Canoerebel
Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002 From: Northwestern Georgia, USA Status: offline
|
11/23/42 Wake Island: The Allied shock attack turns out oddly. The Allied AV is adjusted radically downwards, for some reason, resulting in an attack that falls just short of a 1:1 and fails to touch four forts. But the Japanese take much higher casualties, including a surprising number of squads destroyed: Ground combat at Wake Island (136,98) Allied Shock attack Attacking force 4363 troops, 141 guns, 55 vehicles, Assault Value = 186 Defending force 2428 troops, 62 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 58 Allied adjusted assault: 36 Japanese adjusted defense: 39 Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 4) Combat modifiers Defender: forts(+), disruption(-), experience(-) Attacker: shock(+), disruption(-) Japanese ground losses: 949 casualties reported Squads: 24 destroyed, 32 disabled Non Combat: 18 destroyed, 40 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Allied ground losses: 1020 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 81 disabled Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 67 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled Guns lost 48 (6 destroyed, 42 disabled) Assaulting units: 23rd Marine Regiment 34th Combat Engineer Regiment 2nd USMC Field Artillery Battalion 7th Marine Defense Battalion Defending units: Maizuru 2nd SNLF 47th Naval Guard Unit Wake Coastal Gun Battalion 37th JNAF AF Unit What it Means: I'll have to rest my troops for at least two days, which gives Brad time to take out my unprotected supply ships or to reinforce the island, though he doesn't seem inclined to do either. I think Brad has written off Wake, but the longer it holds the better the chance he might change his mind. Losses: Losses during this amphibious operation have been remarkably light. I lost about ten xAK, which don't matter, and one AP (Zeilin), which does matter. I have about twenty more xAK either at Wake or standing offshoare about five hexes, but at this point no matter what happens, this operation was very inexpensive. Ojbectives: The operation has met two of its three objectives thus far: (1) Sneak up and "goose" Brad in an area that would add to the appearance that the Allies have serious ideas in CenPac and NoPac; (2) Show that the Allies are now ready to undertake major invasions, so he has to be alert everywhere; and [not yet accomplished] (3) Take Wake, either to use as a base long term or, more likely, so that Brad will put together something major to re-take it, thus affording the Allies to move freely somewhere else (Tarawa being my original objective, but that's currently under review). Oz: An Aussie armored recon unit has cut the road behind Daly Waters. 300 Allied AV will arrive at Daly tomorrow. I'm not sure Brad has seen what's happening here - this would be an easy area to overlook if he's not giving this his full attention. India: The Allies will take Viz and Dacca tomorrow. A company of Marine paratroops is setting out from Jaffna, Ceylon, to feel its way towards the town between Trincomalee and Columbo. I've set up recon to fly Colombo tomorrow, but the airfield is very low on supply, so I'm not sure the mission will go. Brad's Morale: I thought more about yesterday's discussion of Brad's state of mind. I don't think he's completely neglecting the game. He's done plenty of little things to indicate he's giving the game thought and making preparations for the future - like sending 33rd Division to Palembang, beefing up the garrison at Horn Island, and ramping up the air presence in the New Hebrides and New Caledonia. But he's certainly not giving it his full attention, as I think the situation around Daly Waters and at Wake Island suggest. With regard to the latter, he didn't have Wake mined and there hasn't been a single Japanese sub there to pick off cripples, so I think the invasion really caught him by surprise when it probably shouldn't have.
< Message edited by Canoerebel -- 2/10/2011 3:23:39 PM >
|