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Hortlund -> D-Day - Operation Natalie (8/3/2012 8:59:54 AM)
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As could be expected, lots of action today. It seems most of the allied airforce is based at Calcutta, all the attacks flew from there.
My Zeros really held their own. The kill-ratio for today was 80 kills for 5 losses.
The allies came in wave after wave, mostly during the AM-phase. The first raid penetrated the CAP 18 SBDs and 15 TBDs escorted by 4 Buffalos. They scored bomb hits on the two CVEs escorting the invasion fleet. They paid a heavy price though, of the 33 attacking bombers only 1 (!) made it home.
Then 10 Swordfish came in unescorted...they all perished. Although some got through to an attack run first.
After the two big battles came Bleinheims escorted by Hurricanes. By the looks of things Canoe was LRCAP:ing Chittagong.
In the PM-phase, another handful of SBDs came, I think they were 5-6 in total, but they managed to penetrate the CAP and put two bombs in the remaining CVE.
Both CVEs should be gone, they are disbanded in port, but they are both on fire.
We took Chittagong, and now the race to the paratroopers to the north is on.
Those paratroopers are having a real Arnhem up there. They have held for three days now against shock attacks by the armored brigade they first threw out of the hex. I have another para-unit marching up the road to link up with them. Amazing, this is warmovie-material.
I lost two CVEs and a handful of transports in this offensive. On the plus-side I think we have bled most of the Indian airforce dry. At least the dangerous units. There really cant be much left of those USN-airunits now. The Swordfish are gone, the Vildebeeste went out during the battles of Palembang in the early days of the war.
My two Zero units were rebased to Burma, I think they have something like 15 exp 80+ pilots between them now. They will have a well-earned R&R, while two new fighter units take up position at Chittagong. We can expect heavy airbattles up here.
The supply-situation in Burma is so-so, mostly because this had to be a fast operation. I had no time to ship in supplies in advance. While the battle for northern India commences other units will attack Port Blair, Akyab and Cox Bazaar, and fresh supplies will be brought in. My main objective has already been achieved though. As long as those paratroopers hold the line at Arnhem, there are no supplies flowing to the Indian airbases flying supplies to China.
[image]local://upfiles/1562/0C63E5503379439891034258955FC0D5.jpg[/image]
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