Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J)

[apbarog]

2 Mar 42

Enemy continues to land at Zamboanga. Defenses will fall with the first attack. US sub doesn't find the transports.

Tiny AM Muritai is patrolling around Christmas Island, looking for subs. I-23 finds the ship, fires 2 torpedoes and sinks the ship with one hit.

RO-60 hits a mine at Wake Island. A different audio is heard: the sound of a vessel breaking up underwater. I must have heard this before, but I don't recall it. For years I played WitP on a computer without audio. It doesn't matter too much, but there are a few things you can pick up with the audio. RO-60 is presumably sunk. Now OPilot knows that Wake has mines.

In an interesting an unusual battle at Naga, the 2 remaining Philippine patrol boats engage DD Asagao and 5 very big xAPs. Destroyer Asagao is hit with a torpedo and sunk. Unusual to see torpedo hits on a destroyer, particularly from PT boats.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Naga at 81,81, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Asagao, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAP Hakone Maru, Shell hits 2
xAP Suwa Maru
xAP Rakuyo Maru, Shell hits 2
xAP Buenos Aires Maru
xAP Huzi Maru

Allied Ships
PT Q-111
PT Q-112

The 38th Infantry Division was reported on xAPs heading to Naga. Today 38th Division is reported to be at Naga, so it just landed from these ships. 2 US subs rush at full speed to Naga, hoping to catch lingering transports without escorts. The Q boats retire to the base east of Manila, and will have to go around Luzon to Manila to replenish torpedoes. Nice to see these boats contribute.

Activity in the Indian Ocean picks up, as 3 enemy infantry regiments land at Akyab. No defense here. A cruiser and destroyer TF guards the landing, and a mini-KB stands offshore. Today lots of torpedo bombers move to Calcutta to hit ships at Akyab. Fighters from Chittagong will LRCAP Akyab.

Is this the start of an Indian campaign? Too soon to say. Just regiments landed, and it isn't enough to take Chittagong. But the alert is sounded, and units start to move to reinforce the area, and bases behind the lines to guard from paras.

Near the southern tip of India, I-158 spots big AMC Chitral and fires 2 torpedoes, but they miss.

4 US destroyers are on an ASW mission around Pearl Harbor. I-24 spots them and fires 2 torpedoes at DD Bagley but misses.

If OPilot goes for India in a big way, my defensive plans in the South Pacific and Solomons will quickly become offensive plans.

[apbarog]

3 Mar 42

At Boela, Dutch sub KXII is looking for tankers. It finds patrol boat Busho Maru but misses the PB with 2 torpedoes.

At Naga, sub Tambor arrives using full speed to get here. It finds big transport xAP Rakuyo Maru but misses it with 4 torpedoes.

37 Oscars sweep Toungoo in Burma but nothing is found.

Sub Tambor is at Naga. It spots the enemy transports there, and the 2 remaining P-26A fly from Manila to attack at 100 feet. xAP Hakone Maru is hit with a 100 pound bomb. The 2 Philippine fighters return in the afternoon, and they bomb and strafe again.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Naga at 81,81

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Allied aircraft
P-26A x 2

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
xAP Buenos Aires Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires

Japanese ground losses:
Vehicles lost 4 (2 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Aircraft Attacking:
2 x P-26A bombing from 100 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 100 lb GP Bomb

Nice result for such a small fighter unit. I had had 5 fighters, but the unit went to Jolo to do naval strikes there, but without search planes, nothing was seen. And no air support there, so just 2 operational planes went back to Manila. These 2 are the bombers today.

Then Tambor went back into action. The sub spotted xAP Huzi Maru and fires every torpedo along with firing its gun. Many torpedoes miss. 2 torpedoes hit, but both are duds. 4 shells do hit the ship, causing a fire, and 3 enemy vehicles are reportedly lost. Vehicles are support for the 38th Infantry Division.

Babo is invaded.

Madioen Java is attacked, and although the fight is a 1 to 1 attack, the casualties are 71 enemy and 584 Dutch. The base will fall.

West of Toungoo, the enemy 33rd Division eliminates the Railway BAF Battalion. The enemy starts to move northeast, threatening to flank the Burma troops to the east.

Pontinank Borneo is lost, as is Zamboanga.

The last big convoy from Ceylon to Melbourne arrives. 2 light cruisers, 4 destroyers, 17 tankers , and 5 cargo ships carrying 195,000 fuel arrives. The tankers and xAKs are destined for the West Coast.

Some concern in the far northeast of China.

[apbarog]

3 Mar 42 - Burma

[jwolf]

Flying from India on attack missions into China, won't you have high op losses?

[apbarog]

Lanchow is a size 3 airfield and is being upgraded. That will be my main base for aircraft to go to from India, to defend northern China.

[jwolf]

OK that makes a lot more sense. I had the crazy idea that you were going to fly bombing missions from India, over the Himalayas, against Japanese targets in North China! [:o][:D] My apologies!

[apbarog]

4 Mar 42

S-36 is at Iloilo looking for ships that unloaded troops there. PB Kosin Maru #3 spots the sub and hits it with a depth charge. FLOT damage is in the 50s, so not insignificant. The sub will move to nearby Manila for repairs.

South of the Solomons, battleship Warspite, light cruiser Adelaide, and some US destroyers are getting into position for a move to Lunga or Tulagi. I-172 spots Warspite, fires 4 torpedoes, and one hits. Warspite is SYS 8/FLOT 20-9/ENG 0/FIRE 0. So not terrible damage, but enough to warrant a trip to a big shipyard. The task force sets a looping course towards Luganville, then towards Christmas Island, then to Pearl Harbor. Those slow battleships are just torpedo magnets, for me anyhow.

I-18 spots a big task force of slow small ships well southeast of Suva, headed to Auckland. The sub elects not to fire torpedoes.

Oscars sweep Toungoo again, and again, no CAP. Sonias attack the 1st Burma Division at Toungoo, which is moving northeast out of town at combat speed. An enemy division is to the west and moving north also, and faster.

26 P-40Es from Chittagong sweep Akyab, and find 28 Zeros from Shoho, Zuiho, and Hosho. 11 Zeros are downed for the loss of 9 Warhawks. 16 SBD-1s fly from Magwe to hit shipping at Akyab, but they fly in the afternoon, and enemy CAP has recovered. 15 Zeros intercept the unescorted SBDs (escort did not fly). 11 of the old SBDs are lost. 5 bombers did drop bombs on CL Naka and xAP Montevideo Maru, but all bombs missed.

Madioen Java is lost. Oosthaven Sumatra is lost. Babo on New Guinea is lost.

B-17s from Calcutta will target Akyab's airfield.

[apbarog]

4 Mar 42 - Wake

[apbarog]

5 Mar 42

Lots of sub and anti-sub activity today.

Dutch sub KXII sinks PB Shonan Maru #2 at Boela. Looking for tankers but finding just patrol boats. 2 Allied subs are patrolling Boela and Babo.

4 Allied cruisers and 4 US destroyers are northbound along the eastern Australian coast. I-173 spots the task force and fires 2 torpedoes at DD Craven but misses. An enemy task force is seen rounding the tip of New Guinea near Milne Bay. This could be a Horn Island invasion. I'd like to get my cruisers to Horn in time but they probably won't make it. Have to watch enemy air from Port Moresby too.

S-23 fired 2 torpedoes at PB Seikyo Maru near Deboyne Islands but miss with both. This is the enemy task force possibly going to Horn Island.

Near Koggala Ceylon, 4 British AMs find I-162 patrolling the coast. One hit is achieved on the sub.

KV New Westminster is patrolling near Christmas Island, and finds I-23, getting one minor hit on the sub, causing a fuel leak.

Lilys hit Yenan's airfield, causing moderate damage. Same type of thing at Magwe and Sian. And Soerabaja.

Those 2 pesky P-26A at Manila strafe enemy troops at Lucena. 22 casualties. The Philippine fighters will continue to cause trouble, now set to strafe the enemy at the next base to the east.

In the Formosa straits, sub Trout fires 2 torpedoes at xAK Wales Maru but misses.

Enemy invasion of Wake is imminent. Clear terrain is the biggest problem with enemy battleships inbound and KB there also.

[apbarog]

6 Mar 42 - The Battle for Wake Island

I list all of the pertaining parts of the combat report.

TF 17 encounters mine field at Wake Island (136,98)

Japanese Ships
DD Mochizuki, Mine hits 1, heavy damage
**********************************************

TF 381 encounters mine field at Wake Island (136,98) - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

22 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
DMS W-8, Shell hits 4, on fire
DMS W-7, Shell hits 1, on fire

9 mines cleared
***************

Night Naval bombardment of Wake Island at 136,98 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima
BB Hiei
CL Yubari
DD Yayoi
DD Kisaragi
DD Mutsuki

Allied ground losses:
Vehicles lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Airbase hits 3
Runway hits 3
Port hits 7
Port supply hits 2
******************

Pre-Invasion action off Wake Island (136,98) - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force

106 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
CL Tatsuta
CL Tenryu
DD Kuretake
DD Yunagi
DD Asanagi
DD Akebono
AMC Kongo Maru
AMC Akagi Maru

Japanese ground losses:
70 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
76 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
*******************************************

Amphibious Assault at Wake Island (136,98)

TF 381 troops unloading over beach at Wake Island, 136,98

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

15 Support troops lost in surf during unload of 43rd Nav Gd
7.7mm T99 AAMG lost in surf during unload of Maizuru 2nd SNLF /2
15 Support troops lost overboard during unload of Maizuru 2nd SNLF /2
17 troops of a SNLF Inf Squad 41 lost in surf during unload of 63rd Nav Gd
15 Support troops lost from landing craft during unload of 63rd Nav Gd
17 troops of a SNLF Inf Squad 41 lost overboard during unload of 64th Nav Gd
15 Support troops lost from landing craft during unload of 64th Nav Gd
17 troops of a SNLF Inf Squad 41 lost from landing craft during unload of 67th Nav Gd
17 troops of a SNLF Inf Squad 41 lost from landing craft during unload of 67th Nav Gd
15 Support troops lost in surf during unload of 67th Nav Gd
17 troops of a IJA Inf Squad lost from landing craft during unload of 90th Infantry Rgt
17 troops of a IJA Inf Squad lost from landing craft during unload of 90th Infantry Rgt
17 troops of a IJA Inf Squad accidentally lost during unload of 90th Infantry Rgt
*********************************************************************************

The Marines hit absolutely nothing with the CD guns during the night. That changed during the daylight.

Invasion Support action off Wake Island (136,98) - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

87 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
CL Tatsuta
CL Tenryu
DD Kuretake
DD Yunagi
DD Hayate
DD Akebono
AMC Kongo Maru, Shell hits 6, on fire
AMC Akagi Maru, Shell hits 2
APD Tade
APD Hagi, Shell hits 2, on fire
APD Fuji, Shell hits 4
APD Nadakaze, Shell hits 3, on fire
APD Shimakaze, Shell hits 3, on fire
APD Numakaze
APD Nokaze, Shell hits 3, on fire
xAP Kashima Maru, Shell hits 1
DD Wakatake
DD Oite

Japanese ground losses:
44 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
45 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)
*******************************************

TF 17 encounters mine field at Wake Island (136,98)

Japanese Ships
DD Kisaragi, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

2 mines cleared
***************

Afternoon Air attack on 298th(Sep) Infantry Regiment, at 136,98 (Wake Island)

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 43 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
G3M2 Nell x 15

No Japanese losses

Allied ground losses:
52 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
*******************************************

Ground combat at Wake Island (136,98)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 14655 troops, 98 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 492

Defending force 4813 troops, 65 guns, 17 vehicles, Assault Value = 125

Japanese adjusted assault: 33

Allied adjusted defense: 67

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

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

Japanese ground losses:
9158 casualties reported
Squads: 341 destroyed, 102 disabled
Non Combat: 169 destroyed, 33 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 55 (48 destroyed, 7 disabled)
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Allied ground losses:
324 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 16 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 18 disabled
Guns lost 6 (1 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Assaulting units:
64th Naval Guard Unit
63rd Naval Guard Unit
90th Infantry Regiment
Maizuru 2nd SNLF
62nd Naval Guard Unit
43rd Naval Guard Unit
67th Naval Guard Unit

Defending units:
298th(Sep) Infantry Regiment
141st USN Stn Base Force
Wake (Det.) Defense Battalion
*********************************

Ground combat at Wake Island (136,98)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 3640 troops, 58 guns, 11 vehicles, Assault Value = 99

Defending force 6827 troops, 53 guns, 1 vehicles, Assault Value = 105

Assaulting units:
298th(Sep) Infantry Regiment
141st USN Stn Base Force
Wake (Det.) Defense Battalion

Defending units:
90th Infantry Regiment
Maizuru 2nd SNLF
43rd Naval Guard Unit
63rd Naval Guard Unit
62nd Naval Guard Unit
67th Naval Guard Unit
*************************

I'm still showing over 12,000 enemy on Wake Island, and that's after all of those casualties. CD guns hitting ships unloading men helped, but I have to attribute such huge losses to huge overstacking with insufficient supply for it. Wake Island has a 6,000 men stacking limit.

The question now is, do I counterattack immediately or wait? The enemy appears to still be way overstacked. Enemy carriers are nearby, and they didn't bomb my troops today. I have to think that they will do so tomorrow. Wake is clear terrain, and KB could have a huge effect on my troops disruption. I got lucky with such a poor enemy battleship bombardment overnight. I'd expect some combat ships to be stripped from KB to bombard me again tonight.

My bombardment attack, after OPilot disasterous shock attack, still showed a fair combat value for the enemy.

What do you think? I've tried to avoid these kind of situations as an attacker. It's so risky. So my experience with such overstacking is very limited. I'll wait a bit to finish this turn.

[apbarog]

6 Mar 42 - Elsewhere

O23 hits PB Showa Maru #3 with a torpedo near Buka and sinks the ship.

20 B-17Ds fly from Calcutta and hit Akyab's airfield in moderate rain. Akyab is protected by 9 Zeros from Mini-KB and 11 Oscars. 5 B-17s are lost, and damage to the airfield is minimal.

Dutch sub KXII fires 2 torpedoes at xAK Otake Maru at Boela but misses.

Brit sub Trusty spots part of Mini-KB's escorts, but misses DD Nowaki with 2 torpedoes. The sub is hit with a depth charge doing moderate damage in the shallow water. Trusty is ordered to Colombo for repairs.

As for Wake, I decided not to attack today and see what happens with the massive overstacking of the enemy. I have since heard from OPilot that he tried reloading troops from Wake, but his ships continued unloading instead. I suspect that he tried to reload troops onto ships that still had troops on them, which I've had problems with in the past. I only load on ships that don't have any troops on them. Anyhow, I don't have the next turn yet, but based on OPilot's comments, he had another hard day at Wake.

I offered OPilot a redo on his Wake invasion if there was something in the game mechanics with overstacking that he just didn't know. He declined the offer, saying he thought he could supply his troops sufficiently while overstacked. He thinks that my CD guns were what caused his heavy losses, not supply. He said that the combat report (listed above) did not show supply as a factor in the combat. I'm not sure what to think. With his massivie overstacking, it had to have had a factor. In the replay, I watched his units go from a normal combat value to all zeros all at once.

Whatever the case, my reinforced Wake plan has worked, although I feel that I didn't earn the victory (so far), and that it was more of the enemy's error in planning.

[BBfanboy]

Too bad about the opposition at Akyab. B-17Ds have nice range but no defensive armament to speak of. You need targets that are unlikely to be defended by fighters for them.

On Wake, I think you were right not to attack. You use up a tremendous amount of your supply and he has too many troops for you to clear them off in one go.
Your opponent may not understand that supply being unloaded will also prevent loading of troops in amphib mode. This should not happen IRL, but it seems as though the game engine cannot parse trying to calculate reduced capacity of the ship when supply is still on board.

I noted on the combat report that he got the malus for disruption, and I am wondering if that is one of the results of severe overstacking.
As for having enough supply, amphib ships with "supply only" on board seems to be the way to ensure enough gets ashore. He may have started with enough supply for static operations of his troops (hence no supply malus), but combat uses a great deal more and if the overstacking penalty is applied to that, his troops were out of supply before they got very far in their firing phase of combat. That's when the AV drops to 0.

[Bif1961]

Lack of prepping for the target will also heavy disruption and has a negative impact on combat. So he may have thrown a few slightly prepped units into the invasion to up his AV and it actually had the opposite affect.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Bif1961

Lack of prepping for the target will also heavy disruption and has a negative impact on combat. So he may have thrown a few slightly prepped units into the invasion to up his AV and it actually had the opposite affect.

Generally true, except that Japan is still on the no-prep landing bonus until the first of April.

[apbarog]

I always thought that the bonus ended on May 1.

[jwolf]

It lasts for the first 4 months: Dec 41 and Jan-March 42. I don't know if mods can change this.

[apbarog]

I dug out the manual, and it does say that the Japanese amphibious bonus is for 4 months. I had erroneously thought it was for 5 months.

7 Mar 42

Near Port Moresby, sub Gudgeon spots a couple of xAKs with a PB. These ships are headed in the direction of Port Moresby, but could be headed to Horn Island. Gudgeon fires 2 torpedoes at xAK Genzan Maru and gets one good hit. The ship is on fire, and there are troops on it. If it was headed to invade Horn Island, it isn't now. I have 4 CAs and 4 DDs that rushed to Horn Island but didn't find anything there today, and weren't spotted. I order them to bombard Port Moresby, and hopefully hit some shipping in the area if found.

The 2 remaining P-26As at Manila strafe some troops at Batangas, but one gets shot down. I disband the unit and the one remaining plane.

I-23 spotted tankers at Christmas Island yesterday, and moved directly to the island today, but didn't find the ships there. KB New Westminster tried to attack the sub but got no hits.

Toungoo Burma is lost. Enemy is now advancing north from Akyab. Appears that 2 regiments are moving toward Cox Bazar.

A combat TF and some other TF is now southwest of Guadalcanal. Could be headed to Luganville. I decide to form up 3 carriers and escorts at Auckland, with a combat TF. 2 carriers have another week or so to finish upgrading there. Hornet is on the map, well to the east of New Zealand but on the way. The enemy could get to Luganville in 2 days. My carriers need 4 days to strike something there, at normal speed. I'll have a better idea what is going on tomorrow.

The enemy lands at least a few troops at Wake Island. OPilot told me that he intended to try to pick up troops, but some unloaded instead. This triggered another horrific shock attack for him. He told me that he thinks he'll be losing all of his troops there.

Ground combat at Wake Island (136,98)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 6798 troops, 53 guns, 1 vehicles, Assault Value = 112

Defending force 4436 troops, 64 guns, 17 vehicles, Assault Value = 94

Japanese adjusted assault: 2

Allied adjusted defense: 38

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 19 (fort level 3)

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

Japanese ground losses:
4430 casualties reported
Squads: 148 destroyed, 34 disabled
Non Combat: 110 destroyed, 113 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 32 (28 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Allied ground losses:
35 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled

Assaulting units:
Maizuru 2nd SNLF
90th Infantry Regiment
43rd Naval Guard Unit
63rd Naval Guard Unit
62nd Naval Guard Unit
67th Naval Guard Unit

Defending units:
298th(Sep) Infantry Regiment
141st USN Stn Base Force
Wake (Det.) Defense Battalion

I'm not attacking today, but I may do so tomorrow, with the enemy now officially out of supply. I'll see if OPilot tries to land supply tomorrow, but I seriously doubt he will be trying to land anything after the past 2 days there. I'll clean up the rest of the enemy.

[zuluhour]

Another well done here. I would not offer a redo, you are a gentleman. Everyone will err at more than
one point in this game. Understanding the mechanics and dutiful preparation and execution make
the better admiral, in my opinion of course. I liken it to my old days of ASL when one might roll box cars
on consecutive prep fire phases and find you Panthers 75LLs are malfunctioning or if one did not
understand how to capture prisoners. Just the natural flow of things. To take down a defended atoll
demands understanding of the game mechanics, pure AV is not a guarantee of success. This should
be a nice little VP grab for you on the ground side of things. I am curious how this will play out. It
would be a good time to get some subs around and maybe even a pure, fast, well led SAG.
over and out.

[apbarog]

Thanks zuluhour. I'm not sure how much of the success at Wake was my doing. I set up a decent defense, but it's really been about the massive overstacking that doomed the enemy attack.

8 Mar 42

Enemy ships still at Wake Island, and destroyers sweep a bunch of mines by just being there. For some unknown reason, the enemy continues to land at least some troops at Wake. Marine coastal guns set big xAP Kashima Maru and xAP Takatiho Maru on fire. Another enemy shock attack:

Ground combat at Wake Island (136,98)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 3366 troops, 23 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 25

Defending force 4292 troops, 64 guns, 17 vehicles, Assault Value = 85

Japanese adjusted assault: 0

Allied adjusted defense: 45

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 99 (fort level 3)

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

Japanese ground losses:
4031 casualties reported
Squads: 67 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 142 destroyed, 19 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 10 (9 destroyed, 1 disabled)

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

Sub Pike fires 4 torpedoes at CL Kashii near Phuket. One hits, but it's a dud.
Sub Gar fires 4 torpedoes at DD Oboro near Kavieng, but misses.

Action at Port Moresby:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 98,130, Range 3,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
xAK Yamazato Maru, Shell hits 37, and is sunk (had fuel on it)
PB Seikyo Maru, Shell hits 23, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CL Perth
CL Raleigh
CL Marblehead
CL Boise, Shell hits 1
DD Craven
DD Gridley
DD McCall
DD Maury
**************
Night Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 98,130, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
PB Santos Maru, Shell hits 24, and is sunk
xAK Muroran Maru, Shell hits 26, and is sunk
xAK Uga Maru, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CL Perth
CL Raleigh
CL Marblehead
CL Boise
DD Craven
DD Gridley
DD McCall
DD Maury
**************

Night Naval bombardment of Port Moresby at 98,130

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
C5M2 Babs: 2 damaged
A6M2 Zero: 1 damaged
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied Ships
CL Boise
CL Marblehead
CL Raleigh
CL Perth

Japanese ground losses:
449 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 39 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Guns lost 9 (1 destroyed, 8 disabled)

Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 23
**************

Day Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 97,131, Range 15,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
xAK Taibun Maru, Shell hits 36, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CL Perth
CL Raleigh
CL Marblehead
CL Boise
DD Craven
DD Gridley
DD McCall
DD Maury
**************

Koepang Timor is invaded.

[BBfanboy]

The Wake drama is nearly done. He can't have more than about 500 troops left, and virtually no AV. You can attack and wipe them out, or let him withdraw the tattered remnants as a consolation for his mistakes. The latter could mean the difference between a long game and an early capitulation.

Great job at Port Moresby. No troops on those ships but he will miss the supplies they may have carried. I bet your ships got a nice experience boost too!

Re: 1st Burma Division, I would just head for the jungle/jungle rough hexes and use those back roads when you can. In that terrain his bombing will be much less effective and he may not want to bother sending units into the jungle after your division if he has his sights set somewhere far ahead, like Ledo.