Going The Distance: BTS 4.6 MichaelU/lb4269 (A) vs bristolduke (J)

[ny59giants]

I’ll have almost all large warships for Japan built by end of 43. M & M should expect to face the same.

[MichaelU]

I'm starting to wonder about new cruisers for the USN as well, after seeing the stats for that beast. Yowzer! [:o]

[MichaelU]

Dec 22-23, 1941

Despite the shock to our morale of seeing the lovely new cruisers the Japanese get, we continue to soldier on. Now that I know for certain that the Haguro is a goner, I'm feeling a bit better about the recent exchange. What it has done though is leave us with a lot less firepower to take on the next invasion. While most of our ships survived, almost all took enough damage to take them out of the fight. The Renown remains in top fighting form, but two heavy cruisers and several light cruisers will be looking for a shipyard.

We did get more reinforcements sailing into Batavia, so we've added three more British light cruisers to our lineup. And lost two.

He is closing down our fun in north Borneo. The CL Durban, looking for transports around Singakawang/Kucking, instead finds the Nagato and Mutsu, and the end is swift.

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Night Time Surface Combat, near Singkawang at 56,87, Range 10,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Nagato
BB Mutsu
CA Takao
CL Suzuya
CL Kumano
CL Tone
DD Nowaki
DD Arashi
DD Hagikaze

Allied Ships
CL Durban, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Van Nes, Shell hits 1, and is sunk

Poor old Van Nes, one hit was enough to send her to the bottom.

The SS Perch, after about ten tries, does finally manage to get a torpedo into the DMS clearing mines off Balipapan. The DMS had already been damaged by the coastal guns, so I don't give much chances for her survival. Hopefully this will slow down his mine clearing at yet another important oil centre. It is also the fourth DMS he has lost.

Other than this, there is some bombing of oilfields at Miri, Balipapan and Palembang. The only one with any fighter cover is Palembang, and our Hurricanes are smashing these guys no problem.

There is now a TF about 5 hexes out of Palembang, so I imagine there is some reinforcement coming -- either more air support, some AA guns, or both. I will do as much as I can to give these guys a warm welcome, given my rather grim lack of resources in the area.

KB continues to lurk north of Midway, not doing very much but ensuring we don't try anything as the transports inexorably creep forward. Brace yourselves lads, this is going to get ugly.

More bases fall, including Samarinda and a few spots in the Philippines. But Manila weathers another attack, with major damage to the attackers.

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Ground combat at Manila (79,77)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 32564 troops, 301 guns, 103 vehicles, Assault Value = 826

Defending force 43578 troops, 417 guns, 171 vehicles, Assault Value = 890

Japanese adjusted assault: 123

Allied adjusted defense: 745

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 6 (fort level 2)

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

Japanese ground losses:
3160 casualties reported
Squads: 49 destroyed, 139 disabled
Non Combat: 22 destroyed, 89 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 15 disabled
Guns lost 17 (3 destroyed, 14 disabled)
Vehicles lost 48 (23 destroyed, 25 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Allied ground losses:
834 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 81 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 37 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 10 disabled
Guns lost 15 (2 destroyed, 13 disabled)
Vehicles lost 18 (2 destroyed, 16 disabled)

See the unit destroyed? Hopefully it's one of those tank regiments. Is there any good way to tell? Even if not destroyed, those guys must have been gutted.

We now have nearly 900 AV dug into level 2 forts with 33,000 supply. He is either going to have to bring a lot more troops, or starve us out. Hell, if things continue this way we might even start to lose that experience negative that has plagued us all game.

This is the really weird one though. If anyone can explain how the defenders of Bataan have managed to hold out for 2 of these attacks, I'd be very interested.

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Ground combat at Bataan (78,77)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 3794 troops, 25 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 122

Defending force 2296 troops, 110 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 47

Allied adjusted defense: 35

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

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0

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

Japanese ground losses:
81 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
48 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled

Assaulting units:
42nd Infantry Regiment

Defending units:
Manila Bay Defenses
Bataan USN Base Force

[Dirtnap86]

This is the really weird one though. If anyone can explain how the defenders of Bataan have managed to hold out for 2 of these attacks, I'd be very interested.

Bataan is x3 terrain if I remember right. Manila is as well. The IJA needs to bring some serious weight to break you. Otherwise your troops stay supplied and can fight pretty effectively. The 37mm AT gun most forces in the PI have is enough to break those piddly little toys the IJA calls tanks.

[MichaelU]

What I found hard to work out is that the attackers started with AV 122, and the defenders with AV 2. And yet we ended up with a draw. 3x terrain doesn't explain how it went from 66-1 to 1-1, which is why I was rather scratching my head.

By rewatching the replay of the Manila battle, it seems that the destroyed unit is the 2nd Tank Regiment. The 4th tank regiment is showing an AV of zero, so it isn't in much better shape. Those 37mm AT guns must be doing fearsome work in the narrow, rubble strewn streets.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: MichaelU

What I found hard to work out is that the attackers started with AV 122, and the defenders with AV 2. And yet we ended up with a draw. 3x terrain doesn't explain how it went from 66-1 to 1-1, which is why I was rather scratching my head.

By rewatching the replay of the Manila battle, it seems that the destroyed unit is the 2nd Tank Regiment. The 4th tank regiment is showing an AV of zero, so it isn't in much better shape. Those 37mm AT guns must be doing fearsome work in the narrow, rubble strewn streets.

That battle was in Bataan - a jungle-rough peninsula. You got a plus for terrain and leaders (perhaps because of nearby HQ), and he got a minus for fatigue. If he pushed his exhausted troops too hard, the lopsided result is on him.

[ny59giants]

When defending, 10 Support (both kinds) = 1 Assault Value. So, those two BFs have some support troops to add before terrain (x3) is figured in.

[MichaelU]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

When defending, 10 Support (both kinds) = 1 Assault Value. So, those two BFs have some support troops to add before terrain (x3) is figured in.

Cooks grabbing rifles to defend against banzai charges. I like it. There will be a heroic tale to tell of the cooks of Bataan.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: MichaelU

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

When defending, 10 Support (both kinds) = 1 Assault Value. So, those two BFs have some support troops to add before terrain (x3) is figured in.

Cooks grabbing rifles to defend against banzai charges. I like it. There will be a heroic tale to tell of the cooks of Bataan.

Stock pot lids are bulletproof? Hot potatoes can be lobbed using ladles? S**t on a shingle can make the enemy gag?

[MichaelU]

Dec 24, 41

Looks like the Japanese submariners have finally spread their tentacles a bit. Previously we hadn't seen much activity from them beyond Pearl Harbor, but SS I-156 pops up at Port Blair and torpedoes both transports unloading there, sending both to the bottom. But it doesn't get it all it's own way -- the sub surfaces to finish off xAK Hermion, and the brave merchant mariners manage to put a shell into it and set it on fire.

We've been happily sailing lots of unescorted transport groups around, but it looks like we are going to have to start getting a little more cautious.

We've been running an operation out of Sabang, on the northern tip of Sumatra, to use the Dutch transports to lift out elements of the Indian infantry units for use in the defense of the subcontinent. But that has also been brought to a grinding halt by today's action. A series of sweeps by Oscars, followed by a massive airfield bombing, has wipes out the one squadron of Buffaloes guarding the air and smashed up most of the Lodestars on the ground. We also had some Catalinas there keeping an eye on the straits, and they get hammered as well.

Air losses for the turn include 10 Lodestars, 7 Buffaloes and 4 Catalinas. Ouch.

AVG keeps doing a sterling job in China though. Japanese bombers trying to pick on defenceless Chinese peasants are taught why this is a bad thing. So 6 Sonias and 4 Idas are taken as revenge.

It appears the Japanese are starting to use fast transport groups to get troops into forward bases. Last turn we got a report that an airfield unit was loaded on a CL and headed to Balikpapan, this turn a group of CAs turns up at Kavieng. I can't think of any reason for them to be there than unloading something. For their pains, a Banshee puts a 1,000 lb bomb into the CA Yoshino.

It looks like the Japanese player is also getting a bit more cautious, and is bringing the hammer. A TF unloading at Singakawang includes teh BB Tosa, and the supporting bombardment really knocks our troops around. Given that he is bringing a base group, I expect Singakawang to fall soon and be turned into a base for bombers.

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Pre-Invasion action off Singkawang (56,88)

7 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
BB Tosa
CL Jintsu
DD Minegumo
xAK Sumanoura Maru
DD Asagumo

Allied ground losses:
137 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

BB Tosa firing at 1e-VLG-V Sup Afd
CL Jintsu firing at 1e-VLG-V Sup Afd
DD Minegumo firing at 1e-VLG-V Sup Afd
Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft at 4,000 yards
Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft at 1,000 yards


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Amphibious Assault at Singkawang (56,88)

TF 3 troops unloading over beach at Singkawang, 56,88

15 Naval Support troops lost in surf during unload of 9th Base Force /2

The defenders of Midway Island also takes a major knock, losing nearly 600 troops to a bombardment by BBs Hyuga and Ise and also getting hit by a carrier strike.

The cooks of Bataan are finally overwhelmed, but only just with a 2-1 result. Now starts their long march.

The defenders at Midway hold on, but just barely. Clearly they were badly shaken up by the bombardment, because despite being stuck behind level 2 forts they get hammered. Disruption seems to have done for them, and I would not give much for their chances next turn.

Despite about a million subs in the area, there is one desultory attack by SS Argonaut. I know Mike is not going to be very impressed when he sees the turn.

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Ground combat at Midway Island (158,91)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 2540 troops, 32 guns, 12 vehicles, Assault Value = 71

Defending force 2917 troops, 63 guns, 10 vehicles, Assault Value = 59

Japanese adjusted assault: 40

Allied adjusted defense: 17

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

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0

Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), leaders(+), disruption(-), preparation(-)
experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), disruption(-)

Japanese ground losses:
46 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
275 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 31 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 15 (1 destroyed, 14 disabled)

Assaulting units:
1st Maizuru Assault/A Div /1
2nd Naval Pioneer Battalion

Got this in Sigint. 3rd Air Division is located at Kompong Trach(57,70). These are the guys who give Bettys torpedoes? I really need to keep a very close eye out for where these units are so that I don't run into torpedo armed Bettys by mistake.

[Bif1961]

With high disruption and forts now down to zero it looks like Midway is a goner.

[MichaelU]

ORIGINAL: Bif1961

With high disruption and forts now down to zero it looks like Midway is a goner.

Most perceptive of you, because sure enough, Midway is a goner. As he was throwing most of Combined Fleet against it, I gave it only small chance of survival, which turned out to be exactly how things panned out.

[MichaelU]

Dec 25-26, 1941

The Japanese give no pause for Christmas, and neither do we. Midway and Singakawang both see more landings and more shooting in support of the landings, putting them in a rather precarious position to survive. What a horrible Christmas present for the defenders, the start of many long years of captivity.

Our minefield at Singapore, being cleared by a whole host of DMS, claims a victim, the TB Manazura apparently. What's with these TBs and minefields? And why do our mines only hit these guys, and not the hordes of other ships that have been sailing in and out of them?
Our minefield at Bataan does score a real hit though. DMS W-19, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage. Yay, this is the best mine hit we've had all game.

The destruction of Sabang airfield is completed, a sub pops up and blows apart an xAP loading some troops there, and the place is now officially declared too hot to handle. Not bad though, we did manage to get quite a few troops out of Malaysia and loaded onto transports at Sabang. That little bit of fun is over for now though. The damaged planes are loaded onto xAKLs and at night and by the time the sun rises the ships are well clear, so at least we have saved some Catalinas.

The big shock of Dec 25 is when ground combat suddenly breaks out at Port Blair.

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Ground combat at Port Blair (46,58)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 272 troops, 1 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 21

Defending force 872 troops, 12 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 15

Japanese adjusted assault: 12

Allied adjusted defense: 7

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0

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

Japanese ground losses:
28 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
81 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
1st Raiding Rgt /1

Defending units:
11th Indian Div /1
Pt Blair Coastal Gun Battalion
Port Blair Adv Base Force
108th RAF Base Force /1
223 Group RAF /2

That was just too close. Losing Port Blair would have been a blow in itself, but we also had a couple of air groups there, including one of Catalinas recently escaped from the Philippines.

The fall of Singakawang does show us how important it has been that we have held onto the place, because just one turn later there is a major Betty raid on the airfield at Soerebaja. It could have been a whole lot worse, because we'd pulled the Indomitable and Hermes in there to stock up on planes and fuel, and if he had known they were around we could have been in big trouble. Seventeen Bettys made it through the CAP, and if they had been torpedo armed and hunting carriers, it could have got ugly. Needless to say the carriers are sailing out this turn to seek safer waters.

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Morning Air attack on Soerabaja , at 56,104

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 27 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 24

Allied aircraft
Fulmar II x 2
Sea Hurricane Ib x 2
B-339D x 5

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 3 destroyed, 2 damaged

No Allied losses

Runway hits 3

The Japanese are making a push in China, but have run into a fairly well dug in group of Chinese units. Unfortunately there was some testing of the defenses using the incredibly scouting powers of artillery, so they'll know the defenders are too tough for them.

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Ground combat at 88,43 (near Kaifeng)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 26811 troops, 190 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 796

Defending force 29323 troops, 119 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 755

Allied ground losses:
12 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
101st NCPC Route Brigade
35th Division
16th Ind.Mixed Brigade
3rd Ind.Mixed Brigade
15th RGC Temp. Division

Defending units:
93rd Chinese Corps
27th Chinese Corps
98th Chinese Corps
5th New Chinese Corps
15th Group Army
39th Group Army

At Port Blair, it looks like the assault was an attempted coup de main, because there are no followup forces and a second attack is brutally repulsed, helped by a unit hastily air transported in from Rangoon.

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Ground combat at Port Blair (46,58)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 379 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 26

Defending force 1088 troops, 15 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 34

Japanese adjusted assault: 2

Allied adjusted defense: 9

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 4 (fort level 0)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), morale(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(+), leaders(-), disruption(-), supply(-)

Japanese ground losses:
117 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 10 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
1st Raiding Rgt /1

Defending units:
Rangoon BAF Bn /1
11th Indian Div /1
Pt Blair Coastal Gun Battalion
108th RAF Base Force /1
Port Blair Adv Base Force
223 Group RAF /2

[MichaelU]

I suspect the raiding regiment at Port Blair was brought in on a high speed boat run, because I could see a couple of Japanese TFs off Port Blair on the turn when the first fight happened. I can understand why I would have spotted them coming earlier -- the Catalinas at Sabang had been bombed to uselessness and the Catalinas at Port Blair just didn't pick them up.

What I'm not sure about was why we didn't get a report of unloading. Do troops assaulting from fast transport ships not do that? Or does the lack of an unloading message imply it was an airdropped assault and the ships at Port Blair might have been a sub?

Regardless, it looks like Port Blair will hold for now, and he will have to bring a real force to take it.

The other thing that continued over the past two days was the continued bombing of oilfields at Miri, Balikpapan and Palembang. As long as I can I am going to continue this bombing. While it may not have much impact short term, I imagine that losing 200-300 points of oil is going to hurt over the long term. .

[MichaelU]

Dec 27, 1941

Oh man, it's Christmas Eve (in real life, that is), and Mike and I almost get the present we've been dreaming of. SS Devi Ray launches 4 torps at the Akagi just south of Midway. One hits, but it's a dud. Argh, hate duds, hate them my precious.

Out of sheer frustration the SS Argonaut slams 2 torpedoes into the xAK Yosida Maru #1 at Midway. How come these torpedoes work, but the ones into the Akagi don't? Still, every dead transport is one not carrying supplies and troops on the next big invasion, so we'll take what we can get.

It looks like the Japanese are finally coming to clean up the mess left by their first round of invasions. xAKs unload troops into Kuching, and a fast transport group unloads into Tarakan. We also have unloading at Medan in Sumatra. The noose on Java is tightening inexorably The Dutch bombers that had been hammering happily at Miri are pulled back -- they will now join their comrades battering Balikpapan.

Speaking of which, Renown has been sniffing around looking for troops reported to be loaded on a CL and headed for Balikpapan. But with no sign of them, the Renown will instead make a bombardment run. I don't know if bombardments can damage oil facilities but it's certainly worth a try.

The minefield at Bataan claims its second victim, DMS W-16. This is our most dangerous minefield to date.

It's sad to see the brave defenders of places like Tarakan and Kuching going down, but on the bright side, it is three weeks into the war and he is only taking these places now, so it is not all bad.

The Chinese 7th and 8th group armies give a good account of themselves. Probably because they are nicely dug into some mountains. This is the way to fight with Chinese troops. However, given losses were about even, it probably will only take a few more of these attacks to clear the position.

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Ground combat at 88,41 (near Kaoping)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 29815 troops, 263 guns, 40 vehicles, Assault Value = 894

Defending force 16437 troops, 136 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 381

Japanese adjusted assault: 318

Allied adjusted defense: 310

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
917 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 98 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 11 disabled
Guns lost 4 (1 destroyed, 3 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
771 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 47 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled
Guns lost 8 (1 destroyed, 7 disabled)

Assaulting units:
37th Division
41st Division
4th Ind.Mixed Brigade
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
33rd Chinese Corps
34th Chinese Corps
43rd Chinese Corps
61st Chinese Corps
7th Group Army
8th Group Army

But the poor old Indian 11th division meets its end at Georgetown, along with assorted hangers on.

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Ground combat at Georgetown (49,74)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 11374 troops, 138 guns, 56 vehicles, Assault Value = 290

Defending force 8177 troops, 19 guns, 14 vehicles, Assault Value = 208

Japanese adjusted assault: 102

Allied adjusted defense: 30

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 1)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Georgetown !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: leaders(-), preparation(-), morale(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
437 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 30 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 20 disabled

Allied ground losses:
10900 casualties reported
Squads: 343 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 460 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 13 (13 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 18 (18 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 6

Ah, but has it? Elements of 11th Indian Division have managed to escape the slaughter, and are even now on ships heading towards Indian ports, and even fighting to repel the attack on Port Blair. They will form the nucleus of a new 11th Division that will avenge Georgetown.

I'm very excited about next turn, as we'll be doing the first non-Chinese ground attack of the game when the Port Blair garrison tries to destroy the invaders. If he is as disrupted and out of supply as I hope, then it will go badly for him.
One little bit of info does give me pause though. In the aircraft losses for the turn are four KI-57-1 Topsy transports. Is he flying in supply and reinforcements? I imagine my Buffaloes in Port Blair would have been picking these guys off as they came in to drop off more troops.

There are massed Betty strikes against the airfields of Batavia. Dutch fighters shoot down 6 of the bombers in return for 7 of our aircraft knocked out on the ground.

[MichaelU]

Ah, the pain.

[Bif1961]

However even a dud on a Japanese Carrier makes them nervous. The MK14 torpedo was billed as an American wonder weapon and it turned into a blunder weapon for the 1st two years of the war.

[MichaelU]

Dec 28-29, 1941

Looks like the Japanese, after an earlier surge forward which led to some grievous transport losses, are now being a lot more careful and are taking out the bases in a more ordered approach. Kuching falls and Tarakan holds on for one last turn, and what looks like a well supported reinforcement of Palembang is on the way.

KB has disappeared -- last sighted just south of Midway about two days ago. She could be anywhere really. I hate it when we don't know where KB is. More strangely, there are some light carriers supporting the move on Palembang, but there is no sign of other light carriers. No idea what happened to the light carriers last seen at the Palaus.

The defenders of Port Blair have moved onto the attack, trying to eliminate the 1st Raiding regiments before it can be reinforced. But over two attacks, and despite achieving 8-1 odds on the second, and a supporting bombardment from four Royal navy light cruisers, the stalemate continues.

We also discover that bombardments don't target oil infrastructure, after the Renown puts a few holes in the Balikpapan airfield but otherwise doesn't achieve very much.

The SS Manatee pops up at Jaluit, and has two shots at AMC Aikoku Maru, missing completely both times. Frustrated at being unable to hit such a massive target, the captain switches to CM Tokiwa, and manages to get two torps in this time.

I've got a heavy cruiser two turns away from Jaluit, so I'm going to start nosing north and see if there is any trouble I can cause.

The battle in the mountains at Kaoping is fierce, and the Chinese troops are holding against much superior forces. But it doesn't look good because alongside the normal negatives for experience and morale, we're now getting a negative for supply as well. We just don't have enough peasants to port bullets up through the mountain passes. Here is the battle for the the 29th (the 28th battle was similar).

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Ground combat at 88,41 (near Kaoping)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 28686 troops, 262 guns, 40 vehicles, Assault Value = 772

Defending force 15435 troops, 135 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 266

Japanese adjusted assault: 224

Allied adjusted defense: 202

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
457 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 46 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled

Allied ground losses:
635 casualties reported
Squads: 18 destroyed, 43 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled

The end of Kuching. These boys had fought so bravely, it seems a shame to see them wiped out.

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Ground combat at Kuching (58,88)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 2676 troops, 17 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 73

Defending force 1728 troops, 9 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 37

Japanese adjusted assault: 68

Allied adjusted defense: 9

Japanese assault odds: 7 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Kuching !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(-), fatigue(-), morale(-)
experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
176 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 15 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1319 casualties reported
Squads: 40 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 74 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 7 (6 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Vehicles lost 3 (3 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 1
Units destroyed 2

And the fierce, fierce battle for Port Blair. Despite all those negative for the Japanese, and an 8 to 1 odds ratio, the outcome in terms of casualties isn't that different. Probably because our troops have experience levels in the 20s, so are still trying to work out which way to hold their rifles.

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Ground combat at Port Blair (46,58)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 1322 troops, 26 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 40

Defending force 418 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 15

Allied adjusted assault: 8

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 8 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
31 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
22 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

[MichaelU]

ORIGINAL: Bif1961

However even a dud on a Japanese Carrier makes them nervous. The MK14 torpedo was billed as an American wonder weapon and it turned into a blunder weapon for the 1st two years of the war.

I remember reading about the torpedo problems in a book called The Bravest Man, by William Tuohy. It's an excellent read, and was bought for me many years before I became interested in the Pacific theatre. At the time I was a European theatre tank guy, and spent all my hours playing Battlefront's excellent Combat Mission series of games.

It was Mike who got me interested in the Pacific.

[ny59giants]

Japan has an Air HQ in Marshall’s with a group of Betty. So beware with that CA.