1943 June 16
The Empire captured:
The Allies captured:
There were Imperial amphibious operations at:
There were Allied amphibious operations at:
Ponape
The Empire continues the strangulation in China, sacrificing troops to close another hex side.
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Ground combat at Chengtu (75,41)
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 4410 troops, 33 guns, 1 vehicles, Assault Value = 980
Defending force 33303 troops, 163 guns, 68 vehicles, Assault Value = 667
Japanese adjusted assault: 0
Allied adjusted defense: 1671
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 99 (fort level 4)
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)
Japanese ground losses:
2091 casualties reported
Squads: 43 destroyed, 88 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 7 disabled
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Assaulting units:
19th Ind.Mixed Brigade
8th Ind.Mixed Brigade
41st/C Division
1st Ind.Mixed Brigade
3rd Infantry Regiment
110th/B Division
Defending units:
13th Construction Regiment
7th Construction Regiment
60th Chinese Corps
11th Construction Regiment
5th Construction Regiment
81st Chinese Corps
16th Construction Regiment
17th Construction Regiment
8th Construction Regiment
38th Chinese Corps
26th Chinese Corps
10th Construction Regiment
1st Chinese Base Force
Fourteenth USAAF
33rd Base Group
3rd Chinese Base Force
There are now seen >69,000 Imperial troops 1 hex NW Toungoo, near parity with our forces there. So, all of the armor in Burma is re-tasking from their various base prep assignments to Prome. Those forces coming along the coast will continue to make Prome their objective, but now a second salient will also. The armor and perhaps 3x infantry divisions (the two American and one Australian). Some of the units involved are already 100% prepped for Prome. The notion is that the armor units will begin on the western side of the rived from Magwe and move at full speed on Prome, and force a river crossing. The infantry will have to catch up. Prome is in open terrain, so our bombers will have far more effect than against targets in the jungle. So will theirs, but we now have a lot of very effective fighter units in and around Burma and I think we can hold the air for the time required. The 3x P-47 squadrons are now 10 days out from Aden on fast transports and will make India as rapidly as possible after that. The 2EB will be fully rested as well.
The 5x Fletcher DDs swept the Bismarck Sea clean.
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Rambutyo at 102,122, Range 11,000 Yards
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
E13A1 Jake: 1 destroyed
Japanese Ships
BB Hyuga, Shell hits 46, and is sunk
DD Minazuki, Shell hits 23, and is sunk
Allied Ships
DD Nicholas
DD Pringle
DD Walke, Shell hits 2
DD Morris
DD Lamson, Shell hits 2, on fire
Improved night sighting under 96% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions and 96% moonlight: 12,000 yards
Range closes to 27,000 yards...
Range closes to 25,000 yards...
Range closes to 23,000 yards...
Range closes to 21,000 yards...
Range closes to 19,000 yards...
Range closes to 17,000 yards...
Range closes to 15,000 yards...
Range closes to 13,000 yards...
Range closes to 11,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 11,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 11,000 yards
DD Lamson engages DD Minazuki at 11,000 yards
DD Minazuki engages DD Lamson at 11,000 yards
DD Minazuki engages DD Walke at 11,000 yards
DD Pringle engages DD Minazuki at 11,000 yards
DD Minazuki engages DD Nicholas at 11,000 yards
Range closes to 10,000 yards
DD Nicholas engages DD Minazuki at 10,000 yards
DD Walke engages BB Hyuga at 10,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Pringle at 10,000 yards
Range closes to 7,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Lamson at 7,000 yards
DD Minazuki engages DD Walke at 7,000 yards
DD Minazuki engages DD Pringle at 7,000 yards
DD Minazuki engages DD Nicholas at 7,000 yards
Range closes to 3,000 yards
DD Minazuki engages DD Lamson at 3,000 yards
DD Morris engages DD Minazuki at 3,000 yards
DD Pringle engages DD Minazuki at 3,000 yards
DD Nicholas engages DD Minazuki at 3,000 yards
Range closes to 2,000 yards
DD Minazuki engages DD Lamson at 2,000 yards
Magazine explodes on DD Minazuki
DD Minazuki sunk by DD Nicholas at 2,000 yards
Range increases to 3,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Lamson at 3,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Nicholas at 3,000 yards
Range increases to 4,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Lamson at 4,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Walke at 4,000 yards
Range increases to 5,000 yards
DD Lamson engages BB Hyuga at 5,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Morris at 5,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Nicholas at 5,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Nicholas at 5,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Morris at 5,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Walke at 5,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Nicholas at 5,000 yards
Range increases to 6,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Lamson at 6,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Walke at 6,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Pringle at 6,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Nicholas at 6,000 yards
DD Lamson engages BB Hyuga at 6,000 yards
Range increases to 8,000 yards
DD Lamson engages BB Hyuga at 8,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Morris at 8,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Pringle at 8,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Lamson at 8,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Lamson at 8,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Nicholas at 8,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Walke at 8,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Morris at 8,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Nicholas at 8,000 yards
BB Hyuga engages DD Nicholas at 8,000 yards
Combat ends with last Japanese ship sunk...
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Day Time Surface Combat, near Rambutyo at 102,121, Range 14,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
PB Tama Maru #5, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
PB Hokuyo Maru, Shell hits 13, and is sunk
Allied Ships
DD Nicholas
DD Pringle
DD Walke
DD Morris
DD Lamson
Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions: 30,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 29,000 yards
Range closes to 24,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 24,000 yards
Range closes to 19,000 yards...
Range closes to 14,000 yards...
DD Walke engages PB Hokuyo Maru at 14,000 yards
PB Tama Maru #5 sunk by DD Pringle at 14,000 yards
Range closes to 10,000 yards
DD Morris engages PB Hokuyo Maru at 10,000 yards
DD Pringle engages PB Hokuyo Maru at 10,000 yards
Range closes to 8,000 yards
DD Nicholas engages PB Hokuyo Maru at 8,000 yards
Range closes to 5,000 yards
DD Walke engages PB Hokuyo Maru at 5,000 yards
Massive explosion on PB Hokuyo Maru
DD Lamson engages PB Hokuyo Maru at 5,000 yards
PB Hokuyo Maru sunk by DD Morris at 5,000 yards
Combat ends with last Japanese ship sunk...
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Given the now lack of targets, Callaghan's CA TF will bombard Manus then retire to rearm.
Opposition inshore at Ponape was heavy today. 3x DMS on mine sweeping duty were lost (one to an SSX), a number of destroyers savaged by the naval fortress' guns, 1x AP and 1x AKA with heavy damage and fires, and APA President Jackson with massive fires that she is unlikely to survive. Our troops at Ponape are all ashore in good order and well supplied. They are facing a regiment and the naval fortress. They attack tomorrow.
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Ground combat at Ponape (119,113)
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 4675 troops, 54 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 135
Defending force 14217 troops, 208 guns, 429 vehicles, Assault Value = 511
Japanese ground losses:
13 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
49th Infantry Regiment
Ponape Naval Fortress
Defending units:
41st Infantry Division
766th Tank Battalion
767th Tank Battalion
3rd AmphTrac Engineer Battalion
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The attacks around Ponape were numerous and small. All told, including the Bismarck Sea and a small IJN raid on Torokina, the Allies lost 4 ships and the IJN 9 ships. The IJN losses include 3x SSX and, notably, Junyo, reported as sinking near Siargo. There are no corroborating ground losses for that one, but there might not be even if it's true. Here is the Intel Screen.
