John 3rd
Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
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Combat Report
June 2-7, 1942
With the commencement of Operation Typhoon, a massive deployment of the Imperial Japanese Navy has begun. Forces include: 10 CV, 5 BB, 13 CA, 10 CL, 52 DD, and 34 I-Boat/Ro-SS. These numbers do not reflect the actual invasion force which comprises 105 AP/AK and 43 Escorts (PG/PC/APD/MSW) and is carrying nearly 100,000 troops of the Imperial Japanese Army.
Land Forces include: 2 Inf Div, 3 Brigade-sized Inf units, 4 lesser Inf Units, 2 Engineering Regiments, 2 Art Battalions, 2 large BF and 4 smaller BF. The HQ of the 11th Air Fleet, 8th Fleet, and 16th Army travel alongside.
Goal: The swift capture of Dunedin, New Zealand and then (by land march) Christchurch, NZ. Once the South Island has been taken, then forces will make an assault landing upon the North Island of New Zealand. The destruction of Land Units, Aerial Squadrons, and Naval Forces is to be maximized.
Now to the weekly Combat Report:
North Pacific
No activity.
Central Pacific
Midway ACTION at Midway! On the 2nd, a force of 2BB, 1CA, 2CL, and 3DD bombard the island. CD responds pretty well. I have two CD units here and they fire 93 shots damaging 2 CL and heavily damaging 2 DD. I take 434 Cas, lose 16 guns, and have the port/AF slightly damaged.
RETURN Action! A small group of 4 Bettys attack and put a TT into DD Clark that day. I move a full Daitai of Bettys there on there on the 2nd (raising my bomber force to 45 planes) and see 12 Betty sink DMS Dorsey with a TT on the 3rd. The 4th sees 10 Bettys find DD Clark again and they finish her with another TT. Unfortunately, the rest of the STF gets away. I return my Daitai of Bettys to Kwajelein for rest and await another attack.
The Americans hit Midway with 21 B-17 on the 6th and destroy 2 Betty on the ground while losing one of their own.
Pago-Pago On the 5th, LBA damages S-31.
SE Pacific
Suva Finally get enough fuel unloaded to restock all my ships for their departures with Operation Typhoon. TF that leave are:
June 5th
KB-3 (Junyo/Hiyo, Shoho/Zuiho) Heading due south.
Raider Force 2 travels with them: 2 CA (Mogami/Mikuma), 2 CL, and 4 DD
June 7th
Dunedin, NZ Invasion Forces Begin loading these troops on the 4th. Task Forces are:
Escort/Bombardment TF 3BB (Mutsu, Hyuga, and Ise) with 2 CL and 8DD
Invasion TF Four groups of AP/AK leave as well carrying the troops
Recon TF CS Nisshin and AV Kimikawa Maru carrying 32 Float Planes and 4DD raise anchor and depart on the same day. They head slightly SE to look for any US
Reinforcement TF coming from the West Coast.
Noumea Troops from the Pago-Pago campaign begin arriving and unloading. Three Infantry Divisions will spend several weeks to a month resting and re-equipping. They will form the spearhead of the North Island Invasion.
Norfolk Island As I try to raise the AF to Sz-2, the Allies try to distract me. 21 and then 22 B-17 strike on the 3rd and face 19 Zeros. Strangely they go after my shipping there (I would hit the AF) and damage several AK lightly. I lose 2 Zeros in change for 1 B-17 shot down and 18 damaged.
SW of Rabaul The Allied survivors from my capture of Rabaul are finally hunted down and forced to surrender on the 3rd. I gain about 1,500 POWs.
New Zealand
After seeing several Allied TF around Wellington in the proceeding week, I don’t see much during this time. My SS are arriving and beginning to deploy.
I do spot a TF along the south edge of the board (80,144) and I-17 sinks an AK with 2TT.
NW Aussieland
Koepang The build-up here for Operation Southern Fury is nearly complete. I gradually begin to add Fighters to this base (it goes to AF 6 on the 5th) to protect the shipping, AF, and troops. The Allies strike the base on June 2nd with a force of 35 B-17s. They are opposed by 32 Oscars/Zeros. In the aerial melee, 4 B-17 are shot down and 16 more are damaged (not TOO bad!) while I lose 2 Fighters and have 12 Bombers destroyed on the ground. I take an additional 972 Cas and see minor damage to the AF.
I have an AK damaged by SS Pike in harbor on the 7th.
ASW Action I have two ASW TF moving around here and 2 bomber Sentai on ASW Attack. They get numerous sightings and an occasional attack.
Western DEI
Near Singapore--SS Salmon attacks an AK on the surface and damages it with 10 Shells.
Burma
Akyab The Allies hit this AF about every other day.
Mandalay Occasional raids but nothing of import.
Numerous aerial attacks upon my Inf Units throughout Burma occur. Usually groups of 25-50 aircraft strike, cause some casualties, and move on. I try to periodically keep my opponents honest by a counter-attack here and there. On the 4th I jump a group of Hurricanes on strafing mode with 19 Zeros. I shot down 6 and damage 4 ore for no loss.
Rangoon Most of my in-theatre Fighters fly CAP here. Nearly 60 Fighters are here split between Zeros and Oscars. I am off-loading a supply convoy there (40,000+ supply).
China
Yenen The siege of Yenen has begun. A force of 5 ID, 5 Brigades, 5 Art Reg, and 4 Eng Reg have moved into the hex. To the south of the city sits 2 ID and 1 Inf Brig--they are moving further east in an effort to surround the town. More units are about to move into hex due north of the city.
Aerial attacks (average 60 F and 100 B) hit that base on 2nd, 3rd, and the 6th.
The initial assault on Yenen occurs on the 6th. In a deliberate attack, results are quite favorable. We get a 0-1 but reduce Forts from 8 to 7 (assault points Jpn-2133 to Ch-7863). In actual casualties, we see: 6,576 Cas, 180 Guns, and 4 V for 1,902 Ch Cas and 47 Guns.
Totals for the Week:
Ships Sunk
Japanese 2 Total--1ML, 1AK
Allied 4 Total--DD Clark, DMS Hovey, 1 AK, and SS Grampus
Aircraft Losses
Japanese 23 Planes--7 Fighters and 16 Bombers
Allied 6 F and 7 4EB---Total: 13 aircraft
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Printable Version
5th Phase Plans - 
You've mentioned that one objective of your NZ invasion is to force a naval engagement while you still have the edge. If you can trim the allied naval power down a bit without having to risk losing fully loaded transports, why not go for it?
WOW! Totally depressing... 
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