John 3rd
Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005 From: La Salle, Colorado Status: offline
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Combat Report December 4, 1942 We're back rolling! Tried calling Dan but he was 'out to lunch.' Simply wanted to make sure this is what he wants to do. I thoroughly understand burnout and how this game can simply takeover one's life. Just for the record we will add that life here is still crazy and far busier then I would like. Turns should be about one/day with occasional skips due to work issues at the store. North Pacific Quiet. Some shipping spotted over at Kodiak. Central Pacific Quiet. Have several supply and fuel TF making their normal runs. South Pacific There is activity in NE Australia. I'd be willing to make a bet that Dan will try to grab something CHEAP in this area. A Convoy is lifting the 38th ID from its position on Horn Island to bring back to Sumatra. Have another Convoy bringing an Atoll Defense Unit as well as Naval Guard to keep the position strong to hold out against anything short of a Division+ Attack. Most of my aerial striking power is concentrated at Lae: we have about 100 Fighters, two Daitai of Betty, a Daitai of Vals, and a Daitai of Kates training and watching. This force can be supplemented from elsewhere if activity is noticed. A small STF of 2 CL and 9 DD sits at Rabaul. It is a reaction force if needed. Australia NW and Western Aussieland is quiet. Malaya The 48th ID reaches Singora and begins to redeploy. This ID shall blast the Brit 18th ID from its base. Have a strong Brigade unloading at Singapore. Plan to add it to my Western Sumatra Attack and am shifting it from large APs to smaller AKs. Victoria Point has been pounded by Allied Warships ever since the Sumatra--Malaya landings. Unfortunately for Dan his last two attacks haven't done much and so the base has moved to somewhat operational (Runway clear but Service Damage at 50). Move two large units of Kates and Vals to this base. Attack is set for 6 hexes and we hope to PLASTER the next bombardment TF to come visiting. Be nice to knock his regular bombardments off kilter some... Georgetown has been completely closed but Taiping is quickly growing in strength. Don't think my opponent has noticed this because there have been no bombs dropped on the facility. Have two Sentai of Tojos here as well as a Daitai of Vals present. Sumatra With the fall of Medan last turn the EASTERN Sumatra campaign is now at a crossroads for Dan. He MUST take Tand??? but I have had lots of time to build it up (Forts 4 and AF about to go to 3). The AV is over 650 presently and looking very nice. The 14th ID is now fully unloaded and waiting for anything to approach. Any bombarding TF that comes in will be greeted by 3 CD units. It will be a hot mission if he tries that. With a fresh ID unloaded at Tand??? I order BB Musashi and 2 CA to move up the coast to a position terminating above Langsa. Perhaps this potent force will catch something hugging the shores... Over in WESTERN Sumatra we have the 10th ID, which drove back Allied to units to Sibolga, is now moving SW to aid the 2nd ID in taking Sibolga. This move is a bit of a risk since I could have TWO ID in Tand??? instead of one. If we can quickly free-up Sibolga then I can support Tand??? from that direction as well. Also would allow me to move up the coast to threaten Langsa and/or Sabang. Siberoet FALLS this day! The base is bombarded by 1 BB, then 4 BC, and finally by 6 CA. The SNLF Assault Brigade goes in and scores a 37-1 result. The two Allied units surrender and 2,220 POWs fall into Japanese hands. Those three Bombardment TF are about to concentrate everything on Sibolga next. Next target Nias... Near Sumatra Port Blair gets the attention of over three dozen B-17/B-24. The raids come in four packets and are met by 40+ Tojo and Nicks. Five of the big planes are shot down and the AF takes slight damage. There is only a single AA unit here and it is about to get FIVE more added to it. This should serve a bit of notice to those bomber pilots! KB slides due west (by the map) moving away from Sumatra and will begin to angle in towards cutting the Allied supply line in about 3 days. Burma Continued interesting developments. He has moved nearly all of his high performance fighters to Sumatra so my Bombers and Fighters are doing pretty well. Still have about 250 planes up here doing pretty fair work. 2nd TK Div just smashed two British units due west of Magwe a couple of days ago. This potent force now moves NE to meet the 7th Indian ID that just entered the clear terrain from the forrest. LRCAP the TK Div with nearly 80 Fighters in anticipation of his bombers hitting it tomorrow. We still hold the hex east of Ramree with a full ID, Eng Rgt and 4 Art Bn. It will take a pretty big hit to blast these troops out. Due south (along the coast) is a Birgade, 2 TK Reg, and RF unit. They cover the line-of retreat from the Ramree hex if needed. Prome is solid and the hex NE of there now has two Brigades, Artillery, and a some Engineers. Dan's main force is at hex 56,48 on the west side of the Irrawaddy. This powerful stack contains a Brit Brigade, 6th Aust ID, and 7th Aust ID. Though worn down by the constant campaigning, Respect must be given to this potent force. Think that Dan is in a conundrum here. He has units spread in the two hexes angling from 56,48 towards Prome. If he advances his main units that direction then he is entering a sack with Japanese on three sides. IF he moves there, I shall not hesitate to cross the river and advance upon his rear. Within a few days I could have 2nd TK Div and two full strength ID moving to accomplish this. We'll have to see what he wants to try! Northern Burma still holds though there are lots of small units moving about. The 12th ID is now at Shwebo and is my strongest unit without an assignment currently. Two ID refit in Rangoon presently but they are at about 50% strength. China The big victory at Kweilin on Dec 1st presents new opportunities for the Japanese. Planning: 1. Clear the RR moving east towards Changsha. Two ID just moved into hex east of Kweilin and will attack the Chinese present. 2. A Drive north is possible. I am thinking of threatening Kunming. Ideas here would be helpful. Have opened the aerial assault on Chungking. For the last three days roughly 50 Fighters and 75 Bombers have pasted the AF. AF is now at 70% damage and we're destroying aircraft on the ground. Naval Reinforcements Due to my utter stupidity, the 3 CVL (Chitose, Mizuho, and Chiyoda) will be arriving without air groups. Read the RA development thread for that debacle. Will have to figure out how to equip them so they can aid the Kaigun as quickly as possible.
< Message edited by John 3rd -- 8/19/2013 11:49:07 PM >
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