08 août 1942
Les opérations ennemies de débarquement se déroulent à Lunga et Tulagi sans aucune opposition...
Pre-Invasion action off Lunga
13 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
DD Blue
AP Hunter Liggett, Shell hits 4
DD Henley
Allied ground losses:
15 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
DD Blue firing at 13th Naval Construction Battalion
8cm 41YT DP Gun Coastal Battery engaging AP Hunter Liggett at 12,000 yards
DD Henley fires to suppress enemy troops at 12,000 yards
8cm 41YT DP Gun Coastal Battery engaging AP Hunter Liggett at 12,000 yards
DD Henley fires to suppress enemy troops at 12,000 yards
Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft
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Amphibious Assault at Lunga
TF 143 troops unloading over beach at Lunga, 114,138
Allied ground losses:
26 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 14 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 4 (0 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Vehicles lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)
LVT(A)1 Amphib Tank accidentally lost during unload of 1st USMC Amphb Tank Bn /2
12 Support troops lost overboard during unload of 1st USMC/1st Rgt /5
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Pre-Invasion action off Tulagi
6 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
DMS Hovey
DMS Southard
APD Little
APD Colhoun
DMS Hovey firing at enemy troops
DMS Southard firing at enemy troops
APD Little firing at enemy troops
APD Colhoun firing at enemy troops
Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft
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Amphibious Assault at Tulagi
TF 147 troops unloading over beach at Tulagi, 114,137
Allied ground losses:
33 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled)
13 troops of a USMC Rifle Squad 41 lost in surf during unload of 2nd USMC/2nd Rgt /3
5 troops of a US MMG Section accidentally lost during unload of 1st USMC Raider Bn
5 troops of a US MMG Section lost in surf during unload of 1st USMC Raider Bn
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Invasion Support action off Lunga - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
14 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
DD Henley, Shell hits 1
DMS Zane
Japanese ground losses:
7 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Allied ground losses:
6 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
DD Henley firing at 81st Naval Guard Unit
DD Henley firing at enemy troops
Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft
Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft
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Invasion Support action off Tulagi
7 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
DMS Hovey
DMS Southard
APD Little
APD Colhoun
DMS Hovey firing at enemy troops
DMS Southard firing at enemy troops
APD Little firing at enemy troops
APD Colhoun firing at enemy troops
Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft
Dans les airs, nos missions de harcèlement de la 30th brigade australienne se poursuivent dans d'excellentes conditions. Les chasseurs alliés qui sont opposés à nos chasseurs d'escorte ne peuvent les challenger. 5 P-39 et 1 Kittyhawk seront abattus alors que nos bombardiers parviennent sur l'objectif sans dommage. Malheureusement au retour de la mission 2 Zeros vont s'écraser à l'atterissage mais leurs pilotes ne seront que bléssés et après des soins pourront reprendre le combat.
L'ennemi a dépêché en urgence 2 nouvelles escadrilles US de P-39 à PM. Ils ne sont pas de taille face aux Zeros!!! Cela risque de se transformer en tir aux pigeons...
Même si les pertes des unités au sol sont faibles, leur niveau de fatigue devrait monter de manière à rendre inneffective une partie de leurs unités.
Morning Air attack on 30th Australian Brigade, at 99,130
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid spotted at 41 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 17
A6M3 Zero x 10
G4M1 Betty x 25
Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk IA x 5
P-39D Airacobra x 15
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 1 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 2 destroyed
Allied ground losses:
4 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
25 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
5 x A6M3 Zero sweeping at 14000 feet *
9 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 13000 feet
CAP engaged:
No.76 Sqd RAAF with Kittyhawk IA (5 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(5 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
5 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 13000
Raid is overhead
35th FG/41st FS with P-39D Airacobra (6 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
6 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
8th FG/80th FS with P-39D Airacobra (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 9 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 19 minutes
Les forteresses volantes parties d'Australie et de Nouméa bombardent respectivement Buna, sans provoquer de dégât, et Lunga, générant quelques pertes...
Morning Air attack on Buna , at 99,129
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 18
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 damaged
Aircraft Attacking:
5 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 15000 feet *
Port Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
5 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 15000 feet *
Port Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
5 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 15000 feet *
Port Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
3 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 15000 feet *
Port Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
Morning Air attack on Lunga , at 114,138
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid spotted at 25 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 24
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
14 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 13
Aircraft Attacking:
6 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 10000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
6 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 10000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
6 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 10000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
6 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 10000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
Les débarquements se poursuivent tout le long de la journée à Lunga et Tulagi...
Invasion Support action off Lunga
Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft
7 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
AP Hunter Liggett, Shell hits 1
DD Henley
8cm 41YT DP Gun Coastal Battery engaging AP Hunter Liggett at 12,000 yards
DD Henley fires to suppress enemy troops at 12,000 yards
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Invasion Support action off Tulagi
9 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
DMS Hovey
DMS Southard
APD Little
APD Colhoun
Allied ground losses:
14 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
DMS Hovey firing at enemy troops
DMS Southard firing at enemy troops
APD Little firing at enemy troops
APD Colhoun firing at enemy troops
Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft
Le Groupe Horri continue ses bombardements en attendant l'ordre d'assaut des positions australiennes...
Ground combat at 99,130
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 6767 troops, 70 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 239
Defending force 3026 troops, 30 guns, 1 vehicles, Assault Value = 139
Assaulting units:
Yokoyama Tai
15th Engineer Regiment
144th Infantry Regiment
Horii Group
I/55 Mtn Gun Rgt
Defending units:
30th Australian Brigade
Le Groupe Horri est constitué des unités suivantes...et devrait être en mesure de venir à bout de la 30th brigade australienne.
To be continued