1275psi(herbiesan) vs gen Hoepner

[1275psi]

Summary of weekly reports to herbiesan

Southern Command
General hada has become a casualty.
LGEN Sawada now commanding
The general thrust of the war remains good, despite recent difficulties.
A new plan is being finalised, to be presented on the 23rd.

Northern Command
Continuing to occupy the islands in the kuriles against no resistance
Progress slow, but satisfactory

4th fleet
Consolidation of Gilberts and marshalls continues
Tarwana coastal gunnery trap continues -we now have 5 coastal gun units established on this island, do require construction troops to assisy

South east Fleet

Construction of airfield chain on PNG coast proceeds well
Enemy bombers from Rabual are hitting Kavieng regularily -some zeros would be appreciated
Plans for phase 2 ops are proceeding, forces are building in the home islands.

DEI
Kendari taken
Timor operation underway
Minor occupation operations continue.
No sign of enemy fleet units at all.
Enemy B17s are in darwin -these and hudsons damaged 2 CL and a DD this week.
Little SS activity

Java operation
Forces are still slowly coming south towards soerabaya -the enemy seem to intend to make a stand north of the port.

Singapore
We are stalled
Simple as that.
Will require more troops, bombing is costly too.

Burma
We are struggling north, and held at moulmien.
need reinforcements!

China
front stabalising
No major offensives contemplated until completion of guerrilla eradication!

[1275psi]

22/1/42
Japan lands troops at jesselton
The major operation of the week commenced with landings at Kupang - 5 NLF units occupying the town.
Again poor staff work was revealed -little supplies or support landing with them.
These were dispatched from palua -but a golden opportunity was missed -Dilli and lautern were now seen to be un occupied -a fact that the allies would soon change..........

In Singapore 2 regiments of tanks crossed the causeway -causing a flurry of action, but little change to the stalemate there.

At home Tokyo is given a air shos as Nagumo flies his airgroups in from the carriers, he would dock tomorrow.

[1275psi]

ADM Yammato was pleased, yetworried
He had just returned from the main fields at yokosuka, and spent 2 hours talking to Nagumo's victorious pilots.
They were keen, very keen, to get back into the ar -and fiercly proud of the blow struck at pearl harbour.

But he had seen the gaps in the ranks, and he knew the figures
54 pilots would be needed even after the disbanding of several home units.
At 15 replace,ments a month -KB would need a long time to refill with crack pilots.

But so much of phase 2 would depend upon these men, these carriers -he needed to keep the rapier razor sharp.
No -herbiesan would not get KB back yet -no matter how much army screamed.
This war would be decided by carriers, and he intended to have the best.

[1275psi]

23/1/42
The occupation of Kupang continued today
The Sally bombers returned to Singapore -and lost 2 for little results -21000 feet was simply too high for good bombing

The generals in singapore would begin a new tactic -probing attacks by a regiment here-a regiment there.
The Imperial guards were selected -and ordered to attack tomorrow

The fleet recieved its first reinforcement of note this day -the CVL Shoho -she sailed bravely south to the phillipines with a small escort -a training cruise against various target there.

[1275psi]

From general Homma to
his command

General homma commends his troops in the glorious capture of Clarke field.
The enemy are trapped in manilla.
here we will starve and crush him to death.

You have earnt the thanks of this command.

Banzia

[1275psi]

From Herbiesan
to
LGEN Sawada

.......so lets sum it up
5 divisions in singapore -"more than enough ' -now not enough!
3 divisions in the phillipines -"more than enough" -now -insufficient
Java -a brigade should do it -and now -we need at least 3 divisions!!!!

What the hell is going on!

Come up with a soulution, come up with one soon - or I shall be displeased.
This is intolerable!

[1275psi]

Capt Takeda on the yamishiro braced himself

The torpedoe track was as plain as day -and about to strike dead admidships.
Horror!

And nothing happend


A dud.
That, my friend he thought, was too close. Too many SS here for any ones liking.
"Captain - get me out of here -lets move the squadron out to sea hey!"

[1275psi]

24/1/42
the japanese declaration of the capture of Clarke was short lived
They had not captured the field at all -in fact the allies were there in strength -and growing

The Japanese airforce tried to bomb singapoer heavily today -all the bombers available sent in to support the first regimental probe (Herbie note -Gen Hoepner is happy for me to conduct supply burning attacks in singapore and does not consider this gamey here in this case)

The attacks were horrbly expensive - 14 sallies lost from 60 attacking .

In Java Telekbetong became the battle ground, as the japanese pushed south through java

In the phillipines, the army of general Homma had succeeded in gathering 3 divisions and a brigade at lingayen gulf - the transfer from China had arived just in time.
3 phillipino divisions, and the 4th marines regiment had been about to attack there -they now would be the ones defending

The 3 divisions from Kendari sailed past Raba -headed towards the Sunda straight.
The allies at this stage believing maccassar was the target evacuated the place of what planes they could

[1275psi]

24/12/42

Flight log
Lt Yamato, 98th sentai

Mission number 16
target
Enemy troops singapore

Flak terrible again
Our unit is stood down -new bombers tomorrow! -promised again -always -tomorrow!

Rumours everywhere -are we winning this war or not?

[1275psi]

25/1/42
Totally dissatisfied with the progress of the war, an emergency meeting of herbiesans war council took place in the presence of the emperor.

present at the meeting -minister of production, ADM Yammato, and the new Southern front commander -LGEN Sawada.

The meeting was at times vioent -especially when Yammato cancelled any plans of a sweep by KB at this stage of the war deep into the enemy sea lanes.
he would rebuild the airgroups -and then, and only then , confront the allied acrriers in the coral sea area, as part of phase 2 operations -as originally planned.

LGEN Sawada agreed.
the great plan, siezure of the DEI -and then a desisive battle in ground of their own choosing -still offered the best chance.
This would align well with the current situation.

herbiesan set targets -
Soerabaya to fall by the 15 of febuary -using the 3 divisions
transfer these to singapore
Singapore to fall by the 1st of March
Manilla was to fall by the 30/3
gather 8 divisions, and the fleet at Truk -for a major offensive into the solomons -overwhelming anything there, launch date -first of may.

At the meetings end -news from Lingayen gulf -it had been taken -the army of Homma moving now firmy to clarke -the enemy in full retreat.

[1275psi]

herbie note -OK, the above plan will not win me the game -no way.
But it sure should provide a very fun game -as I promised general at the start.
Winning aint everything!

I have been bouyed by Honda's win -I actually have followed his CV tactic - accelerating all the late CVs from day 1 -holding the earlier ones at halt -by end of 43, it might pay off!
fun to try anyway.

[1275psi]

26/1/42
japanese troops occupied jesselton today
The 33rd division, struggling north up the trails in Burma was bombed by the british again -nearly 40 bombers this day.
general Kawabe calling for more air support.
But until Rangoon was occupied, this was a forlorn call -his division was just too far advanced at this time.

In China the war seemed to be settling down - and a front was developing.

The 3 divisions of the southern invasion passed a tense night -the huge convoy squeezing through the Sunda straight -fortunately no SS were encounted.

The war ground on!

[1275psi]

27/1/42
This day was a day of great tension for Japan
Sunda straight is long, narrow, and filled with evil currents.
It frequently fills with mist from the tropical jungles bordering it. In 1942 hardly anyone could expect that Bali would one day become a major tourist destination (until another undeclared war destroyed it), but on this day, its small airfield seemed to be vital.
Over 100 transports enetered the straight just after dawn, escorted by 2CVL, a CVE, and 7 battleships, and 8 cruisers.
Onboard the transports -3 full divisions of troops.

In Singapore -the guns were still firing desolutorily -the new Southern Front Commander detirmined to restore his army there to full strength before resuming the attack.

In Burma, the british bombers were again active -striking the 33rd division .

[1275psi]

For RADM Takagi, today would be the supreme moment.
His choices were hard.
Intelligence from enemy wire taps (generals email boasting[:D]) told him that the Dutch and british had his huge fleet identified to the last inch.
But intelligence also told him that they expected Bali to be hit.
In Soerabaya he knew the PT boats were gathering -awaiting to strike.

This, he knew, was the most dangerous opponent.
If the POW or the like was to appear today -something he doubted now very much - then Takeda would be more than pleased to see them.
And the enemy airforce was destroyed, or gone from the area.
No -the thought of the PTs getting into the Transports, here , in the dark, in this straight, was a frightening thought.

So at dawn, the Zuiho turned due South west -and put her bow in search of the Indian ocean swell.

[1275psi]

herbie comment
I have actually sailed the straight many times -and its bizarre how strong the currents there are -enough to drop a destroyers revs by over 20 shaft RPM , or more, at times.
Quite disconcerting to see the turbines suddenly speed up or slow down as you go through.

[1275psi]

Combat diary
Gen Kawabe -Burma Command


.................feeling quite abandoned at the moment
Poor 33rd division was bombed again today - its a difficult situation. We have to sieze taung gyi to get the field -but will 33rd have the strength once they get there?. High Command promises support -and delivers nothing.
I still have little confidence that................

[1275psi]

from
Minister of production
To herbiesan

.......................and the new 4 engine bomber went into action today -and from all reports dis well -its able to take a fair bit of punishment. Expect though a nice fight over the 2 planned units use -army wants to bomb China cities with it -yammato wants it as a ASW platform -a waste if you ask me -the allied SS are not going to affect this war -the pacific is simply too big for them to operate in....................

[1275psi]

28/1/42

The great gamble pays off for Japan today.
The allied PT boats remained in harbour as the great invasion fleet anchored of malang, on the south west coast of Sumutra, blindsiding the defenders
Even as 4 battleships began to pound the defenders, the 2nd paratroop regiment fell from the skies.
Under the shock of the great guns, the airstrikes, and the paras -the defenders quickly melted away.
By 10 am, the 3 divisions began to pour unmolested into the town.
It was now a race to see who's army could reach soerabaya first.

Bombing continued at singapore, and oscars tangled with hudsons over moulimien

[1275psi]

private diary of the minister of production


...................herbiesan is keen to see the carriers built -so I have had to stop the 2 Yammatos -which is awkward -certain deals having been done. I am not keen to see the mafia at the door.
So -I might have to borrow a few workers from the tanker projects and trickle work as we can. Would be nice tio finish the bloody things though -they eat steel and copper wire at a terrible rate..........

[1275psi]

Capt Takeda again trained his binoculars on some distant shore target-and agin wathed as his 14 inch guns demolished the target.
"Good"

Behind him though was trouble, trouble knew he had to face. The Yamashiro's Engineer -and thus the squadrons Engineer -was waiting for him.
In his hand was the squadrons fuel status reports -and by the worrying look on his face -they were not good.

They were , in fact -tragic
Damn it -what had happened to the Tankers following?
No one knew.
Bombers from darwin -a SS ? -no one knew.
Or a simple miscalculation on usage. Takada suspected the last.

Reluctantly he called for signals
"Inform Takagi that we detach to Tilitajap -its the only safe port from SS -until we get some fuel"
Immobilised - how ignoble.
Paratroopers were descending into the town. At least the work here was done.