GreyJoy
Posts: 6750
Joined: 3/18/2011 Status: offline
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June 15-16 1942 My "light2 operation in the Gilbert/Marshalls was a disaster. On the 15th two APDs TFs loaded with the 1st and 3rd Raders Bns unloaded them at Makin and Nauru Is. (Abenama had already be taken by the 3rd USMC para unit)... The fast transports, that i supposed to work as the "Tokio Express", arrived at day instead that at night and they got caught during light time while they were still unloading....he sent a full strike coordinated attack, with at list two betties daitais and what looked like 3 sentais of zeros...we ended up with 8 APDs sunk. Makin was undefended but at Nauru we found a full strenght naval guard unit...the 3rd raider got annihilated on the beach and not a single man survived Then the news we were waiting for... My subs-screen reported lots of Vals and Kates flyin naval search missions....just south of the Mariannas....the KB! He was waiting for me right in the best place he could...between the Marshalls and the Bonins. My full scale invasion TFs (supposed to invade Tarawa, Makin, Abenama, Nauru and Ocean) that were sitting with the CVs between Christmas and PH waiting to see how strong were the jap defences in the area had been ordered to get back to PH at full speed. The whole operation is aborted. With the KB around ready to strike and with that efficient crack LBA defence...there's no way i can hope to invade. Lost some small asets in this operation (20/30 minor ships) and 3 good but small units (1st and 3rd raiders and the 3rd para)...nothing vital however Again i've been too predictable. Was clear to Rader that i wanted to counterattack somewhere and he simply chose to place his best weapon in the best place he could (Mariannas)...right between the Solomons, Gilberts/Marshalls and the Bonins...wherever i had chosen to go he would have been there waiting for me. Oh, then Tricomale fell against 1000 AVs (2 reinforced divisions), while Manila is still holding tight! Oh forgot to say that in the Marshalls he managed to have what i counted like 12 subs...Since he discovered 2 turns ago my decoy TF (which had been sunk yesterday) a wolfs pack of 12 subs suddenly appeared close to Tarawa...i bet my recon of the last weeks has, as Nemo pointed out, revealed my intentions more than what i hoped. Lesson learnt ... AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Jun 15, 42 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on TF, near Makin at 136,125 Weather in hex: Overcast Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 6 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 57 G3M2 Nell x 22 G4M1 Betty x 23 Japanese aircraft losses G4M1 Betty: 1 damaged Allied Ships APD Colhoun, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk APD McKean, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk APD Gregory APD Little, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk APD Stringham, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk Aircraft Attacking: 22 x G3M2 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo 6 x G4M1 Betty launching torpedoes at 200 feet Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo 17 x G4M1 Betty launching torpedoes at 200 feet Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Nauru Island at 127,128 Weather in hex: Thunderstorms Raid spotted at 26 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 10 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 27 G3M2 Nell x 22 G4M1 Betty x 28 Japanese aircraft losses G4M1 Betty: 1 damaged Allied Ships APD Edsall, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk APD Alden, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk APD Manley APD John D. Edwards APD Bulmer Aircraft Attacking: 22 x G3M2 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo 28 x G4M1 Betty launching torpedoes at 200 feet Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Nauru Island (127,128) Allied Shock attack Attacking force 522 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 23 Defending force 1164 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 49 Allied adjusted assault: 0 Japanese adjusted defense: 17 Allied assault odds: 1 to 99 (fort level 0) Combat modifiers Defender: preparation(-), experience(-) Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-), disruption(-), supply(-) Allied ground losses: 571 casualties reported Squads: 42 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 45 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Assaulting units: 3rd Marine Raider Bn /2 Defending units: 51st Naval Guard Unit -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Makin (136,125) Allied Shock attack Attacking force 528 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 19 Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 0 Allied adjusted assault: 6 Japanese adjusted defense: 1 Allied assault odds: 6 to 1 (fort level 0) Allied forces CAPTURE Makin !!! Combat modifiers Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-), disruption(-) Assaulting units: 1st Marine Raider Bn /2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3rd Marine Raider Battalion Wiped Out at Nauru Island by attrition!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BFF Brigade Wiped Out at Bombay by attrition!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/1 Central Detach. Wiped Out at Bombay by attrition!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/1 Det. West Coast Wiped Out at Bombay by attrition!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd Assam Rifles Battalion Wiped Out at Bombay by attrition!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd Burma Brigade Wiped Out at Bombay by attrition!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9/11th Sikh Battalion Wiped Out at Bombay by attrition!!! Allied Unit(s) surrounded at Bombay The only good news is that we now know where the KB is...so we can play accordingly. And, as i said, untill the KB parked right in front of Karachi, the Aden Chanell cannot be completely closed...and so India has a chance! Another raid is planned. This time we'll strike Bombay with 60 4Es. Recon says no fighter cover at Bombay and the port is full of minor ships. Good...we'll strike there. Want to deny him the use of Bombay as an active port for his main fleet. Let's see. Now he moved back all his bombers and fighters to Surat. More than 1500 a/c spotted there
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