kaleun
Posts: 5145
Joined: 5/29/2002 From: Colorado Status: offline
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March 8th. Wake falls. Nadi invaded. Australia. Hermes finds 4 enemy carriers, Ryujo, Shoho, Zuiho, and Hosho. The plucky carrier launches her obsolete, unescorted biplanes, but they are savaged by the enemy CAP. Hermes escapes the counterattack because the carrier aircraft are busy attacking the transports carrying the 6th Division. One of the transports, xAP Van Rees takes four torpedo hits and sinks, leaving 273 men to be rescued by the remaining ships of the task force. March 9th. Nadi falls. B26 and Hudson bombers from Suva tangle with the invasion task force but all the bombers miss their targets. At Carnavon, the gamble pays off. The transports unload their cargo of men and materiel. The enemy airplanes target mostly the escorts that suffer disproportionate losses, but most of the transports unload safely. CL De Ruyter, Bomb hits 4 scuttled. CA Cornwall, BH 1 CL Emerald, BH 2 xAP Stajen BH 1 xAP Koolama BH 4 The 17th Indian Division is ordered to attack at Katha, occupied by Yokosuka 3rd SNLF. March 10th An enemy cruiser force attacks the allied amphibious force at Carnavon. Night Time Surface Combat, near Carnarvon at 49,133, Range 8,000 Yards Allied aircraft no flights Allied aircraft losses Walrus II: 2 destroyed Japanese Ships CA Myoko, Shell hits 2 CA Aoba CL Naka, Shell hits 1 DD Natsugumo DD Harusame, Shell hits 1, on fire DD Yudachi, Shell hits 1 Allied Ships CA Cornwall, Shell hits 40, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk CL Enterprise, Shell hits 8, on fire CL Emerald, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, on fire DD Paul Jones DD Pope DD Vendetta DD Encounter, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk DD Jupiter, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage xAP Ipoh, Shell hits 2, and is sunk xAP Kota Radja, Shell hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage xAP Siberg, heavy damage xAP Koolama, heavy fires, heavy damage Following this, enemy carrier air attacked the task force, CL Emerald received 7 bomb hits and xAP KotaRadja three. The enemy carrier forces were busy. DD Dunlap sinks from 4 hits near Kandau Island (KB II) Also sunk were AVP Teal and AVP Pelican. The 17th Indian Division retook Katha. The 25th Infantry division will disembark at Pago Pago instead of Suva. The Hermes task force will proceed to Melbourne. KB II is presumed to include Kaga, Hiryu, Shokaku, and Soryu.
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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you. Sun Tzu
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