20 janvier 1943
Nos PT boat attaquent de nouveau et cette fois c'est la bonne! 3 Cargos touchés, beau bilan. on assistera a deux autres duels face à des flottes de combat et on perdra 6 PT boats de plus!
Night Time Surface Combat, near Dili at 70,115, Range 8,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Matsukaze
DD Hatakaze
DD Kuretake
SC Ch 26
SC Ch 27
AK Kumagawa Maru, Shell hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AK Noto Maru
AK Nissyu Maru, Torpedo hits 1
AK Huzikawa Maru
AK Keisyo Maru
AK Kotoku Maru
AK Kozui Maru, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
PB Naruto Maru #3
PB Tokotsu Maru
Allied Ships
PT-40
PT-42
PT-46
PT-47
PT-68
PT-77
PT-147
PT-150
PT-154
PT-155
PT-156, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-157, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
Japanese ground losses:
31 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Toujours dans le même secteur les opérations ariennes prennent le relai des PT...
Ici une bombe sur un cargo
Morning Air attack on TF, near Lomblen at 68,113
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid spotted at 10 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 27
Allied aircraft
P-38G Lightning x 8
PBY-5 Catalina x 8
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
P-38G Lightning: 2 destroyed
Japanese Ships
AK Keisyo Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Noto Maru
Mais pas loin d’ici va se dérouler un tragique combat.
j'avais amené des cuirrassés pour une intervention sur la flotte ennemie.... mais mon comparse m'a vue venir lors du passage proche de Port Moresby. et moi j'ai pas vu venir le KB.... Grosse désillusion, moi qui avait prévu une magnifique attaque.....
Le premier raid sera efficacement repoussé par mes chasseurs et ma Flak!
même si un de mes cuirassés prendra une torpille.
Morning Air attack on TF, near Bathurst Island at 77,121
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid detected at 116 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 49 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 25
A6M3a Zero x 35
B5N2 Kate x 26
Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk IA x 4
F4F-4 Wildcat x 20
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
A6M3a Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 12 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 3 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk IA: 1 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
Allied Ships
BB California
BB Indiana, Torpedo hits 1
Le deuxième raid sera sans conséquence... ouf
Morning Air attack on TF, near Bathurst Island at 77,121
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid detected at 37 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes
Japanese aircraft
D3A1 Val x 15
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 1
Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 7 damaged
D3A1 Val: 2 destroyed by flak
No Allied losses
Allied Ships
BB California, Bomb hits 2
Hum le troisième raid sera le bon pour le japonais... ma faible chasse ne pourra rien face aux trop nombreux appareils ennemis.
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Bathurst Island at 77,121
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid detected at 118 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 50 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 43
A6M3a Zero x 34
B5N2 Kate x 83
D3A1 Val x 94
Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk IA x 2
F4F-4 Wildcat x 11
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 17 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 2 destroyed by flak
D3A1 Val: 19 damaged
D3A1 Val: 4 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed
Allied Ships
BB Royal Sovereign, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 3, heavy damage
DD Drayton
BB California, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
BB Indiana, Bomb hits 8, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
CA Canberra
CL Boise
CL Achilles
CL Leander, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires
CA Wichita, Torpedo hits 1
DD Selfridge, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Frazier
DD Mugford, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Grayson
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring BB California
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring BB Indiana
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Mugford
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Selfridge
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring an Allied AMC
Et le BB California y passera aussi....
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Bathurst Island at 77,121
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid detected at 25 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes
Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 15
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 3 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
BB California, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Leander, heavy fires
DD Frazier
CL Achilles
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Bathurst Island at 77,121
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid detected at 28 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes
Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 17
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 2 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
OS2U-3 Kingfisher: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
BB California, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
CL Achilles
CL Leander, heavy fires
2 BB de plus au fond de l'eau et un destroyeur. Certes on se consolera comme on peut, avec 25 Kate et 18 Val détruits..... Sale journée encore une fois alors que je pensais mettre un coup d’arrêt aux opérations japonaises le lendemain, et surtout pourquoi ma reco n'a rien vu venir????? Ça me plombe un peu cet échec, heureusement c'est maintenant ponctuel ce type d'échec, je gère plutôt bien si je n'avais pas c'est bataille ou je perd des cuirrassés... Petit coup au moral...
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Grace à mon intel et aux ondes radars; j'arrive a mieux cibler les "routes commerciales nippones"! 
