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

[cantona2]

Summary of latest troop movements and deployments:

NORPAC

210th Cst AA Rgt - deployed at Adak Island.
804th EOB - deployed at Adak Island.
130th FA Rgt - deployed at Adak Island.
2/151st Combat Engr Btn - prepping at Seattle for Adak Island.
203rd Cst AA Rgt - prepping at Seattle for Dutch Harbour.

CENTPAC

57th Cst Artillery - prepping for Efate at San Francisco.
34th Infantry Regimnet - joined other elements of 24th Infantry Division at Pearl Harbour.
34th Combat Engr Rgt - enroute to Midway Island.
113th USAAF Base Force - unloading at Palmyra.
147th FA Rgt - at Canton Island. 1 AG supporting ASW efforts.
161st Infantry Regiment - deployed at Christmas Island.
I US Amphibious Corps - deployed at Christmas Island.
8th Marine Regiment - enroute to Noumea.
206th Cst Art Regt - enroute to Efate.
198th FA Rgt - enroute to Noumea.
31st PG/39th PS (P-39D) - deployed at Noumea.
31st PG/HQ Sdn (P-39D) - deployed at Noumea.

Australia

7th Bomber Group (B-17E) fully deployed at Brisbane, Townsville and Charters Towers.
31st PG/ 40th PS (P-39D) - enroute to Brisbane.
31st PG/ 41st PS (P-39D) - enroute to Brisbane.
6th RAA Cst Art Rgt - abandoned move to Port Moresby, entraining at Brisbane for Townsville.
3rd RAAF BAse Force - enroute to Cooktown.
2/4th Ind Coy - deployed at Normanton.
45th Indian Brigade - deployed at Darwin.

Java

Empire Expeditionary Force
137/155th Field Rgt - deployed at Batvia
44th Indian Brigade - entraining at Tjilatjap for Buitenzorg.
B Sqn 3rd Hussars (Vickers Tankettes) - entraining at Tjilatjap for Buitenzorg.
Elements No 62 Squadron RAF (Blenheim I) - deployed at Batavia.
No 8 Squadron RAAF (Hudson I) - resting at Malang.

CBI

251st Recce BTn (18th Div) - deployed at Cox's Bazaar.
48th Gurkha Brigade (17th Ind Div) - enroute to Cox's Bazaar.
6th Heavy AA Rgt - entraining at Chittagong for Dacca.
85th British AT Rgt - deployed at Chitagong.
55th British Brigade (18th Div) - deployed at Chittagong.
21st Light AA Rgt - enroute to Imphal.
53rd British Brigade - resting at Silchar.
54th British Brigade - enroute to Imphal.
46th Indian Brigade - deployed at Imphal.
107th RAF Base Force - enroute to Imphal.
No 1 Squdron RAAF (Hudson I) - resting at Magwe.
35th Light AA Rgt - enroute to Chittagong.
No.232 (P) Squadron RAF (Hurricane IIb Trop) - enroute to Chittagong.
No 113 Squadron RAF (Blenheim IV) - resting at Bombay.
2nd Royal Tank Regiment (Stuart I) - enroute to Bombay.
No 139 Squadron RAF (Hudson IIIa) - enroute to Bombay.

[cantona2]

Turn Synopsis 31

There is little than can be done against the power of the KB in these early moves. Especially considering the dearth of fighters in Australia, someone certainly cocked that one up in 1941! At least the arrival of three provisional USAAF squadrons (P-40e) has begun to address the situation. Along with the two P-39d units and the 7th Bomber Group the USAAF now has a presence in Australia from which to take the fight to the Jap.

TF 164 reports the completion of its resupply mission to Wake Island and is now returning to Pearl Harbour. Likewise the Yorktown has delivered VMF-221 to Christmas Island and has also made a course for Pearl. It will refuel and then take an aggressive recon cruise around the periphery of the Marshall Islands, where the SS Argonaut has reported the successful mining of the approaches to Kwajalein.

The situation in China has also turned. Two Japanese units have started to infilitrate the Changsha-Nanchang road. Attacks will me made to eject them and the two cavalry corps sent to Changteh will redploy south as the threat to this last city has diminished. A terror raid was also launched today against the civil population of Kunming. 17,000 casualties and massive fires are the result of this terrorist attack by the IJAAF. The crack 17th Fighter Squadron has moved from Chungking to Kunming to fly CAP over the city.

The back of the remaning USAAF fighter sqaudrons in Luzon was finally broken today as 7 P-40's were shot down by a swarm of A6M2s over Clark Field. At the least the battered USAAF squadrons could take some solace that it took the best the Japanese had to offer to finally attrite them to a negligble force. A similar story over Singapore as the RAF finally conceded the fight for air superority in the face of the large numbers of Ki-43s, no doubt these will deploy north to Burma once Singapore has been invested.

Yet Allied fighters do not have cause to be too disheartend...

[cantona2]

Turn Synopsis 32

The invasion of the Dutch East Indies is about to begin. Japanese carrier forces have struck the Dutch base at Ambon, while two seperate enemy task forces have been spotted approaching from Mindanao and Peleliu. 5 A-24 Banshees have been moved to Manado from Ambon in the hope of managing a strike on the incoming enemy vessels.

KB Strikes Ambon



Enemy Task Forces Approach!



The struggle at Nanchang rages on. A fifth assault was beaten back and a Japanese effort at reinforcing the garrison was almost pushed back by the Chinese troops. Despite infilicting a great number losses a further brigade reinforced the Japanese position. Further to the west the IJA 40th Infantry Division tried to clear the road of Chinese troops, but these being dug in deep were able to resist all attempts and were bolstered that two Cavalry Corps and the 10th Infantry Corps from Changsha were on their way to reinforce their position.

[cantona2]

Turn Synposis 32

Lexington and Enterprise dock at Sydney. They have escorted 60,000 tons of fuel and a squadron of P-39 fighters all across the Pacific from Los Angeles. The USAAF now had a presence in Australia and if Japanese carrier pilots want to ply their trade in Austrlaian skies they can can do so at the USAAF's pleasure!!!!

Further to the north as the edges of the Japanese strom begins to lick the eastern fringes of the Dutch East Indies, USAAF dive bombers give a small reminider that in the face of great adversity the small, oppressed force will bite back!

[cantona2]

Turn Synopsis 33

The Japanese have made simulataneous attacks and landings on Manado and Abomn. Heavy surface units of the IJN pounded the coastal defence installations ahead of the approaching landing craft. The guns at Abmon valiantly fought back hitting a number of battleships and damaging one light cruiser. For the first time in this war Duth and Japanese forces came head to head. However despite all efforts the Dutch defenders could not stop the Japanese from making landfall at both locations.



The IJN had also deployed their main carrier force in support. Combat support strikes were launched aginst Manado, Ambon and also Ternate. The carriers had taken a central position in the Ceram Sea, just to the west of Batjan. As such it was easy to vector in submarines hunting for the carriers. SS Seadragon was soon shadowing the great Japanese armada but luck was against her as she couldn't find a firing plot on any of the enemy carriers. Her captain ordered for her to hold her positiona nd his patience paid off. As the main fleet moved off to the north, the sonar man reported a mass of propellor noises coming from the south. As the sub searched it found the source of the noise, the carrier's replenshiment fleet. Four torpedoes were fired at one oiler , which subsequently disappeared in a ball of fire. If these were the same carriers that had attacked Townsville, then a second bunkering ship full of fuel would not be transferring its cargo to the Japanese carriers.



As day dawned USAAF dive bombers were once again in action with a plethora of targets to choose from. The main strikes went in against the battlewagons pounding Ambon. Desptie the flak peppering the sky around them, the brave pilots of 91st Bomber Squadron at Kendari, dove down on the Fuso. Unfortunatley their bravery was not rewarded with any hits on the enemy ship. Similarly the HQ section of the bomber group based at Ambon failed to get any hits on the Yamashiro.

[cantona2]

Further to the east, intensive air search had located the presence of a Japanese pack of subamrines loitering in and around the shipping lanes bypassing Canton Island. Canton Island is being built up as a forward subamrine and ASW base and hosts an AG support ship that maintains a 3 DD hunter/killer group. They made sure that one enemy sub would find it hard to get home.



Meanwhile in Australia the 7th Bomber Group launched the first offensive missions by any USAAF aircraft from Australian soil. 7 B-17Es of 11th Bomber Sqaudron took off from Charters Towers and attacked enemy positions on the recently occupied Normanby Island. All planes returned safely from the raid. A well coordinated effort despite the distance to the target. A further raid by 9th Bomber Squadron in Townsville on the aerodrome at Port Moresby is planned for tomorrow.

[cantona2]

In China the IJA was succesful in its offensive against Wuchow, alomst obliterating a Chinese Infantry Corps defending the city. All units were routed and those still capable of action will conduct a rearguard action as the support troops fall back on Kweillin. Once again terror raids were launched against civilians, this time in Luichow where the stench of charred human flesh paid testament to the brutality of Japanese arms.

Further Japanese reinforcements marched into Nanchang as one exhausted Chinese Corps was withdrawn from the fighting. the 40th Infantry Division was once again repulsed with heavy casualties in its attempts to cut the Changsha-Nanchang road. The timely arrival of 10th Corps reinforced the defending infantry. When the two cavalry corps finally arrive attacks will be conducted to push the 40th Infantry back. A further Japanese victory was also claimed in the mountains to the north east of Loyang as 5,000 chinese dead were left on their slopes.

[cantona2]

Turn Synopsis 34

Japanese assaults on the eastern fringe of Dutch dominions continue. The first assault at Manado was beaten back and Ambon was once again bombarded by the Fuso and Yamashiro. Observers for the coastal guns suggest the Fuso was severely damaged by a salvo of 150mm guns that carried away some of the upperworks. The Fuso, nevertheless, led a charmed life as the three MK XIV torpedoes that hit her early in the morning failed to explode. A third Japanese convoy was also spotted entering the Ceram Sea on a south westerly heading. These ships, escorted by light carriers, are either the second echelon of the Ambon invasion or the invasion forces of Timor. The SS Seadragon carried on with its one sub crusade against the KB's replenshiment oilers. For the second day it hit another oiler, despite the two dud hits. Once again another fuel laden ship goes up in bright orange flames. If the carriers cannot be found, then their fuel line shall be severed. That makes three damaged or sunk oilers in this force. One off Townsville, the one yesterday and this one.

A new Japanese task force enters the Ceram Sea.


The SS Seadragon hits another AO despite the duds!

[cantona2]

The offensive at Nanchang has been called off. After 10 days of heavy assaults the order to withdraw came in the face of a stiffening of Japanese defences and the massive reinforcements arriving at Nanchang, the equivalent of one and one third of a division. Japanese incursions on the Changsha-Nanchang road also made this position somwhat tenuous. Yet the secondray aim of the offensive was achieved, the tying down of Japanese troops and the movement of troops into Nanchang rather than reinforcing elsewhere. For now the Nanchang Corps will wheel SW before turing towards the Changsha-Henyang Line.

Likewise the expected Japanese counter in the Kweisui region arrived at the first line of defence before the city. Messages from the 35th Infantry Corps reported enemy troop movements of about divisional strength. The assault was expected tomorrow and troops made ready.

[cantona2]

Elsewhere in the theatre:

The remnants of the units routed at Port Moresby have started to arrive at Buna where there is a small stockpile of supplies. Cadres will be evacuated by submarine in order to rebuild some of these units on the mainland. SIGINT suggests that the Japanese already have aircraft stationed at Port Moresby, which means that bases in Eastern Australia will soon come under attack. 20th Pursuit Squadron at Townsville has been put on alert and has made responsible for the airspace around its home base and Charters Towers.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff have looked very closely at the area of Espiritu Santo and the New Hebridies as possible staging points for future offensives. Efate and Lugnaville have great potential as sea and air bases and as such orders have been given to several units in the West Coast to prepare a move to Lunganville. The units initially earmarked for Efate have already been at sea for over a fortnight, while in San Francisco the 134th USA Base Force has started to load up on its transports then making way to Luganville.

VMSB-231 has loaded up on transports at Midway Island and will make its way to Pearl to uprgade its Vindicators to SBD-2s. Then it will move into the South Pacific to carry out ASW duties around Samoa. The Yorktown ahs finished refuelling and has added the Minneapolis and Penascola to her task force and will leave on an aggressive recon cruise of the Marshall Islands. In Sydney the Enterprise has upgraded VS-6 from SBD-2s to SBD-3s. It awaits the arrival of the Saratoga after she finishes her escort duties to form CAR DIV 1. Meanwhile in Sydney harbour the Lexington is still pumping out flood waters from the damage recevied off Noumea. She should be ready to travel back to the West Coast for a complete repair before the end of January.

[cantona2]

Turn Synopsis 35

Both Ambon and Manado still hold out against Japanese assault. The coastal defences at Ambon have managed to hit a number of enemy warships and transports. The main Japanese carrier force has retreated north but light carriers remain in the area. Squadrons associated with the main fleet carriers carried out a raid at Cebu, while hitherto unidentified A6M2s destroyed a 3 plane Dutch raid that tragetted enemy ships off Abmon. Aerial naval search later spotted a number of smaller carriers escorting a task force south west away from Ambonia, possible target Timor. Submarines are shadwoing these ships and are positioning themselves for ambush.



Japanese air terrorits were thwarted in their attempt to once again target the innocent civilians of Luichow. 2/AVG had been posted to this city after suffering losses over Nanchang. They were enrotue to Burma where crated replacements await them. As they were in transit they recevied warning of a number of incoming air raids. They shot down 17 enemy planes over the course of a days fighting for no losses. The most gratifying kills were those of a flight of Ki-21-IIas that targetted the suburbs in the south of the city. Furthemore 3 pilots claimed thier 5 kill of the war earning the Squadron the nickname of the Ace of Aces.

[cantona2]

Recon flights from Cairns over Port Moresby have spotted several Japanese task forces unloading at the base but have as of yet detected no CAP. An opportunity has arisen for the Enterprise Battle Group to carry out a raid at Port Moersby and then on Japanese installations at Horn Island as she awaits the arrival of the Saratoga. Enterprise left Sydney yesterday and was steaming past Brisbane into the Coral Sea.

[cantona2]

Turn Synopsis 37

The war moves a couple of days forward.

Ambon finally fell after two days of protracted assaults. Manado still holds but reinforcement convoys have been spotted heading towards the base. Tarakan has also been bombarded by a CA force and surely Timor must be the next target. Darwin has finally repaired all the damage received during the carrier attack on it while 6,000 tons of supplies from Soerbaja are only a few days out.

Terror attacks continue in China. Most of Luichow city centre is a mass of gutted ruins, depsite the defence put up by the 2/AVG. If the enemy intends to crush the Chinese will to fight he is much mistaken as the charred bodies of children will only serve to bolster the determination of our troops and steel their fighting spirit. That said the Nanchang Corps successfully disnegaged and pulled the final rearguards out of the city. They will now much westwards before wheeling north east to new positions on the Changsha-Nanchang road.

8th Marine Regiment has arrived at Noumea and will provided the first standing garrison for New Caledonia. CV 3 Saratoga has officially been detached from escort duties and will steam north into the Coral to provide flank support for the Enterprise as she raids shipping off Port Moresby. The next priority reinforcement for Noumea is a squadron of search planes to scour the sea for enemy submarines.

[cantona2]

Orders for CV 6 Enterprise

Full alert has been called for 4:30 am as ship enters enemy controlled waters to the south of Port Moresby. 3 planes each from VB-6 and VS-6 will carry out search missions while the remaining planes in each squadron bomb up for any naval strikes. VF-6 will maitain a CAP over the task force while allocating 20% of its strength to escort any strikes. All AA stations to be manned during the hours of daylight.

[LoBaron]

Admiral "its not detailed if I don´t have 149 xls sheets" Fletcher is a very cunning opponent, I´m sure this will be tough.
 
Good job on the AO´s cantona. Every ship you hit hurts Japans strategic movements.
 
Are you sure you can risk an attack on PM with a single CV? First thing I do after conquering PM as Japan ist stacking anti-naval
assets there to counter something similar to your move and close the Torres strait. How is your intel on PM currently? Still enough damage?

[cantona2]

ORIGINAL: LoBaron

Admiral "its not detailed if I don´t have 149 xls sheets" Fletcher is a very cunning opponent, I´m sure this will be tough.

Good job on the AO´s cantona. Every ship you hit hurts Japans strategic movements.

Are you sure you can risk an attack on PM with a single CV? First thing I do after conquering PM as Japan ist stacking anti-naval
assets there to counter something similar to your move and close the Torres strait. How is your intel on PM currently? Still enough damage?

Thanks for the comments LoBaron

Ive been reconning PM since he captured it and no evidence of planes based there or on CAP. I have also conducted several B-17 raids on PMs airfield from Australia and no fighters have intercepted them. I think I may have a small window of opportunity to strike at his shipping there before he can set up a Betty nest at PM. So fingers crossed.

[cantona2]

Turn Synopsis 38

The Enterprise found nothing. In a classic case of bad timing Japanese ships were spotted moving north west through the Torres Straits and out of range of her SBDs. They will hit Port Moresby's airfield tomorrow before Enterprise heads south once again. A massive disappointment was felt by all on board.

It has also been a bad day for the fliers of the various volunteer groups. 8 aircraft were lost in combat across Burma and China. Despite their experience, the pilots are outmatched by the Ki-43c, especially over Pegu where the 1/AVG has suffered heavy losses in two days of intense action. 2/AVG has been withdrawn from Luichow, that burns in agony, to Chungking. These losses have been compounded by the heavy aerial attacks suffered by Singapore. Aircraft attacked from Borneo and the Malayan mainland. All told nearly 150 aircraft over three raids hit the port and city areas hard. Sterling work by RAF Buffaloes could not prevent heavy damage in the dry docks and port service areas. There is no doubt that this is the softening up before the inevitable overland attack.

The Japanese have also started mopping up on eastern Borneo capturing Sambas and making landfall at Tarakan. The noose on Java is starting to tighten. Manado survivies one more day in the face of a strengthend Japanese attack.

Singapore under the cosh!

[cantona2]

Happier news was reported by the skipper of the SS O-24 who reported the hitting of a Japanese cruiser off Tarakan. Further success was reported off Kuching with the sinking of an enemy destroyer by another Dutch submarine.

[LoBaron]

Nice hit on the Atago.

How fast do you think Fletcher can turn KB in your direction?

[cantona2]

Yet there was one bit of news reported from the north of the theatre that saddened many of those who heard it. The AMC Prince Robert was sunk by an enemy submarine to the west of Victoria. Despite being deep into enemy waters for three weeks, successfully evading all attempts to seek and sink her and engaging and destroying an enemy convoy she went down with all hands close to home as she returned to repair the damage suffered after being at sea for so long in such arduous conditions. A sad loss indeed and one the RCN was eager to avenge.