[font="Times New Roman"]Dec 26, 1941[/font]
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SUBS: [/font]The I-26 sinks xAP President Johnson on the way out of SD. A few troops lost but most of the Marine tank unit saved on the two xAKs also present and still steaming South.
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DEI: [/font]Big air battles over the port and industry of Balikpapan leave the Japanese with more damaged oil fields to repair and one bomb hit on CA Kumano, plus a few A6M and Nells lost on the ground and in the air. The zeros are performing well, but this base has one entire ace group and 1/3 of another. They are wearing down, which is good. Buffs and P-40s are fighting about evenly here, and the B-17E is a lot of firepower to handle for the zeros.
CVs hide in the islands between Timor and Java. No sightings. I wanted to run in and strike at Balikpapan but the Nettie situation has me a bit concerned there. If I can get close enough in a few turns I;d like to punch through for a bombardment of the base by surface ships with the CVs in support. This will be tough to engineer, but it's out on a limb, and unless the entire IJN stays here, will be vulnerable. Force Z and 4 USN cruiser TFs plus the combined Dutch/RN surface fleet are moving in to support.
I should have 4 modern and 2 old USN CLs, 8 USN CAs, Force Z and 3 Dutch/RN CA/CL to throw into the mix in addition to the two CVs with each TF having more than adequate DDs. I need to reach Soerabaja to replenish first though. This will be a good spot for a dual threat to Palembang and to Balikpapan. If possible I'd like to steam the CVs into the South China Sea to really cause him some concern!
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PACIFIC: [/font] The KB shifts to move in toward Kaveign. I wonder if there is a TF on the way to invade Rabaul of land more at Kaveign? Subs are swarming! [8D]
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CHINA: [/font] The Japanese win a decisive victory in the North, and these Chinese troops will be left to wither and delay the Japanese as much as possible here. I would like to lose some so as not to have to feed so many, and these can't make it in time to support any central bases anyway.
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Dec 26, 41
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Sub attack near San Francisco at 203,91
Japanese Ships
SS I-26
Allied Ships
xAP President Johnson,
Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
AM Chignecto
Allied ground losses:
21 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
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Sub attack near San Francisco at 203,91
Japanese Ships
SS I-26
Allied Ships
xAP President Johnson, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
Allied ground losses:
5 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
SS I-26 attacking on the surface
SS I-26 launches 2 torpedoes at xAP President Johnson
I-26 diving deep ....
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Morning Air attack on Balikpapan , at 64,97
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 4,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 54
E8N2 Dave x 2
Allied aircraft
Buffalo I x 7
139WH-3 x 2
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Buffalo I: 1 destroyed
139WH-3: 1 damaged
Aircraft Attacking:
2 x 139WH-3 bombing from 2000 feet *
City Attack: 2 x 300 kg GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Balikpapan , at 64,97
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid spotted at 29 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 51
E8N2 Dave x 2
Allied aircraft
B-17D Fortress x 3
B-17E Fortress x 15
P-40E Warhawk x 4
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M2 Nell: 1 destroyed on ground
Allied aircraft losses
B-17D Fortress: 2 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 3 damaged
Japanese Ships
CA Kumano
, Bomb hits 1
Oil hits 4
Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 1
Port hits 1
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 8000 feet *
City Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Balikpapan , at 64,97
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 49
E8N2 Dave x 2
Allied aircraft
B-17D Fortress x 9
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M2 Nell: 1 destroyed on ground
Allied aircraft losses
B-17D Fortress: 3 damaged
Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 6
Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-17D Fortress bombing from 10000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Balikpapan , at 64,97
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid spotted at 29 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 47
E8N2 Dave x 2
Allied aircraft
P-40B Warhawk x 12
P-40E Warhawk x 5
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed
E8N2 Dave: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-40B Warhawk: 1 destroyed
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Ground combat at Paotow (92,34)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 24341 troops, 201 guns, 284 vehicles, Assault Value = 810
Defending force 23247 troops, 161 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 530
Japanese adjusted assault: 666
Allied adjusted defense: 316
Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), morale(-), experience(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
691 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 61 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 24 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Vehicles lost 82 (7 destroyed, 75 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
9868 casualties reported
Squads: 153 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 397 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 14 destroyed, 9 disabled
Guns lost 18 (16 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Units retreated 3
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
15th Tank Regiment
26th Division
12th Tank Regiment
7th Ind.Mixed Brigade
1st Cavalry Brigade
4th Cavalry Brigade
Mongol Garrison Army
Defending units:
11th Chinese Corps
35th Chinese Corps
3rd Prov Chinese Corps
13th Group Army
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[font="Trebuchet MS"]As you can see here there is a lot of work being done just out of sight of the KB here. I'll make sure to get these TFs moving South ASAP. Nearly all USN fleet subs are within 20 hexes of the KB right now, just off screen. S-boats gather near Horn Island. So the sub vice is narrowing. [/font]
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
