Canoerebel
Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002 From: Northwestern Georgia, USA Status: offline
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6/1/42 and 6/2/42 Chengchow: The Jap stack at Chengchow consists of three divisions, seven brigades, and seventeen (!) artillery units. Miller told me via email that I "might" notice a bunch of new Jap Kwangtung units in China from Manchuria. He went on to say that he had paid the political points before they departed. This stack launched a deliberate attack on the 1st. It came off at 1:1, dropped forts to two, and cost the IJ 5,717 to 7,498. Gulp. There was another deliberate attack the following day - this time at 1:2, forts held, 4,363 IJ casualties to 6,782 Chinese. The Chinese AV is down to just 1300. However, two big units (200 AV each) are a day or two away. I am hoping Miller will elect to rest his units for a few days to allow them to recover from attack-induced disruption. That's my only hope at this point. If Chengchow Falls: If this key city falls, the Chinese can fall back to prepared positions at Loyang and Nanyang. So it probably isn't the end of the world. But if either of those two fall, then it's back to Sian. Sian: Don't know what's going on, but two more Japanese units (a division and a regiment) crossed a river to attack Sian. This came off at 1:5, didn't touch five forts, and inflicted 3,623 to the IJ and 1,925 to the Chinese. It would have been worse for the IJ, but two big Chinese units had just departed the hex making for the front. I will try a deliberate attack tomorrow hoping to destroy the two IJ interlopers. On the 2nd, Miller sent waves of bombers to hit Sian, but found Allied fighters present. The IJ lost 38 bombers and fighters; the Allies lost 6. This AVG squadron has experience of 75+ now. Submarines: ASW attacks I-8 near Pago Pago; I-3 is attacked by ASW near Pearl. No successful attacks by IJ subs! DEI: Malang, Java, continues to hold out. Operation Bethel Church: The two tardy carrier fighter squadrons that upgraded aren't regaining airworthiness very rapidly. Miller has about 30 fighters and 30 bombers based at Luganville now.
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