Zuluhour vs Zigurat666: 1943

[DOCUP]

I bet your right once you get high forts and better equipment in your units.

[zuluhour]

June 3, 1942

CenPac: 100,ooo pts of supply leave the west coast. Fuel still leaves in one ship convoys, there has only been one bad day for tankers so far so we continue and use the escorts for troops and warships. Pearl Harbor goes under radio silence as Op Service has all components at point luck.

SwPac: The Japs are swarming the perimeter in Australia, no frontal assault yet. Engineers wait anxiously for trains east to avoid the carnage of the town.

Indian Ocean: The Royal navy does not bombard Diego Garcia and are ordered in again. No sign of the IJN in the area. We will retake this in short order.

Burma: The IJA reaches Lashio before we have time to organize a defense. They appear weaker than I thought they were and do not attack.

China: The IJA occupied Hami a couple of weeks ago. I think they are cut off although I have no forces to confront them.

[zuluhour]

June 4, 1942

CenPac: The next 48 hours will be telling. The fast attack groups, bombardment, and amphibious task forces top off and are given orders to proceed to Service. Within three days we should have occupied Net. Forces moving to staging area for drop shot. USAAF orders first strike on Suva tomorrow which shows even more bombers present now, over 100. Recon by F4s does not fly over service, socked in due to severe weather.

SwPac: Port Moresby is direct assaulted today and we are significantly weaker. The IJA suffers a fair amount of disruption so I may have another week left. Where are they getting supplies?? Across the Owen Stanley's? Still no attack in western Australia, IJA units still marching on the perimeter. There's a lot of anxiety at the railhead. Some B26s and Avengers stage into Sydney as an IJN TF is spotted NNE of Townsville.

Burma: Quiet

China: The brutal bombing campaign continues. The Red Army is dispatched to Ankang.

[BBfanboy]

Looking forward to your Service. Hope it's an ace. Make a big racquet!

About PM, yes, supply does flow easily from Buna to PM. Not very realistic, but that's the way the game was designed. Bombing Buna AF and Port to reduce supply seems to be the only way to interrupt it, except, of course, sinking his resupply ships.

[zuluhour]

Supplying the entire 4th division across those mountains seems ridiculous to me, especially artillery shells. Did they use mules? I did not think they had access to any other transport in the jungles besides their Korean friends. Alas I will put some heavies over Buna albeit too late.

June 5, 1942

CenPac: Operation Service is beyond recall, see below.

SoPac: B17s and B24s hit Suva and get a few aircraft on the ground under clear skies. The F4 squadron is broken into sections to hit multiple recon targets in the coming days. Flak and fighter cover is sufficient for now but additional AAA is on the way in case the Japs get testy or the fast attack groups need cover.

Australia: Two militia divisions escape east just in time outside the K. The railheads are busy as a lot of engineers escape today.

Diego Garcia: Is bombarded and poor recon reveals two units there. I'm not sure what holding this island is good for but I will take it back. None of my convoys enter or exit the holding box anywhere near there.

Burma: Japs try and take Lashio, not going to happen today. The IJA is now visible in the central plains. I put a hit out on the lead units flanking NNW of Mandalay.

China: Ankang may not hold much longer. Supply is the issue not man power.

[zuluhour]

Australia:

[zuluhour]

Note: The Fast Attack Groups are unspotted in severe weather.

[DOCUP]

Good Luck.

[zuluhour]

June 6, 1942

CenPac: Objective Service at D -1. I believe we are still unspotted due to weather and possible transfer of IJ a/c to Suva. Recon ordered over Suva and Canton for the 7th followed by Nadi on the 8th.

SwPac: Contact but no combat in western Australia. Port Moresby is in peril now. B17s ordered over Buna on a low level (6,ooo') daylight raid on the port.

Burma: IJAF bombers hit the Chinese elements presently on point in the eastern jungles.

China: Ankang is in trouble as well. I cannot rectify the supply issue. This may be the Achilles heel.

[zuluhour]

June 7, 1942

**whole post deleted, what a pain!**

CenPac: OP SERVICE ETA delayed. D-Day is the 8th. Fast attack groups rendezvous with the assault TFs off shore undetected in severe weather. Advance party should arrive at OP NET tonight greatly increasing our search range in the next seventy two hours. F4s ordered over Nadi, Suva, and Canton on the 8th. A mixed group of B24s and B17s to hit Suva's airfields tomorrow.




SwPac: Engineers arrive from the front to help build the air fields in southern Australia. No action in the west today as the Aussies are an hour ahead of the Japs.

Burma: Quiet but the IJAF does stage a large raid over the Chinese forward positions.

China: Large Chinese ground victory today. We pray for the defenses at Ankang.

Ground combat at 75,50 (near Kweiyang)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 5695 troops, 38 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1374

Defending force 47031 troops, 355 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1679

Japanese adjusted assault: 0

Allied adjusted defense: 2944

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 99

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
4347 casualties reported
Squads: 151 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 45 disabled
Engineers: 9 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 18 (15 destroyed, 3 disabled)

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

Assaulting units:
21st Ind.Mixed Brigade
38th Division
III/81st Naval Guard Unit
19th Ind.Mixed Brigade
4th Ind.Mixed Regiment
Guards Tank Division
23rd Army

Defending units:
67th Chinese Corps
32nd Chinese Corps
68th Chinese Corps
2nd Chinese Corps
75th Chinese Corps
2nd Chinese Base Force
20th Artillery Regiment
9th Chinese Base Force
26th Group Army
18th Artillery Regiment
3rd Heavy Mortar Regiment
56th AT Gun Regiment

[zuluhour]

June 8, 1942

CenPac: Word reaches the CnC Pacific Ocean Areas: Canton falls to the 9th Marines! Support group reaches OP NET and awaits supply and her search a/c. Recon reveals IJ playing shell game with bombers in the Fiji, shuttling between Nadi and Suva. Some small IJN TFs spotted in the triangle formed by Pago Pago, Canton, and the Fiji. There is a reported AO present. General Quarters!

SwPac: Little action, more engineers arrive.

Burma: Chinese under pressure, reinforcements days away.

China: Under full supply I order a counter attack SE of Kweiyang.

[zuluhour]

June 9, 1942

CenPac: The expected naval engagements do not occur off Pago Pago. The marines dig in and supplies are being off loaded. The Wasp and North Carolina reach the Panama canal.

SwPac: No combat in western Australia. Port Moresby in bad shape.

Burma: Heavy casualties among RAF squadrons on daylight raids over Mandalay. Zekes show up and down twenty odd birds mostly decimating one squadron. USAAF preparing to counter.

China: We lose Ankang in a big way with over 500 squads being eliminated. Reinforcements hurry for the mountain passes.

Off to the beach for some R&R, see you Friday night.

[DOCUP]

Bump and have fun.

[zuluhour]

June 10, 1942

CenPac: Fast attack groups miss on IJN DD TFs which hit Pago Pago over night. There will be a surface attack group assigned soon to SoPac.

SwPac: No action, only movement.

Burma: RAF and USAF mediums continue raiding central Burma at night.

China: Almost FUBAR. Will post maps tomorrow for insight.

ps seriously hung over.. that is all.

[zuluhour]

June 11, 1942

CenPac: Operation DROPSHOT is most likely thirty days out at best. Additional transports and naval support being rounded up. At the San Diego navy yards I am waiting for Gleaves and Sims class DDs to finish refitting as well as some APs. The ground elements will have to stage forward, unload, shift to amphibious transports, then make a short trip to the objective. Objective NET is operational and the ancillary operation (seaplane base to the west of Canton) is seventy two hours away. The fast attack groups will refuel at point luck and return to Pearl for minor repairs after which Wasp will join FAG-3 for objective DROPSHOT. Heavies based at Pago Pago get some more Nells on the ground at Nadi. There are no fighters present in the Fijis yet.

SwPac: Still no action in the western desert of Australia. We are trying to stage a fighting withdrawal.

Burma: quiet, but there is contact at Lashio.

China: almost FUBAR. The breakthrough at Ankang is the most immediate threat. map next post.

[zuluhour]

June 12, 1942

CnC Pacific: Multiple groups disbanded or withdrawn early for heavy PP gain.

CenPac: Fast attack groups shadowed by subs. Additional AAA to arrive Pago Pago tonight. IJAF strikes at Pago Pago as fuel and troops unload. It's a great day in the air for the fighter squadrons in their first taste of day light combat. None of the raiders get through. Recon reveals the expected fighters arriving on the Nadi aerodromes.

SwPac: IJN sighted approaching Port Moresby, battleships and cruisers again. Raids come in again over the beleaguered defenders. Western Australia is SNAFU. We order a major counter attack with forces available outside Kaloorlie.

Burma: The 6th Australians are on the outskirts of Lashio. IJA units are outside Ramree. No more advance detected in the interior.

China: I have a blind spot now north of Ankang. Still have to post the central situation here for help.

[zuluhour]

June 13-14, 1942

West Coast: Elements for DROPSHOT embark for transit west to staging area.

CenPac: Fast attack groups clear point luck and proceed to port; amphibious elements will arrive tonight for quick repairs and redeployment in Operation CROSS COURT. Enemy submarine activity in CenPac seems mostly scouting in nature. The new early warning net is almost in place.

SwPac: Port Moresby will see large bombardment tonight as many BBs sighted crossing Milne Bay. B17s and B24s begin to stage into the desert as IJA forces land on the north coast. I suffered a huge debacle in the western desert today. The counter attack on the 13th at Kaloorlie is repulsed with very heavy casualties and followed by an overrun attack the following day. We lose two divisions with US armor and support units. There is very little propping up Australia now. I hope to conduct a brutal bombing campaign on the Jap spearheads in the desert.

Burma: This may be a secondary theater (At least there may be ONE!) as I see little in air support or aggressive land assaults. I plan to counter attack at Lashio with the Australians and Chinese with an eye to relieving the forces at Ramree on the coast.

China: Precarious!

[BBfanboy]

June 42 was the RL low point of the war for the Allies, excepting the victory at Midway.
From here on you should get enough to start pushing back.
Go Z HQ![:)]

[zuluhour]

Well the pace of the Japanese advance is certainly not abating in any way. The only area the allies have proved themselves is in the air. I can't wait for the war effort to be felt in the Pacific. Funny, the resource I need the most is trained infantry and armor right now. I either abandon the current Pacific operations and risk throwing good money after bad in Australia or continue to solidify a position from which I can operate through multiple axis later.

June 15, 1942

San Diego navy yards: The 145th, 148th, and 161st infantry Rgts board transports for forward staging areas. I may use Wasp and her group to escort. Base forces, combat engineers, and AAA also embark. Objective DROPSHOT will have priority over Operation VOLLEY.

CenPac: Amphibious TFs make port and disband for small repairs. The fast attack groups will arrive shortly to do the same. Baker and Funafuti are now operational seaplane bases greatly assisting our search efforts.



Burma: The IJA crosses the river into Ramree and destroys the garrison in twenty four hours. Two reinforced divisions smash what was left of Burma Army.

[zuluhour]

Defeat in Burma:


Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 30185 troops, 276 guns, 89 vehicles, Assault Value = 1040

Defending force 5701 troops, 79 guns, 91 vehicles, Assault Value = 238

Japanese adjusted assault: 1288

Allied adjusted defense: 181

Japanese assault odds: 7 to 1 (fort level 4)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Ramree Island !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
2125 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 164 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 12 disabled

Allied ground losses:
7218 casualties reported
Squads: 195 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 490 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 59 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 115 (115 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 112 (112 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 8

Assaulting units:
6th Guards Division
Imperial Guards Division
14th Guards Regiment

Defending units:
50th Tank Brigade
Railway BAF Battalion
3rd Burma Rifles Battalion
2nd King Own YLI Battalion
106th RAF Base Force
108th RAF Base Force
27th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
100th RAF Base Force