SqzMyLemon
Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009 From: Alberta, Canada Status: offline
|
July 31/42: July ends with more air action in India. Both air forces are active and targeting bases and ground units. The action starts with Allied sweeps against Bezwada. A sacrificial P-40E squadron was ordered to sweep at 10k to draw down the enemy CAP, but paid a heavy price. The sweep was covered by high flying LRCAP consisting of P-38's, P-40's and Hurricane IIc's. A second sweep of P-38's caught a degraded CAP of Tojo's and shot down a number of enemy fighters for no loss. Next came a series of attacks by the 4E's. No enemy CAP was left to contest the raids. Unfortunately, weather was more effective than the enemy in limiting the damage done. AAR's of the bombing missions against Bezwada follow: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Bezwada , at 39,36 Weather in hex: Thunderstorms Raid spotted at 37 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 10 minutes Japanese aircraft no flights Allied aircraft Hurricane IIc Trop x 10 B-17D Fortress x 15 B-17E Fortress x 49 P-38E Lightning x 14 P-40E Warhawk x 38 Japanese aircraft losses Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed on ground Allied aircraft losses B-17D Fortress: 2 damaged B-17E Fortress: 2 damaged Airbase hits 2 Airbase supply hits 2 Runway hits 9 Aircraft Attacking: 8 x B-17D Fortress bombing from 12000 feet Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb 7 x B-17D Fortress bombing from 12000 feet Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb 5 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 12000 feet Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb 8 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 12000 feet Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb 7 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 12000 feet Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb 6 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 12000 feet Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb 7 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 12000 feet Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb 8 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 12000 feet Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb 8 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 12000 feet Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Bezwada , at 39,36 Weather in hex: Thunderstorms Raid spotted at 32 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 9 minutes Allied aircraft Hurricane IIc Trop x 10 B-17E Fortress x 6 P-38E Lightning x 14 P-40E Warhawk x 11 No Allied losses Airbase hits 1 Runway hits 2 Aircraft Attacking: 6 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 12000 feet Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Bezwada , at 39,36 Weather in hex: Thunderstorms Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 4 minutes Japanese aircraft no flights Allied aircraft Hurricane IIc Trop x 19 B-17E Fortress x 13 P-40E Warhawk x 11 No Japanese losses Allied aircraft losses B-17E Fortress: 3 damaged Airbase hits 1 Airbase supply hits 2 Runway hits 2 Aircraft Attacking: 7 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 12000 feet Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb 6 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 12000 feet Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Bezwada , at 39,36 Weather in hex: Thunderstorms Raid spotted at 3 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 0 minutes Allied aircraft Hurricane IIc Trop x 9 B-17E Fortress x 8 P-38E Lightning x 14 P-40E Warhawk x 16 Allied aircraft losses B-17E Fortress: 1 damaged Aircraft Attacking: 8 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 12000 feet Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb Allied planes also target the IJA 7th Ind. Tank Bde. near Patna and 5th Amphibious Bde. near Sambalpur. AAR's follow: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on 7th Ind.Tank Brigade, at 54,29 , near Patna Weather in hex: Severe storms Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 6 minutes Allied aircraft Blenheim IV x 65 P-40E Warhawk x 20 No Allied losses Japanese ground losses: Vehicles lost 16 (4 destroyed, 12 disabled) Aircraft Attacking: 12 x Blenheim IV bombing from 6000 feet Ground Attack: 4 x 250 lb GP Bomb 14 x Blenheim IV bombing from 6000 feet Ground Attack: 4 x 250 lb GP Bomb 12 x Blenheim IV bombing from 6000 feet Ground Attack: 4 x 250 lb GP Bomb 14 x Blenheim IV bombing from 6000 feet Ground Attack: 4 x 250 lb GP Bomb 13 x Blenheim IV bombing from 6000 feet Ground Attack: 4 x 250 lb GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on 5th Amphibious Brigade, at 47,34 , near Sambalpur Weather in hex: Clear sky Raid spotted at 39 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 11 minutes Allied aircraft B-25C Mitchell x 12 B-25C Mitchell x 21 B-26 Marauder x 12 B-26B Marauder x 8 No Allied losses Japanese ground losses: 552 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 30 disabled Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 45 disabled Engineers: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled Aircraft Attacking: 11 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 8000 feet Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb 12 x B-26 Marauder bombing from 8000 feet Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb 10 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 8000 feet Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb 8 x B-26B Marauder bombing from 8000 feet Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb 12 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 8000 feet Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb Not to be outdone, Japanese bombers heavily escorted target Raipur's airbase. AAR's follow: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Raipur , at 45,31 Weather in hex: Heavy rain Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 11 minutes Japanese aircraft Ki-21-IIa Sally x 70 Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 66 Ki-48-Ib Lily x 22 Japanese aircraft losses Ki-21-IIa Sally: 11 damaged Ki-48-Ib Lily: 1 damaged Airbase hits 5 Airbase supply hits 3 Runway hits 8 Aircraft Attacking: 21 x Ki-21-IIa Sally bombing from 11000 feet Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb 9 x Ki-21-IIa Sally bombing from 11000 feet Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb 22 x Ki-48-Ib Lily bombing from 11000 feet * Airfield Attack: 2 x 100 kg GP Bomb 18 x Ki-21-IIa Sally bombing from 11000 feet Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb 22 x Ki-21-IIa Sally bombing from 11000 feet Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Raipur , at 45,31 Weather in hex: Heavy rain Raid detected at 31 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 8 minutes Japanese aircraft Ki-21-IIa Sally x 15 Japanese aircraft losses Ki-21-IIa Sally: 1 damaged Airbase supply hits 1 Runway hits 2 Aircraft Attacking: 15 x Ki-21-IIa Sally bombing from 11000 feet Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb In China, the Japanese are pushing hard after taking Lanchow. Today they get a bloody nose east of Tienshui. AAR follows: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at 82,38 (near Tienshui) Japanese Deliberate attack Attacking force 40539 troops, 426 guns, 138 vehicles, Assault Value = 1399 Defending force 35199 troops, 245 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1318 Japanese adjusted assault: 788 Allied adjusted defense: 2206 Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), experience(-), supply(-) Attacker: Japanese ground losses: 4498 casualties reported Squads: 15 destroyed, 426 disabled Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 34 disabled Engineers: 22 destroyed, 56 disabled Guns lost 25 (2 destroyed, 23 disabled) Allied ground losses: 608 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 76 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled Guns lost 4 (1 destroyed, 3 disabled) Assaulting units: 36th Division 3rd Division 51st Engineer Regiment 37th Division 15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment 52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion 4th Mortar Battalion Defending units: 59th Chinese Corps 11th Chinese Corps 96th Chinese Corps 81st Chinese Corps 4th Chinese Cavalry Corps 33rd Group Army 36th Group Army It appears the Japanese are going to cross the river northeast of Tienshui with a shock attack. If I can't hold, I will be in big trouble. I'll provide a screenshot later to explain why. Air losses on the day were 21-14 in the Allies' favour, with 15 Tojo's shot down against 11 Warhawk's, 1 Lightning and 2 Hurricanes. I have ordered a 3rd day of air attacks against Bezwada for Aug 1st. I may be pushing my luck, but knocking out this air base is imperative. Once I gain local air superiority I will concentrate on hammering Japanese ground units defending the base. Right now it's a game of cat and mouse with the Japanese air force. I've not been contesting any of the Japanese bombing attacks in India. Andre is constantly trying to catch my CAP with sweeping Tojo's followed up by massive bomber raids heavily escorted with Oscar's and Nick's. It's a game that I don't want to play. So I concentrate on what I want to accomplish and let his sweeps whiff and bombers do what damage they do. Their time will come. August should be a precursor of things to come. There is much in the works on the Allied side.
_____________________________
Luck is the residue of design - John Milton Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)
|