Zuluhour vs Zigurat666: 1943

[zuluhour]

March 24, 1942

West Coast: The 8th photo recon sqd is combined and released to the Pacific, then staged to the coast.

NorPac: Merchants load with supply for the out posts.

Hawaii: I pull the trigger on two squadrons of the 11th bomb group and stage them forward. USS Snapper maybe lost off the reefs of Canton.

SoPac: The 255th USN BF loads for Eua. II fighter command loads for Australia. Aircraft designated for SoPac half way home on transports. The rear area is chaotic with merchants and tankers. A cruiser floatilla is deployed for protection against surface raiders.

SwPac: IJA division in the Owen Stanleys halted? AAA unloaded and emplaced at Port Morseby. The IJAF hits PM at night, its raining heavy and no damage done. IJA makes another landing in the southeast Dutch East Indies. Hudsons fail to score on unloading merchants.

Ceylon: Colombo: Ominous sighting of many capital ships in the Bay of Bengal. IJN air assets find our cruiser patrol returning from Port Blair for fuel and savage it. General quarters sounded at Colombo, entire island on alert for the storm.

China: In a most unwise move, I order the 9th War Area with the 27th, 29th, and 30th army groups to counter attack at Changteh. The orders are away, nothing to do but wait...

[zuluhour]

Signet:

[zuluhour]

China:

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

March 24, 1942

China: In a most unwise move, I order the 9th War Area with the 27th, 29th, and 30th army groups to counter attack at Changteh. The orders are away, nothing to do but wait...

It is rarely wise for the Chinese to attack the Japanese in 1942 [unless the enemy units have just immolated themselves on their attack and there are no reinforcements].
The Chinese lack firepower, experience, morale, leadership, supply and most of their TOE in 1942. The only advantage they can use is terrain/forts, which do not work for the attacker.

And while any losses can be made up from the massive production of squads in China, that eats supply that is badly needed everywhere. That is why my preference is to hole up in strong positions and let them come to me, while slowly building up experience, morale and TOE. Once in a while when I have some PP not earmarked I consider the Chinese leaders and replace the really bad ones with the best mediocre ones available.
If/when the Burma road is opened, bringing in a few other Allied tanks/AT/AA/Arty helps the Chinese firepower problem tremendously. Air cover is also desirable, when it can be supplied.

Just my 2 cents worth, I admit is a lot more fun to attack now and then!

[zuluhour]

I completely agree BB. A good deal of the reasoning behind the order to counter attack was helplessness, an Allied disease early in the war. The assault could get 2:1 depending on how many of the IJA squads are still disrupted. The Chinese have had some leaders replaced and all but one unit is in full supply. I expect the IJA AV to be around 525-550 and Chinese AV at 1800. Regardless, I think I have opened an escape path to the west where I must hold at all costs. Tomorrow I will concentrate the AVG in Chungking and see about bringing in some more CAF squadrons from up north.

Third time today I've gotten booted off the server.

[zuluhour]

March 25,1942

China: The counter attack goes poorly. At 1:2 we lose large not only taking a beating in men but losing hexside control as well, something I do not recall before.

[zuluhour]

Ground combat at Changteh (81,50)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 66221 troops, 493 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1883

Defending force 45326 troops, 442 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1137

Allied adjusted assault: 950

Japanese adjusted defense: 1961

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

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

Japanese ground losses:
506 casualties reported
Squads: 13 destroyed, 44 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled

Allied ground losses:
4822 casualties reported
Squads: 147 destroyed, 236 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 36 disabled
Engineers: 36 destroyed, 37 disabled
Guns lost 31 (1 destroyed, 30 disabled)

Assaulting units:
9th Prov Chinese Corps
78th Chinese Corps
73rd Chinese Corps
58th Chinese Corps
26th Chinese Corps
10th Chinese Corps
99th Chinese Corps
74th Chinese Corps
37th Chinese Corps
72nd Chinese Corps
5th Construction Regiment
9th War Area
1st Artillery Regiment
17th Chinese Base Force
57th AT Gun Regiment
30th Group Army
27th Group Army
7th Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
40th Division
3rd Division
110th Division
6th Division
13th RGC Temp. Division

[zuluhour]

Colombo: IJN raid severly damages Boyds cruiser force. Its appears to be a smaller Kido Butai with a strong surface force.

[zuluhour]

March 26, 1942

Colombo harbor: Air Raid!: A last minute decision to transfer a squadron of Warhawks in aids greatly in the defense. With most of the merchant, support, and naval ships 48 hours to the north, only Boyds cruiser detachment is hammered, only losing Caledon (so far). Half a dozen pilots reach ace status over the anchorage and port. I am very curious what Paul's orders will bring tomorrow. I believe him to be a blood thirsty savage and will seek revenge.[:D]. I don't think he will be able not to.

Burma: I know 15th Army HQ is 100mi from the Imperial Guards which have take up residence in Moulmein, undoubtly waiting for armor and more support. Good. I hope to chew through more bombers trying to get at fresh merchants resupplying Rangoon. I am willing to accept 50% losses in merchants to keep supply moving to China for as long as possible, and maybe higher.

China: I order a reserve corp to breakthrough to the beleagured Army at Changteh and open up an escape rout chop chop.

Australia: B17s claim foul weather and sit on the fields. Not sure if the 4th IJA Div is moving or not in the Owen Stanleys.

SwPac: SoPac: Logistics, ASW, and patrols.

West Coast: small one ship TFs depart daily.

CenPac: A surprise raid on Wake ordered for tonight. Maybe get a Kido Butai reaction in northern CenPac.

[DOCUP]

Nice job at Colombo downing all those planes. Wonder if those were his good KB pilots.

[zuluhour]

March 27, 1942

Damn Joe I needed a moral boost. I think the pilots were all from escort and/or light carriers, does this mean they are not "elite"? I have to open up the editor and check. I do have some damaged cruisers still far out to sea with 60 plus float. I have fingers crossed. The cruiser force depicted above made port with minimal damage and will resume patrols off Port Blair within a week. I have a shortage of decent ranged flying boats in the theater so my ocean coverage is particularly poor, even off Colombo. I did bring in some CATs just arrived from Karachi today.

West Coast: Fuel leaves for CenPac. A marine Corp fighter squadron leaves for SoPac. F4 recon squadron is at sea for SoPac. Some of the destroyers in SoPac ordered back to the west coast for conversion to destroyer escorts.

SwPac: At Cairnes, LGEN Lavarack relieves LTGEN Smart as Australian I Corp CO, and leaves on wheels up the coast for air transport. A light AA Reg is bought out and loads for Port Morseby. B17s and B24s fly a successful port strike at Buna. They score 11 port hits and a base supply hit. No losses and little fatigue. They will rest a day or two as two more squadrons of B17s have reached Sydney and prepare to stage north.

Bay of Bengal: IJN vanishes in blue water. No orders changed to Royal Navy yet. CATs arrive to aid in searches. RN cruiser floatilla reaches port safely.

CenPac: Wake is empty?!

Naval bombardment of Wake Island at 136,98

Allied Ships
BB Mississippi
BB New Mexico
BB Idaho
BB Colorado
CL Honolulu

Airbase hits 8
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 44
Port hits 18
Port supply hits 2


Karachi: LTGEN Alexander relieves BGEN Downey as CO of Indian I Corp and railheads south.

China: Small Chinese Corp reopens path to Chsngteh and the army given orders to fall back to the Yangtze. Some pilot shuffling continues in Chinese fighter groups as one squadron converts to old AVG ac.

[BBfanboy]

Very nice results at Columbo -that is about two CVs worth of Kates and Vals, and one CV's Zero air group. No wonder he ran off - he has a broken weapon. [:D]

[zuluhour]

March 28, 1942

SigNet: Intel reveals more units prepping for Rangoon. A Reg, arty, and Southern Army.

SwPac: Night raid on Port Morseby, no damage, the weather has been fortunately poor.

Java: The Dutch resistance at Tijilajap ends with 6300 casualties. Soerabaja: PT boats sortie to Pamekasan and sink two xAKs, some vehicles still aboard. The air raids over the port are intensifying. We lose alot of people every day there now.

Bay of Bengal: IJN carriers spot Royal Navy cruisers off Sabang first. I had hoped for a night action. The results are complete to Japan. The Royal Navy loses for the past 3 days is still not all together clear yet.

China: Chungking: Zekes sweep the sky clear. Paul always comes in at max altitude. He is going to regret this later. Changteh: Daily 100+ sorties over the Chinese and followed by bombardments. Casualties are acceptable thus far, they are escaping west. Kweilin falls as the rear guard is routed. Tuyun holds under increasing air and land (bombardment) attacks.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Sabang at 30,70

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 31 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 46
B5N2 Kate x 49
D3A1 Val x 37

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 4 damaged
D3A1 Val: 5 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Walrus II: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
CA Exeter, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
CL Emerald, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
CL Enterprise, Bomb hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Nizam, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Napier, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Norman, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Napier
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring a Tromp class CL
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Nizam
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Exeter

[zuluhour]

March 29, 1942

China: Heavy bombing bleeds Chinese army at Changteh; they are 48 hours from exiting the death trap. Fingers crossed. IJA shock attacks again at Changteh.

Burma: IJAF fighter sweep over Moulmein, probing defenses, it will not be long before the bombers appear.



Ground combat at Changteh (81,50)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 89952 troops, 1042 guns, 195 vehicles, Assault Value = 2396

Defending force 73293 troops, 552 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1709

Japanese adjusted assault: 1956

Allied adjusted defense: 1695

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
8167 casualties reported
Squads: 83 destroyed, 459 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 81 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 73 disabled
Guns lost 79 (5 destroyed, 74 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
2685 casualties reported
Squads: 24 destroyed, 253 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 65 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 52 disabled
Guns lost 41 (12 destroyed, 29 disabled)

Assaulting units:
110th Division
34th Division
3rd Division
6th Division
39th Division
32nd Division
40th Division
15th Division
13th RGC Temp. Division
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Mortar Battalion
51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
China Expeditionary Army
11th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
72nd Chinese Corps
58th Chinese Corps
8th Chinese Corps
10th Chinese Corps
26th Chinese Corps
9th Prov Chinese Corps
73rd Chinese Corps
37th Chinese Corps
74th Chinese Corps
78th Chinese Corps
99th Chinese Corps
17th Chinese Base Force
5th Construction Regiment
57th AT Gun Regiment
27th Group Army
30th Group Army
1st Artillery Regiment
9th War Area
7th Artillery Regiment

[zuluhour]

March 30, 1942

East Coast: Skilled in anti ship and ground attack the 22nd bomb group deploys to San Diego for assignment.

India; LTGEN Christison relieves BGEN Addington of IV Indian Corp and goes to railhead east.

Burma: Elements of the IJA 15th? army are seen to be moving NE out of Moulmein. Doubt I can force a shock attack accross the Salween. Intel picks up more units prepping for Rangoon. Kaga missed by Dutch sub off Sabang.

China: Daily heavy air raids particularly over Changteh cause very heavy losses. The Chinese are only miles from escape to the west. They shock attack again.

Ground combat at Changteh (81,50)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 84470 troops, 1040 guns, 195 vehicles, Assault Value = 1933

Defending force 70479 troops, 542 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1411

Japanese adjusted assault: 915

Allied adjusted defense: 1111

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
4809 casualties reported
Squads: 131 destroyed, 211 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 48 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 64 disabled
Guns lost 47 (1 destroyed, 46 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
2346 casualties reported
Squads: 20 destroyed, 240 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 45 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 17 disabled
Guns lost 23 (6 destroyed, 17 disabled)

Assaulting units:
34th Division
3rd Division
6th Division
110th Division
32nd Division
39th Division
40th Division
15th Division
13th RGC Temp. Division
2nd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
China Expeditionary Army
1st Mortar Battalion
51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
11th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
73rd Chinese Corps
8th Chinese Corps
72nd Chinese Corps
58th Chinese Corps
78th Chinese Corps
10th Chinese Corps
74th Chinese Corps
37th Chinese Corps
26th Chinese Corps
99th Chinese Corps
27th Group Army
9th Prov Chinese Corps
5th Construction Regiment
57th AT Gun Regiment
1st Artillery Regiment
17th Chinese Base Force
9th War Area
30th Group Army
7th Artillery Regiment

[zuluhour]

April 1, 1942

West Coast: Many destroyers await refits. Lexington ready tomorrow. Hornet receiving SBD3s.

SoPac: IJN spots supplies in bound for Pago Pago. Yorktown and Enterprise will slip out of port tonight to patrol south of our defensive perimeter for surface raiders. Warspite will also leave tonight patroling to the west of the CVs looking for chance to hit Fiji.

SwPac: II fighter command reaches Australia and is unloading. They will railhead to assist US squadrons operating on the northeast coast. Orders are given to the reinforced 19th bomb group to hit the port at Buna again. Airfields are still at 4 but getting close to 5.

Java: The Dutch are cornered in the southeast.

Burma: Anxious times for Burma Corp as they wait for the 4th division to cross the Salween River and begin the assault on Rangoon. IJAF torpedo bombers sink merchants off Ramree Isle. Indian III Corp HQ will arrive tomorrow at the jungles edge and begin to march south to thier new command already emplaced SW of Imphal.

China; Large Chinese army escapes the Changteh pocket and hurries west. Kukong falls.

[zuluhour]

April 2, 1942

West Coast: Lots of refits beginning. 22nd bomb group arrives from the east coast.

SoPac: IJN TF spotted due north PagoPago. I believe this to be the same light TF which tried to intercept unloading marines in the Line Islands last month. Cpt Horner on Trenton departs Eua for a look andCpt Sanders on Nashville is detached to from an ampib convoy and ordered to patrol positions.

Java: The Dutch can only hold on another week or two.

Burma: recon assets withdrawn and Lysanders stage in to keep an eye on IJA 15th Army approaching from Moulmein. Newly arrived RAF recon units train up in India.

China: The bombing sorties are still high but Chinese casualties were mild today compared to ones suffered in the Changteh pocket. IJA units put more pressure on Kweilin. I checked the rest area for Chinese units rebuilding and training since March 1st. While many more formations have joined them, of the nine original corps located there, 162 squads have been added to their TOE. The build rate is 350/per mo. Two cavalry corps will depart from Central reserve soon to bolster the lines.

[zuluhour]

April 3, 1942

SoPac: The Trenton mixes it up with IJN destroyers off Pago Pago. The engagement yields little and the IJN is no where to be found in the morning.
Night Time Surface Combat, near Pago Pago at 149,160, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Kuroshio, Shell hits 1
DD Hatsukaze
DD Natsushio
DD Tadeshiwa

Allied Ships
CL Trenton, Shell hits 1
DD Conyngham

China: A CAP trap nets half a dozen bombers for no loss. The AVG stages back to the rear.

[zuluhour]

April 4-5, 1942

Very quiet. Heavy air raids in China and an IJAF raid on ships unloading at Rangoon. Heavies score a few port and port supply hits on Buna. The IJA should cross the Salween shortly as well as reach Port Morseby over the Owen Stanley range.

[zuluhour]

April 6, 1942

SoPac: IJN DDs spotted NNE of Pago Pago.

Australia: IJAF sweeps Port Morseby, its about even. MGen Tinker takes over II Fighter command at Cairnes.

Burma: IJAF sweeps Rangoon, we are ready. Bettys get a torp into a Brit BB west of Rangoon, the BBTF is ordered to retire, damage light. The allies lose more shipping to Rangoon to Bettys. I don't care I want to supply China for as long as possible. The Imperial Guards cross the river north from Moulmein and meet strong elements of Burma Corp.

Ground combat at 56,54 (near Moulmein)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 18459 troops, 157 guns, 42 vehicles, Assault Value = 655

Defending force 7942 troops, 36 guns, 31 vehicles, Assault Value = 339

Japanese adjusted assault: 163

Allied adjusted defense: 405

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
3455 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 236 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 25 disabled
Engineers: 13 destroyed, 96 disabled
Guns lost 14 (1 destroyed, 13 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
415 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 69 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Assaulting units:
Imperial Guards Division
12th Engineer Regiment
14th Guards Regiment
25th Army
15th Army
4th Ind. Engineer Regiment
Southern Army
15th Ind. Engineer Regiment
23rd Ind. Engineer Regiment

Defending units:
2nd Burma Brigade
1st Burma Brigade
Tenasserim BAF Battalion
6th Burma Rifles Battalion
11th Burma Rifles Battalion
16th Indian Brigade
Burma Corps

China: Usual sweeps and bombings. Do the IJAF pilots ever take a day off????