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Cribtop -> RE: Wait, I can't read Cuttlefish's new AAR? - Cribtop (J) vs CF (A) (12/31/2011 7:40:26 PM)
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July 8, 1942
The Empire strikes back... twice. [:D][&o]
Subs
Escorts chase O16 away from a small TK convoy near Kuching. Escorts also ineffectually DC the bothersome Gato near Toyohara. As long as the enemy stays to deep water our DCs explode harmlessly above him. When did that US Congressman brag to the papers and give away the secret that IJN DCs were set to detonate too shallowly?
A wolfpack of long range subs is now blanketing the approaches to Karachi, looking for tankers inbound from the Mideast.
4th Fleet
No change.
SE Fleet
Munda Point makes level four airfield. A kamikaze xAK delivers supplies to bomb-ravaged Horn Island.
14th Army
No change.
16th Army
Gebe invaded and taken by SA. Damar and Togian-eilanden invaded as well. Our DBCL forces are just about done with this AO. Next stop is cleaning up 25th Army AO (the islands off Borneo and Sumatra).
25th Army
DA Padang takes the base and ends resistance on Sumatra with 5:1 odds. 4 enemy LCUs surrender. On to Luzon for 18th Division.
At Singapore, we are slowly upgrading DDs. 4 more enter the yards today.
15th Army
Bad weather scraps our sweeps as Mandalay airfield is closed by storms. However, the sweepers were unnecessary because recon was accurate - Calcutta has no fighters on CAP. The first raid, by 2 Netty groups, hits 14 xAKs and 1 PG hard. The second raid, by an IJAAF bomber wing, hits 15 xAKs, 1 xAP and 1 PG. Many ships are in very bad shape, and most would sink in the open water. Since they are in port and benefit from Allied damage control, many will probably survive but will need quite a while in the yards. As a bonus, the few bombs that missed enemy ships score about 12 fuel and 4 shipyard hits, so the repair facilities at Calcutta won't be at full strength. All in all, Cribtop HQ is very satisfied with this surprise attack. CF will now be forced to pull fighters back to the rear, dividing his strength. Banzai!
China
We are just a few days' march from Liuchow and Kweilin. CF has finished his withdrawal from Kanshien to Kukong. Kanshien will fall next turn. Cribtop Intel suspects the enemy will either try to cut off our salient by advancing toward Wuchow or will use the rail line to reinforce Kweilin. To forestall the latter possibility, we will again call upon the poor paratroops to land at Hengyang (sp?). They will die, but should prevent reinforcement of Kweilin until it's too late.
In the center, the enemy is following up his victory and moving to re-combine the former Wuchang stack (16 LCUs). We are moving additional forces into the hex and will have 1650 AS in rough terrain. That shoud be enough.
5th Fleet
In the night, the CVE Raiders bump into a convoy that somehow sailed right through our air search yesterday. [8|] Both forces evade combat and we end up 2 hexes away from the enemy. Two air raids later, we have almost PQ-17'd the enemy, with 5 USN xAKs in sinking condition. It would have been worse but both raids wasted ordnance on the 2 escorting DDs. Still, a nice haul! The only other regret is that this is clearly a supply convoy as no troop losses occur. We will try to finish this force tomorrow and then will consider options. Obviously surprise is now lost, but Cribtop Intel believes the enemy CVs are at Melbourne or in New Zealand. They could be at Pearl, of course, so we won't take too many chances. Probable course of action is to retire toward Alaska and hope to catch something up there before re-fueling at sea south of Adak and returning to Japan. This is two notches in the belt for the CVE Raiders (Umnak Island being the first), and Cribtop HQ is pleased with the results so far.
PS - Many sinking sounds are heard throughout the turn. Total losses for the two raids consist of 1 Zero, 1 Val and 1 Sally as Ops losses.
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