Part 419: Operational Report: 29/01/43

Another Japanese tanker has a narrow escape from our submarines.







A large scale fighter battle develops over Finschhafen. Unfortunately for us, the Japanese pilots have the best of this, and we lose four planes to their one.



This is followed by an even larger raid, but the few bombers that follow it in are unable to get any hits, and the Leander's flak guns claim a kill.



There are three more attacks like this, and we lose a destroyer in one of them.



Planes from the Akagi are definitely the largest threat in the region.







One of our transport groups comes under attack on its return journey to Pearl, but no hits are scored on it.



Our own carrier based aircraft are much more efficient.



They know their job, and there is little in the way of fighter support left to protect the Japanese ships desperately trying to resupply and reinforce the remaining islands.



There are enough to cause problems to unescorted bombers though, this time they fail to catch our planes until after the bombing run however.



There are still enough planes in the area for an attack on our carriers, but none of these planes seem to be any real threat beyond a lucky hit.



Our planes continue to hunt in the afternoon, and continue to wreck the Japanese ships they find.



This is like shooting fish in a barrel.



We hit an unexpectedly fierce pocket of resistance in Mili.







Akyab is hit once more.







The Japanese don't attack at Kiangtu today, so we pay them a visit ourselves.









That was a brutal day, but one we came out ahead on, taking into account the fog of war. We picked up another two ships form the beginning of the year as well today.



Time to start reloading the men bound for Kwajalien.