AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR May 04, 42 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on 2nd Base Force, at 99,126 (Lae) Weather in hex: Thunderstorms Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 21,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 5 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 5 Allied aircraft Wirraway x 9 No Japanese losses Allied aircraft losses Wirraway: 6 destroyed, 1 damaged Aircraft Attacking: 1 x Wirraway bombing from 15000 feet Ground Attack: 2 x 100 lb GP Bomb CAP engaged: Tainan Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling) (1 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 1 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 20000 , scrambling fighters to 20000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 11 minutes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR May 05, 42 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR May 06, 42 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Shortlands at 109,131 Weather in hex: Light rain Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 6 minutes Allied aircraft F4F-3 Wildcat x 6 SBD-3 Dauntless x 14 No Allied losses Japanese Ships xAKL Koei Maru, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk PB Tama Maru #8, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk Aircraft Attacking: 6 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000' Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb 8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 10000' Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAKL Koei Maru -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR May 07, 42 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Deboyne Islands at 106,142 Weather in hex: Overcast Raid detected at 100 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 37 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 18 B5N2 Kate x 35 D3A1 Val x 33 Allied aircraft F4F-3 Wildcat x 15 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed B5N2 Kate: 1 damaged B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak D3A1 Val: 2 damaged Allied aircraft losses F4F-3 Wildcat: 2 destroyed Allied Ships CV Lexington, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage CA Minneapolis, Torpedo hits 1 DD Dewey, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk CA New Orleans, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk DD Phelps Aircraft Attacking: 4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000' Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb 14 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo 8 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000' Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb 19 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo 8 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000' Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb 4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000' Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb 5 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000' Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb 4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000' Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb CAP engaged: VF-2 with F4F-3 Wildcat (0 airborne, 10 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 5 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 11000 , scrambling fighters between 11000 and 16000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 23 minutes Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Lexington -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Deboyne Islands at 106,142 Weather in hex: Overcast Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 32 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 5 B5N1 Kate x 6 Allied aircraft F4F-3 Wildcat x 4 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed B5N1 Kate: 2 damaged No Allied losses Allied Ships CA Minneapolis, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage CV Lexington, heavy fires, heavy damage Aircraft Attacking: 6 x B5N1 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo CAP engaged: VF-2 with F4F-3 Wildcat (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) 4 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 11000 , scrambling fighters between 13000 and 17000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 20 minutes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Deboyne Islands at 103,137 Weather in hex: Partial cloud Raid detected at 30 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 11 minutes Japanese aircraft A5M4 Claude x 2 A6M2 Zero x 22 Allied aircraft F4F-3 Wildcat x 6 SBD-3 Dauntless x 28 TBD-1 Devastator x 10 Japanese aircraft losses A5M4 Claude: 1 destroyed Allied aircraft losses F4F-3 Wildcat: 2 destroyed SBD-3 Dauntless: 4 destroyed, 8 damaged SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak TBD-1 Devastator: 4 destroyed Japanese Ships CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires CV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage DD Ushio DD Shigure CA Myoko, Bomb hits 1, on fire Aircraft Attacking: 10 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000' Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb 9 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000' Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb 9 x TBD-1 Devastator bombing from 14000 feet * Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb SAP Bomb 4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000' Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb 4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000' Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb CAP engaged: EII-1 Daitai with A6M2 Zero (6 airborne, 3 on standby, 0 scrambling) (6 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 6 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters to 15000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 7 minutes 6 planes vectored on to bombers EIII-1 Chutai with A6M2 Zero (3 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (3 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 3 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 15000 Raid is overhead 1 planes vectored on to bombers EIII-2 Chutai with A5M4 Claude (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (2 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 2 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 10000 Raid is overhead EI-1 Daitai with A6M2 Zero (10 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (7 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 10 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 15000 Raid is overhead 7 planes vectored on to bombers Fuel storage explosion on CV Shokaku Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Shokaku