[font="Times New Roman"]24 - 29 October, 1942[/font]
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SUBS: [/font] Sub activity has dropped off everywhere but especially up North. I've got two ASW TFs sitting in the narrows, two SAGs of DDs and Es to take care of any lone surface threats, and the Kates are now trained up and operating from the Kuriles, likely discouraging any further action up here. We'll see.
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DEI: [/font] Strangely, two of my ships hit mines at Singers on the 27th. I had thought this must have been a sub-mined field, and wondered how they got past my own mines there. After the replay I noticed these two ships, one of which sunk, had hit Type 93 mines!! [X(]
Poor navigation charts? Bad commanders? Too much partying with the Geishas the night before? [:D]
Glad it was only an SC. I had CVs here a few days ago. Yikes.
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CHINA: [/font] Still getting a lot of supply hits and keeping airfields closed at Chikhiang, Kweiyang and most importantly at Chungking. I'm beginning flights by Nicks to strafe and bomb from 100ft at the Chinese stack in the river crossing hex near Chikhiang. I'm getting convinced he's not just low but out of supply. I have to be sure before initiating any kind of an attack here though. If he has any I could be toast.
Troops wil be in posit to initiate the final Southern China flanking operation. There will be about 4000 AV taking part and they will move into the wooded hills to attack four Chinese units there, hopefully forcing a retreat before they can be reinforced. I of course can slow CHinese movement with the dominance in the air we now have.
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PACIFIC: [/font] Looks like another supply or troop run into oct moresby. The fighters are back and a small TF listing AP is heading up. All of my zeros are heading to Madang and will sweep tomorrow. Even 1:1 is good for me right now. I need to keep his pools low to suppress action in Burma and I don't mind getting rid of the excess A6M2 pool as the A6M3a is online and the A6M5 is coming on in November! [8D]
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BURMA: [/font] Very quiet since the major fighting around Magwe recently. Surprisingly no big assaults on Mandalay.
There is however something happening in the IO. A set of rather ominous TFs have moved from Ceylon and are heading toward the Andamans or Sumatra! All IJN air groups are returning to their stations at Sabang/Langsha/Medan and Victoria Point/Chumpon. I've got a Mavis group on Port Blair and will move in night searching jakes to another Andaman island.
This is the test we've been waiting for, it seems. Can we hold off the Allied fleets with only air strikes and small naval actions? The plan is to send in the stealth strike force: 40 subs have been waiting at Singapore, Victoria Point and Benkolen. They alng with several DD TFs will get into position. I've got a CL led Sag at Rangoon and it will form a reserve to pick up pieces should there be any hits that create crippled ships and the CVs are not near. I will not risk anything larger now until I know what is being targeted. If he takes station off Sumatra all fleet forces will be put into action from Singapore and Soerabaja, including BBs with the CVs in reserve, again to hit anything left after first strikes and support CAP in the Malay straits, out of range of the Allied CV search and strike force and supported by LBA. Maps in the next post.
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OZ:[/font] I've begun deeper recon flights in OZ but it seems like there is no major thrust coming from the Tenant Creek area. There are 16k troops there now. I did notice that around 30 bombers are there as well with no fighter cover. I brought in the Helens to Darwin and hit the base at extended range, destroying a few on the ground. Every little bit helps. I'll now see if he moves fighters in. If not, after a few days I'll do it again.
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR October 24, 42
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Morning Air attack on Chihkiang , at 78,50
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 33 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 16
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 20
No Japanese losses
Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 25
Aircraft Attacking:
20 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 6000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR October 26, 42
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Afternoon Air attack on Tennant Creek , at 76,137
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid detected at 35 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 15
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 4 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
CW-22 Falcon: 1 damaged
CW-22 Falcon: 1 destroyed on ground
L-212: 2 damaged
L-212: 1 destroyed on ground
B-339D: 1 damaged
B-339D: 1 destroyed on ground
Runway hits 4
Aircraft Attacking:
15 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 10000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR October 27, 42
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TF 152 encounters mine field at Singapore (50,84)
Japanese Ships
PB Hakkaisan Maru, Mine hits 1, heavy damage
SC Ch 5, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
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Morning Air attack on 1st Chinese Corps, at 76,51 , near Tuyun
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 51
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 27 None damaged at all!
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 1 damaged
Allied ground losses:
109 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
25 x Ki-21-IIa Sally bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
27 x Ki-45 KAIa Nick bombing from 100 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
26 x Ki-21-IIa Sally bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
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[font="Trebuchet MS"]Can subs and air power alone halt an invasion? Maybe we'll get a chance to find out.[/font]
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"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
