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

[cantona2]

Short Turn Synopsis 7th-10th August 1942

In a very rare occurrence for Ramon and myself we got through 4 turns in two days! The only thing of note that happened was the fall of Sian. Two immediate fallouts, the shattering of several of the Corps defending Sian, now making their way to Chungking to rest. Second, the Sian Army appeared to be cut off, it has been ordered to march back towards the city and then fight its way West. Relief marches from the West in the hope of opening other avenues of escape. Once extracted its units will redeploy in the wooded terrain governing the North Eastern approaches to Chungking using its already finely honed forest fighting techniques!

[cantona2]

An Eye on the Future

The fall of Sian has galvanized the High Commands to come up with operations to relieve some of the pressure on Chiang Kai Shek. Three operations have been tabled and the High Command is now discussing their possibilities of success.

Operation Fellow

An attack on Akyab from Cox's Bazzar scheduled for November 1942
OOB

XV INDIAN CORPS (Reinforced)

26th Indian Division (Exp 53) with 43rd Cavalry Regiment (Exp 51) attached.
16th Indian Brigade (Exp 54)
63rd Indian Brigade (Exp 53)
24th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment (Exp 54)
254th Armoured Brigade (Exp 54)

On loan from I AUSTRALIAN CORPS

6th Australian Division Cavalry Regiment (Exp 75)
1/11th Field Regiment (Exp 61)
I Australian Corps Engineer Battalion (EXP 59)

Independent Units

85th Anti-Tank Regiment (Exp 48)

Operation Fosters

A quick attack with Horn Island as its target. Aerial support will come from a network of well established bases in NE Australia.

OOB

2nd AUSTRALIAN ARMY (Portland Roads)
II AUSTRALIAN CORPS

3rd Motor Brigade (Exp 63)
15th Australian Brigade (Exp 61)

Follow up force in 2nd Wave
5th RAAF Base Force

Independent Units

US 726th Tank Battalion (Exp 56)
198th Field Artillery Regiment (Exp 60)


Operation Sword Thrust

A landing on Guadalcanal designed to take the fight to the Japanese in the Solomon Islands.

OOB

South West Pacific HQ
I US AMPHIBIOUS CORPS
'T' Force

24th Infantry Regiment
1st Marine Regiment
5th Marine Regiment (Reserve)
1st USMC Tank Battalion
1st USMC Field Artillery Battalion

'L' Force

7th Marine Regiment
8th Marine Regiment
108th Infantry Regiment (Reserve)
131st Artillery Battalion

Follow up forces for 'L' Force
2nd USMC EAB
115th USAAF Base Force

Theatre Reserve

32nd Infantry Division (Suva)

[cantona2]

Developments Operation Fellow.

Since the fall of Burma recon and intell had been able to ascertain that the Japanese 56th Infantry Regiment had been holding the India-Burma border in the Arakan. Over the past few weeks aerial recon had established that the border region was now bereft of enemy troops. It appeared that the Japanese had withdrawn its frontier garrison into Akyab.

[traskott]

Just one seebee unit for Guadalcanal ??  Dunno, I feel it's very little engineer support...

[cantona2]

Still at the planning stage. I will also probably move some of the support units currently in the Santa Cruz Islands Northwards

[cantona2]

Turn Synopsis 14th August 1942

Recon over Akyab linked with radio intercepts indicate the presence of the 56th Infantry Regiment there, thus confirming its withdrawal from the frontier region.

Similar intell was gathered from the Solomons after B-17 raids over Lunga. Cryptographers picked messages requesting for aid and resupply from units identified as 19th Naval Guard and 14th Naval Guard Units.

Submarines patrolling the Java Sea, Batavia in particular also radioed in an invaluable nugget of information. A large number of enemy ships were present at Batavia, including a confirmed visual on enemy carriers? Where were they going? North to raid the Ceylon again? South to attack Australia? Further information arrived from SS Sailfish reporting a lot of traffic at Balikpapan, tankers and large transports identified. Was Japan ready to launch another spate of offensives into the South Pacific?

[cantona2]

Kinda newbie question, but whats the key for hex ownership? I cannot withdraw my Sian Army West when there are no Jap troops to my rear.

[Roger Neilson II]

W ????
Its the one I use.

Roger

[cantona2]

Thanks Roger.

Can someone then explain why I can move NW into Sian, but a corps that has just been annihilated there could not retreat westwards. If you look carefully there is a green side in the hex the main stack is in heading to Sian but also a green side hex in the hex to the immediate West of Sian. Furthermore there are Chinese troops there thus making a retreat or move there viable. I have asked Ramon for a temporary ceasefire of one turn at Sian, the main body will arrive there next turn, so we can sort this out.





Likewise I'd like to know why I couldn't move from the stack's current hex straight to the hex to the west, the forest one?

[cantona2]

No answers to above? Seems i get to Sian and now i can only move NW?!?!?!?!? Why not W where my troops are holding position but yes NW held by Japanese troops?

[cantona2]

Turn Synopsis 15th August 1942

Dutch submarines off Truk attack and hit a destroyer escorting a convoy on a south easterly heading. Other than the destroyer a tanker and several transports were spotted, but not attacked. A second attack on the same destroyer a few hours later missed.



A second day of intensive air action over Portland Roads as well. A6M3's (new variant) and Ki-43Ic's presumably from Port Moresby flew a second day of offensive sweeps over Portland Roads,though today no bombers accompanied the fighters. 12 of our fighters were shot down but 9 enemy planes were accounted for. Kittyhawks of No. 76 Squadron RAAF have been stood down from LRCAP duties from Coen, USAAF P-40E's will take over. The P-39D's of 41st Fighter Squadron will once again lend their 20mm cannons to the fight over Portland Roads.



The USN also have a surprise up its sleeve for the Japanese planes at Port Moresby. The heavy cruiser Astoria has been leading its sisters Portland, Houston, Louisville and Chicago up the Eastern Australian coast from Sydney, rebunkering at Townsville. Their mission, bombard the Japanese airfields in and around Port Moresby. Intensive aerial recon of Port Morseby was carried out earlier in the month and fire plotters on the ships have an accurate picture of where to aim their guns. Catalina's from Cairns, and several Seagull SOC's based on the cruisers will fly post bombardment recon.



This was not the only surprise the USN and for the Japanese. At the same time as Port Morseby was being bombarded, the battleship North Carolina was leading the heavy cruisers Quincy and Vincennes as well as the light cruisers Trenton and Concord to bombard the atoll of Tarawa. A return call to the one the IJN had left on Tabituea a few nights ago. Yorktown and Saratoga cover the operation.

[cantona2]

Intell for Operation Fellow and Sword Thrust

Sword Thrust: 14th and 19th Naval Guard Units still identified at Lunga. Radio intercepts suggest a third enemy unit present.

Fellow: 56th Infantry Regiment once again identified at Akyab, apparently they are running low on toilet paper if the supply requests are to be believed!
         Two enemy ships (PG and xAK) spotted docked at port. AMC Pansy ordered to leave Calcutta and rebase at Chittagong. Opportunity to disrupt supply into Akyab.  

[cantona2]

Oops clicked on Fletcher's AAR by mistake, names are too similar and I was coming in to update!!! Thankfully i saw nothing an I have Pmed Ramon with my error [&o]

[cantona2]

Turn Synopsis 16th August 1942.

First of the bombardment missions goes in at Port Moresby, Light damage inflicted on the Japanese base.

Night Naval bombardment of Port Moresby at 98,130

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied Ships
CA Astoria
CA Chicago
CA Louisville
CA Houston
CA Portland

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



Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 10

CA Astoria firing at Port Moresby
CA Chicago firing at 4th Division
CA Louisville firing at Port Moresby
CA Houston firing at 4th Division
CA Portland firing at 4th Division

CA Astoria rebunkering at Townsville after bombarding Port Moresby


Bombardment of Tarawa.
The heavier guns of the North Carolina made themselves felt as much more damage was inflicted on Tarawa than at Port Moresby. Signals intercepts suggested a total of 16 enemy fighter planes were destroyed and moderate damage inflicted on the base installations.

Night Naval bombardment of Tarawa at 136,128

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 3 destroyed on ground
A6M3 Zero: 3 destroyed on ground

Allied Ships
BB North Carolina
CA Vincennes
CA Quincy
CL Concord
CL Trenton

Japanese ground losses:
144 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 4 disabled



Airbase hits 8
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 32

BB North Carolina firing at Tarawa
CA Vincennes firing at Tarawa
CA Quincy firing at Tarawa
CL Concord firing at Tarawa
CL Trenton firing at Tarawa

CA Quincy caught in the searchlights of one of her escorting destroyers as she bombards Tarawa


North Carloina steaming away from Tarawa after sunrise

[traskott]

Ramon will punish you killing even MORE chinese troops !!!


@About your question of the chinese LCU unable to move: No idea [:(]. Try to "play" with the unit changing op.modes, or wait one turn to move it. It works for me.

[cantona2]

Turn Synopsis 17th August 1942

Wasp and Yorktown launched their planes to attack Tarawa to follow up the attack by the North Carloina yesterday, details to follow. However Catalinas of Detachment A VP-44 from Arorae brought in news very early in the morning. Enemy ships on a SE heading, 230nms West off Onotoa. Carriers and cruisers identified!!!

Was this the Dai-Ichi Kido Butai or her smaller sisters that had attacked Ndeni and Vanikoro last week? Should Wasp and Yorktown engage? Or should they withdraw in the face of no real intell on the enemy composition?

[traskott]

Flee, flee !!! [:D][:D]

[cantona2]

Lol I want to attack!!!!!!!! Im re-reading Shattered Sword and I'm full of Dauntless fever!!!!!

I think I am going to pull slightly to the East and wait. I have fighters covering Arorae.

[cantona2]

Moves of US planes and ships in the Southern Gilberts for the next 24 hours.

[Sly]

Hello Cantona
I would like to improve yours navalbombardment tactics. For the next time set your floatplanes onboard cruisers BBs BEFORE night bombardment to night flight, recon mode, range 0, you will see X acting as spotter for  XX message at combat report and result ---- heavy damage --- i belive .
LCUs at Sian - looks like Fletch is owning this hex south Sian and you was enter from Sian. Iam afraid you should push him back and get ownership to move west..
And go ahead with carriers...