Rumble in the Southwest witpqs-A vs Andav-J 2011-11-29 to 2017-02-08

[witpqs]

Cut and pasted from Intel Monkey, here is a list of the battle results against the IJN warships near Kavieng and Rabaul.

Code: Select all

 017803 1943-06-12 106,125          106,125 Rabaul               BB   Hyuga              Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1,  on fire                      Morning Air attack        
 017814 1943-06-12 106,125          106,125 Rabaul               BB   Hyuga              Torpedo hits 2,  heavy damage                              Afternoon Air attack      
 017803 1943-06-12 106,125          106,125 Rabaul               BB   Ise                Bomb hits 3                                                Morning Air attack        
 017814 1943-06-12 106,125          106,125 Rabaul               BB   Ise                No Damage Noted                                            Afternoon Air attack      
 017802 1943-06-12 106,124          106,124 Rabaul               BB   Kirishima          No Damage Noted                                            Morning Air attack        
 017816 1943-06-12 106,124          106,124 Rabaul               BB   Kirishima          No Damage Noted                                            Afternoon Air attack      
 017803 1943-06-12 106,125          106,125 Rabaul               BB   Kongo              Bomb hits 2                                                Morning Air attack        
 017814 1943-06-12 106,125          106,125 Rabaul               BB   Kongo              No Damage Noted                                            Afternoon Air attack      
 017782 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              BB   Musashi            No Damage Noted                                            Morning Air attack        
 017813 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              BB   Musashi            No Damage Noted                                            Afternoon Air attack      
 017813 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              CS   Chitose            Torpedo hits 1                                             Afternoon Air attack      
 017782 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              CV   Akagi              Bomb hits 1                                                Morning Air attack        
 017813 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              CV   Akagi              Bomb hits 1,  on fire                                      Afternoon Air attack      
 017782 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              CV   Hiryu              Bomb hits 2                                                Morning Air attack        
 017813 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              CV   Hiryu              Bomb hits 2,  on fire,  heavy damage                       Afternoon Air attack      
 017782 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              CV   Kaga               Bomb hits 5,  on fire                                      Morning Air attack        
 017813 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              CV   Kaga               Bomb hits 6,  on fire                                      Afternoon Air attack      
 017782 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              CV   Shokaku            Bomb hits 2,  on fire                                      Morning Air attack        
 017813 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              CV   Shokaku            Bomb hits 2,  on fire                                      Afternoon Air attack      
 017782 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              CV   Soryu              No Damage Noted                                            Morning Air attack        
 017813 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              CV   Soryu              No Damage Noted                                            Afternoon Air attack      
 017782 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              CV   Zuikaku            Bomb hits 1,  on fire                                      Morning Air attack        
 017813 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              CV   Zuikaku            Bomb hits 3,  on fire                                      Afternoon Air attack      
 

[witpqs]

Code: Select all

 017813 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              CA   Myoko              No Damage Noted                                            Afternoon Air attack      
 017782 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              CA   Takao              No Damage Noted                                            Morning Air attack        
 017816 1943-06-12 106,124          106,124 Rabaul               DD   Hayashio           No Damage Noted                                            Afternoon Air attack      
 017805 1943-06-12 107,122          107,122 Kavieng              DD   Isokaze            No Damage Noted                                            Morning Air attack        
 017817 1943-06-12 107,122          107,122 Kavieng              DD   Isokaze            No Damage Noted                                            Afternoon Air attack      
 017782 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              DD   Kazegumo           No Damage Noted                                            Morning Air attack        
 017805 1943-06-12 107,122          107,122 Kavieng              DD   Kuroshio           No Damage Noted                                            Morning Air attack        
 017805 1943-06-12 107,122          107,122 Kavieng              DD   Maikaze            No Damage Noted                                            Morning Air attack        
 017817 1943-06-12 107,122          107,122 Kavieng              DD   Maikaze            No Damage Noted                                            Afternoon Air attack      
 017818 1943-06-12 106,125          106,125 Rabaul               DD   Mikazuki           No Damage Noted                                            Afternoon Air attack      
 017803 1943-06-12 106,125          106,125 Rabaul               DD   Naganami           Torpedo hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage                    Morning Air attack        
 017818 1943-06-12 106,125          106,125 Rabaul               DD   Naganami           heavy damage                                               Afternoon Air attack      
 017782 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              DD   Tamanami           No Damage Noted                                            Morning Air attack        
 017805 1943-06-12 107,122          107,122 Kavieng              DD   Teruzuki           No Damage Noted                                            Morning Air attack        
 017817 1943-06-12 107,122          107,122 Kavieng              DD   Teruzuki           No Damage Noted                                            Afternoon Air attack      
 017813 1943-06-12 105,123          105,123 Kavieng              DD   Wakaba             No Damage Noted                                            Afternoon Air attack      
 

[princep01]

My, my...the sword is tarnished and badly nicked if not shattered!  Kaga is a goner, Hiryu, maybe.  All but Akagi and Soryu are sure to retire and will be in the yard for a good while.  A substantive victory, but not a knock out.
 
Pursuit or retirement to protect the invasion fleet?  I'd opt for pursuit, but understand the move to protect the invasion force.  Perhaps a short term withdrawal of the invasion force while the CVs finsh the job?  Maybe even a SCTF thrust to stab at the cripples.  Ponape can wait.  Life will be much easier with the destruction of a few more KB CVs.
 
What will the admiral opt to do?

[witpqs]

Here is a look at the USN carriers involved. I figure that if I pull back I can consolidate insofar as most likely saving all of the carriers and netting whatever IJN carriers have been mortally wounded. My subs might even bag some trying to get back for repairs.

Plus, I can maintain momentum by taking Ponape now, continuing without pause (of course reloading, etc.) with Kavieng and Manus, then Truk. The CVs needing repair will head for Pearl, while the serviceable ones work with CVEs and Wasp when she is back on line to maintain that momentum.

Any IJN forces that pursue the fleet, intact as it is, are subject to being destroyed short of their target.

[Saros]

Good stuff. Looks like you bushwacked him while he had planes on LRCAP.

[BBfanboy]

Great results witpqs! Well played.
His carrier CAP was dispersed all over and your air losses look very light compared to his.
Enterprise and Essex need to withdraw for repairs - Enterprise's aircraft can defend both ships. Detach them and continue your rampage!

Is there no position from which you can continue to strike at his ships [including those in port] while covering approach of opposition to your Ponape landing?

[witpqs]

By heading east the fleet is basically on course for a rendezvous with the Ponape invasion forces and the three additional CVE. There is a TF with two modern CL and several DD that just refueled south of Nauru and will add support. The 14" USN BBs are refueling soon at the same point and will then be near Ponape about two or three days after.

I will detach those two CV (and a CL that got roughed up), but I also want to detach Yorktown soon. She can fight alright, but will be more survivable with that level of system damage repaired. I would like to have her back for Truk. Maybe I'll send her to Sydney (where she will fit) while the others go to Pearl.

[obvert]

Well done. That's a serious win, and with Wildcats still on board some of your CVs even. You should have relatively free reign in the Central Pacific from now on.

[witpqs]

Only the CVEs carry Wildcats now, but I'm still pleased with the results. And many of his attackers that got through probably did not make it back to their carriers, so hopefully some premium aviators were taken out.

[JocMeister]

Wow, Congrats witpqs! [&o]

Looks like you caught him off guard. I´m not convinced he lost that many CVs though. The lack of heavy fires, heavy damage is quite telling I think. But you did send many of them to the yards. And that is almost as good! [:)]

I think pulling back a bit is the best option as you say. There is a chance (although slight) that many of his CVs can still perform flight ops. And with backup from Rabaul he might overwhelm you!

[witpqs]

Rabaul and now Kavieng are both non-operational. Manus is only level 2 and has (I forget) maybe 27% damage.

I really didn't see any ground losses that would indicate a carrier sunk. But then again there were many planes lost attacking and survivors from sinking carriers could have gone to other carriers. I am pretty sure that Hiryu is sunk. One or two others are possible but those ones are some tough ships.

BB Hyuga might be gone, and other BB need some repairs. I should add that many ships were reported hit by search DB and those don't appear in the report above.

[JocMeister]

Sunk or not you now have naval supremacy at least for a while! This will make things a lot easier for you I think. And a lot less to worry about! [:D]

[witpqs]

1943 June 13

The Empire captured:


The Allies captured:


There were Imperial amphibious operations at:


There were Allied amphibious operations at:


DAW HQ has ordered increased opposition to our air operations in Burma, along with more aggressive bombing of their own. One of our B-25C groups got caught alone and lost 2 in the air and 5 to ops. Most of our 2EB groups are low on morale after flying with only weather days off for a long stretch, and so will take some time off while the fighters continue working. The 4EB will switch to that regiment in the open that made a stealth appearance a few days ago and hit it from 5,000 ft while it is still in the open.

Haruna hit Darwin, but there are no Allied aircraft present, which I presume were the targets.

Essex has almost restored flight operations, now at 41 combined damage. KB pulled back to the coast of New Guinea. Our strike planes did hit a couple of destroyers with bombs near Kavieng. Several TFs there were clearly left to impede any pursuit of the IJN carriers. The Allied TF close to Kavieng is that 2x CA + 2x DD force, and it will bombard Kavieng tonight. All 4EB within range will strike the port tomorrow. All this is in the hope of catching one or more damaged IJN carriers taking refuge there to contain damage. Scouting shows 3 ships, 1 being an AO. That could be a carrier.

Meanwhile our fleet will make another 4 hexes to the east as the Ponape invasion force approaches. That 5x Fletcher DD force SW of our carriers will patrol west, to the north of Mussau Island, to try and engage IJN covering forces.

The USA 40th ID is one of two divisions tasked for taking Kavieng and is beginning loading at Savii. The other is the USA 43rd ID at Nauru, which will use sea lift currently bringing troops to Ponape. An amphibious tractor Bn is at La Foa and will be picked up tomorrow. Likewise two tank units and an HQ are at Ndeni and will be pickled up either tomorrow or the day after by a much slower convoy. There will be a hodge podge of ship types bring in this one but the recent carrier action allows it.

[witpqs]

1943 June 14

The Empire captured:


The Allies captured:


There were Imperial amphibious operations at:


There were Allied amphibious operations at:


The Empire is pressing on the road toward Burma (in China). Their attack destroyed many of our disabled squads (less mouths to feed) but we disabled more of theirs than ours were disabled.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at 71,49 (near Kunming)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 6990 troops, 55 guns, 483 vehicles, Assault Value = 537

Defending force 62724 troops, 368 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1588

Japanese adjusted assault: 160

Allied adjusted defense: 400

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
1118 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 108 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 50 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 19 (1 destroyed, 18 disabled)
Vehicles lost 90 (3 destroyed, 87 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
3310 casualties reported
Squads: 129 destroyed, 62 disabled
Non Combat: 15 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 16 (13 destroyed, 3 disabled)

Assaulting units:
11th Tank Regiment
3rd Tank Regiment
4th Tank Regiment
2nd Ind.Mixed Regiment
9th Tank Regiment
23rd Tank Regiment
5th Tank Regiment
10th Tank Regiment
104th/B Division
2nd Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
3rd New Chinese Corps
5th Chinese Cavalry Corps
67th Chinese Corps
70th Chinese Corps
50th Chinese Corps
32nd Chinese Corps
73rd Chinese Corps
56th Chinese Corps
48th Chinese Corps
14th Chinese Corps
78th Chinese Corps
31st Chinese Corps
79th Chinese/B Corps
2nd Group Army
2nd Construction Regiment
14th Construction Regiment
57th AT Gun Regiment
56th AT Gun Regiment


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not really sure if our AT guns played a role but they didn't hurt.

The bombardment of Kavieng went well for only 2x CA, but the results have to be taken with a grain of salt.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Naval bombardment of Kavieng at 106,122

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
H6K4-L Mavis: 25 damaged
H6K4-L Mavis: 1 destroyed on ground
A6M5 Zero: 2 damaged
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 5 damaged
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-49-II KAI Helen: 1 damaged
Ki-56 Thalia: 4 damaged

Allied Ships
CA Vincennes
CA Salt Lake City

Japanese ground losses:
280 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 10 (2 destroyed, 8 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 15

CA Vincennes firing at Kavieng
CA Salt Lake City firing at 57th JNAF AF Unit


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The numerous port bombing runs by 4EB found AV Sanuki Maru, AV Kamikawa Maru, and xAP Husimi Maru and it's unlikely that any survived. Two ships are seen in TF heading away from Kavieng toward the coast of New Guinea. And the KB in company with another warship TF is 2 hexes north of Hollandia, making it's way west. We have plenty of subs assigned patrol in that area but none on station as the damaged IJN carriers pass. Meanwhile our 5x DD TF is 1 hex NE Mussau Island and will try to intercept those 2 ships moving west across the Bismarck Sea.

An operations message indicates that Junyo is not sunk but still in service (she was reported torpedoed in the Banda Sea). Tracker Alerts indicate that Hiyo was falsely reported sunk (had been reported sunk 1943-01-29), and that Kaga is now reported sunk. We do see ground losses of 9 Zero, 7 Pete, 5 Jake, 6 Jill, and 4 Judy. 1 Zero was reported destroyed in the bombardment on Kavieng, but it does look like at least one carrier went down overnight.

BTW, from the manual, clearing up a misconception I was under:

15.4.1.2 AIRCRAFT STATUS ON SHIPS

Aircraft on ships are assumed to have sufficient aviation support and supplies. However:

» Planes on a ship may not fly if the ship’s combined System Damage and
Flotation Damage are greater than 50. They may transfer off the ship if
docked or at anchor at a base with an airfield with a size of at least 1 (they
are assumed to have been manually unloaded and taken to the airfield).

» If the number of aircraft on board exceeds 115% of the
ship’s capacity, only Transfer Missions can be flown.

» Planes won’t make an emergency landing (refer to 7.0.1.1.1.1
Emergency Landings) on another Carrier in such a way as to
cause it to exceed 110% of the carriers aircraft capacity.

» A ship may never have more aircraft on board than twice its capacity.

At any rate, Essex is detached with 2x DD and sent to Pearl. Yorktown and Enterprise are detached with 2x DD and sent to Sydney. Wasp and the 4x CVE will be done before refitting there before they arrive. The rest of the battle fleet and the invasion forces will stand near Ponape, prior to making the last hex and invading the following day. That makes tomorrow is D-1.

[BBfanboy]

You aren't getting any LBA attacks on your fleets in the area between Ponape and NG?
Did you manage to shut down the airfields or shoot down so many planes he has none he wants to risk?

[witpqs]

Rabaul - shut down.
Kavieng - Shut down.
Manus - level 2 and damaged down to CAP-only, has 38 fighters.
Ponape - level 2 and has 15 fighters.
Truk - level 5 and has 22 fighters and 24 bombers.

I've left out auxiliary planes, of which several bases have 6 that I suppose to be search sea planes. So basically only Truk could make long range attacks. Once the invasion fleet is at Truk, that base could launch range 10 attacks.

[princep01]

Well Kaga is good...and KB won't be around to molest you at Ponape.  You might get a cake-walk there.  I would not be surprise if Hiryu went down as well, but you never know if all those "hits" were real or just the optimistic chatter of SDB pilots trying to impress comrades and later....girls!  Admiral Wa is swilling sake and chomping the heck outta his cigar.  That was fun:).
 
Junyo and Unjo alive and well, huh?  Too bad about that.  I thought you had gotten at least one of them.  Tough little cookies.
 
Nonetheless, Chester Nimitz is smiling back at Pearl and new medals and maybe rank are coming your way. 

[witpqs]

Thanks!

And further on BBs comment/question: I think the fact that so few bases in this area got developed after I blitzed into the southern Solomons means that DAW HQ is overseeing interlocking networks of airfields further back, where he feels they are needed to defend the Empire and its resources. So the sooner I get to them, the easier they will be to deal with. The longer I take to get there, the tougher the slog.

[zuluhour]

whooooooooops, wrong side!.[:D]

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

whooooooooops, wrong side!.[:D]

Oh sure, be that way! [:D]