November 30, 1943
Again Xargun has run a CV TF, apparently at full speed, into the Biak area. I just do not have a large enough airfield yet to
be able to protect Biak and TFs there from a large CV based raid.
This is the raid
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Biak at 87,110
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid detected at 156 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 46 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A7M2 Sam x 135
B6N2a Jill x 95
D4Y4 Judy x 110
Allied aircraft
P-47D2 Thunderbolt x 16
F4U-1 Corsair x 21
Japanese aircraft losses
A7M2 Sam: 1 destroyed
B6N2a Jill: 1 destroyed, 9 damaged
B6N2a Jill: 3 destroyed by flak
D4Y4 Judy: 4 destroyed, 33 damaged
D4Y4 Judy: 4 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1 Corsair: 2 destroyed
Allied Ships
BB New Mexico, Bomb hits 3, on fire
AM Firm, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AO Kurumba, Bomb hits 6, and is sunk
BB Mississippi
SC-636, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
TK Strix, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
SC-630, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Kutsang, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Neleus, Bomb hits 6, and is sunk
TK Hagood, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
SC-743, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
YMS-272, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
CA Quincy
CA Minneapolis
DD Flores
Aircraft Attacking:
8 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
19 x B6N2a Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
11 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
14 x B6N2a Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
6 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
19 x B6N2a Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
4 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
19 x B6N2a Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
7 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
19 x B6N2a Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
6 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
12 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
3 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
9 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
1 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
3 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
8 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
8 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 10000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
3 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
12 x D4Y4 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
CAP engaged:
VMF-123 /C with F4U-1 Corsair (4 airborne, 14 on standby, 0 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
3 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 11000 , scrambling fighters between 11000 and 15000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 29 minutes
3rd PS (P) with P-47D2 Thunderbolt (0 airborne, 6 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 42000 , scrambling fighters between 17000 and 18000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 33 minutes
33rd PS (P) with P-47D2 Thunderbolt (0 airborne, 6 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 42000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 43 minutes
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring TK Strix
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Neleus
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AO Kurumba
He did lose 21 Judys( 7 air-2-air, 9 flak, and 5 ops), 9 Jills( 1 air-2-air, 8 flak) and 3 Sams( 2 air-2-air and 1 ops )
I lost 5 Corsairs( 3 air-2-air, and 2 ops ) Not the finest hour for the fighter pilots.
I lost a number of merchant, patrol, and AM ships. And again, nothing that will really slow me down. I have to get supply and fuel
to Biak, and it looks like it will cost me. I am moving some forces into the area that may change the balance of power.
At Rangoon, another DA and another lowering of the forts
Because my bombing and Ground bombardment attacks are ineffective, I will have to bludgeon him./
It will be costly, but necessary.
Ground combat at Rangoon (54,53)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 123204 troops, 2172 guns, 3006 vehicles, Assault Value = 3374
Defending force 41773 troops, 543 guns, 261 vehicles, Assault Value = 966
Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 4
Allied adjusted assault: 2130
Japanese adjusted defense: 3975
Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 4)
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), disruption(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
2099 casualties reported
Squads: 14 destroyed, 144 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 38 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 22 disabled
Guns lost 31 (11 destroyed, 20 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
5131 casualties reported
Squads: 153 destroyed, 383 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 94 disabled
Engineers: 19 destroyed, 121 disabled
Guns lost 132 (24 destroyed, 108 disabled)
Vehicles lost 196 (19 destroyed, 177 disabled)
Assaulting units:
268th Motorised Brigade
26th Indian Division
Gardner's Horse Regiment
2nd British Division
9th Indian Division
50th Tank Brigade
8th KGV Light Cav Regiment
11th Indian Division
25th Indian Division
255th Armoured Brigade
43rd Cavalry Regiment
XV Corps Engineer Battalion
77th Chindit Brigade
I Aus Corps Engineer Battalion
42nd Cavalry Regiment
23rd Indian Division
14th Indian Division
3rd Carabiniers Regiment
B Sqn 3rd Hussars Regiment
254th Armoured Brigade
Provisionl Tank Brigade
9th Australian Division
26th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
20th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
2/13th Field Regiment
3rd West African AA Regiment
29th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
1st RM Heavy AA Regiment
2/11th Field Regiment
25th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
28th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
35th Light AA Regiment
6th Mixed A/T Mtr Regiment
23rd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
3rd (Special Force) Division
6th Medium Regiment
1st West African AA Regiment
24th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
2/9th Field Regiment
IV Indian Corps
4th Heavy Mortar Regiment
Defending units:
55th Division
38th Division
6th Guards Division
48th Field AA Battalion
47th Field AA Battalion
34th Field AA Battalion
44th Field AA Battalion
1st RF Gun Battalion
16th AA Regiment
Burma Area Army
40th Field AA Battalion
20th AA Regiment
21st Medium Field Artillery Battalion
53rd JNAF AF Unit
