Bullwinkle58
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Joined: 2/24/2009
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June 17, 1942
Trouble At Both Ends
The interim Japanese strategy became clearer today--attack Java at both ends and work toward the middle. It's also possible a landing at Oosthaven is in the cards; not sure yet. To accomplish this Japan has invested much of its heavy surface forces (screenshot posted above as well as more near Batavia), but has also taken the somewhat odd tack of including only Akagi in the mix. No idea where the other heavy CVs are; maybe in upgrade or pre-upgrade? Wherever they are they aren't here today. And for Soerbaja a good thing.
1) The first battle doesn't go the Allies' way. From screenshot up-thread. The surface TF from Soerbaja was sortied knowing it was probably dead meat, but with heavy port attacks on Soerbaja a near certainty with a known CV in the straits to the north I figured it was better to go out and hunt for something rather than die for nothing. When I gave that order I didn't believe Akagi was alone. Now I'm pretty sure that's the case. Regardless, the battle did result in Akagi taking 8 hits to hull and flight deck (smoke showing a 10-15 system-damage-type result), as well as Yamato using perhaps 1/3 of its main battery ammo, and most of the TF's Long Lances being used up for no hits. Perth did make it back to Soerbaja by later in the turn.
Day Time Surface Combat, near Kangean at 59,103, Range 23,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CV Akagi, Shell hits 8
CS Nisshin
BB Kirishima, Shell hits 2
BB Yamato, Shell hits 1
CA Maya, Shell hits 1
CA Ashigara, Shell hits 2
DD Kazegumo, Shell hits 2, heavy fires
DD Oshio
DD Inazuma
DD Shirakumo
DD Isonami
DD Shirayuki
Allied Ships
CA Canberra, Shell hits 13, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Perth, Shell hits 4, on fire
CL Marblehead, Shell hits 3
APD Barker
DD Parrott, Shell hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Tenedos, Shell hits 1, on fire
2) This small action shows the composition of the largest TF near Batavia. No landing force is seen, however. Something red went through the Sunda Strait today and kept going. I think this is a relief force for Benkoelen. The African LCU is marching that way, and right now the squads of the 32nd ID are aimed to come ashore here as Oosthaven is "hot." That might need to change. The 32nd TF has heavy surface escort including Oklahoma, and the RN carriers are moving to rendezvous west of the landing hex. All fluid.
Day Time Surface Combat, near Merak at 48,97, Range 22,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
BB Nagato
BB Mutsu
CA Furutaka
CL Kitakami
CL Oi
DD Ayanami
DD Sagiri
DD Yugiri
DD Amagiri
DD Oboro
DD Akebono
Allied Ships
AMc MMS D, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
AMc Digoel, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
3) The East Java landing TF is seen, with Banjo as the target.
Day Time Surface Combat, near Banjoewangi at 57,107, Range 18,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Asanagi
DD Yunagi
DD Hasu
DD Tsuga
TB Kari
xAP Terukuni Maru
xAP Hakone Maru
xAP Kashima Maru
xAP Husimi Maru
xAP Miike Maru
Allied Ships
AMc Djember
4) The AF carnage at PBang yesterday still left a remarkable number of planes operable. Japan hits the AF hard again.
Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 39
A6M2-N Rufe x 9
G4M1 Betty x 38
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 3 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
139WH-3: 3 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 8 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed on ground
P-38E Lightning: 2 damaged
P-38E Lightning: 1 destroyed on ground
SBC-4 Helldiver: 3 damaged
Airbase hits 7
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 29
Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 15
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 2 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 5 damaged
139WH-3: 2 damaged
LB-30 Liberator: 2 damaged
Runway hits 10
Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 12
G4M1 Betty x 25
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 3 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
A-24 Banshee: 7 damaged
A-24 Banshee: 1 destroyed on ground
LB-30 Liberator: 2 damaged
139WH-3: 8 damaged
P-38E Lightning: 2 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 7 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed on ground
Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 36
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 4 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 14 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed on ground
B-25C Mitchell: 4 damaged
SBC-4 Helldiver: 6 damaged
SBC-4 Helldiver: 1 destroyed on ground
139WH-3: 7 damaged
139WH-3: 2 destroyed on ground
A-24 Banshee: 2 damaged
Allied ground losses:
7 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 9
Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 17
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 1 damaged
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 3 damaged
LB-30 Liberator: 1 damaged
5) Back at Soerbaja, 7 Beests get up and attack Akagi; no hits. Twelve B-17s, all the way from PBang, attack the BBs for no damage at 7000 feet (House Rule advocates please note). One B-17 is downed and five are damaged. Two Banshees escorted by P-38s attack as well, taking down a Zero for a Banshee and no hits.
6) PBang gets more bombing in late morning. Over 30 Nicks bomb from 14,000 and take a Mitchell and 2 Helldivers. 20 more Sallys destroy a Helldiver and damage 13 more planes of various stripes. PBang is really suffering, but this is the Japanese maximum effort and clearly PBang is a worry to them. The Allies will hang at least another day.
7) Akagi shoots its wad by Val-striking Soerbaja. This base has the only decent CAP in the region, and it's fairly isolated from big enemy AFs still. The Akagi air wing suffers greatly. Despite the combat report's figures, the animation showed all Vals soundly destroyed.
Morning Air attack on TF, near Soerabaja at 56,104
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 30 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 5
D3A1 Val x 18
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 3
B-339-23 x 8
P-39D Airacobra x 21
P-40E Warhawk x 21
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
D3A1 Val: 12 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
CL Perth, on fire
Aircraft Attacking:
3 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
8) The Kates go the other way, attacking the surface TF limping back to Soerbaja. It is clocked.
Morning Air attack on TF, near Kangean at 59,103
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 20
No Japanese losses
Allied Ships
DD Tenedos, on fire
DD Parrott, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CA Canberra, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage (sinks)
I have been bleeding cruisers. This valuable CA today. Another has 30+ flooding at Soerbaja and is trapped for now. She may have to fight. And, worse, USS Salt Lake City, which took 62 system damage, 13 flooding, and 4 Fires near Baker I. three days ago, has been heading for Johnson to do emergency DC. Fires spread over three days and overwhelm systems today. She also sinks.
9) In other regions:
--Mine clearing continues at Sabang. Submarine heading there (not Shark as I said yesterday) is re-routed down western Sumatra to lay at Oosthaven.
--RO-65 shows up at Wake where many ships are unloading and staging. It puts a shell into xAKL Kanlaon II.
--Light AVG CAP gets up over the Big Stack and shoots down two heavy bombers and damage another. The BS is about 10 miles from the yellow road and freedom to the west. The huge IJA stack sits waiting on the eastern side, I assume to see if the BS leaves Tsuyung alone. Once the BS departs I expect the Japanese to head for Chungking.
--red icons are at Baker I. Four Vindicators from Canton attack BB Hyuga there and are met by Zeros. I assume this is the CVL/CVE(s) that hit the cruisers three days ago. With this nearly all BBs are located. I have three good upgraded CVs at Pearl.
--Pt. Blair is pounded on for supply denial. The armored force out of Prome reaches the intersection to the north and turns south toward Bassein. 7th Aussie Div. is right behind them. Several Chinese heavy corps are moving forward from the Mandalay group for Toungoo.
--at Balikpapan USS Shark does lay mines, then torpedoes and sinks APD Tsuta
--at Marcus I. unloading TF is again attacked. USS Herring sinks xAK Tyoyo Maru
10) IJA 5th ID begins landing at Banjoewangi. (aka Banjo) 281 casualties in first wave. Bad prep?
Interesting day.
I've been reading another AAR where the Allied plane pools are being discussed and I have to say I'm hip. It's a known Allied thing, but in this game it's bugging me. It shouldn't be, but it does get old day after day trying to scrape up 3-4 fighters to meet the hordes. Part of it for me is perception. We've been playing almost a year real time but are still in Allied dark times. I've never spent more than 2-3 real-time months getting to mid-1942. I constantly have to do internal mental health adjustments, keep telling myself this will pass. Today I went through actions most Allied players see in January, not June, so that's better. But man, I want some assets to move!
I have the turn already, as Mike's work schedule has him playing vampire this week. So I'm away. Subs to move.
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< Message edited by Bullwinkle58 -- 7/12/2013 6:51:49 PM >
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