Air Losses: 2 Japanese, 2 Allied, 2 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy: Ailinglaplap(auto0
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:
Subs
No significant action.
2 Days ago a PB was badly damaged in the Celebes Sea. It is in an escort task force with home port and destination set to Jolo. In 2 days it has failed to move. In the operations log this message appears six times "Escort TF 60 diverted to Jolo for emergency repairs". It appears as though every damage control phase it is producing this message and resetting progress towards Jolo even though it is already supposed to be heading that way. Anyone else seen this? I'll try and add something else to the Task force and see if it can help.
Marshalls
Quiet
Solomons, etc.
Bombardment task forces hit Buin and Shortlands at night. Neither base has anything significant present. Also an SCTF heads for Kavieng (or was it mine-laying?) but my ASW and support task forces have moved back to safety. Of the various forces on naval attack only 4 Betty manage to find a target, CA Australia, and all miss.
By morning Allied task forces have all withdrawn.
Burma area
Bombarding of Warazup continues. The isolated defenders of Paoshan, trapped near Myitkyina, start surrendering.
China
Continuing attacks, more Chinese surrender. In total, pick up 112 land VP for the turn.
Australia
Quiet
Engineering
Billiton to 1 (this will be an ASW base), Sorong to 4 (a lynch-pin for North-West New Guinea), Dili to 4 (part of the Koepang complex).
R&D
Ki-43-IV to 11/43.
Reinforcements
SC CHa-15
SigInt
Unusual sigint for the day;
Heavy Volume of Radio transmissions detected at 213,73.
Radio transmissions detected at Townsville (92,144).
Heavy Volume of Radio transmissions detected at Bombay (36,24).
Radio transmissions detected at Nauru Island (127,128).
Heavy Volume of Radio transmissions detected at 213,73.
Radio transmissions detected at 213,73.
That is three radio leaks from "213,73" which is a point in the ocean 240 nautical miles WSW from San
Francisco. Looks like a big convoy with some poor radio discipline. A Japanese sub is 80 nautical miles in the direct track from San Francisco and will try for the intercept.