rtrapasso
Posts: 22653
Joined: 9/3/2002 Status: offline
|
December 18 -19, 1941. New Front Opened: As if the Japanese steamroller had not been flattening enough already, they decided to take on the Netherlands East Indies in a serious way. The Japanese landed troops at Kuching, on the north coast of Borneo. Creeping into the harbor in the dark of night, TF 203 encountered mine field at Kuching and AP Kiyozumi Maru struck a mine and started burning. This alerted the defending troops which opened fire, siting on ML Hatsutaka which took a hit, and her flames added to the lurid scene of confusion. Over 400 Japanese casualties were reported. The battle for Kuching had just started. After dawn, Allied aircraft made their attempts to stop the invasion with the Dutch opening their attack with three Brewster 339Ds and six Martin 139s bombers, coming in at (the now standard 1000 feet), hitting AP Giyu Maru with one bomb hits and causing her to burn. ML Hatsutaka was reported to be still on fire. This was followed by another Dutch attack with three Martin 139s and three Hudson I’s, hitting AP Kashi Maru with two bombs, causing heavy damage and fire. A third attack by three Hudsons, guided by the burning minelayer, missed. The Dutch flying boat torpedo bombers showed up next with seven T.IVa’s attacking, scoring one torpedo hit on AP Ayaha Maru, setting her on fire also. After a too brief (for the IJN) lull, five Martin 139 bombers escorted by Brewster 339Ds attacked, but the missed. The Dutch poured everything in range into their unceasing attacks, with another three Martin 139s attacking at high altitude this time, hitting the AP Kashi Maru again with another bomb, adding to her already burning fires, and causing her to be even more heavily damaged. The British added their efforts to keep the Japanese off Borneo. Nine Hudson I bombers came in guided by the burning ships and struck AP Ayaha Maru again with three more bomb hits. This time, they reported her to be listing heavily and burning even more fiercely. The grand total for this effort was only about 100 men more and 3 guns lost to the Japanese ground forces, which had already largely unloaded. No Allied aircraft were lost in all these air raids, although several were damaged. The 1000 or so Dutch combat effectives tried bombarding the invaders with their remaining two guns, without any effect. They reported the Japanese had landed over 5500 troops and over 100 guns by this point, and the Dutch realized the heavy odds against them. The Japanese air forces reciprocated the attacks, when the struck Allied shipping at Benkolen, with one attack by 6 Bettys from 6000 feet. From over 1 mile up, they hit AK Sudabar with one bomb, starting a fire. Later, 20 more Bettys showed up, but tried bombing from 17000 feet, and missed. Meanwhile, In the Philippines: The IJN expanded their attack, with coastwatchers reporting TF 208 troops unloading over the beach at Jolo, with some three dozen casualties reported from landing mishaps. The US Army Air Force tried bombing the IJN shipping operating off Naga and landing more troops and supplies. Five B-17C Fortress bombers hit AP Maya Maru with two five-hundred pound bombs and set her on fire. Later, a second attack by two B-17Cs missed. The Dutch from Celebes aided in the defense of the Philippines, when four Brewster 339D and three Martin 139 bombers attacked the IJN shipping at Jolo, hitting AP Anrugu Maru with one bomb. The Japanese judged they did not have enough troops at Naga to make an assault, so in the bombardment and counterbombardment, the Allies lost almost 200 casualties, and six guns, while the Japanese lost about 40 men and 2 guns. The Developing Struggle at Rabaul: Imperial Japanese Navy Task Force 20 decided that more troops were needed in the struggle ashore, and steamed in boldly to Rabaul Harbor, discovering the mine field in their path in time to avoid the mines, but not the shore artillery which hit PC Sonan Maru #6, with a shell. This combined with shelling the landing troops, and effects of the surf, etc. caused the Japanese to lose over 40 men and one gun. They partially avenged this when the Bettys made their appearance and bombed Lark Force, causing 15 casualties and knocking out 1 gun. The forces ashore were almost even, and no assault developed, but bombardment and counterbombardment resulted in about another dozen Japanese casualties, and another gun knocked out. Action In and Around Malaysia: Action opened in the dead of night with the Dutch sub O16 unsuccessfully attacking an IJN convoy. However, she did relay position of the convoy, and after daybreak the British attacked with two Blenheim IV bombers with escort (they missed), and later two escorted Swordfish, who didn’t miss, with both their torpedoes hitting AK Nagara Maru, which burned and was reported to be struggling to stay afloat. A third attack on the convoy as it neared Georgetown was intercepted by twelve Ki-43-Ib Oscars, which shot down one of the escorting Buffalos, and the convoy escaped further damage. At Kuala Lumpur, a Japanese deliberate attack by almost 19000 troops (against a bit over 7000 defenders) damaged British fortifications and inflicted over 300 casualties, knocking out 9 guns, at the cost of just over 100 men and 4 guns. On the China Front: A day air attack on 3rd New Chinese Corps by 40 Japanese G4M1 Bettys went without a scratch for the attackers, with the Chinese losing almost 200 men and a gun. In part of the overall developing Chinese offensive was designed to relieve the pressure on the British in Malaysia (and to a lesser degree, the Philippines and Dutch East Indies), the Chinese marched over 80,000 troops and 500+ guns into Kafieng, which the Japanese promptly counterattacked with their 34,000+ warriors and 400+ guns, confident that their Bushido spirit would break the Chinese. But numbers prevailed, and prevailed bloodily, with the Japanese repulsed, taking over 1600 casualties and the loss of about 10% of their artillery, to the loss of about 400 Chinese men and 5 Chinese guns. December 19 - 20, 1941. Desperate Dutchmen: At Kuching, the desperate struggle continued. The Imperial Japanese Navy Task Force 203 continued to unload troops under artillery fire while simultaneously trying to avoid the minefield laid just days before. ML Hatsutaka took two more shell hits and continued to burn with heavy damage, and served as a beacon for Allied aircraft. AP Eihuku Maru was also hit with one 6" shell. After the sun came up, AP Kaihei Maru, was hit with four more shells, and later AP Kaihei Maru took another shell hit. Dutch aircraft, including six Martin 139s and two Hudson Is came in for a low-level attack, and AP Ayaha Maru and AP Meiten Maru each took two more bomb hits. The former was reported to be on fire with heavy damage. A second wave of five Martin 139s and two Hudson I bombers hit AP Ayaha Maru with three bombs, AP Giyu Maru, took two bomb hits and AP Kashi Maru two bomb hits 2. All three were on fire with heavy damage. The last air attack came with seven British Hudson I’s , and hit AP Choko Maru, with one bomb, causing a fire. Allied spotters claimed 10 IJN ships in and around the harbor. ML Hatsutaka - on fire, heavy damage. AP Eihuku Maru - damaged. AP Kaihei Maru - damaged. AP Ayaha Maru - on fire, heavy damage. AP Giyu Maru - on fire, heavy damage. AP Kashi Maru - on fire, heavy damage. AP Choko Maru - on fire, damaged. AP Meiten Maru - damaged. AP Kiyozumi Maru - damaged. No. 10 - ?? The Japanese ground forces, now over 12,000 strong and having collected themselves, staged a shock attack against the well dug-in defenders, damaging the fortifications, but not causing any casualties. Total Japanese ground losses for the day were reported at over 550 men and about 10 guns. Meanwhile, back at Rabaul: IJN Task Force 20 continued its determined attack, picking its way through the minefield and unloading troops under artillery fire. IJN TF 84 also showed up, and got through mine field and also started offloading troops. The defenders shot at the incoming forces, but they were distracted by an attack by 20 Bettys with Zero escorts. These knocked out two vehicles, and over 100 Japanese infantrymen were injured or killed. An exchange of artillery barrages did not go well for the Japanese. By the end of the day, they had suffered another 50+ casualties and 2 guns lost. Air Attack on Rangoon: The IJN searchplanes had spotted a small convoy under heavy escort unloading supplies at Rangoon, and mounted heavy effort to prevent them from unloading and getting away. Thirty-one Ki-27 Nates and nine Ki-43-Ib’s escorted thirty-four Ki-21 Sally bombers, but were intercepted by a Sea Gladiator from the light carrier Hermes, and twenty-one P-40B Tomahawk fighters. The Allies claimed 22 Nates, and 2 Sallys shot down, while the Japanese claimed two Sea Gladiators and five P-40B Tomahawks shot down. No ships were hit. The Japanese then sent in the A team: fourteen Zeros, 14 Nates, 10 Oscars, 4 Bettys and 28 Sallys, which were intercepted by five Sea Gladiators and fifteen P-40B Tomahawks. The Sea Gladiators were hopelessly outclassed by the Zeros, but one managed to shoot down an Oscar. Allies claimed 2 Zeros, 2 Nates, and 2 Oscars shot down. The Japanese claimed six Sea Gladiators, and six P-40B Tomahawks shot down. The Japanese bombers attacked from high altitude, hitting AK Illinoian with one bomb causing only light damage. At Kuala Lumpur, The Japanese staged a shock attack with almost 19,000 troops and 200+ guns, against 6500 defenders, and 24 guns. The sons of Nipon stormed through the defenses and captured Kuala Lumpur with 179 casualties and three guns lost. The Allies suffered 194 casualties reported, and 2 guns knocked out. They were forced to retreat to their next line of resistance. Back in the Philippines: B-17c’s attacked IJN shipping near Naga, but missed. Artillery duals at Naga resulted in 100+ casualties and 8 guns knocked out for the Japanese, and 150+ casualties, 6 guns and a vehicle reported lost to the Allies. A Japanese Shock attack south of Laoag with over 12000 troops and 150+ guns against two pitifully understrength engineering units caused 6 Allied casualties, and hurried them on their retreat to Clark Field. The Japanese invasion force at Jolo, finally organized, assaulted the base with over 500 troops and captured the base. Elsewhere in the South Pacific, the last of the major Gilbert islands, Apamama, was invaded by IJN TF 155. Coastwatchers reported the Japanese landing force suffered more than 20 casualties. They secured the island by the end of the day. On the Chinese front: The Japanese opened the day with an air attack on 58th Chinese Corps near Wuhan with thirty-two G4M1 Betty, inflicting over 100 and knocking out another gun. Another attack on the 53rd Chinese Corps by fourteen G4M1 Bettys knocked out two more guns, and killing and wounding almost 70 men. The was the preface for an artillery attack near Wuhan, causing another 20 casualties. The Chinese plan was to try to encircle the Japanese at Wuhan, and attacked at Kafieng to draw the Japanese troops to there instead of Wuhan. A Japanese artillery attack caused 80 casualties, but this failed to disrupt the Allied deliberate at Kafieng attack by almost 68000 (combat effective) troops and over 500 guns, against over 32,000 combat effective defenders and 340 guns. The Chinese assaults caused almost 650 casualties and knocked out 30 guns, with the loss of “less than 200" casualties reported, and four guns lost. Lastly, Allied radio intercepts indicated that three Japanese ships had sunk including AP Taimai Maru, off Aparri (from hits by 155 mm guns), MSW Mushashi Maru off Naga (from hits by 155 mm guns), AP Ryugi Maru (the last at Saigon, from the effects of four 500-pound aircraft bombs which hit her on the 15-16th of December).
|