Part 125: Operational Report: 10/04/42

Despite being right next to the enemy carrier, our first strike goes at the troop transports.



We get several hit on them, and drown hundreds of Japanese soldiers.
The second wave of 14 Dauntless dive bombers hit the carrier task force, but only find the destroyer Amagiri – so they bomb her.



We the hit another troop transport.



In the afternoon, the enemy send some Betty's to attack the Yorktown, but the experienced Wildcat pilots make mincemeat of them.



The Enterprise is not so lucky.



She should still be seaworthy though, these ships are tough.
The Shokaku is then attacked by planes from the Yorktown.



Ten more hits, maybe this is enough to take her out of action, if not enough to sink her.
The Enterprise's planes strike the last remaining destroyer escort.







The invasion of Noumea begins again, and we manage to wreck up a patrol boat but not take out any of the invading troops.



A later bombardment hits the troop transport.






We lose Soerabaja today.



Ten thousand men go into captivity. But at least we know that we held out for longer than the historical forces did. - over a month in fact.
This has got to have put a major spanner in the Japanese plans, but it now means that all those troops are now free to move south.

In Borneo, we retake Samarinda, which the Japanese seem to have abandoned. The men who attack have been living out in the hills for a month now, so they will be looking forward to being back in a proper base.






There's little new that can be said about the battles in China, the enemy break against our forces like a wave.



We also push back an enemy force near Nanching, killing or capturing a large number of their men.









Well, from the operational losses on both sides, I think that the Shokaku had to ditch her planes – the Enterprise has ditched hers – but most of them have ended up on the Yorktown or at Wake.



Looking at the enterprise, she should be okay, she can still make a good speed and has only a few small fires. Her pumps are still working and I'll send her back to Pearl.
So no one gets shot today, but it was a close call.



But I suppose its one way to get planes to Wake. They should be useful in defending the island, and the Enterprise will restock hers at Pearl.
The Yorktown will continue to operate, she should be able to take down the damaged Shokaku on her own, then I will pull her back to Pearl.

The Invasion of Noumea will be answered, as well as preparing for an attack on Luganville.



The Formidable is in Sydney, and will head out with all the spare warships to the island. She should be a match for whatever they have in the area.