Part 552: Operational Report: 11/06/43

The Snapper tries to help out cutting the Rabaul supply line, but she has been issued with dud torpedoes, and can do nothing.



The Betties try and hit our troop ships again, but today our carriers are in range, and we bloody their noses for them.



Our own dive bombers need fear no fighters however.



More bombs rain onto the enemy positions at Rabaul, but we only get a few reports of casualties from the 15 or so units reported to be in the area.



The carrier based planes find a destroyer and hit her hard with one bomb.



It does seem that the task force that made it Rabaul was a bit bigger than I thought.



That's two confirmed sinkings, and many more ships that are unlikely to make it home.

The afternoon rolls around, and we start to do it all over again.



Our carrier based force finds much fewer ships this time, meaning most of the morning group has sunk.



We at least confirm four ships sunk. The others we shall learn about over the next few months.



We don't forget that destroyer either.





One of our supply convoys to Australia passes to close to Java, and it sunk.



These guys have been doing this route for a year – why did they change course now?





Somehow, our men at Nanyang hold out for another day, and even inflict more damage than they take. The bulk of the enemy force does not attack today however, and tomorrow may well bring the crushing retreat I am expecting here.









We net a good haul of ships, and this brings us two hundred points closer to the Japanese score. A few more days like this and we'd be laughing.



Well, I could do without losing the supply ships, but the Japanese losses have been much heavier. Any survivors will have a rough time of it tomorrow as well.