RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 2:09 pm
by Bullwinkle58
April 25, 1942
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A Dark Day for the Empire
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This will be one of those AAR days every old-time PBEM player knows well. The results of Operation FUDD were bad enough, but they pale next to the fall of Singapore.
Nor am I an old-time PBEMer. This is the first really bad recount I've had to post, and a lot of it was due to my own poor play. It doesn't help that learning occured; everybody says that while they're bleeding, baseball players and AEers alike. I've been cruising a little, things going well, the weeks steadily ticking off, Japan falling behind against history. Now things are different. It's scramble time.
The 5-Stages of Grief
1.Denial
2.Anger
3.Bargaining
4.Depression
5.Acceptance
Did the denial while the movie was still running. Check. Did the anger as I turned Gus off and watched "Morning Joe." Got some perspective. Nobody in my family is recovering from being bombed. Did some self-bargaining in the past few thread posts. It's not THAT bad. Things are still "about" the same, kinda sorta. Depression is coming as I envision showing my underwear here in public (I won't be one of THOSE AARers who sweep the dirt under the carpet [:-]), and thinking of all the clean up on Aisle 9 I have to do before I can start moving forward. Acceptance? Give me a few more hours.
Anyhoo . . . You guys want to know what happened no doubt.
1) Singapore, after heroic measures, crafty leadership, husbanding supplies, falls to, wait for it, a SHOCK attack! Who knew, right? Took the whole thing down in a resounding crash of lost empire. Got a few fighters trapped there under repair. Did not get the sub repairing ASW damage in the yards. And took a whole lot of Sons of Nippon down with the city.
Ground combat at Singapore (50,84)
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 149935 troops, 1677 guns, 665 vehicles, Assault Value = 4605
Defending force 39506 troops, 560 guns, 361 vehicles, Assault Value = 691
Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0
Japanese adjusted assault: 4521
Allied adjusted defense: 1523
Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 0)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Singapore !!!
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 2 destroyed
P-400 Airacobra: 1 destroyed
P-39D Airacobra: 4 destroyed
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)
Japanese ground losses:
11373 casualties reported
Squads: 99 destroyed, 728 disabled
Non Combat: 8 destroyed, 134 disabled
Engineers: 23 destroyed, 113 disabled
Guns lost 128 (6 destroyed, 122 disabled)
Vehicles lost 44 (8 destroyed, 36 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
49178 casualties reported
Squads: 551 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2352 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 172 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 348 (348 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 516 (516 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 31
Assaulting units:
57th Division
41st Infantry Regiment
Karafuto Mixed Brigade
2nd Tank Regiment
56th Engineer Regiment
56th Recon Regiment
21st Division
Imperial Guards Division
53rd Division
55th Infantry Regiment
4th Division
114th Infantry Regiment
12th Division
56th Infantry Regiment
15th Ind. Engineer Regiment
5th Division
24th Infantry Regiment
16th Infantry Regiment
113th Infantry Regiment
12th Engineer Regiment
148th Infantry Regiment
15th Division
4th Guards Division
5th Mortar Battalion
56th Field Artillery Regiment
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
20th AA Regiment
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Mortar Battalion
20th Ind. Mtn Gun Battalion
1st RF Gun Battalion
10th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
18th Mountain Gun Regiment
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
23rd Ind. Engineer Regiment
25th Army
4th Ind. Engineer Regiment
3rd Mortar Battalion
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
34th Field AA Battalion
Defending units:
27th Australian Brigade
2/17 Dogra Battalion
22nd Australian Brigade
3rd SSVF Battalion
SSVF Brigade
2nd Loyal Battalion
3rd Cavalry Regiment
11th Indian Division
9th Indian Division
2nd ISF Base Force
111th RAF Base Force
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
110th RAF Base Force
FMSV Brigade
1st Manchester Battalion
24th NZ Pioneer Coy
Malayan Air Wing
Malaya Army
3rd Heavy AA Regiment
3rd ISF Base Force
Singapore Base Force
III Indian Corps
109th RAF Base Force
1st HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
112th RAF Base Force
1st ISF Base Force
1st Indian Heavy AA Regiment
Singapore Fortress
2nd HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
3rd HK&S Light AA Regiment
109th RN Base Force
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Japan, for the first time in the game, moves ahead in VPs.
Loss of Singers of course changes the entire strategic balance on the western map. Where these forces will go, and how damaged individual combat LCUs are, is an open question.
2) Looking north at FUDD, it was a terrible day at sea.
All landing TFs but one were ordered to leave, but many were caught on the withdrawl. A strong IJN cruiser force, with seemingly bottomless ops points, hit time after time and crushed multiple TFs. The torpedo bombers finished the job. The butcher's bill will be very high. The RN, in one day, has moved to the defensive in the Bay of B. I don't care to try to summarize all of it, so I'll put up the raw data without further comment. Landing actions/CD fire not included.
ASW attack near Rangoon at 54,53
Japanese Ships
SS I-164, hits 6
Allied Ships
DD Norman
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Sub attack near Bengkalis at 48,83
Japanese Ships
CL Tama
Allied Ships
SS Truant
SS Truant launches 6 torpedoes at CL Tama
(This was the only action by the Malaccan Strait defenses. Perhaps more to come, but this line is untenable without Singers. These subs will be re-based.)
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,53, Range 10,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Nachi
CL Kinu
DD Maikaze, Shell hits 1
DD Yamakaze
Allied Ships
DD Norman
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,53, Range 10,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Nachi
CL Kinu
DD Maikaze
DD Yamakaze
Allied Ships
DD Norman, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,53, Range 10,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Nachi, Shell hits 1
CL Kinu
DD Maikaze
DD Yamakaze
Allied Ships
CL Capetown, Shell hits 19, and is sunk
xAK Edward Luckenbach, Shell hits 24, and is sunk
xAK Alice Moller, Shell hits 9, and is sunk
xAK Loch Ranza, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
xAK Taiyuan, Shell hits 12, and is sunk
xAK Clan Macwhirter, Shell hits 42, and is sunk
xAK Empire Baxter, Shell hits 14, and is sunk
xAK Shirala, Shell hits 40, and is sunk
Allied ground losses:
48 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 15 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 13 (13 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 32 (30 destroyed, 2 disabled)
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,53, Range 11,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Nachi, Shell hits 1
CL Kinu, Shell hits 1
DD Maikaze
DD Yamakaze
Allied Ships
CL Emerald, Shell hits 5
xAP Devonshire, Shell hits 14, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAKL Wosang, Shell hits 18, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAKL Nordhval, Shell hits 5, heavy fires
xAP Aorangi, Shell hits 4
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,53, Range 11,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Nachi, Shell hits 2
CL Kinu, Shell hits 1
DD Maikaze
DD Yamakaze, Shell hits 1
Allied Ships
CA Exeter, Shell hits 7, on fire
CLAA Van Heemskerck, Shell hits 1
DD Isaac Sweers, Shell hits 3, on fire
xAP Tilawa, Shell hits 34, and is sunk
xAP Australia Star, Shell hits 37, and is sunk
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,53, Range 11,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Nachi
CL Kinu
DD Maikaze
DD Yamakaze
Allied Ships
CA Exeter, Shell hits 1, on fire
CLAA Van Heemskerck
DD Isaac Sweers, Shell hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,53, Range 11,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Nachi, on fire
CL Kinu
DD Maikaze
DD Yamakaze
Allied Ships
CL Emerald
xAP Devonshire, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAKL Nordhval, Shell hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Aorangi, Shell hits 6, heavy fires
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Day Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,54, Range 19,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Nachi
CL Kinu
DD Maikaze
DD Yamakaze
Allied Ships
DD Isaac Sweers, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
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Day Time Surface Combat, near Bataan at 76,77, Range 18,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Murasame
DD Samidare
DD Akatsuki
DD Sagiri
Allied Ships
xAK Benledi, Shell hits 6, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
Allied ground losses: (Cavite Base force; this one snuck in here but I don't want to edit it out.)
380 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 111 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 37 (26 destroyed, 11 disabled)
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Rangoon at 50,55
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid spotted at 32 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 16
G3M2 Nell x 13
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M2 Nell: 4 damaged
Allied Ships
BB Ramillies, Torpedo hits 1
BB Revenge
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Bassein at 52,52
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid spotted at 9 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 16
G3M2 Nell x 12
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 2
P-40E Warhawk x 1
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
G3M2 Nell: 4 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIb Trop: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
xAKL Kalgan
PG Clive, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAP Duntroon, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
xAKL Boelongan, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Rangoon at 50,55
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Japanese aircraft
H6K4 Mavis x 11
Japanese aircraft losses
H6K4 Mavis: 7 damaged
H6K4 Mavis: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
BB Ramillies, Torpedo hits 2
BB Resolution, Torpedo hits 2
CL Enterprise
----------------------------
Multiple iron bomb attacks on TFs hit nothing. Fighter attacks ditto. A few dogfights resulted in about an even exchange. But the air war was all about torpedoes. The BB TF was headed in to bombard the large Zero gaggle seen yesterday at Moulmein, then it was headed home to Colombo. It was too far south to react onto the cruisers, although I doubt these old girls could have helped much. Almost certainly they are lost.
3) Ashore, the two sides once again exchanged bombardments.
Ground combat at Rangoon (54,53)
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 49752 troops, 521 guns, 120 vehicles, Assault Value = 2048
Defending force 5620 troops, 209 guns, 323 vehicles, Assault Value = 284
Japanese ground losses:
44 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Allied ground losses:
10 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
112th Infantry Regiment
5th Guards Division
22nd Recon Regiment
3rd RTA Division
7th RTA Division
II./143rd Infantry Battalion
5th Amphibious Brigade
6th Guards Division
6th Tank Regiment
55th Engineer Regiment
14th Tank Regiment
2nd RTA Division
17th Indpt Guards Regiment
7th JAAF Base Force
21st Medium Field Artillery Battalion
15th JAAF AF Bn
55th Mountain Gun Regiment
15th Army
55th Const Co
91st JAAF AF Bn
29th JAAF AF Coy
Defending units:
B Sqn 3rd Hussars Regiment
I Aus Corps Engineer Battalion
2/1 AIF Pioneer Battalion
19th Indian Division
7th Armoured Brigade
7th Australian Div /1
8th Medium Regiment
6th Medium Regiment
2/13th Field Regiment
21st Light AA Regiment
23rd British Bde /1
RAF 222 Group Base Force /3
Ground combat at Rangoon (54,53)
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 3571 troops, 134 guns, 136 vehicles, Assault Value = 284
Defending force 62332 troops, 600 guns, 500 vehicles, Assault Value = 2043
(No damage results to either side.)
Viper Force is ten miles from Bassein. The Chinese should enter Toungoo tomorrow. A lot of triage on TFs moving up and down the northern coast needs to be done, as well as assessment on Ramree's future and supply flows to the interior through Chittagong.
4) The Allies had a few successes today.
At Boela, which fell today, a Dutch sub sank an unloading xAP.
Sub attack near Boela at 80,110
Japanese Ships
xAP Montevideo Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Sanae
Allied Ships
SS KXII, hits 5
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The supply ship into Bataan unloaded 5000 supplies, loaded the rest of the Cavite Base Force, and left for Palembang. It was sunk by a 4-DD TF north of Borneo, but the supplies put most of the PI infantry divisions back in the white. And now I can rebuild the Cavite boys, my favorite base force in the whole game. [:)]
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B-17s hit Tarakan Oil for 2 hits.
----------------------
Chiang Mai air field bombed by B-26s. Two bombers destroyed on the ground, about three more dmaged. The Chinese corps detailed for this base keep coming, although why may be moot now.
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The SNLF at Padang is bombed by 4Es again, just to let them know we see them. A handful of casualties.
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In CONUS 32nd Division is prepped for Palembang and strat loaded for EC to move to CT. May be too late, may not be enough, but I will fight for Palembang as long as I can.
And so, a bad day ends. Tomorrow is another.