AmiralLaurent
Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003 From: Near Paris, France Status: offline
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9-12 October 1942 Northern Pacific The buildup of the base of Paramushiro Jima continued. The airfield was expanded to size 2 and fort level 4. Both fuel and supplies dumps are above 10 000, and ML operating out of Tokyo have laid more than 2500 mines here. The garrison has more than 200 ASS points now. Repeated recon of the islands of Attu, Kiska and Amchitka by Mavis based failed to report any Allied activity. Very probably the closest Allied unit is in Adak, and this base is too strong for the limited Japanese forces in the area, so they will remain in Paramushiro Jima and continue to survey the Aleutians Islands. Central Pacific The two Const Bn coming from Midway arrived in Hilo and will help build fortifications here. Southern Pacific Japanese TFs continued to arrive in Suva. A new Allied minefield was detected there on the 10th and swept then by 6 MSW but has not been eliminated yet. Eight TK finished unloading fuel here and sailed for the SRA via Jaluit and Palau to avoid Allied bases. In Pago-Pago, the five APs sent from Suva arrived and loaded the 1st Eng Rgt to include it in the NZ invasion convoy. Allied engineers expanded the port of Efate to size 5. Solomons-New Guinea The operation against Rabaul started really on the 9th, when the other four bases of New Britain (Sag Sag, Arawe, Talasea and Gasmata) were all taken each by a company of the 1st Parachute Regiment dropped by transport aircraft from Truk. The same day, the KB Cap shot down a Catalina I from Rabaul. On the 10th the first Japanese ships (4 MSW) reached Rabaul, reporting no minefield, while the KB and the invasion convoy waited 60 miles NW of the target. This day Japanese recon units reported that 3 Allied units held the base and that all Allied aircraft had left it. Another company of the 1st Para Rgt was dropped over the undefended Green Island, north of Bougainville, and took it. In the evening, 4 CA and 3 DD joined the invasion convoy to provide more support gunfire for the landing, and it sailed to Rabaul, while the KB continued to patrol in the same area. 24 A6M2 from the KB were ordered to LRCAP Rabaul, while 24 A6M3 flew from Truk to Kavieng to do the same. The landing began during the night of the 10-11. While approaching the beaches, mines were encountered and 6 MSW, 3 DD and 1 PC swept some but one destroyed was very heavily damaged by a VH2 mine. The landing was lightly opposed, with 349 Allied shells fired on troops and ships during the night and the day, but they hit no ship and Japanese losses were limited to 1284 men and 1 gun. The only Allied aircraft seen were patrol planes. Allied troops bombarded the invading troops (5th Div, two Eng Rgt and 1 Special Base Force) in the evening and hit 7 men while losing 8 men and 1 gun. The base was held by 3 Allied units: the NGVR Bn, the Lark Force Bn and the 101 RAAF BF, the same garrison as on 7 Dec 1941. The next night and day, the 6 MSW patrolling off Rabaul didn’t sweep any mines, while several DD and PC continued to sweep some. During the night and day the landing continued, with 994 men and 1 gun disabled while a PC was hit by one of the 244 shells fired by the Allied defenders. Both sides exchanged artillery fire and 43 Australian and 9 Japanese fell during the day. Again there was no Allied air raid but one A6M3 was lost to a crash near Kavieng. Japanese troops will finish to land in Rabaul tomorrow and the softening of Rabaul will start the same day. 1 BB and 4 CA will bombard the base tonight, and all Kates of KB will then bomb Allied troops during the day. To be sure that Japanese troops in Rabaul won’t lack supplies three AK loaded with 21 000 supplies left Truk. At the same time, the AP convoy sent from Kwajalein arrived (all local AP had been sent to Rabaul) and started to load the troops of the 1st wave of Solomons occupation: 2 SNLF and 2 NLF. During the period, Japanese engineers expanded the airfield of Hollandia to size 5. They will now only expand fortifications. Timor-Amboina-Australia Allied airmen continued to bomb Koepang and Derby each afternoon. First was hit by a total of 84 B-25C from Derby and suffered 4 hits on the airbase and 64 on runways and the loss of 114 men and 2 guns, the second was attacked by a total of 218 B-25C from Darwin, that scored 4 hits on the base, 5 on supplies and 67 on runways, disabling 108 men and 1 gun. Their only loss was a B-25C shot down by AA fire on the 10th. Japanese continued minor operations in this area. A submarine was seen NE of Kendari and 40 Nells and Ki-21 moved there from Macassar to track it without success. Four ML laid a defensive minefield in Amboina, but will now have to sail to Soerabaja to reload. Two APs were sent to Kendari to pick up the two Const Bn being here, useless now that the base is finished. Barges continued to bring supplies to Timor, and on the 12th seven Brewster 339D from Darwin attacked such a group off Lautem and sank one but lost one of their number when it hit the sea. The closest thing to an offensive move done by the Japanese in this area was to send two small groups of barges loaded with a company of a SNLF each to the villages of Nabile and Kiamana, in Dutch New Guinea, to round up the few Western people being here. Both groups reached the villages on the 12th and suffered each about 30 disabled men during the landing. Both villages will be occupied tomorrow and all white people will be “taken care of”. Southern Resource Area The following convoys were created: 28k resources from Bangkok to Japan, 10k supplies from Pontaniak to Batavia, 14k resources from Toboali to Singapore, 28k resources from Camranh Bay to Japan, 17k resources from Foochow, China, to Japan and 14k resources from Manila to Formosa. Burma 10 Vengeance I escorted by 42 P-40B from Dacca raided Akyab on the 9th but AA shot down two while they scored only 3 hits on the airbase and runways. There was no raid the next day, but Akyab was then bombed on the 11th by 55 SB-2c, 25 Beaufort V-IX and 21 Beaufort I escorted by 24 P-40B from Chandpur, and the next day by 58 SB-2c, 24 Beaufort I, 19 Beaufort V-IX and 23 P-40B. In two days they only wounded 5 men and scored 12 hits on the airbase, 6 on supplies and 63 on the runways, while losing a SB-2c to AA fire and 1 Beaufort I, 1 Beaufort V-IX and 1 P-40B in crashes. The main effect of these raids (outside providing experience to Allied airmen) is to slow or stop the building of fortifications in Akyab (currently level 3) and I will have to send more engineers here to accelerate it. The 81st Naval Guard Unit SE of Imphal was bombed on the 10th, 11th and 12th, each day by 9 Hurricanes, and lost 36 men and 2 guns. On the 11th seven Oscars of a Chutai flying LRCAP from Myitkyina intercepted them but only damaged one Hurricane and left the same evening for Rangoon to avoid a massive Allied bombing raid. Allied engineers expanded the airfield of Kohima to size 4. Philippines The 81st PA Div in Cebu Island was the target of training missions by Zeroes from Cagayan on all four days (23 AC each day) and lost 53 men. This will not last long, as the 17th Div began to board again ships in Iloilo on the 10th to land there. Two small AKs were sent to Legaspi to load more supplies for the operation and will join the invasion convoy off Cebu. The inhabitants of Dumaguete, NW of Cebu, were bright enough to surrender to Japan before being invaded. China In the north, Japanese troops in Lanchow (6th and 35th Div, 2 Rgt of 27th Div, 2 Tk Rgt, 2 Eng Rgt) launched a deliberate attack on the city on the 9th but the Chinese defenders (5th New Corps and 6th Air Base Force behind fortifications level 7) repulsed them at 0 to 1. Japanese losses were 1092 men and 23 guns, Chinese ones 153 men and 10 guns. After this failure, both regiments of 27th Div, both Tk Rgt and 1 Eng Rgt were ordered to leave the area to the NE via the Yenen road. One Tk Rgt was ordered to move to Yenen to be rebuilt, the other will be used against Sining. But none of these units had moved enough to leave the hex before the Chinese Corps between Sining and Lanchow moved east and reached the road, so denying them the ability of move. This hex is held by the Kyuko Naval Guard Unit and the remnants of two Para SNLFs. These troops were attacked on the 11th by 64 Hurricanes from Lanchow and Sining (49 cas, 1 Hurricane lost in a crash) and on the 12th by 55 from Lanchow (45 cas). They are not strong enough to repulse an attack by the Chinese Corps, even in makeshift fortifications (level 3) in woods, but an half Bde is marching to this point on the Yenen road and should arrive tomorrow... or the next day (15 miles to go). Yenen airmen had been ordered to give full support to this spot and 36 Zeroes will fly LRCAP over the place while bombers will bomb Chinese troops without escort. It is a calculated risk… This Chinese move means that no more Chinese reinforcements are available near Sining, that is still held by only a Chinese Base Force. The three para SNLF had been rebuilt at more than 50% in Yenen and will be dropped on Sining again. In the evening of the 12th all available transport AC were ordered to this base. 82 arrived, 35 will arrive tomorrow after an intermediary stop and 1 (a Ki-57) was lost in a crash en route. 12 Tonies from Canton and 36 Oscars from Wuhan also flew in. South of Kungchang, the 40th and 41st Div reached on the 9th the hex north of Sian and repulsed the next day the 30th Chinese Corps (deliberate attack at 1030 to 1…) to Sian with support of 33 Ki-21 and 16 Ki-49 from Yenen that hit 84 men and 1 gun. The Japanese lost in the ground battle 34 men and 2 guns, the Chinese 479 killed and wounded, 1 gun and more than 200 prisoners. The two next days, three Chinese units left Sian westwards (leaving 21 in Sian) and will probably stop on the hex west of Sian to defend it (Japanese troops should cross a river to reach it and won’t try). On the 11th, 25 Ki-49 and 24 Ki-21 from Yenen bombed a Chinese Corps in Sian, hitting 28 men, but they had just not received orders to stand down after the ground attack of the day before. In Kungchang, Japanese artillery hit 155 men and 1 gun in 4 days. In Central China, Japanese engineers expanded the airfield of Wuhan to size 9. In the evening of the 10th, Wuhan bombers (44 Ki-48, 21 Ki-21 and 16 Betties) received again orders to bomb Chinese resources in Changsha (133 remaining) and Chungking (76). Only one raid was flown, targeting Changsha on the 12th with 33 Ki-48 and disabling 10 resource centers without loss. In the south, Kweilin was bombed on the 9th, 10th and 12th by Canton airmen for a total of 330 bombers ( 259 by Ki-48 and 71 by Ki-49) and 33 escort (by Ki-61) sorties. They scored 29 hits on the airbase, 10 on supplies and 206 on runways and did 34 casualties. Operational losses were 3 Ki-48s, 1 Ki-49 and 1 Ki-61. Recon flights reported 8 Chinese units there, far enough to repel any probing attack, but the Japanese troops continued to gather SW of the city as a diversion. Canton Nates continued also to fly training missions against the 28th New Chiense Div NW of Wuchow but hit only 14 men in 4 days and 91 sorties while losing three of their numbers in accidents. Japanese artillery hit 130 men in Wuchow in 4 days. Japan The main concern around Japan was still domestic shipping of resources, oil and supplies. Japanese engineers expanded the port of Hungnam, Korea, to size 5. Two convoys left Japan for overseas bases, one carrying 45 000 fuel from Nagoya to Truk, the other 28 000 supplies from Sendai to Manila. The 149th IJN Base Force was created in Tokyo and ordered to prepare to be based in the Bonin Islands. This will allow ASW aircraft to be there, as all these islands are currently empty. The Japanese aircraft industry achieved a major success by advancing the release date of the Oscar II of one month (just kidding… in fact I wonder if Nates are not better than Oscars… at least they are more successful in this game, including against heavy bombers… not that is difficult…. ). More important was that the Ki-36 factory in Tokyo (that was stopped at the start of the war) was converted to produce Ki-44 Tojo, as the current production was too low. Also the increased Ki-61 production allowed converting a Home Defense group of Ki-27. Needless to say, this group will change command and be sent overseas as soon as the conversion will be ended.
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