 17
A6M5b Zero x 17
A6M5c Zero x 34
B6N2 Jill x 37
D4Y1 Judy x 9
D4Y3 Judy x 42
Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 25
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 2 destroyed
A6M5b Zero: 1 destroyed
A6M5c Zero: 2 destroyed
B6N2 Jill: 10 damaged
B6N2 Jill: 4 destroyed by flak
D4Y1 Judy: 4 damaged
D4Y3 Judy: 7 damaged
D4Y3 Judy: 5 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
F6F-3 Hellcat: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
CVL Princeton, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
CVL Cowpens, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
CVL Belleau Wood, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CL Denver
CL Mobile
DD Wadsworth
There was no report of any of the CVLs sinking but Princeton has to be in bad shape, possibly Cowpens as well. I was in normal range of everything in my inventory, including the handful of D4Y1s, so all the bomb hits were 500 kg. The CVLs launched some Avengers against Tarawa in the morning and Maleolap in the afternoon. That had to be a surprise.
I was hoping for an afternoon attack to finish them off, but no luck. Cloud cover hid the CVLs from my planes. Instead, they went after two other TFs, one at Tarawa and the other at Maleolap.
The Tarawa TF was APDs escorted by a DE, the TF that dropped the ill-fated FIJI Commando Battalion yesterday:
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Tarawa at 136,128
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 36 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 17
A6M5b Zero x 17
A6M5c Zero x 17
B6N2 Jill x 46
D4Y3 Judy x 26
Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y3 Judy: 1 damaged
Allied Ships
APD Manley, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
APD Hatfield, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DE Levy, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk
APD Brooks, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
APD Dickerson, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
APD Gilmer, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk
APD Waters, Bomb hits 1, on fire
A little after this attack, I heard sinking sounds. It may have been Princeton, but more likely it was one of the heavily damaged APDs. Again, they were all 500 kg bombs. What those planes would have done to those damaged CVLs. Ah well…
And finally, the attack against the TF at Maleolap:
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Makin at 137,126
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 28 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 17
D4Y3 Judy x 12
Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y3 Judy: 8 damaged
D4Y3 Judy: 2 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
CLAA San Diego
I noticed some weird things that I can’t explain and haven’t seen before. I always fill up my carrier air units with the max number of planes and reserves they can carry, and assign pilots equal to that number. So, for example, Katsuragi’s Zero complement is 36 + 3 reserve aircraft and 39 pilots. Today they lost 3 aircraft shot down and 3 pilots KIA/MIA. When I looked at the unit, I saw 36 aircraft available, as it should be, but they still had 39 pilots, the same pilots as yesterday. Odd. This happened with a couple of the units.
Anyway, what’s in store for tomorrow? (See screenshot below). KB1 is headed south to rendezvous with KB2, one hex west of Ocean Island. I expect the CVLs to flee to the east. I have a few subs there to try and intercept them. Hopefully, my Jills will catch them. They have a 10 hex range and all of my carriers still have enough torpedoes for at least one more sortie, and plenty of fuel. After tomorrow, they will retire.
It may be almost 1944, but I still have teeth, even with the 11% hit rate. 
SE Fleet
Nothing exciting today. I’m still pulling out forces from Truk by air and sea. It’s not so effective by sea with the port basically destroyed.
SRA
Nothing to report.
Burma
Not much. Another Hurricane was shot down.
China
Rain grounded all but 36 Helens, so not much damage from the air.
Rain reduced the effectiveness of the artillery too (well, I assume so). Overall, only 30 squads were destroyed.
Japanese raw AV: 7626
Chinese raw AV: 2088
Status of the Japanese army:
Fatigue: 49.4 -7.5
Disruption 16.9 -2.2
Disablements: 17.9 -1.5
I’ll let the army rest one more day and then attack on 2 Jan 44.
Other Stuff
Reinforcements:
153 Ku T-1, 9 recon, 13 Air Flotilla, training
343 Ku S-1, 27 fighter, 13 Air Flotilla, training
343 Ku S-2, 27 fighter, 13 Air Flotilla, training
345 Ku S-1, 27 fighter, 13 Air Flotilla, training
345 Ku S-2, 27 fighter, 13 Air Flotilla, training
453 Ku S-1, 18 float planes, 13 Air Flotilla, training
1021 Ku U-1, 18 transports, 13 Air flotilla, training
1021 Ku U-2, 18 transports, 13 Air flotilla, training
DD Shimozuki (Akitsuki class), KB escort
SC CHa-73
ML G-202
18 Naval Guard, rebuilt
The N1K5-J George R&D advanced to 11/44 (will be operational 5/44).
So, what’s the status of the Fleet? All of KB is currently at sea, as you can see. Zuikaku will be repaired around the end of April, about the time the last 3 Unryus are completed. Taiho won’t be ready until late summer. That’s it for KB. MKB will finish up minor repairs tomorrow and will most likely be posted in the SRA. They’ll protect that area unless the US CVs show up down there.
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RE: Once Again into the Breach - Mike (J) vs. tc464 (A) - 
Isn't that due in March '44? You didn't delay its production at anytime, did you?
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