November 7, 1942
And again my CL SCTF reacts a good distance, from Torokina to Milne Bay, with a stop near Woodlark Island
A sub sinks a DMS, but we demolish the sub.
ASW attack near Woodlark Island at 105,132
Japanese Ships
SS I-8, hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
Allied Ships
DMS Wasmuth, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
CL Caledon
CL Achilles
DD Gwin
DD Sims
DD Monssen
DD Grayson
SS I-8 launches 2 torpedoes at DMS Wasmuth
DD Sims fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Monssen fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Grayson attacking submerged sub ....
Debris floats to surface in area of attack!
Escort abandons search for sub
Then at Milne Bay
Day Time Surface Combat, near Milne Bay at 101,133, Range 16,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
PB Keijo Maru, Shell hits 38, and is sunk
Allied Ships
CL Leander
CL Achilles
CL Perth
CL Glasgow
CL Caledon
DD Meredith
DD Gwin
DD Grayson
DD Monssen
DD Sims
DMS Elliot
Japanese ground losses:
290 casualties reported
Squads: 9 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 1 disabled
Not really a big sinking, but again the RF reacted 9 hexes.
Xargun put up so Tojos over Kavieng and it cost us some aircraft
We lost 1 Corsair , 6 SBD-3s and 7 B-25Bs in air-2-air combat, but did manage to shoot down 7 Tojos.
In total I lost 23 aircraft to his 11, such is life.
But one thing I did notice is this
Morning Air attack on TF, near Kavieng at 106,122
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 20
Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 17
SBD-3 Dauntless x 30
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 5 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1 Corsair: 1 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 3 destroyed, 13 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak
Japanese Ships
BB Nagato
BB Yamashiro
BB Mutsu
CA Takao
I have to prepare for a Naval Bombardment, I have a number of good BBs at both Shortlands and Torokina.
I hope they do well
Another thing he will not be expecting is my DS 2 Hexes South of Rabaul. If any of his BBs are damaged the DS will have its chance
It does contain 45 Avengers with British torpedoes, they work. And it will be in range of Kavieng, which I am sweeping with some
Corsairs from Torokina.
More squads destroyed at Akyab. More bombing at Rabaul.