Historical AE. Cantona2 (A) vs Fletcher (J)

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Jap Sub Hunting Grounds!

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Quiet war so far for USN carriers. Lexington and Enterprise have rendevoused off Canton Island and they will escort TF 188 to Australian and Fijian waters. TF 188 carries fighters and fuel for the Austrlaia and CINCPAC has given protection of this convoy the upmost importance.

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Meanwhile in San Diego Yorktown arrives to join her sisters in battle.

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Ships lost today. Here we see the ships lost to enemy subs.

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Turn Synopsis 19

Last day of 1941. Japanese forces make landfall in Kavieng and Kuching is heavly bombarded. Neither the coastal guns, nor the minefields nor the planes flown in yesterday had any effect whatsoever on the IJN's attack on Kuching. The result is a cratered and useless runway and a blazing and blasted base.

In China a Japanese attack opened the road to Changsha from the east as the blocking force was blasted out of the way. Changsha itself is strongly garrisoned and it is hoped that the attack on Nanyang will force the IJA to react and move troops away from its attack axes.

Ill be posting the losses and scores screens below.

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End of Decemeber scoreboard.

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Pick of allied pilots so far. Notice the nationality of both aces!

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Turn Synopsis 20

January 1942 starts with a bang as Japanese invasion fleets are spotted all over the Coral and Solomon Seas. Rabaul attacked, landings at Shortlands but most worringly of all enemy carriers spotted escorting a mass of shipping off Milne Bay on a north westerly heading. Most probable destination - Port Moresby and Horn Island. The whole of the eastern Australian sea board has been put on full alert.

The USAAF in the Philippines was able to exact some measure of revenge by ambushing enemy bombers over Cabantuan. 18 P-40es were able to shoot down nearly 20 fighters and bombers for no loss of their own. Successes have been few and far between but today the Japs were sent back with their tails between their legs.

Ramon claims he has lost a numbers of minesweepers off Kuching to coastal gun fire. I saw none of this in my combat reply unless it only appears on his. Despite this enemy troops make landfall at Kuching. The damage recevied to the supply dumps yesterday meant there was limited ammunition for the coastal defence guns.

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Turn Synopsis 21

Japanese landings all over the Solomons. Shortlands has been taken , so has Rabaul. Milne Bay will be taken tomorrow. As suspected enemy carriers are supporting the Port Moresby invasion in force. The storm broke over the positions held near the shoreline by the Gull battalion. Wave after wave of divebombers plastered the defenders. Immediate orders were sent to Sydney to postpone the departure of the 6th RAA Coastal Artillery until the carriers had left. A-24s at Cairns were put on alert but lacking any fighter cover it would be suicide to attempt to attack the enemy ships.

Further north, a mass of ships approached Jolo Island and two enemy recon planes were spotted over Ternate. A-24s have been moved from Darwin to Ambon and Kendari. Likewise the Houston has taken her consorts to Ambon and is standing by.

Kuching was occupied today and the free reign allied shipping had in and around the Java Sea will soon come to an end. It is a good thing that the 7th Hussars B Squadron has finished disembarking at Tjilitjap. A final reinforcement for Java that will come in unharrased by enemy aircraft.

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Turn Synopsis 22

A very interesting turn due to some events in China. Ill deal with them later.

Milne Bay falls under Japanese occupation as their encroachment of Australia continues. Inexplicably the KB nor the invasion forces move closer to Port Moresby, though the bad weather lept the flight decks closed. Minesweepers have been spotted by Catalinas, I think Ramon intends to sweep the base before he sends in his bombardment and transport units.

Cagayan now boasts an aerial HQ. B-17s out of Clark Field attacked several installations near the main air strip and SIGINT later decoded a message from the 21st Air Flotilla indicating an attack by four engined bombers. This meants that long range torpedo planes will soon be in operation from Mindanao. This coupled with the capture of Jolo Island will severley curtail ship movements in the DEIs.

Japan has almost achieved aerial superiority over Luzon. An uncontested raid on Manila harbour sunk most of the hulks left in port. The loss of the Canopus will also mean a longer trip by submarines to Singapore or Soerbaja to rearm. There are still about 20 airworthy P-40s on Luzon spread across Clark, Iba and Bataan. Like always the strategy is to pick and choose fights rather than wholesale sweep missions against the deadly cannons of the A6M2.

SS S-39 reports the sinking of an transport carrying fuel off Vigan while a Dutch sub reports the sinking of a destroyer off Kuching. Japanese submarines were also active. The Jupiter hit a mine off Singapore, just at the mouth of the Malacca Straits. The Jarvis also heavily engaged an enemy submarine off Canton Island.

CV Saratoga has taken on P-40s at Pearl Harbour and will ferry them to New Caledonia. Likewise the Yorktown has taken on Marine F2As at San Diego to ferry them to Christmas Island. She will later rendevous with the Saratoga to form Car Div 2. Car Div 1 (Lady Lex and Bug E) are currently steaming due east of Suva escorting a group of P-39s and tankers to Australia and New Caledonia. Sterling work by SBD pilots has kept Japanese submarine interdiction to a minimum. 47th Construction Battalion has also boarded transports enroute to Noumea.

Japanese activity over Ternate indeed auguers an invasion if this nugget from Commader Rochefort is to be believed. The message was passed to C/O of Houston Task Force.

3/16th Naval Guard Unit is planning for an attack on Ternate.

Ship losses today. Most at Manila. Interesting that the Kitakama has been sunk for the second time in as many weeks!!! Either FOW is at play again or she has succumbed to damage.

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In China, troops have entered Nanchang and after preliminary bombardments have been ordered to attack Japanese positions tomorrow. 88th Corps has been tasked with cutting the main road leading into Nanchang from the East. One thing I have noticed in China is the bad allocation of leaders for forntline units. I have made sure that all key Corps have been allocated a commander fit for a combat or assault unit.

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To the east of Nanyang two Japanese Brigades were routed by a three Corps group.

Ground combat at 86,45

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 24372 troops, 114 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 830

Defending force 7479 troops, 74 guns, 28 vehicles, Assault Value = 256

Allied adjusted assault: 535

Japanese adjusted defense: 259

Allied assault odds: 2 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: op mode(-), leaders(+), fatigue(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
2539 casualties reported
Squads: 53 destroyed, 36 disabled
Non Combat: 80 destroyed, 68 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 7 disabled
Guns lost 8 (6 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Vehicles lost 8 (5 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Units retreated 2


Allied ground losses:
495 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 44 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 30 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled


Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
29th Chinese Corps
90th Chinese Corps
92nd Chinese Corps

Defending units:
32nd/A Division
35th/A Division

I had made sure I had changed the leaders in these three Corps and the results are evident! Though superior numbers and op mode helped the cause. The 32nd Division has been split up into Brigades as it original crossed the river to the east as a composite unit.

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The Nanchang operations gain a larger strategic importance if we take a look at the situation around Changsha. The 40th Infantry Division was able to clear the road into Changsha two days ago. The city is well garrisoned and supported by the CAF and AVG. It is imperative that we hold here. Likewise at Changteh, where i have about 1700 AV. If I can capture Nanchang Ramon will have to move troops south a risk a threat on the flank of his supply lines. Around Ichang Ramon has moved troops north to clear the east bank of the Yangtze of Chinese troops while the 6th Infantry Division is still rooted to its bridghead. Incidentally both armoured units thrown back across the Yangtze have been identified attacking Chinese positions to the North of Ichang.

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Finally a shot of my sub deployments in the Yellow Sea. A very happy hunting ground...for DUD TORPEDO HITS.

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Turn Synopsis 23

A very exciting turn. Firstly a lot of submarine contacts. One non dud Mk21 hits a transport off mainland Japan and an S Boat hits the CA Ashigara squarely with two fish. No reports of either ship sinking but certainly the Ashigara was left gushing flames. The IJN subamrine arm was alos active, sinking the light transport Oriansky off Java.

China proved to be a very interesting theatre of war. Our assault in Nanchang went in and despite making initial ground, was beaten to a halt by the arrival of an extra Japanese brigade. THey enemy must have interpreted the halting of the attack as a weakness on our part an immediatley launched a counter attack with their fresh troops. This was bloodily repulsed. The commander of the 23rd Group Army ordered a full out assault for tomorrow. The aim is to conclude this campaign before the Japanese can reinforce their position.

Ground combat at Nanchang (85,54)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 19347 troops, 183 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 694

Defending force 12024 troops, 88 guns, 89 vehicles, Assault Value = 383

Allied adjusted assault: 440

Japanese adjusted defense: 300

Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 4)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 3

Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
452 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 25 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 29 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Allied ground losses:
334 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 40 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 39 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled

In the air over Wuchow Soviet made, Chinese flown planes once again were the scourge of Japanese planes. The I-16, the Rata of Spanish Civil War fame, shot down four enemy dive bombers as they attaced Chinese Army positions in Wuchow. The plucky little airplanes were able to put many Japanese pilots off their aim, no doubt shocked that such a small plane could be so effective.

As the skies of Port Moresby cleared of clouds they filled up with planes. Planes of the Kito Butai. Though a mass of flak was thrown up by the defending Aussie troopers, a large amount of casualties were inflicted on the defenders of Port Moresby. The intesity of the air raid was accompanied by the viscous and terrifying bombardment by three battle wagons of the IJN. The IJA 4th Infantry Divison was identified as the main force in the Japanese landing.

Further to the north west, B-17s out of Singapore were able to sink the destroyer Saigiri at its mooring in Kuching. The same destroyer hit by Dutch torpedoes a couple of days ago. A second Japanese destroyer was also struck by 500 lbers and left in flames.


Japan sends her submariners to do their worst in the Java Sea.

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The Rata bites in the skies over Wuchow.

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Extract from mission log SS S-36.

'...the enemy ship slid sliently across our prow. I immediately ordered tubes 1 through 4 flooded. The weapons officer gav me a firing solution and approximately at 07:42 a spread of four torpedoes left our boat. 3 minutes and 17 seconds later the sonar man reported the first explosion, followed by a second one 8 seconds later. No more explosions were heard. Instead sonar reported the churning of fast moving propellers as escorting destroyers vectored on our position. The first depth charges started to burst around our diving boat at O7:54....

...at periscope depth at approximately 14:00. I could see the enemy crusier in flames and gushing black smoke. A plethora of small craft making a second attack impossible...'

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The destroyer Case circled close by as the freighter Lahaina begun to transfer its cargo of food, water, ammunition, mail and medical supplies to the defenders of Wake Island. This isolated outpost had been bombed a mere few hours after the attack on Pearl Harbour. Since then it had been quiet. CINCPAC had other priorites and Wake was considered expendable, but at the first opportunity had run in a resupply convoy right under the noses of Japanese bases in the Marshall Islands. The most dangerous part of the mission started now, the unloading of a substantial amount of supplies using the primitive quays on Wake.

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Turn Synopsis 24

The darkest day of the war since 7th December. Port Moresby has been occupied by the Japanese. This means that they now have a base capable of hosting air attacks over Austrlaian soil! Furthermore landings were made at Horn Island. If the Japs occupy this base the Torres Straits are closed to all Allied shipping. To make matters worse Japanese carriers were spotted to the North East of Cairns. This is either a raid in force or a flank guard action. Ramon must know USN carriers are in the Noumea area due to the contacts made between SBDs and submarines. Whatever the case 25 transports were ordered to leave Brisbane and make for Melbourne. Townsville and Cairns are bracing themselves for enemy air attack. One squadron of A-29s has been ordered to strike at the enemy ships, though little is expected from them!

Nanchang was engulfed by a second day of viscious fighting as the Chinese infantry began to move into the urban centre of the city. The fighting was brutal and close up. Each house and each street was being fought for. By nightfall substantial gains had been made despite the losses taken. A number of Japanese stronpoints had been taken and the enemy was seen to fall back on the city centre.

Ground combat at Nanchang (85,54)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 18607 troops, 183 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 630

Defending force 11720 troops, 88 guns, 89 vehicles, Assault Value = 362

Allied adjusted assault: 444

Japanese adjusted defense: 168

Allied assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 3)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
433 casualties reported
Squads: 16 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 11 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Allied ground losses:
421 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 63 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 42 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

Fighting was also viscious in the air as well as the 2/AVG flew LRCAP over Nanchang and tussled with Ki-27s and hitherto unseen Ki-43s in the Chinese theatre of operations.

Morning Air attack on 21st Chinese Corps, at 85,54 (Nanchang)

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 34 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-27b Nate x 22
Ki-30 Ann x 10
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 8
Ki-51 Sonia x 24



Allied aircraft
H81-A3 x 4


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-51 Sonia: 1 damaged



Allied ground losses:
85 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Japanese Carriers off Cairns.

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Better news for the Allied forces further to the North. P-40s over Iba were able to ambush a number of unescorted enemy bombers and shot down 11 planes. Despite their dwindling numbers and facing a Japanese onslaught on the ground and in the air, these USAAF pilots were giving their all to win as many days as possible for the remaining forces elsewhere. Their noble sacrifice was being feted in the US across every single paper. Headlines yesterday celebrated the Hat Trick Aces of Iba as three USAAF pilots had claimed their 5th kills over Iba.



Dutch 139WH-3s made their first telling strike of the war and hitting a transport unloading at Kuching. The Japanese apparently were caught by surprise as there was no CAP on patrol and according to the pilots in the debriefing the ship was moored to a quay unloading equipment. Though they couldn't confirm its sinking they all reported the vessel on fire and listing.