Niitaka Yama Nobore. Son of Heaven Vs Buttsworth

[mcfreiria]

Great AAR, this one from the Japanesse inside, good point of view
I will follow it
Good work kaleun

[kaleun]

Thanks you guys. Glad to see you like it

[kaleun]

Ito reviewed the documents and maps his friend sent for him to Kwajalein.
In essence they spoke of a stalled out situation in China. Despite the optimism of General Hata’s office, Ryuji was concerned. He did not believe that there will be enough troops freed, once the enemy guerrillas around Sinyiang are destroyed, to make any difference in the war in China.
Ryuji suspects that forces may need to be removed from the Home islands and even from the Kwantung area army. The thought of removing troops from Manchukuo sends a chill down Ito’s spine. The Russians are across the border; if the German allies were to falter, any weakening of the Manchukuo garrison could have fatal consequences.

In a private letter to Ito, hidden among the official documents Ryuji says:

…take care my friend, you sail in dangerous waters, and I don’t mean only the America-jin. General Hata was quite angry with your admiral’s decision to recall all the naval land forces from China. He was able to save face because the timing is generally up to him. The Kyuko naval guard unit is on its way to Shangai. He refuses to release the Nanking naval guard unit. He says that, as its name implies, it belongs in Nanking. As far as the Ankei special naval landing force, it will be released as soon as the enemy guerrilla forces near Sinyiang are destroyed. Land movement in China being what it is, expect it will take about 2 weeks.

I hope to see you back. I met a nice hostess at one of the tea houses, and I’m sure she has a friend for you.

Ki o tsukero na"

[kaleun]

Showa 17 ichigatsu ni ju ni nichi (Jan 22nd)
Ito reviews the intelligence information in Kaga’s officer’s mess. Since the mighty ship has docked at Kwajalein the officer’s mess is mostly empty. Officers not on duty are either sleeping or taking advantage of the Spartan recreation facilities on the island. Although there isn’t much in the way of entertainment, there are usually some cases of Japanese beer, or captured Pilipino San Miguel beer.
A tidbit of intelligence from an unlikely source. Japan set up two transport ships to serve as commerce raiders and sent them south way before the war started. The naval high command was impressed by the success of the German corsairs in the 1914 war and, more recently by the feats achieved by Atlantis and Kormorant, so they sent these two ships to intercept commerce. They had minimal success, way south, around Perhyn Island, however their scout seaplanes discovered what appeared to be a merchant convoy in this unlikely place. They moved to intercept and, to their surprise, were ambushed by enemy carrier aircraft. Both ships were lost, of course, but not before transmitting a message. The location of the enemy carriers is now known.

[kaleun]

Among the papers received from Ryuji is a hastily scribbled note.

[kaleun]

“Kita yuden kore wan nan desu ka? “ Ito reads to himself.
Northern oilfield. Ito wonders.
He replies to his friend his ignorance on the subject and promises to inquire. He will soon know.
Meanwhile, the submarines operating of the US coast score yet another tanker. It is a veritable gauntlet that the returning convoys must pass to reach the safety of US shores; many do not make it.

[kaleun]

The Gauntlet

[kaleun]

Showa 17 Ichigatsu ni ju san (Jan 23rd)

Ito plows through piles of documents that are available to him in Kwajalein. He has time since the main carriers of Kiido Butai are still more than 4 days sailing from Kwajalein. The commodore had asked for permission to intercept the enemy carriers, down by Penehin Island but Nagumo denied the request and ordered the carriers back to Kwajalein.

“It is folly to send our main carrier force to intercept the enemy, so far from any repair facilities” Nagumo said.

Ito must agree with the Admiral. The enemy must have at least three and most likely four carriers. They may all be lying in wait near Penehin. The closest friendly facility for repair is Kwajalein; Ito chuckles at calling Kwajalein a “facility” Yes, Nagumo is right.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines the 53rd division is only 3 days from Lingayen. Homma is waiting for that division to launch his (hopefully) final assault on Clark.

A telegram informs Nagumo that the Kyoko Naval guard unit has embarked in Shangai and is en route Cam Rahn.

Despite looking everywhere, Ito can find no reference to any operation Kita Yuden. If Ryuji thought it was important, then Ito must try to find more about it. Dare he send a message to Yamamoto asking about it?

[kaleun]

Showa 17 ichigatsu juni go nichi (Jan 25th)

The days pass slowly as Ito awaits the carriers to reunite with Kaga. Nagumo keeps much to himself, and Ito has time to try to relax and also to listen to the radio reports on the course of the war.
The Japanese submarines continue to exact a toll on the allied ships trying to return to San Francisco, but there are few of them left on station. Most are heading back to Kwajalein for fuel, torpedoes and supplies.
The only positive news is that the defenses at Johore Bahru have been reduced some by the last attack. Also, finally the 53rd division finally arrived at Lingayen and is already setting out for Clark field. Ito hopes this division is what is needed to finally occupy the airfield.

[kaleun]

The submarines keep taking a toll.

[kaleun]

Showa 17 Ichigatsu nijushichinichi (Jan 27th)
Ryuji sat at his favorite teahouse, the Sakura. In the low table in front of him, the hostess served him sake, his drink of choice. The girl was pretty, as were all the hostesses, but not forward. Men came to the teahouse for female company, to hear the artist performing on the koto; sometimes for a drink and a peaceful place to sit and think, and sometimes, even for tea.
Ryuji was composing a letter for his friend. The courier G4M aircraft would leave in the morning, and Sato, the pilot had offered to take a letter or a small package to his friend, avoiding the usual military channels. Ryuji was glad of the opportunity to write his friend, free of the worry that it might reach the wrong hands.
“I am quite fed up with the news reports put out by the Prime Minister’s office. I do not know how it is with you flyboys but the infantry men do not die with the emperor’s name on their lips. Perhaps it is different for pilots but my men, when they died besides me, they called out: “Okasan” They called for their mother! Not the emperor.
The good news from China is that those enemy troops that we were trying to surround east of Hankow are finally almost surrounded. They would have been totally surrounded had some troops to the SW not decided to move. Now we will have to move them back!
In Manila, the 32nd SNLF will join the forces at Clark; as soon as it reaches Clark we will attack.
My good friend Sato will bring back your letters when he returns. I hope to see you back soon.
Ki o tsukero na

[kaleun]

China

[kaleun]

Showa 17 Ichigatsu nijuhachinichi (Jan 28th)
The carriers of the Shokaku group have finally arrived at Kwajalein. They rapidly refuel and receive replacements. The pilots from the two, now reunited, carrier groups visit each other’s ships and count coup. They had not communicated since Pearl Harbor and there are bets to be settled, and war stories to tell. Kaga’s group’s pilots share their experience in the north Pacific while the Shokaku’s task force pilots bring their colleagues up to date on their rather uneventful south Pacific cruise.
Ito, a pilot himself, is welcome among these reunions; some of the pilots are classmates of his, or were one or two years ahead of him. He enjoys their company and their war stories.
The news in the South Pacific is that the beachhead at Canton is holding awaiting reinforcements. The naval landing force that was en route diverted to Baker Island on the discovery of a nearby enemy task force. The recon bird that found it, at the end of its fuel, could not identify the ships, just the presence of ships at the limit of his visual range. This was duly reported and the task force told to land at Baker. The island was undefended and was easily seized. The transports were ordered to withdraw to the west until the danger is cleared.
Nagumo is losing no time in preparing to meet the possible threat. He shifted his flag to Shokaku, and has stayed there, closeted with the ships’ captains and the local admirals studying the maps and planning a possible sortie to intercept.
On news from the South China Sea, the enemy subs continue to make a nuisance of themselves despite increased air patrols. Fortunately the Americajin seem to still have problems with their torpedoes. This is allowing the troopships to move troops to Cam Rahn. Ito wonders if this has anything to do with the mysterious Kita Yuden operation. Time will tell.

[kaleun]

Showa 17 Ichigatsu niju kunichi (Jan 29th)

Ito is again aboard a carrier; this time it is the mighty Shokaku. Adm Chuichi Nagumo decided this time to shift his flag to the larger carrier. Ito received the letter from Ryuji but only had time for a scribbled acknowledgement before departing with the task force. All of Japan’s big carriers are sailing East, to support operations against Canton Island. The old Bolos and newer B17s based on Canton attempted to attack the task force that was re-supplying the troops at the beachhead. Happily they did not achieve a single hit. Nagumo isn’t pleased though. “We cannot rely on luck or enemy incompetence” he said.

In addition, the still unidentified task force SE of Canton is still there, hovering at the edge of the submarines floatplane range. Nagumo hopes that it represents the enemy carriers coming to the succor of Canton. In that case, he will engage them and sink them all.

A submarine returning from the US West coast reported being attacked by an ASW TF SW of Johnston Is. Unconfirmed reports of a cruiser in the task force have also been received. If capital ships are present NE of Kwajalein, the carriers should be steaming NE, if this sighting is not confirmed, then SE is the way to go.

Until further information is available, Nagumo orders a course E; this course will get the carriers clear of the Marshall’s soonest, and then they can turn N or S according to the situation.

Ito’s problem is that Nagumo specifically ordered him to interpret the data and present his conclusions to him. Ito works feverishly with all the reports available to him. He figures he has two days to achieve a conclusion that he must then defend before Nagumo.

The good news from Ryuji are that the 4th and 48th Chinese guerrilla corps, surrounded have surrendered before the Japanese attack. The 27th retreated across the river towards Honan, but still sits astride the railroad. China has been cleared of infiltrating forces and the Japanese army will now start offensive operations in earnest. Ito will be traveling to Canton for a conference on the next step in the near future. As a result, the Ankei SNLF has been ordered to Shangai and will transfer its command to the Navy as soon as it gets there.

[kaleun]

Ryuji sat at the conference table in General Hata’s headquarters in Canton. He was quite far from Major General Tadamichi Kuribayashi who was giving the briefing.
The upcoming operations, named “Ookii Tako” Was designed to finish off the war on SE China.
“After finally clearing the guerrillas from North of the Yang Tze, the conditions for the final assault are met.” Kuribayashi started.
“Up to now, our offensives always resulted in the Chinese forces withdrawing further and further into inland China. Safe in the rear, the armies resupplied and reinforced from the vast sea of men that is China” He continued. Heads nodded around the table.
“The first arm of the octopus will push north from Canton, along the railroad line to Hanchow. It will stop before the river and it shall not yet attempt to enter Hanchow. The second arm starts from Nanchang and will push towards Changsha along the paved road. Once Changsha is reached and occupied, the peninsula to the north, along the big bend of the Yang Tze will be cleared to cover the flank. “He pointed to these places on his easel where the map was placed.
“After this is completed, the isolated enemy, in the pocket will be dealt with on a one by one basis. As each unit is destroyed or forced to pull back, more and more of our own forces will be freed and be available to eliminate the resistance pockets”
Kuribayashi sat down and the surrounding officers turned to face General Hata and gave him a round of applause.
It was of course unfair; Gen Kuribayashi had crafted this plan, but the ovation went to Gen. Hata, whose major contribution to it was to get in the way and demanding progress reports. Ryuji had served under Gen. Hata and he knew how things worked. So did Kuribayashi, who smiled and also joined the ovation.

[kaleun]

Showa 17 Nichigatsu tsuitachi (Feb 1st)

Ito is now even further from the course of the war than before. If being in Kwajalein made it hard, being on the Shokaku made it impossible. To make it worse, they were cruising now in the vicinity of Baker Island, and under radio silence. All the information that got to Ito is what the radio room gleans from transmissions out of Kwajalein and shortwave from Tokyo or Hiroshima.

It is enough to make Ito tear his hair out.

The Americajin have stationed 2 engined bombers in Canton. B26 and B25s have been attacking the supply task force. Until today their success was nil, but today the USA Maru was hit by bombs several times and then, the coup de grace came via a US submarine that had been lurking for several days.

[VSWG]

This is an excellent AAR! [&o] I like the combination of a 'Hibiki-style' AAR with a 'top-down' perspective on the entire war. Great maps, too!

[kaleun]

Thanks. I appreciate it that you like it.

[kaleun]

Showa 17nen nigatsu futsuka (Feb 2nd)
The medium bombers from Canton continue to harass our attempts to resupply the beachhead. Yamamoto orders the battlewagons to attack the airfield. They do so but, in the night, are not successful at destroying many aircraft. In their dispersal, and behind whatever revetments the American engineers have been able to contrive, the aircraft do not suffer much from the naval bombardment.
The medium bombers discover the battleships and attack them but the only bombs that hit are unable to penetrate the heavy armor and do no damage.
Additional forces land at Cagayan in the Philippines but Ito does not know the result of that invasion.
Showa 17 nen nigatsu mikka (Feb 3rd)
The sailor from the radio room brings Ito a message slip. Despite the bombardment that hit Canton, the enemy regiment attacked and the 61st Naval Guards has suffered such losses that it has ceased to exists. The survivors have merged into the other units on the beachhead.
The reinforcements that landed in Baker Island await the transports to take them back on board and from there to Canton. The search airplanes have not found the feared enemy surface task force.
A cable from Hiroshima informs Nagumo that the Japanese forces at Johore Bahru have finally started to reduce the enemy fortifications. A new attack is expected tomorrow.

[kaleun]

Showa 17 nen nigatsu tooka (Feb 10th)

Nagumo isn’t happy. He has moved Kido Butai East to be in a position to intercep the reported cruisers (carriers) seen off Johnston island. This turned out to be a fluke. He then turned south to support the Canton Island invasion. The enemy is operating greater numbers of two engine bombers from the airfield in the island. First it was just those obsolete Bolos, then B26 and B25 bombers appeared, and now a smaller bomber, also with two engines is making the livs of the supply convoys miserable.
His battleships bombarded the island twice but the airfields were barely touched.

The final straw is when two destroyers boldly intercept his cargo ships, sink their escorts and chase the merchies off the landing beach. It will take him two days to be within launch range. The task force steams south at full speed.