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December 16th, 1941

A good day overal, except for the American Volunteer Group. Again. After a little rest to reduce the fatigue, a sweep of Khota Bharu is again the order of the day, yet 5 Flying Tigers - FIVE ! - get shot down for only one Zero. They will end up doing strafing runs against ground troops, if it continues...
In the Philippines, an attack on San Marcelino, where the Flying Fortresses were based for the last couple of days, misses its intended target : the bombers were moved back to Manila just today.
A lone P-36A Mohawk on CAP over Manila during a sweep done by 17 Zeroes (escorting a reconnaissance plane) manages to dodge all the bullets. The recon plane gets shot down by the Flak during the photography.

ASW groups prove very active, with no less than three Japanese subs heavily damaged, each getting at least one direct hit : I-15 near Pearl Harbour, and I-24 and I-26 off San Francisco. As I said earlier, I considered the mission of those subs to be very dangerous, and with that much damage so far from their bases, I feel that at least two of them will sink - one has already in fact, as I-26 is reported sunk immediately after the last attack. All that at the cost of a torpedoed tanker, that should have no problem returning to SF for repairs.
However, my subs don't achieve any sinking this turn either.

KB attacks Manila today. 77 Vals and 20 Kates, escorted by a few Zeroes after a sweep earlier, end up losing 5 Vals, mostly to Flak. If Steve wants to waste his elite pilots on attacking the airfields, so be it, I won't complain.


I looked at the overal air losses a few moments ago. Since the beginning of the hostilities, Japan has lost 160 planes, 63 of which to air combat, 43 to Flak, 9 on the ground and 45 to Ops. The Allies have lost barely the double of that, at 362, with 136 in air combat, 31 to Flak, 163 on the ground and 32 to Ops. As long as my losses are under the 4-1 threshold, I'm satisfed. And being slightly above 2-1 is making me very glad. Especially as most of the ground losses are due to the initial surprise attack - once this category is removed, the ratio of Japanese/Allied losses is only 3-to-4 !



Oh, and one last point : ships have been spotted between Borneo and the Philippines, heading SE... towards Jolo. It was inevitable - and so are all the cruisers and destroyers of the area ordered to sail full-steam there, in the hope of catching a bunch of transports. I kept them nearby precisely for that purpose... let's see if the results get any better than Force Z's mission at Khota Bharu.



AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 12/16/41

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ASW attack at 37,59

Japanese Ships
SS I-123, hits 1

Allied Ships
DD Van Nes
DD Evertsen
DD Van Ghent
DD Kortenaer
DD Banckert
DD Witte de With
DD Piet Hein

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ASW attack at 115,67

Japanese Ships
SS I-15

Allied Ships
DD Dale
DD Farragut
DD Phelps
DD Selfridge
DD Shaw
DD Case

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Night Air attack on Bangkok , at 29,40


Allied aircraft
Blenheim IF x 4


No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x Blenheim IF bombing at 2000 feet
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ASW attack at 114,67

Japanese Ships
SS I-7

Allied Ships
DD Monaghan
DD Worden
DD MacDonough
DD Hull
DD Dewey

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ASW attack at 115,67

Japanese Ships
SS I-15

Allied Ships
DD Dale
DD Farragut
DD Phelps
DD Selfridge
DD Shaw
DD Case

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ASW attack at 115,67

Japanese Ships
SS I-15, hits 2

Allied Ships
DD Dale
DD Farragut
DD Phelps
DD Selfridge
DD Shaw
DD Case

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ASW attack at 115,67

Japanese Ships
SS I-15, hits 3, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
DD Dale
DD Farragut
DD Phelps
DD Selfridge
DD Shaw
DD Case

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TF 13 troops unloading over beach at Legaspi, 44,55


Japanese ground losses:
171 casualties reported

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TF 13 troops unloading over beach at Legaspi, 44,55


Japanese ground losses:
125 casualties reported

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Sub attack at 139,48

Japanese Ships
SS I-24, hits 8

Allied Ships
TK H. M. Storey, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
MSW Outarde
MSW Nipigon
MSW Wasaga
MSW Ungava
MSW Quatsino
DD Brooks
DD Kane
PG Dawson

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Sub attack at 138,47

Japanese Ships
SS I-26, hits 5, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
DD Perkins
DD Humphreys
DD Fox
DD Preston
DD Smith
DD Cushing

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ASW attack at 103,74

Japanese Ships
SS I-6

Allied Ships
PC Tiger
PC Reliance

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Day Air attack on Canton , at 43,41


Allied aircraft
SB-2c x 21


Allied aircraft losses
SB-2c: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
6 casualties reported

Runway hits 2

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
3 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
3 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
3 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
3 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
3 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
3 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
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Day Air attack on Manila , at 43,52

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 17
C5M Babs x 1

Allied aircraft
P-36A Mohawk x 1

Japanese aircraft losses
C5M Babs: 1 destroyed


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Day Air attack on San Marcelino , at 43,50

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 22
G4M1 Betty x 54
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 2

No Japanese losses

Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 7

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 11000 feet
7 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 11000 feet
12 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 11000 feet
3 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 11000 feet
4 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 11000 feet
4 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 11000 feet
6 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 11000 feet
3 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 11000 feet
3 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 11000 feet
3 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 11000 feet
3 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 11000 feet
2 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 11000 feet
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Day Air attack on San Marcelino , at 43,50

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 2

No Japanese losses

Aircraft Attacking:
2 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 6000 feet
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Day Air attack on Midway , at 95,61

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 20

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 3

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 2 destroyed

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Day Air attack on 80th Chinese Corps, at 47,36

Japanese aircraft
Ki-27 Nate x 25

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-27 Nate: 1 damaged


Allied ground losses:
3 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Aircraft Attacking:
18 x Ki-27 Nate bombing at 2000 feet
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Day Air attack on 191st Chinese Division, at 47,35

Japanese aircraft
Ki-30 Ann x 9

No Japanese losses


Allied ground losses:
3 casualties reported

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x Ki-30 Ann bombing at 2000 feet
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Day Air attack on 27th Chinese/B Corps, at 50,26

Japanese aircraft
Ki-30 Ann x 21
Ki-51 Sonia x 14

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-30 Ann: 2 damaged
Ki-51 Sonia: 1 damaged


Allied ground losses:
28 casualties reported
Guns lost 2

Aircraft Attacking:
21 x Ki-30 Ann bombing at 2000 feet
9 x Ki-51 Sonia bombing at 2000 feet
5 x Ki-51 Sonia bombing at 2000 feet
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Day Air attack on Khota Bharu , at 24,45

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 16
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 35

Allied aircraft
P-40B Tomahawk x 19

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
Ki-43-Ib Oscar: 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
P-40B Tomahawk: 5 destroyed, 1 damaged

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Day Air attack on Midway , at 95,61

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10
D3A Val x 77
B5N Kate x 20

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A Val: 5 destroyed, 16 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
PBY Catalina: 3 destroyed


Allied ground losses:
4 casualties reported
Guns lost 2

Airbase hits 15
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 31

Aircraft Attacking:
10 x D3A Val bombing at 2000 feet
15 x D3A Val bombing at 2000 feet
20 x B5N Kate bombing at 14000 feet
13 x D3A Val bombing at 2000 feet
17 x D3A Val bombing at 2000 feet
17 x D3A Val bombing at 2000 feet
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Sub attack near Brunei at 32,57

Japanese Ships
PC Shonan Maru #7
PG Eifuku Maru
PG Uji
PG Saga
PG Hashidate
PC Shonan Maru #6

Allied Ships
SS Saury

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Sub attack at 139,48

Japanese Ships
SS I-24, hits 8, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
DD Kennison
DD Kilty
DD Crane
DD Crosby
DD Dent
DD Talbot
DD Waters

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Sub attack at 20,59

Japanese Ships
SS I-166

Allied Ships
AK Beatrice, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage


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Ground combat at 47,35

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 19983 troops, 236 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 427

Defending force 23287 troops, 161 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 726



Allied ground losses:
19 casualties reported
Guns lost 1


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Ground combat at Hong Kong

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 27662 troops, 370 guns, 7 vehicles, Assault Value = 586

Defending force 12237 troops, 107 guns, 3 vehicles, Assault Value = 231


Japanese ground losses:
3 casualties reported

Allied ground losses:
74 casualties reported
Guns lost 2


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Ground combat at Nanning

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 12607 troops, 153 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 377

Defending force 28782 troops, 112 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 644



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Ground combat at Canton

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 28642 troops, 299 guns, 13 vehicles, Assault Value = 583

Defending force 57986 troops, 339 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1621



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Ground combat at Yenen

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 9947 troops, 132 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1037

Defending force 55803 troops, 372 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1515



Allied ground losses:
50 casualties reported
Guns lost 5


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Ground combat at Nanning

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 22182 troops, 112 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 644

Defending force 16096 troops, 174 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 377


Japanese ground losses:
15 casualties reported


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Ground combat at Canton

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 51966 troops, 339 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1621

Defending force 48052 troops, 299 guns, 13 vehicles, Assault Value = 583


Japanese ground losses:
6 casualties reported


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Ground combat at 47,35

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 23222 troops, 159 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 721

Defending force 19983 troops, 236 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 427


Japanese ground losses:
2 casualties reported


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Ground combat at 50,31

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 6311 troops, 71 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 136

Defending force 8573 troops, 63 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 265



Allied ground losses:
4 casualties reported


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Ground combat at 49,35

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 6196 troops, 81 guns, 3 vehicles, Assault Value = 137

Defending force 7300 troops, 52 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 226



Allied ground losses:
3 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Well, it is with a deep regret that I have to stop, both the AAR and the PBEM.  I've gone through a special recruitment process to enter a judicial traineeship program to enter the magistrate corps.  I did not believe, when I started this PBEM, that I would succeed this year, but contrary to my own low self-esteem (or rather heightened severity regarding my performances), the jury considered I was a valid candidate.  Well, valid enough not only to be accepted, but also to end up 3rd on the list of the laureates, out of an initial complement of some 200 candidates nationally.  This is much better than I would ever have hoped for, so I'm greatly delighted, as becoming a judge was my most important long-term goal ; and this goal just went from long-term to short-term (three years).[:)]

But sadly, this good news means a lot of work to cath up before next Fall.  Paperwork, procedures, various and numerous tasks which, until two weeks ago, I thought I had enough time, at least a year.  It turns out I have barely three months.
Since receiving the good news three weeks ago, I have tried to keep the game going, but for a week I have not been able to even view the whole combat replay for last turn.  I don't expect any free time until Fall.  I don't even think I will get much free time once I'll start my traineeship.[:-]
So, I'd better just stop this game and let my esteemed opponent find another PBEM instead.

Thank you for those who followed this unexpectedly interrupted PBEM.  I hope I'll be able to start anew later, but AE will surely be released and widely used before it happens.

And many thanks for SierraJuliet. This game sounded very promising.

Congratulation Ambassador, and best of luck to you!
 
-F-