Part 420: Operational Report: 30/01/43

The Halibut comes under attack from some Japanese destroyers near Truk.



There is another raid on our Finschhafen troops. The troops lost are most likely from the ships damaged in yesterdays fighting.


There are several more raids as normal, then the Japanese send in some bombers unescorted.







Overnight, our carrier group runs into a couple of freighters, but the Captains of the support ships decide to leave them for the planes.



The Japanese launch another attack on our forces at Kwajalin, but there are now planes defending the island from our carriers, and we fend them off easily.



This leave the CAP for the carriers a little light, but the four planes we have seem to be able to deal with it.



Meanwhile, we continue to wreck havoc on the Japanese Merchant Marine.



Where the Japanese do have fighters, they continue to exact their revenge on our slow moving bombers.



Where they don't, its a once sided story.



This second phase of the battle is turning out to be much more costly for the Japanese than the first.



The afternoon attacks begin, and more Japanese ships see the spectre of our planes.



And the planes we are losing are easily replaced, unlike the Japanese cargo ships that are rapidly sinking in the area.



That's one less threat to our subs.



The slow battle for Kwajalein continues.







The Japanese try for Darwin again, with the normal results.







There is another attack on Akyab, this one causes no damage, and those damaged Japanese planes will be costing them a whole load of supplies to repair.



The beachhead collapses today, and the tanks units are sent retreating across the river, losing a large number of their tanks in the process. With the main force at 43 of 46 miles, this is especially galling.







The Kiangtu battle continues.




As does the fighting around Chuhsien.









Another good day, the arrival of our carriers has defiantly caught the Japanese by surprise, and we;re reaping the benefits. I'm afraid the Battle for the Marshall Islands won't be over in a month, as I'd originally planned, but I'm still hoping to have them all by the end of February.



I have to say that is a beautiful sight, as is the 44 planes shot down today.