wobbly
Posts: 1095
Joined: 10/16/2002 From: Christchurch, New Zealand Status: offline
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Unfortunately Densinh - hell is what he is giving me! Air assaults above Rangoon smash the AVG on the ground and my attempt to evacuate airbase units from Java were not CAPed - doh! Two days in one turn in this AAR AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 01/26/42 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TF 92 encounters mine field at Palembang (20,55) Japanese Ships CA Suzuya, Mine hits 1, on fire A very good mine strike apparently - not really of my doing again. She will be out of the war for a few months getting repaired. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night Air attack on Soerabaja , at 22,65 Japanese aircraft G3M Nell x 20 Japanese aircraft losses G3M Nell: 2 destroyed, 8 damaged Allied Ships MSW Colac, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage TK Augustina, Bomb hits 1 AK Sipirok, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage AS Zuiderkruis, Bomb hits 1, on fire Allied ground losses: 22 casualties reported Aircraft Attacking: 19 x G3M Nell launching torpedoes at 200 fee Well the report is torps but as you can see they were mainly bomb hits - I hadn't remembered to put a fighter unit on night CAP here. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Naval bombardment of Palembang, at 20,55 Allied aircraft no flights Allied aircraft losses P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed Japanese Ships BB Hiei BB Kirishima CA Atago CA Suzuya, on fire CA Kumano CL Tatsuta DD Urakaze DD Hibiki DD Fubuki DD Shirayuki DD Uranami DD Yakaze Allied ground losses: 653 casualties reported Guns lost 18 Vehicles lost 5 Airbase hits 4 Airbase supply hits 2 Runway hits 32 Port hits 9 Port fuel hits 8 Port supply hits 5 The air forces are evacuated but look at the damage these big boys do to my ground pounders!!! Not having air superiority, or not even being able to contest it means these guys can do as they please. Ground forces are ordered to retreat south. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Air attack on Rangoon , at 29,34 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 25 Ki-21 Sally x 89 Ki-48 Lily x 29 Allied aircraft Hurricane II x 3 P-40E Warhawk x 7 Japanese aircraft losses Ki-21 Sally: 5 destroyed, 4 damaged Allied aircraft losses Hurricane II: 8 destroyed, 2 damaged P-40E Warhawk: 7 destroyed, 8 damaged Allied Ships AK Empire Lake, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage - scuttled SS KX, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage - Sinks Allied ground losses: 35 casualties reported Guns lost 1 Airbase hits 8 Airbase supply hits 2 Runway hits 23 Port hits 5 Port fuel hits 2 Port supply hits 1 The AVG may be all powerful in other people's games but they are hopeless in mine. This is not entirely their fault as I did upgrade them to P-40Es and now there are not enough to stop the massive armada that he is throwing at me. However they refuse to engage the bombers! I loose 10 P-40Es on the ground this turn. This forces me to abandon the air above Rangoon. The AVG retreats to Mandalay. From there I may have to retreat further to replenish their numbers (there are currently still 50 planes in the group but they are being smashed to pieces on the ground). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Air attack on Batavia , at 19,59 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 20 Ki-46-II Dinah x 1 Allied aircraft P-40E Warhawk x 10 No Japanese losses Allied aircraft losses P-40E Warhawk: 11 destroyed, 1 damaged The pilots in my fighter airgroups are just too poor to take on the zeros. I have changed them to Naval attack and hopefully they can get some experience without being blown out of the sky. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Air attack on Soerabaja , at 22,65 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 24 H6K4 Mavis x 1 Allied aircraft CW-21B Demon x 4 Brewster 339D x 3 Buffalo I x 3 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed Allied aircraft losses CW-21B Demon: 1 damaged Brewster 339D: 5 destroyed Buffalo I: 2 destroyed He repeats the same treatment in Soerboja. He is trying to clear the skies before he arrives. I think I am going to have to change tactics on him - maybe starting naval attacking and then move the planes on naval attack to new locations so he has a hard time bombing them. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Air attack on Zuid Garrison Battalion, at 20,55 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 20 Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 30 Ki-21 Sally x 12 Ki-48 Lily x 15 No Japanese losses Allied ground losses: 38 casualties reported A pounding - I am suffering a pounding - how do I make it stop? I feel like a migraine sufferer at a disco! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Air attack on TF, near Palembang at 20,55 Japanese aircraft Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 6 Allied aircraft T.IVa x 3 P-40E Warhawk x 10 No Japanese losses Allied aircraft losses T.IVa: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged P-40E Warhawk: 1 damaged Japanese Ships MSW W.12, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage Here in lies the attack that is causing PzB to have kittens. Personaly I would rather be able to get my fighter aircraft aloft and able to shoot down planes then a few pitiful float torpedo bombers and the MSWs they like to target. You would think the pounding he is metting out is not sufficient for him!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Air attack on TF, near Djokjakarta at 20,63 Japanese aircraft G3M Nell x 15 G4M1 Betty x 9 No Japanese losses Allied Ships AP Siberg, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage AP Rooseboom, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage Mega pissed at this one. As I wrote in a previous issue I was going to try and lift some of the DAV units. I forgot to CAP the lift force. Not only does he find, hit, sink one and badly damage the other, but he doesn't need to have fighter escort! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Iloilo Japanese Deliberate attack Attacking force 10605 troops, 48 guns, 0 vehicles Defending force 3024 troops, 19 guns, 0 vehicles Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1 Japanese assault odds: 11 to 1 (fort level 1) Japanese forces CAPTURE Iloilo base !!! Japanese ground losses: 41 casualties reported Guns lost 4 Allied ground losses: 6328 casualties reported Guns lost 30 A whole lot more Phillipineos go into the bag -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Macassar Japanese Deliberate attack Attacking force 8762 troops, 70 guns, 5 vehicles Defending force 1554 troops, 12 guns, 0 vehicles Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 2) Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 1 Japanese ground losses: 96 casualties reported Guns lost 1 Allied ground losses: 83 casualties reported Guns lost 1 Well the Macassar defenders continue to resist. As usual it shouldn't be a continuing phenomenon though. AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 01/27/42 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TF 40 encounters mine field at Palembang (20,55) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sub attack at 23,68 Japanese Ships SS RO-33 Allied Ships AP Van Overstraten, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage Ah crap - had to happen some time - his subs find an AP trying to escape Java --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Air attack on Rangoon , at 29,34 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 23 Ki-21 Sally x 80 Ki-48 Lily x 35 Allied aircraft no flights No Japanese losses Allied aircraft losses P-40E Warhawk: 10 destroyed, 10 damaged Blenheim IF: 3 destroyed, 1 damaged Allied ground losses: 23 casualties reported Airbase hits 8 Airbase supply hits 1 Runway hits 36 Port hits 2 Port fuel hits 1 Port supply hits 2 For the third day in a row the local thunderstorms refuse to cover Rangoon - I desperately need some downtime. All the P-40Es used by the AVG are just getting despatched on the ground! As long as I don't loose the pilots all is not lost but the points PzB is getting for nothing is very disappointing! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Air attack on TF, near Bali at 24,68 Japanese aircraft G3M Nell x 15 Allied aircraft Brewster 339D x 4 Japanese aircraft losses G3M Nell: 1 damaged Allied Ships MSW Lark, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage AS Otus, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage He has submarines in every hex around Soerabaja so I have to have a pittance of defense. I put planes on LRCAP and I pray. Don't know why I bother. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Air attack on TF, near Djokjakarta at 20,63 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 20 G3M Nell x 4 Allied aircraft Hawk 75A x 3 Brewster 339D x 4 Japanese aircraft losses G3M Nell: 1 damaged Allied aircraft losses Hawk 75A: 8 destroyed Allied Ships AP Le Maire This time I make sure I have CAP above the ships loading my DAV unit. They do absolutely nothing to keep the bombers away (notice how fighters come along this time) only extremely rare poor shooting saves the ships. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Macassar Japanese Shock attack Attacking force 8725 troops, 66 guns, 5 vehicles Defending force 1502 troops, 10 guns, 1 vehicles Japanese assault odds: 6 to 1 (fort level 1) Japanese forces CAPTURE Macassar base !!! Japanese ground losses: 99 casualties reported Guns lost 2 Allied ground losses: 70 casualties reported Guns lost 4 Defeated Allied Units Retreating! As expected teh Macassar defenders just cannot continue to resist. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Palembang Japanese Deliberate attack Attacking force 15977 troops, 138 guns, 0 vehicles Defending force 5188 troops, 57 guns, 2 vehicles Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 3 Japanese assault odds: 8 to 1 (fort level 3) Japanese forces CAPTURE Palembang base !!! Allied aircraft no flights Allied aircraft losses Brewster 339D: 3 destroyed Japanese ground losses: 160 casualties reported Guns lost 6 Allied ground losses: 265 casualties reported Guns lost 10 Well that is that. A whole swag of Fuel, supplies, oil and resources given to the Jap. My units were already retreating but I have left it too late and they will now be completely shattered and incapable of resisting the units that will follow them. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My hat is off to those players that actually manage to crimp the style of the Jap invader. I am making a few mistakes but they aren't really mistakes of massive import. I think I have been a little too aggressive in places but I have made it my business not to retreat pell mell like others do. I do understand why you would do this though: You cannot resist! It is so heartbreaking. Why leave your virtual men to face the overwhelming odds that are put against you? I am reading a book about the British Generals in WW1 sending the cream of their generation into the machine guns. I truely feel like I am one of those generals when I try to create a road block. I pour troops planes and supplies into a location and they get swept aside like they aren't there. I had a glimmer of hope when I upgraded the fighter units in my possession to P-40Es and threw them at the Japs. It all makes no difference. This is why people use their carrier forces! You just want to fight on an even playing field somewhere - of course that is a fools errand as well - look what happens when that attempt at parity is intercepted by the KB!! OK, my despair has been aired. As stated I have moved the AVG to Mandalay, well of course Mandalay does not have enough supplies to replace the smashed ACs now buring on the ground at Rangoon. I retreat them further to Calcutta and allow them to accept replacements. Despite the destruction of their aircraft the pilots have not been killed so if I can replace their planes I may be able to use them like others have done. I move some more Hurricanes into Rangoon just to try and help with defense - without a doubt they will only become targets. Spruance and the US carriers have put to sea. My good sense screams at me that this is a fools errand (alluded to earlier) but I know the KB will not be on the scene for some time and I should make hay while the sun shines. I desperatly want some good news. He is conducting operations in the sure knowledge that nothing can stop him - I want this feeling to be shown up as victory desease. Java is hell on earth. Any ship that moves - any plane that flies - any unit on the ground, all are pounced on like mouse in the clutches of a particularly cruel cat. The only glimmer is the aerial attack by bombers on the sub I-161. She is reported hit twice but I don't know the damage. I create a TF of the ships in batavia that aren't hurt and head them to India. I create about 5 single ship TFs there as well - all are damaged. They begin loading resources and oil. If they are sunk well so be it. A few other ships are trying to evacuate Soerboja. I just cannot escape from here without wearing enemy aircraft and subs. I will have to try fast transport missions from the other side of the island. The AP that survived attacks at Djokjakarta begins loading the DAV unit there, now attached to South West Pacific. Hopefully they can load and be long gone before the sun comes up. I move 12 Warhawks to help in the defense in case they don't. Well actually, if they aren't gone they are toast as Warhawks aren't about to become suddenly potent for any reason are they. Another like effort is launched from Darwin to Timor to do the same before it becomes impossible. In PM the supply mission continues to unload. The Kiwi 3rd are on their way to Noumea. China is still quiet as I continue retreating. Saratoga is now 16 days out.
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