obvert
Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011 From: PDX (and now) London, UK Status: offline
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Feb 19 - 23, 1943 SUBS: The KB winds it's way slowly back to Ceylon and although subs get in there, the only success is hitting the Kashii with two fish. She sank immediately, so that gets him back for one CL. INDIA: As the KB pulls back I have a surprise for the defenders of Ceylon. I've been building up my air presence to look like I'm about to launch at Madras. instead, I'll launch at Trincomalee with a combined strike of sweeps, heavies bombing the fields and DBs aiming for shipping. He's been keeping everything out of the port and in a TF. Lately there have been 3-4 xAKE and 10-15 various transports, escorts and ASW forces around the base on a given day. The large CA led TF of about 15 ships that's been bombarding Madras periodically often sits for a few days here too, so I hope I catch it there and all of the elements come together as planned. If I can make him split forces to more heavily defend a number of bases, something will have to go without somewhere. At least that's the idea. To ensure something working all elements will be duplicated at various bases in the tip of India so that weather won't shut down the entire op. If Trincomalee and Dambulla can both be shut down, Colombo is going to be feeling pretty lonely over there. CENT PAC: Same old. Got some LSTs into the area though. SO PAC: At Buin I went for the surface forces he's been stationing there again. Again only a portion of my groups flew and I lost a bunch of DBs. it's not a disaster, but I will now need to curtail those kinds of offensive ops for a bit. I need a few more decent sweeping groups down here. One group of 12 SBD did get through but couldn't hit the CA or Musashi. I am noticing he's got a multi-hex CAP bleed with Buin and Torokina, so I think over time I can catch some of those in small numbers away from home. On the 22nd I sent in two cruiser groups to Buin where Nick had 6 DD stationed on their own. I wanted to shield some amphibs coming to Rekata Bay and Panggoe, but also thought this was a good opportunity for some experience and to get at the IJN. Turned out I was wrong. My two CL in the initial battle didn't engage at all and afterward had nearly all of their ammo left. One DD was lost to a long lance, and then Columbia, Lang and Landsdowne hit mines. Lang went down but the other two are fine and need some work in Sydney. The same day a DA at Panggoe by the NZ brigade took the base easily. So in spite of losses, there is good progress up the chain. CHINA: The IJA pushes the Chinese toward Changsha relentlessly. I'll be interested to see if we can fight there and inflict some pain still. The units do have some supply, and the base has 4 forts. In the mountains the tank division and arty are pushing forward, but slowly. OZ: All is moving here. The TFs are near Ceduna and will be landing at Esperance in a few days if all goes well. The IJN subs are monitoring and harassing, but none have gotten in close yet. More on this soon. SIGINT: What can this be?!? During these days there continued to be numerous messages of units moving to Perth. No less than 17 separate instances of the 4th and Imperial Guards divisions loaded and moving to Perth. -the 21st Heavy Volume of Radio transmissions detected at 61,127. Heavy Volume of Radio transmissions detected at 61,127. -the 22nd Heavy Volume of Radio transmissions detected at 61,127. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Feb 19, 43 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Buin , at 109,131 Weather in hex: Moderate rain Raid detected at 47 NM, estimated altitude 25,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 9 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M5 Zero x 79 Allied aircraft P-38G Lightning x 17 P-39D Airacobra x 12 Japanese aircraft losses A6M5 Zero: 3 destroyed Allied aircraft losses P-38G Lightning: 1 destroyed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on TF, near Buin at 109,131 Weather in hex: Moderate rain Raid detected at 20 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 7 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M5 Zero x 88 Allied aircraft F4F-4 Wildcat x 29 SBD-3 Dauntless x 12 No Japanese losses Allied aircraft losses F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed SBD-3 Dauntless: 5 damaged SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak Japanese Ships CA Nachi CA Haguro BB Musashi Aircraft Attacking: 1 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000' Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb 3 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000' Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb 8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000' Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb CAP engaged: 201 Ku S-1 with A6M5 Zero (21 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) The CAP missed the bombers completely here before their strike run (24 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 21 plane(s) intercepting now. 3 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 15000 and 29000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 26 minutes 8 planes vectored on to bombers Yokosuka Ku S-2 with A6M5 Zero (14 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (14 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 14 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 25000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 25000. Raid is overhead 4 planes vectored on to bombers 281 Ku S-1 with A6M5 Zero (11 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (11 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 11 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 15000. Raid is overhead 7 planes vectored on to bombers 282 Ku S-1 with A6M5 Zero (19 airborne, 0 on standby, 8 scrambling) (27 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 19 plane(s) intercepting now. 12 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 20000 , scrambling fighters between 12000 and 29000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 51 minutes 14 planes vectored on to bombers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Buin at 109,131 Weather in hex: Clear sky Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 15 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M5 Zero x 58 Allied aircraft P-39D Airacobra x 15 F4F-4 Wildcat x 33 SBD-3 Dauntless x 10 No Japanese losses Allied aircraft losses P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed They didn't miss these! F4F-4 Wildcat: 8 destroyed SBD-3 Dauntless: 7 destroyed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Feb 22, 43 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night Time Surface Combat, near Buin at 109,131, Range 11,000 Yards Japanese Ships DD Tamanami DD Oboro DD Kikuzuki DD Yuzuki DD Okikaze DD Uruyuke, Shell hits 1 Allied Ships CL Nashville, Shell hits 1 CL Columbia DD Benham, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk DD Ellet DD Sterett DD Wilson, Shell hits 1 DD Lang, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage Improved night sighting under 92% moonlight Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions and 92% moonlight: 12,000 yards Range closes to 11,000 yards... CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 11,000 yards CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 11,000 yards DD Uruyuke engages CL Columbia at 11,000 yards DD Tamanami engages DD Sterett at 4,000 yards Range closes to 3,000 yards DD Tamanami engages DD Lang at 10,000 yards Task forces break off... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TF 177 encounters mine field at Buin (109,131) Allied Ships CL Columbia, Mine hits 1 DD Lang, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TF 205 encounters mine field at Buin (109,131) Allied Ships DD Lansdowne, Mine hits 1, on fire -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at 72,47 (near Kweiyang) Japanese Deliberate attack Attacking force 7673 troops, 135 guns, 79 vehicles, Assault Value = 541 Defending force 16777 troops, 102 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 345 Japanese adjusted assault: 187 Allied adjusted defense: 451 Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), experience(-), supply(-) Attacker: Japanese ground losses: 207 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 30 disabled Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 8 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled Vehicles lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled) Allied ground losses: 346 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 35 disabled Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 2 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Assaulting units: 19th Ind.Mixed Brigade Guards Tank Division 13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion 23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment 20th Medium Field Artillery Regiment 8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment Defending units: 10th Chinese Corps 34th Chinese Corps 72nd Chinese Corps 35th Group Army -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Panggoe (111,133) Allied Deliberate attack Attacking force 3781 troops, 9 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 125 Defending force 734 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 29 Allied adjusted assault: 49 Japanese adjusted defense: 7 Allied assault odds: 7 to 1 (fort level 0) Allied forces CAPTURE Panggoe !!! Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), fatigue(-), experience(-) Attacker: Japanese ground losses: 393 casualties reported Squads: 5 destroyed, 1 disabled Non Combat: 12 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 8 destroyed, 0 disabled Guns lost 4 (4 destroyed, 0 disabled) Units retreated 1 Units destroyed 1 Allied ground losses: 37 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled Defeated Japanese Units Retreating! Assaulting units: Fiji Bde /10 24th US Naval Construction Battalion Defending units: 4th Raiding Regiment 46th Nav Gd /7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Feb 23, 43 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASW attack near North Male at 20,49 Japanese Ships CL Kashii, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage CL Katori E Ishigaki AO Eisho Maru AO Kurume Maru AO Okayama Maru AO Toho Maru AO Toei Maru AO Nissyo Maru AO Nippon Maru AO Kyokuto Maru AO Kuroshio Maru AO Itukusima Maru E Uruko E Tobui Allied Ships SS Hake SS Hake launches 4 torpedoes at CL Kashii Hake diving deep .... E Uruko fails to find sub and abandons search -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at 72,47 (near Kweiyang) Japanese Deliberate attack Attacking force 8111 troops, 207 guns, 484 vehicles, Assault Value = 523 Defending force 16509 troops, 100 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 324 Japanese adjusted assault: 163 Allied adjusted defense: 355 Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), disruption(-), fatigue(-) experience(-), supply(-) Attacker: Japanese ground losses: 122 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Allied ground losses: 356 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 36 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled Assaulting units: 19th Ind.Mixed Brigade Guards Tank Division 20th Medium Field Artillery Regiment 13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion 23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment 8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment Defending units: 10th Chinese Corps 34th Chinese Corps 72nd Chinese Corps 35th Group Army -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ships Lost: DD Benham DD Lang Ships Sunk: CL Kashii Hopefully while the KB is at Colombo the bulk of Ceylon defenses will be focused there. Last recon shows ~85 fighters at Trincomalee.
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< Message edited by obvert -- 12/14/2014 1:19:09 AM >
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"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
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