The invasion of Ceylon went pretty well. The first division landed pretty well (73% prep) and over a couple of days captured the base. This was aided by a 4BB ship bombardment that too some damage and a Catlalina that put a torp into the Nagato. Nothing too serious tho.
The big fun was the appearance in the Bay of Bengal of a large Royal Navy fleet. Four battleships and the carrier Illustrious. I've alreay sunk 2/3 RN carriers and a BB + BC. The allies really choose the wrong time for a sortie here, because the Bay of Begal is pretty small, especially if your consider that i have Port Blair and plenty of air search and ground based naval bombers in Burma/India.
I catch them after a couple of days at Cocanada. Unfortunately i only hit the Illustrious with bombs (damn you armoured flight deck) but i put multiple torps in 4 battleships, sinking 2 (Royal Sovereign and Revenge). The other two are now docked in Cocanada. The Illustrious escapes to the relative safety of Madras! The Japanese also get 1-3 CL's at Madras. Pretty bad knock for the RN. Since then i have launched some port attacks but only dropped bombs. They don't do much against aither the Illustrious or the 2 BBs.
What to do, i have a couple more CV's coming to the scene, fully loaded with torps. If i can get both the BB's and the CV it will neuter the RN and give me space to deal with the yanks . Madras may be an issue as i expect a lot of air defence to appear. Cocanada however doesn't have an airbase. I'd like to sink the 2 BB's here and then take out the Madras units.
The backup divisions land and i'm pretty sure Ceylon will fall quickly.
Overall i'm hopeful to conclude this operation by the end of August, so the KB can be redeployed towards Guadalcanal where i am expecting an allied attack soonish...
Green Circles indicate my main defense line. Defend the Jungles as air is much less effective here
Red Cirlces my current forward defence line
Yellow Circles - allied airbses.
When the time comes it will be a mass rail back to the prepapared defence lines. Engineers are constructing the forts. I need to keep an eye out for an allied move to cut the rail lines. This is however open terrain and i should be able to do significant damage should the allies try this. I however really don't want a bloody retreat across the open terrain so timing is going to be key here...... i think i have the advantage in AV at the moment, just not enough to attack with. I think i have 6ish divisions in India + the 4 in Ceylon. The 4 (in Ceylon) in my assessment were not enought o make the difference in India.
The allies were heard to have regarded an invasion of Ceylon as insane
Aircraft Attacking:
5 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
8 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
10 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
1 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 11000 feet
9 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
12 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 11000 feet
8 x B5N1 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
7 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
10 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 11000 feet
6 x B5M1 Mabel launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
9 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 11000 feet
5 x B5M1 Mabel launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
1 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 11000 feet
6 x B5N1 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
3 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
CAP engaged:
No.888 Sqn FAA with Martlet II (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 1 scrambling)
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 15 minutes
No.881 Sqn FAA with Martlet II (0 airborne, 2 on standby, 7 scrambling)
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 11000 and 15000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 31 minutes
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Cocanada at 41,37
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 160 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 60 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 41
B5M1 Mabel x 12
B5N1 Kate x 26
B5N2 Kate x 15
D3A1 Val x 31
Allied Ships
BB Revenge, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 6, and is sunk
CV Illustrious, Bomb hits 9, on fire
BB Royal Sovereign, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
Aircraft Attacking:
15 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
15 x B5N1 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
3 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
12 x B5M1 Mabel launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
11 x B5N1 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
8 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 11000 feet
4 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 11000 feet
6 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
4 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 11000 feet
10 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 10000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
CAP engaged:
No.888 Sqn FAA with Martlet II (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 1 scrambling)
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 8000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 19 minutes
No.881 Sqn FAA with Martlet II (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 2 scrambling)
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 15000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 22 minutes
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August the 8th, marks the first counterattack by the allies, an invasion of Guadalcanal. The Japanese Betties attempt to intervene but even escorted by Zeros they get chewed up pretty bad, as do the Zero escorts. Extended range and low altitude bad. I don't dee the US carriers covering the invasion but tey are there. I'd been expecting this for a little while, what with the KB located in the Bay of Bengal.
I'm not too bothered, hopefully it will take a little whilr to wheedle out the Japanese defenders, but really its not a strategic threat by a long shot. In the meantime i hope to finish off the RN fleet in being and then KB can come and stabilise the area, maybe even lead a counterattack.
Over in the Bay of Bengal, a BB+CA force bombards Madras, blows up a few bombers, puts a shell in Illustrious and shuts the airfield down. The main Japanese army marches into the centre of Ceylon in time to protect an understrength division from allied counterattack. I have 4+ divs on Ceylon. Hopefully enough but reinforcements will arrive as required.
The big issue is how to sink 2 BB's in a level 1 port and the CV in Madras. If my CV air won't launch torps i can't see how i will sink them. Trapped but nothing i can do????
maybe mini subs - if i can find which subs of mine carry them ? anyone know?
Naval bombardment? not really very many hits for the ammunition expended?
Its a bit silly if i can't sink 2 damaged BB's in a level 1 port with no aircover and the entire KB in range.
China progresses, Yenan falls. I think i'll just try and push into the central plain and conquer the place. Makes me feel better for all the Betties and Zeros i lost this turn!!
. Madras may be an issue as i expect a lot of air defence to appear. Cocanada however doesn't have an airbase. I'd like to sink the 2 BB's here and then take out the Madras units.
