wneumann
Posts: 3768
Joined: 11/1/2005 From: just beyond the outskirts of Margaritaville Status: offline
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Summary of Operations 12/11/42 Countdown to CV Essex arrival: 157 days. Increasing movement of LCU's, supply, fuel, and aircraft from the U.S. west coast. Much of this is going to locations where it will be actually used, in other cases deploying things to forward bases from where they can be more quickly moved later. Central Pacific: The KB remains quiet and still in Kwajalein. Reports from U.S. submarines around Kwajalein indicate Jap air patrols include many E13A1 Jake scout planes plus several Ki-49 Helens. Little or no Jap air activity detected by U.S. subs patrolling around Canton Is and Pago Pago. Jap recon flight (H8K Emily) over Penhryn Is. Otherwise quiet. South Pacific: Jap recon flight (H8K Emily) over Norfolk Is. Otherwise quiet here too. Australia: U.S. B-17 bombers hit Japanese airfield in Daly Waters. AAR follows. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Air attack on Daly Waters , at 35,90 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 40 A6M3 Zero x 15 A6M3a Zero x 16 Allied aircraft B-17D Fortress x 23 B-17E Fortress x 24 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed, 19 damaged A6M3 Zero: 1 destroyed, 12 damaged A6M3a Zero: 10 damaged Ki-46-II Dinah: 1 destroyed Allied aircraft losses B-17D Fortress: 4 destroyed, 15 damaged B-17E Fortress: 6 destroyed, 12 damaged Japanese ground losses: 376 casualties reported Guns lost 6 Airbase hits 3 Airbase supply hits 2 Runway hits 22 Aircraft Attacking: 5 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 10000 feet 1 x B-17D Fortress bombing at 10000 feet 3 x B-17D Fortress bombing at 10000 feet 4 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 10000 feet 4 x B-17D Fortress bombing at 10000 feet 3 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 10000 feet 3 x B-17D Fortress bombing at 10000 feet 3 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 10000 feet 3 x B-17D Fortress bombing at 10000 feet 3 x B-17D Fortress bombing at 10000 feet 3 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 10000 feet 2 x B-17D Fortress bombing at 10000 feet -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jap recon flight over Tennant Creek. F-5A recon over Darwin reports unidentified Jap TF in Darwin, 33 aircraft (20 bombers), otherwise no detected change in Jap forces. Hudson I recon over Exmouth reporting A6M2 fighters on CAP, Jap TF still in Exmouth, 5 Jap LCU's (no change). Catalina I recon over Port Moresby reports A6M2 fighters on CAP, unidentifed Jap TF in Port Moresby, 87 aircraft (11 fighters, 20 bombers), 5 Jap LCU's (no change). India/Burma: Jap recon flights over Imphal, Chittagong, Dimapur. U.S. B-25 Mitchell bombers strike Jap airfield in Magwe. AAR follows. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Air attack on Magwe , at 31,29 Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 16 A6M3 Zero x 7 Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 4 Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 14 Allied aircraft B-25C Mitchell x 29 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero: 5 damaged A6M3 Zero: 3 damaged Ki-43-Ib Oscar: 1 damaged Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 4 damaged Allied aircraft losses B-25C Mitchell: 5 destroyed, 19 damaged Runway hits 2 Aircraft Attacking: 7 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 10000 feet 6 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 10000 feet 4 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 10000 feet 1 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 10000 feet 3 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 10000 feet 3 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 10000 feet -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F-5A recon over Rangoon reports 3 Jap TF's (-1 from last report, a CV detected in one TF), heavy industry 136(57), 237 aircraft (95 fighters, 30 bombers), 9 Jap LCU's (no change). Patterns of Japanese aircraft numbers in Rangoon appears to indicate that Pillager is rotating Jap air squadrons into Rangoon to repair damaged aircraft and rest pilots. Once Jap air squadrons are fully operational again, they either launch bombing raids directly from Rangoon or they are transferred to Magwe or Mandalay from where they bomb Allied targets. This would indicate that Japanese air forces in Burma are encountering similar difficulties to those being experienced by opposing Allied air forces operating from NE India. On the Allied side, air squadrons return from missions with much (if not most) of their aircraft damaged (relatively few if any destroyed) and heavy pilot fatigue levels. This is often true after even flying only one mission. This situation is true for both fighters and bombers. Allied air squadrons spend the majority of their time repairing damaged aircraft and resting pilots between missions. Like Pillager, I have been rotataing Allied air squadrons to rear area bases to rest and repair. A number of inland bases in the interior of India are established to rest and repair Allied air units - these bases well beyond range of either Jap air or naval bombardment attack. On the other hand, Rangoon is within striking range of U.S. and RAF Liberators. A possible long-range effect of the air campaign over Burma and NE India is that much of the IJA air forces located outside China have been drawn into this theater. Good opportunity for this to become a battle of attrition against the IJA air arm, also to whip the RAF and AVG into fighting shape. I have started diverting bombing attacks by Liberators to concentrate on Rangoon - first targets being heavy industry and resource production located in Rangoon. As strange as this sounds, my intent is to eliminate Pillager's ability to produce supply in Rangoon for consumption by Japanese ground and air forces in Burma. Force him to bring supply into Burma from the outside (probably by sea as there are no good overland routes from Thailand or Indochina). Japanese supply movement into Burma by sea will be relatively slow, also vulnerable to interdiction. China: Jap recon flights over Chungking, Tuyun, Chengtu. A Chinese P-43A Lancer squadron flying ground attack hit the Japanese 40th Division south of Henchow (hex 44,38). 40th Division is one of the Jap LCU's Pillager withdrew from the front lines in late 11/42. Previous known location of 40 Division was in Kweilin on 11/30/42. From this sighting, 40 Division appears to be moving towards Canton or Wuchow. Is this part of a Japanese movement against the southern flank in China? Chinese forces are relatively well positioned to counter.
< Message edited by wneumann -- 3/19/2008 4:39:52 AM >
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