ADB123
Posts: 1559
Joined: 8/18/2009 Status: offline
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July 8, 1943 – My opponent was only able to send the Combat Replay this evening, and he will be very busy over the next week or so with Real Life, so turns will be rather scarce for a while. The Night Phase started out with Cape Gloucester auto-occupied by the Japanese. This is starting to fell like early 1942 all over again. BTW – in one of my Japanese pbems, a Japanese-controlled, but un-garrisoned base that was sitting between 3 heavily garrisoned Japanese bases suddenly switched over to the Allies, despite there being no Allied forces or bases closer than the Japanese-controlled and garrisoned bases. So I’ve got a feeling that the “adjustment” to the Auto-Occupy feature in the latest Rev isn’t working quite right. Night time action then switched to Sub Wars. First off a Japanese sub attacked but missed a US DE in a DE ASW TF just east of Tanna. The DEs then hit the sub 3 times and chased it off. But then another Japanese sub attacked the same DE ASW TF and missed again. This time the DEs hit the sub 11 times. Next, the skipper of the USS Pollack decided not to shot at an xAKL in a rather large Japanese Transport TF off of Phuket. Pollack was chased off, and I said Phuket to the Subs Skipper. Then off of Toyohara USS S-35 put a torpedo into a Japanese TK. S-35 escaped the Japanese Escorts, but I don’t think that the TK went done. Finally, USS Gunard fired and reported missing a heavily damaged Japanese sub on the Surface near Torres Island. Once again, I really wish that the Gunard had gone to the surface and used its Deck Gun. Daylight brought Lousy Weather most everywhere at the start, but the USN PB4Y-1s in the South Pacific ignored the Weather and flew way north to hit the Port at Ndeni. They found a Japanese sub in port and sank it. The Air Wars then shifted to Burma where a large number of Helens, escorted by Oscars, attacked the British troops at Mandalay. A couple of Hurricane IIcs drifted over from other Duties and buzzed around the Oscars a bit, but the Helens didn’t notice them and hit the Brits reasonably well. Then 25 more unescorted Helens attacked an Allied Artillery unit just to the west of Mandalay. More Hurricane IIcs attempted to wander over but they didn’t reach the area in time to catch the Helens before they dropped their bombs and left. It was now the turn of the Allied Air Forces and once again various DB and 2E squadrons attacked various Japanese LCUs around and near Myitkyina without much success at all. At this point the US 4Es started to Attack the Air Base at Pegu. The first raid consisted of 14 B-17Fs, 12 B-17Es and 55 B-24D1. They were met by 59 Tojos, 34 A6M3as and 9 Tonys. The 4Es blasted past the CAP, shooting down 1 A6M3a on the way by, and destroying 2 A6M3as, 3 Tojos and 10 Tonys on the Ground while hammering the Air Base. Next in were 13 more B-24D1s which had to face 51 Tojos, 31 A6M3as and 5 Tonys. This attack also blasted past the CAP, shooting down 1 Tojo on the way in, and destroyed another Tony on the Ground. Finally, 11 more B-24D1s attacked and slipped by the Japanese CAP to destroy another A6M3a and another Tony on the Ground. Despite the reasonable results at Pegu, I still haven’t figured out where the Helens and Oscar IIs are located. Maybe they are at Moulmein. But the Allied Air Efforts weren’t over in Burma as 2Es flew in to attack the Japanese Troops at Mandalay. First in were 8 Wellington Ics, 12 Blenheim VDs and 27 Wellington GR VIIIs, escorted by 22 Hurricane IIcs and 7 Hurricane IIBs. The Attack was faced by 6 Tojos on CAP. The Tojos fought well, shooting down 1 IIC, 2 IIBs and 1 VD while losing only one of their own. But the Allied Attack still got through and found their target. Next in were 11 Wellington BXs which were escorted by 9 Corsairs. This attack was met by 1 Tojo and the Corsairs made short work of him while the Bombers hit their target again. Various P-39 Squadrons also attempted to Strafe the Enemy at various locations, but couldn’t find the target. And at the end of the day back in Australia, more 4Es flew and hammered the Air Base at Wyndham again. Then came a series of Allied Ground Attacks as I attempted to put continuous pressure on the Japanese positions throughout Burma. First up were the Japanese Troops that had already been defeated just east of Akyab: Ground combat at 55,46 (near Akyab) Allied Deliberate attack Attacking force 19988 troops, 229 guns, 356 vehicles, Assault Value = 804 Defending force 10931 troops, 121 guns, 111 vehicles, Assault Value = 263 Allied adjusted assault: 486 Japanese adjusted defense: 411 Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), experience(-) Attacker: Japanese ground losses: 881 casualties reported Squads: 2 destroyed, 90 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 17 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled Guns lost 16 (1 destroyed, 15 disabled) Allied ground losses: 291 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 37 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled Guns lost 3 (2 destroyed, 1 disabled) Assaulting units: 20th Indian Division 43rd Cavalry Regiment 17th Indian Division 3rd (Special Force) Division Defending units: 32nd Division 17th Army 8th RF Gun Battalion I’m happy with the loss ratio. Next was yet another attack on the Japanese Infantry Regiment that was southwest of Kalamyo: Ground combat at 58,43 (near Kalemyo) Allied Deliberate attack Attacking force 3813 troops, 42 guns, 418 vehicles, Assault Value = 260 Defending force 2965 troops, 39 guns, 10 vehicles, Assault Value = 54 Allied adjusted assault: 223 Japanese adjusted defense: 79 Allied assault odds: 2 to 1 Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), op mode(-), leaders(+) Attacker: Japanese ground losses: 411 casualties reported Squads: 31 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 31 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 2 destroyed, 6 disabled Guns lost 9 (8 destroyed, 1 disabled) Vehicles lost 4 (4 destroyed, 0 disabled) Units retreated 1 Allied ground losses: 22 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Defeated Japanese Units Retreating! Assaulting units: 3rd Carabiniers Regiment 50th Tank Brigade 8th Medium Regiment Defending units: 33rd/A Division So they were finally driven back! Next was an attack on the Japanese Troops on the Myitkyina Road just to the west of the Base: Ground combat at 63,42 (near Myitkyina) Allied Deliberate attack Attacking force 2723 troops, 18 guns, 281 vehicles, Assault Value = 202 Defending force 2606 troops, 20 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 63 Allied adjusted assault: 179 Japanese adjusted defense: 55 Allied assault odds: 3 to 1 Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), fatigue(-) Attacker: leaders(+) Japanese ground losses: 340 casualties reported Squads: 31 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 24 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Guns lost 4 (2 destroyed, 2 disabled) Units retreated 1 Allied ground losses: 43 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Defeated Japanese Units Retreating! Assaulting units: 255th Armoured Brigade Defending units: 112th Infantry Regiment So my Bombers couldn’t find these troops, but my Armoured Unit didn’t have any problem. Next I tried an Artillery Bombardment on the Japanese Troops that are 2 hexes to the east of Akyab: Ground combat at 56,45 (near Akyab) Allied Bombardment attack Attacking force 3937 troops, 84 guns, 159 vehicles, Assault Value = 97 Defending force 3437 troops, 26 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 109 Japanese ground losses: 28 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Assaulting units: 268th Motorised Brigade 29th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment Defending units: 114th Infantry Regiment That’s not a bad result, but obviously I’ll have to work harder to drive those Enemy Troops back. And I had the Indian Division that is just east of Kalemyo try an Artillery Bombardment too: Ground combat at 60,42 (near Kalemyo) Allied Bombardment attack Attacking force 9694 troops, 119 guns, 143 vehicles, Assault Value = 252 Defending force 3863 troops, 39 guns, 10 vehicles, Assault Value = 130 Japanese ground losses: 12 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled) Assaulting units: 14th Indian Division Defending units: 33rd/C Division Once again, while the attack wasn’t bad, the Indians aren’t quite ready for Prime Time yet. Likewise, the Chinese Troops on the Lashio Road still aren’t ready to push out the Japanse: Ground combat at 63,45 (near Bhamo) Allied Bombardment attack Attacking force 46839 troops, 323 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1740 Defending force 16197 troops, 173 guns, 122 vehicles, Assault Value = 467 Allied ground losses: 9 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Assaulting units: 10th Chinese Corps 14th Chinese Corps 45th Chinese Corps 97th Chinese Corps NCAC Defending units: 2nd Guards Division 8th Area Army 18th Mountain Gun Regiment 5th Mortar Battalion The Chinese Troops on the Myitkyina Road are closer to being able to get rid of their opponent: Ground combat at 62,42 (near Katha) Allied Bombardment attack Attacking force 9072 troops, 100 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 305 Defending force 4161 troops, 51 guns, 16 vehicles, Assault Value = 138 Japanese ground losses: 12 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Assaulting units: 1st New Chinese Corps Defending units: 20th/A Division
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