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RE: First American victory of the war

 
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RE: First American victory of the war - 9/2/2005 8:30:17 PM   
witpqs


Posts: 26087
Joined: 10/4/2004
From: Argleton
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Mogami

Hi, It is not a bug. There are people who would rather throw aircraft overside when they land to avoid overloading but it's not a bug.




Here it is from the manual:

quote:


If the number of aircraft on board exceeds 115% of the ship’s capacity, only Transfer
Missions can be flown. Planes won’t make an emergency landing (refer to 7.2.2.16
Emergency Landings) on another Carrier in such a way as to cause it to exceed 110%
of the carriers aircraft capacity.


Page 190 of the US letter-sized version, section 14.5.

And, as Admiral Laurent stated, it used to work that way. There is nothing in the release notes about that one changing. This bug is serious because it changes the nature of many carrier battles - a major gimp in the game.

(in reply to mogami)
Post #: 61
RE: First American victory of the war - 9/3/2005 11:17:05 AM   
Apollo11


Posts: 24082
Joined: 6/7/2001
From: Zagreb, Croatia
Status: offline 		Hi all,

quote:

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

Yes it is a bug. Until the last versions it wasn't working like that and if the change is intentionnal I missed it (not that I have really checked what v1.602 changed, I had no more PC for a month at the time). In fact it is either a bug (developper & manual announced the game will do something and it does something else) or it is a faulty simulation.

All navies were throwing a lot of aircraft overside during the war to be sure that the carrier remained operative. The important things are the carriers and the pilots... who cares of aircraft ? In fact a lot of damaged AC were just thrown out of the carriers, but they usually let the crew get out....

By the way there were enough place on both of my CV and the diverting AC may have landed on both and so all will operate in the afternoon.

Another faulty feature is that the unit that was diverted had orders escort with 70% CAP. The fragment (that has 100% of the AC and pilots) had in the evening escort 0% CAP... It should have kept the same orders, or reverted to default setting (escort 60% for fighter).

And yes, I have saves of the turn before and this turn. Same problems have been reported several times on this board. I checked the turn before and there were no reason my Zero didn't fly CAP on the afternoon. More important in this case my overcrowded CV survives the turn and so I could see at the end of the turn that shis was carrying 140% of her capacity. I flew Kaga's Vals to a land base and the next day the Zeroes flew again.


Could those aircraft from striken carriers fly to anywhere else but on remaining carriers (you said that Kaga and Hosho were OK whilst Ruyjo and Taiho were hit)?

If they were unable to fly anywhere else then they had to overcapacity the remaining carriers because I never saw "sacrifice" of aircraft/crews in UV/WitP despite what was written in manual...


Leo "Apollo11"

_____________________________



Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!

A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 62
RE: First American victory of the war - 9/3/2005 11:22:37 AM   
Apollo11


Posts: 24082
Joined: 6/7/2001
From: Zagreb, Croatia
Status: offline 		Hi all,

quote:

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

At the same time Vals and Kates from Kaga were executing the DD Craven SW of Christmas Island, at range 5. She took 15 bombs and sank.


Do you rember our discusison from few days ago (where I suggested that more balanced attacks on smaller targets by CVs are done)?

I am asking this because you said that this was OK in current WitP (v1.062) and I said thst this was not ok - so I am wondering now how many Kate/Val bombers were used for this small target from Kaga in your case...


Leo "Apollo11"

_____________________________



Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!

A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 63
8-10 February 1942 - 9/4/2005 2:02:20 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		Hi Appolo, the CV TF was carrying 3 Kates units and 1 Val unit. 1 Val and 1 Kate unit attacked the ship. Where a lonely merchant is met, only one unit (Val or Kate) is launched. Against a convoy or a TF with several warships or a TF with something bigger than a DD it seems to me every plane is launched. But I have not seen small convoys attacked. So the rule may be 1 unit sent per transport, 2 per DD, the kitchen sink for something bigger.

As for the diverting planes, I don't think they were in range of a land base... even if Johnson was probably just above 11 hexes away. Kona, the closest Hawaii base, was 13 hexes away.

And now the last report: 8-10 February 1942

Northern Pacific


Allied engineers expanded the airfield of Adak to size 2 on the 10.


Central Pacific

The second wave of invasion (4000 reinforcement men) landed on Pearh Harbor during the night of the 7-8 and the next day. Mines and CD fire heavily damaged 5 AKs and 3 APs, hitting less seriously 1 DD, 1 PG, 3 AK, 1 AP, and disabled 847 Japanes men. One AK and a 3000-ton AP were scuttled in the evening and the Japanese fleet then retired, as most of the men were ashore and enough supplies have been landed to fullfil all units allready at PH. A heavily damaged AP has still men aboard but managed to land all of them at Moloakai before sinking off this island during the night of the 9-10. Two AKs also sank this day but all other damaged ships should be saved. So total cost of this operation is now 5 transports.
The night of the landing, 8 BBs bombarded PH, hitting 455 men and 10 guns and several ships in the port (1 AK and 1DD reported heavily damaged). During the day 100 bombers from Lahaina bombed the airfield, destroyed on the ground 2 PBYs and hit 16 men. AA fire was slight and only damaged a Ki-49. Japanese artillery hit 59 men this same day and return Allied fire hit 80 Japanese. The Allied had no more than 5800 able men reported and a shock attack with maximum support was ordered for the next day.
This day also saw more attacks by Palmyra airmen against the Japanese ships north of the island. In the morning 10 B-26B attacked a surface TF (that was planned to bombard Palmyra the next night) without CAP but all missed. 4 other Marauders attacked a CV TF but turned back when attacked by Zeroes. And a Zero shot down a B-25C flying naval search. In the afternoon 8 more B-26B were launched but found no target. The daily recon over Palmyra by a Mavis found no CAP. In the evening Taiho damage was at 99/67/16 and Hosho at 56/10/2. Zuikaku and Akagi were both short of fuell and returned to Lahaina while all other CVs were now sailing together.
Two more APs were saved in Lahaina this turn and left the port. The base had now 112 000 fuel and 120 000 supplies and a respenishment TF left the port with 4 AOs to support the KB.
Also this day the Glen of the I-8 saw an AP south of California and sailed to chase her.

Two devastating naval bombardments were done the next night (of 8-9). Three CA destroyed 31 aircraft (15 P-40E, 5 P-39D, 9 B-26B and 5 P-39D) on Palmyra and hit 1259 men, 16 guns and 7 supply dumps (+ 58 other hits on the airfield). At the same time 8 BBs pounded Pearl Harbor and hit 4709 men, 97 guns, set the Pennsylvania on fire again and destroyed on the ground 3 PBYs and 3 SBD.
In the afternoon, 5 bombers of Palmyra tried to attack the retiring bmbardment TF but were intercepted by 19 Zeroes. 3 turned back while 2 B-25C got through but AA shot one and the other missed.
96 Lahaina bombers hit both US divisions on PH (24th and 25th) but hit only 40 men. The shock attack saw 73 000 Japanese attack 54 500 American under fort 6 and reached a ratio of 1 to 1, reducing the forts to 5. But the cost was heavy, with 3357 men and 56 guns lost by Japanese forces. Allied losses were only 341 men and 17 guns.
In the morning a sub-laid minefield was found off Lahaina (and was swept the next day). Mavis flying recon over Palmyra still report no CAP but AA shot down one.
In the evening the Taiho state was reported as 99/89/8 and she was scuttled. No more AC was aboard but I have now a fragment of 27 Zeroes and 27 pilots... Hosho was nowat 56/2/0 and was ordered to sail directly towards Japan rather than to Lahaina where submarines may wait for her.
The I-8 reported finding a convoy of 10+ ships around 1000 miles S of California rather than the single AP seen yesterday. The now unified KB was ordered to sail in this area in the hope this was a troopship convoy.

On the 10, there was no BB bombardment as they were refueling in Lahaina. 101 bombers hit the 25th US Div that lost 31 men and shot down a Ki-49.
The I-8 lost the convoy it was chasing but found another more north, also sailing south. KB is definetly sailing to this area and refueled at sea today. The I-9 currently SW of Palmyra is ordered to sail E of Christmas Island to find the excat path of these convoys.
The Akagi and Auikaku will refuel tomorrow in Lahaina and then sail at full speed to join the KB again. While they are here they will bombard PH airfield tomorrow with Kates, together after the 27 Kates based in Lahaina. Other Lahaina bombers and BBs will pound the island too. Troops will continue to rest tomorow and launch another attack the next day.

Southern Pacific

A convoy of 15 AP loaded in Formosa the HQ 23rd Air Flotilla, an AA Bn, 2 CD Rgts and 3 Naval Const Bn and sailed to Kwajalein.

On the 9 and 10 the Glen of I-10 (patrolling NW of Pago-Pago) followed a convoy (10+ ships) sailing for Suva.

Philipinnes


After spending several days eating coconuts on the beach, the men of 23rd NLF remembered there is a war on (something that is not obvious in the area) and occupied Guiuan on the 10. The local merchants had used this delay to replace the placards 'English spoken' with 'Japanese spoken'.


DEI

On the 8 Sansapor (Dutch New Guinea) surrendered to nearby Japanese forces.

The Kure 1st SNLF had to fight for three days NE of Brunei before the 400 last men of the 106 RN Base Force surrendered. These British had guts ! The 9 and 10 the Japanese shock attacks were supported each day by around 20 Nates and 7 Ki-30 from Brunei. The other main event in Brunei was on the evening of the 8 when the first convoy for Japan (and Formosa) left the port with 58 000 oil. On the other side of Borneo the convoy bringing supplies to Tarakan to repair oilfields arrived on the 9 and work began at once.

On the 9 24 Zeroes from Balikpapan swept Soerabaja skies for the first Japanese raid over Java. I exepted to meet old Dutch fighters but the opposition was stronger than planned, as all US fighter units evacuated from the PI rose to fight with 30 P-40E and 9 P-40B. 8 P-40E and 3 P-40B were shot down but I lost 4 Zeroes and can't afford this kind of victory often... Zeroes were ordered to fly only CAP over Balikpapan again

During the period the 3 TFs that took part in the Macassar operation refuelled on Balikpapan. The BB TF then sailed to join the Palembang operation but around Borneo via Tarakan and Brunei to avoid air attacks from Java. As the date of the landing in Sumatra is getting closer the cruiser TF (2 CA, 2 CL, 6 DD) will attempt to sail between Java and Sumatra. It will also drop in Banjarmasin on the night of the 10-11 a SNLF (that is preparing a landing there since day one and has 90% prep) and then sail to SIngkawang where 15 Zeroes arrived on the evening of the 10 to LRACP it.

Sumatra - Malaya

On the 8 43 Nells, 111 Ki-21 and 57 Oscars returned to Palembang, met no CAP and destroyed 47 aircraft on the ground (12 Hurricane II, 11 Hawk 75, 8 Wirraway, 8 CW-21B, 2 C-60A, 1 Brewster 339, 1 Lockeed 212, 1 Vildebeest, 1 Swordfish and 1 Do24K-2). The Nells bombed the port, where 4 ships were the day before, but it was now empty and AA shot down 2 of them. Jambi was taken this day by the SNLF carried there by the barge convoy. The Johore Bharu was still overcrowed and a 90-AS base force moved to Mersing where transports, Nates and recon AC flew in the evening. Half of the Ki-21 force was flown back to Bangkok for some rest, only the unit with morale > 50 remained.
The troops in Singapore had no aerial support this day but launched a shock attack. That was a bad idea as they lost 5609 men and 111 guns for no result (at 0 to 1) while Allied only lost 1690 men and 67 guns. Most of the LCUS there now had a global disruption of 80, about 1-3% of squads destroyed and between 5 and 15% disabled.

Durng the night the CA TF of Johore brought 50 squads of an air regiment in Jambi that will be used as a forward fighter base when troops will land there. 18 Martin 139 (escorted by 10 Brewster) from Batavia bombed it on the 9 but scored no hits. The daily raid on Palembang was reduced in size (57 Ki-21 and 55 Ki-43) but still destroyed 16 aircraft on the ground (5 Wirraways, 4 C-60A, 3 CW-21B, 2 Hawk 75A, 1 Lockeed 212 and 1 Vildebeest) while losing 1 Sally (to AA) and 2 Oscars (in accidents).
In Singapore both sides used artillery (Allied guns remained silent the days before) and 667 Allied and 66 Japanese fell.

The 10 saw another raid on Palembang by 43 Ki-21, 50 Ki-43 and 11 Zero and 17 more aircraft were destroyed on the ground (7 CW-21B, 4 Vildebeest, 3 Hurricanes, 2 Hawk, 1 Wirraway) while AA shot down 2 Ki-21. The IJAAF bombers did well, in four days 109 aircraft were destroyed on Palembang airfield but all Sentais now have bad morale and were sent resting on the rear. Johore Bharu Nells had since the day before orders of chase ships and bomb Singapore airfield as secondary target. They bombed the base on the 10, hitting 50 men, 2 guns and 4 supply dumps. 223 Allied and no Japanese fell in the artillery exchanges of the day.

27 Ki-48s from Indochina took the placeof the Ki-21s and will bomb Singapore tomorrow. Nates from Mersing will LRCAP Singapore tomorrow in case Allied transports flew there.

Burma

Allied Hurricanes continued to bomb Japanese troops. Mandalay airmen hit the 33rd Div on the 8 (42 AC, 59 cas) and the 21st Bde on the 9 also W of Mandalat (44 AC, 80 cas). At this date the main body of the 15th Army was there and started moving to Mandalay, advancing around 15 miles per day. On the 10 14 Hurricanes from Akyab bombed the Const Bn holding Pagan (20 cas).

I decided to try to surround Manaday. Another Tk Rgt was sent E of Mandalay while the 14th Th RGt allready there was ordered to march NW to cut the Mandalay-Mitkyina road. On the other side a Naval Guard unit was ordered to march NE from the hex W of Mandalay. The latter marched 45 miles in 2 days, but the Tk Rgt did only 3 miels in the same time and the move was canceleld on the evening of the 10.

China

The Japanese artillery fire hit 893 men in Yenen in 3 days. Chinese guns replied all days but only hit on the 9 (29 Japanese casualties). Things will soon move there. The first Bde of the troops marching SW of the town is now only 8 miles of the road W of the town. The hex is "defended" by the HQ Red Chinese Army and another Chinese units is in the hex more W.

Two KI-48 Sentai arrived in China from Indochina and one raided Changsha on the 9. Its 34 Ki-48 disabled 10 more ressources (now 298 out of 600) while 40 Ki-51 bombed the airfield, scoring 13 hits (2 on supplies). The Nate escort had nothing to do. The other Ki-48 Sentai is in Canton and will bomb Wuchow airfield tomorrow.

Two new divisions will be created tomorrow in Kaigan and Hsinyang. The first will go to the Yenen battlefield, the latter will go to Shangai and so free the 17th Div that is preparing for Clark Field (and will be bought by PPs when needed... allready a little more than 3000 PPs in the reserve).

Japan

The CS Nisshin was commissioned on the 10 in Sasebo. On the 11 will be created a lot of new units in Tokyo and I have not enough APs to carry them forward. Only 15 APs remained in Japan and some tens of AKs. The Hawaii operation is too far away from Japan... by searching the whole Empire the only activity where no more operations are planned and where there are sitting transports is Palau. Around 60 AP/AKs returned there after the Mindanao/Mendano/Kendari operations and 45 sailed in the evening of the 10 towards Japan.

Revised economics statistics

The following stocks has been announced at the end of January:
quote:

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent
Supply stock: 2 561 000 (- 2 000)
Fuel stock: 3 788 000 (- 203 000)
Ressource stock: 1 527 000 (- 101 000)
Oil stock: 1 425 000 (- 179 000)


A check on 10 Feb found that a fall of 100 000 in oil and a rise of 200 000 in fuel. I then checked both turns and discovered that the total shown on the ressource screen only are the suppy, fuel, oil and ressources in the bases. All aboard ships are not counted. As a huge TK unloaded between the 1 and the 10 while I was loading oil elsewhere this explains the discrepancy.

The real numbers are for the 1st January:
Supplies : 2 563 000 (bases) + around 300 000 (TFs) = around 2 860 000
Fuel : 3 990 000 (bases) + around 365 000 (TFs) = around 4 355 000
Ressources : 1 628 000 (bases) + 0 (TFs) = 1 628 000
Oil: 1 614 000 (bases) + 0 (TFs) = 1 614 000

And for the 1st February:
Supplies : 2 561 000 (bases) + around 355 000 (TFs) = around 2 915 000 (+ 55 000, and not - 2 000)
Fuel : 3 788 000 (bases) + around 485 000 (TFs) = around 4 270 000 (- 85 000, and not - 203 000)
Ressources : 1 527 000 (bases) + 14 000 (TFs) = 1 541 000 (- 87 000, and not - 101 000)
Oil: 1 425 000 (bases) + 16 000 (TFs) = 1 441 000 (- 163 000, and not - 179 000).

So the economic situation is slighty better that was announced, especially the extra supply generated means that all available AKs will load supplies to the damaged oil centers and that will allow to stop the fall of the oil reserve.

< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 9/4/2005 2:04:44 AM >

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 64
RE: 8-10 February 1942 - 9/4/2005 4:50:28 AM   
ADavidB


Posts: 2464
Joined: 9/17/2001
From: Toronto, Canada
Status: offline 		Can you give an update of losses/score soon so that we can see what the cost/benefits have been of this approach so far?

Thanks -

Dave Baranyi

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 65
RE: 8-10 February 1942 - 9/4/2005 10:03:07 AM   
Apollo11


Posts: 24082
Joined: 6/7/2001
From: Zagreb, Croatia
Status: offline 		Hi all,

quote:

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

The CV TF was carrying 3 Kates units and 1 Val unit. 1 Val and 1 Kate unit attacked the ship. Where a lonely merchant is met, only one unit (Val or Kate) is launched. Against a convoy or a TF with several warships or a TF with something bigger than a DD it seems to me every plane is launched. But I have not seen small convoys attacked. So the rule may be 1 unit sent per transport, 2 per DD, the kitchen sink for something bigger.


Thanks for info and best wishes to swiftly capture PH!

So... 1x DD was attacked by 27x Kates + 27x Val... IMHO this still sounds a bit too much (i.e. overkill)...


Leo "Apollo11"

_____________________________



Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!

A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 66
11-12 February 1942 - 9/5/2005 9:56:02 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		HI, Dave and Appolo

I give scores and detailled losses every month end. The benefit of the fall of PH will be 3000 points for the base + 3000 points for the troops and ships trapped there... + the strategic good position..
The side benefit is to give me a good position to strike Allied convoys. KB is actually chasing possible troop convoys SE of Hawaii. Sinking a division or even a part of it will be good
The problem is that both PH and Singapore are still resisting. And that I'm weak in DEI. And that my Zero, Kate and Val paid a high cost, even if by disbanding land-based formations I kept my CV full of well-trained airmen. Another problem is that mounting a so large invasion is using a good part of my transport fleet and for the first time in WITP I have run out of transports in Japan for some days.

Apollo, the two units numbered 20 Vals and 20 Kates. And that's OK for me.

11-12 February 1942

The 11 was a good day for Allied enginners that expanded the airfields of Darwin, Alice Springs and Pago-Pago.

Northern Pacific

The Japanese submarines have reached the area and mines will be laid in the night if 12-13 by the I-123 and I-124 off Adak and Amchitka.

Central Pacific

During of the night of the 10-11, the 8 BBs returned to PH but this time CD guns were able to repel them, while losing 645 men and 21 guns. During the day, the Lahaina and CV Akagi and Zuikaku Kates were ordered to bomb the AF but most hit troops with the other bombers. Only 5 bombed the airfield and draw many AA shells that shot down one. 49 other Kates and 89 bombers attacked the 25th US Div (31 cas) and an USMC Defence Bn (1 cas). AA fire shot down a Ki-21. I hope this was enough to make my opponents believe my CVs are in Lahaina. Japanese artillery hit hit 76 men in PH this day.
A badly damaged AP sand in the port in this evening. The Akagi and Zuikaku refuelled this evening there, reorganised their air groups and sailed then to the SE to join the other CVs. A newconvoy of cripples left the base for Japan and an ASW group was sent NE of the base.

The latter haven't seen nothing these two days. All CVs should be together in 2 days and it is planned they engaged the Allied convoys at this date. It is possible to engage them tomorrow if they sail more west than exepted.

During the night of the 11-12 6 APDs returning to Lahaina from the French Frigate Shoals met the SS Trout near Lahaina but she escaped.

A shock attack was planned in PH on the 12 and the 8 BB and a CL bombed the base in the afternoon, destroying 3 SBD, 1 PBY and 1 P-39D, hitting 6 ships in the port, disabling 6330 men, 183 guns and destroying 2 supply dumps. The attack was launched by 77 000 men and opposed by only 48 000 able Allied. Japanese enginners reduced the fort to level 4 and the assault achieved at 1 to 1 ratio but 2335 Japanese and only 215 Allied fell.
Some days of rest and then another attack will be launched.

DEI

A FT TF unloaded a SNLF in Banjarmasin during the night of the 10-11. The town was empty but when the Japanese troops attacked itt he next day, the two first Dutch units retreating from Balikpapan, 2 infantry battalions, arrived. They were defeated (at 6 to 1) and retreated eastwards. Tomorrow transport AC will carry some air support squads and then patrol and recon aircraft will arrive.
The FT TF (2 CA, 2 CL, 6 DD) sailed north after the landing and during the day hours of the 11 was SW of Pontaniak. In the morning 5 Martin 139 coming from Batavia, 240 miles in the west, attacked them, evaded the 8 Zeroes flying LRCAP from Singkawang and missed 2 cruisers. I was unimpressed but the next raid was more frigthening. For the first time, the dreaded Beauforts came to play. 16 Beauforts and 14 more Martins attacked just after the first raid. The CAP was able to shot down one of each but the other get through... and all missed while two Beauforts were shot down by AA fire. They returned in the afternoon, this time they were 9 Brewster 339 escorting 21 Beauforts and 30 Martins. Seven Zeroes intercepted and shot down 2 Dutch fighters but all bombers reached the ships and... once again missed, except a Martin that hit a DD with one bomb (she sailed directly to Saigon alone and was damaged at 34/6/21). AA fire shot down a Martin. It was a poor show by Beauforts and Martins and the only explanation I can find is that they moved the day before and had high fatigue. 9 B-17C from Soerabaja attacked them and missed again. In the evening the Singkawang Zeroes returned to Johore Bharu where the surface TF will arrive tomorrow.

Starting from the 11 transport AC carried most of the air support in Brunai (200+ squads) to Balikpapan, that is now a major airbase. All bombers of Menado flew there on the 12 and will rest tomorrow and then start to bomb Java.

Sumatra - Malaya

Bad weather grouped aircraft on the 11 and only shells were exchanged in Singapore 224 Allied and 84 Japanese falling.

On the 12, 12 Martin 139 from Batavia attacked Japanese ships around Singapore. 9 attacked the CA TF coming from Borneo SW of the base and missed but met no fighters. The other 3 targetted an AK convoy cruising off Singapore to enjoy the view and met the Nates flying LRCAP over the town to chase transports. All three Dutch bombers were shot down without loss. AFAIK these are the first victories by Nates since December. It is also probably the first air battle by Nates since December...

In the morning of the 12 the SS O21 tried to attack the Jambi troop convoy just SW of Johore Bharu but was chased by the escort. I sent the convoy there as I was uneasy with the Singapore battle. A major attack was planned this day and if it failed the Jambi troops will be landed in Johore Bharu and sent to Singapore, two more divisions will do the trick.
The attack was supported by 78 bombers, that hit the singapore Fortress and disabled 39 men for the loss of a Ki-48 and a Nell. It was a bloody failure... 106 000 Japanese attacked 70 000 Allied behind fort 6 and at 0 to 1 lost 2850 men vs 585 Allied. So both divisions planend for Jambi and Palembang will be used in Malaya and will land in Johore tomorrow. The BB TF off Borneo refueleld today in Brunei and will also sail to Johore

Burma

Japanese troops continues to move forward and things wentwrong on the 12. A Tk Rgt SW of Mandalay has been ordered to join the Tk Rgt between Mandalay and Lashio and was exepted to march E and then NE. Now it decided to march NE to Mandalay first and crossed the river on the evening of the 12. The following shock attack was not so bad... It lost 231 men and 23 tanks and disabled 135 Allied. Mandalay had fort 4 and is held by 4 Bdes, 4 Bf, a AA Bn and a HQ (probably an air HQ). The Tk Rgt is not totally wrecked, just hard hit. Another Tk Rgt couldn't wait W of the town and also entered the hex this turn.

The good news is that no Allied air raid was launched for two days and the rested 33rd Div will very probably also reach Mandalay tomorrow so an Allied counter-attack launched against the 2 Tk Rgts will probably fail. The 81st Naval Gd UNits has reached the hex NW of Mandalay so an Allied retreat is also an option.

China

On the 11 and the 12 25 Ki-48s from Canton bombed Wuchow airfield but only score four hits on the airfield in 2 days.

Artillery fire hit 261 more CHinse in 2 days. The 10th Bde will reach the road W of Yenen tomorrow but a Chinese unit (11000 men) is there and 3 more just W of it. The Bde will have to hold for two days before the next unit arrive. 60 Ki-48s arrived from other Chinese bases in Chengting, that was vacated by Ki-51s, to support it.

Two divisions were created in Kaigan and Hsinyang. They are weaker than more existing and will do garrison duties. The 59th in Kaigan will go to the nearby town of Peking and relieve the 26th Div that will join the battle of Yenen.

(in reply to Apollo11)
Post #: 67
Planning... - 9/6/2005 1:44:00 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		Various plans

The strategic map shows in black the second set of objectives of the Japanese war machine: some islands in the Pacific S of Hawai, the DEI and the Philipinnes.

Then staff officers are studying four plans:

_ Red Plan: full pressure against the United States
The idea is to raid the West Coast with the whole KB and to land 4 divisions in the Aleutians and Alaska in summer 1942… and then leave before US troops march from USA to Alaska. The goal is to kill US soldiers and civilians (strategic points…) while keeping most forces around PH so the base will be strongly defended.
In this case, the rest of the map should be rather quiet, I doubt Australians or British can mount an offensive alone.

_ White Plan: Pacific and New Zealand
The idea is to use the fact that US will be cut from Pacific Islands to conquer all of them up to New Zealand. And then to land in SE Australia where a lot of industrial cities can’t all be defended in strength.

_ Blue Plan: Kangoroo Hunt… sorry full pressure against Australia
It will start as the above point, with attacks on Noumea and Pacific but a diversion landing of 3 Div will be done in NW Australia (probably in Derby). As soon as Allied troops will be in force in the area, landings will be done in Cooktown/Cairns area, bypassing Port Moresby (except it is lightly defended). Depending of the Allied reactions. A reserve force of 3-4 div will be used there or sail to Perth.

_ Green Plan: Asian plan
While the IJN will mostly defend and raid in the Pacific, the IJAAF will gather troops in S China (at least 6 div used by Southern area at the moment) and seize S China and maybe the whole country (but I doubt it with the home rule I use to have to garrison all road/rail hexes).
Once China has been defeated, a good part of the troops will march to the Soviet border and Siberia will be invaded. I think there will be no difference in invading Siberia in 1943 than in summer 1942 (with Soviet troops already prep at 100% and in level 9 forts), contrary to all other parts of the map. Aleutians will be seized before so no US reinforcements will be flown to Siberia.






Attachment (1)

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 68
RE: Planning... - 9/6/2005 4:20:11 PM   
Apollo11


Posts: 24082
Joined: 6/7/2001
From: Zagreb, Croatia
Status: offline 		Hi all,

quote:

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

Various plans

The strategic map shows in black the second set of objectives of the Japanese war machine: some islands in the Pacific S of Hawai, the DEI and the Philipinnes.

Then staff officers are studying four plans:

_ Red Plan: full pressure against the United States
The idea is to raid the West Coast with the whole KB and to land 4 divisions in the Aleutians and Alaska in summer 1942… and then leave before US troops march from USA to Alaska. The goal is to kill US soldiers and civilians (strategic points…) while keeping most forces around PH so the base will be strongly defended.
In this case, the rest of the map should be rather quiet, I doubt Australians or British can mount an offensive alone.

_ White Plan: Pacific and New Zealand
The idea is to use the fact that US will be cut from Pacific Islands to conquer all of them up to New Zealand. And then to land in SE Australia where a lot of industrial cities can’t all be defended in strength.

_ Blue Plan: Kangoroo Hunt… sorry full pressure against Australia
It will start as the above point, with attacks on Noumea and Pacific but a diversion landing of 3 Div will be done in NW Australia (probably in Derby). As soon as Allied troops will be in force in the area, landings will be done in Cooktown/Cairns area, bypassing Port Moresby (except it is lightly defended). Depending of the Allied reactions. A reserve force of 3-4 div will be used there or sail to Perth.

_ Green Plan: Asian plan
While the IJN will mostly defend and raid in the Pacific, the IJAAF will gather troops in S China (at least 6 div used by Southern area at the moment) and seize S China and maybe the whole country (but I doubt it with the home rule I use to have to garrison all road/rail hexes).
Once China has been defeated, a good part of the troops will march to the Soviet border and Siberia will be invaded. I think there will be no difference in invading Siberia in 1943 than in summer 1942 (with Soviet troops already prep at 100% and in level 9 forts), contrary to all other parts of the map. Aleutians will be seized before so no US reinforcements will be flown to Siberia.






I think the "White Plan" is the best way to keep _BIG_ pressure on Allied player... this would completely separate USA from other areas and will create Allie player very very big problems (i.e. you can defent your island primeter with both CVs and land based aircraft whilst he can solely rely on CVs)!


Leo "Apollo11"

_____________________________



Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!

A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 69
RE: Planning... - 9/6/2005 4:57:53 PM   
soeren01

 

Posts: 393
Joined: 6/25/2004
From: Bayern
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quote:

_ Red Plan: full pressure against the United States
The idea is to raid the West Coast with the whole KB and to land 4 divisions in the Aleutians and Alaska in summer 1942… and then leave before US troops march from USA to Alaska. The goal is to kill US soldiers and civilians (strategic points…) while keeping most forces around PH so the base will be strongly defended.
In this case, the rest of the map should be rather quiet, I doubt Australians or British can mount an offensive alone.



Be carefull not to activate the accelerated allied mobilisation ( Rule 8.3.2 page 149 in the manual)

_____________________________

soeren01, formerly known as Soeren
CoG FoF
PacWar WIR BoB BTR UV WITP WITE WITW

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 70
13 February 1942 - 9/7/2005 9:22:01 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		Hi

Appolo, the white plan is my original plan but I think I will simulate the start of the red plan with at least one CV raid on W coast, probably in March, and landings in Aleutian.

As for the activation of American reinforcements, it happens only if Jap troops arrive east of the 132 hex line. So you can take all Alaska without activation.

13 February 1942 (edited: I wrote 14 February in error)

Northern Pacific

During the night, two minelayer submarines laid minefields off Adak and Amchitka but the I-123 was chased by 4 DDs off Adak and sunk by the DD Chew.

Central Pacific

During the day, 130 bombers attacked the 25th US Div and the 4th USMC Defense Bn, hitting 101 men but at the cost of a Ki-49 and a Betty shotdown by AA. Artillery fire then hit 95 Allied men.
A H6K4 Mavis was shot by AA fire during a reco of Palmyra, that is no more covered by CAP since several days.
A Glen reported 2 surface TF (5 "CA" and "2 CA") 400 miles SSE of Christmas Island, sailing NE and a TK south of them, sailing E. The KB will sail tomorrow in a position to intercept them if they sail to the West Coast. The forward CVs slow down so that the Akagi and Zuikaku will join them tomorrow. It is also hoped that the Allied convoys seen some days ago will be in the same area. All planes of the 3 CV TFs are at range 5, including the floatplanes.
All 8 BBs will bombard again PH during the night.

Southern Pacific

Allied engineers expanded Brisbane port to size 8. Japanese sigint reported two radio interceptions of a ship or a TF 180 miles SW of Port Moresby.

DEI

Nothing to report today. Transport AC brought 24 squads of air support personnel to Banjarmasin and 8 Nells arrived there in teh evening to fly naval search missions. The 3 Daitais of naval bombers in Balikpapan are ordered to attack Soerabaja port tomorrow, under escort by 40 Zeroes.
All ships currently in Balikpapan are sent to Tarakan to avoid Allied attacks. The Kure 1st SNLF has finished reboarding ships after capturing the British BF NE of Brunei and sails to Menado. 3 DD leave this base with troops to occupy Tomimi, the last Allied base on Sulawesi Island.

Sumatra - Malaya

The Dutch SS O21 tried to attack an AK convoy SE of Johore Bharu during the night but waschased by the 3 escorts.
122 bombers bombed Singapore airfield during the day, hitting 63 men and scoiring 92 hits (15 airfiel, 6 supplies, 71 runway). Artillery fire then hit 118 Allied men.

Both divisions initially planned for Palembang are unloading in Johore Bharu and should be ready in 2 days. They will then join the Singapore battle. Until this date the base will only be bombarded by planes and guns.

Burma

42 Hurricanes attacked the 1st Tk Rgt at Mandalay, hitting 66 men and 5 tanks, and then the Allied troops (4 Bdes) launched a counterattack against the 2 Tk Rgt near the town (the 33rd Div didn't arrive) but achieved only a 1 to 1 ratio. The Japanese lost only 17 men and 2 tanks and hit 71 Allied and 2 guns.

The 33rd Div and 21st Bde are now 8 miles away from Mandalaya and should arrive tomorrow.

China

Guns of both sides fired around Yenen and 114 Chinese and 23 Japanese were hit. The 10th Bde finally reached the road west of Yenen and reported one Chinese unit there. 4 other are in the hex more west. The 60 Ki-48s based in Chengting will bomb the troops facing the 10th Bde tomorrow. A third of the 27th Div should arrive tomorrow to reinforce it, another third and the 110th Div should arrive in 3-4 days.

Japan

Several new air units were created today. A Ki-49 Sentai and a Ki-43 one will go to China, one of Ki-51 will fly ASW patrols off Japan, a Daitai of Betties will go to Southeast Asia, a Chutai of KI-15 Babs will go to the DEI and two of Mavis to the Pacific. Their arrival allowed one of the more experienced Mavis there to convert to H8K Emily in Kona.

< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 9/7/2005 11:09:19 PM >

(in reply to soeren01)
Post #: 71
RE: 14 February 1942 - 9/7/2005 2:32:06 PM   
Lord_Calidor


Posts: 402
Joined: 3/25/2005
From: Rijeka, CRO
Status: offline 		Amiral, this is great AAR, my favourite along PzB's. I'm very interested to see how things play out for Allies without Pearl. Good job on planning and executing that plan.

Concerning your future plans, I would be rather careful about raiding West Coast. Because of lack of deployable bases, probably most of his air arm, if not destroyed, are based in USA. So even with full KB compliment, you could face overwhelming odds.

White plan looks most feasible and damaging. You will effectively cut USA from the rest of Pacific, just make sure to take every base inbetween, so he can't transfer his planes.

But instead of following on with Aussie invasion, I'm proposing...:

PLAN YELLOW, invasion of India.
With Pacific pacified, he would most probably turn to other fronts. India/Burma is logical choice. I'm sure you're aware he can send West Coast troops to Karachi by paying PPs, and since he can't spend them on anything else, you could (and probably would) face US LCUs with upgraded British air fleet conducting land war and pushing into Indochina/Malaya. With your forces spread thin protecting vast Pacific dominions, that could mean trouble. Cut that snake's head and liberate oppresed Indian people (and put them to hard work for mutual prospect).

_____________________________

But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 72
The day the BBs blew up.... - 9/8/2005 12:07:54 AM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		Thanks, Calidor, being compared to PzB () is very pleasant

Raiding the West Coast in a PBEM is something I have often thought about and never done. It is probably the easiest way to sink Allied CVs. I think the KB can in April 1942 stand 2 days off West Coast and survive. One may be enough. I am thinking of something like a raid on Seattle, with the port and AF as objectives of the first day after a full speed final dash. Seattle has often no big fleet but will probably harbour some interesting ships to use the 100-pt repair shipyard. And then a second day to bomb strategic targets (especially the B-17 factory) and then retreat. Or retreat at one and ready for the next time...

I don't think I can invade India. My troops will be too far away and I won't have enough to push early in Burma. Also my opponent learned the PzB lesson and didn't commit any ground troop to Burma AFAIK.
Another problem is that you need KB support to invade India, especially after the first months of 1942, and then that means that it will take more than one month to sail back to PH... ebough time for my opponent to do a maximun effort and maybe retake it.
I think Australia will be easier to take: fewer defenders, no reinforcements possible and some good economic targets. Also if Australia fell, there will be no more south front...

14 February 1942

Northern Pacific

The day began with a posthumous vengeance of the SS I-123 when one of the DD that sank her yesterday, USS Schley, was heavily damaged by a mine she laid off Adak just before her demise.
Allied enginners expanded Anchorage to level 7 for port and AF.

Central Pacific

The night bombardment of PH by the 8 Japanese BB and a CL was very successfull. The escorts reported again some mines, signe some Allied submarines laid a new minefield off the island. Only 11 CD shells were fied against the TF and the rain of Japanese shells destroyed on the ground 2 PBY and a P-40E, hit in the port 3 BB, 1 AK, 2 AV, 1 AR, 1 MSW, most of them being reported heavily damaged, and disabled 3320 men and 100 guns. And one of the BB hit, the Nevada, exploded (probably, at least sank and I am sure only a magazine explosion can sink a BB in PH port without torpedo) after a 14in shell hit her.
The Japanese sailors saw the giant explosion and were in a excellent mood while returning to Lahaina after dawn. There the escort DDs reported some Mk10 mines, another new minefield. Japanese officers continued to drink their morning tea when suddenly a deafening sound drown all chattering. The BB Nagato had hit a Mk10 mine and his own magazines also exploded (same thing as above, I have never seen one mine sink a BB)... When smoke dispersed, only half of the BB remained afloat and it jacknifed and sank some minutes later. Only a score of survivors were saved.
Later in the day 109 bombers attacked the 25th USA Div (72 casualties) and 8 the 24th Div (without results) at PH without loss. The Japanese artillery fire then hit 166 men.

More south the KB regrouped 720 miles E of Christmas but saw nothing. A Glen reported 4 CA and 2 DD 480 miles SE of Christmas, probably one of the TF seen yesterday. The KB will sail 300 miles south tomorrow and should arrive in a target-rich environment.

In Hawaii the BB will return to PH and bomb it during the day, and the ground troops will launch another shock attack with maximal air support.
In Lahaina, a PG, a PC and an AK were "saved" today. MSW have been ordered to sweep vigourously the waters around the island while two ASW groups will try to intercept submarines before they reached the islands.
Japanese engineers expanded the port of Johnson Island to size 2.

DEI

27 Nells and 11 Betties escorted by 22 Zeroes flew from Balikpapan to attack Soerabaja port. No CAP was encountered and only AA opposed the raid (and downed 2 Nells). Torpedoes and bombs sank the AS Ziderkruis and a Duch PT and damaged another AS, 4 MSW, 3 SS and 1 AK. 31 ships were reported in port at the end of the day.
Balikapapan bombers will fly naval attack missions tomorrow rather than returning to the port.

Sumatra - Malaya

Bad weather grounded Japanese planes, Japanese guns hit 241 men in Singapore.
The troops planned to inaved Palembang are now all ashore in Johore Bharu and in a very good shape. The 21st and 38th Div, the 4th Eng Rgt and the 4th Tk Rgt will cross the causeway to Singapore tomorrow. The troops here will launch a new shock attack to support them. Johore Bharu bombers will support them by bombing troops and were joined by 27 Ki-21 and 36 Ki-48s returning from Bangkok after restauring their morale here (they are now at 60 and 75).

Burma

The Allied attack in Mandalay was not repeated and the 2 Tk Rgts were only bombarded (and lost 25 men). The 33rd Div and 21st Bde have not yet reached the twon but are only one mile away.

China

The 60th Chinese Corps was the unit on the road west of Yenen. It was bombed by 38 Ki-48 from Chengting (22 cas) and then launched a deliberate attack against the Japanese troops arriving from the SE of the hex but the 1st regiment of the 27th Div had joined the 10th Bde and the deliberate attack was a failure at 0 to 1, 9 Japanese and 248 Chinese fell. In Yenen only Japanese guns fired and hit 161 Chinese.
3 Chinese units (28 000 men) are west of the hex reached by my troops, and another unit (3700 men) in the hex more west. The second regiment of 27th Div should reach the disputed hex tomorrow, the 110th Div in 3 days.

The strategic bombing campain will restart seriously in some days. The new Ki-49 group is now in Wuhan and the new Betty group has been diverted from SE Asia and is now in Peking.Their first objectives will be the oilfield of Northern China, Sian and Lanchow.

(in reply to Lord_Calidor)
Post #: 73
RE: 13 February 1942 - 9/8/2005 11:35:55 AM   
Apollo11


Posts: 24082
Joined: 6/7/2001
From: Zagreb, Croatia
Status: offline 		Hi all,

Do you think you are strong enough to take Australia?

I think that just isolating it (by taking New Zealand and all islands east of Australia) would be enough (i.e. this is how I depicted your "Plan White" to myself)...


Leo "Apollo11"

_____________________________



Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!

A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 74
CV battle off Christmas Island - 9/9/2005 7:54:38 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		Leo, my calculations is that I will have 8 divisions and 2 brigades available to land in Australia in fall 1942. Maybe not enough to take the whole country but far enough to take parts of it. There are too many big cities to defend all with them with enough troops. And the SE part of Australia will probably not be the best defended part.

15 February 1942

Northern Pacific

The DD Schley, badly damaged yesterday by a mine, sank during the day. The MSW Oriole arrived during the day to start minesweeping operations off Adak.

Central Pacific

During the night the seven Japanese BB and a CL bombarded PH and destroyed 4 SBDs on the ground, hit 2 BB and 1 MSW in the port (all reported on fire and heavily damaged) and disabled 2187 men and 56 guns. Later in the day 115 Lahaina bombers hit the 25th US Div (54 cas) and 6 the 24th Div (2 cas). PH airfield was open again and pairs of Wildcats flying naval attack strafed a ML off Lahaina in the morning and a BB off PH in the afternoon. In both cases 9 Zeroes were flying CAP but didn’t intercept.
The ground attack was a failure in PH. 73800 Japanese attacked 42900 Allied men in fort level 4 but achieved a 0 to 1 ratio. 2246 Japanese and 817 Allied men fell.

Just after dawn, the KB patrol planes saw two US CVs (Enterprise and Yorktown) around 240 miles SW of their position. They also saw several transport TFs in range. The Japanese CV were organised in 2 TFs. The first was following a surface TF and the second was following the first. That was a bad idea because the second ,despite having react set at 0, reacted one hex while the first, following a surface TF, didn’t move and so the Japanese CVs were in two different hexes.
Fighters of both sides shot down some patrol aircraft and then the battle started seriously with a concentrated US raid against the IJN CV TF that reacted. Each US CV TF had only 1 US CV and they managed to launch a concentrated raid of 136 SBD against the Japanese CV 180 miles east of them. But TBD were out of range and only 17 F4F-3 and 5 F4F-4 escorted the raid. They ran in a CAP of 72 Zeroes and were decimated. 16 F4F-3, the 5 F4F-4 and 77 SBDs were shot down by the CAP, that lost only 4 Zeroes, but 55 SBD arrived over the Japanese CVs and divebombed them with 1000lb bombs. That was not the best moment of the day for me. The attacked CV TF had 5 CVs: Zuikaku was hit 3 times, but one bomb bounced on belt armor, Kaga was hit once, Akagi four times (one bounced), Ryujo twice (one bounced) and Zuiho (not hit). None was reported as heavily damaged, even if except Kaga the hit CVs were reported on fire. AA shot down 5 SBDs.
The Japanese raids were far less coordinated. There were 4 US CV TFs (one CV each: Yorktwon, Enterprise, Lexington and Saratoga). 5 Japanese raids attacked in the morning, the first 3 targetting the Enterprise and the last 2 the Lexington.

Raid 1: 31 Kates, 20 Vals and 22 Zeroes met a CAP of 18 F4F-4 and 59 F4F-3. It was the battle that saw the most Japanese losses in the air, 12 Zeroes, 9 Kates and 4 Vals being lost to the CAP, that lost 16 F4F-4 (only 2 remained) and 8 F4F-3. The remaining bombers hit the CV Enterprise with one torpedo and 2 bombs and the CA Salt Lake City with 1 torpedo. AA shot down two more Kates.

Raid 2 : 59 Vals, 44 Kates and 28 Zeroes (coming from both CV TFs) vs 25 F4F-3 and 2 F4F-4. The CAP was slaughtered, losing the 2 F4F-4 and 24 F4F-3 while destroying 4 Zeroes, 3 Kates and 1 Val. The bombers concentrated against the CV Enterprise and sank her with 6 bombs and 4 torpedoes (1 dud).

Raid 3 : 14 unescorted Kates vs 13 F4F-3, that shot down 2 Kates. The survivors searched the already sunk Enterprise and some attacked again the damaged CA Salt Lake City. A torpedo hit but it was a dud.

Raid 4 : 41 Kates escorted by 8 Zeroes vs 27 F4F-3. The Zeroes shot down only 2 Wildcats and lost two and the CAP then shot down 6 Kates. The other attacked the Lexington and sank her with 7 torpedo hits, losing 6 more Kates to AA fire.

Raid 5 : 12 unescorted Kates vs 23 F4F-3. The exhausted US pilots only shot down one Kate but the Japanese pilots searched the Lexington and didn’t attack anything.

At this stage, I though the battle was won. With 50% of the US CV sunk, air losses in my favour and only 4 CVs more or less damaged, I was hoping a total victory in the afternoon. My confidence was shattered by two factors:
1) cloud covered the northern Japanese CV TF, the undamaged one, and the hit CV will have to fight alone
2) one CV TF (the Yorktown, commanded by Spruance) reacted towards this TF and so arrived at 2 hexes from my CVs so TBDs may be now used
In the end my fears proved far too exaggerated. The closest US CV TF launched only 12 SBD and 2 F4F-3 and they met a CAP of 28 Zeroes, that shot down without loss all SBDs and one of the 2 Wildcats. The other CV TF launched only 2 SBDs but they arrived at the time the CAP was slaughtering the other raid and were not intercepted. They divebombed the Akagi and one more 1000lb bomb hit the already damaged CV.

The Japanese CV TF launched only one raid in the afternoon: 27 Kates escorted by 17 Zeroes met 5 F4F-3. At this stage fighters of both sides were exhausted and only one Kate was shot down. The other attacked the Yorktown and sank her with 4 torpedoes while losing 3 of their number to AA fire. The Adm Spruance was killed aboard this CV.

At the end of the day, Japanese forces were leading but one of the two CV TFs was out of the game. 3 CVs were closed and of the two others (one was the Kaga that has SYS 15 damaged after a hit by a 1000lb bombs) were lacking fuel. And the final reports showed a lot of Allied warships in the area. What I feared next was an assault during the night by Allied warships vs my damaged CVs. Even if I was sure that every “CA” shown on the map below (situation in the evening of the 15) was a DD and every “BB” a CA, my opponent knew exactly where my BBs were (1 sunk, 2 in DEI, 7 off PH, none remaining) and I will attempt surface battles in the same situation. On the other hand the only remaining CV, Saratoga, was probably full of survivors and overcrowded. My own CVs all received fragments of other units from the 3 closed CVs but none was overcrowded. Tomorrow the air danger will probably be nil but the surface danger heavy.




The damaged CVs were put together in an escort TF and ordered it to return to Lahaina as soon as possible. All 3 CVs have SYS damaged from 30 to 45, and fire and FLT under 15 so they should be saved if they are not hit again. All escorts of the original CV TF, except one DD, will escort them, and the two surface TF available will follow the TF. Both remaining CV of the TF, Kaga and Zuiho, will sail noth with the last DD and join the resplenishment TF to refuel. The other CV TF is intact and its airmen didn’t participate to much of the action and will remain in the area, sailing W. The submarine SS I-9 had lost her Glen and will try to reach Lahaina.

More north, the BB will bomb again PH with the remaining shells and then return to Lahaina. The 16th Div will be landed in PH to help the attack, together with more supplies for the units already ashore.

Southern Pacific

Nothing spectacular but Allied aircraft are back in Rabaul.

Philipinnes

Another mini-operation will see barges unloading some hundred of men in San Jose.

DEI

During the night a TF TF of 3 DD coming from Menado unload 750 men of a naval unit in Tomini, the last Dutch base of Sulawesi. The base is empty and will be occupied tomorrow.

In the morning 9 B-17C from Java flew over Balikpapan, reporting no CAP and scored 1 oil hit (2 oil centers disabled, 210 remaining). Tomorrow 46 Nates will fly CAP over Balikpapan. The Zeroes will sweep Soerabaja, where 33 fighters were reported by recon and the naval bombers will chase Allied ships and attack as a secondary target the port of Tjilitjap, that is not defended by Allied aircraft.

Malaya-Sumatra

59 Ki-21, 59 Nells and 27 Ki-48 bombed Singapore airfield, hitting 81 men and destroying 4 supply dumps. Singapore has not yet run out of supply… and the shock attack launched to help the arrival of the reinforcements from Johore Bharu was one day too early, as none of the units marched more than 45 miles. It was a failure at 0 to 1 (104 000 Japanese vs 70 000 Allied in fort level 6) and 2950 Japanese and 1000 Allied fell.
The move of troops from Johore Bharu was stopped. Singapore units will rest 3 days before launching another shock attack. Reinforcements will start one day earlier next time.

Burma

28 Hurricanes from Akyab attacked the 81st Naval Guard Unit NW of Mandalay (9 cas) and 42 from Mandalay bombed the 1st Tk Rgt just near their base (42 men and 4 tanks hit).
In Mandalay the Allied troops didn’t repeat the attack of the last day and just bombarded the Japanese lines, that were reinforced by the 33rd Div and 21st Bde. 35 Japanese and 8 Allied were hit.

Tomorrow the 4th Mixed Rgt and the HQ 15th Army will reach Mandalay and the base will be attacked. Allied reinforcements arrived. Today two Allied units appeared NE of Mandalay on the rod from Mitkyina and another advanced from Lashio towards Mandalay and is now facing the 14th Tk Rgt.
Two Zero Daitais and 1 Sally Sentai arrive from Mandalay in the evening and will support the campaign.

China

34 Ki-48 bombed the 60th Chinese Corps W of Yenen (24 cas). This corps bombed the 2 Japanese units facing it and hit 4 men. In Yenen only Japanese guns fired and hit 141 Chinese.
In the evening, the Chinese situation was the following in the north. 5 Chinese Corps, 1 Div, 1 Bf and 2 HQ defend Yenen, the 60th Chinese Corps alone defends the hex west of the town vs a Bde and 1/3 Div, with the 110th Div and another 1/3 of the 27th Div that will arrive tomorrow. More west are 3 Chinese units (23 420 men?) and still more west 3 more (12 920 men?).

The strategic bombing campaign will restart tomorrow. Ki-49 will bomb Sian and Betties Lanchow, both targeting oilfields.
The Ki-51 will no more be used to bomb resources but will start tomorrow to bomb Ichang, the next target in my agenda. Now that more and more Chinese troops are used in the north, a frontal assault on Ichang will probably succeed in some days.

Aircraft losses

This day was bloody

Total losses
274 Allied (137 SBD, 75 F4F-3, 45 TBD, 27 F4F-4)
74 Japanese (36 B5N, 24 A6M2, 8 D3A, 2 Ki-48, 2 Alf, 1 Jake, 1 Glen
A2A losses
168 Allied (93 SBD, 52 F4F-3, 23 F4F-4)
56 Japanese (23 B5N, 22 A6M2, 7 D3A, 2 Alf, 1 Jake, 1 Glen)
Field losses
48 Allied (18 SBD, 15 TBD, 15 F4F-3)
AA losses
5 Allied (5 SBD)
14 Japanese (13 B5N, 1 D3A)
Operational losses
63 Allied (30 TBD, 21 SBD, 8 F4F-3, 4 F4F-4)
4 Japanese (2 Ki-48, 2 A6M2)

Strategic situation

As my opponent said after watching the turn, this battle is changing a lot the course of the war. With 3 CV sunk, the hope he had to take back Pearl Harbor before the end of 1942 is seriously reduced.
I surprised him by sailing so far south. I guessed his fleet was hoping to find a reduced KB, like the one that had been defeated by his LBA off Johnson Island. I wasn’t thinking I will meet the whole US Navy but was chasing convoys. What saved me was the Glen pilot (who fell today) that saw two US “CA” TF sailing NE two days ago. I so planned for a possible CV encounter and gathered my CVs. The bad order given (note to self: all CV TF should follow the same TF and not follow other CV TF) then splitted them but I was saved from defeat by the superior crews and aircraft of Japan.
Now the next night will really be decisive. If my opponent flees or sends his warships to the bad hexes, I will be the clear winner. If he manages to engage the damaged CVs, he may hit hard their escort and probably score some hits on the CVs or even sink them.
If all my CV survive, the KB will be during some months too weak to raid the West Coast and this idea is so scrapped definetly. Then it will be too late. On the other hand it will probably not be necessary to keep Cvs around PH to defend it. Betties and land-based Zeroes will be enough, with a BB TF, against the two remaining US CVs.

PS: it's rather frustating after this turn but the game won't advance until Monday as I will be away. Sorry folks and get tuned.


Attachment (1)

< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 9/9/2005 7:59:09 PM >

(in reply to Apollo11)
Post #: 75
RE: CV battle off Christmas Island - 9/9/2005 8:13:20 PM   
Apollo11


Posts: 24082
Joined: 6/7/2001
From: Zagreb, Croatia
Status: offline 		Hi all,

quote:

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

Leo, my calculations is that I will have 8 divisions and 2 brigades available to land in Australia in fall 1942. Maybe not enough to take the whole country but far enough to take parts of it. There are too many big cities to defend all with them with enough troops. And the SE part of Australia will probably not be the best defended part.


OK.


quote:


The bombers concentrated against the CV Enterprise and sank her with 6 bombs and 4 torpedoes.


BANZAI!


quote:


The other attacked the Lexington and sank her with 7 torpedo hits.


BANZAI!


quote:


The other attacked the Yorktown and sank her with 4 torpedoes while losing 3 of their number to AA fire. The Adm Spruance was killed aboard this CV.


BANZAI!


Warmest congratulations on sinking of 3 USN CVs - the Emperor will be pleased!!!


BTW, I think that now you can safely expect to rule the Pacific in 12+ months to come and establish defense which will be almost unbeatable (implementation of "Plan White" would cut USA for the rest of Allied forces and you can rely your defence on both CV's and land based aircrfat whilst Allie dplayer can only count on his CV's when he rebuilds them)...


Leo "Apollo11"

_____________________________



Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!

A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 76
RE: CV battle off Christmas Island - 9/9/2005 8:20:43 PM   
Apollo11


Posts: 24082
Joined: 6/7/2001
From: Zagreb, Croatia
Status: offline 		Hi all,

BTW, were there any USN BB's that excaped PH (after initial CV strike at the begging of the game) or you think you will know for sure / expect that you sunk them all once you enter PH?


Leo "Apollo11"


_____________________________



Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!

A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 77
16 February 1942 - 9/12/2005 11:23:32 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		Leo, you're officially my number one fan

There were 6 BBs in PH on Dec 7th (vary setup). Two have escaped. They recovered faster than planned and sailed while the KB was refueling gand supporting Midway invasion. The Arizona took 2 torpedoes from a submarine midway between PH and West Coast but had not been reported sunk. It was more than two months ago so she survived. The California was only bombed in PH (no torp hits) and escaped also.
Of the four other BBs, the Oklahoma was sunk in PH initial attack, the Nevada had been destroyed here by naval bombardments some days ago and 2 (Tennessee and Pennsylvania) remain in PH, probably at 99 SYS now after all the hits they took.

16 February 1942

Northern Pacific
The MSW Oriole continued to sweep Japanese mines off Adak by night and day.
Central Pacific
During the night, the SS I-9 met SW of Christmas Island an Allied TF and sank the DD Farragut with two torpedoes but was herself sunk by the DDs Hull and Mac Donough. There were no other battles. The US ships fled the battle area rather than trying to engage Japanese ships at night.
After dawn, only Allied transports remained in range from Japanese CV aircraft. In the morning, 9 Kates escorted by 9 Zeroes attacked at range 5 the AK Nebraskan and heavily damaged her with 3 250kg bombs. In the afternoon, the same ship was attacked by 15 Vals and 18 Kates and hit by 16 more bombs but still remained afloat ! 14 Kates (including some launched by a retreating CV TF more north, all other raids were launched by the undamaged CV TF) attacked another AK, the Steel Ranger, at range 5 and 7 bombs heavily damaged her. The main raid of the afternoon was 37 Vals and 17 Kates (with 20 escorting Zeroes) attacking a convoy at range 4. The AK Panaman sank after taking 4 torpedoes and 5 bombs, two other AKs were hit (Alaskan by 9 bombs, Henry P Grove by 3 bombs and 1 torpedo) but survived.
In Hawaii, 3 Japanese MSW swept the last Allied mines off Lahaina (until the next ones..) and 7 BB, 1 CL bombarded PH during the night but they had not returned to Lahaina to rearm and hit only 76 men and 7 guns. Clouds grounded Japanese bombers and shells hit 92 Allied men.
Two barges unload 140 men of 16th Div on Laysan Island, the small reef SE of Midway, and the Japanese flag was risen here (14 cas).
Most Japanese CVs are lacking fuel and all will sail N and meet the resplenishment TF. The escort TF with the 3 damaged CV will sail at full speed towards Lahaina and was reinforced with 4 more DDs. The other warships will chase the convoy hit today by the CV aircraft and try to sink more transports in surface actions.
In Lahaina, the 16th Div convoy will wait for a day of aerial bombings on PH before sailing to the island. 13 ML will lay a huge minefield off Lahaina to try to stop Allied submarines. BB will bombard PH and bombers will bomb the airfield and the port (KI-21 only) rather than troops tomorrow.
PI
5 barges unload 350 men of a SNLF is San Jose, that is unoccupied and will be taken tomorrow.
DEI
9 Java-based B-17Cs attacked again Balikpapan and met 27 Nates flying CAP. The Japanese fighters damaged most of the bombers but shot down none and lost one of their number. The bombs missed the target. The Zeroes based here were busy sweeping Soerabaja skies and reported no opposition. In the afternoon, 22 Nells and 9 Betties took off from Balikpapan to attack Tjilatjap and they hit seven AK with bombs: 2 were reported heavily damaged, 4 on fire and 1 just hit.
A Naval unit occupied the undefended base of Tomini, Sulawesi. Butung Island (SW of Kendari) joined the Japanese Empire.
On Borneo, 2 DAF Base Force marched into Banjarmasin alone and realizing that the base was held by Japanese troops retreated eastwards.
No raid will be launched tomorrow. Zeroes and Nates will defend together Balikpapan. All supply landed in Tarakan went by road to Balikpapan and so oil centers will be repaired here first, even if they are more vulnerable to B-17...
Malaya
An ASW group chased the SS O21 SW of Johore Bharu without success. He was escorting a convoy that several Martins 139 from Batavia tried to attack during the day but none found it. THis convoy is the big one that carried the 14th Army from Canton and it was returning to this base. It receives the order to remain in Johore Bharu until the fall of Singapore.
Japanese artillery hit 314 men in Singapore.
Burma
28 Hurricanes from Akyab attacked the 81st Naval Gd Unit NW of Mandalay (8 cas) while 21 Blenheim from Dacca and Calcutta bombed the 21st Bde in front of Manadalat (36 cas), where 6 otehr Blenheims from Dacca missed the 33rd Div. 38 Blenheims and 5 Buffaloes fril Dacca attacked the 14th Tk Rgt E of Mandalay and missed.
This Tk Rgt is now facing two Chinese Div (22nd and 38th) that bombarded it with artillery without result. Allied artillery was also active at Mandalay, that the 4th Mixed Rgt reached in the day. 12 Japanese and 8 Allied fell here.
It is probable that the 14th Tk Rgt will be beaten tomorrow and that then reinforcements from the north and the east reach Mandalay. All available troops are allready in Mandalay so a shock attack will be launched tomorrow. Two Daitais of Zeroes from Rangoon will LRCAP the hex to repulse British bombers.
China
27 Ki-49 bombed the oilfields of Sian (4 hits, disabling all 25 oil centers) and 23 G4M1 missed those of Lanchow. 12 Ki-51 bombed Ichang airfield (7 hits).
45 Ki-48 bombed he 60th Chinese Corps W of Yenen and hit 8 men and 2 guns. Japanese artillery hit 49 Chinese in Yenen. W of the town the guns of the 60th Corps fired at Japanese troops (now the 110th Div, 2/3 of the 27th Div and the 10th Bde are here) without success.
All troops facing the 60th Chinese Corps W of Yenen receive the order to shock attack it tomorrow with the support of the KI-48s of Chungking and the Betties of Peking. The Ki-49s of Wuhan will rest tomorrow.

(in reply to Apollo11)
Post #: 78
17 February 1942 - 9/13/2005 2:34:56 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		17 February 1942

Northern Pacific

The MSW Oriole continued to sweep mines off Adak while an US DD found the minefield off Amchitka. The SS I-160 that is cruising NE of Adak has been ordered to sail to this base and attack the MSW. The SS I-121 that is S of Kodiak Island will lay a minefield here.

Central Pacific

The three surface TF sent east of Christmas Island to search the crippled Allied transports found only one, the AK Steel Ranger, that was surprised and sunk at close range by the CA Chokai and the DD Kasumi.
The reason for finding so few targets was abvious after dawn. Japanese search planes found that the main convoy (9 “AP) has sailed 240 miles east while two badly damaged AK sailed NW to draw Japanese CV aircraft. These two ships (Henry S Grove and Alaskan) were the only one in range of my CVs and were sunk by 37 Vals and 11 Kates.

The damaged CVs are slow, they sailed only 5 hexes in two days, despite the slowest is supposed to do 11 knots. The FLT level is 24 Zuikaku, 30 Akagi and 37 Ryujo. This last ship has the less SYS damage and is sailing faster so it was detached with 3 DD to sail to Lahaina alone. All other CV are lacking fuel and missing rendezvous with the resplenishment TF… They are sailing to Lahaina.
SE of them two of the 3 surface TF (1 CA + 2 DD, 2 CA + 2 DD) will try to pursue the fleeing Allied convoy and engage it next night. The other surface TF sails NW to join the escort TF. Two small ASW groups were sent from Lahaina to protect the returning CVs and sweep the waters S of Hawaii before them.

Off Lahaina, the SS Finback was seen and chased before dawn by two PCs and heavily damaged by two Type 95 depth charges launched by the PC Takunan Maru 5.
During the day, 24 Ki-21 bombed PH port while 24 Ki-49, 55 Betties and 9 Nells bombed the airfield. 2 PBY and 2 SBD were destroyed on the ground, 2 BB, 1 AS, 2 AK hit in the port, 195 men and 6 guns disabled and 79 hits were scored on the runway. The only loss to AA was a Ki-49. Still no supply hit. My opponent said in a mail that his CVs were surprised by mine while preparing to sail towards PH, so it is possible a supply convoy was preparing to sail to the island. The BB didn’t bombard PH today due to bad orders, while the Japanese artillery hit 141 men.
Japanese engineers expanded Lahaina AF to size 6. They will now expand the port and build fortifications. 1573 mines were laid by 13 Japanese MLs off the base.
The BB will pound the base tomorrow while the bombers will attack troops. The 16th Div convoy was joined by supply-laden AK and is ready to sail.

Philippines

A NLF occupied San Jose. Aerial recon reported that San Marcelino and Legaspi are empty of Allied troops.

Dutch East Indies

The day was quiet, the only notable event being the arrival of a Dutch unit, probably an INF Bn, in Banjarmasin. The Yokosuka 2nd SNLF that is holding the town will shock attack it tomorrow. The Nells based here flew to Balikpapan.
After one day of rest, the Balikpapan airmen will attack Soerabaja port tomorrow if they find no valuable naval target. An Allied small convoy left Soerabaja 2 or 3 days ago and is now S of Bali and in range but has not been attacked.

Malaya

Bad weather grounded Japanese aircraft. Only Japanese artillery pounded Singapore and hit 106 men.
In the evening the 21st and 38th Div, 4th Eng Rgt and one ART unit left Johore Bharu towards Singapore. The next shock attack there is planned in 2 days and the new troops should cross the river the same turn.

Burma

18 Zeroes flew CAP over Mandalay and decimated Allied aircraft. The first to come were 9 unescorted Blenheim IV from Dacca. 7 were shot down and the last 2 turned back. Then attacked 44 Hurricane II escorted by 26 AVG P-40B coming from the local airfield. The AVG shot down 3 Zeroes but they shot down in return 4 P-40B and 8 Hurricanes. This time the raid reached its target, the 33rd Div, and disabled 50 men and 2 guns. The last raid was done by seven unescorted Blenheim IV from Calcutta and 6 were shot down by the 8 Zeroes still on LRCAP. The last bomber attacked the 33rd Div but missed.

East of the town, 37 Blenheim (I & IV) escorted by 8 Buffalo I attacked the 14th Tk Rgt, that had no fighter cover, and hit 23 men and 2 tanks. This regiment was then the target of a deliberate attack by the 22nd and 38th Chinese Divisions and was repulsed at 3 to 1 towards Taung Gyi.

The main ground battle was in Mandalay where the 15th Army (33rd Div, 21st Bden 4th Mixed Rgt, 2 Tk Rgts and 1 ART unit) launched a shock attack. The 93rd Chinese Div had just arrived from Mitkyina and reinforced the defenders (BFF Bde, 1st and 2nd Burma Bde, 13th Indian Bde, 1 AA Bn, 4 RAF BF). 47 000 Japanese attacked 24 600 Allied in fort level 4 and achieved a 2 to 1 ratio, reducing the fort to level 2. 1895 Japanese and 1370 Allied men fell.

Troops in Mandalay are rather disrupted and tired but they will launch a new attack tomorrow. And hope that the reduction of forts was enough. If I wait some days, 3 new Chinese divisions will reinforce it.
The aircraft based in Rangoon flew to Bangkok to rest after the successful day of LRCAP over Mandalay.

China

West of Yenen, the 60th Chinese Corps was bombed by 42 Ki-48s from Chengting and 13 Betties from Peking, for a total of 62 casualties, and then shock attacked by the 110th Div, 2/3 of the 27th Div and the 10th Bde. At 98 to 1, the assault was a success and the Chinese retreated towards Kungchang. 357 Japanese and 163 Chinese fell during the battle. During the time only Japanese guns were active in Yenen and they hit 38 men.

The 26th Div is now just SE of Yenen and has 98 prep for this town. The attack against the town will start as soon as the division reaches it. 6 Chinese units are 120 miles W of Yenen but the forces just W of it are enough to hold against them.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 79
RE: 17 February 1942 - 9/13/2005 2:57:58 PM   
String


Posts: 2661
Joined: 10/7/2003
From: Estonia
Status: offline 		It's great to see one of the best strategists on this board in action. How many troops have you on the ground at PH already?

If possible then I'd suggest the white and Blue plans. Elimination of the southern front brings out new possibilities. Green looks a bit gamey to me, I'd never invade russia, or atleast if I did I'd leave a big garrison there, which would more or less defeat the purpose of invading it in the first place.

India is out of the question IMHO as he could send troops from west coast to there, especially now as he can't really use them before 43 without his carriers. It would also bring your carriers too far from Hawaii (as you already pointed out iirc)..

If you start the blue plan then watch out for reinforcements from India

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 80
RE: First American victory of the war - 9/13/2005 5:35:26 PM   
Tom Hunter


Posts: 2194
Joined: 12/14/2004
Status: offline 		Adm. L.

Excellent game so far, you are really pounding the Allies hard and your losses appear to be very resonable.

As I look at the plans you post I see the following benefits (assuming the plan works).

Red: Sinks the US CV fleet, and damages the surface fleet and merchant shipping. Comes at a high risk to KB, but if the US CVs are sunk then the Japanese get a long period of safety in the Pacific.

White: Builds a strong perimeter for Japan, splits the Allied war effort, and leaves Japanese forces well placed to respond to any American counter attack.

Blue: Harvests a lot of victory points and makes it very difficult for the Allies to get into the SRA until late in the war. Blue is most likely to get you 4:1 auto victory

Green: Frankly I am not sure what Russia is really worth in the game, taking out China is good and will generate VP but not as many as Australia. Also it is possible for the British to interviene in this plan to a much greater degree than in Blue, Red or White.

The recent success against the US CVs makes me think Blue is your best bet.

You are also very fortunate that the British are going to lose 70,000 men in Malaya, and appear to be fighting the air battle over Burma the wrong way. That is going to help your situation a lot.

(in reply to witpqs)
Post #: 81
RE: 16 February 1942 - 9/14/2005 11:32:32 AM   
Apollo11


Posts: 24082
Joined: 6/7/2001
From: Zagreb, Croatia
Status: offline 		Hi all,

quote:

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

Leo, you're officially my number one fan


My pleasure - I enjoy very much reading this thread!


Leo "Apollo11"

_____________________________



Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!

A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 82
18-19 February 1942 - 9/14/2005 9:42:00 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		18-19 February 1942

String, your great strategist is now wondering if he will manage to take Singapore one day... Yenen is a slatemate (but that is usual with my China home rules), Pearl Harbor hardly better and my opponent is evacuating Mandalay just as I wondered if I will not retreat...
The war was following the plan until this month. The only good news of the last 3 weeks is the CV battle and for one more click it could have been better for me. I appreciate this bonus but it is probable that the only objective of the month that will be taken will be Mandalay, the least interesting one.

As for the 4 war planes exposed above, Red is now gone. With a weaker KB and no more CVs to search off US coast, it is no more doable. Blue and White are in the lead (in RL, I have nothing against Australians, they are fine people, but in WITP I always invade Australia).

Invading Russia may expand Japanese industry and ressources, especially with Okha, a big oil source just N of Japan. So the Green plan may be done too. As I said, I may do it later in winter 1942-1943 when I will be unable to attack another part of the map. Even if I succeed, my home rule will be to not take the last Soviet base... so I will have to keep an Army there.

Northern Pacific

The SS I-160 neared Adak on the 18 and reported two AP there but didn’t attack. She remained there on the 19 and was attacked by 3 aircraft. The MSW Oriole swept mines on the 19 without being attacked. They are still some mines.

Central Pacific

On the night of the 17-18, the CA Maya and Kinugasa and the DD Mutsuki and Oboro surprised E of Christmas Island the remains of the convoy attacked since several days: 6 undamaged or lightly damaged AKs. They surprised them and then pursued, sinking the Aroostook and Mexican and hitting once the John Luckenbach. Sadly for them the merchants fled the bad way: northwards. They then arrived in the hex where the CA Chokai and DD Kasumi and Yukaze were waiting for them. The John Luckenbach was sunk and the AK Coloradan and Canadian were badly damaged.
These ships then joined the other ships sailing back to Lahaina. FLT of the 3 damaged CVs didn’t rise much. The Kaga and Zuiho arrived on the 19 in Lahaina and refuelled. The other TFs refuelled at sea, except the surface TFs that united after the successful convoy attack and will join the now almost empty replenishment TF tomorrow.

During the night of 17-18, an Allied minefield was swept off Lahaina but as usual the last mine hit the flagship of my convoy, in this case the CA Tone (damaged is now 11/0/0 and she will remain in the area).At the same time, PH was bombarded by 7 BBs and 1 CL but only CD defences were hit, losing 427 men and 25 guns. After dawn, 106 bombers from Lahaina bombed PH airfields, hitting 157 men and 3 guns and scoring 65 hits (no supply). And Japanese shells hit 87 more men.
On the 19 3 MSW swept all Allied mines off French Frigate Shoals. The troops of 16th Div here will be brought next week to Christmas Island by APDs. The same night the BB TF returned to PH and once again engaged only the CDs guns, hitting 596 men and 29 guns. Bombers were grounded by bad weather and Japanese guns hit only 72 men this day.

The 16th Div will land tomorrow in PH, together with supplies for troops already ashore. The operation will as usual be supported by BBs and LBA. It is hoped that the additional troops will be enough to capture the base soon.

Southern Pacific

Allied engineers expanded the airfield of Townsville to size 6 on the 18th and the port of Port Moresby to size 4 on the 19th.

Philippines

More recons reported that San Marcelino is empty of Allied troops. 3 DD sailed on the 19 from Ormoc to San Jose and loaded there 300 men of a NLF. They will land in San Marcelino next night and try to seize the base to damaged the resource centers currently used by the Allied.

Dutch East Indies

In the afternoon of the 18, 25 Nells and 13 Betties from Balikpapan escorted by 33 Zeroes attacked Soerabaja port again. 5 P-40B and 19 P-40E defended the base and they shot down 1 Zero, 2 Nells and 1 Betty while losing 2 P-40B and 5 P-40E. The bombers attacked the port and destroyed a damaged submarine, the Dutch KXIV, and 5 Dutch PT. They also heavily damaged 2 AK and 1 MSW and hit a TK, 33 men and 1 gun. AA shot down a Nell.
On Borneo the SNLF holding Banjarmasin defeated the SE Borneo Gn Bn that entered it yesterday at 74 to 1. 81 Allied fell and more disappeared in the jungle as the unit retreated.

On the 19, 5 B-17E and 10 B-17C took off from Java to attack the oilfields of Balikpapan and met over the target 13 Zeroes and 34 Nates. The latter were only able to damaged some bombers and 3 were shot down but the Zeroes shot down 3 B-17C and 1 B-17E without loss. Only one bomb hit the oilfields and did no new damage.

With the departure of bombers towards Malaya and the new threat of B-17Es in Java, the CAP has been reinforced over Balikpapan.

Malaya

Weather grounded again Japanese bombers on the 18. Japanese guns hit 242 men and 5 guns. This day the troops ordered to march to Singapore had marched 45 miles and will reach it the next day.

So a shock attack was ordered. And bombers bombed troops. 138 bombers flew for once and hit the Singapore Fortress (106 men and 6 guns hit) but AA fire shot down 3 Ki-48 and 2 Ki-21. The reinforcements (21st Div, 38th Div, 4th Eng Rgt) crossed the river and attacked…alone. I forgot to give the order to attack to troops already there, I just noted it in my papers… Grrr… The attack was of course at 0 to 1 and Japanese losses were 2160 men, 60 guns, 7 vehicles against 475 men and 16 guns lost by Allied.

The new troops are not too badly hit, but of course have FAT and DIS in 60-80s. SO I will have to wait some more days. More bombers were sent from Balikpapan and Indochina to Malaya to pound Singapore.

Burma

The Allied air attacks were reduced on the 18 after the losses of the last day. 20 Blenheim IV and 6 Buffaloes flew from Dacca to SE of Mandalay to bomb the retreating 14th Tk Rgt (57 men and 2 tanks hit). This day the 15th Army launched another shock attack against Mandalay. The AA Rgt and one BF had left the base. The attack achieved a ratio of 1 to 1 and reduced the forts to level 2 (they had been built back to 3 the same day). 1802 Japanese and 1080 Allied fell.

On the 19 28 Hurricanes and 9 P-40B from Akyab attacked the 81st Naval Gd unit NW of Mandalay and hit 32 men and 1 gun. Two Zeroes flying LRCAP over Mandalay from Rahaeng were lost in bad weather. Japanese troops in Mandalay rested and bombed the town, hitting 66 men. The Allied forces bombed back but they are evacuating ! The Chinese Div that arrived some days ago is gone and only remain the 4 Bdes and 1 BF. Also troops that were NE and E of the town are apparently marching back to Lashio and Mitkyina.

So a new attack had been ordered tomorrow in Mandalay.

China

On the 18 53 Ki-48s from Chengting bombed 2 Chinese Corps in Yenen but hit only 31 men. Japanese guns were better and hit 34 men.
The next day, a shock attack was launched by the Japanese forces reinforced by the arrival of the 26th Div. 42 Ki-48 bombed first a Chinese Corps, losing one to AA fire for only hitting 15 men. The shock attack was a costly failure at 0 to 1 vs fort 4. 4923 Japanese and 627 Chinese fell.

Such a failure was not excepted… The 40th and 35th Div will leave Kaifeng area to join the forces at Yenen. 2 portions of units will finish to surround Yenen by marching NE and NW of the city.

Japan

The CV Junyo was commisionned in Tokyo on the 19.

(in reply to Apollo11)
Post #: 83
RE: 18-19 February 1942 - 9/14/2005 9:51:36 PM   
String


Posts: 2661
Joined: 10/7/2003
From: Estonia
Status: offline 		One suggestion, try to keep up the attacks in and on Pearl. Once his supplies run out (resisting deliberate attacks will drain a lot) the base should fall. It will seem hopeless at first.. but once the supplies are gone, they only fight at 1/4 strength

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 84
RE: 18-19 February 1942 - 9/14/2005 9:58:02 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: String

One suggestion, try to keep up the attacks in and on Pearl. Once his supplies run out (resisting deliberate attacks will drain a lot) the base should fall. It will seem hopeless at first.. but once the supplies are gone, they only fight at 1/4 strength


Yes I know. But both PH and Singapore haven't received supply for at least one month and a half and I exepted a quicker outcome. All my latter bombings failed to hit any supply so I think they are out of supply but still fighting...

(in reply to String)
Post #: 85
Two good days for the Empire - 9/15/2005 2:43:59 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		20-21 February 1942

Northern Pacific

I-160 finally left Adak anchorage without having fired or being attacked. I-121 laid mines off Kodiak Island on the 20.

Central Pacific

During the night of the 19-20, the BB TF returned to PH and hit it hard: 6125 men, 94 guns and 1 vehicle hit, hits on the airfield, the port, 2 BB, 1 SS, 1 AD, 1 AK and 1 AV. The port of PH was then bombed during the day by 11 Nells, 55 Betties, 23 Ki-21 and 25 Ki-49. The already burning BB Tennessee took seven 800kg bombs and two torpedoes and sank. The Pennsylvania, an AS, an AV and 2 AK were also hit but didn’t sink. Japanese losses were one Nell lost to AA fire and two Betties who collided during the return to base and crashed. Some bombs also hit the port, destroying a supply dump and hitting 42 men.
The convoy carrying the 16th Div arrived off PH during the day but for one reason or another had no more ops points and didn’t land any troop or supply. The troops already ashore continued to bombard Allied lines, hitting 62 men. I didn’t want to land troops before the daily BB bombardment so I ordered the troop convoy to not unload and sail to the reef S of PH the next day.
One TF of 4 SS was seen this day NE of Lahaina, probably coming to lay another minefield off this base. 3 MSW TF and 3 ASW TF waited for them off the island, while all IJAAF bombers were ordered to fly ASW missions

The next night the BB TF returned to PH for another successful bombardment. The BB Pennsylvania was hit by 12 shells and finally sank. 1 AK and 2 AV were heavily damaged in the port and 2 SBD destroyed on the airfield. 2637 men ,45 guns and 3 vehicles were hit, and shells destroyed another supply dump on the airfield. There is still some supply in this island…
The Allied submarines laid their mines and escaped unseen. Only one of the 3 MSW TF swept part of the new minefield, despite they all had the same orders.
7 Nells and 45 Betties returned to bomb PH port. There was no more BB and so they hit the smaller ships. 4 DD, 2 AS, 1 AR, 2 AV, 6 AK and 1 PG were more or less hit but none sank. A Betty was hit by AA and ditched later.
Japanese artillery hit nothing on the 21 but only 36 300 men remained able to fight after the bombardments of the last two days.

Minor naval losses were reported. After weeks of work the Japanese engineers finally saw the AP Hokoku Maru sink in Lahaina port. The AK Canadian, badly hit in the last surface action E of Christmas Island, sank on the 21. And Japanese intelligence confirmed that the DM Ramsay, badly hit in early January off Hilo by the KB, was scuttled.

The CVL Ryujo arrived in Lahaina and was docked. The other damaged CVs will reach Lahaina in 3 days. I started unloading air units in Lahaina and has many fragments with 0 AC 0 pilot remaining aboard my CV. Does someone know how to get rid of them ? In UV they may overcrowd a CV after some time and I am fearing the same thing here. The above pic gives the situation of my CVs… I won’t use them for some time.




The 16th Div will land in PH tomorrow and will be supported by the BB TF and all Lahaina bombers, that are ordered to bomb troops tomorrow.

46 ships remained in Pearl Harbor. From the reports compiled during the siege, I made the following list:
4 DD : Conyngham (on fire, heavy damage), Tucker (on fire, heavy damage), Mahan (on fire), Ellet (on fire)
1 SS : Searaven (heavy damage)
1 AD : Whitney (on fire)
1 AE : Pyro (on fire)
2 AR : Vestal (on fire), Rigel (on fire)
2 AS : Fulton (on fire), Pelias
3 AV : Wright (on fire, heavy damage), Curtiss (on fire, heavy damage), Tangier (on fire, heavy damage)
14 AK : Boreas (on fire), Dorothy Philips (on fire), Admiral Y. Williams (on fire, heavy damage), Kohala (on fire), Atlantic (on fire, heavy damage), Atlanta City, Iowan (on fire), Puerto Rican (on fire), Andrea Luckenbach (on fire), Dakotan (on fire, heavy damage), Georgian (on fire), Arizonan (on fire, heavy damage), Aldebaran (on fire, heavy damage), Admiral Cole (on fire, heavy damage)
3 MSW : Bobolink (on fire, heavy damage), MSW Vireo, MSW Robin
2 PG : Sacramento (on fire), Dawson (on fire, heavy damage)
13 unknown

I still wait for a general stampede. Most of these ships are probably too damaged to hope escaping.

Southern Pacific

A Glen saw on both days two TFs with many “CA” leaving Pago-Pago westwards and also a TF of AO/TK. It is probably the TFs that escaped from the CV battle of Christmas Island. The Saratoga and escort will probably be based in Noumea or Australia in the near future.

Philippines

During the night of the 19-20, 3 DD unloaded 300 men of a NLF at San Marcelino, Luzon, that was reported empty. I forgot to give attack orders this evening and the last day they just watched the town, still reporting it empty. I gave attack orders on the evening of the 21 and hope no Philipinno troops will arrive tomorrow. The DD will evacuate the troops as soon as the base is taken.

On the 20 10 Nates from Aparri strafed the 11st PA at Lingayen, hitting 14 men.

Dutch East Indies

On the 20, a new raid was launched from Java towards Balikpapan but only 2 B-17C and 3 B-17E were sent. They met 26 Zeroes and 25 Nates flying CAP and all three B-17Es were shot down by the former. No bomb hit the oilfields.
6 Aps were reported off Soerabaja and it was planned to attack them. The next day 21 Zeroes flew a sweep over the base but there was no more CAP and only PTs were seen patrolling the bay. The APs were seen nowhere and the Japanese bombers didn’t fly.

Sumatra

An operation against Sabang, the northern base of the island, is preparing. Two naval units will take part in it. One is marching from Mersing to Johore Bharu while the other was in Sinkep and was partly picked up by a FT TF in the night of 20-21. But all the men picked up are now gone… I don’t know this bug but it is certainly damaging.

On the 21 7 submarines in 5 TF were seen around Singapore and all Nells of JB were ordered to fly ASW missions.

Malaya

Japanese artillery hit 599 men in Singapore on the two days. Clouds still grounded Johore Bharu airmen.

Burma

25 Hurricanes from Akyab, escorted by 9 P-40B, bombed the 81st Naval Gd Unit NW of Mandalay on the 20 and hit 28 men. 1 Hurricane crashed during this mission.
But this day saw the first major advance of the month. The 15th Army (33rd Div, 21st Bde, 4th Rgt, 2 Tk Rgts) launched a new shock attack against Mandalay, where 4 Allied Bdes and 1 RAF BF remained. Engineers reduced forts to level 1 and the attack succeeded at 3 to 1. 1001 Japanese and 714 Allied fell and the Allied troops retreated eastwards towards Lashio. The base and its oil and resource are 100% intact.

The 4th Rgt and the 2 Tk Rgts were ordered to pursue the Allied troops northwards while the other troops will rest in Mandalay for some days. The next day a Tk Rgt reached the hex N of Mandalay but it was already empty. Allied AC didn’t fly this day.

Now only Akyab is in range of Southern Burma and 45 Zeroes, 36 Oscars (of the new 65th Sentai) and 36 Ki-21 are now in Rangoon and will attack it tomorrow.

2 Const Bns, 1 AA unit, 1 Tk Rgt and 1 small BF were landed in Bangkok by a convoy arriving from Japan and will march to Burma.

China

60 Ki-48s bombed Yenen on the 20, scoring 2/2/12 hits on the airfield. Both sides exchanged shells at this place the same day and 129 Chinese and 28 Japanese were hit.
This day, 2 Chinese units entered the hex W of Yenen and my troops here were ordered to shock attack them before more troops arrived. 24 Ki-48 escorted by 8 Ki-44 and 15 Betties bombed them the next day but missed and the shock attack launched by the 110th Div, 2/3 of 27th Div and 10th Bde against 3 Chinese Corps (one more arrived the 21) failed at 0 to 1 and 1982 Japanese and 146 Chinese fell. 48 000 Japanese were attacking 26 000 Chinese so I excepted a better ratio.
The same day 17 Ki-48s raided again Yenen airfield and for the first time since the start of the game met Chinese aircraft, 13 I-16c intercepted them but only damaged 2 bombers. The bombers scored five hits on the runways and destroyed one supply dump. Both sides exchanged again shells and 229 Chinese and 10 Japanese fell.

The strategic air campaign has been grounded for two days by bad weather but Ki-49s and Ki-51s from Wuhan are planned to bomb Changsha resources. Hanoi fort are now level 6 and the engineers here will now expand only the airfield (still size 1, 60% to level 2). In the north the Betties will again attempt to bomb Lanchow oilfields while Ki-48s will attack Yenen escorted by 20 Ki-43 & Ki-44.

Japan

The SS I-27 was commissioned on the 21 in Hiroshima and sailed towards SE Asia and the Indian Ocean, where its Glen will be useful. The naval shipyards are now producing an excess of points and the CV Unryu had been accelerated. I am still accelerating all possible DDs.

On the 20 I did a census of the Eng units of Kwantung Army. The battles of Singapore and Pearl Harbor have damaged badly most of the Southern Army ENG Rgt and I will “buy” some in Manchoukuo to replace them. One was already preparing for Clark Field (now at 55%) and I give orders to 6 others to prepare for Manila, Soerabaja, Rabaul, Anchorage, Noumea and Suva. I also ordered them to march to the Korean coast.


Attachment (1)

< Message edited by AmiralLaurent -- 9/15/2005 2:44:26 PM >

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 86
22-23 February 1942 - 9/16/2005 12:59:48 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		22-23 February 1942

OK. After some bad ground battle results, now I have 11 of my 12 available divisions engaged in Singapore and PH but the last turns were good and all hope is not lost to seize these two bases before the end of the month.
So it's time to seriously think to phase 2. In SRA I will ship one division to Burma, and probably land all other forces in Java for a quick campain. Time to send shipping to Singapore area. Sumatra will be bypassed first.
In Pacific I am quite sure that at least two troop convoys sailed SE of Hawaii and weren't intercepted, so some opposition will be met. First objective is to seize forward bases (Baker, Funafati and Christmas Island) to base Mavis and Emilies. I think these bases should be undefended.
Troops involved in PH will rest one month here and be available for landings in late April (shipping time included). At first 3 div will remain in Hawaii Islands

Central Pacific

The night of the 21-22 saw another successful bombardment of PH by the BB TF. The PG Dawson was sunk, 7 other ships damaged, 596 men and 34 guns disabled and 1 supply dump destroyed in the port.
At the same time the convoy carrying the 16th Div arrived off the island. The landing started after dawn and was far less costly than before. US forces fired 413 shells but only set in fire a PG, hitting lightly 2 AP, 2 other PG and 1 CL. 802 Japanese men and 22 Allied were disabled during landing operations. Both sides exchanged shells and 8 Allied and 4 Japanese fell.

The 16th Div finished to land in PH during the next night. Defenders fired 514 shells but losses were limited to 546 men and 1 AP on fire. During the day, the convoy continued to unload supply and the only major damage of the operation was suffered when an AK hit a Mk 16 mine. Only 20 shells were fired at the transports during the day. Both damaged transports will sail to Lahaina while the other will continue to unload supplies.
The BB TF returned in daylight and blasted again PH. The SS Searaven sank in the port and 29 other ships were hit, 15 of them being reported heavily damaged and in fire. Last reports only showed 37 ships in PH so it is fairly possible 7 ships were scuttled these last days. The attack also destroyed 2 PBY, 1 SBD and 1 B-18A and hit 3794 men, 46 guns and 1 airfield supply dump. 50 bombers from Lahaina bombed the 25th US Div during the day and hit 53 men without loss.
Artillery battles in the evening revealed that only 33 000 Allied men remained able to fight and they are now facing 85 000 Japanese (not counting the ENG Rgt that can’t bombard). Shells hit 84 Allied and 12 Japanese.

The bombardment TF will bomb again the base tonight and will be joined by the CA and 3 CLs that covered the landing. And a deliberate attack will be launched by all available troops.

On the 22, the Lahaina port was totally cleared of mines again. 6 APD, 1 CL and 2 DD gather in Kona and will carry 400 men of 16th Div (those that took the reefs between Hawaii and Midway) to Christmas Island that is probably empty. 15 damaged ships and some escorts left Lahaina on the 23 for Japan. All CVs will reach Lahaina tomorrow.

One AK was seen by a Glen 800 miles WSW of Los Angeles on the 23, sailing east, and a submarine will try to intercept her.

Southern Pacific

I did a tour of the units of Southeast Fleet and 4th Fleet currently in Tokyo (most of those created since the start of the game) and gave them orders to prepare to various islands. In late March 1942 an offensive will be launched with naval troops to seize Funafati and then Tongapatu, between Suva and Pago-Pago. This base will then be used to neutralize Allied bases in the area. Suva and Pago-Pago will then be taken by troops coming from Hawaii but they have to rest first.
The precise timing of the Pacific operations has still not been determined. But I am working at it. Part of the above unit are not at 100% and are growing slowly. All complete one will sail to Kwajalein with a great TK/AK convoy.

Philippines

On the 22, 10 Ki-27 strafed again the 11st PA in Lingayen while a NLF took San Marcelino. The goal was to destroy the resources and retire but for once a NLF taking a resource base did things as I would like to in all other cases. Only 1 of the 125 ressources is disabled. The DD returned the next day and as planned evacuated the troops, that will land on the 25 in Roxas, Central PI.

45 AKs left Formosa on the evening of the 23 to go to Shangai and load the 17th Div, that will be paid with PP to join the Southern Aera Army and land in Luzon.
Dutch East Indies

On the 23 another Dutch Bn entered again Banjarmasin and it will also be shock attacked tomorrow by the SNLF holding the base.
No more CAP was reported over Soerabaja and some ships are still there. Balikpapan bombers are ordered to attack this port as a secondary target.

Malaya

Bad weather continued to ground Johore Bharu aircraft. It seems to me that this airfield is always closed by weather while Mersing is always open… Clouds over Johore just opened on the afternoon of the 23 and 10 Zeroes and 13 Ki-43 flew a sweep to Palembang to hit the Hurricane Sqn flying CAP here. They saw 7 Hurricanes in the air but the air battle was inconclusive and neither side suffered loss.

On the ground, Japanese troops shelled Singapore on the 22, hitting 152 men, and the next day the final offensive (or so I hope) was started. A deliberate attack was launched by 153 000 Japanese (6 Div, 1 Bde, 3 Eng Rgt…) vs the 70 000 defenders under fort 6. The engineers reduced the forts to level 5 and the assault achieved a 2 to 1 ratio. 2330 Japanese and 1785 Allied fell. The troops are not tired or badly disrupted and the assault will continue tomorrow.

Burma

On the 22 eleven Buffaloes of Dacca swept Pagan skies and met no Japanese CAP. Mandalay was bombed by 55 Blenheims from Dacca, escorted by 15 Buffaloes, that all missed, and then by 27 Blenheim IV from Calcutta that scored 4 oil hits, disabling 21 of the 50 oil centers. The Japanese raid planned on Akyab was scattered by bad weather and only 9 Ki-21 and 14 Zeroes reached the target area, meeting 16 AVG P-40B. Three P-40s were shot down without loss and then the bombers attacked, hitting 4 men and a supply dump.

In the evening of the 22 27 Zeros flew to Mandalay to protect this base. Clouds civered it the next day and there was no raid but 15 Zeroes scrambled to defend the 81st Naval Gd Unit NW of the town, that was attacked by 22 Hurricane II and 7 P-40B. The Zeroes shot down 6 Hurricanes. The other hit 33 men. A recon the same day found a reinforced CAP (18 Hurricanes and 16 P-40B) over Akyab.

On the 22 the Allied troops E of Mandalay retreated to Lashio and the next day the 21st Bde crossed unopposed the river with the HQ 15th Army (the 33rd Div was delayed and will cross tomorrow). They reported 9 Allied units in Lashio (probably the four Bdes defeated in Mandalay, 2 base forces and 3 Chinese divisions).
North of Mandaly the 4th Rgt and the 2 Tk Rgts reached the bend of the railway without meeting Allied units. 4 Allied units are in the jungle north of the railway, probably BF retiring to India. The Japanese troops will continue to Mitkyina and except the town to be held by Chinese troops (at least 2 divisions).

China

Both days the Ki-48s of Chengting returned to bomb Yenen but this time they were escorted. On the 22 26 Ki-48s, 9 Ki-44 and 10 Ki-43 met 15 I-16c. 1 Ki-43, 1 Ki-48 and 4 I-16c were lost in the battle and one more Ki-48 was shot down by AA. The next day, 17 Ki-48, 8 Ki-44 and 9 Ki-43 fought 12 I-16c. Ki-44s shot down 2 and the other fled. Both raids scored very few hits (3 in 2 days).

The ground situation is still static. Artillery fire hit 345 Chinese 2 days in Yenen. West of Yenen a 4th Chinese Corps arrived on the 23 and now 34 000 Chinese are facing 44 000 Japanese. Both sides exchanged shells but only 4 Japanese were hit in 2 days.

The strategic bombing campaign is processing slowly. Ki-49s and Ki-51s of Wuhan bombed Wuhan the two days and disabled 27 ressource centers (now 325 of the 600 are disabled). Betties of Peking attacked Lanchow oilfields on the 22 (14 oil disabled) and Sian resources on the 23 (8 ressource centers disabled).

Japan

Oil from Brunei was unloaded in Hong Kong and Formosa and 25 000 will reach Japan in some days. The naval shipyards are still under exploited and the CV Amagi was also accelerated. Two more 7000-ton AK were converted to AR in Osaka. The first bunch of converted AR and MLE will be delivered next month.

The last A6M2 Zero unit in Japan, F2/Ominato, was transferred administratively to Southeast Fleet and flew south. First use will be over Amboina area then to Truk-Rabaul.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 87
24-26 February 1942 - 9/18/2005 9:15:47 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		24-26 February 1942

Northern Pacific

The Allied MSW Oriole swept all Japanese mines off Adak during these 3 days.
In the evening of the 25, the I-6 attacked an Allied TF SE of Amchitka and heavily damaged the DD Allen with one torpedo. Two other DD searched her unsuccessfully. All Japanese submarines retired this evening from the area, except the Glen-carrying I-28 that sailed between Anchorage and Seattle to monitor Allied activity.

Central Pacific

A deliberate attack was planned at Pearl Harbor on the 24. 7 BBs, 1 CA and 4 CL bombed the base, hitting 5 ships and 163 men. During the day 66 bombers hit the 24th US Div (46 cas) and 17 the 25th (46 cas too). Then 93 000 men launched a deliberate attack vs 34 000 in fort 4 but failed to achieve a better ratio than 0 to 1 and didn't reduce the forts. 1298 Japanese and 603 Allied were disabled in the attack. Japanese troops were badly disrupted and will rest for some days. The Japanese transports are unloading supplies everyday without being fired upon by Allied guns, I don't know if it is because all CDs guns are out or because they only unload supplies and are so not seen as targets... Artillery fire the next two days hit 109 Allied and 12 Japanese.

So the next days the port was the only targets of the Japanese ships and bombers. Some Zeroes also flew LRCAP over Pearl Harbor in case Allied aircraft flew in supplies from Palmyra but they saw nothing.
The first attack on the port was launched the 25 by 48 Betties, 1 Nell, 21 Ki-21 and 21 Ki-49 from Lahaina. The AA hit some of them and one Betty crashed on the return leg but they sank the AV Curtiss and heavily damaged 13 ships and hit 3 others.
The next night, the 7 BBs, 1 CA and 4 CL returned and pounded the base. The MSW Grebe and AK Georgian were sunk and 14 other ships were hit. SOme shells also hit the airfield, destroying a SBD and a supply dump. 1539 men and 46 guns were disabled by this bombardment. Only two shells were fired in return and both hit a BB and bounced. The Lahaina bombers attacked then in the morning (of the 26) and 36 Betties, 2 Nells, 20 Ki-21 and 24 Ki-49 sank the MSW Turkey and the AK Kohala, hit 12 other ships and disabled 48 men.
Only 26 ships remained in Pearl Harbor port on the evening of the 26 so my opponent probably scuttled more than a dozen of heavily damaged ships. One of them has been confirmed scuttled by my intelligence, the AV Wright, last seen and hit on the 21st.

Another deliberate attack will be launched tomorrow in Pearl Harbor. The bombardment TF is still off the base, as I forgot to set orders to retire, and will bomb the base with its remaining shells. All Vals and Kates of the Kido Butai will also bomb ground troops in PH tomorrow. AA fire is almost nil those last days so losses should be minimal and I think I just need one successfull deliberate attack, reducing fort one more level, to take a definitive advantage. Last count showed 86 000 able Japanese and 33 000 American there.

Other minor operations took place more south. On the 25 a Mavis flew a recon from Johnson Island to Palmyra and reported 17 P-40s on CAP before being destroyed by a direct AA hit. The next day 36 Zeroes flew a sweep, again from Johnson Island, but found no CAP at all. The same day a PBY saw the FT TF bringing 400 men to Christmas Island. The landing will be done on the next night.

On the 24, the SS I-25 attacked in the morning the convoy seen the day before by her Glen. She hit one of the 10+ AK she saw, putting the AK Red Jacket on fire, and then escaped the only escort, 1 DD. The next day, an Emily flying from Kona, Hawaii, saw an Allied transport 22 hexes to the SE of its base. This was the first sighting of the war at this range. The same evening, the CA Ashigara left Lahaina with 3 Jakes aboard, sailing SE . She will raid Allied commerce lines at la "Graf von Spee" and will be helped by 4 submarines, 3 carrying Glens and coming from the patrol line E and NE of PH (I doubt the ships still in PH may not escape, or ships come to help PH from this way, by the way another sub line is now cruising along the American coast). The Ashigara carries enough fuel to sail more than a month.

Ship repairs continued at Lahaina. A new minefield was laid by an Allied submarine on the night of the 24-25th but 14 MSW are now patrolling the base and it was found and swept in some hours.

Southern Pacific

On the 25, the SS I-10 engaged 60 miles W of Wallis Island a TF reported as 4 DD and 1 AP. She missed a DD and was then searched by the DDs and hit twice by Mk 6 depth charges from the DD Humphrey. With damage 35/61/0, she retired towards Kwajalein.

My opponent is preparing his positions in the area. Allied engineers expanded Port Moresby airfield to size 5 and Canton airfield and Suva port to size 4. My engineers expanded the airfield of Hollandia to size 4. On the 26 5 barges loaded troops in Wewak and will land them in Madang to take the base and make surrender the nearby ones.

Philipinnes

The NLF troops evacuating San Marcelino were brought to Roxas the 24 and occupied it on the 25.
An US Cavalry Rgt and 2 RCT marched from Clark Field to San Marcelino on the 24 and retook the empty base on the 25. The damage to ressources had not been checked.
8 Nates from Cagayan flew armed recon over Iloilo on the 26 and strafed the 61st PA Div. I was not sure it a division or a base force was here. I know now and won't land there.

The 3 DDs active in the area sailed in the evening of the 26 to Leyte and will carry the naval troops here to Lamon Bay to occupy the port. An advanced position here will allow to monitor Allied moves around Manila. Troops will again be evacuated before the counter-attack.
The 17th Japanese division was allocated to Southern Area in Shangai (cost 3286 PPs) and is boarding a convoy of 44 AKs that will bring it to Vigan. It will then advance to Lingayen and take the base if the opposition is light.
13 APs left Tokyo towardsBatan Island and will carry the Base Force and Air HQ based here to Luzon.

DEI

In the afternoon of the 24, 18 Nells, 14 Betties and 35 Zeroes attacked Soerabaja. There was no CAP and the bombers hit again two heavildy damaged AKs in the port without sinking them. They also hit 118 men and scored 5 port hits but one Betty and one Nell hit by AA ditched later.

In Borneo the Yokusaka 2nd SLF defeated a Dutch Bn again in Banjarmsin on the 24 and it retreated eastwards, losing 58 men. On the 25 a convoy left Balikpapan covered by the surface ships still there (3 cruisers and 6 DDs) to pick up two Bdes and bring them in Menado for operations in Amboina area. Also a Ki-30 Sentai flew to Borneo to be used to bombed Dutch units in the jungle.

The Batavia airfield was showing a dark green symbol and I began to plan to hit it hard before B-17s from here may strike at Johore Bharu. On the 26 a recon Ki-46 flew to this base from Singkawang and reported around 30 Dutch fighters on CAP and 122 aircraft (35/43/44) in the airfield. 77 Nells and 82 Zeroes (including those sent some days ago from Japan towards Menado that have been diverted there) have been gathered in Johore Bharu and will raid Batavia tomorrow. Also on the 26 a B-17C bombed and hit the RO-33 180 miles NW of Darwin. The submarine will return to Palau and is damaged at 30/55/0. So probably only Dutch aircraft are in Batavia but they still are a good target as they are good antishipping weapons.

The surface TF covering transports sailing to Balikpapan recived in the evening of the 27 the order to sail SE of Macassar. Patrols and subamrines saw there several small Allied TFs but Nells of Balikpapan never attacked them. Surface ships will try to sink them, then go to Macassar and carry some troops to the bases of Raba, Maumere and Waingapu between Timor and Bali. Then transport AC will bring air support and some patrol and recon planes will be based here.

Sumatra

A SNLF and half of anotehr boarded transports in JOhore Bharu and left the port in the evening of the 27 will a moderate escort. They will go to Sabang and occupy it. It will then become a base for patrol aircraft.

Malaya

These three days saw three successful deliberate attacks by Japanese forces (150 000 men) against Singapore, defended by 67 000 Allied. All attacks achived 1 to 1 ratio the two days and 2 to 1 the 26 and the fort level was reduced from level 5 to level 2. 5934 Japanese and 5162 Allied fell.
Tomorrow will be launched a shock attack that may end the siege, given the ratio achieved during the last deliberate attack. During the night 2 BBs and 2 CAs will bombed the base, the CDs guns are supposed to be out of ammunitions.

IJAAF bombers left Johore Bharu to leave place to the Nells and Zeros planning the Batavia raid and are now based in Alor Star and Georgetown and still have orders to bomb troops in Singapore. They were again grounded by weather the last days but will hoepfully support the attack tomorrow. A Ki-30 Sentai is also in Mersing to support the attack.
The only offensive mission not cancelled by clouds was a sweep by 11 Oscars and 10 Zeroes form Johore Bharu to Palembang on the 25. They met 10 Hurricanes and shot down 3 while losing one Zero.

Burma

The 4th Rgt and one Tk Rgt arrived on the 24 60 miles W of Mitkyina and reported 10 units here. Too much for the forces sent north and they started to march back to Mandalay. More south, only 6 Allied units were seen in Lashio the same day and the 33rd Div, 21st Bde and HQ 15th Army received the order to march to the city and take it. On the 26, the first two were in place and they will bombard the town tomorrow. Three more Allied units were reported on the trail E of Lashio.

The Sally Sentai based in Rangoon has not enough expereinced escorts (the new Oscar Sentai has exp 58) to raid enemy bases and only targetted the isolated 1st Burma Rifles Bde SE of Taung Gyi on the 24 (23 cas) and the 26 (41 cas).
Allied airmen didn't fly on the 24 but recons this day showed 19 Hurricanes and 16 P-40B flying CAP over Akyab and 20 P-40B over Impahl. On the 25 16 Hurricanes and 7 P-40B from Akyab attacked Pagan AF, hitting 3 times the runway, while 59 Blenheim and 18 Buffaloes from Dacca and Calcutta hit the Japanese 4th Rgt W of Mitkyina (73 men and 2 guns hit) and 14 Hurricanes and 13 P-40B from Umhal hit the 2nd Tk Rgt more west (43 men and 3 tanks dissbled).
On the 26, 17 Hurricanes and 8 P-40B returned to Pagan. 8 Zeroes from Mandalay were scrambled to intercept them but failed to find them. 12 men were hit on the ground. 120 miles N of Mandalay the 4th Mixed Rgt was hit by 69 Blenheims from Dacca and Calcutta and 13 Hurricanes from Imphal, escorted by 18 Buffaloes and 13 P-40B. 45 men and one gun were hit.

So far no heavy bomber is flying in the area but bases are prepared for them. Asansol airfield was expanded to size 5 on the 25. I plan myself to expand airfields in Central Burma and sent in the evening of the 26 one more Const Bn from Bangkok to Burma.

China

More Chinese units arrived W of Yenen, where now 5 Corps and 1 Cav Corps, 50 000 men, faced the 110th Div, 2/3 27th Div and the 10th Bde, 44 000 men. Chinese artillery hit 50 Japanese in 3 days. Japanese guns didn't fire as my units seem to receive no supply, even if they have a fully valid supply line via the woods SW of Yenen and 25 000 supplies in Chengting. KI-48s wfrom Chengting supported these troops on the 26, hitting 2 Corps with 23 bombers but hitting only 12 Chinese.
At Yenen the reinforcements are Japanese. The 40th Div arrived on the 26 and the 35th Div and half of the 6th Bde (from Tatung) will arrive shortly. Attacks will restart when they will be in place. Japanese artillery shelled daily the town and hit 177 Chinese. Yenen aifield was bombed on the 24 by 23 Ki-48s (with 17 escorts) that scored 5 hits while AA shot down a Ki-15 Babs.

Hanoi airfield was expanded to size 2 and is planend to reach size 4, allowing to base bombers here to raid Kumming. The air campain vs Chinese ressources finally triggered a Chinese reaction and Chinese planes are now based in Sian and Lanchow. 9 Ki-43 and 7 Ki-44 from Chengting swept Sian on the 25 and met 13 I-16c that shot down one of the rare Ki-44. The Oscars shot down 2 I-16c without loss. The KI-44 avenged themselves the next day when they returned alone, met 10 I-16c and shot down two. Also on the 26 25 Betties took off from Wuhan and raided the undefended town of Chengtu, scoring 6 ressources hits.. and disabling propably only 6 centers. 5 were reported damaged in the evening so probably 1000 Chinese supplies were used ro repair one.

Japan

Two submarines, the SS I-29 and I-30, were commissioned in Port Arthur and sailed south.

I used this Sunday morning to do a tour of my units and the port of Tokyo is really busy now:
_ 20 3000-ton APs will carry 2 Special Base Forces, 8 small BF and an Air HQ to DEI. First stop will be at Davao and then they will scatter in various bases.
_ four fast 4500-ton AP will carry 2 SNLF and a Base Force to Tarawa.
_ two other 4500-ton AP bring 2 Navl Garnison units to Kwajalein. These units are preparing for Baker Island and will land there in the first operation in the area from the Gilberts.
_ 23 slower 1500-ton AP will carry to Kawjalein troops preparing to seize Funafati, Wallis, Nandi (Fidji), Tongapatu... 5 SNLF and a Special Base Force.
_ 14 7000-ton AK will carry supplies and the 13th Base Force, the HQ 8th Fleet and a CD Gun Rgt to Truk. All are preparing for Rabaul but the operation there won't be launched for a long time... when a division of the SRA will became available.
_ 18 3500-ton AK will carry a Base Force and supplies to PH (I hope the base will have fallen when they arrived). The AKs will then be useful to carry from Lahaina to PH the 350 000 supplies and fuel currently there.
_ 25 AP of various sizes leave Japan to Formosa to pick the last troops of Southern Area there and bring them to Luzon or elsewhere.
_ 10 3000-ton AP were sent to Inchon and will carry the ex-Kwantung Eng Rgt from there. They haven't been bought with PPs yet.

Osaka is not so busy but:
_ 6 TK are loading fuel and will bring it in DEI
_ 4 empty TK leave at once to Brunei and will load oil here
_ 5 7000-ton AK will carry 2 Const Bns and supplies to Kwajalein.

Until now I used Osaka as the main hub for my AK/TK and Tokyo (where almost all new troops arrive) as my AP hub. That worked fine with only one Japanese PBEM but now with two, and coming closer in dates, I'm making mistakes and confusion and need a clearer system. So when troops will arrive, they will be given a target (as today, but rather than waiting for shipping and escort in Tokyo like now they will be sent to a gather point: Sasebo for SE Asia, Osaka for Southern Pacific, Tokyo for Central Pacific and Ominato for Northern.

I also checked my repair shipyards. I haven't expanded any but the reduced losses so far gave them few work. Only Okayama (with 1 CA, 2 SS and 1 DD) and Tokyo (with 2 CL, 1 DD and 1 AP) are really busy. Tens of damaged ships are sailing from PH and will arrive in the next weeks but there should be enough place for them. When the damaged CVs will arrive, the biggest repair yards will be emptied.

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 88
RE: 24-26 February 1942 - 9/18/2005 10:17:48 PM   
Apollo11


Posts: 24082
Joined: 6/7/2001
From: Zagreb, Croatia
Status: offline 		Hi all,

Did you bring enough combat engineer troops to support your attack at PH (they serve great for reducing fort levels even if general force odds are not singinficantly in your favor - just as it is in your case)?


Leo "Apollo11"

_____________________________



Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!

A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE

(in reply to AmiralLaurent)
Post #: 89
Singapore fell (27 February 1942) - 9/19/2005 1:06:14 PM   
AmiralLaurent

 

Posts: 3351
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: Near Paris, France
Status: offline 		27 February 1942

A very good day with the fall of Singapore, a successful attack in Pearl Harbor (that may fall tomorrow) and 57 Allied air losses vs 19 Japanese.

More details about the score and strategic situation tomorrow, as for every end of month.

Leo, I have 3 Eng Rgts in Singapore and 3 in PH but by combining the 6 units I probably only have 40 usable combat engineers squads… A combinaison of bad luck (in PH the ships carrying the Eng Rgt were always the worst hit) and of bad orders (in Singapore, 2 Eng Rgt were wrecked by attacking alone when after a successful shock attack at 1 to 1 I changed the orders to bombardment. Engineers can’t bombard and so remained with shock attack orders, the 3rd one crossed the river with a Div the turn I forgot to order all troops in Singapore to launch a shock attack and was wrecked too on its first day on the island). Anyway the fact they are there with many non-combat engineers is probably one of the reasons I took Singapore intact.
I know the importance of Eng Rgt and that is why I am preparing to buy some of the Kwantung Army and ship them south.

Central Pacific

During the night, the 7 BB, 1 CA and 4 CL of the bombardment TF fired their remaining shells at PH but only hit 19 men and 1 gun. The AK Andrea Luckenbach, badly hit the day before, sank in port some hours later.
At the same time, 400 men of the 16th Div were unloaded by the FT TF in Christmas Island. The atoll was undefended and was seized without problem. Tinas from Lahaina will carry there the 105th IJN BF tomorrow.

During the day, both US divisions in Pearl Harbor were heavily bombed. The 24th was attacked by 4 Ki-21s, 16 Kates, 14 Vals, 7 Betties and 4 Ki-49s and lost 28 men and 2 guns. The 25th was bombed by 19 Ki-49s, 35 Betties, 42 Kates, 40 Vals, 2 Nells and 17 Ki-21s and 128 men and 3 guns were hit.
The disorganized US troops then were hit by a deliberate attack launched by the Japanese troops that achieved a 3 to 1 ratio and reduced the fort level from 4 to 3. 1326 of the 94 000 attacking Japanese were hit against 435 of the 33 000 defending American.
Japanese intelligence learned during the day that the AK Dakotan, last hit on the 22nd, has been scuttled in PH.
After the fall of Singapore and this attack in PH, the Japanese High Command, that told the Emperor that Singapore and PH will fall in February, is confident enough to order a general shock attack in PH. The bombardment TF and all available aircraft will support it. To be sure that clouds will not ground all AC, the CV will sail NE of PH, and so be able to send more planes.

A Glen saw an Allied AK (probably part of a convoy) 1380 miles S of Los Angeles. That is too far away from the Ashigara that will reach here patrol area in 2 days. The submarines supporting here will be there the day before.

Southern Pacific

Allied engineers are expanding the facilities of the future Japanese province of Australia. Brisbane port is now size 9 and Townsville port size 6.

Philippines

Nates continued to fly armed recon and this time strafed without results the 81st PA Div in Cebu. In the evening, a FT TF of 3 DD loaded a NLF in Giuian, Samar, and will carry them to Lamon Bay, E of Manila during the night. From there they may gather intelligence on Allied defences.

The Japanese 17th Div convoy left Shangai and will arrive at Vigan in four days.

According to Japanese intelligence, the Allied troops retook San Marcelino without damaging any resource centers. So the final result of the raid is ONE resource center disabled… Hardly worth the effort.

Dutch East Indies

During the night, the SS O20 tried to attack 60 miles E of Balikpapan the AP convoy sailing to this base but was seen by the escort and hit by a Type 95 depth charge thrown by the PC Shonan Maru 6. The ASW group escorting the convoy then searched anf found her and she was heavily damaged by a Type 91 depth charge fired by the PG Hirotama Maru.

In the morning, 61 Nells escorted by 82 Zeroes took off from Johore Bharu towards Batavia. They met 8 Hawk 75, 6 CW-21B Demon and 10 Brewster 339D flying CAP. The Zeroes tore them apart, shooting down all Hawks and Demons and half of the Brewster (5) for the loss of 4 of them. The bombers weren’t intercepted and destroyed on the ground 18 aircraft (5 Brewster 339D, 4 Martin 139, 3 T.IVa, 2 CW-21B, 2 Beaufort V-IX, 2 Vildebeest), disabled 31 men and scored 41 hits on the airfield (3/3/35). During the return leg, two Nells damaged by AA ditched and 5 Zeroes were lost during the day in operational losses, probably mostly during this day.

Patrol aircraft still followed the damaged Allied ships fleeing Soerabaja. Two were seen, one the AS Columbia, sailing one hex per phase. Two CA and 6 DD sailed during the day SE of Macassar and divided in the evening to sweep the two possibles hexes the Allied ships will sail in during the night, SE of Lombok. They will then return to Macassar.
Japanese engineers expanded Palau port to size 6 and will now expand the AF from size 3 to size 4.

In Balikpapan, the 35th Bde (preparing for Koepang) and the 4th Mixed Bde (preparing for Amboina) are boarding transports that will carry them to Menado and then to Amboina, Bulla and Sorong with the two SNLF currently in Menado.
To prepare the operation, a FT TF of 3 DD will carry men of one of these SNLF to Namlea, W of Amboina, tonight.

Malaya

During the night, 2 BBs and 2 CAs bombarded Singapore. The CD guns still had ammo and fired 31 shells and hit badly the Kumano (damaged at 33/10/17). The bombardment hit 276 men and 2 guns, but was a bad idea.
Japanese airmen supported the attack in Singapore by bombing the 22nd Aus Bde (16 Ki-21s from Georgetown, 14 cas) and the Singapore Fortress (27 Ki-30s from Mersing and 49 Ki-21s from Georgetown, 74 cas, 2 Ki-30s shot down by AA).

And then Singapore was attacked. The shock attack succeeded at 6 to 1 vs fort 2 and the base was taken. Japanese lost 1614 more men but the Allied lost 110 214 men killed or captured, 221 guns and their last 2 vehicles. The base was taken totally undamaged and the 2 manpower, 10 ressources, 151 HI (strange number?) and 26 repair yard are all undamaged. Also the base has 136 000 fuel and 55 000 supplies, but almost all of these were brought by Japanese forces (supply need is 18 500), as my opponent told me there were around 3 000 supplies remaining.

The pic below is showing the Allied troops in Singapore on 8th February but none has been evacuated.




After the fall of Singapore, the question is “what next?” Well, the plan is to land directly in Java at Tjilatjap with 5 divisions. Paras will seize Teloekbetoeng (sp?), the southernmost base of Sumatra, and Zeroes based here and in Jambi will cover the fleet but the Japanese bombers will be busy suppressing Allied airfields to reduce the air attacks against the fleet. The fleet will leave port in 7-10 days, to let the troops rest a bit. After the fall of Tjilatjap, the plan is to cut the island in two. 15 units are in Batavia and only 4 in Soerabaja according to Japanese airmen so Soerabaja will be taken first, while a blocking force will march north. The hardest target will probably be Batavia and the HQ 25th Army and the HQ Southern Area Army are now preparing for it.
The two units of the 25th Army in the worst state are the 4th Eng Rgt (all combat ENG squads disrupted) and the 23rd Bde (state 57/91). Both will rest in Singapore and prepare for targets that will be attacked after Java, respectively Palembang and Medan.
The 55th Div (66/97), 6th Tk Rgt (roughly intact) and the 23rd Eng (some combat ENG squads undisrupted) will be shipped to Burma and are preparing for Mitkyina.
The five divisions that will be used in Java are the 21st (82/101) and 38th Div (77/100), both preparing for Luzon targets and that will keep their orders and be shipped to PI after the fall of Soerabaja, the 18th (82/103) and Imperial Div (87/101) that prepare for Batavia and the 5th Div (79/99) that prepares for Soerabaja.
Also the 15th Eng Rgt (preparing for Soerabaja, some valid combat squads), 2 Tk Rgts and 5 ART units will be used on Java and are mostly preparing for Batavia.

Almost all units in Johore Bharu received orders to move to Singapore. 3 Daitais of Zeroes and 1 Sentai of Oscars moved at once to patrol over the town.

All these moves will require shipping. All ships currently off Johore Bharu (lifting capacity 3 divisions) will sail to Singapore. 50 other transports left Saigon towards Singapore. At the same time 10 TK leave Saigon for Brunei and Miri to load oil for Japan.

Burma

18 Hurricane II escorted by 8 P-40B from Akyab bombed Pagan airfield, hitting 10 men and scoring 3 hits on the airfield.
24 Blenheim I and 37 Blenheim IV escorted by 16 Buffalo I were sent from Dacca to bomb the 4th Mixed Regiment north of Mandalay. 15 Zeroes of F2/Tainan were scrambled from this base and bounced the raid, shooting down 9 Buffaloes, 4 Blenheim I and 3 IVs at the cost of one of their number. 44 bombers reached the targets and hit 33 men and 1 gun.
8 Hurricanes from Mitkyina strafed the 33rd Div near Lashio and hit 12 men.
32 Ki-21s from Rangoon bombed the 1st Burma Rifle Bde SE of Taung Gyi, hitting 37 men. This brigade marched today in the jungle NE towards Lashio, and so the 14th Tk Rgt that was in Taung Gyi with a SNLF in case the Brigade marched back to the city will go to Mandalay and then to the frontline.
In the evening the Zeroes retired from Mandalay, where only some Ki-59s remained (to still show an AF symbol), and went to Rangoon.

In Lashio, both sides bombarded the other to identify its units. 32 000 Japanese (33rd Div, 21st Bde, HQ 15th Army, 3rd Mountain Gun Rgt) faced 14 500 Allied (4 Chinese divisions in bad state and 2 RAF Base Forces). 28 Allied and 6 Japanese fell.
The troops are not strong enough to hold Lashio against the 15th Army. A shock attack will be launched tomorrow with the support of the Sallies of Rangoon. The 2 Tk Rgts and the 4th Mixed Rgt that returned from Mitkyina are now in Mandalay and the tanks received the order to go to Lashio. Except the 33rd Div, that will held Lashio, all units of the 15th Army are preparing for Mitkyina. This town will be attacked once reinforcements arrived from Singapore by sea.

China

20 Ki-48s from Chengting bombed the 30th Chinese Corps W of Yenen but failed to hit anybody. Chinese guns in the area also missed while 64 Chinese were hit by Japanese shells in Yenen.
The 35th Div will arrive tomorrow and the offensive will be restarted shortly later. Tomorrow Ki-48s will bomb Yenen AF and a Ki-43 Chutai will sweep Sian skies.

Chinese fighters returned to Chengtu but there are still many unprotected targets. Betties from Wuhan will raid Kumming, Ki-49s and Ki-51s from Wuhan raid Changsha and Ki-51s from Canton Wuchow, all targeting resources.

Japan

I found 75 000 supplies in Kitakyushu and 5 7000-ton AK and 2 3500-ton AK are loading there to bring supplies to repair Borneo oilfieds. 5 other 3500-ton AK are loading supplies and a brand new Const Bn in Osaka to bring them to Hawaii.


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