Rumble in the Southwest witpqs-A vs Andav-J 2011-11-29 to 2017-02-08

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

I thought it could be a tough situation with supply...where's my manual?.....
I can supply large forces in the jungle in central Burma quite easily, but have to keep
flying supplies into another, one hex from a well stocked base. Man, I have to do some
more reading tonight.

All depends on whether the Quartermaster General is able to find the right bribe to the local Chieftains to get them to show which goat trails to use...

[witpqs]

1944 August 29

The Empire captured:


The Allies captured:


There were Imperial amphibious or airborne operations at:


There were Allied amphibious or airborne operations at:
Loewoek
Alor

Imperial Naval Bombardments


Allied Naval Bombardments:
Allied Ships Bombarding Ternate


Our subs were not engaged.

Quiet in China. Except for the daily air raid on our troops 2 hexes NE of Tsuyung. Those raids began when the Empire's Eye spied them moving through the mountain passes to harass the Imperial flank. After suffering many air strikes (today by 22x Ki-49-IIb Helen), tomorrow we will have up to 16 Thunderbolt I and 25 P-51B fly LRCAP out of Tsuyung, the first aircraft to operate from that runway in many months.

Bombardments near Chiang Mai.

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Ground combat at 60,53 (near Chiang Mai)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 2371 troops, 186 guns, 32 vehicles, Assault Value = 183

Defending force 2666 troops, 16 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 62

Japanese ground losses:
72 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
209th Cmbt Engineer Battalion
13th Indian Brigade
16th Light Cavalry Regiment
1st Burma Brigade
18th SP Field Artillery Regiment
33rd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
30th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
31st Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
32nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
27th Indian Field Artillery Battalion
25th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment

Defending units:
56th Infantry Regiment


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Ground combat at 60,52 (near Chiang Mai)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 25185 troops, 480 guns, 280 vehicles, Assault Value = 407

Defending force 6414 troops, 69 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 115

Japanese ground losses:
69 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
23rd Indian Division
22nd (East African) Brigade
17th Indian Division

Defending units:
40th Division
55th Cavalry Regiment


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Enemy units there have spread out in an inconvenient way, creating a mismatch just east of Chiang Mai. That does give us clearance to attack in two other hexes, those actions ordered for tomorrow.

The B-29 raid on Changsha was too costly for the results achieved. The first, large, strike went well. Later, smaller strikes paid a heavy price. We lost 17x B-29 on the day.

Our pursuit/encirclement near Vinh continues. A few more days until our next ground attacks. Most likely at Vinh our next attack will be in four days, and NE of Vinh our first attack will be in either three or four days. We might attack NE of Vinh first, then concentrate in Vinh before attacking (as previously mentioned).

Reduction of Ternate continues, as does the liberation of small, abandoned bases in the eastern DEI.

Indochina.

[witpqs]

Malay Peninsula.

[witpqs]

Changsha.

[witpqs]

Chungking, apparently the full extent of HI strike results.

[Drakanel]

Ouch, 17 B29 in a single day. You did cause quite some damage from what the recon shows, but...

How are your 4E bombers pools?

Aside from that I'm curious. Is that task force at Hue going to bombard Vinh?

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Drakanel

Ouch, 17 B29 in a single day. You did cause quite some damage from what the recon shows, but...

How are your 4E bombers pools?

Aside from that I'm curious. Is that task force at Hue going to bombard Vinh?

Not so much damage for the cost, I'm afraid...

USA 4EB pools are basically being kept empty. It's a combination of running the B-24 and B-17 models daily for the most part (a few groups that finished up their task on Java are resting) and having brought many new pilots into them. I pull the best for the B-29 slots, and while those beasties don't fly nearly as often they do get the toughest targets on average. I'm pretty sure that the Empire's A-Teams are on duty because the B-29 started to make dents in things. No more saving them for later!

That TF at Vinh is the same 4x CA TF that has bombarded before. Trouble is I am keeping AKE back where I feel safety is good enough so the TF has to go back to CRB to rearm. So, I am now saving it for the next attack at Vinh. It's not spotted and has lots of fighters there are Hue.

BTW, Hue airfield will be size 9 in less than a week.

[witpqs]

1944 August 30

The Empire captured:


The Allies captured:
Alor
Loewoek

There were Imperial amphibious or airborne operations at:


There were Allied amphibious or airborne operations at:


Imperial Naval Bombardments


Allied Naval Bombardments:
Allied Ships Bombarding Ternate


Our subs were quiet.

China was quiet. Except for the successful CAP trap!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 58th Chinese Corps, at 69,44 , near Tsuyung

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIb Helen x 30
Ki-84a Frank x 3

Allied aircraft
Thunderbolt I x 7
P-51B Mustang x 10

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 11 destroyed, 7 damaged

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
10 x Ki-49-IIb Helen bombing from 9000 feet *
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
No.261 Sqn RAF with Thunderbolt I (7 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 12000.
Raid is overhead
5318th PAU/FS with P-51B Mustang (10 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
10 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 10000.
Raid is overhead

Also attacking 35th Chinese Corps ...
Also attacking 58th Chinese Corps ...


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Air losses show 23 Helens down on the day. Tough buggers that remained actually made their bomb run anyway!

The attacks near Chiang Mai went well...

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Ground combat at 60,52 (near Chiang Mai)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 25370 troops, 481 guns, 281 vehicles, Assault Value = 428

Defending force 6302 troops, 64 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 112

Allied adjusted assault: 177

Japanese adjusted defense: 4

Allied assault odds: 44 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), fatigue(-), morale(-)
experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker: supply(-)

Japanese ground losses:
323 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 22 disabled
Non Combat: 6 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Units destroyed 1

Allied ground losses:
76 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
23rd Indian Division
22nd (East African) Brigade
17th Indian Division

Defending units:
40th Division
55th Cavalry Regiment


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Ground combat at 60,53 (near Chiang Mai)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 7589 troops, 222 guns, 139 vehicles, Assault Value = 183

Defending force 2634 troops, 16 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 54

Allied adjusted assault: 105

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 105 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), leaders(-), disruption(-)
supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
393 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 23 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
36 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Assaulting units:
209th Cmbt Engineer Battalion
16th Light Cavalry Regiment
13th Indian Brigade
1st Burma Brigade
32nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
27th Indian Field Artillery Battalion
25th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
30th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
31st Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
33rd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
18th SP Field Artillery Regiment
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment

Defending units:
56th Infantry Regiment


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...and will continue tomorrow. BTW, heavy airlift efforts into 60,52 seem to have resolved the supply issue.

Changsha HI showed no change in damage.

At Vinh the artillery bombardment continued.

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Ground combat at Vinh (65,59)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 648 troops, 61 guns, 54 vehicles, Assault Value = 377

Defending force 24800 troops, 154 guns, 107 vehicles, Assault Value = 658

Assaulting units:
2/5th Armoured Regiment
503rd Parachute Regiment
23rd Australian Brigade
22nd Australian Brigade
27th Australian Brigade
XXIV US Corps
II Australian Corps
251st Field Artillery Battalion
1st Medium Regiment
2nd Medium Regiment

Defending units:
11th Indpt Infantry Regiment
66th Infantry Brigade
10th Tank Regiment
51st Infantry Brigade
16th Recon Regiment
83rd Infantry Brigade
22nd/B Division


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But now there is at least one Imperial unit moving NE out of Vinh. So, the 4x CA TF at Hue will bombard tonight in an effort to thwart movement by disrupting moving units. The USA 81st ID might arrive tomorrow (from the SE) but the next day for certain, along with the 124th Cavalry Rgt that is two days out. NE of Vinh we have three USA Tk Bns and the two infantry divisions (1x Aus and 1x USA) will arrive tomorrow. Those five units will attack at once (day after tomorrow), without waiting for the additional armor that is two days out.

We got about 10 LI hits at Batavia on 5 LI remaining, but 5 still remain. Hitting the 5 undamaged LI scattered among the 76 damaged LI is proving to be difficult as in at the tail end of the bell curve.

Indochina.

[witpqs]

Malay Peninsula.

[witpqs]

Intel screen.

[witpqs]

1944 August 31

The Empire captured:


The Allies captured:
Sambas

There were Imperial amphibious or airborne operations at:


There were Allied amphibious or airborne operations at:


Imperial Naval Bombardments


Allied Naval Bombardments:
Allied Ships Bombarding Ternate
Allied Ships Bombarding Vinh


Our subs had a quiet day again.

Quiet in China. No air strikes on our troops in China.

Attacks near Chiang Mai again.

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Ground combat at 60,53 (near Chiang Mai)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 7857 troops, 244 guns, 139 vehicles, Assault Value = 182

Defending force 2357 troops, 14 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 25

Allied adjusted assault: 104

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 104 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), leaders(-), disruption(-)
fatigue(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
589 casualties reported
Squads: 13 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 3 (3 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
32 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
13th Indian Brigade
16th Light Cavalry Regiment
209th Cmbt Engineer Battalion
1st Burma Brigade
31st Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
21st Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
18th SP Field Artillery Regiment
25th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
32nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
27th Indian Field Artillery Battalion
30th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
33rd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment

Defending units:
56th Infantry Regiment


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Ground combat at 60,52 (near Chiang Mai)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 25359 troops, 481 guns, 281 vehicles, Assault Value = 423

Defending force 6006 troops, 57 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 89

Allied adjusted assault: 304

Japanese adjusted defense: 4

Allied assault odds: 76 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), disruption(-), fatigue(-)
morale(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
637 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 32 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 6 (2 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
44 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Assaulting units:
23rd Indian Division
22nd (East African) Brigade
17th Indian Division

Defending units:
40th Division


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The slog along the rail bed on the Malay Peninsula (still in Thailand) is so slow.

The naval and land bombardments at Vinh.

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Night Naval bombardment of Vinh at 65,59

Allied Ships
CA Minneapolis
CA Salt Lake City
CA Pensacola
CA Chester

Japanese ground losses:
32 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Runway hits 3
Port hits 4
Port fuel hits 1
Port supply hits 1

SOC-1 Seagull acting as spotter for CA Minneapolis
CA Minneapolis firing at 51st Infantry Brigade
CA Salt Lake City firing at 51st Infantry Brigade
SOC-1 Seagull acting as spotter for CA Pensacola
CA Pensacola firing at Vinh
OS2U-3 Kingfisher acting as spotter for CA Chester
CA Chester firing at 22nd/B Division


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Ground combat at Vinh (65,59)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 648 troops, 61 guns, 54 vehicles, Assault Value = 392

Defending force 24867 troops, 154 guns, 110 vehicles, Assault Value = 666

Assaulting units:
2/5th Armoured Regiment
23rd Australian Brigade
503rd Parachute Regiment
22nd Australian Brigade
27th Australian Brigade
251st Field Artillery Battalion
II Australian Corps
1st Medium Regiment
XXIV US Corps
2nd Medium Regiment

Defending units:
51st Infantry Brigade
10th Tank Regiment
83rd Infantry Brigade
11th Indpt Infantry Regiment
66th Infantry Brigade
16th Recon Regiment
22nd/B Division


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NE of Vinh we now have two divisions and three Tk Bns and they will attack tomorrow. Hopefully we are slowing down the movement of units out of Vinh by enough. But now that is only a matter of trapping those units in Vinh. NE of Vinh there is now only one enemy unit of 2,900 troops and 12 guns. It seems clear that a shattered unit was left behind as a speed bump, DAW HQ having recognized that we moved enough force around Vinh to clear away the stronger force. So they have chosen to preserve that force. The additional division and regiment coming from the SE should both arrive in Vinh tomorrow.

CV Akagi has come up on the sunk ships list.

Indochina.

[witpqs]

Malay Peninsula.

[witpqs]

Guess what? Hooray! Loyal AAR readers, raise a toast!

[BBfanboy]

I'll drink to that!
I think I also toasted your 994th, 989th, 982nd, 977th and numerous other turns that are lost in FOW (fog of whiskey).

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

I'll drink to that!
I think I also toasted your 994th, 989th, 982nd, 977th and numerous other turns that are lost in FOW (fog of whiskey).

[:D] Well, that settles it - you ARE Canadian! [:D]

Of course you guys do generally have better beers to work with than we do. Or at least did when I was getting to Canada (it's been a while). [:D]

[Rafid]

Prost!

Though it is a bit early for serious drinking here, I'll go with tea for the time beeing.

Seems like the in game action has slowed down for its anniversary after your dash through most of continental south East Asia.

[zuluhour]

not one to turn down an opportunity.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Rafid

Prost!

Though it is a bit early for serious drinking here, I'll go with tea for the time beeing.

Seems like the in game action has slowed down for its anniversary after your dash through most of continental south East Asia.

A bit. It seems more so because of RL slowing down the turn rate.

Just this turn, 8x CV and 3x CVL plus 1x fast BB and 1x CL and 17x DD left Pearl Harbor for Guam after refit and repairs. A new CV is about 18 days out of Pearl, another fast BB will finish repairs there in 3 to 3 1/2 weeks.

Meanwhile, lots of engineer units and some others are heading toward New Guinea while combat units prepared for Naha and Nago are heading for the Marianas (swapping places due to space limitations in the Marianas). The goal is to have the Okinawan invasion underway by the end of September (this turn just sent being the 1st). While the armada is en route the B-29 groups (having by then transferred to The Marianas) will shut down Naha and Nago airfields. Also, the merchant & passenger fleet will bring the Daito Shoto invasion forces up to the Marianas, so that when the invasion transports, et al return from being battered by the >500 guns at Nago + >200 at Naha they can pick up the Daito Shoto troops and head right out again. The invasion of Daito Shoto will not wait for the outcome on Okinawa. More AKE/AE will be brought up to Iwo Jima to rearm bombardment TFs. If Daito Shoto is seized quickly enough, PacAO HQ will move from Iwo Jima to Daito Shoto to aid matters on Okinawa. Also after Daito Shoto, the invasion of the smaller bases surrounding Okinawa will commence. Base and engineer units will be brought in to captured bases as needed.

When the Okinawa operation is complete or complete enough to free up the invasion transport resources and adequate covering forces, the Formosa invasion will proceed.

Meanwhile, Vinh will be captured soon, but how soon depends on whether any units make it out of Vinh to the NE. But as soon as Vinh is taken, an additional 5 divisions, 3 brigades, several artillery units, and various support units will start moving there by strategic movement. With more than four divisions' worth of infantry already in and around Vinh, plus eight tank battalions/regiments and four tank destroyer battalions and several artillery units I think we will have enough combat power to break apart the defense of the occupied Chinese border. As this force advances on Canton & Hong Kong a sizable Chinese Army force (still at Rangoon) will move inland along their flank.

The SEAC drive down the Malay Peninsula is slow at the moment due to the road but will barely even slow down at any resistance points all the way to Singapore. I figure Singapore by the end of '44. The build up of Kuching will provide shorter-range sweeps of Singapore and anti-shipping strikes against ASW assets and blockade runners.

A minor operation is in the early preparation stages to gets troops onto Java from the east, with the aim of taking Soerabaja.

Engineer units are soon to be moved to Taytay to build that base for sweeping Manila and Clark, both with heavily defended airspace.

[SqzMyLemon]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

I'll drink to that!
I think I also toasted your 994th, 989th, 982nd, 977th and numerous other turns that are lost in FOW (fog of whiskey).

[:D] Well, that settles it - you ARE Canadian! [:D]

Of course you guys do generally have better beers to work with than we do. Or at least did when I was getting to Canada (it's been a while). [:D]

I wasn't aware we Canadians had such a reputation as drinkers.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: SqzMyLemon

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

I'll drink to that!
I think I also toasted your 994th, 989th, 982nd, 977th and numerous other turns that are lost in FOW (fog of whiskey).

[:D] Well, that settles it - you ARE Canadian! [:D]

Of course you guys do generally have better beers to work with than we do. Or at least did when I was getting to Canada (it's been a while). [:D]

I wasn't aware we Canadians had such a reputation as drinkers.

With some of the guys I worked with the first one was like "did you drink that or was there a hole in the bottom?" [:D]