Last Stand at San Diego (no Richard please)
Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
November 1, 1942 - NE Oz
The general situation in most areas of the Map hasn't changed in the past few months, except in Oz. So I'm going to post a couple of Oz maps to show where the action is, and will be. First off, Northeastern Oz:
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November 1, 1942 - NW Oz
And here is the current situation in NW Oz. Things will liven up there soon enough...
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Mine Misfortunes
November 1, 1942 –
The Night Phase saw one of those unfortunate incidents that was due to bad luck, bad memory or smart enemy planning as S-36 hit a mine at Port Blair. The sub was set to patrol around near Port Blair, but not to specifically go to that base. And I had forgotten if Port Blair was mined or not. Sure enough, my opponent had mined it, and there was at least one mine left there for S-36 to hit. So the sub is in very bad shape and likely will not reach safety. Oh well, I’ll just have to try to remember all of the places where my opponent has placed defensive mines.
Daylight brought out lots of Recon again but no other action. However, afterwards the results of the Recon and Search Flights were significant.
First off, those two Japanese LCUs that were spotted just south of Cooktown made it into the base this turn. My Recon insists that the total number of troops is small, but I don’t necessarily believe that and I will make certain that I hit the base hard with plenty of good troops when I do attack it. What makes me particularly suspicious is that my opponent has increased the number of Fighters at the base again.
At the same time my Recon over Katherine once again reports that there aren’t any enemy planes there. However, the last time I believed that I lost several 4Es against Enemy Fighters during a Bombing Run.
And once again SIGINT reported that there is an enemy AR in Port at Buna. That seems a bit strange because Buna is only a Size 2 Port at this time, but I’ve decided to test out the accuracy of the INTEL by sending some 4Es to hit the Port. Maybe I’ll get lucky – on the other hand maybe I’ll run into a Ton of Fighters like I did at Port Moresby.
But Most Importantly, my Search Planes spotted a couple of Big Japanese TFs to the northwest of Samoa. The Search Planes reported that the Japanese TFs are headed Southeast. One of the TFs appears to be the same sort of medium-sized Air Combat TF that showed up north of Luganville when Japanese reinforcements were brought there.
I’ve never built up Samoa beyond the original units, so I’m not in a position to stop any serious assault. I pulled out the lone Minesweeper that has been hanging around in port at Pago Pago, and flew out the Catalinas. If it is just a Raid I’ll send them back in afterwards. If it’s an invasion then I’ll keep an eye on the situation in case I can stage some sort of ambush.
The Night Phase saw one of those unfortunate incidents that was due to bad luck, bad memory or smart enemy planning as S-36 hit a mine at Port Blair. The sub was set to patrol around near Port Blair, but not to specifically go to that base. And I had forgotten if Port Blair was mined or not. Sure enough, my opponent had mined it, and there was at least one mine left there for S-36 to hit. So the sub is in very bad shape and likely will not reach safety. Oh well, I’ll just have to try to remember all of the places where my opponent has placed defensive mines.
Daylight brought out lots of Recon again but no other action. However, afterwards the results of the Recon and Search Flights were significant.
First off, those two Japanese LCUs that were spotted just south of Cooktown made it into the base this turn. My Recon insists that the total number of troops is small, but I don’t necessarily believe that and I will make certain that I hit the base hard with plenty of good troops when I do attack it. What makes me particularly suspicious is that my opponent has increased the number of Fighters at the base again.
At the same time my Recon over Katherine once again reports that there aren’t any enemy planes there. However, the last time I believed that I lost several 4Es against Enemy Fighters during a Bombing Run.
And once again SIGINT reported that there is an enemy AR in Port at Buna. That seems a bit strange because Buna is only a Size 2 Port at this time, but I’ve decided to test out the accuracy of the INTEL by sending some 4Es to hit the Port. Maybe I’ll get lucky – on the other hand maybe I’ll run into a Ton of Fighters like I did at Port Moresby.
But Most Importantly, my Search Planes spotted a couple of Big Japanese TFs to the northwest of Samoa. The Search Planes reported that the Japanese TFs are headed Southeast. One of the TFs appears to be the same sort of medium-sized Air Combat TF that showed up north of Luganville when Japanese reinforcements were brought there.
I’ve never built up Samoa beyond the original units, so I’m not in a position to stop any serious assault. I pulled out the lone Minesweeper that has been hanging around in port at Pago Pago, and flew out the Catalinas. If it is just a Raid I’ll send them back in afterwards. If it’s an invasion then I’ll keep an eye on the situation in case I can stage some sort of ambush.
Naval Bombardments, Aerial Bombardments
November 2, 1942 –
The usually unreliable night time coast watcher reports flooded in like always, with a slight added twist. This time there was a report of an AS in the Port at Buna. Was this more science fiction or were there going to be some good targets for my Bombers once the sun came up?
Beyond reports, the Night also brought a Japanese Naval Bombardment of Pago Pago:
Night Naval bombardment of Pago Pago at 148,161 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
18 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
BB Hiei
BB Haruna
CA Nachi
CA Haguro
Allied ground losses:
35 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 8
Port hits 1
Port supply hits 2
BB Hiei firing at 8th Marine Defense Battalion
8th Marine Defense Battalion firing at BB Hiei
BB Haruna firing at Pago Pago
CA Nachi firing at Pago Pago
CA Haguro firing at 8th Marine Defense Battalion
8th Marine Defense Battalion firing at CA Haguro
Afterwards the two Japanese TFs were spotted moving westwards, so this looks like it was only a Nuisance Raid and not the prelude to an invasion. The damage was minor and will be repaired reasonably quickly. However, what this told me was that my 5” and 6” Coastal Guns can’t hit the Japanese BBs and CAs if the ships stay far offshore to do their bombardments.
Daylight brought the USAAF back into action in two Fronts that are very far apart.
First came the attack on the two Japanese Infantry Regiments that are sitting in the Jungle one hex due east of Akyab. I’m not sure why my opponent has left those two LCUs sitting there. Perhaps he has them set “1 mile” from Akyab and is waiting for me to move in some troops before he sends them in to contest the base. Maybe he doesn’t want me to use them for Target Practice for Naval Bombardments. In any event, sitting in the jungle didn’t protect the two Infantry units from Air Attacks.
A P-38F Squadron swept in first and found 4 Oscars and 1 A6M3 on CAP. The Lightnings made swift work of the Japanese Fighters, shooting down one of each with no losses to the US planes.
Next came in 16 B-17Fs and 12 B-24Ds. There was 1 Oscar on CAP and the big 4Es blew past it and hit the Japanese troops on the ground hard.
Then 16 B-17Es flew in and found 2 more Oscars on CAP. The Bombers shot down one Oscar and hit their target again.
Finally, 12 more B-24Ds flew in blew past the single Oscar that was on CAP. Once again the 4Es found their target.
Afterwards, the P-38E squadron finally flew its Sweep over the hex and found one last Oscar on CAP. The Oscar had no chance and was shot down easily.
So this turned into a near perfect attack as all of the Bombers hit their target, a number of enemy Fighters were shot down, there were no losses of Bombers or Fighters on the USAAF side, and there were very few damaged planes.
However...
The Long Range Attack on the Port at Buna was a different story. Sure enough, my opponent is using Buna as a major Air Base, and the attack could have turned out even more costly for the 4Es if it weren’t for the fact that a number of Japanese Fighter units were on Training missions.
First in were 15 B-17Es that ran into 10 Nicks and 26 A6M2s. The bombers fought their way past the CAP but only got 1 hit on the Port. Four B-17s were damaged.
Then a second squadron of 15 more B-17Es flew in and faced 26 Zeros and 9 Nicks. This time 1 Zero was shot down, 1 B-17 was shot down, and 5 B-17s were damaged. The US Bombers didn’t hit their target.
Finally a last squadron of 11 B-17Es flew in and faced 10 Zeros and 3 Nicks. One Zero was shot down and 4 B-17s were damaged, and once again the Bombers couldn’t hit their target.
At the end of the day the overall results from the two Bombing Attacks were as follows:
9 A6M2 lost, 5 A-to-A
6 Oscars lost, 6 A-to-A
2 Nicks lost
1 A6M3 lost, 1 A-to-A
9 B-17Es lost, 7 A-to-A
All of the B-17s were lost on the Buna raid. What that tells me is that I should focus on doing short-range raids at this time.
However, despite the cost of the Buna Raid, I did get the satisfaction of seeing afterwards that my opponent has formed a TF at Buna and is likely sending the ships that were there to safety further away.
The usually unreliable night time coast watcher reports flooded in like always, with a slight added twist. This time there was a report of an AS in the Port at Buna. Was this more science fiction or were there going to be some good targets for my Bombers once the sun came up?
Beyond reports, the Night also brought a Japanese Naval Bombardment of Pago Pago:
Night Naval bombardment of Pago Pago at 148,161 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
18 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
BB Hiei
BB Haruna
CA Nachi
CA Haguro
Allied ground losses:
35 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 8
Port hits 1
Port supply hits 2
BB Hiei firing at 8th Marine Defense Battalion
8th Marine Defense Battalion firing at BB Hiei
BB Haruna firing at Pago Pago
CA Nachi firing at Pago Pago
CA Haguro firing at 8th Marine Defense Battalion
8th Marine Defense Battalion firing at CA Haguro
Afterwards the two Japanese TFs were spotted moving westwards, so this looks like it was only a Nuisance Raid and not the prelude to an invasion. The damage was minor and will be repaired reasonably quickly. However, what this told me was that my 5” and 6” Coastal Guns can’t hit the Japanese BBs and CAs if the ships stay far offshore to do their bombardments.
Daylight brought the USAAF back into action in two Fronts that are very far apart.
First came the attack on the two Japanese Infantry Regiments that are sitting in the Jungle one hex due east of Akyab. I’m not sure why my opponent has left those two LCUs sitting there. Perhaps he has them set “1 mile” from Akyab and is waiting for me to move in some troops before he sends them in to contest the base. Maybe he doesn’t want me to use them for Target Practice for Naval Bombardments. In any event, sitting in the jungle didn’t protect the two Infantry units from Air Attacks.
A P-38F Squadron swept in first and found 4 Oscars and 1 A6M3 on CAP. The Lightnings made swift work of the Japanese Fighters, shooting down one of each with no losses to the US planes.
Next came in 16 B-17Fs and 12 B-24Ds. There was 1 Oscar on CAP and the big 4Es blew past it and hit the Japanese troops on the ground hard.
Then 16 B-17Es flew in and found 2 more Oscars on CAP. The Bombers shot down one Oscar and hit their target again.
Finally, 12 more B-24Ds flew in blew past the single Oscar that was on CAP. Once again the 4Es found their target.
Afterwards, the P-38E squadron finally flew its Sweep over the hex and found one last Oscar on CAP. The Oscar had no chance and was shot down easily.
So this turned into a near perfect attack as all of the Bombers hit their target, a number of enemy Fighters were shot down, there were no losses of Bombers or Fighters on the USAAF side, and there were very few damaged planes.
However...
The Long Range Attack on the Port at Buna was a different story. Sure enough, my opponent is using Buna as a major Air Base, and the attack could have turned out even more costly for the 4Es if it weren’t for the fact that a number of Japanese Fighter units were on Training missions.
First in were 15 B-17Es that ran into 10 Nicks and 26 A6M2s. The bombers fought their way past the CAP but only got 1 hit on the Port. Four B-17s were damaged.
Then a second squadron of 15 more B-17Es flew in and faced 26 Zeros and 9 Nicks. This time 1 Zero was shot down, 1 B-17 was shot down, and 5 B-17s were damaged. The US Bombers didn’t hit their target.
Finally a last squadron of 11 B-17Es flew in and faced 10 Zeros and 3 Nicks. One Zero was shot down and 4 B-17s were damaged, and once again the Bombers couldn’t hit their target.
At the end of the day the overall results from the two Bombing Attacks were as follows:
9 A6M2 lost, 5 A-to-A
6 Oscars lost, 6 A-to-A
2 Nicks lost
1 A6M3 lost, 1 A-to-A
9 B-17Es lost, 7 A-to-A
All of the B-17s were lost on the Buna raid. What that tells me is that I should focus on doing short-range raids at this time.
However, despite the cost of the Buna Raid, I did get the satisfaction of seeing afterwards that my opponent has formed a TF at Buna and is likely sending the ships that were there to safety further away.
500 Oscars
November 3, 1942 –
The Night Phase started out with Japanese sub I-6 shooting 4 torpedoes at an APD near Sanak Island, but missing. The APD, along with two more APDs in the TF, returned the favour by attacking the sub but missing.
Next, S-36 finally lost the fight against the damage it had sustained from the mine at Port Blair and sank in the dark.
Then USS Gar caught an xAKL alone on the surface and attacked with surface guns in the middle of the East China Sea off of Shanghai. The sub got in 6 hits but then the little freighter hit the sub with a shell that penetrated the hull, so the Gar’s skipper submerged and started the long journey home.
Daylight brought a series of Japanese Air Raids along the Indo-Burmese border. First off 26 Oscars swept Imphal where they ran into 21 Hurricanes on CAP. One Hurricane was lost. Then 27 Oscars swept Ledo where they ran into 16 Hurricanes. Again, one Hurricane was lost.
This was followed by 3 more Oscars that ran into 2 remaining Hurricanes over Ledo. Again 1 Hurricane was shot down. Finally, 24 Lilies, accompanied by 20 Oscars, hit some of the troops at Ledo.
At the end of the day the losses were:
8 Oscars – 4 A-to-A
7 Hurricanes – 5 A-to-A
No British pilots were lost.
This result saw the 500th Oscar lost. I’m not certain if I’ve even had a total of 500 Fighters so far…[;)]
In other, and rather important, news, a Japanese TF has shown up at Cooktown. It appears that my opponent is attempting to pull out some of his troops ahead of the arrival of my Land Forces at Cooktown. Fortunately for me, I’ve got a number of surprises that I will throw at the Japanese TF next turn. It will be interesting to see what happens.
The Night Phase started out with Japanese sub I-6 shooting 4 torpedoes at an APD near Sanak Island, but missing. The APD, along with two more APDs in the TF, returned the favour by attacking the sub but missing.
Next, S-36 finally lost the fight against the damage it had sustained from the mine at Port Blair and sank in the dark.
Then USS Gar caught an xAKL alone on the surface and attacked with surface guns in the middle of the East China Sea off of Shanghai. The sub got in 6 hits but then the little freighter hit the sub with a shell that penetrated the hull, so the Gar’s skipper submerged and started the long journey home.
Daylight brought a series of Japanese Air Raids along the Indo-Burmese border. First off 26 Oscars swept Imphal where they ran into 21 Hurricanes on CAP. One Hurricane was lost. Then 27 Oscars swept Ledo where they ran into 16 Hurricanes. Again, one Hurricane was lost.
This was followed by 3 more Oscars that ran into 2 remaining Hurricanes over Ledo. Again 1 Hurricane was shot down. Finally, 24 Lilies, accompanied by 20 Oscars, hit some of the troops at Ledo.
At the end of the day the losses were:
8 Oscars – 4 A-to-A
7 Hurricanes – 5 A-to-A
No British pilots were lost.
This result saw the 500th Oscar lost. I’m not certain if I’ve even had a total of 500 Fighters so far…[;)]
In other, and rather important, news, a Japanese TF has shown up at Cooktown. It appears that my opponent is attempting to pull out some of his troops ahead of the arrival of my Land Forces at Cooktown. Fortunately for me, I’ve got a number of surprises that I will throw at the Japanese TF next turn. It will be interesting to see what happens.
Owning the Sky Over Cooktown
November 4, 1942 –
The Night Phase saw another Surface Sub Attack as USS Trout caught a lone xAK on the surface near Fukue-jima. The gun crew of the Trout hit the freighter with 17 shots while the torpedo crew put two live torpedoes into the hapless ship. The crew of the Trout headed back to port with empty torpedo tubes and a Job Well Done.
Unfortunately, that couldn’t be said for my Naval Forces down in the northeast corner of Australia as the Japanese Fast Transport TFs got away clean with most of the Japanese troops that were at Cooktown. My TFs found no trace of the Japanese ships, and neither did my subs in the region. Once Daylight came even my Search Planes couldn’t find the Japanese ships.
But while the Navy didn’t do their job, the Army Air Corps did theirs very well once Daylight came. I had the right forces in the right place at the right time, and the result was near perfect.
First off 22 P-38Es swept in on Cooktown and found 12 Zeros on CAP. The Lightnings blasted the Zeros and shot down 4 while damaging or driving away the rest. Next came in 25 P-38Fs, but there were no more Japanese planes in the sky.
This allowed the Main Performance, 11 B24Ds, 36 B-17Es and 16 P-40Ks, to fly in unopposed and hit the Air Base, Air Supply and Runways at Cooktown very hard. There were lots of hits on all of the facilities and 7 Zeros were reported destroyed on the ground.
At the end of the day the Final Tally was 23 Zeros destroyed – 8 A-to-A and 15 on the ground. Recon showed that my opponent pulled out most of whatever was left. The US Army will be rolling in to town in a couple of days, so that will close out this portion of the Japanese Australian Adventure of 1942. Now I’ll start to focus on recovering Northern Australia.
BTW – I’m getting the feeling that my opponent is pulling back some of his troops away from the Front Lines in China. I’m suspicious that he is using them to back up his forces in Burma.
The Night Phase saw another Surface Sub Attack as USS Trout caught a lone xAK on the surface near Fukue-jima. The gun crew of the Trout hit the freighter with 17 shots while the torpedo crew put two live torpedoes into the hapless ship. The crew of the Trout headed back to port with empty torpedo tubes and a Job Well Done.
Unfortunately, that couldn’t be said for my Naval Forces down in the northeast corner of Australia as the Japanese Fast Transport TFs got away clean with most of the Japanese troops that were at Cooktown. My TFs found no trace of the Japanese ships, and neither did my subs in the region. Once Daylight came even my Search Planes couldn’t find the Japanese ships.
But while the Navy didn’t do their job, the Army Air Corps did theirs very well once Daylight came. I had the right forces in the right place at the right time, and the result was near perfect.
First off 22 P-38Es swept in on Cooktown and found 12 Zeros on CAP. The Lightnings blasted the Zeros and shot down 4 while damaging or driving away the rest. Next came in 25 P-38Fs, but there were no more Japanese planes in the sky.
This allowed the Main Performance, 11 B24Ds, 36 B-17Es and 16 P-40Ks, to fly in unopposed and hit the Air Base, Air Supply and Runways at Cooktown very hard. There were lots of hits on all of the facilities and 7 Zeros were reported destroyed on the ground.
At the end of the day the Final Tally was 23 Zeros destroyed – 8 A-to-A and 15 on the ground. Recon showed that my opponent pulled out most of whatever was left. The US Army will be rolling in to town in a couple of days, so that will close out this portion of the Japanese Australian Adventure of 1942. Now I’ll start to focus on recovering Northern Australia.
BTW – I’m getting the feeling that my opponent is pulling back some of his troops away from the Front Lines in China. I’m suspicious that he is using them to back up his forces in Burma.
Back to Quiet Times
November 5, 1942 –
There was a return to No Action this turn, both in the Night Phase and in the Day Phase. Even Recon was subdued. The only major change was that more Japanese subs than normal showed up in the Aleutians. So I sent out more ASW TFs than usual.
My opponent is pleased with how good a job his Fast Transports did at pulling out his troops from Cooktown last turn. I’m still a bit ticked off that none of my submarines, nor any of my Air Search squadrons, found any sign of the Japanese TFs. There are still a few bits-and-pieces of Japanese equipment and wrecked planes at Cooktown. My Armoured units should arrive next turn and re-capture the base the following turn.
In the meanwhile I am turning my attention on Northern Australia, and I’m getting the feeling that my opponent has pulled most of his forces out of there too. Oh well, I’ll continue along with my plans and build up my Base Infrastructure ahead of any major moves forward.
So things ought to be fairly quiet for the rest of 1942. I’ll see if I can lull my opponent into making a few mistakes. [;)]
There was a return to No Action this turn, both in the Night Phase and in the Day Phase. Even Recon was subdued. The only major change was that more Japanese subs than normal showed up in the Aleutians. So I sent out more ASW TFs than usual.
My opponent is pleased with how good a job his Fast Transports did at pulling out his troops from Cooktown last turn. I’m still a bit ticked off that none of my submarines, nor any of my Air Search squadrons, found any sign of the Japanese TFs. There are still a few bits-and-pieces of Japanese equipment and wrecked planes at Cooktown. My Armoured units should arrive next turn and re-capture the base the following turn.
In the meanwhile I am turning my attention on Northern Australia, and I’m getting the feeling that my opponent has pulled most of his forces out of there too. Oh well, I’ll continue along with my plans and build up my Base Infrastructure ahead of any major moves forward.
So things ought to be fairly quiet for the rest of 1942. I’ll see if I can lull my opponent into making a few mistakes. [;)]
DEs vs Subs
November 6, 1942 –
The Night Phase saw IJN sub I-6 take a shot at a US DE near Nagai Island in the Aleutians. The torpedoes missed, which then gave the 4 DEs in the ASW TF a shot at the Japanese sub. Eventually the DEs scored 8 hits on the sub, so I-6 ought to be heading home for a while.
But this isn’t discouraging the IJN submarine fleet as my Search Planes and Intel spotted four more Japanese subs in the region, including a group of three in one hex. They are all reported to be travelling eastwards. The subs are sailing south of my main Shipping Routes in the region, probably because I am sending TFs from Prince Rupert to the Aleutians rather than from Seattle or other West Coast US Ports.
Still and all, I’m surprised and a little perplexed at this because there have been hardly any Japanese subs reported off of the West Coast in half a year. Maybe the subs are carrying mines. Or maybe they are ferrying mini-subs.
On the other hand, maybe the subs are being sent out in advance of an IJN Raid into the region. My opponent has been Raiding in the South Pacific, so I’m really surprised that he hasn’t Raided into the northeast Pacific. (For example, SIGNINT and my Naval Search planes reported a Japanese TF in the Southern Gilberts this turn. I don’t yet know where it is going so I’ve pulled back a little TF that I have in the region.)
Just in case he is planning such a thing I moved more Air Units northwards to my bases in the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Those units were going to move to the Aleutians eventually anyway, so starting them now is not a problem.
In other news, Daylight brought a return to intensive Aerial Reconnaissance from both sides. My opponent finally flew some Recon over Cairns for the first time since I re-captured it. It would be nice for my Fighter Pilots if my opponent would send some Bombers too, but I don’t think that he will make that sort of rookie mistake.
And the US Army Armoured Units reached Cooktown this turn. There are only “leftovers” in the base as far as Japanese forces go, so the Tankers ought to capture the base easily next turn.
The Night Phase saw IJN sub I-6 take a shot at a US DE near Nagai Island in the Aleutians. The torpedoes missed, which then gave the 4 DEs in the ASW TF a shot at the Japanese sub. Eventually the DEs scored 8 hits on the sub, so I-6 ought to be heading home for a while.
But this isn’t discouraging the IJN submarine fleet as my Search Planes and Intel spotted four more Japanese subs in the region, including a group of three in one hex. They are all reported to be travelling eastwards. The subs are sailing south of my main Shipping Routes in the region, probably because I am sending TFs from Prince Rupert to the Aleutians rather than from Seattle or other West Coast US Ports.
Still and all, I’m surprised and a little perplexed at this because there have been hardly any Japanese subs reported off of the West Coast in half a year. Maybe the subs are carrying mines. Or maybe they are ferrying mini-subs.
On the other hand, maybe the subs are being sent out in advance of an IJN Raid into the region. My opponent has been Raiding in the South Pacific, so I’m really surprised that he hasn’t Raided into the northeast Pacific. (For example, SIGNINT and my Naval Search planes reported a Japanese TF in the Southern Gilberts this turn. I don’t yet know where it is going so I’ve pulled back a little TF that I have in the region.)
Just in case he is planning such a thing I moved more Air Units northwards to my bases in the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Those units were going to move to the Aleutians eventually anyway, so starting them now is not a problem.
In other news, Daylight brought a return to intensive Aerial Reconnaissance from both sides. My opponent finally flew some Recon over Cairns for the first time since I re-captured it. It would be nice for my Fighter Pilots if my opponent would send some Bombers too, but I don’t think that he will make that sort of rookie mistake.
And the US Army Armoured Units reached Cooktown this turn. There are only “leftovers” in the base as far as Japanese forces go, so the Tankers ought to capture the base easily next turn.
Cooktown Liberated!
November 7, 1942 –
The Night Phase saw I-3, one of the Japanese subs in the Aleutians, take a shot at a US SC near Umnak. It was the Lucky Night of that SC as the torpedo that hit it was a dud. The SCs in the ASW TF then chased I-3 and eventually got a couple of hits on the sub.
Daylight brought out the Allied Air Force over Burma as another Air Attack took place on the Japanese Infantry Regiments at Kalemyo. First off P-38s and Hurricanes swept in. But this time there was no “leaking” CAP and the Allied fighters found empty skies. This was fine with the pilots of the 4Es who followed with 16 B-17Fs, 16 B-17Es and 24 B-24Ds, along with Hurricanes on Escort. The Bombing Run went perfectly and the Japanese troops were hit hard.
Then came the Big Event of the Day as US armoured units rolled into Cooktown and re-captured it easily. There were only non-portable fragments of two JNAF AF Base Forces left at the base, along with a very nice catch of damaged Zeros.
Afterwards the Air Losses table listed those losses as 2 “air-to-air” and 20 “operational”. That is Fog of War in a Big Way. [:D]
So now I’ve got to get up Support troops to repair the base and prepare it for future action. There are also Japanese mines at the base so I’m sending up some Minesweepers to clear the port.
The Night Phase saw I-3, one of the Japanese subs in the Aleutians, take a shot at a US SC near Umnak. It was the Lucky Night of that SC as the torpedo that hit it was a dud. The SCs in the ASW TF then chased I-3 and eventually got a couple of hits on the sub.
Daylight brought out the Allied Air Force over Burma as another Air Attack took place on the Japanese Infantry Regiments at Kalemyo. First off P-38s and Hurricanes swept in. But this time there was no “leaking” CAP and the Allied fighters found empty skies. This was fine with the pilots of the 4Es who followed with 16 B-17Fs, 16 B-17Es and 24 B-24Ds, along with Hurricanes on Escort. The Bombing Run went perfectly and the Japanese troops were hit hard.
Then came the Big Event of the Day as US armoured units rolled into Cooktown and re-captured it easily. There were only non-portable fragments of two JNAF AF Base Forces left at the base, along with a very nice catch of damaged Zeros.
Afterwards the Air Losses table listed those losses as 2 “air-to-air” and 20 “operational”. That is Fog of War in a Big Way. [:D]
So now I’ve got to get up Support troops to repair the base and prepare it for future action. There are also Japanese mines at the base so I’m sending up some Minesweepers to clear the port.
More Sub Hunting
November 8, 1942 –
The Night Phase saw more Allied ASW in action. First off a 4-DE ASW TF caught Japanese sub I-23 near Nagai Island and chased it away, although they didn’t get any hits on the sub. Then I-175 shot at and missed an AVD near Canton Island. One of the DEs that was with the AVD didn’t miss and the sub was sent home limping.
Daylight brought plenty of Air Recon but no other action.
Canton Island is Back in Business again after a Seabee unit cleaned up the mess left by the Japanese Naval Bombardment a while back. So I moved a Catalina squadron back and set them to watch the waters in the region again. BTW – Pago Pago was fixed up within a couple of days of receiving a Japanese Naval Bombardment, so those nuisance bombardments did nothing more than use up Japanese fuel.
So things are likely to be fairly slow for a while. It will be several weeks before my LCUs reach their next objectives in Oz, and even longer before those objectives are built up enough to support the next phase of advances. So my January 1, 1943 timetable still looks realistic.
BTW – if you are wondering, I have no intention of attempting any Amphibious Assaults in the next few months. I much prefer to continue setting up land-based stepping stones.
Elsewhere, things continue to be quiet in China. I can’t do anything, and my opponent isn’t doing anything, so that’s fine with me at this time.
And it’s Winter in the Aleutians, so I’m not going to be doing anything but chasing enemy subs until Spring.
Finally, I’m still a bit concerned about the Indo-Burma region. My opponent now has at least 200 Fighters at various bases in Burma, and I can’t match those numbers at this time. What I don’t want to do is to get into a battle of attrition because I can’t focus overwhelming Air Power anywhere at this time. So I have to continue to “wave” the threat of my 4Es while not wasting them against Fighter and Flak traps.
The Night Phase saw more Allied ASW in action. First off a 4-DE ASW TF caught Japanese sub I-23 near Nagai Island and chased it away, although they didn’t get any hits on the sub. Then I-175 shot at and missed an AVD near Canton Island. One of the DEs that was with the AVD didn’t miss and the sub was sent home limping.
Daylight brought plenty of Air Recon but no other action.
Canton Island is Back in Business again after a Seabee unit cleaned up the mess left by the Japanese Naval Bombardment a while back. So I moved a Catalina squadron back and set them to watch the waters in the region again. BTW – Pago Pago was fixed up within a couple of days of receiving a Japanese Naval Bombardment, so those nuisance bombardments did nothing more than use up Japanese fuel.
So things are likely to be fairly slow for a while. It will be several weeks before my LCUs reach their next objectives in Oz, and even longer before those objectives are built up enough to support the next phase of advances. So my January 1, 1943 timetable still looks realistic.
BTW – if you are wondering, I have no intention of attempting any Amphibious Assaults in the next few months. I much prefer to continue setting up land-based stepping stones.
Elsewhere, things continue to be quiet in China. I can’t do anything, and my opponent isn’t doing anything, so that’s fine with me at this time.
And it’s Winter in the Aleutians, so I’m not going to be doing anything but chasing enemy subs until Spring.
Finally, I’m still a bit concerned about the Indo-Burma region. My opponent now has at least 200 Fighters at various bases in Burma, and I can’t match those numbers at this time. What I don’t want to do is to get into a battle of attrition because I can’t focus overwhelming Air Power anywhere at this time. So I have to continue to “wave” the threat of my 4Es while not wasting them against Fighter and Flak traps.
Back to Quiet Times
November 9, 1942 –
There was no Action in either the Night or the Day phases. There was plenty of Recon as usual.
The Japanese subs off of the Aleutians appear to be pulling off a bit, but at least one of them is still within DE-range… [;)]
I am very busy moving forces around and next turn I will start to apply subtle pressure upon Northern Australia.
I will soon also increase the pressure on Japanese forces in Burma in an equally subtle manner. Actually, if my opponent is paying close attention to the reports from his Recon flights over the Allied bases along the Indo-Burmese border he will notice an increase in the quantity of forces at the bases. I am almost finished replacing the original “emergency” units that I put there with good quality units. The next stage will be a small but nice push in a direction that ought to garner an interesting response.
There was no Action in either the Night or the Day phases. There was plenty of Recon as usual.
The Japanese subs off of the Aleutians appear to be pulling off a bit, but at least one of them is still within DE-range… [;)]
I am very busy moving forces around and next turn I will start to apply subtle pressure upon Northern Australia.
I will soon also increase the pressure on Japanese forces in Burma in an equally subtle manner. Actually, if my opponent is paying close attention to the reports from his Recon flights over the Allied bases along the Indo-Burmese border he will notice an increase in the quantity of forces at the bases. I am almost finished replacing the original “emergency” units that I put there with good quality units. The next stage will be a small but nice push in a direction that ought to garner an interesting response.
Subs Back into Action
November 10, 1942 –
Night saw a return to submarine action. First off USS Pike was chased unsuccessfully by an SC near Moppo. Then Dutch sub KXVIII put a torpedo into an xAK near Green Island. The freighter likely sank, and KXVIII got away from the PB escorts in the Japanese TF.
US sub action will fade for a few weeks as I have started to send the US Fleet Subs back to Port in preparation of the December 1942 upgrades. This means that they will start to get back On Patrol in early 1943, and hopefully at that time they will start to be equipped with somewhat more reliable torpedoes.
Daylight brought lots of Air Recon but no other action. My Recon keeps on reporting that the Japanese forces appear to have abandoned Northern Australia. I’m not certain that I believe that yet, but I am sending LCUs further forward in an effort to get a more concrete reading of the situation.
The subs that I have patrolling off of the North Coast of Australia are getting regularly buzzed by Japanese Aircraft, so I am not ready to send Surface Ships into the region at this time. Even if the Japanese planes are flying out of base in Timor I don’t intend to send ships into the region until I have good bases for land-based fighter coverage. So for now the Tanks will keep on rolling forward.
Night saw a return to submarine action. First off USS Pike was chased unsuccessfully by an SC near Moppo. Then Dutch sub KXVIII put a torpedo into an xAK near Green Island. The freighter likely sank, and KXVIII got away from the PB escorts in the Japanese TF.
US sub action will fade for a few weeks as I have started to send the US Fleet Subs back to Port in preparation of the December 1942 upgrades. This means that they will start to get back On Patrol in early 1943, and hopefully at that time they will start to be equipped with somewhat more reliable torpedoes.
Daylight brought lots of Air Recon but no other action. My Recon keeps on reporting that the Japanese forces appear to have abandoned Northern Australia. I’m not certain that I believe that yet, but I am sending LCUs further forward in an effort to get a more concrete reading of the situation.
The subs that I have patrolling off of the North Coast of Australia are getting regularly buzzed by Japanese Aircraft, so I am not ready to send Surface Ships into the region at this time. Even if the Japanese planes are flying out of base in Timor I don’t intend to send ships into the region until I have good bases for land-based fighter coverage. So for now the Tanks will keep on rolling forward.
Close, But Not Quite
November 11, 1942 –
The Night Phase brought some sub action, and while not fortunate, some of the action was at least informative.
USS Gunnel was near Nauru Island and on its way back to Pearl when IJN CA Myoko sailed into the periscope sights of the US sub. Gunnel fired a full load of torpedoes but missed. Then the multiple DD escorts in the Japanese TF came and hit Gunnel hard. The sub is now leaking badly and limping home.
What was informative about the attack was that Myoko was part of a very big and strong Replenishment TF which included 5 AOs, a BB, a CL and around a dozen DDs. Just what is such a TF doing in that area? Is my opponent planning some major raids or an invasion?
There was one other US sub that was caught on its way home. USS Pike was sailing by Fukue-jima when it was chased by an SC. This time the sub got away safely.
Daylight brought a strong Oscar Sweep of Chungking. There was a follow-on Sweep by a few Oscar stragglers, but no follow-on Bomber attack. That was a long flight for those Oscars, but afterwards I didn’t see any listed as Ops losses.
I’ve ordered my Chinese Fighters on High Alt CAP over Chungking for next turn, although it is unlikely that my opponent will send a Bomber Attack, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful.
Increased Recon of Northeastern Oz brought reports of 3 Japanese LCUs at Katherine and 1 at Darwin. This was backed up by a SIGINT report of a Japanese Infantry Battalion at Darwin. So my opponent hasn’t pulled out of that region yet. But the Northwestern Australian bases under Japanese occupation appear to be empty. So I am continuing with my plans.
The Night Phase brought some sub action, and while not fortunate, some of the action was at least informative.
USS Gunnel was near Nauru Island and on its way back to Pearl when IJN CA Myoko sailed into the periscope sights of the US sub. Gunnel fired a full load of torpedoes but missed. Then the multiple DD escorts in the Japanese TF came and hit Gunnel hard. The sub is now leaking badly and limping home.
What was informative about the attack was that Myoko was part of a very big and strong Replenishment TF which included 5 AOs, a BB, a CL and around a dozen DDs. Just what is such a TF doing in that area? Is my opponent planning some major raids or an invasion?
There was one other US sub that was caught on its way home. USS Pike was sailing by Fukue-jima when it was chased by an SC. This time the sub got away safely.
Daylight brought a strong Oscar Sweep of Chungking. There was a follow-on Sweep by a few Oscar stragglers, but no follow-on Bomber attack. That was a long flight for those Oscars, but afterwards I didn’t see any listed as Ops losses.
I’ve ordered my Chinese Fighters on High Alt CAP over Chungking for next turn, although it is unlikely that my opponent will send a Bomber Attack, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful.
Increased Recon of Northeastern Oz brought reports of 3 Japanese LCUs at Katherine and 1 at Darwin. This was backed up by a SIGINT report of a Japanese Infantry Battalion at Darwin. So my opponent hasn’t pulled out of that region yet. But the Northwestern Australian bases under Japanese occupation appear to be empty. So I am continuing with my plans.
Recon and Intel Failures
November 12, 1942 –
The Night Phase saw three Australian AMs sail up to Cooktown and sweep the handful of mines that the Japanese had left behind. Now I can send in my own minelayers and some PTs.
Daylight saw major Japanese Air Attacks and a major Failure of Allied Intel.
First off, pretty much as I had expected, Japanese planes attacked bases in China but avoided Chungking. Sallys and Lilies, with Oscars on CAP, hit troops at Hengyang, but caused negligible casualties. Then there were a couple of fairly large Sally, Lily and Oscar attacks on the troops at Liuchow. There were no casualties in those attacks.
But then came a series of attacks on Tennant Creek, as it because obvious that my opponent has no intention of pulling back from Northern Australia at this time, despite the reports from my Air Recon and Intel.
First off 16 Lilies came in escorted by 24 Zeros. The Australians had their best Fighter Squadron, flying Spitfire Vcs, on CAP. The Spits attacked the Zeros but couldn’t get through to the Lilies. The Lilies eventually got a handful of hits on the runways, 3 Zeros were shot down, and 2 Spits were downed.
Next 18 Zeros and 24 Oscars flew in. This time only 3 Spitfires were able to meet the Japanese attack. Never-the-less, 1 Oscar was shot down for the loss of only 1 Spitfire.
Then 18 more Zeros and 1 Dinah flew in. This time there were no Allied fighters in the air.
Finally, one last group of 18 Zeros and 1 Dinah flew in and again there was no Allied CAP. This time the attack appeared to come from the northwest instead of from the north.
At the End of the Day the losses were as follows:
7 Zeros lost – 6 A-to-A
1 Oscar lost – A-to-A
7 Spitfires lost – 5 A-to-A
Only one Australian pilot was lost.
So it is obvious that my opponent intends to stand and fight for now in Northern Oz, and more importantly, that my Air Recon and SIGINT aren’t going to be very accurate.
So I decided to Bring Out the Big Sticks and I moved 4 4E squadrons to join the 2 that are already in position and I ordered them all to hit the Air Fields at Katherine next turn. It’s time to discourage my opponent again.
In other news, Japanese bombers are now reported to be at Espirito Santo, along with Fighters and Patrol planes, so my opponent obviously intends to make life a bit more difficult for me in that part of the South Pacific. Fortunately, at this time I have no interest in doing anything in that region.
And more Japanese subs continue to show up in the Gulf of Alaska, with unconfirmed reports suggesting that some are nearing the BC coast too. My LBA in the region is starting to get more opportunities to attack those subs, and I don’t currently have many TFs in the region, so I don’t expect the subs to be too much of a problem.
The Night Phase saw three Australian AMs sail up to Cooktown and sweep the handful of mines that the Japanese had left behind. Now I can send in my own minelayers and some PTs.
Daylight saw major Japanese Air Attacks and a major Failure of Allied Intel.
First off, pretty much as I had expected, Japanese planes attacked bases in China but avoided Chungking. Sallys and Lilies, with Oscars on CAP, hit troops at Hengyang, but caused negligible casualties. Then there were a couple of fairly large Sally, Lily and Oscar attacks on the troops at Liuchow. There were no casualties in those attacks.
But then came a series of attacks on Tennant Creek, as it because obvious that my opponent has no intention of pulling back from Northern Australia at this time, despite the reports from my Air Recon and Intel.
First off 16 Lilies came in escorted by 24 Zeros. The Australians had their best Fighter Squadron, flying Spitfire Vcs, on CAP. The Spits attacked the Zeros but couldn’t get through to the Lilies. The Lilies eventually got a handful of hits on the runways, 3 Zeros were shot down, and 2 Spits were downed.
Next 18 Zeros and 24 Oscars flew in. This time only 3 Spitfires were able to meet the Japanese attack. Never-the-less, 1 Oscar was shot down for the loss of only 1 Spitfire.
Then 18 more Zeros and 1 Dinah flew in. This time there were no Allied fighters in the air.
Finally, one last group of 18 Zeros and 1 Dinah flew in and again there was no Allied CAP. This time the attack appeared to come from the northwest instead of from the north.
At the End of the Day the losses were as follows:
7 Zeros lost – 6 A-to-A
1 Oscar lost – A-to-A
7 Spitfires lost – 5 A-to-A
Only one Australian pilot was lost.
So it is obvious that my opponent intends to stand and fight for now in Northern Oz, and more importantly, that my Air Recon and SIGINT aren’t going to be very accurate.
So I decided to Bring Out the Big Sticks and I moved 4 4E squadrons to join the 2 that are already in position and I ordered them all to hit the Air Fields at Katherine next turn. It’s time to discourage my opponent again.
In other news, Japanese bombers are now reported to be at Espirito Santo, along with Fighters and Patrol planes, so my opponent obviously intends to make life a bit more difficult for me in that part of the South Pacific. Fortunately, at this time I have no interest in doing anything in that region.
And more Japanese subs continue to show up in the Gulf of Alaska, with unconfirmed reports suggesting that some are nearing the BC coast too. My LBA in the region is starting to get more opportunities to attack those subs, and I don’t currently have many TFs in the region, so I don’t expect the subs to be too much of a problem.
Slow Motion
November 13, 1942 –
There was no night action.
Daylight brought Bad Weather over most of the Allied Air Missions, so nothing important flew and even most of the Recon flights were washed out.
Japanese fighters buzzed an Armoured Unit that is starting to move from Tennant Creek towards Daly Waters. There are now a lot of Fighters, Bombers and Recon planes at Katherine, so my opponent obviously intends to stand a fight for at least a while in Northern Oz. If my 4Es fly maybe he will reconsider his decision.
I’m starting to set up some future surprises that won’t be as dependent upon 4Es flying. But it will take some time to get into position. So for now things will be slow and possibly painful.
There was no night action.
Daylight brought Bad Weather over most of the Allied Air Missions, so nothing important flew and even most of the Recon flights were washed out.
Japanese fighters buzzed an Armoured Unit that is starting to move from Tennant Creek towards Daly Waters. There are now a lot of Fighters, Bombers and Recon planes at Katherine, so my opponent obviously intends to stand a fight for at least a while in Northern Oz. If my 4Es fly maybe he will reconsider his decision.
I’m starting to set up some future surprises that won’t be as dependent upon 4Es flying. But it will take some time to get into position. So for now things will be slow and possibly painful.
The Hammer of God Strikes Twice
November 14, 1942 –
There was no Night Action again. Daylight was another matter, as my Air Attacks flew as planned.
The first attack was on the Japanese Infantry Regiments that are sitting to the east of Akyab. A full P-38F squadron started the attack with a sweep that chased off a lone Oscar. This was followed by a sweep by a full squadron of P-38Es. Then the 4Es flew in – 16 B17Fs, 16 B17Es and 24 B17Ds – escorted by 8 Hurricane IIcs. The Bombers hit the troops hard and caused a good number of casualties. There were no losses and no damage to any of the attacking planes. That will continue to strain the supply lines for the Japanese in Burma.
Next my Attack on Katherine finally flew. The first round saw 12 B-17Fs, 29 B-17Es, and 6 B-24Ds fly in against 44 Zeros and 3 Oscars. The 4Es blasted through the Japanese fighters, shooting down a couple of Zeros and damaging the Oscars. One B-17E was lost, but the rest of the planes hit the Air Base at Katherine hard, causing plenty of Air Base, Air Base Supply, and Runway Damage.
Then 9 B-17Es straggled in late and faced 19 Zeros. The 17Es again blasted past the Japanese fighters, shooting one down and hitting the Air Base and Runways again.
At the End of the Day the final tally was as follows:
9 Zeros lost – 3 A-to-A and 6 Ops
2 Oscars lost – 1 A-to-A and 1 Ops
2 B-17Es lost – 1 A-to-A and 1 Ops
1 B-24D lost to Ops
1 B17E lost to Ops
Only one Allied pilot was lost.
And to make a good day even better, I received a number of ships, including a Fast BB, and a number of air units today.
There was no Night Action again. Daylight was another matter, as my Air Attacks flew as planned.
The first attack was on the Japanese Infantry Regiments that are sitting to the east of Akyab. A full P-38F squadron started the attack with a sweep that chased off a lone Oscar. This was followed by a sweep by a full squadron of P-38Es. Then the 4Es flew in – 16 B17Fs, 16 B17Es and 24 B17Ds – escorted by 8 Hurricane IIcs. The Bombers hit the troops hard and caused a good number of casualties. There were no losses and no damage to any of the attacking planes. That will continue to strain the supply lines for the Japanese in Burma.
Next my Attack on Katherine finally flew. The first round saw 12 B-17Fs, 29 B-17Es, and 6 B-24Ds fly in against 44 Zeros and 3 Oscars. The 4Es blasted through the Japanese fighters, shooting down a couple of Zeros and damaging the Oscars. One B-17E was lost, but the rest of the planes hit the Air Base at Katherine hard, causing plenty of Air Base, Air Base Supply, and Runway Damage.
Then 9 B-17Es straggled in late and faced 19 Zeros. The 17Es again blasted past the Japanese fighters, shooting one down and hitting the Air Base and Runways again.
At the End of the Day the final tally was as follows:
9 Zeros lost – 3 A-to-A and 6 Ops
2 Oscars lost – 1 A-to-A and 1 Ops
2 B-17Es lost – 1 A-to-A and 1 Ops
1 B-24D lost to Ops
1 B17E lost to Ops
Only one Allied pilot was lost.
And to make a good day even better, I received a number of ships, including a Fast BB, and a number of air units today.
Indo-Burma Border Battles
November 15, 1942 –
The Night Phase saw US sub S-42 jumped by a PB on ASW patrol at Onnekotan-jima. S-42 was banged up a lot and is now limping home. There was no sign of the Transport TF that SIGINT reported to be on its way to the base. So I set some long-range Recon to head out for a look while I directed more subs to go that direct too.
Daylight brought something of a surprise as 18 Oscars attempted to Sweep Ledo. They were met by 16 Hurricane IIcs, and the Hurries made quick work of the Oscars. (I’ve learned the Hard Way in my Japanese pbem that Hurries will eat up Oscars, so in this pbem I’ve got them as my Front Line squadrons at the Indo-Burmese border.) Three Oscars were reported shot down during the fight. The End-of-Day report was as follows:
8 Oscars lost – 6 A-to-A, 2 Ops
1 Hurricane IIc lost A-to-A.
My opponent is moving his planes around a lot in Burma. I presume that he is trying to avoid having a bunch of them caught on the ground by my 4Es. But it’s not like he is giving up on Burma – SIGINT reported that a Japanese Engineering Regiment is preparing to attack Imphal.
In any event, given the Bad Weather and the lack of interesting targets I’m keeping my 4Es training right now while I move my Recon around every turn. However, it won’t be long before Operation Subtle Push begins, and at that time I will start to close down Japanese Air Bases in Burma in a systematic manner.
In the meanwhile in Northern Australia there were no Japanese attacks on Tennant Creek. Instead my opponent moved even more Fighters into Katherine. I’m keeping my 4Es training in Oz too at this time as I wait for more Support units to move into position, and more Bases to increase in size.
And finally, it continues to look like my opponent has stopped trying to advance in China and has instead moved a number of LCUs away from the Front Lines. There are still more than enough Japanese units to keep me from counterattacking, but I can’t believe that there will be any more Japanese thrusts, only the occasional Air Raids.
But that raises the important question – just where is my opponent moving those LCUs that he is pulling back from Central China?
The Night Phase saw US sub S-42 jumped by a PB on ASW patrol at Onnekotan-jima. S-42 was banged up a lot and is now limping home. There was no sign of the Transport TF that SIGINT reported to be on its way to the base. So I set some long-range Recon to head out for a look while I directed more subs to go that direct too.
Daylight brought something of a surprise as 18 Oscars attempted to Sweep Ledo. They were met by 16 Hurricane IIcs, and the Hurries made quick work of the Oscars. (I’ve learned the Hard Way in my Japanese pbem that Hurries will eat up Oscars, so in this pbem I’ve got them as my Front Line squadrons at the Indo-Burmese border.) Three Oscars were reported shot down during the fight. The End-of-Day report was as follows:
8 Oscars lost – 6 A-to-A, 2 Ops
1 Hurricane IIc lost A-to-A.
My opponent is moving his planes around a lot in Burma. I presume that he is trying to avoid having a bunch of them caught on the ground by my 4Es. But it’s not like he is giving up on Burma – SIGINT reported that a Japanese Engineering Regiment is preparing to attack Imphal.
In any event, given the Bad Weather and the lack of interesting targets I’m keeping my 4Es training right now while I move my Recon around every turn. However, it won’t be long before Operation Subtle Push begins, and at that time I will start to close down Japanese Air Bases in Burma in a systematic manner.
In the meanwhile in Northern Australia there were no Japanese attacks on Tennant Creek. Instead my opponent moved even more Fighters into Katherine. I’m keeping my 4Es training in Oz too at this time as I wait for more Support units to move into position, and more Bases to increase in size.
And finally, it continues to look like my opponent has stopped trying to advance in China and has instead moved a number of LCUs away from the Front Lines. There are still more than enough Japanese units to keep me from counterattacking, but I can’t believe that there will be any more Japanese thrusts, only the occasional Air Raids.
But that raises the important question – just where is my opponent moving those LCUs that he is pulling back from Central China?
Air vs Ground
November 16, 1942 –
There was no Night Action again this turn. That will probably continue to be the case until early January 1943, because I am sending all of my US Fleet submarines back to major ports for their December 1942 upgrades.
Daylight brought a large Japanese Air Attack on an Australian Armoured unit that is moving up the road towards Daly Waters. Sallys and Helens, accompanied by Nicks, flew in from Darwin. They caused a number of casualties to the unit, but nothing too major.
So I brought a P-38 Squadron to Tennant Creek and set it to LR CAP over the Armoured unit for next turn. My opponent usually doesn’t do the same thing two times in a row, but if the Bombers come back they won’t get away unscathed.
I also sent some Liberators on a Recon flight over Darwin, just to remind my opponent that I can bomb the Air Fields there too.
BTW – I’ve got an Air HQ on its way to Tennant Creek, and once it gets there the entire situation in Northern Oz will change.
In other news, the Japanese 1st Raider Regiment captured undefended Efate this turn. It will be interesting to see if my opponent moves some Support troops into the base.
There was no Night Action again this turn. That will probably continue to be the case until early January 1943, because I am sending all of my US Fleet submarines back to major ports for their December 1942 upgrades.
Daylight brought a large Japanese Air Attack on an Australian Armoured unit that is moving up the road towards Daly Waters. Sallys and Helens, accompanied by Nicks, flew in from Darwin. They caused a number of casualties to the unit, but nothing too major.
So I brought a P-38 Squadron to Tennant Creek and set it to LR CAP over the Armoured unit for next turn. My opponent usually doesn’t do the same thing two times in a row, but if the Bombers come back they won’t get away unscathed.
I also sent some Liberators on a Recon flight over Darwin, just to remind my opponent that I can bomb the Air Fields there too.
BTW – I’ve got an Air HQ on its way to Tennant Creek, and once it gets there the entire situation in Northern Oz will change.
In other news, the Japanese 1st Raider Regiment captured undefended Efate this turn. It will be interesting to see if my opponent moves some Support troops into the base.
Air Battles Over Magwe
November 17, 1942 –
There was no Night Action again. Daylight brought plenty of Air Action, and an unusual submarine encounter.
As I expected, my opponent did not send his bombers against my Armoured unit that is moving ever closer to Daly Waters. Instead he sent 18 Oscars on a Sweep of Tennant Creek. This time only 8 Spitfires made it up on CAP and two Spits were shot down, although no pilots were lost. The P-38s that I had at Tennant Creek were off on LR CAP over my Armoured unit. A little while later two more Oscar Stragglers flew in and were faced by two Spitfires. This time no planes were lost.
Then it was the turn of the USAAF squadrons in India as the Air Fields at Magwe received a major attack. First off 25 P-38Fs flew in on a Sweep and were met by 5 Oscars, 9 A6M3s and 13 Tojos. The Lightnings smashed into the Japanese CAP and shot down 1 Oscar, 2 A6M3s and 1 Tojo, against the loss of one P38.
Next 24 B-24Ds flew in and faced 2 Oscars, 1 A6M3 and 10 Tojos. The Liberators blasted through the Japanese CAP and hit the Air Base, Air Base Supply and Runways hard. A Tojo was shot down and an A6M3 and a Dinah were destroyed on the Ground.
Then 16 B17Fs and 16 B-17Es flew in and faced 3 Tojos and 1 A6M3. Again the Air Base, Air Base Supply and Runways were hit hard and another Dinah was destroyed on the Ground.
Finally, 24 P-38Es Swept in and faced 3 Tojos and 1 A6M3. The Lightnings easily shot down a Tojo.
At the End-of-the-Day the totals were as follows:
6 Tojos lost – 5 A-to-A and 1 Ops
6 A6M3s lost – 5 A-to-A and 1 on the Ground
3 Oscars lost – 2 A-to-A and 1 on the Ground
2 Dinah lost – on the Ground
3 P-38Fs lost – 2 A-to-A and 1 Ops
3 Spits lost – all A-to-A
2 B-24Ds lost – 1 A-to-A and 1 Ops
Importantly, no Allied pilots were lost and only 2 were wounded.
And in the cold dark late afternoon waters just south of Kodiak I-30 put a torpedo into DE Fox, which was an unusual situation because my DEs usually get away from Japanese sub attacks. However, the other DE in the TF attacked the Japanese sub and hit it 3 times, so the sub ought to be limping home. USS Fox is limping towards Kodiak.
There was no Night Action again. Daylight brought plenty of Air Action, and an unusual submarine encounter.
As I expected, my opponent did not send his bombers against my Armoured unit that is moving ever closer to Daly Waters. Instead he sent 18 Oscars on a Sweep of Tennant Creek. This time only 8 Spitfires made it up on CAP and two Spits were shot down, although no pilots were lost. The P-38s that I had at Tennant Creek were off on LR CAP over my Armoured unit. A little while later two more Oscar Stragglers flew in and were faced by two Spitfires. This time no planes were lost.
Then it was the turn of the USAAF squadrons in India as the Air Fields at Magwe received a major attack. First off 25 P-38Fs flew in on a Sweep and were met by 5 Oscars, 9 A6M3s and 13 Tojos. The Lightnings smashed into the Japanese CAP and shot down 1 Oscar, 2 A6M3s and 1 Tojo, against the loss of one P38.
Next 24 B-24Ds flew in and faced 2 Oscars, 1 A6M3 and 10 Tojos. The Liberators blasted through the Japanese CAP and hit the Air Base, Air Base Supply and Runways hard. A Tojo was shot down and an A6M3 and a Dinah were destroyed on the Ground.
Then 16 B17Fs and 16 B-17Es flew in and faced 3 Tojos and 1 A6M3. Again the Air Base, Air Base Supply and Runways were hit hard and another Dinah was destroyed on the Ground.
Finally, 24 P-38Es Swept in and faced 3 Tojos and 1 A6M3. The Lightnings easily shot down a Tojo.
At the End-of-the-Day the totals were as follows:
6 Tojos lost – 5 A-to-A and 1 Ops
6 A6M3s lost – 5 A-to-A and 1 on the Ground
3 Oscars lost – 2 A-to-A and 1 on the Ground
2 Dinah lost – on the Ground
3 P-38Fs lost – 2 A-to-A and 1 Ops
3 Spits lost – all A-to-A
2 B-24Ds lost – 1 A-to-A and 1 Ops
Importantly, no Allied pilots were lost and only 2 were wounded.
And in the cold dark late afternoon waters just south of Kodiak I-30 put a torpedo into DE Fox, which was an unusual situation because my DEs usually get away from Japanese sub attacks. However, the other DE in the TF attacked the Japanese sub and hit it 3 times, so the sub ought to be limping home. USS Fox is limping towards Kodiak.
Flotation Failures
November 18, 1942 –
There was no Night Action, other than a report from USS Fox of Floatation Repair Failures. Fox is still limping on its way to Port, but it might not make it, particularly since a Japanese sub has shown up near by.
Daylight brought more vindication of my “Bring a Bigger Hammer” approach to advancing in Australia, as my 4E attacks smashed the undefended Air Fields at Katherine.
First in were 18 B-17Es, 12 B-17Fs and 10 B-24Ds. They hammered the Air Base, Air Base Supply and Runways. As a bonus a Dinah was destroyed on the Ground.
Then 12 more B-17Es flew in and continued to pound all areas of the Air Base, and even found another Dinah to destroy, as well as damaging other Japanese planes on the Ground.
Finally 9 more B-17Es flew in to finish off the Attack by hammering the Air Base, Air Base Supply and Runways yet again.
Afterwards Recon flights reported that all Japanese planes had been pulled out of Katherine and the Japanese Troops there were pulling out also. All I could do was smile. [:D]
But my opponent hasn’t given up on the Indo-Burmese border yet as 35 Oscars flew in to Kohima and faced 24 Hurricane IIcs. Around half of the Oscars were on High Altitude Sweep while the others were on mid-altitude sweeps, which means that they were supposed to Escort Bomber runs that didn’t fly. The Hurricanes had a good time with the Oscars and shot down 3 for the loss of only 1 Hurricane.
Then 8 more Oscars straggled in and faced 5 Hurricanes. This time 1 Hurricane was shot down.
The End-of-the-Day report was quite satisfying:
10 Oscars lost – 8 A-to-A, 2 Ops
3 Dinah lost – 2 Ground, 1 Ops
3 Hurricane IIcs lost – all A-to-A
1 B-17F lost to Ops.
Although my Recon reported the return of Japanese bombers to Mandalay I declined to send out my 4Es. Instead I sent out more Recon Flights in order to choose an optimal target for my next 4E attack in Burma.
There was no Night Action, other than a report from USS Fox of Floatation Repair Failures. Fox is still limping on its way to Port, but it might not make it, particularly since a Japanese sub has shown up near by.
Daylight brought more vindication of my “Bring a Bigger Hammer” approach to advancing in Australia, as my 4E attacks smashed the undefended Air Fields at Katherine.
First in were 18 B-17Es, 12 B-17Fs and 10 B-24Ds. They hammered the Air Base, Air Base Supply and Runways. As a bonus a Dinah was destroyed on the Ground.
Then 12 more B-17Es flew in and continued to pound all areas of the Air Base, and even found another Dinah to destroy, as well as damaging other Japanese planes on the Ground.
Finally 9 more B-17Es flew in to finish off the Attack by hammering the Air Base, Air Base Supply and Runways yet again.
Afterwards Recon flights reported that all Japanese planes had been pulled out of Katherine and the Japanese Troops there were pulling out also. All I could do was smile. [:D]
But my opponent hasn’t given up on the Indo-Burmese border yet as 35 Oscars flew in to Kohima and faced 24 Hurricane IIcs. Around half of the Oscars were on High Altitude Sweep while the others were on mid-altitude sweeps, which means that they were supposed to Escort Bomber runs that didn’t fly. The Hurricanes had a good time with the Oscars and shot down 3 for the loss of only 1 Hurricane.
Then 8 more Oscars straggled in and faced 5 Hurricanes. This time 1 Hurricane was shot down.
The End-of-the-Day report was quite satisfying:
10 Oscars lost – 8 A-to-A, 2 Ops
3 Dinah lost – 2 Ground, 1 Ops
3 Hurricane IIcs lost – all A-to-A
1 B-17F lost to Ops.
Although my Recon reported the return of Japanese bombers to Mandalay I declined to send out my 4Es. Instead I sent out more Recon Flights in order to choose an optimal target for my next 4E attack in Burma.