[font="Times New Roman"]Dec 14 - 17, 1942[/font]
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SUBS: [/font] Lots of IJN sub activity around Nauru and the I-3 is hanging out on the SE OZ coast. no hits either way.
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INDIA: [/font] On the 17th, after digging in near Ranchi, the Allied army finally puts together a good arty bombardment.
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CENT PAC: [/font] Tried for some tranports at Kusaie with 2 DDs sprinting from the Gilberts, but they moved out to one hex away, we didn't react, and the next day somehow they eluded us again. Oh, well. The second duo of DDs that were aiming to go up to Roi Namur after another TF were LR CAPed and attracted 9 Bettys which got flamed. It'll be tough to keep his planes on LR with no escort as we get closer.
The flak and weather are keeping our bombers from doing much of anything at Nauru. Over three days the two B-25 groups got a total of 5 runway hits and 3 on the airbase hits. The B-17s are only slightly better. This is certainly not the kind of effectiveness I found against my bases in a stock game!!
Four DMS managed to clear 49 mines in the face of CD gun fire from the base forces.
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SO PAC: [/font] Tulagi is a level 3 port and field now, and Lunga has jumped to a level 4 field. I'll start feeling out next moves here with recon and some light bombing.
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CHINA: [/font] The Japanese air forces pound troops near Kweiyang. Yuck.
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OZ:[/font] Seeing some Japanese recon on Ceduna, but not sure if he's noticed the troops walking to Kalgoorie yet. No action taken at least.
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Dec 15, 42
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Jaluit at 135,122
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 9
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 9
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 6 destroyed
No Allied losses
CAP engaged:
VMF-122 with F4F-4 Wildcat (9 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
9 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 8000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 8000.
Raid is overhead
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Dec 16, 42
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TF 180 encounters mine field at Nauru Island (127,128) - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
25 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
DMS Hovey
DMS Wasmuth, Shell hits 1
DMS Chandler
DMS Zane, Shell hits 1
Japanese ground losses:
11 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
21st Special Base Force firing at DMS Hovey
DMS Hovey firing at 21st Special Base Force
DMS Wasmuth firing at 21st Special Base Force
21st Special Base Force firing at DMS Wasmuth
21st Special Base Force firing at DMS Chandler
DMS Chandler firing at 21st Special Base Force
DMS Zane firing at 21st Special Base Force
21st Special Base Force firing at DMS Zane
49 mines cleared
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Night Naval bombardment of Nauru Island at 127,128 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
6 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
CA Australia
CL Perth
CL Achilles
DD Morris
DD Walke
DD O'Brien
DD Lansdowne
Japanese ground losses:
146 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 21 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 16 (1 destroyed, 15 disabled)
Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 17
Port hits 8
Seagull V acting as spotter for CA Australia
CA Australia firing at 21st Special Base Force
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Dec 17, 42
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Night Naval bombardment of Nauru Island at 127,128
Allied Ships
CL Trenton
CL Detroit
DD Shaw
DD Lang
DD Wilson
Japanese ground losses:
109 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 15
CL Trenton firing at Nauru Island
OS2U-3 Kingfisher acting as spotter for CL Detroit
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Ground combat at 52,31 (near Ranchi)
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 56867 troops, 935 guns, 1036 vehicles, Assault Value = 1860
Defending force 50745 troops, 582 guns, 322 vehicles, Assault Value = 1391
Japanese ground losses:
317 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 24 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 11 (4 destroyed, 7 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
16 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Assaulting units:
7th Australian Division
255th Armoured Brigade
3rd Carabiniers Regiment
6th Australian Division
762nd Tank Battalion
150th RAC Regiment
23rd Indian Division
70th British Division
69th Coast AA Regiment
77th Coast AA Regiment
251st Coast AA Regiment
2/11th Field Regiment
134th Field Artillery Battalion
260th Coast AA Regiment
1st USMC AA Battalion
1st USMC Field Artillery Battalion
6th Medium Regiment
2/9th Field Regiment
85th British AT Gun Regiment
Defending units:
1st Division
8th Division
48th Division
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
23rd Fld AA Gun Co
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
2nd Mortar Battalion
2nd Army
22nd Ind.AA Gun Co
2nd Air Defense AA Regiment
21st Medium Field Artillery Battalion
9th RF Gun Battalion
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[font="Trebuchet MS"]Judging from latest recon I'd say Madras has 2+ divisions now. Could be to tough to crack with what I'm bringing, but I can at least invest and stop his industrial production there. [/font]
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill