aaffins
Posts: 254
Joined: 3/7/2010 From: Richmond, VA Status: offline
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Here is a slightly more orderly update, dear readers. At last check on 2/8/42 a sizable carrier force had hit Adak and we were curious as to what that meant. Here's how things played out: 2/9/42 - We discovered the raid was a precursor to a fairly significant NoPac invasion. He captured Adak, Attu and Amchitka. Adak merited the full 7th Inf Div. We are fairly certain the carrier air was Kaga plus CVLs. The NZ Navy bombarded Suva, but did minimal damage. Subsequent ground attack reduced our forts to 0, but we held with 1:1 odds and the enemy now receiving a fatigue negative modifier. 2/10/42 - CL Trenton was sunk by enemy subs attempting to interdict enemy shipping near Fiji. Adak fell, we lost the following units: 151st Combat Engineer Regiment 154th FA Bn 42nd Construction Regiment B Det USN Port Svc Suva odds improved to 1:2 with the IJN marines exhausted. Enemy nearly overwhelmed Nanning, we rush reinforcements there. Not a good base to lose to a relatively small IJA contingent, especially without a lot to prevent a flanking maneuver on Changsha. 2/11/42 - The KB reappears north of Fiji. Meanwhile, the USN CVs see their first action of the war, with Yorktown hitting Raoul Island with a large raid. Purpose of this was to try to keep the KB interested in SoPac while we moved the fleet to Western Australia. Appeared to at least concern him based on his post turn email. An assault on Horn I. by 3 SNLFs was repulsed. 2/12/42 - Bandoeng fell after a multi week siege. Pegu was also taken out by two the divisions advancing from Moulmein. Horn I. fell as well. At least Nanning is still holding on by its fingernails. 2/13/42 - KB hammers Suva, but no ground attack follows. We have gotten some supplies in, there is a brief ray of hope. 2/14/42 - Well that was foolish. Day 2 of 160+ KB planes a a shock attack is too much, Suva falls. 2/15/42 - Nothing of real note, he spent some time cleaning up PI bases. Landed at Derby but only a JNAF Co. which was insufficient to capture the base. 2/16/42 - Landing at Darwin, we had anticipated this as we'd been getting a ton of SigInt reports about two divisions moving to Perth. We thought such an aggressive move was unlikely so figured they would probably hit Darwin. As a result, base was evacuated. Invasion is escorted by 4x BBs, 4X CAs and a CVE. 2/17/42 - The USN CVs (Lex/E/Sara) are now off NW Oz, an IJN sub attacks the TF but only sees a CA. With Nanning reinforced he appears to be pulling troops back. Considering he was using unrestricted troops to make this advance this is not shocking, surely they could be better used elsewhere. 2/18/42 - BBs Colorado, Mississippi and Warspite bombard Suva. Moderate risk, but since he had not brought up AV support with his attacks I figured we could get in there fairly safely. Hopefully delays his buildup by a few days. 2/19/42 - The above referenced PT mischief, always fun. He's reducing our Malaya survivors at Temuloh. Won't take long, no supplies. 2/20/42 - He has another go at Nanning, but our reinforcements are up, he gets 1:2 and takes heavy losses. 2/21/42 - An IJN sub runs into the USN CV TF again. Still no detection of CVs showing on the combat report, but I think he suspects. The enemy TFs from the Darwin op had been refueling/rearming and Koepang and they're all running to the east. KB pops up 10 hexes ENE of Brisbane. Our Oz P-40s may have their day. There's not a lot for him to get there, but the CA Canberra is in yard from a sub attack last month. Sydney is evacuated although it was somewhat empty too. He launches a first attack at Rangoon and is repulsed with 1:3 odds and his engineers take heavy casualties knocking our forts down to two. We're moving out anyway as he has two more division landing at Moulmein.
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