Matrix Games Forums

 Forums  Register  Login  Photo Gallery  Member List  Search  Calendars  FAQ 

My Profile  Inbox  Address Book  My Subscription  My Forums  Log Out

18 February 1943: new victory in China

 
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 >> 18 February 1943: new victory in China Page: <<   < prev  15 16 [17] 18 19   next >   >>
Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
18 February 1943: new victory in China - 10/20/2006 2:20:53 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		18 February 1943

Northern Pacific

The two minelayer submarines that were busy laying mines off Attu and Kiska for some weeks had been damaged by ice in these inhospitable waters and were both recalled to Japan for some repairs. Both will be sent to Pacific once repairs will be complete.

New Caledonia

Dawn found the Japanese fleets badly scattered between Noumea and Suva but they were not attacked during the day. La Foa was also closed by bad weather and there was no raid here either. Just two PBY were shot down by Japanese CAP.
Off Koumac the SS USS Permit tried in the afternoon to attack the DD TF patrolling here but was unable to find a firing position. She wasn’t detected by the Japanese ships.
In Noumea both sides exchanged artillery fire. Allied losses were 190 men, 5 guns and 1 vehicle, Japanese ones 410 men, 17 guns and 1 tank. In the evening 7 Japanese divisions were already near Noumea and only two were lacking.
In the evening 9 Emilies flew from Nandi to Norfolk Island. They will fly naval patrol, searching especially for any ships sent from Australia to Noumea.

Tomorrow the Japanese fleet won’t try to reorganise but each TF will sail independently to Suva. La Foa airmen will again try to raid Noumea.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

The only raid was a training sortie from PM to Goodenough Island with 10 Beaufort V-IX and 20 P-40E.

Southern Resource Area

The AK mined off Bataan was finally saved. She was slowly sinking in Manila port but putting her in a TF docked off Manila worked, the FLT damage decreased and has now reached 0.
Two AK loaded 6k resources in Lamon Bay, Luzon, for Japan.

Burma

During the night, 7 Beaufighter VIF from Imphal attacked Rangoon but did no damage.

China

120 miles W of Sian, the Chinese troops blocking the road to Chungking (73rd, 74th and 98th Corps, 1st Temp Div) were attacked by 3 Japanese divisions (3rd Tk, 37th and 58th) supported by 16 Ki-49, 10 Ki-48 and 8 Ki-21 from Kungchang and were defeated at 27 to 1. They retreated to the SW, joining the 9 units holding the cross-roads between Sian, Ichang and Chungking. Japanese losses were 125 men and 5 guns while the Chinese lost 1109 killed and wounded, 3 guns and more than 2000 POWs.
More Japanese troops had reached this area during the day and 4 Div will pursue the Chinese to the SW led by the HQ North China Army, while 2 Rgts will march to the NW to occupy the mountains and finish to surround the Chinese Army NW of Sian.
To help reduce this pocket, Kungchang will be transformed into a bomber nest. Today arrived 88 Ki-48 and 30 Ki-21 from other Chinese bases, and 25 Ki-51 left Shanghai but stopped at Peking for the night.

From Wuhan, 129 aircraft flew training missions against Chinese troops NW of Changsha. They hit 18 men but lost an Oscar II and a Val in crashes.

Japan

A convoy loaded 21k supplies in Takamatsu and will bring them to Tugueragao, Luzon, to repair the resources centers of this base (20 of the 100 were damaged).

Map of the day: both interesting theaters, China and New Caledonia






Attachment (1)

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 481
19-21 February 1943: getting in place - 10/20/2006 7:43:11 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		19-21 February 1943

Central Pacific

SIGINT reported an Allied TF 1000 miles S of California but Japanese submarines and Glens saw nothing.

New Caledonia

On the ground, the Southern Area Army waited for the last division, the 48th, to join it before attacking. This troop arrived on the 21st, bringing the total strength of the Army to 8 Div, 1 Tk Div, 1 Bde, 2 Tk Rgt, 2 Eng Rgt (4 other in reserve), 5 ART units and 3 HQ. They will launch the first deliberate attack on the base tomorrow.
During these 3 days both sides exchanged artillery fire. Allied losses were 818 men and 12 guns, Japanese ones 432 men.

Clear weather on the 19th allowed the raid on Noumea to be launched from La Foa with 23 Ki-49 escorted by 33 Ki-61, 19 A6M3a and 6 A6M3. But the Allied CAP was stronger than expected (24 P-38G and 12 F4F-4) and shot down 12 Ki-61, 4 A6M3a, 4 Ki-49, a Ki-46-III and later a patrolling Betty while losing 10 F4F-4 and 7 P-38G. AA fire then shot down 2 more Ki-49 and the other bombed the airfield, scoring 3 runway hits and destroying a Wildcat on the ground. Another F4F-4 and an A6M3a were lost in crashes. After this failure, all Japanese bombers left New Caledonia and fighters were ordered to fly CAP or LRCAP over Koumac.
This day also saw a PBM Mariner being shot down by the Japanese CAP over Koumac, and the last troops of the 5th Eng Rgt being brought to La Foa by Tinas from Suva (one was lost in a crash) that were then grounded for some rest. Japanese engineers expanded Koumac airfield to 3 and were then ordered to only work on the port here, to help saving damaged ships anchored off it.

On the 20th, 20 B-25J, 15 B-25C and 11 A-20G from Noumea escorted by 9 P-38G and 2 F4F-4 attacked the 2nd Japanese Div near their base and hit 113 men, 2 guns and 1 tank, while the 307th BG sent 9 B-24D from Luganville to attack ships off Koumac. They were intercepted by 30 A6M2 and 8 A6M3a, but only one B-24D was shot down and the other heavily damaged an AK with 3 bombs. A B-24D and an A6M2 were lost in accidents, while during the day another Betty was shot down by CAP over Noumea.
This day Japanese engineers expanded the airfield of La Foa to size 5 (maximum) and will now expand the port of the base.

The next day, an Irving and a Dinah III were shot down by Allied CAP and in the evening all naval patrol were stopped from La Foa, only recon will be flown. The naval patrol will be flown only from Norfolk Island.
Noumea airmen launched two raids on troops besieging their base. First 6 A-20G, 3 B-25C and 3 B-25J attacked the 20th Div, easily evaded 6 A6M3 on LRCAP from La Foa, and hit 64 men and 5 guns. Then 27 B-25C, 19 B-25J and 10 A-20G escorted by 12 P-38G and 3 F4F-4 attacked the 56th Div. The Japanese LRCAP had been reinforced by 11 Ki-61 that were supposed to be over Koumac and in the air battle 4 Ki-61, 2 F4F-4, 1 P-38G and 1 A-20G were shot down. The bombers hit this time 116 men, 6 guns and 1 tank. 2 B-25J and 1 A-20G were lost in accidents during these raids.
At the same time the Japanese fleet off Koumac was attacked by 5 B-25J and 4 B-24D from Luganville. 29 A6M2 were defending it but were unable to shot down any while return fire from B-24Ds destroyed two Zeroes. The DD Minazuki was heavily damaged by two bombs dropped by B-25J of the 42nd BG, while a B-25J was shot down by AA fire. In the afternoon 3 B-24D attacked again, evaded the CAP (20 A6M2 and 2 A6M3) and missed another DD. To end a bad day another A6M2 was lost with its pilot in an accident.

New Zealand- Southern Pacific

Two of the 3 Japanese CV TF reached Suva and refuelled and completed air units here. The third will arrive tomorrow and some days later all will sail back to New Caledonia with all available surface ships.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

The only raids flown were the daily training missions from PM to Goodenough Island with a total of 39 Beaufort V-IX and 63 P-40E, without loss.

In the morning of the 21st a solitary AK returning from Rabaul to Truk saw an Allied submarine 240 miles N of Kavieng and escaped.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

The two damaged barges left off Lautem were sunk on the 19th and 20th by Brewster 339D from Darwin (total of 14 sorties, 7 bomb hits but one operational loss).

After a quiet day on the 19th, both Koepang and Lautem were bombed on the 20th and 21st. The first reported a total of 26 B-25C, 66 casualties, 5 hits on the airbase and 14 on the runway, and claimed a B-25C shot down by AA fire. Lautem was attacked by a total of 60 B-25C scoring 1 hit on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 7 on the runway and doing 25 casualties.

Japanese engineers expanded the port of Amboina to size 3, and will continue to its maximal size (4). Two AK laden each with 7k supplies left Palau for Amboina and Sorong to repair the oilfields of these two bases.
Three MLs left Soerabaja to lay another minefield off Koepang, another laid mines off Menado (where a MLE was based).

Southern Resource Area

Convoys loaded 25k oil in Soerabaja for Singapore, 25k oil in Brunei for Japan and 14k resources in Toboali for Singapore.

Burma

Rangoon was attacked by 7 Beaufighter VIF from Imphal on the night of the 18th-19th and 19th-20th. One was shot down by AA fire in the latter.

There was no Allied raid, while on the 21st 37 Betties and 26 Nells from Rangoon bombed again the Indian city of Jamshedpur and disabled 79 resource centers. Only 188 of the 360 centers of the town were still usable after this raid.

On the 19th, a Dinah was shot down over India by an Allied fighter.

In Akyab the 4th Eng Rgt will finish building fortifications in 15 days (current level 8, 25%, +5% each day) and received orders to move to Mandalay trough the jungle.

China

While troops slowly moved forward (none changed of hex in these 3 days), Kungchang airmen started to pound Chinese units in the mountains 120 miles NW of Sian, to slow their move until Japanese units reached them and pinned them down. In three days, 246 sorties (48 Ki-44, 91 Ki-48, 39 Ki-49 and 68 Ki-21) hit 227 men for the loss of a Ki-48 in a crash.

Japanese engineers expanded the airfield of Lanchow to size 6.

Japan

The damaged CV Junyo (SYS 32) arrived in Osaka on the 19th and was docked there for repairs and upgrade (in March). The four DD escorting her will all be upgraded here (all Kagero class, for the 1/43 upgrade).

An Allied submarine was seen by an aircraft on the 19th 60 miles SW of Tokyo and 6 MSW were sent to chase her and searched her the next night but with no success. It was then seen sailing NE to Aleutians.

On the 21st the CL Oyodo was commissioned in Tokyo.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 482
22 February 1943: first attack on Noumea: 0 to 1 - 10/22/2006 9:51:19 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		22 February 1943

New Caledonia

Noumea airmen continued to attack Japanese troops near their base. The 38th Div was bombed by 7 B-25C, 6 B-25J and 6 A-20G and lost 41 men and 1 gun. Then 12 B-25C, 10 A-20G and 10 B-25J escorted by 10 P-38G and 3 F4F-4 attacked the 56th Div but this time 10 A6M2 and 6 Ki-61 came from their patrol area over Koumac to intercept the raid and shot down a P-38G and an A-20G, while a Tony was lost in a crash. Allied bombs hit 44 men and 2 guns.
These Japanese fighters should have remained over Koumac as when 15 B-25J and 3 B-24D from Luganville attacked at the same time they were intercepted only by 11 A6M2, 6 A6M3 and 3 A6M3a that were only able to shot down a B-25J. The Liberators then attacked the damaged CL Kiso and sank her with 3 bombs, while the B-25J set on fire a new AK.
In the afternoon, 4 B-24D from Luganville attacked again. The CAP (17 Ki-61, 17 A6M2, 4 A6M3a and 3 A6M3) was unable to even hit one and lost an A6M2 to return fire. The bombers missed a DD that put a tremendous AA fire, damaging all. One of these damaged B-24D ditched on return.

In the evening, the Japanese forces (227775 troops, 2472 guns, 983 vehicles, Assault Value = 4799) launched the first deliberate attack against Noumea (57032 troops, 666 guns, 130 vehicles, Assault Value = 870). Japanese engineers reduced the forts to level 8 before the attack, but it failed at 0 to 1 (adjusted ASS value: Japan 4526, Allied 5037). Japanese losses were 4153 men, 108 guns and 23 tanks, Allied ones 1892 men, 35 guns and 3 vehicles. The Japanese troops will rest for two days before launching another attack, and will only bombard Allied positions in the mean time.

In the evening, 38 Betties and 27 Ki-21 arrived in LA Foa. They will rest one day and then raid Luganville airfield to stop or reduce the raids targeting Japanese ships.

New Zealand- Southern Pacific

The last CV TF and the AO TF reached Suva too and both refuelled.

31 Tinas flew from Suva to Tarawa. After the usual rest, they will fly an IJNAF BF from there to La Foa.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

22 B-25C from Derby attacked Koepang (56 men and 2 guns hit, 6 hits on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 11 on the runway), and 24 from Darwin raided Lautem, scoring only 2 runway hits.

Burma

No raid was flown today. In the evening, Rangoon airmen received orders to attack the resources centers of Dacca. Zeroes will escort the raid, hoping to catch in the air some Spitfires leaking from nearby Allied bases (as reported by the daily recon flights).

China

Kungchang airmen attacked Chinese troops in the mountains NW of Sian with 75 Ki-48, 31 Ki-21 and 12 Ki-49 and hit 159 men while losing a Ki-48 in a crash.

Japanese engineers expanded the airfield of Sian to level 2 and 51 Ki-51 arrived from several bases. They will also bomb Chinese troops NW of this base.

26 A6M2 ended their training in Wuhan and left for New Caledonia, via Palau and Kavieng.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 483
23-24 February 1943: skirmishs around New Caledonia - 10/23/2006 3:37:29 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		23-24 February 1943

New Caledonia

On the 23rd, 16 B-25J, 10 A-20G and 9 B-25 from Noumea escorted by 11 P-38G and 3 F4F-4 attacked Japanese troops near their base and hit 77 men and 2 guns.
They met no Japanese fighter because this time all (23 A6M3, 19 Ki-61, 6 A6M3a and 3 A6M3) were covering Japanese ships off Koumac and intercepted this morning 6 B-25J and 6 B-24D from Luganville. 3 B-24D, 2 B-25J, 1 Ki-61 and 1 A6M2 were lost in the battle, and the bombers reached their target and damaged an AK with a bomb it. In the afternoon 3 B-24D attacked again meeting this time 15 Ki-61, 14 A6M2, 8 A6M3a and 5 A6M3 that shot down two of them, the last missing its target. A Ki-61 was also lost in an accident while flying this LRCAP mission, while a Japanese fighter shot down a PBM Mariner coming too close from Koumac.

The next day, after a day of rest, 36 Betties and 27 Ki-21 from La Foa escorted by 15 A6M3a, 12 A6M2 and 6 A6M3 attacked Luganville that was defended by 17 P-40E of the 55th FG. 5 P-40, 1 A6M3, 1 Betty, 1 Ki-21 and 1 Irving were lost in the air battle. The bombers destroyed 7 Allied aircraft on the ground (4 B-25J, 1 P-40E, 1 B-24D and 1 PBM) and scored 4 hits on the airbase, 2 on supplies and 11 on the runways.
CAP over Koumac was so restricted to Ki-61 and one of the two A6M2 Daitai. In the morning 8 Ki-61 flew to Noumea to defend Japanese troops against a raid by 24 B-25J, 19 A-20G and 14 B-25C escorted by 6 P-38G and 4 F4F-4. Two Tonies were lost in the battle but they shot down 5 A-20G and a P-38G. The attack hit 45 Japanese men and 3 guns.
There was no raid on Koumac in the morning but in the afternoon 6 B-25J and 3 B-24D from Luganville attacked, escaping without damaged the 13 A6M2 flying CAP and setting on fire another AK with 3 bomb hits.

Activity on the ground at Noumea was restricted to artillery exchanges for both days: Allied losses were 292 men, 6 guns and 1 vehicle, Japanese ones 227 men and 1 gun.

Japanese engineers expanded the port of La Foa to size 2.

In the evening of the 24th the Betties left La Foa to evade a possible reprisal raid, and the Ki-21 moved to Koumac to fly local ASW patrols, while all fighters will defend Koumac and La Foa bases tomorrow. On the ground a shock attack on Noumea was ordered.

New Zealand- Southern Pacific

Suva was almost out of fuel on the 23rd and the emergency reserve (5 full TK docked with 80k fuel aboard) was ordered to unload its cargo here. The same day three damaged warships (CA Kinugasa, CL Tama and 1 DD) left Suva under escort by 5 PG to go to Japan for repairs.

On the 24th the critically damaged SS I-168 reached Auckland but sank in the port. She had been hit by a B-26 off Noumea a week ago.

This day, the Kido Butai left Suva to come back to the vicinity of Noumea and support the battle here. The 3 CV TF will be supported by 3 BB TF (each 1 BB, 1 CA, 2-3 CL and 6 DD) and a scout TF (1 CL, 10 DD).

Tinas now based in Tarawa received orders to ferry an IJNAF BF from here to La Foa.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

26 A6M2 from China arrived in Truk and will fly in some days to New Caledonia.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

The usual raids hit on both afternoons Koepang (29 B-25C, 48 casualties, 3 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 23 on the runway in two days) and Lautem (44 B-25C, 6 casualties, 2 hits on supplies and 4 on the runway in two days) for the loss of a B-25C shot down by AA fire on the 23rd and 3 lost in crashes. In two days and 14 sorties the Brewster 339D of Darwin sank a barge and damaged another off Lautem.
Despite these raids Koepang was fully repaired in the evening of the 23rd and fortification building slowly continued between raids.

On the 23rd, 63 Ki-21 left Amboina and Kendari for Hollandia, on their way to New Caledonia.

Southern Resource Area

Two convoys loaded respectively 96k oil in Palembang and 63k oil in Balikpapan. Both will carry them to Japan.

Burma

On the 23rd, a Dinah II was shot down by the Allied CAP over Ledo while 47 Betties and 21 Nells escorted by 13 Oscar II and 8 A6M2 attacked Dacca and disabled 61 resource centers for the loss of a Betty and a Nell to AA fire and another Betty lost in a crash. After this raid 362 resources centers were disabled in eastern India.
The same day the Japanese engineers expanded the airfield of Rangoon to size 9, and two Const Bns left the city for Moulmein to help finish the fortifications here (currently level 7).

The next night 7 Beaufighter VIF from Imphal raided Rangoon, doing no damage, as ever. This day the 64 Sentai upgraded from Oscar I to Oscar II in Rangoon, and Mandalay was ordered to repair again the resource centers of the city, using the 55k supplies available here.

China

On the 23rd, Chinese troops in the mountains NW of Sian were attacked by 76 Ki-48, 41 Ki-21 and 20 Ki-49 from Kungchang and lost 66 men and 1 gun while a Ki-48 was lost in a crash. There was no raid on the 24th due to bad weather.

Recon reported on the 23rd that only one Chinese units remained in Ichang, and more recons found the other units moving north to the cross-roads of the Sian-Chungking road the next day. This day 5 Chinese units also left this cross-roads to march west, probably to Chungking (see the map below for more details). This will be good news and allow the Japanese forces more freedom to crush the isolated troops more north.




Japan

A convoy loaded 49k fuel in Osaka for Suva.

The Oscar II of the 63 Sentai and 9 A6M2 left Japan for operationnal training in China.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 10/23/2006 3:41:59 PM >

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 484
25-26 February 1943: high losses in Noumea - 10/24/2006 6:10:18 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		25-26 February 1943

Central Pacific

A Betty Daitai reduced to 6 aircraft and crew returned to Pearl Harbor from Southern Pacific and was completed with new AC and crew, that will be trained here.

New Caledonia

For two days the Japanese forces launched an all-out attack on Noumea. On the 25th, these troops were attacked by 15 A-20G and 9 B-25J escorted by 9 P-38G and 3 F4F-4 that fought a CAP of 9 Ki-61. A Tony, a Wildcat and a P-38G were shot down, and the bombs hit 76 men, 2 guns and 1 tank. The Japanese shock attack achieved a ratio of 1 to 1 (adjusted ASS 4927 to 4213) and reduced the fortifications to 7. Japanese losses were heavy (7811 men, 117 guns, 23 tanks) but in percentage Allied losses (2039 men, 18 guns and 6 vehicles) were heavier so Japanese troops received orders to continue the assault.
The next day, Japanese troops were bombed by 18 A-20G and 10 B-25J escorted by 9 P-38G and 4 F4F-4 and lost 77 men and 1 gun. The shock attack of the day failed (at 0 to 1, adjusted ASS 3263 to 3837) and Japanese losses were 7329 men, 252 guns and 19 tanks against Allied losses of 751 men, 35 guns and 2 vehicles. Japanese troops were ordered to rest some days and wait for the return of the KB and more LBA support to continue the offensive.

During both days Luganville airmen continue to attack ships off Koumac. In the morning of the 25th, 6 B-24D attacked in two waves, the first escorted by 6 P-38G. The CAP (28 A6M2) shot down 2 P-38G and 1 B-24D but lost 3 fighters shot down by the P-38. The bombers missed a DD and the CA Chikuma. The next morning, 3 B-24D and 2 B-25J escorted by 3 P-38G attacked again. A B-24D was shot down by the CAP (18 A6M2, 7 Ki-61) and another lost in a crash, but the Allied bombers heavily damaged the DD Shirakumo with two bombs and scored a bouncing hit on the Chikuma.
In the afternoon, for the fist time an Allied raid targeted a Japanese airfield in New Caledonia. In fact only 2 B-24D and 3 P-38G flew this raid and the CAP (13 A6M3a, 8 Ki-61, 4 A6M3) shot down 2 P-38G and 1 B-24D without loss. The bombs of the surviving bomber did no damage.

Recons flight continued and reported that the CAP over Luganville was reinforced by some P-38G. A Ki-46-III was shot down by an Allied fighter over Noumea on the 25th.

The Noumea offensive will be launched again if the Japanese BB and LBA and CV airmen managed to reduce the power of the garrison. The first step will be to try to eliminate the PT off the base, and tonight two small DD TF (4 and 3 DD) will sweep Noumea waters to hit them.

New Zealand- Southern Pacific

Both bases of the Southern Island of New Zealand were running out of supplies and 3 AK laden with fuel sailed from Auckland to Wellington, where there was supplies but no ship and no fuel. From there they will supply both Dunedin and Christchurch.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

Only activity was the Allied training raids from PM to Goodenough Island (total of 22 Beaufort V-IX and 36 P-40E sorties without loss).

This area was important for the Japanese as a transit area for air units going to New Caledonia. On the 26th, 26 A6M2 flew from Truk to Lunga (one crashed) while 61 Ki-21 arrived in Rabaul from Hollandia (two other were lost on the way) and will fly here 50% naval search to not be caught on the ground by an Allied raid.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

The usual raids hit on both afternoons Koepang (31 B-25C, 62 casualties, 3 hits on the airbase and 21 on the runway in two days) and Lautem (52 B-25C, 5 hits on the runway in two days) for the loss of two B-25C shot down by AA fire (one each day) and 1 lost in a crash on the 26th. In two days and 14 sorties the Brewster 339D of Darwin sank an abandoned barge off Lautem.

In the evening of the 26th, 12 Ki-61 left Kendari for Lautem to defend this base tomorrow, while a small AK loaded supplies in Balikpapan for Koepang.

Southern Resource Area

Convoys loaded 9k oil and 7k resources in Rangoon for Singapore, 10k resources in Batavia for Singapore, 21k resources in Singapore for Japan, 35k resources in Palembang for Japan and 26k resources in Kendari for Japan.

A Nell Daitai converted to Betty in Singapore and was completed by some new crews that will be trained here.

Burma

On the 25th, 5 Beaufighter VIF from Imphal did another ineffective night raid on Rangoon and one was lost in a crash, while a Ki-46-II was shot down by the Allied CAP over Ledo during the day.
In the evening, the units planned to raid Ledo from China (49 Betties, 22 Nells, 38 A6M2 and 26 A6M3a) left Rangoon for Kungchang. A Nell and an A6M2 were lost in crashes.

On the 26th, Allied airmen flew again in daylight over Burma. The 1st Tk Rgt holding an outpost on the trail 120 miles SE of Imphal was attacked by 27 Beaufighter from this base (18 VIC and 9 Mk 21) escorted by 40 P-40B and lost 52 men and 4 tanks.

China

Chinese troops in the mountains NW of Sian were bombed on both days by airmen of Sian (51 Ki-51 sorties) and Kungchang (142 Ki-48, 71 Ki-21, 27 Ki-49 sorties) that hit 338 men and 1 gun while losing 1 Ki-48 in an accident.
But despite these raids a Chinese unit managed to leave the mountains before Japanese troops reached them. And to my surprise it didn’t march SW towards Chungking but SE (see the map below) cutting the supply path between Sian and the main Japanese force more W. Another effect of this move is that troops going to the mountains were in this hex and they lost all their advance (45-55 miles…).
So the surrounding plan was modified to include both the mountain hex and the road hex reached by the Chinese unit (that will only be bombarded tomorrow). Two Div will leave the main body of the army to move NE to the mountains, while a Rgt was ordered to march SE to close the ring around the Chinese forces.
A problem with this situation was that there was no more supply path from Sian to the army but the troops attacking Ichang will then move north and link with this army near the cross-roads. Before this will be achieved, the supply situation of the Japanese forces won’t be worse than the Chinese one in the area.




More west, 3 Japanese divisions reached on the 25th the cross-roads Sian-Ichang-Chungking and bombarded the next day the 9 Chinese units holding it (6 Corps, 1 Cav Corps and 2 HQ), hitting 134 men. A 4th Div arrived this day but these troops will wait for the arrival of the 3rd Tk Div and 15th Tk Rgt that were ordered to move there on the evening of the 25th and should arrive tomorrow.

More south, a Bde left Hsinyang and a Div and the HQ 11th Army Wuhan to go to Ichang and take the city that was now only held by a Chinese unit.

Training missions from Wuhan were flown on both days against Chinese troops NW of Changsha, a total of 217 sorties being flown without loss and hitting 153 Chinese men.

The Ledo raid preparations started in earnest. Added to the units arriving from Burma (see above), 35 Nells and 8 Betties arrived from Kendari and Japan.

Japan

A Nell Daitai reduced to 4 aircraft and crew returned to Tokyo from Southern Pacific and was converted to Betty, completed with new crews, and will train here before going overseas again.

The F1/Sasebo Daitai was reformed in Osaka after being disbanded 3 months ago. As the last units it returned with experienced pilots (exp 65) and will be kept in “training” in Japan for 3 months.

Convoys loaded 49k in Osaka for Rangoon (AK will stop on the way back in Singapore to load resources), 21k in Kitakyushu for Canton, China (still for the repairs of the resource centers of Wuchow) and 7k in Sapporo for Shikha (that was lacking supplies).

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 10/24/2006 6:16:23 PM >

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 485
27 February 1943: DD vs PT off Noumea - 10/25/2006 8:34:47 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		27 February 1943

New Caledonia

During the night, two DD TF (4 and 3 DD) swept Noumea waters. The DD Yuzuki was fatally damaged by a VH2 mine and sank later during the day west off Noumea but both TFs engaged 8 PT boats and sank four without loss or damage.

In the morning the Kido Butai arrived 360 miles east of Noumea. The SS USS Permit tried to attack it but was chased by 6 DD and lightly damaged by 5 near misses. Vals reported 4 Allied submarines in the area. The CAP shot down during the day 4 Allied patrol aircraft (2 A-20G and 2 Mariners).

Japanese troops in Noumea were bombed by 12 A-20G, 3 B-25J and 3 B-25C escorted by 12 P-38G and 9 F4F-4, lost 26 men and shot down a B-25C with AA fire. In the afternoon the Allied CAP shot down a Ki-46-III over the city. Artillery fire hit 214 Allied and 160 Allied men.

In the morning, 3 B-24D from Luganville attacked ships off Koumac under escort by 3 P-38G and were intercepted by 22 A6M2 and 9 A6M3a. An A6M2 and a B-24D were shot down, another Liberator and a P-38G were lost in accidents, but the bombers heavily damaged an AK with two bombs.

Japanese transport aircraft continued to ferry troops from Auckland and Tarawa to La Foa but two Tinas were lost today.

In the evening, 61 Ki-21 arrived in La Foa from Rabaul. Both DD TF that had sailed to La Foa received orders to sweep again Noumea waters and the big escort TF off Koumac received orders to sail to La Foa, where fighters will be more able to protect it.
The Kido Butai will sail NW and bombard Luganville tomorrow afternoon.

New Zealand- Southern Pacific

Japanese engineers opened an airfield on Funafuti Island. It will be a welcome stop to fly reinforcements to Suva and other southern bases.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

A Betty flying recon over Port Moresby was shot down by the CAP (45 P-40E).

Timor-Amboina-Australia

There was no raid today against Lautem, and the dozen Ki-61 sent here were unable to intercept 5 Brewster 339D that missed a damaged barge off the base, this base being sunk later by a patrolling Mariner. The Tonies all returned to Kendari in the evening.

In the afternoon 12 B-25C from Derby bombed Koepang, doing 20 casualties and scoring 1 hit on supplies and 12 on the runway, but losing one of their number to engine failure.

Southern Resource Area

A convoy loaded 14k supplies in Kuala Lumpur for Rangoon.

Burma

The 1st Tk Rgt 120 miles SE of Imphal was again attacked by 27 Beaufighter from this base (18 VIC and 9 Mk 21) escorted by 40 P-40B and lost 46 men and 2 tanks. A Beaufighter Mk 21 was lost in a crash.

In the evening the last 27 A6M3a in Rangoon left this base and flew also to Kungchang, China, for the raid on Ledo in the next days.

China

Chinese troops in the mountains NW of Sian were bombed by 49 Ki-51 from Sian and 71 Ki-48, 43 Ki-21 and 10 Ki-49 from Kungchang and lost 311 men but 1 Ki-51, 1 Ki-48 and 1 Ki-21 were lost in accidents.
West of Sian the 1st New Chinese Corps that cut the road was bombarded by 2 Div and a Bde and lost 64 men and 1 gun.
More west, at the Chungking-Sian-Ichang cross-roads, 4 Div bombarded the Chinese troops facing them and hit 67 men. The 3rd Tk Div reached this spot and all troops will attack the Chinese tomorrow to take the cross-roads.

111 aircraft from Wuhan flew a training mission against Chinese troops NW of Changsha and hit 77 men.

More IJNAF aircraft arrived in Kungchang, that all IJAAF bombers left to allow the Ledo raid to proceed with maximal efficiency. 1 Ki-48 and 1 Ki-44 were lost in crashes during these transit flights. 97 Betties and Nells and 99 Zeroes were in Kungchang in the evening and will raid Ledo the day after tomorrow.

Japan

A convoy loaded 28k supplies in Nagasaki for Canton, China, still for repairs of the resource centers of Wuchow.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 486
28 February 1943: costly raid on Luganville - 10/26/2006 2:16:54 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		28 February 1943

New Caledonia

Both DD TF (now 3 DD each) returned to Noumea during the night and evaded this time the minefields, destroying a dozen mines. They then engage the 4 remaining PT and sank 3, but with a cost. The DD Kiji was sunk by a torpedo and another was heavily damaged by a strafing PT (SYS 25). Anyway only one PT was then reported off Noumea during the day.

The same night the Kido Butai sailing NW towards Luganville met the Dutch submarine O24 120 miles SW of Efate. This submarine tried four times to attack the fleet and missed a DD with torpedoes, but was only depth charged once and suffered no damage.

After dawn, all Japanese ships off New Caledonia were anchored near La Foa. 2 B-24D from Luganville attacked them in the morning and missed an AP, while the Cap (20 A6M2, 12 Ki-61, 7 A6M3a and 3 A6M3) fought their escort (3 P-38G) and shot down one.

The Kido Butai was 180 miles S of Luganville and patrolling Vals reported 10+ PT off this base. In the afternoon, a raid by 124 Vals, 120 Kates and 41 A6M3a was launched by Japanese CV against Luganville. The Allied CAP (17 P-40E and 9 P-38G) shot down 9 A6M3a, 8 Vals and 5 Kates at the cost of 8 P-40 and 5 P-38G shot down by Zeroes. The airfield was then pounded (23 hits on the airbase, 7 on supplies and 93 on runways, 13 casualties) and 33 aircraft were destroyed on the ground: 22 B-24D, 6 B-25J, 2 P-40E, 2 PBY and 1 PB4Y. Five Japanese aircraft (2 Vals, 2 Kates and 1 A6M3a) were lost in accidents during these operations. KB CAP also shot down during the day 1 B-24D, 1 PBY, 1 B-25C, 1 A-20G and 1 Mariner.

At Noumea Japanese troops were bombed by 11 A-20G and 3 B-25C escorted by 16 P-38G and 5 F4F-4 and lost 53 men. Both sides exchanged artillery fire and 93 Allied and 196 Japanese men were hit.

Tomorrow, Luganville will again be attacked. Twice raids will be launched during the morning, first by the three Kido Butai CV TF that will follow a DD TF 60 miles SW of Luganville and attack it. CAP will be reduced to 50% to allow more escort over the target and protect Vals and Kates more efficiently. Then 87 Ki-21 from La Foa will attack under escort by 5 A6M3 (in case some CAP remained after the first raid).

But the main action will take place in Noumea. The 3 BB TF sailing with the KB (each a BB, a CA, 2-3 CL and 6 DD) and the scout TF (a CL, 6 DD) will leave the fleet and sail to Noumea. They should arrive there during the day, together with 2 pairs of DD from La Foa, engage the remaining PT boat and eventually new ones launched during the night and then all three BB TF will bombard the base. 27 A6M2 will fly LRCAP over two BB TF, while 14 Ki-61 and 14 A6M3a will fly LRCAP over Noumea hex. All should so fly over Noumea tomorrow and intercept raids on troops and on ships. 25 A6M2 arrived in La Foa from Lunga this evening and will be the only unit to fly CAP over La Foa tomorrow.




Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

After a long “truce”, 60 B-24D from PM attacked again Rabaul, scoring 5 hits on the airbase, 4 on supplies and 54 on runways. Japanese losses were 131 men and 3 guns. AA fire damaged 17 Liberators, one of them crashing on the way back.

12 Beaufort V-IX and 20 P-40 flew the usual training mission from PM to Goodenough Island.

Japanese engineers expanded the airfield of Lunga to size 2.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

There was no raid on Timor today.

Southern Resource Area

Japanese engineers expanded the port of Bankha (an oil center in Sumatra) to size 4 (maximum) and will now build fortifications here.

The ML squadron based in Singapore will lay mines in Medan and then sail to Kuala Lumpur, where a MLE was based. Mines will be laid in the next weeks off all Sumatra bases from Bankha to Sabang.

A convoy loaded 14k resources in Manila for Japan.

Burma

Nothing to report.

China

Japanese troops (3rd Tk Div, 26th, 34th, 35th and 37th Div) took the Chungking-Sian-Ichang cross-roads, defeating (7 to 1 ratio) 9 Chinese units (19th and 30th Group Armies, 1st Cav Corps, 20th, 53rd, 54th, 58th, 74th and 87th Corps) that retreated west towards Chungking. Japanese losses were 691 men, 19 guns and 6 tanks, while Chinese lost 600 killed and wounded and more than 3500 POWs. Tomorrow the 3rd Tk Div and the 26th Div will continue SE to stop the 3 Chinese units coming from Ichang, while two Div will march westwards to reach the Chinese positions in the mountains 120 miles NE of Chungking. They won’t attack them but will pin down these units.

West of Sian, Japanese troops continue to bombard the Corps cutting the road and hit 13 men and 1 gun.

The 12th Bde reached Ichang and reported that the base was probably held by a Chinese Corps (13k troops reported). It will bombard it tomorrow, while waiting for the arrival of the 11th Army and a Div from Wuhan.

139 aircraft from Wuhan flew a training mission against Chinese troops NW of Changsha and hit 20 men. Tomorrow these airmen will bomb the Chinese unit in Ichang.

Tomorrow Kungchang airmen (61 Nells and 36 Betties escorted by 52 A6M3a and 46 A6M2) will raid Ledo. Recons today reported the CAP as a maximum of 24 Spitfire Vb and 13 P-40B (probably respectively 2 and 1 squadron) and counted 228 aircraft (41/52/135) on this base.

Japan

A new Rufe unit (exp 70) was created in Hiroshima. Now, I wonder what to do with Rufes at this stage of the war. I will probably send this unit to Paramushiro Jima to provide some CAP here.

Nine large AP and 5 escorts left Tokyo for Shanghai where a Burma Army Div will be created in 14 days. It will then be shipped immediately to Rangoon.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 10/26/2006 2:19:57 AM >

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 487
RE: 28 February 1943: costly raid on Luganville - 10/26/2006 2:32:55 AM   
witpqs


Posts: 26087
Joined: 10/4/2004
From: Argleton
Status: offline 		Amiral,

Given how much territory and air cover you have, just how is he getting supplies to Luganville and New Caledonia?

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 488
RE: 16-17 February 1943: Efate crushed but Jap air loss... - 10/26/2006 3:09:02 AM   
Ron Saueracker


Posts: 12121
Joined: 1/28/2002
From: Ottawa, Canada OR Zakynthos Island, Greece
Status: offline 		Hey Admiral. So you have basically conquered the entire map aside from India, Oz and North America, and still have 5,000,000 supplies. Impressive job. So, what is your take on the supply abundance front lately? Given the all out level of operations you are maintaining you still manage to increase your supply and fuel stocks.

< Message edited by Ron Saueracker -- 10/26/2006 3:12:42 AM >

_____________________________





Yammas from The Apo-Tiki Lounge. Future site of WITP AE benders! And then the s--t hit the fan

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 489
RE: 16-17 February 1943: Efate crushed but Jap air loss... - 10/26/2006 6:20:27 AM   
witpqs


Posts: 26087
Joined: 10/4/2004
From: Argleton
Status: offline 		Bear in mind he's using stock scenario.

(in reply to Ron Saueracker)
Post #: 490
RE: 16-17 February 1943: Efate crushed but Jap air loss... - 10/26/2006 11:44:24 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		To reply to both questions,

I guess my opponent dropped a big dump of supplies in Noumea with the 1st USMC and Americal Division. And this supply will probably last before the end of the battle, as it did in PH, Suva and Auckland. Japan has no heavy bomber to destroy huge pile of supplies.

By the way Australia is not cut from the West Coast. Any convoy sailing along the southern limit of the map is off limits for Japanese attacks. It is just far longer to go there, and an attack is possible in SE Pacific if the convoy tries to take a shortcut from California to the southern limit.

As for the supplies in the stock scenario, we all know there is something wrong with it. Japan has too much supplies in the conquered areas, Allied has too much in India and Australia. The fact that most of my resource centers are intact, that my opponent is using almost only his SS on the frontline (sinking/damaging a ship a day off New Caledonia lately, but still a bad idea IMOO) and that I was very conservative in my industry changes also explains why I have no supply and fuel shortage.

Ron, I have said it before: WITP is not a WWII in the Pacific simulation, but a game that should be enjoyed by both sides. The game engine has too much problems (uber CAP engaging everybody, heavy bombers able to crush everything at 6k feet, Betties finding tropedoes everywhere, infinite number of ships being able to load/unload/dock in port, conversion of an air unit to another AC in some day without any training, ground model, resource centers producing supplies, magic supply transforming into B-17, tanks or torpedoes, training mode useless compared to ground attack, night bombing) to manage to have an acurate simulation by modifying the map/OOB, even if I agree that the CHS tend to go in this way, but they don't treat the bigger problems, because they are related to the game engine.
So as far as my opponent and I both enjoyed the game, I have no problems with it.

(in reply to witpqs)
Post #: 491
Monthly report: February 1943 - 10/26/2006 2:18:34 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		Monthly report February 1943




Japanese score: 47 807 (+ 1 419)
Bases 13 591 (+ 422)
Aircraft 8 285 (+ 777)
Army 17 983 (+ 176)
Ship 7 230 (+ 44) 431 ships sunk (+ 39: 38 PT, 1 SS)
Scuttled ships 0 (+ 0)
Strategic 718 (+ 0)

Allied score: 8 981 (+ 528)
Bases 3 144 (+ 0)
Aircraft 3 882 (+ 371)
Army 845 (+ 64)
Ship 1110 (+ 93) 118 ships sunk (+ 13: 1 CL, several DD)
Strategic 0

Economic situation (stocks rounded to the thousand):
Supplies : 4 598 000 (bases) + around 198 000 (TFs) = around 4 796 000 (+ 36 000)
Fuel : 4 411 000 (bases) + around 116 000 (TFs) = around 4 527 000 (+ 72 000)
Ressource centers : 18 722 (+ 126)
Ressources : 1 242 000 (bases) + 102 000 (TFs) = 1 344 000 (+ 10 000)
Oil centers : 2 796 (+ 44)
Oil: 1 820 000 (bases) + 120 000 (TFs) = 1 940 000 (+ 59 000)
Manpower centers : 817 (+ 2)
Manpower pool : 835 000 (+ 71 000)
Heavy industry: 13 818 (+ 30)
Heavy industry pool: 253 000 (+ 26 000)
Naval shipyard: 1278 (+ 0)
Merchant shipyard: 1000 (+ 0)
Repair shipyard: 905 (+ 0)
Armament industry: 683 (+ 0)
Armament stock: 149 000 (+ 14 000)
Vehicles industry: 113 (+ 0)
Vehicles stock: 2 300 (- 3 400) (reconstruction of a Tk Rgt in China ?)
Aircraft engine factories: 1567 (+ 0)
Aircraft frames factories: 1159 (- 32) (Hickory converted to Judy research)
Aircraft research: 116 (+ 39) (both versions of A6M5, Judy and Jill)

Aircraft production:
241 A6M3a Zero (capacity 246), 150 Ki-43-IIa (159), 60 Ki-44-IIb Tojo (57), 42 Ki-45 KAIa Nick (43), 26 Ki-54 Hickory (0, factory closed this month and converted), 23 Ki-45 KAIb Nick (25, new model), 16 Ki-49 Helen (23), 15 Ki-46-III Dinah (48), 7 Ki-61 KAIc Tony (123, stopped), 7 Ki-57 Topsy (10), 7 L3Y Tina (5), 5 J1N1-R Irving (16), 1 H6K2-L Mavis (4), 0 A6M3 Zero (72, suspended), 0 G4M1 Betty (46, stopped), 0 Ki-51 Sonia (45, stopped), 0 D3A Val (41, stopped), 0 Ki-48 (capacity 40, stopped), 0 B5N Kate (40, stopped), 0 H8K Emily (32, suspended), 0 Ki-21 Sally (20, suspended), 0 E13A1 Jake (20, suspended), 0 A6M-2 Rufe (14, suspended), 0 L2D2 Tabby (10, suspended), 0 MC-21 Sally (5, suspended), 0 E7K2 Alf (5, suspended), 0 E14Y1 Glen (4, suspended)

Total: 782 aircraft (458 fighters, 42 night-fighters, 41 transport, 23 fighter-bombers, 20 recon, 16 level bombers, 0 divebombers, 0 torpedo bombers)

As Ron said above, the Japanese economy is running fast forward, with almost every output exceding needs (except vehicle industry this month).
Next month will see an increase of the HI production to use the extra resources produced by the last conquests in China, and an increase of the aircraft production, with more research and several suspended factories being restarted as pools are falling under 200 (Betties and Sallies for example).

Now a little strategic analysis. The main Japanese offensive right now is targeting Noumea, and is not running as well as was planned. The surprise to find 2 US Div here rather than one as I thought was a bad one and the battle has cost until now a lot of troops, aircraft and ships while the success seems still far out of reach. In fact I have started considering withdrawing from New Caledonia before wrecking more ships and troops. Finally I decided to do a "last effort" with maximal support of the KB and all available LBA. They will first crush the airfields of Luganville and Noumea, and then a new shock attack will be launched on Noumea while LBA and KB bombard Allied troops. It is hoped that both US divisions will be hit by aerial bombardments the same turn allowing a significant success by attacking Japanese troops. If this new offensive fails, troops will be withdrawn. That will be a sad end for the last Japanese offensive in the Pacific.

In China, the reduction of the Chinese pocket NW of Sian will probably take two months. Then the main body of the China Army will go to the Canton area via the coastal road and sometimes during the summer will advance to Kweiyang from Wuchow, then advancing to Kunming and Yunan.

All other areas will remain totally defensive. Japanese Pacific possesions have almost no AC and ship to defend themselves, as most of them are involved in the New Caledonia battles. The Allied fleet may well attack here before the Kido Butai will have finished its job in SW Pacific and then be refitted in Japan (disponibility of the new KB planned for June 1943). Right now the Allied CV fleet should be the following: USS Hornet, USS Essex, HMS Victorious, HMS Indomitable, HMS Hermes, 3-6 CVE.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 10/26/2006 2:21:22 PM >

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 492
RE: Monthly report: February 1943 - 10/26/2006 3:43:12 PM   
rudbeck47


Posts: 19
Joined: 5/6/2004
Status: offline 		Dear Forum,

Just curious - does anyone know whether the opponent of this game (the Bloody Pacific) is publishing his AAR as well somewhere in the AAR Forum?

Kindest

rudbeck47

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 493
RE: Monthly report: February 1943 - 10/26/2006 5:23:41 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

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

ORIGINAL: rudbeck47

Dear Forum,

Just curious - does anyone know whether the opponent of this game (the Bloody Pacific) is publishing his AAR as well somewhere in the AAR Forum?

Kindest

rudbeck47


No, my opponent isn't doing an AAR and doesn't want to.

(in reply to rudbeck47)
Post #: 494
RE: Monthly report: February 1943 - 10/26/2006 7:55:06 PM   
goodboyladdie


Posts: 3469
Joined: 11/18/2005
From: Rendlesham, Suffolk
Status: offline 		It must be pretty hard to type through the tears! Hat's off to him. His resilience is almost as incredible as your skill as the Jap player.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 495
RE: Monthly report: February 1943 - 10/26/2006 9:05:50 PM   
aztez

 

Posts: 4031
Joined: 2/26/2005
From: Finland
Status: offline 		Awesome job playing the Japanese!  

Allthough I do feel sorry for your opponent!  ...He has been through some very bad times in this PBEM.

(in reply to goodboyladdie)
Post #: 496
1 March 1943: really heavy air losses for both sides - 10/27/2006 1:20:27 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		My opponent had enough and resigned on 1st January 1943, but when I said I wanted to continue, and to search somebody to replace him, agreed to continue himself. Until now he had been a model of resistance, and he had been again since. By the way I think he is suffering for the last time, and may even defeat me in New Caledonia.

1 March 1943

Air losses were serious for both sides today. 174 Allied aircraft (130 on the ground, 39 A2A and 5 ops) and 68 Japanese (59 A2A, 5 ops and 4 AA) were destroyed. It’s a nice result for the score, but the crew losses were far higher for Japan and are a real problem. The main losses are shown in the table below:




Northern Pacific

Allied engineers expanded the airfield of Amchitka Island to size 3.

New Caledonia

During the night, the TF led by the BB Hiei arrived off Noumea, sooner than planned. The DD Hokaze was damaged by a VH2 mine but the TF surprised and eliminated the last PT boat off the base and then bombarded it (with Hiei, CA Furutaka and CL Oi), destroying on the ground 3 B-25J, 2 B-25C and 1 P-38G, hitting two damaged TK in the port, disabling 1776 men, 19 guns and 18 vehicles, scoring 2 hits on the airbase, 1 on supplies, 4 on runways and 3 on the port.

After dawn the other Japanese TFs arrived off Noumea and destroyed 6 mines, hitting none, but the PT boats seen the day before off Luganville were also there.

In the morning the KB was 60 miles SW of Luganville and attacked again this airfield with 115 Kates and 113 Vals escorted by 113 A6M3a. They met over the target 8 P-40E and 4 P-38G and the escort shot down 7 P-40 and 3 P-38G for the loss of 7 Zeroes. The bombers were not intercepted and blasted the base, destroying 69 aircraft on the ground (39 B-24D, 19 B-25J, 8 P-40E, 2 PBY and 1 P-38G), scoring 16 hits on the airbase, 6 on supplies and 163 on the runways, and doing 7 casualties for only one loss, a Val shot down by AA fire. The same target was then attacked by 35 Ki-21 from La Foa (21 other didn’t find the target) that easily escaped the few fighters remaining on CAP and destroyed 7 more B-24D and 7 B-25J on the ground, scoring 1 hit on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 19 on the runways. Two Ki-21 were lost in accidents.

At Noumea, the Allied airmen launched two attacks against Japanese troops but they were covered by a CAP of 21 A6M2, 9 Ki-61 and 8 A6M3a. The first raid was flown by 6 A-20G escorted by 2 P-38G. 3 A-20G, 1 P-38G and 1 A6M3a were lost in the air battle. The second raid was flown by 8 A-20G and 3 B-25C escorted by 20 P-38G and 5 F4F-4 and this time 6 A6M2 and 1 Ki-61 were lost against 5 P-38G, 2 F4F-4 and 2 A-20G. Both raids hit a total of 39 Japanese infantrymen. On the ground both sides exchanged shells during the day and 100 Allied and 42 Japanese men were hit.

Also during the day the Noumea CAP shot down a Alf and an A-20G was shot down by the CAP of the KB.

There was no raid in the afternoon by any side, but a succession of battles between the Hiei TF (now a surface TF) and the 12 PTs that came back from Luganville. In four distinct clashes, this TF sank 8 PT while two of its DD were damaged. The Sazanami was torpedoed (damage 34/24/10) while the Asanagi was hit by two burst of .5in machine gun and was almost as badly damaged (20/4/15)….
Anyway the PT were so unable to intercept the two other bombardment TF that pounded Noumea. The BB Musashi and Ise, the CA Chokai and Maya, the CL Agano, Kitakami, Kumo and Sendai bombarded the base but only hit 335 men and 1 gun… It was a great disappointment for the Japanese High Command. The airfield of Noumea was still fully operational.
So all three BB TF were ordered to bombard again the base tonight, and then to sail back to Suva to replenish ammunitions. The surface TF covering them will remain with them at night and then sail to La Foa. Both damaged DDs of the Hiei TF were ordered to sail immediately to Suva for repairs, and were replaced by a pair of DD of an anti-PT surface TF.

The Kido Butai will sail tomorrow towards New Caledonia and the airmen will be given a day of rest (in fact, CAP 70% and naval attack for Vals and Kates). Noumea airfield will be attacked by the 87 Ki-21 from La Foa, escorted by 70% of the fighters based in this base.
The last small base force remaining in Koumac was ordered to march to La Foa.

New Zealand- Southern Pacific

The Tina Daitai based in Tarawa returned to Suva. It will rest for two days, and then will ferry to La Foa the 25th Aviation Unit that arrived some days ago from Japan.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

In the afternoon, Rabaul was again bombed by 58 B-24D from PM that scored 1 hit on the airbase, 2 on supplies and 45 on runways, and disabled 50 men and 1 gun. At the same time 15 Beaufort V-IX and 20 P-40E from PM flew a training mission against Goodenough Island. A B-24D and a P-40 were lost during these operations.

Ten barges were launched in Lunga and will bring back here the two SNLG holding Munda and Russel Islands. A convoy loaded 14k fuel in Truk to bring them to Lunga.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

In the morning, 127 B-17E from Darwin attacked Amboina and pounded the oilfields, leaving only 5 able oil centers. 3 B-17 were lost in accidents during this raid.

In the afternoon, 18 B-25C from Derby attacked Koepang, did 24 casualties, and scored 3 hits on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 9 on the runway.

Southern Resource Area

One of the reasons of the failure of the Noumea naval bombardment was the scattering of the Japanese main warships, divided between Singapore, Soerabaja, Japan, New Caledonia and Pearl Harbor. The ships based in Singapore (BB Kongo and Hyuga, CA Mikuma and Nachi, CL Yubari and 4 DD) where they will join the 4 CA based here and sail with them towards the Southern Pacific.

Convoys loaded 27k oil in Brunei for Hong Kong, 18k oil in Miri for Haiphong (and Hanoi), and 14k resources in Soerabaja for Singapore. Small convoys were also created to bring supplies to bases lacking them, 7k supplies from Singapore to Victoria Point, 14k to Brunei and 7k from Soerabaja to Maumere. These three bases were in pink/red status.

Burma

During the night, as usual the 5 Beaufighter VIF from Imphal that raided Rangoon hit nothing.

In the morning, Allied radar detected a raid coming from China towards Ledo. 26 Spitfire Vb and 13 P-40B intercepted the raid, 59 Nells and 36 Betties from Kungchang escorted by 51 A6M3a and 46 A6M2, and decimated it, shooting down 20 A6M3a, 17 A6M2, 4 Nells and 2 Betties for the loss of 11 Spitfire and 4 P-40. The bombers destroyed 41 aircraft on the ground (19 C-47, 14 Dakota I, 7 B-25J and 1 C-60A Lodestar), scored 7 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 54 on the runways and did 37 casualties, but lost 2 more Betties and 1 Nell to AA fire. The loss of a Nell and an A6M2 to operational causes brought the total losses of the raid to 48 Japanese aircraft, most of them with their crew, to destroy 56 Allied aircraft and eliminate less than a dozen of Allied pilots. Japan can’t afford such kind of raids. By the way all units involved had experience above 70.
Kungchang airmen were in a very bad mood in the evening. An A6M2 Zero was reduced to 1 aircraft and 2 pilots and was sent to Singapore to be reformed with new pilots. Other fighters were ordered to fly CAP 90% and all bombers left the base in case Allied heavy bombers came in reprisals and 1 more Betty was lost in a crash.

The 1st Tk Rgt 120 miles SE of Imphal was again attacked by 27 Beaufighter from this base (18 VIC and 9 Mk 21) escorted by 40 P-40B and lost 67 men and 4 tanks.

In the evening the 21 Sentai arrived in Rangoon from Bangkok with 36 Nick nightfighters to reinforce the day CAP. At the same time the Burma Naval squadron (2 CA, 1 CL, 6 DD) left Rangoon for Singapore and will upgrade and do small repairs here.

China

There was no activity in China except Japanese artillery fire west of Sian (37 Chinese casualties) and in Ichang (no casualty).

The 13th Div joined the 12th Bde in Ichang and both will attack tomorrow the 49th Chinese Corps holding the town with the support of Wuhan airmen, that were reinforced for this operation by 25 Ki-48s from Canton.

One of the 3 Chinese units retreating from Ichang and being SE of the cross-roads with the Chungking-Sian road advanced to the cross-roads, blocking the move of the Japanese units here (4 Div, 1 Tk Div, 1 Tk Rgt that arrived today). The Japanese troops will attack tomorrow to chase this unit to be able to resume their advance W and SE.

Tomorrow will be the first day of good weather over China since two weeks and an operation designed to intercept Allied transports with Oscar II will at least be launched. One Sentai will LRCAP Chengtu, another Chungking and two Chutais from Hanoi will patrol over Yunan and Kunming.

Japan

Two big convoys left Japan, one with 56k supplies and 25k fuel sailing from Tokyo to Truk and the other carrying 70k supplies from Nagoya to Singapore. Other convoys were formed in Japan to bring supplies to “starving bases” and will bring 7k supplies from Kitakyushu to Taan (Hainan Island), Swatow (China) and Sakashima (near Formosa).


Attachment (1)

< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 10/27/2006 1:24:22 AM >

(in reply to aztez)
Post #: 497
RE: Monthly report: February 1943 - 10/27/2006 5:47:14 AM   
ctangus


Posts: 2153
Joined: 10/13/2005
From: Boston, Mass.
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

Finally I decided to do a "last effort" with maximal support of the KB and all available LBA. They will first crush the airfields of Luganville and Noumea, and then a new shock attack will be launched on Noumea while LBA and KB bombard Allied troops. It is hoped that both US divisions will be hit by aerial bombardments the same turn allowing a significant success by attacking Japanese troops. If this new offensive fails, troops will be withdrawn. That will be a sad end for the last Japanese offensive in the Pacific.



Even if you fail in New Caledonia, it's very impressive that you can even attempt a major offensive this late in the game. As an allied player I have to say you have the scariest AAR on the board!

Good luck with the rest of the game!

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 498
RE: Monthly report: February 1943 - 10/27/2006 10:59:44 AM   
veji1

 

Posts: 1019
Joined: 7/9/2005
Status: offline 		For the Morale of the Japanese troops you really need to destroy New Caledonia, Efate and Luganville... It will deprive the allies of the equivalent of at least 3 Divs, and it is the last time you can play a battle of annihilation against Allies without being on the annihilated side...

I really hope you can win it, an than prepare for your defense..

How is Burma by the way, the lack of Carriers probably prevents him from launching any amphibious operation there, but it is still the most dangerous front imo...

I hope the last push goes well... There is a big difference between going on the defensive after a last success rather than after your first defeat...

(in reply to ctangus)
Post #: 499
RE: 1 March 1943: really heavy air losses for both sides - 10/27/2006 11:22:01 AM   
Apollo11


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

quote:

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

My opponent had enough and resigned on 1st January 1943, but when I said I wanted to continue, and to search somebody to replace him, agreed to continue himself. Until now he had been a model of resistance, and he had been again since. By the way I think he is suffering for the last time, and may even defeat me in New Caledonia.


I don't think that you can be defeated in New Caledonia... it might take longer than before but the outcome is out of the question - the Japanese will be victorus there (same as they were in all battles so far)!

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 #: 500
RE: 1 March 1943: really heavy air losses for both sides - 10/27/2006 12:47:12 PM   
Fishbed

 

Posts: 1822
Joined: 11/21/2005
From: Beijing, China - Paris, France
Status: offline 		Is our Shogun becoming pessimistic? How can the situation in New Cal so perillous? Got no troops anymore because of a way too far-streched empire?  

(in reply to Apollo11)
Post #: 501
2 March 1943: launching the reduction of Noumea airfield - 10/28/2006 10:06:11 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		I won't say that the situation in Noumea is perillous but that I am not sure that I will have enough troops to take it in time. I may take it but the question is: can I afford to spend a month or more here with the KB to support it ? Can I afford to wreck more or less 2/3 of the Southern Army in failed 0 to 1 attacks ?

The answer is probably yes, destroying two US divisions will be worth it. Depending of the time spend and losses suffered I am not sure I will then invade Efate and Luganville. Anyway the plan now is to blast Noumea airfield completely while ignoring the heavy AA losses, then to pound Allied troops while Japanese troops will shock attack again. Then we will see if we manage to do better than 0 to 1. If not I think I will seriously think about retreating in order.

As for bringing new troops, it will take more than a month... The closest available divisions are in Java (1) and Pearl Harbor (2), and will remain here to keep these strategic places. The only reserve of the Southern Army is the 104th division in Singapore, and it may be needed in Burma at any time now.

2 March 1943

New Caledonia

During the night, the SS Seadragon tried to attack a DD off Noumea but was unable to reach a firing position. She was not detected by Japanese sailors. A scout TF (CL Yura and 6 DD) engaged the last 4 PT boats defending the base and sank them all, but three of its destroyers were damaged, the Uranami by a torpedo (damage 32/49/6), the Kamikaze by two 20mm bursts (45/16/27) and the Namikaze by two Browning bursts (20/2/2).
The three BB TF then pounded the base (with a total of 3 BB, 3 CA and 7 CL) but results were bad: 1 P-38G and 1 A-20G destroyed on the ground, 3 hits on a crippled TK in the port, 192 men and 2 guns disabled, 1 hit on the airbase, 7 on the runways and 6 on the port.

In the morning, all three BB TF sailing eastwards to Suva and the SS USS Hoe tried to attack one 120 miles SE of Noumea but was chased by 5 DDs. The scout TF sailed to La Foa but on arrival the flagship, the CL Yura, hit a VH2 mine. Damage was not serious (18/19/7). She was attacked later during the day by the SS O21 but the Dutch torpedoes missed. The submarine was searched by two DDs but wasn’t detected.

A dawn raid was launched against Noumea airfield by La Foa airmen with 84 Ki-21 escorted by 32 A6M2, 9 Ki-61, 8 A6M3a and 4 A6M3. The base was defended by 25 P-38G and 10 F4F-4 that shot down 23 Japanese aircraft (12 A6M2, 6 Ki-61, 3 Ki-21, 1 A6M3a, 1 A6M3) for 9 losses (5 F4F-4, 4 P-38G). AA fire then destroyed two more Ki-21 but the other destroyed 11 aircraft on the ground (5 A-20G, 2 B-25C, 2 B-25J and 2 P-38G) and scored 1 hit on the airbase, 2 on supplies and 11 on the runways.

There was no Allied raid this day in this area. Noumea CAP shot down a Jake but a Val hit the SS Halibut near this base, and attacked two other submarines without result here. Japanese CAP shot down an A-20G and a B-25C getting too close from Japanese ships.

On the ground, both sides exchanged shells in Noumea and Allied losses were 458 men and 6 guns, while Japanese lost 58 men.

The badly damaged DD Hato was scuttled off La Foa, while the warships damaged today were all integrated to the escort TF here. Engineers will expand La Foa port to size 3 tomorrow.

This night, Noumea will be bombarded again, this time by 3 CA and 1 CL detached from the three CV TFs of the KB with 6 DDs. Two DD TF (3 and 2 DD) will sweep Noumea waters to chase PT boats first.
22 Betties from Suva and 18 Ki-49 from Auckland flew to La Foa this evening. Tomorrow morning, almost all airmen of this base, except a Zero Daitai kept on local CAP, will raid Noumea airfield at the same time as the KB, that will sail 60 miles NE of Noumea and attack it with all available Vals and Kates and 50% of its Zeroes. The goal of the operation is to crush once and for good the airfield of the base, and win air superiority, so then all these aircraft will bomb Allied troops when the Japanese offensive will restart.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

In the afternoon, Rabaul was bombed by 50 B-24D from PM that scored 5 hits on the airbase, 2 on supplies and 25 on runways, and disabled 71 men and 1 gun. At the same time 12 Beaufort V-IX and 21 P-40E from PM flew a training mission against Goodenough Island.

In the evening 32 Nicks flew from Truk to Kavieng to fly LRCAP over Rabaul tomorrow.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

The only Allied air attack was a raid by 7 Brewster 339D against barges off Lautem, sinking one. The Japanese engineers used well this truce, and increased the fortification level in Koepang to 3.

Burma

Nothing to report

China

The Oscar II units flying LRCAP over Chengtu, Chungking and Kunming reported no Allied aircraft and lost 3 fighters in accidents, but the Chutai patrolling Yunan intercepted Allied transports and shot down 2 C-47 and 1 C-60A Lodestar.

The 49th Chinese Corps holding Ichang was bombed by 63 Ki-44, 30 Oscar I, 28 Ki-48, 26 Vals, 11 Oscar II and 6 Kates from Wuhan and lost 50 men, and was then attacked by the 11th Army (13th Div and 12th Bde) and defeated at 14 to 1 (fort 9). Ichang was taken for the loss of 1487 Japanese men and 29 guns. The Chinese retreated westwards and their losses were 119 killed and wounded and more than 700 POWs. The 13th Div and half of the 12th Bde will pursue them.

51 Ki-51 from Sian bombed a Chinese Corps SE of the cross-roads Sian-Ichang-Chungking and hit 58 men. At this cross-roads, the Japanese forces (4 Div, 1 Tk Div, 1 Tk Rgt) attacked the Chinese troops that moved here yesterday and today from the Ichang road and defeated the 78th Corps and 4th Air Base Force at 434 to 1 for the loss of 330 Japanese men, 10 guns and 1 tank. The Chinese retreated westwards and their losses were 648 killed and wounded and more than 600 POWs. Troops received the same orders as two days ago, the Tk units will try to move SE before the last Chinese unit there moves to the cross-roads while 2 Div will march to the mountains westwards.

West of Ichang, Japanese forces continued to bombard a Chinese Corps and hit 24 men.

In the evening 20 A6M3a left Kungchang to go to New Caledonia. Their first stop was in Clark Field, Luzon, and one was lost in an accident.

Japan

The Japanese airfields were almost overcrowded with training units. All transport units were sent to Luzon (Manila and Clark Field), leaving enough room in Japan for all other units.

(in reply to Fishbed)
Post #: 502
3 March 1943: Noumea airfield bombed by KB - 10/28/2006 10:48:38 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		3 March 1943

A good day for the air war, with an heavy bombing of Noumea. 73 Allied aircraft (52 ground, 17 A2A, 4 ops) and 28 Japanese (21 AA, 6 A2A, 1 ops) were lost.

New Caledonia

The DD TF sent to Noumea found no PT boat here but lost the DD Kamo that blew up and sank after hitting a VH2 mine. The CA Kako, Tone and Ashigara and the CL Nagara then bombarded the base but with very limited results, hitting only 69 men and 1 vehicle. The SS Seadragon then attacked a DD off Noumea but its torpedo failed to detonate. She escaped unseen.
Also during the night, at 360 miles ESE of Noumea the SS Trout tried twice to engage BB TFs returning to Suva but was chased twice by the escort and damaged by a depth charge hit and a near-miss.

In the morning, the DD TFs returned to La Foa, evading a submarine on the way and destroying some mines off La Foa, while the CA sailed to Suva.

After dawn both La Foa and the KB were supposed to launch a combined air attack on Noumea but La Foa was closed by bad weather and the CV airmen attacked alone with 115 Kates and 115 Vals escorted by 101 A6M3a. The met over the target 10 P-38G and 9 F4F-4 and the Zeroes protected perfectly the bombers shooting down 8 Wildcats and 7 Lightnings for 4 losses. The bombers suffered heavy AA losses (15 Vals and 6 Kates) but destroyed 52 aircraft on the ground (18 P-38G, 11 B-25C, 10 F4F-4, 6 B-25J, 6 A-20G and 1 PBY), scored 18 hits on the airbase, 14 on supplies and 135 on the runways. Allied ground losses were 90 men, 1 gun and 2 vehicles. The runways were badly cratered and during the day a P-38G and a B-25C returning from patrols were wrecked on landing accidents.
But Noumea airfield wasn’t closed and in the morning 9 A-20G escorted by 8 P-38G attacked the CA TF that bombed during the night their base. They found them 360 miles ESE of Noumea but didn’t score any hit.

During the day, Noumea CAP shot down two patrolling aircraft (a Val and a Jake) but Vals launched 15 attacks on 7 different Allied submarines off Noumea and hit the Salmon, Saury and Seadragon. KB CAP shot down 2 patrolling A-20G.

Troops continued to exchange shells in Noumea. Allied lost 483 men and 5 guns, Japanese lost 63 men.

Japanese engineers expanded the port of La Foa to size 3 but too late to save the DD Mikazuki and the 3000-ton AP Kozui Maru that were both scuttled during the day.

Tomorrow Noumea airfield will again be bombed by the Kates of the KB, combined with the LBA of La Foa. Vals suffered too much from AA fire and will fly 60% naval search to kill the numerous submarines in the area.

New Zealand- Southern Pacific

A barge was sunk by a Mk 10 mines off Suva. Two MSW TF (of 5 MSW each) will sweep them tomorrow before the BB TFs arrived from New Caledonia.

Tinas from Suva will start tomorrow to ferry the 25th Aviation Unit to La Foa.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

There was no raid on Rabaul today and the Nicks that patrolled here saw nothing while one was lost in a crash, but the crew was saved. They returned to Truk in the evening.
11 Beaufort V-IX and 30 P-40E from PM flew a training mission against Goodenough Island.

In the Solomons, barges were launched in Lunga and will pick up troops holding Russel Islands and Munda (two SNLFs) to bring them to Guadalcanal.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

The barge TF returning from Lautem hit a Catalina with AA fire and was then searched but not found by 14 Brewster 339D from Darwin. That was twice more Brewster as usual.

Burma

During the night, the 7 Beaufighter VIF from Imphal raided Rangoon and scored a runway hit. This is their first result after 19 raids and 6 losses to AA fire and accidents.

China

47 Ki-51 from Sian bombed the last Chinese unit SE of the cross-roads, doing 22 casualties, but she reached it during the day, before Japanese units moved. They will attack it tomorrow and chase it westwards.

West of Ichang, Japanese forces continued to bombard a Chinese Corps and hit 78 men.

Japan

It was a day of major changes in the industry. The factories producing the Betty, Rufe, Sally and Jake were all restarted. I also checked the two factories producing the Ki-46-III Dinah and found that one was stopped, and restarted it.
The research factory producing the nightfighter version of the Irving was ordered to start repairs, so it will be ready when the type will be available next month.
Two small factories (size 5 each) producing L1N1 Thora in Tokyo and Alf in Osaka were both converted to Jill and expanded to size 24.
The heavy industry in Aomori, northern Japan, was doubled, from 60 to 120.

A convoy loaded 7k supplies and 54k fuel in Hiroshima and will drop them in Canton, China, before continuing to Singapore to pick oil and resources.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 503
RE: 3 March 1943: Noumea airfield bombed by KB - 10/28/2006 12:16:04 PM   
Fishbed

 

Posts: 1822
Joined: 11/21/2005
From: Beijing, China - Paris, France
Status: offline
quote:

the Kamikaze by two 20mm bursts (45/16/27) and the Namikaze by two Browning bursts (20/2/2).

These numbers are a bad joke, but the question is to know what is the problem - the DD armor or the penetration power of the 20mm and .50?

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 504
4 March 1943: Noumea airfield reduced to rubbles - 10/28/2006 1:51:43 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

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

ORIGINAL: Fishbed

These numbers are a bad joke, but the question is to know what is the problem - the DD armor or the penetration power of the 20mm and .50?



1) DD should have armor being able to stop part of the small caliber hits.
2) the probability of a critical hit should depend of the caliber of the weapon. Right now it seems to me that a 16in shell and a Browning bullet have the same probability to score a critical hit.
3) last but not least the accuracy of the fire by PT boats is way too high.

4 March 1943

Today, 75 Allied aircraft were lost (57 ground, 12 A2A, 6 ops) against 16 Japanese (8 AA, 6 A2A, 2 ops).

Northern Pacific

18 Rufes flew from Ominato to Toyoha, Sakhalin Island, and will in some days fly to Paramushiro Jima to provide some form of CAP here.

New Caledonia

In the morning, Jake and Vals chased Allied submarines off Noumea, the CAP shot down a Jake and another was lost in a crash but Vals damaged the SS Salmon and Seadragon and missed another.
And then the crushing raid that was hoped yesterday was launched on Noumea airfield. 95 Kates, 79 Ki-21, 68 Vals (I forgot to change orders for all units), 22 Betties and 18 Ki-49 from La Foa and Kido Butai attacked, escorted by 116 A6M3a, 33 A6M2 and 4 A6M3. Twelve P-38G were flying CAP and 10 were shot down for the loss of 3 A6M2 and 2 A6M3a. The two remaining didn’t reach the bombers and their only losses were due to AA fire: 6 Vals, 1 Kate and 1 Ki-21. But that was worth it, because the airfield was devastated again: 57 aircraft were destroyed on the ground (24 F4F-4, 18 A-20G, 10 P-38G, 4 B-25C and 1 PBY), 104 men, 1 gun and 1 vehicle disabled and 11 hits scored on the airbase, 8 on supplies and 143 on the runways.
In the afternoon there was no more CAP over Noumea and the Vals continued to chase Allied submarines hitting the USS Saury and missing 4 others. During the day the CAP of the KB shot down 2 PBY Catalina getting too close.

On the ground the Japanese artillery again won the day in Noumea, hitting 526 men, 7 guns and 2 vehicles while Japanese losses were 132 men.

Off La Foa the damaged 7000-ton AK Alaska Maru sank.

Tomorrow will be the decisive day in New Caledonia. The Japanese Southern Army is in a shape as good as it can be: disruption between 10 and 20, fatigue between 40 and 60, all units fully supplies and enough support squads for all units (thanks to the losses already suffered). Except some units preparing for Luganville and Efate, all others are now 100% prepared for Noumea. So tomorrow a new shock attack will be launched.
The success of this attack will be linked to the efficiency of the air support. To be sure that a maximum of units will be hit, and that the KB won’t be covered by clouds, the 3 CV TF will sail each to a different hex, at range 1, 2 and 3. Their fighters will fly 90% CAP to be sure no bomber from Efate or Luganville will reach the CVs.
31 Ki-21 from La Foa will bomb Noumea port under escort by 50% of the fighters of this base in sweep mode. Then all other bombers based in La Foa, all Kates and Vals of the Kido Butai and even 9 Betties based in Suva will bomb Allied troops. It is hoped that both US divisions will be disrupted by the bombings, enabling the attack ratio to be over 1 to 1.

New Zealand- Southern Pacific

During the night 5 MSW swept Allied mines off Suva.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

9 Beaufort V-IX and 17 P-40E from PM flew a training mission against Goodenough Island.

A convoy arrived in Truk from Korea with two AA Bns aboard and was ordered to continue southwards and unload them to Rabaul. In this base engineers that were only building fortifications received orders to expand the port and the airfield.

Two barge TF left Shortlands with parts of the Sasebo 6th SNLF and will occupy Gili-Gili and Ferguson Island east of it.

In the evening 26 Ki-21 flew from Truk to Lunga, on their way to New Caledonia.

Burma

Another night raid by 5 Beaufighter VIF from Imphal targeted Rangoon. It was back to the norm: no damage done.

In the morning the 1st Tk Rgt 120 miles SE of Imphal was bombed by 20 Beaufighter VIC, 9 Mk 21 and 10 Vengeance I from this base escorted by 40 P-40B and lost 69 men and 3 tanks, but three Allied aircraft (a P-40B, a Vengeance and a Beaufighter VIC) were lost in accidents.

China

The Japanese forces (4 Div, 1 Tk Div and 1 Tk Rgt) holding the cross-roads of the Sian-Ichang-Chungking roads chased the last Chinese unit that arrived from Ichang yesterday, the 70th Corps, with a deliberate attack at 1008 to 1. The Chinese lost 428 killed and wounded and more than 600 POWs and retreated westwards. Japanese losses were 132 men, 3 guns and 1 tank.
In the evening these troops again received march orders. The two tank units and a regiment will march SE to open a supply path from Ichang and finish to surround the Chinese troops W of Sian from the SW. Three divisions will march westwards to the mountains NE of Chungking to pin down Chinese troops here.

West of Ichang, the 1st New Chinese Corps was joined by the 8th Corps going out of the mountains. Both were bombarded by Japanese artillery and lost 61 men. The main body of the Northern China Army more west sent to this point all ART units, 1 Bde and 1 Army HQ.

More north, the 32 000 Japanese holding Kungchang (a half Bde, 2 Eng Rgt, 1 parachute SNLF, 3 Base Forces, 2 Const Bn, with fort 4) had the surprise to be attacked by the 850 remaining men of the 6th Chinese Air Base Force that crossed the river from the western side. Of course the attack was a failure at 0 to 1. 70 Chinese were killed and wounded and then a message I had never seen before in WITP appeared on the screen: “Allied Unit(s) surrounded at Kungchang”. Apparently the Chinese unit surrendered, at least it was gone at the end of the turn, and the troops points seem to indicate that it was destroyed.

Recon crews reported 34 Chinese units in Chungking.

Japan

The Aichi factory in Nagoya was expanded from size 20 to 40.

Both naval and merchant shipyards points dropped below 500 points, and the construction of two I-boats and 7 AKs was suspended.

(in reply to Fishbed)
Post #: 505
5 March 1943: a good attack in Noumea - 10/28/2006 4:07:29 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		5 March 1943

21 Japanese aircraft were lost today (19 to AA and 2 in accidents) against 6 Allied (4 ops, 2 A2A) but that was the price to pay for a successful attack on Noumea.

New Caledonia

During the night the SS USS Gudgeon attacked a CV TF 180 miles ESE of Noumea and hit with one torpedo the DD Nenohi that sank before dawn. The submarine escaped undetected.

Noumea AA defences were again on their top level and shot down during the day 8 Vals, 4 Kates, 4 Ki-21, 1 Betty, 1 Ki-46-III and 1 Irving. Four raids targeted the area, 24 Ki-21 bombing the port (3 hits on two crippled TK and 5 on the port), 45 Vals, 31 Kates, 9 Ki-21, 9 Betties and 3 Ki-49 attacking the Americal Division (74 men and 4 guns lost), 22 Ki-21, 13 Ki-49 and 12 Betties the 9th USMC Defence Bn (31 men and 1 gun lost) and 20 Kates and 11 Vals the 1st USMC Div (24 men and 2 guns lost). One of the three Japanese CV TF was covered by clouds and didn’t launch a raid.
There was no CAP still over Noumea and that allowed some Vals to attack 2 Allied submarines off Noumea and to hit again the USS Saury. Fighters flying CAP over Koumac shot down 2 PBY.

In the evening, the SS Gudgeon tried again to attack the IJN CV TF 180 miles ESE of Noumea but was unable to find a firing position on CVE Hosho and left behind by the Japanese fleet that once again didn’t detect her.

And then the news about the ground offensive reached the Japanese command. Japanese engineers had broken two Allied lines of defence (reducing forts from 8 to 6) and the troops exploited these breaches to advance successfully (ratio of attack was 2 to 1). Losses were not so serious as before on the Japanese side: 2894 men, 92 guns and 16 guns, while the Allied lost 1170 men, 49 guns and 5 vehicles.

The offensive will continue tomorrow with as much air supply as possible. 26 Ki-21 arrived in the evening from Lunga in La Foa and will join the units bombing American troops. All three CV TF will gather 120 miles E of Noumea and attacks troops with Kates, while Vals will fly 60% naval at 5000 feet to chase submarines that were swarming the area.




New Zealand- Southern Pacific

The four surface TF coming back from New Caledonia all refuelled and then were combined into only 2 TFs, more powerful, as successive bombardment seemed to be inefficient. They sailed in the evening back towards Noumea.

In New Zealand, the AKs sent from Auckland to Wellington arrived, unloaded their fuel cargo and started to load supplies for the “starving” bases of Dunedin and Christchurch.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

9 Beaufort V-IX and 18 P-40E from PM flew a training mission against Goodenough Island.

Of the two Ki-46 Chutai based in Truk, one upgraded to Ki-46-III and the other flew to Lunga and will then fly to New Caledonia.

Southern Resource Area

The BB TF sailing from Singapore to South Pacific reached Soerabaja, refuelled and integrated one more DD and 3 of the 4 CA based here, the Takao, Atago and Haguro. The Suzuya will remain here as the main warship in the area. The BB TF then left for its next refuelling stop, Menado.

A convoy loaded 10k resources in Batavia for Singapore.

Burma

During the night, the 7 Beaufighter VIF from Imphal that raided Rangoon hit nothing. In the morning the 1st Tk Rgt 120 miles SE of Imphal was bombed by 18 Beaufighter VIC, 9 Mk 21 and 11 Vengeance I from this base escorted by 40 P-40B and lost 11 men and 1 tank.

In the evening 22 Nells flew from Singapore to Rangoon to continue raids on Indian resource centers, but one was lost in a crash.

China

Japanese forces continued to bombard Chinese troops west of Ichang and hit 14 men. More west both tank units advanced finally SE of the cross-roads and the 15th Tk Rgt will now drive NE in clear terrain to close the Chinese pocket W and NW of Sian from the SW.

The last recon unit of the IJNAF using the C5M Babs was converted to the Irving in Shanghai.
Japan

The Nenohi was the 9th destroyer lost in the New Caledonia operation (together with a CL, 1 SS, 2 AP, 1 AK, 4 PG and 1 PC) and a new naval priority was established for this kind of warship (coming after CV anyway). So the construction of seven I-boats was suspended, and seven DDs were accelerated (all that were possible to accelerate). By the way all DD lost off new Caledonia were old ones, the best being of Fubuki class.


Attachment (1)

< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 10/28/2006 4:10:28 PM >

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 506
RE: 5 March 1943: a good attack in Noumea - 10/29/2006 12:54:05 AM   
Pertti Mikkonen II

 

Posts: 1
Joined: 10/29/2006
Status: offline 		Your AAR has been wery informative to say the least. Thanks for that. Very Noobiee question: Just curious on your China policy; you seem to keep garrison on your supply lines. What is the Assault Value of those units? Are there any general rules or does it go case-by-case?



(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 507
RE: 5 March 1943: a good attack in Noumea - 10/29/2006 2:01:01 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

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

ORIGINAL: Pertti Mikkonen II

Your AAR has been wery informative to say the least. Thanks for that. Very Noobiee question: Just curious on your China policy; you seem to keep garrison on your supply lines. What is the Assault Value of those units? Are there any general rules or does it go case-by-case?



My opinion is that the China theater is easier in WITP than it was IRL. To try to simulate the need of garrison against partisans, and the fact that Japanese can't occupy all China, I have an home rule (in all my PBEM) that each city, road and rail hex under Japanese control should be held by at least 25 ASS points. Cities should be held by the number of points given by the game, that is often higher than 25 points, or by 25 points if the game score is lower than that.
So for example all Mongol Cav Div are used to keep roads and rails (3 hex by Div). Other hexs are held by SNLF, and then Bdes and Div also divided.

In late October 1942 (last time I did a survey of this), the China rear area (including towns not on the frontline) was held by 3.33 Div, 13 Bde, 3 Rgt, 10 Mongolian Cav Div. Since then Homan, Sian, Kungchang, Lanchow and Sining have been taken and several more Div and Bdes are used to garrison the conquered areas. So if Chinese units are able to advance to 180 miles of Chungking (where they are now), they won't be able to attack it in force. Just advancing to the city will need a Div to hold the road.

(in reply to Pertti Mikkonen II)
Post #: 508
RE: 4 March 1943: Noumea airfield reduced to rubbles - 10/29/2006 2:01:20 AM   
witpqs


Posts: 26087
Joined: 10/4/2004
From: Argleton
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent


1) DD should have armor being able to stop part of the small caliber hits.
2) the probability of a critical hit should depend of the caliber of the weapon. Right now it seems to me that a 16in shell and a Browning bullet have the same probability to score a critical hit.
3) last but not least the accuracy of the fire by PT boats is way too high.




Comments:

1) DD's were and are very vulnerable to 20mm and .50cal. The range of these weapons is a limitation - see #3.

2) The 20mm and .50cal are considered in bursts vs the 16in as one shell per hit. Still, the 16in should (I assume) get a greater chance of making a critical hit.

3) No comment about PT boat accuracy in general, as I do not know. It does seem that the PT boats must have gotten very close to do this damage. Usually they will not. Then again, I think in stock the 20mm and .50cal might have longer ranges than IRL.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 509
6 March 1943: Noumea returned to the Vichy French - 10/29/2006 5:26:26 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		The problem I have with PT boats is that there is no example AFAIK of a DD ever disabled by PT boat 20mm or MG fire. I agree that such fire may have damaged the DD but it should almost only cause SYS damage... Few chance of FLT damage or serious fire with small calibers hits. While what we see in WITP are WITP sinking after being strafed by a PT boat some days before... I think even a DD should have armor to stop a 05in bullet fired at 1000 or 2000 yards.

When I speak of accuracy, what I wanted to say is that anybody that had been on a high-speed low boat rushing at sea will agree with me that it is a poor fire platform, as it will bouce on the sea at each wave.

6 March 1943

New Caledonia

During the night, the Dutch submarine O21 tried to attack the Japanese escort TF off La Foa but was detected by the strong escort and heavily damaged by the DD Ikazuchi that scored two direct hits and two near-misses with depth charges.
It was another bad day for Allied submarines, Kido Butai airmen launched 11 attacks against them off Noumea during the day and hit the Seadragon (twice), the Tambor and the Gar, for the loss of a Val lost in a crash.
But the main objective of Japanese airmen was again the support of the offensive on Noumea. Like the day before, the first raid targeted the port with 13 Ki-21 covered by a sweep of 21 A6M2, 6 A6M3a, 5 Ki-61 and 3 A6M3 from La Foa. They met no CAP and scored 3 hits on the docks and 1 on supplies. Then both US divisions were attacked, the Americal by 35 Ki-21, 10 Betty and 9 Ki-49 from La Foa and the 1st USMC Div by 96 Kates from the Kido Butai. AA fire shot down 7 Kates, 2 Ki-21 and 1 Betty, while two more Kates were lost in accidents. Bombs hit 127 American men and 7 guns.
And indeed the air support may have done the trick, because the shock attack of the day achieved a ratio of 8 to 1… against forts level 6….taking the base. The Japanese commander couldn’t believe that. Then reports came. Japanese losses in the last day were 2728 men, 60 guns and 8 tanks, while Allied losses were given as 27 873 men, 231 guns and 56 vehicles (strange numbers because the combat report showed 47 242 men, 560 guns and 104 vehicles, and all Allied troops were destroyed… I scored 1050 troop points, so killed around 3150 squads = 38000 men ?).
The destroyed Allied units were the HQ South Pacific, Americal Div, a part of the 1st USMC Div (cadre evacuated?), 1st and 2nd USMC Raider Bns, 1st USMC Para Bn, 7th, 8th and 9th USMC Defence Bns, 72nd USA Field Artillery Rgt, 811th and 813th Engineer Aviation Bns, 117th USN Base Force, 30th Naval Base Force and 5th Naval Construction Bn.
17 unserviceable aircraft were found on the airfield (9 PBY, 4 A-20G, 3 P-38G and 1 B-25J) while two crippled TK were scuttled in the port before the surrendering.
By the way I checked all units involved in the battle. All were at 100% OOB or more before the attack. At the end of the battle, 387 squads were missing from the cumulated OOB of the units (not counting the extra squads that I didn’t list before the battle) and 2157 were disabled. So if we count 12 men per squads, like above, Japan lost around 4500 killed and 25000 wounded in the battle of Noumea.
Noumea was seriously wrecked (port 100% damaged, airfield services 62%, runways 54%) but 1047 engineers squads were in the city and will quickly repair it.

The news were quickly sent to the naval commander aboard the Kido Butai, and orders of the fleet were quickly changed. The CV TF will sail south of New Caledonia and chase submarines with Vals and Kates. The replenishment TF will remain at sea with the BB TF, and will wait for MSW to arrive from Suva (6 fast MSW left this evening) and Auckland (5 slow ones).
La Foa airmen will fly tomorrow CAP and naval search, recon of Efate and Luganville.
Southern Army troops in Noumea also received new orders. The next step will be the attack of Luganville and Efate. Both will be simultaneously invaded to reduce the time spent here by the Kido Butai (that should allready by leaving according to the original plan).
The 65th Bde and the 17th Army HQ will garrison Noumea.
Troops already prepared at 100% for Luganville were the 18th and 53rd Div, the 27th Eng Rgt, the 14th Army HQ and 1 ART units. Three move Div (2nd, 48th and 56th), the 5th Eng Rgt, the 4th Tk Rgt and 1 ART unit received orders to prepare quickly for this operation.
Efate was also the target of some units, but far less, only the 20th Div and the 23rd Eng Rgt. And it will be the harder target, so more units having Noumea as their former target were ordered to prepare for it: 3 Div (21st and 38th Div, 1st Tk Div), 2 Eng Rgt (1st and 21st), 7th Tk Rgt, 4 ART units and the 13th Army HQ.
The plan is to invade both places at the same time with BB, KB and LBA (from New Caledonia) support, around the 20-25 March. Troops in Luganville will try to take the island fast, using the fleet support. As soon as it will have fallen, a part of the troops will be sent to Efate, where troops will have only bombarded Allied lines until now while continuing to prepare, and will attack it. At this stage most of the warships will have left the area.




New Zealand- Southern Pacific

During the night, 5 MSW swept again Allied mines off Suva. Of the two MSW TF off this base, each swept mines one day (on the 4th or the 6th) and none worked on the 5th. I should admit I had never understood how MSW TF work in WITP. Things that work once… work once, and don’t work the next time.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

11 Beaufort V-IX and 26 P-40E from PM flew a training mission against Goodenough Island.

In the evening 33 Nicks flew from Truk to Rabaul to cover the incoming convoy bringing two more AA Bns here. I then discovered that night-fighters are not allowed in WITP to LRCAP TFs, even by day. So they will fly CAP over Rabaul tomorrow.

Japanese engineers expanded the airfield of Lunga to size 3.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

131 B-17E from Darwin attacked again Amboina and this time disabled the 10 resource centers of this base (that were all working before the raid). Weather conditions were bad and 6 heavy bombers didn’t return from this raid, all for operational reasons.

Burma

During the night, 5 Beaufighter VIF from Imphal attacked Rangoon but hit nothing.

In the morning Lashio was bombed by 27 B-17E, 16 Beaufort I and 15 Blenheim IV from Imphal escorted by 4 P-40B. They scored 2 hits on the airbase, 4 on supplies and 10 on the runway.
120 miles SE of Imphal the 1st Tk Rgt was bombed by 20 Beaufighter VIC, 9 Mk 21 and 10 Vengeance I from this base escorted by 37 P-40B and lost 33 men and 2 tanks, but one P-40 was lost in a crash..

In the Japanese rear area, the Burma Naval Squadron arrived in Singapore, refuelled and disbanded. All ships will have minor repairs, and two Kagero-class DDs will be upgraded. And the 3 AA Bns that were sent from Korea to Burma finished landing in Bangkok and will go by road and train to Mandalay.

China

There was no air raid over China today. The 13th Div marched west from Ichang and reached the retreating 49th Chinese Corps. It will attack it tomorrow to open the road leading north.

Japan

The news of the fall of Noumea arrived at the end of the celebrations of the first anniversary of the fall of Pearl Harbor (on 4 March 1942 IIRC). And a new period of official celebrations was opened by the Emperor's government.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 10/29/2006 5:30:00 PM >

(in reply to witpqs)
Post #: 510
Page:   <<   < prev  15 16 [17] 18 19   next >   >>
All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> War In The Pacific - Struggle Against Japan 1941 - 1945 >> After Action Reports >> 18 February 1943: new victory in China Page: <<   < prev  15 16 [17] 18 19   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

1.672