Dec 6, 1942
We sent some Betties from Rabaul to get an ID on the one or two Allied units at Choiseul Bay, with ground attack as the secondary mission. Instead, they found some shipping and were able to get in under the CAP at 20,000 ft and do some damage -
Morning Air attack on TF, near Choiseul Bay at 111,132
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 35 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 12
Allied aircraft
P-400 Airacobra x 8
No Japanese losses
No Allied losses
Allied Ships
PG Isabel
AMC Monowai, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP Zeilin
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Choiseul Bay at 111,132
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 28 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 12
Allied aircraft
P-400 Airacobra x 8
No Japanese losses
No Allied losses
Allied Ships
AP Zeilin
AMC Monowai, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
PG Isabel, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
The Allies bypassed Makin and landed at Mili, apparently not knowing about the CD guns there
-
Pre-Invasion action off Mili (136,121) - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
200 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
BB Nevada, Shell hits 21, on fire
CL Honolulu, Shell hits 5
CL St. Louis, Shell hits 6
CL Marblehead, Shell hits 4
DD Gansevoort, Shell hits 3, on fire
APD Stringham
Japanese ground losses:
187 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 22 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 25 (4 destroyed, 21 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
7 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
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Amphibious Assault at Mili (136,121)
TF 256 troops unloading over beach at Mili, 136,121
Allied ground losses:
490 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 87 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 83 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 21 (0 destroyed, 21 disabled)
Vehicles lost 12 (1 destroyed, 11 disabled)
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Ground combat at Mili (136,121)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 2678 troops, 30 guns, 21 vehicles, Assault Value = 105
Defending force 2496 troops, 48 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 65
Allied adjusted assault: 31
Japanese adjusted defense: 58
Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 3)
Combat modifiers
Defender: disruption(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)
Japanese ground losses:
323 casualties reported
Squads: 23 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 6 (6 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
433 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 36 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Vehicles lost 4 (2 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Units destroyed 3 fragments, so it doesn't matter
Assaulting units:
1st Marine Regiment
151st Cmbt Engr Bn /1
754th Tank Bn /2
I Marine Amphib Corps /2
2/532nd Boat&Shore Engr Bn /1
1/532nd Boat&Shore Engr Bn /1
2nd AmphTrac Engr Bn /2
Pacific Ocean Areas /1
13th USN Special Const Bn /2
Defending units:
83rd Naval Guard Unit
Mili Naval Fortress
The Allies also attacked at 2 places on the Burmese coast (without success) -
Ground combat at 54,58 (near Tavoy)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 30386 troops, 685 guns, 559 vehicles, Assault Value = 763
Defending force 13866 troops, 172 guns, 78 vehicles, Assault Value = 415
Allied adjusted assault: 376
Japanese adjusted defense: 1035
Allied assault odds: 1 to 2
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
799 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 71 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 16 (1 destroyed, 15 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
697 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 75 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 21 disabled
Assaulting units:
21st Australian Brigade
18th British Division
268th Motorised Brigade
16th Australian Brigade
22nd (East African) Brigade
2/9th Fld RAA Regiment
2/11th Fld RAA Regiment
Aus I Corps
2/13th Fld RAA Regiment
137/155th Field Regiment
Defending units:
Imperial Guards/B Division
Imperial Guards/A Division
Imperial Guards/C Division
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Mortar Battalion
---
Ground combat at 55,58 (near Tavoy)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 11795 troops, 234 guns, 180 vehicles, Assault Value = 49
Defending force 13040 troops, 143 guns, 82 vehicles, Assault Value = 422
Allied adjusted assault: 112
Japanese adjusted defense: 805
Allied assault odds: 1 to 7
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), fatigue(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
31 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 9 (1 destroyed, 8 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
2111 casualties reported
Squads: 51 destroyed, 173 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 26 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 37 disabled
Guns lost 87 (3 destroyed, 84 disabled)
Assaulting units:
18th Australian Brigade
25th Australian Brigade
17th Australian Brigade
7th Armoured Brigade
Defending units:
14th Tank Regiment
33rd Division
55th Mountain Gun Regiment
