Hey the bananas back ! .. good to see . was worried your game had dropped off the map.
[&o]
We've still been playing, a bit slow as Simon is busy. Also I've been lazy with the posting, there hasnt been much action really.
Its going to take ages for all my tanks and divisions in India to move to the Burmese border, wasn't much to say lately. But now I'm attacking again I'm posting. [;)]
BURMA/INDIA
Not much going on. The British are still redeploying.
DEI
Ahhh its all going horribly wrong!
I've landed a division at Macassar but there are sizable numbers of defending Japs, and a division isnt enough to crack it. I'm going to have to go get more troops. The troops are available at Darwin if I scrape the barrel, but it means a big delay, during which time the Jap will be readying the welcome wagon I have no doubt.
Today a fast transport group of 10 DDs took a load of Aussie combat troops out. And so the slow evacuation of Bali begins. A division is overkill (and besides I could use it at Macassar about now...). Also I like taking out fragments. The engineers will stay, he's been a bit lax bombing it, and today I just put 72 Warhawks down on the battered but operational airfield. Hopefully he should get an unwelcome surprise next time he tries one of his long range bombing missions.
A big aviation support unit is 2 hexes from Waingapu on Sumba, which is now a level 4 airfield. When it arrives and debarks every medium bomber, Lightning and Beaufighter I have in the DEI is going there. Waingapu is in range of Bali and Macassar.
SOPAC
Similar tales of woe at Port Moresby, but I'm not so worried here as the Jap has been well pulverised in this part of town and I know his carriers are at Singapore still.
Americal has landed at PM but again its not enough, and I'll have to go back and get more. An RCT is available, this should just about tip the balance of odds in my favour.
No Jap air attacks yet - I think he's been well attritioned here, Rabaul's fighter CAP is down to less than half a dozen aircraft these days - but mines and coastal guns took quite a heavy toll of my invasion AKs.
On the other side in the Solomons a paratrooper recon on Torokina reveals a 2000 man garrison. I'm going to invade with an RCT and a tank unit - this will put Rabaul within Dauntless range.
I can see a Jap convoy with a CA at Rabaul, so it looks like he's either reinforcing, or pulling out.
Reinforcing I think because New Guinea has red dots all over it. He aims to make me fight for every base I think.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
All quiet, but CentPac is due a lot of reinforcements soon, and it'd be a shame to have them sit on their ass. Unfortunately all my CVs and most importantly transports are heavily engaged and busy.
Nice to see some action at last [:D].. maybe a 2 front offensive was a bit over ambitious ? but as you say you know where KB is and thats worth its weight in gold alone.
With PM in allied hands the SW pacific will fall rapidly imo. Nice to see your advances up the solomans too.
can you post a screenie of the DEI reound timor area please. And how did you hold timor anyway ? i know i should read through and find out but i dont have time/inclination ( delete as appropriate) .. [:D][:D][:D]
Good luck with the war !
sorry for the spelling . English is my main language , I just can't type . and i'm too lazy to edit
Nice to see some action at last [:D].. maybe a 2 front offensive was a bit over ambitious ? but as you say you know where KB is and thats worth its weight in gold alone.
With PM in allied hands the SW pacific will fall rapidly imo. Nice to see your advances up the solomans too.
can you post a screenie of the DEI reound timor area please. And how did you hold timor anyway ? i know i should read through and find out but i dont have time/inclination ( delete as appropriate) .. [:D][:D][:D]
Good luck with the war !
I pulled off a blinding ambush when he invaded Sumatra, 2 US CVs + 2 British CVs ripped up at least 50 APs in around March time. He didn't invade Java until May.
By that time Koepang was bristling, I had all those 72 unit Warhawk fighter groups from the Philippines sitting there at full strength. Wasn't until summer that KB nosed past, and they gave him a thrashing in air to air as he tried to sink the 3 RN battleships I had sitting in Koepang port. He only took one day, then decided to play in India instead. I didn't really consider Timor to be seriously threatened, at one point I had 200 fighters there IIRC.
Of those 3 RN battleships Ramilles is now fixed and at Noumea and about to get stuck in to Port Moresby, the other two are still in Seattle though their sys damage is down to about 15 now (it was at 60 or so).
...SOPAC is a bit of a backwater really, he has almost no airforce there at all. He gave me some trouble when I took Vella Lavella, I lost about a dozen transports, but when I started regular Lightning sweeps at 20,000' over Rabaul, he lasted about a month. He's got a lot of LCUs there but not much else.
Kates and Vals are sighted subhunting inthe Java Sea, and this the day after USS Blackfish is sunk by an enormous convoy. Looks like the Jap is moving.
I have 40 Beaufighters, 30 medium level bombers and 70 Lightnings at Waingapu, all are set to naval attack mode. Ditto the heavies at Koepang.
DDs at sea between Bali and Koepang are reordered to fast transport pickups from Bali, one on AUSI Corps HQ and one on the division, at the very least I want more fragments outta there.
If he's not going for Bali but Macassar, well, excellent. He'll be in easy range of all my bombers then.
Elsewhere CV Essex raided Gili Gili and pounded an AP convoy there. Half a dozen APs wear 1000lb bombs and 22 inch torpedoes, the PC/MSW escorts were sunk outright.
...and I left a dozen MSWs on "do not retire" on a minesweeping mission at Port Moresby, he's mined at least six of my AKs while I landed, the slime.
Its a testament to the good work of my Lightnings that these MSWs have been unmolested. Japanese air power has been pretty much broken in SOPAC it seems if I can move my ships around unmolested.
I sent my Solomons light naval force, CL Java and a lot of DDs, up to Rabaul at full speed to try and tag that convoy you can see on the screenie above. Corsairs at Vella Lavella will LRCAP in the short term, Lightnings will LRCAP in the long term.
And another thing I missed, a Royal Navy light force centred on CL Newcastle and CL Emerald raided Rangoon again and filled a Jap AP with 6 inch shells sinking it. Just a lone AP, I was hoping for something more. In any case they got away with it. Jap airpower has been... well, not broken, but at least evacuated, from Burma.
Weather forecast was thunderstorms so no Japs from further south hit my ships even though they loitered at Rangoon all day (I was expecting richer pickings than a single AP).
A lot of New Zealand 16 a/c fighter squadrons upgrade to Corsairs. Thats, like, right now.
This means that the Kiwis actually have more Corsairs than the Yanks at the moment, and are much closer to the action.
I sent an AK convoy to Auckland to pick some of these guys up. I'm switching them from NZ to SWPAC command, these toys are going to the Java Front.
High intensity warfare is here again as a Jap attack develops.
My submarines, all upgraded Gatos with aggressive commanders, are launching near suicidal attacks in the Java Sea on what looks like an enormous convoy. And with some success too, 2-3 APs got torpedoed though I lost a couple of subs.
I'm moving the subs north away from the battlezone rather than vectoring them onto the KB, in the hope that they'll pick off stragglers going back to Singers rather than get wiped out going up against huge ASW.
I got about a dozen PT boats at Bali but that are goign to get swept aside, he has a -lot- of destroyers and minesweepers.
I got no mines at Bali or Macassar, a major oversight, 5 DMs and an MLE are moving to the DEI theatre so when I do the next assault, it'll be done right.
My only hope is that my 70 Lightnings and 50 Beaufighters and 150 heavy bombers will inflict at least some damage on the Japs so this operation of his doesn't stack the balance of attrition against me too much. The US carriers are running, I only got 4 now with the 2 British CVs retired and Wasp and Hornet in the dock.
This is my force at Waingapu, its pretty big as you can see.
Hopefully if he brings his carriers in close to land and suffers the CAP penalty those 70 Lightnings will be enough.
No air HQ here unfortunately. [:(] but a lot of frames.
That pic is a bit out of date, some of the Beaufighters are on escort, about a third of them. Lightnings are 20k feet, level bombers at 6k feet, and Beaufighters at 22k feet.
My cruiser force I sent to raid Rabaul idiotically got wiped off the face of the planet by 70 Betties. I forgot to set adequate LRCAP
there were no Zeroes either so they might have made it if they had a CAP.
A new cruiser force including a CA is almost in theatre but CL Java and a brace of DDs are in Davy Jones Locker.
I freed a RNZAF Liberator squadron of 16 Libs and sent them to Vella Lavella in revenge. Todays bombardment of 20 Mitchells and those Libs left a big hole in Rabaul's airfield with 20 dead betties in it. Its amazing the difference stiffening with even a few heavy bombers makes.
Cor Blimey ,, i was mistaken .. nice counterattck in the DEI early on .. your japanese opponent must be a massochist ..
looks like a 44 victory for me !
Great AAR by the way , very differant from most around here and getting on in time too !
Mmm. I think he's going to smack my hand here at Bali. Those 350 aircraft above, only 70 fighters, 50 fighter bombers and 60 level bombers have range enough to make it to Bali or Macassar.
Another day passed he still hasn't attacked. I set all the Beaufighters to fighter escort mode and put them at 25000 feet where hopefully they'll be good at diving slashing attacks.
I don't think I have enough fighters to break the KB cap wall.
It seems to me that the Japanese are doing a little better now than they were in the latter part of their expansion period.
Brilliant early war offensives but the counter punches are getting better organized.
Is that a fair assessment or am I missing something?
Yeah, I think so. But I think Bali was a mistake on my part.
What isn't helping here is my Mitchells. I've opined elsewhere on my opinion that US medium bombers are ******* useless, and this battle for Bali is certainly reinforcing my low opinion.
They just -do not fly-. For naval attack they are crap. My Beaufighters at least -try-.
And used against airfields they tickle, they don't shut down.
BURMA/INDIA
Things are getting into position sloooowly. The plan is this.
The Allied airfarce has been completely successful in Burma, he's pulled out every single aircraft. I bomb Rangoon at will, hell, I drove my cruisers up to Rangoon harbor and had them sit there in daylight a few days ago. Every resource in Burma has been bombed, his airfields regularly plastered, the IJN pulled back to Singers.
The time is ripe!
7th Armoured and the two Indian armoured divisions are being shipped to Akyab along with some ART units and a whole bunch of supply and a British corps HQ.
Three, maybe four divisions, 3 Chindit brigades, and all the British mountain artillery are going to Ledo to be air transported over to Myritkina. SEAC HQ is going to Myritkina as well.
I'm not planning on any amphibious invasions. a) I dont have enough AKs, b) they tend to make a real mess of the divisions involved even if you win, c) he has bases like Victoria Point still which he could hit me with, d) I only have Illustrious and Victorious to hand for CV support, and while I luv British carriers, what they are not good at is convoy escort, with their pitiful handful of pitiful quality fighters.
The armour will hit Pagan. After Pagan is secured, my infantry will move out and hit Mandalay. Hopefully the presence of SEAC and a route from Pagan will mean supply will be sucked over from Akyab to keep the guns fed. In the short term, supply will be handled by my 200 Dakotas, which means China, alas, will be starving for a while.
I estimate we'll be ready in about a month.
DEI
My Mitchells just refuse to attack. They suck!
So rather than overload the airfield with pointless aircraft, the disgusted base commander has sent them away, with some mutterings like "Damn medium bombers dirting up my airfield. Get em out!".
The duty of bombing falls to my Beaufighters. And... I moved some Dutch Brewsters up for the range (!) so we'll see some Brewster action tomorrow, first time in a year!
Only problem is the Beaufighter pool is not a big one (in fact, its empty), and the replacement rate is low, so if the Beaus get massacred I'll have to rely on *spit* US level bombers again.
I have three old BBs as well. Unfortunately Yamato is at Bali, so I think even if they did get in range they'd get their clock cleaned, specially as it'd be a night action. Nevertheless, I'm nudging them out to do battle. If the thunderstorms persist I might try and send them in under Lightning LRCAP. I doubt it, but I like to have the option ready.
SOPAC
Better here. I malign the medium bombers but they are doing a good job on Rabaul, he's losing 20 Betties a day on the ground.
Americal is dug in at the beachhead at Port Moresby and waiting for reinforcements, which arent too far away fortunately. Another US division is ETA 6 days, and a US RCT is being loaded up at Townsville. And then PM will be mine!
In the Solomons another RCT is being loaded onto AKs ready to take Torokina.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
All quiet, though CVL Independence is nearing Canton Island so will be at the front line soon, and BB Ramilles, an old DEI 1942 veteran, si almost at Noumea. My British carriers minus all their deck guns are also passing Canton Island going the other way, back to Pearl to get fixed.
I think what has happened here is - I am impatient.
I have no real reserve, in SWPAC he's getting everything thrown at him. Its the only way I can overcome his forward defences.
Whereas he seems to have a considerable reserve, he's landed 3 divisions at Bali! and this after he lost 60,000 men on Ceylon, has a full division guarding New Guinea, a tough independent brigade at Macassar, 20 ground units at Mandalay (ok, mostly engineers but still), a huge garrison at Rangoon...
I may be swamping his airfarce with lots of decent fighters (my Lightnings are butchering his pilots) but I just don't have the LCUs it seems.
Third day of the Battle of Bali, an improvement. Remember kids, don't overload your airfields!
With a better Lightning escort several bombers made it through, and some even hit! A Beaufighter landed a 500lb bomb on a Jap flattop as well, a penetrating hit, but a little 500lber wont do much.
Not many Beau's were lost this turn either, the improved escort - possible due to taking the strain off the airfield - certainly helped.
I've rotated some of the more fatigued Beaus out and replaced with Marauders, while keeping the field below the max capacity limit. The battle is doing wonders for my Beaufighter experience, a lot of RAAF squadrons have, due to battle and attrition of the peons, got experience in the 70s now. Fatigue and morale are good. If I can mess up a Jap CV I'll consider this battle of attrition a draw.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 02/23/43
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coastal Guns at Bali, 24,68, firing at TF 48
TF 48 troops unloading over beach at Bali, 24,68
72 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
DD Okikaze
Japanese ground losses:
130 casualties reported
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coastal Guns at Bali, 24,68, firing at TF 48
TF 48 troops unloading over beach at Bali, 24,68
75 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
DD Okikaze
Japanese ground losses:
95 casualties reported
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coastal Guns at Bali, 24,68, firing at TF 55
TF 55 troops unloading over beach at Bali, 24,68
515 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
DD Yukikaze, Shell hits 1
PG Kanko Maru
DD Takanami
Japanese ground losses:
1238 casualties reported
Guns lost 10
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coastal Guns at Bali, 24,68, firing at TF 76
TF 76 troops unloading over beach at Bali, 24,68
Japanese ground losses:
16 casualties reported
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Bali , at 24,68
Japanese aircraft
Ki-46-II Dinah x 1
No Japanese losses
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Kwajalein , at 79,79
Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 3
Allied aircraft
PBY Catalina x 4
B-17E Fortress x 25
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3a Zero: 1 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 3 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
20 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
6 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
2 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
2 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Rabaul , at 61,88
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 2
A6M3a Zero x 3
Allied aircraft
P-38G Lightning x 70
B-25J Mitchell x 25
PB4Y Liberator x 13
Aircraft Attacking:
5 x PB4Y Liberator bombing at 5000 feet
4 x B-25J Mitchell bombing at 5000 feet
9 x B-25J Mitchell bombing at 5000 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell bombing at 5000 feet
3 x PB4Y Liberator bombing at 5000 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell bombing at 5000 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell bombing at 5000 feet
3 x PB4Y Liberator bombing at 5000 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell bombing at 5000 feet
2 x PB4Y Liberator bombing at 5000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 27th Division, at 43,32
Allied aircraft
B-25J Mitchell x 20
Allied aircraft losses
B-25J Mitchell: 1 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
17 casualties reported
Guns lost 4
Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-25J Mitchell bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-25J Mitchell bombing at 10000 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell bombing at 5000 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell bombing at 10000 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-25J Mitchell bombing at 5000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 1st Division, at 43,32
Allied aircraft
B-25J Mitchell x 14
I-153c x 7
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
42 casualties reported
Guns lost 5
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B-25J Mitchell bombing at 10000 feet
4 x B-25J Mitchell bombing at 6000 feet
6 x B-25J Mitchell bombing at 5000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 6th Australian Division, at 24,68
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 6
A6M3 Zero x 5
Ki-21 Sally x 53
Ki-48 Lily x 11
Ki-49 Helen x 19
Allied ground losses:
113 casualties reported
Guns lost 4
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x Ki-48 Lily bombing at 6000 feet
15 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 6000 feet
8 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 6000 feet
15 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 6000 feet
16 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 6000 feet
7 x Ki-48 Lily bombing at 6000 feet
9 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 6000 feet
3 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 6000 feet
3 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 6000 feet
3 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Bali at 24,68
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 16
Allied aircraft
Brewster 339D x 3
Beaufighter Mk 21 x 19
P-38G Lightning x 40
A-20G Havoc x 9
Aircraft Attacking:
9 x Beaufighter Mk 21 bombing at 2000 feet
6 x Beaufighter Mk 21 bombing at 2000 feet
4 x Beaufighter Mk 21 bombing at 2000 feet
1 x A-20G Havoc bombing at 6000 feet
4 x A-20G Havoc bombing at 6000 feet
4 x A-20G Havoc bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Bali at 24,68
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 7
Allied aircraft
Hudson I x 13
B-17E Fortress x 15
B-24D Liberator x 32
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged
Japanese Ships
CL Kinu, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AP Nichiryu Maru
AP Jusan Maru
CA Takao, Bomb hits 1
CA Aoba
CA Kinugasa, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AP Hokutatsu Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP Humburugu Maru
AP Ayo Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
Aircraft Attacking:
1 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
4 x Hudson I bombing at 17000 feet
2 x Hudson I bombing at 11000 feet
6 x Hudson I bombing at 17000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Bali at 24,68
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 6
Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 4
No Japanese losses
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
AP Burisuben Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Bali at 24,68
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 6
Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 13
No Japanese losses
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
AP Kasuga Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
MSW W.18
Japanese ground losses:
32 casualties reported
Aircraft Attacking:
1 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack at 57,44
Japanese Ships
MSW W.24
MSW W.3
MSW W.21
MSW Wa 104
MSW Wa 8
MSW Wa 7
Allied Ships
SS Grenadier
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Bali
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 31581 troops, 377 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 12359 troops, 70 guns, 9 vehicles
Allied ground losses:
49 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Sian
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 702 troops, 23 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 196253 troops, 302 guns, 0 vehicles
Allied ground losses:
32 casualties reported
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Chungking
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 1174 troops, 46 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 264221 troops, 1264 guns, 0 vehicles
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Port Moresby
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 12709 troops, 175 guns, 13 vehicles
Defending force 19779 troops, 154 guns, 1 vehicles
Japanese ground losses:
4 casualties reported
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Kungchang
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 53877 troops, 305 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 67427 troops, 432 guns, 1 vehicles
Japanese ground losses:
8 casualties reported
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Chungking
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 179507 troops, 1100 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 311147 troops, 2729 guns, 164 vehicles
Japanese ground losses:
188 casualties reported
Guns lost 8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Bali
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 7884 troops, 38 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 40538 troops, 463 guns, 1 vehicles
Japanese ground losses:
15 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Macassar
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 7503 troops, 88 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 12798 troops, 40 guns, 0 vehicles
You can see my efforts at Rabaul as well.
End result of the days action
Air to air, 1 allied loss, 12 Jap losses - Lightnings outclass the Zero.
15 Japs destroyed on the field at Rabaul.
2 Allied a/c destroyed by flak.
1 from each side as an ops loss.
Definitely sustainable losses, and bombs are being put onto decks now.
Well, Bali fell. 9000 ANZACs are put into a POW camp.
Not as bad as it might seem, the ANZAC rifle squad pool is the only western allied one that isnt empty, and I got about a third of the division out with fast transports.
An ENG unit is stomped, never to return.
30 Beaufighters had a clear shot at his carriers today, and they all missed. Bah. But admittedly by now their fatigue is 15-20, so they are asleep at the helm probably. Still, 20 Jap carrier Zeroes were shot down by the Lightnings, fatigued or not.
The Java Sea has about a dozen subs in it now so we may yet get lucky if he's pulling back.
I've stood down the bombers at Waingapu, fatigue is too high for them to do any good, and I'm worried about Macassar, if he transports that land death star over there I want to hit him again, so... next turn should be quiet on my part.
BURMA/INDIA
1 armoured unit in position at Akyab, another one a day out, another one about three days out probably. Akyab should have 200,000 supply at least also. When all three are in position, over the trail to Pagan.
Elsewhere the British Army is gathering at Calcutta still, some units have taken the chance for some R&R.
I've aborted my earlier mission to Sumatra to take Sabang, given his 4 division reserve I think thats doomed to failure. 1 division is being left on Colombo, the other 2 I had reserved for amphibious adventurism will be sent Burmawards with the rest.
The Allied airfarce still rules the skies over Burma, I noticed a small Jap unit on the trail to Rangoon though so I guess he's getting ready.
DEI
The flyboys have had a few days off and I disbanded a Beau squadron which was almost out. End result, we have ~35 Beaufighters with low fatigue, experience in the 70s, with plenty of Lightning escort. I expect results tomorrow, dammit! His warfleet is still at Bali, presumably extracting units now.
There are still ~40 level bombers at Waingapu but I don't expect much out of them.
Aussie 6th Division, the third which is left of it, is being fast transported to Darwin for R&R.
Wasp and Hornet, still buggered, were successfully pulled back to Darwin without sinking despite a bit of flot damage, Koepang was a bit exposed for those high value assets.
An RCT and more chunks of US division are on the way to Macassar. I'm not going to actually land them until the Jap carriers have buggered off.
Lots of sub warfare in the Java Sea as well. A straggler AP earlier bombed was torpedoed and sunk about level with Palembang by USS Growler, another AK was torpedoed by USS Shad. Jap ASW was heavy and many apparent hits were registered but none of the boats took more than a couple of SYS damage, near misses I guess.
US carriers are with the transports on the way to Macassar.
...and finally, my 10 DD fast transport unit which helped take Bali a month or so back is being retired to Pearl for refit.
SOPAC
My CVEs, Essex and loaded AKs have rendezvoused successfully in the Coral Sea and will hit the beach of Port Moresby in a few days.
Mitchells and RNZAF Liberators bomb Rabaul daily with a heavy Lightning escort. Rabaul hasn't been shut down per se, not much airfield damage, but his squadrons have been attritioned quite badly to the point that I am sure that there isn't enough oomph here to crack a 4 CVE CAP.
100 Fortresses out of Cooktown blow a big hole in Gili Gili - its an airfield 3 but nevertheless, keep it occupied.
In the Solomons he moved one of his old units, left bypassed in the malarial jungles of Guadalcanal, to Lunga, presumably for recon. 1st USMC and just about every US paratrooper battalion will give him a warm welcome.
My planned assault on Torokina is now underway. An RCT is loaded up and in Ironbottom Sound (which, funnily enough, has seen almost no action in this game so there isnt much iron on the bottom). My reinforcement cruiser force I mentioned, centred on CA Wichita, has commenced bombardment missions on Torokina from Vella Lavella. I remembered the Corsair LRCAP this time too...
Ramilles should be meeting up with BB Pennsylvania at Townsville at the end of the week, to give me a decent bombardment TF, which is good. (I got 2 fast BBs escorting carriers, 3 slow BBs in the DEI, Pennsylvania and Ramilles, and the rest in refit or sunk).
CENTPAC
I've finally got enough AKs to try something again. To that end I'm moving a transport fleet with CLs and DMSes to Pearl Harbour, where the plan is to pick up one of the three divisions there and claim a base closer to Kwajalein than Tarawa is.
I dont consider Kwajalein to be neutralised yet at all, its at the absolute outer limit of my bombers range, and it'd be nice to shave off some convoy time.
So, we got LCU, we got transport, what we dont have is carrier support, but I'm hoping that my CVEs, Essex and Independence will be free by the time the slow AKs have trudged their way across the map.
