Bettys in the sky with diamonds- Gladiatt (A) vs John_Smid (J). No John please

[gladiatt]

hope it will make sense for readers.

In the above, the allies; in the bellow, the japanese points known so far.
By type: base vp, aircraft (ac), troops on ground (grond) and ships (shp). The vp are global cumulated, but also monthly on the second line of each type.
There is a counting (yellow line) excluding the base vp.
Next post i hope will be more clever, it will be graphs.

[gladiatt]

Here are 2 graphs.
The first one is the monthly global amount of VP each opponant made.
The second one is detailled by type.

There are many things that can be seen: i am no longer earning VP for losses of japs ships ( i hope it will change);
The airwar is on my side, but the incoming of new japs fighters has cause me troubles.
On ground, my victory at Koumac is quite evident; also the war in China cost a few troops to the japs, but can't give me victory here (and even earning a lot of VP for the japs, although less than the great defeats in DEI/Malaya/Philippinas ).

Let's hope things will change in 1943 (and i am still not in January).

[thegreatwent]

Curious to see how this plays out. Good Luck.

[gladiatt]

ORIGINAL: thegreatwent

Curious to see how this plays out. Good Luck.

Although Rtrapasso stated that i should in the long run win, i have the desperate feeling of being unable to really harm the japs for now (good examples are China/Burma/New Guinea fronts).
KB is lurking south of Fiji and East of New Zealand since nearly one month now, and it close my LOC between West Coast and Australia, stopping the supply/troops flow, and this is really slowing my rate of avalaible operations.
I feel that i need to nail and hurt KB before anything else....a very difficult task.

Thanks for reading.

[gladiatt]

1st - 7th DEC 1942

SOPAC

Gili Gili is bombarded every day (400 sorties in 7 days). 3 japs patrol planes are destroyed on ground, and 9 supply hits are scored. On 3rd DEC, 5 zeros try to give CAP; 3 are downed for 2 Kittyhawk, 1 Vengeance and 1 beaufort.

Port Moresby, on 2nd dec, MSW Whyalla is fired at by SS RO-67; the torpedo miss and no counter strike come from the small ship.
On 4th dec, a raid of 25 zeros and 6 betty encounter 22 Kittyhawk and 4 P-38 on CAP. For the losse of 2 allied fighters, 15 zeros and 1 betty are downed, and target, MSW Bungaree, escape without harm.
Another raid on 7 th dec cost the jap 10 zeros and 1 betty for no loss; 75th, 76th and 77th RAAF are finaly providing correct cover.

Efate is under constant bombing. 276 sorties by Marauders and B-24 from Noumea, with just 6 supply hits.
A TF of several japs subs ( 3 or 6 according to the day of spotting) is spotted at Efate. Ressuplying, surely. Evacuating or reinforcing ?
No japs subs are hit by my patrol planes (SBD and B-25)....[:(]
Also 47th FS on P-400 made straffing runs to improve exp level.

Luganville On 4th dec, 90 zeros and 45 bettys launch a raid from Guadalcanal against a resupplyng TF of 7 AK.
A CAP of 37 allied fighters face the raid. Disapointing, as i got 120 fighters at this base....25 zeros are downed for 24 allied fighters. 8 torpedos hits are scored against 5 AK.
On 5th dec, the japs launch another raid. This time the japs launch no less than 103 zeros (and 29 betty), against 36 allied fighters; damn, why so few, with 80% on CAP i should gather 80 planes !!
15 allied fighters are destroyed for 34 zeros and 1 betty. VMF 121 on F4F fight badly. 47th FS loose 5 planes and pilots. The exp level, wich raised from 61 to 65 in 3 weeks dropped to 60 when adding new pilots [:(].
Of the 28th attacking betty, 7 score a torpedo hit. A high rate indeed. 4 AK are badly hurt, and 1 sink. Of the supply on board of the 7 freighters, less than 2000 is unloaded in the base.
Still the same comment : the japs bombers ALWAYS GET THROUGH, and supplying forward base cost me too much ships.
On 6th dec, this TF sail back toward Noumea is catch by 13 betty out of LRCAP range; 4 hits on the AK , one sinking, and 5 others are on the way of sinking...




ON 2th DEC, far east of New Zealand , AVD Heron is hit by 11 Kate scoring 6 bombs hits. The ship sink 2 days later, providing a sad intel on the location of KB. All convoys in the area are rerouted at full speed.
On 6th dec, one of my sub trying to find KB is spotted by a Val.
The lenght of time that KB lurk here make me think that HE is sailing with AO. Spending few air sorties, it could stay there for a long time. NO way i can hurt HIM : my subs don't spot the ships, and my CV are still repairing in WC; even if i manage to gather the US CV, it could only mean 4 CV against a unknow number of japs carrier.
For the future, the loss of Nukufetau, Funafuti and Nanomea give a wider gap for KB to enter of exit my LOC.

TIMOR
The 13 japs units on Timor surely walk slowly toward the base of Koepang. This base is pounded daily roughly 130 sorties each days. Subs evac have started, but with only 3 damaged subs avalaible in the area it will only be a small part.
A TF of 2 DE is spotted on the south coast of the island, but no attack is launched by my Hudson squadrons although they are in range. This place is doomed, as many others.

PHILIPPINAS
Iloilo bombed daily by 20 sallys or so.

[gladiatt]

1st - 7th DEC 1942

BURMA

Pagan siege is too long as the japs press on the south of Irrawaddy (see below).
As usual, the weather greatly reduce the numbers of bombing missions that should have been conducted and that could have helped me there (did i ever tell you that i HATE Weather ? [:@] ).
The raids on Pagan gather 342 sorties on troops and base (thus trying to reduce supply, 6 hits scored in the week).
This could have been no less than 200 bombers per day, so meaning 1700 sorties !!! what a waste of power.
Also 457 RAAF sq on Kittyhawk fly LRCAP on Pagan, and intercept 2 Hickory (probably not enough according to the 250 auxiliaries spotted on Rangoon and Moulmein Airfield that are probably supplying the place).

The place is attacked on 3rd, reducing fort to level 6; 400 jap casualties for 1400 allied. The 4th, trying to recover disruption.
5th, 6th, 7th , attacks drop the fort to level 3. The total amount of casualties is 1300 japs and 14 guns for 3100 allies and 50 guns and 8 vehicules.
Probably too late to destroy the japs here.

On Irrawaddy the airbattle rage on. I try to LRCAP my troops and Jan try to disrupt them.
The japs loose 16 fighters and 3 bombers; i loose 18 fighters (14 of them being P-38) and 4 bombers. And the old P-40B is acting better than the P-38 [X(] (exp level and distance are THE SAME ! ).
The Tonys are real killers. The fact that Jan manage to muster 60 planes when i barely manage to have 10 cant help me.

On 5th dec, a first wave of japs troops cross the Irrawaddy, triggering a shock attack failing to succeed (odd 0/1) at dislodging my troops.
I had hopped that the jap disruption could be high, and decide to launch a counter strike on 6th dec. But the japs send a second wave (one div). This shock attack also fail at 0/1, and my own counter attack fail at 0/1.
But with 900 AV japs against my 300 AV, there is little luck that i could stand for long; and furthermore if my bombers refuse to fly or don't get through the japs CAP.
Thus the efforts on Pagan seem vain. I probably should fall back to Mandalay now, before some catastrophic results.
Once Pagan will be relieved, the japanese OOB in Burma will gather 4 Div, 4 brigades, 2 Tk reg, and several arty and AA.
Too much to resist [:(].

[gladiatt]

ANDAMAN

Same comments as for Luganville: resupplying forward base is TOO costly.
On 7th dec, a convoy of 7 AK try to enter the place under bad weather. But he bettys have eagle eyes and spot the ships.
2 raids are launched:
- the first one gather 25 zeros and 31 bettys facing 17 allied fighters. All allied squadrons fight well. 20th Sq (Hurricane II) down 5 zeros and 1 bettys; F2-VI-Groep (Hawk75) down 1 zero [X(][&o] , AVG/C down 5 zeros. 2 allied fighters are downed: FLT Baker of 20th sq (18 kills) is wounded; and Major Boyington of AVG/C score 2, reaching 16 , and is also wounded.
3 AK are hit by 5 torps !

- the second raid gather 28 zeros and 12 bettys. For the loss of 1 P-40, 3 zeros are destroyed, the bomber get through [:@][:(] and score 3 hits. 1 AK sink.
The resupplying runs are way too costly, and i sometime think i could be scarce of freighters before the end of the war....and giving too much VP to my opponant.

Subs patroling the Bay of Bengal are one after the other hits by patrol planes (3 in 7 days), and must sail back toward some dock yards.

[gladiatt]

CHINA

Kweiyang
The japs bombard the city by land. The pounding can raise to 300 chinese casualties per day. Even if no attack is made, i decided to stop the building of forts (level 2 now): the rising is too slow and it only burn supply in a place that is already scarce (well, all China is scarce).
The chinese artillery make nearly no japs losses. My bombers flying 55 sorties from Yunan or Chungking try to support the place by bombing the japs troops. But the results are weak. But i must stop my raids : on 3rd dec, a LRCAP of 10 Tony down 5 chinese bombers and 2 Polykarpov. Than on 5th dec, a LRCAP of 8 Tony down 3 chinese bombers, 2 chinese fighters and 2 P-38 of AVG/A for no japs loss [:@][:(]. AVG/A is so depleted that it is sent back to India.

The japs are making flank manoeuver around the north of the city.
My troops south of Kweiyang walk way toooo slowly. Don't know if they will survive (WHO start to sing Gloria Gaynor).

ICHANG is nearly surrounded. The chinese troops in the area are pounded by air, but the japs are avoiding the city itself, probably because 605th Sq on SpitVb seem a bit costly for them.
I cannot put LRCAP everywhere, so Jan have the choice of his target.

CHUNGKING
I was hopping i could delay the japs for some time in the moutain ridge just south of the city.
My chinese bombers even received the reinforcement of a B-24 squadron (transfered from India) to bomb the japs troops.
But on 7th dec, a shock attack reach odd of 8/1, breaking the line. Hey, i thought the moutain were giving a X4 on assaut value for the defender ?
So i in fact barely win 7 days. In a game lasting 5 years, this is too short.
Now the siege of Chungking is about to start.

The power of the jap is so huge it can threaten all at once: Kweiyang, Ichang, Homan (by flanking manoeuver made by quick tank regiments) and Chungking.
Still unable to guess how many time i can resist. Rtrapasso stated that a siege of Chungking can last a year, but i am betting on a 3 to 4 weeks delay at the most (no offense mean against Bob, just the fact that the japs is HEAVILY powerful by now).

[gladiatt]

KB was last seen on 6th december, due east of New Zealand, hunting my convoys.
Since then, no sighting !
Not even a patroling sub spotted by a Val or a Kate. No nothing.

The map below show where KB could be : a huge area. Some choke point are covered by patrol planes (green circle) , and it is difficult to believe that KB could get through without being spotted. But the rest....KB could sail freely and fall unsuspected on a convoy, or worse, on warships trying to reach Sopac.
So for now, all ships are to be headed for Pearl until someone spott the Monster ....

[1275psi]

Don't panic with your situation
This is stock right?

You get corsairs soon - then its a whole new ball game ..............expect once it gets rolling to knock down 20 to 1

[gladiatt]

1275psi, thanks for support [:)].
And of course thank you to those who gave advice requested.

8th - 15th DEC 1942

CHINA

Ichang
As soon as 10th dec, a jap division start to shell the city. Others troops converge toward the city. On 15th dec, the japs OOB is one division (28th) and 2 bdes. Supply is (how surprising) scarce here. A C-47 squadron start to lift supply in Ichang, but 60 daily is a small water drop in the ocean of scarcity.
On 12th dec, the north pincer close the surrounding of Ichang. An entire jap division repulse and throw away the chinese corps that tried to keep the road open: a shock attack cause 1700 jap casualties for 1000 chinese.
The "Ichang Pocket " also include 2 others hex where chinese corps are hammered by japs planes or artillery.
SW of Ichang, the chinese 82th corps suffer 6 deliberate attack and 2 shock, causing an amount of 300 chinese casualties. The corps, trapped by the surrounding ZOC can not retreat, but has not surrender....Yet.
A bit north of it, just West of Ichang, the same fate await 79th corps. Shell each day by a japs division, it is not more able to keep the road to Chungking open, and furthermore with the closing of the north pincer.

Around Kweiyang , the chinese Ilyouchine 4C try to harass the japs thrust forming a north pincer (like at Ichang), but scoring too few results each day.

South of Chungking, in the moutain ridge, my chinese troops fight several rear guard combat, with heavy losses on my side, but delaying the march of the 10 japs division gathering 220 000 men.
The trick is that i ordered troops to walk south, but scattered, they reach the hex one after the others, forcing the japs to laucnh déliberate attacks to clear the road. This tactic cost me 2600 chinese soldier, but had so far delayed the japs 6 days before reaching Chungking.

On 14th december, North of Sian , AVG/A, back in China, ambush a jap training run: 8 Nates out of 32 are shoot down for no allied losses. This is a way to exact a toll for this way of training pilots.

[gladiatt]

TIMOR

Koepang After months of pounding, the allies troops here are no more combat worthy.
On 11th dec, the japs shell the place to gain insight of my forces. With 815 japanese Assaut Value, against my 15, the japs no longer hesitate.
On 12th december, they launch a deliberate attack. The sorties of 20 Hudson causing 40 casualties can give no real help to the defenders, and at the end of the day, my troops surrenders (2900 casualties). The evacuated troops by sub or AK amount to roughly 700 mens.

[gladiatt]

8th - 15th dec 1942

SOPAC

New Guinea: at Gili Gili, my planes manage to shoot and straffe some japanese AG, but only one is sunk.
The airfield and the port are bombed on a daily basis (except when weather prevent it) to keep it close.

On 9th dec, a jap TF is spotted south of Milne Bay (probably willing to raid Port Moresby harbor). 5 japs DD are spotted and attacked.
Despite 50 sorties of Beaufort, Boston, and Mitchell, only the B-25 at 100 feet manage to hit the japanese ships.
DD Akikaze recive 8 shells hits with no obvious damage. DD Minekaze is set afire by 8 shells and 1 bomb, but no sign of sinking has come since : the DD had probably reach Rabaul to repair...

South of Fiji : after the vanishing of KB on 6th dec, seveals subs are send on a wide area to try to spot it.
At last, on 15th dec, SS Nautilus sailing back to Auckand for fuel is sighted by a Dave recon plane !
If this is not KB, at least some surface TF is in the area.
In fact (teaser) the next day won't have any other spotting.

Funafuti. SS Growler attack, on 9th dec, 2 japs MSW cleaning the mines laid there patiently by my subs weeks ago.
But the entire salvo miss it's target.
Having been sighted, i decide to send SS Growler to Nukufetau. Furthermore, Funafuti is now clear of mine, not Nukufetau.
On 14th dec, SS Growler once again fire a salvo against the japs MSW .... AND MISS.
I think once the sub will reach a port, i will send the crew on basic training, and Skipper will be send in a desk in a very remote and frozzen place [:@].

[gladiatt]

8th - 15th DEC

BURMA

Andaman
On 8th dec, 9 japs raiders DD enter the port, avoid my local sub ( [:@][:@] ) and sink 6 AK before they unload all their freight.
(See previous week, this TF was already attacked by air without success).
But DD Hatsu hit a mine and burn. Not enough to sink the ship, it reach Victoria Point, where it will be patched before sending in Singapore [:@]. Once more, i am unable to harm the japs ships....

Pagan
On 8th dec, Jan ambush me: a sweep of 31 Tony come and bag 3 Demon and 1 Kittyhawk that where on LRCAP (trying to catch the japs transport planes supposed to supply the place).
On 9th, a fight above Pagan cost 15 Tonys for 6 allied fighters. My Mitchell from Akyab come unharmed, bombing jap 56th bde.
On 8th, my troops keep on attacking Pagan in a desperate attempt before the japs break the front line on the Irrawaddy.
And on 9th dec, a SMALL VICTORY: my troops capture Pagan.
The surrounding was not complete, and the 28 japs unit find a path of retreat to the west, thus escaping the destruction i was seeking.
My manoeuver is partly failed.
But, with 200 ground victory points, i suppose (hope) that many gun squads are lost.
The allied troops find no less than 17000 supplys in Pagan: so much for trying to starve the japs here [X(][8|].
The last attack let my troops in such a state of disruption that except 5th Indian Div and 7th Arm bde, the combat value of the others units are near 0 !
From time to time, light bombers (Blenheims or Wellingtons) try to harass the retreating japs.

ON IRRAWADDY
8th dec, i was willing to clear the sky above my blocking forces. But 2 squadrons of 23th FG did not manage to coordinate [:@].
The first sweep of 20 P-40B down 5 Tojo for no loss. The second sweep of 18 P-40E face 10 Tonys, and lost 7 planes for 3 Tonys.
The P-40E act worse than the old P-40B [X(]. New does not seem to mean better ! Just let me handle the industrial allied outputs, and i close all fighters factory, to concentrate only on the good old P-40B !!

This 8th dec, after the bombing by 126 japs bombers, the japanese troops launch an attack at 2/1 wich only manage to repulse Chinese 1st Tk Reg, but my british brigades hold the place.
On 9th dec, the japs still try to repulse me, a shock attack reach 2/1 odd, cause 750 japs casualties for 250 allied troops, and don't repulse me.
On 11th dec, 3rd Carabiniers (Col Lejeune) launch a local attack. It only reach odd 0/1, wich i knew, but cause 100 japs casualties for 50 allied, and the idea was to strike a little blow on the japs.
A jap raid on my position encounter a CAP of P-38. 4 Lightning are destroyed for 16 japs fighters. A sweep of 23 P-40B down 8 japs fighters for 6 allied.

On 12th dec, the incoming of another jap div (18th) trigger a shock attack at 2/1 wich once more fail to repulse me.
The jap AV reach 1340, the allied 280.
Japs OOB in Burma is now impressive: 3 div, one bde, on Nav Gd on Irrawaddy; 2 div, 3 bdes, 2 Tk reg, several AA and Arty units retreating from Pagan.
A raid of 40 Liberators unescorted is ambushed by a CAP of 30 Tony. 20 Liberators are downed. And another sweep cost me 5 P-40 for 1 Tony.

On 14th, the jap launch another deliberate attack, odd reach 1/1, and cause 1100 casualties for 600 allied.
The 7th Arm Bde arrived (from Pagan) just in time to help repell the attackers. As the disruption level of the allied armored unit is quit good, i decide to launch an attack with only these units on 15th. The attack only reach 0/1 but score 500 japs casualties for 90 allieds.

[gladiatt]

AKYAB

This base is running low on supply: the activity of this base is quit high and suck a lot of supply.
Hence, i have to send another convoy to the base, with the knowing of the probably futur loss of freighters....
On 12th dec, a raid of 84 zeros and 17 bettys face my 28 fighters. 24 zeros are downed for 12 allied planes. 3 AK are hit by 5 torpedos. SLDR Turner of 615th sq (Spit Vb) score 6 kills (reaching 20) !! But he is wounded and bail out before being send to hospital.

On 13th dec, 2 raids are coming.
First raid gather 23 zeros, 6 tojo, 14 betty and 46 sally, and face 38 brits fighters and 19 P-38. 4 brits fightes are shoot down for 14 japs fighters and 8 bombers. 4 AK are hits by 9 bombs.
The second raid gather 14 zeros, 2 tojo and 12 sally, facing 20 allied fighters. 4 japs fightes and 2 sally downed for 2 allied planes. 2 bombs hits on AK. The amiunt of supply burn inside the ships, and lost, is near 15000.

14th dec is major effort for the japs.
A first raid come from Victoria Point. 20 zeros, 3 bettys face 19 brits fighters and 8 Lightning. No allied planes are downed, no allied freighter is hit, for 8 japs planes destroyed.
A second raid gather 117 zeros (!) and 32 Bettys. This time, 8 brits fighters are downed and 4 AK hits by 6 torpedoes, but it cost the japs 25 zeros.
Global loss for these 3 days of raids: 36 allied fighters; 74 japs fighters and 11 bombers.
Still, it is always costly to resupply this place. 2 AK sink at the end of the day, and 2 others will sink on 15th and 16th dec (and 4 others are so badly hit that it could lead to their future loss); in term of victory point, as each allied AK is worth 10 VP, this is not a bad trade for Jan.

ON 14th dec, 10 Beaufort from Andaman attack a TF of 7 ships (probably aiming Akyab) and score no hits. On 15th, 5 Beaufort make another attack, still scoring no hits. This being far away from the incredible rate of 25% or 30% hits rates of the bettys (and my crew have a average exp of 74 for this squadron).

[gladiatt]

RANGOON

As the japs planes are busy attacking Akyab, i decide to launch a raid on Rangoon.

14th dec, a first raid of 57 B-25 and 15 B-24 encounter no opposition, and manage to score 17 hits on the airfield, 48 on the runway, and destroying 23 planes on ground.
A second raid of 80 4E face 4 Tojo and 44 Tony. Despite the loss of 13 bombers (and 40 damaged), my LBA manage to shoot 6 Tony and damaging 32 others. The 50' cal gunners are able to achieve result, despite the 1 armor rating of the Tony. 7 hits on airbase and 68 on runway are scored, and 25 planes are destroyed on ground.
With so much zeros downed at Akyab and so much Tony damaged, i decide i could give another day of attack.
On 15th dec, weather ground my Mitchells from Akyab [:(]. But 47 4E from Dacca attack Rangoon. 2 B-24 are downed by the CAP of 3 Tojo and 9 Tonys. 1 Tony is shot down. The raid destroy 21 planes on ground, and score 51 runway hits.


The BURMA THEATER this week costed 91 allied planes for 203 japanese planes.

INDIAN OCEAN
Luck ? Skill ? Karma ??? Once more, Jan manage to have a surface TF crossing the path of allied ships (how does he manage this ?).
3 allied AK, far too close from Sabang (damn stupid pathfinding), encounter BB Ise, Yamato, CA Kako and 9DD.
Should i really tell the outcome ?
Only good news: these freighters were empty and had the time to achieve their missions.
This TF is not seen on nexxt days.

[gladiatt]

do you think Skipper of SS Growler had heard about being send in a remote and frozen place ??

[gladiatt]

16th - 23th Dec 1942

CHINA

Kweiyang
On 17th dec, the jap trigger a shock attack on the "back" of the city, trying to close the road between Kweiyang and Kunming.
It fail.
The chinese troops south of the Yuan Jiang River are stuck in their move, unable to make one more mile each day !
This is, in my humble opinion, a damn bug that will kill me ! These troops are pounded daily by 80+ lba having milk runs missions and easy experience (there are strong escorts there, so no ambush from my fighters for now).
On 18th, the jap trigger another shock attack with a second division , trying to trap all the troops in Kweiyang. There are too many Stalingrad in China to my taste [:(].
On 23 th dec, AVG/A made a sweep in the sky above Kweiyang with 19 planes, wich manage to shoot 10 Tojo and 1 Tony for no allied losses.



Chungking
On 17th, the japs scouts reach the suburb of the capital. 2 shattered cavalry corps try to repulse them, but the incoming of 8 japs div (soon to be 10) mean the failure of the try.
The siege start.
There are nearly 30 chinese corps here, but only 5 of them are roughly at 100% strengh. Most of the others are respawned (at 1/3rd strengh), some even more depleted (some at 8/100). Supply is below 20000 (du to air activity ?).
But the whole week (from 16 to 23) seen NO casualties from jap artillery, while mine made roughly 1000 casualties in 8 days.
The chinese bombers made a few sorties, hindered by the weather grounding too often my planes. No sign of jap CAP for now.
And the results on ground are too slight to really make a difference.

[gladiatt]

CHINA part II

Ichang
On 16th dec at Ichang, first appearance of the Nick night fighters. Probably on a raid on the airbase ? 8 out of 9 get damaged.

On 18th dec, i managed to gather 4 corps (in various state, but far from 300 AV value of 100% strengh corps....more like 200 AV for the 4 corps gathered) and to counter attack the jap 13th Tk Reg north of Ichang that closed the North Road; the tnak regiment is repulsed (loosing 8 vehicules [8|] ). But then, the exploitation is....tooo.....slow !
On 20th, before the rescue could come from my efforts, chinese 79th corps surrenders after the continuous blow received. 11000 mens are POW; ouch. Another "Kessel" fall....
At least, i hope Jan would admit that i did try to give a fight in China.






HOMAN Seem to be the next target, as 6 unknown japs unit are seen outflanking the place by the south, with 2 others units just south of the city....another disaster await...

[gladiatt]

16th - 23 th DEC 1942

BURMA

Rangoon, wich was targeted last week, is still target....for a short time.
On 16th dec, 14 B-24 face a CAP of 14 japs fighters, manage to fly through the bullets with slight damage, and hit the airfield with 23 runway hit; but later in the day a second wave of 22 LB-30 don't have much luck, and the CAP down 4 of them, for no results.

Then on 17th, MOULMEIN is selected for a new target. Bad idea.
Only 29 B-17 (out of 140 schedulded planes) fly the mission. They are torn in pieces by a CAP of 82 Tony and 10 Tojo. 15 Flying Fortress are downed (4 Tony damaged). Then came a sweep of fighters [8|]. Right, so the sweep ALWAYS come after the raid...
12 P-40B and 14 P-38 fight the CAP of 80 jap fighters; 9 japs are downed for 20 allied... Too costly for me. I will come back later .
The japs have commited a great number of fighters units there, and they seem to fly usually at 90% rate, when mine seem to fly usually at 60% rate although i have some Air HQ in the Area, and not the least with 10th Air Force in range from bases , with Claire Chennault at the lead !!






Also on 17th dec, 6 Beaufort flying from Akyab try to hurt 2 japs DD at Rangoon, avoiding the 7 japs fighters on CAP and achieve no hits [:@]. (exp of the squadron 78); i am sure Bettys would have score at least 1; this game is borked.