Deja Vu All Over Again - apbarog(J) vs OPilot(A)

[Lowpe]

Lots of Chinese fighting...I worried about the crossing at Chihkiang.

The over stacking is worse on offense than defense...but the supply wastage will hurt China in the long run.

[apbarog]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Lots of Chinese fighting...I worried about the crossing at Chihkiang.

The over stacking is worse on offense than defense...but the supply wastage will hurt China in the long run.

Tuyun looks a lot like Chihkiang. I don't think an attack there would go any better.

[apbarog]

2 Jul 42

The bombers ordered to hit Chinese troops at Changsha did not fly. The attack was barely at 1 to 1.

Ground combat at Changsha (82,52)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 54173 troops, 428 guns, 28 vehicles, Assault Value = 1474

Defending force 22626 troops, 169 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 551

Japanese adjusted assault: 764

Allied adjusted defense: 707

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

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0

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

Japanese ground losses:
1087 casualties reported
Squads: 23 destroyed, 198 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 16 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled
Guns lost 13 (1 destroyed, 12 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
646 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 152 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 14 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 8 disabled
Guns lost 13 (2 destroyed, 11 disabled)

Here's the status at Tuyun. I don't see a win coming here. I see another result like the one at Chihkiang yesterday.

Ground combat at Tuyun (74,51)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 57525 troops, 556 guns, 288 vehicles, Assault Value = 1839

Defending force 55679 troops, 260 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1796

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

Assaulting units:
14th Division
3rd Tank Regiment
19th Division
18th Division
9th Tank Regiment
56th Division
Botanko Hvy Gun Regiment
30th Field AA Machinecannon Company
16th Army
10th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
57th Chinese Corps
76th Chinese Corps
6th Chinese Corps
3rd Chinese Corps
66th Chinese Corps
4th War Area
1st Group Army
34th Group Army
1st Artillery Regiment

In a couple of weeks, I have a tank division that will be formed south of Tuyun. And I have a recovering division at Canton that could be thrown into the line. It's about 75% of full strength. I am trying to thin the line elsewhere in China, but that's been done before, and there isn't much to take.

A change from a blitzkrieg to a grinding offensive would still favor the Japanese, as the Chinese are hurting and supply is dwindling. But in the big picture, time is on the Allied side. I want to accomplish my objectives in China and extract as many troops as I can to defend the Pacific. It's going to be a race, of sorts. I need to come up with a breakthrough around Tuyun.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: apbarog

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Lots of Chinese fighting...I worried about the crossing at Chihkiang.

The over stacking is worse on offense than defense...but the supply wastage will hurt China in the long run.

Tuyun looks a lot like Chihkiang. I don't think an attack there would go any better.

Overstacking generally makes the troops more vulnerable to air attacks and generally you will hit base forces and large units first. Perhaps something you can exploit.

[apbarog]

3 Jul 42

Sub-dropped mines found outside of Balikpapan and swept up quickly.

Sub Drum fired 2 torpedoes at xAKL Nitiyu Maru but missed. The ship has supply that I hope to get to Midway.

Heavy Japanese bombing in support of another ground attack. Over 500 casualties from the bombing.

Ground combat at Changsha (82,52)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 45134 troops, 345 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 1331

Defending force 21106 troops, 167 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 414

Japanese adjusted assault: 952

Allied adjusted defense: 285

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Changsha !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
564 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 49 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled

Allied ground losses:
7958 casualties reported
Squads: 299 destroyed, 22 disabled
Non Combat: 212 destroyed, 30 disabled
Engineers: 47 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 28 (25 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Units retreated 5

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
58th Division
3rd Division
13th Ind.Mixed Brigade
34th Division
70th Division
19th Ind.Mixed Brigade
11th Army
52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion

Defending units:
58th Chinese Corps
72nd Chinese Corps
9th Prov Chinese Corps
78th Chinese Corps
30th Group Army

It was a tough fight in the urban terrain of Changsha. Finally the enemy is beaten, with high losses. Chinese units taking these kind of losses will never recover if I can keep Allied supply out of China.

[apbarog]

4 Jul 42

Dutch sub KXV hit xAK Zenoa Maru near the straits between Celebes and Borneo. The ship, and a few others, are carrying a small infantry unit to Iloilo, where it is needed for garrison duty. Small number of troops lost.

I-15 fired 4 torpedoes at AVD Hulbert at Laysan Island, southeast of Midway. Torpedoes missed. Destroyer Litchfield hit the sub with a depth charge and had several near misses. I-15 is SYS 16/FLOT 48-33/ENG 0/FIRE 0 and will head directly to Japan for repairs.

Denpassar (Bali) is invaded by a small Japanese unit. Defense is very weak and should be out of supply. Some cleanup being done here. All the islands between Java and Timor are still Allied.

In the far, far north of China, an infantry brigade reinforced a tank regiment attacking a Chinese brigade. The Chinese were routed in an 8 to 1 attack. It's a long trek to the base well north of Lanchow, and supply will be next to impossible, but the Japanese are going there to cut off the far north.

Attacked the 2 Chinese corps that are completely surrounded northeast of Yenan. The attackers were outnumbered, but the enemy is out of supply and getting bombed daily. The enemy will probably escape, in a depleted manner, to the west, as another Chinese unit moved into that hex from the west, into a Japanese unit, opening up the western hex side. But I still believe that it's better to rout the Chinese units and let them escape in a much weakened form than eliminate them and have them respawn in Chungking, closer to my objectives. OPilot has done a good job escaping from several encirclements in the war, but sometimes, I've let it happen.

Oops for today. I've had a Glen equipped sub off of Port Rupert, Canada for quite awhile . It never spots anything. I checked to make sure that the Glen hadn't been lost. It hadn't. But I noticed it was on naval search training. Oops! Now we'll probably see all kinds of activity off the coast of Canada.

[apbarog]

5 Jul 42

I-153 fired 6 torpedoes at DM Stronghold near Akyab. If Akyab wasn't mined already, it probably is now.

P-40Es from Lanchow swept Ningsia for the first time. Oscars are at Ningsia, but they were grounded. I'd moved them there when the airbase was built, and figured that they'd deter any attacks just with their presence being spotted. It did, for awhile. Must be enough supply at Lanchow to support the fighters. 18 SB-IIIs from the base north of Lanchow then hit Ningsia, destroying a couple of Oscars on the ground. Base damage was minimal and fixed by the end of the day. The Oscars will fly from now on.

Heavy Japanese bombing of Chinese troops at Kweilin. Then the first attack there.

Ground combat at Kweilin (76,54)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 46191 troops, 437 guns, 274 vehicles, Assault Value = 1387

Defending force 31446 troops, 160 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 799

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 893

Allied adjusted defense: 2947

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 3 (fort level 2)

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

Japanese ground losses:
1838 casualties reported
Squads: 6 destroyed, 114 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 18 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1812 casualties reported
Squads: 9 destroyed, 160 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 42 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 32 (1 destroyed, 31 disabled)

Assaulting units:
51st Division
23rd Tank Regiment
26th Division
Imperial Guards Division
Yokosuka 2nd SNLF
4th Mortar Battalion
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
65th Chinese Corps
100th Chinese Corps
63rd Chinese Corps
3rd New Chinese Corps
12th Group Army
7th War Area
11th Chinese Base Force
18th Chinese Base Force

The odds were terrible but the losses were fairly even. I'd attack again immediately but one division is short on supply. Artillery will bombard today.

In an unusual battle pitting Thai troops against Chinese, the Thai didn't do so well.

Ground combat at Myitkyina (64,42)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 11942 troops, 97 guns, 17 vehicles, Assault Value = 500

Defending force 9386 troops, 16 guns, 6 vehicles, Assault Value = 314

Japanese adjusted assault: 358

Allied adjusted defense: 508

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

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

Japanese ground losses:
1637 casualties reported
Squads: 9 destroyed, 279 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 19 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Allied ground losses:
389 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 67 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
4th RTA Division
6th RTA Division
Yokosuka 1st SNLF /1
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
BFF Brigade
96th Chinese Division
200th Chinese Division
36th Chinese Division
88th Chinese Division
101st RAF Base Force

The river crossing from the south was supplemented with a Thai division already in town, having come in from the west. Paras also dropped. But it went poorly. The more weakened Thai division will move back to the west to guard the flank. We'll hold here for now.

The only 2 Japanese divisions actually in Burma are these 2 Thai divisions. 2 actual Japanese divisions have moved into China, taking Paoshan and moving east. A third Japanese division was pulled out and is at Soerabaja prepping for Darwin.

It's obvious that I need more troops in Burma. A tank division will come, as well as a division from Korea. Most of the Korean division is leaving Korea now, except for the sizable brigade part, which needs 692 points to be bought out. I currently have 220, so it will be about 9 days.

The first Tojo IIa unit is readying at Hong Kong. It will go to Burma.

[apbarog]

6 Jul 42

Grouper hit xAP Kitano Maru with 2 torpedoes southwest of Nagoya. [EDIT: One hit was a dud.] The transport, with another transport and DD Yomogi, are loaded with an area army HQ and headed to China. Kitano Maru is SYS 18/FLOT 34-19/ENG 6-0/FIRE 11. The task force will head to Okinawa just in case the damage gets worse and the ship needs to be unloaded. Another transport is ordered out from Tokyo to Okinawa to meet up.

Denpassar is taken from a small out of supply Dutch unit.

Finally! I'd moved a Nick unit to Adak in the Aleutians, where I hadn't move any fighters or bombers so far. B-26s and B-17s had been bombing Aleutian bases every day for weeks. On the day the Nicks got there, the bombing stopped, and didn't return for 3 days. But today, the bombers returned to Adak. 11 B-26s were shot down, and one B-17 was downed. Adak is a bit too far for Allied fighter support, I believe, until the P-38s show up. I do note an increase in the number of ships in port at Dutch Harbor.

We attack at Kweilin today. Also in the far northern desert of China.

I've ordered the recuperating 4th Infantry Division, at Kweilin, to move to Haiphong to load up for a trip to Burma. The division will need to rest somewhere, maybe at Singapore. I'll know by the time it gets that far if there is an urgent need for it in Burma.

Increased shipping activity noted by Glen subs off the west coast of Australia. More smaller task forces seen, nothing big yet.

[apbarog]

7 Jul 42

SB-IIIs and B-25Cs bombed Ningsia in northern China. Oscars wee on CAP. 5 B-25s and 2 SB-IIIs were shot down, for the cost of an Oscar that was an ops loss. I don't have any base support there, and there are fewer than 10 operational Oscars now. A base unit is on the trail on the way but it'll take over a week to get there. I decided to fly in most of another unit. That will start today.

Japanese bombers hit Chinese troops at Kweilin again, and we attacked again. Slightly better odds, reduced the forts, but high casualties. The enemy had supply. I'm figuring that will not be the case with another attack today, so another attack is ordered. Japanese troops do have supply.

With the enemy having retreated further north of Changsha, I decided to move most of the Changsha stack west to support the Tuyun offensive. I need Kweilin to be taken so that these units can rail on through. If the Kweilin attack fails, and I need reinforcement, these unit will do that.

Fires went down on xAP Kitano Maru, but damage increased, and the fires aren't completely out. Worse, the xAP split off from the task force and will now make for the Japanese coast. It will have to be lucky to avoid a sub. Another transport will head to the same location to be readey to pick up the unit fragment currently on the damaged ship.

[apbarog]

8 Jul 42

Chinese troops at Kweilin were heavily bombed again. They then evacuated the town, leaving by the trail to the north. Kweilin is captured unopposed. The mythical east-west route from Singapore to Korea is now almost all in Japanese hands, with just a couple of Chinese units blocking the rail east of Kweilin. And they are moving north, just slowly, off the roads.

I note increased enemy sub activity in the Marshall Islands. Activity that includes subs moving directly into Japanese bases. I have a destroyer force hunting the subs but they haven't been at the right island on the right day so far.

xAP Kiatano Maru made it to the Japanese coast and it is unloading. It is now SYS 33/FLOT 35(+1)/ENG 21(+1)/FIRE 2(-1). Another xAP has joined the task force and hopes to put out the remaining fire. Unloading will continue, then the ship will be disbanded into port, and the replacement xAP will load the unit fragment. The rest of the unit, an area HQ, is on a transport now waiting at Okinawa. Once all joined up, the unit will be moved to China.

[apbarog]

9 Jul 42

S-32 missed xAKL Nissen Maru #2 with 2 torpedoes at Midway. Another place that US subs are just sitting and waiting for something to show up. The strategy works. I can't mine every port or have ASW forces everywhere. PB Hakkai Maru missed the sub with all of its depth charges. I'd moved a destroyer to Midway to look for the sub. It hasn't engaged. I moved the xAKL into a task force with the destroyer, for some protection. There's another xAKL which was disbanded into port to await its turn for unloading at the size 1 port.

RO-62 fired 6 torpedoes to CL Nashville, just southeast of Dutch Harbor in the Aleutians. 2 torpedoes hit and heavy damage is reported. RO-62 was moving to a patrol location east of Dutch Harbor and got very lucky on the way. A few enemy destroyers are spotted. Nashville hasn't sunk, but it'll be out of the fight for awhile, and will have to make it back to a shipyard.

Northeast of Yenan, we continue to try to whittle down 2 Chinese corps that are surrounded but are making an escape to the west.

Ground combat at 91,36 (near Kweisui)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 4779 troops, 46 guns, 50 vehicles, Assault Value = 129

Defending force 17479 troops, 113 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 427

Japanese adjusted assault: 48

Allied adjusted defense: 29

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
176 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 21 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
97 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Assaulting units:
4th Cavalry Brigade
138th Infantry Regiment

Defending units:
35th Chinese Corps
3rd Prov Chinese Corps

The Chinese get bombed daily here. The next attack will wait for resupply.

I'm trying an air operation over Kunming. The first big Tojo-IIa unit is at Lao Cai, south of Kunming. It will sweep Kunming at high altitude. An Allied fighter squadron is currently at Kunming, probably the Flying Tigers. I have an Oscar unit at Lao Cai also, and it will LRCAP Kunming, with the hope of intercepting supply-carrying transports and bombers. Odds are they are flying to Kunming.

[apbarog]

10 Jul 42

Destroyer Kiku attacked Wahoo at Mili, doing minor damage to the sub. Several enemy subs are sitting on Japanese bases in the Marshalls.

My air plan at Kunming was partially successful. Just 3 Tojos swept Kunming, finding 25 Flying Tiger P-40Es. 40 Oscars joined in, being on LRCAP there. The Oscars went down in droves. Then the main group of Tojos arrived, 30 of the new IIa models. 13 Warhawks were still on CAP, and most were shot down. Pappy Boyington was observed in combat and was reportedly shot down. So, the IIa are a big improvement. But no transports were spotted flying supply into Kunming.

[apbarog]

11 Jul 42

CL Honolulu and 8 DDs showed up at Midway. They hadn't been spotted by the Nells there. DD Shirayuki was protecting xAKL Nissen Maru #2 unload at the size 1 port. Both were sunk quickly. Shirayuki was hit by a torpedo in the opening salvo. 2 other xAKLs are disbanded in port, loaded with supply. A patrol boat is there also. The enemy moved back to Larsen Island.

Sub Tuna had a remarkable day at Paramushiro-Jima. Patrol boat Shonon Maru #11 was escorting xAK Tempei Maru and xAK Taihei Maru, which were just starting to unload supply. 2 sub chasers were there also, with subs reported in the area recently. Tuna fired 2 torpedoes at Tempei Maru. Both hit, and both were not duds. The ship sank. A bit later in the day, Tuna fired 4 torpedoes at Taihei Maru. 2 hit, and 1 was a dud. The ship sank after combat. The sub chasers did not spot the sub.

4 hits and only 1 was a dud. Pretty good result for 1942.

Yesterday, the new Tojo model had swept Kunming from Lao Cai and did a number on the Flying Tiger's Warhawks there. Today, the P-40Es swept Lao Cai at 29,000 feet (max altitude). I had the Tojos at 11,000 feet, expecting a retaliation raid of B-17s from Ledo. The Warhawks did very well against the Tojos, downing 8 of them. About 4 Warhawks were shot down. This is a great example of what the bounce does for you. If I'd had the Tojos at 30,000 feet, like they were at yesterday when they swept, they'd have done much better. I hate to play the "I'm going to fly higher than you" game, but in a fight of single squadrons, there's a big advantage to do so. You can mitigate this advantage having a stacked CAP, but that requires more than one unit. The Tojos will stay very high from now on.

As it turned out, B-17s did follow the Warhawks in. A much reduced Tojo CAP shot down 1 B-17, with another shot down by flak.

Warhawks also swept Ningsia at 25000 feet, where Oscars were on CAP at 8000 feet. 11 Oscars were shot down, while about 6 Warhawks were downed.

The Indian bomber force of Blens and Wellingtons hit the Thai division at Myitkyina, doing minor damage in the jungle.

[apbarog]

12 Jul 42

Nothing much happened today. Some of the usual bombing. A single A-29 hit the Japanese regiment in the far northern part of China, slowing it down. We bomb Bandoeng, every day, and have done so for months. It still has supply. Lilys bombed a Philippine unit at Bacolod. 2 small Japanese units are marching in having landed elsewhere on the island. Cleanup work. Most of the Japanese bombers rested in China. They'll hit Tuyun next, and probably concentrate there as we slowly build forces to the south of town. We're already in town, but I want to have my second wave ready to go before starting the assault. The first wave will get hurt.

I've avoided using mines since the first week in the war. I want to stockpile them for late-war use, in places that the enemy has to come to. I'm making an exception here. The four minelaying subs loaded mines at Tokyo and will head to Midway. If the island hasn't been invaded by the time they get there, they'll drop the mines there.

[apbarog]

13 Jul 42

RO-62 spotted a bunch of APDs near Norfolk Island. The base is building, dug in, is mined, and has about 60 fighters protecting it. Early on, I bombarded it and bombed it, which slowed development, but that time has passed. There's even enemy tanks defending. It was a logical spot for my next landing after New Caledonia, but I wasn't going there unless it was not defended. Suva and Nadi are both huge enemy bases with size 9 airfields.

Japanese bombers pounded Tuyun's airbase and enemy troops there. Now begins a regular softening up phase, while the second wave stack moves towards Tuyun from the south.

[apbarog]

14 Jul 42

I-11 hit PG Lawrence with a torpedo southwest of Colombo, sinking the ship. Later in same day in the same hex, I-11 fired 2 torpedoes at xAK Empire Niger but missed.

Wellingtons and Blens again bombed Thai troops at Myitkyina. Nicks will LRCAP Myitkyina today, based 4 hexes to the south. There haven't been any enemy fighters over Myitkyina.

Bacolod in the Philippines was captured.

It's worth noting that the enemy did recon of Rabaul for the first time. One of OPilot's strengths is his use of recon. He does a lot of it. He'll have a really good idea about my ground defenses before he invades. Which made me think, I haven't seen a sign of any USMC divisions yet. I suspect that US units went to New Zealand early on, but I have no evidence about particular units.

The IIa model of the Oscar was moved up a month, which made the plane available now instead of August 1, moving up the date half of a month. The IIa is faster and can fly a bit higher, but still has the terrible guns. This is PDU OFF though, and we make the most with what we have.

[apbarog]

15 Jul 42

Flying Fish fired 2 torpedoes at xAKL Nitiyu Maru at Midway, and both missed. The cargo ship is slowly unloading supply, and is ordered to leave. A few enemy ships were spotted at Larsen Island to the southeast. All it would take is a single destroyer to get the cargo ship and its escorting patrol boat. Note that the patrol boat used up its depth charges days ago at Midway. Time to leave. Supply is between 6000 and 7000 at Midway. I expect an invasion soon. It is low hanging fruit for the Allies.

Japanese bombers in China concentrated on Chinese troops in Tuyun, but did little damage in overcast conditions. Tough to hit troops in the terrain, which I believe is wooded. The daily Japanese artillery attack at Tuyun caused 40 casualties, disabling 3 combat squads. We'll have to attack here soon and it's going to be a bloodbath.

A Japanese division moved to Tsuyung, in the mountains of western China. I ordered a probing artillery attack for today. Over 20,000 enemy defenders in mountain terrain with forts. With a stacking limit of 20 or 25k, an attack here will not go well. Not with just one division. With Paoshan in Japanese hands, C-47s from Ledo can fly to either Tsuyung or Kunming to bring supply into China. I want these bases, and a supply line to them that runs through China, one that is independent of eventually losing Burma.

[apbarog]

16 Jul 42

I spotted a cargo task force southwest of Ceylon. Yesterday I ordered two subs to rush at full speed for an intercept, assuming that the ships were westbound, as reported, and that they would continue due west toward the map edge. They did. I-11 hit xAK Siantar with a torpedo. Audio suggests that it sank after combat. Then I-17 hit xAK Empire Niger with a torpedo. Later in the day, I-17 attacked the same ship but hit it with a dud torpedo. Just after combat, sinking audio. So the dud torpedo finished the ship off.

6 Tojos, with the experimental early model, swept Tsuyung and found 8 P-40Es. The Tojos came in very high and got the bounce. 3 Warhawks were shot down, for the cost of 2 Tojos. The Tojo unit will now make its way back to Rangoon to upgrade to the IIa model, filling out the unit with 12 planes.

[apbarog]

17 Jul 42

Japanese bombers pounded airbases at Tuyun and Kweiyang again. No CAP. Bombing the enemy troops there has proven to be ineffective, in defensible terrain.

OPilot found one of my main cargo routes, southwest of Nagasaki. Trition found a bunch of nice big xAKs headed back to Singapore. These are the big xAKs that can carry some fuel/oil as well as a lot of cargo. I like them for moving oil back to Japan, and bringing resources also. I try not to move empty cargo ships out from Japan, but I don't have a need to move supply out at the moment, and I like the oil carrying capacity with these. Triton hit xAK Kosei Maru with 2 torpedoes and neither was a dud. He's on a good streak of non-duds, with 5 out of 6 hits being working torpedoes. Quite amazing at this point in the war. Small sample size, but I noticed.

Japanese shipping is headed towards Derby on the northern coast of Australia. Just one of the task forces was spotted, and it was a subchaser one. Mini-KB is there. Further north, north of Java, OPilot managed to spot KB, which I didn't want to happen. He didn't get a high DL on it, so I'm not sure what he actually saw, but I got the carriers spotted audio clip. Once he knows that KB isn't in the South Pacific, he may kick off an offensive operation.

[apbarog]

18 Jul 42

Triton, having sunk a big xAK yesterday southwest of Nagasaki, was again lucky and moved southwest along with the task force, finding it again. 2 torpedoes were fired at big xAK Teikoku Maru but both missed.

More Japanese bomber attention for Tuyun and Kweiyang.

Chinese SB-III bombers hit Ningsia's airbase, doing light damage. Oscars are still recovering elsewhere. They will be back.

Japanese invasion task forces moved north of Derby. Vals sank 2 HDMLs at Broome. Broome is lightly defended with one small unit but won't be invaded with this wave. It is the only bomber capable base west of Darwin, so 2 battleships will break off from mini-KB and bombard the base tonight. Derby will be invaded.

Mengtze is lost. I didn't see this coming.

Ground combat at Mengtze (68,50)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 6849 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 258

Defending force 2664 troops, 20 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 92

Allied adjusted assault: 174

Japanese adjusted defense: 79

Allied assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Mengtze !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
881 casualties reported
Squads: 18 destroyed, 25 disabled
Non Combat: 18 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Units retreated 2

Allied ground losses:
57 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
81st Chinese Corps

Defending units:
18th Naval Guard Unit
Yokosuka 3rd SNLF