Miller (J) vs Mr Kane (A)

[Miller]

5th-7th Jan 42

Nothing of note on the 5th and 6th, the 7th sees my troops cross the river into Singapore:

Ground combat at Singapore (50,84)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 110957 troops, 1186 guns, 663 vehicles, Assault Value = 3725

Defending force 40988 troops, 514 guns, 332 vehicles, Assault Value = 1042

Japanese adjusted assault: 3187

Allied adjusted defense: 2429

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

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
3942 casualties reported
Squads: 19 destroyed, 543 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 89 disabled
Engineers: 98 destroyed, 162 disabled
Guns lost 61 (4 destroyed, 57 disabled)
Vehicles lost 18 (5 destroyed, 13 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
4819 casualties reported
Squads: 131 destroyed, 235 disabled
Non Combat: 100 destroyed, 266 disabled
Engineers: 28 destroyed, 69 disabled
Guns lost 84 (37 destroyed, 47 disabled)
Vehicles lost 49 (9 destroyed, 40 disabled)
Units destroyed 1


A solid first attack, I will rest for couple of days before attacking again. I have about 150 Sally and Lilly bombing the airfield to prevent the rebuilding of forts. Hopefully only 3 or 4 more attacks should be enough to capture it.

[Miller]

8th Jan 42

He puts 50 Buffalo's on CAP over Singers and they do well, downing 20 of my 2E bombers and 10 Oscar escorts for the loss of about 20 of their own number. I won't let up though as I don't want to give him a chance to raise the forts back up to 3 which can be done in two days if the airfield is undamaged. I'm sweeping with a few of my Zero sqds next turn to eliminate any further air resistance. I've decided to let my ground units rest until they are just about fully disruption free and then try another shock attack, with only 2 forts and about 700AV to my 3000AV it should fall....

[witpqs]

A great first attack. Why bother with a shock attack with the attendant casualties when a couple of deliberate attacks will probably do it?

[zuluhour]

+1 agreed. The destroyed bin tells a great deal.

[Miller]

9th-12th Jan 42

He continues to contest the air over Singers with part of the AVG and surely the last of his Buffalo's, losing about 30 to my 20. I will attack in another day or two when all my divs have single figure disruption. I'm almost certain one shock attack will do it if the forts are still at 2, probably looking at at least another week using deliberate attacks, decisions decisions.....

Elsewhere, in China I take Nanning and Liuchow in the south west, Kukong is under seige and Kanshein should fall in the next few days. The main focus will then fall on Changsha, but that will be a slow burner. In the north I'm closing in on Yenan which he has all but abandoned, and have a strong force headed for Sian from the north east. He has a lot of units in the woods to the SE of Sian and NE of Nanyang which I am simply going to by pass.

Over at Moulmein the 33rd div arrives after a long trek up from Bangkok with several other smaller units. He has the Burma div there but it should fall in the next few days. He seems to be reinforcing Rangoon and my Netty's based at Bangkok are having a party sinking about 20 AKs over a three day period, the single Buffalo squad there was eliminated by a Zero sweep.

[witpqs]

A deliberate attack will not take as much time to recover from. Another option is the 'rolling attack' where you deliberate attack on day with some units, deliberate attack the very next day with other units. The defender does not get rest and you have enough superiority to reduce forts each time. The second or third attack could be an all-in shock attack after bringing down the forts and spiking the defenders' disruption.

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

A deliberate attack will not take as much time to recover from. Another option is the 'rolling attack' where you deliberate attack on day with some units, deliberate attack the very next day with other units. The defender does not get rest and you have enough superiority to reduce forts each time. The second or third attack could be an all-in shock attack after bringing down the forts and spiking the defenders' disruption.

You may be right but its too late now, I've ordered a shock attack, just awaiting the turn back...

[adarbrauner]

Where does he fly his fighters from, Balikpapan?

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: adarbrauner

Where does he fly his fighters from, Balikpapan?

Well he holds all of Java and my bombing of the airfield has not been enough to close it so I assume he just fly's them in and out at will, but they have been absent the last few turns as he knows the end is coming.

[Miller]

13th Jan 42

I order all my units at Singers to shock attack the next turn. To help I've ordered a 6 BB (with 6 DMS to sweep the mines) bombardment the night before. All bombers set to ground attack. Fingers crossed.

I've also noticed that Surabaya port is host to about 15 DDs and subs with no fighters based there again, so the KB will pay it another high speed visit....

[Miller]

14th Jan 42

Ground combat at Singapore (50,84)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 109328 troops, 1182 guns, 651 vehicles, Assault Value = 3688

Defending force 36721 troops, 489 guns, 343 vehicles, Assault Value = 736

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0

Japanese adjusted assault: 4035

Allied adjusted defense: 469

Japanese assault odds: 8 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Singapore !!!

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
PBY-4 Catalina: 5 destroyed
Catalina I: 2 destroyed

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

Japanese ground losses:
3538 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 275 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 69 disabled
Engineers: 57 destroyed, 56 disabled
Guns lost 39 (2 destroyed, 37 disabled)
Vehicles lost 47 (7 destroyed, 40 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
43711 casualties reported
Squads: 931 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 4131 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 228 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 348 (348 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 428 (428 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 33


It falls and the bonus is my divs are still in good order. I immediately move all my transports to the base in order to pick them up for their next adventures. Of the 8 divs there, one will stay put, 3 or 4 will head to Java, 2 to Burma and I may use a spare for wherever I see fit.

My port strike on Surabaya finds only 3 US subs and they are all sunk in short order, including S39 which had hit the Akagi so she is avenged.

[witpqs]

Spot on, mate!

[obvert]

Yikes!! Quick and decisive. Well done.

[adarbrauner]

Just would you mind pointing out what divisions have you brought to singapur?

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: adarbrauner

Just would you mind pointing out what divisions have you brought to singapur?

IG, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 18th, 21st, 38th, 56th

[Miller]

15th Jan 42

All my heavy units and the KB are now en route to Singers from Singkawang and should all dock next turn. I will let my divs rest only long enough to get rid of any disruption and fatigue before they are sent on their next assignments, no rest for the wicked[;)]

[Miller]

16th Jan 42

He tries to bomb my troops at Moulmein but Zeros covering from Bangkok shoot down 20 Blenheims and Hudsons. I try a deliberate attack but just fail to get the 2:1 I need to kick him out, will try again next turn. Up in northern China Yenan falls, he seems to be caught in two minds about what to do overall in China as his troops seem to be running around everywhere. Once I have enough PPs saved I will be bringing in a few divs from Manchuria to keep up the pressure.

Meanwhile over in Singapore I am about to start the process of loading troops for my second phase of operations. Akagi is in dry dock there but will take 4 months to repair, fortunately I have enough space on the rest of my CVs to keep her air groups employed. I've also been able to upgrade all of the old Claudes up to Zeros on the mini KB, 30 on Ryujo, 24 on Zuiho and 12 on Hosho. As all of the Zero sqds on the big CVs are hardcoded to a limit of 18 until June this was an important step.

Tankers are en route to Palembang and Singers now to start picking up the fuel for the HI. My biggest ones are busy lifting fuel from Port Arthur as it starts with over half a million fuel gathered there. All the small 1250 cap Tks are headed for Miri and Brunei.

[adarbrauner]

Think I am positive that in a major drydock up in Japan (or even at Hong Kong in this respect, if the drydocks had not got damaged there)it'll take you much less time; for 30 Float damage I guess just less than 3 months in a place like Yokohama, or Sasebo/hiroshima

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: adarbrauner

Think I am positive that in a major drydock up in Japan (or even at Hong Kong in this respect, if the drydocks had not got damaged there)it'll take you much less time; for 30 Float damage I guess just less than 3 months in a place like Yokohama, or Sasebo/hiroshima

True, but I'd rather just have her sit there rather than risk sub attack en route back to the home islands.

[Miller]

17th-18th Jan 42

Moulmein falls, I will waste no time chasing them up the road:

Ground combat at Moulmein (55,55)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 18492 troops, 195 guns, 42 vehicles, Assault Value = 637

Defending force 9074 troops, 64 guns, 45 vehicles, Assault Value = 261

Japanese adjusted assault: 860

Allied adjusted defense: 111

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

Japanese forces CAPTURE Moulmein !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
641 casualties reported
Squads: 10 destroyed, 39 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1308 casualties reported
Squads: 109 destroyed, 24 disabled
Non Combat: 83 destroyed, 18 disabled
Engineers: 23 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 23 (21 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Vehicles lost 39 (39 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 3

Meanwhile, my Netty's sink another 10 small transports near Rangoon, despite him moving most of the AVG to the base. Over in China he is in full retreat in the north, he is pulling back most of the units in the good terrain to the south and east of Sian back towards the base, not sure why as its a clear hex and they would not stand a chance there. I'm giving my divs at Singers two more days to recover then they will begin loading for their destinations.