Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J)

[tolsdorff]

It seems a bit risky so early on, but you must have given it a lot of thought. How do you plan on protecting the invasion fleet against airstrikes from all directions and the odd SCTF? There are so many ports and airfields for the Empire to use

[apbarog]

I'll be using all of the US carriers. If KB is at least a week away, and I'm able to land everything, I should be ok. There would be losses, as the Japanese would throw all their land-based air at the landing. My plan is to take Rangoon quickly and have land-based CAP quickly.

Absolute worst case scenario is KB is at Singapore or closer. If the landings go well, the plan is to isolate the enemy in northern Burma, eliminate them, and open up the Burma Road to China. I may or may not be bringing enough for all of that. There's a couple of months until this landing can occur, and there's no telling what the enemy will do in the meantime. As things are now, if I land everything and take all of the objectives, the landings will hold. I may isolate the Japanese in northern Burma but not be able to clear them out. They could choose to escape off-road through far eastern Burma into Thailand. That would take a long time and wouldn't be terrible for me. But I'd rather eliminate them.

I can be sure of a few things. After this landing, the enemy's focus will shift to Burma. Once I've established land bases, I'll leave some cruisers and destroyers and the carriers will head back to the offensives north of Australia, the Solomons, and the Marshalls. From then on, KB will always be in the wrong place. No matter where it is, I can be advancing elsewhere.

[EDIT: My primary goal for this operation is to get supply into China]

[Lowpe]

It is an absolutely solid plan, Japan has a tough time building up the runways so quickly, odds are if you can get the KB heading to the east for a bit you will have overwhelming success. Especially if Japan defends forward with ground troops. Absolutely look to try and cut the Singers rail line somewhere with paratroopers asap.

[apbarog]

25 Oct 42 - The Great Battle of Milne Bay

Night Time Surface Combat, near Milne Bay at 101,133, Range 7,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
PB Hirotama Maru, Shell hits 19, heavy fires, heavy damage
PB Heiyo Maru, Shell hits 2

Allied Ships
DMS Lamberton

PB Hirotama Maru sank soon after combat. No mines were noticed at Milne Bay, but with the naval combat, Lamberton may not have had time to look for them.

Northwest of Tabiteuea, RO-67 is badly damaged and moving slowly on the surface to Kwajalein. Submarine Whale spotted the smoking sub, fired two torpedoes and one hit. But it was a dud. Subchasers are rerouted to try to finish off the sub.

B-24s hit Merauke's airfield, doing minor damage in heavy rain. The Liberators will visit Lae today. Lae is the biggest threat to the upcoming Port Moresby invasion, with a size 4 airfield.

Enemy carriers, number unknown, appear due north of Kusaie Island. 30 Vals with 57 Zeros fly to Kusaie and sink xAK Kauri. Kauri did unload most of its supply. The only other US naval activity in the area is 2 sub transports moving between Nauru and Kusaie Islands. Enemy battleships and carriers still fixated with Kusaie.

Planes fly from Lunga, hitting ships at Buka.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Buka at 109,128

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 11 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Allied aircraft
Beaufighter Ic x 14

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CM Tsugaru, Shell hits 20
CM Itsukushima, Shell hits 3

Aircraft Attacking:
14 x Beaufighter Ic strafing at 100 feet *

and

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Buka at 109,128

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 37 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes

Allied aircraft
SB2U-3 Vindicator x 16

Allied aircraft losses
SB2U-3 Vindicator: 1 destroyed by flak

Japanese Ships
CM Tsugaru
CM Itsukushima, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
DD Hagikaze, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Arashi

The Beaufighters have nice range and do very well strafing and bombing. Just strafing in this fight, using the Hispano cannon. The Vindicators were setup with drop tanks and reached out further than the enemy expected, possibly. Buka now has 3 enemy units and is being built.

Gearing up for Port Moresby now.

[CaptBeefheart]

You should have flown Doug to Portland Roads.

Eisenhower: "MacArthur could never see another sun, or even a moon for that matter, in the heavens, as long as HE was the sun."

Cheers,
CB

[apbarog]

I underestimated the time it would take to walk up the slow trail to Portland Roads. That, and all the parts for the Port Moresby operation came together faster than I thought it would when the HQ unit set out. SWPAC HQ is almost to Coen, which has a small airfield now, so I could fly the unit to Portland Roads, but the unit is very large, and most wouldn't get flown before it could just walk there anyhow.

So, if the landing doesn't take Port Moresby quickly, the HQ unit could contribute. If it isn't needed, then it wasn't needed, and nothing is lost.

The best answer would have been to ship it into Portland Roads. I had plenty of ships available. It's just that the area was dangerous very recently, but has calmed down quite a bit, with both Horn Island and Port Moresby being heavily damaged and hardly repairing.

MacArthur will get another chance for glory, just somewhere else, probably.

[apbarog]

26 Oct 42

Sallys with Tojos bomb Hengyang. 3 Chinese squadrons were based here for two days but left yesterday. Lots of enemy bombing near Sian but now the Chinese are all in wooded terrain, and the results aren't nearly as bad. Same story near Kukong.

A B-17 squadron hit Katherine's airfield and found that a dozen Oscars had moved in. Minor airbase damage.

3 B-24 squadrons bombed Lae and found about 14 Zeros. Bettys were destroyed on the ground.

Multiple enemy carriers appear near Wake Island and find the small cargo TF still unloading there. 8 P-40Es try to defend. xAK Potter and xAK Lipscomb Lykes were sunk. Destroyer Walke was hit with 2 bombs and gravely damaged. SYS 91/FLOT 78/ENG 27/FIRE 95. There was zero chance of saving the ship, and it was scuttled.

Total air losses were 10 Zeros (5 of them ops losses), 7 Bettys on the ground at Lae, 2 Vals, 2 Kates and 1 Oscar, for the loss of 4 P-40Es and 1 B-24.

The enemy is still concentrating around Kusaie and now Wake Island. The invasion armada for Port Moresby leaves Townsville today, and it's just a 2 or 3 day trip. Followup units for Port Moresby start loading at Townsville. Then invasion units for Milne Bay will load, then units for Horn Island, once the good APs get back from Port Moresby. Things are in motion.

In Burma, I've started a misdirection plan. The Japanese recon Ledo every day, and get a high detection level every day. OPilot knows how many troops I have there. I'm starting the first unit in the stack there to show movement southeast, into the mountains, to threaten a flanking move to the south. To make things more believable, I'm moving one of the huge Chinese corps to Ledo for a few days to raise the number of troops there noticeably. Then I'll move it to Bombay to continue prepartions for the Rangoon invasions. Maybe OPilot will send more troops to the northern inland part of Burma.

There's over 50,000 enemy troops at Akyab, with about 15,000 in the hex between Akyab and Cox's Bazar. More units seem to continue to arrive at Akyab. This is excellent. I've gone defensive at Cox's Bazar now, while still showing movement south (but I'm not moving). More and more troops drawn into Akyab are fewer troops elsewhere, and more to be bagged by invading southern Burma by sea. But that's still 2 months away, if it happens.

[EDIT: Correction to the graphic --- 74 Zeros escorted the Vals and Kates to Wake Island, not 90]

[apbarog]

27 Oct 42

Trout fired 2 torpedoes at xAK Akasi Maru near Phuket. One hit and sinking audio immediately followed the combat.

Near Sian, 25 Lilys with 24 Helens and 45 Sonias with 36 Oscars bombed Chinese troops in the woods. They did well, causing 507 casualties. I moved the 3 Chinese fighter squadrons to nearby Ankang, and they will LRCAP the hex tomorrow at range 1.

The enemy did more than the usual probing artillery attacks today along the Chinese front, in places where I had pulled back a unit or two to reinforce the south. We're still holding, but it's a struggle.

The four enemy battleships, including Yamato, make another visit to Kusaie, causing another 500 casualties but didn't take out all of the supply. The base is trashed though. S-46 fired torpedoes at an escorting destroyer on the task force's way back towards Truk, but missed. Many Allied subs are patrolling this route, and some have working torpedoes. We'll get another battleship eventually.

Looking at the previous graphic, the battleship TF was the one near Ponape yesterday, and the enemy carriers really did make a full speed run to Wake Island. The carriers went a bit east of Wake, but didn't find anything. My slow xAKL task force was spotted further east, and unfortunately it shuffled fuel around and won't move far today. The carriers could catch them if they try. Small pickings, but the enemy does seem to be on a fishing expedition.

And far from the real action about to occur at Port Moresby. Troops for Milne Bay will start to load at Townsville tomorrow.

[BBfanboy]

For hitting DDs, I find Devastators or Avengers dropping 500 pounders at 3000 feet to be more effective than DBs coming down from 10K. And multiple hits by 500 lb. bombs seem to mess up the DDs faster than one or two 1000 lb. bombs.

[Lowpe]

It sure seems like you are doing everything right here. Keep up the good work.[:)]

[apbarog]

The best laid plans of mice and men and Mac.

[CaptBeefheart]

The KB hunting that poor xAKL is certainly good news. Are you building up Normanton? Looks like a few units are walking there.

Cheers,
CB

[apbarog]

Yes, Normanton is being built quickly, with many engineer units, some of which are destined for my future invasion locations. I also have one of the big port support units here, with 100+ naval support. Normanton will be the jumping off point for Gove and Wesel and Taberfane and Dobo very soon. Then Darwin after that.

[apbarog]

28 Oct 42

US subchasers at Midway Island find enemy mines. There's a YMS in port that will start sweeping.

Minesweepers Lamberton and Hovey arrive at Port Moresby and battle AMc Iwate Maru #5. The Japanese ship is badly damaged and sinking audio is heard just after combat. The US ships then start clearing mines, and Hovey hits one. Damage is severe, with SYS 12/FLOT 66-56/ENG 3-2/FIRE 0. Lamberton remains as escort and no more minesweeping is done. I split off Hovey and sent it towards Cooktown, allowing Lamberton to start sweeping again.

The Chinese fighter ambush worked, but hundreds of Chinese were still casualties on the ground.

Morning Air attack on 34th Chinese Corps, at 83,42 , near Sian

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 36
Ki-49-Ia Helen x 5
Ki-51 Sonia x 36

Allied aircraft
P-43A-1 Lancer x 21
P-66 Vanguard x 10

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 3 destroyed
Ki-49-Ia Helen: 1 damaged
Ki-51 Sonia: 5 destroyed, 5 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
P-43A-1 Lancer: 2 destroyed

Allied ground losses:
177 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 12 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

and

Morning Air attack on 9th Chinese Corps, at 83,42 , near Sian

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-48-IIa Lily x 25

Allied aircraft
P-43A-1 Lancer x 8
P-66 Vanguard x 2

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48-IIa Lily: 4 destroyed, 4 damaged

No Allied losses

Allied ground losses:
74 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

and

Morning Air attack on 9th Chinese Corps, at 83,42 , near Sian

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-Ia Helen x 19

Allied aircraft
P-43A-1 Lancer x 2
P-66 Vanguard x 2

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-Ia Helen: 1 destroyed, 4 damaged

No Allied losses

Allied ground losses:
101 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Nice to see the Chinese, once at least adequately trained, do some good. Actual losses were 10 Sonias, 9 Oscars and 7 Lilys for the loss of 3 Lancers and 1 Vanguard. There was a nice jump in Chinese pilot experience levels. One pilot got 3 kills. Also noted was the audio of a downed plane during the air tranport phase. Turned out that 2 Topsys and 2 Helens were downed, almost certainly in this hex. I did notice that there were no text messages about this.

B-17s bombed Merauke but found 23 Zeros. One of each was lost.

Buin, in the Solomons, became a size 1 airfield.

Where the enemy had pushed north from Kukong, in southern China, they attacked again. Casualties were fairly even, which is bad for the Chinese, which have few reserves in the area.

Ground combat at 79,56 (near Kukong)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 33896 troops, 285 guns, 60 vehicles, Assault Value = 1056

Defending force 23972 troops, 71 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 748

Japanese adjusted assault: 545

Allied adjusted defense: 910

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
821 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 117 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Guns lost 5 (2 destroyed, 3 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
836 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 77 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 29 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 10 (1 destroyed, 9 disabled)

Assaulting units:
17th Division
116th Division
13th Ind.Mixed Brigade
4th Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
86th Chinese Corps
100th Chinese Corps
7th War Area
12th Group Army

KB, or what I call KB, did not chase the xAKL task force and moved from east of Wake to between Wake and Kwajalein, as if it is headed to Kwajalein.

The big Port Moresby invasion task force was spotted, but only at 2/2 detection levels. The other task forces, including carriers, weren't seen. We invade today.

[apbarog]

29 Oct 42

2 DMS sweep more mines at Port Moresby, and they haven't gotten them all yet. Close call outside of the base.

Sub attack near Port Moresby at 97,130

Japanese Ships
SS RO-34

Allied Ships
CV Enterprise
BB Prince of Wales
BB North Carolina
CA Minneapolis
CA Louisville
CL St. Louis
CLAA San Juan
CLAA San Diego
DD Lang
DD Wilson
DD Sterett

SS RO-34 launches 4 torpedoes at CV Enterprise

Old battleships do what they do best.

Night Naval bombardment of Port Moresby at 98,130

Allied Ships
BB Mississippi
BB New Mexico
CA Chicago
DD Clark
DD Phelps
DD Selfridge

Japanese ground losses:
558 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 13 destroyed, 44 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 15 (5 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 25
Port hits 4

Wildcats from CVE Copahee try to sweep Lae ahead of the B-24s. The Wildcat pilots were mediocre, and it showed in the face of twice as many enemy.

Morning Air attack on Lae , at 99,126

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 49 NM, estimated altitude 22,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 17 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 54

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 28

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 3 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 10 destroyed

B-24s then bombed but did so ineffectively, running into a CAP that was still strong. Total air losses were 14 Zeros for 15 F4F-4s and 4 B-24s. More than one Zero was shot down by Liberators.

Lots of enemy bombers with an overkill of escorts went after Ankang, where my Chinese fighters were based. The Chinese had moved out, but left about 10 damaged planes at the base. One P-66 was destroyed on the ground.

The enemy swept Cox's Bazar and then bombed troops. Partly a recon mission, probably.

KB was not seen today. Could have gone to Kwajalein or to Truk, or be making a direct route to Rabaul.

Near Bassein, Permit fired 2 torpedoes at xAKL Heiku Maru. Both hit and neither was a dud! One small cargo ship sunk.

In the critical hex just north of Kukong, the enemy followed up yesterday's promising attack with another, with different results.

Ground combat at 79,56 (near Kukong)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 32951 troops, 283 guns, 60 vehicles, Assault Value = 960

Defending force 23275 troops, 70 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 679

Japanese adjusted assault: 612

Allied adjusted defense: 1405

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
2497 casualties reported
Squads: 17 destroyed, 185 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 17 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Guns lost 17 (2 destroyed, 15 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
509 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 24 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 31 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled

Assaulting units:
17th Division
116th Division
13th Ind.Mixed Brigade
4th Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
86th Chinese Corps
100th Chinese Corps
7th War Area
12th Group Army

The Changsha area is safe for a little while longer.

All of the nice APs have unloaded all of the men of the 2nd Marine and 41st Infantry divisions, but they have significant supply on them, as do the xAKs. I decide to leave them all there another day to unload. An added risk for the possible benefit of a lot more supply at Port Moresby.

Here's the order of battle for Port Moresby. The Allies attack today, after a scheduled bombardment from 2 heavy cruisers and 2 destroyers, detached from the protecting force.

Ground combat at Port Moresby (98,130)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 6126 troops, 45 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 236

Defending force 30549 troops, 430 guns, 499 vehicles, Assault Value = 946

Japanese ground losses:
104 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
85th Naval Guard Unit
4th/C Division
25th Air Flotilla
3rd Base Force
15th Naval Construction Battalion
8th JNAF AF Unit
14th Naval Construction Battalion
39th Field AA Battalion
41st Field AA Battalion
40th JNAF AF Unit

Defending units:
41st Infantry Division
2nd Marine Division
754th Tank Battalion
193rd Tank Battalion
1st Tank Battalion
I US Corps /1
223rd FA Bn /1
97th FA Bn /1

[apbarog]

It's interesting to note that the 3 consecutive non-dud torpedo hits are certainly a rarity at this point in the war. With a dud rate of 90% (which I believe is correct), the odds of getting 3 non-dud hits in a row are 1 in a 1000.

[apbarog]

30 Oct 42

Some troops and mostly supply unloads at Port Moresby. Destroyer Napier hits RO-64 with a depth charge just southwest of the base. 3 tiny Allied minesweepers arrive to help clear the mines. AMc Tui hits one and sinks. These ships and 2 US DMS finish clearing the minefield.

Near Babar, Plunger fired 2 torpedoes at SC Ch 28. One hit but was a dud. Pike also engaged xAKL Koyu Maru near Koepang, and one of the two torpedoes fired hit but was a dud.

B-17s hit enemy troops at Port Moresby and the airfield at Milne Bay. No opposition today.

Bettys with Zeros attacked Kusaie Island. Supply is over 1,000 now, which hasn't happened often.

Enemy bombers with Tojos attacked Ankang again today but didn't get any more of the damaged Chinese fighters there. A few of the Chinese were repaired and flew out today.

A mainly US force attacks at Port Moresby.

Ground combat at Port Moresby (98,130)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 28408 troops, 454 guns, 507 vehicles, Assault Value = 956

Defending force 13834 troops, 123 guns, 22 vehicles, Assault Value = 228

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Allied adjusted assault: 1356

Japanese adjusted defense: 107

Allied assault odds: 12 to 1 (fort level 2)

Allied forces CAPTURE Port Moresby !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
6513 casualties reported
Squads: 121 destroyed, 23 disabled
Non Combat: 184 destroyed, 77 disabled
Engineers: 58 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 69 (57 destroyed, 12 disabled)
Vehicles lost 17 (17 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 10

Allied ground losses:
236 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 34 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
41st Infantry Division
754th Tank Battalion
193rd Tank Battalion
2nd Marine Division
1st Tank Battalion
I US Corps
97th Field Artillery Battalion
223rd Field Artillery Battalion
13th Fld RAA Rgt /3

Defending units:
85th Naval Guard Unit
4th/C Division
25th Air Flotilla
3rd Base Force
15th Naval Construction Battalion
14th Naval Construction Battalion
8th JNAF AF Unit
41st Field AA Battalion
39th Field AA Battalion
40th JNAF AF Unit

A smooth operation. One attack takes the base and sends all of the enemy into the inland mountains of New Guinea. They do get a nice push halfway to Buna, but there are fewer of them now than yesterday.

The 2nd Marine Division immediately begins to plan for Darwin, along with 754 Tank and two of the artillery units. They'll join Americal and five other units in that assault, even though they won't be fully prepped by then. I think two divisions are needed. The Japanese took Darwin with a division and it went south, but there are 14 units at Darwin now.

The 41st Infantry Division will stay at Port Moresby a day or two to have their engineers help repair the airfield, then they'll move inland towards Buna. I'll have them push to Buna instead of using the 1st Marine Division which is fully prepped for Buna but is at Nauru Island. No reason to risk shipping so close to Rabaul if I don't have to. And Buna is a lower priority for me than the push northwest from Horn Island.

[BBfanboy]

Congrats on taking PM. Looks like a well organized invasion.
Are you in a position to go H2H with KB if it shows up?
Would be good to get some Cats patrolling out of PM ASAP, even if AV support is not there yet.

[apbarog]

Cats are there now. Hopefully the airfield will be repaired enough to move fighters in today. Lots of base support are starting to unload today.

[apbarog]

31 Oct 42

Pike fired 2 torpedoes at PB Shosei Maru near Koepang. One hit but was a dud.

Merauke, Buin, Horn Island and Milne Bay all bombed by US bombers.

Enemy artillery attacks in China but nothing more. The line may hold for a bit longer.

The task force with support units is now unloading at Port Moresby. With fighter squadrons now deployed there, the carriers will move to support the Milne Bay landing today.