Jul 2, 1942
Bases captured today: Dili and Nanning (RES 5(35), LI 3(17))
In the DEI, the CA TF covering the carriers stopped following and attempted to attack the Allied ships at Lautem, which turned out to be the 4 remaining PT boats, which managed to evade combat. BB Kongo detached from ADM Tanaka's TF and formed a bombardment TF at Dili and hit the base (gently), after getting 4 hits on a Dutch sub -
Night Naval bombardment of Dili at 71,115
Japanese Ships
BB Kongo
CA Atago
DD Arare
DD Nowaki
DD Maikaze
DD Kagero
Allied ground losses:
127 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 2
Port hits 1
Port supply hits 1
On the ground at Dili, after reinforcements arrived, it was no contest -
Ground combat at Dili (71,115)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 8172 troops, 142 guns, 49 vehicles, Assault Value = 304
Defending force 1751 troops, 31 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 43
Japanese adjusted assault: 99
Allied adjusted defense: 23
Japanese assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 1)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Dili !!!
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 8 destroyed
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), preparation(-), morale(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
165 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 18 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Allied ground losses:
1415 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 23 disabled
Non Combat: 54 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 25 (21 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Units retreated 2
Units destroyed 1
Assaulting units:
Yokosuka 2nd SNLF
8th Tank Regiment
48th/B Division
2nd Tank Rgt /1
48th/C Division
48th/A Div /1
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
1st Base Force
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
4th JNAF AF Unit /1
Defending units:
Sparrow Force /1
VLG-I Sup Groep
SW Pacific Theater /3
The battle at Nanning was not much of a fight as most of the Chinese units had already retired north -
Ground combat at Nanning (72,55)
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 60533 troops, 584 guns, 375 vehicles, Assault Value = 1433
Defending force 12285 troops, 50 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 190
Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0 (reduced twice, forts were 2 after previous combat)
Japanese adjusted assault: 1846
Allied adjusted defense: 145
Japanese assault odds: 12 to 1 (fort level 0)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Nanning !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), leaders(+), preparation(-)
fatigue(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)
Japanese ground losses:
767 casualties reported
Squads: 12 destroyed, 72 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 22 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 12 disabled
Vehicles lost 18 (2 destroyed, 16 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
4788 casualties reported
Squads: 161 destroyed, 16 disabled
Non Combat: 191 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 14 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 25 (14 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Units retreated 3
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
15th Division
8th Armored Car Co
4th Ind.Mixed Regiment
11th Tank Regiment
21st Ind.Mixed Brigade
13th Tank Regiment
22nd/A Division
66th Infantry Regiment
60th Division
22nd/B Division
104th Division
22nd/C Division
Botanko Hvy Gun Regiment
23rd Army
4th Mortar Battalion
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
Defending units:
52nd Chinese Corps
64th Chinese Corps
35th Group Army
In Burma, Tojos swept a reinforced CAP at Moulmein, losing 5 planes to 7 Allied shot down. Then Oscars escorted Sallies in to bomb the airfield, which was totally ineffective. A ground attack followed, again reducing the forts -
Ground combat at Moulmein (55,55)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 57489 troops, 661 guns, 269 vehicles, Assault Value = 1671
Defending force 40194 troops, 837 guns, 836 vehicles, Assault Value = 1024
Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2
Japanese adjusted assault: 852
Allied adjusted defense: 3003
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 3 (fort level 2)
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), leaders(+), experience(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
3788 casualties reported
Squads: 39 destroyed, 220 disabled
Non Combat: 50 destroyed, 27 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 36 disabled
Guns lost 17 (5 destroyed, 12 disabled)
Vehicles lost 9 (2 destroyed, 7 disabled)
Units destroyed 1
Allied ground losses:
1074 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 100 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 24 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 20 disabled
Guns lost 61 (1 destroyed, 60 disabled)
Vehicles lost 31 (1 destroyed, 30 disabled)
Assaulting units:
41st Guard Battalion destroyed
56th Division
Imperial Guards Division
1st Tank Regiment
15th Ind Engineer Regiment
4th Division
33rd Division
55th Engineer Regiment
III./143rd Infantry Battalion
5th Mortar Battalion
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Mortar Battalion
21st Medium Field Artillery Battalion
25th Army
55th Mountain Gun Regiment
35th Field AA Battalion
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
21th JNAF AF Unit
Defending units:
18th Australian Brigade
7th Armoured Brigade
18th British Division
26th Indian Brigade
16th Australian Brigade
63rd Indian Brigade
2/1st Lt AA Regiment
77th Heavy AA Regiment
IV Indian Corps
6th Medium Regiment
2/2nd Hy AA Regiment
1st Burma Auxiliary AA Regiment
27th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
108th RAF Base Force
101st RAF Base Force
1st Indian Coastal Artillery Regiment
2/11th Fld RAA Regiment
2/9th Fld RAA Regiment
Pathan Construction Battalion
85th British AT Gun Regiment
108th RN Base Force
I had a 2 battleship TF near Tavoy ready to bombard Moulmein prior to this attack, but subs detected a British battleship TF also heading in that direction, so the bombardment was cancelled.
The carriers, retiring toward Soerabaja for replenishment, made 2 raids on Koepang -
Morning Air attack on TF, near Koepang at 68,116
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid detected at 116 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 43 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 32
A6M5 Zero x 24
B5N1 Kate x 5
B5N2 Kate x 27
D3A1 Val x 41
Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 10
P-39D Airacobra x 12
P-400 Airacobra x 15
P-40E Warhawk x 16
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 13 destroyed
A6M5 Zero: 5 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
D3A1 Val: 4 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed
P-400 Airacobra: 2 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
xAK Cape Alava, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Meredith
xAP Chaumont, Bomb hits 1
xAK Montanan
CM Gouden Leeuw, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
AK Alcyon, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
AK Algorab, Bomb hits 3
xAK American, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
PC Tiger
Finally fly with an escort and the escort gets chewed up!
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Koepang at 68,116
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid detected at 116 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 49 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18
A6M5 Zero x 15
B5N1 Kate x 5
B5N2 Kate x 38
Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 3
P-39D Airacobra x 8
P-400 Airacobra x 5
P-40E Warhawk x 11
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 7 destroyed
A6M5 Zero: 4 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 1 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
AK Alcyon, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk
DD Mahan
xAK American, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
AK Algorab, Bomb hits 1
xAK Montanan, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Meredith
PC Tiger
CM Gouden Leeuw, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Chaumont, Bomb hits 1
OUCH! The quality of the carrier fighter pilots needs to be checked; it's probably not good.
Having arrived at Singapore, Hiryu and Soryu auto convert their air complement to 23 fighters, 23 dive bombers, and 15 torpedo bombers. Then these were manually converted to 32 fighters, 19 dive bombers, and 12 torpedo bombers. Since they carry 36 torpedoes, they will be able to launch at least 3 strikes with torpedoes. Hiryu and Soryu also began their 15-day upgrade. Junyo converted to 19, 19, 13 (auto), then was manually converted to 27 fighters, 20 dive bombers, and 6 torpedo bombers (carries only 18 torpedoes). In a previous post I said that Junyo had 32 fighters - that was incorrect; it's Ryujo that has 32 fighters.
; Julia Child
