Attack Attack Attack - a Hotseat AAR

[kennonlightfoot]

Please slip in a year every once in a while. I lose track of where you are in the game especially when going back through the pages.

[Remington700]

Good idea - will do.

[Remington700]

Japan: June 20th 1943


China-Burma-India Theater

Burma
Rain continues in Burma. The 121st Division remains dug in and will hold the west side of the rail bridge over the Irrawaddy. No change in the line.

South China
Clear weather. G3M Nells pound the Chinese 25th Army outside of Kweiyang along the Jinsha River. There is no enemy CAP and may well not be for a while after the beating the P-40s took over the past weeks. The 13th and 16th Japanese armies assault the position twice before the enemy line crumbles. Losses were four SPs to two in favor of the IJA. After the Chinese retreat across the Jinsha River, the 16th Army occupies the position on the outskirts of Kweiyang.

East China Sea
The USS Skipjack and Finback attack Merchant Marine in the East China Sea doing no damage. Destroyers of the IJN dropped a few “ash cans” but were unable to hit their targets.

[Remington700]

Battle of New Hebrides Islands

Round 1
Offshore of Espiritu Santo scout planes locate a large enemy CV taskforce. The Kido Butai launches everything they have but did not gain surprise. They are met with heavy CAP losing 6 air SPs, but their formations hold. Flak was very thick causing a seven SP loss. Two carriers are targeted resulting in the sinking of the Yorktown and the Lexington taking heavy damage. One of the screening battleships is hit in the process but takes only minor damage.

The US carriers had launched a simultaneous air strike arriving at much the same time as the fight to the south. Japanese CAP was effective shooting down four SPs but flak from the Haruna was ineffective only shooting down two SPs in the process. The Haruna takes multiple hits and is set ablaze. The CV Akagi is set upon by SBDs lighting up her flight deck and TBFs hit her with multiple torpedoes. The carrier is lost.

Round 2
A second wave of US carrier-based planes hit the 2nd Air Fleet but do little damage. The battleship Ise puts up heavy flak destroying three SPs and CAP downs four more. Enemy air losses are starting to add up. Fresh Vals and Kates that launched before the attack on Japanese carriers spot the US fleet and engage the battleship screen. The Tennessee is immediately hit by combined attacks and is sunk. The already damaged Washington is easily finished off. Air losses are six SPs in total and start to stack up.

Round 3
Sensing the US CV fleet must be in a bad way, the Japanese push the attack. Bombers and torpedo planes from the Kido Butai are again sent out to hammer the enemy fleet. Air losses are light, and the CV Wasp is spotted and attacked. While taking a hit, the US carrier is still combat functional. The Maryland suffers heavy damage and is set afire. While the attack is successful it is noticeably weaker than earlier attacks. But the enemy taskforce is further weakened.

Round 4
Planes from the Japanese 2nd Air Fleet find the US CV group reeling from the recent attack of the Kido Butai and attack with with surprise. Enemy CAP is weak and lose four SPs and all but disappear from the sky. Unabated, Kates and Vals attack the US carriers. The damaged Wasp is hit again and burns. The Lexington and Essex take multiple hits and soon sink. This is a major victory for the Japan!

Round 5
Knowing the US CV fleet is shot up and out of aircraft Bettys from Namuga airbase sortie to finish the job. However the rain hampers the attack and the US carriers shoot down 6 SPs before escaping.

Other
The Japanese submarine RO-67 is sent in to finish off the CV Wasp. However it is intercepted and immediately sunk. The 1st MTB slips into resupply the 14th Division at Prot Vila. It is easily sunk by carrier-based planes from a second US CV taskforce off New Caledonia. The cutoff army units at Espiritu Santo and Noumea are resupplied by air.

Tactically this battle is a big win for the Japanese. Strategically nothing has changed. Of note, the US carriers with the anti-air specialty distinguished themselves doing more air damage than normal. Something to think about. The heavy loss in planes will be a problem for both sides if the battle continues. I need to figure out how to use a sub to sink a damaged carrier. And to stop wasting single ships in fruitless efforts to resupply.

[Remington700]

Builds
Japan: No Builds. Replacements upped to 300

[Remington700]

Allied June 20th 1943

Burma
After more than a year of jungle combat the Anglo-Indian troops have learned how to fight in heavy foliage. (British and Indian infantry will reduce the 25% malus for attacking in jungle terrain to a 5% decrease).

With the Japanese CV forces tied up in the Coral Sea, the British Main Fleet steams into the Andaman Sea cutting of sea supply to Rangoon. D3A Vals supported by A6m3 Zeros attack the fleet causing minor damage to the battleship Valiant. P-38s flying long range air support shoot down three bomber SPs and two Zeros with three losses. This is a recon raid to provide intel for the planning of Operation Dracula, the invasion of Rangoon.

SBD and Barracuda dive-bombers pound the Japanese 121st Division. Three A6m3 SPs are shot down with minimal Allied air loss. The 2nd and 4th Corps attack along the coast road but cannot push the enemy back. Bettys from Chumphon provide ground support but are quickly shot up (loss of four SPs) by Indian Hurricanes forcing them away. Two successive attacks are repulsed with minimal loss on both sides. Further attacks are called off. 3rd Corps replaces the beat-up 2nd Corps in the line. The enemy remains dug-in west of the Irrawaddy River.

[Remington700]

South China
The weather is clear however the Chinese are unable to mount any kind of counterattack to move the front away from Kweiyang. Their best defense continues to be rain. To the south and west it is monsoon season however it is not hitting this far north.

[Remington700]

Battle of New Hebrides Islands
After a very lopsided battle, the heavily torn-up Taskforce 21 steams to Fiji for repairs and replacements. Taskforce 25 steams northeast of Espiritu Santo to take another crack at the Japanese Air Fleets. The enemy strikes first, however the US carriers have time to launch bombers before the attack arrives. The new radar systems are working well, providing early warning. The CV Bunker Hill is targeted and heavily damaged. However it is able to steam away to Fiji for repairs.

SBDs and TBFs find the Shokaku and sink her! The battleship Hyuga providing anti-air support is also hit but continues to put up a fight. After the successful hit and run attack, Taskforce 25 heads back to their position off New Caledonia supporting the 9th Corps. They are joined by the CVL Cowpens. Destroyers resupply US forces on the island.

Destroyers blockading Port Vila pull off and move to surround Espiritu Santo. They are joined by submarines in an attempt to seal off the enemy from resupply. One destroyer is heavily damaged and the other is sunk.

One more turn and the enemy air unit should perish. I am sure the enemy will seek to resupply the air unit as it is keeping the Japanese infantry alive. I don’t have a lot of confidence in this plan working, but it is worth the risk. The main objective of the operation continues to be New Caledonia but taking the fight to the New Hebrides Islands causes the enemy to focus in a different direction. I was hoping to bag all three ports but that is looking highly unlikely.

West Coast
The CVL Monterey heads to Australia along with a squadron of P-47 dive-bombers and a Canadian submarine.

[Remington700]

Builds
UK: 1 Submarine
India: No builds
US: No builds

Convoys
US: 50 OPs to UK. 50 PPs and 30 OPs to India

[John B.]

Exciting carrier battle! What was the final butcher's bill?

[kennonlightfoot]

Allied June 20th 1943

I did miss my count. No wonder I was seeing so many full strength Allied units.

[Remington700]

ORIGINAL: John B.

Exciting carrier battle! What was the final butcher's bill?

Coming soon. Both sides are pretty used up but there is still a little action left.

[Remington700]

Japan: July 4th 1943

Burma
D3A Val dive-bombers attack the British Main Fleet in the Andaman Sea. The battleship Ramillies is spotted and hit by multiple bombs doing two SPs in damage. Air losses were light. The 12th Japanese Imperial Army moves out of Moulmein toward the Irrawaddy River.

[Remington700]

South China
G3Ms sortie twice targeting the Chinese 12th Army southeast of Kweiyang. The air strikes are followed up by an intense attack from the 13th, 16th and 20th armies supported by Nell bombers. The enemy takes three hits and retreats west of Kweiyang.

[Remington700]

New Hebrides Islands
G4M Bettys from Namuga target the remnants of the 27th Destroyer squadron but fail to locate a target. Dive-bombers from the CV Hiyo locate the last destroyer and sinks it just off a small atoll. Carrier based planes from the 1st and 2nd Air Fleets locate submarine targets along the main island and destroy them. This opens the way for destroyers to resupply the beleaguered forces. The US 2nd Marines are now cutoff and unsupplied. Two US submarines remain in the area but are not enough to stop the flow of supplies. The base on Espiritu Santo has been saved!

The Shudan brigade in Noumea is resupplied by air. This will probably be the last of the supplies that will be delivered for some time. The infantry unit will have to hold out the best they can.

[Remington700]

Reports
Japan: No Builds.

[Remington700]

Allied: July 4th 1943

Burma
Airstrikes by SBD and Fairey dive-bombers target the Japanese 121st Division dug-in west of the Irrawaddy River protecting the crossing. The 3rd and 4th US corps attack multiple times but cannot budge the defenders. Nell bombers supporting the Japanese infantry hit the US HQ killing General Geiger. He will be replaced by General Patch. The repeated failure of two US corps to push back a single infantry division has caused worry at SEAC. Changes will need to be made.

The HMS Hermes launches two sorties at the Moulmein airbase, but they do little damage. This attack is running out of steam. The monsoon is making offensive combat difficult, and the current approach is not working. It is time to do something different.

[Remington700]

South China
The clear weather continues as the Japanese inch forward to Kweiyang. There is no way to slow them down. Small movements happen along the line however Chinese forces are too weak to mount an offensive. Without a retreat path the Reserve Army is just about pocketed to the south of Hongshui River. If Kweiyang falls the supply and communication lines from Kunming to Chungking will be cut. This will separate the Chinese armies in the southwest from the rest of the front. However both groups will have supply sources so they may be able to hold Kunming awhile longer.

[Remington700]

New Hebrides Islands
Knowing the Japanese Air Fleets are weakened and low on aircraft, Taskforce 25 steams through the New Hebrides Islands drawing the Kido Butai into battle. The Japanese strike first doing minor damage to the cruiser New Orleans. US bombers catch the 1st Air Fleet by surprise hitting both the carrier Junyo and battleship Yamato twice. The CV Hiyo was hit but is still operational. Rather than stick around, the taskforce steams back to New Caledonia to protect the invasion force. The group spreads out a bit, and Japanese destroyers famous for their night attacks pounce on the lead elements of the taskforce. Thinking they are just a supply column the enemy commits to the attack only to be hit astern by the rest of the taskforce. The destroyers are quickly destroyed.(My mistake with the Japanese destroyer - forgot to set to "raid".)

The patched together 21st taskforce sorties out of Fiji and hunts the Japanese carriers. Finding each other, both sides put up as large of CAP as possible and launch air strikes. However all combatants are just about used up so the air strikes are ineffective. Bombers from the CV Bunker Hill did find the cruiser Takao doing two SPs of damage. The taskforce then returns to the safety of Suva harbor in Fiji.

The 2nd Marine Division attacks the port on Espiritu Santo but cannot dislodge the defenders. The unit is unsupplied and taking heavy losses. I am not sure how long they can hold out. We may be able to muster a relief force in a turn or two.

[Remington700]

Builds
UK: 1 Submarine
India: 1 Large Corps
US: 1 Large Corps

Convoys
US: 50 OPs to UK. 50 PPs and 30 OPs to India