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Canoerebel -> Battle of Maldives, Days 4 and 5 (5/1/2008 4:55:13 PM)
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6/13/43 and 6/14/43
Bay of Bengal: The Royal Navy continued to chase Jap carriers and combat ships north and east, the enemy fleeing towards the refuge to be provided by airfields at Port Blair and Sabang. The Jap and British TFs spent the 13th intermingled, but Brit carrier based air only managed strikes against lone combat ships, putting two TTs into DD Naganami and 2 more into CA Mikuma. 24 Liberator IIIs from Colombo scored three hits against Mikuma.
On the 14th, a British combat TF managed to engage the Shoho/Zuiho TF in surface combat. The Jap TF was protected by CA Furataka and four DDs, while the Brits had CA Exeter, two CLs, two CLAAs, and 6 DDs. I thought the Jap CVLs were toast, but ended up with only three Jap DDs set afire. Then Liberator IIIs from Colombo put three bombs into CA Maya. British carrier air made several sorties: Avengers missed Shoho; 8 Avengers and 2 Albacores put a TT into striken CA Mikuma; and another strike of 8 Avengers and 2 Albas put 2 TT into Maya.
The British are now drawing fairly close to Sabang and Port Blair, so it's about time to give up the chase. Thus far, CV Junyo and CA Mikuma are confirmed sunk. I feel certain CV Hiyo (which took 3 TTs on the first day, way back at the Maldives) either went down, was scuttled, or will sink. CVL Shoho took a single TT. And at least five Jap DDs and CA Maya were badly damaged. The Jap ships seem to be on a northerly (true) course, as though Port Blair offered a better refuge than Sabang (the latter is a level three airfield, but maybe John doesn't have a decent base force there?). So I've set my ships to move NNW and most of them should spend tomorrow nine hexes south of Port Blair, and 9 west of Sabang. Maybe I'll get lucky and do a little more damage. The Brit CVs are down to 20% sorties, so tomorrow is the last shot.
Burma: The advance Chinese unit drove back a Jap engineering unit blocking the way to Pisanoluke. This Chinese unit has now reached the beginning of the "good" road. Two other units are a few days behind.
China: The Jap 104th Division suddenly collapsed. Another Chinese deliberate attack (this on the 14th) wiped them out. The road is open again, and the supply level at Lungchow, where my Vietnam invasion force is badly in need of supplies before beginning the invasion, increased from 11k to 13k. The 5 or 6 Chinese units at Kweiyang involved in the battle with 104th Division will now move out - one remaining behind, one heading toward Lungchow, and four moving to Changsha.
CenPac: Huge Allied transport TFs are moving from San Fran to Hawaii, with others loading supplies and oil in San Fran prior to moving out. San Fran fuel stock dropped from 999,999 to 555,000 in one turn. Two CVLs and two CVEs are moving from Panama City to San Fran where they will link up with CV Enterprise (and CV Lexington when she arrives in 40 days).
Operations Red & Blue Planets: I think the soonest I can begin either operation is the first of August, once CV Bunker Hill plus another CVL and CVE arrive in Panama City and make their way to Pearl. That would give me 6 CVs, 6 CVLs, and something like 13 to 15 CVEs. SigInt reported 288,538 men at Palau! Is that possible? Is SigInt reliable, or is it susceptable to enourmous exaggeration? If John has anything like that at Palau, which is far to the rear of his main lines, I think it must be a reserve concentration force - a good location where he could react to any attack on his major bases to the east or southeast. Unfortunately, it's also very close to the Philippines.
Here's my plan at the moment (subect to modification as circumstances dictate): Operation Red Planet to get underway about August 1. The invasion force will proced north around Midway and approach Marcus from the north. However, I do not intend to hit Marcus - my plan is to bring on a major CV engagement by threatening that island. If things are still going smoothly, the force will slide between Marcus and Iwo and make for Philippines. It will be at this point that I'll transfer F-5 squadrons from China to Iloilo to recon the key points on Luzon. If that recon makes it clear that Luzon is weekly held, the invasion will continue. If Luzon is strongly held, I will change the target to Marcus Island. Immediately after taking Marcus, I might then implement Operation Blue Planet.
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