JFB in charge of the USN??? BtS Lite ver. 4.5 Kitakami (A) vs Falken (J)

[John 3rd]

DRAT! I...mean...well done!

[Capt. Harlock]

ORIGINAL: Kitakami

I don't have the turn with me yet, but Lt.Cdr. E.V.St.J. Morgan, RN, has been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his gallantry during active operations against the enemy at sea:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Oosthaven at 46,97, Range 12,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Nagato
BB Mutsu
BB Tosa, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 1
CL Jintsu
DD Asashio, Shell hits 1
DD Oshio
DD Michishio
DD Arashio

Allied Ships
DD Encounter, Shell hits 1

We have no word as to the shape HMS Encounter is in, but there are no reports of her sinking either.

Since there's no report of fires or heavy damage, I'm guessing that shell hit wasn't a 16-incher. (OK, it could ahve been a dud.)

[Kitakami]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock
Since there's no report of fires or heavy damage, I'm guessing that shell hit wasn't a 16-incher. (OK, it could ahve been a dud.)

I now have the turn. It was not a dud, but it was not a 40cm either. She will survive:

[Kitakami]

January 2nd, 1942

Ok, the first month of the war is over, and it is time to react less and plan more. Not that I have enough to plan with yet, but at least some things are moving along. Here are a few thoughts:

Carriers

I did not lose any carriers last month, and now have:
- 4 USN CVs
- 2 USN CLVs
- 2 USN CVEs
- 1 HMS CV
- 1 HMS CVL
- 1 HMAS CAV
- 1 HMNZS CAV

USN CV air groups have been changed to 45 fighters and 45 dive bombers until May. There are also one Tangier and two Kittyhawk CVE conversions (plus an additional one of each) that will begin this month. While those conversions are taking place, their air units will train and perhaps see combat if need be.

There will not be any additional carriers in a bit over two months, so I need to take good care of the ones I've got.

Capital Ships

No big boys sunk in Pearl Harbour, and only BC Renown sunk elsewhere. BB Warspite will be ready in 3 days, while BB Oklahoma, Mississippi and Colorado will be ready within the month. Those boys are slow, but at least I will have the possibility of naval bombardment with big guns... wherever the IJN is not, of course.

Damaged BB Prince of Wales and BC Repulse are sailing toward repairs. the PoW will be refit with added AA while at it.

Cruisers

The five Omaha CLAA conversions have begun, and will be ready in four months. Meanwhile, no cruisers have been lost, which is good, as I feel a definite lack of cruisers. The one cruiser damaged at Pearl, CA San Francisco, will be fully repaired in 4 days.

Two USN CAs and the infamous USN Boise are now the main surface combatants in the DEI.

Destroyers

January's DD upgrades are all underway, with one exception: DD Blue, which was damaged at Pearl, will now enter refit, as it still had much damage not yet repaired. She will be ready in two weeks, though.

The other damaged DD, HMS Express, is sailing toward a safe yard now. Only HMS Scout has been lost so far.

APDs

I ordered all the DD to APD conversions I could, as quickly as I could. Thus, 16 APDs will be ready in 2 days, with three more in 10 days and 14 more in 18 days. That will give me a total of 34 APDs with an ASW value of 6 to escort stuff with.

APs and xAPs

Out of the 14 APs that can be converted to APAs in 1943, 12 are now safely at port. The other 2 will join them as soon as they can, if they can. All will be used for off map troop transport between the East Coast and Cape Town.

27 Dominion Troop class xAPs and 56 Pacific Troop class xAPs are in different stages of conversion and will be tasked with moving troops basically everywhere. 57 of them will be ready in one day. 7 Pacific class and 9 Dominion class ships are still sailing towards port so that they can be refit too.

AKs and xAKs

Everything that sails at 12 knots or slower has been sent to the East Coast. Even the small and slow cargo ships will pull their weight, shipping fuel to Cape Town. Since movement between off map bases does not consume fuel, they will at least add to the totals, even if just a little bit. The one exception is the 12-kt ships that can be converted to AKEs. Those are being converted and kept on-map.

The 16-kt AKs are doing the West Coast to the Pacific routes at this point. The 17-kt xAKs are split between the West Coast and the Indian Ocean. The 14-kt xAKs are mainly hauling supply from Abadan to India and transporting heavy equipment from Aden and Cape Town into India and SE Asia.

AOs and TKs

In a previous version of this mod, the 18-kt USN AOs could be converted to CVEs. That is not the case in this version, so there is a healthy number of large, fast oilers that I must keep safe. I have 5 at this point, and they can hold over 70k fuel between them. There are also three 14-kt AOs which for the time being are helping the 14-kt TKs haul fuel around, and four 13-kt AOs, which have been assigned to North Pacific operations.

The sixteen 16-kt TKs have been tasked with moving fuel from the West Coast to the Pacific. The 14-kt TKs will do the same from Abadan to India and Cape Town to Australia.

All ships sailing at 12 knots or slower are being assigned to the East Coast to Cape Town route.

Subs

Besides the subs lost in Manila during the initial attack, only two other subs will probably be lost in the next few days. They are both desperately trying to get repaired in Manila before the city falls, as they are far too damaged to sail as they are. Maybe a few more days in the shipyard will make a difference. Again, maybe not.

The rest of the submarine fleet is in decent shape, patrolling choke points in DEI waters, the Solomons and the SE Asian coast. They will transfer to a more strategic mission once the Philippines and the DEI are lost.

[Kitakami]

Ok... Now to the turn.

No naval losses for the Allies, which is good. Something tells me the same is not true for the Japanese, as the three squadrons of Banshees scored multiple hits on transports. Sadly, all the torpedo squadrons went for the cruisers, and thus achieved nothing but a few getting destroyed.

Pilot losses were light compared to what they could have been, and I am thankful for that.

[Kitakami]

Air losses shifted in favour of Japan, but not too much. If only the torpedo bombers had gone for the transports and not for the cruisers...

[Kitakami]

The accumulated air losses are still very much in my favour, though, considering the stage we are at.

[Kitakami]

And now, to the crux of the matter: what do I do with Palembang? I made a fateful decision a number of turns ago. I should have landed the 18th British Inf Div in Oosthaven, accepting the loss of the transports and escort. I did not, and they will not reach Palembang in time, at least not in numbers that matter. That is, unless I somehow can get my bombers through and bomb the Japanese 4th Inf Div into ineffectiveness for a turn or two.

The question is... can it be done? And if so, how?

This is what I have to work with:

Land:

154 AV in Palembang itself (including 2 AA and 1 Recce units), behind 1.59 forts.
137 AV 30 miles from Palembang.
141 AV 88 miles from Palembang.
142 AV 98 miles from Palembang.

Air (ready-n/ready-reserve):

1 Hurricane Sqdn in Singapore (16-0-7 planes).
2 Buffalo Sqdns in Singapore (32-1-7 planes).
2 Buffalo Sqdns in Palembang (34-5-3 planes).
3 D-339D Sqdns in Batavia (10-18-0 planes)
1 75A-7 Hawk Sqdn in Soerbaja (12-1-3 planes).
1 CW-21B Demon Sqdn in Soerbaja (12-1-4 planes).
1 P-40E Sqdn in Soerbaja (17-5-0 planes).

1 Blenheim IV Sqdn in Singapore (16-0-4 planes).
2 Hudson I Sqdns in Singapore (24-0-8 planes).
7 139WH-3 Sqdns in Batavia (73-1-27 planes).
2 CW-22 Falcon Sqdns in Bandoeng (18-0-0 planes).

3 A-24 Banshee Sqdns in Batavia (48-1-14 planes).

2 Vildebeest III Sqdns in Singapore (24-0-10 planes).

There are some other air units in the area, but they will not be of much use (either training, damaged, out of planes, etc.).

Please note that there is no land-based air in the vicinity.

So, I humbly ask for your opinion. Should I try? Or should I not? And if I do try, how do I handle the air side of things? Man! I am used to sweep with Zeroes, not having to oppose them

Thanks all!

[Kitakami]

Oh, I forgot to add enemy ships in Palembang:

[MakeeLearn]

Everyday you hold Palembang is day that Japan is denied it's oil/fuel. A hard fought battle there may even damage the oil/refineries costing Japan more when they do take it. As Allies I would give greater importance to Palembang than to Singapore. Air wise... Cap and hit his ships

[Kitakami]

The following bases were lost last turn: Batangas, Iba, Babuyan, Malacca, Buin, Gasmata, Hollandia, Morotai, Serasan, and Malaybalay. Of those, it is Batangas and Iba that have me nervous, even though most fighting strength is concentrated in Manila by now.

Naval losses were light, although a fleeing TK was lost to BB Tosa and company. It is ironit that if I had sent the TK to Soerbaja, nothing would have happened to it.

[Kitakami]

Ok...

Threw everything I have at Palembang. CAP, sweeps, level bombers, torpedo bombers, escorts... the works! If I lose the base, it will not be for a lack of trying.

Will let you know when I know what happened.

[Kitakami]

Ok... I only have the combat report, but...

Falken wised up, and started sweeping. My fighter losses this turn must have been 3-4 times his. That feels a bit more normal, even if it is against me.

As for Palembang... well... first, Nagato and Mutsu bombarded Batavia.

Night Naval bombardment of Batavia at 49,98 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
139WH-3: 93 damaged
139WH-3: 9 destroyed on ground
B-339D: 6 damaged
B-339D: 2 destroyed on ground
A-24 Banshee: 7 damaged
A-24 Banshee: 2 destroyed on ground

8 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
BB Mutsu
BB Nagato
CL Jintsu
DD Oshio
DD Asashio

Allied ground losses:
229 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 19 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 28 (8 destroyed, 20 disabled)

Airbase hits 9
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 55

And then, after much Allied bombing of Palembang, came the land combat. At least there was no way that Falken was going to try to bombard Singapore, the base of the British and Australian bombers.

Ground combat at Palembang (48,91)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 18855 troops, 153 guns, 17 vehicles, Assault Value = 483

Defending force 7224 troops, 69 guns, 47 vehicles, Assault Value = 166

Japanese adjusted assault: 139

Allied adjusted defense: 232

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 1)

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

Japanese ground losses:
1279 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 99 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 18 (2 destroyed, 16 disabled)
Vehicles lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
296 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 43 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
4th Division
4th Ind.Mixed Regiment
III/124th Infantry Battalion
2nd Fleet
7th JAAF AF Coy
18th JNAF AF Unit
85th JAAF AF Coy

Defending units:
W Borneo KNIL Battalion
Lahat Cdo
Palembang Cdo
Padang Cdo
251st Recce Battalion
Djambi Cdo
Riouw Cdo /1
Palembang ML Base Force
223 Group RAF
2nd HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
PBg-Ld AA Afd
113th RAF Adv Base Force

I take anything I can get. At least one more turn, and the first reinforcement brigade has arrived at Palembang. If the second one can arrive next turn, and the third one one turn after that, I may be there a bit longer than my esteemed opponent planed... and the Japanese 4th Inf Div will not be in shape to invade anything decently defended for a while.

I will write more when I know how things stand.

[obvert]

Nice work at Palembang. Looks like you've held it now and can just build off of that.

[Kitakami]

ORIGINAL: obvert
Nice work at Palembang. Looks like you've held it now and can just build off of that.

Thanks, obvert. To tell you the truth, I did not expect to be able to hold on to it. But with 100+ Japanese infantry squads destroyed/disabled, and 18 artillery pieces following suit, I can breathe a bit easier now. This was the result of the second day's combat:

Ground combat at Palembang (48,91)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 4179 troops, 21 guns, 11 vehicles, Assault Value = 274

Defending force 22768 troops, 151 guns, 18 vehicles, Assault Value = 408

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

Assaulting units:
Lahat Cdo
Padang Cdo
W Borneo KNIL Battalion
Palembang Cdo
251st Recce Battalion
54th British Brigade
Djambi Cdo
Riouw Cdo /1
PBg-Ld AA Afd
Palembang ML Base Force
223 Group RAF
2nd HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
113th RAF Adv Base Force

Defending units:
4th Division
4th Ind.Mixed Regiment
III/124th Infantry Battalion
7th JAAF AF Coy
18th JNAF AF Unit
2nd Fleet
85th JAAF AF Coy

Note that the 54th British Bde has arrived. If a second brigade arrives this coming turn, Falken will have to reinforce if he wants to take Palembang any time soon.

[Kitakami]

Jan 4th, 1942

The big news is, of course, that I somehow held on to Palembang. Not without a price however, as you will see below. Still, I am in a bit better position than last turn, and if I can somehow not lose Palembang until the rest of the 18th British Inf Div arrives, I will have thrown a wrench into my esteemed opponent's proverbial gearbox.

First, naval losses. Mines do work once in a while, and two Japanese DDs hit a couple. They are reported as sunk, but that may be FOW. At least they are both out of commission for a bit.

[Kitakami]

The price was paid with pilots and planes. Last turn had the highest death rate so far.

[Kitakami]

Air losses were about 2-1 in Japan's favor. The number of A6M2s lost is something I had not expected, but the fighter loss ratio in the air was over 2-1. Those Zero sweeps sure are nasty.

[ny59giants]

Don't forget regardless of ship size, any hit by a exploding torpedo or mine will show up on sunk list.

KUDOS on Palembang!!

[Kitakami]

Thanks! To tell you the truth, I did not think it would go well