Canoerebel
Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002 From: Northwestern Georgia, USA Status: offline
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11/17/43 Big Tent: All four days of Big Tent have gone very well, but Day 4 goes much better than Day 3. I was very concerned that KB would charge, making things stressful and messy. But the enemy carriers pulled back just a bit to Aitape. Now I'm nearly certain I'll have enough time to consolidate gains, get airfields operational, do some housework (including possibly replenishing), and prepare to execute a few contested landings. All of these are possible if John doesn't commit KB. And each day he doesn't will make things that much harder for him once Allied airfields get going. The day opened with an IJN sub taking a shot at a USN carrier and missing (that's two days in a row - yikes!). A IJN CL/DD TF raided near Morotai and sank one ship. And some Japanese LBA sank an xAK and xAP. But that was about it for damage on the day To counter, USN DDs hit a transport TF hard at Ambon, and naval air followed. There was another encounter that chased away a TF over near Boela. A bunch of enemy LBA strikes ran into Death Star CAP and got chewed up. Today was kind of the mirror image of yesterday, when Allied carrier strikes did the same thing. Boela, a level 2 port, will fall tomorrow and will get a beefier garrison and USN base force. I'm also going to test Babo with a snap invasion. I'll send more if needed. SigInt reports division fragments at Namlea and Babo with divisions or fragments heading to Taberfane and Balikpapan. Some of these reports are the same divisions changing destination every day for two, three, four consecutive days. John is trying to put things together and has landed a few punches, but overall it seems that Big Tent caught him unprepared and has caused some confusion/undertainty. It was a good turn. If KB loiters another day...well, Big Tent will be hard to stop at that point. Third Ring: Massive Allied build up in NE Oz. Third Ring is ready to go if and when the carriers and empty transports (lots of those already) come this way. 4EB and SBDs hit Port Moresby fairly effectively. 2EB hit Horn Island less effectively. These raids continue until John puts up a fight. One reasn for Big Tent was to create a front where 4EB can contribute. I've essentially sat on these for most of 1943. They're ready to go. Bit Tent/DEI is a great place to use them.
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< Message edited by Canoerebel -- 7/4/2016 11:13:50 AM >
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