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Schlussel -> RE: Back for the First Time – Allied AAR vs. AI - War in the Pacific: Admirals Edition (5/29/2018 12:57:18 AM)
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Week 99: October 27th – November 2nd 1943
North Pacific:
Base building completed at Amchitka, Umnak and Attu. Possible foray into the Kuriles is on hold until shipping is available. No IJN activity.
Central Pacific:
In the week following the sea battle near the Marianas, the Allies get most of the damaged ships to port. Most made the long pilgrimage to Rabaul, but a bunch of LSTs and the CVL Hermes were damaged seriously enough that they headed straight to Ulithi. They are currently getting patched up so they can join the repair party @ Rabaul, where 1 ARD repair dock has its hands full and a second is on its way from the US West Coast.
Early in the week, the Japanese somehow sneak reinforcements into both Guam and Tinian, swinging the AV advantage back to the enemy. The Japanese then attempt to press their advantage and launch a series of deliberate assaults. The 32nd and 37th Infantry divisions fight ferociously and give the attackers a bloody nose, disabling over 100 squads in each attack. With the beachheads secure, the allies settle in and await reinforcements. Once said reinforcements arrive, priority will be given to the securing of Guam. In the interim, BB bombardment groups will make the Japanese troops sorry they didn’t retreat along with their friends in the navy.
The Truk bombing campaign resumes, intel reports damage is at 97% for both port and Airfield.
On Morotai, an uneasy stalemate continues. Time is on the Allied side, as 2 marine regiments and a battalion of Tanks is on the way. Landfall is about 2 days out, then the offensive will resume.
For the first time, IJN subs score in spectacular fashion against an allied amphibious assault. The Tarawa assault force gets lit up by 2 IJN subs on the morning of the invasion. Six allied assault ships are sunk and with it about two thirds of the 7th Infantry Division. Amazingly, the assault ships continue to the beaches and unload their cargo. As Tarawa is an atoll, the landing resulted in an auto shock attack that reduced the allied AV by about 25%. At the end of the day, the Allies have what remains of the 7th (~100 AV) part of a tank battalion (32 AV) and an engineer unit. Opposing them is about 130 AV, probably a regiment or so. Allied amphibs ships immediately retreat back towards Pearl the next day, (as continuing the landing would result in another auto shock attack, and most of the surviving combat troops were already unloaded). Good news is, the assault had a dedicated TF with supply only, so Allied supply looks good at the moment. Furthermore, the enemy may be low or out of supply, as they don’t try to bombard all week. I have another infantry regiment and a tank battalion fully prepped for Tarawa, problem is they are back at Pearl Harbor, and I’m currently strapped as far as assault shipping goes. To do this right, I need assault shipping, because their fast unload rates mean I only need 1 day to unload, which means only 1 auto shock. That being said, I’ll have to wait till the surviving ships from the initial invasion return to Pearl, augment them with the little assault shipping that I have left, then give Tarawa another go. The Allied force on Tarawa is definitely strong enough to hold out, my only worry is if supply will hold out as well. I’m on borrowed time right now, so every day the enemy doesn’t bombard or attack is a victory.
Southern Pacific:
No IJN activity.
South-West Pacific:
IJA presence is isolated around Ataipe and Wewak. Enemy garrisons are without supply and subject to daily bombing raids.
DEI/Philippines:
In the Philippines, all my base are belong to Japan. 2 Squadrons of PB4Y Liberators relocate to Babeldaob and will begin reconning Cotabato tomorrow, in preparation for the first Phase of Operation Chimera.
In the DEI, no IJN activity noted.
SE Asia/China:
The Allied army northeast of Bangkok reaches Ayuthia and finds only a base force and some sort of engineer unit. The subsequent allied assault easily ousts the Japanese from the base. The stack advances towards Bangkok proper, and should reach the base in a few days.
On the northwest approaches to Bangkok, the Allied army faces an entrenched enemy across the river. The Allies here are in a defensive posture, and most of the stack will begin advancing towards Bangkok once the Ayuthia force arrives from the northeast. The idea here is that a large allied force present in Bangkok will cancel out the auto shock that usually occurs upon crossing a river into an enemy held hex.
Allied forces fresh off their capture of Mergui, advance across the width of the Malaya Peninsula towards Prachuap Khiri Khan. Once the force consolidates here, the drive down the peninsula along the rail line will commence.
Fighter sweeps over Bangkok result in a fairly even exchange in destroyed aircraft (the bulk of the fighter force in SE Asia is still the Hurricane II). However, by late in the week, all operable Japanese aircraft vanish, probably re-basing to Saigon or points south. With the skies now clear, Allied bombers get the green light to begin raids on Bangkok. Priority one is closing the airfield (just in case the enemy air force decides to return) and once that is complete, all bombers will focus on the ground forces.
In China, troops are in a defensive posture, and the supply situation is still improving. Transport planes are still flying supply from Chunking to Sian, and it is really helping the supply situation in the Loyang area.
IJN Watch:
-No significant enemy sightings this week, just some piddily stuff (PBs, AMs, and PTs) near the Marianas. This is to be expected, since Japanese sea power is currently in a weakened state.
Notable Base Captures:
- Ayuthia [Burma] captured by the Allies (10/29)
Campaign Overview:
Aircraft Losses to date [change]:
Allies: 7,536 [+141]
Biggest Losses (#):P-40K Warhawk (606), Hurricane IIc (575), SBD-3 Dauntless (430)
Japanese: 21,469 [+1,078]
Biggest Losses (#): G4M1 Betty (4,252), Ki-43 IIb Oscar (2,993), Ki-51 Sonia (1,767)
Ship Losses to date [change]:
Allies: 615 [+12]
Notables: CV Enterprise, CV Victorious, CVE Copahee, CVE Nassau, CVE Corregidor, CA Astoria, CA Portland, CA Adelaide, CL Durban, CL Sumatra, CL Java
Japanese: 1,322 [+17]
Notables: CV Soryu, CV Kaga, CV Junyo, CVL Shoho , CV Shokaku, CVL Zuiho, CVE Taiyo, CVE Hosho, BB Kongo, BB Fuso, BB Mutsu, BB Kirishima, BB Nagato, BB Haruna, CA Mogami, CA Mikuma, CA Suzya, CA Aoba.
Army Losses to date [change]:
Allies: 10,751 [+41]
Japanese: 9,107 [+86]
A/J Ratio: 1.18 to 1
VP Totals [change]:
Allies: 59,402 [+708]
Japanese: 32,369 [+295]
A/J Ratio: 1.83 to 1
Operation Aperture:
Phase 1:
-Assault & Capture Guam [1st wave ashore. AV 374:173, Forts at 2]
-Assault & Capture Tinian [1st wave ashore. AV 239:72, Forts at 6]
-Assault & Capture Saipan [1st wave ashore. AV 376:393, Forts unknown]
Phase 2:
-Assault & Capture Marcus
Operation Chimera:
Phase 1A:
-Assault & Capture Cotabato [Aerial recon commences tomorrow]
-Secure Mindano
Phase 1B:
-Assault & Capture Balikpapan
-Assault & Capture Tarakan
-Reinforce Brunei
Phase 1C:
-Assault & Capture Watampone
-Assault & Capture Kolaka
-Assault & Capture Makassar
-Assault & Capture Kendari
Other Notes:
-I’ve definitely stretched myself to the limit as far as assault shipping goes. These next two weeks will determine the success of the Allied forays into the Marianas and the Gilberts.
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