ADavidB
Posts: 2464
Joined: 9/17/2001
From: Toronto, Canada
Status: offline
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Well, I certainly got a pleasant (albeit trivial) surprise on December 21, 1942 - my Chinese-based bombers actually did do a "City" attack and did a bit of damage:
Day Air attack on Hanoi, at 36, 37
Allied aircraft
Blenheim IV x 9
Wellington III x 11
Hudson I x 6
Allied aircraft losses
Blenheim IV: 3 damaged
Heavy Industry hits 6
As expected, PzB moved some fighters into Hanoi, so I've re-set the City Attack targets for those bombers to other cities that don't currently have any fighters. But my pitiful little raid pales in comparison with what PzB can throw up on any given day:
Day Air attack on Mandalay, at 33, 30
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 16
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 3
Ki-21 Sally x 62
Ki-48 Lily x 15
No Japanese losses
Allied ground losses:
32 casualties reported
Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 38
I was able to pull out another Chinese fighter out of Mandalay - that makes 3 survivors now. Of course there were lots of other bomber attacks in mainland Asia, but those aren't important; the following is much more critical:
Day Air attack on TF at 60, 92
Allied aircraft
B-26B Marauder x 51
Allied aircraft losses
B-26B Marauder: 9 damaged
Japanese Ships
CL Yura
CL Kuma, Bomb hits 2
CA Myoko, Bomb hits 1
DD Yamagumo
DD Kuroshio, Bomb hits 1, on fire
This is a combat TF and not a FT TF because it sent one of my transport TFs fleeing away. So PzB is still trying to counteract me in eastern PNG. My forces sent out more attacks, but bombers are not very good against combat ships and my torpedo bombers couldn't make it though the flak:
Day Air attack on TF at 60, 92
Allied aircraft
Avenger I x 6
P-40E Warhawk x 9
Allied aircraft losses
Avenger I: 5 damaged
Japanese Ships
CL Yura
CA Myoko
And:
Day Air attack on TF at 60, 92
Allied aircraft
B-26B Marauder x 26
Allied aircraft losses
B-26B Marauder: 5 damaged
Japanese Ships
CA Myoko, Bomb hits 2
DD Shigure
CL Kuma
CL Yura, Bomb hits 1
Will PzB continue on? My intelligence says that the TF is heading SW - towards either Goodenough or Gili-Gili. But my patrols have spotted the most unlikely seeming TF I've ever seen in a report from "General Magoo's Airforce" - 2 subs and 3 AKs are in the hex of Gili-Gili??? That seems really unlikely since I had three PT TFs in that hex, along with a sub and lots of mines. But I've seen stranger things from this game, so I set two of the PT TFs to stay and react in Gili-Gili, pulled a lightly damaged cruiser out of port and set it as a combat TF, sent the third PT TF to Goodenough, and set my "serious" surface combat TF out from PM. I also brought lots of other air power in the area, as well as sending out a supply TF and a mine TF to avoid any incoming combat TF.
So what is PzB doing? Is he trying to land at Gili-Gili, Goodenough or Kiriwana? Is he just trying to be a nuisance? Is he trying to catch some of my transport TFs sleeping? I guess that we will see next time.
In the meanwhile, PzB has had enough of my unimpeded bombing of the Eastern Marshalls and has brought some fighters in despite high runway damage from continuous attacks such as these:
Day Air attack on Maloelap, at 82, 81
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 16
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-30 Ann: 1 destroyed
Japanese ground losses:
11 casualties reported
Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 11
PzB thinks that I am now "shell shocked" because of his advantage in Japanese fighters versus Allied heavy bombers. So I'm sending in a bunch of heavy bombers to Maloelap at maximum altitude, just to see if I can hit anything and to help tire out his fighters.
But more importantly, the airfields at Mili are already up to level 2, so I put a dive bomber squadron in there "for fun" and my hundreds of engineers with their hundreds of 'dozers are continuing to build. It won't be long before I will be able to put a lot of tac bombers and fighters there to really challenge PzB at Maloelap. BTW - I'm not forgetting about the naval situation - I am continuing to send PT TFs into Maloelap too, just in case PzB tries to sneak some more forces or supplies in.
Oh yes, before I forget - PzB let his Bettys loose this turn too:
Day Air attack on TF, near Goodenough Island at 56, 93
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 16
G4M1 Betty x 15
Allied aircraft
P-38G Lightning x 13
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 3 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged
Allied Ships
AK Juan Cabrillo, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AK John Adams
AK Edwin Markham, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
As usual, LR CAP is never as effective as one would like, but they still put some "hurt" on the incoming attack. PzB's Bettys also attacked outside of escort range:
Day Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 53, 91
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 2
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 6
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
AP Arthur Middleton
And:
Day Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 53, 91
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 1
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 6
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed
And one with some escorts:
Day Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 53, 91
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 5
G4M1 Betty x 3
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 8
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
AP President Hayes
That’s the kind of practice that my fighter jockeys need.
Dave Baranyi
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RE: Into the Marshalls... - 
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