I agree on the small Coy's and the Rufe as a 4E killer, for some reason it does good!
Cheers
Rob
ORIGINAL: PaxMondo
ORIGINAL: obvert
Its hard to put AVs close to 4E range, as it draws a lot of attention, like above at Woodlark.
Those little AF Coy units work as my forward seaplane support units, and there are enough to fill bases in both the So Pac and SRA areas.
+1
Learned that from you and it does work. Might also try some 4E traps using AV + Rufe's. Rufe has decent range for Search (so you don't lose your picket completely and the disguise is in place) and enough firepower to take down a 4E or two. He can't afford too many losses like that until '44.
Noted. We have bored Rufes at Rabaul and now Tulagi (foreshadowing, hehe).
As for the 'Boys and the 'Horns, I'm tired of pulling for such indisciplined and poorly coached squads. Not that the G-Men have a lot to cheer about after that game, either. Ugly by both sides, but we out-uglied them. Time for the paper bags... [8|]
I'm pretty sure the University of Texas doesn't have a men's football team.
Also, as long as Jerry is running the l Cowgirls, it just isn't going to get any better, my friend.
Escorts chase off O-24 near Buka. First sighting of a Dutch sub in the SE Fleet AO in ages, if ever. Pogo duds on an SC in an ASW TF near Formosa. We are pleased to note that CF continues to heavily patrol the empty strait south of Formosa. All he will find here are ASW TFs and patrol planes.
SE Fleet
We DA again at Tulagi and force the surrender of the A element of the US 2nd Marine Division. Banzai! Odds were 384:1, casualties 1677(263) vs 26(0). A great VP haul and a nice counter to the first serious attempt at breaching the perimeter.
The enemy's abortive Tulagi invasion has thus cost him 1/3 of a Division, two good CVEs and their air groups, possibly a CA (although we have our doubts, Minneapolis just got on the sunk list near Eureka Oregon - perhaps she sank on the way home?), at least one DD, and several assault transports. Not a bad month's work, especially as it was accomplished by local assets with only nominal assistance from a single CVL.
Southern Army
Our harassment raids near Daly finally draw enemy fighters, and P-38s on LRCAP shoot down 5 Helen Is. Bound to happen eventually. We will re-purpose this particular small bomber group as an ASW unit and hold off on further air efforts here for now. Frankly it's great to see the fork tailed devils used in such an out of the way theater.
Burma
Tomorrow we will load for Operation Whirlwind. There is a lot of nervous excitement at Cribtop HQ.
In somewhat disturbing news, recon today shows a 7th LCU at Chittagong. Thus, those ships really were xAPs dropping off a new unit. It is marching south toward Akyab and smack into the LZ for Whirlwind. Whatever it is, it didn't materially increase the troop, gun or AFV numbers at Chittagong. Cribtop Intel's preliminary assessment says this is either a base force or engineers seeking to re-open the closed airfield at Akyab. However, if CF places a big combat unit at Cox's Bazaar, we may have to abort. Best guess is we are fine, however.
Chiang Mai goes to airfield 3. We are building the Thai bases in preparation for someday seeing the front line at Moulmein.
I love the spirit! We estimate odds we are still a go at 90%. Keep in mind we are just loading at Singers, we're still 7 to 10 days out from the actual landings.[;)]
ASW DCs O-20 near Malacca. Today we will order every ship at Singapore that carries a depth charge launcher to sortie into the Malacca Strait to clear the way for the Operation Whirlwind fleet. On the other side, Georgetown empties of IJN subs that will form a picket line in the Bay of Bengal.
A Glen near Pearl spots both a big TK convoy and a big xAP/xAK convoy, but the sub itself fails to attack. Additional subs will vector to Pearl's door step to try for an intercept.
DD Wakatake, recently torpedoed in the South China Sea, makes Cam Ranh Bay despite 77 Float damage. This is a pleasant surprise and preserves a useful escort.
SE Fleet
We are re-setting the defense in the aftermath of repelling the enemy at Tulagi. Today, two enemy recon flights are spotted above Shortlands. They will report the presence of the IJAAF bombing wing that was assisting at Tulagi. Anticipating a visit by 4Es, we pull out the bombers and set a CAP trap with Nicks and Rufes.
Buka makes airfield 2.
Southern Army
Babar makes airfield 1.
Burma
At Singapore, we load for the big Op. Two good China divisions are loaded in the first wave. The second wave will load in a separate amphibious TF with two armored divisions, 17th Army HQ and four very elite infantry divisions (2nd, 5th, 16th and 18th). 16th is the rookie unit with "only" 87 EXP. The other three are well into the 90s. Yikes.
In Burma itself, for reasons unknown the main enemy stack is taking forever to cross the river near Mandalay. They may be hesitating while the three enemy divisions near Katha finish the long jungle march onto the plains, but whatever the cause the delay is playing into our hands.
I-176 is DC'd without effect 1 hex from Pearl. No sign of the enemy convoys. I-31 misses an APD in an ASW TF SW of Pearl and takes a DC hit in return. Back to Kwaj.
SE Fleet
No air raid at Shortlands. Pity.
Suva goes to airfield 9, Adelaide to AF 8.
Burma
The enemy at last crosses the river to arrive at hex 58, 46 near Mandalay and Magwe.
The two British Divisions easily seize Myitkyina from retreating RTA forces, odds 124:1, casualties 46(1) vs 634(95). We will fall back to a prepared position at Bhamo. It will be interesting to see whether CF pursues. Cribtop HQ hopes he does as that would pour 2-4 divisions further down the rabbit hole. If these forces move straight to the Toungoo front it could be trouble.
The first wave of Whirlwind troops is loaded at Singers. Second wave and supplies begin loading tomorrow.
China
Ichang makes airfield 5. An oopsie as we meant to stop at 4.
We are considering an offensive aimed at Kweiyang. Extensive recon bombing shows that only Chungking is still putting up flak. The KMT's supply situation must be somewhere between dire and disastrous.
The Whirlwind 2nd wave is almost fully loaded at Singers. MKB and Indes Fleet receive a warning order to expect to sortie on 13th January, estimated D-Day 20th January.
In accordance with previously set plans, the last base forces pull out of Magwe, Mandalay and Meiktila by rail today.
The IJAAF continues to hit the main enemy stack daily. Today's casualties of 308(6) are typical. That will add up. Cribtop Intel is amazed that no base forces are spotted in any of the advancing enemy forces. This concedes air supremacy in Burma to Japan, at least for now.
China
An air raid on Tuyun finds no flak bursts, and thus no supply, even at this base. Hmm...
Pompano duds on an xAK near Wenchow. Happy to see duds continuing in '43 at times.
SE Fleet
We launch Sawa Force (4CA and 4DD) to escort an amphib TF to Tulagi to retrieve the 20th Division.
Hollandia goes to port 3.
Burma
Schwebo is occupied by the 6th Aussie Division, which entered the hex yesterday.
Bombing inflicts 313(5) casualties on the main enemy stack, now marching on Magwe.
China
No flak over either Kunming or Ankang. The case for a drive on Kweiyang is becoming powerful.
Other
2 SBD-3s show up as Ops losses. This is not the first time this has happened in recent weeks. Evidence of an aggressive training program or a sign the USN CVs are on the move? Criptop Intel assumes the latter and predicts two options. First, the enemy is moving harmlessly from Perth to Captetown. Second, the enemy is moving into position to raid Palembang or assault Port Hedland. In this event, we activate a defense plan, moving Zeros, Tojos and Nells into place at Palembang, Singers and Denpasar.
Tough day as Trigger first misses a DD in Sawa Force and then torpedoes a DD in the following transport TF. DD Hatakaze goes down. We cannot afford DD losses and thus will switch to a paradigm of large gathering convoys escorted by expendable PBs and SCs. These TFs will follow DD ASW TFs, which presumably move fast enough to avoid disaster.
Haddo torpedoes a small TK near Talaud-Eilanden. Mercifully, the TK is empty and thus should survive.
4th Fleet
TB goes to forts 6 and the engineers will shift to Tulagi. A TF to lift them is 1 day out.
Mili goes to forts 4.
Burma
Loading complete. We sail tomorrow for Operation Whirlwind. Banzai!
Perch sinks an xAKL returning from a re-supply mission at Taberfane.
Southern Army
Daly Waters goes to forts 5. Ruteng goes to airfield 1, Waingapoe to airfield 3.
For the past week or so, off and on, SBD-3s, Seagulls and Walruses (Walrii?) keep showing up as Ops losses. The enemy CVs and what appeared to be a battle fleet were last seen headed due West out of Perth. Is CF up to something? We have also noted an increase in the number of SigInt hits for big ports on Ceylon and SE India, including Cochin, an AFB favorite staging base for mischief in SEAC. What if the enemy instead turned East and has plans in the Pacific? No sign from extensive pickets, subs or air search of any issues, but there is "chatter."
We initiate a few moves to position air assets near Java and Palembang in case it's a raid (our house rules allow attacks on captured industry beginning in 1943). If it's an invasion, MKB is in position to respond. This could be very interesting if something's up. It could also be that CF was pulling the CVs off map to upgrade at Cape Town. Do you suffer Ops losses when moving off map?
Burma
A truly massive fleet has departed Singapore and safely transited the Straits of Malacca over a carpet of ASW patrols. All transports are of the "8 hex" variety, so progress is rapid. We estimate D-Day on the 21st.
Whatever the unit moving between Chittagong and the front is, it may pass through Cox's Bazaar around D-Day. However, recon shows it's tiny and thus not a threat.
One of several quiet days as the invasion fleet sails toward India.
Subs
Herring duds on an SC near Aogashima. We've been lucky with duds so far this month.
Burma
We send in every available IJAAF bomber to ensure Akyab stays suppressed. We don't want bombers or even recon operating here during the upcoming weeks.
Recon confirms the unit marching south near Cox's Bazaar is a small light AA regiment. No threat to our plans.
Magwe is occupied as Indian troops march into the abandoned base. This is good as the infrastructure is unharmed. We hope to someday take it back. CF is fortunately choosing to move slowly, occupying the central Burma bases one at a time. He is also dividing his forces and so far has not moved the British divisions south from Myitkyina. Basically exactly what we want him to do so far.
At Lashio and Toungoo, Japanese paratroopers prepare for their drops, which will occur on D-Day. The invasion fleet will reach Rangoon on the 16th to pick up some base forces allocated to the operation. The storm is brewing, and Cribtop HQ believes the course of the war for 1943 will be set in the next 14 days.
Other
Hirosaki makes port 6 to help out with resource movement. Hordes of base forces arrive in the Home Islands. This is excellent as we need them to fill out the perimeter.
Enemy convoys steam harmlessly over I-33 near Pearl. The sub then takes a shot at an ASW TF and eats a DC in return. Sigh.
4th Fleet
Majuro makes forts 4.
SE Fleet
Munda makes forts 6, freeing up an engineer group (3 LCUs) to build up Bougainville next. Milne Bay, Buna and Gasmata are all right on the cusp of forts 6 as well. The Pacific is getting downright nasty as far as defenses go.
Southern Army
Darwin makes forts 4.
Burma
We steam on toward our goal. The invasion fleet arrives at Rangoon tomorrow. MKB will loiter in a shallow hex nearby. No detection yet.
Moulmein makes forts 1 as engineers get to work on a layered set of defensive lines in northern Thailand and southern Burma.
Our sub picket line in the Bay of Bengal ups the DL of an enemy supply convoy to the point that G3M3s from Port Blair strike them at 19 hex range and sink two ships, one xAKL and one big xAK. This is also part of the run up to Whirlwind - we have turned our carefully hidden IJNAF bombers loose so that the approaching fleet is protected by LBA support. Cribtop Intel is pleased at the frequency of these supply runs from Madras to Chittagong. We believe they are evidence that CF is having trouble keeping his front line units in central Burma in the white. Great news once we close the door on his LoC (we hope).
China
Bombing at Kienko to test supply levels shows no flak. The only city still putting up flak bursts in China is Chungking. Nice.
Other
Today marks the end of the "quiet period" for resource/fuel/oil convoys. Numerous tankers and xAKs form up and begin loading - they will sail in different configurations on different routes than we used in 1942. Intention is to escort the convoys with fast patrol ships with DD ASW TFs leading the way. This way, we hope to avoid losing DD escorts to subs.
I may have already mentioned this, but TB went to forts 6 recently. The engineer group here has been lifted and will arrive tomorrow at Tarawa, which is already at forts 4. Every occupied base in the Gilberts and Marshalls is at forts 4 about to go to 5 or at 5 about to go to 6. The second line at Kusaie - Eniwetok - Ponape is approaching forts 4.
Southern Army
With the strong evidence that CF is using Perth as his main convoy hub in Oz, we have a horde of subs watching the approaches. We have also strengthened pickets and patrols from Timor to Sumatra because we continue to see the occasional SBD or capital ship floatplane as Allied Ops losses and wonder if something's up. A descent on Sumatra or the Andamans about now with the whole IJN a days' sail away would be... Interesting!
Burma
The invasion fleet makes Rangoon and will load two base forces tomorrow. Then we begin the final run into the beach.
Pegu makes airfield 2. We are going to use Pegu and Bassein as fighter bases to protect Rangoon.
Daily, unopposed bombing of the enemy's main columns in central Burma continues. Average daily casualties range from 200ish to 400ish with 2 to 7 squads destroyed. I suspect the Indian and Aussie footsloggers are a bit peeved at AHQ over the lack of air support.
