[font="Times New Roman"]15 July 1944[/font]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Now back to the battle at hand.
[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]
S/SW PAC:[/font] Sure enough, Morotai falls on the 15th. So does Noemafor after a much longer stand. It's really not about whether a base will be taken now, but how quickly. In this area I'm not sure why he's even bothering with the ones that have troops. With the Allied engineers he could build the many available dots in a week into a functioning airfield with a port, as evidenced at Waigeo (level 4 field now!![X(]).
My best bet really is that he begins to get overconfident of success. That is the only thing that will slow the progress. He has to send less than he needs, not protect it enough, spread himself thin. This is what all underdogs need in order to rise up and smite the powerhouse, if only for a while. It's not likely as Jocke has shown himself to be patient and single minded, almost to a fault. If he took a few risks elsewhere this defense would come down around my ears like a house of cards now. A well-timed landing on Western Sumatra, the Andamans, the Kuriles, and I could not meet all threats with enough force to hold anywhere.
I brought two SAGs up to around Ambon as I see a CVE TF with a SAG of DDs and a huddle of LSTs just off Sorong. How far is he pushing? I don't know. I have to put something in harm's way though here. I can't afford a landing at or near Ambon just yet. All area LBA is on and escorts are brought into remaining small bases at Boela, Ternate and Namlea. Strike planes could launch from Ambon, Manado and Kendari.
[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]
S DEI: [/font] Nothing here yet. My fields are almost all back to virgin state. Only those on Timor and behind have CAP and strike planes.
[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]
BURMA: [/font] Looks like 200k+ and the majority of guns and armor moving toward Central Burma from Prome. now I'll commit a few divisions to move direct through jungle to the hex South of Toungoo from 55, 51. Another tank division will move back to Rangoon with 5-6 arty units. About 1k AV is shifting out of Burma and is almost to the rail at Pisanoluke. It'll go where needed, most likely to Mindanao.
[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]
CENTRAL PACFIC:[/font] More bombing. No sign of anything new.
[font="Trebuchet MS"]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR July 15, 44
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Tinian , at 108,94
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid spotted at 30 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 8
P1Y1 Frances x 3
P1Y2 Frances x 18
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
P1Y1 Frances: 1 damaged
P1Y2 Frances: 5 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
PBY-5 Catalina: 1 damaged
Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 10
Aircraft Attacking:
18 x P1Y2 Frances bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
3 x P1Y1 Frances bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Tinian , at 108,94
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid spotted at 30 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 8
P1Y1 Frances x 3
P1Y2 Frances x 18
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
P1Y1 Frances: 1 damaged
P1Y2 Frances: 5 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
PBY-5 Catalina: 1 damaged
Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 10
Aircraft Attacking:
18 x P1Y2 Frances bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
3 x P1Y1 Frances bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Tinian , at 108,94
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 23
J2M3 Jack x 8
N1K1-J George x 22
Ki-49-IIb Helen x 28
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 8 damaged
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 1 destroyed by flak
Airbase hits 3
Runway hits 11
Aircraft Attacking:
25 x Ki-49-IIb Helen bombing from 12000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
2 x Ki-49-IIb Helen bombing from 12000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Tinian , at 108,94
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid spotted at 36 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes
Japanese aircraft
J2M3 Jack x 18
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 29
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 13
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 12 damaged
Runway hits 1
Aircraft Attacking:
13 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 10000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Tinian , at 108,94
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIb Helen x 13
Ki-84a Frank x 29
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 2 damaged
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 1 destroyed by flak
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 3
Aircraft Attacking:
12 x Ki-49-IIb Helen bombing from 12000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on 16th Garrison Unit , at 86,110 (Noemfoor)
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid detected at 71 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 24 minutes
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 9
B-24D1 Liberator x 18
B-24J Liberator x 38
PB4Y-1 Liberator x 11
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
52 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Aircraft Attacking:
6 x PB4Y-1 Liberator bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Noemfoor (86,110)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 11472 troops, 181 guns, 298 vehicles, Assault Value = 390
Defending force 6341 troops, 50 guns, 32 vehicles, Assault Value = 150
Allied adjusted assault: 311
Japanese adjusted defense: 33
Allied assault odds: 9 to 1 (fort level 3)
Allied forces CAPTURE Noemfoor !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), disruption(-), supply(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
900 casualties reported
Squads: 41 destroyed, 12 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 46 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 19 (18 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Vehicles lost 32 (32 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 1
Allied ground losses:
174 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 24 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Vehicles lost 15 (1 destroyed, 14 disabled)
Assaulting units:
627th Tank Destroyer Battalion
102nd(Sep) Infantry Regiment
158th(Sep) Infantry Regiment
3rd Motor Brigade
2nd USMC Field Artillery Battalion
138th USA Base Force
Defending units:
32nd Nav Gsn Unit
9th Tank Rgt /4
91st Infantry Regiment
16th Garrison Unit
6th Guards Inf. Rgt /2
47th Engineer Regiment
62nd Construction Battalion
28th JNAF AF Unit
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Morotai (80,101)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 14774 troops, 166 guns, 495 vehicles, Assault Value = 708
Defending force 4557 troops, 26 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 135
Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 2
Allied adjusted assault: 1405
Japanese adjusted defense: 82
Allied assault odds: 17 to 1 (fort level 2)
Allied forces CAPTURE Morotai !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
1210 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 85 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 14 disabled
Engineers: 17 destroyed, 7 disabled
Guns lost 20 (3 destroyed, 17 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
30 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
711th Tank Battalion
1st Marine Division
706th Tank Battalion
632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion
II Aus Corps Engineer Battalion
XI US Corps
Defending units:
10th Ind.Infantry Brigade
51st JNAF AF Unit
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/font]
Reinforcements: none!
[font="Trebuchet MS"][/font]
Losses: none.
Ships Sunk:
[font="Trebuchet MS"]Previous report of sinking of DD DeHaven incorrect. Intelligence reports ship is still in service[/font]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[font="Trebuchet MS"]Supply has now filled in even at Gifu. Most repairs are back on. The last few will wait until the pressing aircraft factories are finished. [/font]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill