Bloody Pacific: Pomphat (Allied) vs Amiral Laurent (Japan)

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

Nice day - you "bagged" another CV - congrats!

So... he had 3 CV TFs (and 2x CV in each equaling 6 CVs in total).


USS Saratago & USS Hornet <- Saratoga sunk, Hornet undamaged

USS Wasp & HMS Indomitable <- each CV receiving 1x torpedo hit and on fire

HMS Formidable & HMS Illustrious <- Formidable sunk (after 5x torpedo hits there is no doubt), Illustrious undamaged


Therefore he now only has 4x CVs on his disposal - 2x undamaged CVs (Hornet and Illustrious) and 2x damaged (Wasp and Indomitable)!!!


Leo "Apollo11"

[AmiralLaurent]

4-5 August 1942

Thanks, Leo, I forgot the Wasp hit

Actually the (probably final) count is now: USS Saratoga, USS Wasp and HMS Formidable sunk. HMS Indomitable damaged (two torpedoes). USS Hornet and HMS Victorious undamaged. This turns the battle into a great Japanese victory. This will allow Japanese forces enough time to invade New Caledonia, New Zealand and even maybe a part of Australia before the American forces may advance again in the Pacific in 1943. By this date, I will have enough new land and air units to try again to hold Hawaii.

Central Pacific

During the night of the 3-4, the old and damaged DD Wakatake sailed alone from Pearl Harbor to Hilo and found the burning AVD Chincoteague but was only able to hit her with one shell before she escaped.
In the morning 18 Betties and 14 Nells attacked Hilo airfield. Six Wildcats tried to intercept but were bounced by the escort (45 A6M2 and 9 A6M3) and all shot down. The bombers then destroyed two B-26Bs and 1 P-39D on the ground, disabled 34 men and 1 gun and scored 2 hits on the base, 4 on supplies and 4 on runways. The only Japanese loss was an A6M2 Zero lost in an accident.

At the same time Japanese airmen continued to chase fleeing Allied ships between Hawaii and the West Coast. As usual the fact CV TF spent the morning under clouds. The slow CV TF sent 19 Kates and 13 Vals escorte by 10 Zeroes to attack two convoys and sank an AO and a SC, and set two more AO on fire, but the main attack of the morning was a raid by 31 Vals and 26 Zeroes against the BB Arizona. The Vals managed to hit her 8 times for one loss, and destroyed a 5in turret and an AA position, they also heavily damaged a DD escorting her with 5 bombs. Bombers from PH also participated, 22 Betties in 6 groups attacking 7 Allied ships between 60 and 720 miles of Hawaii. One was shot down by AA fire but they sank the AK Edgar Allan Pose and torpedoed another.

In the afternoon, the fast CV TF found clear weather and his Vals reported two CV TF 180 miles NE of its current position. A lonely Wildcat of VF-8 defended them and managed to shot down one of these Vals, while at the same time a Walrus getting too close of the Japanese CVs was shot down by the CAP. The Japanese carriers sadly all several TFs just close by and could only send 20 Vals, 9 Kates and 7 Zeroes attacked the Allied CVs. 9 Kates arrived first and attacked the Hornet TF. The first managed to torpedo the CLAA HMS Capetown and the other used the breach in the AA protection screen to attack the American CV, but they missed and two were shot down by AA fire. Then the main raid struck the USS Wasp and scored 4 bomb hits, leaving her burning, while losing 2 Vals to AA fire. During this time this CV TF used 31 Vals and 5 Kates to clear the waters around it. They attacked a DMS TF, and sank the Hovey with 10 bombs while damaging another and missing two. The Allied ships didn’t engage the CV TF in naval combat.
More west PH sent only 3 Betties (but escorted by 44 A6M2 and 9 A6M3) against a damaged AK 300 miles east of PH, but she was missed. The slow CV TF had many small targets around it and sent 19 Vals, 13 Kates and 35 Zeroes in 5 raids. They sank the AO Pecos, heavily damaged the AO Sabine and hit an already burning AK, while losing a Kate to AA fire during an attack against another AO.
Also during this day another Kate hit by Allied AA ditched and an Emily was shot down by AA too.

In the evening the commander of Kona (held by two Base Forces, including the one defeated in Hilo) reported that two Allied units (15 000 men) had reached his area from Hilo. The convoy bringing two Naval Guard units was schedueld to arrive and start to unload troops the next night, but to be sure the base would hold all PH bombers were ordered to bomb Allied troops in Kona while transport aircraft would carry men of the 56th Div to the threatened base.
At sea Japanese ships were ordered to continue the chase, the fast CV TF sailing to 660 miles SW of San Francisco to try to achieve the burning Wasp, while the slow CV TF would continue to hit the slower transports and try to finish the Arizona. The BB TF (2 BB, 1 CA, 12 DD) escorting this last CV TF was released to search targets to sink on his own.

It succeeded next night, finding an Allied convoy of 5 AK escorted by the DD USS Grayson 800 miles ENE of Pearl. The DD and two AK (Mahukanu and Kahilu) were sunk, but not before the DD managed to hit the BB Fuso with one torpedo, heaviling damaging here. The Fuso left the TF under escort by a DD to return to PH, but in the evening was damaged at 44/59/12 (Japanese damage control at his best….).
In the same area the SS I-7 was chased during the night by an American DD but escaped, while after dawn the RO-65 sank the damaged AK Bellatrix with two torpedoes.

Far more to the east the Japanese airmen of the fast CV TF found two Allied CVs nearby and the admiral reacted toward them, arriving 600 miles off California. Two Kates flew then 180 miles east to try to attack the CV Illustrious. They evaded the 3 Fulmars covering the CV but then AA shot down one and the other missed. The main raid by this TF was sent to kill the Wasp and had 50 Vals, 5 Kates and 9 Zeroes. The poor American flattop took 16 bombs and 1 torpedo, capsized and sank (with a SBD and a TBF aboard). In the afternoon the usal clouds covered this CV TF… It was under clouds for half of the chase, while the slow CVs always had clear weather. A Walrus getting too close was shot down by the CAP.
The slow CV TF started the day as usual, sending 11 Vals and 6 Kates attacking two small convoys, hitting two Aks and a Dutch DD without loss. But then an Allied CV was reported 180 miles SE of the TF! All aircraft on deck, 34 Vals and 29 Zeroes, were sent to attack her. It was the Formidable that was thought to have been sunk on the 3 but was still afloat. The Vals scored 17 bomb hits but all bounced on the armor while one Val hit by AA ditched on return. But then came a second wave, 11 Kates escorted by 6 Zeroes. They scored 4 torpedo hits on the British CV, bringing her total to nine during the whole battle, and she finally sank. In the afternoon, this TF sent 32 Vals, 2 Kates and 34 Zeroes against four small Tf in the area, setting on fire an AO and two Aks at the cost of a Val shot down by a destroyer. 5 Kates were sent to attack the BB Arizona 120 miles south of the CV and scored a new torpedo hit on her (the second of the battle).
During the day one more Val and a Zero were lost in accidents.

In Hawaii, 36 Betties and 9 Nells from Pearl bombed the 24th US RCT in Kona, hitting 42 men, while 21 P-39D and 3 B-26B from Hilo attacked the Japanese transports off this base. A Zero unit was scheduled to cover them but never received the orders and the American airmen managed to heavily damage an AK with 3 bombs, hitting 43 men and 1 gun aboard.

Tomorrow 3 CL and 3 DD will arrive in Kona from Palmyra. 22 Zeroes from PH will fly LRCAP over them and the still unloading transports. PH bombers will bomb troops here, but also Hilo airfield where recon-flying Petes counted 95 aircraft (40/13/42).
The first IJAAF reinforcements arrived in the evening of the 5 but found PH overcrowded (my home rule is not not have more AC than AS squads, even under the magic 250 mark). PH was able to support 390 aircraft and had more than 400 with the arrival of 27 Ki-49s, but the departure of some Emilies to Lahaina and some Kates to rear area bases liberated some room. Also 21 Ki-21s arrived in Lahaina, also from Midway, where 27 other Ki-21 will wait their turn to move.

At sea the fast CV TF is now short of fuel and will come back to Hawaii, picking up targets as it went back. It will send two CA and two DD for an anti-shipping sweep east during the night, and they will return on their own after being the Japanese surface warships that came the closest from the States during the war. The slow CV TF still has fuel and will continue to chase ships, especially the Arizona. The surface TF split into two forces to try to sink as much Allied ships as possible.

Southern Pacific

Four MSW swept two Allied minefields off Suva on the 4 and 5. The convoy carrying the 2nd Div to Hawaii left on the evening of the 4, and was the last one to do it.

Japanese engineers expanded Pago-Pago port to size 4, while Allied engineers expanded Efate airfield to size 5. In Pago-Pago enginners will now build fortifications.

Repeated recon of Noumea by Glens and Emilies from Suva reported no CAP over the base, but 282 aircraft on the ground (86/108/88), 15 units (50 000 men), 52 ships anchored (9+ APs) and 3 surface TFs, 2 SS and 2 convoys off the base.

Solomons-New Guinea

The Glen-carrying I-35 was attacked several times by Allied aircraft south of Port Moresby on the 4 and moved SE to escape them.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

During the night of the 3-4 the “leisure bombardment run” to Tenimbar by the small TF sent in Banda Sea, that decided to bombard this island rather than come back to base having done nothing, turned bad as the Dutch Navy reacted from Darwin and intercepted it. The Japanese had the CA Nachi, the CL Yubari and 3 DD and were intercepted by 4 Dutch light CL and 6 Dutch and US destroyers. Once again the Imperial Navy lost a night naval battle in these waters. The DD Hayashio was heavily damaged by 10 enemy shells, while the CA Nachi was hit by an US torpedo and set on fire and the DD Yukikaze was hit by one shell. Only one Allied DD was slightly hit by 2 shells.

Worse was to came, as with dawn 215 Allied aircraft (75B-17E, 64 B-25C, 31 LB-30, 20 P-40E, 17 Kittyhawk I, 4 Beaufort V-IX and 4 Brewster 339D) took off from Darwin to chase the raiders. They flew past Tenimbar and 120 miles north of it found the badly damaged DD Hayashio. The four Beauforts attacked and missed her and then turned back with the escort. The other bombers flew farther north but due to a false position in the sighting reports, most of them (75 B-17E, 45 B-25C, 31 LB-30 and 4 Brewster) only found the DD Yukikaze 240 miles N of Tenimbar. The poor little ship was overwhelmed, as Allied crews released their bombs on the only available target, and was sunk by 8 bombs. The main Japanese TF (Nachi, Yubari and a DD) was nearby but was only found and attacked by 19 B-25C. One bomb bounced on Nachi, another destoyed a turret on Yubari but failed to penetrate. One B-25C hit by AA crashed during the return flight.

In the afternoon the Allied raid was better aimed and the main Japanese TF was attacked by 51 B-17E, 44 B-25C and 29 LB-30. Both Japanese cruisers suffered several hits and were damaged respectively at 56/32/44 and 49/36/39. AA shot down none of the attackers but during the day 3 B-25C and 2 B-17E were lost in accidents during these raids.
At the same time 44 B-25C from Derby bombed Koepang and scored 1 hit on the airbase and 6 on the runways, wounding 8 men.

All three Japanese damaged ships (including the Hayashio with damage 60/49/21) were ordered to try to reach Kendari. 19 Zeroes of Kendari flew LRCAP over the cruisers the next day. The ships were not attacked, Darwin airmen attacking barges off Aru. One was sunk by two patrolling aircraft (a B-25C and a B-17E) while another was strafed, but missed, by 6 Brewster. Also 32 B-25C from Derby bombed again Koepang, scoring two runway hits while losing one of their number in an accident.

Both damaged cruisers will reach Kendari tomorrow, the Hayashio will follow one day later and all are now considered saved. Kendari has gone under 20 000 supplies, so stopping aircraft replacements, and a convoy unloading 12 000 supplies in Macassar was ordered to stop unloading and sail to the main base of the area.

Southern Ressource Area

Four 7000-ton AK loaded supplies in Palembang for Rangoon. Miri port was extended to size 3 (and reminded me I haven’t sent tankers to Brunei or this port for a while).

Burma

In the morning of the 4th, 34 B-17E from Dacca raided Moulmein. 17 Oscars flying CAP over Rangoon (with several tens of Zeroes) managed to intercept them. One Oscar was shot down and another lost in a crash, but they damaged several bombers and one crashed during the return trip. The bombers scored 3 hits on ressources and disabled 12 centers, leaving 70 running.
At the same time Myitkyna was bombaed by 58 Blenheim IV, 15 Il-4c and 12 Wellington III from Dacca, that hit 6 men and scored 1 hit on the airbase, 1 on supplies and on runways. And 30 Hurricane II from Imphal attacked the 81st Naval Guard unit on the railway bend north of Mandalay and hit 18 men and 2 guns.
Japanese recon aircraft identified this day the Allied unit north of the railway as the 200th Chinese division, and reported that no other Allied unit was on the trails coming from India. So the 33rd Div that had left Rangoon by train was recalled to the Burmese capital as it won’t be needed in the north.

On the 5 a Ki-46 Dinah was shot down by the British CAP over Ledo. 30 Hurricane from Imphal attacked again the 81st Naval Guard unit on the railway bend north of Mandalay and hit 6 men and 2 guns. In the afternoon 58 SB-2c, 25 Beaufort V-IX and 24 Beaufort I from Chandpur attacked Akyab and scored 3 hits on the base and 17 on the runways.

Philippines

The usual pounding of Manila continued. In two days, airmen from Clark Field flew 132 sorties (63 Ki-48, 36 Ki-21, 33 Ki-49) against the airfield and 186 (80 Zeroes, 60 Vals, 46 Kates) against the Allied troops. 165 men and 4 guns were disabled, 10 hits scored on the airbase, 6 on supplies and 102 on runways, as usual without loss. Artillery fire killed and wounded 337 men, and the lack of supply disabled 307 more.

China

In the north, on the 4, 23 Hurricane II and 7 P-40B from Lanchow attacked the 26th Div near Kungchang and hit 40 men and 3 guns, while 8 Vals from Yenen missed the 30th Chinese Corps 120 miles SW of their base. The next day the usual Val raid (8 Vals and 5 Oscars) found 9 P-40B of the AVG flying LRCAP over the target, but lost only 1 Oscar in air combat, while one American pilot was lost in a crash. The Vals missed their target and moved in the evening for the safer base of Canton.

On the ground nothing much new, artillery fire hit 52 Chinese in Kungchang, 75 and 2 guns in Wuchow and 31 Japanese and 4 tanks in Lanchow. Two Chinese units seemed not to move anymore between Homan and Sian and the main troops in Homan (3 Div, 1.5 Bde, and an Army HQ) will march west and defeat them before returning to Homan, that will be kept by a Rgt and a Base Force.

Japan

The new CL Agano was commissioned on the 4 in Tokyo and joined a convoy for Hawaii. She will be a nice AA escort for the Kido Butai.

[KDonovan]

this AAR is actually pretty similar to the alternative history storyline of Harry Turtledove's days "Day's of Infamy" and it's sequal. Where the Japanese invade Hawaii, and the US trys to retake it in the summer of 42 with diasterous results. The book in general was allright, not his best (ie Gun's of the South), but i nice easy read

Great AAR btw AdmiralLaurent

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

Actually the (probably final) count is now: USS Saratoga, USS Wasp and HMS Formidable sunk. HMS Indomitable damaged (two torpedoes). USS Hornet and HMS Victorious undamaged. This turns the battle into a great Japanese victory. This will allow Japanese forces enough time to invade New Caledonia, New Zealand and even maybe a part of Australia before the American forces may advance again in the Pacific in 1943. By this date, I will have enough new land and air units to try again to hold Hawaii.

BANZAI!!!

Great stuff - congrats!


We will all read your AAR in months to come with great interest!


BTW, how many "small" ships (AO, AK, AP and their escorts) you managed to hit/sunk around Hawaii recently?


Leo "Apollo11"

[AmiralLaurent]

6 August 1942

Central Pacific

During the night, the SS I-7 sank the damaged AK Sagadahoc around 800 miles ENE of Hawaii. Farther east the BB Yamashiro and her escort (10 DDs) met in the dark 13 unescorted transports and sank four of them (AP Ruth Alexander, AK William Dawes, Rufus King and Empire Lawping) and heavily damaged another, hit by a torpedo.

At dawn, 69 Betties escorted by 43 A6M2 and 9 A6M3 raided Hilo airfield. The three Marine squadrons sent 14 Wildcats to intercept the raid and shot down 8 A6M2 and 3 Betties for 5 losses. The top Allied ace, Maj R. E. Galer of VMF-224, shot down a Zero for his 14th kill but was then himself shot down and wounded. The Betties got trough and bombed the airfield, destroying on the ground 15 aircraft (6 F4F-4, 5 P-39D, 3 B-26B and 1 Dauntless), disabling 251 men and 1 gun and scoring 4 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 26 on runways. Two more Betties were lost in a collision, but no Allied raid was launched from Hilo during the day.

Between Hawaii and the West Coast both Japanese CV TFs continued to hit the fleeing Allied ships. Both TF launched 4 raids in the morning and 7 in the afternoon, with a total of 245 sorties (133 Vals, 87 Zeroes, 25 Kates). They lost 3 Kates and 1 Val to AA fire, and heavily damaged 2 AO and 1 DD that were already hit, and 3 undamaged TKs. They also set on fire 4 AKs and scored two hits on an AR without doing big damage. The BB Arizona was one of the afternoon targets and 12 Vals destroyed the SC radar of the battleship, that was now reported to be heavily damaged.

In the evening, the SS I-19 attacked and sank the DD USS Allen 660 miles SW of Los Angeles. No other Allied ship chased her. And the CA USS Astoria that was badly damaged by two mines off Pearl Harbor on the 28th of July, sank around 1000 miles off California (with 3 SOC-3 Seagull aboard).

25 Ki-51 and 11 Nells from Pearl, escorted by 30 A6M2, attacked the 102nd US RCT in Kona and hit 75 men and 1 gun. This unit launched a deliberate attack with the 24th US RCT and the 112th US Cav Rgt but the reinforced Japanese garrison managed to repulse it (at 0 to 1) even if Allied engineers destroyed one of the two levels of fortification. The 63rd Naval Guard, at 100% for Kona, proved decisive to stop the attack. Japanese lost 120 men and 4 guns, Allied 472 men and 27 guns.
Three CL and three DD arrive in Kona from Palmyra during the day and will bombard Hilo tonight before sailing to Pearl. The transports off Kona had finished to unload troops and sailed in the evening back to Pearl. Pearl bombers will be given the day off tomorrow to recover fatigue and morale.

More south the BB Yamato and her escort refuelled in Palmyra and will also sail to Pearl to take part in the pounding of Hilo. And 9 Ki-46 flew from Palmyra to Lahaina.

At sea, the fast CV TF will continue to return to PH at cruise speed, while the slow one will close to the Arizona location. Both have detached their main warships, keeping only one cruiser and 4-5 DD as escort in case they met some able Allied warship. All other Japanese warships will chase Allied ships at sea. Six DDs in three pairs will form a patrol line, while two BB, 1 CA and 2 DD will sail to the probable position of the BB Arizona. Two other small TF of CA and DD will chase Allied convoys at sea.

The damage of the BB Fuso is now at 47/60/4 and she will reach PH in 4 days at the current rate...

Southern Pacific

It was a great day for recon crews for Suva, as they identified two US divisions. The 27th was seen in Luganville (the only unit seen here), the Americal in Noumea. The 32nd should also be in the area, as a part was shipwrecked in Fiji.
Then the 24th and 25th Div and the 2nd USMC Div have been destroyed (if fragments have been saved, they are probably not yet operational) and the 40th Div with 3 RCT is in Hawaii. So that leaves my opponent with few or none uncommitted US divisions IIRC.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

Seven Brewster 339D from Darwin strafed unsuccessfully barges off Lautem. Later a patrolling B-25C sank one with bombs. In the afternoon, 47 B-25Cs took off from Derby to raid Koepang but 33 got lost. The 14 remaining scored no hit.

The CA Nachi (FLT 45) and CL Yubari (FLT 53) reached Kendari and were disbanded in the port and will be patched here. The DD Hayashio will arrive tomorrow and will probably be saved too.

Philippines

Manila airfield was bombarded by 36 Ki-48s, 20 Ki-21s and 18 Ki-49s that scored 4 hits on the base, 1 on supplies and 45 on runways, and wounded 13 men. Then the 31st RCT lost 45 men under attack by 41 Zeroes, 28 Vals and 23 Kates. Japanese guns hit 243 more men and hunger and disease disabled 216.

China

Aircraft remained on the ground and only artillery was used in Kungchang (nobody hit), Wuchow (55 Chinese hit) and Lanchow (26 Japanese men and 1 tank hit).

The Japanese troops sent from Homan all marched west and reached the position held by two Chinese units. A deliberate attack will be launched tomorrow to chase them to Sian.

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

Between Hawaii and the West Coast both Japanese CV TFs continued to hit the fleeing Allied ships. Both TF launched 4 raids in the morning and 7 in the afternoon, with a total of 245 sorties (133 Vals, 87 Zeroes, 25 Kates). They lost 3 Kates and 1 Val to AA fire, and heavily damaged 2 AO and 1 DD that were already hit, and 3 undamaged TKs. They also set on fire 4 AKs and scored two hits on an AR without doing big damage. The BB Arizona was one of the afternoon targets and 12 Vals destroyed the SC radar of the battleship, that was now reported to be heavily damaged.

Were the fleeing Allied ships in single ship TFs or in multi ship TFs?

How good was tactical AI (that is present in assigning targets) in your oppinion regarging target selection and forces used vs. enemy ships seen (i.e. were there many cases where too many Japanese aircraft were ordered to attack just a few ships)?


Thanks in advance (and sorry for this small hijack of your AAR)!


Leo "Apollo11"


P.S. I would really love to see those sorties in real ime in PBEM combat replay playback... [:)]

[String]

It's probably too late, but why not use your surface forces to hunt down the fleeing transports? They should be much more efficient with dealing with the 1-2 ship TF's and with such a target rich enviorment it shouldn't be hard to get open sea intercepts.

[AmiralLaurent]

It's probably too late, but why not use your surface forces to hunt down the fleeing transports? They should be much more efficient with dealing with the 1-2 ship TF's and with such a target rich enviorment it shouldn't be hard to get open sea intercepts.

You're right and I started to use them like that on the 5. First contact was rather bad, with the BB Fuso hit by a torpedo and still in danger to be lost (now FLT 66, 9 hexes out of PH). The plan was to sail east with CVs until LBA range from California, and for this part of the battle I wanter my surface ships to sail with my CVs in case of a chance encounter with an Allied surface TF. Now there is nothing bigger than a DD in the area and I feel secure enough to send small surface TF to chase the fleeing Allied ships.


Leo, the Allied ships are usually in small convoys of 7-15 ships, except the damaged ships that are alone. CV aircraft target one-ship TF as easily as multi-ship TF.
As for sending far too much AC to the same target, I have seen nothing shocking. My Kate units are now very small (probably none has more than 10 AC) and so Kates raids are small, while Val units are not able to sink an Allied AK on one attack, even when scoring 8-9 bomb hits. The only problem I have is that half of the attacks sent against the BB Arizona were by Vals only, but that may happen in RL.
The biggest problem IMOO for the tactical AI is that it is able to send unescorted raids against targets with CAP, while it will send 70 Zeroes escorting 3 bombers to a target without CAP... It happens on the start of the air battle with AC from PH, but haven't been repeated since.

As for seeing the replays, I still have them all (I use gmail, and have enough place to not delete turns of the last 6 months) so may send them to you (or anyone interested) if you PM to me your e-mail adress.

7 August 1942

Central Pacific

During the night Allied ships were tracked between Hawaii and California. If the SS I-171 missed a DD 1200 miles SW of Los Angeles, a DD line (3 pairs of DD, each in one nearby hex) sank around 1000 miles off Hawaii two damaged AK (Charles H Cramp and Nightingale) and the AO Sabine, all sailing slowly alone. But the main success of the night was the destruction of the BB Arizona, that was surprised around 400 miles more east by the BB Mutsu and Kirishima, the CA Aoba and 2 DD. The American battleship was wrecked by a rain of shells and only managed to hit a Japanese BB once with a 6in shell, doing no damage, before being achieved by a torpedo from the Aoba.

The same night, 3 CL and 3 DD raided Hilo, first surprising and sinking the badly damaged AVD Chincoteague off the base and then bombarding it, destroying a Wildcat on the ground, disabling 953 men, 15 guns and 2 vehicles and scoring 6 hits on runways, 1 on port and 1 on port supplies.

During the day, both Japanese CV TF continued to be active launching 6 raids in the morning and 7 in the afternoon for a total of 235 sorties (118 Vals, 87 Zeroes and 30 Kates). The most interesting target of the day was a convoy NW of the main Allied concentration and sailing NW. This was probably an intact convoy trying to flee Japanese CVs, but the returning fast CV TF found it at extreme range and two ships were torpedoed by Kates. Overall Japanese airmen sank the AO Brazos and Ramapo and the AK Kansan and Port Orford, two of them being already badly damaged before, and heavily damaged 5 AK and 1 DD, about half of them being hit for the first time, and also set on fire another AK. Japanese losses were 1 Val shot down by AA and two Zeroes lost in accidents.

In the evening the CA Ashigara and her escort (5 DD) intercepted the convoy that had been already attacked by the Yamashiro TF on the night of the 5-6. They sank the AK Stephen J. Field, that had been torpedoed in the former action, heavily damaged three other AK with shells, set two others on fire and let three escape undamaged.

Also some captured Allied survivors indicated that their ship, the TK Empire Silver, was scuttled after being badly damaged by CV aircraft on the 3rd.

Tonight Japanese warships will continue to chase Allied ships, while the slow CV TF will sail NW to try to hit the mostly intact convoy seen today. The fast CV TF and about half of the other warships will return to Hawaii for refuelling, and starting bombarding Hilo.

In Hawaii, the 3 CL and 3 DD that bombarded Hilo last night refueled in Pearl and will FT a new Naval Guard Unit to Hilo to be sure the base will held. As soon as enough transports will be available, the 56th Div will board them in Pearl and will land in Hilo, so splitting Allied forces in two parts at Kona and Hilo, enabling to destroy them one after the other. Allied forces didn’t attack or bombard today in Kona and might already have started to march back to Hilo.

Southern Pacific


Timor-Amboina-Australia

In the afternoon, Koepang was bombed by 37 B-25C from Derby and by 58 B-17E and 28 LB-30 from Darwin. 16 men and 1 gun were disabled by both raids, that scored 8 airbase, 1 supply and 75 runway hits. One B-17E was lost to engine failure.

The damaged DD Hayashio reached Kendari with FLT damage 60 and will very probably be saved (base is port level 4 ou 5, with 2 ARs and a Naval HQ). Both cruisers docked here are reducing FLT damage.

Southern Ressource Area

A convoy loaded 80 000 tons of oil and 7 000 of ressources for Japan.

Burma

Mavis recon concentrated on Chandpur those last days and identified here the 45th Indian Bde and the 7th Armoured Tk Bde.

In northern Burma a Bde and two Tk Rgt now are on the railway bend nearby the 200th Chinese division. The 21st Bde and another Tk Rgt left Mandalay to join them to crush this Allied unit.

An Air HQ arrived in Mandalay, while 53 Nells flew from Wuhan, China, to Rangoon, and will be used to raid India.

Philippines

29 Ki-48s, 20 Ki-21s and 18 Ki-49s bombarded Manila airfield, disabled 20 men and 1 guns and scored 1 hit on the airbase and 22 on the runways. 156 more Allied men were lost to artillery fire and 196 by lack of supply.

Tomorrow will see the number of Allied able men in Manila fall under 65 000. All Japanese units that were sent to Clark Field were ordered to march back to Manila for a new offensive that will start in some days. Also part of the level bombers currently targeting the airfield will bomb the troops from now.

China

Between Homan and Sian, the Japanese forces (1 HQ, 13th, 34th and 58th Div, 3rd Bde and one half of the 16th Bde, 80 000 men) launched a deliberate attack against weaker Chinese forces (20th and 54th Chinese Corps, 17 000 men) and repulsed them to Sian (at 158 to 1). Japanese losses were 331 men and 19 guns, Chinese ones 677 men and 15 guns in battle and around 1500 men during the retreat. Japanese troops then received the order to march back to Homan.

In other places artillery fire hit 31 Chinese in Kungchang and 37 in Wuchow, while 26 Japanese men and 2 tanks were hit in Lanchow.

A new Japanese unit marched east of Lanchow from the south. A regiment of the 59th Div will march from here NW, so cutting the road strating from Lanchow to the NE and threatening the Sining-Lanchow road.

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

As for seeing the replays, I still have them all (I use gmail, and have enough place to not delete turns of the last 6 months) so may send them to you (or anyone interested) if you PM to me your e-mail adress.

Thanks - PM send!


Leo "Apollo11"

[AmiralLaurent]

8-10 August 1942

Central Pacific

These days saw the end of the chase from Hawaii to California. Up to know the known Allied losses are the following.
Sunk: CV Saratoga, CV Wasp, CV Formidable, BB Arizona, CA Astoria, CA Portland, 5 DD, 1 DMS, 1 AVD, 1 AR, 7 AO, 2 TK, 1 AP, 29 AK
Heavily damaged, and maybe scuttled: 4 DD, 2 AR, 2 TK, 11 AK
Other important ships damaged: BB West Virginia (1 mine), BB North Carolina (1 torpedo), CV Indomitable (2 torpedoes)

During the night of the 7-8, two Japanese TFs were active around 1000 miles off California. First the CA Chokai and Chikuma and the DD Shirnuhi and Tanikaze sank the AK Arcata, the AO Kankakee and the DD Pakenham, all being already damaged and limping NE alone. 120 miles more south, the DD Mutsuki and Yuzuki also engaged 3 small Allied TFs, but onlysank the burning AK Makimahi and score some hits on the AR Shooting Star, the DD Tjerk Hiddes and the AK Ernest Meyer, worsening a bit more their already heavily damaged state.
At sea during the day, the fast CV TF returning to PH launched a long-range raid of 15 Vals and 9 Zeroes 300 miles east and sank the already damaged AK Cynthia Olson and heavily damaged the unhurt AK Zachary Taylor, that sank the next night. More east the slow CV TF flew 168 sorties during the day (82 Vals, 16 Kates, 70 Zeroes) against 5 Allied TFs, achieveing the damaged AR Shooting Star, AK West Cape and DD Tjerk Hiddes. As planned they also hit the convoy fleeing north and heavily damaged 2 AKs, while hitting again the AK Wind Rush that was hit the day before and sank during the night. Only one Val was lost in an accident. The AK John Page, badly bombed the day before, also sank on the 8.
In the evening, the CA Ashigara and 3 DD engaged the convoy already attacked several times by Japanese warships and heavily damaged 2 AKs and set another on fire, leaving no more undamaged ships in the convoy.
At this time most Japanese ships were running out of fuel and only the slow CV TF and 3 small surface TF remained in the area, all other sailing back to Pearl, where at this time four AO were loading fuel before sailing to meet them at sea.

The next night the badly damaged TK Merula sank 500 miles SW of San Francisco. 800 miles WSW of this port the CA Chokai and Chikuma and the DD Shiranuhi achieved both AKs hit the day before by CV airmen during the attack on the "intact convoy", the AK Irenée du Pont and John Hart. More south the BB Mutsu and Kirishima, the CA Aoba and two DDs met two damaged AK, sank the AK Ernest Meyer with some 14in shells and set on fire the AK Maine with 6in and 8in shells.
During the day hours of the 9, the slow CV TF launched the final raids agains the fleeing Allied convoy, that was 600 miles WSW of San Francisco. 53 Vals and 66 Zeroes were launched in 3 waves agaisnt it in the morning and the afternoon and heavily damaged 3 AKs. Three smaller raids, with 23 Vals and 16 Kates, hit more south solitary damaged AKs and sank the AK Timber Rush and haveliy damaged two other.
In the evening the CA Ashigara and her escort met again the Allied convoy they chased for days but didn't attack, being low on fuel and shells. All Japanese ships except 9 submarines sailed back to Hawaii in the evening.

So the 10 was quiet, seeing only a damaged AK, the Samuel Adams, sink from the damaged suffered to Japanese shells in one of the surface actions of the days before. In the evening the CA Aoba was detached from her TF to attack a last time damaged ships reported nearby by a submarine.

At the same time things began to turn ugly for Allied forces in Hawaii Islands too. The 8 was quiet, the only action was in the morning when 25 Ki-51 from Pearl escorted by 16 Zeroes bombed the 24th US RCT in Kona and hit 6 men. But the long-expected Air HQ was unloading in PH. And transports were gathering in PH to prepare the counter-landing. More left Palmyra and Johnston to sail to PH this evening.

On the 9 the orders were to strike Hilo with maximum strength to ensure the safe passage of the BB Fuso (now with SYS 48 and FLT 74) north of the island. During the night the base was bombed by 3 CLs from PH, that destroyed 2 P-39D and 1 F4F-4 on the ground, disabled 1026 men, 12 guns and 1 vehicle and scored 1 hit on the airfield, 2 on supplies and 2 on runways. The BB Yamashiro coming back from the chase alos fired her last shells on Hilo before dawn but only hit 32 men and 2 guns. Then both TF sailed together back to PH.
But worse came on morning when 67 Betties, 27 Ki-49 and 7 Nells from PH raided the base under escort by 90 A6M2 and 11 A6M3. The 3 Marine squadrons based in Hilo sent 22 Wildcats in the air, their maximum effort so far but they were all shot down. Seven A6M2 and the 22 F4F-4 were lost in the battle, that saw several aces of both sides score victories. The intact bomber formations reported meagre AA fire over the target and bombed at 10000 feet with devastating results: 44 aircraft destroyed on the ground (24 P-39D, 15 F4F-4 and 5 B-26B), 345 men and 4 guns hit, 14 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 32 on runways. The afternoon usual recon by a Pete from Lahaina reported no more CAP over Hilo, that flew no offensive raid either. The raid cost 3 Betties and one more Zero to the Japanese, all lost in crashes.
This day saw the Allied forces in Kona (24th and 102nd USA RCT and 112th Cav Rgt) launch another deliberate attack but the reinforced Japanese garrison (3 Nav Gd units, 2 IJA BF and elements of 56th Div) repulsed it at 0 to 1. Japanese losses were 162 men and 9 guns, Allied ones 611 men and 30 guns. This failed attack probably doomed Allied forces in Hawaii. It means that these Allied forces won't be able to march back to Hilo before the 56th Div will land there. It started to load into transports this same evening. Sadly only one AP was available, all other ships being AK, but almost all the division should be able to board them.

The 10 saw another heavy air raid against Hilo with 63 Betties, 26 Helen and 7 Nells escorted by 71 A6M2 and 10 A6M3. Probably two of the 3 Marine Wildcat squadrons based here were withdrawn because only WMO-251 opposed the raid with five F4F-4. The experienced pilots of F1/Tainan bounced them and shot down all without loss before any other Japanese unit was able to attack. Then the bombers delivered anothe heavy attack on the base and destroyed on the ground 17 P-39D and 6 F4F-4, disabled 358 men and 4 guns and scored 4 hits on the airbase, 2 on supplies and 51 on the runway. The Yamashiro and 2 CL were ordered to bombard the base in the evening but received the orders too late (I sent the TF as a surface combat TF with no retire orders). They will bomb it tonight.

This evening the Yamato TF also reached PH and refueled before sailing to Hilo too. The 56th Div was still boarding transports and should sail tomorrow evening. And anotehr good news was that the BB Fuso, now 180 miles east of PH had reduced his FLT from 74 to 72 in two days.

Southern Pacific

Nells and Emilies from Suva continued to recon Noumea and sometimes Luganville, both of them having still no CAP. An Emily was shot down by AA fire on the 8.

Solomons-New Guinea

On the evening of the 10 the first offensive operation in this area since the spring was launched. Five DD loaded a NLF and will land it to Kavieng that will be occupied in two days. Allied resistance is excepted to be restricted to small airstrikes.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

I am wondering if my opponent is planning to use its local superiority to attempt something on Koepang. This base was based on the 8 and 9 by bombers from Derby and Darwin, with a total of 81 B-25C, 106 B-17E and 48 LB-30 sorties. 48 Japanese were killed or wounded, the bombs scored 15 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 179 on the runways. Base was protected by bad weather on the 10, while a solitary AK arrived in the evening of the 9 there and unloaded 700 of her 3500 supplies the next day without being attacked.

Other small TFs are shuffling troops between Japanese bases in a general organization of the area. Especially all fragments and left-overs of the Kai operation are brought back to rear area bases to be reunited with the main body of their units.

Southern Ressource Area

A convoy with 28 000 ressources and 32 000 oil left Singapore for Japan on the 9, another with 24 000 ressources left Balikpapan on the 10.

Burma

A big surprise occured on the 8 when unescorted Allied bombers raided Rangoon, scaring the bombers grounded there. But the 46 Blenheim IV, 38 B-17E and 11 Il-4c ran into an heavy CAP of 36 Nates, 33 A6M2, 18 A6M3 and 18 Oscars and were decimated. The B-17E of 19th Bg lost five of their number while shooting down down 2 Nates, but all except 2 turned back. The Chinese Il-4c lost four of their number and turned back. The four squadrons of Blenheims all reached the target area and shot down an A6M2, an Oscar and a Nate but lost 34 bombers... The disorganized Allied formations dropped bombs in a hurry but hit only Burmese houses and fields, leaving the Japanese intelligence officers wonder what their target was. Two more B-17E and a Nate were lost in crashes, bringing the total losses to 6 Japanese and 45 Allied aircraft. The Nate pilots of the 50 Sentai were especially triumphant, having shot down 14 Il-4c and Blenheim for 2 losses. The Japanese top scorer, Ens Sugio S. of F1/3rd Daitai scored his 25th and 26th victories by downing two Blenheims.

At the same time the Japanese airmen were preparing to raid Calcutta. Recons flown the last days have shown at times a CAP of some Buffaloes probably coming from Diamond Harbor, as no AC was based in Calcutta. In the evening of the 8 the first operationnal Ki-61 unit moved from Bangkok to Rangoon to defend the base and at dawn the next day 51 Nells escorted by 42 Zeroes took off to raid Calcutta. They met no Allied fighter in the air, but AA shot down 2 Nells. A third and two Zeroes were lost in a crash, while the raid damaged 35 of the 600 ressource centers of the town.The goal was to reduce a bit the Allied supply in the area, and to scatter more the Allied fighters. No Allied fighter moved to Calcutta, but the next day recons reported Spitfire Vb leaking from Diamond Harbor.

In northern Burma, the 21st and 23rd Bde and 3 Tk Rgt concentrated on the railway bend and started to move north in the evening of the 9 on the trail to defeat the advanced 200th Chinese division. At the same time the 81st Nav Guard unit started from there to march NW and occupy the mountain near Imphal to keep an eye on Allied forces here. It will be a long march into the jungle as there is no trail.

The Burma Army HQ is now in Rahaeng and will march to Mandalay. On the 10 Japanese engineers expanded Taung Gyi airfield to size 3.

Philippines

On the 8, Manila airfield was bombed by 20 Ki-21 and 16 Ki-49 (3 casualties, 2 hits on the base, 2 on supplies, 31 on runways) and the 1st PA Div by 42 Ki-48s, 40 Zeroes, 28 Vals and 23 Kates (70 men and 2 guns hit). Bad weather covered the city on the 9 but raids took place again on the 10, 20 Ki-21 and 18 Ki-49 bombing the airfield (40 casualties, 1 airbase and 18 ruwnay hits) while 46 Ki-48, 45 Zeroes, 32 Vals and 26 Kates bombed the 21st PA Div (105 men and 4 guns lost) and the 31st USA RCT (23 casualties).
Japanese gunfire hit 305 more men in 3 days. Lack of supply disbaled 769 more.

All Japanese troops have now marched back from Clark Field to Manila and the offensive will be restarted as soon as the weather will be good enough. Some Vals and Zeroes flew in the evening of the 10 from Clark to Bataan and Legaspi to have a chance to bomb more ground units each turn.

China

Activity in China was reduced to artillery fire in Kungchang (86 Chinese hit in 3 days), Wuchow (196 Chinese men and 2 guns lost) and Lanchow (73 Japanese men and 4 tanks disabled), with only one air raid (on the 10) by 29 Hurricane II from Sining against a Rgt of the 27th Div in Lanchow, hitting 20 men.

Here troops (2 Div, a Naval Gd unit, an half Bde) are moving, on the whole from Yenen towards Lanchow and Sining. The plan is still to move past Lanchow and cut the road between this city and Sining. If the Chinese Corps didn't retire from Lanchow, Sining should be easy to take, it has probably only one Base Force here. If needed two Parachute SNLF are in Yenen and the third is sailing to China. To support this eventual para drop I will send more Zeroes to China from PI and Burma.

The strategic bombing campain will see a small restart tomorrow. 34 Ki-21 based in Hanoi were ordered to bomb the 93 remaining ressource centers of Kumning.

Japan

A convoy started to load 82 000 tons of fuel in Tokyo for PH in the evening of the 10, as fleet operations in the area will probably drop the reserves to a low level.

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

These days saw the end of the chase from Hawaii to California. Up to know the known Allied losses are the following.
Sunk: CV Saratoga, CV Wasp, CV Formidable, BB Arizona, CA Astoria, CA Portland, 5 DD, 1 DMS, 1 AVD, 1 AR, 7 AO, 2 TK, 1 AP, 29 AK
Heavily damaged, and maybe scuttled: 4 DD, 2 AR, 2 TK, 11 AK
Other important ships damaged: BB West Virginia (1 mine), BB North Carolina (1 torpedo), CV Indomitable (2 torpedoes)

This is truly like "shooting fish in a barrel" - congrats!

BANZAI!!!


BTW, do think those sunk AO/TK/AP/AK Allied ships were full or empty (especially with troops that your opponent failed to unload because of your conterstrike)?

The 10 saw another heavy air raid against Hilo. Probably two of the 3 Marine Wildcat squadrons based here were withdrawn because only WMO-251 opposed the raid with five F4F-4

Where and how they could have been withdrawn (i.e. there are no air bases in range your opponent can reach - all aircraft he had in Hawaii had to come carried by ships in crates)?


Leo "Apollo11"


P.S. [Edit]
Intersting question added about "missing" Allied Wildcat squadrons.

[AmiralLaurent]

11 August 1942

Leo, these ships were carrying no more troops, or just a few (only once I saw in the whole chase solmething like Allied losses 6 men, 1 gun), while almost all the AO/TK had fuel that burned when they were hit.

As for withdrawing two of the 3 Wildcats squadrons, I was talking of the "Withdraw" button of the unit page, that allows an unit to give its aircraft to another unit with similar equipment in the same base and came back 60 days later in homeland with its pilots. Basically one submarine, an empty B-17E or a long-range Clipper floatplane came at night and evacuated the pilots of the two "withdrawn" squadrons... or at least we can imagine that.

Central Pacific

During the night the CA Aoba attacked at 1000 miles SW of San Francisco the same convoy that had been hit repeatly by Japanese aircraft and ships in the past week. Allied crews were exhausted and the sailors of the AK Eldorado never saw the cruiser that sank them by some 8in shells at close range. The three other AK scattered once again but the Japanese cruiser torpedoed and sank the Californian and hit with some shells the two other, the Empire Prairie and the Liscomp Lykes. The first was set on fire, the other heavily damaged.
Two other badly hit Allied ships, the AK Empire Harbeestee and the TK Empire Granite sank during the night off California before reaching a friendly port.

The US Navy tried to help the few survivors still at sea and was discovered at sea in strength by Glens in the morning. They reported seeing 3 BB, 22 CA, 2 CLAA and 1 DD around 700 miles SW of SF. Most of the "CA" were probably DD but these five surface TF could have won against any of the marauding Japanese TF, but came one or two days late. The only target they found were submarines, several being bombed by Seagulls and Kingfishers. They received the orders to scatter in the evening, but before one of them, the I-171, managed to heavily damage with one torpedo the AK Empire Prairie, the last able ship of the above unlucky convoy.

In Hawaii, Hilo was bombarded during the night by the BB Yamashiro and two CLs that hit 141 men and 10 guns. In the morning only one Wildcat was operationnal and the commander of VMO-251, Maj R E Galler, that had scored a dozen of victories over Hilo in one week, took off with it. He saw 67 Betties, 27 Ki-49 and 7 Nells escorted by 67 A6M2 arrive from Pearl Harbor and engaged. He was shot down by a pilot of F2/Tainan but bailed out and was rescued unhurt. He had not hit any Japanese aircraft but one Nell was shot down by AA. The Hilo airfield suffered another time. 10 P-39D, 8 F4F-4 and 3 B-26B were destroyed on the ground, 195 men, 1 gun and 1 vehicle were disabled and 8 hits scored on the base, 3 on supplies and 45 on runways.

The Yamato TF will bombard Hilo tonight. The convoy carrying the 56th Div left PH tonight, escorted by the Yamashiro TF, but received new orders at the last minute. Rather than landing at Hilo, the 56th will disembark in the Japanese base of Kona and help to repulse Allied forces to Hilo.
If I had done the previously planned landing in Hilo, the 56th Div would have been more or less wrecked, and the three Allied units in Kona having no retreat path would have hold until 100 to 1 ratio was achieved. This way, all Japanese troops will land in Kona without suffering landing losses, and will just need at 2 to 1 ratio to repulse Allied troops and then another 2 to 1 ratio in Hilo to take the base and capture all defenders. This 2 to 1 ratio may be harder to achieve but with 5 divisions against two Allied that will lack any form of support and run out of supplies I am confident it will be done faster than if I land in Hilo as fast as possible.
In the meantime PH airmen will continue to bomb Hilo but with reduced escort.

The BB Fuso saw her FLT damage rise to 79 (+5) but arrived off Moloaki and will be disbanded in PH port tonight. The CL Sendai and 3 other damaged ships (1 DD and 2 PC) left PH for Japan for repairs.

The map below shows most of the activity at sea in the area:



Southern Pacific

Another Emily was shot down by AA over Noumea and they were ordered to stop these flights, that will be continued by Nells, and to fly only naval search missions.

Six damaged ships (3 AP, 2 DD and 1 PC) left Pago-Pago with 3 escort ships to sail to Japan for repairs.

Solomons-New Guinea

The 4th NLF will be unloaded by 5 DD in Kavieng tonight. The samll TF saw no Allied AC during the day and was probably undetected.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

Allied airmen saw 3 barges off Aru. Two B-17E bombed and sank one, but seven Brewster 339D sent to strafe the other didn't find them. The two remaining loaded around 70 men of the Imperial Guard and sailed north. About 1000 men of this unit are still here.

In the afternoon, Lautem was bombed by 53 B-25C, 45 B-17E, 13 LB-30 and 7 T.IVa from Darwin that scored 1 hit on the airbase, 1 on a supply dump and 20 on the runway.

The lonely Japanese AK continued to unload in Koepang without being attacked. An AP, also operating alone, will bring from Kendari the sound detectors of the three base forces deployed in Lautem, Koepang and Dili.

Burma

The Japanese forces sent into the jungle (21st and 23rd Bde and three Tk Rgts) reached the positions of the 200th Chinese Div along the trail to Kohima, north of the railway, and will launch a deliberate attack against them tomorrow.
On the coast the Sasebo 8th SNLF received order to leave Akyab along the coastal trail to "occupy" it.
Two AKs will carry 5000 supplies from Rangoon to the Andaman Islands (that are in pink supply status).

Philippines

Clark Field was closed by rain but 16 Zeroes from Legaspi bombed the 2nd PA Div in Manila and hit 21 men. 46 more Allied men were hit by Japanese shells and 340 went to the hospital due to malnutrition and disease.

China

There was some limited air activity today. 29 Ki-21s from Hanoi bombed Kunming and damaged 4 of the 93 remaining ressource centers. This raid will be repeated tomorrow. 8 Vals from Canton flew a training mission against the 28th New Chinese Div NW of Wuchow but missed. And in the north 29 Hurricane II from Sining attacked again a regiment of the 27th Div in Lanchow and hit 24 men and 1 gun.

Gunfire hit 28 Chinese in Kungchang, 66 and 1 gun in Wuchow, and 37 Japanese and 2 tanks in Lanchow.

Japan

A convoy loaded 25 000 tons of fuel in Pusan, Korea, for Batavia.

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

Leo, these ships were carrying no more troops, or just a few (only once I saw in the whole chase solmething like Allied losses 6 men, 1 gun), while almost all the AO/TK had fuel that burned when they were hit.

OK (you will get them on ground - they can't run away and will be destroyed in Hawaii - lots of points to get)!!!

As for withdrawing two of the 3 Wildcats squadrons, I was talking of the "Withdraw" button of the unit page, that allows an unit to give its aircraft to another unit with similar equipment in the same base and came back 60 days later in homeland with its pilots. Basically one submarine, an empty B-17E or a long-range Clipper floatplane came at night and evacuated the pilots of the two "withdrawn" squadrons... or at least we can imagine that.

Ahhh... yes... stupid me... yes... I completly forgot about that...


Leo "Apollo11"

[AmiralLaurent]

12 August 1942

Central Pacific

During the night the SS I-170 tried to attack a CL 500 miles SW of San Francisco but was seen and sunk by two of the 8 DD of the escort. A Glen saw later during the day the five Allied TF around 400 SW of SF and reported a CV, 6 BB, 22 "CA", 1 CLAA and 1 DD. The whole Allied fleet probably returned to sea but only submarines are still in the area and they were ordered to leave it as fast as possible.

Three more damaged ships sank this day: the AK West Ira, the AO Neches and the TK Empire Emerald, the latter just 60 miles west of San Francisco.

Hilo spent another bad day. Before dawn the BB Yamato, 4 CA and 3 DD bombarded it without experiencing any return fire. They destroyed on the ground 1 B-26B, disabled 1869 men, 16 guns and 3 vehicles and scored 13 hits on the runway, 2 on port, 6 on port supplies and 5 on fuel dumps. During the morning the airfield was bombed by 33 Betties, 19 Ki-49s and 4 Nells from PH escorted by 22 Zeroes, that hit 58 men and scored 1 hit on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 23 on the runway. AA fire shot down a Betty and a Ki-49, and another Betty was lost in a crash.

The suprise of the day was that Emilies reported one MSW and 2 APD 480 miles east of Hilo. Where they were sailing was not determined but no action would be taken against them for the time being.

In PH Betties and Nells will stop to bomb Hilo and will fly long-range naval search at 20% instead. Ki-21s (48 available) and Ki-49s (27) will bomb Hilo airfield. The 56th Div will start to disembark in Kona port tonight and will be covered by a Zero Daitai that flew to Kona in the evening, losing one pilot to a crash en route.

At sea the Japanese warships will continue to return to PH and reorganize there. The fast CV TF allready arrived and refueled this evening (BB Hiei had 1 ton of fuel remaining...). The slow CV TF met the AO TF at sea and refueled too in the evening so will have no problem coming back. The Yamashiro TF will sail from Kona to Hilo and patrol off the island without bombarding, keeping shells in case Allied ships came closer.
The Fuso was disbanded in PH with damage 49/85/0. With two ARs to care of herself I hope she will be fine.

Solomons-New Guinea

The five DD sent with the 4th NLF aboard to Kavieng landed it during the night without enemy reaction and sailed north. The Japanese Marines reported that 40% of the unit was disabled in the unplanned landing (the unit has 2% preparation for Kavieng, and suffered 213 casualties) but the base was reported empty and will be occupied tomorrow.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

In the afternoon, Lautem was hit by the usual daily raid, this time of 56 B-25C, 39 B-17E, 27 LB-30 and 7 T.IVa that scored 1 hit on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 45 on the runway, and wounded and killed 45 men. Two LB-30s were lost in a collision in clouds.

Burma

The attack in the jungle north of the railway didn't work as intended. The 23rd Bde was hit by 35 Hurricane II from Imphal and 46 Beauforts (24 V-IX and 22 I) from Chandpur and lost 79 men, 6 guns and a good part of his cohesion, while one Hurricane and a Beaufort were lost in crashes. It the attacked with the 21st Bde and the 1st, 2nd and 14th Tk Rgts but the 200th Chinese division was able to repulse the attack (at 1 to 1) although outnumbered at 7 to 1 (38 000 Japanese vs 5000 Chinese). Japanese lost 414 men, 11 guns and 1 tank, Chinese 226 men and 6 guns.

Troops were ordered to rest and bombard there. Allied aircraft will probably continue to bomb them and in the evening Rangoon sent 34 Oscars to Myitkyina and 23 A6M2 (one crashed) to Mandalay. Both will rest and fly local CAP one day and will then LRCAP Japanese troops.

Philippines

Bad weather still delayed the expected offensive. 20 Ki-21s and 18 Ki-49s from Clark Field bombed the airfield, disabled 58 men and 1 gun and scored 1 hit on supplies and 49 on runways. Allied forces lost 149 men to artillery fire and 64 to lack of supplies.

China

27 Ki-21s from Hanoi bombed again Kunming but did no new damage, and were ordered to rest in the evening. 8 Vals from Canton again missed the 28th New Chinese division NW of Wuchow.

Artillery fire hit 135 Chinese and 1 gun in Kungchang, 104 Chinese in Wuchow and 50 Japanese and 2 tanks in Lanchow.

East of Lanchow and Kungchang, Japanese troops are still marching slowly north. A Chinese unit occupied the woods SW of Sian and will probably fortify them but I have no offensive plan in the area until Lanchow, Sining and Kungchang will be taken.

Japanese engineers increased the size of Yenen airfield to size 9.

Japan

In Tokyo both the Akagi and the Soryu were upgraded and have reinforced AA defenses now. Their current SYS damage is respectively 6 and 9, far better than the average state of the operationnal CVs used around Hawaii, but I want them to be at 0 before leaving. Also their air groups are rather depleted, but again now are in better form that those used around Hawaii, except the Zero units.

The map of the day: the strategic map. It is required to see the four divisions sailing from Suva to Hawaii and the situation between Hawaii and the States. The bonus is the display of my convoy routes in the SRA.

[AmiralLaurent]

Sorry for the lack of updates, I have been busy at work this week and just had enough time to play a turn daily, not to write this AAR.

13-16 August 1942

Central Pacific

Damaged Allied ships continued to sink off California until the 15. The AK Steel Scientist, Maine, Chickasaw City and Adhara all sank before reaching San Francisco, while a Japanese ships rescued survivors of the AR Mormacland that was scuttled after the 4th of August.
Some Allied ships were seen sitting 500 miles east of Hilo until the 14 and then probably left (after I said my opponent I was wondering what they were doing, he apparently forgot them in patrol mode and thought they were a sub... at least he said so to me).

In Hawaii the 56th Div finished to land in Kona and another AK convoy with 12 000 supplies unloaded them here to support the future campain, while another one loaded 21 000 more supplies in PH to bring them there. A fourth Allied unit, the 30th USA Field Artillery Rgt, marched from Hilo to Kona and started to bombard Japanese lines on the 16, hitting 41 men and 2 guns.
This was a small revenge for the damaged that Japanese bombers from PH did at Hilo these days. They were grounded by bad weather on the 13, but the next three days raided Hilo without meeting any CAP. A total of 137 Ki-21, 81 Ki-49 and 41 A6M2 sorties were flown in 3 days and for the loss of 2 Ki-21 (one by AA fire and another by accident), destroyed on the ground 11 PBY (that arrived probably on the evening of the 13), 8 P-39D, 5 B-26B and 1 F4F-4, disabled 515 men, 1 gun and 1 vehicle and scored 11 hits on the airbase, 6 on supplies and 133 on the runway.

All Japanese warships returned to PH, the last being the slow CV TF ariving in the morning of the 15. They refueled and used every drop of fuel in PH to do this, with some ships being filled at 70% only. More fuel is on the way, and more was loaded in Tokyo for this area, but right now the only available fuel are the 19 000 remaining tons aboard the four AO of the resplenishment TF that followed the KB during the last days.
MLs were ordered to return from Palmyra to PH, except some sent to Southern Pacific with wto MLEs (see below).

In less than one week the four divisions that left Suva will arrive in Kona and the Japanese counter-attack will begin.

Southern Pacific

This area began to reorganize for garrison duties and preparing for being an active base. Convoys continued to bring support troops and supplies in Suva, while 8 damaged ships left this base on the 13 for Japan, while 3 AP carried a SNLF from there to Funafuti, where a Base Force was allready busy extending the base. Also on the 13 two MLE, 1 AS, 1 AR and some ML left Palmyra, once being prepared to be an active base during the second Hawaii campain but now totally unused as PH is safe.

The only war missions flown in this area, outside routine search missions that reported an Allied submarine every two days were the morning and dusk missions flown by Nells over Noumea. On the 15 they reported far more warships off this base than the previous day, and Suva went to red alert status. Useless ships were sent to Pago-Pago and 9 more Emilies arrived from this latter base, one crashing en route with its crew. Patrols saw nothing on the 16 and now some Japanese officers are thinking that this fleet didn't leave port for a raid against Fiji, but probably reacting to the fall of Kavieng was relocated.

Solomons-New Guinea

The 4th NLF occupied the empty port of Kavieng on the 13, rounding some white plantation managers and priests, while the Japanese DD returned to Truk and were joined by a sixth DD arriving with a convoy. Truk airfield reached size 9 this day.
The next days were spent waiting for the Allied reaction but there was none, and in the evening of the 16 the 6 DD left again Truk to bring supplies to Kavieng.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

Business as usual, with lonely Japanese transports ferrying troops in rear area and barges carrying supplies to forward bases and evacuating troops, two of the latter being sunk by patrolling Allied bombers, but 16 more were launched in Kendari on the 16. Allied airmen also continued to bomb Timor, hitting Lautem (7 T.IVa on the 14, 62 B-17E, 39 B-25C, 25 LB-30 and 7 T.IVa on the 15 for a total of 11 casualties and 1 airbase, 3 supplies and 41 runway hits) and Koepang (bombed by 41 B-17E, 35 B-25C and 13 LB-30 from Darwin and Derby on the 16: 90 men and 1 gun disabled, 2 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 59 on the runways). Two B-25C and one LB-30 were lost in crashes.

In Kendari the last Japanese ships hit during the Kai-Aru operation repaired their FLT damaged and in the evening of the 16 eleven damaged ships (a BB, 2 CA, 1 CL, 1 DD, 1 PG, 5 AP) left the base for Singapore under escort by 5 DD and 1 PG.

Southern Ressource Area

Three convoys began to load these days. Five 7000-ton AK will bring supplies from Toboali to Kendari, two other will bring ressources from the same port to Japan and a tanker convoy with a capacity of 166 000 will load oil in Brunei (180 000 there) and bring it to Japan and Formosa.

Burma

There was some action in the air, as the Japanese troops in the northern jungle were waiting for bad weather before launching another attack against the 200th Chinese division on the trail to India, and airmen of both sides came to assist their troops.
The original plan was to have Oscars and Zeroes rest on the 13 and LRCAP troops on the 14, but as multiple waves hit the Japanese troops on the 13 (total of 58 Beauforts and 13 Hurricanes hit 3 units and disabled 51 men and 5 guns), the 64 Sentai at Myitkyina forgot orders and sent 11 Oscars to the battle area. They shot down 4 Hurricane and 2 Beaufort V-IX without loss, a good show but the harvest would have been better the next day with the Zeroes of Mandalay participating. All these fighters retired in the evening to Rangoon before the Allied reprisals, that came the next morning.
49 Blenheim IV, 33 B-17E, 12 Il-4c and 6 Wellington III escorted by 22 P-40B from Dacca attacked Myitkyina, but only scored 12 runways hits and wounded 9 men, missing the 5 damaged Oscars left behind. One Blenheim IV crashed. The losses of the day before were not enough to stop Allied raids on Japanese troops and the 23rd Mixed Bde lost 18 men and 3 guns under attack by 40 Hurricane from Imphal and 26 Beaufort from Chandpur. This day Japanese recon reported 125 Allied aircraft in Imphal and a raid was planned against this airfield.
It was launched at dawn the next day from Rangoon with 53 Nells escorted by 28 A6M2 and 20 A6M3 that met 8 Hurricane over the target. Japanese fighters repulsed all attacks on bombers and shot down seven Hurricane but two A6M2 and two A6M3 were shot down, with the loss of a 9-victory ace, while another Zero of each type was lost operationnaly. The airfield had fewer AC than planned and only 6 F-5A were destroyed on the ground. 96 men, 2 guns and 1 vehicle were disabled, 5 hits were scored on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 24 on the runways. At the same time 38 Beauforts from Chandpur and 42 Hurricane from Imphal were bombing both Japanese Bdes in the jungle, hitting 43 men and 2 guns while losing a Beaufort V-IX to engine failure.
The 16th saw the excepted return of the moosoon, after three days of overcast weather. The Japanese troops in the jungle (21st and 23rd Bde, 1st, 2nd and 14th Tk Rgt) launched their attack against the 200th Chinese division and despite aerial support by 34 Hurricane from Imphal, that hit 38 Japanese, the Chinese were defeated this time (at 4 to 1) and retreated towards Imphal. Japanese losses were 291 men and 8 guns, Chinese ones 337 killed and wounded, 500 prisonners and 16 guns. The victorious Jap troops were then ordered to march back to the railway.
This day saw also a raid on Lashio airfield by 61 Blenheim IV, 36 B-17E, 12 Wellington III and 11 Il-4c escorted by 19 P-40B. Two Ki-46 were destroyed on the ground (each Burma base has always a recon unit), 26 men and 1 gun disabled and 8 hits were scored on the airbase, 10 on supplies and 38 on runways.

In India, a Mavis identified the 2nd UK Division in Diamond Harbor.

Philippines

The 13 was an usual day with Japanese raids in bad weather on the airfield at Manila by 20 Ki-21s and 18 Ki-49s, hitting 29 men and scoring 1 hit on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 21 on the runways, and then Japanese guns hitting 230 more men.
But then the weather became better and the final Japanese offensive (so it is hoped) began on the 14. Each day a Japanese deliberate attack heavily supported by air from Clark Field and Legaspi (167 sorties on the 14, 183 on the 15 and 158 on the 16, hitting a total of 365 men and 7 guns for the loss of three Zeroes and their trainee pilots) achieved a 1 to 1 ratio and destroyed one level of fortifications, that so fell from 7 in the morning of the 14 to 4 in the evening of the 16. Japanese losses were heavy (in 3 days, 15 154 men, 256 guns, 40 tanks) but were lower each day, while Allied losses were mounting (total 2 732 men, 67 guns and 6 tanks). In the evening of the 15 five exhausted Japanese units (3 Eng Rgt, 1 SNLF and 1 Naval Garrison Unit) were retired from the attack and marched to Clark Field for R&R, but the assault will continue as long as 1 to 1 ratio or better will be achieved or until fort is at 0. Then if the ratio is still 1 to 1, Japanese troops will rest and then launch the final assault that will achieve a 2 to 1 ratio.

A convoy loaded 35000 supplies in Nagasaki to bring them to Luzon to help rebuild the Japanese units after the battle. More will probably be needed.

China

The activity was reduced to training bombing by 8 Vals against a Chinese Div NW of Wuchow in the south on the 13, 14 and 15, only hitting 5 men, while Hurricanes and P-40B of Sining and Lanchow were active in the north against both regiments of the 27th Div near Lanchow the four days (total of 150 Hurricane and 18 P-40B bombing sorties) and hit 255 men and 3 guns, Chinese guns hitting 168 men and 7 tanks. Japanese airmen in this area only sent Zeroes LRCAPing Kungchang on the 14, shooting down 2 C-47 but losing a Zero in a landing accident (pilot safe). 16 of the 17 Betties remaining in Wuhan raided Chengtu on the 14 but did no new damage and one was lost in a crash.

Japanese artillery continued to fire daily in Kungchang (216 men and 2 guns hit) and Wuchow (189 men and 1 gun). Both cities were probably lacking supplies, the former saw the number of defenders drop from 117 657 to 116 651 in four days, the latter from 69 064 to 68 398. Japanese in LAnchow were in a similar no-supply situation and the numebr of able men here fell from 21 797 to 21172 men but they still are outnumbering Chinese and more and more Japanese troops are marching east of Lanchow to surround it by the north. The first Japanese troops should march NE of Lanchow tomorrow, and then it will be interesting to see if Chinese troops retire or not from Lanchow to cover Sining.

Japanese engineers expanded the airfield of Hsinyang to size 3.

Japan

The 13 saw the creation of the 1st Japanese Armored Division in Kwantung Army. Its cost in PP is lower than what I remembered (840, I thought it was between 1500 and 2000) and so I have almost enough PPs to buy another division with it. The 1st Ard Div was ordered to move to Korea, with an Eng Rgt that I forgotten in this area and is 100% prepared for Rabaul, while the 53rd Div in Osaka received orders to prepare for Christchurch, another New Zealand city. I didn't pay the PP for any of these two units yet, and have a little more than 4000.
Other Japanese reinforcements included a new Ki-43 unit and a new AR launched in Osaka, that just crossed the port to assist the repairs of the CV Zuikaku. A Ki-44 unit (the 29 Sentai) was scheduled to form but I didn't expand the factory and not enough Ki-44 were available to form it so it is still organizing.

[AmiralLaurent]

17 August 1942

Central Pacific

The dawn recon of Hilo by a Pete reported being chased by a Wildcat. That was good news for the Zero pilots in Pearl Harbor that were bored of playing cards and despite orders to fly 80% CAP, 75 A6M2 and 6 A6M3 escorted the 46 Ki-21 and 25 Ki-49 sent to bomb again Hilo. Needless to say the poor Wildcat had no chance and was quickly shot down by a pilot of F1/Tainan scoring his 5th victory. Its pilot was the courageous MAJ Galer of VMO-251 that bailed out and was rescued unhurt for the 3rd or 4th time in 10 days ! Bombers destroyed on the ground 3 P-39D and 1 PBY and scored 1 hit on the base, 2 on supplies and 31 on runways. One Ki-21 seriously hit by AA fire ditched on the way back.
The only possible retaliation was artillery fire in Kona and it hit 29 Japanese men and 1 gun.

The damaged AK Empire Prairie sank during the day 250 miles SW of San Francisco and was probably one of the last cripples still at sea.

All Japanese warships in Pearl Harbor were disbanded for repairs, as the danger of an Allied raid is now very remote.

Southern Pacific, Solomons-New Guinea, Timor-Amboina-Australia, Southern Ressource Area

Nothing to report

Burma

Probably in reaction of the recent Japanese activity in the sky of Northern Burma, one of the two squadrons of AVG based in India moved forward to Imphal. Some P-40B joined the CAP, and 16 escorted 38 Hurricanes that bombed the 23rd Mixed Bde in the jungle, hitting 8 men and 1 gun.

Philippines

Bad weather cancelled the ground support raids but 19 Ki-21 and 18 Ki-49 from Calrk Field bombed Manila airfield, scoring 2 hits on the base, 4 on supplies and 21 on the runways and doing 47 casualties. The daily deliberate attack (by 144 000 Japanese vs 57 000 Allied) again achieved 1 to 1 ratio and reduced the fort level to 3. Japanese losses were 2759 men (half of the losses in the first days), 28 guns and 14 tanks, Allied ones were lower (915 men, 14 guns, 1 tank) but Japan is still winning. Two naval guard units and one Eng Rgt were retired from the frontline in the evening and sent to Clark for R&R.

China

Both regiments of 27th Div near Lanchow were bombed by 52 Hurricane and 6 P-40B from Lanchow and Sining, losing a total of 42 men and 2 guns. Artillery fire then hit 97 Chinese in Kungchang, 121 in Wuchow and 85 Japanese in Lanchow.

For the first time the number of able Chinese in Lanchow was superior to the number of Japanese, but this day also saw the arrival of the first Japanese unit (an half-brigade) NE of Lanchow. This unit will march west to cut the Lanchow-Sining road.

One of the two aviation regiments in Wuhan was ordered to move to Yenen and will help to support the operations here. It is planned that after the fall of Manila all aircraft currently in Clark will move to Yenen and help to take Lanchow and Sining, maybe with a paratroop operation on the latter.

Japan

One convoy loaded 45 000 tons of fuel in Nagoya for PH, two others will carry two small BF to Tongatapu and Bangkok (this one will then march to Rahaeng).

[AmiralLaurent]

18-22 August 1942

The turns are mostly quiet and quickly done at the moment. In fact on the 18th I gave no new order at all !

The next turn will be important, with two expected Japanese victories: the fall of Manila and the liberation of Kona of the besieging Allied forces.

The Japanese Navy is mostly in port and was needing badly this long awaited break.

Northern Pacific

Nothing moved in this area but it may become more active as the Allied forces will be unable to advance in Central Pacific until mid-1943. On the 20th, the 7th Japanese Division received orders to prepare for Dutch Harbor, while small convoys will bring garrison troops, fuel and supplies to Paramushiro Jima (where fortifications are build since December 1941, and mines laid since two months from Tokyo).

Central Pacific

Except on the 18th when bad weather cancelled air operations, Hilo airfield was bombed daily from PH. 253 bombers sorties (165 Ki-21s, 88 Ki-49) under escort by 77 A6M2 sorties hit the Allied base and destroyed on the ground 10 aircraft (7 PBY, 2 SBD and 1 B-26B), disabled 951 men, 9 guns and 1 vehicle, and scored 5 hits on the airbase, 10 on supplies and 171 on runways. Japanese losses were two Ki-49 shot down by AA fire and 3 Ki-21 and 1 A6M2 lost in accidents. Allied airmen managed to repair some aircraft and on the 19th sent 3 B-26B to attack ships off the base, but they didn’t find their target. Two days later two B-26B attacked the BB Yamashiro patrolling off Hilo with her escort, but missed and AA fire shot down one of them.

In Kona, the Allied artillerymen bombarded the Japanese lines daily from the 18th to the 21st, hitting 218 men and 8 guns. On the 21st the three Allied RCT launched a deliberate attack but sadly for them the convoys bringing the 4th and 16th Div from Suva had arrived off Kona during the night and had unloaded a good part of the troops. The Allied attack was a bloody failure (at 0 to 1 vs fort 2, 30 000 US attacking 57 000 Japanese) and cost them 4601 men and 120 guns, while Japanese losses were limited to 70 men and 5 guns.
The two other troop convoys, bringing the 2nd and 48th Div and the 3rd Eng Rgt will also arrive off Kona in 2 days. All these convoys were diverted from their original destination, Pearl Harbor, on the 19th. Two Allied submarines, probably acting after radio intercepts, were waiting for them and an ASW group sailed from PH in the evening of the 20th to chase them. It missed one submarine west of Kona on the night of the 20th-21st, and found the SS Grouper the next night and heavily damaged her with two Type 95 depth charge hits. This ASW group will sail east to try to finish the Grouper.
Also the first convoys bringing more fuel and supplies in PH arrived on the 21st and others will arrive in the next days and weeks. Twelve ML returned to PH on the 21st and began to rebuild the minefields off Lahaina (11 349 remaining mines). There are still 20 600 mines off PH.

Tomorrow Japanese troops in Kona will launch an attack against the badly disrupted Allied troops, with the support of PH bombers, and will repulse them to Hilo.

Some Allied survivors saved on the 20th were from the AK Robert Morris, that was scuttled off Hawai two weeks before.

Southern Pacific

No new action, but Japanese intelligence confirmed that the TK Montebello, heavily damaged by the KB in June south of Fiji, was scuttled.

Some submarine sightings were done and Japanese MSW received orders to check the Japanese bases in the area, fidning a new Allied minefield off Nandi on the 21st.

Solomons-New Guinea

On the 20th I found I had no Base Force preparing for Kavieng (ie scheduled for this base) and a Special Base Force held in reserve in Palau was ordered to prepare to move for this base.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

Nothing new here. Lautem continued to be the main target of Allied bombers, coming from Darwin. It was bombed on the 18th by 7 T.IVa (no damage), on the 20th by 78 B-17E, 68 B-25C, 29 LB-30 and 7 T.IVa (12 casualties, 1 hit on airbase, 1 on supplies, 43 on runways, 1 B-25C and 1 T.IVa lost in crashes) and the next day by 58 B-17E, 39 B-25C, 24 LB-30 and 5 T.IVa (28 casualties, 1 gun disabled, 21 hits on runways, 1 T.IVa hit by AA crashed on return).
The other target of Allied airmen were barges that continued to bring supplies to forward bases and evacuate troops from Aru Island. In three days 21 Brewster 339D from Darwin flew strafing attack against these but only managed to machine-gun one. Patrolling Allied bombers were more efficient and sank two empty barges.

More north small AP convoys were busy shuffling troops from base to base and bringing fragments to their mother units.

Southern Ressource Area

Five convoys left the ports of the area, bringing to Japan 14 000 ressources from Kuala Lumpur, 50 000 oil from Palembang and 25 000 ressources from Singapore, but also 9 000 oil from Brunei to Hong Kong and 18 000 oil from Batavia to Tainan, Formosa.

Burma

Each day, the Japanese troops north of the railway and marching south were bombed by Hurricanes from Imphal or Beauforts from Chandpur, or both, the 23rd Brigade being targeted most of the times. A total of 194 Hurricane II (escorted by 67 P-40B), 58 Beaufort V-IX and 56 Beaufort I hit 322 men and 5 guns for the loss of one of each type of Beaufort in accidents.

Flying was not reduced to tactical bombing. On the 19th, 18 B-17E sent to Rangoon didn’t find the target while 65 Blenheim IV, 14 Il-4c and 12 Wellington III escorted by 51 P-40B attacked Myitkyina airfield, scoring 11 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 25 on runways and wounding or killing 59 men. One Blenheim was shot down by AA, another and two P-40B were lost in crashes.
The next day was very active in the air. 29 B-17E flew a new raid to Rangoon. They flew at 33 000 feet and the new Ki-61 unit and the A6M2 were unable to intercept but 35 Nates, 32 Oscars and 13 A6M3 attacked the bombers. The air battle was even, with 7 B-17E, 5 Oscars, 3 Nates and 1 A6M3 being shot down. Once again a Nate shot down a B-17E. 18 B-17 turned back, only five bombed and missed their target. At the same time 57 Blenheim IV and 11 Il-4c escorted by 42 P-40B from Dacca bombed Mandalay airfield, wounding 12 men and scoring 2 hits on supplies and 18 on the runways, but 3 P-40B disappeared into clouds on the way back and were never seen again. 11 Wellington III raided Myitkyina and scored 1 hit on supplies and 2 on the runway. The Japanese airmen also flew, 45 Nells escorted by 9 A6M2 attacking Calcutta from Rangoon and disabling 35 ressource centers. The centers damaged the week before had been in part repaired, but now 10% of the centers of Calcutta were out of order. One Nell and one A6M2 were lost to engine failure during this raid.

Japanese aircraft continued to fly a dozen of daily recon flights over Bengal and Assam area of India. In five days, two Ki-46 were shot down by Allied fighters but two new Allied units were identified, the 45th Indian Bde in Chandpur and the 255th Indian Tk Bde in Dacca.

The Burma Army HQ arrived in Mandalay on the 18th and drew supplies from Rangoon, enabling Japanese engineers to start repairing the local oilfields. The slow repair has apparently gone unnoticed by Allied for now, at least the oilfields weren’t bombed.

Tonight the Nells of Rangoon will attempt a new type of raid. They will do an area bombing attack on Dacca during the night (home rule in this game allow only manpower attack at night, or only one Chutai/Squadron per base against another target). We will see if any real damage may be done like that.

Philippines

The Japanese offensive continued for 3 days until the Allied fortifications were all gone in the evening of the 20th. Each daily deliberate attack achieved a ratio of 1 to 1 and destroyed one level of fortification. Total air support was 329 sorties (80 A6M2, 59 Ki-21, 54 Ki-49, 47 Ki-48, 46 Kates and 43 Vals) and total casualties were 8448 men, 56 guns and 13 tanks on Japanese side and 2277 men, 30 guns and 4 tanks on Allied side. At this stage Japanese troops had high disruption and fatigue and were ordered to rest before the final attack.

They rested for two days, while 143 Japanese aircraft (58 Ki-48, 26 Kates, 23 Vals, 19 Ki-21 and 17 Ki-49), after being grounded on the 21 by bad weather, bombed the airfield to stop fortification repair on the 22 , disabling 172 men and scoring 88 hits, including 4 on supply dumps. Japanese artillery also bombed the Allied defenders, hitting 277 in two days. In the evening of the 22, 52 217 able Allied men were still defending the ruins of Manila.

Three naval guard units and two engineer regiments came back to Manila after R&R in Clark Field and will take part in the general attack that will be launched tomorrow, with all available air support. It is hoped this attack will achieve a 2 to 1 and enable to conclude the Luzon campaign.

China

Flying was limited to ground attack for both sides. The 28th New Chinese Div NW of Wuchow was bombed daily, except on the 21. A total of 40 Val sorties were flown against it and hit 25 men and 2 guns. In the north fighters from Lanchow and Sining hit daily the troops of 27th Div near Lanchow, with a total of 108 Hurricane and 24 P-40B bombing sorties and hit 123 men and 3 guns.

Main losses on this theater were due to artillery, that hit 421 Chinese men and 1 gun in Kungchang, 273 Chinese in Wuchow and 92 Japanese men and 6 tanks in Lanchow. In this town, only one Chinese Corps remained with a Base Force, the other one marched north to defend the Lanchow-Sining road against Japanese troops that arrived east of it. The latter marched slowly west in woods. Following troops included the 35th and 6th Div and both of them will march to Lanchow and will very probably be able to take the town. Their attack will be in early September, and will be supported by aerial reinforcements from Burma and Luzon (once Manila will be Japanese).

Tomorrow the remaining 89 ressource centers of Kunming will be bombed by the Ki-21 of Hanoi and Betties from Wuhan.

Japan

Only one convoy left Japan in five days, bringing 28 000 supplies and 96 000 fuel from Nagoya to PH.

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

Still "All Quiet on the Pacific Front"? [;)]


Leo "Apollo11"

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

7 days have pased... now we are all here in "AAR withdrawal crisis"... [8D]


Leo "Apollo11"

[veji1]

I concur