jimh009
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Joined: 5/15/2005
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This AAR covers the period May 15th - May 26th, 1942
Decisive Allied Victories!
Following the sinking of the Junyo task force, I moved the five Allied CV's up toward Milne Bay. I was hoping to nab the CVL's that the Japanese had parked around Milne Bay, but only expected to cover the reinforcements (Arny regiment, base force, AA, engineer unit) that was going to land on Rossell Island. I thought the Japanese CVL task force had moved away.
How wrong I was...and how bloody things so quickly became.
As the Allied CV's mmoved toward Rossell, Catalina's at Milne Bay saw the CVL task force. It had only moved back a few hexes. It was there, I suspect, to provide some sort of air cover for the Japanese BB bombardment TF that would, eventually, head toward Port Moresby. While I didn't know the location of all of the Japanese CV's, I at least knew where half of them were (around Signapore, likely recovering their aircraft after their failed Colombo raid). So, the Allies took a big risk and plunged ahead with all five carriers (in three task forces) toward Shortland Island...directly into the teeth of Japanese land based air.
The carrier battle was totally one-sided...2 Jap CVL's have no chance against 5 Allied CV's (even this early in the war), and the results showed it. Both CVL's were sunk on the first strike, with no torpedoes used (just out of torpedo range). The Japanese counter-strike, what little there was, was chewed up by CAP.
Elated by victory (1 CV and 2 CVL's sunk in a week), I moved up all the amphib TF's that had been lurking to the South of Rossell Island (kept there for a few turns out of harms way) and started to unload them on the island. The following turn, the "half KB" showed up unexpectedly and without warning...the Shokaku, Hiryu, and the Soryu.
The Japanese got off the first strike. When I saw this, my heart sank. I had ALL my AP's and AK's unloading at Rossell Island. About 1/3 of the fighters of my 5 CV's were allocated to LRCAP over Rossell Island, but I knew it wouldn't be enough.
At the same time, two Japanese surface task forces rounded the corner at Milne Bay and headed toward Port Moresby.
As fate would have it, the Japanese struck the Allied carriers instead of the amphibious TF's at Rossell Island. Not a single bomb or torpedo was dropped...the Japanese suffered 2/3 plane losses at the hands of my CAP, amazingly. Looking over the combat results, it seems the Allies had detected the raid far in advance...thus allowing them to scramble ALL fighters (both CAP and the LRCAP that was over Rossell Island). As such, Allied fighters effectively ambushed the incoming raid due to the early detection. Needless to say, the Allies got quite lucky...but that's war. I suspect the "upgrades" that happen on April 1st (three of the Allied CV's went through the April upgrade process), also helped...I believe the carriers get much better radar during this upgrade.
The initial Allied counterstrike performed poorly. Not a single hit...and they were one hex out of Torpedo range, so no torpedoes were dropped. Bummer! However, a secondary strike did manage to catch a BB TF transiting the strait around Milne Bay, severely damaging one BB.
The next day, the Allies peeled off a surface TF covering the landings at Rossell Island and headed it to Milne Bay...hoping to catch that Japanese BB TF. Since there was finally some aviation support on Rossell Island, some fighters were flown in to cover the landings. With the landings covered, the Allied carriers switched off all LRCAP, went to 60% CAP, and headed toward the last known location of the Japanese carriers.
As it turned out, the Japanese carriers didn't retreat. They moved South a few hexes. As Allied carriers mmoved North a few hexes, our CV task forces ended up 1 hex away from each other...with the Allies 1 hex NORTH of the Japanese.
With the decimation of the Japanese air group on the failed initial strike, I was hoping for "good things". I wasn't disappointed. Bombs and torpedoes found all three Japanese carriers. I didn't get any "sunk" intelligence, but I knew all Japanese carriers were heavily damaged. The Japanese counter-strike was non-existent...5 kates and 8 zeros.
Weather prevented a second strike this day. However, the weather didn't prevent a Betty strike on the BB surface task force that I peeled off. Two torpedoes found an already damaged BB Colorado (from an earlier torpedo hit a month ago). The Colorado peeled off and headed toward Townsville, but, a few days later, a Jap sub off Palm Island finished it off. :(
The third day of the carrier battle brought total Allied victory. Since Allied carriers were North of the Japanese, I suspected the Japanese would try to "run around" the Allies...going South of Lunga and then heading North toward Truk. My guess was right, as the three Allied CV TF's caught up to the Japanese at Rennell Island. Land based strikes were ineffective against the three CV TF's, and the Japanese carriers were too badly damaged to launch a strike.
The Allied strike, though, was devastating....all three Japanese carriers sunk, along with several escorting DD's. So...six Japanese carriers in two weeks!
The fourth day of the battle, Allied carriers raced back toward Milne Bay. The Japanese had snuck in yet more surface TF's to bombard Port Moresby. Once again, Allied carriers caught one of the BB TF's transiting the strait, and heavily damaged another BB. If the carriers hadn't been out of torpedoes, one or both of the BB's would probably have been sunk (pretty amazing how many bombs it takes to do any sort of damage to a Japanese BB). Oh well...can't have everything in life.
While this was going on, the Japanese continued to throw their entire compliment of land based air at either Rossell Island (trying to sink the amphibious task forces) or against the Allied Carriers. They failed against the carriers (losing a hell of a lot of planes in the process), but they did manage to severely damage one AP (happily, it's an AP scheduled to be withdrawn later in 1942).
After all this, Allied aircraft on the carriers were pretty well beaten up...it's amazing how "fast" fighter protection falls. All reinforcements had successfully landed on Rossell Island, so I saw no point in staying around to try to sink a few more ships...so I slunk away, content with a very decisive victory.
The nearly two week battle that happened in this area cost the Japanese CV Junyo, CV Shokaku, CV Hiryu, CV Soryu, and 2 CVL's, along with a CA and a half-dozen DD's. A few xAK's also somehow got involved in the mix. The Allies lost the BB Colorado and, maybe, one AP.
Decisive allied victory, no matter how you look at it!
How This Battle Changes Everything
Anyone who's been following this AAR knows I'm rather "conservative"...perhaps paranoid...about using my carriers early in the war. I only bring them out when I have a clear, unprotected target or I need to use them to provide aircover bringing in reinforcements. Otherwise, my carriers basically sit around in port and gather dust.
The reason for my skittishness is because the Japanese, when their carriers are together, have overwhelming superiority. More specifically, if the Allies lose their carriers needlessly (and take no or few Japanese carriers down with them), the Allied player has effectively conceded the initiative to the Japanese through early 1943. Without carriers, the Allies can still put up a halfway decent defense of their primary bases, but they have zero chance of launching any sort of a major offensive.
Moreover, the loss of Allied carriers frees Japan up to become even more aggressive and bold. Without the worry of a carrier clash, the Japanese can pretty much gobble up damn near anything in the Pacific if they so choose. This calculus changes, however, if the Japanese have to worry about Allied Carriers popping up unexpectedly in their midst.
For these reasons, I strive to the utmost to keep my carriers in-tact...even if it means running and hiding and giving up key territory. To me, at least, nothing but Pearl Harbor itself is worth losing your carriers over early in the war.
Now, however, the tables have been turned. The loss of the six Japanese carriers (including three of the original KB), has allowed the Allies (who still have their 5 carriers) to "share" the initiative with Japan now. I can't stop Japan from taking stuff, but I sure as heck can take it back. This battle also totally prevents a large-scale Japanese offensive against my key bases...whether that be Colombo, Noumea, Australia or Pearl Harbor. In short, the Japanese can still hack away at weaker, isolated bases (like Canton Island or Midway Island), but this battle has effectively prevented them from launching any kind of major offensive that would overwhelm allied defenses at primary bases.
Lastly, of course, the Allies now are much, much freer to launch offensives later this summer and into fall. An invasion of Lunga/Tulagi will absolutely happen, as will an invasion of that annoying Baker Island. It's also likely that I'll begin the "march up" the Solomon Chain, too.
When the CV Wasp joins the fleet in a few weeks, the Allies will have six CV's...with slowly improving airgroups as the F4 replaces the older F3's. Allied airgroups on their carriers also "enlarge" beginnning in July, greatly increasing the defensive and offensive striking power. The Japanese will be very hard pressed to stop Allied offensives later this year, as the striking and defensive power of the Allied CV's (when used together), will likely be greater than what the Japanese can now bring to bear.
Although the Allies still have to be careful...particularly in regards to the still strong Japanese surface TF's...everything in the South Pacific has now changed for the Allies, and all for the better!
India and Burma
The Japanese have been stopped cold in Burma. The division that has tried, repeatedly, to take Chittagong tried a fifth time. It lost 3K troops to zero for the allies. Intel show this division (which once had 20K troops), now only has 2K...none of which is likely infantry.
Meanwhile, a Japanese tank regiment arrived at Imphal one turn before the infantry did. This allowed the huge force I have at Imphal to do a shock attack...which eliminated this Jap tank regiment. Following that turn, the rest of the Japanese Army that is going to try to take Imphal arrived. It consists of two divisions and 3 artillery units. I don't think they have a chance, though. I have 1800 AV in Imphal, with excellent leadership, 5 fortifications and quickly improving experience levels. I did try a deliberate attack against this group, but it failed...Allied had 2K casualties to the Japanese 1K. However, the Japanese only have 700 AV at Imphal, way below what they need. Another 3 or more divisions will be needed to force me out of Imphal. I don't think the Japanese can find the divisions needed. Plus, I can still move another 400 AV out of various places in India...except Chittagong.
To make matters worse for the Japanese, I've begun marching an infantry battallion behind the Japanese unit, hoping to cut off it's supply route.
I suspect the "seige of Imphal" will go on for sometime. Unless the Japanese launch continuous attacks, thus weakening themselves, I don't think the Allies will have enough strength to boot them out. However, they don't have anywhere near enough to take Imphal, either. Thus, a stalemate...which is a good thing for the Allies this early in the war.
Last but not least, the Japanese slogged another infantry division through the woods and it's in Akyab. It's a very strong one. So, I'll be forced to keep the 800 AV I have in Chittagong for the foreseeable future...and might ahve to reinforce it a bit more in the future, too.
Diego Garcia
The Japanese force was too weak to capture the island. It would have worked just fine if I hadn't garrisoned Diego Garcia, but the 30 AV I brought there from Colombo was just enough to prevent the Japanese from capturing it. Some reinforcements are being unloaded now, which will bring the total AV up to around 80. This should be enough to, eventually, force the elimination of the Japanese unit (which is out of supply).
Oh, and people complain about "uber PT boats." Well...let's not forget about "uber Japanese TB boats!" A lone TB was escorting the Japanese invasion force at Diego Garcia. The British brought in a surface TF with one BB, one CA and two DD's to clean everything out. Gee...that TB put up one hell of a fight. During the night engagement, the Allies didn't score a single hit...but that little TB boat hit the BB Revenge several times, causing fires! During the daylight combat, the British finally sunk this brave little Japanese boat.
Canton Island
Supported by the CVL Ryujo and a small bombardment group, the Japanese two turns ago made a lunge toward Canton Island. Multiple task forces were coming right toward it. I figured...now's the time...finally!
Then the big carrier battle happened, and, rather oddly, the entire Canton Island invasion force turned back. Or, perhaps the AI finally got more intelligence about what the Allies have on Canton Island (100 AV plus some big coastal defense guns), and realized it didn't have enough to take it. Regardless, twice now the japanese have gathered up an invasion force, moved on the island, and then mysteriously "called everything back."
Once the Allied carrier airgroups have been reinforced, I plan on moving the carriers toward Baker Island. Hopefully, I can catch some of the ships that have been loitering around there...thus removing the threat to Canton Island once and for all.
Alaska
Infantry regiment landed on Umnak Island, which now has a size 4 AF. North Pacific HQ also just arrived in Dutch Harbor. With the decimation of the Japanese carrier force, I expect very little, if anything, to happen in Alaska now...so I won't be paying much attention to this theatre.
China
Supply situation ever-so-slowly improving. But the Chinese are a long ways away from having enough supply to even remotely consider going on the offensive.
Things to Watch
I'm so used to WiTP, I never bothered to check Hawaii...to see if reinforcements were arriving there. Finally, I did, and gee...look at all those nice AirHQ's (which I desperately need at Port Moresby and Luganville, among other places). All sorts of aircraft also arrive in Hawaii as reinforcements. In WiTP, virtually everything arrives at San Francisco, LA or San Diego. So I'm not used to all this "stuff" showing up at all these other bases.
Fuel situation is holding steady, although the active operations likely will gulp down most of the fuel supply I've built up at Noumea. Lack of fuel will definitely be something that holds the Allies back in the months ahead. But so far, the Allies have just enough fuel to do what they want to do. Hopefully that trend continues.
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