AmiralLaurent
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Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
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This post will include a short history of the game.
The first Hawaii campain (7 December 1941 - 4 March 1942) (Pages 1 to 4)
The first goal of the Japanese armed forces was to take PH. For this 5 Div (2, 4, 16, 48 and 56) and numerous support troops were used, together with all available CV/CVL/CVE and many other ships, including all Japanese BB less two used off Malaya. Preliminary operations included captures of Wake (7th Dec), Midway (14th Dec), Johnston Island (29th Dec), Lahaina (7th Jan) and Hilo (18th Jan). The Kido Butai raided PH several times in the period, sinking a BB in port and 2 cruisers and a whole DM TF off Lahaina among other. Lahaina was turned into a major port (with AR and AE) and airfield from which CV, BB and LBA bombard PH. In December 1941 a convoy bringing CD and AA units had reached PH but they still were only two divisions when the Japanese landed in PH on the 25 of January with four divisions. The battle lasted 6 weeks and the 5th Japanese Div that took Lahaina should be sent to PH too. Japanese losses were 1 BB that exploded after hitting a mine, about 20 ships sunk by CD fire and mines off PH and many CV airmen, leaving the KB wrecked.
American losses were all the damaged and slow ships caught in PH, including 4 BB, hundred of aircraft, two divisions and most of the CD and AA units of the US Army. 52 000 POW were counted when PH fell (and 7 000 other during the rest of the campain).
Also during this battle a Japanese CV division raided Palmyra Island on 5-6 February but was repulsed by Allied LBA that sank a CVE and damaged another. It was the first American victory of the war. And ten days later, when the whole Kido Butai returned to this area with a vengeance, they met American Cvs and a battle unplanned by both sides began.
The battle of Christmas Island (15 February 1942) (Page 3)
This CV battle was unplanned by both sides and both sides made mistakes. The Kido Butai (split in 2 big CV TF) was sailing east of Christmas Island to chase Allied convoys and found one, but it was covered by 4 US CVs (each in its own TF) and several surface TF. One Japanese CV TF reacted, and the other don’t, so the battle was engaged with a divided KB that was attacked by a concentrated raid of 136 SBD but TBD were out of range and only 22 escorts were with them. 72 Zeroes shot down 98 Allied aircraft for 4 losses but 55 SBD got trough and damaged all five CV of the TF. 279 Japanese aircraft were sent to attack the US CV in five raids and met 77 Wildcat flying CAP. 62 Japanese AC and 52 Allied were shot down, but the attackers sank the CV Enterprise and Lexington (and damaged a CA) while losing 8 Kate to AA fire. In the afternoon, the CV Yorktown closed to 120 miles while the unhurt Japanese CV TF was out of the battle. But Allied crew were unable to do much more damage (Akagi took a new bomb) while 27 Kate sank the Yorktown aboard which the Adm Spruance was killed. Only 13 Allied aircraft and 4 Japanese were lost in the afternoon. So the score was fairly in favour of Japan (3 CV and 274 AC lost by USN, no ship and 74 AC by IJN) but five CV were damaged, three of them closed and many Allied warships were in the area. They might have avenged their CV the next night, as Japanese surface escorts were rather weak, but fled instead. And all five damaged CV were able to reach Lahaina and were saved.
The Malay campain (7 December 1941 - 27 February 1942) (Pages 1 to 3)
The second most important objective of Japan in the starting months was Singapore. All Japanese troops either landed in Singora or came by the road trough Thailand, and the IJN retired from the area all ships in mid-december 1941 (to use them in the DEI, see below). The British troops retreated to Singapore and the Japanese took without much difficulty Alor Star (12 Dec), Taiping (14 Dec), Georgetown (15 Dec), Kuala Lumpur (18 Dec), Malacca (21 Dec) and Johore Bharu (26 Dec). This last base was then turned into a major airfield to control the sea and sky around and bomb Singapore troops. After preparing there, the 25th Army (4 Div, 1 Bde, 1 Tk Rgt, 2 Eng Rgt, 5 ART units) invaded Singapore on 17 January but the battle was harder than planned and the British base only surrendered on 27 February, leaving 100 000 POWs in Japanese hands.
Preliminary operations in the DEI (15 December 1941-5 March 1942) (Pages 1 to 4)
Limited Japanese ground forces but with powerful naval and air support were tasked to take Borneo and some other bases, both to take oil centers and to have bases to support later operations against Sumatra, Java and Timor. There wasn't much opposition, as all operations were always launched within range of Japanese LBA and Allied ships were elusive (the CA USS Houston was torpedoed by Japanese airmen but escaped, there was no real surface battle). The bases taken include Miri and Brunei (17 Dec), Menado (24 Dec), Tarakan (2 Jan), Balikpapan (30 Jan), Kendari (30 Jan), Singkawang (5 Feb), Macassar (7 Feb), Banjarmasin (12 Feb) and Pontaniak (5 Mar).
Preliminary operations in the Philippines (7 December 1941-20 April 1942) (Pages 1 to 5)
Almost all troops in these areas were sent to Hawaii and this theater saw only limited operations during several months. The original plan was to neutralize Allied aircraft and ships with Formosa-based LBA and the mini-KB sailing south of Mindanao, to take Mindanao with the 56th Bde and then to occupy empty bases here and there with small naval forces. There was not much opposition. Allied bombers and ships began to leave the PI as soon as the war started. Operations against the ships were not very successful and only a dozen were sunk by the mini-KB and its escort. Allied fighters fought over Manila for two weeks, suffered heavy losses and then left too. Mindanao was conquered between the 10/12 and 13/1, with Davao being taken by the 56th Bde on the 15/12. A landing on Luzon was not planned but recon showed that the Allied forces had left the north of the island and naval infantry landed in Aparri on the 21/12 and occupied Tugueragao, Laoag and Vigan before the end of the year. The first base force only arrived one month later, but had almost no aircraft to support. Naval forces conquered minor bases during the period: Batan Island (7/12), Tawi Tawi (3/1), Puerto Princesa (21/1), Ormoc (25/1), Tacloban (27/1), Taytay (28/1), Guian (10/2), San Jose (17/2) and Roxas (25/2). Allied troops didn’t move against the Allied troops in N Luzon for two months and in the end of February, the arrival of the 17th Div from China (first div bought with PP) and of some more naval units allowed more ground to be taken on Luzon: Lamon Bay was occupied on 1/3, the 17th Div took Lingayen on 11/3 in the first major battle of the campaign (a PI Div was defeated) and a SNLF landed in Naga on 15/3 and took in a week this base and Legaspi, capturing a base force. There was still no Allied counter-attack. The next month was spent building Lingayen airfield and waiting for reinforcements.
The Burma Campaign (15 December 1941-22 June 1942)
The invasion of Burma was a sideshow of the Malaya campaign and the 15th Army had only a Div, a Bde, a Rgt and some small units, and most of the time no air support, to do it. Tavoy was taken on 15 December but British troops had advanced in Siam and the first Japanese defeat of the war saw a Rgt being defeated NW of this city on the 16-17. The 33rd Div crossed again the river here on the 27 but was also stopped, and it was only when the undefended town of Moulmein was taken by the 21st Bde on the 31st that the Allied troops retreated, leaving the area but also Rangoon, that was taken on the 15 of January. Two days after a small parachute force took the empty Andaman Islands.
The Japanese goal was now to take Central Burma before Chinese troops reached it. Allied forces were holding Mandalay with most of their ground units and a strong air force, including the AVG, but had also 2 Bde in Pagan and 1 in Taung Gyi. Japanese troops used this scattering of force by advancing in the holes of the Allied lines and then beating them peacemeal. The 33rd Div crossed the Irradawy River west of Mandalay on the 31st and in the next week the other units took Taung Gyi (1/2) and Pagan (7/2) repulsing Allied troops in the jungle. During this period Allied airmen had almost total air superiority over the country. Two Zero Daitai were based in Rangoon for a week, shot down 26 aircraft but lost ten and then left, as this loss ratio was not bearable at this stage of the war.
All units of the 15th Army was preparing for the battle of Mandalay since the start of the war and they gathered in the Japanese beachhead west of the city and then marched to it. The first attack was launched on 17/2 the same day that the first Chinese division reached the city. After 3 days of battle the Allied began to evacuate but were too slow and the city was taken on the 21st with a part of the Allied troops repulsed towards Lashio while the other had gone towards Myitkyina. At this date some Zero returned to Burma and inflicted serious losses to Allied airmen.
Again using the division of Allied troops, the 15th Army attacked Lashio and took it on 4/3, repulsing another part of the Allied forces in the jungle. Then using railway the Japanese Army concentrated against Myitkyina. When they arrived on 15/3 Allied troops tried to counter-attack but failed and the city fell on the 17 after two days of Japanese attacks. This concluded this part of the campaign and the next months should have been used by the 15th Army to surround and destroy Allied units scattered in the jungle, while other Allied units retreated to India or Yunan. But before that an Allied counter offensive from Imphal reached the railway north of Mandalay on 24/3 (with the 18th UK Div, 2 Bde, a HQ, etc..) and surprised Japanese forces. Most of the 15th Army was then involved in jungle sweeping activities. Also at this time Allied airmen from India were able to bomb Burma almost at will.
The first major Japanese reinforcement, the 55th Div, was at the time sailing from Singapore to take Akyab by sea and was rerouted to Rangoon and marched north. This enabled to stop the Allied advance on Mytikyina and both sides forces met 120 miles west of the city on 8/4, when an Allied attack was defeated. The 33rd Div returned from the Salween front and the united Japanese forces defeated on the 23 the Allied forces and sent them back on the trail to Imphal.
During the battle airmen of both sides also fought often. Allied airmen were able to blast any base on Central Burma but were decimated when trying to attack Rangoon without escort. Japanese fighters were able to fly LRCAP over Burma or sweeps over India and usually scored well but suffered heavy losses when the AVG was facing them. They were also unable to defend any airfield in Central Burma and were using guerrilla tactics. The air situation didn’t change much for one year. The F1/3rd Daitai was especially successful during this period and the ENS S. Sugio became the best Japanese ace this spring (24 kills on 27 May 1942) and was just the best of the dozen of aces of this elite unit. Other fighter units were decimated but F1/3rd was always lucky and missed the worst battles.
The Japanese troops then spent some times to reduce the British and Chinese units scattered here and there in the Burmese jungle, the last Chinese division surrendering NW of Lashio on the 3rd of June. At the same time the 55th Div marched on a jungle trail to Akyab and reached it on the 6th of June. It then waited for other troops to surround it and suffered from heavy Allied air raids that the Japanese air force didn’t even try to intercept. On the other hand a Japanese cruiser squadron was able to bombard Akyab and then land troops NW of it, closing the ring, on 20 June. But this landing met a full Allied brigade marching to the rescue of the surrounded base. Anyway Japanese troops were able to create a bridgehead and cut the road, repulsed an Allied attempt to repulse them and the 55th Div took Akyab on 22 June.
This victory ended the Burma campain. Nine Allied units had been captured (4 Chinese divisions, 3 RAF base forces, 1 Indian Bde and 1 Burmese Bde) and around 20 others defeated several times and chased with heavy losses, part of them being pushed in China that was already starving.
The Burma Army (33rd and 55th Div, 21st and 23rd Bde, 4th Rgt, four Tk Rgts and auxiliary units (SNLF and ART)) was now ordered to defend Burma. Akyab will be held by the 55th Div. The SNLF being in the jungle NE of the base will remain there to keep an eye on the trail from India. The 33rd Div will be in reserve in Rangoon and will protect the base against an Allied landing. The 21st Bde will hold Myitkyina, the 23rd Mandalay and the 4th Rgt Lashio. The artillery and tank units will be in reserve in Mandalay ready to march in all directions. The Naval Guard unit guarding the railway Mandalay-Myitkyina will remain there. Pagan and Taung Gyi will be held by SNLF and base forces that should be strong enough to repulse paratroops attacks. Any Allied land offensive will have to march trough jungle and then reserves will be deployed to stop it.
First phase in China (to be written)
Sumatra campain (to be written)
Java campain (to be written)
Operations in the Timor-Amboina-Darwin area (to be written)
The end in the Philipinnes (to be written)
Japan advance in the Pacific (to be written)
A not so quiet front: Kendari vs Darwin (to be written)
Allied counter-attack: the Second Battle of Hawaii (20 July – 5 September 1942)
After the fall of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese began to build defences there while sending submarines and some cruisers patrol in the Eastern Pacific. In the first months the only Allied activity in the area was to lay mines with submarines.
With most of the Japanese Navy and of the Japanese land units sent to the Pacific involved in the Suva campaign, PH remained quiet until mid-July when two Japanese CVs badly needing an overhaul returned to this port with a small escort. The Japanese High Command was not expecting an Allied counter-attack before October and had planned a two-month pause in August and September to repair ships and rebuild air units after the fall of Suva.
But the Allied didn’t follow this schedule, and on the 20th of July a submarine patrolling off California reported a troop convoy sailing towards Hawaii. The next days it was confirmed that it was a major fleet sailing with CV, BB and cruisers.
Pearl Harbor was well garrisoned with two reinforced divisions, but the other islands were weakly held. The port was evacuated while air units were sent from all over the Empire to Hawaii. The Japanese Navy was also ordered to sail to Hawaii but the Kido Butai had then only 6 CV with 250 aircraft aboard, and it was estimated that the Allied CV will be stronger. So the plan was to let the land-based airmen fight the first battles while the Navy will concentrate around Palmyra Island.
While the Japanese in Hawaii waited for the attack, in the south Suva was taken on the 24th, liberating several divisions. Transports were at once ordered to go there to bring them to Hawaii as soon as possible.
After a slow advance during which it sank a Japanese submarine, the Allied fleet arrived in range of Hawaii on the 27th. The Allied CVs launched a small raid against a flotilla off PH but it was intercepted by 99 Zero launched from PH and 46 Allied aircraft were shot down against 2 Zero.
The next day was not so good for Japan. During the night an Allied surface TF sank four Japanese minelayers while the Allied transports arrived off Hilo and began to land troops. At dawn four Japanese destroyers having tried a night raid on an Allied convoy were found by Allied airmen before being able to return PH and all were sunk. And four Allied BB and four cruisers bombarded PH during the day but wandered into the 24000 mines protecting the base. A DD was sunk, the CA Astoria hit two and sank a week later while trying to reach California and the BB West Virginia, CA San Francisco, CL Helena and four DD hit one each. This bombardment did some damage in the port (sinking another ML). In the evening 24 000 Allied men had landed in Hilo with only some ships hitting mines here.
The next night three American CA again pounded PH, destroying a dozen aircraft and sinking another minelayer in the port. These cruisers remained off the base all the day of the 28th and were attacked by Ki-51 dive bombers from PH but without much damage.
More south some Betties from Johnson Island attacked Allied ships off Hilo and managed to torpedo the BB Arizona against 5 losses. But on the ground the 1st US Corps (about the strength of two divisions) took easily the base of Hilo held by a small Japanese base force.
The same day the Kido Butai gathered and refuelled in Palmyra and sailed in the evening toward Hawaii with 4 CV (including both that were at PH before for an overhaul), 4 CVL, 1 CVE, 5 BB, 5 CA, 3 CL, 1 CS and 26 DD. It carried 172 Zeroes, 89 Vals and 90 Kates, all pilots and crews being experienced. They were ordered to engage the Allied forces 2-3 days later.
The 30th was quieter. Allied cruisers again bombarded PH during the night, destroying 6 aircraft, and then retired to Hilo, where Allied aircraft were now based. On the Japanese side, tens of Betties and Nells began to fly in PH for the incoming battle.
The next day was even quieter but in the afternoon a Coronado now based in Hilo saw the Kido Butai sailing towards Hawaii and both sides started drawing plans for the next day. The Japanese plan was to sail close to PH to draw the Allied airmen and use all Zero aboard the CV to defend them, while the land-based units in PH will attack the Allied fleet. Most of the Kate aboard the CV were sent in the evening to PH to take part in this attack. The Val units were kept in reserve to be used against the Allied transports after the victory.
At the dawn of the 1st of August, the Japanese CVs were just SW of PH and the Allied ones just east of Hilo. The weather was perfect and hundred of aircraft were sent by each side.
As planned the Kido Butai was attacked by waves after waves of Allied aircraft (including some P-39 from Hilo) but the CAP (139 Zero and 6 Rufe) decimated them. Only 3 TBF got through and missed the CV Hiyo with their torpedoes. 158 of the 169 Allied aircraft committed for these attacks were shot down while only 10 Japanese fighters were lost.
The air commander at PH launched a concentrated air raid against only one of the three Allied CV TF rather than scattering its strength. The 62 Betty and Nell were escorted by 107 Zero that managed to scatter the Allied CAP (58 F4F-4 and 41 Fulmar), 78 Allied fighters and 38 Japanese being lost in the battle. The undisturbed bombers then attacked the three main Allied ships: the CV USS Saratoga, the only American survivor of the first CV battle of the war, the CV USS Hornet and the BB North Carolina sailing close by to cover them with her AA fire. AA fire shot down 9 bombers but the Saratoga was struck by five torpedoes and was sinking when Japanese crew left the area. The North Carolina was hit by the first Japanese bomber but then dodged all missiles, while the Hornet managed to evade all torpedoes.
In the afternoon only 21 Allied aircraft attacked the KB but were all shot down by the CAP for the loss of one Zero. But the Japanese raids were also costly as they went more and more uncoordinated during the day. 21 bombers and 82 fighters attacked again the Allied CV fleet and for the loss of 3 Betties shot down 12 Allied fighters and torpedoed the CV HMS Indomitable and USS Wasp, and one AO.
But at the same time 61 Kates, 26 Ki-51 and 13 bombers attacked the ships off Hilo in small unescorted groups and were slaughtered by a dozen of Marine Wildcats based here who shot down 38 Kates, 4 Sonias and 2 Betties without loss. Only two AK were hit by a torpedo.
Anyway the battle was clearly a Japanese victory: the CV Saratoga sank, the CV Indomitable and Wasp, the BB North Carolina, two AK and an AO were also torpedoed. No Japanese ship was hit. 282 Allied aircraft and 112 Japanese were shot down, the worst loss for Japan being half of its remaining experienced Kate crews.
In the evening the Kido Butai was split in two to pursue the Allied fleet. The fast CV and BB were ordered to sail at full speed to catch the retiring Allied carriers, while the slow ones were ordered to target the transports around Hilo. During the night a Japanese submarine was sunk by Allied destroyers.
The dawn of the 2nd showed that the Allied fleets was fleeing in disorder, providing plenty of targets for Japanese airmen. During the day they sank the CA Portland and three AK, torpedoed again the CV HMS Indomitable, and hit also 3 AR and a tanker.
On the 3rd, the fast CV TF found Allied CV in range but then sailed under a storm. In the afternoon the weather cleared and the fast TF engaged Allied CVs again. The latter were only able to send 4 aircraft to attack their pursuers and all were shot down while the Japanese attack heavily damaged the CV HMS Formidable and damaged three destroyers, while the HMS Illustrious evaded all torpedoes and was undamaged. This slow CV TF attacked several convoy and hit 6 transports and 2 oilers (one was achieved in the evening by a submarine) and bombed unsuccessfully the damaged BB Arizona.
More west, the land-based airmen started to bombard Hilo airfield to close it but Allied engineers managed to expand it.
On the 4th, the fast CV TF engaged again the fleeing Allied CV that had no more aircraft to retaliate and hit the USS Wasp with four bombs, setting it in fire. Japanese airmen also sank during the day 2 AO, 1 AK, 1 DMS and 1 SC and damaged other ships.
More west, another raid hit Hilo while 15 000 Allied men reached Kona that was lightly held.
The next night a Japanese BB TF engaged a convoy and sank a DD and two AK but the BB Fuso was heavily damaged by a torpedo (and only managed to reach PH a week later after nearly sinking). This day the fast CV TF sailed to less than 700 miles to the California coast and launched a last attack against the retiring Allied CV, missing the Illustrious but sinking the Wasp. And the slow CV TF had the surprise to find the CV HMS Formidable that everyone thought had sunk on the 3rd and achieved her. They also scored another torpedo hit on the BB Arizona. A submarine sank an AK this day while six other Allied ships were hit by bombs.
More west a Japanese convoy unloaded reinforcement at Kona under attack by aircraft from Kona that heavily damaged one AK. Japanese airmen bombed the Allied troops advancing on Kona.
On the 6th the fast CV TF that was now lacking fuel turned back. During the day Japanese surface ships (now detached from the CV TF to chase), submarines and airmen sank 5 AK and 1 DD and hit a dozen other ships, including the Arizona that survived another air attack.
A raid from PH managed to pound Hilo airfield, destroying 15 aircraft on the ground. This base launched no raid during the day and all Japanese reinforcements landed in Kona in time to repulse an Allied attack by three American regiments (also bombed by Japanese airmen), even if some positions were lost by the Japanese.
The next night the Arizona was finally found and sunk the Japanese BB Mutsu and Kirishima. The slaughter of Allied ships continued during the day and 9 were sunk today by aircraft, surface ships and submarines and 10 other damaged.
Also this night a CL flotilla bombarded Hilo and sank an AVD off this base.
There was no more important target at sea but the Japanese seamen and airmen continued to chase transports for several days before running out of targets: 22 Allied ships (transports and destroyers) were sunk and 10 more damaged. The last attack was launched against some AK 1000 miles off California by the CA Aoba sailing alone in the early hours of the 10th. This same day the Allied fleet returned to sea to engage the scattered Japanese warships but too late and found nothing except wrecks and a Japanese submarine that was sunk by DD on the 12th.
Sunk: CV Saratoga, CV Wasp, CV Formidable, BB Arizona, CA Astoria, CA Portland, 7 DD, 1 DMS, 1 AVD, 3 AR, 8 AO, 4 TK, 1 AP, 40 AK
Other important ships damaged: BB West Virginia (1 mine), BB North Carolina (1 torpedo), CV Indomitable (2 torpedoes)
Hilo airfield was crushed on the 9th by a heavy Japanese air raid. For 11 losses, the Japanese shot down 22 F4F-4 and destroyed 44 aircraft on the ground. This day was a total disaster for the Allied forces now surrounded in Hawaii, as a new American attack against Kona failed with heavy losses. Hilo was hit again on the 10th (3 US fighters shot down and 23 destroyed on the ground) and 11th (1 Wildcat shot down, 21 aircraft blasted on the ground). It was also bombarded from the sea, especially on the 12th. The base was then more or less closed and 39 more Allied aircraft were destroyed there on the ground in the next ten days while only 6 Allied aircraft were made flyable (and two were shot down).
At the same time transports from PH unloaded the 56th Japanese Div and supplies in Kona, so assuring that the base will repulse any new attack, while all ships of the KB returned to PH to refuel, emptying all the tanks of the base.
The first convoys arrived off Kona from Suva and on the 21st and started to unload two more divisions, just in time to crush another Allied attack that was a very bloody failure. On the 23rd, it was the turn of the Japanese to attack with 64 000 men and they defeated the 27 000 American and repulsed them to Hilo. In the next days two more divisions landed at Kona and then the whole army started to march to Hilo.
This base was bombed daily from the air and the airfield was closed. The five divisions reached it on the 3rd of September. The base was bombed again from the air and the sea and then the Japanese troops attacked on the 5th. The Allied defences collapsed and 56 000 men surrendered.
So ended the first Allied offensive of the war. The Allied losses were heavy:
Sunk: CV Saratoga, CV Wasp, CV Formidable, BB Arizona, CA Astoria, CA Portland, 7 DD, 1 DMS, 1 AVD, 3 AR, 8 AO, 4 TK, 1 AP, 40 AK
Other important ships damaged: BB West Virginia (1 mine), BB North Carolina (1 torpedo), CV Indomitable (2 torpedoes)
And more than 500 aircraft and 60 000 men.
Japan lost only 4 DD, 4 SS and 6 ML, and around 250 aircraft. Ground losses were low and only the BB Fuso and the CL Sendai were damaged during the battle.
The 1942 campain in Northern China (to be written)
Burma, between the Japanese and Allied offensives (23 June 1942 – 6 April 1943)
This phase started quietly with both sides organizing defences and building bases. The Allied bombers started in July to bomb oil and resources in Burma without meeting much resistance. The next month they tried to raid Rangoon that was the main hub of the Japanese airforce in the area but stopped after some bloody failures.
Also in August a Chinese Div marched south from Kohima and threatened to cut the railway to Myitkyina but was repulsed after a one-week battle in the jungle north of it. Another Chinese Div did the same in October north of Myitkyina and was also repulsed north.
The new fighter Ki-61 was reaching frontline units then and on 15 September the Japanese air commander tried to win air superiority over Central Burma and sent most of his fighters to Mandalay, under AVG range from India. The initial battle was a Japanese victory, but Allied airmen kept coming the next days while Japanese aircraft were not repaired or replaced. After three days, all Japanese units were back in Rangoon. They had lost 61 fighters but only a dozen pilots, as most of their losses were on the ground. Allied losses in these 3 days were 99 aircraft.
After this battle Allied airmen had again air superiority over Central Burma, bombing troops and bases weather permitting, while Japanese airmen reverted to the former tactic of air ambushes and raids on lightly defended Indian targets.
Action flared again at the start of December, when Ledo was used by Allied bombers to support the battle in Northern China. Japanese air units based in Burma moved north to divert some of the pressure and won a clear victory over Mandalay on the 1st (49 victories for 5 losses). In next weeks Japanese airmen raided several times India and defeated the Hurricanes defending it… until the day before Christmas where 99 Allied fighters including the AVG intercepted 46 Nell and 72 Zero over Chandpur. The Japanese lost 35 fighters and 9 bombers, while destroying 54 Allied aircraft in the air and 16 on the ground, so it was not a disaster… But the elite F1/3rd Daitai lost 18 pilots, including 7 aces. One of them was the Japanese top scorer at the time, Ens Sugio S, that scored his 33rd and 34th victories in the battle before being shot down and captured.
In January 1943 Allied airmen could bomb at will Central Burma and, despite not being very efficient on a daily basis, managed to damage or close most of the Japanese airfields here. Japanese airmen raided 3 times Dacca with good results, meeting little resistance.
February began by air ambushes over Akyab and Myitkyina and several raids on Dacca, wrecking half of the undefended city of Jamshedpur, all air battles going well for Japan. On 1st March, a raid on Ledo by Japanese air units based in China was not so successful, with 48 losses against 15 victories and 41 aircraft destroyed on the ground. At the end of the month, another Japanese air defeat saw the AVG shot down 9 Tojo without loss. The attrition war was not going in the good side for Japan.
And then on the 6th of April a Japanese patrol reported that Allied troops had left Kohima and crossed the river to enter Burma again. It was the start of the Allied offensive.
At least, taking Rabaul and the Solomons (to be written)
The fall 1942 campain in Southern China (to be written)
The invasion of New Zealand (to be written)
Final offensive operations in Southern Pacific: Sydney, Noumea, Luganville and Efate (to be written)
Allied offensive in Northern Burma (to be written)
Allied reconquest of Papua (to be written)
Spring 1943 in China(to be written)
Kuriles invaded ! (to be written)
Allied advance north of Australia (to be written)
Slow Allied advance along New Guinea (to be written)
The last Japanese offensive ? The end of 1943 in China(to be written)
< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 3/23/2009 11:27:05 PM >
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