racndoc
Posts: 2519
Joined: 10/29/2004 From: Newport Coast, California Status: offline
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SITUATION REPORT: 3-1-43 SEAC: Poor weather prevented 200+ bombers from flying from Chandpur so Pagan got off lightly. 8 Spitfires and 15 Beaufort I out of Akyab hit Pagan and scored 1 resource hit with no losses. 48 P-40B, 72 B-25J, 31 Beaufort V-IX, 16 Beaufort I, 16 Blenheim IV, 16 Vengeance, 9 Liberator VI, and 25 Beaufighter Mk21 from Akyab work over Rangoon airfield, port and city resources: 4 Hickory destroyed AP 1 Bomb on fire AP 1 Bomb on fire AP 1 Bomb SS-I56 1 Bomb on fire AP 1 Bomb 390 casualties Resources 5 hits Airbase 9 hits Airbase supply 6 hits Runway 28 hits Port 2 hits Port fuel 3 hits. No Allied losses. Rangoon airfield at 32% damage. 40 P-40B, 21 Beaufort V-IX from Akyab find a transport TF near Rangoon: AP 1 Bomb, on fire AP 2 Bomb on fire No Allied losses. SWPAC: 91 P-38G, 83 B-24D, 53 B-17E, and 12 PBY4 Liberator from Koepang bomb Kendari airfield and port: 50+ Tony, Betty, A6M3a, Val, Topsy, Dinah and Jakes destroyed AP 1 Bomb on fire AK 1 Bomb AP 1 Bomb AK 1 Bomb on fire PC 1 Bomb on fire 86 casualties Airbase 10 hits Airbase supply 9 hits Runway 73 hits Port 1 hit No Allied losses. Airfield damage 45%. 24 P-38G, 16 Corsair(1st time in combat), 52 B-25J, 48 B-25C, 27 A-20G, and 18 B-26B from Kai Is. dogfight 18 A6M3a CAP over Amboina and bomb the airfield: 20+ A6M3a destoyed 163 casualties Airbase 14 hits Airbase supply 1 hit Runway 93 hits Allies lose 3 P-38G. Airfield damage 31%. 48 P-38G and 62 B-25J from Thursday Is. encounter CAP of 18 Oscar II and 9 A6M3a over Lae before bombing the airfield: 20+ OscarII and A6M3a destroyed Airbase 10 hits Airbase supply 3 hits Runway 35 hits Allies lose 1 B-25J. Airfield damage 22%. 55 PB4Y Liberator from Cooktown bomb Port Moresby port: 9 AGs are sunk. Aliies suffer no damage. 5 Kittyhawk, 50 Beaufort V-IX, 42 Beaufighter Mk21, 10 Barracuda, and 3 Vengeance from Babo spot a Japanese transport TF at Biak Is.: AP 3 Bombs on fire AP 2 Torps on fire heavy damage PG 3 Bombs on fire heavy damage MSW 2 Torps on fire heavy damage AP 1 Bomb, 1 Torp on fire AP 7 Bomb, 1 Torp on fire heavy damage AP 1 Bomb AP 1 Bomb, 4 Torp on fire heavy damage 614 casualties 6 Beaufighter Mk21 and 4 B-24D from Kai Is. find transport TF at Biak: AP 1 Bomb on fire 3 Beaufighter Mk21 from Babo find transport TF off Buru but all miss. 3 Kittyhawk, 3 Beaufighter Mk21, and 9 Beaufort V-IX from Babo stirke a transport TF at Sorong: MSW 2 Bombs on fire heavy damage 3 PB4Y Liberator from Koepang find transport TF near Kendari: AP 3 Bombs on fire heavy damage 7 Kittyhawks, 46 Beaufighter Mk21, 29 Beaufort V-IX, 12 Vengeance and 10 Barracudas again strike the transport TF at Biak: AP 8 Bombs on fire heavy damage AP 2 Bombs , 2 Torps on fire heavy damage AP 4 Bombs, 3 Toprs on fire heavy damage PG 4 Bombs on fire heavy damage AP 1 Bomb on fire heavy damage AP 1 Bomb on fire heavy damage AP 2 Bomb, 3 Torp on fire heavy damage AP 2 Bomb on fire heavy damage 765 casualties SOPAC: 45 P-38G from Kusaie and Majuro do a high altitude sweep over Kwajalein but encounter no opposition. 24 P-38G, 210 B-17E, 102 B-25C, 32 B-25J, 24 PB4Y Liberator, and 21 B-26B from Majuro bomb Kwajalein port: AP 15 bombs on fire heavy damage 452 casualties Port 23 hits Port fuel 9 hits Port supply 11 hits. No Allied losses. Port 40% damaged. Allied Intel underestimated the Japanese are strenth at Ponape and the attacks went in piecemeal. First, 23 P-38G from Eniwetok do a fighter sweep against CAP of 24 A6M3a. 7 P-38G are killed with no Japanese losses. Then 18 TBF from Kusaie bomb Ponape losing 4 planes and causing no damage. Finally, 16 B-25C from Eniwetok hit Ponape losing 1 plane and scoring: Airbase 1 hit Runway 2 hits The USN CV TF covering the buildup operation on Rennel Is. spots a transport TF at Tulagi. 8 TBF and 24 SBD are launched: AK 10 bombs on fire heavy damage 1 AK, 2 MSW and 9 AG sink by the end of the day. The Allies flew 5992 sorties vs 1547 Japanese sorties. The Allies lost 30 planes(11 were operational) to 148 Japanese planes. Losses by plane type were: Japanese: 32 A6M3a, 17 Oscar II, 13 Tony, 14 Val, 40 Betty, 21 Topsy, 6 Jake. 4 Hickpry, 1 Dinah Allied: 8 P-38G, 6 B-25C, 4 TBF, 2 B-25J, 2 Beaufighter Mk21, 1 PBY Catalina, 1 Beaufort
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