obvert
Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011 From: PDX (and now) London, UK Status: offline
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Jan 24-25, 1945 I tried a CAP trap that only moderately worked on the 24th. I set fighters to bleed from Onneketon to cover that base or Shasukotan, and that is where the bombers came. A LR CAP might have been better tactically, but the bleed would cover both bases better since I didn't know which would be bombed. I also had a LR CAP from Hokkaido on Shimushiri. The sweeps led and reduced the CAP enough so that only a few faced the later round of unescorted bombers. Still got to a few, but losses turn out about even on the day. On the 25th the Allies show their hand again, and I breathe another sigh of relief. A big bombardment and following invasion lands two divisions on Shimushiri. More will follow in the usual daily landings I'm sure, and this base won't last longer than Etorofu as I've stripped most of it to Hokkaido already. It will give enough time to get the Sam into production and beginning to fill out groups, and the pools of most IJAAF fighters to reach triple figures. Japanese production is zinging along now and I'm able to fully fill all groups and distribute them back around the industrial centres on Honshu. Sadogasima is working toward forts 7 and has now 1100AV so that base is feeling more secure. All of the Northern Honshu bases are at least forts 6, and the middle Honshu bases are reaching level 5. A few in Western Honshu are still below level 5 and building quickly. Soon a huge influx of troops will arrive in the Home Islands. The longer it takes to either invade or get a serious strat bombing campaign going, the more supply and devices the Japanese will have to fight with for the duration. The arrival of the Sam in the next few days will make the KB stronger but also add a service 2 improved fighter to Home Island defenses and begin to phase out the A6M series entirely (but that will take a while). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Jan 24, 1945 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Shasukotan , at 135,49 Weather in hex: Partial cloud Raid detected at 27 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 7 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M8 Zero x 16 N1K2-J George x 15 Ki-43-IV Oscar x 18 Allied aircraft P-51D Mustang x 12 Japanese aircraft losses A6M8 Zero: 2 destroyed N1K2-J George: 1 destroyed Ki-43-IV Oscar: 1 destroyed Allied aircraft losses P-51D Mustang: 2 destroyed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Shasukotan , at 135,49 Weather in hex: Partial cloud Raid detected at 71 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 20 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M8 Zero x 10 N1K2-J George x 11 Ki-43-IV Oscar x 15 Allied aircraft P-47D25 Thunderbolt x 16 PBJ-1D Mitchell x 14 PBJ-1J Mitchell x 13 Japanese aircraft losses A6M8 Zero: 1 destroyed Allied aircraft losses PBJ-1D Mitchell: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged PBJ-1J Mitchell: 4 damaged Airbase hits 1 Runway hits 5 Aircraft Attacking: 13 x PBJ-1D Mitchell bombing from 8000 feet * Airfield Attack: 3 x 500 lb GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Shasukotan , at 135,49 Weather in hex: Partial cloud Raid detected at 62 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 25 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M8 Zero x 4 N1K2-J George x 7 Ki-43-IV Oscar x 10 Allied aircraft F4U-1D Corsair x 15 PV-1 Ventura x 31 Japanese aircraft losses A6M8 Zero: 2 destroyed N1K2-J George: 1 destroyed Ki-43-IV Oscar: 1 destroyed Allied aircraft losses F4U-1D Corsair: 1 destroyed PV-1 Ventura: 2 destroyed, 8 damaged Japanese ground losses: 10 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Airbase hits 1 Airbase supply hits 1 Runway hits 6 Aircraft Attacking: 7 x PV-1 Ventura bombing from 8000 feet * Airfield Attack: 3 x 500 lb GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Shasukotan , at 135,49 Weather in hex: Partial cloud Raid detected at 47 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 19 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M8 Zero x 1 N1K2-J George x 5 Ki-43-IV Oscar x 6 Allied aircraft PV-1 Ventura x 17 No Japanese losses Allied aircraft losses PV-1 Ventura: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged Japanese ground losses: 11 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Aircraft Attacking: 8 x PV-1 Ventura bombing from 8000 feet * Ground Attack: 3 x 500 lb GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Shasukotan , at 135,49 Weather in hex: Partial cloud Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 4 minutes Japanese aircraft N1K2-J George x 3 Ki-43-IV Oscar x 2 Allied aircraft PV-1 Ventura x 8 No Japanese losses Allied aircraft losses PV-1 Ventura: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged PV-1 Ventura: 1 destroyed by flak Japanese ground losses: 8 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Runway hits 1 Aircraft Attacking: 6 x PV-1 Ventura bombing from 8000 feet * Airfield Attack: 3 x 500 lb GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Etorofu (128,52) Allied Deliberate attack Attacking force 65800 troops, 898 guns, 1806 vehicles, Assault Value = 2080 Defending force 5816 troops, 13 guns, 7 vehicles, Assault Value = 5 Allied adjusted assault: 932 Japanese adjusted defense: 4 Allied assault odds: 233 to 1 Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), fatigue(-), supply(-) Attacker: Japanese ground losses: 2454 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 234 destroyed, 69 disabled Engineers: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled) Vehicles lost 10 (10 destroyed, 0 disabled) Units destroyed 2 Allied ground losses: 7 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Assaulting units: CenPac Amphib Tank Brigade 31st Infantry Division 12th NZ Brigade 364th(Sep) Infantry Regiment XIV Corps Combat Engr Rgt /12 96th Infantry Division 1st Marine Division 775th Tank Battalion 3rd Motor Brigade 637th Tank Destroyer Battalion 716th Tank Battalion 1st Regiment 2nd USMC Amphb Tank Bn /10 9th USMC Field Artillery Battalion X Corps Artillery XI US Corps 165th Field Artillery Battalion 154th FA Bn IX Corps Artillery Defending units: 35th Ind.Mixed Bde /2 3rd Base Force 61st Div /1 44th Ind.Mixed Bde /1 31st Army /2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japanese Unit(s) surrounded at Etorofu Japanese Unit(s) Wiped Out at Etorofu by attrition!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Jan 25, 1945 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night Naval bombardment of Shimushiri-jima at 132,51 - Coastal Guns Fire Back! Japanese aircraft no flights Japanese aircraft losses E13A1 Jake: 1 damaged 19 Coastal gun shots fired in defense. Japanese Ships ACM Toshi Maru #3, Shell hits 1 Allied Ships BB Wisconsin CA Cornwall, Shell hits 4 CL Cleveland CLAA Flint DD Clark DD Blue DD Endicott DD Meredith DD Nicholson DD John Hood DD Bache DD Charles Ausburne Japanese ground losses: 217 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 16 destroyed, 11 disabled Engineers: 2 destroyed, 1 disabled Guns lost 5 (4 destroyed, 1 disabled) Vehicles lost 7 (4 destroyed, 3 disabled) Airbase hits 14 Airbase supply hits 6 Runway hits 48 Port hits 16 Port supply hits 5 BB Wisconsin firing at Shimushiri-jima CA Cornwall firing at 6th Base Force -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Shimushiri-jima , at 132,51 Weather in hex: Moderate rain Raid detected at 23 NM, estimated altitude 44,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 6 minutes Japanese aircraft Ki-43-IV Oscar x 10 Ki-83 x 13 Allied aircraft Thunderbolt II x 13 Japanese aircraft losses Ki-83: 2 destroyed Allied aircraft losses Thunderbolt II: 1 destroyed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Bihoro , at 123,51 Weather in hex: Light cloud Raid detected at 35 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 10 minutes Japanese aircraft no flights Allied aircraft B-29-25 Superfort x 6 Japanese aircraft losses L2D2 Tabby: 10 destroyed on ground Ki-46-III Dinah: 1 destroyed on ground E13A1 Jake: 1 destroyed on ground Allied aircraft losses B-29-25 Superfort: 6 damaged B-29-25 Superfort: 1 destroyed by flak Airbase hits 18 Airbase supply hits 7 Runway hits 44 Aircraft Attacking: 3 x B-29-25 Superfort bombing from 8000 feet Airfield Attack: 20 x 500 lb GP Bomb 2 x B-29-25 Superfort bombing from 8000 feet Airfield Attack: 20 x 500 lb GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amphibious Assault at Shimushiri-jima (132,51) TF 696 troops unloading over beach at Shimushiri-jima, 132,51 Allied ground losses: 914 casualties reported Squads: 4 destroyed, 125 disabled Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 140 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Guns lost 74 (1 destroyed, 73 disabled) Vehicles lost 66 (0 destroyed, 66 disabled) 2pdr AT Gun damaged beyond repair during unload of 8th Australian Div /4 13 troops of a USMC Rifle Squad 44 lost in surf during unload of 4th Marine Div -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Shimushiri-jima (132,51) Japanese Bombardment attack Attacking force 11775 troops, 93 guns, 86 vehicles, Assault Value = 341 Defending force 32566 troops, 432 guns, 647 vehicles, Assault Value = 897 Japanese ground losses: 53 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Allied ground losses: 44 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Guns lost 3 (3 destroyed, 0 disabled) Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled) Assaulting units: 10th Ind.Infantry Brigade 27th Electric Engineer Regiment 303rd Ind.Infantry Battalion 12th Ind.Mixed Regiment 46th Div /1 217th Naval Construction Battalion 2nd Mortar Battalion 205th Naval Construction Battalion 4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion 49th Const Co 25th Ind. Field Artillery Battalion 9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion 6th Base Force Defending units: 4th Marine Division 706th Tank Battalion 8th Australian Division 2nd Medium Regiment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Etorofu (128,52) Allied Deliberate attack Attacking force 65887 troops, 898 guns, 1808 vehicles, Assault Value = 2096 Defending force 2975 troops, 12 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2 Allied adjusted assault: 1432 Japanese adjusted defense: 1 Allied assault odds: 1432 to 1 Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), fatigue(-), experience(-) supply(-) Attacker: Japanese ground losses: 3948 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 443 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Guns lost 14 (14 destroyed, 0 disabled) Units destroyed 1 Allied ground losses: 7 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Assaulting units: 3rd Motor Brigade 31st Infantry Division 96th Infantry Division XIV Corps Combat Engr Rgt /12 716th Tank Battalion 364th(Sep) Infantry Regiment 1st Regiment 637th Tank Destroyer Battalion CenPac Amphib Tank Brigade 775th Tank Battalion 1st Marine Division 12th NZ Brigade 2nd USMC Amphb Tank Bn /10 XI US Corps 154th FA Bn 9th USMC Field Artillery Battalion X Corps Artillery 165th Field Artillery Battalion IX Corps Artillery Defending units: 3rd Base Force 61st Div /1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japanese Unit(s) Wiped Out at Etorofu by attrition!!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
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