5 March 1943
CENTPAC
USS Stingray was spotted by a cruiser-destroyer group in the Mariannas and depth charged, sustaining significant damage. It's returning to base for repairs. At least we got a good contact report out of it: CA Aoba, CA Maya, CL Oi, CL Oyodo, 7 destroyers. So these guys, plus a CVBG, are probably defending the Marianas.
Solomons
We lost a patrol boat tender as it tried to relocate from Rossel Island to Shortlands. An enemy sub spotted it and torpedoed it multiple times from the surface.
Banda Sea
I raided Dili, Timor with Navy Liberator bombers (following a P-38 sweep--no one greeted them) after recon reported a destroyer in harbor there. The 12 Liberators scored a single 500-lb hit on the destroyer, setting it on fire. I do not expect this to be a kill--although it is likely the reason that destroyer was there was because it needed repairs after being bombed/strafed near Babar.
I sent a P-38 sweep to the large enemy base at Koepang, Timor, where they shot down an Oscar and a Nick, no losses. Recon is reporting many ships at harbor there, including troop transports, with about 30 fighters at base. I'll be sweeping them in greater force tomorrow--with the Navy Liberators and Aussie B-25s following behind to try to hit those ships.
B-26 raids resumed on Babar to little effect. No enemy CAP.
Bay of Bengal
Enemy troops (16th Division) came ashore in Addu, the next island base in the chain north of Diego Garcia. We got ridiculously fortuntate in this engagement--despite the troops benefiting from suppressing fire from the Hyuga and 5 cruisers, our base's 6" gun batteries scored hits on 2 cruisers and 6 transports. 5 of those transports were set on fire, one severely. As a result of this, the troops were unable efficiently disembark to make an effective attack and suffered 262 casualties on the beach. They'll probably still take the base tomorrow.
An enemy carrier fleet is still present and looks to be acting as a blocking force to make sure the British fleet doesn't come down on rain on their parade. The scouts, unreliable in their classifications as ever, seem to be reporting a smaller carrier fleet though. It's possible one or two detached.
__________________
|