obvert
Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011 From: PDX (and now) London, UK Status: offline
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March 25, 1944 OZ: Ok. Back on track. The lowdown on the 25th is that a lot of transports are sent down but no escorts. The Essex is finished off. I think the escorts are in Darwin judging by the roll over, and I'll bombard tomorrow to get some damage on the fields, blow up some planes, and see if some hits get onto ships as well. I may find a zillion PT boats here, but hopefully those can be negotiated. The KB will skirt the edge of South New Guinea to avoid direct paths to Ambon and stay in the shallows. LBA will stay on alert at extended range from Biak, Ambon and Dili. Once we see how he is going to play this, (i.e. if CAP will be introduced at Darwin), then I'll proceed accordingly. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR March 25, 44 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Time Surface Combat, near Darwin at 77,124, Range 28,000 Yards Japanese Ships CA Mogami CA Mikuma CA Aoba CL Oyodo DD Michishio DD Arashio DD Arare DD Yugure Allied Ships APA Sheridan, Shell hits 18, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk APA Warren, Shell hits 26, and is sunk APA Wayne, Shell hits 21, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions: 28,000 yards Range closes to 28,000 yards... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sub attack near Darwin at 77,124 Japanese Ships SS I-18 Allied Ships AK Cheleb, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, heavy damage SS I-18 attacking on the surface -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on TF, near Darwin at 76,124 Weather in hex: Moderate rain Raid detected at 37 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 15 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M5 Zero x 49 B5N2 Kate x 41 Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 4 Japanese aircraft losses B5N2 Kate: 2 damaged Allied Ships AK Bullock, Bomb hits 1, on fire xAP Van Diemen, Bomb hits 6, and is sunk xAP Van Landsberge, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk AK Charlevoix, Bomb hits 1, on fire xAP Van Neck, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires AK Chatham, Bomb hits 1, on fire Aircraft Attacking: 41 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 5000 feet * Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAP Van Landsberge Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAP Van Neck Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAP Van Diemen Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AK Charlevoix -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on TF, near Darwin at 76,124 Weather in hex: Moderate rain Raid detected at 65 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 19 minutes Japanese aircraft Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 4 Ki-48-IIc Lily x 22 No Japanese losses Allied Ships xAP Camphuys, Bomb hits 8, and is sunk xAP Le Maire, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires xAP Siberg, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk Aircraft Attacking: 8 x Ki-48-IIc Lily releasing from 2000' Naval Attack: 2 x 100 kg SAP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on TF, near Gove at 83,127 Weather in hex: Light cloud Raid detected at 111 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 28 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M5b Zero x 101 A6M5c Zero x 42 A6M8 Zero x 34 B5N2 Kate x 8 B6N1 Jill x 25 B6N2 Jill x 38 D4Y3 Judy x 54 N1K1 Rex x 12 Allied aircraft no flights Japanese aircraft losses B6N2 Jill: 1 damaged D4Y3 Judy: 3 damaged Allied aircraft losses F6F-3 Hellcat: 1 destroyed SBD-5 Dauntless: 11 destroyed TBF-1 Avenger: 11 destroyed Allied Ships CV Essex, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk Aircraft Attacking: 3 x D4Y3 Judy releasing from 2000' Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Groote Eylandt at 82,129 Weather in hex: Partial cloud Raid detected at 30 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 7 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M5b Zero x 75 A6M5c Zero x 7 B6N1 Jill x 9 B6N2 Jill x 8 D4Y1 Judy x 47 D4Y3 Judy x 27 Allied aircraft F6F-3 Hellcat x 3 Japanese aircraft losses A6M5b Zero: 1 destroyed D4Y3 Judy: 1 damaged D4Y3 Judy: 1 destroyed by flak Allied aircraft losses F6F-3 Hellcat: 1 destroyed Allied Ships LST-353, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk LST-204, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage LST-343, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage LST-475, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk LST-480, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage LST-87, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk LST-344, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk LST-469, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk LST-464, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage LST-481, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk LST-84, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk LST-472, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk LST-484, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk LST-483, Bomb hits 6, and is sunk Allied ground losses: Vehicles lost 410 (331 destroyed, 79 disabled) Aircraft Attacking: 8 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 2000' Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Darwin at 76,124 Weather in hex: Overcast Raid detected at 103 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 34 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M5 Zero x 8 A6M5b Zero x 49 A6M5c Zero x 28 A6M8 Zero x 10 B5N2 Kate x 17 B6N1 Jill x 16 B6N2 Jill x 31 D4Y3 Judy x 36 N1K1 Rex x 12 Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 22 Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 4 Japanese aircraft losses B6N2 Jill: 3 damaged Allied Ships xAP Le Maire, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk AK Brevard, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk AK Charlevoix, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk AK Beltrami, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk AK Chatham, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk AK Cabell, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk Aircraft Attacking: 2 x D4Y3 Judy releasing from 3000' Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gained a few thousand VPs in a few days here.
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< Message edited by obvert -- 10/31/2016 9:37:57 PM >
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"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
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