Mines in the Pacific

[EUBanana]

Turns have been slow as one or t'other of us have been vacationing/busy lately.

But we did finally do another turn, another battle in SOPAC. BB Kirishima was torped by American carrier air. But a valuable Allied fast battleship was torpedoed despite nigh on 50-60 DDs in the hex... [8|]

She'll live, at least.

The huge Allied fleet is getting low on fuel so time to retire to refuel and retorpedo at Noumea, and take some replacement a/c after the big ruction yesterday, as well. I've ordered some AKLs to press on though, probably to their doom, but... there's plenty more where they came from and they are only a single VP each. Sucks to be them.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Nov 11, 42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack near Ndeni at 119,143

Japanese Ships
SS I-34

Allied Ships
DD Dewey
DD Allen



SS I-34 is sighted by escort
DD Allen fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Allen fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Allen fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Allen fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Allen fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack near Tulagi at 116,137

Japanese Ships
CA Aoba
CA Mikuma
DD Tachikaze
DD Hokaze

Allied Ships
SS Peto



SS Peto is sighted by escort
DD Tachikaze fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Hokaze fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Hokaze fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Hokaze fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Hokaze attacking submerged sub ....
DD Hokaze fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Ndeni at 119,142

Japanese Ships
SS I-34, hits 1

Allied Ships
BB South Dakota, Torpedo hits 1
DD Dale



SS I-34 launches 6 torpedoes at BB South Dakota
I-34 diving deep ....
DD Dale attacking submerged sub ....
DD Dale fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Dale fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Dale fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Dale fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Magwe , at 57,47

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
Wellington Ic x 3


Japanese aircraft losses
No Japanese losses

No Allied losses



Runway hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x Wellington Ic bombing from 8000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb

Raid spotted at 42 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Lihir at 109,123

Japanese Ships
DD Minazuki

Allied Ships
SS Sculpin



SS Sculpin launches 4 torpedoes at DD Minazuki
DD Minazuki fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Minazuki attacking submerged sub ....
DD Minazuki fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Minazuki fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Minazuki fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Hengchun at 84,68

Japanese Ships
xAK Yamazato Maru
PB Chitose Maru

Allied Ships
SS Tunny



SS Tunny launches 6 torpedoes at xAK Yamazato Maru
PB Chitose Maru fails to find sub, continues to search...
PB Chitose Maru fails to find sub, continues to search...
PB Chitose Maru attacking submerged sub ....
PB Chitose Maru fails to find sub, continues to search...
PB Chitose Maru fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Lihir at 109,123

Japanese Ships
AO Shinkoku Maru
DD Minazuki

Allied Ships
SS Sculpin



SS Sculpin launches 4 torpedoes at AO Shinkoku Maru
Sculpin diving deep ....
DD Minazuki fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Minazuki fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Minazuki fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Minazuki attacking submerged sub ....
SS Sculpin eludes ASW attack from DD Minazuki
DD Minazuki fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Magwe , at 57,47

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 24 NM, estimated altitude 43,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 7



Allied aircraft
P-38E Lightning x 23


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 2 destroyed




Aircraft Attacking:
18 x P-38E Lightning sweeping at 39000 feet

CAP engaged:
64th Sentai with Ki-43-Ic Oscar (2 airborne, 5 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 13500 , scrambling fighters to 13000.
Raid is overhead



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Changsha , at 82,52

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 30 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-Ic Sally x 3
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 20
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 6



Allied aircraft
P-43A-1 Lancer x 1
P-66 Vanguard x 1


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 3 damaged




Aircraft Attacking:
13 x Ki-21-IIa Sally bombing from 6000 feet
City Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
7 x Ki-21-IIa Sally bombing from 6000 feet *
City Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
3 x Ki-21-Ic Sally bombing from 6000 feet
City Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
5th FG/17th FS CAF with P-66 Vanguard (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 28000
Raid is overhead
11th FG/41st FS CAF with P-43A-1 Lancer (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 36000
Raid is overhead



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Changsha , at 82,52

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 25 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-Ic Sally x 7



No Japanese losses



Aircraft Attacking:
7 x Ki-21-Ic Sally bombing from 6000 feet
City Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 23rd Indian Division, at 61,39 (Kohima)

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 42 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 8



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 1


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 damaged



Allied ground losses:
6 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Aircraft Attacking:
8 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 10000 feet *
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
No.607 Sqn RAF with Hurricane IIc Trop (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(1 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 35600
Raid is overhead



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Stewart Island at 119,137

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 42 NM, estimated altitude 3,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes


Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 3
A-24 Banshee x 6


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 1
CA Mikuma



Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 1000 feet
Naval Attack: 3 x 500 lb SAP Bomb
6 x A-24 Banshee releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Stewart Island at 119,137

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 29 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes


Allied aircraft
A-24 Banshee x 3
B-26 Marauder x 3


Allied aircraft losses
B-26 Marauder: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 1



Aircraft Attacking:
3 x A-24 Banshee releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
3 x B-26 Marauder bombing from 1000 feet
Naval Attack: 3 x 500 lb SAP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 53rd Naval Guard Unit, at 136,128 (Tarawa)

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes


Allied aircraft
B-26 Marauder x 11
P-39D Airacobra x 10


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
39 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled



Aircraft Attacking:
11 x B-26 Marauder bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb

Also attacking 56th Const Co ...
Also attacking 53rd Naval Guard Unit ...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Stewart Island at 119,137

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 23 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes


Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 20
SBD-3 Dauntless x 43
TBF-1 Avenger x 28


Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed, 12 damaged
TBF-1 Avenger: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires
CA Aoba, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
DD Hokaze
DD Nenohi, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Hatsushima



Aircraft Attacking:
15 x TBF-1 Avenger launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22in Mk 13 Torpedo
6 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
6 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
13 x TBF-1 Avenger launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22in Mk 13 Torpedo
2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
1 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring BB Kirishima
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Aoba


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Changsha , at 82,52

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 23 NM, estimated altitude 44,500 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 9



No Japanese losses



Aircraft Attacking:
9 x Ki-43-Ib Oscar sweeping at 38500 feet



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on 11th Special Base Force, at 60,40 (Imphal)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 31 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes


Allied aircraft
Lysander II x 7


Allied aircraft losses
Lysander II: 3 damaged



Aircraft Attacking:
7 x Lysander II bombing from 8000 feet *
Ground Attack: 2 x 100 lb GP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Stewart Island at 119,137

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 3,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes


Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 3
B-26 Marauder x 3


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
DD Tachikaze
CA Mikuma



Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-26 Marauder bombing from 1000 feet
Naval Attack: 3 x 500 lb SAP Bomb
3 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 1000 feet
Naval Attack: 3 x 500 lb SAP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on 14th Division, at 60,39

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 39 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes


Allied aircraft
Liberator II x 10
B-17E Fortress x 14
B-24D Liberator x 6
B-25C Mitchell x 6


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
36 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



Aircraft Attacking:
10 x Liberator II bombing from 8000 feet
Ground Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
7 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 8000 feet
Ground Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
7 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 8000 feet
Ground Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
6 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 8000 feet
Ground Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
6 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 8000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb

Also attacking 4th Division ...
Also attacking 55th Infantry Regiment ...
Also attacking 14th Division ...
Also attacking 4th Division ...
Also attacking 55th Infantry Regiment ...
Also attacking 14th Division ...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on 55th Infantry Regiment, at 60,39

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 33 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes


Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 10


Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
16 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



Aircraft Attacking:
10 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 8000 feet
Ground Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on 14th Division, at 60,39

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 47 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes


Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 19


No Allied losses



Aircraft Attacking:
11 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 8000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb
8 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 8000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb

Also attacking 4th Division ...
Also attacking 14th Division ...
Also attacking 4th Division ...
Also attacking 14th Division ...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Stewart Island at 119,137

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 33 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes


Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 20
SBD-3 Dauntless x 25
TBF-1 Avenger x 40


Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 5 damaged
TBF-1 Avenger: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CA Mikuma
CA Aoba, on fire



Aircraft Attacking:
15 x TBF-1 Avenger launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22in Mk 13 Torpedo
8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
12 x TBF-1 Avenger launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22in Mk 13 Torpedo
1 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
1 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
13 x TBF-1 Avenger launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22in Mk 13 Torpedo
7 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Aoba


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Stewart Island at 119,137

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 24 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes


Allied aircraft
SBC-4 Helldiver x 15


Allied aircraft losses
SBC-4 Helldiver: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima, on fire, heavy damage
DD Tachikaze
CA Aoba, on fire
DD Hokaze



Aircraft Attacking:
7 x SBC-4 Helldiver releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 lb SAP Bomb
8 x SBC-4 Helldiver releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring BB Kirishima
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Aoba


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Stewart Island at 119,137

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 49 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes


Allied aircraft
SBC-4 Helldiver x 16


Allied aircraft losses
SBC-4 Helldiver: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Mikuma



Aircraft Attacking:
7 x SBC-4 Helldiver releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 lb SAP Bomb
8 x SBC-4 Helldiver releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 lb SAP Bomb
1 x SBC-4 Helldiver releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 lb SAP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Donggala at 67,98

Japanese Ships
TK Hoyo Maru
E Kiku

Allied Ships
SS Haddock, hits 1



SS Haddock launches 4 torpedoes at TK Hoyo Maru
E Kiku attacking submerged sub ....
E Kiku attacking submerged sub ....
E Kiku fails to find sub, continues to search...
E Kiku attacking submerged sub ....
E Kiku is out of ASW ammo
E Kiku is out of ASW ammo
E Kiku is out of ASW ammo
E Kiku is out of ASW ammo
E Kiku fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub

[EUBanana]

November 18th 1942

Making up for the vacation time we seem to have been knocking out turns fast, seven have buzzed by since the last.

BURMA/INDIA

I noticed some Jap naval activity at Koggala, the southernmost port in Ceylon. It's just out of range of divebombers, and for whatever reason the level bombers at Trichonopoly weren't interested. I sortied the RN, but after the catastrophy of summer 42 the RN is a limp shadow of its former self, all I could spare in area were CL Birmingham and three DDs. They also had to travel all the way from Karachi, so by the time they got there the prey had slipped.

They loitered off Koggala during the day the day after the Japs legged it, and attracted Betties from Port Blair carrying bombs. Itself interesting - only bombs, eh? Ceylon is regularly bombed flat and he doesn't seem willing to press the point here so the air is mine aside from the occasional Jap fighter ambush. Dropping off or picking up? I've reorganised a little to tighten the noose on Ceylon - CL Birmingham rebases to Cochin more or less at the southern tip of India, fighters and baseforces are ordered there to cover in case the odd Jap bomber flies somehow, and engineers are ordered to build up the base at Trivandrum, which is as close to Ceylon as I can make it and 7 hexes from Koggala.

On the Indian/Burmese border Operation Hammer and Anvil is converging on Imphal. Hammerforce is coming down from Dimapur driving all before them and around the 12th Anvilforce is coming down from the Silchar direction, NW of Imphal. The Japs have been forced back all the way to Imphal and the Allies are now one hex NE and one hex NW of the target. Along the way plenty of IJA have been caught in the rout, a couple of machinegun battalions were too slow at Silchar and were annihilated by Anvil, in the Dimapur direction fighting has been heavier still with the Allies suffering some but I would guess 1 and a half to 2 divisions of IJA combat squads have been slaughtered since Hammer and Anvil began. Victory seems imminent!

Disturbing trends in the air,new model Zeroes (A6M3, not seen any of these before) are flying and he's using new tactics - 36 plane sweeps against CAP over Dimapur and Ledo, which despite having 50 odd a/c there seems to only put up a CAP of 5-10 planes. They get their butts kicked by the Zeroes of course. There are no radars here yet, radar is a scarce commodity in India with only a few baseforces with one - the ones available are en route, I hope that'll help the air defence. Note that this has not stopped Allied bombers from wreaking destruction on the Japanese (250 out of 300 of Magwe's oil was blown away this past week by 4Es out of Calcutta and Diamond Harbour) or the resupply of the Chinese (every transport plane in India has been flying unmolested from Ledo to Kunming every day for the last week).

Some highlight combat reports...

Example of how the air war is going lately :-

Morning Air attack on Dimapur , at 62,38

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 22 NM, estimated altitude 24,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 31



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 4
P-40E Warhawk x 1


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIc Trop: 1 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed



Aircraft Attacking:
27 x A6M3 Zero sweeping at 20000 feet

CAP engaged:
No.607 Sqn RAF with Hurricane IIc Trop (0 airborne, 3 on standby, 0 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 35600 , scrambling fighters to 35000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 1 minutes
23rd FG/76th FS with P-40E Warhawk (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 39000
Raid is overhead


Anvilforce overrunning Silchar on the 15th...

Ground combat at Silchar (59,39)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 27303 troops, 692 guns, 787 vehicles, Assault Value = 973

Defending force 227 troops, 8 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 10

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Allied adjusted assault: 1419

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 1419 to 1 (fort level 2)

Allied forces CAPTURE Silchar !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
304 casualties reported
Squads: 15 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 13 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 8 (8 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 2


Allied ground losses:
27 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled


Assaulting units:
254th Armoured Brigade
2nd British Division
84th Indian Brigade
14th Canadian Brigade
36th Indian Brigade
2/13th Field Regiment
24th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
85th British AT Gun Regiment
6th Medium Regiment
40th Field Artillery Regiment
30th Field Artillery Regiment
23rd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
8th Medium Regiment

Defending units:
1st Raiding Rgt /3
29th Field AA Machinecannon Company


CHINA
Mixed news. Nanning in the far southwest fell after the Japs pushed hard, the Chinese had enough AV to hold really (700 base vs about 1200 Japs, fortified, in a forest hex) but they had almost no supply and so immediately folded anyway. This sort of thing is why Burma weighs so heavily in my mind - China is running out of space to trade for time! China suffered 250 infantry squads destroyed as a result, theres still enough left, in theory, to hold him up - if they get supply.

Better news on the main front between Chungking and Sian. He attacked and got massacred by Chiang's central reserve. The industry at Chungking is the only city not bombed flat in ROC possession and so theres just about enough beans and bullets there to keep these guys going. The Japs lost 600 disabled combat squads - pretty serious.


Ground combat at 80,40

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 84454 troops, 941 guns, 589 vehicles, Assault Value = 2945

Defending force 84078 troops, 491 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 3601

Japanese adjusted assault: 1064

Allied adjusted defense: 7975

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 7

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

Japanese ground losses:
12985 casualties reported
Squads: 68 destroyed, 591 disabled
Non Combat: 24 destroyed, 621 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 91 disabled
Vehicles lost 87 (7 destroyed, 80 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
2638 casualties reported
Squads: 10 destroyed, 188 disabled
Non Combat: 11 destroyed, 216 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 20 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)


Assaulting units:
6th Ind.Mixed Brigade
41st Division
15th Division
27th Electric Engineer Regiment
11th Indpt Infantry Regiment
3rd Tank Regiment
13th Ind.Mixed Brigade
37th Division
13th Division
13th Indpt Infantry Regiment
27th Division
1st NCPC Infantry Brigade
6th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
2nd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Mortar Battalion
8th Ind. Engineer Regiment
4th Mortar Battalion
7th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
11th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
91st Chinese Corps
12th Chinese Corps
14th Chinese Corps
2nd Chinese Cavalry Corps
96th Chinese Corps
98th Chinese Corps
59th Chinese Corps
80th Chinese Corps
35th Chinese Corps
87th Chinese Corps
81st Chinese Corps
93rd Chinese Corps
36th Chinese Corps
39th New Chinese Division


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Nanning (72,55)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 36708 troops, 328 guns, 42 vehicles, Assault Value = 1323

Defending force 18997 troops, 84 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 608

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 1157

Allied adjusted defense: 159

Japanese assault odds: 7 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Nanning !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), leaders(+), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1047 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 58 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 38 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 12 disabled


Allied ground losses:
6910 casualties reported
Squads: 138 destroyed, 93 disabled
Non Combat: 241 destroyed, 70 disabled
Engineers: 26 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 9 (9 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 5


Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
116th Division
3rd Division
104th Division

Defending units:
53rd Chinese Corps
52nd Chinese Corps
64th Chinese Corps
35th Group Army
9th Chinese Base Force


SOPAC

Looks like its been victory for the Allies at Guadalcanal - for now anyway. There have been no signs of the IJN here since the carrier clashes detailed in the last post. Tulagi has been resupplied up to 18k supply, Lunga is on 7k supply atm but theres an AKL convoy unloading right now with another 12k aboard. The Japanese carriers are at Truk, judging by submarine encounters nearby, licking their wounds. 200 aircraft will take a couple of weeks minimum to suck out of the aircraft pools so I guess he's doing that. I had convoys ready to move in as soon as the way was clear just behind the CVs so no time was lost in getting them in while I had a window of naval superiority.

It's not all been good news, Netties from Rabaul did manage to break through one day and inflict moderate damage to the Tulagi convoy - half a dozen AKs either sunk or badly damaged. Precious AKs, not xAKs. He only had a small window though as now the place is supplied some serious fighter power has been moved up - 2 P40K squadrons, one P40E squadron, one P39D squadron, one Beaufighter squadron. These have been clashing inconclusively with night bombers and Tojos from Munda.

However given Lunga was bouncing along on 0 supply for weeks on end this is a huge huge relief! the operation may yet be recovered, and the second major CV clash of the war was actually a tactical Allied victory. Good going I believe, and proof that the sharp edge of his katana has been dulled by over use of carrier air.


CENTPAC

All quiet.



OVERALL COMMENTS and NOTES

Sub war has been bad news for the Allies lately, BB Pennsylvania was torpedoed making yet another BB to suffer at sub hands in SOPAC. 9 major flot though so she got off lucky. Allied subs have been making attacks but have been stymied by incessant dud torps, that said an S boat sank an AK up in the Kuriles and another S boat sank an AK near Rabaul, nothing too big though.

CV Illustrious nears Tahiti.

...I'm seriously pondering an amphibious assault on Rangoon in Burma at some point around February 1943. I'm still amassing intell and pondering logistics on the operation by my thoughts so far are basically this.

Assuming Imphal falls - which he himself seems to believe will happen judging by the hurried evac going on - the IJA in a weeks time will be in a parlous state, having been evicted from India at the point of the bayonet and stuck en route on a long overland march into Burma without supply. If I can grab Rangoon in an Inchon-like maneuver, these unfortunate souls are going to get cut off, and I don't think, with the Commonwealth forces hot on their heels, that they'll be in a fit state to decisively counter this move.

For my own benefit mainly :-

Japanese strength
Air power - Looks like about 4 Daitais of Zeroes currently giving me trouble, and about 50 bombers in Burma, all of the army type (Helens mostly). The Japanese air force has in the main been massacred in the last few months in India but he's pulled back to regroup and now is starting to hit back. The pendulum is nudging his way at least temporarily.
25 Betties at Port Blair, looks like one squadron each of bombers and Tojos at Ceylon but so heavily suppressed that they arent doing anything but dying right now.

Ground strength - 38 Jap units at Imphal, not sure of the precise composition yet but we'll soon find out when they get attacked in a day or two. I would guess at say, six divisions, but they will be badly badly mauled. The Imperial Guard are near Cox's Bazaar and apparently holding stationary, perhaps to threaten the Indian flank. Akyab has 8 units, recon isnt very enlightening, I think they are mostly engineers. Rangoon is a ? for now but surely is not much.
Ceylon has about 4 Jap divisions garrisonning it still but Ceylon is a British prison camp. A possible threat to the flank though.

IJN
IJN presence looks to be zero, or near zero.


Allied strength
Indian garrison - India is modestly garrissoned, not enough to hold off multidivisional mass invasions, but it'd need to be a landing of at least 1000-1500 AV to make me draw off forces from my offensive units and put the wind up me.
Offensive ground strength - At full power the offensive component of the Commonwealth/US army in India is about 4000 AV. However after the Imphal campaign it's going to be more like 3000 AV. The main units involved are two full strength British divisions, currently well preserved on 400+ AV each, a US division a little bruised on about 380 AV, and I Australia Corps which altogether is about 600 AV now after casualties and pain. Then there are the Chindit brigades as well.
Air power - Tenth USAAF + RAF is currently the biggest concentration of Allied airpower on the map. Ignoring the air units assigned to the southern tip of India keeping Ceylon busy, we got roughly 50 4E bombers, 30 Mitchells, 20 Wellingtons and 20 Blenheims in Bengal. Two P38 squadrons, a P40 squadron, and a half dozen Hurricane squadrons.
Naval power - right now negligible, CL Birmingham and BB Valiant.
Merchants - right now zero, however there are 50+ merchants in Cape Town.

Vague plan -> land I Australia Corps in Rangoon while the Japs are struggling over the border. Dig in, wait for the Commonwealth forces who will be dogging the Jap retreat every inch of the way to catch up with them.

Tactics and Goals
There is a lot of focus on SOPAC and it's a huge slog down there, not much finesse. Two battering rams smashing into each other. It's an attritional battle alright, but I feel I've been getting the worst of it mostly. I'd like to try moves on somewhere else. With him focused intently on Guadalcanal (he didnt move his CVs from the place for practically 3 months, he was stuck to Lunga with superglue until my CVs shifted him) maybe I can get away with a totally different line of attack.

China is seriously fubar still and their relief is critical to the overall Allied war effort I feel. Which makes Burma a very good target.


Problems
Rangoon is a long way to go, just about in 4E range from Calcutta. Totally out of fighter range. Cox's Bazaar and Akyab are both in Japanese hands, Akyab at least is surely a prerequisite to any landings there. CVs will almost certainly be required anyway due to the sheer distance. Resupply will be very hard but with P38s at Akyab and P40Ks at Rangoon, perhaps not impossible. Surprise might give me a window to get in there but there's no shortage of Japanese airbases nearby which could pummel the place.
Ceylon is in Japanese hands which makes naval maneuvering in the Bay of Bengal intrinsically unsafe. On the other hand 4 divisions there, I'd like to bypass it very much, especially as its firmly under the Allied air umbrella. And I think he perhaps feels overly safe with Ceylon under his control? Surely he'd think an attack on Rangoon is crazy. Maybe it is. [:D]
Port Blair is a known Betty base, and it controls the Bay of Bengal. At a minimum CVs will be needed to suppress it / escort shipping.
If Commonwealth forces are unable to break through to Rangoon then whoever is at Rangoon has had it, a la Market/Garden.
SOPAC cannot be ignored, though that said if I really can make Lunga a firm anchor then the USAAF alone might be able to force a away up the Solomon chain so my CVs can romp elsewhere.

[EUBanana]

November 27th 1942

INDIA
The Allied advance has actually been checked just SW of Imphal, in the rugged terrain around Kalemyo. To my own surprise. Japanese supply seems to have improved, no -supply there. That and the rugged terrain meant my 3100 base AV was unable to smash through his 1100 AV. 1 to 2 odds, a definite Japanese victory. I'll maintain pressure as it looks like he's evacuating anyway but I think he will have to decide to leave Kalemyo on its own. This does rather influence grandiose plans to reconquer Burma too.

Lots of activity at Ceylon for a change. Japanese transports were spotted at Koggala just out of divebomber range. DDs and a CL were sortied but ran right into a Japanese light CVL group packing 40 bombers. DD Hotspur was hit and sunk, CL Birmingham took a couple of 60kg bomb hits. I raced in the DDs to Koggala at full speed regardless and the RN, whats left of it, managed to sink a Jap DD in return and riddle a couple of APs with 4.7 inch shells. His CVLs had vanished by then, presumably wary of the bombers moved swiftly to the southern tip of India. Wise... Wellingtons from the base at Trichonopoly hit another AP with 3 x 500lb SAP bombs as he pulled back. No Jap troops were destroyed so I assume this was supply for Ceylon.

An unfortuate coda, a mis-click sent BB Valiant hovering at the southern tip of India where she was immediately pounced on by a submarine. Torpedoed once in the morning and twice more in the afternoon. Amazingly she's only on 20 major floatation so she should be OK with yard time, but holy crap. I will rant about IJN submarines especially at the end of this post.

CHINA
Another general collapse is happening as Japanese pressure is applied, the Chinese will be forced all the way back into Chungking and its environs soon. The whole reason why is due to the total lack of supply anywhere. Corps with at best 1/4 of the required supply and in many cases on flat 0 are "holding" the front. With terrain bonuses and weight of numbers this can, amazingly, be adequate at times but any losses are usually destroyed squads with -supply, and a retreat with -supply becomes not merely a pushback but a battle of annihilation with multiple corps being virtually wiped out to the last man.

... in future games I would demand houserules on strategic bombing in China, I'm not sure what response is possible when facing a Japanese strategic bombing campaign.

Some slight good news in that the ROCAF has managed to start fighting back now it has Lancers and P-66s in some quantity, there are even a couple of Chinese aces. However, air power is no longer a decisive feature of the Chinese campaign... the armies are too huge for ground support to matter much, and all the industry was bombed out months ago.


SOPAC
He's pulled his division at Lunga back to Tassafaronga. I think he's conceding defeat here, I expect an evacuation soonish. Lunga is on 30k supply, Tulagi on slightly less. Engineers are back to work building airfields, and Lunga isnt far from an airfield 5. Soon as that happens the B17s at Efate and Luganville are being moved up and the South Pacific will become a bad place to be Japanese.
CV Hornet was sub torped while headed from Guadalcanal to Brisbane, she made it to Sydney but is looking at 2 months of yard time. KB did sortie a little later into the Coral Sea area, but it was a pretty half hearted deal, he promptly apparently pulled back after finding nothing. More evidence that I think the katana has been blunted.


CENTPAC/NORPAC
Quiet.


SOME THOUGHTS
The reversals in India mean that Burma is probably beyond my grasp. He has reinforced this area of the map, recon suggested troops being unloaded at Rangoon. I think he means to hold Burma tight. Supply convoys to Ceylon imply he wants to hold that too, and that the (plentiful) allied supply he must have captured has now been used up. The intention therefore is to shift airpower to southern India to pressure Ceylon further, and I think any Burmese dreams are just that - dreams - until Ceylon and then Port Blair can be taken, anyway.
In SOPAC I'm already pondering the next move on from Lunga. Milne Bay looks nice... undefended, bit of a leap though.

Main issue on my mind is IJN submarines. They are frickin' ridiculous! They rarely miss, their torpedoes almost never fail. Whatever they hit they blast. ASW is almost laughably pointless. In the last few months Wasp was sunk outright by sub torpedoes, Hornet was hit by a sub torp, 3 BBs have torped, some of them three times. These were not undefended ships aside from one BB in error - 80% of the USN DD fleet was following them around generally in fact. ASW 70+ skill Hudsons and Kingfishers on patrol do nothing. My fear of the super sub samurai is such that I look at Tarawa, with a lone Japanese submarine patrolling there, and am wary of invasions just based on the presence of that single submarine. I know - know - from past experience that if I invade Tarawa that sub will torpedo either a BB or a CV, and there is nothing at all I can do about it, and with so many BBs and CVs damaged or sunk as it is that I cannot afford this. I'm seriously pondering waiting until 1943 just for the improved Allied ASW.

This is crazy.

[EUBanana]

My christ.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Cochin at 28,40, Range 2,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CA Ashigara
DD Isokaze
DD Amatsukaze, Shell hits 1
DD Asakaze

Allied Ships
BB Valiant, Shell hits 20, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
DD Nestor
DD Norman



Poor visibility due to Thunderstorms with 50% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Thunderstorms and 50% moonlight: 2,000 yards
Range closes to 21,000 yards...
Range closes to 19,000 yards...
Range closes to 17,000 yards...
Range closes to 15,000 yards...
Range closes to 13,000 yards...
Range closes to 11,000 yards...
Range closes to 10,000 yards...
Range closes to 9,000 yards...
Range closes to 8,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
Range closes to 6,000 yards...
Range closes to 5,000 yards...
Range closes to 4,000 yards...
Range closes to 3,000 yards...
Range closes to 2,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 2,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 2,000 yards
CA Ashigara engages BB Valiant at 2,000 yards
DD Amatsukaze engages DD Norman at 2,000 yards
DD Amatsukaze engages DD Nestor at 2,000 yards
BB Valiant engages CA Ashigara at 2,000 yards
CA Ashigara engages DD Norman at 2,000 yards
DD Amatsukaze engages DD Nestor at 2,000 yards
Range increases to 3,000 yards
DD Amatsukaze collides with DD Asakaze at 28 , 40
CA Ashigara engages DD Norman at 3,000 yards
DD Amatsukaze engages DD Norman at 3,000 yards
DD Amatsukaze engages DD Nestor at 3,000 yards
Range closes to 2,000 yards
BB Valiant engages CA Ashigara at 2,000 yards
DD Amatsukaze engages DD Norman at 2,000 yards
DD Nestor engages DD Amatsukaze at 2,000 yards
Range increases to 3,000 yards
DD Asakaze engages DD Nestor at 3,000 yards
DD Norman engages DD Amatsukaze at 3,000 yards
BB Valiant sunk by CA Ashigara at 3,000 yards
DD Nestor engages DD Asakaze at 3,000 yards
DD Amatsukaze engages DD Nestor at 3,000 yards
Range increases to 6,000 yards
DD Norman engages DD Asakaze at 6,000 yards
Allied Task Force Manages to Escape
Task forces break off...


[8|]

[witpqs]

Rotten visibility at night - sudden torpedo head shots. Bad place for a BB.

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Rotten visibility at night - sudden torpedo head shots. Bad place for a BB.

Yes yes. The torpedo hits were well into the fight mind, so its not like it was a surprise attack. No shooting back from the British either, just getting slaughtered, rabbit in headlights style.

It's not so much that to be honest, its more the fact that Japanese torpedoes just never seem to miss, while I've hardly seen any Allied hits on Jap ships at all. If you scroll back to summer time you will see RN cruisers being annihilated by Japanese BBs in similar night engagements again and again and again.

[EUBanana]

I mean... look.



That is a lot of Allied cruisers annihilated by torpedoes and battleship guns on IJ surface ships.

And the Allies havn't actually managed to sink a single IJ cruiser with a surface ship torpedo far as I know.

[witpqs]

Seems wacky. I do hear too many "not shooting back" postings in AAR's.

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Seems wacky. I do hear too many "not shooting back" postings in AAR's.

Well, the saving grace is that the Japanese air force seems about as helpless as the Allied navies. [;)]

[EUBanana]

December 1st 1942

We're done with a whole year pretty much! Come the start of 1943 I plan on doing a precis of the entire year of 1942, on a month by month basis probably, so the sweep of alternate history can be read all in one go. And maybe reel off some stats as well.

BURMA/INDIA
The presence of 47 Japanese units at Kalemyo ([X(]) and another dozen or so en route to Kalemyo has ended the bout of victory disease that was breaking out in Allied HQ. He shows no signs of wanting to leave Kalemyo, in fact he seems to be reinforcing it. Operation Hammer and Anvil has therefore ended and the Allied forces on the India/Burma border are pulling back to defensive positions. The operational goal was the capture of Ledo to reopen the air bridge to China - that was achieved. On top of that Imphal was captured, leaving the Japs with Kalemyo alone more or less in Indian territory. Total losses were about 300-500 Japanese combat squads outright destroyed versus 50-100 Allied combat squads destroyed (a pretty wide mix between British, Australian, American, Canadian and Indian forces so fairly easy on the pools hopefully), mostly in attempting to breach the defences around Kalemyo. First really solid Allied ground campaign that has ended successfully, albeit one with rather limited objectives.

Action has therefore been limited to Ceylon. Some Jap naval activity near Koggala resulted in two APs being damaged (heavy fires, no heavy damage though) by Wellington bombers from the Indian mainland. The loss of BB Valiant takes out the last RN capital ship in the area, theres a small SAG being scraped up based around a WW1 era CA and a CL. Currently parked safely at Bombay.

I think the inability of the Allies to drive him out of Kalemyo means that initiative has seesawed his way somewhat. Still kinda pondering what to do here in the face of such a concentration of IJA forces. About the only vague idea I got is to get I Australia Corps out of there and doing something useful rather than garrisonning remote, tiny, bases. Their work saving India is done.

The IJ air force is being whipped badly in Ceylon and Burma meanwhile. Kill ratios of 5-10 to 1, or even higher.


SOPAC
Japanese air units at Munda have been slaughtered mercilessly by P38s but mostly P40Ks out of Lunga and Tulagi. The kill ratios here are even better than Ceylon, the Allies are practically without loss while >20 Zeroes are lost whenever he puts up a fight. The Japs are, simply put, dying like flies. Tojos fare no better than A6M2s. Japanese attempts to resupply Lunga mean AKs heavily bombed by Mitchells, Helldivers and Beaufighters - only the Helldivers ever hit but thats more than enough.
Several Allied supply convoys have made it to Guadalcanal unmolested in the last week, supply at Guad and Tulagi is up to 30k each now. This little battle for the Green Hell is, I think, also in the bag. Three Japanese units at Tassafaronga, at least one of them is a division. Need to drop intelligence bombs but havn't had the opportunity yet. Only ~500 AV of Marines at Guad though so it's still a little touch and go but the Japs dont seem eager to make contact with them.
KB or a fragment thereof has been staying put in the Coral Sea for reasons I cannot fathom. Not doing anything much.
Noumea's been reinforced with Beaufort torpedo bombers and some Wildcat squadrons just in case he's got daring moves planned.

Been pondering an attack on Milne Bay (undefended) or even Lae (3 units on recon, looks like a brigade or two at the most and probably considerably less) to isolate Port Moresby in much the same way as Munda has been smothered under the umbrella of Allied airpower, but with KB sitting there ominously thats not gonna happen just yet.

CENTPAC
The Allied fleet is repositioning to reopen the planned Tarawa assault. He seems to have no interest in that part of the map at all, the demonstration made earlier (invasion called off due to ubersubs [8|]) didnt move KB from SOPAC an inch. Going to try and do it without CV support so long as KB's location remains known. Got several units 100% prepped for Tarawa, and Tarawa has been bombed by B26s for a long long time now, very much softened.
Not sure if a leapfrog further forward is possible, got some units 100% prepped for Mili and Maloelap as well, it'd be nice to get a proper set of airbases which can support each other going here. Thats the vague plan if things go swimmingly anyway.
The Japanese sub threat is actually being somewhat suppressed - not many sub kills, 0 in fact, but the amount of damage being inflicted on him by aggressive ASW is at least making him rotate them back to Truk. There were a dozen subs between Lunga and Luganville at one point, now there are just three.


State of the War

CV Soryu has been reported as not sunk after all - the jammy goit. Bad news there alright. CV Hornet is en route from Sydney (too vulnerable, too predictable) to Auckland from there to Pearl probably to be fixed, her repair time while at Sydney was 85 days, so the Allied CV force is unlikely to ready to mix it up proper-like until April 1943, which is a bit of a bummer - hence why I want to try some atoll invasions with BBs and P38 LRCAP alone. That, some creeping up the Solomon chain, and maybe/possibly/fairly unlikelily a landing at Lae or (slightly more likely) Milne Bay is what is planned in the immediate future.

Overall I feel that the IJN has been handled brilliantly by my honourable opponent, the Allied navies have had their ass kicked all year pretty much aside from a few local successes every so often. But the Japanese airfarce is another story altogether... they are just being kicked about these days, any attempt to fight is immediately ended with massacre and morale collapse. So I figure that so long as I stay under an LBA umbrella small Allied gains are still feasible.

[EUBanana]

December 9th 1942

Plans are crystallising regarding the revived CENTPAC activity. Heavy fighting around Guadalcanal still. Decided to deactivate any offensive plans in the Burma area and instead shift more power to SOPAC/SWPAC/CENTPAC.

BURMA/INDIA
Done some thorough recon of the enemy around Ceylon and Burma. 55 units at Kalemyo now but it looks like he's pulling back. 8 units of I would guess 600 AV (Imperial Guard is there) at Cox's Bazaar. 25 units at Ceylon though the AV strength is anybodys guess. Recon at Rangoon suggested he's actually reinforcing.

God knows I've been wanting to push on this front given the situation in China, but I just don't think it's possible. I got air superiority but he's just got too many boots on the ground. Accordingly I've settled back into a defensive position. I Australia Corps is going to be taken out of theatre entirely and reassigned to SWPAC. I've continued with the strategy of trying to interdict Ceylon with aircraft, Trivandrum now houses 2 x SBD squadrons.

CHINA
Not much change on the ground, Japanese advances out of the southwest were rebuffed at Tuyun, he's pulled back from there. He's two hexes from Kienko now, almost into Chiang's heartland... but those two hexes are proving problematic for him.

Plans are afoot to move the heavy bombers at Calcutta to Kungming. With the transports at Ledo I think they can be supplied and the required air HQ shipped over, and from here they can raid deep into Imperial Japanese territory. If the Chinese are going to fight without any light industry at all, I wanna try and rig it so the Japanese have to as well... Engineers are en route to start making it happen.

Given the decision to not press into Burma any time soon something else had to be done... and this is the best I can do I think.

SOPAC

Heavy fighting! I attempted to move some SeaBees up to Russell Island, in between Lunga and his base at Munda. Russell Island, if developed, would put Shortlands within dive bomber range. He threw the kitchen sink at the half dozen AKs doing the landing, surprising me with the sheer scale of his assault. The many P40Ks at Lunga/Tulagi were LRCAPPing and slaughter has ensued. So far the total tally is looking like about 80 Japanese aircraft shot down, mostly Nells and Betties, but also Tojos from Munda and Zeroes as he swept my LRCAP. Allied losses were about 15-20 in total, and a couple of AKs, though the SeaBees were successfully landed regardless... I hope it was worth it eh.

On top of that heavy bombers from Lunga raided for the first time as the airfield was built up to 5 finally. Damage done to Rabaul was fairly light, 60 runway hits and 16 a/c destroyed on the ground. I used B17s mostly as they are a bit tougher than B24s, none were shot down but damage was majorly harsh on them, looks like its going to be one raid per week which is I fear inadequate. Work is afoot to build Tulagi up to an airfield 5 as well, though...

Allied plans remain to base hop up the Solomon chain under LRCAP until Rabaul is under Allied dive bombers. Given the air massacre of the last few days, plan seems to be working so far...

CVL Ryujo was torpedoed by SS Truant off Guadalcanal about a week ago, some revenge there. An AO was sunk by O19 and SS Shad off of Truk (O19 torped her and then Shad found her the next day and filled her full of deck gun roudns).


CENTPAC
KB, or part of it, raided Tabiteaua and Arorae, they found the heavy BB force at Arorae with pants down - naval search is frickin' useless, the first I knew of it was when the bombs were dropping. However, the Jap pilots seem to be numpties, and despite light air defence they didn't cover themselves with glory. No warship took a hit from anything other than a 60kg bomb (Man your brooms!). Half a dozen AKs and a CM were sunk - ouch - and a couple of AOs two - big ouch - but at the cost of another 30 carrier air.

Seeing incompetent Mabel pilots unable to torpedo BB California made me actually sortie the BBs to try and find them, under P38 LRCAP of course, but next day he'd vanished, lovely naval search again.

The USN + Illustrious are amassing a days steaming east of Arorae, ready for the Tarawa op. What little recon has been possible of the Marshalls suggest very light defences, lots of islands not built up and such. I appreciate they are of limited significance but 'hit em where they aint' applies.

[witpqs]

I assume you know by now that search arcs do not work (nor do they work in reverse as was thought). You have to 'reset arcs' (make sure start 000 and end 000) to use the old style code for naval search and ASW. They should be fixed in a patch...

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

I assume you know by now that search arcs do not work (nor do they work in reverse as was thought). You have to 'reset arcs' (make sure start 000 and end 000) to use the old style code for naval search and ASW. They should be fixed in a patch...

Ah, well, that explains that.

I remember Castor Troy saying he didn't think they worked, but I was living in hope. That explains a lot of things...

[EUBanana]

I promised a precis of the year to date, we've been at it for a full 12 months game time now.

So here we go. The alternate Pacific War, by EUBanana and Presterjohn...

DECEMBER 1941
Pacific
Japanese begin the war with a strike on Pearl Harbor. No BBs sunk but most seriously damaged, some effectively out of the war.
Japanese landing at Tarawa heavily beat up by CA Pensacola, though the Japanese take the atoll.

Battle of Malaya
Japanese begin landings at Kota Baru. Heavy fighting in the north of the country - Georgetown is taken by the mid month. At the end of December the Japanese make a secondary landing at Mersing and the Allies begin a general retreat, but too late, the Malayan Army gets cut in half at the Mersing line. Royal Navy does a good job inflicting heavy damage on the Jap ships at Mersing, though, with PoW getting involved.
By the end of December the RN has to pull back as Netties close in on Singapore.

Battle of the Philippines
Japanese landings at the north of the country. Jap shipping harried badly by PT boats, Boise and Houston however are sunk by superior Japanese surface forces after doing little damage. High intensity fighting, by the end of the month ABDACOMs Dutch cruisers are the only Allied naval assets in the area.

JANUARY 1942
Battle of Malaya
By 7th January all Malaya bar Singapore in Japanese hands and the Japanese have total air superiority. Port Blair is taken by a Japanese battalion. Singapore falls on the 20th.

Battle of the Philippines
Bataan falls on the 17th, marking the end of serious resistance in the Philippines.

Borneo
All northern Borneo under Japanese control by January 1st. Then the Japs begin to encroach on more southerly bases in middle January. Battle of the Makassar Strait is a 3 day clash in the Makassar area with US carriers + ABDACOM cruisers coming up against KB and chums. USS Lexington sunk, some damage to Japanese CS's and cruisers, surface battles between ABDACOM and Japanese BBS with ABDACOM coming out the worse.

Rabaul
Aussie navy wipes out a Japanese landing force in mid January at Rabaul.

Java
KB raids Java at the end of January, inflicting heavy damage to the Dutch air force.



FEBRUARY 1942
Battle of Sian in China. Uber-artillery causes thousands of Chinese casualties per day and this goes on for a whole month. Japanese strategic bombing of Chinese begins in earnest, but mostly mis-aimed at resources in the early days.

Battle of Burma begins on the 1st February with the advance guards at Moulmein being forced back to Pegu, which has been reinforced with several Indian units and 7th Armoured. Pegu under siege for the rest of the month but holds well.
Royal Navy sink a couple of Japanese DDs and transports at Port Blair.

DEI Campaign
Sumatra is invaded finally with Palembang falling early in the month.
Landings at Merak at the northern coast of Java on the 7th. Dutch PT boats inflict serious damage on the Japanese landings. Dutch KNIL forces manage to bottle him up at the landing grounds at Merak - just.
CV Saratoga raids Makassar Strait mid month again, sinks an entire convoy loaded with troops. [:)]

Rabaul
Second attempted landing by the Japanese at Rabaul. Big surface clash between Allied and Japanese cruisers, Allies massacred by Long Lance attack at night. CA Australia and CA Pensacola sunk, Rabaul conceded to Japanese control.

MARCH 1942
China
Loyang falls, the artillery patch has arrived, but too late for the now extremely battered Chinese Army!

Battle of Burma/India
Third naval clash between RN and IJN at Port Blair. CA Exeter sinks some AKs and is in turn damaged by BB Nagato, there follows an indecisive long range carrier clash. RN pulls back to Ceylon.

Indian campaign begins with Japanese landings at Diamond Harbor. Allies race to build a defensive line at Patna-Jamshedphur-Howrah while Calcutta is under siege. RAF massacred in the air but somehow manages to hold out just about over March. Japanese landings at Chittagong and multiple paradrops outflank and pin down several units in East Bengal, including an Indian division. Meanwhile ALlied high command begins to scrape up units from all over the map and sends them to India before total disaster. I Australia Corps is the first to leave, and is involved in all the big battles of the campaign to come.

Battle of Java
Batavia falls in the first week when he reinforces his landings. The KNIL put up quite a fight though and he's forced to fight for every yard over the course of March.

Port Moresby
Port Moresby falls to the Japs in a ballsy lightning raid, a few days before Aussie reinforcements were due.

Sakhalin Raid
BB Colorado makes a daring raid into the waters around Hokkaido, doing little damage but causing much paranoia in the Japanese High Command. [:D]


APRIL 1942
Battle of Bengal
Japanese have total air superiority over Bengal by now, the RAF are reduced to night bombing. Calcutta proves a tough nut and the Japs move to outflank via Jessore. The AIF at Jessore hold him off for a few days but are forced to retreat with Japanese armour hot on their heels - they manage to fall back in good order. Dacca falls to a paradrop. RAF reduced to Fabian tactics - night bombing and hit and run. USMC Dauntlesses at Cuttack begin hitting Japanese shipping in the Bay of Bengal with some success. But all this is giving the defenders the chance to build up the chosen main line of defence... Japs attempt para landings in the Indian interior and at Vizagapatnam on the east Indian coast, but these are seen off by armour.

Battle of Java
Soerabaja besieged, falls on the 22nd. Sumatra, Java and Borneo now wholly in Japanese hands.

SOPAC
US presence building at Noumea/Efate/Luganville. Japanese activity light.

Hokkaido Raids
Allied High Command sends most of the S-boats to Hokkaido where they meet poorly defended convoys. Many Jap convoy ships torpedoed.

MAY 1942
Indian Campaign
P38s arrive and immediately make their presence felt as they get the very best pilots, Flying Circus style. Attempts to bomb Japanese shipping in Bay of Bengal mean massacre of SBDs though.
On the ground things are as close as they could get. Allied main line of resistance at Ranchi-Jamshedphur-Howrah now under siege as the Allies at Calcutta fall back to Howrah. Japanese assault on Ranchi foiled by an Indian division arriving to save the base literally in the nick of time. It's fall would have unhinged the entire Allied defence!
Allied units formerly in Burma which have been attempting to retreat are by now surrounded at Imphal. However most of them are successfully evacuated by air to Howrah, which is just in range.
RN attempts to interdict shipping in the Bay of Bengal are repulsed brutally by Japanese battleships.

Battle of Sian
Sian finally falls on the 24th, mainly due to the crippling damage inflicted on the Chinese army by artillery. Japanese strategic bombing switches to Chinese light industry.

Timor Campaign
Japanese landings at Koepang meet light Allied resistance. Timor falls entirely during this month. Japs also land at Ambon and begin bombing Darwin heavily. Allied attempts to resupply Darwin soon prove bloody.

JUNE 1942
Bengal Campaign
Line stabilised at the Ranchi-Jamshedhpur-Howrah line. Allied attempt to flank the line at Asansol provokes huge air battles as Japanese army aviation bombs the tar out of the LCUs involved. Heavy damage inflicted to Sallies/Helens by P38s, but the LCUs are badly bashed up and the flank attempt is aborted. However the Japanese give up their siege of Ranchi, and begin to focus more on the Jamshedphur-Howrah part of the line.
Imphal falls but he delayed too long, most of the worthy Allied units escaped, with the exception of 7th Armoured who can't be airlifted and were destroyed.
Another RN raid of Japanese supply in Bay of Bengal. CVE Hosho sunk in a surface encounter with RN cruisers.
Indian Ocean Raid KB raids Ceylon, inflicts serious damage to the RN - Formidable, Hermes and Warspite all sunk at Colombo.

SOPAC
Japanese battleships raid Luganville, do no real damage.

JULY 1942
Indian Campaign
Raipur turned into a major Allied bomber base supporting the R-J-H line. B17s there make their presence immediately felt. First signs of the tempo of combat getting to the IJ pilots, the earlier massacres are becoming more even exchanges as Japanese attempts to shut Raipur down mean Hurricanes slaughtering them.
Deadlock on the ground, Japanese focus shifts from Ranchi in the north to Jamshedphur in the middle. Heavy WW1 style combat drags on all month - things are close a few times but the Japanese are unable to break through. Howrah at the southern end of the line falls, but the Allies retreat in good order, and the R-J-H line becomes the R-J-C line as Cuttack becomes the new front line, though in the event he never advances on the coastal road.

Battle for Ceylon begins with Japanese landing at Trimcomalee, initially met with incredulity by Allied high command.

SOPAC/CENTPAC
Preparations are made to get the US really into the war. The Japs at Guadalcanal are plastered by B17s. Arorae and Tabiteaua begin to be built up as a springboard for future offensives.

AUGUST 1942
Battle of Ceylon becomes an avoidable disaster as Allied attempts to attack an armour unit in the highlands of central Ceylon run into massed Japanese infantry. One ill timed attack thus disables half of the entire Allied defence, at a stroke giving the enemy the island. The campaign immediately shifts to an attempt to evac as much as possible via air.

R-J-C Line in India still at stalemate for the first half of the month, but then the Allies begin an offensive aimed at recapturing Howrah which fell last month. It is wildly successful, and the Battle of Howrah turns out to be the first ground battle where the IJA is decisively beaten. Attempts by the Japanese to reinforce Howrah from Calcutta come adrift literally as they shock attack across the river and get pasted. A Jap division equivalent is lost in the process. An Allied pincer meanwhile moves SE from Ranchi to Asansol to try and relieve pressure from Jamshedhpur.

Battle of the Indian Ocean sees the RN effectively destroyed as a fighting force as with the fall of Ceylon they find themselves trapped at Madras with an angry KB nearby. All the 'R' battleships and all bar CV Illustrious sunk. Illustrious somehow manages to make it out of there, the RN takes no further significant role in the fighting here and Illustrious is later reassigned to CENTPAC.

Darwin is abandoned after the third convoy of AKLs sent to supply it is massacred. It's a long walk for the units there to get to Sydney... but off they go!

Yenen falls in China as the Chinese Army begins to fall apart from lack of supply due to strategic bombing and the cutting off of the air bridge as East Bengal is in Japanese hands.

Guadalcal Campaign begins on 8th August as US Army/USMC forces land at Lunga, and NZ forces land at Tulagi. Fighting takes place over a week before both bases are in Allied hands. No real Japanese response at this time.

SEPTEMBER 1942
Battle of Ceylon ends on the 3rd with the fall of Colombo. Air battles rage over Ceylon, ending badly for the Japanese. By the end of the month he's given up flying constant CAP as it just gets massacred. He keeps the Allies on their toes though by occasionally flying massed 50-100 a/c CAP which inflicts more even losses. The air war is clearly going the Allied way by now though.

Battle of Bengal ends as he suddenly decides to call it quits, and the entire IJA force begins to retreat to the India/Burma border. Allied forces retake Calcutta, Dacca, Darjeeling, Rangpur, Chittagong all without resistance. The Japs meanwhile are holed up at the Dimapur-Imphal-Kalemyo line.

Kukong Offensive begins in China with the Chinese Army managing to take back an essentially undefended Kukong and very nearly Wuchow as well. However the Japanese counter at Wuchow and inflict heavy damage on the Chinese.

Perth Raid - KB shows up off Perth and sinks a supply convoy and their escorting WW1 cruiser that was headed from Cape Town to Australia.

Chinese Lanchow Campaign Lanchow and Sining rapidly fall to the Japanese as the loss of Sian opened the door to northern China. Chinese Army is pretty much on 0 supply across the board, that they can hold anything at all is quite an achievement.

Guadalcanal Campaign hots up as the Japanese at Rabaul begin heavily bombing the Allied positions. Repeated Allied attempts to resupply Lunga are thwarted by KB, which is welded to the place all September. Japanese move to take Munda under KB cover. Allied attempts to bomb them result in Allied massacre.

KB raids Luganville in the First Battle of Luganville, sinking CA Dorsetshire and inflicting heavy damage to Allied shipping. Allied aircraft are the underdog but a Jap CL and DD are sunk by Lunga regardless.

CV Soryu torpedoed by O19 for an ammo storage explosion off Lunga, believed sunk, but apparently not...

OCTOBER 1942
Operation Hammer and Anvil begins in East Bengal. Anvilforce blocks the route NW of Silchar where there are large numbers of Japs, preventing any Jap flanking by pressing into India proper. Meanwhile Hammerforce heads for Dimapur. The objective is to force open the route to Ledo so the beleagured Chinese can be helped.

First strategic bombing of Burma, as USAAF B17s destroy the oil at Magwe. First appearance of the Tojo as well, but the P38s wipe the floor with it. Still heavy air combat over Ceylon, with the Allies generally winning.

Guadalcanal Campaign at its low point for the Allies. Lunga is reliant on supply shipped over by APD and transport aircraft, which are now being massed at Ndeni. Lunga is under siege by a Japanese division but just about holds on by a thread, mainly because the Japs are far too timid, perhaps unrealising just how bad the Allied situation is. Japanese cruisers raid Ndeni and wipe out a convoy loaded with combat engineers. Continuing Jap landings at Shortlands and Munda. Repeated attempts to resupply Lunga result in huge numbers of sunk AKLs as KB and the IJN just will not let go! An Allied demonstration with pretty much the entire Allied battleline shelling Tarawa didn't prise him off Guadalcanal. Battle of Munda sees an Allied cruiser SAG run into a Japanese cruiser SAG escorting a convoy, in a night battle despite crossing the T and being roughly equal in force the Allies get massacred, two cruisers lost.

NOVEMBER 1942
Operation Hammer and Anvil goes into effect in India and is a resounding success. Dimapur, Ledo and Imphal fall to Allied forces over November and the air bridge to China is reopened. Massed Japanese forces at Kalemyo and Cox's Bazaar make further advance impossible.

Battle of Trivandrum sees Japanese cruisers clean the clock of the remainder of the RN, with BB Valiant being torpedoed at night in a thunderstorm and sunk by Jap cruisers.

Naval Battle of Lunga is another Allied disaster as CA Takao and DDs find the Allied APD force and sink about half of it. Thus putting Lunga's supply situation into an even more dire position. CV Wasp torpedoed and sunk by an I boat off Nanumea.

Second Battle of Luganville as KB raids again, this time bumping into the US CV force. No ships are lost oddly enough but the Japs lose 200 carrier aircraft to 100 Allied, and the Jap carriers receive a light sprinkling of 1000lb bombs which no doubt wouldn't do their sys damage any good. Battle of Ndeni soon follows with BB Kirishima being sunk by Allied CVs north of Ndeni. This changes the naval situation around Guadalcanal significantly and the Allies waste no time in bringing large amounts of supply to Lunga and Tulagi, which with the IJN finally spanked at least temporarily, is opposed only by Netties, which inflict damage, but acceptable damage. Probably marking the last chance the Japs had to take Guadalcanal.

Liuchow falls in China as the Chinese Army continues its collapse. Mountain Campaign in China as the Japanese Army is checked in its advance towards the Chungking interior by Chinese forces in the mountains between Sian and Chungking.

DECEMBER 1942
Guadalcanal Campaign stays hot as Japanese attempts to resupply Shortlands and Munda come under reinvigorated Allied air attack. Air superiority is very much contested with massed Tojos meeting P40Ks and giving as well as they get. Heavy bombers based at Lunga for the first time thanks to the SeaBeas. Allied landing at Russell Island with SeaBees meets a huge Japanese response, which result in a few empty AKs being sunk for nigh on 100 Japanese aircraft destroyed, mostly Netties.

The end of Hammer and Anvil and the strategic deadlock in Burma/Ceylon means another major strategic redeployment, as Allied High Command decides to shift the focus of the war in 1943 towards SOPAC/CENTPAC. I Australia Corps ordered from the Burma border back to Australia.

[EUBanana]

December 19th 1942

INDIA
The guards around His Majesty's Prison Ceylon were tested, as he attempted to get ships into the place to do... I don't know. Drop off supply presumably given bomb hits caused no casualties aboard the ships. When I've had nothing better to do my medium bombers have been trashing Colombo daily to try and burn up supply, so I'm hoping that the fact that he's exposing convoys means that he's actually starting to run out (which I find hard to believe given how much Allied supply he must have captured when he took the place). In the latest action dive bombers from Trivandrum were involved for the first time as I've built up the prison walls a bit. Results were good, three cargo ships at Koggala hit by several bombs. Next day they vanished. As Koggala is a level 1 port, that can't have been very productive for him.

To make life even more interesting for him several submarines are making it their business to mine Koggala, which is at such range that the RAF Vengeances cannot reach the place.

However its not all good, he laid a trap in Burma, with a 50 Tojo CAP over Magwe suddenly one day. The B24s went in and 10 were shot down, clearly a disaster for the Allies. The only "good" news is that really the work of the heavies in India is done at the moment really, so it's the part of the world I can afford to lose a few.

My flying circus P38 squadron I have decided to break up due to the numbers involved, when your up against 50 Tojos a quality P38 squadron isnt going to just mop the floor with them anymore and I think it'd be a waste to burn up so many aces in this way. So all of them with experience > 80 have been sent to TRACOM, the ones with experience >70 have been sent to the pools, presumably to show up at SOPAC. They have been replaced with trained (exp 40 ish, air skill 70) replacements.

CHINA
Stalemate continues, though the Japs are encroaching dangerously in the southern front now, Chiangs forces are being badly squeezed.

SOPAC
Heavy fighting in the Solomons. P38Gs from Lunga clash with Tojos over Munda, Shortlands and Rabaul, the massed Tojo CAP means kill ratios are about 2:1, which is bad for the P38s. I think part of the reason is the distance involved flying to Rabaul, lots of ops losses. Continuing to encroach up the Solomon chain with landing craft shifting SeaBees to developable bases, he's countered by mining them somehow.
An Allied heavy bomber campaign aimed at wrecking Rabaul is going "OK". I dont think the 60 heavies at Lunga can actually shut Rabaul down, but they are exacting a 20 plane a raid minimum day toll of his aircraft pools and I guess the huge number of damaged a/c must be having an impact. HB losses in this theatre are, so far, manageable, but I am tempting fate a bit.
At Cooktown 4E attention has shifted to Port Moresby and Buna. II Australia Corps is prepping for Milne Bay and the islands around it, and are en route to Townsville, not planning on an invasion yet but Milne Bay is another SOPAC target for the Allies, if the opportunity presents itself I want to be ready. Depending on how the Solomons campaign goes.

CENTPAC
Tense, very tense. He bummed in with a CA SAG right through Allied turf, and lost a DD to a CV based Avenger, so he knows Allied CVs are there.The Tarawa op still hasnt happened, whenever I am ready he does something like this. I know Jap CVs are in the area too as a submarine at Truk saw carriers headed SE. I've also decided I'm using inadequate transports (about 15 APs/AKs transporting a marine regiment and tank battalion), so, I'm unloading them at Tabiteaua, and bring up more sealift. My nerves are kinda shot in this area as Tarawa is just a little bit too far for LBA at Tabiteaua to really cover any CVs protecting the place, and if Japanese CVs show up then I'm toast.

Still I'm making some productive moves regardless, USMC paras are paradropping on Ocean Island tomorrow, and some AVDs and Catalinas are ready to move up there. Catalina recon at Ocean Island should reach deep into the space SE of Truk where any CV intervention is likely to come from and will make me much more confident about timing any Tarawa operations.

[EUBanana]

Interesting situation in CENTPAC right now - as it so often is lately.

show details 10:17 PM (24 minutes ago)

i think we are currently probing each other. we've both got considerable offensive capability/firepower. pretty even as you say.

I think his analysis is pretty solid there.

Probably being crazy moving my boys in. Might not send the CVs, might just send some cruisers... we'll see what happens soon.

[witpqs]

Just a quick note - in AE base repairs do not use supplies. You could bomb the troops for that, though.

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Just a quick note - in AE base repairs do not use supplies. You could bomb the troops for that, though.

Yeah, I know. Supply hits burn up supplies, though....

[EUBanana]

23rd December

Not much happened since but...

Yet another carrier clash, this time off Tarawa. Yet again, indecisive.

The range is 8 hexes from fleet to fleet. The Allies dont even launch any fekking bombers at all, which caused much swearing at the monitor while it was going on, as the SBD range was indeed set to 8, so they were indeed in range. Morning/afternoon, nothing, rabbit in the headlights, the usual USN posture when the IJN are encountered it seems. Nice to know that the carriers suffer from it as much as the surface ships.

However, the battle itself is, amazingly, not quite so one sided even if the Allies don't throw a punch. At the great range the Japs are using bombs, and while he was amazingly lucky with level bombing at 5000' hitting Yorktown three times, Yorktowns long term damage is fairly minimal. 6 major floatation is the only major damage, 38 sys and 18 float mean that short of further "enemy intervention" she's likely to escape.

In the air, and this is the silver lining, another clear win for the Allies, with Zeroes and Mabels slaughtered horribly for almost no lost Wildcats. 80 IJN pilots bit the farm today, 50 of them being Mabel drivers, compared to 16 Allied. If Yorktown makes it out of there I'm calling it a minor win for attritions sake though it does rule out any Tarawa landings for a month.

Weighty decisions as to what to do now though. I've opted for a fairly risky strategy I think.

I'll wait a round for opsec's sake before I explain, though, and then I can cover what happens next. Hopefully nothing if he chooses to disengage. [;)] And he might, my SBDs are ready to roll, his Mabels are missing a few guys, and Allied LBA cover is nearby...


Apparently the IJN have a max airstrike range of 8 and the Allies 7? Which is why no SBDs flew. So he says. I wasn't aware of special rules like this, I assumed it was merely the range of the a/c, which would make the Allied strike range 8. Maybe he was just a frickin lucky lucky git, like he so often is. [:(]

[EUBanana]

25th December

BURMA/INDIA
Ceylon has been quiet, a new Allied weapon has been deployed though, the aerial mine. Koggala has been the target, of course. Yet another hurdle for him to jump when supplying the island.

The Burmese border has also been quiet. The refineries at Magwe were hit by b24s, but the heavies have been having a rest since they were shot up real bad.

The IJAAF is busy sweepign Dimapur and finding lone Hurricanes - I got no idea where the Hurris are coming from, so this is just odd. The nearest base with Hurris is Ledo, which is 4-5 hexes away. Weird, and annoying.

CHINA
No change in the overall picture so far.


SOPAC
Japanese cruisers raid Lunga, sink a bunch of barges (oh well) and a few PTs. At daybreak the cheeky buggers havn't moved, but the RAAF are apparently having a lager break, as the RAAF bombers don't fly, though the USAAF ones do. Unfortunately the USAAF were untrained and flying B24s, nevertheless a Jap CL took two 500lb bombs. The Aussies, with their torpedo armed Beauforts and Beaufighters who've been trained for months for this moment, were too busy drinking Fosters apparently even though the range was 0. Most, most annoying.

A lot of IJN activity around Rabaul, something is afoot, no idea what, and IJN taskforces heaved to in the oceans north of the Solomons, out of bomber range.

Shortlands and Munda have both been utterly plastered by now, their airfield damage is in the 80s, and it's not going down very fast. Going to start trying to open up Rabaul again, and then make a lengthier hop up the Solomon chain, to Vella Lavella probably. This will need CV support, but thats possible, read further...

CENTPAC
He didn't disengage per se, KB stayed put, a few hexes NW of Tarawa. S-boats have been vectored onto him if he stays too long. The Allied CVs have disengaged and are en route to Canton Island.

Yet another really odd CV clash then. We meet, some pilots die (4x as many Japs as Yanks), some paint on a ship is scratched, one or both of us disengage the next day. So many unique experiences in this game, not sure if it's AE over WITP or just our fairly cautious style of play. Or just luck. Attrition wise a win for me, operationally a win for him as Tarawa is secure for at least another month, I'm extricating all shipping from Tabiteaua to somewhere safer and pondering the next move.

The Allied active CV force is down to Enterprise, Saratoga and Illustrious. Yorktown needs to be fixed, I would guess she'll be back by the second half of Jan 43, dock space at Pearl is being freed up for her in readiness. Hornet is more badly fixed and currently passing Christmas Island en route for SF, I think she's out for 3 months or so at a guess. By which time CV Victorious will be here.

The IJN CVs are quite ragged as well though, so I'm still planning on some limited ops.

We've probed each other quite extensively in the Pacific now I thin, CENTPAC clearly isn't a goer in the current climate which is very unfortunate given I think he's reinforcing the Marshalls now. I'm going to turn efforts back to the Solomons, possibly with a landing on Milne Bay now I wont have CVs tied up around the Gilberts anymore. And Vella Lavella looks nice too, as mentioned.

I got 3 CVEs inching across the map too now, who might cover the loss of Yorktown for a bit in a limited sense.