obvert
Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011 From: PDX (and now) London, UK Status: offline
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31 Dec 1941 DEI: The supplies got low enough at Macassar so that there are no drop tanks for the Tainan zeros. No sweeps. This meant that the Bettys bombing the overstacked Soerabaja airfield were vulnerable. Escorted by 13 zeros, they came in at 15,000 and only lost 2 planes. The escorts shot down a Demon and a Buffalo. 1 Wildebeast destroyed on the ground. Question. On the report below, it usually states fighter patrol altitude and then lists scrambling fighters to the same altitude. No. 453 Sq RAF is at patrol 20000 and then scrambles fighters between 9000 and 1900. Is the first value the altitude at which CAP is set? And the next two based on reports of attack altitude from radar and visual sightings? And why would some scramble to 9000 if the attack is coming in at 15000? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Soerabaja , at 56,104 Weather in hex: Light cloud Raid detected at 32 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 11 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 13 G4M1 Betty x 17 Allied aircraft Buffalo I x 14 B-339D x 1 CW-21B Demon x 3 75A-7 Hawk x 2 Japanese aircraft losses G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed Allied aircraft losses Buffalo I: 1 destroyed B-339D: 1 damaged CW-21B Demon: 1 destroyed Vildebeest III: 1 destroyed on ground Airbase hits 1 Airbase supply hits 1 Runway hits 5 Aircraft Attacking: 16 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 15000 feet Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb CAP engaged: 1-Vl.G.IV with 75A-7 Hawk (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 1 scrambling) 1 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 20000 , scrambling fighters to 17000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 31 minutes 2 planes vectored on to bombers 2-Vl.G.IV with CW-21B Demon (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 1 scrambling) 2 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 20000 , scrambling fighters to 15000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 27 minutes 1 planes vectored on to bombers 1-VI.G.V with B-339D (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) 1 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 10000 Raid is overhead No.21 Sqn RAAF with Buffalo I (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 2 scrambling) 2 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 20000 , scrambling fighters to 20000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 30 minutes 2 planes vectored on to bombers No.243 Sqn RAF with Buffalo I (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 2 scrambling) 1 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 20000 , scrambling fighters to 20000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 39 minutes 2 planes vectored on to bombers No.453 Sqn RAF with Buffalo I (1 airborne, 3 on standby, 3 scrambling) 1 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 20000 , scrambling fighters between 9000 and 19000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 34 minutes 4 planes vectored on to bombers Next Nells came in without escort to attack three destroyers in the harbour, of course the same turn the drop tanks were not available. This after 4 turns of just sitting and waiting until the field was smoothed out for them. So, the same CAP, at 20000ft, went after them coming in at 10000, but missed them completely. It looks like the raid was only detected at 1 mile out, so I can see why they would miss them on the way in, but you'd think we'd have gotten chewed to bits on the way out. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Soerabaja at 56,104 Weather in hex: Light rain Raid spotted at 1 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 0 minutes Japanese aircraft G3M2 Nell x 12 Allied aircraft Buffalo I x 5 CW-21B Demon x 1 75A-7 Hawk x 1 Japanese aircraft losses G3M2 Nell: 3 damaged No Allied losses Allied Ships DD Piet Hein DD Witte de With DD Kortenaer Aircraft Attacking: 12 x G3M2 Nell bombing from 10000 feet Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb CAP engaged: No.243 Sqn RAF with Buffalo I (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (1 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 1 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 20000 Raid is overhead 1-Vl.G.IV with 75A-7 Hawk (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) 1 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 20000 Raid is overhead 2-Vl.G.IV with CW-21B Demon (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) 1 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 20000 Raid is overhead No.21 Sqn RAAF with Buffalo I (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) 1 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 20000 Raid is overhead No.453 Sqn RAF with Buffalo I (1 airborne, 2 on standby, 0 scrambling) 1 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 20000 , scrambling fighters to 20000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 17 minutes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elsewhere our forces got 1 to 2 at both Ambon and Zamboanga. A little air support and this should turn around in a few turns. China: The AVG showed up at Nanning this turn, but strangely missed 10 Anns flying in to bomb the field at 6000ft. I have a feeling they were too high (20000ft) and the raid was spotted too late (3 min). PI: Another deliberate attack at Manila results at 1 to 1, but we're getting closer and putting more PA troops in the infirmary. This turn, even though several units are showing some fatigue in the 20-30 range. We're shocking. This could lead to a lot of casualties on both sides, but if we pull out a 3 or 4 to 1 attack, they might be suitably one-sided. Before these PA units escape back into Clark we want to wreck them completely. Major air support will hit the PA troops before the attack. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Manila (79,77) Japanese Deliberate attack Attacking force 23748 troops, 233 guns, 592 vehicles, Assault Value = 773 Defending force 18799 troops, 262 guns, 155 vehicles, Assault Value = 265 Japanese adjusted assault: 517 Allied adjusted defense: 263 Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0) Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0 Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), preparation(-), experience(-) Attacker: Japanese ground losses: 622 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 9 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled Engineers: 27 destroyed, 18 disabled Guns lost 6 (1 destroyed, 5 disabled) Allied ground losses: 1545 casualties reported Squads: 27 destroyed, 106 disabled Non Combat: 12 destroyed, 37 disabled Engineers: 4 destroyed, 6 disabled Guns lost 55 (5 destroyed, 50 disabled) Vehicles lost 8 (1 destroyed, 7 disabled) Assaulting units: 16th Engineer Regiment 1st Ind. Engineer Regiment 2nd Tank Regiment 21st Ind. Engineer Regiment Kanno Detachment 3rd Ind. Engineer Regiment 4th Tank Regiment 9th Infantry Regiment 20th Infantry Regiment 65th Brigade 16th Recon Regiment 8th Tank Regiment 7th Tank Regiment 15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion 16th Army 14th Army 8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment 2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion 9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion 17th Medium Field Artillery Regiment Defending units: 41st PA Infantry Division 71st PA Infantry Division 1st PA Infantry Division 51st PA Infantry Division 2nd PA Constabulary Regiment Manila USAAF Base Force USAFFE South Luzon Force Cavite USN Base Force PAF Aviation ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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< Message edited by obvert -- 12/13/2011 11:50:25 AM >
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