[font="Times New Roman"]SIGINT: Oct 5 - 8, 1942[/font]
Among the usual messages like ...
[font="Trebuchet MS"]Kitachishima Fortress is located at Paramushiro-jima(137,47)
Arshaan Fortress is located at Arshaan(105,33)
Babeldoap Naval Fortress is located at Babeldaob(90,97).[/font][:D]
... there are some
very useful tidbits, and one more absolute jackpot (again). [:)]
[font="Trebuchet MS"]12/Guards Mixed Brigade is loaded on a Ansyu xPB class PB moving to Rabaul.[/font]
This implies a greater commitment to the So Pac area, which is one of the main objectives I'd hoped to achieve with operation Grapeshot. So far I've had a 60AV cavalry unit nearly wiped out (rebuilding from the core still at Luganvile now) and a few other small units decimated, but the cost is minimal and the benefit is growing. The IJN has taken a few small dents and three torps in CL Kashima. She's at best an escort, but if she makes it through to 44 she becomes an uber-escort, so nice to get the 21 VPs and be rid of her now, if she did indeed go down. On top of that major fleet forces are being put in jeopardy of a similar fate down here, and the best part is that this is not a major area of interest for the Allied push forward. [:)]
Cent Pac and So Pac for me are areas of opportunity. If there's low hanging fruit I'll pluck it, but otherwise I'll try to get the Japanese to fight far from home and then try to work their supply and reinforcement lines once sub TTs work better in 43. In the meantime several naval guards and a mixed brigade have lost half of their strength to disablements having being landed unprepped and will only slowly recover. I'll push with the hope of more units having to be moved down to fill gaps and build steadily in places I'm allowed to. The Japanese can obviously stop us at this point, but it takes a commitment, and if that commitment is Yamato and other big ships, then I'll keep risking small forces to get those big pieces into play and into danger.
[font="Trebuchet MS"]2/7th RF Gun Battalion is loaded on xAK Thames Maru moving to Rabaul.[/font]
This is also good, as the Japanese don't get too any of these AT units, and the less that are in CBI or OZ the better.
[font="Trebuchet MS"]13/56th Division is loaded on a Japanese xAP moving to Port Hedland.[/font]
This makes two divisions moving to Port Hedland. Looks like either he's using this point for convoys to move to before redirecting to Perth, or that this is meant as a big fortress to hold off the Allied advance. Either way it seems these are moving to OZ, and that is a good thing again. The more the better. Keep em coming.
[font="Trebuchet MS"]16/Imperial Guards Division is loaded on a Kyushu Cargo class xAK moving to Perth.
8/Imperial Guards Division is loaded on a Ansyu-C Cargo class xAK moving to Perth.[/font]
This one is definitely for Perth. Although it took part in the taking of Perth on 4_10_42 and I had four notices from 6_21_42 to 9_24_42 that it was still at Perth? [&:]
So, is this misdirection at work, and the division is actually leaving Perth now? Or did it leave for a very short time and is coming back?
At this point I've bought out three Aussie divisions for Esperance and Albany along with a bunch of Aussie armor, NZ armor and brigades. Most of the NZ brigades are prepping for landings at Geraldton, Carnarvon, and Exmouth to land behind after a push at Esperance and Albany. I just had a thought though that maybe it would even be better to land behind first, then go to Esperance and Albany. Either way it'll take some misdirection and deception to hopefully get the Japanese reacting elsewhere. I'm join got have to start building seriously in NE OZ if he's going to ale me seriously in SW Pac, as I've done virtually nothing up there yet.
[font="Trebuchet MS"]58th Infantry Brigade is planning for an attack on Wenchow.
32nd Division is planning for an attack on Sian.[/font]
Still getting reports that prep is happening for Wenchow and for Sian. Wenchow at this point would require a pretty serious investment, as for a while when the bombing was more intermittent here I let the troops take replacements, getting to 800+ AV and filling out some arty, and they still have 4k supply and holding (down from 5k in 1/42, so holding pretty well). At Sian the troops are at 1750 AV and well rested with good experience levels from previous fighting, and the base has 4 forts. It's vulnerable being in the clear, but he has to shock over the river to get there, and after the last time, he may just be too wary to try it. I've moved around 1,200 AV of rested corps away from the area (and another 800 AV from the Lanchow area) into the center to aide in reinforcing the hexes being defended near Chikhiang and Kweiyang.
[font="Trebuchet MS"]1st Tank/C Division is located at Hengyang(80,53).[/font]
Resting up from the battles in front of Chikhiang, most likely. It's good to know we did enough damage that it can't take part right now. [:)]
[font="Trebuchet MS"]BB Mutsu is moving to 10,70.[/font]
And the Coup de Grace!!! Again?!? My SIGINT luck can't go on like this forever! Wow. The silent service is on the way! [;)]
This is close to Diego Garcia. I can't imagine this is where the KB is headed, but I can't imagine Mutsu out here on a limb without the KB either. Huh. Any ideas?
[font="Trebuchet MS"]a Type KRS class SS is moving to Geraldton (49,141).[/font]
This ship movement message isn't as critical, but still cool to see.
[font="Trebuchet MS"]TK Kinmo Maru is located at Rangoon (54,53).[/font]
This one is pretty useful since I have subs all over the area close by looking for Kaga. Keep it coming FRUPAC!
[font="Trebuchet MS"]The 'pack' of subs here is my ready to move group that was moving toward Sabang in case Kaga was found, but will now be given individual patrol routes toward the Mutsu 'destination' point. The other available LR subs to the West will also move in around Diego (where there are very effective ASW air patrols, and subs from the straits will filter out as well. I'l leave several subs in the area though to make sure Kaga doesn't sneak through to Singers without me at least getting a whiff of her leaking bunker. [/font]

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill