Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: witpqs

I just checked: the first attack was November 7th. This one will be November 12th, so a 5 day period. I don't see it getting any shorter unless and until the base is about to fall. Fortifications were reduced to 5 last time, so I am hoping to reduce them to 4 this time.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Andav could be doing much better, especially at Canton.

He probably shouldn't even defend when it is just one Squadron on defense, unless he breaks them into thirds and then you suffer from poor leaders in two of three splinters.

Settings, settings, and settings. Oh my. He is just handing you those planes.

Talk about your strategic bombing plans, if any? Go visit Honshu again why don't you? Keep Andav honest, and wasting a lot of fighters there.

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ORIGINAL: Drakanel

Well, that is some really good progress all around. Great day in the air, good maneuvering in Malaya and next day could be the end at Lang son, or very good progress at least.

Things are going suspiciously well. Where's the pitfall?
The calendar! Always the calendar for the Allies!

The attack of Naha tomorrow is quite nerve wracking. To be honest, I'm impatient to see the results. Will it be a meatgrinder?
OK, here is my prediction. You can all laugh at me when the turn comes in and we see what really happened!

• Meat grinder = yes.
• Fortifications will be reduced 1 level (from 5 to 4).
• Allied casualties will be higher than the prior attack. Why? The Allies are attacking with less against almost as much.
• Imperial casualties will be at least as high as the prior attack. Why? The IJ have 1 less fort level and have been bombarded for longer.
• The Allies will wind up resting for at least 7 days (vs 5 days this time) before attacking again so as to recover additional AV.
• Bombardments (naval and aerial) will be somewhat more effective after the fortification reduction.


Although it will still take a while, securing Malaya, Sumatra and Java would free up a lot of assets for other fronts and operations. We know you are using small units for all those bases on Sumatra and Java. That's not the case, obviously, for Malaya and especially Singapore.

The question though is, can wee have an estimation of how many aerial assets are you using between those three theatres? I would imagine quite a lot, but I don't think you ever wrote about it.

I've written about it in fair detail at various points. I don't want to go through and pull together a formal list right now, so here is a summary from memory.
• Java: 3x Bde/Rgt, a few Bn and a few Coy. A bunch of 105 mm and smaller artillery units. Java will be cleaned out really soon. Recon bombardments were ordered at both Imperial redoubts. We will know their AV strength next turn.
• Sumatra: 2x Divisions, 1x Bde. One division is just about to march into Padang.
• A Cdo Bn is about to land at Oosthaven, which will be followed by a Rgt. Both were from Borneo, on the Java Sea. These two units, plus units that are lifted across the Sunda Strait from Java, will possibly reach Palembang before the divisions marching down from the north get there. Even though there are >14,000 troops at Palembang I suspect it will fall quickly when infantry and artillery from Java get there.
• Singapore: Quite a bit more here. The spearhead has been 3x divisions plus a number of armoured units (the 8 units in the Georgetown combat). Many Bn, depleted Bde, and some not so depleted Bde are supporting in terms of garrison and containment and elimination of zombies. The paras and commandos were retained for use here and a good thing with the recent grab along the road/rail that will reduce the time of marching on Singapore. The basic plan remains: the spearhead pushes down a corridor as quickly as possible while the smaller forces guard the flanks and deal with zombies. When the spearhead is pretty close to Singapore, the remaining divisions and large artillery rail down the peninsula, rested and fresh as daisies, to participate in the attack on Singapore itself. At least 6 divisions (might be 7, but at least 6), and all the largest artillery that was in theater.
• Notice that I have left out support troops. Their commitment is modest and need not be increased to keep up the tempo.
• Recently I have been draining Burma of all but a shadow presence. Divs, Bdes (depleted and otherwise), Bns, armoured cal units, artillery, and many, many base forces and engineers have been streaming toward the front in China. Many are already there and more are on the way.

My goal a while ago was to capture Singapore before 1944 end, and I thought Sumatra and Java would take longer. I now believe that they will all be captured by then.

There are also some Bde/Rgt and Bn that will be moving into the southern and central Philippines.


Also, how many LBA groups will you send at Singkawang? With the obvious objective of torpedoing anything that still floats at Singapore!
So far just a Beaufighter VIII group (if I got the plane name correct!) with torpedoes and a fighter group. Both were in theater already, not at all stripped from more active areas.

quote:

ORIGINAL: witpqs
OK, here is my prediction. You can all laugh at me when the turn comes in and we see what really happened!
• Meat grinder = yes.
• Fortifications will be reduced 1 level (from 5 to 4).
• Allied casualties will be higher than the prior attack. Why? The Allies are attacking with less against almost as much.
• Imperial casualties will be at least as high as the prior attack. Why? The IJ have 1 less fort level and have been bombarded for longer.
• The Allies will wind up resting for at least 7 days (vs 5 days this time) before attacking again so as to recover additional AV.
• Bombardments (naval and aerial) will be somewhat more effective after the fortification reduction.

quote:


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Ground combat at 73,57 (near Pakhoi)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 40816 troops, 525 guns, 1573 vehicles, Assault Value = 1733

Defending force 8501 troops, 45 guns, 15 vehicles, Assault Value = 236

Allied adjusted assault: 972

Japanese adjusted defense: 61

Allied assault odds: 15 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
5699 casualties reported
Squads: 143 destroyed, 98 disabled
Non Combat: 77 destroyed, 117 disabled
Engineers: 43 destroyed, 11 disabled
Guns lost 33 (22 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Vehicles lost 14 (12 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Units retreated 2

Allied ground losses:
513 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 61 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 28 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Vehicles lost 42 (1 destroyed, 41 disabled)

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
96th Infantry Division
775th Tank Battalion
1st Australian Division
XI Corps Engr Grp
671th Tank Destroyer Battalion
637th Tank Destroyer Battalion
711th Tank Battalion
706th Tank Battalion
2/4th Armoured Regiment
640th Tank Destroyer Battalion
Provisionl Tank Brigade
632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion
192nd Tank Battalion
2/6th Armoured Regiment
5th Australian Division

Defending units:
3rd South Seas Det.
110th/C Division
6th Field Construction Battalion


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Ground combat at Lang Son (70,56)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 76058 troops, 965 guns, 490 vehicles, Assault Value = 2070

Defending force 13731 troops, 86 guns, 17 vehicles, Assault Value = 33

Allied adjusted assault: 1580

Japanese adjusted defense: 11

Allied assault odds: 143 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), fatigue(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
11053 casualties reported
Squads: 496 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 581 destroyed, 196 disabled
Engineers: 12 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 102 (102 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 11 (10 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Allied ground losses:
267 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 19 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Assaulting units:
II Aus Corps Engineer Battalion
I Corps Engr Grp
8th New Chinese Corps
23rd LRP Brigade
22nd Australian Brigade
96th Chinese Division
27th Australian Brigade
23rd Australian Brigade
111th LRP Brigade
36th Chinese Division
13th Indian Brigade
4th Armoured Brigade
88th Chinese Division
3rd New Chinese Corps
9th Australian Division
IV Indian Corps
2nd Medium Regiment
312th Base Group
87th Medium Regiment
33rd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
14th RAAF M/W Sqn
85th Medium Regiment
134th (East Ang) Regiment
2/9th Field Regiment
251st Field Artillery Battalion
21st Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
1st Medium Regiment
27th Indian Field Artillery Battalion
18th SP Field Artillery Regiment
25th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
30th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
31st Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
Southwest Pacific
2/11th Field Regiment
2/1st Med Regiment
417th Base Group
II Australian Corps
32nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment

Defending units:
27th Division
37th Division


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Japanese Unit(s) surrounded at Lang Son
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Ground combat at Bandoeng (50,100)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 3491 troops, 48 guns, 16 vehicles, Assault Value = 150

Defending force 3916 troops, 110 guns, 47 vehicles, Assault Value = 45

Assaulting units:
158th(Sep) Infantry Regiment
2/6 Commando Battalion
2/8th Ind Coy

Defending units:
III/81st Naval Guard Unit
61st JNAF AF Unit
3rd Mortar Battalion
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
92nd JAAF AF Bn


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Ground combat at Batavia (49,98)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 4371 troops, 69 guns, 29 vehicles, Assault Value = 126

Defending force 2752 troops, 22 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 36

Allied ground losses:
8 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
30th Australian Brigade

Defending units:
78th Naval Guard Unit
35th JNAF AF Unit


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Ground combat at Naha (95,66)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 73115 troops, 1201 guns, 1816 vehicles, Assault Value = 2289

Defending force 38832 troops, 467 guns, 171 vehicles, Assault Value = 840

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 4

Allied adjusted assault: 3448

Japanese adjusted defense: 2065

Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 4)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 4

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), disruption(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
2287 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 246 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 35 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 22 disabled
Guns lost 58 (16 destroyed, 42 disabled)
Vehicles lost 43 (22 destroyed, 21 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
4524 casualties reported
Squads: 158 destroyed, 219 disabled
Non Combat: 42 destroyed, 52 disabled
Engineers: 22 destroyed, 14 disabled
Guns lost 65 (14 destroyed, 51 disabled)
Vehicles lost 140 (73 destroyed, 67 disabled)

Assaulting units:
6th Infantry Division
2nd Marine Division
41st Infantry Division
1st USMC Tank Battalion
766th Tank Battalion
710th Tank Battalion
194th Tank Battalion
43rd Infantry Division
25th Infantry Division
XIV Corps Engr Grp
40th Infantry Division
2nd USMC Tank Battalion
716th Tank Battalion
3rd Arm Amphib Battalion
193rd Tank Battalion
767th Tank Battalion
Sixth US Army
XIV US Corps
1st USMC Field Artillery Battalion
2nd USMC Field Artillery Battalion
3rd AmphTrac Engineer Battalion

Defending units:
75th Infantry Brigade
2nd Tank Regiment
34th Ind.Mixed Brigade
35th Division
15th Ind.Mixed Regiment
Det. 3rd Special Base Force
31st JAAF AF Bn
Nansei Shoto JNAF Base Force
Okinawa Naval Base Force
3rd Medium Mortar Battalion
100th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
79th Field AA Battalion
80th Field AA Battalion
39th Field AA Machinecannon Company
32nd Army
81st Field AA Battalion
244th JAAF AF Bn


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quote:


Correct:
• Meat grinder = yes.
• Fortifications will be reduced 1 level (from 5 to 4).
• Imperial casualties will be at least as high as the prior attack. Why? The IJ have 1 less fort level and have been bombarded for longer.

Wrong:
• Allied casualties will be higher than the prior attack. Why? The Allies are attacking with less against almost as much.

Results pending:
• The Allies will wind up resting for at least 7 days (vs 5 days this time) before attacking again so as to recover additional AV.
• Bombardments (naval and aerial) will be somewhat more effective after the fortification reduction.

quote:


November 11 Assault <-- November 6 Assault

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 4 <-- Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 5

Allied adjusted assault: 3448 <-- Allied adjusted assault: 3203

Japanese adjusted defense: 2065 <-- Japanese adjusted defense: 4963

Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 4) <-- Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 5)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 4 <-- (No corresponding message.)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), disruption(-), experience(-) <-- Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), disruption(-), experience(-)
Attacker: <-- Attacker: HQ(+)

Japanese ground losses:
2287 casualties reported <-- 1202 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 246 disabled <-- Squads: 4 destroyed, 69 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 35 disabled <-- Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 33 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 22 disabled <-- Engineers: 0 destroyed, 18 disabled
Guns lost 58 (16 destroyed, 42 disabled) <-- Guns lost 53 (3 destroyed, 50 disabled)
Vehicles lost 43 (22 destroyed, 21 disabled) <-- (None.)

Allied ground losses:
4524 casualties reported <-- 7739 casualties reported
Squads: 158 destroyed, 219 disabled <-- Squads: 322 destroyed, 420 disabled
Non Combat: 42 destroyed, 52 disabled <-- Non Combat: 65 destroyed, 87 disabled
Engineers: 22 destroyed, 14 disabled <-- Engineers: 37 destroyed, 25 disabled
Guns lost 65 (14 destroyed, 51 disabled) <-- Guns lost 162 (74 destroyed, 88 disabled)
Vehicles lost 140 (73 destroyed, 67 disabled) <-- Vehicles lost 209 (110 destroyed, 99 disabled)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Drakanel

So you plan to open up a Nanning front as well. I thought you'd move all those units towards Canton/Hong Kong first, but Nanning is quite important as well so I understand why you want to do that. Guess the recons at Nanning also show something you CAN take with those troops :P
In the last few days recon of the troop count there has jumped from ~30,000 to ~40,000. I'm pretty sure that he moved troops out of there in a hurry and is rotating troops back in from elsewhere as they arrive. Although a really substantial and successful counter attack from Nanning is unlikely, I have to guard against something that I would have to clean up and that would cut supply lines. A few turns ago I saw two things. First, the troop count at Nanning started dropping (it has now risen back some). Second, in addition to the Chinese Army units at Lang Son (which I had ear marked all along for containment duty) I have started to have available various Allied BDEs that can act act the back bone of an attack. We'll have to see how things develop, but an advance across the river into Nanning while the main force is bearing down on the Canton/Hong Kong area is different than if he was able to focus on Nanning as 'the' target.

The attack at Naha went well! Apart from the fort reduction, casualties were good all things considered. Your predictions were also quite spot on . I guess the japanese units there are really disrupted from all these bombardments, naval and aerial.
Thinking about the bombardments in recent days, I think I also got lucky that it was a 'good' bombardment day.

It's a real pity that you have to slow down the bombardments because the port at Daito Shoto is too small and cannot refill the AE/AKE fast enough. I suppose you will still max out the airfield there anyway.... I imagine you thought about this already but, is there no way you can rotate some of those AE/AKE to other ports, refill them there and send them back to Daito Shoto? And/or bring more AE/AKE there...
I've thought about it a little but not a ton. Long journey elsewhere, but I suppose I could send a few to Iwo Jima to load up. If I were really, super on top of planning I could have a second cadre rotate in while the first set retires to Guam to load up. I could also suspend work on Daito Shoto airfield while the port is built up. Might do that next turn. I don't think the delay will be enough to slow us down on the ground, though.

quote:

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Forget to mention that I noticed the garrison requirement for Canton is going to be 360 AV!! Holy crap!

quote:

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Forget to mention that I noticed the garrison requirement for Canton is going to be 360 AV!! Holy crap!

quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

quote:

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Forget to mention that I noticed the garrison requirement for Canton is going to be 360 AV!! Holy crap!

Chinese troops are good for garrisons. You got any left?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

quote:

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Forget to mention that I noticed the garrison requirement for Canton is going to be 360 AV!! Holy crap!

Garrison requirements start to add up!

At least Andav is keeping pace with VP in land losses at Okinawa. Pretty impressive, really.

quote:

ORIGINAL: witpqs

In the north, on the road from Tsuyung to the Chungking plain, the Imperial appear to be in full withdrawal.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Rafid

quote:

ORIGINAL: witpqs

In the north, on the road from Tsuyung to the Chungking plain, the Imperial appear to be in full withdrawal.

Since I'm still learining the game (aren't we all?) - could somebody (maybe Lowpe who seems to have a lot of japanese experience) try to explain this to me? Why would Andav retreat from a perfect defensive position, when it seems that witpqs was not inflicting catastrophic casualties on land or by air. As a matter of fact, that part of the front has been stable for year or so and the allies didn't restart the advance until they noticed his units pulling out in some places. Even though the supply situation seems not perfect for him, shortening your LOC does not have an effect in WITPAE as it would in real life (transporting supply does not consume supply itself). Did he feel he needed the units elsewhere that badly? Is he afraid of getting outflanked if you march north out of Liuchow (east of Nanning)? - But then, that would take some time.

Maybe I am missing the obvious, but it just seems to me that he gives up a good and important defensive position (guarding the Chunking plane and hence the Chinese respawn) with no reason I can see.

Thanks for any answers! By the way, another thing I like about this AAR is, that since Andav does not have an (active) AAR, the reader is as much in the dark as witpqs is.

quote:

By the way, another thing I like about this AAR is, that since Andav does not have an (active) AAR, the reader is as much in the dark as witpqs is.

quote:


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Ground combat at 73,57 (near Pakhoi)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 40468 troops, 526 guns, 1573 vehicles, Assault Value = 1681

Defending force 312 troops, 0 guns, 1 vehicles, Assault Value = 1

Allied adjusted assault: 1268

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 1268 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
416 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 26 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Assaulting units:
192nd Tank Battalion
Provisionl Tank Brigade
775th Tank Battalion
711th Tank Battalion
671th Tank Destroyer Battalion
640th Tank Destroyer Battalion
2/4th Armoured Regiment
637th Tank Destroyer Battalion
96th Infantry Division
632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion
706th Tank Battalion
1st Australian Division
2/6th Armoured Regiment
XI Corps Engr Grp
5th Australian Division

Defending units:
6th Field Construction Battalion


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Ground combat at Bandoeng (50,100)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 4641 troops, 48 guns, 16 vehicles, Assault Value = 152

Defending force 3885 troops, 110 guns, 47 vehicles, Assault Value = 44

Allied adjusted assault: 119

Japanese adjusted defense: 205

Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 3)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), preparation(-)
Attacker: supply(-)

Japanese ground losses:
123 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 10 (1 destroyed, 9 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
219 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 15 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
2/6 Commando Battalion
158th(Sep) Infantry Regiment
2/8th Ind Coy

Defending units:
III/81st Naval Guard Unit
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
61st JNAF AF Unit
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Mortar Battalion
92nd JAAF AF Bn


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Ground combat at Batavia (49,98)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 4371 troops, 69 guns, 29 vehicles, Assault Value = 126

Defending force 2783 troops, 22 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 41

Allied adjusted assault: 102

Japanese adjusted defense: 77

Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 4)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 3

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
51 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
74 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Assaulting units:
30th Australian Brigade

Defending units:
78th Naval Guard Unit
35th JNAF AF Unit


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Ground combat at Taiping (49,75)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 26253 troops, 282 guns, 1538 vehicles, Assault Value = 1989

Defending force 4260 troops, 41 guns, 49 vehicles, Assault Value = 129

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Allied adjusted assault: 643

Japanese adjusted defense: 83

Allied assault odds: 7 to 1 (fort level 2)

Allied forces CAPTURE Taiping !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), preparation(-), morale(-)
experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1970 casualties reported
Squads: 79 destroyed, 45 disabled
Non Combat: 42 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 29 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 29 (25 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Vehicles lost 40 (40 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 9

Allied ground losses:
435 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 43 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 5 disabled
Vehicles lost 11 (2 destroyed, 9 disabled)

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
26th Indian Division
268th Motorised Brigade
18th Cavalry Regiment
150th RAC Regiment
Gardner's Horse Regiment
20th Indian Division
255th Indian Tank Brigade
254th Armoured Brigade
50th Tank Brigade
3rd Carabiniers Regiment
5th Indian Division

Defending units:
112th Infantry Regiment
1st INA Subhas Regiment
3rd Raiding Regiment
15th Ind Engineer Regiment
22nd Recon Regiment
2nd INA Gandhi Regiment
3rd Naval Construction Battalion
29th Army
13th Field Construction Battalion
18th Field Construction Battalion


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