Islands of Destiny: RA 5.0 Japanese Side

[John 3rd]

The Japanese day for October 18th goes GREAT! Allied Air is so stung from the previous day it doesn't even appear throughout ALL of Burma. Japanese Air enjoys a pleasant day with 76 Bombers hitting the troops at 56,47 and inflicting over 300 casualties on the 41st ID, 23rd East African, and 23rd Brit Brigades. Assault is led by the reasonably strong 48th ID and scores a 4-1 result. HOSANNA! The celebration is immediately cut short when THEY DON"T RETREAT.

Anyone know why a 4-1 would get this result?

Unknown to Dan, the fresh 18th ID enters the hex from the south. Tomorrow shall see a 2nd Shock Attack employing them into the mix.

This must be done fast as 68 Bombers inflict casualties one hex north of 56,47 to slow down the arrival of the 6th Aust ID, 7th Austr ID, 254th Armored, and 4th Indian HQ.

North of THIS hex has the 2nd TK Div cross the Irrawaddy where it shall be joined by the fresh 33rd ID. These two Divisions shall move south sweeping towards 56,47.

Beginning to get a it crowded on the west side of the river....

[Chickenboy]

John,

I trust you're not shock attacking with the two (depleted) tank regiments and the 59th ID? Those units need to get out of the fight ASAP lest they be destroyed in situ. Those RF gun Bns are useful against armor, but only on the defense against armored units. Why aren't they digging in somewhere in your jungle MLR?

[Chickenboy]

Just noticed no garrison, no engineers at Taung Gyi. My opinion is that this is an oversight. You'll need beaucoup forts there for fending off the Allies. You'll have to hold this MLR for a year or more. It would be unfortunate if you didn't have sufficient forts built there to help you hold. It would be disastrous if you lost Taung Gyi to Allied paradrop because it was ungarrisoned.

[John 3rd]

I brought them here because I saw the TK formations of Dan's moving through the jungle into the open.

59th did not Shock Attack. Plan is to hit again and then pull 59th and the two TK Reg out next turn. They need R&R BADLY!

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Just noticed no garrison, no engineers at Taung Gyi. My opinion is that this is an oversight. You'll need beaucoup forts there for fending off the Allies. You'll have to hold this MLR for a year or more. It would be unfortunate if you didn't have sufficient forts built there to help you hold. It would be disastrous if you lost Taung Gyi to Allied paradrop because it was ungarrisoned.

The 55th Cav is at Taung Gyi. Not shown on the screenshot. Forts are at 2 presently.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd
Forts are at 2 presently.

Taung gyi will be invested within a month. Can you get more engineers up there? It's important.

[John 3rd]

Easy enough. Consider it done next turn..

I have been reconning Lashio and been surprised to not see anything new there and/or moving. Same can be said of Katha and other NE Burma hexes.

Want to smash his force here, pull back, reorganize, and get back BEHIND the river!

[kjnoel]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Anyone know why a 4-1 would get this result?

I think you need a 2:1 against fort levels when you are outside a base, fort levels don't show in the combat report outside a base and neither do they get reduced due to a combat. Guessing that he has fort level of 3+ in that hex so no retreat until you get 6:1 or possibly even 8:1 should he happen to have fort lvel 4 there...

Could be wrong but I think that's what's happening.

[John 3rd]

Didn't even think of that. Good commentary and observation. The next attack--provided none of his troops arrive--should score that pretty easily.

[bigred]

ORIGINAL: kjnoel

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Anyone know why a 4-1 would get this result?

I think you need a 2:1 against fort levels when you are outside a base, fort levels don't show in the combat report outside a base and neither do they get reduced due to a combat. Guessing that he has fort level of 3+ in that hex so no retreat until you get 6:1 or possibly even 8:1 should he happen to have fort lvel 4 there...

Could be wrong but I think that's what's happening.

or allies have no retreat route.

[John 3rd]

October 19, 1942
Burma

The Japanese Army has put in a woeful performance to this point in the war. Numerous 'expected' easy victories often fell apart when an Imperial Inf Div would simply fall apart (crossing to Singapore, attacking Clark, attacking Bataan, etc..) but that is NOT the case in Burma on October 19, 1942. The freshly arrived and totally un-noticed 16th ID forms the Shock unit of the assault that finally clears the hex of Allied units.

As greatly feared the 254th TK Regiment arrived in time to participate in the fight. Thankfully, Allied fighters and bombers were pretty quiet while Japanese units put in good performances inflicting nearly 400 casualties in the 41st US ID, 14th and 23rd Brit Brigades, and the East African Brigade. This is the fundamental difference. No Allied attacks allow for the full weight of the 16th ID boys to make the difference. Though the 254th is thrown into their path, the veteran soldiers (XP: 82) BLAST it into armored wrecks and score a 2-1 attack.

Unlike the previous day, the Allies retreat due north into the arms of the hard-charging 6th and 7th Aussie ID in hex 57,46. These five units plus the 2 Aussie and the 5th Indian Corps HQ are now in a pickle.

To the north, the 33rd ID and 2 TK Div CRUSH a TK Bn (198-1) in hex 57,45 and they move south rushing to the action.

The rough and ready Imperial Troops of 56,47 get orders to advance as well as retreat. The 16th ID, a TK Reg, and two RF Bn advance from the south towards the Aussies. The 59th ID, 48th ID, and a TK Reg are ordered to move to Magwe for some R&R. As they move towards some rest, the rebuilt 4th ID detrains at Magwe and prepare to lend their strength to drive the Aussies from the west side of the Irrawaddy...

Casualties:
56,47 2-1 Japanese Victory
Japan: 1,967 Cas and 28 Guns
Allied: 4,807, 69 Guns, and 211 Vehicles

57,45 198-1 Japanese Victory
Japan: 58 Cas
Allied: 3 Guns and 99 Vehicles

BANZAI! BANZAI!! BANZAI!!!

Air Orders
Order two Sentai of Tojo and four Sentai of Bombers to get some R&R in Rangoon and Moulmein.

Ramree is active again so I order a pair of Tojo Sweeps

Naval Developments
BB Mutsu and Nagato, CVE Saiyen and Kuzuryu, 1 CL, and 4 DD arrive at Singapore.

Two BBs will come out of the yards there so they shall join the attack force that shall move up to Port Blair. If all goes RIGHT, in about a week, 5 BB covered by 6 CVE shall lay waste to Akyab. THIS TIME 3 BB will go in as a STF looking to kill Allied cruisers. They shall be followed by a pair of BBs on a Bombardment run.

[John 3rd]

Here is the situation facing the Allied Generals on the morning of October 20, 1942:

[John 3rd]

I truly doubt if Dan will even think retreat. He'll try to concentrate his airpower, move in reinforcements in other hexes to distract me, and then add more to the attack.

[ny59giants]

First question....What the hell are you doing up at 2am your time posting in your AAR?? Get some sleep!!

Ground combat posting need the hexside control visible. PLEASE use the "W" key for future posting. [:-]

I'm off all day today. [;)]

[obvert]

Firstly congrats! A major victory for the Japanese in the clear, where you managed to gain air superiority just in time it seems.

This many casualties should really hurt the commonwealth troops with their low replacement rates. The tanks brigade is now undoubtedly trashed and all units will require a lot of supply to get back in fighting shape. If I'm reading the map correctly it looks like their supply path from Ramree is cut. I would do whatever you can to make sure it stays that way.

Also, it looks like both of your tank rgt are trashed, yet you say you're moving one of them from the south into a new combat zone. I would send both to Magwe. Have some patience here, get your strong fresh divisions in there and those from the north and keep up the air pressure. Supply will likely be the deciding factor. I would throw a fresh dump into Rangoon if possible and just get all units recovered, at above 80% TOE and with fatigue below 20 and moral above 85 before thinking of putting them into the fight now that you have the advantage in the area.

Nice work!

[John 3rd]

Thanks Guys. It was a very pleasant surprise. I am sending more then I want because those Aussies are damned tough to deal with...

I've got local command of the air but that won't last long if I cannot rest my air groups. Have got to R&R them and refill their airframes.

From Shanghai and Tokyo have departed several convoys carrying 9 Construction/Engineering and three large garrison units to help with Fort and Base Work. Have had to really prioritize between the South Pacific and Burma.

Almost have enough PP to buyout a new Inf Div from Manchuria--Korea. It shall go to Burma. Will do that in a couple of days.

OTHER AREAS:
1. It is too late for him to stage anything in the Aleutians (I THINK!) and so I have pulled 150 aircraft and they are sailing south to Truk. Got two Daitai of Zeros and 100 Vals coming. Will wait until November 1st and will then grab another Daitai of Zeros and 3 Daitai of Kates (100+ Planes).
2. JUNYO SYS 25 FLOT 52 ENG 18: Can repair SYS to Zero and Engines to 12 and shall do that.Once the 4th Fleet HQ arrived the repair really accelerated at Gasmata.
3. KB is fully fueled at Tulagi. Sent back 2/3 of my AOs to reload fuel from Truk. When they get back I will have enough for some extended operations...

[John 3rd]

Here is hexside control with Rangoon showing current supplies. Forgot to mention that two convoys are currently headed to Rangoon with 50,000 supply.

[John 3rd]

He just tried to blast the 21st ID out of the jungle at 55,47. An Indian ID and 3 Brigades and the Marine TK unit is present. Have four units almost to the hex. His 1-1 was rated at 602--450 so I probably have time for the reinforcements to arrive.

Whatever happens there, it won't be in time for a crack at those Aussies. He is trying to withdraw into the jungle. Bombers hit the mauled 254th, 6th Aust ID, 7th Aust ID, and 77th Coast AA Reg. I taunted him in my last email so maybe that will rile him up some... [:D]

[kjnoel]

Can't you do anything about those ships that are always showing at Akyab? If I was him I would be running in as much supply as I could, stop that and those Allied units will not easily be supplied....

If you can't drive him off with air superiority, can you do SCTF runs in with retirement set to on so they enter the hex, fight whatever's there, and then retreat back to your "lines"?

[John 3rd]

October 22, 1942

Burma is interesting.

1. Dan returned his air in a BIG way this turn attacking the 33rd and 2nd TK with 88 Bombers and nearly 125 Fighters flying CAP--Sweep. Didn't lose much and the casualties weren't bad at all. These units plus more will enter the 57,46 in two days. He is trying to retreat but my airpower is hitting his units nearly everyday. Got to say I REALLY dislike his AA. Am flying at 9-11,000 Ft and still losing about 5-9 planes a day to AA.

2. He launches his THIRD Shock Attack against 21st ID getting a 1-2 result and he loses a bunch more troops then I. 21st has been hit by a Deliberate and 3 Shock Attacks over the last four days. Those boys are holding on! Disruption is less then 20% and reinforcements should begin arriving in two days. Those troops should serve to settle this little flare-up.

3. As to the question listed in the above Post, I had mentioned hitting Akyab with BBs. WELL...tomorrow shall see 4 BB sitting at Port Blair with several cruisers and about 16-18 DDs. I intend to send a STF to Akyab to KILL cruisers and DDs. Once I have done that then we'll shift over to Bombardment. The question is should I do two TF with a pair of BBs in each or one big one? Total strength available is Nagato--Mutsu, Fuso, and Hyuga with a CA, 2 CL, and 16-18 DDs. KB-2 is arriving as well with 6 CVE and 10 DDs (roughly 120 planes). Any ideas regarding STF composition would be most welcome.

4. My Bombers are getting to be in better shape. Have rested 5 Sentai for 3 days now and their morale is pretty solid. Have also gotten three Tojo groups up to near full strength in airframes. Since Dan is flying bunches of Fighters over 57,45, I intend to hit Akyab with 4 Tojo Sentai and cause some havoc.

5. Two supply convoys unloading presently. Nearly 50,000 supply here. LOTS of reinforcements in the pipeline. If everything holds together for 10-14 days I will be able to shuffle some of my troops about and bring in a bunch more engineers.