Good points ny59giants!
- I think we have culled the enemy's sting by now.
The slow TBD's have been shot down - Andy cunningly moved them to Johore and launched them from there instead of from Singapore.
I may risk to get some units stuck a Mersing for a while, but I'll make an experiment and see whether this approach is worthwhile or not. We will never get a more favorable position to attempt such an incursion. If successful we may speed up the fall of Singapore, if not the main army will continue its slow march down the peninsula.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Dec 22, 41
Sea
Today we invaded Davao with little resistance.
The Tarakan and Menando invasions continued and the Mersing debacle continued despite the not so good feeling.
First our bombardment force met a Dutch minelayer of Mersing and blew it out of the water;
Day Time Surface Combat, near Mersing at 51,82, Range 23,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
BB Kongo
BB Haruna
CA Atago
DD Asashio
DD Akatsuki
DD Hibiki
DD Sagiri
Allied Ships
CM Willem v d Zaan, Shell hits 13, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
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We tried another midget sub attack at Noumea today since we have numerous reports of activities there. All 4 midgets failed to penetrate the harbour though...
ASW attack near Noumea at 115,160
Japanese Ships
SS I-22
Allied Ships
DMS Hopkins
TK Erling Brovig
TK Gulfpride
DMS Elliot
DMS Long
SS I-22 launches 6 torpedoes at DMS Hopkins
I-22 bottoming out ....
DMS Elliot fails to find sub and abandons search
DMS Long fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub
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Air
In the air we bombarded San Fernando and Mersing heavily.
- The hope was to hit Mersing so hard that we could take it by a coup de main before reinforcements arrived. Of course I didn't know that the Oz Bde was there (I'm a good boy and don't study the Allied side of the fence;-)
Also trying to keep Singapore and Manila suppressed and prevent the moles from digging to many tunnels.
Morning Air attack on Manila , at 79,77
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-Ic Sally x 34
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-Ic Sally: 15 damaged
Allied Ships
MTB 8, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
MTB 10, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
MTB 7, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
SS S-39, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
Allied ground losses:
4 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 1
Port supply hits 1
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The Dutch level bombers ain't to dangerous....
Morning Air attack on TF, near Mersing at 51,82
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid spotted at 32 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 2
Allied aircraft
139WH-3 x 7
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
139WH-3: 2 destroyed, 2 damaged
Japanese Ships
BB Haruna
SC Ch 9
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x 139WH-3 bombing from 15000 feet *
Naval Attack: 2 x 300 kg SAP Bomb
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The slow TBD's is another matter, but we did manage to wipe most of em out today!
Morning Air attack on TF, near Mersing at 51,82
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid spotted at 37 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 24 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 2
Allied aircraft
Vildebeest III x 8
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
Vildebeest III: 1 destroyed, 7 damaged
Japanese Ships
xAK Hokko Maru, Torpedo hits 1
xAK Kiyozumi Maru
Japanese ground losses:
5 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
6 x Vildebeest III launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Mk XII Torpedo
CAP engaged:
Yamada Det S-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 2 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 15000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 3 minutes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Mersing at 51,82
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid spotted at 28 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 2
Allied aircraft
Vildebeest III x 3
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
Vildebeest III: 2 destroyed
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Ground
The attack at San Fernando was a success! After softening the defenders with heavy air attacks we managed to push them out with heavy losses.
Ground combat at San Fernando (80,74)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 11347 troops, 120 guns, 299 vehicles, Assault Value = 464
Defending force 12075 troops, 253 guns, 335 vehicles, Assault Value = 506
Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0
Japanese adjusted assault: 215
Allied adjusted defense: 81
Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 0)
Japanese forces CAPTURE San Fernando !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
530 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 24 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 39 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Vehicles lost 25 (2 destroyed, 23 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
4810 casualties reported
Squads: 130 destroyed, 34 disabled
Non Combat: 352 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 85 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 116 (116 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 317 (317 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 8
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
48th Recon Regiment
47th Infantry Regiment
48th Engineer Regiment
4th Tank Regiment
2nd Tank Regiment
1st Formosa Inf. Regiment
7th Tank Regiment
48th Field Artillery Regiment
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
Defending units:
11th PA Infantry Division
194th Tank Battalion
31st PA Infantry Division
4th Marine Regiment
192nd Tank Battalion
26th PS Cavalry Regiment
14th PS Engineer Regiment
88th PS Field Artillery Regiment
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We also captured Tarakan!
Ground combat at Tarakan (67,91)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 4670 troops, 21 guns, 41 vehicles, Assault Value = 170
Defending force 1728 troops, 46 guns, 7 vehicles, Assault Value = 45
Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0
Japanese adjusted assault: 88
Allied adjusted defense: 16
Japanese assault odds: 5 to 1 (fort level 0)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Tarakan !!!
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
No Allied losses
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
52 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Allied ground losses:
2245 casualties reported
Squads: 94 destroyed, 25 disabled
Non Combat: 86 destroyed, 54 disabled
Engineers: 10 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 65 (62 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Vehicles lost 12 (12 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 1
Units destroyed 3
Assaulting units:
II./4th Infantry Battalion
2nd Engineer Regiment
I./4th Infantry Battalion
2nd Recon Regiment
Defending units:
VII KNIL Battalion
Tarakan Coastal Gun Battalion
Tarakan Base Force
108th RN Base Force /1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manado is still a pain, but we're getting there...landed some reinforcements today.
Ground combat at Manado (75,99)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 3331 troops, 24 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 128
Defending force 1451 troops, 2 guns, 3 vehicles, Assault Value = 49
Japanese adjusted assault: 37
Allied adjusted defense: 33
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 1)
Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), preparation(-), fatigue(-)
morale(-), experience(-)
Attacker: disruption(-)
Japanese ground losses:
135 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Allied ground losses:
100 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
15th Naval Guard Unit
16th Naval Guard Unit
8th JNAF Coy
Defending units:
Manado Garrison Battalion
Manado Base Force
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy does have a few more units at Mersing than I hoped!
An Indian Bde and a Cav Reg plus a few support units.
No hope to take them by surprise and our airborne insurgents failed in their rather optimistic coup de main.
Ground combat at Mersing (51,82)
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 2550 troops, 44 guns, 1 vehicles, Assault Value = 203
Defending force 3731 troops, 29 guns, 8 vehicles, Assault Value = 118
Japanese ground losses:
11 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
22nd Australian Brigade
3rd Cavalry Regiment
12th Indian Brigade
2nd HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
1st HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
Defending units:
Yokosuka 1st SNLF /1
91st Nav Gd /1
15th Ind. Engr Rgt /2
4th Ind. Engr Rgt /6
84th JAAF AF Bn /1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Mersing (51,82)
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 356 troops, 4 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 118
Defending force 5761 troops, 110 guns, 91 vehicles, Assault Value = 203
Japanese adjusted assault: 4
Allied adjusted defense: 67
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 16 (fort level 1)
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), op mode(-), preparation(-), fatigue(-)
experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)
Japanese ground losses:
197 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 20 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Allied ground losses:
13 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
91st Nav Gd /1
Yokosuka 1st SNLF /1
15th Ind. Engr Rgt /2
4th Ind. Engr Rgt /6
84th JAAF AF Bn /1
Defending units:
22nd Australian Brigade
3rd Cavalry Regiment
12th Indian Brigade
2nd HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
1st HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
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Supply Challenge
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