John 3rd
Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005 From: La Salle, Colorado Status: offline
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Combat Report September 6-18, 1942 The entire campaign for the Pacific War--from the Japanese point-of-view--revolves currently around SE Australia. Things are happening elsewhere but the focus is entirely here! The battle in Australia has nearly gone entirely Japan's way. Beyond the great land battle that is shaping up there, the KB and vast majority of the Comined Fleet are currently off the coast of Sydney blasting the pogees out of it! Australia Whyalla We last left off with the Japanese invading Whyalla with a force of 2 Inf Div, 1 Aviation Reg, and 1 Eng Regiment as well as 2 Parachute Reg adding their firepower. This town falls on September 7th and the Japanese rapidly move east to cutoff retreating units from Alice Springs. In a TERRIBLE move by my opponent, Dan chooses to attack my unloading AP/AK instead of the Level One AF. The Japanese furiously work to expand the field and succeed in doing so (Lvl-2) on the 18th. As I pull the AP/AK out it dawns on me that I WANT to have him swing at them instead of the AF. To that end, I lose 1 PG, 8 AP, and 3 AK over a period of 10 days. These attacks are upon repeatedly damaged ships and serve to provide the Japanese Engineers time to grow the AF. The Aerial battle goes on everyday between the 2 Daitai of Zeros there against an assortment of P-40, Liberators, and B-25s. Air losses favor the Japanese and only get better when the first operational Sentai of Tojo deploys there on the 16th. On the 18th alone, the Japanese CAP shoots down 10 Hudson and 3 B-25 for 1 Tojo and 1 Zero... Adelaide In another mistake by my view, retreats his battered forces into Adelaide by the 12th. There are now 25 units within this city. I have 4 TK Regiments blocking the NE exit and no less then 6 Infantry Divisions, an Army HQ, and 4 Art Reg beginning to invest the city. As long as I can block the road from Melbourne to Adelaide, I have a REAL chance at wiping out a sizable section of the Aussie Army. It will take some time but will only help the VP score! I bombard Adelaide twice during this time with 3 BB (Nagato, Fuso, and Yamashiro). The second bombardment see Beauforts put a TT into Nagato but she makes it to Albany without issue. NOTE TO SELF----DON'T GET COCKY! Despite the results of the second bombardment, I decide to do it again with Fuso and Yamashiro. BIG mistake...the BBs are crushed by 36 TB (Beauforts/TIVa) and 38 B-25! Down go the two old BBs. Veyr dumb of me to do this. Lesson relearned... Broken Hill I grab this small town with Paratroopers on the 13th and 2 Engineering Reg reach the town on the 17th. Two Brigades arrive there on the 18th. I immediately begin to expand that AF as well. This town serves as my left flank while I reduce Adelaide. There will be an Infantry Division stationed there within a couple of days. NE Australia On the 18th, my invasion force for NE Australia departs Noumea. An Inf Div, Inf Brig, 2 Eng Reg, and 2 Art Reg depart. Their target is yet to be determined. I am doing recon from Norfolk Island EVERYWHERE along the coast. Want to land in aplace that will not be TOO costly. Am eyeing Rockhampton... The KB Sails!!! In all my previous campaigns I have never done the following. Starting September 5th I order a concentration of ALL my large CVs at Noumea. On the 8th these CV fuel and they set sail on the 9th. Target: Sydney! I devide the Combined Fleet into 4 TF: KB-1 3 CV(Akagi/Kaga/Junyo), 2 CA, 1 CL, 7 DD, KB-2 3 CV(Hiryu/Soryu/Hiyo), 3 CA, 1 CL, 7 DD, KB-3 2 CV/1 CVL (Shokaku/Zuikaku/Ryujo), and a STF of all 4 BC, 2 CA, 2 CL, and 9 DD. A total of 603 aircraft accompany this massive fleet! Thanks to various reader's imput, I order the Vals/Kates on Naval Attack and then naval Port/AF as secondary. Events: Sept 12th Several small TF of AK/AP test my blockade of New Zealand-to-Australia. My planes sink 2 AP and 3 AK who are all carrying troops. Don't know what Dan was thinking but it hurts him. Sept 16th Order the KB to a range of 6 hexes from Sydney. Sept 17th The KB is not spotted when it launches 74 Zero and 185 Kates! These planes encounter 27 various fighters flying CAP over the target. For a loss of 5 Zero and only 3 Kates, the Japanese shoot down or destroy on the ground 31 Fighters and a Transport as well as hit 3 CA, 3 CL, 2 TK, 3 AK and crush the AF to 35% damage. Sept 18th The KB closes to a range of 4 hexes away. A morning strike of 76 Zero, 24 Val, 23 Kate sink an AK and fight a very tough group of 28 Wirraway, 15 Hurricanes, and 10 P-40. The Japanese lose 20 Zero (but only 11 Pilots) for TWICE that number of Allied fighters (42 total)! A second strike in the afternoon is MASSIVE: 59 Zero, 171 Val, and 184 Kate fight their way easily through 12 mixed Allied fighters. For a coast of only 1 Zero, 2 Val, and 4 Kate, the Aussies lose (in the air and on the ground) 22 more fighters and a Transport plane. As the AF is hit (damage now 53%), the 800 KB bombs, 250 Kg Bombs, and TTs slam into Allied shipping! Ships hit include 3 CA, 3 CL, 2 DD, 6 MSW, DMS, 3 AK, 1 AS, 1 AP, 3 TK. An AK and CL Achillies sink! More are soon to follow! I order the KB to close to range 3 for a final day of strikes! BANZAI!!! Not To Make Hitler's Mistake... It has dawned on me that the key to winning Australia is destroying Allied airpower. I will not make Hitler's mistake of changing tactics. Allied air losses have been pretty massive. In fighters and bombers, I am consistently taking 2/3/4-1. The Sydney Action alone has cost the Aussies 95 CONFIRMED Fighters! Dan has been flying his bombers everyday and they are consistently losing 1 or 2 or 3 planes a strike. Those bombers MUST be tired... Hobart Invasion Force I have an entire Inf Div planning to land at Hobart on about the 25th. Once they have that town then they will march overland to take Devonport...an Aviation Reg is following about 3-4 days laters... This is the Aussie News! I'll finish this update and cover the rest of the Pacific in a few minutes since I just got another turn from Dan...
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