Uncivil Engineer
Posts: 1014
Joined: 2/22/2012 From: Florida, USA Status: offline
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Jul 20, 1942 38 Div brigades and fragments have been loading at Makassar and Roti. The amphib TF loading at Roti is covered by a 2 BB TF, while 3 other BBs bombarded Koepang - quote:
Night Naval bombardment of Koepang at 68,116 Allied aircraft no flights Allied aircraft losses P-39D Airacobra: 34 damaged P-39D Airacobra: 4 destroyed on ground P-40E Warhawk: 12 damaged P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed on ground PBY-4 Catalina: 11 damaged PBY-4 Catalina: 1 destroyed on ground Japanese Ships BB Kirishima BB Hiei BB Kongo CA Nachi CA Tone CL Naka DD Asanagi DD Mochizuki DD Satsuki DD Kisaragi DD Arashio DD Oshio DD Hamakaze DD Isokaze DD Akizuki Allied Ships BB California, Shell hits 5, heavy damage Allied ground losses: 525 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled Non Combat: 10 destroyed, 47 disabled Engineers: 5 destroyed, 4 disabled Guns lost 12 (2 destroyed, 10 disabled) Vehicles lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled) Airbase hits 13 Airbase supply hits 8 Runway hits 21 However, 2 destroyers at Roti hit mines before the minefield was cleared and one of them sank. And then, 2(?) US CVs appeared 5 hexes south of Koepang and launched AM and PM strikes on the TFs at Roti - quote:
Morning Air attack on TF, near Roti at 67,116 Weather in hex: Light cloud Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 21,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 6 minutes Allied aircraft F4F-4 Wildcat x 53 SBD-3 Dauntless x 78 TBD-1 Devastator x 30 TBF-1 Avenger x 15 Allied aircraft losses SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 damaged Japanese Ships BB Nagato, Bomb hits 3 APD Tade, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires AK Hirokawa Maru, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage DD Kasumi DMS W-8, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk APD Tsuga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires BB Mutsu, Bomb hits 3 AMC Kinryu Maru, Bomb hits 1 DD Natsugumo AK Sagami Maru, Bomb hits 1 DD Arare xAK Kashii Maru, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk xAK Kansai Maru DD Hatsuyuki, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage AK Sakura Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire Japanese ground losses: 1155 casualties reported Squads: 16 destroyed, 20 disabled Non Combat: 34 destroyed, 14 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled Guns lost 7 (5 destroyed, 2 disabled) ... Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Roti at 67,116 Weather in hex: Heavy rain Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 26,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 7 minutes Allied aircraft F4F-4 Wildcat x 53 SBD-3 Dauntless x 79 TBD-1 Devastator x 30 TBF-1 Avenger x 15 Allied aircraft losses SBD-3 Dauntless: 2 damaged Japanese Ships BB Mutsu, Bomb hits 5, on fire APD Tsuga, heavy fires DD Arare DD Hatsuyuki, heavy fires, heavy damage BB Nagato, Bomb hits 5 AMC Kinryu Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage APD Tade, on fire DD Kasumi DD Natsugumo CL Nagara AK Azumasan Maru, Bomb hits 1 AK Sagami Maru xAK Kansai Maru Japanese ground losses: 76 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled All without losing an Allied plane! Ha-43 engine research advanced from Jun to May '45 (Sam, Ki-83); Ha-44 engine research advanced from Feb to Jan '43 (Jill). Two Ki-61-Ia Tony research sites (Maebashi and Hachinohe) reached 30(0); Tony research should be complete sometime in late Sep '42 (too bad there won't be any engines available then!) Selecting this engine and airframe was probably a bad idea. This chart shows the situation before the Jul 21 turn - Considering the number of bomb hits on the 2 BBs, Nagato and Mutsu are in relatively good shape. All naval units at/near Timor have stopped loading or unloading and will depart to the north. Hirata's TF will cover the beat up amphib TF and have Oscar LRCAP from Kendari if they can get within 6 hexes. Three CV/CVL just finished repair at Soerabaja and will head south. If the US carriers pursue the battleships, they may be in for a surprise. The Japanese carriers are currently undetected, but the Allies may have intel on their location, status, or destination. Japanese subs sank an xAK at Adak and an xAKL at Ramree. Hirata's TF put 7 depth charges on SS Drum at Roti when attacked. Edit to correct: The Japanese carrier force is 4 CV and 2 CVL, not 3 and 3 as shown on the chart. One of the CVs is Junyo, which for all practical purposes is a CVL.
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< Message edited by Uncivil Engineer -- 11/29/2021 7:58:22 AM >
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