wobbly
Posts: 1095
Joined: 10/16/2002
From: Christchurch, New Zealand
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A large combat at Lunga between a surface unit PzB had there and my transport holding the vehicles for my engineer unit. Naval strikes from Rabul on the same transport TF. Another attack on Calcutta.
Asdicus - welcome to the PBEm and thanks for the vote of encouragement. I'll try to better my ways with the Raj but as you say they seem on the back foot (nice cricket saying for you there). I do indeed hear you about the pros and cons of attack versus waiting. I think the fear of attack is mainly around the fear of the KB. Well I know exactly where that is so I know it isn't going ot pop up in the South Pacific and I doubt he will want to commit the CVLs against my carriers. I do very much agree with your assessment of the Marshals now. THat was a hiding to nothing this early. Rabaul though is not such a pipe dream. I will have 100 B-17s and plenty of Hudsons to try and shut the place down before BBs get into range to then really silence the place. It is that all important land based air range - Rabaul at least has that. He may not sweat the loss of Rabaul itslef but he will sweat teh loss of truk - the next obvious target.
As to getting transports up to India with troops. yes I agree about slipping them in as ones. As STRV103C has pointed out my luck sucks so far in this game (although today wasn't too bad - read on), knowing this I wanted to keep the transports under the wing of the DDs I am using for ASW work until the last minute. I have found out the hard way that you can get passed Ceylon out to the West quite easily in single ship TFs. I also agree that I need to bomb his Westerly airfields. Once my Wellingtons come on line that sort of tactic will be utilised. Remelber though I only have the tiny ranged Hurricanes in any abundance and rely heavily on my one sqd of P-40s for bombing escorts - this is another reason why the kittyhawks are vital. Please cross all fingers, toes once round the maypole etc that I can get them in this turn.
If he moves the KB further south at the wrong time well I will be toast. THis is another reason for Mercury though - to show him that he can't afford to leave Trim undefended.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 05/04/42
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TF 1022 encounters mine field at Lunga (67,97)
Allied Ships
DD Waters
DD Preston
During the night my transport TF does enter Lunga bay - finds mines and also sights enemy surface units and retreats one hex.
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Day Air attack on TF, near Lunga at 67,97
Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 18
G4M1 Betty x 13
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 18
P-40B Tomahawk x 10
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell: 16 destroyed, 2 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 4 destroyed, 7 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 damaged
P-40B Tomahawk: 1 damaged
Allied Ships
CL Detroit
CL Adelaide
DD Schley
The twin engine navy bombers fly - without escort - against my invaison that has snuck back into harbour during the day. I had moved up a sqd of Tomahawks from Luganville. They get aloft with the Wildcats and the Cactus airforce goes to town.
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Day Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 53,91
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 2
G4M1 Betty x 3
Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk I x 7
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 3 damaged
Allied Ships
AK Surigao, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
Another attack out of Rabaul hits the AKs at PM unloading more supplies - 3 Betties do better against the slower transport ships than the more numerous (but more harried) cousins at Lunga. The Surigao is badly damged and is immediately put into dock alongside two other transport ships that have been going up and down the floatation levels for the last month in Port Moresby.
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Day Air attack on TF, near Lunga at 67,97
Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 3
G4M1 Betty x 22
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 15
P-40B Tomahawk x 9
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 13 destroyed, 2 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged
P-40B Tomahawk: 1 damaged
Allied Ships
DD Conyngham
CL Adelaide
CL Detroit
DD Schley
Once is not enough - the veteren bomber forces try again, also doing the hard yards without escort. The cactus airforce is up to the challenge and by the end of the day 25 or so priceless naval bombers are taken out - who knows how many of them were with loss of pilots - hopefully all.
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Day Time Surface Combat, near Lunga at 67,97
Japanese Ships
CL Katori, Shell hits 38, on fire
CL Kashima, Shell hits 34, on fire, heavy damage
Allied Ships
CL Adelaide, Shell hits 11
CL Detroit, Shell hits 7
DD Conyngham, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Preston, Shell hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
DD Schley, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
DD Waters, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AK Santa Rita
AK Kanlaon II
AK Morazan
This was a truely entertaining battle. Both sides sight each other. First thing to note is the report I had of two cruisers in Lunga harbour is proved correct and I thnk my caution that I bought Detroit and Adelaide (as it turns out these two are intergral to the battle).
The Detroit finds the range first and starts hitting the Katori but at 16K range the rounds are bouncing off.
The Japs close and start landing 5.5" rounds on the two cruisers, which also bounce, and so change targets to the DDs. This immediately pays dividends with Preston getting internal secondary explosions and then the same old same old as Schley's magazine explodes.
The range is closed again. This time the allied Cruisers and their 6" guns start penetrating the Jap cruisers, who can't repay the favour so continue to concentrate on the DDs. Another allied DDs is seriously damged and the last takes minor damage. The Jap CL Kashima weathers half a doze secondary explosions, the Katori is not so bad.
Both sides retreat - in the case of my transport fleet - out of the hex. The Preston will likely sink or require scuttling and the Waters will need time in dry dock.
The rest of the TF are going to try again as the transports are untouched, they haven't unloaded their cargo though. Both Detroit and Adelaide have minor damage - no penetrating hits suffered. I wonder what may have happened if a night engagement had occured and torps came into play?
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Ground combat at Calcutta
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 125114 troops, 1015 guns, 792 vehicles
Defending force 52732 troops, 334 guns, 484 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 7)
Japanese ground losses:
2474 casualties reported
Guns lost 49
Allied ground losses:
569 casualties reported
Guns lost 41
Vehicles lost 12
I was just whinging at PzB that he seems to knock a fort level off evey time he attacks and Karma makes me eat my words (in this case I'll call it good Karma though). 4 to 1 in men but I am loosing guns and tanks at an alarming rate. I do think PzB is a little more worried about the Calcutta adventure now.
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In the Indian sphere, operation Mercury moves closer to position without being seen. I set a sqd of Buffalos and Fulmars over it and they attempt to move closer. I am so playing with fire on this one as Trim has anval bombers and zeros while the KB only needs to move a few hexs North as well as West to be in range. I doubt this last one though as he is relying on a net across the whole of the Bay of Japan as he is now calling it.
The Hermes is also playing with fire. I try to get the range in the next turn by moving North and West rather than just North. The KB is that close (I am also very low on fuel so have little room for error.
My Dakotas did a reasonable job moving men and the plan highlighted last turn goes into effect. 12 Dakotas will now move parts of the unit that are coming across from Myitkina via the 16 size Dakota sqd. The Indian Brigade at Diamond Harbour moves up to Calcutta.
Calcutta itself is at 95% for moving back up to fort level 8. He is moving more units in though.
In Burma most of my Chinese Divisions are digging themselves in over the river from Rangoon. I hope their fortification level can get high enough as they are low quality low morale troops.
In China my Sian force is now visible to PzB and he scoffs at it. I hope he is not too correct. I have seen how chinese units go on the attack and they are pretty poor. These units have suffered battle and had their expereince increased. Some are even at 70-85%. Morale is the issue though many are below 40. He has 12 units there and more he can bring up on the rail network no doubt.
The size 12 and 48 Groups of B-17s at Darwin are bought across to Cairns ready for Operation Whiskey and the softening up of Lae.
The Americal Division refuels at Johnson and moves south again ready for the assault at Tarawa. Raverdave - reassessment of numbers they are now at 1200 - still doesn't feel right. He is up to something the cheeky monkey.
At Pearl yet another RCT starts loading - this is for further reserves in case there aren't enoug in a Division at Tarawa. I don't really want to use unts for Whiskey in the assault here.
< Message edited by wobbly -- 12/12/2004 2:27:34 PM >
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Printable Version
RE: Madras Falls - 
Calcutta has Teeth - 
Is he going around me in india? - 
Two faced weather system! - 
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