Burma:
Moulmein falls to the 2nd RTA Division on 12.25. The Japanese 33rd Division is en route from Bangkok via Pinsalouk and overland trail movement. Other RTA units and base forces (and area HQs) to arrive Moulmein in a few days.
DEI / Malaya:
Lots of action on the Malay peninsula. The offending Indian brigade blocking movement from Alor Star to Taiping is destroyed. The roadway is clear now and large numbers of reinforcements rail into Taiping on 12.25.
To the South, armored recon pushes along the West road towards Kuala Lumpur. It would be more efficient to rail everyone there instead of starting road movement at Taiping. Alas, it appears as though he's holding with at least a modest force at KL. My recon regiment may be insufficient for force the hex and clear the rail.
So, to borrow a phrase from Teddy Roosevelt Jr. (of Utah Beach fame), "We'll start the war from right here." It will be a longer walk for us, but the Singapore defenders aren't going anywhere.
Mersing: A spur-of-the-moment landing here goes well for the armored recon regiment and engineer unit landed there. On 12.26.41, the peninusula is bisected by the movement of the armored regiment to the West coast of the Malay peninsula. Any Allied unit North of here is denied rail movement into Singapore now. Some 7,000-10,000 Allied troops that shoula-woulda-coulda pulled back will be destroyed
in situ north of this point.
Daily bombardment of the Singapore airfield continues, alternated by occasional port bombardment to encourage the departure of ships. The damaged airfield will ensure that additional fortifications are unbuilt from this point forth.
My experience with the Malay campaign is that it is slow to start, but-once Mersing (or KL) is captured, proceeds very quickly. I anticipate knocking on Singapore's doors by the second week of January. Still, recon shows some 61,000 Allied troops on Singapore. This will require some time to digest such a force.
Borneo: mini-KB and a heavy SCTF with
Kongo refuels from Singakawang (a replenishment TF arrived on 12.23). Because of the ample supply and AirHQ at Singakawang, mini-KB also upgrades its aircraft and 'resizes' the airgroups to fit the carrier. This is great in the long run, but a minor inconvenience for the next couple of days, as the new planes need to be readied for use.
Sumatra: What started as a trickle on 12.21 has turned into a flood of Japanese troops. Over the past three days, troops have poured into Sumatra from Borneo and direct from Saigon or CRB. By 12.26, some 30,000 Japanese troops (900 AV) are ashore at Palembang, largely unmolested en route. Half a dozen xAK or xAPs are shot up by Dutch 75mm shore defenses after discharging their troops and materiel, all but one should survive.
Three Dutch DDs attempted to interfere in the liberation of Sumatra, manuevering into the "stream" of Japanese TFs from Borneo to Sumatra.
Kongo dispatched one during a daylight fight. Another was damaged by light Japanese Cl/DD SCTF and withdrew. The third was sunk by Japanese submarine as it escorted the damaged DD from the area.
I took the precaution of re-routing several of the amphibious TFs slightly to the North (waypoints NE of Palembang) to help cordon off undetected Allied SCTF approaches from the South.
Two Japanese AMc and a DMS were destroyed by Allied shore gunfire whilest clearing mines at Palembang or Merak (Java). An inadvised transit through Merak (automatic return to base for refueling from the IO side of Java) results in I-154 being mined at Merak and sunk.
Tarakan: A special note about Tarakan is due. On (approximately) 12.18, an SNLF group (60AV) attempted to extricate the Allied defenders here. That was insufficient. A reinforcement SNLF group was sent in. Unwisely, this was not escorted by surface combatants.
My opponent did a great job of slipping a Dutch Cl into the TF, shredding it. Some 2500 troops went into the drink. A terrible job of force protection. [:-]
Still, a remnant of the second force got ashore along with a small IJNAF company. Several shock attacks later have disrupted both Allied and Japanese forces, but failed to extricate the defenders. The Dutch should be proud of their defense here. This will have to be dealt with in time-probably by repurposing troops from Mindanao here.
Much of the southern DEI is on hold for the time being. In my effort to gain a lodgement on Sumatra (and Java?) before the end of the year, I'm putting all available forces ashore to the North. Besides this is where my best force protection (i.e. LBA) is based in force. Balikpapan and Timor will be engaged soon, I hope, possibly by a redundant division on Luzon.
Java: Opinions? Palembang will fall on 12.27. The meagre Allied forces there won't stand up to even the first assault ("deliberate" so as not to damage the oil fields any more than necessary), I'm certain.
My next goal is to gain lodgement on Java as soon as possible. I will clear Oosthaven and sweep it of mines. Palembang and Oosthaven will become major "jump off" and support sites for the invasion of Java.
I'm just debating whether to focus on Merak or Kalidjati. The former is closer to Palembang and Oosthaven, possibly allowing a surprise landing overnight. Merak is also one hex distant from Batavia and will be, I'm certain, patrolled by annoying and disruptive surface forces.
Kalidjati is a clear hex on the Java Sea side of things. It's a few hexes from both Batavia and Soerbaja and could provide a lodgement in the middle of the island. Furthermore, troops from Kalidjati could bisect the island within a couple days, eliminating rail reinforcement or retreat from either locale. Kalidjati is also longer range "just" in reach of LBA out of Oosthaven.
What are your pros or cons?
DEI map:
