Dasterly Deeds Done Dirty

[thegreatwent]

----February 7, 1942. Near Balikpapan the submarine KIX set up a kill shot on a Japanese AO. Sadly the torpedoes ran ahead of the ship, for her efforts KIX took damage from depth charging escorts.

At Soerabaja the KB attacked sinking two AMcs an AGP and the TK British Motorist.

The CL Leander was sunk outside of Noumea by the mini-KB.

[thegreatwent]

----Feb 8, 1942. AMc, TK, and AKL sunk at Soerabaja by the KB which seems to be moving north. Near Cam Ranhn Bay SS Pickerel absorbs a DC hit. I-1 continues to play hide and seek south of Pearl. Over PM P-40s continue to battle Zeroes.

[thegreatwent]

----Feb 9, 1942. The KB goes wild. Escaping west of Oosthaven the KB catches and sinks two AVPs, an AGP, a AS, a AR and several AMcs. Support capacity of the DEI is badly reduced. Salt in the wound involves the loss of Ambon.

[thegreatwent]

----Feb 10, 1942. Steaming north KB finds and sinks De Ruyter. Submarine S-36 fires two torpedoes at Zuikaku both miss and the ship spends several tense moments dodging the angry escorts. Malacca falls.

[thegreatwent]

----Feb 11, 1942. KB seems to have withdrawn north although scouts are still spotted. Buna falls in NG. The ability to operate ABDA forces while KB is present is nearly non-existent. Singapore still hasn't been brought under seige and Bataan continues to hold out. It is hoped that these forces are causing Japan some anxiety.

[thegreatwent]

----Feb 12, 1942. AKL Siberoet is torpedoed and sunk with all hands by I-162 near Taboali. The KB seems to have withdrawn or is camped out in a patrol blind spot.

[thegreatwent]

----Feb 13-14, 1942. KB returns to the south. Sinking several cargo ships attempting to reach Palembang. ABDA commanders issue evacuation alerts and plead for additional support. Coast watchers report two Japanese cruisers in distress near Goodenough Isle. Later radio intercepts confirm that both Furutaka and Aoba had struck MK XVII mines and had been lost. The mines concerned were thought to be some of those deployed near PM by Australian forces. If true then the disparity in cruiser losses was now much less lopsided.

[thegreatwent]

----Feb 16-17,1942. O-16 Torpedoes DMS W-6 near Sandakar. Nine Vildebeests and three Swordfish attack a convoy near Mersing. Three torpedoes hit but the three Swordfish are shot down by Oscars.

[thegreatwent]

----Feb 18, 1942. Nine Vildebeests sortie from Singapore to attack a convoy near Mersing. The are intercepted by a single Oscar. The Oscar empties its guns but fails to get a single kill. The TBs go into their attack runs and torpedo two transports. A third transport is observed burning and being abandoned by Army troops.

Over Port Moresby P-40s continue to try and intercept A6M fighters with limited success.

[thegreatwent]

----Feb 19, 1942. All undamaged Vildebeests are again ordered to attack the Japanese invasion force near Mersing. Fortune favors the foolish and a squall line provides cover for the heavy bi-planes. They skirt the defending Oscars and attack. Only two torpedoes strike home but the transport they hit quickly sinks with whatever troops and supplies it carries.

Nanning, in China, holds out against a shock attack inflicting nearly a thousand casualties. At Bataan PA and US defenders hunker down under an increasingly brutal barrage.


****Players note: One of my goals playing scenario two was to attempt a Bone in the Dragon's Throat defense. Historically Singapore only lasted until February 15th. I want to beat that date by three weeks. I consider this a achievable goal that will slow down even a pumped up Japanese Empire's effort to conquer Burma or perhaps make a lunge at India. Thus a "Bone in the Dragon's Throat". So far parts of the plan have come together in terms of supply and LCU's. The KB being around has badly disrupted my desire to gather small raiding squadrons of ABDA destroyers and some light cruisers. Submarine forces are deployed but are not acting as aggressively as I desire. Still I think it will be a fun early game challenge to see how long I can hold singers.

[thegreatwent]

----Feb 20, 1942. I-1 continues to hunt and be hunted south of Pearl. Intelligence reports indicate activity in the Aleutians.

The fiercest fighting of the day occurs at Bataan as the Japanese attempt an unsupported frontal assault. The dug in defenders lack little in terms of food, ammo or targets. As the sun sets the Japanese have lost three thousand troops for no gain.

[thegreatwent]

----Feb 21, 1942. As the shattered Japanese formations lick their wounds at Bataan, brave Vildebeest pilots agian attack. As their planes approach Mersing the clouds dissipate exposing the biplanes to the defending Japanese Oscars. Of the nine attacking planes only five manage to attack, hitting one transport. Four aircraft make it back to Singapore where one crashes while landing. Having lost half their number the Vildebeest pilots are told to stand down.

Fortifications facing landward in Singapore continue to be improved, the landings at Mersing quiet the boasts that Singapore will never be taken. They should have said "Never by sea."

[thegreatwent]

----Feb 22, 1942. Above PM the P-40's go one for one with attacking Zeros. At Mersing KXVI attempts a torpedo attack and is damaged by depth charges. Trailing oil she limps south. Near Dongalla a Japanese CA is spotted dead in the water. One wonders what happened as no reports indicated action in that area.

[thegreatwent]

----Feb 23, 1942. Near Dongalla the Japanese CA Kumano is dead in the water, the mystery deepens. Several Dutch bombers attack but score no hits.

Lagaspi falls.

[thegreatwent]

----Feb 24, 1942. In the Aleutians Warspite and the converted cruiser Prince Henry combine to sink six cargo vessels. Near Balikpapan SS-37 torpedoes the heavy cruiser Kumano. Japan has now lost at least three large cruisers.

[thegreatwent]

----Feb 25-27, 1942. The Japanese strike Derby sinking seven transprots and a AVP. Near Kiska the Shoho sends a strike that sinks a escort vessel.

[scott64]

Fast Forward to March 28th 1942 [:'(]

Ground combat at Rangoon (54,53)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 36370 troops, 443 guns, 97 vehicles, Assault Value = 1085
Defending force 5670 troops, 81 guns, 12 vehicles, Assault Value = 199

Japanese adjusted assault: 670
Allied adjusted defense: 137

Japanese assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Rangoon !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
1784 casualties reported
Squads: 16 destroyed, 97 disabled
Non Combat: 8 destroyed, 71 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Vehicles lost 3 (0 destroyed, 3 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
2790 casualties reported
Squads: 37 destroyed, 23 disabled
Non Combat: 111 destroyed, 59 disabled
Engineers: 23 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 25 (25 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 6 (6 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 9

Imperial Japanese Army has been at the doorsteps for the past two weeks [X(]

[thegreatwent]

Lets not get ahead of ourselves[;)]

----Feb 26 - Mar 5, 1942. A Japanese carrier force passes south of Java. During the next few days the mini-KB attacks the N. Australian coast from Port Hedland to Derby. The butchers bill includes three tankers an AVP and a small group of transports fleeing Java. At Finschhafen Albacores flying from the HMS Indomitable torpedo three transports. Hopefully this will slow down Japanese activity in the area. In the Aleutians the Shoho attacks and sinks the YP Kiska.

Singapore now faces Japanese armor and infantry units at her doorstep, she has already lasted two weeks past her historical demise. Meanwhile in China Pakhoi finally falls following a month long siege. Tacloban and Baybay also fall. Bataan, low on everything, withstands another week of air and artillery bombardments.

[thegreatwent]

----Mar 6-9, 1942. Japan begins a sustained air bombardment of Bataan. Over one hundred twin engine planes deliver their deadly cargo to the defenders, yet they fight on.

The ABDA suffers another defeat as carrier aircraft savage the light cruisers Tromp and Sumatra. The defense of Java is now a local priority as defenses in Australia are now being prepared.

[thegreatwent]

----Mar 10-12, 1942. Cape Gloucester falls, landings occur at Sampit, Samarang and Adak. The Japanese attempt a surprise all out assault on Singapore. While some outposts are overrun the Japanese quit the field leaving thousands of casualties in front of the dug in defenders. Similar attacks at Bataan and Rangoon are also rebuffed. Samrinda is taken unopposed by Dutch guerrillas on the 12th.