Southwest Pacific: Current status of Port Moresby base – 1.08 million supply and 127K fuel on hand (unchanged).
Current status of Terapo base – 184K supply and 10K fuel on hand (unchanged).
Summary of this game turn’s reported aircraft losses over all locations in New Guinea plus Rabaul.
Japanese planes reported destroyed
• 6 Ki-84 Frank (all air-to-air)
Allied planes reported destroyed
• 1 P-47D25 Thunderbolt (listed air-to-air, possible ops)
Allied daylight port bombing raids and fighter sweeps targeting Buna did not launch this game turn, exact cause not determined. Service ratings of Allied bombers (especially 4E) a significant factor here, with many bomber squadrons stood down to maintain or repair out of service and damaged aircraft. Of the 17 Allied 2E & 4E bomber squadrons operating over eastern New Guinea (mainly Buna), about 40% of these air units (on average) are actively flying combat missions at any given time, other units stood down to recover damaged planes. Supply and aviation support available in more than sufficient quantity, bombers are operating from size 8-9 airfields, 10-12 maximum pilot fatigue – none of these factors appear significant in all the “down time”. Assigning several reserve planes to each air unit mitigates this problem somewhat but not a full solution. Aircraft display of a currently stood down squadron follows.
A second wave of USAAF fighter sweeps over Lae were launched, this time from Terapo (previous turn’s sweeps from Port Moresby). Total of 250 USAAF P-47’s now operating from airfields on eastern New Guinea. Fighter sweeps launched from Terapo failed to reach Lae (mainly human operator error due to the sweep set with 70% of planes still on CAP) but many fighters intercepted a Japanese ground attack air strike on 8 Australian Division at Wau. Altitude difference between the Jap air strike and that set for USAAF fighters (30000 ft) likely a significant factor in the outcome. AAR follows.
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Morning Air attack on 8th Australian Division, at 98,126 (Wau)
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid spotted at 9 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes
Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 1
Ki-67-Ia Peggy x 27
Ki-84a Frank x 19
Allied aircraft
P-47D25 Thunderbolt x 72
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-84a Frank: 2 destroyed
No Allied losses
Allied ground losses:
6 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
27 x Ki-67-Ia Peggy bombing from 11000 feet
Ground Attack: 3 x 250 kg GP Bomb
CAP engaged:
58th FG/69th FS with P-47D25 Thunderbolt (18 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(18 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
18 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 30000, scrambling fighters between 0 and 30000.
Raid is overhead
58th FG/310th FS with P-47D25 Thunderbolt (18 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(18 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
18 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 30000, scrambling fighters between 0 and 30000.
Raid is overhead
8 planes vectored on to bombers
58th FG/311th FS with P-47D25 Thunderbolt (18 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(18 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
18 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 30000, scrambling fighters between 0 and 30000.
Raid is overhead
348th FG/460th FS with P-47D25 Thunderbolt (18 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(18 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
18 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 30000, scrambling fighters between 0 and 30000.
Raid is overhead
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Detected status of Jap base at Buna – port damage 2, no Jap TF, 19 Jap LCU.
Detected status of Jap base at Lae – 123 aircraft (all fighters), 10 Jap LCU, 2 Jap TF (5 ships total).
Detected base status at Wau – 13 aircraft (all fighters), 10 Jap LCU..
Detected base status at Salamaua – 5 Jap LCU (-1 from previous report).
Detected base status at Rabaul – 378 aircraft (173 fighters, 32 bombers), no detected Jap TF, 11 ships in port (including 4 AK, 1 PB, 1 CM, 1 SS, 3 SST), 38 Jap LCU.
Allied ground forces at Buna have 158K supply on hand, 2756 AV (total) operational, launch ground assault (deliberate). AAR follows.
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Ground combat at Buna (99,129)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 104087 troops, 2042 guns, 2491 vehicles, Assault Value = 3368
Defending force 80109 troops, 673 guns, 111 vehicles, Assault Value = 2272
Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 1
Allied adjusted assault: 4587
Japanese adjusted defense: 5483
Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 1)
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), disruption(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
2176 casualties reported
Squads: 26 destroyed, 405 disabled
Non Combat: 10 destroyed, 91 disabled
Engineers: 11 destroyed, 47 disabled
Guns lost 107 (5 destroyed, 102 disabled)
Vehicles lost 12 (1 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
4089 casualties reported
Squads: 36 destroyed, 522 disabled
Non Combat: 8 destroyed, 205 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 94 disabled
Guns lost 111 (4 destroyed, 107 disabled)
Vehicles lost 213 (13 destroyed, 200 disabled)
Assaulting units:
193rd Tank Battalion
2/4th Armoured Regiment
32nd Infantry Division
31st Infantry Division
632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion
754th Tank Battalion
Americal Infantry Division
43rd Infantry Division
7th Infantry Division
102nd Combat Engineer Regiment
1st Marine Division
1st Cavalry (Spec) Cavalry Division
2/6th Armoured Regiment
627th Tank Destroyer Battalion
81st Infantry Division
9th Australian Division
150th USA Base Force
2/9th Field Regiment
181st Field Artillery Regiment
134th Field Artillery Battalion
2nd RAA Jungle Regiment
168th Field Artillery Regiment
97th Field Artillery Battalion
2/13th Field Regiment
857th Engineer Aviation Battalion
I Australian Corps
82nd Mortar Battalion
205th Field Artillery Battalion
2/11th Field Regiment
155th USA Base Force
1st Medium Regiment
165th Field Artillery Battalion
2nd Medium Regiment
11th RAAF M/W Sqn
Defending units:
47th Division
64th Division
104th Division
116th Division
144th Infantry Regiment
3rd Cavalry Brigade
13th Division
1st Guards Division
13th Ind.Mixed Regiment
31st Army
23rd Field AA Machinecannon Company
55th Field AA Battalion
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
62nd Construction Battalion
14th Naval Construction Battalion
17th Naval Construction Battalion
8th Base Force
102nd Machine Cannon AA Battalion
7th Base Force /1
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