AmiralLaurent
Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003 From: Near Paris, France Status: offline
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5-7 November 1942 Southern Pacific The first TF of the New Zealand operation left Suva on the 5th: a CL leading 6 slow (10-knots) MSW. The other warships were still refuelling or organizing. But at least the fleet sailed on the 6th, a week behind schedule. Not to bad, regarding the fact that the fleet that sailed this day was the greatest ever seen on the ocean (at least as far as Japanese know, at the same time on the other side of the planet Allied troops are sailing to invade North Africa). The Allied fleet was divided in two great forces, a Combat Group and a Convoy Group. The Combat Group was composed of two CV TF, a surface TF (Adm Nishimura, BB Musashi, 1 CA, 3 CL, 7 DD, speed 26) and an ASW TF of 6 DD. The CV were divided into a: _ fast CV TF (Adm Nagumo, CV Soryu, Hiryu, Shokaku, Zuikaku, 4 CA, 1 CL, 6 DD, 248 aircraft, max speed 32) _ slow CV TF (Adm Yamaguchi, CV Kaga, Akagi, CVL Zuiho, Shoho, Ryujo, BB Hiei, Kirishima, 2 CA, 1 CL, 6 DD, 200 aircraft, speed 25). So the Group has a whole has a max speed of 25, 49 ships and 448 aircraft and should be able to deal with any Allied opposition, and to bombard Allied bases too. The fast CV TF will also be able to pursue any fleeing Allied fleet if needed. The Convoy Group’s mission will be to bring troops, supplies and fuel to New Zealand. Powerful combat TF will sail with it to protect it. There are TFs in this group: _ a CV TF (escort CV TF): Adm Yamada, CV Junyo, Hiyo, CVL Ryoho, CVE Hosho, Chuyo, CS Mizuho, 2 CL, 6 DD, 144 aircraft, speed 20. _ a surface TF (landing support TF): Adm Hosagaya, BB Yamato, Ise, 1 CA, 2 CL, 10 DD, speed 24. _ two ASW groups (total of 8 DD, 3 PC and 1 APD). _ a resplenishment TF (6 AO, 6 DD) carrying 48k fuel _ a fast MSW TF (five 20-knots MSW) _ and 5 transport TF, all able to do 11-12 knots: 1) the Wellington convoy (carrying troops that will attack Wellington, and then Auckland: 2nd, 20th, 21st, 48th and 56th Div and support troops): 57 AP, 12 escorts, 120k men, 14k supplies. 2) the Auckalnd convoy (carrying troops that will land N of Wellington and then march to Auckland: 38th Div, 1st Tk Div, 4 Eng Rgt and support troops): 55 AP/AK, 1 CL, 12 escorts, 82k men, 30k supplies 3) the Southern convoy (carryings troops that will land in Southern Island: 53rd Div, 56th Bde, 4th Tk Rgt and support troops): 35 AP, 10 escorts, 72k men, 45k supplies 4) the Reserve convoy (carrying the 65th Bde, 7th Tk Rgt and two small naval units): 9 AP, 7 escorts, 17k men, 9k supplies 5) the Logistical Train (carrying several Base Forces (17k men), 292k supplies and 100k fuel): 8 TK, 1 AV, 1 AS, 1 AE, 2 AR, 58 AK/AP, 12 escorts). _ the slow MSW TF will later join this Group (when the faster Group will catch them) So the total for the Convot Group has a max speed of 10 (even with some SYS damage), 356 ships, 144 aircraft (not counting seaplanes) and carries 291 000 men, 390 000 supplies and 148 000 fuel. Both left Suva sailing SW toward Auckland. The Combat Group will get close to the base and engage it for 1-2 days while the Transport Group sailing behind it will sail between New Caledonia and New Zealand and then turn to the SW to land troops on both sides of the strait between the North and South Islands. To provide a batter ASW cover in the first part of the path, the 32 Betties that arrived in Suva some days ago were ordered to fly extensive naval search. Solomons-New Guinea Despite the raids launched each afternoon from Port Moresby (for a total of 75 B-24D sorties, doing 504 casualties, disabling 2 guns and scoring 11 hits on the airbase, 6 on supplies and 33 on the runway at the cost of one operational loss), Japanese engineers repaired the base each day and expanded the airfield to size 4 on the 5th and then received orders to expand fortifications only for a while. The Ki-61 of 203 Sentai continued to fly south every even day and reached Tinian. They will reach Truk and then fly to Rabaul with a Zero Daitai to defend the base. Timor-Amboina-Australia Timor continued to be the only target of Allied airmen. Koepang and Lautem were bombed each afternoon. The first was the target of 86 B-25C from Derby in 3 days but 21 didn’t find the target, one was lost in a crash and the other scored only 8 runway hits and did 19 casualties. Lautem was the target of a total of 112 B-25C of Darwin in 3 days. One was shot down by AA fire on the 5th, one lost to engine failure on the 6th and the last day 7 A6M2 from Kendari intercepted the bombers and shot down 2. All the other fled. One Zero was lost to engine failure but the pilot, an ace, was rescued. The raids of the 5th and 6th had only scored one hit on supplies and one on the runway. Barges continued to bring supplies to Japanese bases in Timor and Brewster 339D flew 14 unsuccessful sorties against them on the 5th and 6th. Patrolling Hudsons sank a barge and heavily damaged another off Lautem. Southern Resource Area West of Sumatra, detachments of the Sasebo 3rd SNLF occupied the small islands of Nias, Mentawi, and Pagai, and then boarded again barges to come back to Sabang with the few white people found on these islands. The following convoys were created in 3 days: 10k fuel Saigon to Victoria Point, 27k oil Singapore to Japan, 18k oil Brunei to Takao, 7k resources Manila to Takao, 14k resources Palembang to Singapore, 14k resources Toboali to Singapore and 21k supplies Palembang to Balikpapan (to finish repair resource centers). Burma Mandalay was bombed on the 5th and 6th by Dacca airmen. On the first day, 57 B-25C, 39 Blenheim IV, 15 Il-4c and 12 Wellington III escorted by 26 P-40B disabled 86 men and 1 gun and scored 5 hits on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 67 on the runway. The next day, 53 B-25C, 38 Blenheim IV, 16 Il-4c and 10 Wellington III escorted by 34 P-40B destroyed 1 Ki-46 on the ground, disabled 36 men and 1 gun and scored 3 hits on the airbase, 2 on supplies and 34 on the runway. Akyab was bombed on the 5th (13 Beaufort V-IX from Chandpur escorted by 24 P-40B) and the 7th (10 Beaufort, 24 P-40B) but only 2 hits on the runway and 1 on supplies were scored while a Beaufort was lost in a crash. SE of Imphal, the 81st Garrison Unit was only attacked once, on the 5th, by 6 Hurricanes and lost 20 men and 1 gun. Japanese airmen only flew recon sorties and waited for clear weather to raid again India. 50 Nells came back from Bangkok to Rangoon and will fly as soon as the weather will improve. China The only action was in the north, where Japanese gunfire hit 156 men in Kungchang in 3 days. On the 6th Japanese troops NE of Lanchow were attacked by 22 Hurricane and 4 Spitfire and lost 57 men and 1 gun The next day, 5 Zeroes from Yenen covered these troops when they were attacked by 21 Hurricane and 4 Spitfires and shot down 4 Hurricanes, while a Spitfire was lost in a crash. Bombs hit 40 Japanese men and 2 guns. Both sides continue to manoeuvre. Japanese troops marched slowly towards the battle field NE of Lanchow, while one the Chinese units W of Sian marched N in the mountain, threatening the west flank of the Japanese forces on the other side of the river. In the south, Japanese units leaving Wuchow northward to pursue Chinese troops were very slow, and it was thought to cancel their orders and send them to Kweilin by the rail. But that would have for side-effect to send troops with preparation 2-5% against a fully prepared position, never a good move, so the Japanese units received no new orders there and continued to march slowly to the NW. Japanese engineers expanded the airfield of Wuchow to size 2 in some days. Supplies and HI centers were slowly repairs and orders were received to expand the HI from 2 to 8 as a first step. Japan Some Allied submarines continued to cruise south of Japan but didn’t attack any convoy. They had two contacts with Japanese ASW groups. On the evening of the 5th, the SS Porpoise that had been attacked by a Mavis and a Betty during the day was chased 120 miles W of Tori Shima by an ASW group and depth charged. The DD Tokitsukaze missed but the PG Toyotu Maru damaged the submarine with two near misses. In the early hours of the 7th, the SS Sunfish saw an ASW group 240 miles S of Osaka and tried to attack but was unable to reach a good firing position. Japanese ships didn’t detect her. Two small convoys left Tokyo to bring two small BF to Bonins and Tori Shima to enable ASW patrols to be flown from these bases.
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