wneumann
Posts: 3768
Joined: 11/1/2005 From: just beyond the outskirts of Margaritaville Status: offline
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More Operations from 4/8/42 South Pacific: Sigint reports radio signals from an open sea hex just SW of Pago Pago - possible Japanese TF just departing Pago Pago likely enroute to Suva. "Force Z and friends" have turned around and now returning to the area around Suva to see what shows up. Australia: Japanese landings continue at Derby - Derby later captured by Japanese forces during ground combat phase. However, my "mystery" coast defense guns continued pounding away to the very end. AAR's follow. The damage inflicted by the "mystery" CD guns should have some impact on the Japanese ability to transport supplies and more troops into NW Australia. Given the number of damaged (and possibly sunk) AK and AP, Pillager could face the choice of (1) getting along with reduced transport capacity off NW Australia, or (2) bring additional AK and/or AP at the expense of operations elsewhere. Given the overall situation, it was not possible to place sufficient Allied forces (with adequate supply) to prevent the Japanese landings or capture of Broome and Derby. The most problematical aspect to the situation in NW Australia is Japanese control of the air, particularly in the waters between Timor and the NW Australian coast. This has completely shut down sea transport of supply, troops, aircraft to bases in NW Australia - forcing all movement into this area via overland. The major priority is the movement of sufficient air base units (without denuding other sectors) and fighter aircraft to challenge Japanese air power at least in the Darwin/Katherine area. This, of course, will have to be done considering the overall supply situation in NW Australia - which at this point is sufficient to support ground troops already in the area and possibly some aircraft but not enough to support any offensive operations. For some time to come, it is expected that Darwin will be unusable as a port due to any Allied transports having to run a Japanese gauntlet to reach there from any direction. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coastal Guns at Derby, 24,85, firing at TF 192 TF 192 troops unloading over beach at Derby, 24,85 111 Coastal gun shots fired in defense. Japanese Ships AK Unyo Maru #2, Shell hits 1, on fire AK Ryoyo Maru APD Patrol Boat No. 31, Shell hits 5, on fire AP Kanayama Maru, Shell hits 2, on fire PG Sozan Maru, Shell hits 1 Japanese ground losses: 69 casualties reported Guns lost 1 Allied ground losses: 12 casualties reported Guns lost 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coastal Guns at Derby, 24,85, firing at TF 90 TF 90 troops unloading over beach at Derby, 24,85 115 Coastal gun shots fired in defense. Japanese Ships AP Sanura Maru, Shell hits 6, on fire Japanese ground losses: 450 casualties reported -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Derby Japanese Shock attack Attacking force 20070 troops, 29 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 951 2nd & 5th Infantry Division, 21 Mixed Brigade Defending force 4022 troops, 13 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 1 111 RAN Base Force Japanese max assault: 1026 - adjusted assault: 1692 Allied max defense: 0 - adjusted defense: 2 Japanese assault odds: 846 to 1 (fort level 2) Japanese forces CAPTURE Derby base !!! Allied aircraft no flights Allied aircraft losses Hudson I: 4 destroyed Allied ground losses: 2315 casualties reported Guns lost 10 Vehicles lost 2 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Philippines: Japanese landings continue at Iloilo. AAR follows. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Iloilo Allied Bombardment attack Attacking force 767 troops, 8 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 34 61st (Phil) Reserve Division, 11 PAF Air Base Force Defending force 8806 troops, 52 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 256 56th Infantry Division Allied ground losses: 3 casualties reported ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- India & Burma: Most sectors relatively quiet - no major Japanese activity reported. China: Japanese ground attacks continue along all parts of the Nanyang salient. Jap 14 Independent Brigade appeared in the front lines as reinforcement in the most recent attack on Nanyang itself. AAR's follow. Chinese LCU's in hex 48,31 do not appear to be moving (apparently due to lack of supply) - these units had been ordered for some time to leave hex 48,31 and move into Nanyang and have 50-55 miles movement in this direction, however movement of these units in the last two or three days has stopped. Japanese efforts appear to be increasingly concentrated on Nanyang itself in order to capture Nanyang and cut off Chinese LCU in 48,31. With losses that have been taken to date by Chinese units in 48,31 it may be to my advantage that the Japanese cut them off and wipe them out (though I will be trying to avoid this). Several things to note on this. 1) Once they are destroyed, the Chinese LCU in hex 48.31 will re-appear in Chungking in 30 days or so as reinforcements, apparently at no expense to the Chinese ground army replacement pool. This does two things - first, it gets the units out of the "pocket" and second, there appears to be no replacement cost to get these units back in the game at full strength (or something resembling it). 2) The waste of Japanese time and effort to destroy the Chinese LCU in 48,31. Not to mention the Jap casulties in the process. However, this at the "nominal" cost of giving the Japs some VP they will likely get anyway. Stalin would have loved this plan. Let the panzers choke on 'em. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Nanyang Japanese Deliberate attack Attacking force 119931 troops, 540 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2448 3rd, 6th, 34th, 39th & 58th Infantry Divisions; 18 Mixed Brig, 10, 11 & 14 Independent Brigades, 2 & 8 Engineer Rgts, 15 FA Rgt, 2 Mountain Gun Rgt, 1 Mortar Bn Defending force 31322 troops, 109 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 827 41st, 55th, 59th & 68th Chinese Corps; 47th Chinese Guerilla Corps Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 3 Japanese max assault: 2155 - adjusted assault: 1214 Allied max defense: 860 - adjusted defense: 889 Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 3) Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 3 Japanese ground losses: 1024 casualties reported Guns lost 16 Allied ground losses: 1066 casualties reported Guns lost 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at 48,31 Japanese Bombardment attack Attacking force 114362 troops, 418 guns, 1 vehicles, Assault Value = 2006 26th, 32nd, 35th, 37th, 41st & 59th Infantry Divisions; 13 & 15 Tank Rgts, 6 FA Rgt; 5 & 13 Independent Brigades, 15 Mixed Brig Defending force 38807 troops, 28 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1016 9th, 13th, 12th, 40th, 76th & 84th Chinese Corps; 15th, 43rd & 48th Chinese Guerilla Corps Allied ground losses: 43 casualties reported ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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