[font="Times New Roman"]August 13 - 14, 1942[/font]
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INDIA: [/font] Nick goes for the CAP at Sholapur on the 13th. This prompts all kinds of action. His Tojos do okay, but are not as dominant as I'd feared. The CAP loses about 21 planes to a reported 16 Tojos downed. I'll take that over my own base.
Because I knew the Tojo groups would either be reduced and weakened, or even replaced in the Cap over Hyderabad, I decided it was time to try out a direct strike. I knew this could fail miserably, but at some point I have to try things here. I set all planes from Bombay to strike, and put up a lot of LR CAP and sweeps, but didn't use any escorts. This is a method I've not used a lot so I wanted to see how it would work, and I've now learned some things.
The CAP was indeed replaced with fresh A6M types and some Nicks. The sweeps reduced the numbers a bit, but once the bombers came in the LR CAP was also reduced and a lot of Blenheims went down. I hate giving away kills, but at least losing 55 Blemheims is better than 55 4E. To top it off, thunderstorms reduced the effect of the bombing, and the LR CAP took a lot of losses as well. Thankfully our troops are in the hex, so pilot losses were not as heavy as they could have been. After all of the strikes it looks like about 30-40 damage on the base and it lists 51 fighters still there, but I doubt the numbers are correct.
I also went for Patna! [:)]
This went slightly better as there were no thunderstorms. Still had to fight through a massive CAP of A6M and Oscars. Lost a good number of Wellingtons and B-25C, but the B-26 and the 4E did get to the base and put a decent level of damage on it. Looks like 40-45 damage on the rollover, but of course, who knows for sure. Here the Wildcats from the Enterprise were on LR CAP along with a bunch of Martlets and P-40E, but unfortunately the sweeps arrived late and by the time the last got there nothing was up.
This is my first big 4E (and 2E) strike, and I'm happy I pulled the trigger. It sends notice more than anything that the Allies won't simply sit back, and that although losses will sometimes be severe, I'll continue to try to push. All planes in the area around Hyderabad go back to Bombay to recoup, and I'll now upgrade to some P-38F there as well as filling out some B-17F groups to get them ready.
At Patna I'll keep going, which is dicey, but it seems there is an opportunity to close the base enough to be able to conduct paradrops and subsequently fly troops in. The range of Japanese planes will allow some LR CAP even if Patna is closed, but it'll surely make him have to adjust if I can do this, and I want to start making the Japanese react a bit to at least see how he'll choose to do that. This is as much about learning my opponent as anything else. [;)]
On the day the Allies lose around 265 airframes, but not so many pilots as I would have thought. About 90 KIA and another 50 MIA. The Japanese lose around 90 airframes. Unsustainable, of course, but this kind of a strike will be rare.
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CHINA: [/font] A massive bombardment hurts the now fortifying troops near Chinkiang. More fresh ones on the way as well. He's got a huge amount of arty in the hex now.
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR August 13, 42
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Morning Air attack on Sholapur , at 36,29
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid detected at 22 NM, estimated altitude 22,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 12
Allied aircraft
P-43A-1 Lancer x 7
Buffalo I x 9
Hurricane IIc Trop x 9
P-400 Airacobra x 14
P-40E Warhawk x 42
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 3 destroyed
No Allied losses
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Morning Air attack on Sholapur , at 36,29
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 23,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 42
Allied aircraft
P-43A-1 Lancer x 7
Buffalo I x 9
Hurricane IIc Trop x 7
P-400 Airacobra x 11
P-40E Warhawk x 41
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 3 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-43A-1 Lancer: 1 destroyed
Buffalo I: 1 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 4 destroyed
Aircraft Attacking:
23 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 20000 feet
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Morning Air attack on Sholapur , at 36,29
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid detected at 41 NM, estimated altitude 25,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 36
Allied aircraft
P-43A-1 Lancer x 3
Buffalo I x 5
Hurricane IIc Trop x 7
P-400 Airacobra x 5
P-40E Warhawk x 27
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 7 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-400 Airacobra: 1 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 2 destroyed
Aircraft Attacking:
20 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 20000 feet
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR August 14, 42
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Just a sampling of the many events of the day.
Morning Air attack on Hyderabad , at 39,32
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 12 NM, estimated altitude 23,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 45
A6M3 Zero x 27
A6M3a Zero x 45
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 33
Allied aircraft
P-43A-1 Lancer x 6
Sea Hurricane Ib x 31
Buffalo I x 8
Mohawk IV x 10
P-39D Airacobra x 16
P-400 Airacobra x 12
P-40E Warhawk x 12
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
A6M3a Zero: 1 destroyed
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-43A-1 Lancer: 1 destroyed
Sea Hurricane Ib: 3 destroyed
P-400 Airacobra: 3 destroyed
Aircraft Attacking:
17 x Sea Hurricane Ib sweeping at 20000 feet *
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Morning Air attack on Hyderabad , at 39,32
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 19
A6M3 Zero x 5
A6M3a Zero x 13
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 10
Allied aircraft
Blenheim I x 15
Blenheim IV x 48
Mohawk IV x 1
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
Blenheim IV: 8 destroyed, 12 damaged
Blenheim IV: 2 destroyed by flak
Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 8
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Morning Air attack on Patna , at 54,30
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid detected at 37 NM, estimated altitude 24,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 57
A6M3a Zero x 45
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 42
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 30
Allied aircraft
Martlet II x 16
Hurricane IIa Trop x 13
Hurricane IIb Trop x 13
Hurricane IIc Trop x 16
Mohawk IV x 10
P-40E Warhawk x 25
F4F-3A Wildcat x 6
F4F-3 Wildcat x 14
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3 Zero: 3 destroyed
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Martlet II: 1 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed
Aircraft Attacking:
16 x Hurricane IIc Trop sweeping at 20000 feet
7 x P-40E Warhawk sweeping at 20000 feet
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Morning Air attack on Patna , at 54,30
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 48
A6M3a Zero x 41
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 40
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 28
Allied aircraft
Martlet II x 3
Hurricane IIb Trop x 10
Mohawk IV x 10
B-17E Fortress x 15
LB-30 Liberator x 3
B-25C Mitchell x 6
B-26 Marauder x 63
P-39D Airacobra x 12
F4F-3A Wildcat x 22
F4F-3 Wildcat x 10
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3 Zero: 1 destroyed
A6M3a Zero: 2 destroyed
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 1 destroyed on ground
Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIb Trop: 4 destroyed
Mohawk IV: 2 destroyed
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed, 5 damaged
B-25C Mitchell: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged
B-25C Mitchell: 1 destroyed by flak
B-26 Marauder: 4 destroyed, 12 damaged
B-26 Marauder: 1 destroyed by flak
Airbase hits 8
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 42
Aircraft Attacking:
15 x B-26 Marauder bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Patna , at 54,30
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 10
A6M3a Zero x 9
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 5
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 1
Allied aircraft
Wellington Ic x 12
B-17E Fortress x 36
P-39D Airacobra x 5
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3 Zero: 1 damaged
A6M3a Zero: 1 destroyed
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Wellington Ic: 3 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 14 damaged
Airbase hits 14
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 15
Aircraft Attacking:
9 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
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Ground combat at 78,51 (near Chihkiang)
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 3699 troops, 212 guns, 325 vehicles, Assault Value = 758
Defending force 40743 troops, 156 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 932
Allied ground losses:
259 casualties reported
Squads: 11 destroyed, 18 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Assaulting units:
51st/A Division
3rd/B Division
19th Tank Regiment
3rd/A Division
51st/C Division
51st/B Division
3rd/C Division
13th Army
4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
3rd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
12th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
6th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
7th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
4th Mortar Battalion
11th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
5th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
Defending units:
9th Prov Chinese Corps
70th Chinese Corps
37th Chinese Corps
84th Chinese Corps
86th Chinese Corps
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[font="Trebuchet MS"]This is what I've built my pool sup for, but I'd hoped to avoid such a massive loss in one day. No such luck. [/font]
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill