April 20, 1942
Wild Times With The FUDDster
All hell breaks loose. We're makin' this up as we go along, folks!
1) Multiple TFs closing on Rangoon. A poor little Dutch CM dies for a good cause. There is red evil afloat near Rangoon. Where the heck did these guys come from?
Night Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 52,55, Range 9,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Haguro
CL Isuzu
CL Tama
DD Hayashio
Allied Ships
CM Krakatau, Shell hits 4, and is sunk
Moulmein wil get no mines, but this hard sighting makes a lot of difference.
2) The IJN finds the TF I didn't want it to, the one carrying the Corps HQ and the RAF base force. Debated holding it off until D+3 or 4, but thought the HQ was more needed than not. Now it's gone. A bad hit.
Day Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 52,55, Range 20,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Haguro, Shell hits 1
CL Isuzu, Shell hits 1
CL Tama
DD Hayashio
Allied Ships
CL Ceres, Shell hits 18, and is sunk
xAP Santhia, Shell hits 17, and is sunk
xAP Gogra, Shell hits 12, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Nirpura, Shell hits 34, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
Allied ground losses:
4987 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 452 destroyed, 274 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 165 (142 destroyed, 23 disabled)
3) But that's not all, folks. In Round 3, this TF finds a core Rangoon landing force. This one is not so easily pushed around.
Day Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 52,55, Range 25,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Haguro, Shell hits 16, on fire
CL Isuzu, Shell hits 1
CL Tama, Shell hits 1
DD Hayashio
Allied Ships
CA Exeter, Shell hits 5
CL Hobart
CL Dauntless
CL Glasgow
CLAA Van Heemskerck
DD Isaac Sweers
DD Nestor
xAP Duchess of Bedford, Shell hits 2
xAP Tilawa
xAK Catrine, Shell hits 2, on fire
xAK Ozarda
xAK Shirina
xAK Surada, Shell hits 1, heavy fires
xAK Varsova
xAP Australia Star, Shell hits 1
AMC Pansy, Shell hits 1
Allied ground losses:
110 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 6 destroyed, 33 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 7 (1 destroyed, 6 disabled)
Vehicles lost 22 (3 destroyed, 19 disabled)
CA Hauro's fires are pretty bad; most from superstructure hits/explosions. Some Japanese ships had weapons knocked out, and they should be about empty of torpedoes. None of the landing ships took any engine or float damage I could see. This was the TF I'd rather meet these guys third and not first. I was hoping the TBs or the BBs would find them. Maybe tomorrow. For today the Allies got off light.
4) At the end of the turn some Allied TF--can't tell which in the gaggle--is in Rangoon harbor, but does not unload. There appear to be no mines. Japan proceeds to use massive numbers of Zeroes and Oscars on naval attack. This has worked well at Singers against merchants. Not so much against the RN cruisers in escort. Fulmars and Martlets from the RN carriers fight off a good numebr as well. Won't document all of them, but a few 60kg bomb tickles land at the cost of a lot of fighters. The attacked TF presses on for Rangoon.
Tomorrow the carriers will be moved again, and the BBs will take better locations for surface action. There is a very good possibility that Bettys could move in over night. If so that will be the case. FUDD goes on.
4) The operation's first objective falls. Chinese troops can be useful in some cases.
Ground combat at Prome (55,50)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 9739 troops, 38 guns, 34 vehicles, Assault Value = 686
Defending force 7543 troops, 76 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 262
Allied adjusted assault: 164
Japanese adjusted defense: 39
Allied assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 1)
Allied forces CAPTURE Prome !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: leaders(-), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker: supply(-)
Japanese ground losses:
2125 casualties reported
Squads: 199 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 150 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 9 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 8 (8 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 2
Allied ground losses:
62 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 21 (21 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
54th Chinese Corps
43rd Cavalry Regiment
60th Chinese Corps
Defending units:
2nd RTA Division
4th RTA Division
5) Viper Force starts to come ashore in the clear, non-base hex west of Bassein. They will assault this base over land. They were supposed to be the para drop.
6) More mines.
TF 74 encounters mine field at Johnston Island (164,112)
Japanese Ships
SS I-9, Mine hits 1, on fire
7) IJN carriers are operating between Johnson I. and Pearl. They read as CVEs, but I suspect not. They are close enough I could put the USN carriers to sea, cover them with 100+ P-40 LRCAP, and attack. I still may. I don't know what this is for, or about. Seems crazy to me. Which means I should probably leave it alone. Johnson's lone DB squadron did not fly, which might mean they know more about the CAP than I do.
8) Singers gets very light treatment after yesterday. The CAP is withdrawn, but it gets swept anyway.
9) Correction to yesterday--USS Drum is not near the Sea of Japan. The ASW TF she encountered was nearer the Pescadores.
10) Japan takes Babo and its oil. The Dutch sub in residence gets off a shot, but misses.
11) An I-boat off San Francisco does not. Down goes xAK Mana.
12) S-36 puts a fish in xAK Toko Maru near Donggala. It should survive.
More fun and games tomorrow!!!
