Part 128: Operational Report: 13/04/42

The Dolphin makes a surface attack on a freighter, but ends up putting a fish into her and calling it a night.







The Noumea invasion force continues to get hammered by our defensive guns.



We're making this expensive for them at least.
Of course that pales to what happens later in the day, when the Formidable arrives in the area and makes her presence known.







The Yorktown is now anchored off Wake, and sends her planes out over the ocean to cause some havoc.



They hit in several waves, and cause some nice losses to the enemy.



On the ground, our troops mop up the few remaining troops that were landed by the invasion force.







For some reason, our Blenheim bombers make an attack on Akyab, but most of them get shot down by the two squadrons of defending bombers.



We also take losses when we send some Lysanders across later in the day.



Our invasion force reaches Diego Garcia, and storm ashore.



Onto an empty island. We lose many men in the landing, all from accidents and miscommunication that always come from inexperienced and over enthusiastic men.





Sinyang has been quiet for a few days, as the enemy has readied themselves for a massed assault.



Unfortunately for them, that's also given us the time we've needed to rest our men, and most of the attacking force is killed.

On the south coast, near Foochow, one of our advancing units runs into an enemy force.



Although south of Chuhsien our men run into a reinforced enemy unit, and take some losses.



While in the north we push the enemy out of Chengchow.









Another good day for us, we take out a few more ships, and get another confirmed kill on a freighter from February. We also retake two bases, and don't lose one, so this is one of the few days of the war so far that the Japanese Empire has decreased in size.



Port Blair is off Rangoon, and while it would be useful as an air base, its to close to the main land to be properly supplied.



My main worry comes just off Wake.



How this has been missed until now I won't know. But I'm going to respond by sallying the cruisers our to meet the ships, hopefully we can overwhelm the cruiser escort and sink the carrier before it can get any planes into the air.

This could get interesting.