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16th - 17th june

CHINA
Changsa suffer 247 sorties of japs dive bombers. 4 japanese planes are downed by flak or fighters for the cost of 1 I-153



SoPAC
Port Moresby is now lacking CAP after the battle of 14th june.
Still, the austalian squadron try to cover the convoy unloading in port. In 2 days, i lost 12 Kittyhawk (roughly 100 % of each day CAP against raids of 35 or 50 zeros) for 5 zeros and 1 bettys; 23 bombs hits are scored against my 4 AK in harbor, and 2 of them sink. But he supplies in the base are now nearly 40000.

Tulagi SS S-34 try to catch the japs ships based here, but on 17th june, an ASW TF of 12 PG hunt it, attack it 3 times in the day, scoring 5 indirect hit....the sub leack a bit (5 flotation damages) and head back for Sidnay.

Efate is raided by 80 sorties of my bombers, for the loss of 3 allied bombers, 1 zero, 1 emily, and 8 hits on airbase, 3 on supply, 32 on runway.

16th and 17th june

SoPac


Koumac
125 allied bombers sorties and 22 fighters sorties against the airfield and the japs units on ground, cost me 1 fighter, 2 bombes, for the lost of 16 japs fighters. The airfield suffer no less than 117 tunway hits, but due to several japs engineers units, at end of day, airfield is only 40% damaged.

Skirmish south of Hebrides.

A japanese BB TF was spotted east of Efate since 14th june.
What it's goal ? Catching my BB TF that raided Efate ? Catching convoy running between Fiji and New Caledonia ?

Anyway, on 17th June....



I sent my CV TF to catch this TF. It is in fact Japanese CA; sadly, even at full speed, i didn't managed to reach 3 hex range.
The dauntless of CV Hornet and Enterprise only launch 500 lb bomb....
After 2 raids in the day, results are : CA Maya 7 bombs hits on fire
CA Chokai 4 bombs hits, on fire
CA Mogami 7 bombs hits, on fire
CA Mikuma, 1 bomb hits, on fire

now, i am wondering ....Pursue this target? But wich direction will take this TF ? Will i come in range of Bettys in Guadalcanal ? Will i have enough CAP to cover my CV ? How/when/where will react the japanese CV TF (now nearing Tulagi) ?
Time will tell...

North of Sumatra has not falled yet, nor Singapore. Place like Port Moresby, Noumea, Darwin or Koepang are still under threat.
But anyway here is a summaries of the evacuated troops:
Name of troop - number of squad of any type - coming from

4th Dutch Regiment - 6squads - Java
USAFFE HQ - 5 squads- Philippinas
Asiatic Fleet HQ - 14 squads - Philippinas
105th USAAF Bforce - 16 squads- Philippinas
31st US RCT - 6 squads- Philippinas
4th USMC Rgt- 12 squads- Philippinas
PAF Aviation - 15 squads- Philippinas
102th RN base force- 10 squads- Hong Kong
108th USAAF BF- 92 squads- Philippinas
Zuid Battalion- 16 squads- Borneo
Tarakan CD Gun- 6 squads- Borneo
Kendari Bn- 15 squads- Sulawesi
7th dutch Base Force - 107 squads - Bali
107th RN BF - 6 squads - Borneo ?? (not sure)
Lark Bn- 88 squads- Rabaul
NVGR Bn - 47 squads- Rabaul
101st RAAF BF- 65 squads - Rabaul; still a part near Gasmata
22th Indian Bde- 20 squads- Malaya
1st Malaya Bde - 22 squads- Malaya
6th Indian Bde - 20 squads- Malaya
FMSV Bde- 7 squads- Malaya
22th Australian Bde- 28 squads- Malaya
27th Australian Bde- 94 squads- Malaya then Java
106th RN BF- 22 squads-
10th DAF BF- 4 squads
MAF Aviation- 46 squads- Malaya
3rd ISF BF- 32 squads- Malaya
109th RN BF- 45 squads
12th Indian Bde- 12 squads- Malaya
2nd Malaya Bde- 6 squads
HQ Malaya Army - 32 squads
113th RAD BF- 24 squads
109th RAF BF- 32 squads

972 squads had been evacuated: roughly 300 victory points denied to the japs.
And for some units, the core of the counter strike in 1944 ???? Rebuilding some (like 27th Australian Bde) will take time, but can be useful later. Same with supports units like HQ or Aviation Supports....

Most of the events of 18th June focuse on SoPac front.

First a quick summary elsewhere

CentPac
SS Plunger laid mines in Johnston Island, and sinked a MSW !

Indian Ocean
The last AK of convoy slaughtered at Andaman is finished by japs planes. Surprisingly, my CAP of 6 Buffalos and 2 Hurricanes didnt tangled with the 10 escorting zeros.

Koepang still under daily raid. 1 Brewster destroyed on ground, and still some hits, but this time on Port. No spotting of an invasion TF, not sure of anything there

SoPac
Koumac airfield is hammered by my bombers, and my fighters really fight hard with the zeros. 2 raids on the airfield destroy 16 zeros (4 in air to air) for 1 marauder and 1 P-40E; airbase 1 hit, supply 4 hits, runway 58 hits. Despite the numerous engineers units in Koumac, the airfield is now supposed to be 50% damaged.
On the contrary, a raid at Efate manage to destroy 2 zeros on ground, for no allied bombers lost, and 8 runway hits, but the airfield doesn't seem damaged...

And then, i managed to catch the CA TF of yersterday



This time, my CV are at good range for the use of 1000lb bombs.
After 180 sorties of Dauntless, the results are high :
CA Chokai, 5 bomb hits. SINK
CA Mogami 11 bombs hits
CA Maya 13 bombs hits
CA Mikuma 13 bombs hits.
The 3 surviving CA should sink in a few days....

19th June - 21th June

Not much news:

Burma
Between bad weather and rest for the tired bombers squadrons, the air activity is near 0 .
Jan has come to his usual abbit: when things get tough, he switch to night raids (he dis so at Colombo in April, at Port Moresby in May and at Noumea in June). So Dacca is raided at night by Bettys. Bad news for him, the Beaufighter VIF squadron that was in China a few weeks ago had come back to India to refit and rest. The squadron is used but can't manage to shoot down a incoming bomber.

On ground, 1st Burma Bde, 3rd carabines regt and a chinese div try an attack on 33rd and 55th jap division at Mandalay. THe result is a failure, odd 0/1, roughly 200 casualties on each side.

China
Nothing particular: there are straffing by Nates squadron in the south, a few bombing run on my troops near Sian, no more massive dive bombing attack at Changsa. Quiet before the storm ???

DEI
The units retreating in the jungle after the loss of Palembang are bombed and sraffed daily. FMSV Bde is the unit suffering the most. So this help training the japanese planes...
Koepang still bombed daily. The airfield is close. I paid a few PP to evacuate a Hudson squadron to Australia. Still waiting to buy PP for the depleted Brewster squadron that loose planes each day or so. There are 3 jas AP near Kendari. A gathering of invasion ???

SoPAC

Port Moresby is once more raided by the japs. They finish the AK of my convoy unloading in there. My 75th RAAF and 76th RAAF squadron has been partially refit (77th RAAF has suffer so much that it is back in Mainland Australia for a good time).
Still, i manage to shoot 2 zeros and 2 oscar for the loss of 2 kittyhawk. 2 AK are sunked.



New Caledonia
After one month of battle, the airfield of Koumac seem near to be shut close. Roughly 70% of damages. The raids of my planes cost me 11 fighters and 4 bombers, for 27 zeros and 5 vals on ground.
In the night of 20th june, another Fast Transport TF encounters mine at Koumac: CL Yubari and 2 japs DD hit mines, but when daylight come, they are enough far away and my bombers don't attack.
Another TF is targeted by my B-26 squadron, north of New Caledonia, and CL Oi suffer 2 bombs hits (500lb, only one supposed to penetrate the deck). Even if these ships don't sunk, the campaign for New Caledonia start to cost him ...

About the Japs CA, in the night of 21th june, CA Maya and Mikuma sink. CA Chokai had sunken the first day, and CA Mogami is unspotted, but i really doubt that this ship could have escaped the eyes of my patrol planes, it is probably sunk also.

22th June - 26th June

NoPac & CentPac

Nothing particular.

Burma

At Mandalay, my allieds troops (chinese and british) have difficulty to reduce disruption and fatigue. Although i got SouthEast Asia HQ with Alexander in range, and a corps HQ in Mandalay with Col Wavell (not the renown general, but a very good officer aniway), the lack of supply and Malaria zone don't help me much.
But the artillery duel is usually in my favor. A few air raid didn't stopped the japs to recover strengh (no more troops on the front, but his Assault value is rising quicker than mine).
Probably, this mean a stalemate here for a good time.
I must add that once Singapore will fall, nothing will stop the japs to send the 2 divisions and 2 bde besieging the fortress toward Burma.
The airwar is nearly to a halt here in Burma: my Hurricanes don't have the range to go further than Taung Gyi or Pagan, and there is no more japanese CAP on these bases.

Singapore
Still holding, but for how long now ????

DEI
Troops retreating from Palembang are bombed daily by the japanese airforce.
Koepang received daily raids severely damaging port and airfield. My planes had been evacuated except 2 dutch Dornier patroling the Banda Sea.

China

Still nothing had been unleashed on my chinese troops. But there are signs....many japs units had been spotted on the coast, and there are many others gathering in Canton. In 15 days, the number of units in this town rised from 16 to 26.
With the 12 or so incoming, there will be a real Tsunami, and i am gathering as many chinese corps that i can.
Even if i have much shorter lane (and i have the railway beetwenn Changsa and Wuchow) , i wonder if i will have the time to gather enough to face this Threat. Time will tell

22th June - 26th June

SoPac

After having sunk the japanese TF of 4 CA, my CV force head north-East, to cover Fijis Island : another japanese surface TF had been sighted east of Hebrides Island, but heading southeast !! Probably not a Fast Transport TF trying to bring supplies or troops in Efate.
My CV took an interception way.
And on 22th june, catch a TF with at least 6 APD.
4 raids (2 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon) mean the total destruction of 5 APD; one surviving APD-35 sinked on 26th june while trying to reach Tulagi back.
This "battle' cost me 1 Devastator and 2 Dauntless. Only.




At Koumac, my raids destroyed (mostly on ground, but also in the air) 17 A6M2 and 2 A6M3 and 3 vals. At end of 26th june, the airfield is 90% damaged. The japanese ground troops (56th div and South Sea Detachment) had been slightly harassed by my Australian Mitchells. My losses amount to 2 P-39 and 1 bomber (Marauder).

and here is a screenshot of one of my usual aid on Efate.
This week cost me 1 B-17 and 2 LB-30. The japanese losses amount to 3 A6M2, 7 Dinah and 4 Emily; the airfield is supposed to be 65% damaged.

New Caledonia
in one month, 2 convoys reach Noumea, unloading nearly 40000 supplies. The lifting capacity of these AK had also allowed me to bring 2nd Australian Tank Regiment, now strenghening 2nd Marines Div at Koumac. I am still waiting for 32th US Div to reach Noumea before counter attacking (18 days estimated before reaching Noumea). But others things are also in orders...

General feeling
After one month of battle, it seem tide is turning on this point of the front, and it really is pleasing. After 6 month of japanese offensive, it seem this one is stalling. I may be wrong, and China could be an exception. Also see my thinking about japanese troops besieging Singapore in previous post.
But things seems good.
1) For the moment, except covering Ranngoon and blocking the sea lane to Andaman, Japanese airpower seems to have leave the skys of Burma.
2) New Caledonia is probably " a bridge too far" for the japanese.
3) even if the japanese are gathering forces in South China, this front has costed them a good bunch of troops. After the fall of Yenen and Sining, the japs failed to grab Changsa, didn't headed for Homan (although i have some intel from time to time of troops prepping for there), and have just a few units facing Sian.
4) what is the state of japanese aeronaval force ? There are Kate or Vals Datai from CV scattered around the map (In Dei, in Amboina, in Rabaul). Does this mean training on some fragments of routed allied troops ? Reffitting and repair for CV ? ( many had been hits in the last month).
5) even if the japanese planes are good, the airlosses ratio is not the same as before, general level of pilots is probably near the allied level...
6) except in New Caledonia, time is not to a counter strike: i must keep cautious, and continue a attrition battle on my terms, where i can conduct it. In 4 months will arrive the first long range fighter for the allieds (P-38); in a few days, Avengers will be avalaible for my CV; also i am waiting for upgrading Fulmar in Seafire for my brits CV. LB-30 will be changed for B-24D with much gun value. Supplies are accumulated in some base; forts are rising, along with ports level (to unload quicker) and then airfield size will be raised.
This is the time to prepare for future....

27th june - 30th june

Nothing particular on any front:

- a bit of straffing/bombinb by japs bombers in China, nothing huge.

- a bit of straffing/ bombing by japs aircraft on survivors of Palembang fleing in the jungle

- two allied AK bombed and torpedoed at Koepang by bettys/sallys from Kendari. As usual, supplying remote base without long range fighter cover is bloody

- usual raids on Koumac and Efate; no air opposition since now 6 or 7 days.

BURMA
This is where things could move and heat in a few days.
On 9th june i managed to nearly encircle the 33rd and 55th japs div at Mandalay.
I tried some deliberate attacks on 28th and 29th june, mostly with infantry (chinese and british), and now awaiting for the result of 7th arm bde on 1st July....
Sadly, 3 days in a row, my bombers from India were stuck by bad weather, and could not assist on the fight. Let's hope july will be better....

Capital ship losses.
No change for the allies

Japanese ship losses

( The 6 APD lost in june near Hebrides are not shown on this screen, but you can see the cruisers)

Points.

No need for a map, nothing had changed

you are doing a great job as allied. espacialy the destruction of all this powerfull japanese CA so early in the war! also, holding the front in china and even north burma is amazing since a good japanese player can capture burma and china  and even india by mid 42!

your carrier strikes in south pacific are simply briliant and follow the #1 rule of war for the allied:

if you know where the KB is, use your CV power elsewhere.

ORIGINAL: bigbaba

you are doing a great job as allied. espacialy the destruction of all this powerfull japanese CA so early in the war! also, holding the front in china and even north burma is amazing since a good japanese player can capture burma and china  and even india by mid 42!

your carrier strikes in south pacific are simply briliant and follow the #1 rule of war for the allied:

if you know where the KB is, use your CV power elsewhere.

Hi. After all these kind word, i must hide in shame [:o].
Because , look at this. I made a big mistake, and i went incautious.
A Bombardement TF of 5 BB was schedulded to hit Efate. No air cover. I thought KB was healing it's wound in Tulagi. No patrol planes, no sub, no nothing did spot KB; the thunderstorms help it to hide in the clouds, and on 2th of July, here what's happend :



2 raids gathered 121 sorties of Kate and vals. My flak chew a bunch of planes : 7 vals and 7 kates destroyed, and no less of 85 damaged planes [X(]. Don't know what will be able to fly next day.
But score on my ships are high :
BB Arizona bomb 2 torp 2 on fire, damages
BB Maryland bomb 1, torpedo 3, fire, damages; will sink
BB West Virginia bomb 4 torp 1, fire, damages. Probably on way of sinking
BB Nevada torpedoes 3; maybe not sinking if no more hits.
The escort (2 CL and 5 DD) is already fleeing toward...safety.

My CV are already far away (looking for fuel, supply, repair, and so on...).
So this is a really good strike from Jan. Congrats, old boy !! [&o]

I've got a real problem with this f.....ing "paint", and can't paste my screenshots !!! what the hell of a son of b......

And i've got the weather against me......

To be updated as soon as i calm down against "paint"..........

July 1942 ; 1st to 5th july.

Burma

Battle at Mandalay ongoing, but failure on my side. Look at the previous map; the outflanking by 22nd chinese div is not enough (well, it seem so) to deprive supply to 55th and 33rd jap div. After 5 day of deliberate attack, my troops are disrupted and exausted.
The weather is on japanese side: no raids took off from India in 5 days !! With no air support, my local counterstrike stall....

Andaman.
Another supply convoy slaughtered. Once again, weather is on japanese side : with thunderstorms in Bay of Bengal, i tought i could try to send a convoy of 5 AK;
reaching Andaman on 4th of july, it is attacked by Nells/bettys spotting the ships despite the clouds !!
My Buffalos (488 sqdr) and Hurricanes (20th sqdr) take off to defend my freighters. Buffalos are downed by the zeros and oscar escorting the bettys, but 20th sqdr do a good job. PO C.Baker down 3 oscar on 5th of july.
The 2 days cost me 3 AK (the 2 others won't float for long) and 7 buffalos, 1 hawk for 8 oscar and 1 zero A6M2. Of the 35000 supplies from the freighters, roughly 1500 are unloaded in Andaman, rest is burned.....

SoPac.
Weather still on japanese side. May be i should start to make offering to the god of storms and clouds, or dance for sun and clear weather ???
For 3 days, no raids hammered the airfields of Koumac and Efate. With luck ,these were so damaged that when i was able to strike once again on 5th of July, no japanese flight defend these base. Also flak seem non existant (lack of supply??).

Now, about my BB TF
BB Nevada was left alone because too slow for the others ships. On 4th july, the ship was under a cover of clouds and escaped any japanese raid. But on 5th of July, 32 Kate and 5 vals attack it. My AA ammo was 0, so no flak did counter these planes...after 1 bomb and 5 torpedoes (and already 3 torpedoes received 2nd of july) the ship sink....

North of Nevada, another TF try to reach cover. BB Maryland, Arizona and West Virginia are attacked on 4th of july by 35 kates. No F4F from Noumea managed to cover the TF: bad weather prevented to take off [:@].
BB Arizona take 2 bombs, BB Maryland 6 and BB West Virginia 2; as for Nevada, my AA ammo are 0, nil, nada, niet, rien, nothing.
My ships are harmless.
On 5th of july, VMF 221 manageto give cover to the TF; a raid of 4 zeros, 10 Vals and 33 kate is countered by 5 F4F; 4 vals and 5 kate are downed, and only 1 bomb hit is scored on BB Arizona. 1st Lt Clark score 3 kills (for a total of 4).
Anyway, these ships, even if very endurant, could sink before reaching port....



The japs CV are at striking range from Noumea.
65 bombers are ready to attack....but weather is on japanese side, and no attack occur [8|].

6th July 1942;

i did forget to make an offer to the god of weather. Or it was not enough. Or maybe i didn't spoke the good language.

BURMA

For the 6th day, my bombers in India are grounded by thunderstorms.

In Andaman, 3 japs DD came to finish my convoy. I had 80 mines in the area, but it made no good.
3 AK are sunken by the japs .
The airfield in Andaman is level 1, i have no bomber or torpedo bomber, and supply is not enough, so these DD have a good time.

6th July

SoPac

The jap TF, probably with CV (the intel now only see BB and CA), sail south of New Caledonia.
As in India, the thunderstorm prevent my LBA to attack, despite the fact that this TF is in range of Noumea.
South of Noumea, my convoy scatter like fish facing a shark.

Now, if anyone would like to teach me the proper spell to cast in order to clear the skys....