Rumble in the Southwest witpqs-A vs Andav-J 2011-11-29 to 2017-02-08

[witpqs]

1942 April 18

The Empire captured:
Sabang

The Allies captured:


There were Imperial amphibious operations at:
Bathurst Island

There were Allied amphibious operations at:


With the fall of Sabang effective resistance on Sumatra has ceased. There are only a few units trapped in marshland outside of Palembang, and they are being systematically destroyed. That sighting of a CS cruiser among 5 ships near Luganville has morphed into a sighting of an AMC alone some 240nm NW of Fiji and moving SE. The carrier TF is giving chase. No sighting of the KB. 2 Imperial units have moved into the woods NE of Ichang.

The 1st and 4th RTA Divisions attacked the retreating 4 Bdes in an effort to slow them down. In the event their progress was barely impeded.

Ground combat at 56,52 (near Pegu)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 4719 troops, 34 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 237

Defending force 11590 troops, 68 guns, 46 vehicles, Assault Value = 380

Japanese adjusted assault: 79

Allied adjusted defense: 245

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 3

Combat modifiers
Defender: experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
389 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 111 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 4 (1 destroyed, 3 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
78 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 12 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
1st RTA Division
4th RTA Division

As this battle was shaping up the 6th Burma Rifles Bn took up positions astride the road on the outskirts of Pegu. Near Magwe the IJA was handed a severe beating.

Ground combat at 57,48 (near Magwe)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 40297 troops, 488 guns, 582 vehicles, Assault Value = 1333

Defending force 15739 troops, 137 guns, 55 vehicles, Assault Value = 452

Allied adjusted assault: 518

Japanese adjusted defense: 229

Allied assault odds: 2 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: disruption(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
2985 casualties reported
Squads: 160 destroyed, 85 disabled
Non Combat: 130 destroyed, 55 disabled
Engineers: 11 destroyed, 20 disabled
Guns lost 66 (22 destroyed, 44 disabled)
Vehicles lost 21 (10 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Units retreated 2


Allied ground losses:
927 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 92 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Guns lost 9 (1 destroyed, 8 disabled)

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
44th Indian Brigade
18th British Division
2nd Royal Tank Regiment
1st Burma Brigade
16th Australian Brigade
7th Hussars Regiment
17th Australian Brigade
19thAustralian Brigade
63rd Indian Brigade
BFF Brigade
48th Gurkha Brigade

Defending units:
Imperial Guards Division
21st/B Division

Here is a look at the fluid situation in Burma.

[witpqs]

1942 April 19

The Empire captured:
Bathurst Island

The Allies captured:


There were Imperial amphibious operations at:


There were Allied amphibious operations at:


After another shock attack in the marsh near Palembang only a shadow of one battalion remains. In Burma there were only air attacks to disrupt ground movement, which continues frantically. The IJN AMC NW of Fiji has disappeared, likely traveled beyond the southern edge of search. The carriers are rounding the eastern end of Fiji in pursuit, and a tanker convoy is being re-routed. KB itself is unspotted. Why? Was KB merely protecting Port Hedland convoys? There are still three subs upgrading/repairing in Perth, with completion estimates of 1, 4 , and 9 days. Sculpin at 1 day should make it out but 2 S boats are at risk.

Here is a look at the developing situation in China. DAW's legions are seeking to envelop Ichang while they smother the entire Changsha region.

[witpqs]

1942 April 20

The Empire captured:


The Allies captured:


There were Imperial amphibious operations at:
Christmas Island IO
Exmouth

There were Allied amphibious operations at:


The Bn blocking the road on the outskirts of Pegu was not seen by the very-busy-and-preoccupied-in-addition-to-being-Devious Admiral Wa. So, Imperial units that wanted to move up the road have moved to Rangoon, and the brave Bn itself lives another day. The two RTA divisions NE Pegu have been joined by the 1st Tank Rgt. Doubtless they would join in tomorrow's attack, but the last 2 Rgts will be gone by then. SE of Taung Gyi a stout IJA Bn crossed the river and easily pushed back the 13th Burma Rifles Bn.

The AMC presumed south of the Fiji line is unseen.

[aprezto]

Hi George;
 
Just caught up. Wow, this is a non-stop slug fest. Fantastic delay action in Burma, and your handling of China is as robust and capable as ever.
 
Look forward to see what Wa is up to down the west coast of Oz!
 
Al

[witpqs]

Thanks! [:)]

---

1942 April 21

The Empire captured:
Exmouth
Christmas Island IO

The Allies captured:


There were Imperial amphibious operations at:


There were Allied amphibious operations at:


The last Allied troops on Sumatra surrendered today. But the Bn at Pegu held on and will fight for another day!

No AMC has turned up south of Fiji but suddenly there is a lot of small TF traffic around the Ellice Islands. An AMC 40nm from each of the three islands was hit by a bomb from a PBY, a single unidentified ship is 120nm north of Vaitupu, and three ships including at least one DD is 200nm west of that same island. The carriers, now out of position, are moving back north to intercept. The AVDs at Nukufetau will make full speed for Wallis Island where the PBYs (luckily all 12) will meet them.

Lexington and Saratoga are sortieing from Pearl Harbor and other assets are commencing redeployment to the South Pacific.

This double-SigInt radio target could be the KB...

[witpqs]

1942 April 22

The Empire captured:


The Allies captured:


There were Imperial amphibious operations at:
Wessel Islands

There were Allied amphibious operations at:


The 6th Burma Rifles Bn was captured at Pegu. A sweep over Akyab netted 5 Zeros and 3 Oscars for 5 P-40s. The ships east of Darwin are invasion forces, probably covered by at least small carriers, as evidenced by the landings at Wessel Islands. The KB (certainly part of it) is off Exmouth reinforcing the earlier presumption of landings down to at least Perth. The ships around the Ellice Islands have pulled back and only one nondescript group is within search, 160nm W Nanumea. So, either they were hunting for the AVDs, which got away, or it was a feint in a cat and mouse game. The carriers are still south of Fiji and will continue northward to an intercept position. West of Wuchang at least one Imperial unit is seen moving NW into the marshland. So Ichang is deemed strategic enough to maneuver at from all sides!

Here is a look at the Ellice Islands (lack of) activity.

[witpqs]

1942 April 23

The Empire captured:
Wessel Islands
Nookanbah

The Allies captured:


There were Imperial amphibious operations at:
Carnarvon

There were Allied amphibious operations at:


The day began with a bang as a Mk14 accidentally exploded!

Submarine attack near Satawal at 108,104

Japanese Ships
xAK Taian Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Shark

xAK Taian Maru is sighted by SS Shark
SS Shark launches 2 torpedoes at xAK Taian Maru

The CAP at Toungoo destroyed 4 x Sally and 3 x Betty bombers without losing anyone to the Zero escorts. Two of the four Bdes have made that locale and are now entraining. The remaining two, plus a Bn, are still one hex SW but are now in the company of two enemy units. The two Bdes will have to move in combat mode and need at least two days to make the town. The Bn is standing in defense as rear guard.

The USA 32nd ID has arrived at San Francisco and is packing its equipment for a fast trip to Australia. Speaking of which, it is seeming more and more as though the full KB is not operating together (now off Carnarvon). There are simply too few planes sighted over a period of several days. This could simply be due to limited sighting quality, so perhaps the full KB is there.

On a possibly related topic, an AMC is now just east of the Ellice Islands. The Enterprise & Yorktown TF (henceforth "Air E/Y") will be in position to attack tomorrow. However, there is still a small TF sighted 160nm W of Nanumea, likely in support of that AMC. Is it (in spite of sightings) a portion of KB, a smaller KB? The Lexington & Saratoga TF (henceforth "Air L/S") is about four or five days away from taking up station east of the Ellice Islands. The four carriers operating together should be a major threat to anything that the IJN has in the area. The question is the plan for tomorrow - should Air E/Y strike or seek to remain undetected awaiting the arrival of Air L/S? Sounds like the run up to the Battle of the Coral Sea, but with less clarity. Air E/Y will move into strike position tomorrow 200nm SE Vaitupu. That will put the IJN supporting force at least twice that far away. Closer if it moves. The current distance between the IJN TFs is 360nm, 9 hexes, just within Zero LRCAP range IIRC. So Air E/Y will be configured to send plenty of escorts.

BB Tennessee is now in a West Coast ship yard with an estimated 156 days to repair. A batch of cruisers and destroyers that accompanied her will begin undergoing upgrade. After them the ships comprising Air E/Y will be the last substantial batch of war ships to get their spring upgrades. CV Hornet is escorting that convoy of reinforcements for Australia, now 480nm SE Hawaii. They will be cutting corners to get to Australia faster, given the presence of Air E/Y and Air L/S providing additional security.

Here is a pic of the dynamic situation in Burma.

[BBfanboy]

Does the yard time for Tennessee include the complete rebuild upgrade or just repairs? AIR, the BBs that get a complete rebuild are in the yard for the better part of a year and the six months you mentioned seems a little short of that, so either my recall is not so good or the rebuild is not included?

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Does the yard time for Tennessee include the complete rebuild upgrade or just repairs? AIR, the BBs that get a complete rebuild are in the yard for the better part of a year and the six months you mentioned seems a little short of that, so either my recall is not so good or the rebuild is not included?

Not included. It's at something like 52 major flotation damage and 17 major engine damage. I don't remember when she is due for upgrades but certainly at least one and maybe two fall within the current window (and will stretch out that time). I'll have to look and see if one of the big rebuilds for her is during '42 or not.

[witpqs]

1942 April 24

The Empire captured:


The Allies captured:


There were Imperial amphibious operations at:
Carnarvon

There were Allied amphibious operations at:


I was wrong about the last two Bdes needing two days to make Toungoo. They both got there and avoided the attack meant to harry them.

Ground combat at 56,51 (near Toungoo)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 4447 troops, 34 guns, 71 vehicles, Assault Value = 125

Defending force 544 troops, 2 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 22

Japanese adjusted assault: 112

Allied adjusted defense: 3

Japanese assault odds: 37 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(-), morale(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

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

Allied ground losses:
351 casualties reported
Squads: 21 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 1

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
1st Tank Regiment
4th RTA Division
15th Army

Defending units:
3rd Burma Rifles Battalion

The 3rd Bn barely exists and will quickly entrain. North of Kukong in China the IJA is seeking to go cross country around the entrenched Chinese defenders. Near the Ellice Islands the ocean has been relieved of the burden of supporting one IJN AMC.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Funafuti at 139,146

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 12
SBD-3 Dauntless x 9

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
AMC Kiyosumi Maru, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AMC Kiyosumi Maru

There was no CAP so the real nature of the other IJN force is still obscure.

Tennessee had a 60-day upgrade for Jan '42 and another 60-day upgrade is scheduled for June '42 so both will be tacked onto the repairs. Here is an overview map.

[witpqs]

1942 April 25

The Empire captured:


The Allies captured:


There were Imperial amphibious operations at:
Enggano
Gove

There were Allied amphibious operations at:


Pickeral got a shot at Akagi with 4 torpedoes but the behemoth merely laughed. The not-too-descript IJN TF near the Ellice Islands pulled back out of search range. Our boys at Carnarvon held off the red horde.

Ground combat at Carnarvon (49,133)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 1770 troops, 14 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 61

Defending force 467 troops, 2 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 4

Japanese adjusted assault: 6

Allied adjusted defense: 2

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), leaders(+), experience(-)
Attacker: leaders(-), fatigue(-)

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

Allied ground losses:
135 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Assaulting units:
Kure 2nd SNLF

Defending units:
Carnavon RAN Base Force

Likewise, the 13th Burma Rifles - pushed back from their positions on the river - redeemed themselves.

Ground combat at 60,48 (near Taung Gyi)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 1374 troops, 12 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 43

Defending force 426 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 19

Japanese adjusted assault: 20

Allied adjusted defense: 16

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(-), experience(-)
Attacker: leaders(+), leaders(-)

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

Assaulting units:
I./143rd Infantry Battalion

Defending units:
13th Burma Rifles Battalion

Here is a look at Burma.

[witpqs]

1942 April 26

The Empire captured:
Gove
Cocos Islands
Enggano
Carnarvon

The Allies captured:


There were Imperial amphibious operations at:
Cocos Islands

There were Allied amphibious operations at:


The Imperial outriders have made Ichang while the reinforcements are still a few days away, being under air attack. Fortifications are at level 4. Here is a look at China.

[witpqs]

1942 April 27

The Empire captured:


The Allies captured:


There were Imperial amphibious operations at:


There were Allied amphibious operations at:


An APD was lost to an IJN sub resupplying the Ellice Islands. In Burma the BFF Bde was spanked hard when it went the wrong way and could not retrace its footsteps quickly enough to avoid the Imperial juggernaut. The biggest news from my point of view is the lack of an attack on Ichang. That coupled with no air attacks on the reinforcements today means that the city might hold for now. There are, however, two more IJA units seen taking the same path to join their predecessors. Perhaps DAW wants to draw more defenders into this area?

The KB is not seen this day. Here is a look at the Imperial incursion into Australia.

[witpqs]

Oops

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Oops

Well that's a cheap way to increase your post count! Ummm - let's see what mine is now that I made this cheap posting ....[:'(]

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Oops

Well that's a cheap way to increase your post count! Ummm - let's see what mine is now that I made this cheap posting ....[:'(]

[:D]

I noticed a typo that I had to correct but hit "quote" instead of "edit"!

[witpqs]

1942 April 28

The Empire captured:


The Allies captured:


There were Imperial amphibious operations at:
Groote Eylandt

There were Allied amphibious operations at:


The attack came at Ichang today but was much weaker than anticipated. The first Chinese reinforcement unit made it to the defense in road march order.

Ground combat at Ichang (83,48)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 11341 troops, 60 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 337

Defending force 11982 troops, 86 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 386

Japanese adjusted assault: 244

Allied adjusted defense: 250

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 4)

Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), op mode(-), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
819 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 93 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

Allied ground losses:
348 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 59 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
60th Infantry Brigade
2nd Ind.Mixed Brigade

Defending units:
58th Chinese Corps
67th Chinese Corps

No further sign of KB. There is again a contact near the Ellice Islands. Air E/Y is moving to a position from where to spring an attack the following day if that is deemed best. Air L/S will hang back to minimize detection.

[witpqs]

1942 April 29

The Empire captured:
Groote Eylandt
Toungoo

The Allies captured:


There were Imperial amphibious operations at:


There were Allied amphibious operations at:


AM Kalgoorlie was destroyed outside Brisbane, as was the entire 4th Burma Rifles Bn at Toungoo. No sign of the KB. Here is a look at the red blight of Burma.

[witpqs]

1942 April 30

The Empire captured:
Magwe

The Allies captured:


There were Imperial amphibious operations at:


There were Allied amphibious operations at:


The carriers did not launch an attack against (what now appears to be) that lone IJN AMC operating near the Ellice Islands. Instead AMC Nosiro Maru was reported hit by Dauntless DBs on search during two different search sweeps. Still no sign of the KB.

The USA 754 Tank Bn and the Australian 2/10th Armoured Rgt, along with four squadrons of B-17s have finished unloading at Karachi. The three Rgts of the Americal Division are still unloading.

Over the Australian deserts Kates from small carriers west of Darwin have been flying ground attack missions on retreating Allied LCUs. The last few days have seen a few reversals for them, but today's was the best as 3 Kates were taken by flak from irritated base forces and AA units.

[BBfanboy]

Wow - 1942 and only 1 Kate lost A2A! They are getting great fighter coverage!
But 14 lost to flak - your AA is getting good.
I noticed this is the B5N1 version of the Kate. Is the B5N2 out yet? I think the carriers change to this version until the Jills come along [or is it Judys??].

Shame about Magwe - the 300 oil points will be a boon to the Empire.