obvert
Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011
From: PDX (and now) London, UK
Status: offline
|
April 28-30, 1944
SUBS: IJN subs guard the approaches to Darwin and several move forward to scout the coast. Other forces follow.
OZ: A fast element of the KB makes a flank run to just off the NW coast near Gove. This is 5 hexes from Groote Eylandt and the morning searches are promising. A number of TFs are at the base or en route.
In the morning Oscars sweep to clear LR CAP over the dot. They lose against the Corsairs there, but do wear them down and even shoot a few down for about a 1:2 ratio. The Oscars range comes in handy here for this 13 hex sweep.
The KB strike arrives in the morning and wipes out most of an amphib TF carrying troops. Always nice to hit them with the devices still on board. Some good losses here, and also a small flight of Jills finds two unescorted LST carrying troops and sinks both. Lots of vehicles go down here, probably tractors.
In spite of relatively short range to targets and a plethora of options available for the afternoon, no more strikes fly. That's a bit disappointing. This is worth it though and I didn't push luck by moving in further.
The next day some KB planes hit Groote port to sink one damaged DE, and the invasion neared the beach. They go in on the 30th, and relatively few disablements here. Pretty happy with this result, about 15-20% of the troops disabled and disruption only between 10s and 30s. Not bad! 
The Allies look to be pulling out of Darwin. I won't attack, but will just let units rest and see what happens, hoping the base auto flips which would leave more potential supply/forts intact.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR April 28, 44
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Groote Eylandt , at 82,130
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 42 NM, estimated altitude 35,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 39
Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 6
F4U-1A Corsair x 8
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1 Corsair: 1 destroyed
Aircraft Attacking:
32 x Ki-43-IIIa Oscar sweeping at 31000 feet *
CAP engaged:
VMF-122 with F4U-1A Corsair (4 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Raid is overhead
VMF-217 with F4U-1 Corsair (3 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Raid is overhead
VMF-311 with F4U-1 Corsair (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 3 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 31 minutes
VMF-323 with F4U-1A Corsair (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 16000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 4 minutes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Groote Eylandt , at 82,130
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid spotted at 36 NM, estimated altitude 37,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 4
Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 4
F4U-1A Corsair x 5
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar: 1 destroyed
No Allied losses
CAP engaged:
VMF-122 with F4U-1A Corsair (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 31000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 57 minutes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Groote Eylandt at 82,130
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 42
A6M8 Zero x 14
B6N2 Jill x 12
B6N2a Jill x 3
B7A2 Grace x 3
D4Y3 Judy x 33
Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 4
F4U-1A Corsair x 5
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5c Zero: 2 destroyed
B6N2a Jill: 1 damaged
B7A2 Grace: 1 damaged
D4Y3 Judy: 1 damaged
D4Y3 Judy: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1 Corsair: 1 destroyed
F4U-1A Corsair: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
xAP Tak Sang, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Pijnacker Hordijk, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Cape Victory
DE Wileman, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Taiping, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk
xAP Steaua Romania, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAP Pundit, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
DE Wyman, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
Allied ground losses:
750 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 45 destroyed, 29 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 7 disabled
Guns lost 11 (7 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Vehicles lost 14 (4 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Aircraft Attacking:
5 x D4Y3 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
5 x A6M8 Zero sweeping at 10000 feet *
3 x B7A2 Grace releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Groote Eylandt at 84,131
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
B6N2 Jill x 7
No Japanese losses
Allied Ships
LST-473, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
LST-454, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
Allied ground losses:
48 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 24 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 26 destroyed, 4 disabled
Vehicles lost 45 (35 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Aircraft Attacking:
7 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR April 29, 44
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Naval bombardment of Darwin at 76,124
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
Catalina I: 4 damaged
Japanese Ships
CA Aoba
CA Mikuma
CA Mogami
CL Oyodo
DD Yugure
DD Arashio
DD Michishio
Allied ground losses:
80 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 7 (2 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Resources hits 2
Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 13
Port hits 7
Port supply hits 1
CA Aoba firing at Darwin
E13A1 Jake acting as spotter for CA Mikuma
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Groote Eylandt , at 82,130
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid spotted at 36 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5b Zero x 34
A6M8 Zero x 59
B6N1 Jill x 53
B6N2 Jill x 30
D4Y3 Judy x 82
Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y3 Judy: 2 damaged
D4Y3 Judy: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
DE Wyman, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
Allied ground losses:
48 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Port hits 8
Port supply hits 3
Aircraft Attacking:
8 x D4Y3 Judy releasing from 3000'
Port Attack: 1 x 500 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Darwin at 76,124
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
Catalina I: 1 damaged
Catalina I: 1 destroyed on ground
Japanese Ships
BB Yamato
BB Mutsu
BB Nagato
Allied ground losses:
369 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 23 destroyed, 18 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 14 (10 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Vehicles lost 24 (10 destroyed, 14 disabled)
Airbase hits 9
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 17
Port hits 6
E13A1 Jake acting as spotter for BB Yamato
BB Yamato firing at 2nd Australian Division
BB Mutsu firing at Darwin
BB Nagato firing at Darwin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR April 30, 44
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Naval bombardment of Darwin at 76,124
Japanese Ships
BB Hiei
BB Kongo
CA Kumano
CA Atago
DD Akishimo
DD Hayashimo
DD Kiyoshimo
DD Okinami
DD Kishinami
Allied ground losses:
25 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 8 (2 destroyed, 6 disabled)
Resources hits 1
Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 12
Port hits 5
Port supply hits 1
E13A1 Jake acting as spotter for BB Hiei
BB Hiei firing at Darwin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amphibious Assault at Darwin (76,124)
TF 105 troops unloading over beach at Darwin, 76,124
Japanese ground losses:
487 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 53 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 51 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 5 (0 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Vehicles lost 9 (0 destroyed, 9 disabled)
15 Support troops lost in surf during unload of 15th Army /6
17 troops of a IJA Infantry Squad 43 lost from landing craft during unload of 38th Div /4
17 troops of a IJA Infantry Squad 43 lost in surf during unload of 38th Div
15 Support troops lost in surf during unload of 38th Div
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-Invasion action off Darwin (76,124)
Japanese Ships
AK Manila Maru
AV Kiyokawa Maru
E Chiburi
E Ioshima
APD T-1
AV Kiyokawa Maru firing to suppress enemy battery at 9,000 yards
E Chiburi firing to suppress enemy battery at 9,000 yards
E Chiburi fired at enemy troops
E Ioshima fired at enemy troops
APD T-1 fired at enemy troops
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amphibious Assault at Darwin (76,124)
TF 359 troops unloading over beach at Darwin, 76,124
Japanese ground losses:
93 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 93 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 10 (0 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Vehicles lost 92 (0 destroyed, 92 disabled)
8 Engineers lost in surf during unload of 27th Special Base Force /2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Invasion Support action off Darwin (76,124)
1 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
DD Tachikaze
AMC Nosiro Maru
AMC Asaka Maru
AMC Akagi Maru
AK Sagami Maru
DMS W-12
DD Okikaze
AK Sakura Maru
Allied ground losses:
16 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
AMC Akagi Maru fired at enemy troops
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Invasion Support action off Darwin (76,124)
2 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
AMC Kongo Maru
AMC Kiyosumi Maru
APD T-1
AK Seattle Maru, Shell hits 1
AV Sanyo Maru
E Chiburi
AK Manila Maru
E Ioshima
AMC Kongo Maru firing at 2nd Australian Division
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Attachment (1)
_____________________________
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
|
Printable Version
RE: The Elephant Vanishes :: obvert (J) vs SqzMyLemon (A) - 
Sam is still not even researching. I think this is payback for the 8 hex strikes! 
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