Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (1/8/2013 3:46:57 PM)
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February 6, 1942 "Weeee're heeeeere!" I don't even recall what movie that line is from, but it's appropriate today. 1) A quick, sudden spike in combat aircraft at Palembang, including some with range to reach Singers, includes the first large Aircoibra unit. Uncrated today, it rises as low-altitude CAP and gives Japan what I hope is a rude surprise. With some high-altitude Hurricanes to keep the Zeros elsewhere Aircobra cannons can mess up some bombers. Some bombs fall, but damage is minor. Afternoon Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91 Weather in hex: Overcast Raid spotted at 11 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 4 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 11 G3M2 Nell x 17 Allied aircraft Hurricane IIb Trop x 3 B-339D x 1 P-39D Airacobra x 16 Japanese aircraft losses G3M2 Nell: 6 destroyed Allied aircraft losses P-39D Airacobra: 1 damaged P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed on ground Airbase hits 2 Runway hits 4 The next raid, with Oscars, gets a bit roughed up as well. Afternoon Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91 Weather in hex: Overcast Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 5 minutes Japanese aircraft G4M1 Betty x 21 Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 9 Allied aircraft Hurricane IIb Trop x 3 B-339D x 1 P-39D Airacobra x 14 Japanese aircraft losses G4M1 Betty: 2 destroyed, 4 damaged Allied aircraft losses P-39D Airacobra: 3 damaged P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed on ground B-26 Marauder: 1 destroyed on ground Allied ground losses: 3 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Airbase hits 2 Runway hits 6 2) Five bombing missions at Singers all target the AF. No CAP, but the AA is stiff here and Japan takes more damage which should result in ops losses. The revelations about supply non-generation might shift the Palembang bombers onto Singers. It's what I would do. Still no evidence he knows I'm sneaking 1000 supply per day into the base. 3) Lots of ASW today but no hits. Japan shoots at S-boat in shallow water in the strait NW of Batavia, but misses. DD attacks I-boat off Sydney. S-boat goes into Johnson and sees Fuso is still in residence. With no sightings of the KB and nearly five healthy BBs at Pearl I'm thinking of a raid. But I also worry that's what he wants and taking down the large surface force in Hawaii is a key step to an invasion. At Pearl a DD TF heading for CONUS to pick up the incoming TF carrying the Americal Division fights off an I-boat as it passes. The sole loss is AK Castor, part of a 3-ship escorted resupply TF for Midway coming out of Pearl. I hate to lose AKs as they have sweet upgrades later on, but Midway has a small port and is still a front-line base with Johnson's situation, etc. Should run resupply in from CONUS, but I got impatient. 4) Near Mandalay the Chinese bombers, with some AVG escort now, hit LCUs and do minor disruption. About half of AVG is riding P-40s, and they kill two Zeros. 5) The land battle here is shaping up to be interesting. Japan takes vacant Tienshui with 3rd Tank Reg. I have seen a base force in trail. I don't think (map not open) this opens the RR up yet. I have Chinese units maneuvering to the east, seeking to get south of this hex and cut the gray road, combined with Chinese bombing. If the base force gets there I may move 4-5 Chinese corps onto the hex (good roads from Mandalay) and see what I can do to kill some tanks. So far Chittagong supply has not flowed anywhere, but it's still building. Even without supply though 30,000 Chinese infantry can hurt one regiment of tanks with no Forts.
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