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Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (7/28/2013 8:20:00 PM)
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June 29, 1942
The Suspense . . .
Just before this, our last movie before a 10-day hiatus, a short series of emails. The first from Mike was titled "The Suspense". The body was empty. Figuring he had seen the movie and that bad things had happened to the Allies I was non-committal in my response. He followed with one that said "You know I saw you with my subs, right?" Ouch. I had gotten sub hits in the IO, but I didn't know if that was what he was referring to. Figuring I could at least save some leverage with bluster I replied "I know you saw SOMETHING, but I don't know you saw EVERYTHING."
I pictured the 32nd ID jumped on by the full KB, in flames, then at the bottom. But he might not know what was coming near the Marshalls. As the movie concluded I still don't know if:
1) He was pulling my leg
2) He had ordered a slaughter which didn't come off
3) He really was talking about the Marshalls
4) A slaughter is likely next turn
But on balance the day was a good one for the Allies and a good way to go off the grid for awhile.
1) SNAGGLEPUSS bags another target. Kangas again, reloaded from Hollandia and moved. It's possible Rowboat Corps will re-take Hollandia. I hope not, but it's possible. I skipped the base in the middle so as not to be predictable.
"Aitape is occupied by the Allies"
2) Night strat bombing at Chengtu starts 1310 Fires at the cost of a Wellington. I will someday want the supplies generated here and burning the factories is permanent, but for now this is a major local supply source for a siege of Chungking and the trade-off is toward fire. Elsewhere I have moved back to more daytime HI/LI strikes, but many do not fly due to low numbers and CAP.
3) PBang is utterly swarmed by heavy bombers today--about 165 in two large waves. 17 are damaged, 1 destroyed. There are still unloading TFs at Benkoelen (more in a minute), so I understand wanting to close this bigger AF, but there are other bases in range, and I don't have a lot of planes at PBang. Three Cats to be exact. If this is to stop fort building it's too late. And all of the supply destroyed is replaced the next day. Totals hover just over 200,000 no matter the degree of bombing.
4) The other major Japanese air effort is to bleed the spearheads marching south in Burma. These may not be big enough to take all three targets, but maybe two and isolate the third, Rangoon. One the Big Stack gets south (can rail much of the way once Lashio is reached) times will get hot even at the main base. As part of SNAGGLEPUSS Burma is a sideline, but important. I want to focus worry and air assets in this theater and, at best but not likely, draw the KB up to supervise either a relief operation or an evacuation, giving me free reign in mid-PAC.
There is a bit of LRCAP working from Prome in the theater. Again just a few fighters, with the scraps of the AVG, do good work.
Morning Air attack on 17th Indian Division, at 56,52 , near Pegu
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 20
G3M3 Nell x 40
G4M1 Betty x 12
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 23
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 2
Hurricane IIc Trop x 8
P-40E Warhawk x 3
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
G3M3 Nell: 5 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 1 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIc Trop: 3 destroyed
Allied ground losses:
83 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Morning Air attack on 17th Indian Division, at 56,52 , near Pegu
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid spotted at 3 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 0 minutes
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 20
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 1
P-40E Warhawk x 1
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged
No Allied losses
Allied ground losses:
19 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
FLAK only:
Morning Air attack on 5th Chinese Cavalry Corps, at 56,52 , near Pegu
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 28
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 30
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 23
Ki-48-Ib Lily x 8
Ki-49-Ia Helen x 24
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 10 damaged
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 4 damaged
Ki-49-Ia Helen: 3 damaged
Ki-49-Ia Helen: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied ground losses:
55 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
5) Back to Benkoelen. As I said, other AFs and other options besides PBang. Many thanks again to the AAR reader who suggested I get into individual pilot selection and find some Naval B. experts for my LBA. Lesson learned for next time. I was picking from the Reserve pool, but not going in for specific skills. (I have also done this for multiple ASW air units by now too; Bolos have been on ASW training since 12/8/41 dumping 60+ ASW guys into the pools.) At Benkoelen and at Soerbaja this hand-holding pays dividends. I also moved about half of Timor's offense up to Soerbaja to help. That's where the war is.
Without further ado, a bad day for the Japanese merchant marine. Note love applied by 1000-pound bombs:
Morning Air attack on TF, near Loemadjang at 56,106
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid spotted at 10 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 8
Allied aircraft
Beaufort V x 3
SBD-3 Dauntless x 11
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
Beaufort V: 1 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 3 destroyed, 6 damaged
Japanese Ships
xAK Uga Maru
xAK Muroran Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Koyu Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
Massive explosion on xAK Koyu Maru
Morning Air attack on TF, near Benkoelen at 45,91
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid spotted at 11 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Allied aircraft
A-24 Banshee x 9
Allied aircraft losses
A-24 Banshee: 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
xAP Kobe Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
xAP Kamo Maru
xAP Katori Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
Japanese ground losses:
153 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Benkoelen at 45,91
Interesting report; ground casualties, but the bomb did not record in the report
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Allied aircraft
Hudson I x 5
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
xAP Kamo Maru
CL Yura
Japanese ground losses:
118 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
5 x Hudson I bombing from 3000 feet
Naval Attack: 4 x 250 lb SAP Bomb
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Benkoelen at 45,91
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Allied aircraft
A-24 Banshee x 9
Allied aircraft losses
A-24 Banshee: 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
CL Isuzu
xAP Kobe Maru, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Teikyo Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
Japanese ground losses:
168 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Five other attacks which did not strike anything, but were fun to watch. [:)]
6) As an experiment I left the B-17s at Soerbaja, which don't have super-Naval pilots yet, on Commander's Choice AF. They chose Kendari (I wouldn't have) and destroyed one on the ground by report, but 5-6 by animation. A 2E strike there bombed a huge AO, but missed.
7) On to the Marshalls and the heart of SNAGGLEPUSS.
My non-upgrading carriers began the week down south guarding Canton from bombardment, but have moved due north and then west for days. Multiple TFs are inbound Eniwetok. Today a Fast Tans with an EAB got there and began unloading. I don't think it was seen until today when a float plane overflew. Much heavier garrison TFs are to the east, as well as supply and air transport TFs which need to get through. They are waypointing up to near Wake, then down on a shortest-exposure trajectory in and out.
Yesterday Japan exposed a bombardment TF with one BB and many DDs. Today I stopped the Cats at Eniwetok (one AVD supporting) from running supplies to the Raiders and put them on eastern search. They see red TFs at Roi-Namur, Kwaj, and Wotje. Which one is the BB? Don't know. But probably Kwaj. Are there carriers around? Don't know. One CVE was seen a week ago approaching Kwaj. Since? Nothing. What has he done to the AFs in the island group? Again, very limited recon. My best info is Roi-Namur is more built than Kwaj, but I do not have a plane count. Marc Mitscher is in command of the TF; he says "Go!" So, we go. Again, gotta love those 1000lbers.
[image]local://upfiles/31387/DEDD7F4B3868460DB99C043EA2029203.jpg[/image]
Morning Air attack on TF, near Kwajalein Island at 132,115
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 2
Allied aircraft
F4F-3A Wildcat x 10
F4F-3 Wildcat x 9
SBD-3 Dauntless x 12
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 5 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak
Japanese Ships
DD Shiokaze
BB Hyuga, Bomb hits 2
Besides this two small raids of Jakes and Zeros come at the birdfarms and are swatted down. Also, half-a-dozen text reports of DBs on Search attacking xAKs, minesweepers, etc. With FOW I believe almost none of these. No TBs flew either, a disappointment. I had coordinated all air wing assets to like hex maxes. The question for tomorrow is whether to burrow in or hide and wait for the incoming TFs. I have two BB-led surface action groups by Wake or coming to Wake, as well as a couple of 3-4 DD picket/raider/straggler crews deep in the chain, south of the carriers. Is it possible the Marshalls are this naked? Stay tuned. But the lack of air cover may influence the next phases of SNAGGLEPUSS. I just need more ships at Pearl. The other carriers are five days from finishing upgrade, and I'm pulling every AK and AP I can in there as well. The Marines are wanting a kick at the Empire.
8) Lots of small-change action elsewhere but that's enough for one day. The 32nd ID is at Full, has passed waypoint 3 and is churning toward Oosthaven with all crews at battlestations. A small TF with some tanks is coming too, as well as some merchants to take fuel and act as screen. Everything will reach Oosthaven bone dry, but there is a flood of fuel there and it's no time to spare the gear. As soon as we resume this piece of the war will be resolved one way or the other. PBang without the 32nd is a very tough slide. With them and their arty Japan will need Singers-levels of LCUs to siege, and in a place far more exposed to counterattack from the IO than Singers is from its water.
Anyway, folks. That's the summer campaign season. Play here all you like while I'm away. The empties go in the recycle, 'K? [:'(]
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