China: IJA forces spot the large Chinese formations crossing the Yangtze and begin to withdraw from the western frontier.
Burma: The IJA looks like it will try an all out attack on Lashio. Units spotted in the jungle from the NW as well as least a division moving back from the Chinese frontier from the east. The USAF is ordered to make the largest strike of the war. Over 100 B24s and B17s are ordered to join 64 B25s and hit the IJA hard.
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Joe, I'll PM you this week on the advice. Its simple and nothing you don't know. I have to dissect my loss at Tabiteuea to illustrate it. It's still painful.
Seeds of the plan to retake Port Morseby. It will be a get in and get out affair. I will work out the IL (initial lift) naval factors and post in a few days along with the air plan and detailed warship assignments. This cannot fail.
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If you need to get troops on the ground quickly and intend to keep the base as you obviously would I recommend bringing along either a USN base force or one of the smaller units to help with naval support.
When I landed at PM I had a normal size USN base force and also a command and a corps HQ trained for the invasion but I managed to offload 3 divisions plus a bunch of support units in 2 days completely. It shocked even me. By the 4th day I was clear with all my units.
I did use over 400,000 tons of lift in that operation though. Transports filled only to about 25% troop only will unload quickly.
Solid advice. The demand for the USN base units is greater than the supply. I hope to replace my fuel transfer depot base unit in SoPac with port detachment units and replace the USN BF helping Lex repair to free up two, but not before Christmas. The advice does warrant trying to fit in the IL for D-Day. Thank you. November 27, 1942
SwPac: We hit Port Moresby, but the damage is light.
Burma: The IJA is hit by the largest day of heavy raids to date but the damage is also minimal.
November 29, 1942
Burma: The Aussie brigades at Lashio are shock attacked out of Lashio with heavy casualties. The IJA 6th guards reinforced by three Rgts and an armor unit prove plenty and the Australians retreat to Bhamo. The maneuver was not successful in that I wanted to pull units out of China. We do gain 46mi of road to China.
SoPac: Seabees are spotted under sunny skies (first in days) unloading over the beach at Ndeni. US support personnel and equipment are also spotted in Luganville harbor.
SoPac: The quiet could not last forever. After the Dutch find Soryu off the Shortlands, more IJN carriers arrive off Luganville and punish allied transports and warships in port. The P39s which fly are shredded and the attackers are mostly unmolested. Damage assessments will be made available shortly.
China: B17s and B24s fly over China and hit a large concentration of IJA units near Kweiyang. Results are favorable.
December 3-4, 1942
SoPac: IJN units of the KB move south. On the third they find nothing. On the fourth they attack the harbor again at Luganville. Smoke and fire rise over the port. USN CVEs on transport duty arrive in launch distance and provide the Fiji's with badly needed aircraft. The spot on the afternoon of the fourth reveals the Kido Butai complete with battleships and tankers. It may be a rough 1st week of December.
December 5-10, 1942
SoPac: The KB hits the New Hebrides one more time followed by a naval bombardment. The USS Helena settles in Luganville harbor and becomes another casualty of the war. There have been several anxious days since the departure of the Japanese navy. They will reappear any moment. Some very green marine aviators take over for a severely bludgeoned army squadron of P40s. SoPac Air HQ loads on fast transports at Suva for Luganville. The airstrip is repaired and could go to level 2 shortly if left alone for a few more days. PT boats and submarines screen the anchorage. 150,ooo pts of fuel are due in Australia in 48 hours.
Burma: I order a shift in action in Burma to the north coast. The Brits will make a push from Akyab now. Jap fighters are spotted on the repaired strips at Prome.
China: The Yangtze line is still in flux as IJA units attempt to cut off Kweiyang.
An uneasy calm spreads across the Pacific. Allied hopes are the Kido Butai requires some days of maintenance after two three day duration raids at Midway and the New Hebrides. Frantic construction efforts are under way at Luganville and Ndeni. Tanna is scheduled for bombardment tonight. In the US a second LST is delivered and departs on its shake down cruise off the west coast. Fletchers begin to trickle into inventory as well. Air defense units are ordered to the docks for embarkation and deployment in the south Pacific. In China the IJA is once again on the attack and is threatening Kweiyang from three sides. Burma has remained quiet since the Aussies were expelled from Lashio.
[font=calibri]ComPac: Word reaches Pacific HQ three more escort carriers have crossed the Panama Canal and have entered the Pacific Ocean. Several more fleet subs along with fuel and supply has also crossed the canal and is in route to SoPac. [/font]
[font=calibri]SoPac: The Lexington could be made ready for sea now. Her float damage is light and most of her system damage is gone. I will most likely pull the trigger on new years eve. The Detroit is also repairing quickly and will head for the west coast soon as well. Suva is completely built out. The harbor and surrounding anchorages are busy and full. Supply is at over 375,ooo pts and fuel has reached 65,ooo pts. Fast transports left last night for the New Hebrides to bolster the construction effort. [/font]
[font=calibri]SwPac: Alice Springs is now supplying Tenant Creek with much needed support. The base will resume building soon. No Japanese have been spotted for a couple of weeks in either the north or west of the allied lines.[/font]
[font=calibri]India: Prince of Wales is due in Cape town soon.[/font]
[font=calibri]Burma: Elements of the 51st fighter squadron down some Tojos over Prome and force the IJAF to resume operations from deeper in Thailand. Sweeps scheduled for Rangoon tomorrow. The flak at Prome is intense and the RAF gets roughed up a bit over the target. We lose five birds to flak today.[/font]
China: Just will not sit still. I’ll have to post the new situation this weekend.
[font=calibri]December 18, 1942[/font]
[font=calibri]SoPac: Intensive IJN sub activity around Suva, Pago Pago, and the New Hebrides continues. The USN has scored on some of the intruders but can claim no sinkings. Luganville is close to level 3 on airfield construction. The USAAF BF recently delivered will boost the USAF CAP to three squadrons. At Suva, Michells and Marauders stage to Sydney to make room for a B24 squadron tonight.[/font]
[font=calibri]CenPac: Submarines continue to deploy from Pearl, the map looks like a 500nm wolf pack, WITP-AE style. The USN flies recon over Wake yesterday from camera equipped Wildcats. They do three flyovers with the intent of drawing a reaction. We’ll see.[/font]
[font=calibri]SwPac: Supply at Tenant Creek continues to build as B25s join in on the air cargo runs. I hope when the airfield goes to two after we start construction, the supply draw will rise as well. Anyone know?? The Americal loads from the Fijis for its appointment with destiny in the jungles of New Guinea. Port Moresby is a smoking cauldron of shattered runways and piers. After new year’s I will try and interdict their mail.[/font]
[font=calibri]Burma: The IJA 6th Guards Div and 14th Guards Rgt wipe out the 13th Burma rifle Bn which has denied the Lashio forces supply from Mandalay and the jungle road off and on since the invasion. There is some consolation as we kill over 100 japs on the jungle coast road by B17.[/font]
China: 100mi to the west of the Capital we kick the snot out of the remaining elements of the IJA 13th division. P40E fighters begin to filter into Chinese fighter squadrons. They will need three months of training before I let them meet the enemy. P38s trying to protect our army group at Kweiyang meet swarms of Zeros and a new bird, the KI45 Nick. Its fast, armored, defensed and nasty. Four Lightings make the intercept, three return, no kills. Kweiyang is under huge pressure. Post it soon. Supply is ok everywhere but where I really need it.
I decided to write to myself some more today. Should I post something more appropriate on Joe's AAR? I'll just post from the war.
The Imperial Japanese Navy tests the combined allied defense of the New Hebrides. Losses mount in the defense. The Helena rests on the coral. Another cruiser rests on the beach. The raid last night surprised all the encountered allied vessels. The Kido Butai probes the NNW by E approaches and disappears last night. The “wily” emperor of Japan is seeking to embarrass Zulu HQ yet again. Let the 27th of September 1942 remain the lowest point of the war. The memory of the 9th Marines will be avenged.
Night Time Surface Combat, near Luganville at 120,150, Range 11,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Kawakaze
DD Umikaze
Allied Ships
SC-742, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
Japanese Ships Reported to be Approaching!
Allied TF begins to get underway
Improved night sighting under 89% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions and 89% moonlight: 11,000 yard
Night Time Surface Combat, near Luganville at 120,150, Range 11,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Kawakaze
DD Umikaze
Allied Ships
xAK Iron Master, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
Allied ground losses:
Vehicles lost 56 (56 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Night Time Surface Combat, near Luganville at 120,150, Range 10,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Kawakaze
DD Umikaze
Allied Ships
PT-74
PT-75
PT-76
PT-77
PT-78
PT-79
PT-80, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
