The Accidental War Obvert vs Lowpe

[Lowpe]

One of the attacks on the Karafuto Brigade on Sakhalin. This has been happening daily. Today I managed to get the first AA units there, but the base fell before I could unload.

The Karafuto brigade is 550 PP to buy out, I have 47, so I can't rescue anything. They will be destroyed, I will buy them back, but then they will be stuck on Honshu for a long time.

Figure I will need at least one division to return to Sakhalin, recon to spot the weakly held bases, plus several AA units and enough fighters to protect the ships. Pretty tall order.


Morning Air attack on Karafuto Mixed Brigade, at 126,43 (Shikuka)

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Allied aircraft
SB-2 x 43

Allied aircraft losses
SB-2: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
205 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 18 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Aircraft Attacking:
15 x SB-2 bombing from 10000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb
9 x SB-2 bombing from 10000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb
3 x SB-2 bombing from 10000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb
3 x SB-2 bombing from 10000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb
3 x SB-2 bombing from 10000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb
7 x SB-2 bombing from 10000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb
3 x SB-2 bombing from 10000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb

Also attacking 22nd Special Base Force ...
Also attacking Karafuto Mixed Brigade ...
Also attacking 39th Const Co ...
Also attacking 71st JAAF AF Bn /1 ...
Also attacking Karafuto Mixed Brigade ...
Also attacking 22nd Special Base Force ...
Also attacking Karafuto Mixed Brigade ...
Also attacking 71st JAAF AF Bn /1 ...
Also attacking Karafuto Mixed Brigade ...

[Lowpe]

Rashin will be hard to hold. The Manchuko troops have 25 experience and 55 morale. I do have an IJA Division heading here, but it will be a few days yet. Another Manchuko Div and some artillery pieces will make it...but I suspect the aerial bombarding will be fierce.

I am not in a position to naval bombard for days.


Attacking force 29335 troops, 441 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 925

Defending force 18864 troops, 216 guns, 136 vehicles, Assault Value = 452

Allied adjusted assault: 623

Japanese adjusted defense: 365

Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 1)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 0

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
619 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 54 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 17 (2 destroyed, 15 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
779 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 64 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled

Assaulting units:
105th Rifle Division
126th Rifle Division
190th Rifle Division

Defending units:
90th Infantry Regiment
1st Manchukuo Distr Division
Rashin Fortress
35th Const Co
4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
11th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
45th Ind.AA Gun Co
12th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
Rashin Special Base Force

[Lowpe]

The border defense forts are pretty strong at delaying the Soviets...


Ground combat at 115,42 (near Mishan)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 13344 troops, 241 guns, 1039 vehicles, Assault Value = 580

Defending force 3708 troops, 47 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 58

Allied adjusted assault: 385

Japanese adjusted defense: 7

Allied assault odds: 55 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
850 casualties reported
Squads: 63 destroyed, 12 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 7 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 19 (11 destroyed, 8 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
59 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
2nd Ussurii Tank Brigade
8th Cavalry Division
3rd Ussurii Tank Brigade
5th Ussurii Tank Brigade
177th Howitzer Regiment
1133rd Howitzer Regiment
4th/152nd PVO AA Battalion
1121st Cannon Regiment
1139th Cannon Regiment
155th PVO AA Battalion

Defending units:
11th Border Defense Fortress

[Lowpe]

Wenchow, on the coast of China, is fairly strongly held. It has supply production, and I need to take the base so as to be able to move north and west and free up the magic highway, but more importantly to grab some resource production from China.

If memory serves, the Chinese troops here are some of the best in the Chinese Army.

The British air force is in China, and my strategy here is to simply destroy all of Chinese industry. I haven't been successful so far. With no reinforcements from Manchuko it will be tough to grab a lot of terrain here. Burma road was closed early.


Ground combat at Wenchow (89,58)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 25705 troops, 241 guns, 92 vehicles, Assault Value = 802

Defending force 23211 troops, 81 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 631

Assaulting units:
17th Division
22nd Division
13th Army
4th Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
88th Chinese Corps
100th Chinese Corps
25th Group Army
3rd War Area
14th Chinese Base Force

[AcePylut]

Just curious, can you use your bombers to get those Soviet bombers on the ground at their airfield(s), as getting them in the air, at night, doesn't seem to be a winning proposition?

[MakeeLearn]

Wenchow, on the coast of China, is fairly strongly held. It has supply production

and takeout...

[Lowpe]

Destroyed a few motorized support here, I guess. The Tanks retreated out of Yenki and missed my Deliberate Attack. A few other squadrons attacked, but the best they could do was disable a few devices.

Overall, I wasted supply here.

Morning Air attack on 77th Tank Brigade, at 110,44 (Yenki)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 47 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-Ic Sally x 29
Ki-48-Ib Lily x 7

Allied aircraft
I-153 x 2

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-Ic Sally: 2 damaged
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 1 damaged

No Allied losses

Allied ground losses:
Vehicles lost 5 (2 destroyed, 3 disabled)

Aircraft Attacking:
13 x Ki-21-Ic Sally bombing from 6000 feet *
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
8 x Ki-21-Ic Sally bombing from 6000 feet *
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
8 x Ki-21-Ic Sally bombing from 6000 feet *
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
7 x Ki-48-Ib Lily bombing from 6000 feet *
Ground Attack: 2 x 100 kg GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
32 SAD/48 IAP with I-153 (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(2 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 2 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 8000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 8000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 22 minutes

Also attacking 76th Tank Brigade ...
Also attacking 77th Tank Brigade ...
Also attacking 76th Tank Brigade ...
Also attacking 77th Tank Brigade ...
Also attacking 76th Tank Brigade ...
Also attacking 77th Tank Brigade ...

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: AcePylut

Just curious, can you use your bombers to get those Soviet bombers on the ground at their airfield(s), as getting them in the air, at night, doesn't seem to be a winning proposition?

Heck, I can't even score a manpower hit at night yet. Soviets have about 30 AA units, all 75mm or 85mm with 24 guns each. And that is just their dedicated AA, they have AA in a lot of their TOE.

Anything below 7500 feet will be chewed up by the excellent 37mm guns they have.

[AcePylut]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll admit, I've never looked at the Soviets early war capabilities, since, you know, they don't usually get activated until the end-game lol.

[Lowpe]

Feb 9th 1942

Visit a fighter base the Allies have been using to bedevil us at Palembang.

[Lowpe]

In just two units the Soviets have as much armor as Japan. Unfortunately, they have significantly more than 2 Armored units.

Soviet bombing and sweeping heavy. Ground attacks are just plain nasty.

[Lowpe]

This looks like it will be a very active front...it would probably take 5 fleet carriers to hold this area, if the damage to Obvert's carriers weren't too bad.

[Lowpe]

China

[Lowpe]

With Active China and Soviets, there will be no way to hold Burma for long I fear.

At least the oil and fuel is flowing now, I will take it for however long I can keep it.

[Lowpe]

I will have to find out where those Topsy have failed...probably flying into Hokkaido. I probably can put more on rest, I think every base has at least 70AV now.

[Lowpe]

More good news, only 135 days till I can form the 1st Tank Division -- assuming something doesn't get wiped out before then.[:)]

[Lowpe]

Definitely a backwater for me. But it won't be for the Australians.[:(]

[Lowpe]

So, there you have it...not good.[;)]

[Grfin Zeppelin]

After catching up with Canos AAR I catched up with yours and I am pleased to see that you managed to turn this into a fight for survival in January 1942 for Japan.I doubt anyone managed to do this before.
Never change.


Ps you were right about the Sonia.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Gräfin Zeppelin

After catching up with Canos AAR I catched up with yours and I am pleased to see that you managed to turn this into a fight for survival in January 1942 for Japan.I doubt anyone managed to do this before.
Never change.


Ps you were right about the Sonia.

You are sweet.[:)]

I like end game so much, I figured why not just cut to the chase?[;)]