Matrix Games Forums

 Forums  Register  Login  Photo Gallery  Member List  Search  Calendars  FAQ 

My Profile  Inbox  Address Book  My Subscription  My Forums  Log Out

RE: 17 October 1942: Rabaul taken

 
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest
Users viewing this topic: none
  Printable Version
All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> War In The Pacific - Struggle Against Japan 1941 - 1945 >> After Action Reports >> RE: 17 October 1942: Rabaul taken Page: <<   < prev  11 12 [13] 14 15   next >   >>
Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
RE: 17 October 1942: Rabaul taken - 7/3/2006 4:07:13 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		Hi, Leo

Well, I agree with you that it will be suicidal, but the position is strange for a South Pacific convoy. So here are the possible theory:

1) It is a feint, to draw back Japanese forces to Hawaii area. Won't work....

2) The target is one of the tiny island in the Line Archipelago (Christmas and so). Allied forces may succeed here. I won't delay the NZ invasion for that.
By the way that make me think Pago-Pago is not well defended... May be a good idea to send some troops from Suva to this place.

3) My submarine was spotted (there was no message, IJN subs are camping 10 hexes of California for months without a single Allied sighting report) and an ASW group escorting empty transports was sent (maybe a training cruise).

4) This convoy is sailing to S Pacific and maybe tried to go round the submarine group S of California. My opponent was right about the main concentration of my submarines, it his convoy had not finished his turn in the same hex as my only sub in the area if will have gone unnoticed.
The next idea in this line of thought is that it may have not been the first convoy to use this path.
On the other hand, neither my patrol AC based in pacific islands, nor the submarines patrolling east of NZ didn't report any Allied shipping the last two months.

Then I have spent two days without receiving a single WITP turn, and at least this morning Pomphat sent me one... but it was from another PBEM of his, and I couldn't open it. Needless to say I was frustated... and went to work.

(in reply to Apollo11)
Post #: 361
18-19 October 1942: my first submarine commando - 7/4/2006 2:27:29 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		18-19 October 1942

OK, I know that submarine commando are a sensitive matter, but here the goal was a tiny, undefended atoll, the same as Makin or Apanama were when they were attacked by submarines in RL. So no problem for me.

Central Pacific

The Allied convoy wasn’t seen again. The fact that one of the two Glens available in the are was lost operationnaly with its crew on the 18th didn’t help either.
In Hawaii after laying some more mines (Hilo now has over 6000), the MLs will sail to Johnston Island for some days.

Southern Pacific

In the evening of the 19th, four Japanese submarines arrived off Norfolk Island, SW of New Caledonia, and landed around 80 men of the 61st Naval Guard Unit on the atoll. 29 were disabled during the landing but the other found only some civilians at the local airfield and occupied it without problems. They reported around 450 tons of supplies were here, enough for them, the air force personnel that will arrive in some days in another TF of 6 submarines, and then for some seaplanes to fly patrol from here.
After the landing the four submarines scattered to patrol all around the island to intercept a possible Allied counter-landing.

The two MSW sent from Pago-Pago arrived off Tongatapu on the 19th and began to sweep two Allied minefields there.

Solomons-New Guinea

On the 18th, four MSW swept all Allied mines off Rabaul and then sailed back towards Truk. In the afternoon, a Betty took off from the new Japanese airfield to fly a recon of Port Moresby and reported a CAP of 19 P-40E and 2 P-38G. That was the first sighting of the Lightning. At the same time 24 B-24D of the 7th BG (that had so left Darwin) raided Rabaul and hit 146 men, scoring 5 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 14 on runways.

The next day, two recons were flown over PM and reported a reinforced CAP (29 P-40E and 14 P-38) and 5 units in the base (1 900 men, very probably underestimated). In the afternoon, 32 B-24Ds from PM attacked again Rabaul but 14 A6M3 from Kavieng were flying LRCAP over the base and shot down two of them. The remaining bombers scored 5 hits on the base, 1 on supplies and 26 on runways. Saldy two of the A6M3 pilots returning to base disappeared in a tropical squal and were not seen again.

In the evening, a small convoy reached Rabaul from Truk. The 3 AKs will unload badly needed supplies, their only escort, a ML, will lay a defensive minefield and return to Truk. The A6M3s from Kavieng will continue to LRCAP the base until the convoy left.

More east, the Solomons invasion convoy was joined on the 19th by the various TFs of the KB (two CV TF, a CA/DD scouting TF and the Mutsu TF). The repleshniment TF was still 60 miles more north.
The troop convoy will scatter and land a SNLF in each of its four objectives: Shortlands, Munda, Russel Island, and Lunga. The KB will sail across the Solomons and refuel S of Guadalcanal to cover the operation, before sailing south toward Luganville and Noumea. Four submarines, two of them with Glens, patrolling in the triangle Rabaul-Lunga-Gili Gili received orders to sail south to cover the KB.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

On the 18th, Koepang and Lautem were raided respectively by 42 and 63 B-25C from Derby and Darwin. At the first place, 44 men and 1 gun were disabled and 2 hits scored on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 13 on the runway, at the second 20 men were hit and 1 hit scored on supplies and 16 on the runway. Two B-25Cs were lost in these raids to operational reasons. The next day only Koepang was attacked, by 16 B-25C from Derby (11 more get lost), that scored only one runway hit and lost one of their number in the bad weather.

On the Japanese side, both Const Bns sent from Kendari landed in Amboina, while barges continued to carry supplies from Kendari to Timor bases. Kendari Nells have been ordered to fly recon over Darwin to see how much of the local air force has moved to Port Moresby.

Southern Resource Area

The following convoys were created or started loading these two days: 7k resources and 4k oil Rangoon to Singapore, 16k oil Bankha to Singapore, 63k oil Palembang to Japan, 21k resources Singapore to Japan, 18k oil Brunei to Saigon and 18k resources Kendari to Japan. Also five empty 7000-ton AK left Singapore to load excess resources in Saigon and Haiphong and bring them to Japan.

Burma

In the morning of the 18th the 81st Naval Guard Unit SE of Imphal was as usual bombarded by 9 Hurricane and lost 26 men and 1 gun. In the afternoon, Chandpur launched two raids. First 21 unescorted Beaufort V-IX attacked Mandalay, scoring 6 runways hits and wounding ten men but losing one of their number to AA fire, and then 46 SB-2c and 23 Beaufort I escorted by 24 P-40B raided Akyab, hitting 12 men and 1 gun and scoring 3 hits on the airbase and 22 on the runways.

On the 19th, the bad weather grounded all aircraft, but in the east the 8th Tk Rgt crossed the Salween and entered into Chine territory, 120 mines NW of Yunan. There is no Allied unit before Yunan, but this unit won’t advance further and will remain there as an outpost to check Allied moves.

Philippines

The 17th Div continued to land on Cebu Island during the 18th and the night of the 18th-19th suffering a total of 384 sorties. On the 18th, the 81st PA Div holding this base was bombed by 15 Ki-21s from Cagayan, losing 36 men, and then was bombarded by the 17th Div, that hit 45 men and reported only 1071 able men.
So the next day the 17th Div launched a deliberate attack. Bad weather grounded Cagayan bombers but their support was badly needed and the base was taken at 63 to 1. In fact the Philipinno troops didn’t resist at all and the Japanese troops rounded 1761 prisoners.
This marks the end of the Philippines campaign. The 17th Div received orders to prepare for the attack on Wuchow, China, and boarded back at once ships to sail to Canton.

China

In the north, the offensive in Sining bogged down again. The paratroops were attacked on the 18th by 7 Hurricanes of the local airfield. Six Zeroes were flying LRCAP from Yenen but didn’t hit any and lost one of their number to engine failure. The RAF bombs hit nothing also. Once again the Japanese transport aircraft ordered to fly supply to the troops didn’t fly and a deliberate attack failed at 0 to 1, the Japanese losing 89 men and 1 gun while the Chinese losses were limited to 2 men and 1 gun.
The next there was no LRCAP over Sining and 24 Hurricanes from Lanchow, escorted by 6 Spitfire, attacked the para and hit seven men while losing two Hurricanes in a collision. The local unit, 136 Sqn RAF, didn’t attack troops but sent 9 Hurricane to intercept a raid coming from Yenen in the morning. 28 Ki-49 and 18 Ki-21 were targeting the 8th Chinese Base Force and were escorted by 20 A6M2. The Hurricanes shot down 3 Zeroes and 2 Ki-49 for only one loss, while Japanese bombs hit 13 men and 1 gun. The scheduled afternoon raid from Yenen didn’t fly. All this was to prepare a new paradrop on Sining. My hope was that with the last squads of the variouis SNLF, supply will be dropped. There was no efficient AA fire and the CAP didn’t shot down any transport AC, but the shock attack again failed at 0 to 1 and costed the Japanese 66 men and 1 gun, while 17 Chinese fell.
A survey in the evening show that the three Para SNLF in Sining have no or very few supply, and they were ordered to stop any offensive operation until a supply line may be open. Just in case the transport AC of Yenen were again ordered to drop supplies there.

So the focus now will no more be there but NE of Lanchow, where the 69th Chinese Corps is facing half of the 3rd Bde. On the 18th, the Japanese unit was attacked by 36 Hurricane from Lanchow escorted by 4 Spitfire and lost 132 men and 2 guns. Nevertheless the Japanese bombarded the enemy lines with gunfire and hit 17 men in 2 days. The Chine have no valid supply or retreat path and will be hard to destroy but it should be done before Sining or Lanchow may be taken. One half of the 6th Bde, currently holding the country E of Lanchow as the “supply line” from Yenen to Lanchow, was ordered to march NW and will join the troops attacking the 69th Corps. A regiment of the 59th Div will also arrive there, and a Tank div will be formed in Peking in 4 weeks and will probably be needed there too.
On the 19th the Allied CAP over Lanchow shot down a Ki-15 flying the daily recon of the base.

Usual gunfire took place in Kungchang (22 men hit in 2 days, - 9 ASS) and Wuchow (158 men and 1 gun hit, - 7 ASS). In the south on the 19th Canton launched two raids. 87 Ki-48s raided Wuchow airfield and scored 8 hits on the airbase, 8 on supplies and 57 on the runways, while 60 Ki-27 attacked the 28th New Chinese Div NW of the town but only hit 3 men and 1 gun.

Japan

In the evening of the 19th, the BB Musashi and Ise, 3 CLs and 8 DDs left Osaka toward Kwajalein and the Southern Pacific.

The completion of this BB has liberated a lot of naval shipyard points. The following warship have been accelerated: a third Unryu-class CV (two have been already and will arrive in June 1943), the CL Noshiro (very good AA by Japanese standards), 4 DD and two Glen-carrying submarines.

A convoy loaded 28 000 supplies in Hamamatsu for the Southern Pacific.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 362
20-21 October 1942: invasion of the Solomons - 7/7/2006 8:37:31 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		20-21 October 1942

Central Pacific

The Allied convoy was no more seen. Just in case a Glen-carrier submarine was ordered to patrol east of Christmas Island.

Southern Pacific

The two MSW sent off Tongatapu continued to sweep mines here and didn’t finish the job yet.

Solomons-New Guinea

Japanese troops fanned out in Solomons. The Sasebo 6th SNLF landed on the 20th in Shortlands and occupied the empty base the next day (total 324 “casualties”). Other IJN troops landed on the 21st in Munda (134 cas), Russel Islands (143 cas) and Lunga (198 cas), and will occupy them tomorrow.

The only Allied opposition was on the 20th when 15 B-24D took off from Port Moresby to attack Japanese ships in the area. They never found a target and returned home without one of their number that was lost to engine failure.

The Kido Butai sailed south of Guadalcanal and waited for the replenishment TF that was late and will join tomorrow. On the 21st the TF was reported by a Hudson flying from Luganville but it is not known if CVs were identified.
In the next week, the KB will operated against Luganville, Efate and Noumea. According to the recons flown daily by Nells from Suva, the CAP over Noumea is flown only by some Wildcats, while several TFs are anchored there and 40-45 ships are in the port. Japanese submarines with Glens were sent all around New Caledonia to report if these ships try to escape.

Betties from Rabaul continued to fly recon over PM and reported 25 P-40E and 18 P-38G flying CAP. Kavieng Zeroes continued to LRCAP Rabaul, where a convoy unloaded supplies. All MSW based there were ordered to return to Truk, their job done.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

Koepang was bombed by B-25D from Derby in the afternoon of the 20th (38 bombers, 50 casualties, 1 hit on the abse, 2 on supplies and 30 on the runway) and the 21st (18 bombers, one lost in a crash, 4 runway hits) and was still unserviceable in the evening of the 21st. A Sentai of Tojos was again sent this evening from Kendari to Maumere and will LRCAP Koepang in the next days.
Lautem was also bombed on the 20th, by 41 B-25C from Darwin, but one was lost in a crash and they scored only one hit on the runway.

Kendari Nells flew again recon over Darwin and reported 25 Kittyhawk I and 38 P-40E flying CAP, and two CAs off the port. Tomorrow Kendari airmen (Nells and Emilies) will recon all four NW Australia bases. With the depart of some air units to PM, Noumea and so on, it may be possible to do something again in this area.

Barges continued to be active and a group was attacked on the 20th N of Lautem by 7 Brewster 339D from Darwin but wasn’t hit.

Southern Resource Area

Four convoys were formed in two days and will carry 14k resources from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, 14k supplies from Toboali to Batavia, 14k resources from Batavia to Singapore and 9k oil from Miri to Hong Kong.

Burma

The only flight were done by Hurricanes of Imphal, 9 bombing daily the nearby 81st Naval Guard Unit, hitting 78 men and 1 gun in two days

China

In the north, all AC were grounded by thunderstorms on the 20th, and this day the paratroops at Sining finally received supplies from an unreported source (transport AC ?, the Yenen road? It seems to me that neither would be able to do that, the AC didn’t fly, or at least weren’t intercepted). Nevertheless, they now had some. The next day one of three Para SNLF was bombed by 25 Hurricane of the local airfield and lost 16 men and 1 gun. They received no more supplies this day, but were ordered to launch a shock attack tomorrow. Yenen airmen will support them both by bombing Chinese troops and flying LRCAP (one Zero unit will escort the bombers, the other will cover the battlefield).

In the same area, Japanese guns hit in two days 108 men and 3 guns in Kungchang and 15 men NE of Lanchow, but in this latter place Chinese units received supplies too and increased both in number of men and ASS value.
A little more south, two more Chinese units left Sian westward. There were now 18 units in Sian and 6 on the nearby hex to west.

On the 20th, 45 Ki-48s from Wuhan bombed Changsha and scored 4 resource hits but did no new damage, and were grounded the next day.

On the 20th, 83 other Ki-48s from Canton bombed Wuchow airfield, scoring 17 hits on the base, 4 on supplies and 79 on the runways for one operational loss, while 60 Nates from the same base flew a training mission against the nearby 28th New Chinese Div but hit nothing.
This evening all AC in Canton (72 Ki-27, 87 Ki-48s, 25 A6M2) received orders to bomb Chinese troops in Wuchow. Canton was a little short of supplies and a convoy with 21 000 supplies was formed in Kitakyushu to bring them here. No mission was flown on the 21st. In two days Japanese guns hit 292 men in Wuchow.

Japan

Two convoys left Kitakyushu loaded with fuel (128k for Kwajalein and other Pacific bases, 18k for Manila).

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 363
22-24 October 1942: Kido Butai getting close - 7/10/2006 12:55:49 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		22-24 October 1942

Central Pacific

A part of the 56th Div had been left over in Hilo when the big troop convoy sailed for Southern Pacific… around 6000 men, most of them support troops. Four 4500-ton APs loaded them on the 23rd and sailed as fast as possible SW. I should have checked that, I just forgot to do it…

Southern Pacific

This was the main area of my activity, as the Kido Butai sailed here away from its base (I have two PBEM running, both as Japan, and in both the KB is cruising off Allied shores).

The 22nd was quiet, and the KB refuelled 120 miles S of Guadalcanal without being sighted. In the evening 4 Mavis left Kendari to fly to the new Japanese base of Norfolk Island. One disappeared en route but the other were immediately ordered to fly naval search in the area.

On the next day, they reported a CA, among other ships, 300 miles NW of their new base and sailing west. The same day the daily recon of Noumea only showed 14 ships there, where the last one has shown 43. It was obvious that Allied ships were evacuating the base. Sadly the same day, a PBY also saw the KB some 420 miles NW of Luganville.
Nagumo decided to chase the Allied ships west of New Caledonia. To sail faster he ordered his tankers to move WNW, while the CV and surface TF will sail SW, hoping to engage the slower Allied ships two days later.
This same day, 32 Betties flow by elite crews (mean exp 89) arrived in Suva from Pearl Harbor to take part in operations in the area.
The map below shows what the plan was in the evening of the 23rd:




On the 24th, some things changed this plan. First the KB moved only 180 miles, as slowly as the tankers had, for some reason. It has CVE in it, and I know it is slowing it, but I had ordered do no trefuel and all ships had all fuel so I hoped a faster sailing. Anyway the same day, a Nell flew in the afternoon a recon over Noumea and reported 5 CA and 1 DD off the port, with 4 docked transports and a CAP of 4 F4F-4 as usual, but also 15 P-38G (recently arrived from PM, where they were the day before). The same day Allied engineers expanded the port of Noumea to size 8, the 100 extra points being almost enough to bring the Allied score above the 5 to 1 ratio in Japanese favor. Also the same day neither Mavis nor Glens saw any Allied shipping at sea

Nagumo changed his mind, and ordered the KB to move toward Noumea and to launch a raid on it from 120 miles north, so sailing between New Caledonia and the Hebrides. The KB has 220 A6M2 and will fly 50% CAP. Air opposition is not planned to be severe. Kates and Vals will search to attack Allied ships and if none is seen will respectively bomb the port and the airfield of Noumea. The Allied CAP should not sufficient to hit them, and P-38 pilots should be still fatigued from their flight from PM. The replenishment TF, unable to take the same path will sail NE and via Nauru, Gilberts and Suva. After the raid on Noumea, the KB will attack the next day Efate and Luganville and then sail to Fiji to refuel and rearm. So tomorrow, both Efate and Luganville will be reconed by Emilies from Suva.

Also on the 24th, 27 A6M2 (the unit that left PI for Hawaii, and was then rerouted) flew from Tarawa to Suva but one disappeared en route.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

The Solomons occupation continue, with SNLF occupying without resistance Munda, Russel Islands and Lunga on the 22nd. From there they will use local transportation to occupy surrounding islands. Barges and AP have also been evacuating paratroops from Green Island and Kavieng to bring them back to their mother unit in Truk

One A6M3 from Kavieng was lost again on the 22nd flying LRCAP over Rabaul and the unit moved to this base the same evening. Their first day here was uneventful, while Jakes of Kavieng and Betties of Rabaul reported two Allied submariens waiting NW of this base, so the AK that finished unloading supplies left by the other way (first south and then round New Ireland). But on the afternoon of the 24th, 28 B-24D from PM raided Rabaul and the 15 A6M3 that intercepted them lost the battle, scoring 2 victories for 3 losses (a 6-victory ace was killed). The bombers also lost one of their number in a crash but destroyed 2 A6M3 and 2 Betties on the ground, disabled 123 men and 1 gun and scored 3 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 16 on the runways. The daily recon by Betties showed a CAP of 38 P-40E over PM.
In the evening, all A6M3 left Rabaul for Truk, one being lost with its pilot in a crash during the move. Liberators won this game.

In New Guinea, some APs unloaded without being attacked, or even seen, supplies and a small BF in Wewak to expand fort and airfield here. Another BF will arrive shortly here.

Allied engineers expanded the airfield of Cooktown to size 2.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

Japanese Nells and Emilies flew recon missions over all NW Australia bases and reported that a strong surface TF was still off Darwin, covered by 37 Kittyhawk I and 41 P-40E, while Derby was protected by 10 Hurricane II, 8 Kittyhawk I and 7 Spitfire Vb and Wyndham by 14 Hurricanes. Broome had around 20 aircraft but no CAP, and two Daitais of Nells based in Kendari and Macassar were ordered in the evening of the 23rd to raid it. Only 9 bombers from Kendari flew the next day and scored 1 hit on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 1 on the runway but lost one of their number to AA fire. The raid won’t be repeated.

Timor continued to be bombed. On the 22nd, 32 B-25C from Derby bombed Koeping, scoring 5 runway hits and doing 21 casualties, while Lautem was attacked by 63 B-25C from Darwin and suffered 1 supply hit, 6 runway hits and 28 casualties.
The next day the 47 Sentai flew LRCAP from Maumere over Koepang and 7 Ki-44 intercepted 49 B-25C from Derby, shot down 4 and turned 18 back for one operationnal loss. The remaining bombers scored 1 hit on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 14 on the runways and wounded 6 men. The raid of the day against Lautem, by 39 B-25C from Darwin, only scored 5 runway hits.
Usually, after a day of LRCAP, the Maumere fighters returned to Kendari and the Allied bombers didn’t cease their raids. This time, the 47 Sentai flew also LRCAP on the 24th and again intercepted in the afternoon 39 B-25C from Derby with 7 Ki-44, shooting down one and repulsing all the other without loss. But the raid was followed by 71 B-17E from Darwin. The heavy bombers shot down 3 Ki-44 (one was the 3rd kill of an American crew), disabled 39 men and 1 gun and scored 5 hits on the airbase, 2 on supplies and 35 on the runway, but 3 B-17E hit by the Japanese pilots crashed during the return to base. A fourth Ki-44 was lost in a crash, and in the evening the Japanese fighters returned to Kendari.

On the Japanese side, two APs left Kendari alone on the 23rd to carry sound detectors to Dili and Koepang. Amboina airfield had been vacated months ago under heavy bomber pressure and two Daves were sent there just to see if they will draw heavy bombers again.

Southern Ressource Area

Japanese engineers (2 Cons Bn) finished to expand the port of Miri to size 4, and will now expand fort and airfield here.

The convoys formed or ordered to load these 3 days were: 35k resources from Singapore to Japan, 21k resources from Saigon to Hong Kong, 10k resources Balikpapan to Japan and 28k resources from Palembang to Japan.

Burma

Maybe due to the mooson, all was quiet here, except two raid by 9 Hurricane each against the 81st Guard Unit SE of Imphal on the 23rd and 24th, hitting 57 men and 1 gun. More to try to do something with Nates than to shot down RAF aircraft, 24 Nates flew from Hanoi to Lashio in the evening of the 24th and will LRCAP in some days these troops.

A convoy loaded 21 000 supplies in Bangkok and will carry them to Rangoon.

China

On the 22nd, thunderstorms grounded all Yenen airmen, depriving the paratroops at Sining of any air support while 18 Hurricane from the local base bombed them, hitting 14 men. The Japanese shock attack was a failure at 0 to 1 and cost 40 casualties without any Chinese loss. This was the end of the offensive here.
The next day some Zeroes flew LRCAP over Sining but found no targets while 23 Hurricane and 5 Spitfire from Lanchow attacked the detachment of the 3rd Bde NE of this tow, hitting 45 men and 2 guns for the loss of a Spitfire in a crash. Here a Chinese Corps was facing this Japanese unit, reinforced on the 24th by a regiment of the 59th Div. Japanese guns hit nobody in 3 days, and the Chinese unit rose from 200 to 210 ASS.
But on the 24th, it was over this area that Yenen-based A6M2 flew LRCAP and they intercepted 27 Hurricanes and 5 Spitfire from Lanchow and then 25 Hurricane from Sining, shooting down 7 Hurricane and 1 Spitfire for one operationnal loss, their bombs hitting 44 men and 3 guns anyway.
At the same time, 51 Ki-21 and 50 Ki-49 from Yenen escorted by 35 Oscars and 7 Tonies raided Kungchang airfield and scored 4 hits on the airbase and 12 on the runways, but scored no supply hit. That was my main objective but maybe the base has no more supply to bomb… In three days, 200 Chinese men and 2 guns have been hit by Japanese artillery fire and the Chinese forces lost 15 ASS points, down to 3033.
Also during this period, two Japanese recon aircraft were shot down by the Allied CAP, a Ki-15 over Lanchow on the 23rd and a Ki-46 over Sining on the 24th.
Tomorrow, all Yenen airmen will rest one day, and then they will support an attack NE of Lanchow, as half a Bde will cross the river from the SE country hex to join Japanese forces here.

In the south, the new target for training missions were the Chinese troops in Wuchow. Two missions on the 22nd and 24th for a total of 271 sorties By Ki-27, Ki-48 and Zeroes hit 65 men and cost 3 Nates and 1 A6M2 lost in crashes. The Japanese artillery was more efficient, hitting 335 men and 1 gun in 3 days (-20 ASS, down to 1529).

Japan

Three convoys were formed in Japanese ports. The first will carry 64k of fuel from Sasebo to Manila, then go to Palembang to load oil, the second will load 70k supplies in Aomori and sail for Southern Pacific, where it will be used where needs will be, and the last loaded 42k supplies in Takamatsu and will unload them in Saigon before going to Singapore to load resources.



Attachment (1)

< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 7/10/2006 12:56:15 AM >

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 364
25 October 1942: BC Repulse sunk! - 7/13/2006 11:52:14 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		25 October 1942

Central Pacific

The alarm due to the sighting of an Allied convoy one week ago was cancelled and Japanese MLs exited again PH to resume their minelaying, the slower ones going to Hilo while 5 fast ones sailed to Midway (only 60 mines remaining here).

Southern Pacific

Once again, the Kido Butai had a poor formation discipline and rather than being gathered 120 miles N of Noumea, was scattered from there (the van force, two CA and 3 DD) to 120 miles NW of it (BB Mutsu, 6 CA, 6 DD) with both CV TF between the two surface TFs.

The Allied airmen exploited this confusion and 56 B-25C, 56 B-26B and 14 A-20B escorted by 6 P-38G took off from Noumea to attack the Mutsu TF in the morning. 11 Zeroes of the KB intercepted them but shot down only 3 A-20B and 1 B-26B. Then AA fire shot down two B-25C and a third was lost in a crash but the Allied scored 18 hits on the BB and CAs of the TF, destroying a turret and an AA position aboard Mutsu (7 hits) and AA guns aboard Chikuma (5 hits). Just after this attack, the same TF was attacked by 11 A-20B and 8 Hudson I from Luganville. The CAP shot down two Hudsons and 1 A-20B was lost to engine failure. These bombers scored two hits on Mutsu and 2 on Chikuma but did no new damage. Three other A-20B of Luganville attacked the scout TF 120 miles north of Noumea but without hit or loss. During this battle an A6M2 hit by return fire ditched near Japanese ships.
At the same time 161 Kates and 82 Vals escorted by 84 A6M2 were flying toward an Allied TF off Noumea. 18 P-38G (two squadrons) and 7 F4F-4 (a fragment of a VMF) intercepted them. It was the first battle of the P-38G and they began to score but were then overwhelmed, finally shooting down 11 A6M2 for the loss of 15 of their number. All Wildcats were shot down without scoring a victory. The Japanese bombers never saw an Allied fighter and attacked the Allied ships. The TF was multinational and centred around the BC HMS Repulse, that was quickly sunk (with two Walruses aboard) by 7 torpedoes and some bombs. Most Japanese airmen sent to chase BBs didn’t attack (WITP engine…) but some attacked the other Allied ships, sinking the Dutch CLAA Van Heemsherck with two torpedoes, heavily damaging the DD Norman (1 torpedo, 1 bomb), Nizam (1 torpedo) and Fortune (1 torpedo) and also hitting the DD Cummings with 2 bombs. Allied AA fire only shot down two Kates and a Val.

In the afternoon, Allied airmen continued to ignore the CV TFs and their mighty CAP and attacked again the Mutsu TF, that was now protected by 23 Zeroes of 3 units. The first raid came from Noumea with 41 B-26B, 29 B-25C and 6 A-20B escorted by 2 P-38G. 4 B-26B, 3 B-25C and 1 A-20B were shot down by the CAP, the other scored three more hits on the BB Mutsu. Then 12 A-20B and 8 Hudson from Luganville attacked and scored one more hit bouncing on Mutsu at the cost of a Hudson shot down by the CAP and an A-20B lost to engine failure.
The Kido Butai launched another raid against Allied ships off Noumea in the afternoon, with 139 Kates, 89 Vals and 90 A6M2, but 55 Vals and 12 Kates get lost on the way. They only met 4 P-38G over the target and the Zeroes shot them all for only one loss. But after that most Japanese crews searched without success for Allied BBs (there was no more as the Repusle was already sunk) and only some actually attacked, hitting the CL Dragon with 2 torpedoes and the already hit DD Norman with a new torpedo.
Total operational losses for the KB were 5 A6M2 and 3 Kates during the day. Total aircraft losses were 49 Allied (41 A2A, 2 AA, 6 ops) vs 26 Japanese (13 A2A, 5 AA, 8 ops) for the whole map, but mainly in this area.

During the day, Emilies from Suva flew recon over Luganville and Efate. They reported no CAP over either of both bases, but AA fire shot down one of them.

After some hesitation, Nagumo decided to remain in Noumea area to hit the ships and aircraft damaged in today’s battles. He ordered all Japanese TFs, including the Mutsu TF, to gather 60 miles E of Noumea. In the morning 60 Kates will raid the AF and port of Noumea, while other bombers will be ready to chase Allied ships just in case. If none is seen, as it will probably be the case, they will bomb also Noumea port and airfield in the afternoon.

The six submarines sent to Norfolk Island unloaded there air base personnel and then scattered. Five will sail to chase ships flying Noumea toward Brisbane (2) or Auckland (3), while the last will sail west of New Zealand and patrol there with her Glen to be sure no convoy came from Australia.

The map below shows the raids of today (with the resulting air losses), the state of the Mutsu TF at the end of the day and the data collected by recons of Noumea.




Solomons-New Guinea

In the afternoon, 33 B-24D from Port Moresby attacked Rabaul, disabling 196 men and 1 gun and scoring 1 hit on the airbase, 4 on supplies and 18 on the runways. But there were enough engineers in Rabaul (372 squads) to repair the base each day and continue to build the airfield and fortifications.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

7 Brewster 339D from Darwin strafed barges north of Lautem in the morning. In the afternoon, 31 B-25C from Derby attacked Koepang, scoring 27 runway hits and doing 65 casualties.

Southern Resource Area

17k resources left Tarakan and 21k Manila, both convoys sailing to Japan.

Burma

The Mavis flying the daily recon over Colombo, Ceylon, from Andaman Islands, was shot down by AA fire and these flights were stopped.

In Burma, two Const Bn left Mandalay (that is finished with AF 4 and fort 9). One will go to Pagan, the other will march to Rangoon and then be carried by air to Akyab.

Philippines

Two of the three Naval Guard Units still in Manila boarded ships and sailed for China to take part in the Wuchow operation.

China

24 Hurricane and 5 Spitfire from Lanchow attacked Japanese troops NE of the town and hit 18 men and 1 gun.

The usual Japanese gunfire hit 126 men in Kungchang, 102 and 1 gun in Wuchow and nothing NE of Lanchow.

Japan

A convoy began to load 28k supplies in Kitakyushu to bring them to Canton, China, for the incoming Wuchow offensive.


Attachment (1)

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 365
RE: 25 October 1942: BC Repulse sunk! - 7/13/2006 3:30:00 PM   
Apollo11


Posts: 24082
Joined: 6/7/2001
From: Zagreb, Croatia
Status: offline 		Hi all,

quote:

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

25 October 1942

Central Pacific

The alarm due to the sighting of an Allied convoy one week ago was cancelled and Japanese MLs exited again PH to resume their minelaying, the slower ones going to Hilo while 5 fast ones sailed to Midway (only 60 mines remaining here).


I told you so...


Leo "Apollo11"

_____________________________



Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!

A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 366
26 October 1942: KB still rules the sea - 7/13/2006 7:10:41 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Apollo11

I told you so...



Well, better be prepared for every possibility. Now I sure will pay a lot to know where this convoy will arrive, and what it carries.

26 October 1942

Another bloody day in the air, with 66 Allied losses (38 A2A, 21 ground and 7 ops) and 26 Japanese (4 A2A, 18 AA and 4 ops).

Southern Pacific

Again the KB didn’t gather correctly… the Mutsu TF commander, RADM Tanaka, probably considering that his ships were damaged enough to return to base, joined the fleet during the night and then sailed north again toward Truk. At dawn it was 240 miles N of Noumea but fortunately clouds protected the ships from another round of air attacks in the morning.
The Japanese CVs and the scout TF were 60 miles east of Noumea and launched at dawn 65 Kates and 7 Zeroes for a raid on Noumea. There was no CAP over the target (a good thing, I was expecting to have 40 Zeroes on escort…). AA fire shot down 5 Kates but the other scored 7 hits on the runways, destroying a P-38G, a B-25C and a B-26B, and 2 on the ports, hitting the damaged DD Norman with a 800kg bomb. Allied losses were 36 men and 1 gun.
The Allied replied with a raid of 47 B-26B from Noumea against the Kido Butai. 112 A6M2 waited for them and after a battle that saw 21 B-26B and four Zeroes fall, all surviving Allied crews turned back. One more B-26B was lost in a crash on return to base.
Morning recon reported 3 P-38G flying CAP over Efate, and also identified the 32nd US Div here. Most Allied aircraft had left Noumea to gather here and just after the B-26 raid from Noumea, 39 more B-26B, 35 B-25C and 6 A-20B from Efate also attacked the Kido Butai, still without escort. The CAP shot down 6 B-26B, 5 A-20B and 4 B-25C and repulsed almost all the other bombers. In fact only one A-20B got trough and bombed without success the CA Furutaka of the scout TF.
During the day, the Japanese CAP also shot down two patrolling aircraft, an A-20B and a PBY Catalina. During one of these actions, the best pilot of the Kido Butai, PO1 Fujita P of AI-1 Daitai, scored his 20th victory.

Japanese patrol had found no Allied ships in range of the KB and in the afternoon 93 Kates, 83 Vals and 12 Zeroes were sent against to Noumea and attacked both the port (Kates) and the airfield (Vals). 7 B-25C, 6 P-38G and 5 B-25C were destroyed on the airfield, where 12 bombs hit buildings, 2 supplies and 45 the runways, while in the port the DD Norman was finally destroyed by four bombs and the damaged DD Nizam was hit by another. Allied losses were 76 men, 1 gun and 2 vehicles, but the AA fire was efficient and shot down during the afternoon 8 Vals, 4 Kates and a Jake flying recon over the city.
But at the same time Allied airmen had reported that the Mustu TF was no more covered by clouds and two raids targeted it rather than the deadly KB. First came 16 B-26B from Noumea but they only scored a bouncing hit on the Mutsu. Then 24 B-26B and 21 B-25C, this time escorted by 3 P-38G, attacked from Efate, and a B-25C of the 12th BG hit the CA Aoba with a 1000lb bomb, penetrating the armor (damage 11/11/15 at the end of the day) while other hits bounced on the Mutsu and CA Tone and Maya.

In the evening the Dutch SS KXVIII tried to attack the CV Zuikaku but was seen and chased by the 6 DDs of the escort, escaping undamaged.

The Mavis of Norfolk Island reported during the day two Allied TF NW of their of their base, 10+ AP and two AVD respectively 660 and 780 miles west of Brisbane and fleeing in this direction. In the evening the I-16 attacked one of the two AVD but missed. Three submarines have been ordered to patrol this path and all three will try to attack these TFs tomorrow.

Nagumo, not pleased with Tanaka, ordered him to bombard Efate during the night with 3 undamaged CAs and 2 escort DD, then to sail at full speed to Suva. The Mutsu, 3 burning CA and 3 DD will also sail to Suva (as an escort TF) and will be joined by both CV TF. A count was made in the evening and showed 448 aircraft still aboard the Japanese CVs, 63 less than at the start of Truk at the beginning of the month.

An interesting bit of intelligence was the identification of the 32nd US Div in Efate. From former recon, it is estimated that the 27th US Div is in Luganville and the Americal Division in Noumea. Three US divisions have been destroyed in both Hawaii battles (24th, 25th and 40th IIRC, not counting 3 RCTs) and the 2nd Marine Div in Suva. So my impression is that few US troops will be in New Zealand, and the NZ Army alone won’t stand long before the Japanese forces gathered for the operation.

Another interesting point is that in Noumea, Luganville and Efate are 3 US divisions that can’t support one another, and with only 3 airfields, in which few fighters are available.

Solomons-New Guinea

Rabaul was again bombed in the afternoon. 22 B-24D from Port Moresby scored 6 hits on the airbase and 9 on runways, doing 99 casualties, but two of them were lost in a collision in clouds.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

In the morning seven Brewster 339D from Darwin again attacked without success barges in Lautem area and one was lost after hitting the sea during the attack. In the afternoon Koepang was attacked by 30 B-25C from Derby and reported 13 runway hits and 25 casualties.

Southern Resource Area

A convoy with 14k resources left Haiphong for Japan.

Burma

The 81st Naval Guard Unit was bombed by 9 Hurricane from Imphal and lost 17 men. Tomorrow 24 Nates from Lashio will LRCAP this unit.

China

In the north the regiment of the 59th Div that arrived some days ago on the front NE of Lanchow was bombed by 25 Hurricane and 5 Spitfire from Lanchow and lost 33 men and 1 gun.
Japanese gunfire hit 62 Chinese in Kungchang and 12 NE of Lanchow. There half of the 6th Japanese Bde will cross the river from the SE and join the Japanese troops already there (half of the 3rd Bde and a regiment of the 59th Div) and to support the crossing these troops will also launch a schock attack, while Yenen bombers will bomb the 69th Chinese Corps and a Zero Daitai will fly LRCAP over the Japanese troops. The transport AC from Yenen were also ordered to drop supplies to the troops based there, as the supplies seem no more to come via the Northern road (it worked at least at the start).

In the south two Chinese Corps at Wuchow were bombed by 63 Ki-27, 62 Ki-48 and 25 A6M2 but lost only 12 men while 2 Ki-48 and an A6M2 were lost in crashes. Japanese artillerymen were more efficient and hit 104 men.

(in reply to Apollo11)
Post #: 367
RE: 26 October 1942: KB still rules the sea - 7/15/2006 11:06:58 AM   
Apollo11


Posts: 24082
Joined: 6/7/2001
From: Zagreb, Croatia
Status: offline 		Hi all,

quote:

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

quote:

ORIGINAL: Apollo11

I told you so...



Well, better be prepared for every possibility. Now I sure will pay a lot to know where this convoy will arrive, and what it carries.


Prudent!

BTW, my favorite tactics with convoys (in both UV and WitP) is to first send them to some random point in open sea and only afterwards "turn" them towards their true destination.

This way you get 100% unpredictable routes for your ships that almost can't be intercepted (i.e. clever opponent can place his intercepting ships/submarines along direct routes that are known)!


Leo "Apollo11"

_____________________________



Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!

A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 368
27-30 October 1942: I-boat days - 7/16/2006 4:08:35 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		Hi, Leo,

Well I used the same tactic most of the time, and I assumed my opponent will do the same so I sent submarines to scattered positions when trying to intercept convoys.

27-30 October 1942

Southern Pacific

Before departing the New Caledonia-Hebrides area towards the Fiji, the Kido Butai sent during the night of the 26th-27th 3 CA to bombard the airfield of Efate. They met no opposition and destroyed on the ground 15 B-25C, 9 B-26B and 1 PBY, disabled 252 men, 2 guns and 5 vehicles and scored 6 hits on the airbase, 4 on supplies and 28 on runways.

The Efate airmen tried to retaliate in the morning and sent 4 B-26B chasing this cruiser TF sailing at full speed to Suva, but missed them. But the main target of the Allied airmen this day was still the main body of the KB, 240 miles S of Efate, that was attacked 4 times during the day. First in the morning by 7 B-25C and 7 B-26B and 8 P-38G from Efate, then shortly later by 17 B-26B and 3 A-20B from Luganville, in the afternoon by 7 B-25C and 7 B-26B from Efate, and last by 10 B-26B from Luganville. Each time they met a CAP of 105-109 A6M2 and all surviving bombers turned back quickly. 7 P-38G, 3 A-20B, 3 B-25C and 2 B-26B were shot down during the day by the Japanese fighters who suffered two losses under the fire of the P-38s. Ensign Tanimizu of EI-1 scored his 17th kill.

The next day, the Japanese CVs continued to sail slowly eastward, escorting the burning Mutsu. Efate launched a raid against them in the afternoon. A P-38G was lost in a take-off accident and so only 15 B-26B and 2 P-38G were sent and met 111 A6M2. The raid turned back and losses were almost even with 2 P-38G, 1 B-26B and 2 A6M2 shot down (and a 9-victories Japanese ace killed ). A part of Allied air units had returned to Noumea during the night and this base sent 12 B-25C and 10 B-26B escorted by 3 P-38G against the KB. This time the CAP repulsed the attack without loss, shooting down 3 P-38G, 2 B-26B and 1 B-25C.

The next two days saw no more attack on the KB that continued sailing east and will reach Suva on the 31st. The final asset of the damage done by Allied bombs is more serious than planned. The BB Mutsu has 34 SYS, the CA Aoba 13, the Chikuma 10. Except the Aoba, this was the result of bouncing hits setting fires aboard. All three won’t be used for the New Zealand operation.

While the KB was sailing east, Allied ships were fleeing west from Noumea to Brisbane and Japanese submariners had plenty of targets during two days NW of Norfolk Island. In the morning of the 27th, the I-11 heavily damaged 360 miles E of Brisbane the AVD Thornton, that sank two days later in Brisbane, and the I-16 saw 300 miles NW of Norfolk Island the damaged CL HMS Dragon sailing alone and sank her with two torpedoes. Glens and Mavis reported several other TFs in the area and the next day proved the busiest of the war for the Japanese submarines, but sadly they scored no hit. During the night, the SS I-1 missed a MSW 360 miles NW of Norfolk Island and then was chased by two and lightly damaged (SYS 6) by a depth charge, while another MSW chased without success the I-21 60 miles more W. After dawn, two damaged Allied DD, the USS Cummings and HMS Fortune, were respectively missed by the I-10 and I-1.

After this chase, Japanese submarines received new orders. Two had no more torpedoes and sailed back to Suva, one was sent off Sidney and another with a Glen west of New Zealand (so two Glens will patrol this area).

Mavis from Norfolk flew two recon missions over Auckland and reported 10 Kittyhawk I flying CAP, 5 units (at least 5000 men) and 5 ships and 2 submarines docked or in TF. They also flew over Brisbane on the 30 and counted 272 ships in port! But nothing bigger than an APD. There was no CAP there. Also during these days, Emilies from Suva flew recon over Efate and Luganville but brought far less data, only showing 4 units in Efate and 2 in Luganville. These recon were stopped in the evening of the 30th after AA fire had shot down an Emily.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

Each afternoon, the B-24D of the 7th BG based in Port Moresby raided Rabaul and the last airmen here, a Betty Chutai, left the base but four days of raids (118 B-24D sorties, 4 op losses) had destroyed 6 Betties on the ground, disabled 533 men and 2 guns and scored 15 hits on the airbase, 10 on supplies and 86 on the runway, but the Japanese engineers repaired daily all the damage and continue to slowly expand the airfield and build fortifications. Only an A6M3 Daitai is available and will not be enough to defend the base but in Japan two KI-43 Sentai had converted to Ki-61 and one will be sent to Rabaul.

On the 29th, an American submarine was chased off Truk by 6 MSW.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

As usual, Koepang was bombed each afternoon, except the 30th, by B-25C from Derby that scored 4 hits on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 60 on the runway and did 81 casualties in 108 sorties. On the 29th, Lautem was also attacked, by 73 B-17E and 58 B-25C from Darwin that hit 109 men and 2 guns and scored 2 hits on the airbase and 36 on the runways.

Southern Resource Area

The following convoys were formed in these four days: 14k resources from Toboali to Formosa, 57k oil and 14k resources from Balikpapan to Japan, 21k resources from Tarakan to Japan, 28k resources Singapore to Japan, 14k resources Soerabaja to Japan and 12k resources Batavia to Singapore.

A minor operation will be launched with a NLF and some barges to occupy the tiny islands west of Sumatra.

Burma

On the 27th, the 9 Hurricanes of 9 Sqn that as usual flew from Imphal to attack the 81st Naval Guard Unit SE of their base were intercepted by 5 Nates flying LRCAP but the fight was inconclusive and they bombed the target again, hitting 18 men. The Nates returned to Hanoi in the evening, as this base was reconned almost daily and was in range of Allied heavy bombers.

The next day, in the afternoon, 61 Nells and 47 Zeroes took off from Rangoon to attack Imphal airfield. Only one Hurricane was flying over the target and he was quickly shot down by an ace of F1/3rd Daitai, but then 5 of the bombers attacking at 5000 feet were shot down by AA fire or damaged enough to crash during the return leg. They destroyed 2 F-5A and 1 Hurricane on the ground, scored 7 hits on the airbase, 4 on supplies and 35 on runways and did 65 casualties.

On the 29th, 5 Hurricane from Imphal attacked again Japanese troops in the jungle and hit 21 men. The CAP over Imphal had been increased to 4 Hurricanes but the next target of Japanese airmen will be Calcutta, that had no local defence but was usually defended by Spitfires and Mohawks coming from surrounding bases when recon aircraft flew in the area. On the 29th and on the 30th, two Ki-46s were shot down over India by Allied fighters. But tomorrow 59 Nells from Rangoon escorted by 48 A6M2 will bombard Calcutta ressources.

On the morning of the 30th, Allied bombers were back over Burma. 64 B-25C, 36 Blenheim IV, 15 Il-4c and 12 Wellington III escorted by 33 P-40B from Dacca attacked Mandalay and scored 8 hits on the airfield, 10 on supplies and 64 on runways, doing 19 casualties.

Japanese engineers expanded the airfield of Pagan to size 3, and will now build more fortifications (currently level 5). In Rangoon, they were only expanding fortifications (current level 7) for some times but have received orders to expand the airfield from size 6 to 9.

China

In the north, a new half-brigade crossed on the 27th the river NE of Lanchow from the SW while Japanese troops already there (a Rgt and an half-Bde) also launched a shock attack, in the hope of defeating the 69th Chinese Corps facing them. Yenen airmen flew in force to support the attack. 37 Ki-49 and 36 Ki-21 escorted by 32 Oscars, 7 Tonies and 4 A6M2 attacked the Chinese troops. Some Spitfire Vb flew Cap over them and if two were shot down by a Tony pilot, Major Otake F of 10th Chutai who became an ace with 5 kills, the others fought Oscars and shot down 3 for one loss and then shot down a Ki-21 and a Ki-49. Japanese bombs hit 84 men and 1 gun. 8 Zeroes flew LRCAP there but didn’t manage to intercept 24 Hurricane and 5 Spitfire from Lanchow that attacked Japanese troops and hit 55 men and 2 guns, while losing a Spitfire in an accident. The attack was a partial failure, achieving a ratio of 1 to 1 but with Japanese losses as heavy as 595 men and 9 guns while the Chinese lost 14 men and 1 gun.
This marked the end of this offensive. A new plan was designed, and two of the 3 units there will march NE and then march trough woods to Sining. Also the 15th Div was ordered to leave Nanchang, in Central China, and march to Yenen and then on the northern road. And the 37th Div, one of those besieging Kungchang, also received orders to disengage and then march north. Last reinforcement, 26 Zeroes (with 60 exp) arrived in Yenen.
But for the time being, things have settled back to routine in this area. In four days, Japanese guns hit 203 men and 2 guns in Kungchang and 18 men and 2 guns NE of Lanchow, while from the 28th to the 30th, the RAF flew from Sining and Lanchow 139 sorties (127 Hurricanes and 12 Spitfire) against Japanese troops at Sining and NE of Lanchow, hitting 144 men and 6 guns.
More south, some more Chinese units left Sian westward and recons now showed 15 units in the city and 9 in the hex west of it. I don’t know why…

Central China was still quiet. Chinese engineers expanded Chengtu AF to size 5.

In the south, Japanese troops moved toward Wuchow and will try a direct assault on the city. The 50000 defenders will be assaulted by 6 Div, 1.5 Bde, 2 Eng Rgt and 3 ART Bns. 17k supplies were shipped from Tainan, Formosa, to Canton, to prepare the offensive. Canton airmen were supposed to prepare the campain but bad weather reduced greatly their activity. Chinese troops were bombed on the 28th and the 29th by a total of 107 Nates, 71 Ki-48 and 45 A6M2 but only lost 14 men while one Nate was lost in a crash. Wuchow airfield was bombed on the 29th by 85 Ki-48 that scored 4 hits on the airbase, 11 on supplies and 62 on runways. Japanese gunfire hit 544 men and 3 guns in 4 days and the ASS value of the Chinese garrison fell under 1500.

A quick survey of the rear area in China showed that the following troops were used to keep rear area cities, roads and railway (note: a home rule imposed me to have at least 30 ASS points on each road/rail hex under Japanese control): 3.33 Div, 13 Bde, 3 Rgt, 10 Mongolian Cav Div. Since the start of the game, I have gradually set the receive replacement status to on for a part of the China Army troops. I just ordered the last base force at 50% and two Bdes to receive reinforcement too.

Japan

Several Allied submarines were reported on the 27th off Tori Shima, south of Honshu, and 4 MSW were sent, as it was thought that they had laid mines here. They were again reported there on the 28th but when the MSW arrived the next day they didn’t find anything, neither mines nor submarines, but the next night fishermen reported seeing submarines at at least 4 places south of Japan. It seemed that finally Allied submarines were attempting to disrupt the Japanese shipping lanes.

Some convoys had left Japan these days, bringing 98k supplies to Tarakan (2 convoys, to repair resource centers), 49k supplies to Southern Pacific, 45k fuel to Takao, 32k supplies to Truk and 48k fuel to Manila. Each has a small escort (1-2 ASW ships), as usual. Rather than reinforce the escort of the convoys, that would require to create bigger ones and so delay the shipping, the Japanese Navy created four ASW groups with all ships available in Japan (3 DD, 1 APD, 6 PG, 2 PC and 7 MSW) and sent them chasing south of Honshu. 23 Vals, 9 Betties and around 90 floatplanes will participate to the chase.

Other decisions taken these days saw most of the small BF of the Home Defence Force set to “accept reinforcements” on, and a new AK begin its conversion to MLE in Osaka. Currently the Japanese fleet has 14 AR and 2 MLE.

(in reply to Apollo11)
Post #: 369
31 October 1942 - 7/17/2006 1:26:18 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		31 October 1942

Southern Pacific

The Kido Butai will arrive tomorrow in Suva and refuel and rearm here. Then it will be reorganised and will sail with the invasion convoys to New Zealand.

Japanese intelligence reported 324 Allied ships in Brisbane port…

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

30 B-24D took off from Port Moresby to attack Rabaul but only 6 reached the target, scoring one hit on supplies and one on the runway and doing 20 casualties.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

In the afternoon, 39 B-25C from Derby attacked Koepang but scored only 4 hits on the runway and lost one of their number in an accident.

Burma

As planned 59 Nells from Rangoon raided Calcutta. There was no CAP so the escort (47 A6M2) had nothing to do and there was no loss. The bombs disabled 73 resources centers, leaving 507 running.

The only Allied activity was the daily raid on the 81st Naval Guard Unit by 6 Hurricane from Imphal, that hit 4 men and 1 gun.

China

Nothing unusual today. 83 Ki-48s from Canton bombed Wuchow, scoring 5 hits on the airbase, 6 on supplies and 43 on runways for two operational losses, while 30 Hurricane and 5 Spitfire from Lanchow attacked Japanese troops NE of their base and hit 27 men and 3 guns. Japanese artillery hit 58 men in Kungchang, 61 in Wuchow and none NE of Lanchow.

Japan

Allied airmen reported four Allied submarines south of Japan and bombed once without success. In the evening the SS Seal was chased 120 miles S of Shimuzu by 4 MSW but escaped. The chase will continue tomorrow.

The naval shipyards received orders to accelerate three new PC, scheduled to be launched in 142 days.

The map of the day: China






Attachment (1)

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 370
October 1942 Monthly report - 7/17/2006 1:37:21 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		Monthly report October 1942

Japanese score: 38 493 (+ 1 130)
Bases 9 645 (+ 160)
Aircraft 6 101 (+ 343)
Army 15 414 (+ 403)
Ship 7 125 (+ 224) 385 ships sunk (+ 5, including the Repulse)
Scuttled ships 0 (+ 0)
Strategic 208 (+ 0)

Allied score: 7 639 (+ 448)
Bases 3 091 (+ 213)
Aircraft 2 871 (+ 199)
Army 670 (+ 34)
Ship 1007 (+ 2) 104 ships sunk (+ 1)
Strategic 0

Economic situation (stocks rounded to the thousand):
Supplies : 3 633 000 (bases) + around 825 000 (TFs) = around 4 458 000 (+ 226 000)
Fuel : 4 165 000 (bases) + around 510 000 (TFs) = around 4 675 000 (+ 78 000)
Ressource centers : 18 073 (+ 136)
Ressources : 1 106 000 (bases) + 241 000 (TFs) = 1 357 000 (- 15 000, fall accelerating as the HI is now running everywhere)
Oil centers : 2 607 (+ 5)
Oil: 1 567 000 (bases) + 131 000 (TFs) = 1 698 000 (+ 41 000, still climbing, but as for resources consumption has risen)
Manpower centers : 813 (+ 2)
Manpower pool : 630 000 (+ 73 000)
Heavy industry: 13 682 (+ 22)
Heavy industry pool: 167 000 (+ 15 000) (climbing again)
Naval shipyard: 1278 (+ 0)
Merchant shipyard: 1000 (+ 0)
Repair shipyard: 898 (+ 0)
Armament industry: 683 (+ 0)
Armament stock: 107 000 (+ 15 000)
Vehicles industry: 113 (+ 0)
Vehicles stock: 11 200 (+ 3 500)
Aircraft engine factories: 1567 (+ 0)
Aircraft frames factories: 956 (+ 3)
Aircraft research: 183 (+ 24)

Aircraft production:
124 Ki-61 KAIc Tony (123), 50 B5N Kate (40), 48 A6M2 Zero (capacity 247, almost totally suspended), 44 D3A Val (41), 42 Ki-44-IIb Tojo (57, increased this month), 28 G4M1 Betty (46, suspended during the month), 25 Ki-49 Helen (23), 10 MC-21 Sally (5), 7 Ki-48 (40, suspended during the month), 6 L3Y Tina (5), 6 H6K2-L Mavis (4), 5 Ki-46 Dinah (31, suspended during the month), 2 J1N1-R Irving (8), 0 A6M3 Zero (capacity 72, suspended), 0 Ki-51 Sonia (45, stopped), 0 H8K Emily (32, suspended), 0 E13A1 Jake (28, suspended), 0 Ki-21 Sally (20, suspended), 0 A6M-2 Rufe (14, suspended), 0 Ki-57 Topsy (10, suspended), 0 L2D2 Tabby (10, suspended), 0 E7K2 Alf (5, suspended), 0 E14Y1 Glen (4, suspended), 0 C5M Babs (4, suspended)

Total: 397 aircraft (214 fighters, 60 level bombers, 50 torpedo bombers, 44 divebombers, 7 recon, 22 transport)

Some comments:
First on the score, I still have five more points than my opponent and the New Zealand operation should be enough to keep this advance into 1943.

Then the economy. It shows that my analysis last month was good and the output has risen, but that has only stressed the main problem: the lack of resources. Hundred of thousand of tons of supplies have been sent from Japan to repair the damage resource centers, and more will follow until all had been repaired.

Both manpower and armament are rising, despite the fact that step by step all Japanese units are allowed to receive reinforcements and reach their full OOB.

More and more aircraft factories are stopped, as the pools are high enough and in the next months some new models will require engines and HI. Almost all old models are now no more produced.

For the incoming month, the main operation will be the invasion of New Zealand. The detailled plan will be exposed here in some days.

Other than that, "agressive defence" as always in Burma and Banda Sea, and soon over Rabaul, troop movement and a direct assault on Wuchow in China, and fortification building elsewhere are the program of the Imperial Forces until the end of the year.






Attachment (1)

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 371
1-3 November 1942: first A6M3a produced - 7/20/2006 11:16:32 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		1-3 November 1942

Northern Pacific

Allied engineers expanded the port of Dutch Harbor to size 6. On the Japanese side, fortifications of Paramushiro Jima are already level 7 and still getting better. Some ML operated from Tokyo since some months to lay fields off this base and Efotoru Jima (sp?), the only bases I will defend in the area. Engineers were sent to Sapporo and ordered to expand the port here to size 9 so MLs may be based closer of these bases.

Central Pacific

Still quiet here. Two ML left PH to lay mines off Christmas Island, while the other continued to lay mines in Hawaian waters. In Pearl harbour the BB Yamashiro was approved to receive the March 1942 upgrade.

Southern Pacific

I spent one evening preparing the New Zealand invasion. More details will be posted in my next post but all ships off Suva refuelled (the local stock dropped from 165k to 25k), and 2 Eng Rgt and 2 small BF boarded ships from here. All other troops were already aboard ships and they were reorganized in four convoys. KB units received replacement and 263 A6M2, 165 Kates and 163 Vals will be available for this campaign.
The damaged BB Mutsu and the CA Aoba left Suva for Japan with an escort of 6 PC and PG. On the 3rd the Musashi, Ise and their escort reached Suva and joined the fleet. It will leave the port tomorrow evening.

Recons of Auckland by Mavis continued but failed to show something new. Still a dozen of Kittyhawk flying CAP, 3 ships in port and 5 units (5 000 men) in base. There are probably far more men.

Solomons-New Guinea

Rabaul was bombed each afternoon by B-24Ds from Port Moresby. In 81 sorties they scored 106 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 40 on runways, doing 233 casualties for one operational loss, but Japanese engineers continued to repair the damage and expand the base.

In the Solomons, Japanese patrols occupied Tassafaronga.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

The usual raids hit Timor. B-25C from Derby flew 70 sorties in 3 days against Koepang and scored 1 hit on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 22 on runways, hitting 82 men and 1 gun, while Lautem was also raided daily by B-25C from Darwin (116 sorties, 1 hit on the airbase, 2 on supplies and 20 on runways, 48 casualties). Japanese AA fire was exceptionally good and shot down 3 B-25C on the 1st and another on the 2nd.

These bases continued to be supplies by barges and on the 2nd and the 3rd Brewster 339D flew 21 sorties against them in Lautem area, badly damaging two for one operational loss. In the evening of the 3rd, an AP left Kendari to bring supplies to Dili.

A new IJA BF created in Japan will be sent to Wasile to build the base.

Southern Resource Area

Only a few convoys were created: 17k oil and 14k resources from Balikpapan to Japan, 14k supplies Toboali to Rangoon, 7k fuel Balikpapan to Kendari. In Singapore arrived 5 ML that will lay fields in the surrounding area.

Six barges left on the 1st to occupy the 3 islands W of Sumatra and two will be invaded tomorrow.

Burma

The 81st Naval Guard Unit continued to be bombed daily by the Hurricane of 28 Sqn from Imphal and lost 34 men and 2 gun in 3 days and 17 sorties. This RAF units had increased Cap over Imphal and on the 3rd the F1/3rd Daitai sent a sweep from Rangoon to chase them. The 27 Zeroes fought against 5 Hurricane and shot down 2, but lost one of their number in the battle and another in an accident. Not a good day for the ace unit (11 aces flew with this unit, including my best one).

After two quiet days, the 3rd saw good weather over Burma (partly cloudy), the monsoon was gone. Allied airmen rose in force from their base. Mandalay was attacked in the morning by 63 B-25C, 40 Blenheim IV, 16 Il-4c and 12 Wellington III escorted by 30 P-40B from Dacca. They scored 9 hits on the airbase, 4 on supplies and 49 on the runways, doing 17 casualties. Akyab was bombed in the morning by 34 B-17E from Dacca (1 hit on supplies and 1 on the runway) and in the afternoon by 15 Beaufort V-IX from Chandpur escorted by 24 P-40B ‘2 runway hits).
This Allied activity was expected and just in case Japanese bombers had left Rangoon for Bangkok.
Japanese recons reported an increase of Allied troops in Imphal. Or so it seems to me, there were 6 units here, there are now 8 (31 000 men). Not enough to show an incoming offensive but it will be watched more closely.

China

In the north, as usual most of the action has been in the air. Hurricanes from Sining began on the 1st again to bomb Japanese paratroops near the base and 65 men in 3 days and 74 sorties. They also shot down a Ki-46 from Yenen on the 3rd.
RAF airmen of Lanchow continued to attack troops NE of their base. On the 1st, 27 Hurricane and 8 Spitfire hit 51 men and 1 gun. On the 2nd, 29 and 4 respectively flew the raid and were intercepted by 20 Zeroes (2 Daitai) flying LRCAP from Yenen. 6 Hurricane and 2 Zeroes were shot down in the battle, one Spitfire was lost in an accident. On the 3rd the troops were attacked by 19 Hurricanes and 4 Spitfire and lost 13 men. Part of the Japanese troops here marched NE to then turn the Chinese but they are stuck with the 59-mile bug.
In Kungchang, Japanese artillery hit 58 men in 3 days.

In the south, the Japanese troops continued to concentrate in front of Wuchow. The airfield here was bombed daily by Ki-48s from Canton (a total of 237 sorties without loss) that scored 20 hits on the airbase, 8 on supplies and 110 on runways. Chinese troops were attacked by 56-57 Nates and 21 A6M2 on the 1st and 2nd but suffered only 4 casualties. One Nate was lost in a crash. Japanese guns hit 249 men in 3 days.
Air reinforcements flew from Wuhan and Yenen to the area these last days and 24 KI-48 and 4 Ki-36 Ida arrived in Canton, 23 Ki-49 in Hong Kong, 18 Ki-51 in Nanning and 18 Betties in Takao. Pescadores would be a fine base with good air support but was only size 3. Engineers were ordered to expand the airfield here.
The first deliberate attack will be launched tomorrow. 6 Div, 1 and a half Bde, 2 Eng Rgt and 3 ART Bns will attacked the city, supported by 173 bombers and 93 fighter-bombers.

Japan

It has been confirmed that only four Allied submarines were south of Japan. They have been repulsed by Japanese patrols and sailed on the 3rd in a line on both sides of Tori Shima. Only ASW attack in 3 days had been against the SS Porpoise 180 miles NW of this island by 2 PG in the early hours of the 2nd, but Japanese ASW groups still are sailing randomly in the area to catch Allied submarines. A new IJNAF BF was created in Tokyo and will be sent to Tori Shima, another is training to be deployed in Bonin.

Convoys continued to leave Japan nevertheless. 57k fuel left Tokyo for Suva, 10k fuel Takamatsu for Manila, an Eng Rgt was loaded in Hiroshima to go to Tarawa first (but is prepared 100% for Noumea).

One more Ak was converted to an AR in Osaka.

I had forgotten that in November the A6M3a became available. I had not researched it, and thought all A6M2 factories will convert. Well only 103 have for the moment, 152 are still “producing” A6M2 (in fact almost all are stopped). I will wait for some days, maybe it’s a lack of supplies, and if nothing happens I will convert the rest of my factories to A6M3.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 372
4 November 1942: big surprise today - 7/21/2006 2:38:51 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		4 November 1942

Southern Pacific

The daily recon over Noumea reported no CAP today. Allied engineers expanded the airfield of La Foa, New Caledonia, to size 2.

The departure of the invasion fleet was planned this day but was delayed by a tropical typhoon (in fact I should have done the turn yesterday evening but my flat was too hot and my computer never managed to start correctly, something it is prone to do in hot days. This morning it worked and I did quickly the turn before going the work, but had not the time to organize all CV and SF TFs and give the orders and so on).

The unexpected delay will allow the replenishment TF that had sailed with the KB S of Solomons to reach Suva, with a TF bringing some Naval Guard units. Also two new experienced Kates crew arrived and joined a KB unit.

Solomons-New Guinea

In the afternoon, the daily B-24 raid on Rabaul was 21 aircraft strong and scored 1 hit on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 23 on the runway, disabling 98 men and 1 gun. The excepted reinforcements will soon arrive. Today the Ki-61 Sentai transferred from Home Defence Duties left Japan toward this area. Its first stop was Marcus Island

Timor-Amboina-Australia

Allied airmen continued to raid Timor. 29 B-25C from Derby attacked Koepang (44 men and 1 gun hit, 1 hit on a building and 16 on the runway) and 50 from Darwin raided Lautem (7 casualties, 8 runways hits). One B-25 was lost to engine failure. A patrolling Hudson sank a barge off Lautem and called 7 Brewster 339D from Darwin that strafed another.

Southern Resource Area

West of Sumatra, detachments of the Sasebo 3rd SNLF landed on Nias Island during the night and Mentawi Island in the afternoon. Both empty (dot) islands will be occupied tomorrow, while the third island in this area will also be invaded.

A convoy started loading 48k oil in Palembang for Japan.

Burma

Allied airmen continued to fly numerous missions. Mandalay was bombed by 60 B-25C, 37 Blenheim IV, 16 Il-4c and 12 Wellington III escorted by 32 P-40B from Dacca. They scored 9 hits on the airbase, 5 on supplies and 81 on the runways, doing 5 casualties, and lost an Il-4c and a P-40B in accidents. Akyab was bombed in the morning by 24 B-17E from Dacca, that scored 3 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 13 on the runway, doing 9 casualties. Five Hurricanes attacked the 81st Naval Guard Unit and hit 18 men and 1 gun.

China

The offensive against Wuchow started with a raid on the airfield by 21 Ki-48s from Canton that scored ten hits on the runway. Then the Chinese troops (6 Corps, 2 Base Force, 3 HQ) were attacked by 56 Ki-27, 46 Ki-48, 21 A6M2, 18 Ki-49, 16 Ki-51 and 9 Betties from Nanning, Canton, Takao and Hong Kong, but the 3 Corps really bombed only lost 31 men.
So more Chinese troops were here than planned (it seemed to me there were 5 Corps here) and the air support had been inefficient, so I wondered if the deliberate attack by the Japanese troops (6 Div, 1 and a half Bde, 2 Eng Rgt and 3 ART Bns) will at least achieve to reduce the fort level. Well, I had greatly overestimated the state of the Chinese army in the area because it collapsed totally on the first day of battle and the city fell (assault 14 to 1, fort level 9 reduced to 8 by engineers). For once I will include a part of the combat report:

Attacking force 138446 troops, 1494 guns, 17 vehicles, Assault Value = 2741
Defending force 51468 troops, 52 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1482

Japanese max assault: 2768 - adjusted assault: 1853
Allied max defense: 1303 - adjusted defense: 125

Chinese troops only fought at 10% efficiency… Total losses were 2646 killed and wounded, 76 guns and 2 vehicles on the Japanese side, against 613 killed and wounded, around 7000 POWs, and 14 guns on the Chinese side. The Chinese troops retreated to the NW of Wuchow. Before leaving they wrecked the city totally. All 300 resources centers were damaged, as were the 2 HI centers.
This quick victory was a big surprise for the Japanese HQ, but new orders were quickly given. The Japanese Army will pursue the Chinese troops until the crossroad 120 miles N of Wuchow, and then will march against Kweilin. The Ki-48s of Canton will start to bomb this base tomorrow. Other airmen will be grounded, and 24 A6M2 left Canton for Yenen. Orders to repair both resources and HI in Wuchow were given, but that will need a huge amount of supplies. Two convoys were created in Japan to bring to Canton 98k supplies (63 from Osaka and 35 from Nagoya).

In the north, it was an usual day: in Sining Japanese troops were attacked by 24 Hurricanes and lost 14 men, Japanese troops NE of Lanchow lost also 14 under attack by 21 Hurricane and 6 Spitfire, one of the latter being lost in an accident, and Japanese guns pounded Kungchang, but hit nobody today.

Japan

Apparently, Allied submarines didn’t move today and stayed around Tori Shima. Two ASW groups will go to the spot of the only confirmed sighting done today, the two other will return to port to refuel.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 373
RE: 4 November 1942: big surprise today - 7/21/2006 3:54:25 PM   
Gen.Hoepner


Posts: 3645
Joined: 9/4/2001
From: italy
Status: offline 		Are there any chances to wipe out those nasty Hurricanes and spits operating in the north of China? How many zeros and bombers d'you have there at the moment?

_____________________________

[image]http://yfrog.com/2m70331348022314716641664j [/image]

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 374
RE: 4 November 1942: big surprise today - 7/21/2006 6:58:30 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner

Are there any chances to wipe out those nasty Hurricanes and spits operating in the north of China? How many zeros and bombers d'you have there at the moment?


I have four Daitai of Zeroes, with around 90 pilots with exp 60-65. Enough to LRCAP my troops and kill Hurricane fighter-bombers, but not enough to kill Hurricane and Spitfire flying CAP. The effect of these bombings is not nasty enough to suffer losses in a big battle, that I will probably lose. In fact the attacked units are not suffering much.
In China, I have a group of Betty, 1-2 Sentai of Ki-21, 2 of Ki-49 and 4-5 of Ki-48, and some tens of Ki-51

Only if the RAF units went south, I will gather forces and crush them. But probably the only place in the whole country where air ops may be supplied are Sining and the nearby base of Lanchow.

(in reply to Gen.Hoepner)
Post #: 375
5-7 November 1942: organization, organization - 7/26/2006 7:20:48 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		5-7 November 1942

Southern Pacific

The first TF of the New Zealand operation left Suva on the 5th: a CL leading 6 slow (10-knots) MSW. The other warships were still refuelling or organizing.

But at least the fleet sailed on the 6th, a week behind schedule. Not to bad, regarding the fact that the fleet that sailed this day was the greatest ever seen on the ocean (at least as far as Japanese know, at the same time on the other side of the planet Allied troops are sailing to invade North Africa).

The Allied fleet was divided in two great forces, a Combat Group and a Convoy Group.

The Combat Group was composed of two CV TF, a surface TF (Adm Nishimura, BB Musashi, 1 CA, 3 CL, 7 DD, speed 26) and an ASW TF of 6 DD. The CV were divided into a:
_ fast CV TF (Adm Nagumo, CV Soryu, Hiryu, Shokaku, Zuikaku, 4 CA, 1 CL, 6 DD, 248 aircraft, max speed 32)
_ slow CV TF (Adm Yamaguchi, CV Kaga, Akagi, CVL Zuiho, Shoho, Ryujo, BB Hiei, Kirishima, 2 CA, 1 CL, 6 DD, 200 aircraft, speed 25).
So the Group has a whole has a max speed of 25, 49 ships and 448 aircraft and should be able to deal with any Allied opposition, and to bombard Allied bases too. The fast CV TF will also be able to pursue any fleeing Allied fleet if needed.

The Convoy Group’s mission will be to bring troops, supplies and fuel to New Zealand. Powerful combat TF will sail with it to protect it. There are TFs in this group:
_ a CV TF (escort CV TF): Adm Yamada, CV Junyo, Hiyo, CVL Ryoho, CVE Hosho, Chuyo, CS Mizuho, 2 CL, 6 DD, 144 aircraft, speed 20.
_ a surface TF (landing support TF): Adm Hosagaya, BB Yamato, Ise, 1 CA, 2 CL, 10 DD, speed 24.
_ two ASW groups (total of 8 DD, 3 PC and 1 APD).
_ a resplenishment TF (6 AO, 6 DD) carrying 48k fuel
_ a fast MSW TF (five 20-knots MSW)
_ and 5 transport TF, all able to do 11-12 knots:
1) the Wellington convoy (carrying troops that will attack Wellington, and then Auckland: 2nd, 20th, 21st, 48th and 56th Div and support troops): 57 AP, 12 escorts, 120k men, 14k supplies.
2) the Auckalnd convoy (carrying troops that will land N of Wellington and then march to Auckland: 38th Div, 1st Tk Div, 4 Eng Rgt and support troops): 55 AP/AK, 1 CL, 12 escorts, 82k men, 30k supplies
3) the Southern convoy (carryings troops that will land in Southern Island: 53rd Div, 56th Bde, 4th Tk Rgt and support troops): 35 AP, 10 escorts, 72k men, 45k supplies
4) the Reserve convoy (carrying the 65th Bde, 7th Tk Rgt and two small naval units): 9 AP, 7 escorts, 17k men, 9k supplies
5) the Logistical Train (carrying several Base Forces (17k men), 292k supplies and 100k fuel): 8 TK, 1 AV, 1 AS, 1 AE, 2 AR, 58 AK/AP, 12 escorts).
_ the slow MSW TF will later join this Group (when the faster Group will catch them)

So the total for the Convot Group has a max speed of 10 (even with some SYS damage), 356 ships, 144 aircraft (not counting seaplanes) and carries 291 000 men, 390 000 supplies and 148 000 fuel.

Both left Suva sailing SW toward Auckland. The Combat Group will get close to the base and engage it for 1-2 days while the Transport Group sailing behind it will sail between New Caledonia and New Zealand and then turn to the SW to land troops on both sides of the strait between the North and South Islands. To provide a batter ASW cover in the first part of the path, the 32 Betties that arrived in Suva some days ago were ordered to fly extensive naval search.

Solomons-New Guinea

Despite the raids launched each afternoon from Port Moresby (for a total of 75 B-24D sorties, doing 504 casualties, disabling 2 guns and scoring 11 hits on the airbase, 6 on supplies and 33 on the runway at the cost of one operational loss), Japanese engineers repaired the base each day and expanded the airfield to size 4 on the 5th and then received orders to expand fortifications only for a while.

The Ki-61 of 203 Sentai continued to fly south every even day and reached Tinian. They will reach Truk and then fly to Rabaul with a Zero Daitai to defend the base.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

Timor continued to be the only target of Allied airmen. Koepang and Lautem were bombed each afternoon. The first was the target of 86 B-25C from Derby in 3 days but 21 didn’t find the target, one was lost in a crash and the other scored only 8 runway hits and did 19 casualties. Lautem was the target of a total of 112 B-25C of Darwin in 3 days. One was shot down by AA fire on the 5th, one lost to engine failure on the 6th and the last day 7 A6M2 from Kendari intercepted the bombers and shot down 2. All the other fled. One Zero was lost to engine failure but the pilot, an ace, was rescued. The raids of the 5th and 6th had only scored one hit on supplies and one on the runway.

Barges continued to bring supplies to Japanese bases in Timor and Brewster 339D flew 14 unsuccessful sorties against them on the 5th and 6th. Patrolling Hudsons sank a barge and heavily damaged another off Lautem.

Southern Resource Area

West of Sumatra, detachments of the Sasebo 3rd SNLF occupied the small islands of Nias, Mentawi, and Pagai, and then boarded again barges to come back to Sabang with the few white people found on these islands.

The following convoys were created in 3 days: 10k fuel Saigon to Victoria Point, 27k oil Singapore to Japan, 18k oil Brunei to Takao, 7k resources Manila to Takao, 14k resources Palembang to Singapore, 14k resources Toboali to Singapore and 21k supplies Palembang to Balikpapan (to finish repair resource centers).

Burma

Mandalay was bombed on the 5th and 6th by Dacca airmen. On the first day, 57 B-25C, 39 Blenheim IV, 15 Il-4c and 12 Wellington III escorted by 26 P-40B disabled 86 men and 1 gun and scored 5 hits on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 67 on the runway. The next day, 53 B-25C, 38 Blenheim IV, 16 Il-4c and 10 Wellington III escorted by 34 P-40B destroyed 1 Ki-46 on the ground, disabled 36 men and 1 gun and scored 3 hits on the airbase, 2 on supplies and 34 on the runway.
Akyab was bombed on the 5th (13 Beaufort V-IX from Chandpur escorted by 24 P-40B) and the 7th (10 Beaufort, 24 P-40B) but only 2 hits on the runway and 1 on supplies were scored while a Beaufort was lost in a crash.
SE of Imphal, the 81st Garrison Unit was only attacked once, on the 5th, by 6 Hurricanes and lost 20 men and 1 gun.

Japanese airmen only flew recon sorties and waited for clear weather to raid again India. 50 Nells came back from Bangkok to Rangoon and will fly as soon as the weather will improve.

China

The only action was in the north, where Japanese gunfire hit 156 men in Kungchang in 3 days. On the 6th Japanese troops NE of Lanchow were attacked by 22 Hurricane and 4 Spitfire and lost 57 men and 1 gun The next day, 5 Zeroes from Yenen covered these troops when they were attacked by 21 Hurricane and 4 Spitfires and shot down 4 Hurricanes, while a Spitfire was lost in a crash. Bombs hit 40 Japanese men and 2 guns.
Both sides continue to manoeuvre. Japanese troops marched slowly towards the battle field NE of Lanchow, while one the Chinese units W of Sian marched N in the mountain, threatening the west flank of the Japanese forces on the other side of the river.

In the south, Japanese units leaving Wuchow northward to pursue Chinese troops were very slow, and it was thought to cancel their orders and send them to Kweilin by the rail. But that would have for side-effect to send troops with preparation 2-5% against a fully prepared position, never a good move, so the Japanese units received no new orders there and continued to march slowly to the NW.
Japanese engineers expanded the airfield of Wuchow to size 2 in some days. Supplies and HI centers were slowly repairs and orders were received to expand the HI from 2 to 8 as a first step.

Japan

Some Allied submarines continued to cruise south of Japan but didn’t attack any convoy. They had two contacts with Japanese ASW groups. On the evening of the 5th, the SS Porpoise that had been attacked by a Mavis and a Betty during the day was chased 120 miles W of Tori Shima by an ASW group and depth charged. The DD Tokitsukaze missed but the PG Toyotu Maru damaged the submarine with two near misses. In the early hours of the 7th, the SS Sunfish saw an ASW group 240 miles S of Osaka and tried to attack but was unable to reach a good firing position. Japanese ships didn’t detect her.

Two small convoys left Tokyo to bring two small BF to Bonins and Tori Shima to enable ASW patrols to be flown from these bases.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 376
8-11 November 1942: B-24D are tougher than LB-30 - 7/30/2006 10:55:09 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		8-11 November 1942

Northern & Central Pacific

Nothing to report, except that Japanese SIGINT showed 237 ships in San Francisco and 45 in Los Angeles, but identified nothing bigger than an APD.

Southern Pacific

The Japanese fleets continued to sail toward New Zealand and were still not seen as far as the Japanese knew. Mavis from Norfolk Island continued to fly recon over Brisbane and Auckland, and one was shot down on the 11th over this last base by the CAP (8-11 Kittyhawk I). The map below will show the situation at 2330, 11th November.




Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

On the 8th, 9th and 10th, the Liberators of the 7th BG based in Port Moresby continued to raid without opposition Rabaul and in three days disabled 260 men, scored 9 hits on the airbase, 8 on the supplies and 52 on the runways and suffered no loss in 76 sorties. But the Ki-61 of the 203 Sentai had reached Truk on the 8th and after two days of rest moved south with the A6M3 of the F2/1st Daitai in the evening of the 10th. The next day, the CAP shot down one of the Hudsons flying the daily recon of Rabaul and then 21 Ki-61 and 12 A6M3 intercepted 24 B-24D but were only able to shot down one while losing a Ki-61 in the air and then 3 A6M3 and 2 Ki-61 destroyed on the ground. The bombers also did 169 casualties and scored 2 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 24 on the runway.

The local commander hesitated to retire the fighters from Rabaul but finally decided to leave them here at 100% CAP. A convoy was ordered in Truk to load an AA and a CD Bns and to bring them to Rabaul to reinforce the base defences.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

Nothing unusual. In four days, Koepang was bombed four times by B-25C from Derby (102 sorties, 75 men and 3 guns hit, 2 hits on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 42 on the runway) and Lautem twice by B-25C from Lautem (71 sorties, 1 hit on supply and 3 on the runway). One B-25C was shot down by AA fire over Koepang on the 8th and four more were lost in crashes. A Japanese barge was sunk off Lautem by a patrolling B-25C.

Kendari A6M2 flew again LRCAP over Lautem on the 11th but there was no raid. Japanese engineers expanded the port here to size 5 and the base reached its maximal size.

Burma

Akyab was attacked on the 8th (57 SB-2c, 26 Beaufort I, 21 Beaufort V-IX from Chanpur escorted by 24 P-40B) and the 10th (two waves, 56 SB-2c, 25 Beaufort I, 22 Beaufort V-IX from Chanpur escorted by 24 P-40B, followed by 57 B-25C, 31 B-17E, 28 Blenheim IV, 14 Il-4c and 11 Wellington III escorted by 48 P-40B from Dacca). Combined damage was 110 casualties, 23 hits on the airbase, 15 on supplies and 144 on the runway. Allied losses were limited to two SB-2c lost in accidents.
Hurricanes from Imphal bombed the 81st Naval Guard Unit SE of their base on the 8th and 11th and hit 38 men.
On the 10th and 11th, Japanese recon aircraft flew extensive recon of the main Allied airfields in India and two Ki-46 were shot down. Dacca has a CAP of 40-50 P-40B, 10-12 Spitfire Vb and 10-12 Mohawk, Chandpur has a CAP of 15-20 Hurricane and Spitfire.

A survey of the Japanese bases showed that all bases had a pink supply for supplies (only between 1 and 2 months) and so a convoy was created in Singapore to bring 42k of supplies to Rangoon.

China

In the north, the Japanese command had decided to try a direct attack on Kungchang, just in case the Chinese troops here will fight as bas as they did in Wuchow. So the 15th Div in Yenen and the 40th and 41st Div holding the river north of Sian had all been ordered to move to Kungchang for this attack. In four days, Japanese guns hit 127 men and 2 guns here, but the hunger and diseases reduced the number of able Chinese defenders from 89 118 to 87 593. This attack should be launched in a week.
Except an uneventful LRCAP NE of Lanchow and some recon flights (a KI-15 was shot down by CAP) Japanese airmen didn’t fly in the area, while Allied ones continued to attack almost daily troops in Sining and/or NE of Lanchow, for a total of 136 sorties (114 Hurricane II and 22 Spitfire Vb), hitting 179 men and 8 guns while losing an aircraft of each type in accidents.

In the south, the Chinese troops retreating from Wuchow were bombed on the 8th and 9th by a total 16 Ki-51 and 57 Nates and lost 12 men. This evening the 116th Div and 22nd Bde reached the hex, where several Chinese units were still (while other had already marched NE or E). Both Japanese units received the order to launch a shock attack at once before all Chinese units had left the area, and all available aircraft were ordered to support them. So the next day (10th), 74 Ki-48 and 57 Ki-27 from Canton and 16 Ki-51 from Nanning attacked there a Chinese Corps, hitting 50 men and 2 guns while two KI-48s were lost in a collision, and then the Japanese troops attacked. They faced forces stronger than excepted, three Corps and two HQ, but nevertheless managed to beat them (at 2 to 1) and repulse them northwards. Japanese losses were 99 men and 4 guns, Chinese ones 258 killed and wounded, more than 2000 POWs and 4 guns.
In the same area, 108 Ki-48 from Canton bombed Kweilin on the 9th and scored 12 hits on the airbase, 7 on supplies and 44 on the runway, wounding 10 men, but lost 3 of their number in accidents.
On the 12th, Japanese airmen from Canton continued to attack retreating Chinese troops with 57 Nates and 43 Ki-48 (1 lost in a crash) and hit 38 men and 2 guns. Japanese troops continued to advance north to cut the road between Kweilin and inner China.
Japanese engineers expanded again Wuchow airfield, to size 3, and the Ki-51 from Nanning moved to this base where a Base Force had come from Canton, with a Ki-36 Chutai. Two convoys with a total of 38k of supplies left Formosa and Japan for Canton to continue to repair Hi and resources in Canton. In the other way, two convoys started to load 28k of resources in Canton and 21k in Swatow and will carry them to Japan. 9 Zeroes flew from Japan to Canton to start operational training here but one was lost in a crash during the ferry flight.

Japan

At least one Allied submarine remained south of Japan. Small BF landed both in Bonin and Tori Shima and if the airfield of the latter should be built, the former received in the evening of the 10th 22 Vals ordered to fly naval search.

A convoy left Takamatsu for Manila with 17k fuel.

The A6M2 factory of Nagasaki (capacity 32) was converted to produce A6M3a (and the capacity was reduced to 22).


Attachment (1)

< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 7/30/2006 10:56:17 PM >

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 377
12 November 1942: KB seen NE of Auckland - 8/1/2006 10:49:55 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		12 November 1942

Southern Pacific

The Kido Butai was finally seen by a PBY Catalina 420 miles NE of Auckland. It will sail to 180 miles of the base and attack ships and airfield in the area (Kates will bomb the AF in the morning, and Vals will be on naval attack and secondary target airfield). Then the KB will remain one more day here and bombard the repair yard (to win strategic points).

More north the convoys were probably undetected and continued to sail westward.

Japanese SIGINT detected 3 Allied units in La Foa, New Caledonia (they don’t appear on the map, but if I set the mouse cursor about where there should be a message is displayed saying ‘enemy units: 3’ or something like that, as if I could see the unit symbol).

Solomons-New Guinea

In the afternoon, 14 B-24D from Port Moresby raided again Rabaul. It had been a good idea to not retreat here, as the CAP (24 Ki-61 and 11 A6M3) was this time able to turn back the whole raid. In fact only the Tonies of the 203 Sentai engaged the bombers and shot down four without loss.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

32 B-25C from Darwin raided Lautem. Six Kendari-based A6M2 were flying LRCAP over the base but were unable to intercept. The bombers wounded 7 men and scored 2 hits on the airbase and 4 on the runway.

Southern Resource Area

Two convoys were formed. One will carry 54k of oil from Tarakan to Japan, the other 18k oil and 7 k resources from Balikpapan to Takao, Formosa.

Burma

It was a quiet day with no air raid. The ace unit in Rangoon, F1/3rd Daitai, flew to Bangkok and converted there to the A6M3a. It was the first unit to receive the brand new aircraft.

China

The only activity was air raids on troops by 27 Hurricanes at Sining (14 Japanese paratroops hit), 35 Hurricanes and 8 Spitfire NE of Lanchow (92 men and 2 guns hit) and 16 Ki-51 from Wuchow to NE of the town (48 Chinese hit). In Kungchang, Japanese artillery hit 42 Chinese.

The main news of the day was the creation in Peking of the 3rd Tank Div, arriving with 100% OOB. It received orders to plan for Kungchang and moved immediately toward this city.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 378
13-14 November 1942: Auckland raided for two days - 8/2/2006 6:45:01 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		13-14 November 1942

Central Pacific

Still nothing to report, except fortifications building, defensive minelaying and the conversion of a Nell Daitai to Betties in Pearl Harbor. The difference between both types is small enough that I don’t usually convert these units, but the Betty pool is high, as these units are mostly in reserve and suffered far lighter losses in the Second Battle of Hawaii than expected, while the Nell pool is almost empty.

Southern Pacific

The battle of New Zealand started on the 13th. Bad weather hampered the operations of the Kido Butai in the morning and no raid was launched against Auckland. The daily recon flight by Mavis of Norfolk Island reported that the CAP over Auckland has been increased from a dozen to 28 Kittyhawk I. At the same time a Catalina saw a convoy 550 miles NNE of Auckland.

In the afternoon, the Japanese carriers launched 114 Vals escorted by 63 A6M2 to raid Auckland port (as I said above, I thought I had given orders to attack the airfield but…). 33 Kittyhawk of 14, 15 and 17 RNZAF Sqn intercepted the raid but lost 24 of their number while shooting down only 3 Zeroes and 1 Val. The dive bombers then raided the port. Former recon had only reported one AP here, but Japanese pilots discovered three moored submarines and at least seven tankers. Bombs destroyed all three American submarines (Cuttlefish, Herring and Narwhal), heavily damaged 3 TK, set on fire 3 others and lightly damaged a last one. AA fire shot down 5 Vals and a 7th was lost in a landing accident.
At the same time the Kido Butai was attacked by 11 Hudson I from Wellington. 99 A6M2 were flying CAP and shot down all RNZAF bombers but a Zero hit by return fire ditched on return.

During the night, the Kido Butai sailed 60 miles westward, remaining at 180 miles of Auckland. At dawn, it launched 124 Kates, 84 Vals and 45 A6M2 for another raid on Auckland. The fourth RNZAF fighter squadron (No 16) had joined the Auckland defenders and 32 Kittyhawk I opposed the raid and were more successful than the day before, shooting down 7 Kates, 5 Zeroes and 1 Val while losing 22 of their number. The bombing itself was a failure. The Vals attacked the airfield, destroying 2 more Kittyhawk on the ground and scoring 2 hits on the airbase, 2 on supplies and 18 on the runways, and also bombed the repair yard, reducing by 50% its capacity (8 disabled centers, 16 strategic points). The Kates had been ordered to attack the port but none carried torpedoes and their bombs scored 9 hits on the port and 1 on supplies and hit five tankers, heavily damaging four and setting another on fire, but none sank. Total Allied casualties were 95 men and 2 guns. AA fire shot down 4 Kates and 2 Vals.
Shortly after the raid a Dave flying recon over the city identified the 2nd NZ Bde. Seven units (25 000 men) were reported in the city, with 7-9 ships (reported as TK and SS) and 71 aircraft (29 fighter and 42 auxiliaries).

In the evening, the Kido Butai (that had lost 30 aircraft in two days, destroying 57 and 3 submarines) received orders to sail north to join the convoys. These had become more and more disorganized in the last days and were now covering four hexes. One of the CV of the escort group was flying LRCAP over the last convoy since the dawn of the 14th and will continue until all TF will gather NW of New Zealand.

In New Caledonia, Allied engineers expanded the port of Noumea to level 9 and the 100 extra points for the Allied score allowed it to pass the 1 for 5 mark (around 38 900 points for Japan, 7850 points for the Allied). But Japan is still far above 4 to 1 and the New Zealand operation should bring 3-4 thousand more points.

Solomons-New Guinea

There was no raid on Rabaul on the 13th but in fact Allied reinforcements were moving to Port Moresby. In the afternoon of the 14th, 62 B-17E (coming from Darwin) and 23 B-24D raided Rabaul. 24 Ki-61 and 17 A6M3 rose to intercept and the local Japanese commander expected to see its airfield and units badly trashed but was delighted by the battle that followed. Japanese pilots shot down or damaged beyond repair 17 B-17E and 2 B-24D while losing 4 A6M3 to return fire but only 2 pilots. 11 B-24D turned back and the remaining bombers only destroyed a Ki-61 and an A6M3 on the ground, scored 5 hits on the base, 4 on supplies and 28 on the runways and did 282 casualties.

Japanese fighters will remain in Rabaul. The convoy bringing AA and CD guns will arrive in some days. He is currently sailing around New Ireland to avoid the 3-4 Allied submarines patrolling NW of Rabaul.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

The usual raids hit each afternoon Koepang (48 B-25 from Derby in 2 days, 1 airbase hit, 10 runway hits, 55 casualties) and Lautem (53 B-25C from Darwin in 2 days, 13 casualties and 8 runway hits).

Two one-ship TF will bring supplies to Koepang and Dili, to reinforce the barges coming from Kendari on a regular basis.

Long-term plans include a reinforcement of Timor, now that Allied heavy bombers flew to another area. An Eng Rgt is busy in Java and will be shipped in small parts to Koepang, to reopen the airfield and then build fortifications here. Also a Bde will be shipped in Koepang, and smaller units in Dili and Lautem. At least before the spring of 1943…

Southern Resource Area

The following convoys were created in the area: 9k oil Miri to Saigon, 32k oil Brunei to Japan, 16k oil Medan to Singapore and 7k resources Manila to Japan.

Burma

Nothing happened in two days except that one of the 100+ Japanese fighters flying CAP over Rangoon shot down on the 13th a F-5A flying recon over the city, and that the 81st Naval Unit was attacked on the 14th by five Hurricane but suffered no loss.

In the evening of the 13th, the Oscars of 64 Sentai flew to Lashio and after a day of rest will sweep tomorrow the skies of Imphal, that are defended by some Hurricanes. The idea is to prove that Oscars may be still useful….

Recon continued to report that Ledo was probably a active transport airfield. The Allied air forces lost around one transport aircraft per day and around 100 are based here, covered by a CAP of 25-30 Spitfire. Once more Zeroes will be available (two units should arrive from China before the end of the month), a new raid on this airfield will be launched.

China

In northern China, Japanese guns hit 127 men and 1 gun in two days in Kungchang while Hurricanes from Sining and Lanchow flew 121 sorties (and 17 Spitfire escort sorties) and hit 163 men and 2 guns near Sining and NE of Lanchow. A Zero Daitai of Yenen will fly LRCAP tomorrow NE of Lanchow.

In the south, a Chinese Corps was bombed on the 14th NE of Wuchow by 58 Nates from Canton and lost 22 men. The HI of Wuchow was again expanded, from 8 to 16 points.

Two New fighter Sentais were created, the 25th Sentai in Wuhan with Oscars and the 85th Sentai in Manchouoko with Ki-44. Both will be used in China, and so a part of the Zero units used here may be sent to Burma. (Note: I manage air units of Kwantung Army the same as I do with land units: the number and type of combat units in the area should remain the same, so I only withdraw an unit from the area if a new one is created here).

Japan

SE of Tori Shima, the submarine USS Runner was chased in the evening of the 14th by an ASW group (2 DD, 1 PG, 3 MSW) but escaped without damage.

One of the two factories still producing A6M2 autoconverted on the 13th to A6M3 type, leaving only the Nagoya plant (capacity 45) for the former type. This factory was restarted, and it is hoped that it will convert too for free in the near future.

A convoy left Kitakyushu with 28k supplies to bring them to Kendari.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 379
15-16 November 1942: Oscar sucks (as if we didn't know ... - 8/3/2006 2:26:45 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		15-16 November 1942

Southern Pacific

The Japanese convoys gathered without being attacked off the northern cape of New Zealand. Recons continued over Auckland and reported no CAP on the 15th and only 3 Kittyhawk on the 16th.

Solomons-New Guinea

There was no raid on Rabaul but the base reported a shortage of supplies (pink status) and a convoy left Truk with 21k supplies for the base.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

There was no raid on the 15th but the B-25C returned over Timor on the 16th, hitting as usual Koepang (24 bombers, 3 runway hits) and Lautem (34 bombers, 5 casualties, 1 hit on a building and 2 on the runway).
In the evening of the 16th, 36 Ki-61 left Kendari for Maumer to fly LRCAP over Koepang but two were lost in bad weather with their pilots.

Southern Resource Area

Convoys loaded 64k of oil in Palembang for Japan, 17k resources in Toboali for Singapore, 28k resources Singapore to Japan and 41k oil Soerabaja for Japan.

Burma

The sweep from Lashio to Imphal by the 64 Sentai went awry (one of the reason being that I forgot to cancel the CAP percentage). In the morning of the 15th, 8 Oscars flew to the target but were bounced by 3 Hurricane II of 28 Sqn and three Japanese pilots were killed while they claimed nothing. In the afternoon, 3 other Oscars from Lashio escorted to Imphal a recon aircraft from Mandalay and 5 Hurricane scrambled but there was no fight. To add insult to injury, two more Oscars were lost in a collision over the small airfield of Lashio (size 2) and in the evening the 64 Sentai returned to Rangoon in a really bad mood… I was hoping that against Hurricanes Oscars will have done better

The was no other flying by any side in the two days except recon flights, but Japanese engineers expanded the Rangoon airfield to size 7.

China

Things became hotter in the north. In Sining Japanese troops were bombed each day by 27 Hurricanes but lost only two wounded. NE of Lanchow, Yenen-based Zeroes began on the 15th to fly LRCAP over the Japanese troops. Each available Zero unit (four in Yenen) will fly one day and then rest or fly local CAP over Yenen.
So on the 15th, 9 Zeroes intercepted 34 Hurricane and 9 Spitfire and shot down 3 of the former for the loss of one of them. A Spitfire and a Zero were also lost in crashes. And on the 16th, an unit finishing its op training (exp 61) flew the LRCAP and intercepted 31 Hurricane and 9 Spitfire with 14 Zeroes, shooting down 8 Hurricanes for one loss, shot down by a Spitfire. But two more Japanese pilots were lost in crashes, as was a Spitfire. In two days the Japanese troops here lost 74 men and 3 guns. But in two days the 37th Div arriving from the south will reach this spot and then Chinese will be outnumbered.
On the 15th, both Ki-15 flying recon to Lanchow were shot down, one by the CAP and the other by AA fire.
In Kungchang, Japanese guns hit 91 men in two days. The 41st Division arrived from the south on the 16th, enabling for the first time Japanese troops to be more powerful (in ASS points) than the defenders of the city. The 15th Div will arrive in some days and then the assault against the city will be launched.
More south, the hald-Brigade still keeping the road to Sian reported that 4 more Chinese units walked into the mountains 120 miles south of Kungchang. This flanking move was maybe intended to cut the road behind the 40th and 41st Div north of Sian when they were still there, or to occupy a strong position so that Japanese troops can’t cross the river there.
In the evening of the 16th, the 85 Sentai arrived in Yenen from Manchuoko with 36 brand new Ki-44 Tojo.

In the south, Japanese airmen attacked on the 15th Chinese troops NE of Wuchow with 58 Ki-27 from Canton (two op losses) and 16 Ki-51 from Wuchow and hit 53 men and 2 guns of the 28th New Chinese Div. This evening, the 104th Div and an artillery unit reached the crossroads of the Kweilin-Kweiyang road north of Wuchow and reported 5 Chinese units here, and two more on the north on the road to Kweiyang. Either they were reinforcements, or they were retreating troops. In both cases the best thing to do was to launch an immediate shock attack with the 104th Div before Chinese troops moved in one direction of the other.
The attack was supported by all available aircraft, and that included 16 Ki-51 from Wuchow, 57 Nates, 48 Ki-48 and 8 A6M2 from Canton and 6 Betties from Amoy. They hit 128 men and 1 gun but four (2 Betties, a Nate, a Ki-48) were lost in crashes. Then the 104th Div launched a shock attack and defeated at 5 to 1 the 62nd, 63rd and 65th Corps and two HQ (4th War Area and 5th Group Army). Japanese losses were 466 men and 15 guns, Chinese ones 227 killed and wounded, more than 1500 POWs and 3 guns. The Chinese troops retreated toward Kweilin, and that opened the road to Kweiyang.
The plan until now was to attack Kweilin after Wuchow, but we now have the opportunity to advance to Kweiyang maybe against light opposition. The main body of the Southern China Army had not yet reached this crossroads, so extensive recon of Kweiyang had been ordered and then it will be decide to march against this city of Kweilin. In both cases, a covering force will be left in the other direction.
In this area, Japanese engineers expanded the airfield of Wuchow to size 4 (and will now concentrate on fortifications) and of Canton to size 7.

The map below will show the situation on both active Chinese fronts.




Japan

The Vals based in Bonins since several days finally made several sighting reports of Allied submarines and even attacked one but missed.

I routinely used domestic shipping around Japan without detailing it here. In my own experience, oil stocks will build up in SW Japan while resources will be in NE, and I use small convoys to exchange them. Also supplies are ferried by small CS (automatic) convoys of 1-2 AK from several Korean ports and two Hokkaido port to Tokyo and Osaka, where they will be loaded aboard ships sailing to outer theatres.
Convoys are also routinely created in any port of the southern coast that will have more than 50k of fuel or supplies. But I had not for a while checked the ports on the northern coast and both Maizuru and Toyama had more than 100k fuel and 150k supplies when I did a tour of the island. So I sent there last months two big AK convoys.
This operation is now finished and all fuel and supplies have been sent to other bases. The last convoy that brought 105k supplies from Toyama reached Tokyo today and was split, 28k will be carried to Pearl Harbor (stock just dropped under 100k here) and 77k to Kendari (22k here right now, another convoy underway, the idea is to have more than 100k here also).


Attachment (1)

< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 8/3/2006 2:29:33 PM >

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 380
RE: 15-16 November 1942: Oscar sucks (as if we didn't k... - 8/3/2006 10:24:09 PM   
goodboyladdie


Posts: 3469
Joined: 11/18/2005
From: Rendlesham, Suffolk
Status: offline 		This is still my favourite AAR. I am very pleased you are back. How happy are you with the state of your pilot pools?

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 381
RE: 15-16 November 1942: Oscar sucks (as if we didn't k... - 8/3/2006 10:35:26 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: goodboyladdie

This is still my favourite AAR. I am very pleased you are back. How happy are you with the state of your pilot pools?


Thanks for the kind world.

As for the pilot pool, the IJNAF pool is empty since January or February but the average experience of the KB units and of Betties/Nells units is around 75, and for the land-based Zero around 70, so that's Ok for me. My own training program is far more important than the pilot pool.

The IJAAF pool is not empty yet, but is at 12, so will not last long. The level of experience of IJAAF units is very variable, from 55 to 90. On the whole the best units (flying with Ki-61 and Ki-44) have exp above 70, and most of the bomber units have above 80.

(in reply to goodboyladdie)
Post #: 382
17-18 November 1942: raid on Lanchow - 8/4/2006 2:22:17 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		17-18 November 1942

Southern Pacific

All Japanese TF gathered on the west coast of the Northern Island of New Zealand and sailed southward together. In two days, four PBY Catalina were shot down near the fleet, all by Japanese aces. There is again no more CAP over Auckland, and Allied aircraft were reported in Wellington and Christchurch.

The map below will show the current situation and the Japanese plan (comments below):




The fleet will sail together following the red arrow then will scatter there. Troops will be landed simultaneously just north of Wellington (W Group, 5 reinforced divisions), 120 miles more north (A Group, 2 reinforced divisions) and on the northern end of the railway line on the Southern Island (C Group, 2 divisions, 1 brigade and support troops). The reserve convoy, the supply/fuel convoy, the replenishment TF and all CV TF will remain on the end of the red arrow. From there Zeroes should be able to cover all TFs from Allied aircraft. Wellington will also be bombarded by Vals and Kates.
The goal of the A Group is to stop Allied troops coming from Auckland. The W Group will surround Wellington and then take it. The C Group will march to Christchurch, surround it and take it. Once a base will be taken, air reinforcements (A6M2, Nells, Betties) will come in from Suva.
The second phase will see the C Group marching to Dunedin, while the W Group will join the A Group and then assault Auckland.
It seems to me that New Zealand hadn’t been reinforced by US troops and so should be an easy target.

Solomons-New Guinea

Barges carrying 250 men of the 4th NLF left Kavieng on the 17th and unloaded them the next day on Emirau Island, that will be occupied tomorrow. The convoy bringing AA and CD guns to Rabaul arrived on the night of the 17th-18th and will finish to unload tomorrow.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

Bad weather hampered Allied raid on Timor. On the 17th, only 18 of the 38 B-25 sent from Derby to Koepang found the target and scored 2 runway hits, wounding 6 men, while 20 B-25 from Darwin scored only 1 runway hit on Lautem runway. In these raids a B-25C hit by AA ditched on return and another was lost in a crash.
The next day, only Koepang was bombed, and only by 6 B-25 that hit nothing. Two B-25C were lost in crashes over Australia. 7 Brewster 339 from Darwin attacked barges off Lautem and sank one but one of their number disappeared in the bad weather.

Southern Resource Area

Some more convoys were created and will carry 48k oil from Palembang to Japan, 14k supplies from Toboali to Rangoon and 14k resources from Kendari to Japan.
Japanese engineers expanded the port of Bankha, Sumatra, to size 3, that will allow to load the local oil faster.

Burma

The only activity in two days were raids each day by 6 Hurricanes from Imphal against troops SE of the town, hitting 18 men, and the shooting down of a Ki-46 on the 18th by Allied fighters.

Several convoys had unloaded supplies in Rangoon or are underway and the supply situation in Burma is again correct, so orders were issued again to repair some of the oilfield in Mandalay.

China

In the north, the RAF pilots continued to attack Japanese troops in Sining and NE of Lanchow and reported no more Japanese LRCAP. In 48 Hurricane sorties (escorted by 9 Spitfires) they hit 39 men and 1 gun without loss. But the Japanese airmen were not on holidays. They were preparing a big raid against Lanchow airfield that was launched on the afternoon of the 18th from Yenen. 55 Ki-21 and 26 Ki-49 escorted by 85 A6M2 (but 18 got lost en route), 36 Ki-44, 32 Ki-43 and 7 Ki-61 were sent to attack this target. They met over the area 8 Spitfire Vb and 6 Hurricane II. The escort shot down 7 Spits and 5 Hurris for 9 losses (4 Ki-43, 2 Ki-44, 2 Ki-61 and 1 Zero) and repulsed the other away from the bombers that destroyed on the ground 8 Hurricane II, disabled 5 men and 1 gun and scored 2 hits on the airbase, 10 on supplies and 40 on the runway. Also a Spitfire, an A6M2 and a Ki-21 were lost in crashes. The raid will be repeated tomorrow but without the Oscars.
On the ground they were also moves. The 37th Div was scheduled to cross the river NE of Lanchow (from the south) on the 18th (with air support, that was then used to raid Lanchow) but marched faster than planned and crossed on the 17th, launching alone a shock attack that achieved 3 to 1 ratio (losing 308 men, 9 guns and 2 tanks while hitting 54 Chinese and 2 guns). But the Chinese troops having nowhere to retreat remained there… It was then decided to continue to attack here (deliberate attacks) until this Chinese Corps will be reduced. The first attack on the 18th achieved a ratio of 6 to 1. Japanese losses were 151 men and 8 guns, Chinese ones 258 men and 4 guns.
Japanese guns in Kungchang hit 75 men in two days. The 15th Div will arrive tomorrow and the 3rd Tank Div is 120 miles east of the city and driving fast to join the battle. As soon as it will arrive the assault will be launched.

In Central China, things continued to be very quiet. Japanese troops here have not seen a Chinese soldier since December 1941 and are only busy expanding bases (all bases have fort level 9). The airfield of Nanchang just reached size 8.

In the south, Japanese airmen from Wuhan, Wuchow, Amoy and Canton flew in two days 228 sorties (112 Ki-27, 54 Ki-48, 20 Ki-21, 16 Ki-51, 14 A6M2, 12 Betties) against Chinese troops in the Wuchow-Kweilin-Kweiyang and suffered no losses but only hit 65 men and 1 gun.
Japanese recon aircraft reported 9 Chinese units and 50 000 men in Kweiyang, too much to attack the city while covering the flank in the Kweilin direction. So orders were given (on the 17th, but troops received them only on the 18th) to march eastward from the crossroad and attack once again the retreating Chinese troops if possible. The 60th division will march to attack the troops in the woods between Wuchow and Kweilin (3 units, a Div and a Corps identified). Then Japanese troops will march back to Wuchow and later will advance on the railway toward Kweilin.

Japan

The ASW group sent to Iwo Jima area (2 DD, 1 PG, 3 MSW) after airmen reported two submarines in the area arrived there during the night of the 16th-17th and was patrolling when just before dawn lookouts of the DD Ushio reported incoming torpedoes. The skipper had not enough time to dodge them and they went under the hull… and didn’t explode, another failure of the American magnetic torpedoes. The group deployed but couldn’t find the submarine. In the afternoon, the PG reported an asdic contact and dropped depth charges but in fact the American submarine in the area, the SS Gurnard was never threatened.

A convoy left Sasebo laden with 28k supplies for Rangoon.


Attachment (1)

< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 8/4/2006 2:28:24 PM >

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 383
RE: 17-18 November 1942: raid on Lanchow - 8/5/2006 11:34:58 AM   
Apollo11


Posts: 24082
Joined: 6/7/2001
From: Zagreb, Croatia
Status: offline 		Hi all,

Best of luck in NZ opration!!!

The Emperor will love the new defensive (and scout) perimeter the conquest of NZ would allow since the Australia will be almost completely cut out!


Leo "Apollo11"

_____________________________



Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!

A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 384
19 November 1942: the Hudson slaugther - 8/7/2006 3:58:38 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Apollo11

Hi all,

Best of luck in NZ opration!!!

The Emperor will love the new defensive (and scout) perimeter the conquest of NZ would allow since the Australia will be almost completely cut out!

Leo "Apollo11"


Hi Leo, well the NZ operation will be a huge milk run probably, the islands had not received any reinforcement and the RNZAF is unable to slow the Japanese juggernaut. Once NZ is Japanese Australia will be totally cut of America but Japanese submarines and Glens have reported no shipping in this area for months anyway. I think I will have for home rule that Allied convoys may sail following the border of the map (that is far too small IMOO).

In fact the invasion will be delayed by only one thing: my holidays starting this Friday for two weeks.

19 November 1942

Central Pacific

SIGINT reported 49 Allied units in San Francisco.

Southern Pacific

The Japanese convoys sailed south along the western coast of the Northern Island of New Zealand. Hudsons units of the RNZAF took off in force from Christchurch to attack them but were unescorted and decimated. The main Japanese concentration was 180 miles SW of Auckland, with some late convoys 60 miles to the NE. In the morning, 7 small groups of Hudson I, for a total of 38 bombers, tried to attack the main concentration but met 148 A6M2 flying CAP and were all shot down while only one A6M2 was lost to return fire. The only Allied crews to see a Japanese ship were 3 Hudson that attacked one of the late convoys. They were only intercepted by 19 A6M2 that down one of them and the two other missed an AP.
The raid continued in the afternoon with 4 small groups. Two targeted the main force and were annihilated by the CAP of 133 A6M2 (6 Hudson shot down). The other five bombers (2 and 3) attacked the late convoy and 2 were shot down by Zeroes but three bombed APs (and missed).
Also during the day, a Hudson and 3 PBY on patrol were shot down by the Japanese CAP that lost two A6M2 in accidents, a Hudson hit by AA fire from an AP crashed on return and Japanese floatplanes flew extensive recon over Auckland and Wellington. In the former the 1st and 2nd NZ Bdes were identified. The second was protected by 31 Kittyhawk I flying CAP (they shot down a Jake), and occupied by 3 units, including the Wellington Fortress.
So the final score at the end of the day was 52 to 4 in Japanese favor and no damage to Japanese ships.

The Japanese convoys will continue to sail south but the lead TF will slow down to wait the slower convoys. The day after tomorrow, they will reach the scattering point NW of Wellington and if CAP is still over Wellington this airfield will be attacked. And the day after Japanese troops will land on both sides of the strait.

Solomons-New Guinea

The new AA guns in Rabaul scored the day after their arrival, downing a Hudson I flying the afternoon recon over the base.

The troops of the 4th NLF landed in Emirau Island finished to occupy the empty island. The other part of the 4th NLF boarded too barges in Kavieng and will sail to occupy Admiraly Islands.

Betties from Truk will start to recon Port Moresby.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

In the afternoon, Koepang was bombed by 15 B-25C from Derby (16 casualties, 1 hit on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 10 on runways) and Lautem by 24 B-25C from Darwin (4 wounded, 3 runway hits).
Good weather was forecast over Timor for tomorrow and Ki-61s from Maumer will fly LRCAP over Koepang.
The Zeroes of F2/1st Daitai left Kendari for Tarakan and will upgrade to A6M3a here.

Southern Resource Area

A convoy was created to carry 40k of oil from Batavia to Singapore.

Burma

Three oil centers had been repaired in Mandalay and the repairs were stopped, but were restarted on resources in the same city (0 center now working) and Taung Gyi (8 centers working). The idea here is to keep the output small so Allied bombers may not come too fast.

China

Yenen airfield was closed by bad weather so the raid on Lanchow wasn’t repeated but Japanese airmen will attack it tomorrow. Lanchow Allied airmen didn’t fly but 28 Hurricane from Sining attacked Japanese paratroops near their base and hit 32 men.
The 15th Div arrived in Kungchang, where Japanese gunfire hit 19 Chinese. Current force ratio was 3492 Japanese ASS points facing 2807 Chinese ones, but the 3rd Tk Div will arrive in 1-2 days and the attack won’t be launched before it will be there.
NE of Lanchow, another Japanese deliberate attack achieved a 3 to 1 and cost 140 Japanese casualties and 9 guns while the Chinese lost 263 men and 2 guns.
120 miles S of Kungchang, another Chinese unit arrived in the mountain hex on the other side of the river from the Kungchang-Sian road.

In Central China, all was quiet again. Japanese engineers reported that fortifications in Homan were finished (level 9) and were ordered to expand the local airfield from size 4 to 7.

In the south, Japanese troops W and NW of Kweilin were attacked by 56 Ki-27 (one lost in a crash) and 4 A6M2 from Canton and 16 Ki-51 from Wuchow and lost 32 men.

Japan

In the evening the American submarine S-27 was unsuccessfully searched by an ASW group (1 DD, 3 PG, 2 PC) NE of Tori Shima.

Three TK with 5-6 SYS damage were docked in Osaka for small repairs.

In Tokyo, two Area Armies (the 2nd and the 8th) that were in reserve received orders. The first will sail to Hawaii and take command of the archipelago, where there is only an Army Command (range 1) at PH for the moment. The second will prepare for Rabaul and will be shipped there in 1943 but right now it was ordered to board ships for Canton. From there it will go to Wuchow to draw supplies unloaded in Canton to this base so that HI and resources will be repaired.

(in reply to Apollo11)
Post #: 385
RE: 19 November 1942: the Hudson slaugther - 8/7/2006 4:23:31 PM   
Apollo11


Posts: 24082
Joined: 6/7/2001
From: Zagreb, Croatia
Status: offline 		Hi all,

quote:

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

Hi Leo, well the NZ operation will be a huge milk run probably, the islands had not received any reinforcement and the RNZAF is unable to slow the Japanese juggernaut. Once NZ is Japanese Australia will be totally cut of America but Japanese submarines and Glens have reported no shipping in this area for months anyway. I think I will have for home rule that Allied convoys may sail following the border of the map (that is far too small IMOO).


RGR!

BTW, you can use house rule that no aircraft stationed there use full range (i.e. you lessen the range for them so that enemy convoys can trawel unnoticed following the map edge)...


quote:


In fact the invasion will be delayed by only one thing: my holidays starting this Friday for two weeks.


Have a nice vacation and when you get back the new victories await - BANZAI!!!


Leo "Apollo11"

_____________________________



Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!

A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 386
RE: 19 November 1942: the Hudson slaugther - 8/7/2006 4:29:29 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Apollo11

BTW, you can use house rule that no aircraft stationed there use full range (i.e. you lessen the range for them so that enemy convoys can trawel unnoticed following the map edge)...



It is what I plan to do, leave 2-3 hexes outside naval search for the convoys to get trough... with of course no right to come for a counter-landing in this area.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Apollo11

Have a nice vacation and when you get back the new victories await - BANZAI!!!


Leo "Apollo11"


Thanks... Well, Wellington and Kungchang may fall before I leave, depending of my opponent schedule.

(in reply to Apollo11)
Post #: 387
20 November 1942: one Japanese ship hit - 8/9/2006 12:18:52 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		20 November 1942

Well I have two PBEM running, one with an invasion of NZ underway and the other with a moving situation in China and a big assault on Perth, with Kido Butai N of the city and Allied CV seen south of it (but neither side closing the range), and my two opponents just didn't send a trun for two days... Notice to self: avoid opponents that have a life outside WITP.

Southern Pacific

Garbled orders again… two of the three CV TF were following a TF while most of the other Japanese were following another. In the end, fleet ended in two hexes 180 and 240 miles NNW of Wellington. Allied crews didn’t launch raids but flew extensive naval search and if the CAP shot down 4 Hudson I and a PBY Catalina during the day, a patrolling Hudson attacked and hit the AE Kashino sailing with the logistical train. She was the first Japanese ship hit during the battle but damage is small enough (20/8/9) to allow her to follow the fleet, as she was still able to do 11 knots.

Japanese floatplanes continued to fly recon over the Northern Island of New Zealand and reported that still 38 Kittyhawk I flew CAP over Wellington, where the 2nd NZ Cav Bde was identified. A Bde here was not excepted after having identified two in Auckland, but as the initial land force send to take Wellington has four divisions it won’t be a problem.
The Kittyhawk over the base are a more immediate concern and a BB TF (Yamato, Ise, CA Kako, CL Yura and 6 ASW DD) was ordered to bombard Wellington during the night. I would like them to remain there, and AFAIK the only way to do that is to give the bombardment TF follow orders so I sent an ASW TF (6 DD) and the BB following them, all with patrol/no retire orders. They should so remain outside Wellington during the day, under LRCAP by 17 Zeroes, and with the Japanese fleet 120 miles to the north (at the ‘scattering point’) may have more CAP if needed, but the Allied LBA had not proved dangerous until now.
In the afternoon, Wellington AF will be attacked by the airmen of 2 of the 3 TF of the Kido Butai to deal with the survivors of the night bombardment.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

In the afternoon, a Betty from Truk flew a recon flight to PM and reported that 50 P-40E flew CAP over the base.

A convoy loaded 6k supplies and 14k fuel in Truk to bring them to Rabaul.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

In the afternoon, as usual Koepang and Lautem were bombed. The latter was attacked by 29 B-25C from Darwin that disabled 13 men and 2 guns and scored 1 hit on supplies and 6 on the runway. 19 B-25C from Derby were sent against the former, but they were intercepted by 9 Ki-61 of the 68 Sentai flying LRCAP from Maumere and all turned back. There was no loss for any side in air battle, but a B-25C was lost in a crash. Bad weather was forecast for tomorrow and the Tonies of Maumere will remain there but not fly LRCAP.

Burma

Thunderstorms continued here and Japan didn’t play any operations, as for the last days. 8 Hurricanes from Imphal attacked Japanese troops SE of their base but missed.

China

In the north, 31 Hurricane from Sining attacked paratroops near their base, hitting 31 men and 1 gun, while the Japanese raid from Yenen to Lanchow was again cancelled by bad weather. Air units had been ordered to try again tomorrow.
On the ground, Japanese guns hit 32 men in Kungchang. The 3rd Tk Div arrived 30 miles E of the town and should be there tomorrow and then the assault will be launched. NE of Lanchow, the daily deliberate attack was more successful than before, achieving a ratio of 14 to 1. Japanese losses were 192 men and 5 guns, Chinese ones 314 men and 2 guns. More important, the ASS value of the Chinese units is dropping by 5-10% each day while the Japanese forces keep the same level. The latter are supplied, the former probably not.

In the south, Chinese troops NW and W of Kweilin were attacked by 55 Nates and 7 A6M2 from Canton and 16 Ki-51 from Wuchow and lost 27 men, while 3 Ki-27 were lost in crashes.

Japan

An animated meeting at the War Production Ministery saw partisans and opponents of an increase of the production of the J1N1-R Irving discuss for hours. Finally the proposal (to increase the factory of size 8 to 16) was rejected, as only 3 Chutais will use it, and for the moment all three are in reserve, so the need of the Irving is not immediate.
(NB: this has been included just to show one of the many details I try to monitor in this game…. I know I am crazy, I just hope other people don’t see it…)

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 388
21 November 1942: remembering old good days - 8/9/2006 1:24:14 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		21 November 1942

Japan still rules the air!!! Ok, the Allied airmen were outnumbered, inexperienced and probably demoralized but the scoreboard reminds me of the good old days of December 1941: 71 Allied aircraft losses against 12 Japanese ones.

Central Pacific

A Daitai of A6M2 upgraded to A6M3a in Pearl Harbor. About 200 elite airmen still kept the area just in case, and constitute a strategic reserve for other theaters.

Southern Pacific

The night was uneventful but Allied dawn patrols reported two surface TF (an ASW group lading a BB TF) off Wellington, while all other Japanese TF were gathered 120 miles north of it. Hudson continued to fly extensive naval search and four were shot down during the day over the Japanese fleet, one by AA and three by Zeroes.

Japanese recons were also active. They reported that Allied aircraft had left Christchurch, probably for Auckland where CAP was back (11 Kittyhawk I) but the CAP over Wellington was as strong as before (39 Kittyhawk I). They also counted 10 000 Allied men in Wellington and 40 000 in Auckland. Tomorrow they will extend their recons to Christchurch.

The BB TF being late, the first attack on Wellington was launched in the afternoon by the KB with 114 Kates and 105 Vals escorted by 103 A6M2. They met over the target 32 Kittyhawk I that were all shot down by the Japanese fighters, that suffered five losses. The bombers then attacked and reported weak AA defences that shot down none of them. They destroyed 6 more Kittyhawk on the ground, and scored 27 hits on the airbase, 10 on supplies and 158 on the runways. The base was still burning when the BB Yamato and Ise, the CA Kako and the CL Yura closed the coast and pounded it again, destroying 7 more Kittyhawk, disabling 877 men, 29 guns and 5 vehicles and scoring 7 hits on the airbase, 4 on supplies, 110 on the runways and 1 on a fuel dump in the port.

And this concluded another bad for New Zealand defenders. At dusk, both surface TF off Wellington sailed north to join the main fleet. At the same time, landing orders were confirmed and while most of the Japanese TF didn’t move from the ‘scatterring point’, three big convoys broke formation and sailed respectively SW to land 72k men on the northern tip of the Southern Island railway, SE to land 120k men just north of Wellington and NE to land 72k men on the railway to Auckland. Each of these convoys will be LRCAPed by 15-20 Zeroes tomorrow.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

During the night the SS USS Sargo tried to attack a Japanese convoy NW of Rabaul but was seen and chased by two MSW. The convoy reached the base with 21k supplies and started to unload. A Ki-61 flying CAP over the port later shot down a Catalina I getting too close.

In the afternoon, half of the 4th NLF was landed by barges on Admiralty Islands and reported them empty. They will be occupied tomorrow.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

In bad weather 29 B-25C took off from Derby to attack Koepang but only 9 found it and they only scored one hit on the runway.

Southern Resource Area

A convoy started to load 21k supplies in Toboali for Rangoon.

Burma

7 Hurricane from Imphal attacked troops SE of their base and hit 24 men and 1 gun. Allied engineers expanded the airfield of Diamond Harbor to size 9.

China

In the morning another aid was launched from Yenen against Lanchow with 54 Ki-21 and 27 Ki-49 escorted by 81 A6M2, 36 Ki-44 and 11 Ki-61. 8 Hurricane II and 4 Spitfire Vb scrambled to oppose them but were all shot down by the escort, that lost only 3 Ki-44 in the battle. The bombers then hit hard the runway, destroying 7 Hurricanes and 1 Spitfire, doing 20 casualties and scoring 12 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 80 on the runways. A Ki-49 and a Ki-61 were lost in accidents during this operation.
At the same time, 12 Hurricane and 4 Spitfire Vb from Lanchow escaped the raid as they were bombing the 37th Div NE of their base, hitting 24 men. This attack was not enough to stop the Japanese attacks in this place, and once again the Chinese situation deteriorated fast. The deliberate attack of the day achieved a 39 to 1 ratio, with 156 Japanese losses and 5 guns opposed by 331 men and 2 guns lost by the Chinese. The 69th Chinese Corps (that fought in three independent parts) will probably start to collapse in some days.
But a far more important Chinese collapse is hoped for a little more south, in Kungchang. Japanese gunfire hit 94 men here and 18 Chinese ASS points were lost, leaving 84 000 men (2792 ASS) facing 160 000 Japanese (3880 ASS), as the 3rd Tk Div just reached the city. It reported low fat and good morale, as other Japanese units and all (7 Div, 1 big Bde, 1 Tk Div and support units) were ordered to attack tomorrow. Yenen airmen will support the attack with level bombers and Oscars flying ground attack with the other fighters escorting them. Logically the attack should fail, especially as no Eng Rgt remains under the walls of Kungchang, but the situation here is comparable to Wuchow where the Chinese collapsed in one day after months of siege, and their supply situation was probably better there.

In the south, the Japanese troops pursuing Chinese NW of Kweilin continued to advance really slowly along the muddy roads. Troops in the are were attacked by 57 Nates, 7 A6M2 and 16 Ki-51 from Wuchow and Canton and lost 39 men and 1 gun.

Japan

Two ASW groups will operate south of Japan, where 3-5 Allied submarines were reported daily all the last days. A convoy formed in Tokyo to bring fuel to the bases in Bonins area so the ASW groups may refuel here rather than returning to Japan.

An A6M2 Daitai having finished its basic training (exp 45) in Osaka left Japan for China where it will fly operational training.

A convoy left Nagasaki with 14k fuel for Balikpapan. The DEI are the part of the Empire where fuel reserves are the lowest and stock will be made in Soerabaja, Balikpapan, Davao, Palau and Kendari in the next months.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 389
22 November 1942: failure in China - 8/10/2006 12:34:57 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		22 November 1942

Southern Pacific

During the night, the three Japanese convoys reached the beaches and the landing began in the pre-dawn hours. There was no opposition, as all New Zealand troops were kept into the cities. In fact the landing on the southern island was only seen in the afternoon by the patrolling Hudson, two of them were shot down, one by a Zero and the other by AA fire.
Japanese recon flights continued and targeted also Christchurch today where the 3rd NZ Bde was identified. Four units held the city, more than 10 000 men. This confirms that Wellington is probably the easiest target between the three main cities of New Zealand. Wellington airfield was still closed and only 3 aircraft were seen here, while a little more than 30 were reported in Auckland, with 10 Kittyhawk flying CAP. A Mavis from Norfolk Island was shot down by AA fire over Auckland and this unit received orders to stop recon flights.

Landing continued all days and at dusk the three planned beachheads were constituted, but landing was slower than planned. Only 8 of the 72k men planned to land on Beachhead South (Southern Island, NW of Wellington), 16 of the 120k planned for Beachhead East (NW of Wellington) and 12k of the 72k for the Beachhead North (S of Auckland) had already landed. No unit had finished landing, but the first orders were issued. A Naval Unit was ordered to march from Beachhead N to E to take control of the railroad in this area, while a small Tk detachment (10 tanks) was ordered to drive from Beachhead S toward Christchurch.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

The 4th NLF occupied the empty Admiralty Islands.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

In the afternoon, 26 B-25C from Derby bombed Koepang, scoring 1 hit on a building and 6 on the runway.

Southern Resource Area

A convoy started to load 21k resources in Kuala Lumpur for Japan.

China

Bad weather reduced flying activity over the whole country. In the south, only 16 Ki-51 from Wuchow attacked troops NE of Kweilin, hitting 27 men. In the north, 32 Hurricanes attacked paratroops near their base and hit 7 men. Both sides lost one aircraft in an accident.
The main attack of the day was the start of a new offensive in Kungchang. Yenen was closed by bad weather so there was no air support, but troops had been told of the easy victory in Wuchow and everybody was confident Chinese will collapse there too. Well, they didn’t. The attack (183 000 Japanese vs 83 000 Chinese) wasn’t a complete failure, as it achieved a 1 to 1 ratio and a fortification level was destroyed by engineers but Japanese losses were heavy: 4862 men, 54 guns, 3 tanks, compared to 1567 men and 13 guns lost by Chinese. Japanese troops were badly disrupted and the attack was called off for some days… A reason of the failure may be the lack of support personnel and the HQ of the China Expeditionary Army, currently in Yenen (to draw supplies) will march to the Kungchang battlefield.
NE of Lanchow another deliberate attack led by the 37th Div continued to disrupt the 69th Chinese Corps, at 27 to 1. Japanese losses were 95 men and 4 guns, while the Chinese lost 144 men.

Tomorrow, the Yenen airmen will mainly support the 37th Div, as it seems it may win here faster than in Kungchang. Two A6M2 Daitais will fly LRCAP respectively NE of Lanchow and over Kungchang.

Japan

In the evening, the SS Shard was chased by an ASW group (1 DD, 3 PG, 2 PC) 120 miles NE of Tori Shima but escaped without being depth charged.

The pic of the day: attack in Kungchang






Attachment (1)

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 390
Page:   <<   < prev  11 12 [13] 14 15   next >   >>
All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> War In The Pacific - Struggle Against Japan 1941 - 1945 >> After Action Reports >> RE: 17 October 1942: Rabaul taken Page: <<   < prev  11 12 [13] 14 15   next >   >>
Jump to:





New Messages No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages Locked w/o New Messages
 Post New Thread
 Reply to Message
 Post New Poll
 Submit Vote
 Delete My Own Post
 Delete My Own Thread
 Rate Posts


Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition 2.4.5 ANSI

1.055