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fcharton -> RE: Being good, for a change – SqzMyLemon (J) vs fcharton (A) (12/25/2015 9:34:33 AM)
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January 10th 1942
Singapore
After a long delay, the Japanese crossed the causeway today. There were two divisions (Imperial Guards and 18th), two infantry regiments (124th and 143rd), three engineer regiments and four artillery outfits. More troops are probably getting ready in Johore and will soon join the fray. Overall, the enemy had 1157, I have 564, behind level three forts.
I was bloody (it always is). The engineers failed to reduce the forts, odds ended below par, which means disruption for the attackers, and two regiment equivalents were lost, one destroyed, one disabled.
Japanese ground losses:
4123 casualties reported
Squads: 170 destroyed, 130 disabled
Non Combat: 9 destroyed, 79 disabled
Engineers: 10 destroyed, 57 disabled
Guns lost 40 (20 destroyed, 20 disabled)
Vehicles lost 12 (2 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
1723 casualties reported
Squads: 36 destroyed, 88 disabled
Non Combat: 17 destroyed, 40 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Guns lost 32 (7 destroyed, 25 disabled)
After the rapid Japanese advance I had thought Singapore would be captured before mid-January. It seems it might hold a little longer.
An interesting question is arising. I have evacuated all the planes and ships in Singapore, except a few few patrol boats, which are doing a great job discouraging naval and port attack, and a handful of ships that were in the yards. Over the last weeks, most of those ships repaired (my opponent has been targeting the airfield), and managed to flee to Batavia. Two are left today, a transport that should be ready in a few days, and BC Repulse, which is in very bad shape, but which my opponent most likely believes is already sunk.
A few days ago, I took her off the yards, and she should be ready tomorrow. I want to try to sail her to Singkep and disband, and then to Muntok and disband, and again to Toboali, and so on to Batavia. Her system damage is in the 80s, so the probability she sinks on the way is quite real, but she is worth a try.
Joseph has been careless with his naval search in the area. I managed to sail several cargoes from Manila along the coast of Borneo, and none of my evacuees from Singapore got attacked by bombers.
A convoy too far
After the failed attack on Balikpapan, the Japanese have been reinforcing Samarinda, and several task forces were detected in the harbor. As I had success with my cruisers so far, a squadron under CL Java and Marblehead was sent, in the hope to catch a few ships on their way back. They found Kongo and Takao instead, and then another task force led by CA Mogami, Mikuma, Suzuya and Kumano. We did put a few shells into the cruisers, most certainly sunk at least one destroyer (helps by a collision during the battle), but my two cruisers and four destroyers were lost with all hands
This brings the toll to six cruisers lost, three lights and as many regulars, and four destroyers. Three Japanese cruisers (one regular two lights) and a dozen of destroyer types (including APD and DMS) were sunk in return.
Little blessings
Bathurst, the base north of Sydney seized by paras a few days ago, was recaptured today. My opponent had tried to air transport infantry reinforcements, but there were too few of them to make a difference. This is a very small success: we’re too close to Sydney to even hope to hold the place, and damage was light, but this was the second time the paras of the 1st raiding regiment were defeated, and I am pretty sure Joseph has very little air transport capabilities left now.
My Australians will now retire towards Wagga Wagga, to try and confront the enemy armored spearheads. Anything that can damage the advance on Canberra and Melbourne is good.
And now for the serious things
Christmas is upon us, and with it, the harsh responsibility of choosing wine for the family lunch. And so, I spent the best part of the morning rummaging in the cellar. My house has a decent cellar, half buried, walls of stone, earth on the floor, opening to the north, bottle rack on the north wall, and I have been using it to keep and age wine. I have about 170 bottles now.
Today, the main course is a leg of lamb with greens, so we obviously need a bottle of red, with one of the same in reserve in case we drink all of it. I am set on a Bordeaux, because most of my other vineyards need a few more years. The usual choice for lamb is a Pauillac (because they raise lambs in this area, and so you match the vineyard with the local products). I have two bottles left of Chateau Haut Bages Averous, which was the second wine of Chateau Lynch Bages (a famous Pauillac, quite above my budget). They changed its name since, to Echo de Lynch Bages (I suppose it makes more sense from a marketing standpoint, and will help drive the prices high), so the 2007 bottles are the last of this wine. They should go well with the local cheese too, we live in the Brie area, and have all sorts of this famous cheese (today, Melun, Montereau and Nangis).
We will also need a white for the salmon and the starters (and I do like white on cheese anyway). I have some Riesling left from Christmas eve, and there is some Champagne that needs to be drunk anyway.
Merry Christmas, readers.
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