IdahoNYer
Posts: 2616
Joined: 9/6/2009 From: NYer living in Boise, ID Status: offline
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1-2 Nov 42 Back from vacation, and on with the game... Highlights – November starts with a bang as the KB and LBA hit Horn Island port; Indian Bde cuts rail line to Myitkyina. Jpn ships sunk: SS: 1 (I-23) PB: 1 (old) xAP: 1 (old) xAK: 1 (old) Allied ships sunk: CLAA: 1 (San Diego) ACM: 2 AMc: 2 Air loss: Jpn: 78 Allied: 43 Subwar: Jpn: 0 Attacks, 0 ships hit Allies: 2 Attacks, 1 ship hit (xAK dam) Jpn Amph Inv: Batoe-eilanden (DEI) Allied Amph Inv: None Bases lost: None Bases Liberated: None SIGINT/Intel: Looks like all the IJN CVs are off Horn Island! Not one, but two Tank Divs are confirmed in Burma. West Coast/Admin. 2BBs (Washington and Maryland) and 13DDs begins refits on the first of the month at various locales; 5 DDs needing upgrade/refit remain at sea and are heading for ports. Slow convoy departs LA for Auck. In NOPAC, with the brutal winter weather, operations will be minimal. To that, I’m starting to withdraw USMC squadrons. In CENPAC, US Wasp/Hornet TF continue to pick up subs, one of which, I-23 (or I-4, depending on reports), is sunk by the accompanying ASW TF of two DDs. Will re-route the TF around the known sub concentrations, but with about half a dozen subs sighted in the “black gap” between PH and San Francisco convoy route, I’m going to have to deploy an ASW TF built around a CVE. Not sure exactly where I’m getting the DDs from, but 2 DEs have started moving out of NOPAC and will link up with a CVE at Tacoma. Figure to take one of the replenishment CVEs and put it to other uses with a USMC squadron or two. In SOPAC, B-26s out of Ndeni hit Tulagi for the first time and achieve good results against the AF with no loss. B-24s hit Lunga port. In SWPAC, I’ve found the KB again – this time it looks to be ALL the IJN CVs. With LBA out of New Guinea bases (presumably Wau), strikes hit Horn Island Port and AF. They are met by a robust CAP of 37 USMC F4Fs and 15 Aussie Kittyhawks. The first wave is LBA, 28 Zeros and 36 Bettys which are roughed up by the CAP, but land a hit on CLAA San Diego (with 84 float) in the port. The KB strike is 78Z,119V and 76K which are opposed by a tired 24 a/c. Needless to say, the strike gets through, sinking the CLAA, 2ACM and 2AMc in the port – the port only suffers 20 dam. Surprisingly, the 2AM and 2xAKL TF isn’t touched. Two robust LBA sweeps then come in (timing!!) claw down more fighters, but not without cost. At the end of the two days, I’ve lost 24 F4F and 8 Kittyhawks – but the enemy’s cost was high: 28 Bettys, 29 Zeros, 5 Kates and 4 Vals Damage to the base was pretty minor, 21 Port and 6 AF dam. In any case, with the KB 5 hexes off Horn and 8 hexes off Portland Roads, I’m not in a position to launch a counterstrike if L_S_T stays put. Not exactly sure if this is a raid to try and delay Horn Island development (Likely) or something more sinister. In any case, I’m standing down fighters at Horn, and moving most of my shipping (currently offloading troops – including Horn Islands AA Bn!) at Portland Roads south. I’ll have 3 fighter squadrons for CAP at Portland Roads if he decides to hit it. But I also see a possible opportunity here – the LBA out of Wau was pretty effectively dealt with by the Horn Island CAP – so now is a good time to throw the 5th Air Force Heavies, with P-38s sweeping, against Wau – recon showing 98 fighters and 28 bombers on the level 3 AF. What I’m not sure of is the other TF with the KB. Figure it could be 1) troop reinforcement to Merauke, 2)BB Bombardment for Horn, or 3)ASW TF for the KB. My bet is #2, but I’m going to do something L_S_T won’t expect with my PTs – send them in two squadrons out to intercept HIM at and near Merauke. I’ll also put some strike a/c (as well as PBYs) on night attack, to see if I can do some damage to this raiding force. Just glad this armada didn’t show up when I was LANDING at Horn Island! In WAUS, NSTR. In China, Kienko isn’t attacked again, and the IJA is moving west instead to cut off what’s left of the force I have there, which is moving slower in the mountains. Not much can be done, I expect Kienko’s fall at any time. Will be fighting in or adjacent to Chungking by 1943 – and I’ve started pulling some excess troops south to prevent over stacking. In India/Burma, the broadfront approach has managed to cut the rail line between Shwebo and Myitkyina, in theory cutting off supply for all the RTA forces along the India Border in that area. That’s the good news. The bad news is the force that the two Brit Divs (2nd, 70th) encountered northeast of Akyab wasn’t an infantry division I expected, but TWO tank divisions and support! My assumption is that these were heading to be the hammer at Akyab, but now are in the jungle with two very good Brit divisions. While I have a good infantry advantage here, I’m not sure an attack is a good idea – but once I get some friendly armor moved into the hex, I may in fact attack. If I can just hold the hex, Akyab is pretty much cut off. In the air, it was pretty quiet. I’m going to change that by introducing the P-38s and F4Fs next turn – sweeping ahead of the B-24s hitting Prome – something I don’t think L_S_T will expect. Figure he thinks I’m focused on Magwe (200+ fighters), but Prome seems to be his bomber base – over 220 planes reported by recon, but only 40 fighters.
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