26 Février 1943....
Ce n'est pas toujours la fête.... bien que la journée commence plutôt bien... Un petit tanker de moins pour le japon.
Sub attack near Siquijor at 77,87
Japanese Ships
TK Kaijo Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PB Kantori Maru
TK Moji Maru
TK Kozui Maru
PB Kozan Maru
Allied Ships
SS KXVI
Le reste des hostilités, pour une fois se passe entre Port Moreby et Rabaul, avec une visite surprise du KB qui attaque notre flotte en cours de débarquement de 3 unités NZ:
15th NZ Brigade, 3rd NZ Division HQ - Corps et 3rd NZ Armoured Sqn composé de Stuart I & Geneal lee, bien suffisant pour reprendre le nord de la Guinée.
Bien sur je m'attendais a une attaque du KB... Et j'avais mis toute ma chasse en couverture
le premier raid vient frapper ma flotte de transport. for heureusement les principaux transports, à l'exception du xAP President Coolidge, sont déjà partis vers l’Australie.
Ma couverture est composée de 85 chasseurs, dont seulement 7 Corsair....
Le japonais lui arrive avec pas moi de 95 chasseurs et 90 Bombardiers....
Une lutte sans merci oppose les deux forces au dessus de Terapo. Plusieurs appareils seront détruit de chaque coté... mais les bombardiers attaquent en bon ordre et coulent de nombreux navires....
Morning Air attack on TF, near Terapo at 96,127
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 17 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 27
A6M3a Zero x 65
B5N2 Kate x 39
D3A1 Val x 53
Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk IA x 9
Kittyhawk III x 16
Spitfire Vc Trop x 9
P-39D Airacobra x 13
F4F-3 Wildcat x 18
F4F-4 Wildcat x 18
F4U-1 Corsair x 7
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
A6M3a Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed, 4 damaged
D3A1 Val: 6 destroyed, 2 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk IA: 1 destroyed
Kittyhawk III: 3 destroyed
P-39D Airacobra: 2 destroyed
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
xAK Crown City, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
AM Bunbury, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Ellaroo, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP President Coolidge, Torpedo hits 6, and is sunk
PG Charleston, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Mana, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
xAK George H. Williams, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
xAP Rochussen, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk
xAK Admiral Halstead, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Willimoto
Allied ground losses:
Guns lost 5 (4 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Vehicles lost 13 (4 destroyed, 9 disabled)
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
5 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 9000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
10 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
10 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
20 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
6 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
8 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
5 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
3 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
2 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
CAP engaged:
VF-3 with F4F-3 Wildcat (18 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
18 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 16000.
Raid is overhead
VMF-121 with F4F-4 Wildcat (6 airborne, 12 on standby, 0 scrambling)
6 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 18000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 29 minutes
VMO-251 with F4U-1 Corsair (2 airborne, 5 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 23000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 27 minutes
No.24 Sqn RAAF Det with Spitfire Vc Trop (2 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 15000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 16 minutes
No.75 Sqn RAAF with Kittyhawk IA (9 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
9 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 3000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 3000.
Raid is overhead
No.76 Sqn RAAF with Kittyhawk III (5 airborne, 11 on standby, 0 scrambling)
5 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 3000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 23 minutes
No.54 Sqn RAF with Spitfire Vc Trop (3 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 17000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 17000.
Raid is overhead
8th FG/80th FS with P-39D Airacobra (13 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
13 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 3000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 3000.
Raid is overhead
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAP Rochussen
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Ellaroo
Un deuxième raid quasiment aussi puissant que le premier arrivera, mais cette fois mes Corsairs arrivent à attaquer les Zéro et vont revendiquer à 7, 8 A6M3 détruits! Belle performance.. Dommage que j'en ai si peu... pour le moment. Cette fois l'intervention de mes chasseurs est un demi-succès. Mais le reste de mes navires est coulé.
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Terapo at 96,127
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid spotted at 38 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 22
A6M3a Zero x 65
B5N2 Kate x 50
D3A1 Val x 23
Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk IA x 8
Kittyhawk III x 4
Spitfire Vc Trop x 9
P-39D Airacobra x 9
F4F-3 Wildcat x 20
F4F-4 Wildcat x 16
F4U-1 Corsair x 7
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
A6M3a Zero: 8 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 4 destroyed, 3 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk III: 1 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
PG Charleston, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
xAK George H. Williams, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAP Diomed, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Willimoto, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Mana, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
Allied ground losses:
Vehicles lost 6 (4 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Bon finalement cette journée ce fini par la prise de Wau, première base re-capturé dans le secteur par la 5th Australian Division & 30th Australian Brigade. Objectif Madang plus au nord.
Ground combat at Wau (98,126)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 12206 troops, 119 guns, 196 vehicles, Assault Value = 394
Defending force 1538 troops, 19 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 63
Allied adjusted assault: 584
Japanese adjusted defense: 19
Allied assault odds: 30 to 1 (fort level 0)
Allied forces CAPTURE Wau !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), op mode(-), preparation(-), fatigue(-)
Attacker: shock(+)
Japanese ground losses:
287 casualties reported
Squads: 16 destroyed, 34 disabled
Non Combat: 13 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 8 (4 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 1
Allied ground losses:
52 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
5th Australian Division
30th Australian Brigade
Defending units:
Sasebo 5th SNLF
Bilan, 11 Navires perdus, 1 seul gros xAP cependant (30PV).
26 chasseurs et 24 bombardiers du KB sont détruits, maigre consolation... Je me dit juste que vue la qauntité de pilote de l'IJN perdus, a un moment ca va vraiment faire défaut.