John 3rd
Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005 From: La Salle, Colorado Status: offline
|
Combat Report May 10-14, 1944 Against any betting odds you would give me I have managed to gather the entire remnants of the Kaigun at Marcus. Operation Arctic Wind is ready to go now if needed; however, I hope for two more days to shuffle aircraft, fuel up, and reprovision. Every Japanese CV that isn't damaged in port fills the harbor from end to end! What a sight it would have been to actually see! OOB: CVs Akagi, Kaga, Shokaku, Zuikaku, Unryu, Amagi, and Taiho with CVLs Ryujo, Ryuho, Shoho, Zuiho, Hosho, and Chitose and 4 CVe carry over 750 aircraft. Escorting these carriers are pretty much all this is operationally left: 5 CA, 8 CL, and 41 DD. I will form the final TF Organization over the next day or two. The Americans take Ponape on the 13th and, if they follow pattern, will pull their empty shipping away and escort them past Wake and on the Midway. My hope is to hit these forces NW of Midway with everything I have. Wake and Marcus are Sz-4 AF and will have 200 planes each to support the carrier air. It will be bloody and ugly but I am tired of waiting for an opportunity. I figure this is the best shot at any form of balanced battle I will get in the near future. If I can hit a portion of his fleet then significant casualties might be inflicted on him and it could break-up his operational momentum. Or I could lose the war... North Pacific Attu Just when I think I can hold against an RCT, the Americans unload two more RCT and an Inf Div. Attu falls on the 14th. With the exception of Amchitka, Cold Harbor and Dutch Harbor, Dan now controls everything else up here. Central Pacific Ponape As mentioned above, this island falls on the 13th to an Engineering Reg, Seabee unit, Base Force, Field Art Reg, TK Btn, and Marine CD unit. Truk Just as this happens what is probably the final convoy to Truk finishes unloading its supply. The base has the Inf Div that took Rarotonga, AS of 700, Forts 9, and supply is about 28,000. It is stout for the moment. Pagan--Saipan--Tinian--Guam All these bases have an AS of 800-1,000 with supplies being unloaded as I write. Each base should have between 15-25,000 supply by May 20th. Marcus The Fleet is here. I have over 40,000 fuel here or about to arrive so I can top off all the ship's fuel. The base has just over 20,000 supply with more on the way. I truly hope in the fight that is about to happen that Dan realizes he needs to take either Wake or Marcus or I will be able to do this sort of thing whenever I want. IF I force him to hit either base then I buy myself a month of time elsewhere in the Pacific... South Pacific Rabaul I have two TK unload here so I can refuel my AK--AP that are moving back-and-forth picking up or dropping off units from the Outer Perimeter that I am trying to move. Have a TF picking up a large Base Force at Luganville, a TF picking up a Brigade at Noumea, and a TF grabbing an Aviation Regiment at Pago Pago. Would love to pull these 3 units through the lines! DEI Convoy I have a very large Oil TF forming at Jesselton. When ready it shold be carrying 300,000 Oil and about 75,000 Resources. Another large empty convoy just returned to Jesselton and I divide it out to Saigon, Sinagpore, Batavia, and Tarakan for Resources and Balikpapan, Palembang, Batavia, Brunei, and Miri for Oil. I LOVE TRACKER!!! Western DEI I have pulled back enough troops to stock Miri, Brunei, and Kuching with a Combat Command and large Aviation unit. Palembang just received an Inf Div at about 60% strength to go with its other Engineers and Support troops. Eastern DEI I have decided to reinforce my units in the Amboina--Timor--Bali arc. Am certain that Dan will move in this direction as soon as he gets some shipping up here. The 32nd Inf Div from China begins prep for Amboina and is loaded at Shanghai on May 12th. The ASW Escort packs a punch of nearly 60 so any SS that tangles with this TF will have some serious issues. SS The action continues during these 5 days. Allied SS account for an APD and AK. In exchange I get 2 LBA and 4 ASW Hits--no sinkings yet though. Indochina--Malaya Saigon On the 13th I order out a Combat Command, TK Reg, and TK Division from Bangkok for loading here. The Combat Command goes to Kuching and the armor will probably head for Java to start with and then be deployed elsewhere. Alor Star The Allies finally grow a pair and move out to this base. A group of 4 Inf Brigades and a TK Brig invest the base on the 13th. They begin a bombardment against a beat-up Brigade and 2 small, damaged Base Force. Everyday he waits to take the town gives me time to pullback! Singora As soon as the move on Alor Star is detected I order the abandonment of this base. Japanese forces will fallback to Kota Bahru for a time and see what happens. Johore Bharu/Singapore Forts are rising rapidly and supply is in excellent shape. As soon as it looks bad the two Enginnering Regiments and 4 Aviation Regiments here will be lifted off and sent elsewhere. Will certainly pull off several Infantry as well. I've ordered a concentration of nearly 100 AP here to do this. I have 300 Fighters flying CAP right nove over Singapore. SS Operations Additionally to this, I have a group of 9 SS mining Bankha, Georgetown, and Malacca to cause some issues...
< Message edited by John 3rd -- 1/3/2009 6:32:24 AM >
_____________________________
|