AmiralLaurent
Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
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Thanks Leo, I myself enjoy writing it.
quote:
ORIGINAL: Sneer
I know Taiho cost a lot but is it really worth to stop her ?
it is best carrier in Japan arsenal in 43
With a comparable expense of naval points, Japan can have two Unryu class CV instead of the Taiho in 1943. I personnaly llike that better. More total capacity, more AC released with trained crews and two targets instead of one for Allied. I should say that if the Kido Butai is defeated before these carriers are finished, I may not finish them. They may be useful to reinforce an already powerful KB but useless if they are alone. No need to give the Allied more points.
Another part of my naval buidling programs is that I am planning a "short war" (automatic victory, even if I will continue the game if I achieve it, having won the first round). So ships that may be delivered in some months are accelerated before those that may be delivered later. Especially I accelerate all DD (and so had a Yugumo radar-equiped DD released in May 1942... and also some DD with Type 2 depth charges, the only efficient in Japanese arsenal).
4-5 June 1942
Central Pacific
On the 4 the I-122 was approaching her target, the entry of San Francisco port, when she was seen in the morning by a Coronado 120 miles west of the port. Her orders were to turn back to sea in such a case, as a minefield is only useful if surprise is kept. But she had more exceptionnal news to report in the evening, as she was attacked in the afternoon by a Catalina and … a Swordfish. Japanese intelligence officers are now arguing if this Swordfish may be a Canadian one, or it at least one British CV is in San Francisco. The last case will only be justified by Allied plans to take back Pearl Harbor.
Concerning this last threat, Glens and submarines had been unable to see any Allied ship or TF between the West Coast and Hawaii during these two days, so the alert level was lowered. PH had few aircraft and ships, but about 800 assault points, fortifications level 7 and thousand of mines protecting it. I feel rather secure about it, but IJNAF bombers received orders to increase naval search missions anyway.
The I-122 was not seen again on the 5 and received in the evening orders to sail to Seattle and lay mines here.
In the Pacific gap, the Allied convoy was found again on the 4 but too more south to be attacked and both CLs sailed NW to join the AO and refuel while submarines sailed north to form a patrol line that will provide advanced warining for the CLs.
Southern Pacific
Allied engineers expanded Auckland port to size 9. They are so nice to prepare this base before I took it…
During the night of the 3-4, the Japanese convoys sailed east of Suva and were seen by the SS Saury, that was chased by a PC and a DD before being able to attack. These convoys reached their turning point, 180 miles SE of Suva, in the morning, except two convoys that refueled escorts and were late and… the Kido Butai that didn’t receive any orders the previous evening and was still cruising NE of Suva. In the morning the SS S-36 was seen by the ASW group of 6 APD escorting the troop convoys and hit once by the APD-1. She then closed to a convoy but was chased by 1 DD, 3 PG and 1 PC, the last one dropping unsuccessfully depth charges. Shortly later, the SS S-44 was hit by a patrolling Val NE of Suva. In the late afternoon, the S-36 was again chased by the escort of a convoy and hit by the PC Ch 17.
During the day, no Allied aircraft flew from Suva while Japanese airmen reported ships off Nandi but without more details. Recon reported only 17 aircraft (2/9/6) in Suva.
More east, a part of the 5th NLF landed on the empty Ha’apai Island, a reef just east of Tongatapu, and occupied it, losing 13 casualties in the landing.
In the evening of the 4, all Japanese TF near Fiji received orders to sail to the hex just south of Fiji (SE of Nandi and SW of Suva), the landing being planned the next day in both places.
The next night, the damaged S-45 returning to Suva reported a Japanese surface TF sailing SW 60 miles E of Suva but was unable to attack, and was not found by the 7 DD searching her. At dawn all Japanese TF were in the targeted hex, except a convoy that was one hex late, SE of Suva. Japanese airmen found a variety of targets. In the morning, patrolling Vals sank off Suva the already damaged SS Sailfish with 2 bombs and also hit again the S-45 with two bombs. Another Val hit the SS S-44 180 miles NE of Suva. Allied AC flew again patrols from Suva and the CAP of the Kido Butai shot down 3 PBY and 1 Walrus during the day.
Patrols reported two damaged ships off Nandi, the TK A. C. Burtel (torpedoed on 10 May by a KB Kate) and the AP J. Franklin Bell (seriously hit by CLs on 31 May). Both were sunk, the first by 13 vals and 14 Kates, the second by 24 Vals and 5 Kates (that scored 4 torpedo hits). The AP was troop-laden, and probably around 2500 men were lost aboard it (troop score rose by 85 points for the turn, China gave less than 15 points). Probably she was the most damaged ship in the convoy action and sailed to the closest island to unload troops. She succeeded partly, as recon showed now two units on Nandi (but no more than 1000 more men than before).
More Allied ships were seen west of Fiji. A convoy of 3 AP escorted by 3 surface TF (3 BB, 2 CA, 1 DD / 10 CA / 9 CA) was reported 300 miles WSW of Nandi, too far to be attacked. The Dutch ML Gouden Leeuw was sadly for her closer, 180 miles SW of Nandi, and was in the morning the target of 52 Vals and 60 Kates escorted by 68 Zeroes, and quickly sunk (by the 9 first Vals… speak of overkill !). The only loss in the morning for the KB was a Zero that ditched while returning from this last raid.
The afternoon of the 5 began as the morning, with patrolling Vals sinking the badly hit SS S-45 off Suva and damaging another submarine, this time the S-31 120 miles E Suva. Finding no more floating targets in range, KB airmen then attacked the base of Suva. 16 Zeroes flew escort but met no CAP, 82 Vals bombed the airfield and destroyed on the ground 10 B-25C, 4 B-26B, 2 P-40E and 2 B-17E, scoring 2 hits on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 51 on the runways for one loss to AA fire, while 78 Kates bombed the port with 800kg bombs and sank the 3 damaged SS that sought shelter here, the Perch, Sealion and S-43, also scoring 8 hits on the port, 2 on supplies and 2 on fuel. 27 Allied men and 1 gun were hit by this attack.
The recon of the day showed 14 Allied aricraft remaining in Suva (10 bombers and 4 auxiliary), with 17 more (5/7/5) in Nandi. No more ship was in neither base. Nandi was reported held by 2 units (7860 men, 84 guns) while Suva had 10 units (43040 men, 300 guns, 285 vehicles). Aboard the Japanese convoys south of Fiji were 108 000 men, mostly infantry units. The plan is to land 3 Div and 2 Eng Rgt in Suva, and the last Div, 1 Eng Rgt and several IJN units, including a base force in Nandi. This last base should fall first and then will be used to base Japanese aircraft while the division that was used here will be shipped to Suva too.
But this plan will wait one more day. The Kido Butai had left the Allied fleet escape once and didn’t want to repeat it. Tomorrow all Japanese troop convoys will sail south and spend the day 120 miles S of Fiji, under cover by a BB TF (the ships that bombed once Suva), while the KB will sail west, to 240 miles W of Nandi, and attack Allied ships in the area.
Solomons-New Guinea
Saidor was bombed both afternoons by 10 and 14 Hudson I from Port Moresby but suffered no damage. One Hudson crashed on the 4.
Timor-Amboina-Australia
On the 4, the only Allied air raid in this area was a high altitude raid by 48 B-17E from Darwin against Kendari. The 42 A6M2 and 23 Ki-27 flying CAP were unable to reach the bombers that flew at 35000 feet but 15 A6M3 were able to intercept and shot down one B-17E while losing one of their number to return fire. All bombs missed the target and the high altitude was tiring for both crews and aircraft. Two B-17E crashed during the mission.
On the 5 Timor was the Allied target. 69 B-25C from Derby bombed Koepang, hitting 61 men and scoring 1 hit on the base, 1 on supplies and 22 on the runways for one operationnal loss. Lautem, where 2 Ki-46 arrived the evening before to fly recon over Wyndham (CAP 14 Hurricane II) was bombed by 47 B-17E and 25 Hudson I from Darwin. 19 Japanese were killed or wounded, 2 hits scored on the base, 5 on supplies and 38 on runways. A Hudson ditched due to engine failure on the return flight.
This evening, the Japanese command decided to reinforce the Timor defences. The CA TF of Kendari was ordered to fast transport the second part of the 128th IJA Base Force to Dili (first part was air carried months ago), while 4 1500-ton AP loaded another small BF and will bring it to Maumere. Once the airfield here will be operationnal, Zeroes will be based there from time to time to fly LRCAP over Koepang.
Southern Ressource Area
This new command includes Malaya, Indochina, Sumata, Java and Borneo. Military operations are almost finished there, most activity now will be preparing defences and shipping oil and ressources to Japan.
On the 5, the 5th Eng Rgt landed on Toboali, suffering 241 casualties, and will occupy tomorrow the ressource centers of the undefended island.
The same day an Allied submarine was seen in Malacca Straits and 28 Ki-30 were ordered to fly from Singapore to Georgetown to fly naval search from here.
A big TK convoy (capacity 232 000) arrived at Palembang and started loading oil for Japan. Some tankers will be detached on the way and will bring oil to China and Formosa.
Burma
Rangoon was bombed on both nights by 7 Blenheim IF from Akyab, and an A6M3 was destroyed on the first night when a bomb fell on the runway for once.
On the 4, 39 Blenheim IV, 12 B-17E, 11 Il-4c, 8 Wellington III and 3 Hudson I, escorted by only 2 P-40B, bombed Mandalay airfield through clouds, disabling 92 men and scoring 2 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 10 on the runways.
120 miles north of Mandalay, the 81st Naval Guard Unit was attacked on the 4 by 75 Hurricanes from Imphal, and on the 5 by 77. It lost 149 men and 2 guns, while one Hurricane crashed on the 5. 27 Zeroes of the crack F1/3rd Daitai (13 aces in the unit) flew on the evening of the 4 to Myitkyina and will wait a good weather day to fly LRCAP over this unit. In the meantime they will fly 100% CAP over Myitkyina.
Philippines
Manila was bombed on the 4 by 106 Ki-21 and 48 Ki-49, and the next day 54 Ki-48 joined them for the first time and bombed again the airfield. 105 men were hit in 2 days, and 9 hits scored on the base, 4 on supplies and 37 on runways, for no Japanese loss. Japanese troops continued to pound the base too, hitting 183 men in two days.
The HQ 13th Army landed in Naga and received orders to march to Manila.
In the south, the 81st PA Div at Cebu was bombed on the 5 by 30 Ki-27 from Davao and lost 20 men.
China
On the 4, 46 Betties and 46 Nells from Wuhan, escorted by 18 Zeroes, bombed Chungking ressources and disabled 64 centers, leaving 203 running. There was no CAP and only weak AA fire, but a Betty was lost in an accident. Bombers were then rested and will wait for another day of good weather. The largest ressource center in Nationalist China is now Chengto, and Ki-46 from Lashio will fly recon over it so it may be bombed efficiently in the future.
In Kungchang Japanese artillery fire hit 515 men and 2 guns in two days. But the main action took place east of the town. On the 4 a new Chinese unit arrived SE of the town from the south and another marched from this hex to the hex E of it, cutting the road from Yenen, and stopping troops moving from there to Lanchow via the hex NE of Kungchang. The invaded hex was then occupied by 3 thirds of divisions and 2 Eng Rgt. The infantry units received orders to attack the Chinese, while the Eng Rgt would remain in defence. On the 5 this Chinese unit, the 98th Corps, was first bombed by 35 Zeroes, 34 Oscars (one crashed), 32 Nates and 1 Ki-48 from Yenen and lost 40 men, then was defeated at 13 to 1 and retreated back toward Sian. 116 Japanese and 183 Chinese fell in the battle and more than 800 Chinese were lost during the retreat. One regiment of the 27th Div and both Eng Rgt then started again to march NW.
More east a regiment of the 59th Div marched north of the road on the 4 and attacked in woods the remains of the 1st Chinese Tk Rgt on the 5, 120 miles NW of Yenen. Only 40 valid Chinese men faced the attack and half of them were killed while the unit (defeated at 218 to 1) fled northward. Another Japanese regiment was ordered on the 5 to march south from the road on the trail to Sian, where a Chinese unit is sitting. The 41st Division that helf the central hex of the road was divided and sent 2 Rgt westward to the hex E of Kungchang.
The 40th Division, one of the two holding the town of Hsyniang NE of Wuhan, was ordered to march to Yenen as a reserve.
In the south, artillery duel at Wuchow was again in Chinese favor, Japanese loses being 204 men, 5 guns and 2 tanks in two days against 87 Chinese men and 1 gun.
Japan
The production of the Ki-51, H8K and L2D2 was stopped on the 4, as the stock for all these aircrafts is big enough.
On the 5, the BB Musashi was reverted to normal building rate. Several convoys were formed, one to carry a IJNAF BF to Wake, another to carry 4 Naval Guard Units to South Pacific and another to carry 21000 supplies from Takamatsu to Tarawa.
The map of the day: Asia
As usual, red arrow for Japanese moves, green ones for Allied moves. Notice the moves in Yenen-Kungchang-Sian area.
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RE: 1-2 June 1942: Allied fleet escaped - 
I shouldn't have made a tur tomorrow after sleeping two hours the night before 
). 19 Vals flew from Tongatapu to reinforce the depleted air wings of the KB. 
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