January 4th, 1942
Malaya:
Another day of thunderstorms, with no LB flying for both sides. I confirmed yesterdays orders: ground attack on Johore Bahru, with all fighters on 100 % escort. This is a fun game we're playing here: Gary's trying to break my air defense, and I'm trying to avoid his fighters without retreating from Singapore. As soon as he starts to bomb the airfield I have to stand and fight, though. I'm not looking forward to it, but at least it will be fought on my turf, and fatigue and morale will be on my side (0/99 at the moment). Of course all fighter pools are empty.
DEI:
TF 81 encounters mine field at Kuching (27,56)
Japanese Ships
BB Haruna, Mine hits 1, on fire
Nice! Another hit by a Dutch VH2 mine. Haruna is the second BB damaged in this area; Fuso was torpedoed by a Vildebeest and then by a submarine about a week ago.
Another annoyance raid: [:D]
Day Air attack on Brunei , at 33,56
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 4
Allied aircraft
T.IVa x 7
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
T.IVa: 4 damaged
Japanese Ships
AP Huso Maru, Bomb hits 1
AP Nissen Maru #2, Bomb hits 1
ML Tsubame, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
Three Vildebeest didn't come back, though, they will be sadly missed.
Air raid Soerabaja!
Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 20
G4M1 Betty x 41
Allied aircraft
Brewster 339D x 14
P-26A x 3
P-35A x 5
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell: 1 destroyed, 7 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 10 destroyed, 21 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
Brewster 339D: 5 damaged
Allied Ships
AVD Sirius, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AGP Serdang, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
BB Prince of Wales, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
Allied ground losses:
13 casualties reported
Port hits 1
Port fuel hits 1
My fighters and the flak took a heavy toll on his TBs from Kendari (confirmed losses: 12 Nells and 2 Bettys), but now he knows where the PoW is. The combat report is not correct, BTW: AVD Sirius and AGP Serdang are completely undamaged, and PoW was heavily damaged (+19 system damage (now at 89), +65 floating damage, 7 fires!!!) by what was reported to be a "bouncing turret hit". To clarify: both my replay
AND the Japanese combat report (forwarded by Gary) claim the above hits, but the actual save game has both tenders undamaged. How can that happen?
This probably seals the fate of the PoW. Even if she does not sink next today (port 8, 3 ARs), I doubt that I'll be able to sneak her past the TBs from Kendari and the I-boats around Java.
A counter-strike on Kendari was ordered: 83 Martins from Makassar will hit the airfield and try to destroy some damaged Nells. The base has been reconned since turn 1, but Makassar is only a size three air base. Some escorting Buffalos will try to deal with the few Oscars on CAP.
Too bad the ABDA fleet isn't around and I can't pound Kendari to dust. All combat ships are now at Colombo; they weren't safe in the DEI will Kendari and Kuching in Japanese hands. Fuel was also a problem, but now I've got some depots at Christmas Island and Darwin.
The fleet is intact; I've lost only CL Durban and the DDs Scout, Barker, Van Nes and Encouter. 2 CLs and 4 DDs, all with more than 30 sys damage, are still on their way to Colombo. I'll try to get the fleet in shape for the battle of Java, so the repairs will be split up between Bombay (port 6, 20 repair yards, Eastern Fleet HQ), Colombo (port 6, 40 repair yards) and Trincomalee (port 9, 0 repair yards).
BB Royal Souvereign arrived 3 days ago in Aden, CV Formidable will arrive in 8, Indomitable in 13 days (plus the odd destroyer or 2).
Philippines:
Several small AKs have arrived unmolested at Manila - there are no Japanese planes in the Philippines! [X(] 5000 supplies are being unloaded as we speak (41.000 at the moment). Tomorrow my artillery is going to fire back at the Japanese, which are causing between 100 and 200 casualties with their daily bombardment attacks.
China:
The usual air raids and skrimishes between guerillas and Japanese troops.
Another 0-1 for the Japanese troops at Hong Kong: [:)]
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 21839 troops, 97 guns, 1 vehicles, Assault Value = 378
Defending force 22889 troops, 58 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 231
Japanese max assault: 331 - adjusted assault: 220
Allied max defense: 187 - adjusted defense: 889
Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 2)
Japanese ground losses:
208 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Vehicles lost 1
Allied ground losses:
111 casualties reported
SWPac:
Plenty of targets near Port Moresby for my Australian ASW TF led by PC Doomba: RO-65 suffers 5 minor hits, but RO-61 will probably sink after 2 critical and 6 minor hits!
CentPac:
The enemy has disappeared. 5 more submarines arrived today, and now I have a tight cordon around Midway (7200 supplies). Did he turn around, or do the thunderstorms cover all TFs? But then at least my subs should have contact with the enemy...
[&:]