IdahoNYer
Posts: 2616
Joined: 9/6/2009 From: NYer living in Boise, ID Status: offline
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11-12 Jul 44 Highlights – Kamikazes hit convoy returning from Soc Trang. Jpn ships sunk: SC: 1 xAKL:1 Allied ships sunk: DD: 1 (Downes) DE: 1 (Encounter) Air loss: Jpn: 33 Allied: 17 Subwar: Jpn: 0 Attacks, 0 ships hit Allies: 5 Attack, 1 ships hit (xAKL sunk) Jpn Amph Inv: None Allied Amph Inv: Davao (SOPAC) Bases lost: None Bases Liberated: Iloilo (SWPAC) Prachuap Khiri Khan (SE Asia) Malaybalay (SOPAC) SIGINT/Intel: L_S_T has again used bypassed based Kamikazes to hit a convoy - this time from a base in Malaya. Also, SIGINT says a troops convoy is heading to one of the islands in the Okinawa chain…may be an opportunity for a CV strike. West Coast/Admin: Three more CVLs finish out refit at Soerabaja and will head to join the fleet, and swap out the three remaining CVLs still needing the upgrade. Also, four Kingfisher squadrons are withdrawn - all of which were training US Navy fighter pilots which will further impact the already strained Navy fighter pilot training program. In NOPAC, NSTR. In CENPAC, Navy Heavies turn their attention to hitting Tinian AF while Navy mediums hit troops on the outer Marianas island of Anatahan with good effect inflicting about 300 casualties. Will continue to focus Navy bombers on softening up enemy positions in the Marianas. In SOPAC, troops continue to advance on Mindanao with two Bdes of the 93rd ID seized the mountain base of Malaybalay just north of Davao inflicting over 700 casualties. This cuts Davao off from withdrawing to assist the major bastion of Cagayan which was bombarded by the lead elements of the 31st ID. Cagayan is heavily defended by numerous IJA combat units, including the 2nd Infantry Division totaling about 25k men. The bombardment results inflicted about 50 IJA casualties to about 30 US. This will be a tough fight, and will wait until troops can be brought up from Davao. At Davao, the 8th NZ Bde is brought ashore directly, supported by a CA TF (3CA, DDs) naval bombardment inflicting only 70 casualties which tells me the troops there are well dug in. Will look to attack the base in the next turn or so, depending on the fatigue recovery of the NZ Bde. On the other side of the Celebes Sea, the rear area clean up at Manado intensifies as a BB TF (5BB, DDs) rolls in a solid bombardment, inflicting a reported 1600 casaulties to support the ongoing ground bombardment of the US 40th ID which will turn to ground attack next turn, supported by the continued air bombardment and additional naval bombardments. I suspect supplies are exhausted at Manado, so hopefully the 40th will have a low cost attack. In the Philippine Sea, the last US CV TF takes on fuel from the Repl TF which now heads back to Manus. The supporting surface and ASW TFs take on fuel from the CV TFs and the Fleet will now head north toward Luzon. In SWPAC, DD Harding continues its northward cruise, and is attacked by Kamikazes out of Clark AF while she was off Lingayan Gulf. Unfortunately…..she beat off the 7 attackers and continues her cruise to patrol off northern Luzon. On Panay, the two Aus Bdes take Iloilo from two defending SNLF companies and will now advance on Roxas, which looks to also have been pretty much abandoned. The Busuanga Amphib will put troops ashore next turn supported by CA and CVE TFs. Being only 4 hexes from Manila, Kamikazes are expected. The Naga and Legaspi Amphib TFs have all completed loading their primary elements and are now proceeding to Talaud. A few support units remain to be loaded, and they will follow as they complete loading. Current recon on southern Luzon is showing minimal IJA defenses, with most troops apparently have being withdrawn to defend Manila proper. In China, NSTR. In SE Asia, one of the returning Indochina bound convoys from Soc Tran wondered a bit too close to the Malayan coast where it was observed the turn prior, and was set upon by Kamikazes. Truly a minimal expenditure of 8 Jakes and 7 Babs managed to sink a DD and DE and heavily damage an APA and an AKA. Both ships were empty and should make Soerabaja for paint and body work. I didn’t see any of this due to the synch bug! So, I have no idea where the attack originated from. Regardless, using Jakes is an effective Kamikaze as they don’t need an airfield - so as long as there is supply, they can fly from any base. Will focus some recon and bombers over southern Malaya, in the Singers area and see what we can find. Will also route convoys away from Malaya and focus some fighters to provide some LRCAP, but the troops flow will continue to the recently gained Indochina bases, however, this does effectively close the Malacca Straits for the time being as well. Not good, but not critical either; will just take a tad longer to route convoys around Sumatra and through the Sunda Straits instead of the Malacca Straits. On the ground, troops bombard Victoria Point and find it minimally defended; it should fall next turn. Also the bypassed base of Prachuap Khiri Khan along the rail line to Bangkok was seized by the main body of the Indian XV Corps as they begin to move down the peninsula. quote:
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Tioman Island at 52,84 Weather in hex: Partial cloud Raid detected at 50 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 24 minutes Japanese aircraft E13A1 Jake x 5 Japanese aircraft losses E13A1 Jake: 3 destroyed Allied Ships CL Caradoc AKA Aquarius, Kamikaze hits 1 APA Henderson, Kamikaze hits 2, on fire Aircraft Attacking: 5 x E13A1 Jake flying as kamikaze Kamikaze: 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Tioman Island at 52,84 Weather in hex: Partial cloud Raid detected at 54 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 18 minutes Japanese aircraft Ki-15-II Babs x 7 Japanese aircraft losses Ki-15-II Babs: 4 destroyed Ki-15-II Babs: 1 destroyed by flak Allied Ships DD Downes, Kamikaze hits 3, and is sunk DE Encounter, Kamikaze hits 3, and is sunk Aircraft Attacking: 7 x Ki-15-II Babs flying as kamikaze
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