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you bet - the invasion of India is a nightmare if you have commited to Burma. java is another issue though as most of those troops are an almost gauranteed loss.
Those Batavian bombardments are also evil in the extreme. I nearly cried when PzB hammered all my dauntlesses there.

Aye my worry is that although no reinforcements have been sent from India for my defence of Java as I used only Malaya AG forces and 3 Bdes from Aus/ NZ I have heavily committed to Rangoon.

It worked to throw the IJA out of Burma first time round but this leaves India weak.

I am steadily trying to slip units from Burma back to India as I am (as always) paranoid about India.

I took a calculated risk committing to Burma 1st time round I am steadily changing that deployment pattern by transferring artillary and a few experienced inf bdes back to India.

The one real advantage I have is that having one battle in Burma those Indian and CW formations got a lot of experience.

p.s. another quiet turn no action on Java.

Sveint is I(I Hope) discovering the disadvantage of using a lvl 1 port to land a hundered thousand troops and supplies to keep them fighting.

I hoipe logisitics will be his undoing in the fight for Java.

An early capture of Batavia would be disastrous and must be avoided.

Andy

OK Merak hits lvl 2 I am going to try and hit it with every bomber in Java next turn see if I can do something about his unloading.

I have sent an Infantry company to recon Merak.

I am geting concenred its a massive feint.

If he seriously was after Java he would land somewhere else as nothing gets more expensive than advancing in a predictable bottleneck way.

He must have another landing planned or else this invasion is a feint.

I need to remember that he can afford to send 3 or 4 divisions to Java to convince me thats the true objective.

He must surmise i am weak in India with my Burma deployments.

I need to watch for a smash and grab.

I have two main reaction forces on the Indian rail net to counter this.

Based at Hyderabad
3 Indian Corps HQ
2nd UK
18th UK
7th Armoured
2 Art Regts
2 Base Forces

Based at Asanol
254th Armoured
255th Armoured
17th Indian Division (Bde Strength)
2 Indian Inf Bdes on Attachement
2 Art Regts
2 Base Forces

My intention is to hold these forces back from the beaches and use them to counter attack any landings.

5th Indian Division will replace 17th Division at Asanol freeing up 17th Indian to gather strength. When this happens he two Indian Bdes on attachment will head north and join up with 251st UK Bde these three formations will act as Indian Army Reserve based in the North to cover Karachi and NW forntier

i.e. Burma will fight with what it has no additional formations shall be sent from India.

Lt Gen Alexander has taken over responsability for the Southern and Central sectors of Java from Malaya Army HQ

Andy
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 04/11/42

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TF 1 encounters mine field at Teloekbetoeng (19,58)

Japanese Ships
DD Yugumo, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Tokitsukaze

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TF 4 encounters mine field at Batavia (19,59)

Japanese Ships
MSW Banshu Maru #52

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Palembang , at 20,55

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
LB-30 Liberator x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged


Runway hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x LB-30 Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Soerabaja , at 22,65

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 3

Allied aircraft
no flights

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
No Allied losses


Allied ground losses:
4 casualties reported

Runway hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Soerabaja , at 22,65

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 22

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 3 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
TBD Devastator: 3 destroyed, 7 damaged
Vildebeest IV: 2 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged


Allied ground losses:
59 casualties reported

Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 8

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 10000 feet
4 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 10000 feet
3 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 10000 feet
6 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 10000 feet
3 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 10000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Batavia, at 19,59

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
Wirraway: 1 destroyed
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CL Tama
DD Isonami
DD Shirakumo
DD Usugumo
DD Samidare
DD Natsugumo
DD Shiranuhi
CA Furutaka
CA Kumano
CA Mikuma
CA Ashigara
BB Hiei


Allied ground losses:
1435 casualties reported
Guns lost 22
Vehicles lost 12

Runway hits 24
Port hits 6
Port supply hits 1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 20,59

Allied aircraft
Beaufort V-IX x 3

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
AK Kamoi Maru

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Merak at 18,59

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 6
Ki-27 Nate x 9

Allied aircraft
Martin 139 x 4
P-40E Warhawk x 4

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Martin 139: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Manazuru

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Tjilitjap at 19,62

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3
G4M1 Betty x 6

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 1
Hawk 75A x 3
CW-21B Demon x 1
Brewster 339D x 1
Buffalo I x 1

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 2 destroyed, 5 damaged


Allied Ships
CL Boise
DD Van Ghent

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 20,59

Allied aircraft
T.IVa x 2

Allied aircraft losses
T.IVa: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Tone

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 20,59

Japanese aircraft
Ki-27 Nate x 3

Allied aircraft
P-40B Tomahawk x 4
B-26B Marauder x 18

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-26B Marauder: 6 damaged

Japanese Ships
CL Naka
CA Tone
CA Aoba

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 21,58

Allied aircraft
Martin 139 x 3

Allied aircraft losses
Martin 139: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
AP Teiun Maru


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Kweiyang

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 179768 troops, 402 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 242121 troops, 2589 guns, 9 vehicles



Allied ground losses:
26 casualties reported
Guns lost 8

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

I have two main reaction forces on the Indian rail net to counter this.

Based at Hyderabad
3 Indian Corps HQ
2nd UK
18th UK
7th Armoured
2 Art Regts
2 Base Forces

Based at Asanol
254th Armoured
255th Armoured
17th Indian Division (Bde Strength)
2 Indian Inf Bdes on Attachement
2 Art Regts
2 Base Forces

Sounds very good - and in many respects I wish I had done this more thoroughly - but remember: he can get a toe hold in Chandpur easily. You cannot rely on your units to rush in and reinforce the place with the river in the way. Believe me it totally kills your troops capability - it is as disruptive as a retreat.

Thanks Wobbly I think Ill move a 20th Indian and 23rd Indian (Both at Bde Strength) to Chandpur just in case.

I am more worried (as the firepower in the centre indicates) by an end run at the Madras or Bombay.

If I was invading India I think thats what I would do to get ashore quickly and deployed but I could be wrong !!

Andy

p.s. Especially If I was bypassing a hostile Rangoon.

I personally would not try to hit DH or Chandpur without havingt Rangoon so until he hits me there I am relatively relaxed about an invasion around DH/ Chandpur

I am seriously screwed in Java.

8 IJA Divisions plus Armoured support this is a major effort.

Batavia will fall like a rotton plum.

I am going to try a pre emptive evac of the HQ to suck out any supplies in the base.

I am going to try and stand in a jungle hex one below Batavia as it cannot be bombarded.

I have help on the way to Java as we speak a 3 CV TF is lurking in Northern Aus.

I am loathe to commit them until I know where KB is hiding.

Andy

He has advanced 200k of troops to Batavia.

I have 40k Dutch mostly behind lvl 6 Forts

If I can delay a week I will be happy.

I have made the decision not to reinforce Batavia as his bombardments make it untennable.

When Batavia falls the units will retreat to the south and I will move up another CW division to back up my 6 ANZAC and Indina Bdes getting ready to stand below Batavia.

It is a hard decsion as a good port will ease his logistics a great deal.

I will instead stand in the jungle one hex below Batavia.

I am not happy with this decsion as it is a hard one either way.... this could be a huge mistake. But leaving all my veteran fulkl strength units bombarded turn after turn by his BB's and CA's just wont work either.


Andy

19th April 1942 The Dutch Army is thrown out of Batavia.

I had not tried to hold it really hadnt committed any ANZAC Bdes to try and hold it.

I have 4 Divisional Equivalents concentrating at the hex below Batavia but in the face of 8 well supplied elite IJA Divisions I think I am going to struggle.

I am seriously considering abandoning the whole of north Java and standing at Dojakarta.

After lengthy debate I have decided to try and hold in the North this may prove the foolishness of my Javan strategy.

Sveint has committed far more force that I would ever have thought possible to kick me off of Java.

I have retaken Tavoy while he is distracted.

Andy

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 04/19/42

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Bandoeng , at 19,61

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 17
Ki-21 Sally x 4

Allied aircraft
no flights

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed, 4 damaged
TBD Devastator: 4 destroyed

Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 7

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
4 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 6000 feet
4 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 6000 feet
3 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 6000 feet
3 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 6000 feet
3 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Merak at 18,59

Japanese Ships
CA Ashigara, Shell hits 1
CA Mikuma
CA Furutaka
CL Tama
DD Shiranuhi, Shell hits 1
DD Natsugumo
DD Samidare
DD Usugumo
DD Shirakumo, Shell hits 1

Allied Ships
CL Boise, Shell hits 1
DD Isaac Sweers, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Kortenaer
DD Piet Hein
DD Van Ghent
DD Stronghold, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
DD Tenedos

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Merak at 18,59

Japanese Ships
CA Ashigara
CA Mikuma
CA Furutaka, Shell hits 2
CL Tama
DD Shiranuhi
DD Natsugumo, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Samidare
DD Usugumo
DD Shirakumo

Allied Ships
CL Boise
DD Isaac Sweers, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Kortenaer
DD Piet Hein
DD Van Ghent
DD Stronghold, heavy damage
DD Tenedos

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Merak at 18,59

Japanese Ships
CA Ashigara, Shell hits 3
CA Mikuma
CA Furutaka, Shell hits 2
CL Tama
DD Shiranuhi, Shell hits 2
DD Natsugumo, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Samidare
DD Usugumo, Shell hits 1
DD Shirakumo

Allied Ships
CL Boise, Shell hits 3
DD Isaac Sweers, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Kortenaer, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Piet Hein
DD Van Ghent, Shell hits 1
DD Stronghold, heavy damage
DD Tenedos, Shell hits 1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TF 51 encounters mine field at Teloekbetoeng (19,58)

Japanese Ships
MSW W.20
MSW W.6
MSW W.3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Merak at 18,59

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 14

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 3
Swordfish x 4
CW-21B Demon x 3
Buffalo I x 2

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed
Swordfish: 3 damaged
CW-21B Demon: 2 destroyed
Buffalo I: 2 destroyed

Japanese Ships
AP Fukusei Maru

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x Swordfish launching torpedoes at 200 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Lae , at 54,87


Allied aircraft
Hudson I x 6


No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x Hudson I bombing at 15000 feet

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Batavia

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 176888 troops, 1513 guns, 335 vehicles

Defending force 30689 troops, 224 guns, 17 vehicles

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 5

Japanese assault odds: 9 to 1 (fort level 5)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Batavia base !!!



Allied aircraft
no flights


Allied aircraft losses
Vildebeest IV: 4 destroyed
F.K.51: 4 destroyed
Wirraway: 6 destroyed
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
T.IVa: 1 destroyed

Japanese ground losses:
649 casualties reported
Guns lost 24
Vehicles lost 5

Allied ground losses:
3761 casualties reported
Guns lost 108
Vehicles lost 2


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Koepang

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 7742 troops, 68 guns, 13 vehicles

Defending force 5942 troops, 39 guns, 3 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 1)


Japanese ground losses:
25 casualties reported
Guns lost 4

Allied ground losses:
132 casualties reported
Guns lost 5


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Koepang

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 3101 troops, 27 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 7672 troops, 61 guns, 13 vehicles

My heavily disrupted and bombarded Dutch soldiers got kicked out of Batavia in one turn.

It may have been a mistake even trying to hold on there but I could not just give him a good port. But nor would I reinfoce it enough to hold it recognising that the bombardments madfe it almost untennable

This lack of decisiveness will cost me dear.

Java is the fulcrum of the war so far and I may be on my way to losing it.

I could commit more forces to its defence. I have a US Division and 2 Aus Division in northern Oz that could deploy but I have this strong feeling of throwing more lives away...

No the decision is made they will hold with what they have.

6 Indian Bdes
5 ANZAC Bdes
4 CW Bdes
1 USMC Regt
And the Dutch

If I lose this thats a hell of a lot of VP's down the drain

Andy

18th Armoured Division is disbanded and its components renamed due to the paucity of armour.

22nd/ 27th and 30th Aus become 15th Australian Division
3rd Aus/ A Bde 3rd NZ and 2nd Aus Armoured Regt is 1st ANZAC Division.

and 1st and 2nd Commonwealth Divisions move north to block the IJA Breakout.

This powerful force of 4 Divisions is moving north to block the breakout.

1st and 2nd Dutch Divisions (minus the Kendari Commandos) will retreat to the south to recover disruption and morale.

3rd CW Division will prepare Djokjakarta for defence.

Phillipine force is still waiting at Soerbijou

A precautionary movement of supplies begins to the south as I have 200k stockpiled at Tjiljap 4 or 5 transports will from this point on convoy them down to southern bases in small convoys.

Allied Airpower is holding waiting for the onslought on the ground forces.

Andy

OK Every level bomber on Java is placed at the disposal of 223 Gp and ordered to ground attack IJA forces in northern Java

2 Squadrons of Warhawks/ Wildcats are on CAP over allied forces

Heavies will go in at 15,000 feet
Mediums at 6,000
and temporarily diverted from night protection of Soerbijou 24 P39D's of the reconstituted PI Airforce will go in at tree top level.
Buffalo, Hurricane II and 2 Additional Sqns of Warhawks will cover the bombers and protect allied airfield's

Lets see how it goes

This is an all out effort to slow and disrupt the IJA in the march south.

Both of my heavy minelayers have been hit in the last few days so I am now restricted to USN sub launched mines.

All Dutch and RN Subs are on patrol as the torpedoes usually work.

Over the last few days my light forces harrassing Batavia have been banged up by IJN surface task forces CL's supported by DD's cannot take on IJN CA forces consistantly.

A major CV TF is on the way to Java and will hopefully catch a surface TF at some stage.

I will not commit them until I know where KB is and for the moment I have lost them.

Andy

The 4 ANZAC and Cw Divisions stop the IJA Advance cold in Jungle.

Will it be for a day or a week only time will tell.....

Andy

Day Air attack on 48th Division, at 19,60


Allied aircraft
Martin 139 x 3
B-25C Mitchell x 15
B-26B Marauder x 15
LB-30 Liberator x 5


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
104 casualties reported
Guns lost 4

Aircraft Attacking:
5 x LB-30 Liberator bombing at 15000 feet
6 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 15000 feet
3 x Martin 139 bombing at 15000 feet
15 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 15000 feet
9 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 15000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 33rd Division, at 19,60

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 5

Allied aircraft
Hawk 75A x 11
P-39D Airacobra x 19
B-17E Fortress x 6

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Hawk 75A: 2 destroyed
P-39D Airacobra: 6 destroyed, 5 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
17 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Aircraft Attacking:
16 x P-39D Airacobra bombing at 2000 feet
6 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at 19,60

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 129636 troops, 1183 guns, 274 vehicles

Defending force 60219 troops, 434 guns, 126 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1


Japanese ground losses:
1640 casualties reported
Guns lost 66
Vehicles lost 6

Allied ground losses:
1497 casualties reported
Guns lost 40
Vehicles lost 3

Allied GHQ's tricky decision is made for them....

I will try and stand at Djokjakarta.

With my disrupted forces I cannot stand further north.

Virtually the whole allied force is disrupted so I will try to fight a running retreat and stand at the base above.

Andy


Ground combat at 19,60

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 238165 troops, 1943 guns, 568 vehicles

Defending force 58084 troops, 355 guns, 123 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1


Japanese ground losses:
1768 casualties reported
Guns lost 53
Vehicles lost 5

Allied ground losses:
4506 casualties reported
Guns lost 40
Vehicles lost 14


Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

It is enfuriating is isn't it. You can't resist anywhere that he decides to really throw his weight about at you.

Look at those numbers. It sounds to me like you really did do a very good job of getting Java ready and it has just made no difference.

You have to admit, you drew off a huge amount of ground troops from other operations and inflicted quite a few casualties in the process. Overall, I think, reinforcing Java is a good idea..

If I was you, I'd start pulling out what I can now though. [:)]

Alikchi unfortunately If I was going to do this I would need to neutralise Bali and have an escape route south.

If I cannot hold at Dojakarta I may try to evacuate.

What I would really like to do is force Sveint to try another seabourne invasion in the south.

As the more resources I tie up the better off I am.

OK 8 IJA Divisions at full strength is what about 3200 AP add in armour independent brigades etc thats about 4000 AP's Sveint has on Java .... thats a hell of a lot of firepower tied down.

If at full strength the forces I have on Java would have about 2500 AP's

Despite my protestations about holding on to the bitter end I just dont know whether to stand and fight or not.

The longer I hold the less time Sveint has to try anything fancy.

But in another month or so what could he try that is that fancy ? i.e. have I already achieved my goal.

Lets face it by the time 5th Indian / 6th Aus and 7th Aus have arrived plus the west coast US troops are in theatre IJA options are kinda limited.

As Wobbly v PZB has shown an April or earlier assault on India is hard to resist. (As I am also discovering the hard way in another game) But actually there comes a point where seven or eight IJA divisions just isnt enought to make a dent.

Not when the RAF RAAAF and USAAF is gettign stronger and stronger.

Now I am not there yet but in another month or so I will be so again I beg the question do I stand or not.

When I went down this route I mentally wrote off every troop in Java (hows that for coldblooded) I was willing to lose every soldier sailor and airman in order to slow down the juggernaught and tie him up.

Have I achieved this or am I kidding myself.

I need to ponder this a little more.

We are now at the end of April and my army is falling back to make a stand behind lvl 4 and growing forts at Djojakarta. The base one down from it and Kragen will also be fortified.

It will take the IJA probably a weeks to invest that place as I am fighting delaying actions on the way south. I would hope to check him there for a while

I need to decide soon which way to go.

Andy

The truth is, now that he has base units in Java, you are litkly to not only loose the troops - within their boats - as you try to evac, but you are going to loose the boats as well.

You will make him pay in ACs as he takes out the shipping but in the end only a few troops will make it out and you will loose shipping as well as the troops.

Better to hold for as long as you can and use tranport ACs and subs to get as many of the troops out to island bases and Oz and India that you can manage. To really attempt a 'Dunkirk' you will have to commit the US CVs - it is too early and too close to much of his land based air for this really.

Hmmmm one other option I have and its not a step I would take lightly is to commit two fresh strong Divisons to the fight.

I could send 6th and 7th Australian to check him.

Add those two experienced divisons to all of my other units and I may achieve the stalemate im seeking which would alllow US forces to go on the offensive elsewhere.

I dont know

I think the battle of Dojjakarta will decide me.

I could fight through a convoy to java with those two divisions then I am confident I could hold him and make him bleed as he tries to bombard.

(If I hold him I doubt he could take Rangoon)

Andy