wneumann
Posts: 3768
Joined: 11/1/2005 From: just beyond the outskirts of Margaritaville Status: offline
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Summary of Operations 6/5/42: Happy 4th of July to all... Not much here in the way of fireworks. Central Pacific: Air patrol contacts with Japanese submarine (minelayer?) 120 mi W of Pearl Harbor heading east - two 10+ ship ASW TF's formed to await it in Pearl Harbor, a third ASW TF following it from the west. If Tojo wants to send it, we'll bag it. No reports of Val DB air patrols from S-35 at Kwajalein. Maybe taking the day off? North Pacific: Disembarking of U.S. 138 RCT and supply continues on Adak Is. Australia: Japanese air bombing raids continue at Katherine - heavy damage to airfield facilities. Australian ground units pushed out of Darwin have disengaged from Japanese forces and are pulling back through Katherine. Australian units on the road west of Katherine (Gull Force Bn, 23 Australian Brigade, and a base force unit retreating from Wyndham) have begun pulling back to positions closer to Katherine. DEI: Ground battle at Pontianek continues - Japanese bombardment attack, no Allied casualties reported. Transport ships leaving Australia continue arriving in Aden and Indian ports - most of the first group already arrived. A smaller second group of ships from Australia are in mid-transit with the lead ships of this group now approaching Colombo. A smaller number of ships (mainly U.S.) have sailed eastward across the Pacific via the "Antarctic Circle Route" and Panama City to the U.S. West Coast, these ships departing from Wellington NZ to avoid Japanese detection. Also on board of several of these ships were Dutch air recon squadrons not currently useful in Australia for conversion to F-4 or F-5 recon planes in the U.S. or India. Prior to this movement, transport ship capacity in Australian ports was considerably in excess of the capacity required (or usable) in and around Australia/NZ - removal of these ships to India and the U.S. enables them to be better utilized and also gets them out of an area where they were idle and doing little more than awaiting a Japanese attack. Ships leaving Australia were mainly AK, TK, AP with large cargo capacity and/or long range, also extra auxiliaries (AS, AE, AR). Australia still retains a substantial shipping capacity - most of the remaining ships in Australia are smaller, short range transports suited for coastal traffic and communication between eastern Australian ports (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane) and New Zealand. Some naval forces and ships to support them also remain in Australia. China: Ground combat continues at hex 47,32 and Sian - AAR's follow. Jap 1st Mortar Bn arrived at Sian to reinforce attack. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at 47,32 (SW of Honan) Japanese Bombardment attack Attacking force 22017 troops, 103 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 902 13th Infantry Division, 11 & 14 Independent Brigades Defending force 20352 troops, 66 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 655 18th, 67th & 85th Chinese Corps -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Sian Japanese Bombardment attack Attacking force 181974 troops, 821 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 4311 6th, 26th, 32nd, 34th, 35th, 37th, 39th, 41st, 59th & 110th Infantry Divisions, 5 & 13 Independent Brigades, 15 Mixed Brigade, 6 & 15 FA Rgts, 1 Mortar Bn, 2 & 8 Engineer Rgts Defending force 62075 troops, 270 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 1861 3rd, 16th, 17th, 22nd, 33rd & 61st Chinese Corps Allied ground losses: 287 casualties reported Guns lost 3
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