The 1st turn has already been dispatched and I am eagerly awaiting the replay to be sent from Cribtop (I've literally been refreshing my inbox every so often [:D]).
Once the war is officially underway, Allied High Command will assess the situation as of December 8th and decide on a proper course of action.
Finally got a chance to review the combat replay. I must say, Cribtop has come out very aggressive. I may be able to make him pay for some of that though. I only skimmed through the replay this first time, but I think I got the jist of it.
Let me make some coffee and mull over it again before I have to send a report to FDR.
Coffee?- you don't have time for coffee- don'tchaknow there's a war on?
Look forward to the AAR- must update mine again at some point- but I got depressed and paranoid because my worthy Japanese opponent was hitting my SCTF at every turn- he MUST have been reading my AAR (but no- just far better recon than me).
Daniel
The Empire of Japan launches a dastardly surprise attack on Allied Forces across the Pacific, highlighted by a nefarious sneak attack upon Battleship Row in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The first shot of the war is made by the midget sub Ha-22, which manages to put one of her torpedoes into BB-46, the USS Maryland. Following this, Japanese Naval aircraft arrive from carrier forces located near the Hawaiian Islands and proceed towards Pearl Harbor. A few brave US flyboys in P-40s manage get past the enemy Zeros to knock out a handful of Jap bombers, but there are simply too many. The airfields at Pearl Harbor are pounded mercilessly and at least 37 aircraft are outright destroyed on the ground, with 16 of those aircraft being precious PBY-5 Catalinas.
Battleship Row doesn't fare much better either. The Jap Ordnance Officer must have had sushi for breakfast, because he packed most of the enemy Kates full of fish. Luckily (or unluckily depending on who you ask), most of the torpedoes focus on a few choice targets. The USS Nevada takes 4 torpedo hits, the USS California receives a grand total of 6, the USS West Virginia gets hit 4 times, and the USS Maryland still reeling from the midget sub strike has to deal with 5 more torpedo hits. This means we have 4 battleships that if they manage to stay afloat will be all but useless for over a year.
On the bright side (if you can call it that), the Tennessee only takes 3 torps and a single bomb hit. The rest of the remaining battlewagons are relatively unscathed, with the Arizona taking 2 bombs and 2 torps, and both Oklahoma and Pennsylvania taking a single bomb and torpedo a piece. Admiral Kimmel may be able to salvage his career if he's able to get these vessels out to sea on the 8th, just in case those sneaky Japanese stick around for another day of attacks. A few of our cruisers take hits also during the attack, but the only other loss is the DD Dale.
Or so it was thought.
Yamamoto manages to surprise the American forces with a second attack on Pearl, just when the Allies thought they had gotten away fairly clean. How the Yellow Horde managed to make two surprise attacks in one day, was at first unknown, though intelligence believes that a Japanese CVL may have also snuck into the area to allow for a second, follow-up attack. The reasoning behind this intelligence estimate is due to the composition of the 2nd wave, this attack had no dive bombers present, only 27 B5N2 Kates, with an escort of Zeros.
US forces manage to bag 5 of the bombers, and damage several more, but the attack is fairly devastating. The Pennsylvania gets hit by 2 more torpedoes, and the Arizona and West Virginia are each rocked by an additional torp as well. The USS Maryland is hit by its 7th torpedo of the day and finally succumbs to the once tranquil waters in the port. Also following her to a watery grave is the DD Aylwin, making total losses at Pearl 3 ships. Potential losses meanwhile, now include the Heavy Cruiser San Francisco, which got battered in both attacks.
The good news is that Allied commanders now know that all of Japan's naval airpower is near Hawaii, which means it is far away from the Philippines, Malaya, and the Dutch East Indies.
The relevant excerpts from the combat logs have been provided here for separate analysis (Note: Portions deemed very important have been placed in bold font for ease of identification.):
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Dec 07, 41
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Midget Sub attack inside harbor of Pearl Harbor!!!
Japanese Ships
SSX Ha-22
Allied Ships
BB Maryland, Torpedo hits 1
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Morning Air attack on Pearl Harbor , at 180,107
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 84
B5N2 Kate x 117
D3A1 Val x 135
Allied aircraft
P-40B Warhawk x 8
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 6 destroyed, 24 damaged
D3A1 Val: 5 destroyed, 27 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
P-40B Warhawk: 2 destroyed, 5 damaged
P-40B Warhawk: 5 destroyed on ground
PBY-5 Catalina: 16 destroyed on ground
SBD-1 Dauntless: 4 destroyed on ground
B-17D Fortress: 1 destroyed on ground
P-36A Mohawk: 3 destroyed on ground
B-18A Bolo: 4 destroyed on ground
F4F-3 Wildcat: 2 destroyed on ground
O-47A: 2 destroyed on ground
Allied Ships
BB Nevada, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
DD Dale, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CL Raleigh, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
BB California, Torpedo hits 6, heavy damage
DD Mugford, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Bagley, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
BB Tennessee, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
BB Maryland, Torpedo hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
BB West Virginia, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
DD Downes, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
BB Pennsylvania, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
BB Arizona, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, on fire
CA San Francisco, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB Oklahoma, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1
CL Detroit, Torpedo hits 1
Allied ground losses:
14 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Airbase hits 25
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 111
Port hits 9
Port fuel hits 2
Port supply hits 1
Aircraft Attacking:
11 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
24 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
14 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 20000 feet
12 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
25 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
16 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
15 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
6 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 14000 feet
13 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
18 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
20 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
14 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 20000 feet
10 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
22 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 4000 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
3 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
10 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
4 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 14000 feet
3 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
4 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 14000 feet
13 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
5 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 5000 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
2 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
1 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
CAP engaged:
18th PG/6th PS with P-40B Warhawk (1 airborne, 2 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 77 minutes
15th PG/47th PS with P-40B Warhawk (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
18th PG/73rd PS with P-40B Warhawk (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
18th PG/78th PS with P-40B Warhawk (1 airborne, 2 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 34 minutes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Pearl Harbor , at 180,107
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid spotted at 34 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 56
B5N2 Kate x 27
Allied aircraft
P-36A Mohawk x 3
P-40B Warhawk x 11
F4F-3 Wildcat x 1
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 5 destroyed, 14 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
P-36A Mohawk: 1 destroyed
P-40B Warhawk: 3 destroyed
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
BB Pennsylvania, Torpedo hits 2
BB Maryland, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
BB Arizona, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CL St. Louis, Torpedo hits 1
CA San Francisco, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
BB West Virginia, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
DD Aylwin, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
Port hits 1
Port fuel hits 1
Aircraft Attacking:
21 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
CAP engaged:
VMF-211 with F4F-3 Wildcat (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
18th PG/6th PS with P-40B Warhawk (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
18th PG/19th PS with P-40B Warhawk (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 22 minutes
18th PG/44th PS with P-40B Warhawk (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
15th PG/45th PS with P-36A Mohawk (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
15th PG/46th PS with P-36A Mohawk (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 15 minutes
15th PG/47th PS with P-40B Warhawk (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
18th PG/73rd PS with P-40B Warhawk (1 airborne, 2 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 3 minutes
18th PG/78th PS with P-40B Warhawk (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In other news, Prime Minister Churchill sends his condolences upon hearing of the attack on US forces, and after discovering that Prince of Wales and Repulse are still afloat, decides to enjoy some of the finest Champagne that the BEF could sneak out of Dunkirk.
The Japanese are not content to only attack Hawaii. Enemy ships are spotted off of the Philippine coast, and flying meatballs are spotted first by General MacArthur's long-range ego, and then confirmed by Allied radar stations. US fighters are summoned to meet them, and the results are less than spectacular. The A6M2 Zero is simply too much in the hands of a competent pilot for the inexperienced US Army Air Force to deal with. Japanese sweeps rack up an impressive number of kills, destroying 28 fighters in air to air combat for the loss of 1 measly Zero. A few Japanese bombers fly in unescorted, and the US pilots finally get a chance to prove they can actually hit the broad side of a barn by bagging a Lily and a Sally. At this point, Allied High Command considers such an event to be a resounding success. The airfields at Iba, Cabanatuan, Manila, and Clark Field are bombed into oblivion in the meantime.
On the naval front, Jap forces land at Aparri, Laoag, Davao, and Jolo. Aparri and Laoag fall immediately thereafter, and it is expected that Davao and Jolo will fall on the 8th barring a miracle. It may be possible to disrupt the landing on Jolo, as CA Houston and CL Boise are both in the area, but Japanese search aircraft detected the Boise, making such an adventure risky if the Japs prepare for it. US bombers sortie in an attempt to do some damage to the Japanese transports, but roll snake-eyes.
It is also worth noting that there were no landings on Wake Island or Guam in the Pacific. Allied High Command has already used this time to begin transporting portions of the Guam garrison to Midway Island for eventual drop off at Pearl Harbor to rebuild in case of invasion. Japanese forces are also closing in on Hong Kong, and so Catalinas from the Philippines will evacuate some of those defenders as well and see about flying them to further safety. The goal being to try and prevent entire units from being wiped out so that they can be reconstituted at a later date. General MacArthur has decided that the most prudent course of action will be to hold Clark Field for as long as possible while the majority of forces dig-in at Bataan. Manila will be abandoned in order to prevent its defenders from being cut off from Bataan and routed separately.
Consolidation will be the key word in the Philippines and elsewhere. The Allies are spread thin and will need to focus as much of their limited power over very few highly defensible choke points, to slow down the Jap menace. With the US Pacific Fleet out of operation for the rest of the year and possibly long into the next, reinforcing the Philippines or seeking a decisive battle there is now out of the question. Sacrifices will have to be made, but it seems that the enemy is attempting a highly aggressive campaign, for now the Allies will play possum, and wait for the Japanese to overextend or make a mistake and then exploit such a situation to the fullest potential.
Reports from the Brits indicate that they're having no picnic themselves. A report on their status will follow.
The Brits, never content to sit idly by with their heads wedged firmly in the sand like those Yanks across the pond, were already on a nearly wartime setting in the Pacific by the time Japan declared war on the Allies. The only problem was that most of the Empire's quality troops and equipment was busy in Europe and North Africa holding back the Hun. That left Far East Command with nothing but table scraps to fend off the tide of Asiatics.
The Japanese began their invasion of Malaya with the invasion of Khota Baru. British troops countered with an artillery barrage, but neither side suffered any losses. Air strikes were ordered on the invasion fleet, but no hits were scored, though the best Allied air to air performance of the day was had over the skies of Khota Baru when 3 enemy Nates were shot down. Strangely, Japanese bombers did not attempt to strike anywhere in the vicinity, from Rangoon all the way down to Singapore. Allied Intel believes the reason is because all of Japan's bombers were given strict orders to only attack British warships in the area, fearing possible interference from Force Z.
Shedding more light on this was the invasion of Sambas in Borneo. It is clear that the Japanese military is attempting to establish an airbase in Northern Borneo to cut off the possible retreat of Allied shipping and troops from Singapore, and to further isolate the region. Bombers flying from Soc Trang and Saigon would be well within range to cover the landings at Sambas, and unless Allied fighter aircraft could be brought into range quickly, the possibility of utilizing Force Z to disrupt the landings would need to be ruled out by Allied High Command. The only other alternative in the mean time is to dispatch all submarines in the area to attempt to intercept the Japanese transports that will be carrying various support and headquarters units that will be needed in Borneo to equip any Japanese bomber forces there with torpedoes. The Japanese landing in Borneo was not unanticipated, and if fighter cover can be provided, Force Z and any other available warships will attempt an intercept.
The Japanese Air Force was much more active around Hong Kong, attacking the city's fortress, but causing no damage. Ground forces in Malaya will be beating a hasty withdrawal south to the Mersing Line, where they will hold off the Japanese for as long as possible. It is hoped that reinforcing this area quickly will prevent the Japanese from attempting a landing there. Also, reinforcements from India that were originally due to shore up Singapore have been redirected to Ceylon thanks to the recent turn of events. Allied High Command intends to transform Ceylon into an impregnable fortress in order to keep Southern India and Allied supply lanes secured.
All other warships in the region, British, Australian, Kiwi, and Dutch, have been ordered to rendezvous in the Dutch East Indies to present a combined Allied force capable of going toe to toe with the Japanese invaders. It is possible that US forces will also attempt to eventually link up and support this force in the near future.
The Pacific Fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor has suffered heavy damage. Among the most damaged is the USS California. She is the only ship that has not yet managed to put out all of her fires, and is listing heavily to her side. Scuttling her remains an option that Allied High Command will consider. The damage to the remaining vessels is bad, but barring a December 8th strike, all of them can and eventually will be repaired.
A list of the ships requiring repair and the extent of their damage has been provided:
As can be seen, the battleships Pennsylvania and Oklahoma should be able to leave Pearl Harbor in the dark of the night and reach the West Coast for further repairs. They will have to form our core surface force for the next year while the US switches over to a wartime footing and the rest of the Pacific Fleet is repaired.
Allied High Command does not believe that the Japanese will follow up with another strike at Pearl Harbor, but preparations will be made just in case. An attack on the 8th would more than likely sink the remaining Allied warships unable to leave port, but would come at a much higher cost than the attack that occurred on the 7th. It is believed that the Imperial Japanese Navy will choose not to risk its airframes and pilots any further near Hawaii now that the element of surprise has been lost. As it stands, the Japanese have successfully achieved naval supremacy for the remainder of 1941 and well into 1942, Allied High Command believes that this was the enemy's primary goal.
Luckily, none of the US aircraft carriers were in port at the time of the attack. CV Lexington is moving to evacuate VMF-211 from Wake Island, as Allied High Command believes that defense of the island is nearly impossible under the current circumstances. Meanwhile, CV Enterprise is steaming southwest towards the Gilbert Islands in hopes of intercepting Japanese warships and transports that may be heading there from the Marshalls. Allied High Command believes that as long as the location of the Japanese carrier forces can be reasonably determined, that the US carriers be used offensively against the Japanese. Once the Lexington has VMF-211 on board, it will attempt to link up with the Enterprise and both carriers will then base themselves out of Southern Australia. It is also worth noting that some of the more aggressive officers in the United States Navy have advocated that the Lexington strike the Japanese stronghold of Truk on its way to Australia, or at the very least attempt to disrupt shipping in the area around the Caroline Islands. Obviously, such an attack is risky, but could possibly galvanize the public and offer some retribution for the Pearl Harbor attack.
Another piece of good news is that the Asiatic Fleet is intact. Expecting the port at Manila to be attacked today, Allied High Command has ordered all warships be put to sea. Submarines will attempt to sink Jap invasion forces around the Philippines, and everything else will be evacuated. As was noted on the 7th, the Japanese have landed forces at Jolo. Composition of the landing forces is fairly unknown, as is the strength of their escort. However, the USS Houston and USS Boise are both within striking range of Jolo and have been ordered to attempt a night action against the enemy. Following that, they will continue to Balikpapan where the rest of the US Navy's warships in the region have been ordered to gather.
The other major concern is the Japanese invasion of Sambas in Borneo. Allied High Command is considering dispatching Force Z to attack the Japanese vessels, but this will leave the Prince of Wales and Repulse vulnerable to attack from Japanese medium bombers located in Indochina. It may be possible to cover Force Z with Dutch fighters based out of Singkawang, but the most fighters that the Dutch could possibly provide is approximately a dozen. At any one time only 1 or 2 of those fighters may be flying, which would leave Force Z extremely vulnerable to a concentrated air attack. The other alternative is a full speed run on Sambas at night, followed by an immediate full speed withdrawal by day time. Obviously, the third option is to simply have Force Z continue heading south, and not make battle at all. Allied High Command will weigh these options carefully before coming to a decision.
In the air war, the Allies lost 138 aircraft in the first day of the war. The aircraft that suffered the most losses for the Allies, the PBY-5 Catalina, with a loss of 28. US fighters also did very poorly with variants of the P-40 Warhawk losing over 20 aircraft a piece. The Japanese meanwhile are believed to have lost an estimated 61 aircraft, with most of these being bombers lost over Pearl Harbor and the Philippines. The Allies have also already had 16 pilots KIA, and another 32 wounded. Given the level of skill our pilots have at this point in the war, Allied High Command does not believe such losses will have a major effect on the war effort. Efforts to keep additional Catalinas from being shot down will be made, as these planes are crucial to Allied naval search and transport duties.
The war in China, which Allied High Command has not commented on as of this point, has been fairly quiet. Chinese forces are weak and in many locations woefully exposed. Efforts to remedy this are being made by the Chinese military, with explicit orders to all units to make the Japanese attack them only in terrain that offers an advantage to the defender. It will take some time for these troops to take up new positions, but Allied High Command intends to make China a defensive war for the time being. If the Japanese appear to be drawing forces out of China to fight on other fronts, or leave a weakness exposed, the Chinese will be ready to take advantage of the situation.
These are the things that Allied High Command has deemed as priorities thus far. A general war council is being requested to convene regarding major decisions. All suggestions and opinions are welcome, though it must be reminded that all information located within is considered Top Secret and is not to be discussed with anyone that does not have a "need to know".
Ok, this next turn is going to take me a bit, since now I'm allowed to actually manage all of my ships and start deciding where to send supplies and fuel. In the meantime, I'm going to present my analysis thus far of my opponent and how I should conduct the war.
Cribtop is slightly more experienced than I am, and he has shown in his previous AAR (which I will no longer be reading for the duration of this PBEM game) that he possesses the ability to make solid strategic goals for himself to accomplish. I believe Cribtop will attempt to keep the initiative for as long as possible in my game. Prior to receiving Turn #1, I was honestly not expecting Cribtop to move so aggressively right off of the bat. I believe this is a mistake on his part and that he has overextended a number of his (*) TFs that had the first turn move bonus and that I am in a position to hit them. I think Cribtop assumes I am not willing to "trade some paint" this early on, and if this is true, he is sadly mistaken. I'm hoping that I can make Cribtop feel as if he's bitten off more than he can chew by fighting back, and if successful, it may slow his advance down as he becomes more cautious with his precious ships. Perhaps the greatest quality that Cribtop has, and the most dangerous to me IMHO, is a willingness to learn. I don't believe Cribtop will make the same mistakes twice, so I need to take advantage any time the chances present themselves.
As for my goals, I will try to fight hard where possible, I will consolidate Allied power into key focal points and attack from these, and I will try to get the Japanese to commit to battles of attrition. I intend to hold Hawaii, Ceylon, India, and Southern Australia at all costs. Building up the Aleutians is a tempting idea for me, as well as making Japan fight for key islands like Pago Pago and Johnston Island in the Pacific.
Please feel free to offer advice or suggestions. [:D]
Be careful he doesn't go after your BB's as you try and make the west coast with them. They may be better off under you CAP umbrella until you know his carriers have left the area.
If you're sure his full carrier force is around Pearl- it'd be ideal to send your two carriers west of Pearl towards the Phillipines and try and bag some LCU.
Be careful he doesn't go after your BB's as you try and make the west coast with them. They may be better off under you CAP umbrella until you know his carriers have left the area.
If you're sure his full carrier force is around Pearl- it'd be ideal to send your two carriers west of Pearl towards the Phillipines and try and bag some LCU.
Thank you for the advice!
The two battleships I have fleeing to the West Coast have a very large escort of cruisers and destroyers accompanying them, as well as numerous ASW squadrons of DDs both following and leading ahead of them. LRCAP will be provided while the ships are in fighter range as well, but if the Japanese really want to launch an alpha strike on those two remaining battleships, there isn't much I'll be able to do to stop it. I don't believe that the Japanese carriers will be in a position to make such an attack though, and am more worried about his subs in the area.
As for my carriers, attempting to get them into the Philippines would be dangerous in my opinion. The area will leave little room for an effective escape if I need to make one, will keep me far from repair yards, and puts me precariously close to enemy land based bombers. At this stage in the war we'd like to hit the enemy where it can't launch air strikes against our carriers, or at least where if such strikes are indeed launched, that they are well out of escort range of even Zero fighters with drop tanks.
Allied Intelligence has made its first major blunder, the CVL Ryujo was found to be off the southern coast of the Philippine Islands in the Celebes Sea. USS Houston and USS Boise were both attacked on their way to meeting up with the remaining US fleet by the Ryujo's Kates torpedo bombers. The attacks in both AM and PM, ended with both cruisers sinking. The loss is a very large blow to Allied forces in this area, but Allied High Command had tasked the light cruiser USS Marblehead with leading the remaining surface fleet out to safety and merging with the British and Dutch forces in Java.
Aside from losing the Houston and Boise, a number of small merchant and support vessels were also sunk. Enemy mines off of Bataan sunk the PG Isabel and the xAP Neptuna. Meanwhile Japanese surface forces attacked the xAKL Mauban, sinking it. Houston and Boise's mission to disrupt the landings on Jolo also failed to produce any results, with the enemy landing force never being encountered.
During the day, Davao, Jolo, and Batan Island all fell to the insidious Japanese ground forces.
Malaya
Allied High Command is informed that both Khota Baru and Sambas have fallen today. With Sambas in Japanese hands, it is clear that their true goal will be Singkawang where the airfields are much more suited to the support of medium bombers. The enemy task force at Sambas was able to spot Force Z and escape the area before an engagement could be fought. Force Z is now heading towards Batavia, where the HMS Prince of Wales will become the flagship for Allied forces in the region. A number of Blenheims launched an unsuccessful and unescorted naval attack on the enemy force at Khota Baru, resulting in a number of the bombers being shot down. Efforts to prevent such another occurrence will need to be taken immediately.
Elsewhere
Pago Pago, Suva, and San Francisco all achieve level 1 fortification levels. More supplies are en route to both Pago Pago and Suva to keep the expansions going.
So far we've failed to hit anything. December is turning out to be a fairly bleak month and I've only gotten through the first 2 turns. Luckily, Cribtop did not pursue my damaged BBs that are heading towards the US West Coast, and he did not stick around to hit Pearl Harbor for a 2nd day. That's both a blessing and a curse, since it puts his carriers quite close to the Lexington if he continues on his present course. The Lexington has already picked up VMF-211 from Wake and is heading south to link up with Enterprise. We'll see how close things get.
Our ASW forces had some success off of Hawaii as well and hit one of Cribtop's subs for some reported engine damage, the sub was listed as sunk, but I will chalk that up to fog of war. With the Boise and Houston gone, we're very depleted near the Philippines. Thankfully, we haven't lost the Prince of Wales and Repulse, so in historical terms, I'll gladly lose 2 cruisers if it means I get to retain a BB and a BC. Combining the two into a single TF was probably a mistake, but one I thought I could get away with if there were no Jap carriers nearby, which proved not to be true unfortunately.
I also received this message from my esteemed opponent when I received the combat replay:
[font="arial"]Sir,[/font] [font="arial"] [/font] [font="arial"]We have been asked by the Government of His Imperial Majesty Hirohito to convey to your Governments an offer to accept a peace with honor (honour in the case of the British) after surrendering much of your Asian possessions. Given recent events in the Celebes Sea I am sure you will understand the timing of this generous diplomatic effort.[/font] [font="arial"] [/font] [font="arial"]Yours,[/font] [font="arial"] [/font] [font="arial"]Nasty Kate Pilots from CVL Ryujo[/font][/align]
Overall, a relatively calm and quiet day. Sporadic air combat over the Philippine Islands has left the Air Force with around a dozen P-40s in flying condition. These will try and hold out for as long as possible, but the odds are not looking good. CAP altitude had to be adjusted from 15,000 feet to 20,000 feet in order to compete with high flying Zero sweeps. B-17s struck the Japanese for minimal damage as well, but none were lost as the Japanese Nate fighters simply do not have the firepower to bring the large bombers down.
Force Z has augmented itself with most of the Dutch Navy off of Java. US destroyers and the CL Marblehead will also link up with Force Z under ABDA Command's banner. These forces will attempt to hold the enemy back at Java if at all possible.
The CV Lexington had her orders changed at the last minute, given intelligence on the movements of the Japanese carrier force, it was decided that if the Lexington were to attempt a link up with the Enterprise, she stood a good chance at being intercepted. Instead, the Lexington will skirt past Midway Island and return to Pearl Harbor for refueling, basic maintenance, and to drop off VMF-211. Enterprise's mission remains unchanged, and she will move on towards Tarawa hoping to find Japanese ships in the area before making her way to Australia.
US battleships at Pearl Harbor continue with basic repairs at pierside. The California is still on fire, and could very well sink still, but the Pennsylvania and Oklahoma are now well on their way to the West Coast for their repairs.
Pilot training on the West Coast is also starting to yield results, with skills increasing slowly but steadily after only a few days. Skilled pilots are hard to come by, and will be necessary if the Allies are to be able to take the fight back to the Japanese. Allied air power will be committed sparingly until more training can be completed. Allied High Command expects no serious Allied air victories will be achieved until after the month of December at the earliest, and will try to avoid air battles if at all possible for areas not being contested by enemy ground troops.
Clark Field is bombed into the ground once again. Fortifying Clark will be almost impossible at this level of bombing. Allied fighters have been ineffective to say the least. Allied High Command believes that the remaining forces should have been withdrawn to Manila or further south days ago. At this point, it will not make much of a difference, since there are practically no fighter planes left that are able to fly. The remainder of the Air Force in the Philippines will hide and attempt to catch the Japanese off-guard if possible, or at least provide limited air cover for sea operations. The only good news from Japan's fixation with bombing Clark, is that it allows the fortifications at Bataan time to improve. The Japanese would be much better suited to switching targets every other day in an attempt to prevent either site from manning a proper defense. Also during the night, Allied PT boats were engaged by a Japanese task force consisting of 2 light cruisers and 3 destroyers. None of the Japanese ships managed to land a hit, but did expel a decent amount of ammo trying. The PTs fled back towards Manila, Allied High Command intends to refuel them and use them again when possible.
Malaya
British Buffaloes sweep Kota Bharu and take the Japs by surprise. An enemy Oscar is downed for the loss of one Buffalo. A 1 to 1 kill ratio at this point is to be considered a very successful operation. The Buffaloes will rest tomorrow, they've earned it. Enemy air activity around Malaya has been practically non-existent. Allied Intelligence indicates that there are a large number of bombers in Indochina capable of reaching as far as Singapore with a fighter escort, yet there have been no attacks on land or at sea, by day or by night. If the airfields at Singkawang are captured, Allied High Command expects this to change.
With things quieting down, I'm trying to prepare for the next phase of operations Cribtop will be throwing against me.
I believe Cribtop will be putting forth maximum effort to seize Singkawang before moving on in the Malayan/Dutch East Indies area. I've toyed with trying to reinforce Singkawang, but I believe any effort would be futile, my best chance would have been a Force Z intercept earlier at Sambas. I've got some plans to try and disrupt Jap shipping in the area before Singkawangcan be captured, but I think I will inevitably lose that location. My best option may be trying to bomb the airfield into the ground once it falls and keep it shut down. Night bombardments may also be an option, but I'd prefer not to risk my ships once Cribtop gets air superiority in the region.
Cribtop has displayed slight caution in his move on Northern Borneo, he could have easily moved straight for Singkawang instead of landing at Sambas, but this would have put his landing ships in range of bombers from Singapore. This has cost him a few days as he has to march overland now, and has allowed me to get most of my ships to relative safety. The second his troops actually arrive at Singkawan, I'll relocate my fleeing shipping even further away.
In the rest of the Pacific, Cribtop has only seized Makin. Nothing yet on Tarawa or Rabaul, but I do have the Enterprise heading towards Brisbane and about to brush awfully close to Tarawa just in case he may have something nearby.
The Kido Butai disappeared a day ago, but its last known heading indicated Cribtop was moving it to Truk for rearmament. I'm sure he was low on torps after the sheer amount he launched at Pearl. Speaking of Pearl, the California is still on fire, but she's managed to reduce her flooding from 94 to 93. Repairs on the rest of the battlewagons continues as usual.
I've been trying to save up my political points thus far, we'll see what goodies I'm going to be able to afford once December is nearly over.
I've also been musing with buying out some of the Dutch CD units that aren't static for later use, but I have no idea what the replacement rate will be for 120mm and 75mm CD guns later on in the war. Do these eventually see an increase? Or are they never produced again after '42?
Clark Field is bombed yet again, by this stage it will take days to repair the damage, and this is assuming that the Japanese bombers do not continue tomorrow. A single P-35 is lost in the defense of Clark. Allied High Command believes that it is important to at least try and put up some form of token defense, since it has thus far kept the Japanese Air Force busy with Clark and neglecting both Manila and Bataan. Several of our vessels that had been fleeing from Hong Kong are intercepted by a Japanese cruiser force. Heavy damage is dealt and a number of them sink later on in the day. Allied High Command had already written off all of these vessels as losses, so this has not come as much of a shock. The gap for escaping from near the Philippines is an ever-tightening one.
Combat Report results:
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Dec 11, 41
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Balabac at 69,83, Range 8,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Myoko
CA Haguro
CA Nachi
DD Kuroshio
DD Oyashio
DD Hatsukaze
Allied Ships
xAKL Kanlaon II, Shell hits 8, and is sunk
xAKL Latouche, Shell hits 6, and is sunk
Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions and 46% moonlight: 8,000 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...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 8,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 8,000 yards
CA Nachi engages xAKL Latouche at 8,000 yards
xAKL Latouche sunk by CA Haguro at 8,000 yards
Range closes to 6,000 yards
Range closes to 4,000 yards
DD Kuroshio engages xAKL Kanlaon II at 4,000 yards
Range increases to 5,000 yards
CA Myoko engages xAKL Kanlaon II at 5,000 yards
Range increases to 6,000 yards
CA Nachi engages xAKL Kanlaon II at 6,000 yards
xAKL Kanlaon II sunk by DD Oyashio at 6,000 yards
xAKL Kanlaon II sunk by DD Oyashio at 6,000 yards
Combat ends with last Allied ship sunk...
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Iba at 77,75, Range 9,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CL Naka
CL Kuma
DD Natsugumo
DD Satsuki
DD Minazuki
Allied Ships
xAK Bennevis, Shell hits 23, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAKL Chengtu, Shell hits 3, on fire
xAK Fatshan
xAK Hanyang, Shell hits 1
xAK Hinsang, Shell hits 5, heavy fires
xAKL Joan Moller, Shell hits 3, on fire
xAKL Kanchow, Shell hits 5, heavy fires
xAK Ming Sang
xAK Nanning, Shell hits 2, heavy fires
xAKL Soochow, Shell hits 1, on fire
xAKL Yat Shing, Shell hits 2
xAK Munlock, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAKL Halldor
xAK Haraldsvang, Shell hits 6, heavy fires
xAK Hai Lee, Shell hits 3
Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions and 46% moonlight: 11,000 yards
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 9,000 yards
Japanese launch Long Lance torpedoes at 9,000 yards before allies detect Japanese presence
CL Kuma fires at xAK Hai Lee at 9,000 yards
CL Kuma fires at xAK Haraldsvang at 9,000 yards
xAK Munlock sunk by DD Minazuki at 9,000 yards
DD Minazuki fires at xAK Nanning at 9,000 yards
DD Natsugumo launches Long Lance Torpedoes at xAK Bennevis at 9,000 yards
CL Kuma fires at xAK Hinsang at 9,000 yards
Range closes to 7,000 yards
CL Kuma engages xAK Bennevis at 7,000 yards
DD Natsugumo engages xAK Haraldsvang at 7,000 yards
DD Minazuki engages xAK Nanning at 7,000 yards
CL Kuma engages xAK Hinsang at 7,000 yards
DD Natsugumo engages xAK Bennevis at 7,000 yards
DD Natsugumo engages xAKL Joan Moller at 7,000 yards
DD Natsugumo engages xAKL Chengtu at 7,000 yards
Range closes to 4,000 yards
DD Minazuki engages xAK Hai Lee at 4,000 yards
CL Naka engages xAK Bennevis at 4,000 yards
DD Minazuki engages xAK Bennevis at 4,000 yards
DD Satsuki engages xAK Bennevis at 4,000 yards
DD Minazuki engages xAK Hinsang at 4,000 yards
DD Minazuki engages xAK Hanyang at 4,000 yards
CL Naka engages xAKL Soochow at 4,000 yards
DD Natsugumo engages xAKL Chengtu at 4,000 yards
Range closes to 2,000 yards
CL Kuma engages xAK Bennevis at 2,000 yards
CL Naka engages xAK Bennevis at 2,000 yards
DD Minazuki engages xAK Bennevis at 2,000 yards
DD Satsuki engages xAK Bennevis at 2,000 yards
DD Natsugumo engages xAK Bennevis at 2,000 yards
DD Satsuki engages xAK Bennevis at 2,000 yards
DD Satsuki engages xAKL Kanchow at 2,000 yards
CL Kuma engages xAK Hai Lee at 2,000 yards
DD Minazuki engages xAK Haraldsvang at 2,000 yards
DD Satsuki engages xAK Bennevis at 2,000 yards
DD Satsuki engages xAK Hinsang at 2,000 yards
DD Satsuki engages xAKL Yat Shing at 2,000 yards
DD Natsugumo engages xAKL Kanchow at 2,000 yards
DD Natsugumo engages xAKL Joan Moller at 2,000 yards
Allied Task Force Manages to Escape
Task forces break off...
Hong Kong
The Hong Kong garrison is attacked today. The Japanese reduce the fortifications at Hong Kong, but the defenders hold on and inflict 1,000 casualties versus 600 of their own. Unfortunately, most of the Japanese casualties are simply disabled squads, and have not been destroyed. Hong Kong is expected to fall soon.
Tarawa
During the night, Japanese forces begin unloading off of Tarawa. As the sun rises, the Japanese are dismayed to discover that they are no longer alone. The USS Lexington arrives and proceeds to lay out a ruthless beating upon the Japanese Navy. Recently decoded Japanese communications indicate surprise at the risky move of a single US aircraft carrier. Her bombers dish out 1000 lbs gifts to the invasion force, and Allied Intelligence believes that the US may have sunk her first enemy warship, the Japanese cruiser Katori. The Lexington will now continue on her way to Brisbane for refueling.
Combat Report results:
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Tarawa at 136,128
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 11 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Allied aircraft
F4F-3A Wildcat x 11
SBD-2 Dauntless x 28
TBD-1 Devastator x 15
Allied aircraft losses
TBD-1 Devastator: 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
xAK Tenyo Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Yunagi, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CL Katori, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Kamikaze Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Asanagi
CM Tokiwa, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
Aircraft Attacking:
5 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
7 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
7 x TBD-1 Devastator bombing from 5000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb
7 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
5 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
8 x TBD-1 Devastator bombing from 3000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb
4 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Tenyo Maru
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CL Katori
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CM Tokiwa
So now I've shown Cribtop that I'm willing to take some risks.
Now I'm going to show him that I'm not just crazy, but that I'm stark raving mad. [:D]
The Lexington will head to Brisbane as scheduled, with 3 heavy cruisers accompanying her. Her destroyers meanwhile, will be split off into a separate TF and sent straight at Tarawa by night. With the Katori sunk or crippled, all he has are a handful of PBs and possibly one undamaged destroyer left in the area. A night surface engagement should finish off the rest of his landing forces and then my destroyers will make their way to Suva for refueling, before heading to link back up with the Lexington at Brisbane. Plus splitting my force here might keep him guessing at where my carriers are and make it harder for his to hunt down the Lexington if he decides to go that route.
Thankfully, my timing of the Lexington operation was impeccable, I'd ideally love to hit some more targets, or stick around for another day of bombing, but with the Jap carriers to my east somewhere, I don't want to risk losing the Lexington. The destroyers I can accept losing if it comes down to that, as I'll get plenty more throughout '42 and '43, but every carrier I keep alive at this early stage in the war will make my opponent far more cautious later on. The only time I would like to commit any of my carrier forces is if I know exactly where the KB is (or isn't for that matter), and that the target can be hit without having to worry about land-based air reprisals. Even though I'd like to avoid land-based air, I DO have some plans to try and lure Cribtop's Betties and Nells into attacking beyond possible fighter escort range and shoot a good number of them down, but we'll have to wait and see if I ever get the chance to implement this plan.
The ADBA Defense Force led by the Prince of Wales is waiting just off the coast of Borneo. If enemy ships are spotted in the area, they're going to leap into action for a night engagement and then flee during the day to avoid being hit by enemy air power. I am waiting for Cribtop to try and send an Air HQ into Sambas so he can get torpedoes to his bombers when he relocates them. Cribtop may very well wait until Singkawang falls first before landing the HQ, but I'm hedging my bets that my opponent's desire to have everything ready on "day one" may encourage him to move them in ahead of time. He may have already landed them in fact, because there was a small task force at Sambas for a few days that has since moved on, but I am not going to give up that quickly, not while I can still operate over the area by night and get out of bomber range by day.
Tactically, I think I'm getting into my "groove" now and that I can hold my own. Strategically, I'm still open to guidance and suggestions. [;)]
