February 25th to March 21st, 1945
We're still not losing, and another month has rolled by.
North Pacific
Back to the usual monotony of nothing up here. The good news is that I've earmarked two divisions for Hokkaido, both of which are taking replacements on Honshu, and a few restricted units destined for the Kuriles and Sakhilin are arriving shortly if they've not already arrived. This should bump Hokkaido up to the suggested 7 divisions, and leave some spare change for a reaction force.
Central Pacific
The Allies land and take Yap. Unlike Babeldoab, this is a backwater base. While it's original garrison was formidable (a decent division and a strong brigade), I stripped most of the troops defending it to send to Okinawa, so the Allied assault rolls over the base.
It's a shame, as neighbouring Uluthi is stacked as far as it's 6k limit will allow, and I get the impression that the atoll shock attack would have made better reading. Yap had a stacking limit of 30k, and I couldn't justify the presence of a division when Okinawa was so sparsely held.
Some B-24 raids occur over the Marianas, and this is followed by some of the Allies fast surface bombardment units. In case the Allied axis of advance is swinging this way, I send over a few bombers and fighters to at least keep the Allies honest. Some fast transport TF's from Tokyo are sent to the bases here as well, to try to keep the fighting units topped up with beans and bullets in case the Allies do land.
Despite the fact that I've more or less gutted the defences here, I still thing that any Allied landings on the southern Marianas will be very bloody indeed.
Philippines
The Allies move an amphib force northwards to a base called Guiuian on Samar. This a 1(1) 0(5) base that the Allies took by bombing the defenders into oblivion and landing paratroopers. Thankfully, Japanese air search gave good warning of the approaching ships, and I was able to marshal a good strike from the Manila airbase complex.
The end results were moderately disappointing. The damage summary is as follows.
CVE Matanikau - 2 torpedo hits, 1 kamikaze hit (likely sunk)
CVE Tulagi - 2 torpedo hits, heavy damage (I suspect this one will live, but will be out for a while)
CVE St Lo - 1 torpedo hit
CVE Fanshaw Bay - 1 bomb hit, 1 kamikaze hit (moderate damage)
CVE Roi - 1 bomb hit
In short, I swap about 400 aircraft for sinking one CVE and wounding four more to various degrees. Nevertheless, I think I have too narrow a view of this engagement. At several points during the replay, IJ aircraft were dropping torpedos at USN Fast BB's, and a few of those could have went home, which would have changed the balance of losses quite drastically.
On top of that, the usual bugbear of bad co-ordination meant that a few good strike packaged got thumped. If the odds had been good, the outcome could have been much different.
At this point in the war, serious damage is as good as sinking ships.
However, it is not the Japanese that have the monopoly of attacking capital ships - while the USN CVE force is getting whacked by Japanese land-based air, the USN fast carriers make a daring raid into Manila Bay!
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Manila at 79,77
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 78 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 36 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 8
J2M3 Jack x 21
J2M5 Jack x 40
N1K5-J George x 24
Ki-43-IV Oscar x 8
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 5
Ki-84r Frank x 39
Ki-100-I Tony x 17
Allied aircraft
F4U-1D Corsair x 150
F6F-5 Hellcat x 94
SB2C-3 Helldiver x 52
TBF-1 Avenger x 9
TBM-1C Avenger x 12
Japanese aircraft losses
J2M3 Jack: 1 destroyed
J2M5 Jack: 2 destroyed
N1K5-J George: 1 destroyed
Ki-100-I Tony: 2 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1D Corsair: 4 destroyed
F6F-5 Hellcat: 2 destroyed
SB2C-3 Helldiver: 9 destroyed, 7 damaged
TBF-1 Avenger: 5 destroyed, 1 damaged
TBM-1C Avenger: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
BB Haruna
xAK Hankow Maru, Bomb hits 1
BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 5
xAK Sinsyu Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Omi Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
BB Kongo
xAK Akagisan Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
The outcome is by far to the IJN's advantage - the Kirishima suffers superficial damage and loses a few 15cm secondary batteries, while the USN air losses far outweigh the loss of two superfluous cargo ships.
In Tokyo Bay, the KB has moved. This will not go unnoticed, but I want to create the impression that I am reacting, rather than to actually react. Land-based aircraft must bear the brunt of this engagement, and they're going in again tomorrow if the Allies stick around.
One other point of interest is that B-29's on night airbase attack have been smashing my planes on the ground with ease. Night fighters don't do much, and even in moderate moonlight and from 7000 feet, they do terrible damage. The real issue is not so much the damage, but the morale hit to the squadrons. Still, better the airbase than industry...
Allied paratroopers have landed on southern Luzon. A tank regiment is being sent to sweep them out, with follow on units ready to march south if the need arises.
A division and a brigade is loading in Tokyo for Luzon as well - these will likely be the last reinforcements for Luzon.
DEI
Soerabaja is invested. The level 6 forts will not take long to be eroded away.
Batavia has just had troops enter it, and the base will not remain in Japanese hands for much longer.
The three divisions holding Central Sumatra are broken by a combined force of British, American and Chinese troops, which pretty much marks the end for field operations for the Japanese on Sumatra. The endgame will now being, with Japanese troops retreating behind the level 6 forts at Palembang to take full advantage of the terrain and the level 6 forts.
China
The Allies are starting to tighten the noose in Western China - Paoshan is attacked for the first time in years, and the Allies succeed in lowering the forts down to level 4 in the mountain hex. The single Japanese division is performing heroic working keeping four Allied divisions out of China, but supply shortages are undoing all their hard work.
The main Japanese army in China has managed to disengage from the pursuing Allied army for the first time in about a year. Here's a rough summary of redeployments:
- Smaller IJA units(regiments/brigades) and collaborationist Chinese : sent to Canton/Hong Kong to defend there.
- Armoured units and A and B class divisions: moving to the Hankow region to rest and resupply. They will form the manoeuvre element once the Allies move in to China proper, and will high-tail it back to Manchuria come July.
- Third class divisions: sent north to defend Chungking and delay the re-spawning of the Chinese hordes.
- Support units and artillery: Manchuria bound.
The division of my forces is not something I want to do, but at this point there's simply no other choice. The good news is that there are several units newly arrived in China and Manchuria as reinforcements, so the main Japanese force should not decline in overall strength.
But China is going to fall, the best I can do is play it out for as long as I can and hope to jump a few Allied units with some IJA tank divisions and 90 EXP infantry divisions.
