apbarog
Posts: 3769
Joined: 5/23/2002 Status: offline
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27 May 42 Solomons - The mysterious enemy task force that approached Noumea disappeared this turn. It probably ran away, having made a high speed run to where it was. It could have continued south at high speed and passed through the search grid completely. Doubtful but possible. I return task forces to Luganville to continue unloading, along with a strong cruiser force. Indian Ocean - I do a big sweep of Diamond Harbour, and find over 100 fighters on CAP. Really tough to gain superiority here, maybe impossible, with inferior planes and pilots. I lose 38 P40's and 7 P400's. Enemy losses are 9 Zero's and 5 Oscar's. An infantry division has moved from Calcutta to Diamond Harbour, just as my big stack moves adjacent to Diamond Harbour. The enemy now has 3 infantry divisions plus support at Diamond Harbour, and 2 infantry divisions at Calcutta with support. I had to think long and hard about what to do. I could throw everything across the river into the 3 divisions and some fortifications. It is clear terrain. But some form of the Japanese Navy is lurking offshore. I'm in clear terrain as it is, and I expect disruption to my movement which would break up my coordination for the river crossing. Sub Greenling spots battleships Hyuga and Fuso, a cruiser, CS Chiyoda, and 8 destroyers at 45,46. This location is within striking range of both Viz. and Diamond Harbour. Could be looking for the Brit Navy, which had been spotted but is now returning to Columbo. I'm starting to go a bit nuts not seeing ANY carriers anywhere. I suspect some in the Indian Ocean, and I suspect some in the Solomons, but I haven't actually SEEN any. Just lots of heavy detection levels. I just know that if I committed the Brit Navy to the Indian east coast, their escape would get cut off with carriers. Back to the Diamond Harbour/Calcutta situation. Now that my stack is adjacent to Diamond Harbour, I'm now set to show movement arrows in 3 directions: river-crossing attack into Diamond Harbour, crossing the river to reinforce Calcutta, and back north to Jessore. I'm no longer crossing into Diamond Harbour. One unit is bluffing the move. A couple of units are moving to Jessore. Most of the big stack is going to Calcutta, in combat movement mode in case of bombing. Then I will attack the 2 divisions in the city. It will be difficult, but it's the only hope to clearing out the enemy. In the air, my fighter force is weakened severely. I really look forward to putting hundreds of Allied fighters at a base in the future. I can't get through 100 enemy CAP at this point in the war. Doesn't matter that I have all of India and the enemy has one base. I can't clear it. It could have been possible if I could have gotten the Brit Navy in to bombard. And we still don't know if there is going to be an invasion of Viz., Chittagong, or an evacuation of Diamond Harbour. Or a reinforcement of Diamond Harbour, for that matter. Any could still be about to happen. A bunch of Brit battleships, all slow, with cruisers and destroyers are about to enter the map off the Indian west coast. Will be tough to employ them, but I will try.
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