Greyjoy(J) vs. Obvert(A) - The air war in China- DBB, SLs, PDU OFF

[GreyJoy]

We left at Madras only the 2 naval engineer companies we've brought there in order to help the loading process... these brave guys are my sacrificial lambs...so that he will have to discover by himself what is left at Madras...and by that time...we'll be long gone[:D]

[GreyJoy]

April 2, 1943...


Yet no attacks over Trico...just some 4Es at night...probably too many fighters to face.. the transports load unmolested and leave Trico harbour...while the KB remains in a screening position....

Madras is empty...and yet to be conquered... Erik tries a bombardment and finds the base empty[:D]

While the Georges in SOPAC make life hard for the Erik's wildcats...


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Night Air attack on Trincomalee , at 31,47

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
J1N1-S Irving x 2

Allied aircraft
B-17F Fortress x 3

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-17F Fortress: 1 damaged

Airbase hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-17F Fortress bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
Endo Det with J1N1-S Irving (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 8000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 8000.
Raid is overhead



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Night Air attack on Trincomalee , at 31,47

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 19 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
J1N1-S Irving x 1

Allied aircraft
B-17F Fortress x 4

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B-17F Fortress bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb



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Night Air attack on Trincomalee , at 31,47

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 17 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 1 destroyed on ground

No Allied losses

Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 2

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb



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Night Air attack on Trincomalee , at 31,47

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 28 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48-IIa Lily: 1 destroyed on ground
A6M5 Zero: 2 destroyed on ground
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 2 damaged

Runway hits 4

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb



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Morning Air attack on Munda , at 111,134

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 13 NM, estimated altitude 31,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 40

Allied aircraft
Beaufighter Ic x 10
F4F-4 Wildcat x 16

Japanese aircraft losses
N1K1-J George: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Beaufighter Ic: 2 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat: 7 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
33 x N1K1-J George sweeping at 25000 feet




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Ground combat at Madras (35,40)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 148663 troops, 2383 guns, 2789 vehicles, Assault Value = 5616

Defending force 744 troops, 6 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2

Japanese ground losses:
146 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
7th Indian Division
1st USMC Tank Battalion
3rd Cavalry Regiment
754th Tank Battalion
102nd(Sep) Infantry Regiment
637th Tank Destroyer Battalion
268th Motorised Brigade
84th Indian Brigade
3rd Carabiniers Regiment
627th Tank Destroyer Battalion
7th Australian Division
70th British Division
762nd Tank Battalion
24th (Sep) Infantry Regiment
267th Armoured Brigade
147th(Sep) Infantry Regiment
26th Indian Brigade
63rd Indian Brigade
254th Armoured Brigade
16th Light Cavalry Regiment
255th Armoured Brigade
19th Indian Division
75th IAC Regiment
3rd Marine Division
6th Australian Division
2nd British Division
22nd (East African) Brigade
159th(Sep) Infantry Regiment
26th Indian Division
I Aus Corps Engineer Battalion
194th Tank Battalion
150th RAC Regiment
Waziristan Division
6th Medium Regiment
30th Field Artillery Regiment
2/9th Field Regiment
1st USMC Field Artillery Battalion
III Indian Corps
2/1st Med Regiment
77th Heavy AA Regiment
28th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
209th Field Artillery Battalion
65th Coast AA Regiment
15th NZ AA Bde
23rd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
94th Coast AA Regiment
IV Indian Corps
21st Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
85th British AT Gun Regiment
25th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
501st Coast AA Regiment
64th Coast AA Regiment
24th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
26th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
369th Coast AA Regiment
198th Field Artillery Battalion
20th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
2nd Indian Heavy AA Regiment
2/11th Field Regiment
134th Field Artillery Battalion
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment

Defending units:
111th Ship Eng Coy
211th Ship Eng Coy

[witpqs]

Wow - congratulations on an amazing operation!

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Wow - congratulations on an amazing operation!

Not over yet... but so far everything went smoothly

[GreyJoy]

While all this happens.... 5 IDs have reached the Dimampur-Imphal line. 3 more divisions are moving along the RR to Chittagong-Dacca.

Calcutta will be abbandoned soon (hopefully)

[GreyJoy]

What amazes me is the lack of air coverage by Erik. My transports were neve spotted during their advance...and he got them just by direct recon when they reached Trico or Madras...even the KB wasn't really spotted..we just got a 4/5 DL over one of our five TFs when we were close to Madras...nothing more[X(]

[Lowpe]

Remember, all he will see of the big taskforces is 10 ships...right? So he could potentially have no idea how large the operation was until it was over.

[pontiouspilot]

I thought you had left it too late...well done! Maybe it was even worth it at end of the day.

[koniu]

Bravo

[GreyJoy]

Talking about something else...

As yu know the first (and only one) N1K1 squadron has been operative at Rabaul since mid March 1943.
After having waited for the whole group to get repaired, i've kept it on hgh alt CAP over Rabaul in order to discourage the P-38 sweeps.
Lately, i've started to use it on sweep missions against his advanced bases in the Solomons.

So far, the Yokosuka KU-S2 has done wonders.
In four sweep missions (Shortland -twice-, Woodlark Island and Munda) has collected an real record: 40 planes shot down for 2 lost (2 KIA pilots).
Surely i've placed here only the best of the best: out of 60 pilots, 22 are TRACOM ones and the rest have an experience between 60 and 80.

Now i really see why with DBB a/c latest modifications, the game should be played with PDU OFF... imagine what Japan could do with 15 sentais of these beasts in late 1942 (if you RnD heavily the N1K1 can easily arrive in late 42/early 43)....

However, it's a pleasure to see these guys in action. It's like having The F4U for the allies. Just in the last mission on the 2nd April they shot down 10 F4F-4s and 6 Beaufighters, losing 1 George... 16-1[:D]

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: pontiouspilot

I thought you had left it too late...well done! Maybe it was even worth it at end of the day.

was worth it? The evacuation sure it was worth. The real question is, IMHO, was it worth to consolidate Madras into a fortress for that leaving it behind without a fight?
Sure at Madras i've invested a whole lot of supplies and time (that could be used to fortify some inner positions in Burma or Sumatra).
On the other hand,Madras caught his attention a lot, drawing down there all his forces that were threatening the "Patna-Line", thus giving me the time to advance towards Kunming in China without worring about an air bridge from Ledo and now giving me the time and space to easily evacuate Assam without struggling into a "fighting retreat" whichis always risky.
So i think that, strategically, it was well worth. I tied him down for nearly 6 months in India (the first battle for Patna begun in Octoer 42 if i remember well) without losing and managed to advance in China till the point i was looking for

[Encircled]

*standing ovation for a mission well done*

[Lowpe]

Well done.

You be careful with George on islands. SR3...you probably don't need the advice however.

[GreyJoy]

April 3-4, 1943

Nothing happens. The fleet continues its course to safety. Now far away from the allied LBA.
The abbandoning of Assam continues. Almost everything is in place. Erik sees a bit of it and sends some tanks to Patna... an empty Patna

Ceylon is fully invested by 1000 allied planes...but it's empty. Stripped it from all my planes which are back to Burma, Port Blair and Calcutta/Dimampur.

Madras is conquered....


Ground combat at Madras (35,40)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 162984 troops, 2401 guns, 3649 vehicles, Assault Value = 5621

Defending force 665 troops, 6 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 5

Allied adjusted assault: 12906

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 12906 to 1 (fort level 5)

Allied forces CAPTURE Madras !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
857 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 53 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 6 (6 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 2

Allied ground losses:
16 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
159th(Sep) Infantry Regiment
762nd Tank Battalion
7th Indian Division
26th Indian Brigade
3rd Carabiniers Regiment
16th Light Cavalry Regiment
63rd Indian Brigade
75th IAC Regiment
102nd(Sep) Infantry Regiment
26th Indian Division
2nd British Division
19th Indian Division
6th Australian Division
150th RAC Regiment
255th Armoured Brigade
194th Tank Battalion
84th Indian Brigade
268th Motorised Brigade
754th Tank Battalion
3rd Cavalry Regiment
3rd Marine Division
24th (Sep) Infantry Regiment
627th Tank Destroyer Battalion
637th Tank Destroyer Battalion
22nd (East African) Brigade
7th Australian Division
70th British Division
147th(Sep) Infantry Regiment
1st USMC Tank Battalion
I Aus Corps Engineer Battalion
254th Armoured Brigade
267th Armoured Brigade
Waziristan Division
94th Coast AA Regiment
15th NZ AA Bde
2/9th Field Regiment
26th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
24th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
25th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
198th Field Artillery Battalion
6th Medium Regiment
2/11th Field Regiment
369th Coast AA Regiment
21st Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
IV Indian Corps
30th Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Indian Heavy AA Regiment
64th Coast AA Regiment
III Indian Corps
65th Coast AA Regiment
134th Field Artillery Battalion
209th Field Artillery Battalion
77th Heavy AA Regiment
2/1st Med Regiment
85th British AT Gun Regiment
501st Coast AA Regiment
28th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
20th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
23rd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
1st USMC Field Artillery Battalion
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment

Defending units:
111th Ship Eng Coy
211th Ship Eng Coy

[:D]
-------------------------------------------------

The good news come from China: Kunming falls! Finally! Now a lot of chinese corps are trapped south of Kunming. No supplies at all will arrive there. Now we're heading towards Tsuyung


Ground combat at Kunming (69,48)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 14451 troops, 317 guns, 992 vehicles, Assault Value = 505

Defending force 21583 troops, 144 guns, 22 vehicles, Assault Value = 258

Japanese adjusted assault: 1001

Allied adjusted defense: 286

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Kunming !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
138 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Vehicles lost 16 (1 destroyed, 15 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
7237 casualties reported
Squads: 165 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 428 destroyed, 20 disabled
Engineers: 68 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 49 (44 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Vehicles lost 20 (20 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 12
Units destroyed 1

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
18th Tank Regiment
2nd Tank Division
Guards Tank Division
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
20th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
56th Chinese Corps
32nd Chinese Corps
49th Chinese Corps
80th Chinese Corps
33rd Base Group
64th Chinese Corps
11th Group Army
56th AT Gun Regiment
5th Group Army
9th Group Army
10th Construction Regiment
102nd RAF Base Force
16th Chinese Base Force


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The first Sentai of 45 planes is upgraded to the A6M8 at Rabaul[8D]

[MrBlizzard]

Just 3 words:
SEI UN GRANDE!!! [&o]
your rescue plan is a little gem, you didn't even leave a single supply for Allies at Madras, impressive [8D]

also the final battle of Madras was very funny; it looks like Termopili, the huge persian army against a handful of heroes [;)]

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: MrBlizzard

Just 3 words:
SEI UN GRANDE!!! [&o]
your rescue plan is a little gem, you didn't even leave a single supply for Allies at Madras, impressive [8D]

also the final battle of Madras was very funny; it looks like Termopili, the huge persian army against a handful of heroes [;)]

Grazie Blizz!

Now it comes the hard part...it's yet to be seen, tough, if this operation was worth. It would be pretty disappointing to find out that i gave him much more room to roam free towards the DEI now that i abbandoned my conquests in India... i think we just need to wait and see.

Now the priorities are:

1- Set up a strong defensive line in Burma
2- Set up a good defence of Thailand Coast and of the Adamans
3- Create some strongpoints on Sumatra western coast
4- GArrison the major landing site on western Java
5- Create a sensible fast-response-reserve

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Well done.

You be careful with George on islands. SR3...you probably don't need the advice however.

Well, yes, but Rabaul is a 9 lvl AF, with plenty of AV support. If there's a place in the pacific where the N1K1 could be based, that is Rabaul.
Also it seems to me that his best groups are based in India. That's why i chose to move my only sentai that could upgrade to the N1K1 to the Pacific...i was pretty sure i would have been fighting mainly F4F and P39s for a while there...

Now the Hellcat is in production... 130/monthly if i recall well.... quite a lot!
He'll be equipping his CVs first...but then, from July 43, i really need to worry about his DS... By that time i need my CVs to be equipped with A6M5c (for escort duties) and A6M8 for CAP.
It will be a while till i'll be able to field the D4Y3... so we'll have to live with the D4Y1 untill early 1944 i fear...

[Dauntless42]

Wars may not be won by evacuations, but as evacuations go, this was one of the best ever!

[koniu]

He'll be equipping his CVs first...but then, from July 43, i really need to worry about his DS... By that time i need my CVs to be equipped with A6M5c (for escort duties) and A6M8 for CAP.

Explain why M5c for escort and M8 for CAP.
Personally I will use them vice-versa.

In KB CAP speed is not so important as firepower. M5c defending KB will probably have dive bonus all the time so he if fly with 70-80+XP pilots will be good enough to deal with F6F, and his firepower will be deadly to enemy planes. Remember one shot one kill.

On other hand M8 is perfect escort fighter. Only 23mph slower from F6F so he have chance to use his maneuverability in fight. In escort You dont need to kill You need to stay alive long enough to keep enemy fighters from You bombers as long as passable

In summary in CAP You need to kill as fast as passable so firepower go first. In escort You need to have defensive skills so speed and maneuverability.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: koniu

He'll be equipping his CVs first...but then, from July 43, i really need to worry about his DS... By that time i need my CVs to be equipped with A6M5c (for escort duties) and A6M8 for CAP.

Explain why M5c for escort and M8 for CAP.
Personally I will use them vice-versa.

In KB CAP speed is not so important as firepower. M5c defending KB will probably have dive bonus all the time so he if fly with 70-80+XP pilots will be good enough to deal with F6F, and his firepower will be deadly to enemy planes. Remember one shot one kill.

On other hand M8 is perfect escort fighter. Only 23mph slower from F6F so he have chance to use his maneuverability in fight. In escort You dont need to kill You need to stay alive long enough to keep enemy fighters from You bombers as long as passable

In summary in CAP You need to kill as fast as passable so firepower go first. In escort You need to have defensive skills so speed and maneuverability.

I see what u mean and i agree on 100% on what u said.
However, A6M8 can go on 8 hexes withdrop tanks on EXTENDED range, while A6M5c, using DTs, stays on normal range going at 8 hexes.
That's pretty decisive imho. extended range is always a bad thing for coordination, op losses and survivability in general.
The A6M5c has only 1 more heavy CL MG more than the A6M8...not that much, even if i see your points and i agree on them: firepower on CAP means a lot.