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Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/27/2012 10:47:57 PM)
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January 8, 1942
The Big Bopper Sez: "Helloooooooooo Bay-beeee!"
What was it that dude on the A-Team used to say? "I love it when a plan comes together"? A flyer planned two days ago does come together at Johnson Island, and gives some remarkable intel.
1) Two days ago, after reading a former AAR concerning an attempt on the Hawaiian Islands, PacFlt decided to take a calculated risk while the position of the KB south of the Big Island was known. Cobbling together a surface raider force of recenlty-repaired CAs and CLs, Nimitz installed Admiral Spruance in the big chair and sent the force on a dog-legged northern route to Johnson Island. The objective was to catch submarines in port, and secondarily xAKs bringing supplies or planes. Daily Cat recon is still giving only spotty results; it was hoped Spruance's personal stats would fill in the blanks.
Unfortunately, Spruance was ill-served by his planning staff (sound familiar?) They miscalculated the dogleg and the Full speed sprint ended up one hex from the island as January 7th ended. Exposed. Pants down. Curtains.
But no. The nearsighted Japanese do not detect them, or at least do not attack. But during the planning for January 8 the recon shows only a lone PB in port. Rats. So Spruance shifts to a bombardment mission, orders Mission speed, launches every float plane present to recon the fall of the shot, and bores in to attack in the night hours.
The first victims in view are two patrolling small boys. They are dispatched as the force thunders onward.
Night Time Surface Combat, near Johnston Island at 164,112, Range 8,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
PB Chokai Maru, Shell hits 5, and is sunk
PB Yahada Maru, Shell hits 6, and is sunk
Allied Ships
CA New Orleans
CA San Francisco
CL Raleigh
CL Concord
CL St. Louis
CL Phoenix
CL Honolulu
DD Sims
DD Hughes
Next up are three fat merchants. Two are pounded to the bottom of the harbor as the third scrambles to safety:
Night Time Surface Combat, near Johnston Island at 164,112, Range 11,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
xAK Clyde Maru, Shell hits 1
xAK Izan Maru, Shell hits 11, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Mitu Maru, Shell hits 33, and is sunk
Allied Ships
CA New Orleans
CA San Francisco
CL Raleigh
CL Concord
CL St. Louis
CL Phoenix
CL Honolulu
DD Sims
DD Hughes
Finally in range, the sweating men of TF 135 fire shell after shell into the sleeping island fortress, the US Navy's first real revenge for the cowardly sneak attacks on Pearl Harbor. During the bombardment, however, the orbiting recon floats radio back amazing, vital intelligence. Johnson Island has been preparing itself in unexpected ways:
Night Naval bombardment of Johnston Island at 164,112
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 19 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 2 destroyed on ground
A6M2 Zero: 33 damaged
A6M2 Zero: 4 destroyed on ground
H6K4 Mavis: 81 damaged
H6K4 Mavis: 1 destroyed on ground
Allied Ships
CA San Francisco
CA New Orleans
CL Honolulu
CL Phoenix
CL St. Louis
CL Concord
CL Raleigh
Japanese ground losses:
53 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 26 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Vehicles lost 10 (1 destroyed, 9 disabled)
Airbase hits 37
Airbase supply hits 16
Runway hits 89
Port hits 1
Port supply hits 1
82 Mavis! Pretty much the entire Japanese inventory, flown thousands of miles across open ocean. Why?
Possibly as air search overkill for the substantial Betty force also re-located. If an air HQ is present--and so many Bettys so far forward would suggest that conclusion--the Bettys can severely interdict Pearl's approaches. But another possibility is they are there to drop paratroops on outer islands in a pincer attack with a landing on Hilo or Kona. Landings to be quickly consolidated with base forces and fighters while the US fleet is busy with Hilo.
However, 81 damaged are a sharp barb in such a plan. Mavis carries a support level of 4, and Johnson can't be rich with aviation support yet. The Bettys will need repair as well, and the CAP assets are also shredded. B-17s will need to visit soon. And the vulnerability of Johnson has been exposed. The Japanese should be happy HMS Warspite was judged too slow to go along.
2) Everything else today is anticlimax. Two hexes from Pearl an I-boat shoots and misses a small TF bringing in vitally needed fighters from the WC. Lurking I-2 near Allford Bay surface attacks--twice--a small xAKL resupplying the Yukon and misses both times. S-28 gets in position south of Hawaii to attack a surface TF consisting of two BBs and 3 DDs, but misses. I-173 penetrates Hilo yet again in search of cripples (?), but is damaged for no gain. The on-fire AE and AD from yesterday have been sent to Pearl with scant hopes, but as decoys to draw off KB attack groups. Both sink en route.
3) At Sabang several large bomber strikes try for the small group of ships taking on fuel. Three Royal Navy DDs were ordered to leave Singers and proceed to Sabang to fuel, then on to Cocos to merge with Force Z. Additionally, the last xAKLs to leave Palembang are loading fuel there to complete the ad hoc fuel dump on Cocos before proceeding to Perth. All ships are missed, but this fuel source is no longer viable. The AA unit shipped in from CT does good work in breaking up the attacks.
4) Singapore is bombed as it is every day. More supply lost, but 18 Sallys are damaged and 2 are downed by flak.
5) Near Sian the ragtag remnant of the Hudsons destroy another tank across the river and disbale a second. Japanese forces are gathering here. Best intel shows three LCUs, but three days ago 32 LCUs were noted at the rail cross-junction hex NE of Chengchow. That city is now abandoned, but remains in Chinese hands, effectively closing the railroad for at least one more day.
6) In three fragmented attacks the Balikpapan bombers lose four of their number, but inflict 3 Refinery hits in an experiment. They will shift back to Oil now.
7) A strong force of 16 B-17s flying mixed Naval and Port(Miri) missions decide on Naval at Sambas. It was a risk. Yesterday four CAs, 2 CLs, and 4 DDs were sighted refueling at Miri, and it was hoped the Forts would pick that target. Instead they target 5 xAKs at Sambas and miss all of them. They are opposed by Zeros and Claudes which damage all 16 but down none. It's a little funny to watch the Claudes try to chase the big boys on the egress and pull up panting.
8) At Rangoon another bit of comedy:
Morning Air attack on Rangoon , at 54,53
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 27
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 11 damaged
Port hits 11
Port fuel hits 4
Port supply hits 2
The joke is that Rangoon is clean as a whistle. Not one Allied soldier. Japan is blowing up its own port and supplies, less a day or two.
9) Pucheng and Kukong are taken without a fight, just about finishing the clean up of southern China. In the PI Japan takes Iba, flanking Lingayan. Can't tell if it was landings or Rowboat Corps, but I figure the former. Time to pull the two underfed defenders of LIngayan back to Clark and leave the mines.
The situation off Hawaii is becoming more crowded. In addition to the full KB, there is at least one 2BB/3DD surface action group, and at least two TFs with at least some xAKs involved. They continue to hang around south of Hilo. No alfa strike there today. My subs continue to surge south. The CL and DD defending Hilo are sent to a patrol route to the NE about ten hexes today. (The other surface icon is Oklahoma heaidng for the map edge, taking on water this turn.) The CL/DD will orbit until the landings start. At Lahaina a large TF carrying the 2nd Marine CD unit is landing. It contians two CAs and about five DDs which will be stripped to remain at Pearl.
This general chart shows the disposition of TFs. The white hex is around the KB.
[image]local://upfiles/31387/F74B6AB2F02E429EB282DD426F5E99BB.jpg[/image]
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