29-30 Jan 42
Highlights – Singapore taken in the first assault!
Jpn ships sunk:
DD: 1 (Hagikaze – scuttled)
xAK: 4
Allied ships sunk:
YMS: 2
ML: 8
xAKL: 1
Allied ships un-sunk:
SS: 1 (KVIII)
Air loss:
Jpn: 19
Allied: 05
Subwar:
Jpn: 1 Attack, 1 ship hit (xAKL sunk)
Allies: 3 Attacks, 1 ship hit (xAK sunk)
Jpn Amph Inv:
Belep Is (South Pacific)
Buka (South Pacific)
Keopang (SW Pacific)
Allied Amph: None
Bases lost: None
Bases seized:
Singapore (Malaya)
Buka (South Pacific)
Serasan (DEI – flipped)
SIGINT/Intel: Recon and air search continue to fail to find any trace of the Allied cruisers in the DEI, but port raid on Soerabaja claims multiple hits on CA Canberra – are all the cruisers in there??
Japan/Industry: All the industry in Singers was destroyed to zero! Amazing with a single attack…so, for now, I’m rebuilding the shipyard and heavy industry. Air production is slightly expanded with 5 more Sallys (30) and 10 more Jakes (50) – both are at zero balance and numerous squadrons short. Also, BB Kongo arrived safely in Kure where she’ll begin her repairs – initial estimates are upwards of 2.5 months!
Kuriles/Aleutians/North Pacific: I-26 sights an xAP in the Aleutians west of Dutch Harbor, so I figure L_S_T is moving garrisons westward. While I would like to gain a foothold in the Aleutians as a early warning base, I fear I have missed any opportunity to do it with minimal forces – and I still don’t have those minimal forces available, especially destroyers.
Central Pacific: NSTR.
South Pacific: Troops begin loading at Rabaul for Pt Moresby as the 144 IN Reg departs Noumea, and begins its journey into the Coral Sea. KB refuels just SE of Noumea and will also head into the Coral Sea. CV Hiryu TF is still well into the southeast Pacific, and will begin heading NW, just west of the Cook Islands. CVE Taiyo will remain east of Auckland for a few more days, then will retire north.
DEI/SW Pacific: A Bde of the 4th ID was successfully landed at Koepang, covered by Tanaka’s CL TF (2CL, DDs), and so far, no interference. This is intended to secure the flank while focus shifts to secure Java and then Sumatra. As mentioned, hitting CA Canberra with a port strike on Soerabaja was a surprise since recon has failed to identify any warships there. Still, the Mini-KB will head to Kendari to rearm and refuel while the 4th ID Bde at Denpasar is taken off, covered by BB Ise TF – which also needs to refuel shortly. Air cover is now left to Zeros and Nells at Denpasar, along with bases in Borneo. Will look to get the next major landing on Java’s north coast as soon as the Mini-KB can return from Kendari. The major ground effort will be the landings to secure Palembang – most of the 25th Army from Singapore will be needed.
PI: The IJA attack at Clark was repulsed by the sizable Allied force, 1925 IJA casualties to only 800 Allied. Worse, no low supply modifier for the Allied Army of 50k – almost twice the size of the Japanese force in northern Luzon. Will bring the 21st Div from Malaya over, but that will take at least a couple of weeks. With some luck, L_S_T will try an attack at Clark where the IJA can benefit from the level 3 forts. Clearing out Manila and Bataan is going to be a long and painful process!
Malaya/Burma: I’m pleasantly surprised that Singers fell in the initial shock attack, with minimal losses. Of course, this shows that L_S_T has pulled a sizeable force out of Malaya to establish “fortress Palembang” which is the next obstacle. Minesweepers followed by transports will head to Singapore to begin moving troops out – most will head to Sumatra. The Imperial Guards Div (the only division at 100% prep for Singers of course) took the brunt of the losses, primarily disabled squads and will be left in Malaya to deal with mopping up the remaining Brit Bde and garrison duties for the time being. With the 21st Div heading to the PI, the 5th and 56th IDs are immediately available for Sumatra. The 18th ID is scattered in Malaya, and will land as available to secure the western half of the island. The 2nd ID is also a bit scattered, although the bulk is in and around Singers, will be brought into Java first. The 33rd will be the last avail division to depart, either to Java to secure Batavia or Sumatra as the situation dictates. In any case, until Palembang is secured, no forces will be “freed up” for either India/Burma or Australia.
Ground combat at Singapore (50,84)
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 85710 troops, 918 guns, 405 vehicles, Assault Value = 2592
Defending force 27430 troops, 392 guns, 217 vehicles, Assault Value = 316
Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1
Japanese adjusted assault: 2204
Allied adjusted defense: 543
Japanese assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 1)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Singapore !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), disruption(-)
Japanese ground losses:
4204 casualties reported
Squads: 9 destroyed, 386 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 39 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 89 disabled
Vehicles lost 17 (2 destroyed, 15 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
17250 casualties reported
Squads: 324 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2076 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 117 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 439 (439 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 311 (311 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 25
Assaulting units:
Imperial Guards Division
56th Division
33rd Division
5th Division
23rd Ind Engineer Regiment
16th Infantry Regiment
15th Ind Engineer Regiment
4th Ind Engineer Regiment
22nd Recon Regiment
21st Division
2nd Engineer Regiment
1st Tank Regiment
12th Engineer Regiment
24th Infantry Regiment
3rd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
25th Army
3rd Mortar Battalion
20th Ind. Mtn Gun Battalion
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
5th Mortar Battalion
2nd Mortar Battalion
18th Mountain Gun Regiment
10th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
2nd Field Artillery Regiment
Defending units:
2nd Gordons Battalion
27th Australian Brigade
2/17 Dogra Battalion
2nd Loyal Battalion
1st Manchester Battalion
22nd Australian Brigade
1st Mysore Battalion
1st HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
3rd HK&S Light AA Regiment
Malaya Army
AHQ Far East
2nd HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
112th RAF Adv Base Force /1
3rd Heavy AA Regiment
Singapore Fortress
Malayan Air Wing
109th RN Base Force
1st Indian Heavy AA Regiment
111th RAF Adv Base Force
113th RAF Adv Base Force /1
III Indian Corps
109th RAF Adv Base Force /1
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
Singapore Base Force
1st ISF Base Force /1
China: The Flying Tigers make their presence known with successful sweeps against Nate CAP over Canton while another squadron is used in the ground attack role with minimal results near Nanyang. This does force my hand to deploy Oscars in China, something I was avoiding for a while. With Singers taken, I can afford it a bit more, and two Oscar C squadrons will deploy, the first one arriving with 12 planes immediately at Canton. Both have excellent pilots, and hopefully can hold their own against the venerable Flying Tigers. The attack on Wenchow will begin next turn, supported by a BB bombardment.
; Julia Child
