There are still 2 divisions and 6 other enemy units at Calcutta. I believe there is a division and about 10 units at Diamond Harbour. I've stopped my air offensive here due to heavy losses. The Diamond Harbour airfield could not be kept shut down with the bad weather I ran into.
In Burma, the enemy has formed an almost solid line in the jungle. The Imperial Guard Division is 3 hexes east of Cox Bazar. I'm keeping an eye on that one.
I don't know if this is just a defensive line or the prelude to an offensive. I do see more units being sent to Rangoon, and naval activity along the Burma coast.
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I have a strong foothold in the Solomons. Priority one is keeping that and building up my bases. It won't be too long until a slow Allied advance here is possible without any carrier support. I would invite KB to show up here. I want to have too many airbases, too close together, for KB to be dominant. And most of all, I will not risk my carriers without many Allied airbases nearby. This may result in no carrier battle taking place in the near future, but that is fine by me also.
At Calcutta and Diamond Harbour, it will be interesting to see how my opponent extricates his troops. It's becoming less likely that an offensive from Burma could flank Calcutta and free them up. So far, I know that small task forces have brought out some units, including the Imperial Guard and some armor units. The enemy has used many transport aircraft to Diamond Harbour for this also. With the very concentrated enemy CAP, including Tojos, I haven't been able to interfere with this much. But it's a long process, and a process that is a retreat. I consider the failure of 5 enemy divisions at Calcutta a victory, even if most of them escape. A lot of time was lost in this attempt, and those divisions haven't been able to do anything else, anywhere else.
I do regret the loss of the Brit battleship in the Bay of Bengal. I lost my patience and foolishly sent them into the area to bombard either Diamond Harbour or Akyab, and did so without CAP. I somehow thought that they may sneak into the area. My opponent is better than most players at air search. It has been very, very difficult to surprise him. I congratulate him on this. He is a very careful player, and as the game transitions to a Japanese defense, he may turn out to be a more aggressive counter-puncher. I understand that style of play. It is generally my style as a Japanese player.
Finally, my opponent will be returning from vacation later this week, I believe, so it will be back to the war by next weekend, hopefully.
Thanks for the update and commentary on the war situation. Do you expect any more Japanese offensives in Australia? I would guess not, but wondering about it. It seems that the major potential for further Japanese attacks would be along the India-Burma border and perhaps in China. Anywhere else?
I don't expect an offensive in Australia. There are enough unaccounted for enemy divisions, though, to have an offensive somewhere. A few divisions lumped together can threaten a lot of locations. Any base in the Solomons could be threatened by this. But would it matter?
We may see a further increase activity in the Aleutians, where I've been mostly absent. I'm remedying this, but my opponent probably doesn't know this, and just sees empty bases.
Burma is the most likely place to see an enemy offensive. If it doesn't come up the coastal road, it's going to be a tough fight to advance. In the jungle, it's a tough fight for either of us to advance.
I just don't see a big offensive happening though. My opponent is very careful and measured with his attacks. His most adventurous landing was Diamond Harbour, and that was a close call for the Allies, but the terrain bonus in Calcutta saved that area. I think that my opponent is massing for counter-punches. Enemy fleet movements made me think that he thought I was going to the Nauru Island area (I was), but I called off that landing when I sensed that KB was approaching (it was). KB went fishing down towards Koumac, but came up empty.
When the many US refits are done in October, the fleet will be more ready.
The war is back on! Time to get back into the routine of daily turns. The first week without turns was difficult. By the second week, I was getting used to it, and I lost track of what was going on. Back now it's back to the battle.
Not a lot new here. I continued to track a transport task force heading to Rangoon from Singapore. And there was the usual bombardments at Bandoeng and Calcutta.
I now have many ships heading to the Aleutians. Troops for Adak are the highest priority. I hope there isn't some kind of ambush waiting for me. I am sending a CVE and the Hermes to the area, but they won't arrive in time for the initial reinforcement. I still see shipping at Attu, and at least one xAK. I hope that the enemy doesn't jump to Adak before I get there. I bringing enough to be safe through the winter, and probably beyond that.
I was hoping to start ferrying in some troops from the east, just in case my ships are too late. But then I was reminded that Adak has no airfield.
12 B-17s make a nuisance raid on Milne Bay and do minor damage to the airfield. No CAP encountered. Probably will be some fighters there tomorrow. Mission accomplished.
The next turn will be a bit interesting. I'm dropping a para unit from Kirakira onto Ontong Java, north of Guadalcanal. It's that dot base north of the Solomons chain. The base is a 0 port and 0 airfield, and I see one small ground unit there. I regularly see subs there though. If it is very weakly held, I may take it. If not, there could be a stalemate or I could lose the unit. On this turn, I'm hitting the enemy ground unit with many B-17s from Ndeni.
My goal is here to raise the pressure just a little bit more in the Solomons. I know that I'm refitting most of the US Navy in the next month, but my opponent does not know this. I need to appear to be continuing to press forward.
And Allied shipping approaches the Aleutians. Still ships seen at Attu, but fewer than before. I hope that they returned to Japan and didn't load to invade further east in the Aleutians.
31 B-17's and 8 B-26s bomb ground units on Ontong Java. Being a clear hex, they are effective. Nice damage is done to the 43rd Construction Co: 210, 11, and 33 casualties in each raid. Then the first part of the 3rd USMC Parachute Battalion drops on Ontong Java, and unfortunately finds a combat unit there as well as the engineer unit:
Ground combat at Ontong Java (115,131)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 312 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 22
Defending force 548 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 17
China has been dead quiet for a few months, since the Japanese cleared the two coastal bases west of Hong Kong. I formed a river line to the north and the enemy has not crossed that river. No activity in China whatsoever.
As for my aircraft pools, I'm still being careful with them. I have about 45 P40Es, partially helped by starting to upgrade to P40Ks. The other concern is F4F-4s, of which I have about 30 in the pool I think. SBD-3s are about the same. With the major refit activity between now and the end of October, those numbers will increase. I have one land-based F4F-4 squadron, and I'm using it, but not excessively.
The stage is getting set in the Aleutians, as my shipping is entering the area, headed to hopefully land at a still friendly base.
As for Ontong Java, I hoped to take it quickly with paras. I'll accept it being contested for awhile, keeping the enemy's attention here when nothing big is going to happen for awhile.
I was trying to move 2 Brit battleships into Diamond Harbour to bombard the almost 100 enemy fighters based there. Yesterday, my task force stopped 7 hexes from Diamond Harbour, and was not observed. However, that task force can only move 6 hexes at night for the run-in to bombard, so I was one hex short. I should have micro-managed the movement more, I guess. I try to set a bombardment task force's destination when I am as far as possible from the destination, because my experience is that setting the destination when close to it can cause problems with pathing, little movement, or no movement at all.
Today I moved just one hex, to set up 6 hexes from Diamond Harbour, and wasn't spotted by air. However, I-124 spots the ships, and torpedoes Royal Sovereign once. Surprise is lost, and so is this opportunity. I will run the ships at high speed towards Ceylon. Royal Sovereign's damage is 10 SYS, 7/6 FLOT, and 1/0 ENG.
Big news in Burma. I had repeated indications that the enemy's 1st Armored Division was at Rangoon. Today I got SigInt that this division is planning an attack on Chittagong. I cannot discount this possibility. I've prepared all along since Calcutta was contested that the only way the enemy was going to free up those troops was to flank Calcutta. Maybe this is the plan.
I divert the big Chinese corp in the area to go near to Chittagong.
Elsewhere...
Cachalot takes a shot at a big convoy near Manus. I suspect that these ships fled Rabaul. Interesting types of ships:
Japanese Ships
SC Ch 31
CS Mizuho
DMS W-19
DMS W-16
AS Rio de Janiero Maru
AV Arabia Maru
AV Kimikawa Maru
AG Muroto
AKE Yosida Maru #1
AKE Kenyo Maru
xAKL Tenposan Maru
DD Nokaze
PB Tonon Maru
PB Eifuku Maru
I sent 11 B-24s to hit Kavieng's port without recon. I find a mix of Zeros and Rufes, and lose a bomber, getting some hits on the port but no ships.
And...
I prodded the bear at Ontong Java, and here comes the bear. Carriers are spotted heading southwest from Ponape. A surface group stopped one hex short of Ontong Java. My paras were reinforced by air, but are still not fully supplied. Bad weather prevented bombing. This apparently really got my opponent's attention. I don't have anything approaching the area by sea. This is just a prod, but I hope to keep my paras alive and keep the place contested. Air supply will soon be cut off, though, I'm sure. And with KB approaching, the Marines are on there own.
I was trying to move 2 Brit battleships into Diamond Harbour to bombard the almost 100 enemy fighters based there. Yesterday, my task force stopped 7 hexes from Diamond Harbour, and was not observed. However, that task force can only move 6 hexes at night for the run-in to bombard, so I was one hex short. I should have micro-managed the movement more, I guess. I try to set a bombardment task force's destination when I am as far as possible from the destination, because my experience is that setting the destination when close to it can cause problems with pathing, little movement, or no movement at all.
Sadly, that seems to happen a lot. Fuel levels may have a lot to do with it, as during the pauses I have witnessed the BB are topping off the destroyers even though there is enough fuel to make the run and retreat, the local Captains want more. Sometimes you can't tell, because the ships are heavily attacked in the air and on the bottom.[:(] Leadership and aggression are probably important too, as is the number of planes at the airbase you are attacking. A sudden influx of bombers can be problematic instead of opportunistic.
Ontong Java will become a swift defeat for me. The clear terrain was costly for my Marine paras. 3 enemy cruisers bombarded my troops, and the unit was decimated. About half of the squads ceased to exist, and every other troop was disabled. Not complaining here, that's just the way it is. I could have done more air bombing, where the clear terrain would be a detriment for the Japanese. My intel showed just a small construction unit, and I thought I'd take the island on the cheap. But there was a hidden combat unit, although a small one. Another lesson learned. Doesn't matter how long you play this game, you have to be open to learn. And then , of course, you have to learn from your mistakes and not repeat them! I can be guilty of that too.
Some number of enemy carriers approach Ontong Java. I have subs all over the place getting lit up with detection levels. Trout spots Zuikaku, and fires 6 torpedoes, but all miss. Spotted with the carrier are 4 battleships including Yamato, 3 cruisers, 2 CS, and about 10 destroyers. I'm sure there are more carriers there too, just not spotted.
Just northwest of Akyab, and heading northwest, either towards Diamond Harbour or Chittagong, I spot a big xAK and xAKL task force. Dutch sub KXI hits an xAKL with 2 torpedoes, most likely sinking it. No enemy troops were on the ship. Best guess is that supply is being shipped into Diamond Harbour, and/or troops will be extricated from there.
My Brit task force moved full speed towards Ceylon, and was spotted today, probably by a Glen sub. It continues towards Colombo at full speed.
In the Aleutians, my big convoy is now in the island chain, and just a few days from landing at Adak. Tense times here, with no air cover, and Adak is within Betty range from Attu, which has a size 2 airfield.
jwolf, see pages 165-166 of the AE manual. "They will require more supply to execute the (torpedo) mission than an AF above size 4." So yes, if there's a HQ providing torpedoes, it is a threat. I believe in the old WitP game, the AF had to be size 4 to have torpedo missions.
27 Sep 42
I got a surprise at Calcutta. An enemy bombardment group of 3 heavy cruisers and 7 destroyers arrives. 126 casualties, 28 airbase hits, 52 runway hits, 3 planes destroyed and lots of planes damaged. Could have been worse. Dutch sub KXVIII takes a shot at CA Takao as it heads home, but misses.
East of Ceylon, I-18 takes a shot at CL De Ruyter, in my battleship task force, but misses. My ships will arrive at Colombo today.
I again get the SigInt that the enemy's 1st Armored Division is planning for Chittagong. It is interesting to note that I'm getting this intel on fragments of the division. I know that the whole division was at Rangoon recently. This means that the division is now loading or is loaded on ships. The division is certainly not moving north in Burma from Rangoon.
So, is the division really planning on Chittagong? I do now see the Imperial Guard division moving north in the jungle east of Cox Bazar. I do now feel that a Chittagong attack is in the works.
The question, then, is will the enemy land directly at Chittagong, or land at Akyab or Cox Bazar and walk up the coast.
My strongest units are the 2 Brit infantry divisions, which are at Chittagong and one hex south of Chittagong on the coastal trail (in the jungle), and also the huge Chinese infantry corp, which is in Strat mode at the base on the rail line inland from Chittagong.
I have naval bombers within range of moving to Dacca to counter a landing. My subs in the area are redeploying for Chittagong instead of Diamond Harbour.
At Ontong Java, 4 enemy destroyers have taken up station. I move divebombers to Tulagi, and if the ships remain, I can hit them at normal range today. Let's hope. I spot the enemy carriers just east of Rabaul now.
My paras at Ontong Java are still completely disrupted. I will be hitting the enemy troops with many B-17s today.
In Burma, I still see the Imperial Guard Division preparing to move northeast in the jungle, roughly toward Imphal. SigInt tells me that the 56 Recon armored unit is just east of that division, and that hex showed movement northwest recently. This will be a slowly developing breakthrough hex for the enemy. My defense is a weak and small unit, just a placeholder really. It will be easily pushed back. I think I have enough units in the area to prevent a run north, though.
At Diamond Harbour, there are transport ships now. The same ones that were spotted inbound last turn. No sign of more or fewer enemy units yet.
My battleship task force is spotted at Colombo, no doubt by a Glen. My damaged BB starts out toward CapeTown. The rest repair minor damage.
B-17s hit Ontong Java, and find 5 Zeros and 4 Oscars on LR CAP. The CAP is brushed aside, and many casualties are caused to I/19th Naval Guard Unit. My Marine paras start to slowly become undisabled. Just 2 squads now. At least the unit has supply.
Enemy carriers moved slightly north, still east of Rabaul. They remain one days sailing range of hitting Ontong Java, or Lunga, for that matter.
I have a CL task force attempting to bombard Ontong Java tonight. It moves 9 hexes, and is starting its run 8 hexes away. Since I just changed it to bombardment, it may or may not make its run as planned. I never know if a bombardment will really take place. Fuel shouldn't be an issue.
An enemy task force showed up at Shortlands. My SBDs didn't bite, since their range was restricted to 6 to hit Ontong Java from Tulagi. But a B26 unit at Lunga did attack, since it was set to range 7, which was the range to Shortlands and Ontong Java. The good news is that an xAK was hit. The bad news was that 8 B26s were downed by CAP.
In the Aleutians, my armada arrived at Adak and started to unload. Some of my task forces were spotted. The transports were spotted. The battleship task force was not. The light cruiser task force was not. My CVE and CVL won't arrive today but will provide CAP tomorrow. So I have one day of extreme vulnerablility should a bunch of Bettys be moved to Attu today. I'm hoping for bad weather.
A good amount of troops did unload, and building of the port, airfield, and forts has begun.
My light cruiser force, consisting of Perth, Tromp, and Java, with 3 destroyers, moves toward Ontong Java. It runs over I-15, but no ASW hits are achieved. Then it arrives at its destination and bombards. It does good damage to the port (Port hits 34, Port supply hits 12), but little damage to the troops (34 casualties).
During the daylight, 27 Vals arrive, escorted by 39 Zeros. The Vals cause 60 casaulties to the Marine paras.
Then the B-17s arrive, in several groups. Total casualties are about 250.
Finally, the enemy attacks. It's almost funny seeing two almost destoyed combatants going at it.
**********
Ground combat at Ontong Java (115,131)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 175 troops, 1 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 3
Defending force 177 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1
Assaulting units:
I/19th Naval Guard Unit
7th Indpt SNLF Coy
Defending units:
3rd USMC Parachute Battalion
**********
A valiant effort by the Marines, but they are destroyed. A remnant remains at Kirakira and it startes to rebuild.
My opponent and I had a discussion long ago about the effectiveness of heavy bombers attacking ground units in the open. There can be no doubt that they can be devastating. That's part of the reason that we made a house rule to restrict 4 engine bombers to 10000 feet and higher.
I still agree with this, but I'm sure that my bombers were very effective even from 10k. But it can also be said that the enemy's bombardment with 3 cruisers earlier was devastating also. It destroyed half of the para outright, and disrupted every other squad there. I had no combat value at all then.
In summary, I think that the lesson learned is more about trying to defend in clear terrain than the particular effects of bombers or ships. If you are going to fight in the clear, you know what to expect.
I will try to not abuse using my bombers on ground troops in the clear. You can pretty much eliminate units this way if you keep at it. But in this battle, my bombers were doing the same thing that his cruisers were doing, and it was my only option to try to save my Marines. And it failed.
It was a fun and interesting battle, watching how it worked out, with two sides so disrupted and vulnerable.
Elsewhere, the carriers by Rabaul have disappeared. I have high detection levels between the Andaman Islands and Rangoon. Enemy ships are still at Diamond Harbour. And I see a fair number of ships at Rangoon.
With the battle over at Ontong Java, we have the usual artillery fights at Bandoeng and Calcutta. At Melak, an inland base on Borneo, the Sasebo 8th SNLF bombards my out of supply Dutch units.
Unloading at Adak has proceeded without incident, and I'm very happy about that. I want to get my transports and CVE/CVL out of the area as soon as possible. I risked a bunch of APs and AKs that upgrade to APAs and AKAs later on. I felt that it was worth the risk to be able to unload more quickly. So far, so good.
And this ends another month. As I've said before, October is a huge month for heavy cruiser and carrier refits, and I will be doing many of these right away.
A new month and the shipyards are now full of ships undergoing refit. The US heavy cruisers will take a minimum of 20 days.
At Billiton, east of Palembang, a small enemy unit lands to clean up this base behind the lines. I've had a tiny Dutch seaplane unit here forever, hiding, but now it is found and it has nowhere to go. Just one plane remained operational.
Melak, the inland base on Borneo, is attacked at 2 to 1 and reduces the fort to 0. The defenders are out of supply, and take all of the casualties. The base will fall tomorrow.
Lots of enemy transport ships are at Diamond Harbour, and now there are 11 units there instead of 12.
Last night, I spent many hours doing planning for the next stage of the war, which will start up after my carriers come out of refit in about a month.
I have extensive plans now for 3 options in the South Pacific: execute the original plan to take Tabituea, Ocean Island, and Nauru Island, inch up the Solomons toward Shortlands, and/or land on New Guinea, including Port Moresby.
I have my preference, but I'll wait to discuss it when I decided and start to implement. For now, units are preparing, if they weren't already. I took inventory of every unit I have that I consider "available" for offensive operations, and I'm assigning objectives for them. The limiting factor (in 1942) will be decent invasion shipping.
Whatever I decide, there will be some type of initial action at a distant location to hopefully bring attention there.
