modrow
Posts: 1100
Joined: 8/27/2006 Status: offline
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Gentlemen, I guess it's about time I provide another update... I was out of town during the last week or so which meant relying on mobile internet access, which for some reason does not allow me to answer the security challenge correctly during login, thus my extended silence. Still, we were able to do another turn or two, so that by now, we are about to process the January 11, 1942 turn. This is just a short heads-up on recent events. I'll try to find the time to provide some more insight into the Malaya campaign (where I am in big do-do) and into the events in Burma (where I am trying to create a situation that looks complicated) during the next few days, hopefully I'll manage to do so. What I want to report here is some more action in the Ambon/Kendari region. As stated previously, my aim here is to slow down the enemy by creating the impression that guarding his moves with surface assets is a must. During the January 9 turn, I had obtained intel that my opponent was evidently sending another invasion wave against Kendari, where his previously assigned assets (16th Naval Guard and 9th JNAF Coy) are insufficient to take the place (I had the Sparrow Battalion reinforce it), which was about to beach next turn. Also, I knew that the "Guard TF" at Ambon mentioned in previous posts had seemingly disappeared after the first sea battle at Kendari, whereas cursor intel seemed to indicate that the number of units at Ambon may be in process of being reduced. Thus, I decided to send in one TF to Kendari to interfere with the landing and one TF to Ambon to interfere with the loading. As a consequence, a long series of surface battles took place. The ones at Kendari were inconclusive, I guess it's a clean draw and I was unable to interfere with the invasion (mining the place did not help either, DMS in an invasion TF do their job proper). At Ambon, I was more successful, but unfortunately two of the cruisers involved got torpedoed afterwards. Let's see whether I can save them. So far, the entire operation might have bought once again a bit of time and stressed the message I want to send. I'll use the combat report for more details: AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Jan 10, 42 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night Time Surface Combat, near Kendari at 70,106, Range 6,000 Yards Japanese Ships CA Atago CA Myoko DD Akikaze DD Shiokaze Allied Ships PT TM-10 PT TM-11 PT TM-12, Shell hits 1, and is sunk --------------------------------------------------------- ASW attack near Kendari at 70,106 Japanese Ships CA Atago DD Shiokaze Allied Ships SS O20 SS O20 launches 4 torpedoes at CA Atago ------------------------------------------------------------- Night Time Surface Combat, near Kendari at 70,106, Range 7,000 Yards Japanese Ships CA Atago, Shell hits 2 CA Myoko, Shell hits 13, on fire DD Akikaze DD Shiokaze Allied Ships CA Indianapolis, Shell hits 2 CA Australia CL Marblehead CL St. Louis, Shell hits 1 CL Honolulu, Shell hits 2, on fire DD Phelps, Shell hits 2, on fire DD Alden DD Edsall, Shell hits 1, heavy fires DMS Dorsey ----------------------------------------------------- Night Time Surface Combat, near Ambon at 76,109, Range 7,000 Yards Japanese Ships PB Shinko Maru #3, Shell hits 19, and is sunk PB Shinko Maru #5, Shell hits 29, and is sunk Allied Ships CA Minneapolis CL Java CL De Ruyter CL Tromp DD Vampire DD Vendetta DD Witte de With --------------------------------------------------------------- Night Time Surface Combat, near Ambon at 76,109, Range 8,000 Yards Japanese Ships SC Ch 6, Shell hits 10, and is sunk SC Ch 19, Shell hits 6, and is sunk xAK Yamabiko Maru, Shell hits 16, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk xAP Kasado Maru, Shell hits 31, and is sunk Allied Ships CA Minneapolis CL Java CL De Ruyter CL Tromp DD Vampire DD Vendetta DD Witte de With Japanese ground losses: 409 casualties reported Squads: 13 destroyed, 23 disabled Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 26 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Guns lost 14 (4 destroyed, 10 disabled) Allied Ships Reported to be Approaching! Japanese TF suspends loading operations and begins to get underway Allied Ships Reported to be Approaching! ---------------------------------------------------- Naval bombardment of Ambon at 76,109 Japanese aircraft no flights Japanese aircraft losses No Japanese losses Allied Ships CA Minneapolis CL Tromp CL De Ruyter CL Java Japanese ground losses: 30 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Guns lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled) Airbase supply hits 1 Runway hits 17 CA Minneapolis firing at Ambon CL Tromp firing at Ambon CL De Ruyter firing at Ambon CL Java firing at Ambon --------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Invasion action off Kendari 7 Coastal gun shots fired in defense. Japanese Ships CA Ashigara CA Haguro DD Yukaze Japanese ground losses: 9 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Guns lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled) CA Ashigara firing at Sparrow Battalion CA Haguro firing at Sparrow Battalion DD Yukaze firing at Sparrow Battalion Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amphibious Assault at Kendari TF 147 troops unloading over beach at Kendari, 70,106 Japanese ground losses: 36 casualties reported Squads: 3 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled 6 troops of a SNLF HMG Squad accidentally lost during unload of Sasebo 3rd SNLF 6 troops of a SNLF HMG Squad lost in surf during unload of Sasebo 3rd SNLF 17 troops of a SNLF Squad lost in surf during unload of Sasebo 3rd SNLF /2 17 troops of a SNLF Squad lost in surf during unload of Sasebo 3rd SNLF /2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Invasion Support action off Kendari Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft 3 Coastal gun shots fired in defense. Japanese Ships CA Ashigara CA Haguro DD Yukaze DD Tokitsukaze CA Ashigara firing at Sparrow Battalion CA Haguro firing at Sparrow Battalion DD Yukaze firing at Sparrow Battalion DD Tokitsukaze firing at Sparrow Battalion DD Yukaze firing at enemy troops DD Tokitsukaze firing at enemy troops ------------------------------------------------------------------ Day Time Surface Combat, near Kendari at 70,107, Range 19,000 Yards Japanese Ships CA Atago CA Myoko DD Akikaze DD Shiokaze Allied Ships PT TM-10, Shell hits 1, and is sunk PT TM-11 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Time Surface Combat, near Ambon at 76,109, Range 16,000 Yards Japanese Ships CL Katori, Shell hits 16, heavy fires, heavy damage CL Kashima, Shell hits 11, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage CL Kashii, Shell hits 17, heavy fires, heavy damage DD Hatsukaze, Shell hits 3 DD Natsushio, Shell hits 1 DD Hayashio, Shell hits 2, on fire Allied Ships CA Minneapolis, Shell hits 4 CL Java CL De Ruyter, Shell hits 3, on fire CL Tromp, Shell hits 1 DD Vampire, Shell hits 2, on fire DD Vendetta, Shell hits 3 DD Witte de With, Shell hits 4, on fire ----------------------------------------------------------- Day Time Surface Combat, near Kendari at 71,107, Range 19,000 Yards Japanese Ships CA Atago CA Myoko DD Akikaze DD Shiokaze Allied Ships PT TM-11 ----------------------------------------------------------- Sub attack near Kendari at 70,106 Japanese Ships xAK Katuragi Maru, Torpedo hits 1 DD Yukaze DMS W-4 DMS W-1 DD Tokitsukaze Allied Ships SS KXVI ----------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on TF, near Moa at 73,117 Weather in hex: Moderate rain Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 4 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 8 G3M2 Nell x 3 G4M1 Betty x 9 Allied aircraft CW-21B Demon x 4 Japanese aircraft losses G3M2 Nell: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged Allied aircraft losses CW-21B Demon: 1 destroyed Allied Ships CL Java CA Minneapolis ----------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Moa at 73,117 Weather in hex: Light rain Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 5 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 8 G4M1 Betty x 9 Allied aircraft CW-21B Demon x 3 Japanese aircraft losses G4M1 Betty: 7 damaged Allied aircraft losses CW-21B Demon: 1 destroyed Allied Ships CA Minneapolis, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage CL Java CL Tromp ------------------------------------------------- Sub attack near Ambon at 76,112 Japanese Ships SS RO-34 Allied Ships CL De Ruyter, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage DD Vendetta SS RO-34 launches 2 torpedoes at CL De Ruyter What a turn to watch Thanks for your interest Hartwig
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