Thinz2 vs Zuluhour

[DOCUP]

Nice intercept with the SAG.  I can understand the lack of AC all over the map. I have the same problem.

[zuluhour]

November 8th-9th 1942

West Coast: FUBAR posted in tech area. The 27th and 43rd Inf Divisions begin debarkation.

CenPac: Two dozen more sub patrols launched. Yorktown closing on Pearl.

SoPac: Kido Butai remains on station. No air raids from it. Small cruiser TF stands by on react 5 if it decides to close with RA1 or RA2. DBs staged to RA2 for better escort cover if the situation presents itself. FA1 and FA2 are in solid supply and continue to mount raids on the southern Solomons. B24s are working further north now while B17s work Tulagi and Guadalcanal. Coast watcher reports Hosho in the Shortlands, Mitchells ordered on low alt run over the port.
More Fortresses stage forward.

Burma: We order another sweep of Shwebo to be followed by Liberators and Mitchells. Infiltrating units are within 10 days of cutting Burma road and supplies to a IJA division plus.

China: In a pitched battle, rear guard units repulse a sizeable assault north of Kukong.

[zuluhour]

China:

[zuluhour]

SoPac:

[zuluhour]

November 9th 1942

Note: all of the above was on the 8th. HQ head space and timing issue. That is all.

CenPac: After a long journey home to Pearl from Melbourne after repair and refit, Yorktown is ambushed by I-169. She has heavy flotation damage from two torpedos and will fly off her airgroups today. She is in dire perril at 84pts below the water line. She suffered a fuel air explosion as well and was on fire last night. She was well escorted. I-15 and I-34 score hits on AKs elsewhere in SoPac. Off Stewart Island in the Southern Solomons SBD-3s from Ndeni catch an IJN TF.

Japanese Ships
CA Kinugasa, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CA Kako, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
CA Aoba

In the afternoon SBDs return to the cruisers:


Japanese Ships
CA Kinugasa, Bomb hits 2, on fire
CA Furutaka
CA Aoba, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Small revenge for Yorktown for whom all fingers are crossed.


The Mitchells we send to the Shortlands looking for Hosho come up empty. The Marauder raid on Tulagi score no hits and lose 2 of their own. None of the heavies take off for their assigned targets.

Burma: IJAF bombing at Bhamo and Akyab do little. We hit Shwebo hard, but our sweep comes in last. The Hurricanes score 7:1 kill ratio again.

China: much IJAF bombing to little effect for a change.

[zuluhour]

True position of Kido Butai on the 9th; I got ahead of myself, Damn cocktail hours!

[zuluhour]

November 10th 1942

China: Two IJA Divisions attack a weak formation east of Kukong and rout them. Heavy bombing for little gain by the IJAF in Burma or China.

Burma: Some infiltrators discovered and bombed.

SoPac: Kido Butai vanishes north towards the Gilberts. We stand down all heavies hitting the southern Solomons. We send a B17 raid of two squadrons to Rabaul on port attack at 8ooo'.

CenPac: Yorktown limps two hexes towards safety, she needs to float for 72 hours at her current speed.

[Alfred]

zuluhour,

Do you think distributing some of those photos you regularly put up in the disregard thread, might encourage the boys on the Yorktown to greater feats of damage control to reach land?[:)]

Alfred

[zuluhour]

One can only hope.....[;)] I have had a great time checking into the war years on levels I never have before, call it flavor, but I had not thought of younger members here and have decided against further such posts. Mein Gott! The last one of Jane Russell I put up is on my desk now.[:D]

[DOCUP]

I like your photos.

[zuluhour]

November 13th 1942

West Coast: Tech issue is resolved. Praise MichaelM [&o] 43rd and 27th IDs depart the mainland under heavy escort. Seabees and new USMC squadrons in convoy also.

CenPac: Yorktown arrives at Pearl repairing 10pts of floatation damage on the way. She is still badly damaged and shipyard repair estimates are well into 1943. I will be experimenting with the yards trying to use critical etc. to improve the date. Destroyers are arriving daily from the battle with KB in the south Pacific.

SoPac: It will take ten-fourteen days to get the logistic tail back in order after the mass evac. of the rear area. Heavies to hit Tulagi hard tomorrow. Port Morseby to receive more mechanics and engineers in two days. Spitfire frames filling out squadrons in Melbourne.

Burma: IJAF using massed bombing raids on the "raiders" between Shwebo and Bhamo. The Indians suffer large losses in support troops. We schedule a small sweep of Shwebo tomorrow to keep IJAF fighter allocation honest.

China: Chinese forces repel a shock attack east of Kukong but pressure on the road to Changsha mounts. Supply accross China is critical as ground units have not been able to take replacements now for over a week. 39th Army group marches south in search of better supply; 20th AG will follow suit if plausable. IJA dispositions have changed by Changsha as I expect IJA forces expect to cut off units to the south.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

After a close look at the US airbases, there is very little in the way of deployable aircraft as most belong to IV Fighter Command. Pearl may be a little over protected though and I am examing what really should be there.

Don't be timid about sending some marine groups or Navy if you have a few. Even it there are not planes in it, you can add them later. With PDU on you really need to mix your fighters and nationalities up on every front as no single fighter has a decent replacement rate until the hellcat comes on in mid 43. It is sort of weird but the go to fighter for me for the later half of 43 was the hellcat. Only one with decent production numbers.

[zuluhour]

I believe all the USMC and Naval groups not in forward areas are at Pearl. I do need to get these frames into theater. With one fleet carrier left sea worthy I need some longer range land based fighters. The drop tanks don't really push them out much further. I am going to be severly handicapped in the ensuing amphibious operation with Kido Butai so healthy. Timing and concentration are going to be key. Missing so many flat tops is limiting my ambitions and curtailing a deeper thrust I wanted to execute. Time is flying by

[Roger Neilson II]

Just read this to date and subscribed, a very feisty approach as the Allies........

Roger

[zuluhour]

Thanks for tuning in Roger, welcome.

West Coast: TFs refuel enroute to SoPac. More Seabees and search aircraft embark on transports. I-10 deep sixes a yard patrol ship off San Fran.. I have not seen much sub activity here and will have to deploy more assets.

CenPac: Another escort TF straggles into Pearl. Shipyard at capacity, I would think the emperor is aware of this and will delay sending any fighters forward from this AO for awhile.

SoPac: Build up continues at forward bases. The Allies have switched to small single unit TFs, widely spaced, to minimize damage by several IJN subs spotted in the area. Several of the new smaller coastal ASW ships have arrived and take some of the duty off the DDs needed elsewhere. The heavies hit Tulagi and we believe Guadalcanal has been evacuated. I think only search aircraft remain at Tulagi.

Burma: The IJA is completely aware of the attemp to cut off north eastern Burma. This may give us a chance in western Burma. We are going to start a major recon effort in central Burma and some movement by Akyab to draw off a division from the Mandalay sector.

China: Heavy bombing again, no ground assaults. The 66th is hit hard on the Changsha - Kukong road.

Tulagi - damage report from B17s and B24s on yesterdays raid.

Japanese ground losses:
41 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



Airbase hits 14
Airbase supply hits 13
Runway hits 66
Port hits 7
Port fuel hits 3
Port supply hits 2

[zuluhour]

November 15th 1942

West Coast: busy, busy, and more busy.

CenPac: BB TF will arrive tonight from SoPac. The large DD escort will be needed elsewhere very soon.

SoPac: No raids scheduled in the Solomons as the heavies need R&R. Port Morseby will send out a raid to where we suspect the IJN is staging supply in and out of the Solomons. Manus.

Bay of Bengal: Port Blair bombarded and invaded. We were two weeks away from reinforcing. Allied blunder not to have taken care of this in the spring; note to self. The Royal Navy will sortie.

Burma: 19th Indian hit by over 100 Sallys. They are in the jungle next to Shwebo. IJA units are now spread out on the road from Mandalay to Pashio, we look to take advantage.

China: Good news for replacements as the 39th Army group exits Chungking, 20th AG and others are now taking replacements again.

[zuluhour]

November 16th 1942

West Coast: IJN subs sniffing around

SoPac: Kido Butai spotted:
AIR OPERATIONS PHASE : AM
PBY-5 Catalina sighting report: 8 Japanese ships at 141,148 near Funafuti , Speed 11 , Moving Southeast

Zulu HQ: radio silence

[zuluhour]

November 18th 1942

West Coast: ASW sweeping of essential port egress points

CenPac: Last of TFs involved in SoPac actions of the past weeks arrives at Pearl.

SoPac: Kido Butai tracked south. (see below)

Burma: Night raids by the IJAF, Day raids by Allied forces. 19th Indian shrugs off more raids over its position.

Bay of Bengal: IJN BB TF at Port Blair.

China: Another determined IJA assault repulsed with heavy loss of life to both sides.

Zulu HQ: radio silence.

[zuluhour]

SitRep: SoPac:




should read NNW of Pago Pago. Thats what you get with TWITs in charge.

[zuluhour]

Action off Port Blair:




Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 112 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 41 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 32
B5N2 Kate x 44
D3A1 Val x 31



Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 9 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 6 destroyed by flak
D3A1 Val: 8 damaged
D3A1 Val: 4 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
Walrus II: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
BB Prince of Wales, Bomb hits 10, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
BC Repulse, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 5, and is sunk
CL Mauritius
CA Exeter
DD Nestor