Canoerebel
Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002 From: Northwestern Georgia, USA Status: offline
|
12/19/41 to 12/21/41 Repulse: After absorbing 15 additional bombs, this ship's FLT damage increased from 85 to 96. I elected to scuttle her in hopes of saving Tennant, who has good command ratings, but a flash message on the screen - one so fast that I didn't actually have a chance to read it - possibly indicated that he died or was "lost at sea." I hope it's the latter. I want him to command again. DEI: John is moving furiously to grab territory. 4th Div. spearheaded an invasion of Palembang, which fell on the second try despite 235 AV (but sorry troops compared to the Japanese). I don't think the oil wells suffered any damage. I'll check again tomorrow. The Japanese have also gobbled up Ambon and Boela. CL Marblehead got trapped and clobbered (I'd forgotten I stationed a little combat TF at Kendari; forgot until Kates started attacking my helpless ships). However, I think there's a good chance she makes it to Soerabaja. I'm really glad the Allies made the effort to attend to Cocos quickly. In three or four days, she'll receive a UK brigade or two (I'll have to measure troop capacity). I have a small Dutch unit at Christmas - just enough to prevent the island from being a freebie. Indian Ocean: Quiet at the moment. I'm hoping to send the third of the three UK brigades to Diego. Madras Police Battalion will go to Addu Atoll. Port Blair, with 325 AV, will require John to commit some time and troops. A small IJ tank force took Moulmein, but John can't come further until he brings more. China: The Japanese whacked a Chinese corps near Kienko, but the Japanese suffered three or four repulses elsewhere. John is kind of recklessly (IMO) using repeated shock attacks when he isn't sure they'll work. The Chinese, as a result, have made some good stands and are already seeing units with some good experience. NoPac: The IJ carrier force in this region is near Umnak at the moment. The Allies have finished reinforcing Coal Harbor, which is a huge piece-of-mind accomplishment for me. Ultimately, I intend to push a bit in NoPac if John doesn't augment his naval force. Ent and Lex are enroute - currently nearing Canton Island after departing the Coral Sea. By the time they pass Christmas Island, Yorktown will have joined Sara at San Diego. The combined force will be more than sufficient to handle the current IJ lineup in NoPac, permitting the Allies to ram some reinforcements into Kodiak, et al. CenPac: The Japanese landed an assault division at Midway. Despite roughly 150 AV, the unit has failed on successive shock attacks to dislodge the Marines. John will probably bring in a bombardment force or reinforcements. I'll see what I can do, but I need time to get something ready to go. SoPac/SWPac: IJN subs nosing around Fiji, New Caledonia, etc. have sunk a couple of ships. One came uncomfortably close to my carriers, but I don't think John picked up any intel. Overall things are quiet in the Solomons and vicinity since John took a couple of hits on the chin here. He's undoubtedly organizing a well-escorted counterpunch, but my guys have vacated the area, except for Triomphant, which is still loitering near Atape, New Guinea. Overall Situation: John is moving fast and hard. One good thing is that he has committed alot of divisions already - in China, at Palembang, on Luzon. I don't get the feeling that he's coming big and hard for a major objective early. Instead, I get the feeling that he'll attend to the things he "has to have" before moving on to Phase Two, which is likely to be India or Oz or both or more.
< Message edited by Canoerebel -- 12/14/2012 12:05:13 AM >
|