Sub Ops:
SS KXIV is sighted near Tandjoengselor by PB escorts. No ASW attack. This submarine just won't go away.
SS S-42 is spotted by SC Ch 11 near Choiseul Bay and attacked. Three near miss hits are recorded.
SS Grayback duds on DD Yugiri near Russel Islands.
The Solomons:
Lunga is hit by another naval bombradment. Results are great from two BB's, the AAR follows:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Naval bombardment of Lunga at 114,138
Japanese Ships
BB Ise
BB Fuso
Allied ground losses:
365 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 15 destroyed, 50 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 7 disabled
Guns lost 5 (2 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Vehicles lost 15 (5 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 18
Port hits 6
F1M2 Pete acting as spotter for BB Ise
BB Ise firing at 27th Infantry Division
F1M2 Pete acting as spotter for BB Fuso
BB Fuso firing at Lunga
This is boding well. As I refine my bombardment tactics and the composition of the TF's, I think I can sustain this pace of bombardment operations over the next three weeks while ground forces move overland from Tassafaronga. I'm causing disruption, disablements and destroying a small numer of squads each bombardment. The non-combat squads seem to be hit particularly hard more often than not. So far I'm only using BB's, when I get closer to being able to launch a Deliberate Assault, Lunga will be hit hard with everything I have.
Troops continue to land on Tassafaronga. The next few days are critical, as the bulk of two infantry divisions are unloading. A small force will also land on Tulagi tomorrow, with the intention of building up the airfield to allow fighters to be deployed directly. The 1st Air Division HQ has landed at Munda. Vella Levella is now level two and can support 48 fighters. I'm moving LBA forward, including Val's and Kate's, and everything is torpedo capable. The Solomons are quickly becoming a bastion of LBA which will allow my CV's to perform...other duties.
China:
Chinese forces in open terrain east of Chungking at 79,44 are bombed and suffer 3(32) infantry and 0(6) non-combat squad losses totalling 272 casualties.
Kienko's airbase is damaged with 2 AB, 3 ABS and 3 Runway hits complements of the Sonia's today. I noticed last turn that Kienko seemed to be held only by a small Chinese LCU consisting of just 16 guns. Helen's (16) and Ann's (22) destroy 13 guns and disable the remaining three. I decide to drop the 1st Raiding Rgt. to capture the base and block the road behind a force of six Chinese units east of the base across the river. If bombing can slow the ground troops long enough, I may be able to maul this force before they retire across the river. I expect the paratroopers to get wiped out, but I thought I'd rattle the cage.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Kienko (78,41)
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 302 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 18
Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 0
Japanese adjusted assault: 15
Allied adjusted defense: 1
Japanese assault odds: 15 to 1 (fort level 1)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Kienko !!!
Combat modifiers
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-)
Assaulting units:
1st Raiding Rgt /1
Here are a couple more actions in China:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at 81,41 (near Ankang)
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 12544 troops, 102 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 903
Defending force 8396 troops, 76 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 308
Assaulting units:
6th Division
35th Division
Defending units:
33rd Chinese Corps
47th Chinese Corps
1st War Area
2nd Group Army
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at 79,44 (near Chungking)
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 18233 troops, 146 guns, 42 vehicles, Assault Value = 671
Defending force 2939 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 100
Japanese adjusted assault: 1092
Allied adjusted defense: 24
Japanese assault odds: 45 to 1
Combat modifiers
Defender: experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)
Japanese ground losses:
364 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 27 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Allied ground losses:
1869 casualties reported
Squads: 93 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 77 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Units retreated 3
Units destroyed 1
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
32nd Division
5th Ind.Mixed Brigade
12th Army
Defending units:
83rd Chinese Corps
39th Chinese Corps
89th Chinese Corps
13th Group Army
I'm advancing everywhere in China. I will shock attack the Chinese force N.W. of Ankang tomorrow. I'm moving on Kweiyang and will have troops positioned to the S.W. and S.E. in the next two days. Chinese forces continue to march west and I expect Kweiyang to be either abandoned or defended by a small rearguard. I have about 8000 AV available to capture the base.
The Gilbert Islands:
The Allies continue to forcus on this theatre. B-25C Mitchell's (15) and B-26B Marauder's (10) wipe out Beru's defenders, the 43rd Naval Guard Unit, today. I'm looking at providing a small roadblock to the Allies in the Gilbert's, if time allows and does not detract from operations against Guadalcanal.
Miscellaneous:
Japan:
Japanese forces CAPTURE Kienko !!!
Georgetown expands fortifications to size 3
Tuyun expands airfield to size 2
Aircraft D4Y1 Judy advances R&D (The Judy is now in production, a month early, and the goal is 75-100/month by the end of March)
Allied:
Boise expands airfield to size 8
Thoughts:
I have only one factory producing the D3A1 Val and 172 aircraft in the pool. With the coming conversion of naval air units, this number will quickly increase towards 300. I have three factories capable of producing the D4Y1 Judy, but would prefer to leave two set on R&D for the next Judy model. Does it make sense to convert the Val factory to Judy production?
[/center]
