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

[VSWG]

Looks like you're on the verge of another impressive victory in New New Zealand. IJN seems to be unstoppable in the Pacific - thanks to thorough and skilled planning by its supreme commander. I guess you will use those troops to wrap up the Solomons and New Guinea after you're done with NZ. Final destination Oz?

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

Japanese engineers advanced the Ki-43-II one more month on the 29th, setting his date of release as November 1942… That means that one day of production was gained. Hurrah! Five Oscar II were produced on the 30th.

[:D] Hurrah indeed! I'm sure you appreciate those 5 extra Oscar IIs. [:)]

[anarchyintheuk]

Almost 5-1 in vps. Most impressive are your a2a numbers. I'll be interested to see what you plan in china/burma.

Good luck.

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

For me the best result out of all this is "AdmiralLaurent's" ability to kill/destroy allied LCU's (i.e. enemy ground troops)!


He managed to do that in:

#1
His initial Hawaii occupation.

#2
Aborted Allied retake at Hawaii.

#3
New Zealand (i.e. now)


Allied player woul sorely miss those LCUs!!!



Leo "Apollo11"

[goodboyladdie]

AmiralLaurent has been very impressive and I have learned a lot, but I also take my hat off to his opponent who must be the most resilient player in the history of the game. I think I would have turned to alcohol in his position.

[AmiralLaurent]

2-5 December 1942

The Japanese score broke another barrier on the 5th, that of the 40 000 points. Score is now 40 033 to 8 049 in Japanese favour. I’m confident to finish the 1942 year with a ratio better than 5 to 1.

Northern Pacific

Japanese engineers expanded the airfield of Paramushiro Jima to size 3.

Southern Pacific

A new convoy stopped off Tarawa and loaded 3 of the 5 Naval Const Bn working here to ship them to New Zealand.

New Zealand

On the 2nd, the Japanese fleet entered the port of Wellington without problems, the CAP shooting down a Hudson I getting too close. In the following days, the warships refuelled and rearmed (an AE came with the fleet), while the KB air units received some replacement aircraft and the transports unloaded unit fragments and base forces.
The airfield was fully repaired on the 3rd and had 200 air support squads available. It received these days its first aircrafts: 17 A6M2 coming from a CVE of a fleet and 18 Betties and 8 Emilies (a 9th crashed on the way) from Suva.
Bad weather slowed the transit of reinforcements coming from China, PI and Hawaii to Suva to be then flown or shipped to NZ, but they still tried to fly, losing 2 A6M3, 1 Ki-21 and 1 Ki-49 in crashes.
All fuel captured in Wellington or brought by tankers was consumed by the fleet in two days, leaving only an emergency reserve of 20k fuel in a replenishment TF. In the evening of the 5th, all TK in the invasion fleet left Wellington eastwards and will sail to Suva to load more fuel. Another convoy with 63k fuel had left Suva last week to bring it to NZ, but will arrive in 7-10 days.

The main activity of the fleet during these days was to chase Allied submarines. Three ASW groups formed of DD, APD, PC and PG patrolled around Wellington, while Vals of the KB continued to fly mainly naval search. On the 3rd, the SS Grampus was chased by two ASW groups 120 miles N of Wellington and heavily damaged by two direct depth charge hits and several near-misses. Later in the same day a Val hit the SS Grayback in the same area. The damaged SS Grampus was again seen the next night but escaped without more damage.
One of the few Japanese submarines operating off Australia, the I-35, was seen on the 2nd 500 miles SW of Sidney by a MSW but escaped.

On Northern Island, troops finished to unload, either on beachheads or in Wellington, and almost all then marched north, to a concentration point situated 120 miles S of Auckland. Some units got lost and rather than following the railroad took the road following the western coast. They were recalled immediately, but the Japanese Army was so delayed and won’t march to Auckland until some days.

On Southern Island, the 56th Bde and 53rd Div reached together Christchurch on the 3rd and bombarded the city while waiting for reinforcements (including the 18th Div). In two of artillery fire, the Japanese hit there 259 men and 7 guns, while losing 86 men and 5 guns. The Christchurch garrison was stronger than planned: the 3rd NZ Bde, the 3rd NZ Cav Bde, the Christchurch Fortress and a Base Force. Japanese land forces on the island may be too weak to take the city.
To help to conquer this island, the Japanese fleet sailed out of Wellington in the evening of the 5th. The BB Yamato and Ise, a CA and a CL will bombard the city tomorrow, while the reserve convoy (carrying the 65th Bde and a Tk Rgt) will sail to Dunedin, escorted by another BB TF and two CV TF. Japanese airmen will fly recon to identify the garrison of Dunedin and if no NZ Bde is found the troops will land with CV air support and take the city, before marching to Christchurch.
The third CV TF (the strongest) remained in Wellington to provide CAP to the base.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea

Each afternoon, B-24D from Port Moresby attacked Kavieng airfield (4 on the 2nd, 17 on the 3rd, 19 on the 4th and 26 on the 5th) with poor results. Total damage in four days was 1 hit on a building, 5 on supplies and 12 on runways. The Tony Sentai based in Truk (the only fighter unit in the area) began to plan to return to Rabaul to attack these raids. On the evening of the 5th an Alf left Truk for Rabaul (to have an occupied airfield symbol), and depending of the Allied reaction, the Tonies will fly to Rabaul or Kavieng.

In Solomons, detachments of the Sasebo 6th SNLF (based in Shortlands) brought by barges occupied the empty bases of Buin, Torokina and Vella Lavella and the village of Panggoe (NW of Munda). They also landed in Rekata Bay (24 casualties) that will be occupied tomorrow and other barges sailed to Tulagi, Rennel Island and Stewart Island and will reach in some days.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

The 2nd was perfectly quiet. The 3rd saw 7 Brewster 339D sink off Kai Island a drifting Japanese barge, losing one of their number in an accident, while B-25C bombed again Lautem in the afternoon, repeating it on the 3rd and 4th for a total of 112 sorties that scored 2 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 20 on the runway, doing 28 casualties, for one loss to AA fire.

On the Japanese side, and given the lack of activity by Allied heavy bombers in the area (due to the fact that they left for PM to attack Rabaul), it was decided to try to repair Amboina oilfields. A convoy with 28k supplies for Kendari was diverted to this base and arrived on the evening of the 5th. 36 Ki-44 that flew from Kendari will protect it and the repaired oilfields. They were replaced in Kendari by the 36 Ki-61 based in Maumere that were no more used here as Koepang was no more attacked and returned to their home base.

Kendari was short of supplies (pink status) but several convoys reached it or will arrive in some days and will bring the local supply stock to over 100k. In the evening of the 5th two small AP left the port with some of the new supplies for Koepang. For the first time for months the runway of this base had been fully repaired and engineers started on the 5th to work on the airfield services (damaged at 99%).

Southern Resource Area

The following convoys were ordered during these 4 days: 14k fuel from Saigon to Kendari, 35k resources from Palembang to Japan, 70k resources from Singapore to Japan and 14k resources from Rangoon to Singapore.

Japanese engineers expanded the airfield of Miri to size 2.

Burma

There was no revenge raid on Mandalay on the 2nd and this evening all Zeroes had been repaired and flown to Rangoon. A pilot of F1/3rd already in Rangoon shot down a Catalina I this day, scoring his 18th kill.

Myitkyina airfield was bombed by Dacca airmen on the 2nd (52 B-25C and 36 Blenheim IV escorted by 43 P-40B) and the 3rd (7 B-25C and 10 Blenheim IV escorted by 12 P-40B) and lost 97 men and 2 gun disabled in two days, while suffering 5 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 29 on runways. Allied losses were two P-40Bs in crashes and one B-25C shot down by AA over the target. The two same days, the Japanese troops SE of Imphal were bombed by 6 and 5 Hurricane and lost 24 men and 2 guns.

The 4th saw no flying at all in the area but the sky was full the next day… The Allied intelligence had finally reported that resource centers were under repair in Mandalay and they were bombed, and all disabled, by 59 SB-2c, 27 Beaufort V-IX and 23 Beaufort I from Imphal, escorted by 53 P-40B. At the same time, 47 B-25C and 32 Blenheim IV escorted by 54 P-40B from Dacca attacked the city’s airfield, scoring 14 hits on the airbase, 11 on supplies and 70 on the runways and doing 80 casualties. Another raid was launched from Imphal in the morning, 24 Vengeance I escorted by 8 Hurricane and 5 Spitfire attacked the Japanese troops in the jungle SE of the base and hit 35 men and 1 gun. In the last weeks, Imphal was used only by some Hurricane and F-5A and it was a big surprise to see it turn into a very active base. Japanese recon units had been ordered to fly over this base again.
At the same time than the Allied raids, 57 Nells escorted by 53 A6M3a and 22 A6M2 were flying from Rangoon to Chandpur to attack the airfield. The recon of the days before had shown about one hundred aircraft here and a CAP of about twenty Hurricane and Spitfire, so the goal of the operation was to kill Allied aircraft on the ground and in the air. But as told above, most of the Allied aircraft had moved to Imphal. There was no CAP and the Nells only destroyed 2 P-40B on the ground, disabled 14 men and 3 guns and scored 6 hits on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 25 on the runways. A Nell was shot down by AA fire, another and two A6M3a were lost in accidents.

China

These days have seen the end of the Japanese hopes of a quick land victory in the North, but Japanese airmen gained air superiority.
After that 37 Hurricane escorted by 3 Spitfire had bombed Japanese troops at Lanchow on the 2nd, hitting 55 men and 2 guns, two A6M2 Daitais from Yenen flew LRCAP over the area the next day and intercepted first 35 Hurricane and 3 Spitfire from the local base, and then 13 B-17E, 9 Il-4c and 9 Wellington III from Ledo. The air battle was a clear Japanese victory, the Japanese pilots shot down 17 Hurricane, 3 Il-4c, 2 Wellington III, 2 B-17E and 1 Spitfire for the loss of 3 A6M2 in combat. One more Zero and a Spitfire were lost in crashes. The bombers that reached Japanese troops only hit 77 men and 1 gun.
The same day, the HQ China Expeditionary Army reached Kungchang and provide enough support for all troops there. With good supplies and fatigue and disruption level, all was ready to attack the city and an attack was ordered for the next day.
All available airmen had been ordered to support it, but they were grounded by bad weather over Yenen. 26 Hurricane from Lanchow were able to fly and bomb troops near their base, hitting 71 men and 2 guns. More south the Japanese troops attacked with 178 000 men (3725 ASS) the 76 000 Chinese (2444 ASS) holding Kungchang. For some reason, the adjusted ASS ratio was only 1103 (Japanese) to 2066 and the attack was a costly failure (0 to 1 vs. fort 8). The Army lost 4700 men, 139 guns and 3 tanks, while Chinese lost 1334 men and 25 guns. Of course the offensive was immediately stopped.
A new plan was made, and again the main target was Lanchow. Here only a Chinese Corps held the city (with a Base Force) and so a powerful air attack may disrupt it enough so that Japanese troops will reduce the fortifications and in the end take the city. So the new plan was to bomb troops in Lanchow for several days and then launch a new attack here a day of good weather, to be sure to have air support.
So the 5th saw much air activity over Lanchow. Japanese troops were attacked by 13 B-17E, 10 Il-4c and 6 Wellington III from Ledo, 33 Hurricane and 5 Spitfire from the local base and 14 Hurricane from Sining and lost 124 men, 6 guns and 1 tank. The Chinese 9th Corps was the target of a big raid coming from Yenen with 49 Ki-49, 41 Ki-21 and 28 Ki-43 escorted by 35 A6M2, 33 Ki-44 and 12 Ki-61. 19 Hurricane and 4 Spitfire Vb intercepted them, but were heavily defeated by the escort that shot down respectively 14 and 3 for the loss of only 3 Ki-44 and 1 A6M2. Japanese bombers were not so good and only hit 61 men and 1 gun, while losing 1 Ki-21 and 1 Ki-49 in accidents.
This air assault will continue tomorrow, with two differences. One of 3 A6M2 Daitais in Yenen will fly LRCAP over Lanchow, while the Ki-43 Sentai will stop to fly bombing attacks and will fly LRCAP over Kungchang just to check that Allied transport aircraft are not flying supplies here, as the city was supposed to be besieged for months but Chinese troops fought surprisingly well….
Apart from the main battles described here, Japanese gunfire hit 285 men in Kungchang and 58 men and 2 guns in Lanchow during the period.
All was still quiet in Central China as usual, but a Ki-36 Ida was shot down by Chinese AA fire over Changsha on the 3rd.

In the south, all Chinese units S and E of Kweilin reached Hengchow (bringing the total of Allied units here to 20) but 3 Corps and 2 HQ remained in Kweilin at the great surprise of the Japanese HQ. They were probably the original garrison of Kweilin, fully prepared to defend the city and so Japanese forces in the area will probably be hard pressed to take the city. My first idea was to surround the city before attacking it but there were not enough troops in the area to be able to occupy a hex near the 20 Chinese units of Hengchow and hold it while attacking Kweilin itself.
So the five available divisions all received orders to continue to march to Kweilin (the first arrived on the 2nd, the last on the 5th) but will wait for engineer troops to join them before attacking and repulsing Chinese troops. These troops were holding roads N of Wuchow and will be relieved by 2 Naval units that arrived in Canton from Luzon some days ago. Canton airmen were also ordered to bomb troops in Kweilin but flew only on the 3rd (with 55 Ki-48, 32 A6M2 and 24 Ki-51), hitting only 14 men while losing a Ki-48 and a Ki-51 in crashes. Japanese guns hit 434 men and 4 guns in 3 days.
The 3 Chinese units in the woods west of Kweilin were now surrounded, and still bombarded by the guns of the 60th Japanese Div that hit 33 men in four days.
The HQ 8th Area Army reached Wuchow to draw supplies here from Canton. It is a Command HQ (not a Corps one) so I hope it will work…. There are tens of centers to be repaired there.

Japan

An ASW TF of DD and PC arrived at Bonins on the 2nd and started to patrol in the area, where Allied submarines were send aily by aircraft but not attacked or met by the ships.

Several convoys left Japan, bringing 71k fuel from Osaka to Suva, 63k fuel from Tokyo to Suva, 42k supplies from Tokyo to Singapore and 21k supplies from Kitakyushu to Tientsin (to support the offensive in Northern China).

In Kwantung, a new Ki-44 Sentai was created on the 5th. It was scheduled to be operational the week before, but its creation was delayed as another unit (also in Kwantung) received by errors authorization to upgrade to Ki-44, using most of the available aircraft of the type. Now both units received orders to move to China, thanks to some pressure on local commanders by the Japanese HQ (some hundred of PP spent). As usual, to not deplete the area, a Nate unit was flown from Indochina via China to replace the departing units.

[AmiralLaurent]

Hi all, I'm not used to have so much comments at the same time. Thanks for the good words for me and my opponent, who as goodboy said should be praised to not have resigned after suffering a row of defeats and seeing all hope of a successive counterattack repulsed until spring 1943.

As for my main achievements, I'm pleased to have a ratio of 2 to 1 in aircraft losses, as this is my objective in all my games. I usually achieve it by the same means that I am using in this game: hit in force when possible, defend big hubs when necessary, ambush, hide and run on the other cases. Even in 1943, I will try to keep the same ratio, but at this stage most Allied losses will be from op losses and AA, Japanese forces will avoid unnecessary battles. A good thing will be that I don't think any unit with Corsairs will be available on Southwestern Pacific until the American managed to reopen the Pacific.

What I myself consider as my main achievements are:

1) the destruction of Allied, and especially LCU (by the way, Appolo forgot the Suva battle, that saw a NZ Bde and a Marine division being destroyed). Right now, 4 American divisions, 3 RCT and 2 NZ Bdes had been destoyed. Add to that 3 US divisions more or less surrouned in Noumea, Luganville and Efate, and that left not so much troops for my opponent to mount operations (even if he saved cadres for destroyed units). A number of British units were also surrouned and destroyed in Burma. And to the main LCU you can add tens of base forces and CD/AA/ART/Tk units that will be lacking to Allied forces too. The fact that most of the mobile US CD units were destroyed in the first Battle of Hawaii when PH fell probably helped me a lot to reduce losses when invading the rest of the Pacific.

2) the sinking of Allied CVs. As far as the 1st point may be attributed to my planning, this point was won by sheer luck rather than other thing. The first CV battle was a chance encounter, my CV on a raid on Allied shipping lanes meeting the full US fleet and defeating it. The second one (during the second Battle of Hawaii) was more risky IMOO but to my big surprise the LBA from PH won the battle almost alone. Then end result of this is that the CV fleet of my opponent is now reduced to 1-3 fleet carriers and some CVE. Not enough to beat Japanese LBA at this stage of the war. I planned to take Allied bases in a way that Allied LBA can't be used in the Pacific, and so the Allied CV fleet should fight alone.

VSWG, I will discuss future plans more in details in some days, but I'm afraid I will have to choose between attacking Noumea, Efate and Luganville or invading Oz. I won't have the time to do both before the American juggernaut began to advance. And the logical continuation of my strategy (killing Allied LCU) will be to try to destroy the 3 US Div in these islands, rather than taking territory in Australia that I won't be able to hold for long.
As for Burma, I plan nothing rather than 'agressive defense' as I'm doing for now 6 months (since Akyab fell). In China, I'm afraid the current slatemate in the north will last, while in the South the advance will stop after the capture of Kweilin (if I manage to do it). Then the objective will be to take the 3 northern cities (Sining, Lanchow and Kungchang). The next objective will be Sian, enabling the big northern city to return to Central China. And then we will see.

The questions I will have to answer in the following months will be:
1) Should I stop after taking NZ and go to the defensive ? Attack Noumea and surrounding islands ? Land in Oz ?
2) PH will probably be attacked in sping 1943, and I have two choices: trying to defend all major bases (PH, Lahaina, Hilo and Kona) or only concentrating really in PH, in the hope that my opponent won't be able to retake it and will bypass it?
3) Once Kweilin will fall, a Div and a Bde from the Southern Army being used here will be available. Where to send them ? Burma ? Timor ? Hawaii ? Or join the offensive Army in SW Pacific ?

[veji1]

Well the most LCUs you kill, the best, whatever ressource that isnot renewable is good to kill, for japs, that means basically everything, since even pilots are non renewable... for Allies this means heavy surface ships, specialized ships such as DMSs and LCUS... Killing planes isn't worth the effort... So Noumea, Efate, Lunga are must gos... 3 more Divs gone, that will mean around 7-8 Divs gone for the US, which means that he will be lacking LCUs for big offensives until 1944...

You have 2 real weaknesses though : Burma and PM... Eventually your downfall will come from there...

OZ isn't worth it...

[ctangus]

Hi Amiral,

I've been reading this quietly for a while.

I agree with veji1. You can destroy your opponent's forces piecemeal in the New Caledonia-New Hebrides area, but if you invaded Australia you might run into more than you can handle. There's a lot of Aussie troops.

I also should say, as an AFB that this AAR is scary! [X(][;)]

[LittleJoe]

Yeah destroying ground units is probably the most hurtful thing you can do to an Allied player, most of his ships will eventually come back, and his airforce will just replace its self immediately.

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

The questions I will have to answer in the following months will be:

1) Should I stop after taking NZ and go to the defensive ? Attack Noumea and surrounding islands ? Land in Oz ?
2) PH will probably be attacked in sping 1943, and I have two choices: trying to defend all major bases (PH, Lahaina, Hilo and Kona) or only concentrating really in PH, in the hope that my opponent won't be able to retake it and will bypass it?
3) Once Kweilin will fall, a Div and a Bde from the Southern Army being used here will be available. Where to send them ? Burma ? Timor ? Hawaii ? Or join the offensive Army in SW Pacific ?

I think that you should kill all allied units surrounded at Noumea and islands near by as primary objective.

This would hurt your enemy most and buy you even more time!

After that you can go to defense, consolidation, fortification and occasional raid (possibly on Australia but with no significant troops) IMHO...


Leo "Apollo11"

[AmiralLaurent]

6 December 1942

New Zealand

During the night, as the bombardment TF left Wellington to attack Christchurch, a destroyer reported a mine. The bombardment TF sailed as planned and reached its target during the night. The Allied base was bombarded by the BB Yamato and Ise, the CA Kako and the CL Yura that received no return fire and scored 3 hits on the airbase, 13 on runways, 7 on the port, 1 on a fuel dump and 3 on port supplies. Allied losses were 340 men, 2 guns and 4 vehicles. But when the TF returned to Wellington, in the morning, the DD Hatsuharu was damaged by a VH2 mine and was docked in the port with damage 33/40/23. Wellington being a size 6 port, with now two Japanese AR, the DD should be saved. All transport ships with SYS damage 4 or more were disbanded today to repair in the port.

The reserve convoy (transporting the 65th Bde and a Tk Rgt) should have sailed toward Dunedin today with the cover of a good part of the KB, but it never received its orders. It will sail tonight while two TF, each of 6 MSW, will search Allied mines off Wellington.

The Betties recently arrived in Wellington began to fly naval search and recon missions. One was shot down by AA fire over Dunedin, but another reported here 2 units and 6600 men. It is possible that another NZ Bde will defend the city. In that case the 65th Bde won’t be enough to take it, and will land near Christchurch.
In this area, while both sides continued to exchange shells near the city (79 men and 1 gun lost on the Allied side, 21 men and 3 guns on the Japanese one), the Japanese 4th Tk Rgt finally arrived north of Christchurch and continued trough woods toward the SW, to cut the road to Dunedin and surround the city.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea.

The Sasebo 6th SNLF continued to occupy the archipelago, taking today Rekata Bay and Rennel Island (the last one was an atoll, 22 men were disabled in the landing) and landed in Tulagi (7 casualties) that will be occupied tomorrow.

Japanese AA fire shot down a Hudson I flying a recon over Rabaul.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

In the afternoon, 31 B-25 from Darwin raided Lautem, wounding 4 men and scoring 1 hit on the airbase and 1 on the runway.

Japanese engineers in Amboina (around 110 squads) received orders to expand the port (currently only size 2).

Southern Resource Area

A convoy began to load 13k resources in Kendari for Japan.

Burma

The air activity continued to be heavy. Lashio airfield was attacked by 57 B-25C, 25 Beaufort V-IX and 23 Beaufort I from Imphal escorted by 54 P-40B. The scored 3 hits on the airbase, 2 on supplies and 25 on the runway and did 19 casualties. One Beaufort of each type was lost in crashes. Japanese troops SE of Imphal were bombed by 19 Vengeance I from this base escorted by 3 Hurricane and 3 Spitfire and lost 10 men.
On the Japanese side, the ordered recon of Imphal didn’t fly, while Rangoon Nells, having not received orders to rest, raided again Chandpur airfield. 54 bombers escorted by 25 A6M3a and 7 A6M2 flew the mission and again reported no CAP and few aircraft on the ground. They disabled 54 men and scored 7 hits on the airbase, 5 on supplies and 28 on the runway, but destroyed no aircraft and lost 3 Nells to AA fire and two others in accidents. They were grounded in the evening.

During the day, two convoys carrying 49k supplies arrived in Rangoon from Toboali and Singapore. And the 50th Sentai based there was the first unit to convert to Ki-43-IIa (from Ki-27)

China

In the north, bad weather ground all day Yenen airmen who were so unable to provide LRCAP of the battle field. So 24 Hurricane and 3 Spitfire of Lanchow could bomb without problems the 35th Div near their base and hit 58 men and 1 gun. In this area, Japanese artillery hit 45 men in Kungchang and 10 in Lanchow.
Tomorrow the Yenen airmen will fly the missions scheduled for today: LRCAP and ground attack.
Japanese engineers expanded Homan airfield to size 5. Now that all frontline cities had fort level 9, they busied themselves by expanding airfields (so scoring some tens of points).

In the south, the Chinese defenders of Kweilin were bombed by Japanese guns (137 casualties) and by Canton airmen, flying 59 Ki-48, 35 A6M2 and 3 Ki-51 from Canton to attack two of the 3 Corps holding the city and doing 38 casualties and 1 gun.
W of Kweilin, guns of the 60th Div hit 31 men.

Japan

A major reorganization of ground troops took place in Japan. The danger being in the east, ground troops were ordered to defend ports on the eastern coast rather than the western. The Home Defence Force and the Northern Area Command have only 3 Div (7th, 52nd and 54th), 2 Bdes, 2 Tk Rgt, 3 Naval Guard Units and some tens of auxiliaries units (Eng Rgt, Const Bns, Base Forces, CD and AA Bn) to defend the whole coast of Japan and the Kuriles. And the Aleutians area is probably the easiest way for my opponent. So orders were issued to no more release infantry units from Japan for outer areas.

A convoy started to load 48k fuel in Takamatsu for Palau (and will then sail to Borneo to load oil).

A view of the Empire

The map below shows the current situation of the Empire. The red line is the current border/frontline. The yellow line is the objective of the next 6 months (finish to occupy New Zealand, taking Noumea and the Hebrids, in China taking Sining, Lanchow, Kungchang, Sian and Kweilin). The blue lines are the possible axis of Allied advance in the period (before enough Essex will be available to openly challenge the Kido Butai). I will detail them in a future post about the Allied possible moves and how I plan to counter them.

[goodboyladdie]

Hi AmiralLaurent

That's a lot of territory! Bloody well done! I think you have cut off the Pacific reinforcement/supply routes. Is your opponent supplying Australia from India? Do you think he will be using PPs to transfer units to Karachi as the route through the Pacific is not safe?

[veji1]

hmmm that's a bloody good question... Your situation might not be good at all !!!..

I mean it would make perfect sense gamewise and history wise for the americans to go through India, Burma and Australia, without even bothering about the Pacific... Their situation there is sooooooooooo bad, that I guess in history they would have let all the japs on these islands rot, and would have gone through the soft underbelly...

If I were Pompack I would keep a big bunch of planes on the West Coast, in case you wanted to raid it, and bring all I have to India and then Australia via HQ change, if it is not forbidden in your game, or as much as possible via pp buying... And then I would attack from Burma, get good planes to China, and then start wrecking havoc from there... A second pronge could be from Australia to Timor and up, and From PM to northern PNG and west...

But I would just bypass the Pacific... As simple as that... Have you thought about this possibility in you war plans ?

[AmiralLaurent]

Thanks to all advisors

All of you agree that my primary goal should be to kill troops. It is also one of my goal, but remember that my opponent can save cadres and rebuild units in rear aera. I don’t kow if he is doing it, but I have no problem with it, except doing it with Dutch or PI units (from where come the men in this case).

So destroying these 3 divisions will just put them out of the war for 6-12 months, and give me about 3000 points.

Australia has a lot of troops for sure, but how many will still be in SE Australia is another matter. Even with the railroad from NW Australia linking it to the rest of the world, all troops here will take 2 months to arrive in Sidney or Melbourne.

On the other hand, taking an Australian city means to wreck half of the HI, and also possibly a good part of the resources and so on, reducing the ability of Allied forces to wage war from here. Also the KB cruising on Australian shores may score around 500 strategic points a day.

The future as I saw it will be the following:
_ First, the end of the NZ campaign. I hope it will over by mid January 1943.
_ Then the 56th Bde, 1 Eng Rgt and Naval Units will keep NZ. That will leave 8 Inf Div, 1 Tk Div, 1 Bde, 2 Tk Rgt and 5 Eng Rgt to be used elsewhere. They will receive orders to prepare for the following targets: Noumea 5 Inf Div, 3 Eng Rgt, all Tk units. Luganville: 2 Div, 1 Eng Rgt. Efate: 1 Div, 1 Eng Rgt.
_ Then the KB will raid the Australian coast in late January. The idea is to bomb industry and resource centers and to recon each city to have an idea of their defence.
_ It will return to NZ and then sail back to Australia with transports carrying all units preparing for Luganville and Efate, and all Tk units available in NZ. This will a Viking-like raid… If it seems easy, these troops will land and kill/devastate what they can find, still with KB support, but by end February they will sail back to NZ and leave Australia.
_ In mid-March, the fleet will be OK in Auckland and will load all troops that prepared for Noumea. These will land in Koumac and La Foa, take these bases, and then lay siege to Noumea. The KB will first support this operation, then once that both other bases will be operational (and full of LBA) and Noumea under siege, will sail north (raiding Luganville and Efate on the way) for the spring 1943 upgrade in Japan.
_ If Japanese troops were not engaged in Australia, or were still nearly at full strength, Luganville will be invaded at the same time than New Caledonia.
_ In April-May, once Noumea will have been taken, Efate and Luganville will be invaded. Only LBA and surface ships will support it. And at least half of the troops

And this will mark the end of the offensive Japanese operations (if I manage to apply this plan to the end).

Veij and Goodboy, you ask good questions about what my opponent is doing or can do. AFAIK, he concentrated much of his fleet on the West Coast for the counter invasion of Hawaii during the summer, including British ships, and no big ship movements have been reported from there towards Australia after this battle. In the Indian Ocean, Japanese submarines saw nothing for months, the last move seen was a big transport convoy sailing from India to Australia. It was attacked by Japanese forces and was apparently empty.
My understanding is that my opponent didn’t keep much ships in India as he has no use for them. Japanese intelligence had reported several times hundred of ships in Australian ports, and I believe many transports and small warships are here, but they have no or few troops to carry outside Australia, as most Australian units will require PP to be shipped overseas. And my opponent is paying PPs to avoid sending back British ships.
As for troops, the counter invasion of Hawaii included a Div and 3 RCT, at least one of them was coming from the Aleutians I think. At least until July 1942, my guess is that my opponent first goal was to take back PH (as I suppose it would be… American prestige may be one of the reasons). So until this date I doubt he changed the command of his HQ (that is the way to have troops turning up in Karachi rather than in America if I remember correctly) and so India didn’t receive more reinforcements than usual.
Then I agree that until mid-43 (where the Allied CV fleet will be able to beat the Kido Butai) Burma is the main place where the Allied forces may advance. For me, Aleutians or Midway came next, an advance in Timor area or around New Guinea-Solomons seems unlikely for, especially if I am attacking at the same time Australia behind the attacking forces.

Now in mid-1943, I will have a Kido Butai (reinforced by the first Unryu CV) at full strength, and an Army of 5 Div and 1 Tk Div (I will leave only one Div in Noumea area, will send one to Hawaii and one to Burma) as a reaction force.
If my opponent attacks in force in Burma, I think this force will be able to stop it. And in mid-May 1943 I will receive 3-4 more Div and half a dozen Bdes usable where I will need them, to man the second line of defence. I will also receive at the same time 3-4 Div in China, and will use them to launch a new offensive.
Also in the meantime I will have enough PP to buy two more Div from China, and will very probably do it. I will then send one to Burma and the other to the DEI.

Now here is a survey of the current front areas:

China:
The Allied supply in China is very probably very bad. RAF units are flying from Northern China bases, but only with fighters, and only because Sining is producing ‘bonus’ supply each turn. It is probably the part of China where Allied forces have the more supplies. Other bases have not seen an Allied aircraft for months, and Allied offensive capacities are probably extremely limited. By the way all cities under Japanese control have fort level 9 and 1 or 2 divisions holding them if they are on the frontline, so can’t be taken by a Chinese raid. And most Chinese cities are reconned daily, so I have a good idea of the disposition of Chinese forces.

Burma:
The most vulnerable spot is Akyab, that is held by a Div and has fort 4 (due to incessant Allied bombings). The rest of the bases of the country have fort between 6 (Pagan, Lashio) to 9 (Mandalay, Myitkyina) and is held by 1 Div, 2 Mixed Bde, 1 Mixed Rgt, 5 Tk Rgt and a score of Naval Units. Rangoon is the only place Japanese airmen may defend and has 246 fighters and 50 Nells. The Div is in reserve here, the city has fort 8 and a naval squadron (2 CA, 1 CL, 6 DD) is also there.
Japanese units are in the jungle on all possible approaches by land so any Allied move will be detected two months before it reaches a Japanese base. An attack by sea is always possible, but without CV and BB will be costly. In reserve in Singapore and Java, ready to react towards Burma or Timor, are 2 BB, 6 CA, 1 CL and 80 Betties/Nells, and several IJAAF bomber Daitais.
Andaman Island is lightly held (by a BF and a Const Bn. 36 ASS, fort 5). Bases in Sumatra and the coast from Rangoon to Singapore are also held by comparable or bigger forces, as are all inland bases in Burma and Thailand (to prevent an easy Allied parachute attack).
Anyway, land forces in Burma are probably too light and the 17th division will be shipped from China after the fall of Kweilin (another Division of the Burma Army will be created in mid-March in Shangai). In the mean time Andaman Island will be reinforced by a Naval Guard unit, and an Eng Rgt currently in Rangoon will be air carried to Akyab to help build forts here.

DEI:
Java is held by the Imperial Guard Div and the 35th Bde. The latter will be moved to Palembang. All bases of Java and Sumatra are held by small BF (at least) that build (slowly) forts and have 35-40 ASS points (and are 100% prepared for the bases).
Such BF also held the bases of Bali and Maumere between Java and Timor.
In the rear area, all big bases have over 100 ASS and fort between 6 and 9.

Timor-Amboina
Kendari is another hub of the Japanese air force and now has 197 fighters and 45 bombers and is held by the 4th Bde. It is the only place well held in the area.
Timor has been bombed daily since it fell and the only place with some defence is Koepang (90 ASS, fort 1). Kai Island, Aru Island, Babo, Bulla are empty, Amboina and Sorong held by Base Forces. But several Naval units are available in Menado and now that the Allied air pressure is lower will move forward to reinforce Amboina and Timor.
Once Kweilin will be Japanese the 104th division will be bought from the China Command and sent there. 2/3 of it will hold Kendari and 1/3 Amboina, freeing the 4th Bde that will be sent to Koepang or to Java.

New Guinea-Solomons
The “forgotten” theater. Truk and Rabaul (held by the 5th Div) are the only Japanese big places. In the whole area are now only 36 Tonies and 9 Betties. On the other hand Japanese BF and Const Bn are already busy on the northern coast of NG, and Hollandia has AF 5 and fort 5.
No change planned here, except units leaving Truk to defend bases in Solomons.

Southern Pacific
All main islands (Tarawa, Pago-Pago, Suva, Nandi, Canton) have fort between 7 and 9 and are defended by a total of 1500 ASS points (the South Detachment and naval units). And an Allied offensive is unlikely so far from Allied bases for the moment.
Some naval units will be moved to Central Pacific, and other will be redispatched in the area. All Eng and Const units in the area will soon be available to go to Solomons-New Guinea.

Central Pacific
Christmas Island has only a Const Bn and a part of a BF (ASS 4) and fort 5. A Bf is sailing to this island and a reinforced SnLF will come from the south.
Same situation in Palmyra, but here there is a full BF (ASS 36) and fort 9.
ML from PH came to these tow islands and both have more than 1000 mines.
In Hawaii, the plan is to defend four bases:
PH: 1275 ASS (including 2 Div), fort 9, 21k mines
Lahaina: 200 ASS, fort 9, 20k mines
Hilo : 200 ASS, fort 8, 6k mines
Kona: 150 ASS, fort 5, 2k mines
The two other islands have around 2000 mines each but are empty. 27 A6M3a and 89 betties are based in PH, with the only capital ship being the old BB Yamashiro. Around 25 submarines are based here and at least half of them are keeping an eye on the West Coast to warm of another Allied invasion.
Midway has fort 9, ASS 35 (a BF and a CD unit), but a Naval Guard Unit is en route. 2k mines (laid by ML from PH), 16 Betties flying naval search.
Wake, Johnston and Marcus Island are all held
The Central Pacific area is mainly lacking fighters, but they are busy elsewhere (3 Zero Daitais left PH last month). The main reinforcements that will come in the near future will be Naval Guard units from Southern Pacific, and the 22nd Bde that will be shipped from China to Midway after the fall of Kweilin.

Kuriles
The only Japanese base here is Paramushiro Jima that has been reinforced since several months and has 384 ASS, fort 7 (and an Eng Rgt working) and AF 3. Small troops will be carried by barges in the near future to occupy Attu and Kiska, just to keep an eye on Allied moves. Mavis recon them daily and never saw any Allied troop or ship in the area, the closest Allied base is Adak.

Japan
Forces available to defend Japan and Sakhalin are 3 Div, 2 Bde, 2 Tk Rgt, 3 BB (2 with SYS around 30), 1 CA, 36 Ki-61, 60 Nates, 22 Rufes, 40 LB and training units (with exp > 45). Not much but an Allied attack is unlikely and in case of a raid Japanese fighters and bombers will come en masse from China.

[AmiralLaurent]

7-9 December 1942

New Zealand

The reserve TF bringing the 65th Bde and the 7th Tk Rgt under escort by a BB TF and the whole KB (one of the three CV TF should have remained in Wellington but didn’t receive its orders) arrived off Dunedin on the 8th. All floatplanes of the fleet had orders to fly recon and a dozen were sent but all targeted the city and none identified the two Allied units in the city.
So the next day, the KB sent 153 Kates escorted by 8 A6M2 to attack troops there. They hit the Dunedin Fortress that lost 268 men and 5 guns. AA fire shot down one Kate.
It was supposed that the other unit was a Base Force and so judged that the troops carried by the reserve TF will be able to take the city. They will land tomorrow directly in Dunedin. Four CA and a CL joined the troop convoy to provide support fire to the landing troops. Also the BB Musashi and Kirishima, 2 CA and 3 CL will bombard Dunedin tonight. Two of the 3 TF of the KB will remain off Dunedin, the third sailed north to return to Wellington.

In Christchurch both sides continued to exchange artillery fire and in three days 407 Allied men and 11 guns and 166 Japanese men, 11 guns and 1 tank were hit. The 18th Div arrived near the city on the 9th and the other units of the Southern Force will arrive in some days. In particular the 4th Tk Rgt that was ordered to advance W of Christchurch to cut the road to Dunedin and surround the city was too low to advance in woods (2-3 miles a day) and was redirected to advance directly to Christchurch. Anyway as Dunedin will also be under attack there will be no more need to surround the city.

On Northern Island, Japanese units had orders to gather 60 miles S of Auckland. The concentration was not finished in the evening of the 9th but anyway the troops already there received orders to march to the New Zealander city and start to bombard it.

Allied mines stopped all Japanese naval operations off Wellington but the last ones were swept on the 9th by Japanese MSW. 180 miles NW of Wellington, an ASW group (4 DD, 1 APD and 1 PC) chased on the 8th and 9th the Dutch submarine O21 but didn’t hit her, or even get close enough to fire depth charges.

Two days of bad weather stopped all aircraft ferrying flights but on the 9th 14 more Betties and 10 Nells reached Wellington from Suva. Two Zero Daitais arrived in this last base and will wait for a CVE to sail midway between Suva and NZ to do the transit.

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea.

After several quiet days, Rabaul was bombed on the 9th by 27 B-24D from PM that scored 8 hits on the airbase, 2 on supplies and 24 on the runways and disabled 102 men and 5 guns. Several Liberator were hit by AA fire and one crashed during the return flight. The same day the Betty from Truk flying recon over Port Moresby (and reporting each day a CAP of 35-55 P-40E) was also shot down by AA fire.
In the evening of the 9th, a 7000-ton AK and a 3500-ton AK left Truk loaded with supplies that they will bring respectively to Rabaul and Kavieng.

The Sasebo 6th SNLF continued to occupy the Solomons, taking Tulagi on the 7th and landing in Irau (6 casualties) that will be occupied tomorrow. The natives of Surai’ro, west of Tulagi, rounded themselves the white inhabitants of their area and brought them to Tulagi.
On the 7th, a convoy carrying the 33rd Special Base Force left Truk for Lunga under escort by 2 ML (that will lay a minefield off the base) and 2 DD.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

Lautem was bombed daily by B-25C from Darwin (for a total of 85 sorties) but they scored only 4 hits on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 9 on runways.

On the Japanese side only took place the usual barges moves and the sending of two small TF between Japanese bases. Three 3500-ton AK loaded with fuel left Batavia for Kendari and will remain based here to supply Timor bases, while a 16k tanker sailed alone towards Amboina to load part of the 27k oil stocked here.

Southern Resource Area

Two convoys were formed in 3 days. One will carry 34k oil and 7k resources from Balikpapan to Japan, the other 16k oil from Tarakan to Japan.

Burma

Allied airmen continued to bombard Japanese airfields in Burma, their probable aim being to neutralize all of them north of Rangoon. On the 7th, 52 Blenheim IV and 48 B-25C from Dacca attacked Akyab under escort by 49 P-40B and scored 3 hits on the airbase and 8 on the runways, doing 9 casualties, while 51 SB-2c, 27 Beaufort V-IX and 22 Beaufort I from Imphal escorted by 52 P-40B raided Myitkyina, scoring 4 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 21 on runways. A SB-2c was shot down by AA fire, and 2 others, 2 B-25C and 1 P-40B were lost in accidents.
Bad weather grounded all Allied bombers on the 8th but 30 P-40B flew a sweep in the afternoon from Imphal to Myitkyina. The next day, 21 Beaufort V-IX and 17 Beaufort I from Imphal attacked Pagan under escort by 61 P-40B and scored 1 hit on the airbase and 5 on runways, wounding 5 men, and Akyab was attacked by 25 Blenheim IV and 21 B-25C from Dacca covered by 54 P-40B that hit 4 times the airbase, 6 the supplies and 19 the runway, doing 10 casualties. A B-25C and a Blenheim IV were lost in crashes.
So in 3 days, 8 Allied aircraft were lost in raids for doing little damage (except Akyab, all bases were repaired in some hours). These raids may be compared to the Circus flown by the RAF over Europe. Lacking the ability to hit important targets, the Allied airmen flew heavily escorted raids to nearby targets, with the main goal of drawing enemy fighter to battle in favourable terms. But I won’t accept a battle over Central Burma against 50 or 60 American fighters.
On the other hand, I would like to intercept one type of raid in the area. The 81st Naval Guard Unit was attacked on the 7th and 9th by raids from the nearby base of Imphal that it was ordered to survey. On the 7th 18 Vengeance I escorted by 7 Hurricane and 4 Spitfire hit 39 men and 1 gun. On the 9th 24 Vengeance I covered by 6 Hurricane and 5 Spitfire hit 87 men. A LRCAP mission flown over this unit should score well, but will have to be flown from a Central Burma airfield, taking the risk of being caught on the ground…
In these 3 days, Japanese airmen only flew CAP and recon. Imphal was finally reckoned and with a CAP of 40-55 fighters any idea of raiding it was forgotten. Also on the 7th the Allied CAP shot down a Ki-46 over Ledo.

In the evening of the 9th, after months of aerial attacks near Imphal, the 81st Naval Guard Unit received orders to march SE to join the railroad and then go to Rangoon. After a short rest, it will be sent to Andaman Island to reinforce the garrison.
Tomorrow, 20 transport aircraft will start ferrying the 4th Eng Rgt from Rangoon to Akyab.

China

In the north, the 7th saw heavy air battles over Lanchow. Japanese troops here were attacked by 22 Hurricane and 6 Spitfire from the local base and 21 B-17E, 9 Il-4c and 3 Wellington III from Ledo (in two raids) but were defended by the A6M2 of F2/Genzan flying from Yenen. Between 10 and 14 Japanese fighters intercepted all raids and shot down 6 Hurricane, 4 Spitfire, 1 B-17E, 1 Wellington III and 1 Il-4c for no loss. Troops were bombed anyway and lost 79 men, 3 guns and 1 tank.
At the same time the 5th New Chinese Corps holding the town was attacked by 36 Ki-21 and 36 Ki-49 escorted by 36 A6M2, 30 Ki-44 and 2 Ki-61. The Tojos of the 85 Sentai were the first engaged by the Allied CAP (19 Hurricane and 4 Spitfire) and were severely beaten, losing 13 of their number while shooting down only 3 Hurricanes. Zeroes and Tonies arrived lately to the rescue and shot down 8 Hurricanes for the loss of an A6M2. The bombers were not intercepted and bombed the Chinese troops but hit only 11 men. 1 Ki21, 1 Ki-49 and 1 A6M2 were lost in crashes and in the afternoon a RAF fighter shot down a Ki-15 over the city, bringing the total score to these battles over Lanchow to 24 Allied and 17 Japanese losses.
That wasn’t an acceptable ratio for the Japanese air force, and Yenen airmen rested for the two next days, flying only recon flights (and losing another Ki-15 on the 8th to the CAP of Lanchow). Allied airmen in Lanchow on the other hand continued to attack troops near their base, flying 64 sorties (52 Hurricane and 12 Spitfire) in two days but only hitting 17 men and 1 gun. On the 9th, 16 Hurricane from Sining joined them but hit nothing. Tomorrow, Zeroes from Yenen will again fly LRCAP over Lanchow.
On the ground, the activity was reduced to artillery fire by the Japanese (34 Chinese men and 2 guns hit), as in Kungchang (383 men and 1 gun hit).

In the south, Japanese troops continued to prepare for the attack of Kweilin, slowly getting into position (the attack will probably be launched in 10 days). Chinese defenders were bombed daily by Japanese guns (260 casualties in 3 days) and Canton airmen that fly 302 sorties in 3 days (155 Ki-48, 99 A6M2 and 48 Ki-51) but lost 2 A6M2, 1 Ki-48 and 1 Ki-51 in accidents to hit only 47 men and 1 gun.
West of Kweilin the 60th Japanese Div continued to bombard surrounded Chinese troops and hit 22 men in 3 days.

Japan

On the 7th, and ASW group (3 PG, 3 PC) chased the submarine USS Runner SE of Bonins and a PC depth charged her but she escaped without damage. Next morning another American submarine, the Shad, attacked a convoy180 miles NW Tori Shima and missed an AK. The escort (a DD and a PC) searched her and the DD scored some near misses, but this attack was thought to be the first against a Japanese convoy not close to the frontline. This same morning the Runner was again searched by the same ASW group as the day before and again escaped undamaged.
All reports indicated that rather than 3-5 there were a dozen of Allied submarines south of Japan.

Due to the “difficulties” in China, both the Home Defence Force and the Kwantung Army were asked how much Eng Rgt they had. Both had one, and reported that most of their bases had fort level 9 and had their max size (or were only increasing size to score points, not for real military reasons). So both Eng Rgt were available, but the 5th Eng Rgt of the Kwantung Army had prepared for Noumea (and was now ready at 100%) and so instead of receiving orders to march to China was ordered to go by train to Korea and then will be shipped to the South Pacific. Only the 25th Eng Rgt from Japan will be shipped to China.

A convoy loaded 28k supplies in Sasebo for Singapore.

The pic of the day: two screenshots sent by my opponent (his ace list, and a roster of 605 Sqn after I commented it was its most effective unit at the moment)




Some comments:
VMO-251 was a F4F-4 unit that landed in Hilo during the Second Battle of Hawaii during the summer. Most of the kills were scored against unescorted Kates, but then the unit defended the base for a time. I don't remember if it was disbanded, or was the last unit in the place and was captured with the base.
All kills of the AVG were scored over Burma. Most of the times I avoid battles here but there had been some bloody clashes.
605 Sqn (IMOO the best Allied unit at the moment on the frontline) is one of the RAF units engaged in Northern China and is based in Lanchow. Almost all victories were scored in battles against Japanese fighters (Zeroes, Tojos and Tonies). 17 and 136 Sqn also fights here. AFAIK most if not all of their victories were scored here (17 and 136 Sqn may have been active over Burma before going to China).
17 Sqn RNZAF is one of the Kittyhawk squadrons defending NZ against the KB. Given the outcome of the battle, it is impressive that an NZ pilot scored 4 victories and survived.
No good details about VMF-211, VF-6, 24th FG and 49th FG.

[goodboyladdie]

If the VMO-251 pilots had been captured or killed they would show as MIA or KIA. Your opponent probably withdrew them as the pilots would then reappear later in SF while the planes would go to another Wildcat unit in Hilo. Could you show your Aces list for comparison, please Amiral?

[AmiralLaurent]

ORIGINAL: goodboyladdie

If the VMO-251 pilots had been captured or killed they would show as MIA or KIA. Your opponent probably withdrew them as the pilots would then reappear later in SF while the planes would go to another Wildcat unit in Hilo. Could you show your Aces list for comparison, please Amiral?

You're right, goodboy, I was supposing something like that. You will find below the list of my aces.
Compared to the 12 Allied aces (11 alive), that scored 87 victories, there are 194 Japanese aces with the following repartition:
Kido Butai: 89 alive aces and 26 KIA/MIA
Land-based IJNAF units: 54 alive aces and 20 KIA/MIA
IJAAF: 5 alive aces (all flying now on Ki-61)

The Japanese unit with the most aces is the F1/3rd Daitai based in Rangoon: 11 alive aces (same as the whole Allied airforce) with a total of 135 kills, including the 1st, 4th and 5th top scorers of the Empire. Total of the unit is 208 kills.
The best IJNAF units is the AI-1 Daitai of the Kido Butai: 227 kills, 10 alive aces (104 kills between them) including the 2nd and 3rd top scorers of the Empire.
By the way, the Kido Butai now has 235 Zero pilots (on a theorical OOB of 285) and more than one third are aces...

The best IJAAF units are the 78 Sentai (Rangoon, Ki-61, 49 kills) and the 64 Sentai (Rangoon, Ki-43, 40 kills, scored mainly in the first months of the war).

[goodboyladdie]

Thanks Amiral

That's the most comprehensive demonstration of your dominance in the air. It is amazing that you have achieved so much with such lightly built aircraft. God help your opponent when you have better planes!

[AmiralLaurent]

ORIGINAL: goodboyladdie

Thanks Amiral

That's the most comprehensive demonstration of your dominance in the air. It is amazing that you have achieved so much with such lightly built aircraft. God help your opponent when you have better planes!

Buddah helps me when my opponent will have better planes... Corsairs, P-47 and so on.

The ace lists are not a good sign of my dominance in the air. I have 16 times more aces (an better ones) while I score only slightly twice more A2A kills than my opponent. Not that I find that bad. IMHO the main reason of this success is that I managed to keep the strategic initiative and despite being probably outnumbered on the whole almost always fought locally with numerical superiority. When I can't have more aircraft than my opponent I just leave (as I did in Rabaul last month, or in Amboina before this year).

Also what explains the great number of aces is the fast that the same Japanese pilots fought everywhere, while Allied pilots often fought only one battle, the exception being Burma and China. One of the effect of the incessant use of the KB airgroups is that they are understrenght (as I said, the Zero units lack around 1/6 of their OOB, and are typical of the KB units) but another effect is that they are still highly experienced and have a great number of 90+ exp pilots, the ones that scored in battles.

I also noticed this turn that this 'high experience' effect was ever more important for land forces. While the New Zealand Army is fighting is first (and probably last) battle to defend its country, the men facing it fought for a part of them in Singapore, Java and Manila, for another part in Pearl Harbor, Suva and Hilo. Even if the last patch reduces the exp of a unit receiving reinforcements, most of the Japanese divisions in NZ have exp over 90 (but between 92 and 97, not at 99 as they would have in the former patches) and that is another advantage over the Allied soldiers.

10-11 December 1942

Central Pacific

The 51st Naval Guard Unit landed in Midway, bringing the ASS value of the garrison over 100. With 2500 mines, fort 9 and a CD unit there, the island should be able to repulse the assault of an Allied division.

Southern Pacific

23 Ki-49 arrived in Suva on the 10th and were crated and loaded into an AK convoy that left the next day for New Zealand with supplies and the HQ 6th Air Division.

The Eng Rgt and the Const Bn working in Pago-Pago finished the fortifications of the base (fort 9) and boarded ships to be brought to Tongatapu to do the same job.

New Zealand

During the night of the 9th-10th, the BB Kirishima and Musashi, 2 CA and 3 CL bombarded Dunedin without reporting return fire and scored 43 hits on the airfield (3/5/35) and 25 on the port (9/5/11). Allied losses were 553 men, 16 guns and 5 vehicles. The 65th Bde and 7th Tk Rgt began to land near the city just after the shelling, and continued for the two following days, experiencing 50-75 CD shots per phase. They were supported by 4 CA sailing with them. The Allied fire set on fire 3 APs, one of which was seriously damaged (SYS 76) but FLT damage was low and all should be safe. Landing casualties were 2112 men, 6 guns and 2 tanks, while Japanese covering fire hit 129 New Zealanders. As thought before, the city was only held by the Dunedin Fortress and a Base Force (104 RNZN). Both sides exchanged artillery fire with little effect, only 6 Allied men and 1 gun were hit in two days. Japanese forces (11200 men, 250 ASS) will attack tomorrow the garrison (5100 men, 46 ASS) with the support of the bombardment TF that hit two nights ago, reinforced by the 4 CA that covered the convoy (that will finish to unload tonight), by Wellington level bombers and by KB airmen, Val and Kate flying this time to attack Allied troops. The two third of the KB still sailed off Dunedin these two days, only flying recon flight with floatplanes, losing a Jake to AA fire on the 11th.
The SS I-33 that was the first to recon Dunedin with her Glen left the area and will in the future patrol south of Tasmania.

More north, artillery fire continued in Christchurch, with 300 Allied men and 7 guns hit vs. 126 Japanese men, 2 guns and 1 tank. The 4th Tk Rgt reached the city on the 11th but an Eng Rgt will only arrive in several days and the attack won’t be launched without it. Tonight, the Allied base will be bombarded by the BB Ise and Yamato coming from Wellington.

On Northern Island, Japanese troops reached Auckland in the afternoon of the 11th and will start to bombard it tomorrow. Japanese recon now only showed one Allied ship docked in the port, leaving the Japanese intelligence officers wondering what became the others. They might have been scuttled, or they escaped north dodging the Japanese air patrols and submarines.

Six MSW swept Allied mines off Wellington for two days (reporting two new minefields) and reported the area clear in the morning of the 11th. The KB TF that returned to this base upgraded a Zero unit to the A6M3a. It was the first CV unit to receive the new fighter, whose production was reserved first to the two best land-based Daitai and is now reserved for CV units (already 150 are in stock waiting for a quiet period for the KB).

Bismarcks-Solomons-New Guinea.

Rabaul was bombed on both afternoons by B-24D from Port Moresby, 18 on the 10th and 16 on the 11th. On the latter day Japanese AA shot down one of them, and also a Hudson I flying a recon flight. Both raids hit 135 men and 1 gun and scored 10 hits on the airbase, 4 on supplies and 25 on the runway.

In the evening of the 11th, the only fighter unit in the area, 30 Ki-61, left Truk for Kavieng. They will rest and fly local CAP tomorrow and will LRACP Rabaul the day after.

In the Solomons, detachments of the Sasebo 6th SNLF occupied the two last islands, Irau and Stewart Island (29 landing casualties here) and will now be brought back to Shortlands by barges.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

Lautem was bombed on both afternoons by B-25C from Darwin, 30 on the 10th (one lost to engine failure) and 27 on the 11th (one hit by AA crashed on return). They scored a total of 22 runway hits and did 10 casualties.

A solitary 16k TK reached Amboina and began to load the oil stockpiled here and forgotten after heavy bombers devastated the local oilfields. A convoy had started to unload 28k supplies in the base since several days and repairs were launched on the oil and resource centers. Similar repairs will be done in Sorong and Bulla after supplies had come from Japan via Palau in some weeks. Allied heavy bombers have not flown over the area for a month now, enabling some kind of economy to restart.

Southern Resource Area

In Singapore area, two small convoys began to load 16k oil in Medan and 17k resources in Kuala Lumpur and will bring them to Singapore port, from where bigger ships in bigger convoys will bring them to Japan.

Burma

There was no flying on the 10th. The next day, Akyab was bombed in the morning by 53 B-25C and 51 Blenheim IV from Dacca escorted by 56 P-40B that scored 7 hits on the airbase, 2 on supplies and 42 on runways. In the afternoon, 36 P-40B flew a sweep from Imphal to Lashio but found no target. Two P-40B were lost in crashed during the day.

Japanese airmen didn’t fly except recon and CAP. Recon reported a weak CAP (around 15 Mohawks and Hurricane) over Chandpur and it was seen as a valid target but Japanese pilots will wait for a good weather day to attack.

China

In the north, bad weather probably grounded Allied airmen on the 10th and the Zeroes flying LRCAP over Lanchow saw nothing and lost one of their number to engine failure. The next day there was no LRACP and 36 Hurricane and 10 Spitfire took off from the Lanchow airfield to attack nearby troops and hit 49 men and 2 guns.
Japanese artillery fire hit in two days 75 men and 2 guns in Lanchow, and 221 men and 2 guns in Kungchang.
North of Lanchow a Rgt of the 59th Div will cut the road to Sining in a week, having marched trough woods from NE of Lanchow. It will be followed by a Naval Guard Unit and a Para SNLF. The three SNLF repulsed from Sining had reached a week ago a village on the northern road and had recovered well enough to be engaged again, but two will keep a portion of the road to liberate the Naval Guard Unit (that has 90 ASS points). So in 5-6 weeks, Sining will again be attacked by Japanese paratroops, this time from the road

In the south, Canton airmen bombarded Chinese troops in Kweilin on the 10th, hitting 20 men and 1 gun in 47 Ki-48, 31 A6M2 and 22 Ki-51 sorties but losing a Ki-51 and a recon Ki-36 in crashes. They didn’t fly the next day. Japanese artillery hit in two days 226 men and 1 gun in Kweilin and 8 men in the woods west of the city. Japanese reinforcements continued to march to the city (a Rgt of the 51st Div reached it from the south) and were joined by the HQ 8th Area Army, that was sent to Wuchow to draw supplies but failed to do that (I’m afraid a simple Command HQ won’t suffice, the China HQ should be sent there).

Japan

All aircraft that had a reserve pool of more than 300 saw their production stopped: they were the Val, the Kate and the Betty. The pool of the transport Ki-57 was empty and both factories producing it (both size 5) were restarted. I also found a J1N1-R factory in Gumma with size 8 but no center repaired and ordered it to start the production and to repair all centers. I also realized that two aircraft types will be released in January 1943, the Ki-45 KAIb (the fighter-bomber version) and the Ki-46-III (improved version of the Ki-46-II, with a better range IIRC), and I ordered units ready to produce them to be built (to repair damage centers in the game).

Three convoys left Japan, one carrying 35k supplies from Sasebo to Tientsin to support the North China campaign, another bringing 28k supplies from Osaka to Palau to be then used in Amboina, Bulla and Sorong to repair resource and oil centers, and the last one bringing the HQ 2nd Area Army to Pearl Harbor, as this area had no Command HQ.

[AmiralLaurent]

Here is a map of the New Zealand on the evening of the 11th, with the planned operations of the day after: