Zuluhour vs Zigurat666: 1943

[zuluhour]

Perhaps the last look at Port Moresby in allied hands.

[obvert]

CenPac: Amphibious TFs make port and disband for small repairs. The fast attack groups will arrive shortly to do the same. Baker and Funafuti are now operational seaplane bases greatly assisting our search efforts.

I like this. I always wonder why the Allies don't make more use of these small islands for seaplane bases. It's not easy to take out anything on an atoll, and if you leave some small raider unit there too, Japan would most likely not want to take the risk.

[zuluhour]

I am struggling with the final deployment of the marine defense Bns and some of the raiders. As you know allied sea lift against occupied positions is thin right now. I can land two Reg max in twelve hours without showing up with sixty ships. That would be a feast for the Kido Butai. The air search ring is sufficient to operate my carriers now in CenPac almost to the Solomon's and Gilberts. With Eua and another isle south of the Fiji's operating ASW and search I can move larger convoys in SoPac as well.

[zuluhour]

June 16-17, 1942

United States: The Oklahoma makes dry dock on the west coast. She will be ready to join the reformed battleship division II in six weeks at Pearl. Loading of support units for CROSS COURT should finish tonight and coincide with the arrival of Wasp.

CenPac: The fast attack groups are within sight of Pearl. RADM English is dispatched south, flag on the Nashville, to counter IJN destroyers in CROSS COURT areas. The yards are still working at capacity at 99,ooo tons in dry dock alone. Seaplane tenders from rear areas make for Pearl to replace tenders in forward areas in case of raiding IJN SAGs. Battleship division I will be refitting for 3-4 weeks, only the Colorado is available for operations.

SwPac: Base building and some staging of air groups in progress; a large egress of strategic shipping leaves Australia for safety east. Little action in the western desert.

Africa: 40,ooo tons plus of strategic value merchants depart for the US. The 307th bomb group (B17) will begin arriving this week for transfer to India. This is a bought out unit bringing 32 fortresses which will expand to 48 during the summer. There are over 80 B17s in reserve.

Burma: As many ground attack aircraft as I can scrounge are ordered to hit the IJA moving east from Mandalay in the open. No fighters are known to be in the AO and sweeping P38s over Rangoon encounter no resistance from the IJAF fighters on the ground there.

China: What a freak'in beast!

[BBfanboy]

Does Oklahoma's six-week repair estimate include all the upgrades? Those alone should take nearly six weeks.

[zuluhour]

Good question. I put her on "high" priority to bring her down from 60 to 37 days. I assumed it included her refit although I neglected to check the time frames.

[DOCUP]

I hate when I forget to turn a ships upgrades off.

[zuluhour]

The Oklahoma is scheduled for an August upgrade; I will most likely skip it to get her rifles in action.

June 18, 1942

United States: Wasp is due tonight, the Oklahoma is at 36 days. Some additional DDs and a cruiser will also be arriving within the week, badly needed for escorts to staging areas forward. Three regiments are well out in the blue water, the supporting cast departs tomorrow.

Pago Pago: Epic submarine action as APD Waters engages I-22 in shore. In the evening when the sub is spotted it is hit hard and forced to the surface. She fires fish at Waters and disappears in the night after heavy damage. The Waters finds her at daybreak on the surface but is set on fire by her deck guns before she can finish her off. IJAF planes raid at night for no hits and no losses. Pago Pago is now an island bastion and I welcome attacks on her. The island has solid AAA, Arty, and air cover. The defenses are manned by a reinforced division.

Burma: All but the Hudsons go in on the IJA at Mandalay. We suffer almost a dozen aircraft lost as two dozen Zeros are waiting. This is LRCAP and I suspect it is from Prome. Quite long range! Recon from Calcutta reveals the field to late to alter the raid. P38s suffering some fatigue from their recent raid are ordered over the IJAF fields in the morning. The short hop from Akyab should be easier than the from the northern states.

China: Action along the Yangtze favors the Chinese today. We need all the good news we can get.

SwPac: The IJN lands more troops and supply at Port Moresby. How much longer can she hold? The Aussies do good work with their Arty and set some IJN rust bucket merchants on fire.

[zuluhour]

Air raid at Mandalay: disappointing.

Morning Air attack on 4th Guards Division, at 59,46 (Mandalay)



Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 32 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 33

Allied aircraft
Blenheim IV x 30
B-25C Mitchell x 3

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Blenheim IV: 4 destroyed, 3 damaged
B-25C Mitchell: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
58 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
15 x Blenheim IV bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 lb GP Bomb
1 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb
8 x Blenheim IV bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
3rd Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (33 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(33 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
33 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 20000
Raid is overhead
Morning Air attack on 21st Army, at 59,46 (Mandalay)

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 5

Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 9

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-25C Mitchell: 2 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
66 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 14 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
3rd Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
5 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 20000 , scrambling fighters to 6000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 272 minutesASW attack near Pago Pago at 148,161

Japanese Ships
SS I-22, hits 2, heavy damage

Allied Ships
APD Little, Shell hits 1, on fire

SS I-22 is sighted by escort
APD Little firing on surfaced sub ....
APD Little firing on surfaced sub ....
APD Little firing on surfaced sub ....
APD Little firing on surfaced sub ....
APD Little firing on surfaced sub ....
APD Little firing on surfaced sub ....
APD Little firing on surfaced sub ....
Sub slips beneath the waves
brave CO on this sub.

Chinese HOLD
Ground combat at 76,50 (near Kweiyang)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 54130 troops, 493 guns, 84 vehicles, Assault Value = 1511

Defending force 56046 troops, 259 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1826

Japanese adjusted assault: 791

Allied adjusted defense: 2359

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
5656 casualties reported
Squads: 68 destroyed, 443 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 46 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 44 disabled

Allied ground losses:
948 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 100 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 4 (1 destroyed, 3 disabled)

Assaulting units:
39th Division
40th Division
51st Infantry Brigade
34th Division
110th Division
57th Infantry Brigade
I/81st Naval Guard Unit

Defending units:
53rd Chinese Corps
87th Chinese Corps
70th Chinese Corps
46th Chinese Corps
18th Chinese Corps
94th Chinese Corps
6th War Area
20th Group Army

[zuluhour]

June 19, 1942

United States: The Wasp arrives and is ordered to sail with support TFs headed to SoPac.

CenPac: 1st Marine Def Bn ships out for Baker. IJN DD's and CS stage a Pete raid over Funafuti. I play the shell game until help arrives, which it will. The Nells in the Fiji come calling on Pago Pago again at night and a stronger night CAP (no pun) downs 1. We play coy at this point and recon the Fiji islands with F4s.

SwPac: While our armored recon units are hammered in the Victoria desert the IJN lands troops at Port Hedland. No contest. The Port Moresby garrison clings to the base by the barest of margins. The IJA shock attacks following another harrowing bombardment by battleship and cruiser.

Burma: P38s fly over Prome from their new forward base but the IJAF rests, probably tired from the long range CAP over Mandalay, which we do hit with success today without the nuisance from the Zeros. We score 180 casualties with no losses or damage to our own.

Colombo: IJN forces spotted, I am still debating a reaction, I would prefer him to hit Colombo rather than sortie.

China: The breakthrough at Ankang is threatening to unhinge the whole house of cards. He must have really hurt himself in the assault the other day outside Keiyang as he puts 236 bombers over the defenders today. We lose less than 100.

[zuluhour]

Ground combat at Port Moresby (98,130)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 3082 troops, 64 guns, 49 vehicles, Assault Value = 128

Defending force 22103 troops, 217 guns, 5 vehicles, Assault Value = 551

Assaulting units:
4th Aus Cav Brigade
Port Moresby Brigade
39th Australian Battalion
4th Australian Lt AA Regiment
15th RAAF Base Force
53rd Australian Battalion
2nd Australian Hvy AA Regiment
13th RAAF Base Force
I Australian Corps /1

Defending units:
Sasebo 5th SNLF
84th Naval Guard Unit
4th Division
44th Naval Guard Unit
46th Naval Guard Unit
113th Infantry Regiment
64th Naval Guard Unit
89th Naval Guard Unit
7th Naval Construction Battalion
18th Naval Guard Unit
86th Naval Guard Unit
43rd Naval Guard Unit
4th Base Force

[obvert]

That's a lot of Naval Guard units. Not much else around the area I bet! [:D]

[zuluhour]

I think you are right as far as the New Guinea and the Solomon's are concerned. I'll post a Solomon's map soon as the last two phases of CROSSCOURT come to a close and Neptune's Spear commences. What I really hope for is a period of grace for SoPac as Australia is thin. CROSSCOURT will draw out the Kido Butai, I'm sure, and I hope there's an over reaction to relieve the Aussies on the mainland. His garrison in the Fijis is some 20,ooo but New Caledonia and the lover Solomon's and the Gilberts look thin.

[zuluhour]

June 20, 1942

CenPac: Midway SBDs report 10 ships. I have no spot on the map and choose not to react. I'll wait for more spots. IJN TFs show up from PBYs now patrolling off Baker however and this does get a reaction. I do not expect an intercept for forty eight hours. If carriers are present there may be a large confrontation. AVPs to relieve naval forces scheduled for a withdrawal and continue support for the PBYs in the forward areas.

SwPac: Port Moresby falls but the garrison escapes to the west. They will march through the mangrove swamps to Terapo while I attempt resupply by air from Cooktown. B17s at Cairnes will rest for a few days as the facilities are known to be a shambles. Derby has fallen now as well as Port Hedland. 6,500 pts of oil reach Melbourne. The western desert is eerily quiet.

[zuluhour]

Ceylon: IJN CVEs disappear in the Indian Ocean.

Burma: I think I have an angle to kill some a/c, we'll see.

China: Major action along the Yangtze!!! The IJA assaults: 75-50,76-50,78-49. We assault at 77-50. We do take it up the Wazoo though and lose Wasu. Total IJA casualties reported in the four engagements on the Yangtze:23,018 vs Allies: 4,048. We also eject a portion of the horde back across the Yangtze to boot.

[zuluhour]

June 21, 1942

Cat and mouse with IJN TFs. I, not interested in bait, he, not interested in closing. In Burma I suspected he would use the fighters at Prome to interdict bombing missions in the interior. He has not left the ground with them for at least two days. The P38s buzz the field and issue the challenge but are rebuffed. I gamble and send a long range mission to the field tomorrow. It will be weak but a statement. The P38s rest. I have IJN recon over Colombo but no more sightings over the past 48 hours. Reinforcing Diego Garcia? More landings? CV raid? I doubt the first two, I think he wants me to play Brit CV against IJN fleet CV. The Yangtze line is quiet for a day only the drone of 200 raiders over the Kweiyang perimeter. The IJA is unsuccessful in dislodging another of the northern garrisons. FINALLY it showed (-) supply in the assault. I am trying hard to get CROSSCOURT rolling for the final two objectives. On a final note, our only sub patrol currently off southern Japan gets a kill on a small merchant!

[zuluhour]

June 22-23, 1942

CenPac: Signet: Heavy radio traffic in the northern Marshall's as well as Rabaul. 69 ships reported at Perth harbor. Amphibious Op? more troops? or supply? A cruiser flotilla off Melbourne will investigate.

Operation CROSS COURT: Op NET: Baker will receive a ground component in 48 hours. The marines are 520nm out. Op SERVICE: The protection screen under RADM English is patrolling the Phoenix Islands. The lift force taking the 9th marines out is 720nm east and seventy two hours out. Op DROPSHOT: the 182nd Reg of the Americal is unloading at the staging area. The Americal will merge into a division after debarkation of the 182nd. Three more Regs are 2520nm out. ETA 11 days. The final support elements are 3800nm out and expected in 16 days. Fast attack groups will depart CenPac next week with oilers in the van and amphibious ships trailing. Contact with IJN TFs in the CROSSCOURT area are lost.

SwPac: Port Moresby survivors hit by heavy raids in the swamps. I hope Terapo is empty. ETA at Terapo in mid August. Huge shipping at Perth is ominous. I'm going to try and get in the middle of it at night. Our cruisers are a few days out attempting to circumvent land based search.

Burma: IJN forces spotted SSW of Akyab. P38s ordered over Prome again as well as staged bombers.

China: blissfully quiet for a few days following the slaughter on the Yangtze line.


AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Jun 23, 42--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Nadi , at 131,160

Raid from Eua

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 38,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10

Allied aircraft
P-38E Lightning x 22

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 3 destroyed

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
15 x P-38E Lightning sweeping at 35000 feet *

CAP engaged:
Chitose Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 7 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters to 15000.
Raid is overhead

[zuluhour]

June 24-25, 1942

Observations: Large build up at Perth detected/suspected, again over 60 ships detected. Huge amount of sorties over one particular portion of the Yangtze line. I believe he was severely weakened here two weeks ago and is covering his recovery. I do nothing. The Chinese do finally hold up north. Help is very close. These IJA units should be in a bad way from lack of supply. Complete lack of contacts on IJN vessels. I have to wait on convoys to proceed further in the Pacific. Some of the support units load for Op VOLLEY which should speed up the tempo of Op SERVICE when phase III and IV commence.

[zuluhour]

June 25-26, 1942

China: North Front: Kiuchuan holds and is reinforced. I think Japan's excursion in the north is over. I believe him to be cut off and far from supply.
Sian Front: Fluid, with the IJA wrestling for the passes while I try to cut him off to the east.
Yangtze Line: Far eastern tip of the line losses almost 750 men in two days of heavy raids, but the mystical Chinese supply lines keep our fellows fed and
and armed.

Burma; I order P38s over Rangoon. If the IJAF wants to just sit, I will begin to raid with Wellingtons and Blenheim's shortly. The Aussies link up with the
Chinese outside Lashio. I will try to draw him in deeper in the jungles. An entire B17 group is now on ships and at sea for India. I hope to have just
over 100 operational by August 31.

Australia: I order a hit and run by cruiser tomorrow, we'll see if the timing is right. Some New Zealand regulars are on the way as well as some more US M10s.

SoPac: Libs and Forts hit Suva while Lightning's hit Nadi. The raid is so so. 8 more Zekes and a couple of Betty's for the land fill.

CenPac: Well over a division is at sea. I wait for arrivals in the staging areas.

[DOCUP]

What patch are you on?