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Q-Ball -> RE: D+1 (3/1/2009 3:14:29 PM)
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Combat Report
March 20,1942
John and I have some major strategic moves we need to make, now that we have accomplished two objectives this month. The major one is getting a large land army ashore in India; the secondary one was taking Pago Pago. We're still rolling, but have some decisions to make.
Vizingapatam
This base fell to an attack on the first try. We have 7 Divisions now unloaded or finishing unloading at Viz, along with 4 tank rgts, 2 Army HQs, 4 SNLF units, 4 Eng Rgts, base forces, construction units, artillery.....pretty much everything we could haul.
There were major PT and air attacks this turn at the base. We sank a dozen PT's in exchange for a couple PGs, and shot down 20 Blenheims and IL-4s for a couple bomb hits. Overall, we have yet to lose a transport on this landing, and though we have lost more Zeros than I would like, we have also really put a hurt on the RAF. I don't see how this landing could have gone better, other than catching more of the RN in port on the Trincomalee raid.
Pago Pago
I didn't look at the shipping losses here; not extreme, but we lost a few. The good news is the base fell today, resulting in 5000 US POWs.
Next Steps: The Fleet
John and I need to exchange ideas, and I agree with one thing: We figure it to heat up in the Pacific. We think the RN has moved ships to Australia, and they are probably itchin' to get back at us to take pressure off India.
John and I need to figure out a division of forces, but Car Div 2 (plus the 2 Zuihos) should be moved to the Pacific. That leaves Ryujo, Junyos, and CVEs; they would be useful in the IO in the short-term to cover supplise to Viz, we may want to organize a landing on Addu Atoll. Once we have the Southern tip of India though, not sure we even need those CV's. In terms of surface ships, in India we need DDs to keep PT's away, and probably a force to CAs to bombard land targets, but most modern DDs and CLs can be moved to the Pacific. Either way, most of the IJN Fleet needs to be moved to the Pacific.
We do need Bettys/Nells in India, as well as Timor/Northern Oz to keep the Allies at bay there, if we have no fleet. More of the IJN air units are in the Pacific as our rapid reaction force. I advocate we take these valuable units off any Land attacks, and have them all on the lookout for enemy ships.
As a side note, we had concentrated a ton of shipping in the IO to move the IJA. We need to send transports back to the Home Islands to move reinforcements, and we are also short of fuel in many places. Most of the oil stockpiles are now loaded up and in or heading to Japan, so I have ordered all TKs in the SRA to move to Japan to get fuel, rather than wait for Oil to stock up. We'll get it later. We need fuel now. There isn't a drop in the SRA south of Soerbaya, and Truk is almost dry. Port Blair soon will be, along with Singapore. This is about to be a big problem.
Next Steps: India
I am looking for advice here, but the obvious is a drive toward the line of the Ganges to take Calcutta, and cut off the troops in Burma from supply sources. This is priority #1. Concurrently, we are going to send a division to Madras to lay siege or chase the units out, as well as some tanks and another division to drive toward Bombay and cut off Southern India. I want to force them to either evacuate everyone toward Karachi, or having them cut off.
They have alot of troops in Burma, mostly Chinese, way more that we could ever dislodge head-on. By cutting them from India, they will slowly starve, or at least be unable to attack.
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