Straight Into the Teeth: A Story of Logistics, Patience, and Firepower

[Sangeli]

March 5th 1944

Despite heavy continuous bombardment every day, the guns at Tulagi are still alive to fire at my amphibious TF landing some unit fragments and more supply:

Invasion Support action off Tulagi (114,137) - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force

280 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
BB Valiant, Shell hits 6
BB Mississippi, Shell hits 7
BB New Mexico, Shell hits 5
BB California, Shell hits 2
BB Pennsylvania
BB Oklahoma
BB Nevada
BB Colorado, Shell hits 2
DD Allen, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Mugford, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Sampson
DD Thatcher, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Miller
DD Cowell, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Capps, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Charles Badger
DD Ammen, Shell hits 3
LST-126, Shell hits 1
xAP James Gordon Bennett, Shell hits 2
LST-167
LST-353
LST-169
LST-166
DD Flusser
LST-174

Half a dozen destroyers are going to need repairs after this. Some of the BBs have around 15 system damage such that some of their AA guns are out of operation. No matter. I only need them for their 14-16 inch guns and heavy armor.

And I just noticed that one of the infantry regiments of the division I wanted to form up at Tulagi has upgraded to 57mm AT guns while the rest have 37mm AT guns. Very obnoxious. I wish there were a way to do a forced upgrade/downgrade to form divisions from their fragments. Even if that meant ditching one type of AT gun so they all have the same equipment it would be more than worth it. Would love to see that in a patch. Instead I have to let the regiments attack individually which generally results in at least one of them getting trashed. Current situation at Tulagi:

round combat at Tulagi (114,137)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 6674 troops, 91 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 203

Defending force 35726 troops, 820 guns, 690 vehicles, Assault Value = 1022

Japanese ground losses:
34 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 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:
5th ADU Coastal Gun Regiment
29th Ind.Mixed Brigade
1st Guard ADU Coastal Gun Battalion
2nd Air Flotilla
6th Fleet
111th Naval Construction Battalion
8th Base Force
36th JNAF AF Unit

Defending units:
151st Combat Engineer Regiment
19th Infantry Regiment
21st Infantry Regiment
35th Infantry Regiment
161st Infantry Regiment
24th Marine Regiment
27th Infantry Regiment
7th Infantry Division
V US Amphib Corps
9th Marine Defense Battalion
249th Field Artillery Battalion
2nd USMC Field Artillery Battalion
223rd Field Artillery Battalion
226th Field Artillery Battalion
30th Field Artillery Regiment

Now that I've landed more supply I'll probably launch another attack. I have yet more LCUs on the way that should be there within the next 3-4 days. The Japanese still have level 7 forts so I'll need all the help I can get. Once I get it down a few more levels I'll send in my bombers (right now they are just too ineffectual to be worth it).

[Sangeli]

March 6th 1944

Finally decided to attack Rabaul. I sent a large Fletcher TF to bombard Kavieng and catch shipping. It did both very well. First it, intercepted a TF unloading supply:




Then it hit the airbase and smashed a number of planes:



Cruisers would also hit Rabaul to good effect:



The hundreds of fighters I sent in had no opposition. I sent a limited number of bombers in as well which caused some damage. Tomorrow I will send the kitchen sink at Rabaul. With the best fighters of the IJA and IJN still sweeping the open air over Timor, I shouldn't have much issue. Seems like I can disable Rabaul's airbase without a real fight...

[Sangeli]

March 7th 1944

Subs haven't done much against warships in the last few months but today I had some sucess:

Sub attack near Tockangbesi-eilanden at 70,110

Japanese Ships
CL Sakawa, Torpedo hits 1
DD Takanami
DD Arashio
DD Hagikaze

Allied Ships
SS Guardfish

Undoubtedly the lack of IJN targets has played a role. IJN is at less than half its possible strength in nearly every ship category.

Today about 60 4E hit the airbase of Rabaul without encountering any air opposition. I don't think the level 9 air base is fully disabled yet but another few days at it and I'll have it shut down for the rest of the war. The mightiest base in the Pacific silenced without so much as a fighter scrambled in defense. Kind of sad in a way...maybe I should have attacked it earlier.

Progress in the SoPac. Buin fell with a single attack:

Ground combat at Buin (109,131)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 2817 troops, 85 guns, 170 vehicles, Assault Value = 271

Defending force 1068 troops, 10 guns, 3 vehicles, Assault Value = 10

Allied adjusted assault: 41

Japanese adjusted defense: 5

Allied assault odds: 8 to 1 (fort level 3)

Allied forces CAPTURE Buin !!!

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
H6K4 Mavis: 1 destroyed

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

Japanese ground losses:
417 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 11 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 25 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 11 (1 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
28 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
766th Tank Battalion
104th Combat Engr Rgt /7
158th(Sep) Infantry Rgt /7
181st Field Artillery Regiment
1st USA Defense Battalion
2nd USA Defense Battalion
4th USA Defense Battalion

Defending units:
28th JNAF AF Unit

Units landed at Torokina just to the north today as well. Torokina has a level 4 air base and is close enough to Kavieng for P-47s. The entire island of Bougainville is barely defended.

Same cannot be said about the Japanese at Tulagi. Despite continuous bombardment the Japanese are still recovering enough to increase their AV:

Ground combat at Tulagi (114,137)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 33970 troops, 820 guns, 690 vehicles, Assault Value = 1051

Defending force 16876 troops, 123 guns, 16 vehicles, Assault Value = 212

Allied adjusted assault: 892

Japanese adjusted defense: 1093

Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 7)

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

Japanese ground losses:
196 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 19 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 6 (1 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
994 casualties reported
Squads: 86 destroyed, 73 disabled
Non Combat: 6 destroyed, 16 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 16 disabled
Guns lost 52 (18 destroyed, 34 disabled)
Vehicles lost 13 (3 destroyed, 10 disabled)

Assaulting units:
21st Infantry Regiment
25th Infantry Division
19th Infantry Regiment
24th Marine Regiment
151st Combat Engineer Regiment
7th Infantry Division
223rd Field Artillery Battalion
9th Marine Defense Battalion
249th Field Artillery Battalion
226th Field Artillery Battalion
2nd USMC Field Artillery Battalion
V US Amphib Corps
30th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
5th ADU Coastal Gun Regiment
29th Ind.Mixed Brigade
1st Guard ADU Coastal Gun Battalion
2nd Air Flotilla
6th Fleet
8th Base Force
111th Naval Construction Battalion
36th JNAF AF Unit

Maybe I should have bypassed Tulagi after all. Having a level 7 port isn't THAT important. I didn't think a mere 200 AV would cause me so many problems. But at this point I'm better off just finishing it off. And I have plenty of other LCUs in the area to keep up my offensives; biggest limiting factor has been availability of amphibious transports.

Question to readers: how long can the guns in Tulagi keep firing without any new supply? If the CD unit gets down to 0 supply, will it stop shooting? Furthemore, how do I pull out units from a base like Tulagi? I've never attempted such an evacuation before. Right now I'm a good deal over the stacking limit and many LCUs are trashed and are doing more harm than good at this point. I think it might help pulling out some of those LCUs provided that I can pull them out without losing a bunch of ships.

[Mike McCreery]

As long as you can put ships at Tulagi you should be able withdraw troops without being attacked by the naval guns.

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: Wargmr
As long as you can put ships at Tulagi you should be able withdraw troops without being attacked by the naval guns.

I see. Do all ships load at the same rate? Would landing craft be better at this task because they can do it faster?

[Mundy]

That would be my guess. Their crummy speeds also aren't such a liability in the Solomons.

[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

ORIGINAL: Wargmr
As long as you can put ships at Tulagi you should be able withdraw troops without being attacked by the naval guns.

I see. Do all ships load at the same rate? Would landing craft be better at this task because they can do it faster?

I would say yes but honestly, pulling entrenched troops off an island isnt something I have done enough. I am pretty sure the amphibious load/unload will be used to calculate loading.

[Sangeli]

March 10th 1944

Another bloody day but a day of progress:

Ground combat at Rangoon (54,53)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 186433 troops, 3230 guns, 2887 vehicles, Assault Value = 4946

Defending force 73068 troops, 801 guns, 379 vehicles, Assault Value = 2258

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 3

Allied adjusted assault: 3584

Japanese adjusted defense: 5203

Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 3)

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

Japanese ground losses:
2779 casualties reported
Squads: 17 destroyed, 307 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 55 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 33 disabled
Guns lost 73 (1 destroyed, 72 disabled)
Vehicles lost 14 (4 destroyed, 10 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
13563 casualties reported
Squads: 350 destroyed, 1125 disabled
Non Combat: 8 destroyed, 227 disabled
Engineers: 17 destroyed, 183 disabled
Guns lost 255 (13 destroyed, 242 disabled)
Vehicles lost 72 (7 destroyed, 65 disabled)

The fort falls but I lose a full division in destroyed infantry squads. Ouch. Going to have to wait a while before launching another assault. Hopefully my bombers can take advantage of the reduced fort to be more effective.

Ground combat at Tulagi (114,137)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 41146 troops, 976 guns, 803 vehicles, Assault Value = 1213

Defending force 16594 troops, 124 guns, 17 vehicles, Assault Value = 183

Allied adjusted assault: 1087

Japanese adjusted defense: 784

Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 7)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 6

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

Japanese ground losses:
613 casualties reported
Squads: 42 destroyed, 32 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 8 disabled
Guns lost 11 (2 destroyed, 9 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1059 casualties reported
Squads: 38 destroyed, 66 disabled
Non Combat: 8 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 7 disabled
Guns lost 24 (10 destroyed, 14 disabled)
Vehicles lost 11 (8 destroyed, 3 disabled)

Assaulting units:
25th Marine Regiment
151st Combat Engineer Regiment
19th Infantry Regiment
21st Infantry Regiment
34th Infantry Regiment
25th Infantry Division
24th Marine Regiment
7th Infantry Division
223rd Field Artillery Battalion
2nd USMC Field Artillery Battalion
9th Marine Defense Battalion
V US Amphib Corps
226th Field Artillery Battalion
249th Field Artillery Battalion
30th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
5th ADU Coastal Gun Regiment
29th Ind.Mixed Brigade
1st Guard ADU Coastal Gun Battalion
2nd Air Flotilla
8th Base Force
111th Naval Construction Battalion
6th Fleet
36th JNAF AF Unit

The progress at Tulagi is much easier to swallow. The Japanese took nearly as many casualties as I did while knocking down the fort another level. I think I've finally gone over the hump here; everything else should get easier until the base is mine.

[Sangeli]

Looks like the KB is heading east towards Truk which has a substantial number of fighters:




Unsure what purpose this will serve. If I want to knock out the fighters at Truk I certainly can. Nor do I have any operations planned in the CentPac for some time. But it does leave the window open in the SWPAC to get going again. Right now I'm quietly shuttling around units with transport ships to get ready for more action. Once I have completed my OPs in the SoPac, I will split up my carriers again and start a new advance in the SWPAC.

[Sangeli]

March 11th 1944

Decided to attack Tulagi a second day in a row. It was a bad idea:

Ground combat at Tulagi (114,137)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 40224 troops, 969 guns, 796 vehicles, Assault Value = 1126

Defending force 15972 troops, 124 guns, 17 vehicles, Assault Value = 163

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 5

Allied adjusted assault: 367

Japanese adjusted defense: 412

Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 5)

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

Japanese ground losses:
285 casualties reported
Squads: 6 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled
Guns lost 10 (6 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Vehicles lost 4 (1 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Allied ground losses:
1108 casualties reported
Squads: 65 destroyed, 94 disabled
Non Combat: 12 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 21 destroyed, 15 disabled
Guns lost 32 (12 destroyed, 20 disabled)
Vehicles lost 8 (2 destroyed, 6 disabled)

Assaulting units:
24th Marine Regiment
151st Combat Engineer Regiment
24th Infantry Division
25th Marine Regiment
25th Infantry Division
7th Infantry Division
249th Field Artillery Battalion
9th Marine Defense Battalion
226th Field Artillery Battalion
223rd Field Artillery Battalion
2nd USMC Field Artillery Battalion
V US Amphib Corps
30th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
1st Guard ADU Coastal Gun Battalion
29th Ind.Mixed Brigade
5th ADU Coastal Gun Regiment
1st Kure Assault Div /3
8th Base Force
111th Naval Construction Battalion
2nd Air Flotilla
6th Fleet
36th JNAF AF Unit

Got the fort down but I lost 65 assault squads and only disabled 8 Japanese squads. It also looks like the Japanese flew in part of the 1st Kure Assault Division though that fragment was destroyed in the attack. I should be able to prevent that in the future with some LRCAP. The one good thing is that I was able to form the 24th and 25th IDs at last in Tulagi by getting the last unit fragments on the island (though I lost a few transports). But divisions are really important in taking bases like this because they tend not to have as many squads destroyed and can be split into thirds for rest which increases their recovery rate. If I had to do it again I would have formed the divisions BEFORE landing even if that meant shuttling units around to make that happen.

[Sangeli]

Guess the KB isn't going to Truk after all; it's going too far south. Still too far away from Kavieng to be a threat this turn. But I am assembling my CVs for battle while I assemble my invasion fleet for Kavieng.

[Skygge]

Guess the KB isn't going to Truk after all; it's going too far south. Still too far away from Kavieng to be a threat this turn. But I am assembling my CVs for battle while I assemble my invasion fleet for Kavieng.

Seeking battle with the KB should be a priority for the allied in 1944. Exchanging carriers at this point of time favors the allied. Japanese trying to conduct Island defense with land air only is difficult.

I think you sticking to your guns and slugging it out is the right thing to do. The allied need aggressively advance in 1944. As soon as the odds starts to swing allied way and forts go down it will invariably end
with the destruction of the Japanese defenders.

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: Skygge

Guess the KB isn't going to Truk after all; it's going too far south. Still too far away from Kavieng to be a threat this turn. But I am assembling my CVs for battle while I assemble my invasion fleet for Kavieng.

Seeking battle with the KB should be a priority for the allied in 1944. Exchanging carriers at this point of time favors the allied. Japanese trying to conduct Island defense with land air only is difficult.

I think you sticking to your guns and slugging it out is the right thing to do. The allied need aggressively advance in 1944. As soon as the odds starts to swing allied way and forts go down it will invariably end
with the destruction of the Japanese defenders.

Well back in 1943 I was able to concentrate all my CVs against 1/2th the KB and smashed it in a decisive battle. That along with some help from subs and even a French BC in 1942 has helped me achieve a decisive lead in CV power. Here are the current ship losses:





So really I've already had my Midway moment...I'm focusing on covering landings like the historical US. Currently I field 4 fleets of around 300 planes each to counter the Japanese fleet you see here. A CV battle would be nice but I think Rev Rico is too smart for that.

"Aggressively" is a strong word to me. I am happy to admit I advance cautiously. Always go under LBA and excessive amounts of CV/E cover. Maybe I could go faster but I just don't like taking those risks.

[Sangeli]

Though now that I'm thinking about it maybe I'll sortie my CVs and some CVEs up north towards the KB before the landing to see if I can get the Japanese to fight. I'm still waiting for my Kavieng invasion to form up so this could be a good opportunity to really put my CVs deep in enemy waters to give battle to the Japanese. Especially because a good number of enemy surface ships are still out west. Interesting.

[Skygge]

So really I've already had my Midway moment..

The dream of allied players. Well done

[Sangeli]

March 12th 1944

And just like that the KB turns back west. Very confused what Rev Rico was thinking here. All he did was waste fuel.

[BBfanboy]

A single US sub with working torpedoes in his path strikes fear into the heart of Admiral Kurita! [:D]

[Sangeli]

March 13th 1944

I sent in a pair of attack bomber squadrons to interdict shipping going towards Timor. I knew it was going to probably end in a bunch of bombers shot down but I went for it anyway...

Morning Air attack on TF, near Dili at 71,115

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 35 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-84a Frank x 54

Allied aircraft
B-25D1 Mitchell x 12

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D1 Mitchell: 8 destroyed



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Dili at 71,115

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 2,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-84a Frank x 51

Allied aircraft
B-25D1 Mitchell x 6

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D1 Mitchell: 2 destroyed, 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
AK Tatutaki Maru
AK Kazuura Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-25D1 Mitchell bombing and strafing from low level
Naval Attack: 6 x 500 lb SAP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Dili at 71,115

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 3,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-84a Frank x 27

Allied aircraft
B-25D1 Mitchell x 9

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D1 Mitchell: 2 damaged
B-25D1 Mitchell: 1 destroyed by flak

Japanese Ships
AK Kazuura Maru, on fire
AK Naruto Maru
xAK Taian Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
xAK Nagato Maru
AK Okiyu Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Yamazato Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Kinkasan Maru
xAK Naples Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires

Japanese ground losses:
46 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x B-25D1 Mitchell bombing and strafing from low level
Naval Attack: 6 x 500 lb SAP Bomb
3 x B-25D1 Mitchell bombing and strafing from low level
Naval Attack: 6 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

Despite the heavy casualties in the first wave, 9 bombers were able to sortie again in the afternoon and sink a couple of transport ships. So net positive return on VPs.

[Skygge]

I sent in a pair of attack bomber squadrons to interdict shipping going towards Timor. I knew it was going to probably end in a bunch of bombers shot down but I went for it anyway..

When playing the imperial side I find it disconcerting to watch B-25 come in low and mess up my otherwise well protected shipping. It always make me think twice about sending more ships into that area.

Such experiences can put a wear on Japanese self-confidence.

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: Skygge
When playing the imperial side I find it disconcerting to watch B-25 come in low and mess up my otherwise well protected shipping. It always make me think twice about sending more ships into that area.

Such experiences can put a wear on Japanese self-confidence.

It's especially strange to see convoys going to bases on islands that I already have a foothold in. Intel showed an infantry division heading there as well. So I will simply bypass it and leave some units behind to guard against counterattack.