Part 93: Operational Report: 09/03/42

Operations Report 09/03/1942



The Japanese sail another invasion force into Batavia harbour, there the gunners defending the port open up with much economy, firing eight shots at the approaching ship and getting eight hits.



Further damage later on causes this task force to abandon trying to unload troops into the harbour, and the enemy send in some smaller warships to try and suppress our guns.



That goes poorly. This is then followed by an artillery barrage that kills 400 of our men.

Kopang is hit again, this is now a daily raid, and we seem to lose a parked plane every day, but there is no where to move them without using a ship, and ships are more valuable than the aged bombers we are losing here.



The enemy then lands troops later in the day to try and invade, just as Intel told us they would.


The long awaited assault on Port Moresby may be around the corner, as the enemy occupy the empty Rossell Island at the tip of the Peninsula. This will most likely be their jump off point for any moves both north and south, and I cannot let them hold on to it.



The enemy also launch their invasion of Sumatra, landing troops in its northern most town today.









What? NO!
Once more, the enemy manages to get a torpedo into on of our precious carriers! The destroyer escort was not enough to prevent the Japanese captain from lining up his sights on one of the most valuable ships in the US Navy.





This is followed by another heart in mouth moment.



A Japanese carrier, most likely the Akagi again, has moved back to wake, she sends out a wave of fighters and bombers at the Enterprise, but luckily for us, a on the ball CAP manages to get past the fighter escort with only a few losses and slaughter the attacking bombers. Only one plane makes and attack on the Enterprise, but its enough after the hit on the Horneta few minutes before.
This is followed by a raid by land based bombers out of Rio-Namur, again only one plane makes its attack, but its enough to get me jittery.







Zamboganga falls to the enemy today, unsurprisingly.









Grumble grumble bloody submarines grumble.

Well, that could have been an atrocious day, three strikes on our carriers and nothing in reply. The Hornet is now making her way back to port.



Somehow, the enemy must be finding out when our carriers are leaving San Diego for Pearl Harbour, first the Saratogaand now this.

Oddly enough, today saw no ships sunk on either side, which is a rarity.




The Enterprise and the Yorktown are both being sent north to Wake to see if they can catch whatever ship launched those Vals – she will be down on planes now after those losses today, and we may be able to get a confirmed carrier kill.

I also order some men in Sydney to start planning for an invasion of Rossel Island, I don't want the enemy in charge of such and strategic point threatening my supply lines.



To that end, I'm also despatching the cruisers Huston, Leander and Achilles to the island to mop up any remainders of the invasion force.