[Molon Labe]

23 March 1943

CENTPAC
Wasp was abandoned overnight, as the fires could not be brought under control.

The Taiho's CVBG continued to attack the Wasp's battlegroup. I had actually hoped the cruisers could get into a surface battle as the task forces were pretty close, but we failed to find them at night, and once the sun was up, the planes were flying..
CA Pensacola, Bomb hits 2, on fire
--CA Pensacola, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
CA Wichita, Bomb hits 1, on fire
--CA Wichita, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CA Indianapolis, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
--CA Indianapolis, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CL Cleveland, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Radford, Bomb hits 1, on fire
...with at least 3 Jills and 4 Vals shot down by flak.

They also attacked Wake, sinking a minesweeper there, while losing 3 Zeroes and 2 Vals to the few Wildcats and P-40s we were able to put up.

Indian Ocean
USS Hoe was depth charged for moderate damage near Diego Garcia and will have to put in for repairs.


Burma
We bagged 3 more Tojos near Tyang Gy.


Japan
USS Halibut was depth charged by a subchaser near Yokohama and severely damaged. It's returning to base.



24 March 1943
D-Day: Java

Java
I've opened a new front. Our primary landing was at Tjilatjap with a secondary at Djokjakarta. Resistance so far is light. What's ashore already or soon will be:

192nd Tank Battalion
194th Tank Battalion
Americal Infantry Division
41st Infantry Division
32nd Infantry Division
147th Infantry Regiment
201st Infantry Regiment
148th Infantry Regiment
129th Infantry Regiment
161st Infantry Regiment
Rifles of Canada Battalion
...a whole lot of base forces and engineers

12th Fighter squadron (25 P-40K Warhawks)
15th FG/25th Squadron (25 P-40K Warhawks)
VF-8 (Hornet's Wildcat squadron, 36 F4F-4)
VMF-122 (18 F4F-4)
VMF-213 (18 F4F-4)
VT-5 (18 Avengers; Yorktown's)
VB-5 (36 SBDs; Yorktown's)
VT-8 (18 Avengers, Hornet's)

The Avengers are actually flying in from Australia, the rest of these are being delivered by cargo ships--most of them dedicated aircraft transports.

I have a total of 5 CVEs providing air cover to these landings while we consolidate control over Java's airbases so that the above squadrons can actually start flying. I've pre-placed minefields in the straits on both sides of Java to deal with any surface response, I also have a heavy covering force, plus 3 of the CVEs have Avengers ready for naval strike missions.


CENTPAC
2 enemy subs tried to penetrate the harbor at Wake; 1 hit 3 mines, the other just one.

And of course, the Taiho is just having a field day with my retreating ships.
CA Wichita, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
--CA Wichita, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CA Pensacola, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
DD Aylwin, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
DD Dewey, Bomb hits 1, on fire

A Zero sweep on Wake resulted in 2 Zeroes and 3 Wildcats downed.