AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 03/27/42
A brilliant day for the Allies. Japanese planes flutter down by their hordes, a half-division is stranded in the Siberian tundra and a surprise strike against an enemy convoy goes off without a hitch.
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Coastal Guns at Medan [Sumatra], 20,45, firing at TF 40
TF 40 troops unloading over beach at Medan [Sumatra], 20,45
31 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
AK Kenkon Maru
Japanese ground losses:
202 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
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Coastal Guns at Medan [Sumatra], 20,45, firing at TF 40
TF 40 troops unloading over beach at Medan [Sumatra], 20,45
Well it looks as though he has decided to really try to clean up the eastern coast of Borneo - a thing I don't want because it will prevent me flying fighters from Rangoon down to Java. So, I'll fly some Chinese troops in to the next base in the line and see if I can't hold for a little while.
23 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
AK Sinkoku Maru, Shell hits 1
AK Hokkai Maru
Japanese ground losses:
25 casualties reported
Allied ground losses:
9 casualties reported
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Day Air attack on Ye [Burma] , at 29,35
Japanese aircraft
Me-109E-4 Mike x 16
No Japanese losses
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Day Air attack on Victoria Point [BMA] , at 25,39
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-I Oscar x 26
Ki-44IIa Tojo x 6
Allied aircraft
Mosquito NF x 16
No Japanese losses
No Allied losses
Very interesting indeed. Ki-43s and Ki-44s. I was expecting that he would have transitioned his entire IJA figher squadrons to Mikes by now.
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Day Air attack on Victoria Point [BMA] , at 25,39
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-I Oscar x 26
Ki-44IIa Tojo x 6
Allied aircraft
B-17E/F Fortress x 9
No Japanese losses
No Allied losses
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Day Air attack on Tavoy [Burma] , at 28,37
Japanese aircraft
A6M2-N Rufe-FF x 11
Me-109E-4 Mike x 42
Allied aircraft
Pe-2 x 56
Japanese aircraft losses
Me-109E-4 Mike: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Pe-2: 3 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
82 casualties reported
Guns lost 3
Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 68
Jagdfluger is very unhappy with the Pe-2 situation as they cannot be intercepted by his fighters ( since they fly higher than his CAP can reach ). He argues that while the B-17Es can fly high and bomb from on high with reduced accuracy ( entirely fair and accounted for in the game code ) the Pe-2s receive no such penalty since they fly in high over CAP, drop down low to bomb with normal accuracy and then fly away with no chance of being intercepted.
He has a point but because this same issue effects ALL dive-bombers ( the code doesn't allow interceptions while in a dive or during the pull-up ) I amn't willing to just accept that I can't fly divebombers in above his Zero CAP. Jagdfluger then pointed out that once I got the Helldiver I'd have divebombers that could fly in above the ceiling of any fighter he had in his fleet and thus his KB would become nothing more than a sitting target rom January 1944 onward - I don't necessarily think this is unfair ( as the Helldiver did have this ceiling in reality and so taking advantage of it isn't unfair) BUT it would turn the game from a competition into a turkey shoot and I want to win fair and square so we've agreed the following house rules ( I hate house rules but its better than having an unhappy opponent ).
a) Pe-2s will only fly every 2nd day.
b) Helldivers and dive-bombers vs naval targets will be limited to 21,000 feet.
c) Kamikazes will ALSO be limited to 21,000 feet ( this is the trade-off as if I amn't taking advantage of high ceilings to evade CAP then neither can he,
d) against land bases you can use whatever ceiling you want for your dive-bombers.
Fighter units in training ( e.g. My P-43s and P-36s) are excluded from this cap on flight level and level bomber units are accounted for in the code so they are excluded as well.
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Day Air attack on Moulmein [Burma] , at 30,34
Japanese aircraft
Me-109E-4 Mike x 42
No Japanese losses
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Day Air attack on Rangoon [Burma] , at 29,33
Japanese aircraft
A6M2-N Rufe-FF x 11
Ki-46-II/C7M2 Dinah x 1
Allied aircraft
Martlet II/III x 2
Seafire I/II x 6
P-39D Airacobra x 3
P-40E Warhawk x 26
Kittyhawk I/P-40 x 19
Spitfire VB x 15
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2-N Rufe-FF: 2 destroyed
Ki-46-II/C7M2 Dinah: 1 damaged
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Day Air attack on Manila/Cavite [PH] , at 43,52
Japanese aircraft
A5M4 Claude x 27
Ki-51 Sonia x 65
Ki-15II/C5M2 Babs x 3
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-51 Sonia: 10 destroyed, 15 damaged
Allied ground losses:
134 casualties reported
Guns lost 3
Vehicles lost 6
Airbase hits 7
Airbase supply hits 8
Runway hits 77
Ki-51 are given the task of reducing Manilla once again after I reminded him of its existence with my B-25 raid. Unfortunately for them I have decided to build up my AAA units at Manilla and they are now almost at full strength - and lethal.
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Day Air attack on Noumea [New Cal] , at 66,117
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-II Sally x 89
Ki-49 -I Helen x 2
No Japanese losses
Allied ground losses:
13 casualties reported
Airbase hits 3
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 62
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Day Air attack on IJA Tokyo 1 RpU Regiment, at 37,34
Allied aircraft
Lancer/P-43 x 50
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
25 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
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Day Air attack on TF, near Batavia [Java] at 20,60
Allied aircraft
Beaufort VII x 3
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
AK Hakkai Maru
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Day Air attack on TF, near Batavia [Java] at 20,60
Allied aircraft
Beaufort VII x 9
SBD-3 Dauntless x 25
TBF/TBM-1 Avenger x 11
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
AK Asuka Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
AK Isuzu Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Tetsuwa Maru
AK Umegawa Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AK Kosin Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AK Koto Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AK Seisyo Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Kinzyosan Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AK Toba Maru, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
AK Tokuwa Maru, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
These high-experience SBDs are lethal. The Toba and Tokuwa Maru were each targetted by a single flight of 9 SBDs and each was hit by 5 x 1,000 lbers.
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Day Air attack on Coal Harbor [BC] , at 130,37
Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk I/P-40 x 12
No Allied losses
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Day Air attack on Rangoon [Burma] , at 29,33
Japanese aircraft
Ki-32/30 Mary/Ann x 77
An unescorted raid by Ki-32s gets slaughtered.
Allied aircraft
Martlet II/III x 2
Seafire I/II x 6
P-39D Airacobra x 3
P-40E Warhawk x 25
Kittyhawk I/P-40 x 19
Spitfire VB x 21
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-32/30 Mary/Ann: 30 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Seafire I/II: 1 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 2 damaged
Kittyhawk I/P-40: 3 damaged
Spitfire VB: 1 destroyed, 6 damaged
IL-4C/DB-3F: 1 destroyed
Allied ground losses:
5 casualties reported
Runway hits 3
30 Ki-32s are shot down over Rangoon and only four make it through to drop their bombs. What I find interesting is that he is using Ki-32s over Rangoon instead of the considerably more effective and survivable Ki-21s. On that note on 1st April 1942 the Ki-48 II enters production and this is Japan's first armoured bomber which should help his units survive in the face of my FlAK.
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Day Air attack on TF, near Batavia [Java] at 20,60
Allied aircraft
Beaufort VII x 12
SBD-3 Dauntless x 25
TBF/TBM-1 Avenger x 11
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
AK Ryuko Maru
AK Umegawa Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AK Kosin Maru, on fire, heavy damage
AK Isuzu Maru, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AK Tokuwa Maru, on fire, heavy damage
AK Natisan Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AK Shinrei Maru
AK Nanman Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AK Chicago Maru, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
AK Tetsuwa Maru
The afternoon phase yields many more attacks and by evening three small AKs are confirmed as having been sunk. Total cost to the Allies, 1 SBD [:D]
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Day Air attack on TF, near Rangoon [Burma] at 29,33
Japanese aircraft
A6M2/Ki-65 Zeke x 5
Ki-32/30 Mary/Ann x 3
Allied aircraft
Martlet II/III x 2
Seafire I/II x 6
P-39D Airacobra x 3
P-40E Warhawk x 25
Kittyhawk I/P-40 x 19
Spitfire VB x 20
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2/Ki-65 Zeke: 3 destroyed
Ki-32/30 Mary/Ann: 2 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
DD Evertsen
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Day Air attack on TF, near Rangoon [Burma] at 29,33
Japanese aircraft
A6M2/Ki-65 Zeke x 34
Ki-32/30 Mary/Ann x 32
Allied aircraft
Martlet II/III x 2
Seafire I/II x 6
P-39D Airacobra x 2
P-40E Warhawk x 24
Kittyhawk I/P-40 x 19
Spitfire VB x 20
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2/Ki-65 Zeke: 14 destroyed
Ki-32/30 Mary/Ann: 5 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Martlet II/III : 1 destroyed
P-39D Airacobra: 2 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 13 destroyed
Kittyhawk I/P-40: 5 destroyed
Spitfire VB: 3 destroyed, 2 damaged
Allied Ships
CA Dorsetshire
DD FF Le Triomphant, Bomb hits 1
CA Australia
I suffer very heavy fighter losses again but, again, this is over my terrain so many of my pilots survive while he has just lost another 19 pilots. Since he only gets about 12 pilots per day he just cannot sustain such loss rates long-term.
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Ground combat at Anchorage [Alaska]
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 6547 troops, 111 guns, 62 vehicles, Assault Value = 208
Defending force 9474 troops, 88 guns, 6 vehicles, Assault Value = 57
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Ground combat at Medan [Sumatra]
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 5501 troops, 62 guns, 33 vehicles, Assault Value = 235
Defending force 1009 troops, 9 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 22
Japanese max assault: 306 - adjusted assault: 169
Allied max defense: 19 - adjusted defense: 9
Japanese assault odds: 18 to 1 (fort level 2)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Medan [Sumatra] base !!!
Japanese ground losses:
175 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Allied ground losses:
1453 casualties reported
Guns lost 7
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Ground combat at Khabarovsk [AMUR]
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 11337 troops, 167 guns, 24 vehicles, Assault Value =
361
Defending force 1056 troops, 0 guns, 85 vehicles, Assault Value = 23
Japanese max assault: 716 - adjusted assault: 746
Allied max defense: 18 - adjusted defense: 3
Japanese assault odds: 248 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
44 casualties reported
Allied ground losses:
1987 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Vehicles lost 153
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Ground combat at Manila/Cavite [PH]
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 18121 troops, 413 guns, 162 vehicles, Assault Value =
680
Defending force 24745 troops, 512 guns, 89 vehicles, Assault Value =
556
Japanese ground losses:
19 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
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Ground combat at Choybalsan [MGLA]
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 2135 troops, 10 guns, 132 vehicles, Assault Value = 79
Defending force 4714 troops, 49 guns, 19 vehicles, Assault Value = 186
Allied max assault: 156 - adjusted assault: 152
Japanese max defense: 177 - adjusted defense: 64
Allied assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 0)
Allied forces CAPTURE Choybalsan [MGLA] base !!!
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-15II/C5M2 Babs: 10 destroyed
Japanese ground losses:
15 casualties reported
Allied ground losses:
187 casualties reported
Guns lost 3
Vehicles lost 5
How interesting, a Tank brigade managed to recapture Choybalsan and destroy two reconnaissance squadrons on the ground.
