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[Erkki]

February 24th

The bombardment TF didnt go in. Wonder what is this... We'll try again tomorrow. No search planes spotted over the task forces.

3 Hawks for 1 Zero over Moulmein... Over 40 Hurricanes strafe Japanese troops, losing one to AA guns but also killing around 100 men.

Tomorrow will be a big day in all fronts.

[Erkki]

Feb 25th

Wake bombarded! CS Chioyda and a destroyer hit mines. They both remain afloat though, looks like they're going to make it. Battleships bombard the island heavy... Spotter aircraft count one destroyed B-17 in the island's airfield, and generally great havoc. But not enough. It is clear that the island is heavily occupied, CD guns are still in place and shooting back. Invasion has to be cancelled. Midway invasion is still a go(Wake can always be bombed...), and Kido Butai remains unspotted.

DEI: Bengalis in Sumatra and Kolaka and Pare Pare in the Celebes fall to the Japanese.

China: Siege of Nanchang ends, the Chinese are thrown back. Casualties are heavy on both sides, but favor the Japanese 4:1. The reinforcement devisions will now turn to Kiukian. In the middle, Japanese forces have almost reached Sian. I'm affording heavily there, it should be ours before mid March. Reinforcements from Peking throw back 4 full Corps of Chinese that tried to flank the Japanese push. Was a good idea not to throw everything towards Sian...

Crap weather in Burma, only air action today consists of 3 Hudson bombers trying to bomb Kendari's airfield: the 5 patrolling Zeroes shoot them all down.

[Erkki]

Feb 26th

Enemy capital ships! Kido Butai is in anchor around a small atoll, patrol H6K spots a 10-ship enemy task force some 400 miles to the East! 2 capital ships and a cruiser are reported. No heading - are they heading West, or North West to help at Wake? We're going to find out! Kido Butai will cut the most likely route to Wake. 60% of Zeroes set to CAP, drop tanks fitted, extra search planes assigned for tomorrow, torpedoes are ready...

No search planes sighted over the KB. Can we really be this lucky? The weather is pretty bad, overcast or light rains over all islands. But if something doesnt go real bad and the enemy holds its most current, most likely course, tomorrow should be interesting! 

Meanwhile, Port Blair invaded in 2 days supported by CVE Hosho, Tandjo-something fell to the Japanese today! In China, troops are at the gates of Sian.

EDIT: Sadly, destroyer DD Arashi had to be scuttled.  Her speed was down to 1 knot with heavy damage. That close to Wake, it would have been a goner even if the pumping operations had held for a week or 2 more, and I didnt want to risk Chioyda or Akahi.

[Erkki]

Feb 27th!

Battle of Marshalls has began!

I guessed the enemy heading wrong - they were in fact coming STRAIGHT TO US, and today KB was out of range! Massive numbers of Wildcats and SBD Dauntlesses hammer Japanese bases at Romui, Kwajalein and Jaluit. They sink the aviation support units I was planning to use at Midway. They sink the modern cruiser Katori, 2 destroyers, a submarine and lots, lots of cargo and support ships! 18 were lost today. The enemy has parked itself right in the middle of the islands!

The A5M4 fighters are slaughtered, 9 are lost for no gain. Numerous ships are very badly damaged. I'm afraid even if the enemy stops flying, we will lose at least 4 cargo ships and a submarine tender more.

Good news:

45 Zeroes and 49 Elite pilots moved to Kwajalein overnight! Some planes need maintenance from transfer flight but most should be in working condition before dawn, 100% CAP ordered along the old A5M4s!

Kido Butai remains undetected!

Tanaka Squad will be able to join the brawl tomorrow - if they dont get attacked over the course of they day there should be few more hours of daylight by the time they reach the Enemy's current position. We will not let him flee!

I'll post a map with plans ASAP!

[Erkki]

Spoiler: Battle of Marshalls, Feb 27th 1942 (click to show/hide)

[EuchreJack]

Now it gets interesting...

By the way, I've been following along and randomly wikiing the aircraft that you've been mentioning.

[Erkki]

Now it gets interesting...

By the way, I've been following along and randomly wikiing the aircraft that you've been mentioning.

The enemy is using a weird mix, SBD-2 Dauntless, SBD-3 Dauntless, F4F-3 Wildcat, F4F-3A Wildcat and TBD-1 Devastator.

2 separate fighter formations escorted the main raid. 1 swept ahead. Is this really just 3 carriers? If I counted right its approximately 100 x Dauntless, 30 x Devastator, 50 x Wildcat. By comparison, Kido Butai has 9 carriers and 502 aicraft. Just 200 of them are Zeroes!

This is shows very risky planning by the Allies. I know they saw Hosho in the Java Sea - maybe they think all KB is there?!? They are now risking all 3 US carriers against the whole Imperial Japanese Carrier Division, short Hosho and Taiyo! And they dont even know it! 

[Deadmeat1471]

Banzai!

[Erkki]

Banzai! Banzai! Banzai!

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Maloelap at 144,117
 
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
 
Raid detected at 160 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 60 minutes
 
Japanese aircraft
      A6M2 Zero x 72
      B5N1 Kate x 8
      B5N2 Kate x 140
      D3A1 Val x 125
 
 
 
Allied aircraft
      F4F-3A Wildcat x 18
      F4F-3 Wildcat x 38
 
 
Japanese aircraft losses
      A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
      B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed
      B5N2 Kate: 3 destroyed, 15 damaged
      D3A1 Val: 4 destroyed, 13 damaged
 
Allied aircraft losses
      F4F-3A Wildcat: 4 destroyed
      F4F-3 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
 
Allied Ships
      CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 3,  heavy fires,  heavy damage
      CV Enterprise, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1,  heavy fires
      CA Northampton, Torpedo hits 1,  on fire
      CV Yorktown, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1,  heavy fires,  heavy damage
      CA Salt Lake City, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1,  heavy fires,  heavy damage
      CA Minneapolis, Bomb hits 2,  on fire
      CA Louisville
      DD Conyngham
      DD Reid, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
      CL Helena, Bomb hits 2
      DD Dent
      DD Bagley
      CA Chester, Torpedo hits 1
      DD Blue, Bomb hits 1
      DD Case
      CA Indianapolis

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Majuro at 142,119
 
Weather in hex: Overcast
 
Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes
 
Japanese aircraft
      A6M2 Zero x 111
 
 
 
Allied aircraft
      F4F-3A Wildcat x 7
      F4F-3 Wildcat x 16
      SBD-3 Dauntless x 16
      TBD-1 Devastator x 38
 
 
No Japanese losses
 
Allied aircraft losses
      F4F-3A Wildcat: 2 destroyed
      F4F-3 Wildcat: 4 destroyed
      SBD-3 Dauntless: 6 destroyed, 1 damaged
      TBD-1 Devastator: 14 destroyed, 12 damaged
 
Japanese Ships
      CV Shokaku
      CV Hiryu, Bomb hits 1
      CVL Zuiho
      BB Hiei
      CV Kaga
      CV Akagi
      BB Kirishima
      CV Soryu
      CVL Ryujo, Torpedo hits 1

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Maloelap at 144,117
 
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
 
Raid detected at 29 NM, estimated altitude 20,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
 
Japanese aircraft
      B5N2 Kate x 26
 
 
 
Allied aircraft
      F4F-3A Wildcat x 1
      F4F-3 Wildcat x 8
 
 
Japanese aircraft losses
      B5N2 Kate: 5 destroyed, 2 damaged
 
Allied aircraft losses
 
Allied Ships
      CV Saratoga, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
      CA Minneapolis,  on fire
      DD Bagley

[Erkki]

Davy Jone's Toll:

Japanese:

22 x B5N, with most crews
10 x D3A1, with most crews
4 x Zero

CVL Ryujo: heavy damage, but only small fires. She cant launch or land planes, but should make it... Her top speed is down to 16 knots.
CV Akagi: the combat reports are under Fog Of War, it was Akagi that was hit. Fires are out, light damage, but serious enough for retirement.

USN:
Aircraft: LOTS! They have no base to fly to. Some longer range ones just might have made it to Wake or Johnston. Wildcatties, none.

CV Saratoga: SUNK
CV Enterprise: HEAVY DAMAGE, I say 30% chance to make it
CV Yorktown: HEAVY DAMAGE, 20-30% chances

CA Northampton: HEAVY DAMAGE, 60-70% chance goner
CA Salt Lake City: HEAVY DAMAGE, 80%+ goner
CA Chester: HEAVY DAMAGE, 50% goner
DD Reid: damage, 10-20% goner
DD Blue: damage, 5% goner

KB will now retire. We are not going to try our chances against the cruisers, if they surprise us in the night!

[Deadmeat1471]

Good job!

[Erkki]

Good job!

Looked through both actions, attaching Kirishima and Hiei to KB was very good choice! Of the 26 Allied bombers that got through, 8 attacked them, many shot down by the heavy AAA. Thats 8 less against the carriers, and potentially 2 or 3 hits less. Another hit on Ryujo and she might have sunk already. Not sure if she'll make it, Japanese damage control usually means drilling more holes to let the water out, we will see tomorrow how her situation develops.

[Erkki]

Of course we need to count in the now 30 ships lost from yesterday's attacks. Though only lost ships of any greater importance were the 2 destroyers, the cruiser, the submarine, and one big xAP troop transport.

Feb 28th, and Bataan falls to the Japanese! Just the city of Manila left in Luzon. Once it falls, we can use the units to land Java, Timor, or somewhere else.

[Sheb]

Wow, nice. I wonder how that'll end, and if you'll be able to launch one more raid against the carriers.

[EuchreJack]

I'm a little worried that both sides had two carriers heavily wounded.  What if the Americans don't lose either carrier?

Good job on the Saratoga!