Thinz2 vs Zuluhour

[zuluhour]

October 1943:

NoPac-CenPac: In an effort to project more submarines deeper into the IJN defensive zone for longer periods and extend our search patterns, Zulu HQ begins plan: BASS. Phase 1 is the northern most outpost in the chain.

[zuluhour]

October 1943

CenPac: OpBass

[zuluhour]

October 25th 1943

SoPac-SwPac: Bougainville: MGEN Thompson: I Corp CO: reports from Torokina good: 75% of Jap garrison destroyed: remainder some 2000+ out of supply and fatigued in the jungle; Only mop up operations to follow. Fuel shortage on Shortland. AOs loading in the rear area.

CenPac: Lead elements of Operation Wood, first of three Ops part of Jigsaw, are waiting for support elements 1500nm west.

CBI: Allied fighters have begun to sweep Jap bases in Burma. P38s and B24Js await the first squadron of P51As training in the rear. Only 9 airframes available, the squadron will commence combat missions when it reaches 12.

Columbo: BB Revenge: 282 40% shipyard. damage still at 13-76-25.

[zuluhour]

October 26th 1943

SoPac-SwPac: After action report from Bougainville:

Ground combat at Torokina (109,130)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 9526 troops, 196 guns, 400 vehicles, Assault Value = 324

Defending force 2263 troops, 14 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 10

Allied adjusted assault: 236

Japanese adjusted defense: 5

Allied assault odds: 47 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), preparation(-), fatigue(-)
experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker: fatigue(-)

Japanese ground losses:
1270 casualties reported
Squads: 15 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 165 destroyed, 20 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 12 (12 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 2



Assaulting units:
193rd Tank Battalion
32nd Infantry Division
I US Corps

Defending units:
8th Fleet
43rd JNAF AF Unit
55th JNAF AF Unit
The battle is winding down; IJ forces appear to be evacuating smaller out posts; unclear; more and newer generation recon air squadrons are in route.

CenPac: OpWood (part one of Jigsaw) The rebuilt US carrier fleet will cover landings for OpWood:





Columbo: BB Revenge: 316 45%

[zuluhour]

October 27th 1943

CenPac: Fleet carriers refueling at sea. Large tanker survives a long lance off Pearl.

SoPac-SwPac: Bougainville is secure. 32nd ID stands down.

Columbo: BB Revenge: 351 (50%) out of PPs.

China: 20th Army group puts up dramatic defense near Kweilin.

Ground combat at 76,53 (near Kweilin)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 71483 troops, 911 guns, 2694 vehicles, Assault Value = 2746






Defending force 67981 troops, 359 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2223

Japanese adjusted assault: 1773

Allied adjusted defense: 3208

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
11430 casualties reported
Squads: 174 destroyed, 252 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 115 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 146 disabled
Guns lost 114 (3 destroyed, 111 disabled)
Vehicles lost 170 (8 destroyed, 162 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
2207 casualties reported
Squads: 11 destroyed, 289 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 66 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled


Assaulting units:
2nd Division
1st Tank Division
38th Division
5th Division
3rd Tank Division
2nd Tank Regiment
8th Tank Regiment
2nd Tank Division
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
51st Ind.AA Gun Co
12th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
22nd Field AA Machinecannon Company
6th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
11th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
17th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
Botanko Hvy Gun Regiment
13th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion

[zuluhour]

October 29th 1943

CenPac: Quiet in the Gilberts. OpBass elements reach Midway. SNAFU in OpWood: LSTs slow down the whole Op. TFs rerouted for deep ocean refueling.

SoPac-SwPac: KB off Rabaul! General quarters!

India: BB Revenge: 423 (60%). Chinese train hard in P40s. Should have the entire group filled out soon with planes. P38s make impact sweeping IJ airfields in central Burma.

China: 20th Army group is most combat experienced in China.

[zuluhour]

October 30th 1943

CenPac: radio silence

SoPac-SwPac: IJN surface TF raids Shortlands beachhead. We score some hits but not enough.

India: BB Revenge 459 (66%)

Burma border: Heavy Jap sweep over Akyab met with fierce resistance. Spitfires make their debut and assist the Hurricanes and P40s recently installed.




We lose 7 Hurricanes and 3 P40s and 1 or 2 pilots.

[zuluhour]

Allied naval losses off Shortland:

[zuluhour]

Halloween 1943

CenPac: OpBass components arriving in ports. Cruiser Birmingham reports in at forward area for prep and repair before the first USN raider task force sets sail. 3rd Marine Division begins debarking on Oahu for R&R after the Gilberts operation. Naval elements of OpWood turn westward and destiny with the Kido Butai. 1st Marines Division replacements are at sea. The division is slated to join the 3rd USMC Div for R&R and planning for 1944.

SwPac: The moster IJN BBs hit Darwin at night; little infrastructure damage, but we lose almost 200 good men. The local sub patrol fails to make an intercept.

CBI: The IJAF hits Chitta... hard, there is little there. We go after Mandalay as recon reports almost 40 fighters there, but they rebase overnight and avoid the 50 plane heavy raid.

The Emperor continues to out guess Zulu HQ; even fresh 24 hour recon. He continues to play an excellent shell game.

[zuluhour]

November 2nd 1943

NoPac: OpBass naval assets under going minor pierside repairs.

CenPac: 3rd Marine Division to begin shore leave in 24 hours on Oahu. New orders to be issued shortly. !st Calvary Division embarks west coast for the Hawaiian islands. SubDiv B from Midway station debark for open waters and a new patrol zone.

SwPac: OpWood makes slow progress westward. Small logistics convoys ply waters in the Solomons and South Pacific. Large fuel and supply transports begin to unload in SoPac depot areas. Damaged ships of all classes make their way to shipyards from the Solomons.

India: BB Revenge: 565 (81%)

Burma India frontier: Most aircraft (offensive) stood down to recover fatigue and losses from sustained operations over central Burma.

China: quiet after the heroic stand of the 20th Army Group last week. Chungking aerodrome closed due to massive damage and shortage of shovels.

[zuluhour]

November 3rd 1943

NorPac: quiet; subs repairing small system damage prior setting sail.

CenPac: 3rd Marine unloaded and billeted on Oahu. R&R. Large supply and fuel convoys take turns docking, increasing stockpiles for '44. Transports borrowed from the French and Dutch begin arriving in Central America to replace losses. Operation Wood reaches the halfway point just north of the equator; they will be turtle backs for another few days. No sign of KB which we assume is at the Truk lair.

SwPac: Combat units halfway out of the jungle on bougainville. Subs observed in the waters off southern Guinea again. Small AA, USMC defense Bns, Arty, and construction Bns scheduled to make their way forward from the rear areas to the front. All IJAF fields appear to be empty in the Solomons and New Guinea.

Columbo: BB Revenge at 600 (86%). New P51As arrive to squadrons in India. No offensive missions scheduled as moral has fallen in the fighter squadrons operating on the newly liberated fields in Burma.

China: We order a ground attack....We are nervous and rue the decision...

[zuluhour]

November 4th-5th 1943

NoPac: SubDiv A departs for highly dangerous yet we hope lucrative hunting grounds off IJ.

CenPac: 2 more divisions in route from the west coast. fuel and supply at Pearl at an all time high, closing on 1,ooo,ooo pts supply and 75o,ooo pts of fuel. OpWood is closing on the target.

SwPac: Bougainville HQ: 3-4 days until sixth Army HQ with assault elements will emerge from the jungles. Two divisions in close proximity to OpJigsaw should be able to overcome unexpected resistance. OpBass expands to the Rossel Island. AS Otus and two fleet boats will arrive within the week. A RAN BF and supply and fuel are not far behind.

Burma: The experienced P38 squadron at Imphal is conducting successful sweeps over the three base hex area of Mandalay. B24s should fly again in the morning. A theater wide tour is in order here soon to get the proper units to jumping off points for '44.

China: The gound attack 90mi south of Changsha was ill advised as we lose close to 5000 soldiers to 1000. The line holds.

[zuluhour]

November 9th 1943

**This should catch the AAR up with the game.**

NoPac: We deep six an xAK just off shore from mainland Japan. SubDiv A deploying intercept patrols on three sides of the home islands looking for black gold stolen from the Dutch.

CenPac: With the PP shortage, we will have four divisions for 1944 for offensive operations in CenPac. All should be under orders and assembled by X-Mas. OpWood is nearing H-Hour. Much hinges on Wood as we are completly commited in naval assets. All six fleet carriers with escorting CVLs will arrive at the beachhead with the assault force. Kido Butai is likely 24 hours away at flank. There has been little attempt to harras us in the Gilberts and the airfields are all developed. B24s from Pearl will stage through the Gilberts to "Wood" and assist in the reduction of Truk.

SwPac: SubDiv C (only 2 boats for now) depart Rossel Isl. for NW New Guinea and the NE DEI. Supply and fuel stock piling for OpBlade and OpLatch should "Wood" progress smoothly.

Ceylon: Columbo: BB Revenge is healing slooooooooowwly. All vessels in need of repair have set sail for Africa. Two RN BFs are being shipped in to assist. I hope that helps. I have to reread Alfreds 101 ship repair again. I think excess naval support squads will assist in the labor.

China: We may have a problem south of Changsha. Zulu will depart for chat with the Generalisimo on the feasability of shorting the front line trace, perhaps behind the Yangtze.

Burma: IJAF Chutai s raid only at night. Damage minimal. Early model P51s stage to front line strips for their "baptism". B24s continue to daylight operations, but do to the limited number in theater and lack of PPs can only fly 1-2 a week. I wish I could fly combined sweeps and low alt fighter bomber attacks.

[zuluhour]

November 11th 1943

Zuluhour diverted from meeting in China and travels to Pearl Harbor. Adm Nimitz reports a monumental naval engagement is taking place in the northern Solomons. Initial reports indicate hundreds of aircraft involved. USS Essex and USS Yorktown II signal they are badly damaged and one of the fast battleships is reported lost in the afternoon. Naval aviator claims the Jap fleet on fire off New Ireland. Nimitz reviewing documentation, oral and telegraphed, trying to get a clearer picture of the scene.

[DOCUP]

Ok, thats all your going to give.  Your a tease.[:D]

[zuluhour]

Morning air attack off Buka: General Quarters sounds 30minutes before the arrival of 160 Jills and Judys escorted by almost 90 Zeros. We amass a healthy CAP of 123 fighters, mostly Hellcats. The CAP is eventually overwhelmed and many bandits attack two of our task forces. The Essex takes 2 torpedos and a bomb hit. At the end of the day she will be afloat with orders to retire. Yorktown II is not so lucky and takes 3 torps which light her on fire and cause heavy damage. She to will make it through the day and is ordered to retire with Essex. The USS Washington takes the brunt of the attack taking 7 bomb hits and six torps with her to Davey Jones locker. Steaming aft of her The USS Alabama takes 2 bombs and 3 torpedos and is on fire with heavy damage. The Quincy and Atlanta are also set afire before the Japs retire. Retaliation is in the air. Out of the rain off the Feni Islands the largest co ordinated US Naval raid of the war arrives over the IJN. Over 170 DBs and 85 TBs with almost 150 Hellcats demolish the Jap CAP and commence to savage the emperor's fleet. Soryu, Zuikaku, Zuiho, are fighting heavy fires. Shoho is reported sunk. Hiyo is on fire with heavy damage below the waterline. Six IJN cruisers are on fire as well as a CL and some DDs. While there are numerous emergency landings in the Solomons only 12 pilots are missing. A squadron of Avengers arrive late but penetrate a 41 strong Zero CAP and finish Zuiho and CL Jintsu. Mikuma is still reported afire. The CAP starts to dwindle for the DBs arriving later in the morning. Now only 36 Zeros orbit the fleet ready for an intercept. Hiyo and Mikuma are reported to be on fire. Heavy smoke and fire obscuring tragets. The rain clears in the afternoon and a depleted squadron of Helldivers and Avengers with a strong escort (35 Hellcats) bump into the 36 Zekes still on CAP. The F6Fs take a beating at the hands of the Zeros but allow the strike package in. Two more 1000#ers in Hiryu; she still burns. Zuikaku takes 4 more but some are of the 250# variety. Heavy smoke and fires from her are obscuring the escorts. A last hit on the CA Maya and a DD and the raiders depart. Its not over though as our aviators regroup in the afternoon. Another small package makes its way over the emperors fleet scoring bomb hits on Soryu (on fire heavy damage)(hiryu still on fire) and leaving multiple hits on CAs Mikuma and Chokai (both afire). Somehow the IJN launches a strike in the afternoon also, but lose close to 40 aircraft for no hits scored. We assemble another large raid in the afternoon which is co-ordinated and very effective. Only 20 Zeros greet the 82 Hellcat escort. We down 5 with the loss of a Hellcat. Soryu and Hiryu take multiple bomb hits with Hiryu swallowing a fish as well. Both are reported under heavy fires with heavy damage upon departure. CA Atago and Takao are both engulfed in heavy fires taking hits above and below the waterline. We know we are winning this battle now. Zuikaku takes 3 more bomb hits and is also seen to be under heavy fires. 4 DDs are on fire and 1 is sunk. CL Noshiro and CA Chokai are hit again. They burn with the rest. Fighters orbiting the scene report three fuel storage explosions on Jap carriers as well as a magazine explosion on the DD Hamakaze. There is only 5 Zeros left when the last strike package of the day arrives. CA Maya takes three bomb hits (heavy fires). Zuikaku five bomb hits, 1 torp hit (we had 7 Avenegers in the package) heavy fires. Hiryu 1 bomb hit, heavy fires. Soryu, 2 bomb hits heavy fires.CL Noshiro, CA Chokai, CA Takao are all hit again and under heavy fires with heavy damage.

Burma: Our first sweep by P51A models over Meiktila ends with a loss and no kills reported from the squadron. Experienced P38 pilots are ordered to resume the pressure and raid over Mandalay, which the Japs have reopened the airfields nearby.

[zuluhour]

Allied aircraft
FM-1 Wildcat x 13
F4U-1A Corsair x 18
F6F-3 Hellcat x 92


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 11 destroyed
B6N1 Jill: 6 destroyed, 18 damaged
B6N1 Jill: 4 destroyed by flak
B6N2 Jill: 4 destroyed, 5 damaged
B6N2 Jill: 1 destroyed by flak
D4Y1 Judy: 5 destroyed, 21 damaged
D4Y1 Judy: 3 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
F6F-3 Hellcat: 2 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Essex, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
BB Washington, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 6, and is sunk
CV Yorktown II, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
BB Alabama, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Dashiell
DD Claxton
CLAA Oakland
CA Pensacola
CA Quincy, Torpedo hits 1
DD Conway, Bomb hits 2, on fire
DD Nicholson
CLAA Atlanta, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Japanese Ships
CV Hiryu
CL Noshiro
CV Soryu, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
CV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
CVL Zuiho, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CVL Shoho, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
CV Hiyo, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CA Takao
CL Jintsu, Bomb hits 3, on fire
CA Kumano, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
CA Mikuma, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Makigumo, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CA Suzuya, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Atago, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Yukikaze
DD Kazegumo, Bomb hits 1
CA Mogami, Bomb hits 2, on fire
DD Amatsukaze, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
CA Chokai, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Tokitsukaze
CA Maya
DD Isokaze

Fuel storage explosion on CVL Shoho
Ammo storage explosion on CV Hiyo
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Hiyo
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CVL Zuiho
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Soryu
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Amatsukaze
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Zuikaku
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Suzuya
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Kumano
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Mogami
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Makigumo
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CL Jintsu
CL Jintsu, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Tamanami
CVL Zuiho, and is sunk
CA Mikuma, on fire

Japanese Ships
CV Hiryu, Bomb hits 2, on fire
CV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Takao
CA Maya, Bomb hits 1
DD Hayashio, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Japanese Ships
CV Hiryu, on fire
CV Soryu, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CA Mikuma, Bomb hits 3, on fire
CA Chokai, Bomb hits 4, on fire
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Soryu
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Hiryu

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 7 destroyed
B6N1 Jill: 11 destroyed, 1 damaged
B6N1 Jill: 3 destroyed by flak
D4Y1 Judy: 14 destroyed, 1 damaged
D4Y1 Judy: 2 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
FM-1 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
F4U-1A Corsair: 1 destroyed
F6F-3 Hellcat: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
CVL Belleau Wood
CVL Independence
CVL Princeton

Japanese Ships
CV Soryu, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Maya
CV Hiryu, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Takao, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires
CA Atago, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Isokaze, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Hamakaze, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
DD Amatsukaze, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
CV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Tokitsukaze
CL Noshiro, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Maikaze, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CA Chokai, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Hayashio, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Soryu
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Hiryu
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Isokaze
Fuel storage explosion on CV Zuikaku
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Zuikaku
Fuel storage explosion on CV Zuikaku
Magazine explodes on DD Hamakaze
Fuel storage explosion on CV Soryu
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Takao
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Hayashio

Japanese Ships
CA Maya, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
CV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CV Hiryu, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Hayashio, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Noshiro, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
CV Soryu, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Chokai, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Urakaze
DD Amatsukaze, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Takao, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Hiryu
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Hayashio
Fuel storage explosion on CV Zuikaku
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Zuikaku
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Chokai
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Amatsukaze
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Soryu
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Takao

Highlights!

[Alfred]

If only you were a Texan, you could now say,

[center]"Remember the Alamo".[/center]

Alfred

[DOCUP]

Nice job Zulu. 

[zuluhour]

The whole affair was quite a moral booster. Having attacked the KB by air several times by what I beleived to be sizable "packages" from land based naval air over the summer and scoring no hits, things were just not looking so rosy at Zulu HQ. There are some carriers conspicuously missing from todays action. Akagi, Kaga, and Shokaku (I think). This may have allowed our less experienced air groups a much greater edge in the action. What happens on the next turn may well determine the course of the war in '44. If the follow up landings at OpWood go unchallenged and we "finish the job" NE of the Feni islands we should be able to seal off the eastern reaches of the DEI, the remaining garrisions in the Solomons, Gilberts and Marshalls by early spring. Almost 200 B24s will be in support from bases secured at OpBlade and OpLatch by February.