16 February 1942
Aircraft losses mount as chaos envelops the Java Sea
Java Sea
Forget Surabaya. This area is too hot, if the Yorktown stops there they'll just attack the base until they get her. We're going west.
One of my ASW groups detected a submarine ahead of the Yorktown's PIM and prosecuted it. We didn't get any hits but at least the sub was on the defensive. The Yorktown's escorts would later spot it and also failed to hit, but again, the sub wasn't able to attack.
At Balikpapan, the tenders and merchants in base sortied to try to escape to Surabaya, as the PTs drifted about without fuel. A small cruiser-destroyer task force took down the PTs and an AG, an ADP, and 3 AKLs, while Betty bombers from the north side of the island sank most of the escaping tenders.
As for airstrikes:
7 SBDs and 6 TBDs (Yorktown's) vs the Kongo's group - the SBDs ran into LRCAP Zeroes, 5 SBDs shot down, the rest aborted. The TBDs slipped in below and shot at the Kongo, but missed.
Vs. Makassar airbase: 9 139WH3-9, 5 Hudsons, and 8 B-17s. Ran into stiff reistance from Zeroes and a few Oscars (fine by me, less defending their fleets). The medium bombers were wiped out, 2 Hudsons made it to the base but didn't hit anything. One B-17 was shot down, and they took out one Zero with their defensive guns, but also failed to hit anything.
Lexington CVW (28 SBD, 8 TBD) vs Kongo group: Zeroes avoided our fighters and shot down 3 SBDs. 2 bomb hits on Kongo, it's armor is soaking most of the damage.
Yorktown TBDs (6) from Surabaya vs Kongo group: slipped in under the Zeroes, no hits
Lexington CVW (23 SBD, 13 TBD) vs Kongo group: Zeroes once again avoided my fighters, shooting down 4 SBD and 2 TBD. No hits. These TBDs were carrying bombs--Lexington must be out of torps for them.
Sumatra
The task force at Palembang is just a single CL. It sank an AKL and suffered at least 3 air attacks (medium bombers, Wirraway light bombers) without damage.
Malaya
The CL from Sumatra made its way all the way up to Singapore and tried to attack motor launches on ASW duty, which retreated safely to harbor.
Hawaii
BB bombardments and air attacks finished off a transport, cruiser, and patrol gunboat.
It appears that the KB is back. The attacking aircraft included 26 Kates. At least one carrier.
Japan
In what must be the most overkill recorded so far this game, the USS Trout sank a cargo ship in the Kyushu-Okinawa gap. It attacked on the surface, striking the ship with multiple dud Mk14s before closing to machine gun range, where it severely damaged the ship with is main gun, AA gun, and a .50 cal. Then fired more torpedoes, scoring 3 hits on the probably-doomed ship with Mk14s that managed to detonate.
Coral Sea
I stopped CAPing Milne to improve my strength at Port Moresby. Didn't work, the Oscars came and shot down 3 P-40s with only one loss.
China
In the northern area, I have an army that's been retreating since failing to take an enemy base early in the war. The territory is mountainous so movement has been slow. They're getting bombed daily. I just noticed that a base force as arrived at a base close enough to help them, so I moved some I-15 fighters over to there hoping to catch some unescorted bombers. And they did, but these old planes were so crappy they failed to shoot anyone down.
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