Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
ORIGINAL: DOCUP
Java, bomb the troops in the open. The Jap paratroopers look like some easy targets. But watch out he might be LRCAPing from Makassar or somewhere else.
ORIGINAL: ctangus
1/18/42
Java
...
And then Force Z encounters those destroyers. I'm thinking if this is all that's covering the transports then I'm golden! However the engagement starts with a long lance slamming into Repulse. And another long lance. And another... Repulse ate 6 torps in all. Glug! DD Scout was also hit by a torpedo and sank. DD Thanet was hit by 5 shells and left burning heavily. The 4 IJN DDs each took one small shell hit apiece.
Oof!
With the IJN screen out of position mauling Force Z the Houston TF does manage to get through to some transports. First a small TF (1 PB & 3xAK) is encountered and after multiple shell hits two xAKs are left heavily on fire. 445 dead troops were reported floating in the water. The USN then encounters 3 IJN DMS and promptly sinks all 3. Another small transport TF is encountered the 1 PB is sunk and the one xAK is lit on fire (38 casualties). A third larger transport TF is briefly engaged. Of 3 escorts & 13 transports there is only one shell hit on one xAK.
As dawn breaks the Destroyer Division of Doom finally catches up with the Houston & company:
Day Time Surface Combat, near Banjoewangi at 57,107, Range 14,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Natsushio
DD Hagikaze, Shell hits 1
DD Michishio
DD Umikaze
Allied Ships
CA Houston
DD Edsall, Shell hits 11, heavy fires, heavy damage SINKS
DD John D. Edwards, Shell hits 17, heavy fires, heavy damage SINKS
DD Parrott, Shell hits 6
DD Whipple, Shell hits 10, heavy fires, heavy damage SINKS
Those !@#^%$*@ destroyers weren't done yet. They caught one Force Z's cripples & her escort:
Day Time Surface Combat, near Pamekasan at 58,106, Range 14,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Natsushio
DD Hagikaze
DD Michishio
DD Umikaze, Shell hits 2
Allied Ships
DD Thanet, Shell hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage SINKS
DD Express, Shell hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage SINKS
Bunch of sub/ASW attacks in the area too but nothing conclusive.
Known ships sunk from the battle:
Allies:
1 BC (Repulse)
3 RN DDs
3 USN DDs (4-stackers)
IJN:
1 PB
3 DMS
...
ORIGINAL: guytipton41
Results like this are enough to drive you to drink. In fact I'll drink a beer right now start the process.
Was the Houston out of ammo?
ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
One 8" hit to do in a DD? Maybe some of the smaller ones but not the Kageros [10 VP value]. I had CAs Australia and Canberra surprise four Kageros at night and lay on heavy broadsides on two or them before they could respond. It took three 8" hull piercing hits each before the DDs reached the "On Fire" level of damage [heavy smoke but dull flame in the replay]. Five or six hits got them up to Heavy Fires [bright flame/heavy smoke] and 13-14 hits to sink them outright. They may have sunk after a time with just the five or six hits because of poor damage control, but it shows just how tough they are to start with!
As for Houston, Allied gunnery in the early part of the game is often quite poor and DDs are very agile. OTOH, four-stacker DDs are very fragile - I have lost several to fires from single 5" hits! [:(]
ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
If your troops can fight him in a hex adjacent to the border and force him to retreat across it, you get some help from the Russians! That would be a game changer!
You could say your B-17s kicked him in the Aso ...[:D]ORIGINAL: ctangus
Morning Air attack on Port Moresby , at 98,130
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 19
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
xAK France Maru, Bomb hits 1
CA Ashigara, Bomb hits 3, on fire [:)]
xAK Eiko Maru #2, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Siraha Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAKL Kakyu Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Aso Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
Japanese ground losses:
12 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Port hits 9
Port supply hits 2
ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
You could say your B-17s kicked him in the Aso ...[:D]
