We have reached March 11, '42 in the game and he has continued his progress. Brunei fell on Feb 6 and Midway fell on Feb 7. I withdrew the A-24s from Tarakan after Brunei fell, but the expected overwhelming aerial attack against Tarakan never happened. I still use it as a temporary forward base for either the A-24s or T.IVs to conduct naval strikes, but I won't leave anyone there for long.
Moulmein fell on Feb 8, but that was because I had pulled the troops back to defend the Salween River crossing.
Chez landed at Finschafen on Feb 8, with Hudsons out of Pt Moresby striking at the ships but doing little/no damage. On the 15th they ran into Zeros over Finschafen, probably LRCAP from Rabaul.
Singapore fell on Feb 15th!!! Should I feel good that I lasted as long as they did IRL, or be despondent that I'm no better than Percival? There were still troops in central Malaya, their news later (I'm looking at my little notebook which has daily entries, so I'm giving this in chronological order).
On the 16th of Feb his troops crossed the Salween and shock attacked. On the 17th of Feb, my troops shock attacked his troops, driving them back across the river. The victory was short lived. I had brought all the troops out of Rangoon, leaving noone and a couple of days later he dropped paratroopers into Rangoon. Ooops! Everyone on the board seems to say that Rangoon is a death trap for the allies so I'm not too worried.
His troops have not progressed beyond Rangoon, except that today a small TF shows up at Pt Blair. My feelings are at odds with many here in that I do not think it a good idea as the allies to try to hold Pt Blair. It is withing easy Betty/Nell distance from Burma, so it will be quite costly to try and hold. As a Japanese base, it offers him striking distance towards Ceylon, but it also can be struck by carrier aircraft out of range of the mainland based bombers. I think that it's going to be the site of a few air battles (I have two British CVs heading to strike at that TF now).
I have all the Burma troops in Mandalay, except for one base force which is in Lashio with a couple of the chinese divisions. There is also the base force in Myitkyina that hasn't been moved. I am building up the Chittagong/Cox's Bazaar area, as well as Imphal and Ledo - as best as possible. I have two Indian Divisions at Chittagong, one at Ledo and one at Imphal (I think). I have the 18th Br. Inf Div at Columbo and the Ceylon Bde at Trincomalee. I'm sending the 2nd Br Inf Div to Trincomalee as well, but it may head for the mainland later.
Bataan fell on Feb 17, and both Palembang and Manado were the targets of major IJN fighter sweeps. This was the beginning of the end ofr both of those bases as offensive sites. Cagayan fell on Feb 19, my troops retreating into Butuan.
On Feb 17, the Saratoga was identified near Canton Is by enemy search aircraft. On Feb 24th Japanese carrier aircraft sank a couple of tankers about 400nm east of Noumea. At the time I had a squadron of F4s at Nandi and one of B17s at Suva but absolutely nothing at Noumea. There was a joint US/NZ cruiser SCTF at Noumea but I my searchplanes had notced a "CA CA CA" tf in the area the day before - so, knowing that "CA CA CA" is often hiding carriers, I skedaddled them towards Norfolk Is. Since then I have based a squadron of Catalinas at Noumea, operating with an AVD.
By Feb 21st, there were too many Zeros at Finschafen to continue Hudson strikes on shipping. The Aussie pilots are brave, but not overly bright (the Hudson seems to be the only bomber vulnerable to early war fighters).
On Feb 22, the Kongo, Haruna, Fuso and Yamashiro bombarder Manado, shutting down the airfiled and damaging most of the A-24s there. I was later able to remove most of them but some were still damaged when the base fell. He landed at Manado on March 4, the base fell on March 6. The three dutch PTs there were slaughtered without damaging any enemy vessels. My subs did much better, with the K XVI slipping into Manado harbor on the 6th and sinking an AP. On the 4th, the Salmon put a torpedo into an AP, but I don't believe that one sank. Another AP hit a mine during the landings.
Butuan also fell on the 6th, with all remaining troops on Mindanao surrendering. I had been slowly evacuating the 5th USAAF BF from there, but some were still on Mindanao at the end.
On the 8th, A-24s from Tarakan attacked the Hosho and Ryujo, but did no damage. I withdrew thenm the next day.
I have still to lose any capital ships, but not for his lack of trying to bring them to battle. The carrier strike near Moumea was calculated to catch the Saratoga (and any other carriers with her - all 4 of my carriers at present) on the way to Australia - but she didn't go there. Halsey is waiting at Pago Pago to escort the Americal Division to Noumea. Right now that division is about a week away from rendezvous - maybe more. A sub did torpedo the Louisville, but she made it safely back to Pearl.
I have the 2d Marine Div headed from San Diego to Pago Pago by way of Penhryn Is. I have several smaller (mostly engineer) units headed to Penhryn Is, Papete, Efate (RCT), Christmas Is (BF), Canton Is (BF) and Palmyra (CD). I have had a engineer unit at Bora Bora for some time, that base is already a 3(3) 3(3). It will be my main fall back base should Pago Pago/Fiji be threatened, thus my sending an engineer unit to Papete.
Today there is a large enemy movement towards Kendari. There are a lot of carriers and battleships in this move, so Force Z and the Houston/Boise TFs that have been biding their time in Kendari are withdrawing. I will not send them into a swarm of Kates. Instead, I am trying to work my A-24s, Swordfish and T.IVs into the area in hopes of taking out any of those carriers. I don't think that it's the whole KB, but exactly how many enemy carriers are in there is unknown. It could just be all his CVLs and CVEs... 39 Kates attacked shipping in Amboina today, sinking a PC and nearly sinking an AK.
You know, looking at the screenshot, I'm damned lucky that his Kates attacked Amboina. They could easily have attacked Kendari, as there are no fighters there. Force Z and Houston are withdrawing at FULL speed.
It has been far too long since I have updated this AAR. Spring and summer are the busy time of the year in my business, so there just hasn't been enough time. The game has progressed, and has been very interesting.
I'd like to start with a chronilogical recap of the most important operations, and then later maybe I'll have the time and energy for a strategic overview.
After the carrier strike on Ambonia on 3-11, the mini KB hung out in the area for the next few days, but found only coastal shipping as targets. On 3-12, 6 Hudsons from Koepang attacked the Kongo TF, scoring no hits but losing 4 bombers. That same day, Japanese troops landed at Iloilo in the PI.
3-14-42. The RN CVs launch an airstrike on Japanese shipping at Pt Blair, find only PGs! One PG is sunk (3 torpedoes) and one more swallows a torpedo but survives. Pt Blair falls to the invaders this same day.
3-15-42 Japanese carriers (?), Hiei, Kirishima, and many transports are sighted 120nm E, ENE of Milne Bay. Allied air attacks from Port Moresby and Cairns are ineffective. Same can be said for Hudson attacks in the Celebes area.
3-16-42 Japanese troops land at Milne Bay. The only troops I have there are the refugees from Rabaul and Kaveing, but they hold on so far.
3-18-42 Hiei, Kirishima, Mogami and Mikuma (plus 4 CLs) bombard Pt Moresby, causing only moderate damage to the airfield but get 11 supply hits. That afternoon, transports start unloading Japanese troops at Port Moresby, which is defended by the troops based there at the beginning of the game (30th Aus Bde and 112 RAN BF). All allied aircraft are withdrawn to Australia. Iloilo and Milne Bay both fall.
3-21-42 The Taiyo is sighted 120nm NEbyE of Palembang. All available aircraft are launched against her, resulting in no hits and four aircraft lost.
3-21-42 Port Moresby falls. The defending troops retreat up the Kokoda Track towards Buna.
3-22-42 Japanese forces land at Palembang. I had moved all the troops from Toelekboetang to Palembang to reinforce this important base. Will it work?
3-23-42 Palembang falls. It looked like the reinforcements didn't help until a few weeks later when I learned that Palembang was heavily damaged upon capture.
3-23-42 The Dutch tanker De Groot's radio was not working, so she sailed into the jaws of the Japanese fleet off Palembang. Four heavy cruisers and six destroyers made sure that she did not escape.
3-24-42 Allied air strikes from Batavia put 3 bombs into the Taiyo, causing her to withdraw from the area.
3-28-42 Japanese troops land at Shortlands in the Solomons and San Jose in the PI. Both bases fall two days later.
3-31-42 A rescue TF sent to Toelekboetang to evacuate the troops which were forced out of Palembang is slaughtered by Nells, losing three AKs and one MSW.
Chez concentrates on subduing the NEI, invading Java, Balikpapan and Amboina this month supported by the MiniKB and CarDiv 5 (Shokaku, Zuikaku). This is the bloodiest month so far in this war, as combined forces make the Japanese pay heavily for the territory they take.
On April 4th 3 CAs, 2 CLs and 6 DDs steaming into Balikpapan roads on the fourth to attack the dutch PTs there, sinking one PT and one TK.
On April 5th, Japanese troops landed at Toboali. An AP and a DD each hit a mine. All available air units launch from Batavia, but manage only to put two bombs into the AP Ayaha Maru which had earlier struck the mine. Toboali has no defenders and falls the next day. The same day that Toboali fell IJN cruisers bombarded Batavia, causing moderate damage to the airfield and fairly heavy damage to the defending troops. During this operation the destroyer Usugumo struck a mine which did only moderate damage.
On April 6th, he landed troops at Buna, forestalling the digger's march from Port Moresby. They are redirected to march to Dobodura, which is still a dot base. Buna is undefended and falls the next day.
April 8, 1942 Japanese troops land at Tulagi, another undefended base to fall the next day. The submarine Haddock arrives off Tulagi overnight, but misses it's chance at a "big AP". The same night, the dutch sub K XIII put a torpedo into the loaded AP Nichibi Maru off Singkep, but she survives.
A day later, three subs Spearfish, Seal and the redoubtable K XII each get a single torpedo into an enemy ship (2 APs and one AK), none causing more than moderate damage.
On April 10th, Lunga is occupied by forces out of Tulagi. The following day the garrison at Toboali occupies Boelitoeng on the neighboring island.
Singkawang was invaded on April 12, with one AP striking a mine (light to moderate damage). I had withdrawn all troops sometime ealier, so Singkawang fell the next day.
On the 14th, another SCTF bombarded Batavia, shutting down the airfield and causing heavy troop losses.
Combat started early on April 15th, with the Japanese navy showing up at Amboina. Three US PT boats encountered an SCTF comprised of the Kongo, Haruna, Chokai, Nachi and three DDs (a fourth DD hit a mine in the approaches, sinking three days later), losing one PT in the night battle and the other two the following afternoon in an encouter with 4 CAs and 6 DDs.
USS Permit finds a way to put a torpedo into the Chowa Maru before being sunk by her escort. The Chowa Maru manages to unload her survivors before sinking a couple of days later.
On the afternoon of April 15, a Japanese invasion fleet shows up at Merak, covered by a CV TF 60nm NE of Batavia. Due to the naval bombardment of the previous day, few bombers were able to take off from Batavia in response and no hits resulted. One AK struck a mine in the Merak invasion, unloading its cargo before sinking a few days later off Toboali.
On April 16th, the landings at Merak and Amboina continued. One AK and one AP each struck a mine at Merak, with only moderate damage accruing. It was a PG and an AP which struck mines at Amboina this day, again suffering only moderate damage. Merak fell that afternoon.
Submarine activity was heavy this day. The S-40 is depth charged while approaching Amboina, but not heavily damaged. K VII puts two torpedoes into the AK Kyokko Maru off Merak. She sank of Toloekboetang a few days later. The I-17 put two torpedoes into the AP President Monroe south of Hilo, sinking her and her cargo of an artillery battalion. I-154 sank the AK Tasman off Bali with 4 torpedoes.
On April 17th, the sub activity continued, with S-40 sinking a minesweeper off Amboina and several other subs making unsuccessful attacks. Another AP hit a mine at Amboina but did not sink. B17s and Hudsons out of Darwin struck at the Amboina invasion force, hitting two APs but not sinking them. Amboina fell this afternoon.
I surprised Chez at Pt Blair with another RN CV airstrike which sank the AV Sanuki Maru, the only target there.
Stringbags out of Tjilatjap sank the AK Keizan Maru off Merak this afternoon.
On the 18th, the Tjilatjap based Swordfish are slaughtered while attacking the MiniKB off Batavia, losing all 6 aircraft. 4 P40Es from Batavia flew in support, shooting down 2 Zeros but failed to save the stringbags. No ships were damaged in this attack.
On April 19, Japanese troops land at Boela, cutting off the retreating dutch troops. I have been slowly collecting the survivors of Amboina by submarine ever since. The same afternoon, Chez lands troops at Kragen, in central Java.
April 19th is the day that the 5th CarDiv is sighted in the Banda Sea, a definite indication to me that Chez is not fooling around at all.
Things continued to heat up on April 20th, with several successful sub attacks. The Sturgeon sank the AP Chowa Maru off Amboina, K VII sank the AK Keizan Maru off Batavia, and O-16 torpedoed the AP Sangetsu Maru off Kragen on this day.
CarDiv 5 launched a strike on Kendari which sank the dutch AVD Fazant on the 20th, and a Japanese PG struck a mine at Kragen and sank.
The situation got even better on the 21st of April, with USAAF A-24s getting through the cap and putting 2x1000lb bombs into the Ryujo that morning. No strikes flew in the afternoon. Also, O-16 sank the AK Taketoyo Maru off Pontianak. CarDiv 5 is sighted 120nm S of Kendari, headed west to help the MiniKB.
April 22nd started with the s-39 finishing off the AP Sangetsu Maru and proceeded into a very fruitful series of air attacks.
First the Tjilatjap stringbags put a torpedo into the Ryujo, followed by BLenheim IVs (3x500lb) and Martin 139s (2x250lb) out of Soerbaja.
CarDiv 5 travelled a little too far south in its run towards Java and is attacked by A-24s out of Koepang, resulting in 2x500lbs hitting the Shokaku and 1x500lb hitting the Hiei. I do not believe that any of these hits did much damage, but they were satisfying to watch.
On April 23rd S-37 intercepted the crippled Ryujo and put two torpedoes. That morning Martin 139s continued the attacks on the Ryujo, putting 5 more 250 lb bombs into her. Then in the late afternoon K VIII found the hulk of the Ryujo and sank it with two torpedoes. In the afternoon, the Martin 139s attacked the transports at Kragen, sinking the minelayer Aotaka. Madoien fell this afternoon, while a Japanese PC struck a mine at Batavia and sank.
CarDiv 5 finished the day 180 nm WNW of Makassar, to far away to help.
On the 24th of April, about 75 Nells and Bettys struck hard at Soerbaja, but failed to shut down the airfield.
The Swordfish at Tjilatjap sank the AP Fusemi Maru on the morning of the 24th, and Martins out of Soerbaja damage 5 APs off Kragen. B17s and Hudsons out of Darwin strike at shipping at Amboina, damaging 2 APs.
On the 25th the A-24s out of Soerbaja struck again, sinking three ships, DE PAtrol Boat 46, AK Yuri Maru and AK Tamon Maru off Kragen. The Java based B17s also got into the act, sinking the AP Shinwa Maru near Merak, while the Darwin based B17s sank the AK Higari Maru. Malang fell this day.
April 26th opened with I-28 sinking the AO Kanawha off Palmyra with two torpedoes. Betties and Nells also sank two dutch coasters off Boela.
April 27th found the MiniKB and CarDiv 5 off Balikpapan, launching heavy air strikes on this base.
On the 28th the invasion of Balikpapan began with the Haruna and DD Hatsushimo hitting mines on the approach. The latter was heavily damaged but has not been reported as sunk. The Haruna TF then proceeded to sink the three US PTs defending Balikpapan.
In the invasion fleet two destroyers were damaged by mines as was an AP, while the AP Takasago struck a mine and sank.
Chez launched airstrikes against Kendari, Balikpapan and Soerbaja today, while I sent a squadron of B25Cs and one of the kiwi Hudson squadrons against Baker Island to much less effect.
On the 29th more shipping ran afoul of the minefields at Balikpapan (there were only about 700 mines in total at this location, so I feel that they were more effective than usual). Four more APs and @ PGs were damaged by mines this day.
On the last day of the month the 31st IJA Div attempts the Irrawaddy crossing at Manadalay and is repulsed with heavy losses. Intel believes that the 31st retreated to Rangoon after this assault.
Score for the month or April 1942:
IJN losses:
1 x CVL
1 x DD
1 x DE
1 x ML
1 x AV
1 x MSW
1 x PG
1 x PC
6 x AP
8 x AK
