gladiatt
Posts: 2576
Joined: 4/10/2008 Status: offline
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5th - 16th nov 42 BURMA 1- Siege of Pagan is a hard fight: there are powerfuls japs units in the place behind level 9 forts and they seem to have no supply problems. Are there huge stockpile ? Or a huge airlift? Willing to prevent a massive airbridge, i put some fighters on LRCAP over the base, and on 9th nov, they catch 2 Hickory, but nothing since had been intercepted...so what ? There are 150 auxiliaries in Moulmein, are they supporting Pagan ? I whish i could close Moulmein, but the sweep launched previous week before a bomber raid had been too bloody. The artillery duel is on the jap side, and i can't hurt the japs if i don't have the support of my bombers. No raid manage to take off from India between 2th to 11th nov . Damn weather. But on 11th nov, 90 LBA attacking Pagan are intercepted by 10 Tonys, and 16 bombers are downed. On 12th, a sweep of 33 allied fighters encounter 12 Tony, downing all for 5 allied fighters; but when 80 allied bombers come, they still face 7 Tony, wich destroy 22 bombers . The few casualties on ground are not enough to tam the japs unit, but help to reduce the artillery volley of the japs; Between 13th and 16th november, no raid took off for Pagan (damn f.....g weather). 2- Still thinking about closing the base of Moulmein , a sweep is launched on 7th nov. But only 25 P-40B of 43th FG come to the mission; they face 100 Tojo and Tonys, loosing 24 planes to 17 japs. On 8th nov, 2 squadrons of P-38 gather only 22 planes, encounter 130 japs fighters, down 21 of them for 19 planes. Not a good result for a plane described as a good one by the manual or the stats ( 30 mph faster than a P-40E, 1 more manoeuver, 6 more durability !!). And Yes, i had read all the comments of both of you... BUT still i keep being disapointed. P-38 was supposed to give a long range to my fighters, if i need to keep them at close range to raise it's power, that's a great lack of power. 3- north of Rangoon, along the Irrawaddy, a japs relieve force try to open the railroad leading north toward Pagan. A SNLF and 64th Nav Gd are kept at bay by 3 british brigades. My lack of troop on this front is really hurting, but sending an entire Inidan division on the tracks between Imphal and Myitkyina is a 2 month trip at least, and i don't know what will have happend in 2 months. More, the supply is a huge problem, and feeding another div would be too difficult. Unless an advice tell me to (bit nothing mandatory, you vets should feel free if you wish), i made my decision for this front : no more troops here (although killing the jpas troops of Pagan would be really nice, but until now i hoped my planes would help me in this goal). On 6th nov, the japs coming from Rangoon receive a reinforcement from 4th japs Inf Div , all the japs units triggering a shock attack that fail to repulse my troops. - On 8th nov, 7 Wellington and 33 B-25 attack the japs unit, facing 3 Tojo, loosing 1 plane and causing 20 casualties...only. A second raid of 12 B-24 encounter 10 Tony, loose 1 bomber and cause 20 more casualties. Raids on 9th and 10th cause 100 casualties for the loss of 1 B-24. At Pagan, the 7th Arm Bde (Gal Anstice) leave the siege, heading south, hoping to reach the Irrawaddy bank in time. - On 11th nov, a raid of 46 LBA with 32 P-38 escort, and face 10 japs fighters. 4 japs and 2 Lightning are destroyed; but a second raid of 12 bombers face 28 Tony and loose 7 planes for no result on ground . - On 12th, 31 Tony/Tojo encounter 30 LBA and 30 P-38; 6 japs are downed for 10 Lightning. THIS PLANE IS REALLY A CRAP AND A BAD JOKE. A second raid of 12 unescorted bombers cost me 2 planes. The lack of coordination, despite being in range of Claire Chenault 10th AirForce HQ, kill me ! - 14th nov, 12 more bombers are destroyed and 2 lightning for 2 Tony. At a rate of 1 for 7 in japs favor, Jan is soon to win this game. ON the same day, 14th nov, 7th arm bde reach the front , and with 4 brit bde, launch a shock attack, in the hope of repulsing the japs on the other side of the river. It needed 3 days of fighting until the japs retreat...7th Arm is even in pursuit mode, in the hope to add casualties; don't know the result yet.... The supporting raids of 15th and 16th nov costed 4 P-38 for 8 japs fighters. In these 11 days, Burma costed 70 japs planes for 132 allied. 4- ANDAMAN Raided by BB Ise and Yamato on 9th november, destroying 40 planes of all kind ( patrol, fighters, naval bombers...), and sucking 3000 supply, thus dropping the base below 20000; the TF escape unharmed, even if being in range of the 5 Beaufort left after the shelling and the presence of 14 P-40E of AVG/C. The 80 mines and a dutch sub didn't made anything either. On 16th nov, this TF is once more spotted near Sabang, probably heading for a new bombardement. Surely no planes from the small base will attack, and the 2 subs and 120 mines won't make anything more, for sure . WHY exactly am i trying to do things that seem purposed to FAIL ????? .
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< Message edited by gladiatt -- 6/2/2010 8:34:26 PM >
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