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Ron, I think my industry upgrades have been very conservative and gradual, and my research program is heavily reduced. Also 1/3 of my AC factories are halted, just because I won't have enough skilled pilots to put into the AC (each major AC type has more than 100 in the pool). And I am goind to great length to be sure I seize oilfiels with the less damage possible, bombing and besieging them for weeks with overwhelming strength. That saves supplies that isn't needed here.
Also the above numbers include supplies that is currently aboard TF (WITP is not doing this in its economy screen, you have to count it yourselves in the TF screen). As you can say above, on the 31st May 1942 at midnight I had around one million of supplies, fuel, ressource and oil at sea.

26 June 1942

This is the replay of the 26 June 1942 turn. I sank and hit less ships than the first time but downed more heavy bombers while my submarine off California was not hit. Worst difference is that the Manila attack didn’t destroy a fort level this time.

Northern Pacific

Allied enginners were busy today and expanded Adak pot to size 2 and port and airfield in Sitka to size 4.

Central Pacific

The SS I-122 laid a minefield at the western entrace of San Francisco port during the night.

Southern Pacific

South of Tonga, the Japanese CV airmen found not one, but two Allied convoys, 4 AKs 840 miles SSE of Tongatapu and a TK convoy (I know from replay 15-20 TK) 180 miles more south and also a lonely AK 180 miles ESE of the TK. In the morning, the Japanese CV launched no raid. In the afternoon, only the western CV TF launched raids. The AK convoy was attacked by 2 waves, for a total of 45 Vals, 28 Kates and 26 Zeroes and the AK Empire Ortolan and Sawolka were sunk while the two other were heavily damaged. The lonely AK Jeff Davis sailing more south was bombed by 22 Vals in 2 waves and heavily damaged. The TK convoy was protected by clouds and was not attacked.
Tomorrow both CV TF will chase westward the Allied convoys.

In Suva Japanese guns hit 28 men while Allied guns hit 92 men, 4 guns and 2 tanks. Nandi airfield will be expanded to size 2 tomorrow.
More reinforcements are coming to Fiji. 8 3500-ton AK left Tarawa with supplies, and AP convoy Kwajalein with 4 Naval Garnison aboard and 4 TK are loading fuel in Kwajalein. All will sail to Fiji.

Solomons-New Guinea

Nothing to report

Timor-Amboina-Australia

A Ki-46 flying a recon to Darwin reported no more Allied warships off the base but a strong CAP (26 Kittyhawks, 19 P-40E, 14 Hurricanes).

In the afternoon, Darwin heavy bombers launched another raid against Kendari, sooner than expected. 68 B-17E and 31 LB-30 (of 7th BG, coming from Pacific) flew the mission and met over the target 39 A6M2, 31 Ki-27, 27 Ki-43 and 10 A6M3. The battle was bloodier than those played the first time we ran this turn. 16 LB-30, 11 B-17E, 8 Oscars, 4 A6M2 and 4 Nates were shot down in the air, and only 6 LB-30 didn’t turn back and hit the airfield, destroying an A6M2 on the ground and scoring 1 hits on the airbase and 2 on runways. A fire shot down 2 LB-30 after the bombing One B-17E and one LB-30 were lost to engine failure during the raid, and the overall result was 31 Allied and 17 Japanese AC losses. The 7th BG was decimated (60% losses) and its morale should now be as bad as the morale of B-17E crews (that often turned back under attacks by Nates or Oscars before Zeroes attacked).

Two raids hit Timor. Koepang was attacked by 14 B-25C and 9 Martin 139 from Derby that scored 7 runwats hits and wounded 3 men. Lautem was bombed by 34 B-25C from Wyndham that scored 2 hits on the base, 1 on supplies and 6 on the runways while losing a B-25C to engine failure.

Southern Ressource Area

In the afternoon, the BB Kongo and her escort (5 DD) missed as planned the Allied convoy followed since several days by Japanese submarines. The convoy was rerouted by my opponent. The Kongo and escort will sail to Batavia and later to Rangoon to join the Burma Naval Squadron. Chasing convoys with BB is not efficient and chasing it along the map edge was a bad idea.

Three 3500-ton AK are loading supplies in Singapore to bring it to Sabang, Sumatra. TK are loading oil in Medan and Bankha now.

Burma.

In the morning 44 SB-2c from Chandpur bombed the Yokosuka 4th SNLF in the jungle NE of Akyab and hit 16 men and 1 gun.
In the afternoon, 24 Beaufort V-IX and 15 Beaufort I from Chandpur bombed Mandalay airfield, hitting 7 men and 1 supply dump and leaving 7 holes on the runway. A Beaufort V-IX was lost in a crash.

Allied engineers expand Diamond Harbor to size 5.

Philippines

A new Japanese attack in Manila was preceded by an aerial preparation from Clark Field. The 21st PA DIv was bombed by 57 Ki-21, 34 Ki-48 and 30 Ki-49 and lost 83 men and 2 guns while shooting down a Ki-21 and a Ki-49 with AA fire. The nearby 41st PA DIv was bombed by 25 Ki-21, 14 Ki-48 and 10 Ki-49 and lost 48 men and 2 guns. Then the Japanese troops (168 000 men) attacked the Allied ones (94 000 men) and engineers didn’t managed to reduce the forts this time. The attack was a failure at 0 to 1 (fort still level 9). Japanese losses were 3907 men, 150 guns, 3 tanks, Allied losses 1186 men, 15 guns and 1 tank. Both troops and bombers continue to bombard Allied troops for some days to prepare the next attack. A Japanese unit, the Sasebo 1st SNLF, was reduced to 4 able infantry squads and 1 mortar and was ordered to go to Clark Field for rest.

China

In the north, the 30th Chinese Corps was bombed 120 miles SW of Yenen by 22 Zeroes and 17 Nates from this base and lost 2 men and 1 gun. Yenen sent another raid, 23 Ki-48s, 15 Ki-49 and 10 Ki-21 attacking the 69th Chinese Corps at Lanchow and hitting 33 men and 1 gun.
Japanese guns hit 14 men in Kungchang and 7 men in Wuchow while the guns of the 30th Chinese Corps failed to hit any Japanese 120 miles SW of Yenen.

27 June 1942

Central Pacific

SIGINT reported Allied shipping at 127, 127. If you watch the map, that is the left leg of the W of 'War in teh Pacific' on the map. My opponent is taking seriously the threat of my raiders and is sending his convoys far in the south to dodge them.

Southern Pacific

Around 1000 miles south of Tonga Islands, both TF of the KB were very active against Allied transports. Both Allied convoys had scattered in one-ship TF. Japanese airmen reported 18 ships and attacked 15 of them during the day (one was attacked twice), sinking 2 AK damaged yesterday (the Potter and Jeff Davis, one of them with 10 SBD aboard) and the TK Antietam, heavily damaging 8 TK and setting on fire 4 other, while losing 1 Zero, 1 Val and 1 Kate operationnaly. Details of the sorties flown is shown on the map below.



The green arrows on the map show the directions that will be taken by Japanese ships next day. A surface TF (CA Ahsigara, CL Kiso and 2 DD) will sail west and try to chase damaged and untounched TK during the night. Both CV TF will sail NW and gather in a location where they may achieve some tankers tomorrow, and then will sail to Pago-Pago for reorganization.

I forgot to check the status of my damaged ships off Nandi and two 3500-ton AK sank during the night and the day. Japanese engineers expanded Nandi airfield to size 2 this day. A convoy bringing 3 more Naval Guard units will arrive in Nandi tomorrow. At Suva artillery fire hit 14 Allied men and 84 Japanese men and 4 guns.

More north the reinforcement CV TF (Ryuho, Ryujo and Hosho) arrived at Tarawa and refuelled. The extra aircraft carried flew to Pago-Pago and remaining air units aboard the carriers received new orders as they will enter the operation zone. They will sail to Pago-Pago and the Kido Butai will be reorganized here, ships will damage of 10 and more will be sent at once to repair yards in Japan and PH. A BB TF was disbanded in Pago-Pago today, the BB Kirishima has SYS damage 17. Some AP and escorts left Pago-Pago for Tongatapu and will pick up the troops of the 2nd Div that landed there to bring them to their mother unit in Fiji.

SIGINT was busy this day and reported 27 ships (6 identified as APs) in Noumea port.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

In the afternoon, Koepang was bombed by 14 B-25C and 11 Martin 139 from Derby that scored 1 hit on supplies and 9 on runways and lost one Martin ditched during the return leg, and Lautem was attacked by 25 B-25C from Wyndham that scored only one runway hit.

The first Japanese barges arrived in Kendari, refuelled and loaded supplies to bring them to Timor. An AP convoy loaded two Const Bn in Menado and will bring them to Kendari.

Southern Ressource Area

An AP convoy is loading in SOerabaja a Special Base Force and the fragments of both Para Rgt that were used on Java and will bring them to Kendari. There the remaining part of the Para Rgt will board the convoy and all will sail to Truk.

Burma

In the morning, 41 B-17E from Dacca attacked for the first time Moulmein and disbaled 17 of the 100 ressource centers of the city while the Sasebo 8th SNLF was bombed northeast of Akyab by 42 SB-2c and 15 Beaufort I from Chandpur and lost 56 men and 2 guns. In the afternoon 60 Blenheim IV, 14 Il-4c and 11 Wellington III escorted by 36 P-40E from Dacca raided Lashio but only scored one hit (on a supply dump) andl ost 1 Il-4c and 1 Blenheim I to engine failure.

In the evening 33 Oscars flew from Hanoi to Tavoy to protect the ressources of this area against heavy bombers. They will be replaced in Hanoi by 36 Nates from China.

The 33rd Div left Myitkyina and will march to Rangoon for some R&R.

Philippines

In Manila the 41st PA Div was bombed by 75 Ki-21, 51 Ki-48 and 36 Ki-49 from Clark Field and lost 71 men and 4 guns. Japanese guns hit 126 more men.

China

47 Nells, 47 bomb-carrying Nates, 45 Betties and 12 Ki-51 escorted by 5 Oscars from Wuhan raided Changsha and scored 24 hits on the city's ressources, but only disabled 9 centers (170 remaining) while 3 Nells and 1 Betty were lost in accidents.

In the north, 22 Zeroes and 17 Nates from Yenen bombed and missed 120 miles of Yenen the 30th Chinese Corps, that bombarded the regiment of the 27th Div facing it but only managed to lose 12 men and 4 guns to return fire. 51 Ki-48, 20 Ki-49 and 17 Ki-49 from Yenen bombed the 69th Chinese Corps in Lanchow and hit 13 men and 1 gun. Japanese guns hit 46 Chinese in Kungchang.
A Chinese units advanced during the day again east of Kungchang to cut again the Kungchang-Yenen road. The 40th and 41st Div that were trying to advance the other day lost all the miles marched and will chase this unit tomorrow and resume their march.
More south 11 of the 12 Chinese units in Homan marched SE of the town, where 2 Japanese divisions and 2 Bdes have advanced. These troops will hold the position while all available AC from Yenen, Kaifeng and Wuhan will bomb Chinese troops.

In the south Japanese guns hit 28 Chinese in Wuchow.

28-29 June 1942

We are nearing the end of the first 6 months of 1942. I will release a detailled strategic analysis in some days.

Central Pacific

This area is already fully defensive. Japanese engineers have built Pearl Harbor fortifications to level 9 and 3 Const Bn will be brought to Lahaina (fort 7 and 40% to 8). Two Naval Guard unit will follow them to man Lahaina. The Hawaii defensive situation is good. PH will have 800 ASS points, all prepared 100% for PH, under fort 9 and is protected by 18500 mines. Lahaina will have 200 ASS, has fort 7 and probably in less than a month 9, and 10 800 mines. Kona and Hilo will be lightly held, Moloaki and Lihu not held at all.

On the 29 three CL left PH for Palau and then DEI. I plan to use them as fast transports in this area. They are of little use in the Pacific, as they are not good for AA escort and lack endurance for shipping raids.

Southern Pacific

The Kido Butai continued to chase Allied tankers south of Tonga islands. During the night of the 27-28, a surface TF made of the CA Ashigara, CL Kiso and DD Arare and Sazanami sank 1000 miles south of Tongatapu two damaged TK, the District of Columbia and the Paul Shoup, and an intact one, the Solana, with gunfire. These ships sailed one by one in their patrol area.
After dawn patrolling Vals found half a dozen tankers in range. Two of them teamed to bomb and sink the crippled TK Mexico H Whittier. Both KB then sent six raids in the morning (117 Vals, 48 Kates, 54 Zeroes) west and south and sank the already hit TKs Byron D Benson, Republic and Pueblo and badly damaged the also already damaged TK Baldhill and Baldbutte. The only TK that escaped without much damage was the formerly intact TK Captain A F Lucas, that was attacked by 33 aircraft and managed to damage several and even shot down a Val with AA fire. She was hit by 4 bombs and 1 torpedo but was only reported on fire by returning Japanese crews. Operationnal losses were heavy this morning (3 Vals, 1 Kate, 1 Zero) and KB launched no raid in the afternoon and sailed north toward Pago-Pago in the evening.
Two small surface TF were chasing damaged ships during the night but only the drifting TK Baldhill was found and sunk by the CA Ashigara with one torpedo.

During the night of the 27-28, a new troop convoy arrived off Nandi with two Naval Guard units and two MSW of the escort detected and swept a new minefield.
With dawn the Allied airfield in Suva was again buzzing with activity as Allied bombers had returned there. They saw tens of Japanese ships off Nandi and launched four raids in the morning. First came 12 B-25C that turned back under attack by the 28 Zeroes flying CAP. 3 B-25C and 1 Zeroe fell in this battle. Then arrived 27 more Mitchells escorted by 3 F4F-4. The CAP shot down all 3 fighters and 2 B-25C and the other turned back. A small raid of 3 B-26B then managed to get past the CAP that shot down one, and bombed and missed the BB Yamashiro. The last raid of the morning saw 14 B-26B attack a convoy. The CAP shot down 5 B-26B for one loss, the surviving 9 bombers missed a DD and 2 APs.
Four other raids were launched from Suva in the afternoon and met a CAP of 24 Zeroes. First 4 B-26B attacked. Two were shot down but the other two shot down a Zero and then hit twice the AP Daijuku Maru, heavily damaging her. Then 15 B-25C were repelled by the CAP and lost 4 of their number. Then came again 4 B-26B that shot down a Zero and then missed a CL without loss. The last raid was launched by 13 B-25C but both sides were exhausted then and it turned back without loss for any side.
The Japanese command thought likely that Allied bombers will return to Noumea in the evening but nevertheless ordered two BB TF to bombard Suva the next day. 3 BB and 6 DD bombarded it during the night of the 28-29, hitting 25 men and scoring 6 hits on airfield and 4 on port. During the day the airfield was again pounded by the BB Yamato, 1 CA, 2 CL and 10 DD. They had full shell stores and were more efficient, destroying 3 B-25Cs, hitting 763 men, 20 guns and 3 vehicles, scoring 6 hits on the airbase, 1 on airfield supplies, 17 on runways, 11 on port, 4 on fuel and 2 on port supplies. The Yamato TF will again bombard tonight.

On the ground Japanese artillery is now scoring as much as the Allied did. Losses for two days were 305 Allied men and 1 gun against 271 Japanese men and 6 guns. The first Japanese unit to march from Nandi to Suva was the 24th Eng Rgt and others are following.
A small convoy arrived on the 29 off Tongatapu and loaded the 1500 men of the 2nd Div that landed there to take the island. It will bring them to Fiji too.

Solomons-New Guinea

Allied engineers expanded Port Moresby airfield to size 6 on the 29.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

In the morning of the 28, a new raid was launched from Darwin against Kendari by 63 B-17E and 20 LB-30 and was intercepted by 37 A6M2, 22 Oscars, 21 Nates and 11 A6M3. Most Allied crews had now bad morale and turned back. The air battle saw 2 A6M2, 2 Nates and 1 Oscar fall but also 2 B-17E and 6 LB-30. Only 6 Liberators reached the target and missed. While returning to base, damaged aircraft crashed: 1 Nates, 6 B-17E and 1 LB-30. Another LB-30 was lost in an accident, bringing the total Allied losses to 16 heavy bombers vs 6 lost Japanese fighters. Most of the losses here are IJAAF aircraft and pilots and pools for both are still high (the IJAAF pool just dropped under 100 after this raid).
Timor was attacked the same afternoon, as usual, 13 B-25C and 10 Martin 139 from Derby raiding Koepang (14 men and 1 gun hit, 2 hits on supplies and 12 on runways) and 41 B-25C from Wyndham hitting Lautem, scoring 3 runway hits and 14 casualties.
More barges arrived in Kendari this day and loaded also supplies for Timor. A convoy arrived also with 10 000 fuel and unloaded in Kendari. This evening 2 CA, 1 CL, 2 DD, 1 AR and 1 AD left Singapore for Kendari to reinforce the naval forces here.

On the 29 10 LB-30 of 7th BG returned to Kendari. They turned back under attack by CAP (30 A6M2, 27 Ki-27, 15 A6M3 and 11 Ki-43) but won the day. Only one LB-30 was shot down (by a Ki-27) while return fire downed 3 Ki-27 and 1 Ki-43.
Timor was attacked again in the afternoon: 13 B-25C and 9 Martin 139 from Derby bombed Koepang (6 wounded, 12 runway hits) and 36 B-25C from Wyndham missed Lautem.

Tomorrow 24 Zeroes from Kendari will fly LRCAP over Lautem to try to intercept the daily raid.

Southern Ressource Area

On the 28 I realized that the AI was concentrating ressources from Burma, Siam and Malaya in Bangkok and six 7000-ton AK were sent from Singapore to this port to load them and bring most of them to Japan.

Burma

On the 28, 29 B-17E from Dacca raided Taung Gyi in the morning and bombed the ressource centers. It seems to me that all 100 were working before the raid. 94 were still usable after it. In the afternoon Mandalay airfield was attacked by 47 Blenheim IV, 14 Il-4c and 9 Wellington III from Dacca escorted by 34 P-40B. The hit 62 men and scored 2 hits on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 15 on the runways.
In the evening 25 Zeroes flew from Rangoon to Taung Gyi (size 2 AF, AS 58) to try to intercept B-17 here. A review of Burma strategis targets made this evening counted 94 ressources centers in Taung Gyi, 14 in Pagan, 100 in Tavoy, 83 in Moulmein, 100 and 50 oil in Rangoon and nothing left in Mandalay.

Philippines

On the 28 Clark Field bombers attacked in Manila the 31st USA RCT (67 Ki-21, 42 Ki-48 and 33 Ki-49, 184 men and 4 guns hit) and the 41st PA Div (21 Ki-21, 11 Ki-48, 6 Ki-49, 51 men and 2 guns lost). One Ki-21 hit by AA fire crash-landed in Japanese lines. 248 Allied men and 1 gun were hit by Japanese guns this day.

On the 29 the four Ki-21 Sentais of Clark Field bombed the Manila airfield with 102 bombers, wounding 12 men and scoring 4 hits on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 8 on runways while AA shot down a Ki-21. Then 14 Ki-48 and 9 Ki-49 bombed the 21st PA Div (6 men and 1 gun hit) and 32 Ki-48 and 26 Ki-49 attacked the 1st PA Div (76 men and 1 gun hit). Japanese artillery hit 252 more men. Between bombs, shells and hunger nearly 1000 Allied men are disabled each day.

China

The main action for these two days was SE of Homan where the Chinese forces (8 Corps and 3 HQ) launched a deliberate attack against the Japanese forces (13th and 35th Div, 3rd and 16th Bde). The latter were awarded full support by all available aircraft. Wuhan was closed by bad weather this day but 2 Chinese Corps were bombed by 18 Ki-51 from Kaifeng and 34 Ki-48, 30 Ki-49 and 19 Ki-21 from Yenen and lost 280 men and 3 guns. Then 81 000 Chinese attacked 74 000 Japanese but were stopped short (0 to 1) and lost 2127 casualties and 118 men against Japanese losses of 421 men and 19 guns. This day a recon to Homan showed that the only unit remaining here was the 20th Chinese Corps.
The next day the confident Japanese commander ordered that the disorganized Chinese troops be attacked here. The attack was supported by 18 Ki-51 from Kaifeng, 44 Ki-48,17 Ki-21 and 15 Ki-49 from Yenen and 31 Nells and 28 Betties from Wuhan, that bombed four of the 8 Chinese Corps here, hitting 246 men and 7 guns. But the attack failed at 0 to 1. Japanese lost 2183 men, 85 guns, 1 tank while Chinese losses were limited to 587 men and 9 guns.
It seems to me both sides are locked in a slatemate here. It seems to me that Chinese forces will be needed more north and so may retreat, so I ordered mine to not move and bombard them, being ready to strke if the retreat is uncoordinated.

Another battle was fought on the 28 east of Kungchang where the 40th and 41st Div and half of a Bde sent back toward Sian the Chinese troops that tried to cut the Kungchang-Yenen road again (93rd Chinese Corps and 2nd Chinese Temp Div). 47 000 Japanese attacked 10 000 Chinese at 14 to 1 and losses were 407 Japanese and 121 Chinese in battle anad around 1000 in the retreat. Japanese troops then received again orders to march SW to cut the Kungchang-Sian road but were again stopped when 3 new Chinese units marched in their hex from south of Kungchang. They will be chased again but I doubt I will manage one day to march S of Kungchang.

Japanese artillery fire still pounded for two days Kungchang (136 men and 1 gun hit) and Wuchow (48 men hit). On the 29 Chinese guns fired for the first time on the Japanese troops in Lanchow (2 Tk Rgt and 1 Eng Rgt) but scored no hits.

Elsewhere in China the Japanese training program continued. The 30th Chinese Corps was bombed on the 28 by 22 Zeroes and 17 Nates from Yenen and on the 29 by 21 Zeroes and lost 26 men. Yenen airfield became size 7 on the 29th.
In the south the first training mission from Canton was launched on the 28 with 32 Ki-51, 24 Vals and 23 Zeroes that attacked the 28th New Chinese Division NW of Wuchow and hit 39 men and 2 guns.
On the 29, 12 Ki-51 and 11 Ki-27 from Wuhan bombed Changsha ressources, claiming 5 hits while AA shot down a Nate.

The map below shows the situation on the evening of the 28.

30 June 1942

This game has been slowed down for a week by bugs, my opponent PC screen being out and my connexion then failing, but we manage to reach the middle of 1942. I consider this a good date to do a complete strategic analysis and will release it in some days.

Southern Pacific

During the night the Yamato and her TF (1 CA, 2 CL, 10 DD) bombarded again Suva. The SS S-47 tried to attack them but was seen, chased by 6 DD and sunk by 3 Type 95 depth charges fired by the DD Naganami. It was the 28th submarine lost by the Allied during the war, and the third sunk by a Japanese warship (not counting a fourth sunk by naval bombardment). The bombardement was done with already depleted shell stores and only hit 109 men, 4 guns and 1 vehicle, scoring 1 hit on the airbase, 9 on runways, 7 on port and 1 on fuel.
A SNLF marched from Nandi to Suva during the day and more troops will arrive tomorrow, including the 2nd Div. Allied artillery won the day, hitting 158 men and 4 guns while Japanese shells hit only 30 men.

Solomons-New Guinea

The 5th Division has finished unloading in Truk and the convoy carrying it was disbanded. So the local Zero Daitai left for Amboina (see below) in the evening.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

In the morning, the 43rd BG sent 14 B-17E from Darwin to attack ships off Kendari. Three get lost, the other met 19 Oscars, 18 Nates, 15 A6M3 and 11 A6M2 over the target area and turned back after exchanging fire with the Oscars. Neither side suffered loss.

In the afternoon, Koepang was again bombed by 10 B-25C and 10 Martin 139 from Derby that scored 14 runway hits and wounded 8 men. The daily raid against Lautem from Wyndham was flown by 39 B-25C but today 8 Zeroes from LRCAP over the target when they arrived. It didn’t bother the bomber crews, that shot down 2 Zeroes with return fire and damage another that ditched later, while a fourth was lost in an accident. Only one of the 4 Japanese pilots was unhurt. Four B-25C were hit by the Zeroes and one crashed on return to base. The bombers hit 11 men and left one hole on the runway.

The Kai Island invasion will be launched in some days. Both convoys carrying the Imperial Guard Division and the 5th Eng Rgt arrived off Kendari, where the surface ships also are. But the Eng Rgt are in two 4500-ton AP and will unload and reboard smaller AP to land faster. 27 Zeroes from Truk arrived in Amboina to reinforce the CAP available over the convoy when it will sail.

Burma

My opponent paid 1300 PPs as a penalty for not withdrawing British ships. No ship will be required by the Admiralty next month.

The Mavis Chutai based in Sabang moved to Andaman and received new orders: recon with no target and naval search 80%. Such orders allow it to fly over most of India and identify ground units here and there.

Philippines

101 Ki-21 from Clark Field bombed Manila airfield and scored 4 hits on the airbase, 4 on supplies and 24 on runways, disabling 59 men. 39 Ki-48 and 34 Ki-49 bombed the 41st PA Div and hit 51 men and 2 guns. Japanese shells hit then 255 men and 1 gun.

China

The Chinese troops SE of Homan were bombed by 50 Ki-48, 19 Ki-21 and 20 Ki-49 from Yenen and 17 Ki-51 from Kaifeng and lost 105 men and 1 gun, while 1 Ki-48 and 1 Ki-49 were lost in crashes. Both sides reverted to artillery fire here and Japanese guns won, hitting 416 Chinese while 39 Japanese and 2 guns were lost.

East of Kungchang, the Japanese forces (40th and 41st Div, half of the 5th and 6th Bde) rejected once again the Chinese forces trying to cut the Yenen-Kungchang road (98th Corps, 1st Cavalry Corps and 14th Group Army this time) by a successful deliberate attack at 25 to 1. Japanese losses were 349 men, Chinese troops lost 170 men in battle and 1200 during the retreat. Then Japanese troops received orders to try to march SW again and cut the Sian-Kungchang road but Chinese troops will probably again march the other way faster and block them again.

The usual artillery fire in Kungchang and Wuchow hit respectively 35 and 35 men. The daily Zero training mission against the 30th Chinese Corps SW of Yenen did no damage. In Lanchow, Chinese artillery fire hit nobody and this time I watched the replay and saw that the 69th Corps and 6th Chinese Air Base Force are holding the city.

For the first time since weeks, Allied aircraft were reported in China, an AC symbol appearing in Kweilin, NE of Canton. The Japanese air units based here for training were grounded, as these AC are most probably fighters waiting to ambush them.

Japan

In most area of the Empire the local commanders are asking for more construction troops. A survey of Japan showed 9 Const Bns and 2 Eng Rgt alloted to the Home Defence Command and I decided to send half of them aboard. Two Const Bn and an Eng Rgt were transferred to Southern Area, and two Const Bn to Southeast Fleet.

Monthly report June 1942

Japanese score: 27 899 (+ 2 465)
Bases 7 721 (+ 288)
Aircraft 4 211 (+ 676)
Army 10 708 (+ 691)
Ship 5 037 (+ 752) 297 ships sunk (+ 32: 2 BB, 2 CA, 2 CL, 9 SS, 9 TK...)
Scuttled ships 48 (+ 48)
Strategic 174 (+ 0)

Allied score: 6 199 (+ 203)
Bases 3 140 (- 306)
Aircraft 1 912 (+ 255)
Army 368 (+ 52)
Ship 779 (+ 202) 71 ships sunk (+ 19: 1 CVE, 1 SS, 1 ML, 7 AP, 8 AK, 1 PC)
Strategic 0

Economic situation (stocks rounded to the thousand):
Supplies : 3 430 000 (bases) + around 335 000 (TFs) = around 3 765 000 (+ 41 000)
Fuel : 4 250 000 (bases) + around 62 000 (TFs) = around 4 312 000 (- 53 000)
Ressource centers : 17 978 (+ 913)
Ressources : 1 190 000 (bases) + 168 000 (TFs) = 1 358 000 (+ 59 000)
Oil centers : 2 548 (+ 62)
Oil: 1 102 000 (bases) + 393 000 (TFs) = 1 495 000 (+ 28 000)
Manpower centers : 810 (+ 2)
Manpower pool : 371 000 (+ 45 000)
Heavy industry: 13 566 (+ 99)
Heavy industry pool: 157 000 (+ 27 000)
Naval shipyard: 1278 (+ 0)
Merchant shipyard: 1000 (+ 0)
Repair shipyard: 898 (+ 35)
Armament industry: 608 (+ 8)
Armament stock: 62 000 (+ 0)
Vehicles industry: 113 (+ 0)
Vehicles stock: 10 800 (+ 3 400)
Aircraft engine factories: 1538 (+ 30)
Aircraft frames factories: 842 (+ 0)
Aircraft research: 210 (+ 45)

Aircraft production:
160 A6M2 Zero (capacity 247, partly suspended), 76 A6M3 Zero (72), 47 G4M1 Betty (46), 42 D3A Val (41), 41 Ki-48 (40), 31 Ki-46 Dinah (31), 22 Ki-49 Helen (23), 19 B5N Kate (28), 10 MC-21 Sally (5), 5 H6K2-L Mavis (4), 4 H8K Emily (32, suspended), 4 C5M Babs (4), 3 Ki-51 Sonia (45, still partly stopped), 2 L2D2 Tabby (10, suspended), 0 Ki-43-Ib Oscar (62, suspended), 0 E13A1 Jake (28, suspended), 0 Ki-21 Sally (20, suspended), 0 A6M-2 Rufe (14, suspended), 0 Ki-57 Topsy (10, suspended), 0 E7K2 Alf (5, suspended), 0 L3Y Tina (5, suspended), 0 E14Y1 Glen (4, suspended)

Total: 466 aircraft (236 fighters, 110 level bombers, 45 divebombers, 35 recon, 19 torpedo bombers, 17 transport, 4 patrol)

Strategic analysis

IMOO the most interesting part of WITP is the year between July 1942 and July 1943. It is a period where the power balance is shifting from Japan to Allied and is more or less equilibrate. Both sides may launch offensives, and both sides have a serious chance of defeating enemy offensives too. Before that and after that the weaker side (Allied and then Japan) will most of the time only be able to delay an enemy attack.

The White Plan was including a pause in July (except in China, where IJA is supposed to wage a war almost independent of what is happening elsewhere. China will not be considered in this analysis). At this stage the frontline was supposed the line Paramushiro Jima – Hawaii – Pago Pago – Fiji – Rabaul – Timor – DEI – Akyab – Myitkyina. Japanese forces are late on 3 points: Manila, Suva and Rabaul.

Manila is the strongest position but its defenders are dying of hunger and I hope it will fall next month. Suva is in the same situation than Manila, except that more Japanese troops are attacking a weakest position and I except it to fall around mid-July. Rabaul didn’t receive much reinforcements if any AFAIK and the 5th Division in Truk is only waiting for more air support to take it.

So basically the plan is one month late. Not a bad thing as I think that a pause of two months will be necessary to refit and rest the Japanese army, air force and navy. The three operations above will not need the KB support to be finished.

The key words of the next month will be “aggressive defence”. Except in the Solomons area and in China, I don’t plan any serious advance but that doesn’t mean I will remain quiet. The idea is to try to exploit any weak point found in all “defensive areas”. More of this below for each theater.

Burma:
Here the defensive stance is already in place. The country will be held by 2 Div, 4 Bde, several Tk Rgt, ART and SNLF units. The 55th Div will keep Akyab, most of the other forces will be in Mandalay and Rangoon ready to react to Allied moves. Small units will remain in the jungle between India and Burma to see the Allied coming with a two months warning if they advance overland. The British fleet has moved to Pacific and the British Army had been defeated repeatedly, in part destroyed and in part repelled to Yunan, where it should starve with the Chinese army. That leaves the Allied air force as the main threat here.
Rangoon is the main Japanese airfield and is able to defend itself, and to launch some raids or ambushes. A change will be initiated next month. From Rangoon long-range bombers will bomb targets in rear India, targeting resources and HI. The goal is to reduce somewhat the production of India and to scatter Allied fighters from their current concentration on the Indian border.
All Burmese bases will be built (airfield and forts), as will be Andaman Islands and Sabang. Most bases between Rangoon and Singapore on the coast have some garrison and are building forts too.

Southern Ressource Area:
Here the emphasis is on building ports for a better trade, repairing oilfields (almost finished now) and defending convoys. A Div (Imperial Guard) will remain in Java (except raids in the south, like the Kai operation currently launched), other places will be defended by IJNAF formations or Base Forces. The probability of an Allied landing is rather small, the main threat here is submarines.

Timor-Australia:
This is another place where “aggressive defence” is already in place. In some days, the Imperial Guard will invade Kai Island, and maybe later the nearby Aru Island, but the only goal of the operation is to kill Allied troops and weep them out of the place temporary as the islands won’t be garrisoned later.
This is the status of Timor now, rather a no man’s land bombed daily by Allied aircraft. I would like to build the island a little more, and at least be able to base fighters and bombers there sometimes to be able to ambush raiders or bomb Australia. To do this I need supplies and that is why I will gather a CL squadron that will be used only for FT missions from Kendari. This latter base is the main Japanese stronghold in the area and has proven lately to be able to repulse Allied heavy bombers.

Solomons:
At least this area should be active in the summer (and be the only active place). The 5th Division will take Rabaul, and SNLF troops will occupy the Solomons. New Guinea from Lae to Gili Gili won’t be occupied, as it will only provide targets for Port Moresby bombers. A part of the Japanese CVs (Hiyo, Junyo and all CVL) will provide support but will take no risks. And only because I am quite sure Allied CVs are on West Coast.

Southern Pacific:
This is the place of my main thrust and this is where the pause will be the most seen. The Kido Butai will be scattered in the next days and the troops besieging Suva will assault it and take it this month with support of some BB and LBA. Then troops will prepare for the next step (see below) and fortify atolls, while ships will repair and upgrade. Part of the big CVs will go to Japan, part to PH.

Central Pacific:
No offensive operation is planned there. There are no more islands to be taken and a raid against the West Coast will be far too dangerous. On the other hand Pearl Harbour is one of the places my opponent is wanting to take back ASAP and should be held strongly. So minelayers and engineers are busy here. A division is holding PH and will be reinforced by a second. This should be enough to hold long enough so that reinforcements may arrive. Lahaina will be held by a stong IJNAF contingent (300 ASS), Kona and Hilo by one unit only, the other bases left unguarded.
As for offensives operations here, convoys sailing south from California will be raided occasionally by solitary CAs from PH or submarines, but the main task of the latter is to keep an eye on Allied shipping moves rather than attack them.

Northern Pacific
I have 3 reinforced SNLF training for Attu, Kiska and Amchitka but will probably not use them there. Allied forces have built here a string of size 4 AF (Adak- Dutch Harbor – Kodiak Island – Anchorage) covering each other and going there with limited forces would be a bad idea IMOO. So these forces will be sent to Paramushiro Jima and defend the island.

Philipinnes:
Manila is under siege and slowly starving. I hope it will fall in July but I won’t bet for it. If Suva falls before Manila shows any sign of weakness, I will bring one or two divisions from Fiji to Luzon and attack again in late July-August. Once Manila will have fallen, two Philipinno divisions will remain on Cebu and Iloilo and will be disposed off by a Bde.

China:
The plan written in April 1942 was “In the south troops will continue to prepare the offensive against Wuchow that is planned for the summer. In the north they will advance against Kungchang. The plan here is very simple. Take it, then take Lanchow, then Sining. No manoeuver, just the brute force of a great Japanese army gathered in a sector depleted of defenders by the destruction of the Yenen Chinese garrison.” Well, Kungchang had received many reinforcements and can’t be taken that way. The battle had evolved in a manoeuvre battle with Chinese and Japanese trying to cut each other supply line, while relatively weak forces of both sides will fight for Lanchow in a short future. In the south the attack on Wuchow will wait that Manila fall to have air support.

Japan:
The Japanese Empire has all resources and oil that were planned to be conquered and has a small margin in both, so limited increases in industrial capacity will be done. This will be used by the armament industry that will also increase in size. Taking Lanchow will provide enough oil for another increase of production, but then resources will be the limiting factor, so I may repair resources in the big DEI centers, something I haven’t done yet.

Troop situation
Right now the various commands have the following forces (not counting SNLF and so on):
Burma: 2 Div, 3 Bdes, 4 Tk Rgt, 1 Eng Rgt, 4 Zero Daitais, 4 Oscar/Nates and 1 Ki-21 Sentais
DEI : 1 Div, 1 Bde, 2 Tk Rgt, 1 Eng Rgt, 4 Zero and 2 Nell Daitais, 5 Oscar/Nates and 2 Ki-21 Sentais
Solomons: 1 Div, 1 Eng Rgt
Southern Pacific: 4 Div, 1 Bde, 4 Eng Rgt, 3 Zero and 2 Nell/Betties Daitais
Central: 1 Div, 1 Eng Rgt, 1 Zero and 3 Nell/Betties Daitais
Philippines: 5 Div, 2 Bdes, 2 Tk Rgt, 4 Eng Rgt, 1 Nate and 7 Ki-21/48/49 Sentais
China: main force detached from Southern Command here are 1 Zero and 4 Betties/Nells Daitais

Arriving in the next two months (at least): 1 Armored Div, 1 Eng Rgt (bought from Japan), 3 Ki-44/Ki-61 Sentais, 2 Zero Daitais

Planned situation at the beginning of September
Burma: 2 Div, 3 Bdes, 4 Tk Rgt, 2 Eng Rgt, 3 Zero and 4 Betties/Nells Daitais, 4 Oscar/Nates and 3 Ki-21 Sentais
DEI : 2 Div (1 Java, 1 Amboina/Kendari), 1 Bde, 1 Eng Rgt, 2 Zero and 2 Betties/Nell Daitais, 2 Ki-44/Ki-61, 5 Oscar/Nates and 2 Ki-21 Sentais
Solomons: 1 Div (Rabaul), 1 Eng Rgt, 3 Zero and 1 Ki-44 units
Southern Pacific: 1 Bde (Suva), 1 Eng Rgt, 1 Zero and 2 Nell/Betties Daitais
Central: 2 Div (Pearl Harbor), 1 Eng Rgt, 2 Zero and 3 Nell/Betties Daitais
Philippines: 1 Bde, 1 Eng Rgt
China: main force detached from Southern Command will be 3 Ki-21/48 Sentais
Available: 7 Div, 1 Armored Div, 1 Bde, 4 Tk Rgt, 5 Eng Rgt, 3 Zero and 1 Betty Daitais, 1 Ki-61 and 2 Ki-49 Sentai

The available force is enough to take New Zealand. Most of the Japanese fleet will support the attack. I doubt having enough shipping to bring all troops in one wave. The gathering bases will be Suva and Truk. The launching date will be the 15 of September (convoys near Suva and sailing south) for an invasion around the 1st of October. The ground campaign is expected to last one or two months (all defensive units will be at 100% preparation, while part of attacking units won’t be). The (still crude) plan is to take all bases outside Auckland first and then besiege this city will all available forces.

During the summer, I will try to gather more data on Allied positions everywhere to confuse my opponent. I am especially curious if Noumea is well held or not. In the latter case, I may attack it in late August, before the New Zealand operation (that will then be delayed by 2-3 weeks). But I hope Noumea will draw Allied forces.

The difficulty in the last quarter of 1942 will be that my opponent will have enough troops to attempt something in Hawaii, and enough CV/CVE to take the risk fighting Japanese LBA. So sending the KB south will allow it to strike in this area. So CVs won’t remain in the south but only sail there to help taking airfields and then return to Suva or Pago-Pago to “wait and see”.

In October/November I will have again enough PP to build in Japan another division (after the armoured division that will be bought in August) and will send it to Midway. It will be used to launch counter-attacks in Hawaii if my opponent took a minor island.

1-2 July 1942

Central Pacific

A convoy of 5+ AP was seen 800 miles south of California, sailing north.

A convoy left Pearl Harbor for Palmyra. The base here is complete (port 3, AF 4, fort 9) and the Eng Rgt and the Const Bn that did them will be moved to another atoll.

Southern Pacific

In the evening of the 1st, the Dutch SS O20 was chased by 9 DD off Nandi but escaped. The evening of the next day, another Dutch submarine, the O21, was seen south of Fiji by the escort of the convoy bringing the last part of the 2nd Div to Nandi and chased by 1 PC, 4 PG and 1 DD. The latter hit the O21 with one Type 91 depth charge.

On the 2nd B-26B flew again naval search from Suva but launched no raid.

In Suva, more Japanese forces arrived these two days (2nd Div, South Seas Detachment and 2 SNLF) while artillery fire hit 103 Allied men, 2 guns and 1 vehicle against 234 men and 7 guns on the Japanese side). The first assault on Suva was planned on the 3 but thunderstorms are expected tomorrow and mines were reported off Suva so 9 MSW will sail to this base and sweep them while Japanese troops will rest and prepare one more day. The attack will be launched on the 4th.

The damaged TK Papoose, bombed on the 27 June by KB, sank 1000 miles S of Suva. All Japanese CV are now in Pago-Pago and refueld there. They will reorganize and then the fleet CV will go to Japan and PH for repair and upgrade.

Allied engineers expanded the airfield of Efate to size 3.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

On the afternoon of the 1st, 27 B-25C from Wyndham bombed Lautem and scored 2 runway hits.
On the morning of the 2nd, 110 B-17E and 27 LB-30 of Darwin attacked Amboina and were intercepted by 18 Zeroes of the F2/1st Daitai based here in preparation for the Kai operation. 3 Zeroes were shot down but they destroyed 6 B-17E and 1 LB-30. Four other LB-30 and 2 B-17E were destroyed in accidents but at least the raid target (the 8 ressource centers of Amboina) was hit, all centers being disabled. The Zeroes left then the base and flew to Kendari.
This afternoon, 11 B-25C from Derby bombed Koepang (39 cas and 1 gun hit, 6 runway hits) while 40 B-25C from Wyndham missed Lautem. One B-25C was lost to engine failture during these raids.

An Allied convoy (9 APs) was seen on the 1st NE of Australia and sailing east. Its destination might be either Timor or Broome/Derby and two submarines were ordered to follow it. A Glen found it again on the 2nd and the convoy was apparently sailing toward Broome/Derby. Glen will continue to follow it and 3 CAs left Kendari on the evening of the 2nd to try to intercept this convoy.

During the night of the 1st-2nd, the old CL Kashii unloaded 500 men of a SNLF on Talabiu, a small island NW of Amboina (and an annoying green spot on my strategic map). It will be occupied tomorrow.

Burma

The Mavis now based in Andaman Island began to fly recon from here, identifying the 18th UK Division in Asansol and the 221 RAF Base Force in Bangalore, both bases having no defensive CAP.

Two Const Bn received orders on the 1st to march from Mandalay to Rangoon. Expanding the airfield here is now the number one priority in this area.

Philippines

On the 1st, Manila airfield was bombed by 101 Ki-21 from Clark Field (19 casualties, 2 airbase and 22 runway hits) while the 41st PA Div was bombed and missed by 53 Ki-48 and 25 Ki-49. Then the presence of American fighters in Kweilin was learned and it was feared they may move to Manila. 36 Nates and 26 Zeroes arrived in the evenng from China and escorted the next day a general raid against Manila airfield with 99 Ki-21, 59 Ki-48 and 46 Ki-49. 88 men were killed and wounded, 6 hits scored on the airbase, 8 on supplies and 65 on runways. Artillery fire also hit 387 men in two days.

Tomorrow another attack will be launched against Manila, with support of bombers and Nates from Clark Field.

China

Chine troops SE of Homan retreated back to the city. They were bombed on the 1st by 18 Ki-51 from Kaifeng and Japanese guns and lost 154 men and 1 gun. The Japanese Command then realized they were retreating and ordered a general attack on the 2 but all Chinese had retreated then.

On the 1st Changsha was bombed by 12 Ki-51 and 9 Ki-27 escorted by 5 Oscars from Wuhan. This raid and the former two days ago disabled 20 ressource centers and left only 150 running. The same day, an Alf reported a CAP of 18 P-40B over Kweilin (obviously AVG) and training operations in the south were cancelled while two fighters units were sent to Luzon in case the Allied fighters went to Manila to intercept the unescorted bombers hitting daily the city. The next day they were again no Allied aircraft in the whole country, the AVG flew back to India.

The usal artillery fire hits in 2 days 64 Chinese in Kungchang and 49 in Wuchow.

Wuhan bombers were ordered to bomb again Chungking ressources (116 remaining). They will bomb Chinese targets for one or two weeks and then moved to Siam/Burma to fly against India.

Japan

As more and more troops are allowed to receive reinforcements, I increased on the 1st the armament production capacity by doubling the Seoul factory (75 to 150).

A convoy loaded 93 000 tons of fuel in Japan for Pago-Pago.

3-5 July 1942

Southern Pacific

There was some action around Fiji. First Allied submarines were busy mining both Nandi and Suva and Japanese MSW (8 of them) were also busy off these two bases. After three days, mines are still off both bases, even if Nandi was cleared on the 4th. The Dutch submarine O21 was chased south of Fiji by 3 MSW on the 3 but escaped unhurt. In the evening of the same days the SS USS S-38 was seen by the escort of a convoy leaving Nandi (1 PC, 4 PG, 1 DD) and sunk by 3 Type 91 DC dropped by the DD Asanagi south of Fiji. An AK hit a Mk 10 mine off Nandi on the 4 but damage was light.

Allied aircraft continued to fly naval search from Suva and on the 3 a B-25C bombed and hit an AP off Nandi. Some hours later the AP Daijukyo Maru, badly hit by B-26 last week, was scuttled off Nandi. Two BB TF (4 BB, 1 CA, 2 CL, 16 DD) bombarded Suva during the nights of 3-4 and 4-5 with little results (total: 121 men and 3 guns disabled. 1 airbase, 12 runways, 2 port and 2 port supply hits) due to lack of heavy shells. One of the two BB TF sailed to Pago-Pago on the 5 for respleneshing.

On the ground, activity was limited to artillery fire on the 3 and 4 (Japan lost 512 men and 18 guns, Allied 288 men and 3 guns) but on the 5 the first attack was launched on Allied lines. The planned aerial support from Pago-Pago didn’t fly. The Japanese troops (4 Div, South Seas Detachment, 3 Eng Rgt, 4 SNLF) attacked the Allied defenders (2nd USMC Div, 8th NZ Bde, 2 Tk Bns, 2nd USMC Para Bn, 2 Base Forces) and managed to reduce the fortification to level 5 but were repulsed at 0 to 1. Japanese losses were 3283 men, 105 guns and 2 tanks, Allied ones 1397 men, 21 guns and 5 tanks. Allied artillery fire only hit 8 men and 1 gun this day. Japanese troops will rest some days before launching another attack.

On the 3, the Kido Butai was reorganized at Pago-Pago. The CV Kaga and Hiryu, the BB Kirishima, 3 CA and 6 DD left for PH, having aboard the air units lacking aircraft but having a full roster of pilots, or nearly. The CV Soryu and Shokaku and 5 DD sailed for Japan with the air units having less than 2/3 of the normal number of pilots (mostly Kates). All these ships will repair SYS damage and upgrade in the next two months.
The Kido Butai remaining on the frontline will be used carefully as it is slow and weak. It is composed of the CV Hiyo and Junyo, 4 CVL and the CVE Hosho, and has 122 Zeroes, 64 Vals and 62 Kates. For the moment it will remain off Pago-Pago.

The AK Sea Trush that was badly hit by the KB on 26 June had been confirmed to have been scuttled. It is the 300th Allied ships to be confirmed sunk.

In the evening of the 5 24 Vals flew from Pago-Pago to Nandi. They will ASW patrols and support the battle in Suva.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

As expected after the interception of the day before, 80 B-17E and 21 LB-30 from Darwin bombed Amboina airfield on the afternoon of the 3. The airfield had been mostly evacuated but an A6M2 and a Ki-46 were destroyed on the groun, 236 men and 4 guns disabled and 10 hits scored on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 71 on the runways. One LB-30 was shot down by AA fire. The usual raids hit Timor, 10 B-25C from Derby scoring 6 runway hits at Koepang and 26 B-25C from Wyndham wounding 12 men and scoring 1 runway hit at Lautem.

The next night 10 Nells from Hollandia bombed Darwin airfield but only scored one hit on a runway. In the morning 11 B-17E and 10 LB-30 from Darwin tried to attack ships off Kendari but were repulsed by the CAP (35 A6M2, 32 Nates, 24 Oscars, 11 A6M3) and turned back. A LB-30 shot down an Oscar, Zeroes shot down 3 B-17E. In the afternoon, 75 B-17E and 15 LB-30 bombed again Amboina, destroying an unserviceable Mavis, hitting 174 men and 1 gun and scoring 14 hits on the airbase, 6 on supplies and 66 on runways. A LB-30 was lost in a crash, as was one of the 26 B-25C from Wyndham that raided Lautem and scored 1 hit on supplies and 2 on runways.

These two days, the CAs sent from Kendari sailed west. The Mikuma had not enough range and turned back on the evening of the 3. The Allied convoy was seen this day but was lost the next. The situation on the evening of the 4 is shown on the map below, displaying the interception course chosen by the two CAs.
The same evening, the invasion convoy for Kai Island left Kendari with the Imperial Guard Division and the 5th Eng Rgt aboard, under escort by a BB TF.

Japanese recons during these three days have counted 13 units in Darwin (43 000, including the 1st Australian Division), 26 ships in port (1 APD, 8 AK) and 6 “CA” and 1 SS off the port. The CAP was of 12-15 Hurricanes, 25-30 Kittyhawks and 15-20 P-40E. I thought before these ships were ready to react against attacks on Allied bases in the area, but I now think that their only role is to protect Darwin airfield against a bombardment run.

Thunderstorms roared on the 5 but the convoy was seen by Allied aircraft. Both Timor airfields were bombed, Koepang by 14 B-25C (2 runway hits) and Lautem by 28 (2 runway hits). One B-25C was lost to engine failure. The Japanese cruisers found nothing at sea west of Broome on the night of the 4-5 and will bombard Broom next night. Tomorrow bad weather should continue and no LRCAP will be provided to the convoy sailing to Kai Island, where the landing will take place on the 7th.

On the 3, a SNLF occupied the small island of Tabialu NW of Amboina.

Southern Ressource Area

Convoys were busy here, new ones loading ressources in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur for Japan.

Burma

Mavis from Andaman continued to fly recon over India, and one was shot down by AA fire on the 3.

Burma was perfectly quiet, but on the 4 the number of Allied units 120 miles N of Akyab increased from 2 to 4. Recons were sent there the next day and identified the HQ III Indian Corps.

On the 5 the BB Kongo and her escort arrived in Singapore from Java and were disbanded. The BB will repair damage (SYS 9) and a DD will be upgraded before they sail north to join the Burma Naval Squadron. 3 DD sailed the same day from Rangoon to Singapore to be upgraded too.

Philippines

Another deliberate attack was launched on the 3 at Manila. 81 Ki-21, 50 Ki-48, 42 Ki-49 and 35 Ki-27, escorted by 26 Zeroes, bombed the 41st PA Div that lost 106 men and 1 gun. 161 000 Japanese then attacked 88 000 Allied, still behind level 9 fortifications, and were again repulsed without achieving anything. Japanese losses were 6546 men, 177 guns and 7 tanks against Allied losses of 736 men and 27 guns. At this stage all Eng Rgt and Navy units involved on the battle were wrecked and the offensive was called off for a while. All wrecked units received orders to march to Clark Field to recover. A convoy bringing 55000 supplies from Japan to Soerabaja was rerouted to Lingayen to provide enough supplies for this. And troops were loaded in Java (35th Bde, 2 Tk Rgt, Southern Army HQ) and will sail to Luzon to reinforce the besieging forces rather than rest before the NZ operation.

During the next two days Manila was bombed by aircraft and guns, targetting both the airfield and troops. They hit a total of 295 men and 3 guns, and scored 11 hits on the airbase, 7 on supplies and 65 on runways.

On the 4 and 5 a detachement of a SNLF occupied the tiny island of Catanduans, east of Legaspi.

China

There was some activity in the air. On the 3 18 Ki-51 from Kaifeng bombed and missed a Chinese HQ in Homan. On the 4 10 Ki-27 and 2 Ki-51 from Wuhan bombed ressources in Changsha and disabled 5 centers (145 remaining) while 46 Nells and 45 Betties from the same base raided Chungking and disabled here 39 ressource centers (77 remaining) but lost 2 Betties in accidents. In the south a training mission was flown by 32 Ki-51 and 24 Vals from Canton against the 28th Chinese New Division NW of Wuchow that lost 53 men and 2 guns. On the 5 bombers from Yenen (57 Ki-48, 26 Ki-49 and 25 Ki-21) bombed the Chinese troops south of Kungchang to slow them and allow Japanese troops to march there before Chine will march north. The 93rd and 98th Chinese Corps lost 186 men and 4 guns, but two Ki-48s were lost in crashes.

Daily Japanese artillery fire continued and hit in 3 days 199 men in Kungchang and 122 men and 3 guns in Wuchow. One regiment of 27th Div and a second Eng Rgt arrived on the 3 in Lanchow and began to unsuccessfuly bombard the city. They will wait for a second regiment of this division to arrive (in about 10 days) to attack.

Japan

On the 5 a convoy was created in Tokyo with twelve 7000-ton AK to bring fuel to Menado and Kendari, as there are real fuel shortages in this area.

6-9 July 1942

Sorry for the lack of updates, I have a rather busy life for the moment.

Southern Pacific

The activity was mostly centered on mines and submarines. 8 MSW were active around Fiji and sweep mines off Nandi on the 6, 7, 8 and 9 and off Suva on the 8th. One of these MSW was bombed and seriously damaged by a patrolling B-25C from Suva in the afternoon of the 7th.
The SS O23 patrolling just south of Fiji was chased on the 6 by 3 MSW, on the 7 by an ASW group of 6 DD sent to find her and on the 9 by 2 MSW.
Other submarine(s) laid a minefield off Pago-Pago and the DD Tanikaze was heavily damaged (51/74/5) by a Mk 10 mine off the island. 4 MSW swept this minefield, finishing on the afternoon of the 9.
No new attack was launched in Suva and only shells were exchanged. Allied losses were 338 men and 5 guns, Japaneses ones 451 men, 32 guns and 1 tank but both sides saw the number of their able men increase as squads recovered faster than they were disabled.

The Japanese CVs remaining in the area left Pago-Pago in the evening of the 7 with 3 BB to support Suva operations.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

The battle of Kai Island began on the morning of the 6 when the troop convoy was attacked 180 miles NW of its target by 24 B-17E from Darwin. They hit four AP (65 casualties) and destroyed an AA position aboard the flagship, the CA Takao. One AP was seriously damaged and was detached from the convoy. She sailed to Amboina (port 2) and unloaded her troops here, and will then sail to Menado (port 4) to be patched. The other ships all remained with the convoy. 17 more B-17E attacked the BB TF escorting the convoy and left the BB Hyuga on fire, a 5in turret wrecked by a bomb. A B-17 hit by AA ditched on the return leg.
In the afternoon, Darwin sent another raid of 29 B-17E, 11 Hudson I and 6 LB-30. 11 B-17E and 8 Hudsons didn’t find the target, the other attacked again the convoy but only hit once an AP, that remained with the convoy, and lost a LB-30 and a Hudson I in accidents.
In the evening, 44 A6M2 and 17 A6M3 flew from Kendari to Amboina. The latter were ordered to defend this base while all A6M2 will fly LRCAP over the convoy the next day. Amboina airfield was still not fully repaired since the last Allied heavy raid and 2 A6M2 crashed during the transit flight.

Next night 14 Nells from Hollandia raided Darwin airfield but failed to score any hits and one was hit by AA and crashed later while another was lost in an accident. Night raids were then stopped.
Slowed by the damaged ships, the convoy didn’t reach Kai Island the next day but arrived 60 miles NE of it. In the morning the SS S-42 tried to attack it and was chased by 7 DD but escaped.
And then a huge raid arrived from Darwin. 45 B-17E, 38 B-25C, 18 LB-30 and 6 Hudson I targeted the troop convoy. 26 Zeroes from Amboina were covering it and attacked the Allied armada, concentrating agains the heavy bombers. At the cost of 3 Zeroes shot down by B-17, they destroyed or damaged beyond repair 6 B-17E, 3 LB-30, 2 Hudson I and 1 B-25C and turned back 22 other B-17E. But 77 bombers reached the convoy. They hit 5 AP, 1 PG and 1 CA. Another gun of the Takao was destroyed, and the heavily damaged PG left the convoy to return alone to Kendari. 3 of the APs were heavily damaged and one of them, the 1500-ton AP Hokusho Maru, was scuttled in the evening. 303 Japanese soldiers were hit during this attack.
Then two raids targetted the BB TF following the convoy. First came 16 Hurricane II from Kai Island itself. The CAP shot down 2 and then BB AA guns shot down two more, while they score no hits. Then 20 B-17E, 8 B-25C and 6 Hudson I get also through the CAP, losing 3 B-17E and 2 Hudson I while shooting down 1 Zero. Also 4 B-17E turned back. They scored three bomb hits on the BB Ise but scored few damage.
One of the Zeroes hit in this battle crashed during the return to base, and another was lost to engine failure. Many other were too badly damaged to fly again in the afternoon and the CAP was reduced to 8 Zeroes. But only the BB TF was attacked, first by 5 Hurricanes that missed and then by 40 B-25C, 30 B-17E and 9 LB-30. The CAP repulsed 10 B-17E and shot down 1 B-17E and 1 B-25C. Japanese AA fire shot down 1 B-17E, 1 LB-30 and 1 B-25C while only one hit was scored on a BB, bouncing without doing any harm. Other bombers didn’t find the target.
In the evening the SS S-42 tried again to attack and approached the BB TF but was detected by the escort and sunk by a well directed ASW attack of the Natsugumo.
At the same time the admiral leading the invasion was seriously thinking of cancelling the whole thing when his meteo officer annouced another good weather day for the morrow. But he finally decided to continue. Amboina had 16 A6M2 Zero serviceable and they were again ordered to fly LRCAP over the convoy.
At the same time both Parachute Regiments in reserve in Kendari were ordered to prepare in case they will be needed, and transport aircraft began to gather in Balikpapan, out of range of Allied bombers.

The next night (7-8), 3 MSW swept the waters around Kai Island, finding no mines, and then the BB Haruna, CA Takao and 3 DD pound Kai Island, hitting 125 men, 2 guns and scoring 3 runway, 1 port and 3 port supply hits. Before dawn the convoy started to unload the Imperial Guard Division and the 5th Eng Rgt. CD fire was moderate and only slighty damaged an AP and a PC during the day, but 2681 men and 1 gun were disabled in the landing.

At dawn the Allied bombers returned but were beginning to show fatigue. 53 bombers left Darwin, 7 get lost, 9 LB-30 and 3 B-17E targetted the Haruna TF and 18 B-17E, 12 B-25C and 4 LB-30 the other BB TF. 8 Zeroes intercepted the second raid and repulsed 6 B-17E but lost one of their number to return fire. The bombers hit 3 times the Haruna, twice the Hyuga and once the CA Suzuya, but all bombs bounced. One B-17E and one B-25C were lost in crashes. In the afternoon, the BB were again attacked by 13 B-17E and 11 LB-30. 9 Zeroes intercepted and shot down 1 B-17E, 4 other turning back, while losing one Zero to return fire. The BB Hyuga was hit two more times and at the end of the day was rather heavily damaged (SYS 18/FLT 1/FIR 12).
In the evening, a second Allied subamrine was sunk in this battle when the Dutch O 16 was chased by 6 DD off Kai Island and sunk by the Minegumo.
I was fearing that Kai Island will be able to resist my troop weakened by air attacks. I know that a Dutch regiment and a Base Force held it. Their first day of battle showed that they were by far unable to resist. They tried to bombard the beachead but hit nothing and lost 16 men and 7 guns to return fire. The Japanese troops had landed at 95% and were ordered to launch a shock attack the next day.
In the evening, 3 CA, 1 CL, 1 AR, 1 AD and 2 DD arrived in Kendari from Singapore. Both auxiliary ships were docked here while the warships refueled and sailed at full speed to Kai Island to join the invasion force.
Amboina Zeroes were given the next day off to rest and reverted to local CAP.

The last Japanese men landed on Kai Island on the night and the morning of the 9 (with only 3 casualties). Thunderstorms grounded Darwin airmen for the whole day and the Japanese shock attack was launched without problems and achieved at 80 to 1 ratio. The Barisan Regiment and the 6th DAF Base Force surrendered after burning 9 unserviceable Hurricane II on the airfield. Japanese losses were 39 men and 1 gun, Dutch ones 4779 men and 14 guns (I scored 136 troop points during the turn).

During the night of the 5-6, the CA Haguro and Atago swept the waters east of Broome but didn’t find the convoy they were searching and sailed north during the day. They weren’t seen this day and in range of Broome, so a night bombardment was ordered. It was performed without problems, destroying on the ground 3 CW-21B and 1 Wirraway, disabling 11 men and 1 gun and scoring 1 hit on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 12 on the runways. Both CA then sailed north again and then to Kendari, passing north of Timor on the 9 without being attacked.

After the success of the Kai operation, and given the amount of forces deployed here and the probable fatigue state of Allied airmen, I decided to continue the operation and seize the island 120 miles more south (can't remember if this is Aru or Tenimbar). The 3 BB, 1 CL and 11 DD will carry during the night 4000 men of the Imperial Guard there (the island is held by an Australian Bn and a Base Force). The assault will be launched the next day at the same time as a paradrop from Kendari, where 49 transport aircraft arrived. 13 Zeroes flew back from Amboina to Kendari to reinforce CAP here just in case. To try to reduce the danger of Allied air attacks, 4 CA (with an ASW screen of 3 DD) will sail tonight from Kai Island and bombard Darwin.
The main convoy will remain off Kai Island and unload supplies, except 4 damaged AP, 3 escorts and the CA Takao (SYS 17) that will sail immediatly to Kendari to try to save the damaged AP. Kendari has again no more fuel, expect 2000 tons aboard an AO docked there, and 4 3500-ton AK were ordered to load fuel in Soerabaja and bring it there.

Burma

On the 6th, Hurricanes shot down a Ki-46 over Imphal and Allied engineers expanded Diamond Harbor airfield to size 6.
On the 7th, 6 Beaufort V-IX from Chandpur attacked Akyab and scored one runway hit but lost one of their number in a crash. Japanese engineers increased Pagan airfield to size 2 and Rangoon forts to size 2. In this last base, they then stopped building forts to concentrate on the airfield only. Also this day the Burma Army HQ finally left Luang Pradang to march to Burma.
On the 8th the Sasebo 8th SNLF that was holding the trail NE of Akyab versus Allied troops marched to Akyab and joined the 55th Div here.

Philippines

The bombing of Manila continued on a daily basis. In four days, 402 Ki-21 sorties were flown against the airfield, scoring 75 casualties, 13 airbass, 3 supplies and 128 runway hits. 356 bombing sorties (130 by Ki-48s, 102 by Ki-49s, 98 by Ki-27 and 26 by Zeroes) wer flown on the 6, 7 and 8 against Allied troops and hit 140 men and 5 guns. Artillery fire killed and wounded 601 men in four days, that saw the number of able defenders drop from 86 350 (evening of the 5th) to 83 663 (evening of the 9th). So in four days Japanese fire hit 816 men, but hunger disabled 1871…. The base value of Manila is no more decreasing and there are probably no more supplies there. The altitude of bombing was reduced by 1000 feet daily but no more AA fire was experienced. Starting from tomorrow, all bombers will bomb only troops.

China

Allied airmen returned to China on the 6, especially in the north battle area. Recons reported on the 6th 57 aircraft in Lanchow (10/0/57) and other in Sining. All Yenen bombers were then ordered to bomb Lanchow airfield, escorted by the Zero operationnal training unit (exp 63) also based here. They were grounded on the 7, while 9 Hurricane II from Sining bombed the 2nd Eng Rgt in Lanchow and hit 10 men, and AVG P-40B were reported over Lanchow.
On the 8 Yenen airmen attacked Lanchow with 49 Ki-48, 23 Ki-49 and 23 Ki-21 escorted by 24 Zeroes and met 13 P-40B (of AVG/B) and 1 Hurricane II flying CAP. The Flying Tigers shot down 3 Zeroes, 3 Ki-48s and 1 Ki-21 for one loss but the raid reached the target and destroyed on the ground 6 Dakota I and 1 Hurricane II, and scored 12 hits on the airbase, 4 on supplies and 18 on the runways. The raid was not repeated the next day because of the losses.

On the ground, the activity was limited to artillery fire in Kungchang (114 Chinese casualties) and Lanchow (Chinese lost 4 men and 1 gun and hit 21 men and 1 tank).
More south, the 8th New Chinese Corps was bombed on the 7 in Homan by 19 Ki-51 and lost 18 men and 1 gun. One Ki-51 was lost in an accident.

The main news here was on the 9th when the 40th and 41st Japanese Div finally managed to reach the Kungchang-Sian road SE of Kungchang. They are now facing 5 Chinese units, but all have been beaten several times when trying to cut the Yenen-Kungchang road. Japanese troops will launch tomorrow an attack there to repulse them toward Sian, with the full support of Yenen bombers.

From Canton, Vals and Ki-51 fly training missions against the 28th New Chinese Division NW of Wuchow on the 6, 7 and 9, hitting 37 men and 1 gun without loss for 103 Ki-51 and 72 Val sorties.

In this area, Japanese artillery continued to bombard Wuchow and hit 91 men and 2 guns in 4 days.

The strategic bombing campain paused for some days. Changsha ressources were bombed on the 6 by 12 Ki-51 and 10 Ki-27 from Wuhan (losing one aircraft of each type in crashes) and on the 7 by 12 and 9 but no new damage was done. The Navy bombers also based in Wuhan were grounded by bad weather and by the return of Allied fighters (a dozen of Hurricanes started flying CAP over Chengtu on the 6), but will bomb Chungking oil and ressources tomorrow.

Japan

A convoy left on the 6 with 35 000 supplies for Fiji. On the 9, a contingent of training air units (9 Zeroes, 9 Vals and 27 Kates) left Osaka for Sasebo to fly to Luzon for operationnal training. One Val crashed with the loss of the crew.

10 July 1942

Southern Pacific

During the night 7 MSW sweep mines off Suva. Artillery fire hit 85 Allied men and 1 gun and 189 Japanese and 6 guns in Suva.
Japanese engineers expanded Nandi airfield to size 3.

One of the tanker badly hit last week south of Tonga by the KB, the Captain A. F. Lucas, finally succoumbed to her wounds 300 miles E of Auckland.

A new attack will be launched in Suva in 2 days. Troops will be bombed tomorrow by the Val of Nandi and Kates of the “reduced KB”, that will sail to a spot 60 miles SE of the target.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

The bombardment TF (4 CA, 3 DD) sent to Darwin was intercepted by an Allied TF that hadn’t been seen in a while by Japanese airmen: the four Dutch CL Java, De Ryuter, Tromp and Sumatra and 8 DD (6 Dutch, 2 old US). The battle was short, shells and torpedoes being exchanged at 8-9000 yards. Three Japanese CA were hit for a total of 9 times but all shells bounced, their return fire hit the DD Van Nes (two 5in shells, on fire) and Eversten (one 5in shell).
At the same time the other warships in the are were landing 4000 men of the Imperial Guard Division in Aru Island, that was helf by an Australian Bn (Sparrow Force) and the 7th Duch Naval Base Force. The former had CD guns and fired 114 shells but hit nothing. 782 Japanese men and 11 guns were disabled in the landing.

At dawn, the daily recon over Darwin was still unable to see the Dutch warships but reported that the Hurricanes on CAP had been replaced by Spitfire Vb. The total CAP was 33 P-40E, 13 Spitfires and 12 Kittyhawk I.
Despite bad weather forecasts, the sun shone on morning and Darwin airmen used that to deliver a devastating blow. The first three raids were small and achieved nothing. 5 Hudson I missed 2 BB off Kai Island, 3 B-17E attacked the cripple convoy 120 miles NW of Kai and scored two hits on the CA Takao that bounced and did no new damage and 6 Beaufort V-IX, escorted by 19 P-40E and 10 Kittyhawk, bombed and missed the CA TF 300 miles NE of Darwin (and 60 miles NW of Aru). One Kittyhawk was lost to engine failure, two P-40E crashed after a collision.
Also 3 B-17E went alone to attack off Kendari the two CA that returned from the Broome raid and were intercepted by 32 Ki-27, 23 Ki-43 and 22 A6M2. The CAP repulsed them and damaged all, two crashing during the return flight. One was the 4th kill of the commander of the 11th Sentai (Nates), Major Kamito S. At least 3 of his kills were scored over Kendari against Allied heavy bombers!
But then a huge raid attacked the Japanese convoy off Kai Island that was hoping that bad weather and the presence of BB nearby will draw Allied bombers, and had no CAP. It was still there to unload some supplies on the island. Big, big mistake because 59 B-17E, 39 B-25C, 16 LB-30 and 9 Hudson I attacked in the morning and scored tens and tens of hits…. Bad weather cancelled all raids in the afternoon but the damage was done. A PC and a 1500-ton AP were sunk, another small AP was scuttled in the evening, 1 PG and 9 AP were heavily damaged and will probably sink before reaching a friendly port, 6 AP were on fire and 2 other more slightly damaged. The cost for this slaugther was one B-17E lost in a crash

Japanese engineers expanded Kendari airfield to size 5.

A new set of orders was given in the evening. The four CA of the aborted bombardment TF will return alone to Darwin as a surface combat TF to engage the Dutch Navy. Their escort DD were detached to Kai Island and will refuel here.
The convoy was split off Kai into 4 TF, 3 of cripples gathered by speed that will try to reach Kendari and one of intact ships that loaded Japanese troops and will bring them to Sorong (that is still under Dutch control). Amboina Zeros will LRCAP the latter convoy and the cripple TF with the less damaged AP.
Aru will be taken tomorrow. 4 DD will FT supplies from Kai, while 2 BB and 1 CL, escorted by 6 DD, will bombard the base during the night. The Imperial Guard troops ashore will launch a schock attack while 49 transport AC from Kendari will drop the 1st Para Regiment there. Also the Nells of Hollandia were ordered to bomb the Allied troops.

Burma

The Zero Daitai sent to Taung Gyi to cover ressources last week finally saw a raid coming. 45 Blenheim IV, 41 B-17E, 9 Il-4c and 8 Wellington III flew from Dacca and were intercepted by 16 Zeroes. In the aerial battle, 5 Blenheim IV, 4 Il-4c and 1 Zero (shot down by a Wellington) were lost. The bombers scored 5 hits and disabled 8 ressource centers (86 remaining). One B-17E and one Blenheim IV were lost in accidents. In the evening all Zeroes transferred back to Rangoon, one crashing en route with its pilot.
A recon plane flew over Chandpur airfield that I planned to raid in the near future, and reported a CAP of 14 Buffalo I, 14 Hurricane II and... 2 Spitfire Vb, the first one seen above India.
In the afternoon, Akyab was raided by 54 SB-2c, 26 Beaufort I and 25 Beaufort V-IX that bombed at 4000 feet and scored 2 hits on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 27 on the runways. Two Beaufort and 1 SB-2 were lost in crashes due to bad weather.

Japanese engineers expanded Rangoon airfield to size 5. In Haiphong, French Indochina, the last of the Const Bn that built Hanoi embarked aboard APs that will bring it to Andaman Islands.

Philippines

In Manila, Allied troops were bombed by 82 Ki-21, 48 Ki-48, 42 Ki-49, 36 Ki-27 and 26 Zeroes and then by Japanese guns and lost 407 men and 6 guns. Lack of supplies disabled 545 more men.

China

53 Nells and 44 Betties from Wuhan raided Chungking but only managed to disable one more ressource center.

In the north, 35 Hurricane II from Sining attacked the 8th Eng Rgt at Lanchow and hit 44 men. 7 Hurricane II from Lanchow escorted by 4 P-40B attacked the 10th Ind Bde at Kungchang but missed.
SE of Kungchang, the Chinese forces (14th Group Army, 93rd and 98th Corps, 1st Cavalry Corps and 2nd Temp Div) were bombed by 44 Ki-48, 26 Ki-49 and 25 Ki-21 from Yenen and lost 106 men and 3 guns (one Ki-21 was lost in a crash) and then defeated (at 19 to 1) by a deliberate attack launched by the 40th and 41st Japanese divisions. Japanese losses were 350 men and 10 guns, Chinese ones 185 men in battle and more than 2000 during the retreat.
Japanese guns in Kungchanh and Lanchow missed, while Chinese artillery hit 11 men and 1 gun in Lanchow. A Chinese units was seen NW of Lanchow, marching from Sining. So troops in Lanchow will attempt a deliberate attack before it arrived, and a paradrop will be done in Sining. One SNLF is available in China, another will be brought from Balikpapan.

Japan

Two convoys left Japan with fuel for outer theaters, 5 9000-ton TK sailing from Hiroshima to DEI and 3 16000-ton TK from Osaka to Pago-Pago. A MLE sailed with this last TF.

Thanks for sharing this game. It is my favourite AAR. I am learning a lot. What are you doing with regard to research? Do you have an aircraft upgrade strategy too?

11-13 July 1942

Thanks goodboy. As for research, I have turned most of it down. I now have around 210 factories doing research, but only 3 types: Ki-61 (around 60) and Ki-44 (around 40), not for reasearch but to produce them when they will be available next month, and the rest is for the Ki-43-II, to upgrade Ki-27. I have not advanced this release yet.
By the way I play with PDU off...
AFAIK research is useless when the AC will be released in more than a year. I am doing very few AC research. In another of my PBEM I did research as much as I can and I have supply problems, and for a low result.

Central Pacific

A convoy loaded in Palmyra the Eng Rgt and Const Bn that built the base to max size and fortification level and will bring it to Pago-Pago to do the same job.

On the 12 the CV Kaga and Hiryu arrived in PH, unloaded their airgroups on the airfield and were docked for repairs. The 6 DD of their escort were all docked too and will be upgraded here. Two AR left Japan towards PH this day, and another (just launched in Osaka) the next day, with a convoy carrying 32 000 tons of fuel and 21 000 ofsupplies.PH has over 100 000 of both but is using them.

Southern Pacific

The 11 was quiet, with only artillery fire in Suva (126 Allied and 268 Japanese casualties). A convoy unloaded 4 Naval Garnison Units in Nandi, or rather should have. For some reason, all combat squads of these units remained on Kwajalein, while the support squads all landed in Nandi. The convoy sailed back toward Kwajalein, while I ordered the Nandi part to march to Suva, as the troops here had not enough support squads.

But these reinforcements may be too late, as the assault on Suva was launched on the 12 and achieved a 1 to 1 ratio. The base was bombed during the night by 3 BB and 5 DD returning from Pago-Pago with full shell stores, and 416 men, 8 guns and 2 vehicles were disabled while 2 hit were scored on supplies, 2 on runways and 1 on port. During the day the 2nd USMC was bombed by 17 Vals from Nandi (46 casualties), 59 Kates and 45 Vals from the Kido Butai that was now 120 miles east of Suva (176 men, 2 guns and 2 tanks hit) and 11 Betties and 3 Nells from Pago-Pago (missed). And then 98 000 Japanese attacked the 37 000 defenders and managed a 1 to 1 ratio, reducing the fort level to 5. Japanese casulaties were 2157 men, 38 guns and 3 tanks, Allied ones 1135 men, 26 guns and 7 tanks but the 1 to 1 ratio was good enough to continue the attack the next day.

So next night Suva was bombed by most of the available warships in the area: 4 BB, 4 CA, 5 CL, 17 DD. 223 men and 4 guns were disabled, 14 hits scored on the airbase, 3 on airfield supplies, 23 on the runways, 12 on port, 4 on port supplies and 4 on fuel. 7 MSW and an ASW group of 5 APD escorted them but found nothing there. Most of the warships then sailed to Pago-Pago to refuel/rearm. The MSW sailed back to Nandi and found there 4 new minefields in the morning. The 2nd USMC Division was again bombed by 59 Vals, 54 Kates, 11 Betties and 5 Nells from KB, Nandi and Pago-Pago and lost 83 men and 2 guns, but shot down 2 Vals and 1 Kate,while 1 Nell was lost to engine failure. And then the demiberate Japanese attack destroyed another fortification level, reducing them to 4. Japanese losses were 1369 men, 15 guns, 1 tank against 852 men, 24 guns and 2 tanks lost on the Allied side. The assault will continue tomorrow.

On the 12, Japanese SIGINT detected an Allied ship 1000 miles east of Wellington, New Zealand, and 4 Japanese submarines were sent to the area. Japanese intelligence also confirmed the sinking of the TK Torres, badly hit by bombs on 27 June south of Tonga.

One AS left Palau for Pago-Pago on the 12.

On the Allied side, engineers expanded the Efate airfield to size 4.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

During the night of the 10-11, the SS S-42 tried to attack one of the three cripples convoys leaving Kai Island toward Kendari but was seen and chased by a PC. But the main action of the night was off Darwin where four Japanese CA returned for a revenge and met again the Dutch Navy. Things went wrong at once when the Dutch DD launched a highly efficient torpedo attack at 8000 yards and hit the Kumano 3 times and the Mikuma once. The Allied ships then retreated under shell fire and the CL Java and DD Van Nes and Piet Hein were each hit once. The Japanese sailors retreated too and were saved of more damage by the bad weather that grounded Darwin airmen the whole day. Only a patrolling B-17E managed to hit a damaged AP 120 miles NE of Kai Island. Another one, the Tama Maru, capsized and sank close by without any new hit, and two others, the Yamafuku and Giyu Maru were scuttled in the evening. Also one A6M3 flying CAP over one Japanese convoy was lost in a crash.
The last phase of the Kai operation was launched this day with the troops of the Imperial Guard that landed yesterday on Aru launching a shock attack at the same time that the 1st Parachute Rgt was dropped on the island. AA fire shot down two Tabbies but the paradrop allowed the attack to succeed at 3 to 1 (fort 1). The Australian Sparrow Force and the 7th Dutch Naval Base Force surrendered. Japanese lost 37 men and 2 guns, Allied 3381 men and 19 guns (more than 70 troop points).
After the success of the paradrop all transport AC returned to Balikpapan in the evening. The weather forecast for the 12 was "clear" and the BB TF received the order to remain off Kai Island to draw Allied bombers and integrated both intact CA returning from Darwin. Of the two damaged CA, the Mikuma (damage 35/48/5) received orders to sail to Kendari while the Kumano (76/76/8) was doomed. She was not scuttled but received orders to sail toward Kai Island to draw Allied bombers too.
My goal at this time was to save as much damaged ships I could, while picking up Japanese troops remaining on Aru and Kai Island, as I have no intention to leave garrisons here.

The next night 4 DD loaded troops of the 5th Eng Rgt in Kai Island and landed them in Sorong (53 casualties). Sadly all combat squads landed there were disabled.
At dawn Allied patrols found the cripples 240 miles NW of Kai and a B-25C hit an AP. But the BB TF off Kai Island attracted most of the Allied bombers that then took off. 77 B-17E, 50 B-25C, 21 LB-30, 12 Hudson I and 7 T.IVa attacked in the morning. The BB Ise was hit 16 times and lost 2 groups of 25mm guns, the Haruna 10 times and lost a 5in turret, the CL Naka and the DD Arashio were both hit once and left on fire. The BB TF was attacked again in the afternoon by 39 B-17E, 31 B-25C, 14 LB-30, 13 Hudson I and 7 T.IVa. They scored 6 hits on Ise (another 25mm out), 4 on Haruna (1 6in gun out) and 1 on Suzuya (no damage). So the TF attracted 271 sorties, during which two B-17E were lost in accidents.
Other raids launched during the day from Darwin saw 3 B-17E attack in the morning a cripple convoy 240 miles NW of Kai. The LRCAP of 6 Zeroes damaged the 3 bombers but all get trough and scored hits on the damaged PG Eifuku Maru, sinking it. One of the B-17E then crashed during the return flight, while one A6M2 and one A6M3 were lost in crashes during LRCAP missions this day. Another raid was launched in the afternoon by 14 B-17E but they only attacked the BB Hyuga in the convoy they found and scored only 1 hit that did no new damage. South of Kai Island, the CA Kumano had damaged to leave torpedo range from Darwin and was attacked in the morning and afternoon by 17 and 15 Beaufort V-IX (escorted by P-40E and Kittyhawks) with bombs that did not much new damage. Anyway the Kumano had damaged 86/88 in the evening and was scuttled with 2 Daves aboard. The 1500-ton AP Giyo Maru was also scuttled this evening 240 miles NW of Kai.

The damaged Naka and Arashio loaded troops of the 5th Eng Rgt and sailed north. During the night 3 DD also sailed from Kai and picked up troops of the 1st Para Rgt in Aru and sailed north
The BB (both having SYS 10) remained off Kai Island during the night and were attacked the next morning by 81 bombers (44 B-17E, 25 Lb-30, 6 Hudson I, 6 B-25C), 20 others didn't find them. Four hits were scored on the Ise and destroyed two 5in guns, while a B-17E was lost in an accident. A more successful attack was launched in the afternoon by 93 AC (36 B-25C, 25 B-17E, 13 Hudson I, 12 LB-30 and 7 T.IVa) and scored 10 hits on the Ise (a 5in gun out), 5 on Haruna and 1 on Suzuya. At the same time 11 B-17E were sent 180 miles SE of Kendari with 1000lb bombs to chase the Hyuga. They didn't find her but attacked a cripple convoy covered by 9 Zeroes from Kendari and scored 7 hits, sinking the 1500-ton AP Hiko Maru and heavily damaging the 3000-ton AP Chihaya Maru, that was scuttled in the evening. The Zeroes lost one of their number in a landing accident, its pilot (a 6-victory ace) being wounded in the crash.

Now most Japanese transports are "saved", most damaged ships will reach Kendari tonight while the most damaged will be just 60 miles from this port tomorrow and will be covered by Nates. All Zeroes left Amboins and flew to Kendari where they will fly CAP to cover the port. The intact ships carrying troops of the 5th Eng Rgt and Imp Guard Div are now near Morotai and will sail north of Menado and then between Celebes and Borneo towards Java. Around 5000 men of these two units remained on Aru and Kai Island. Tonight 2 CA and 3 DD will pick up troops on Aru before sailing north. And both BB are now well damaged (Haruna 23/4/24, Ise 20/1/19) and will sail noth under escort by 3 DD.
Tonight the Naka and Arashio will land the troops of 5th Eng Rgt they are carrying in Sorong before sailing to Palau for repairs. It should be enough to occupy the base the next day.

An AP left Palau on the 13 with a small BF to occupy and build a base in Biak. Having a flanking position here may help to contain Allied offensives in this area.

Southern Ressource Area

APs loaded the paratroops of Yokosuka 2nd SNLF in Balikpapan to bring them to China. Other small convoys loaded in Singapore 4 base forces and will bring them to Bankha, Bali, Benkolen (Sumatra W coast) and Macassar.

Burma

There were no raids in 3 days. Recons shown a dozen Spitfire both over Ledo and Chandpur, and on the 13 a Ki-15 and a Ki-46 were shot down by Allied fighters. North of Akyab the British Bde retired towards India.

Routine supply operations continued. Since 2 or 3 monts a TF of one 9000-ton TK and one 7000-ton AK is carrying oil and ressources from Rangoon to Singapore, about twice a month, without any Allied interference. On the 11 three 3500-ton AK loaded supplies in Kuala Lumpur to bring it to Rangoon.

Philippines

Manila defenders were bombed on the 11 by 69 Ki-21, 50 Ki-48, 35 Nates and 34 Ki-49 and lost 126 men and 5 guns. One Nate was lost in a crash. The following days, air raids were cancelled by bad weather. In 3 days 724 Allied men were hit by Japanese artillery and 1195 disabled by the lack of supplies.

One CL and 4 DDs operating in the area were sent on the 12 to Shangai and Hong Kong for upgrades.

China

Aerial activity continued in the north. On the 11, the 26th Japanese division was bombed near Kungchang by 8 Hurricanes and 6 P-40B from Lanchow and lost 19 men. On the 12, 27 Zeroes from an unit having finished training (exp 64) did a sweep to Sining, where some Hurricanes were expected. In fact 33 Hurricanes of 3 Sqn intercepted the sweep and won the day. 7 Hurricanes were shot down, but they shot down 17 Zeroes (the Japanese unit lost 16 pilots) and a pilot of 605 Sqn, FO K Gardner, became the first RAF ace of the game (AFAIK).

The same day, Yenen bombers attacked the Chinese troops NW of Sian with 46 Ki-48, 24 Ki-21 and 22 Ki-49. The 2nd Temp Div lost 67 men and 1 gun and the 1st Cav Corps 136 men and 1 gun. They reported 8 Chinese units there (+ 3 compared to the day before). Other recons confirmed that the Chinese troops were leaving Homan and marching north of Sian, where the 2 Japanese divisions that took the road were joinded by a half-brigade. All received orders to march back to the Yenen-Kungchang road rather than to risk a defeat. On the other hand, Japanese troops SE of Homan (1 Army HQ, 3 Div, 1.5 Bde) received orders to march to Homan and take the city if enough troops left it. Two small base forces were sent from Wuhan to Hsinyang and Kaifeng to provide support for this advance.
The next day, Yenen bombers (36 Ki-48, 14 Ki-49, 12 Ki-21) bombed NW of Sian the 58th Chinese Corps, hitting 118 men and 2 guns while losing a Ki-48 in an accident. They reported now 11 units there. 1 was in Sian, 1 between Sian and Homan and only 4 in Homan in the evening.
Tomorrow Zeroes from Yenen (the unit defeated 2 days ago) will fly LRCAP over Kungchang to chase Allied transports that probably flew supplies from Lanchow to Kungchang.
On Kungchang front only Japanese guns fired and they hit 32 men in 3 days. Japanese forces in Lanchow (1 Rgt of 27th Rgt, 13th and 15th Tk Rgt, 2nd and 8th Eng Rgt) launched a deliberate attack on the 11 but failed at 0 to 1, as the defenders (69th Coprs and 6th Air BF) had been reinforced this day by the 5th New Chinese Corps from Sining, and were under fortification level 6. Japanese lost 610 men, 9 guns and 2 tanks, Chinese 165 men and 8 guns.

In Central China, 55 Nells and 43 Betties took off on the 12 to bomb Kunming and scored there 22 ressource centers but disabled only 2 new ressource centers (now 93 remaining of the initial 300) while 1 Betty was lost operationnaly.

In the south the 28th New Chinese Div was bombed NW of Wuchow on the 11 by 30 Ki-51 and 24 Vals, one of the latter crashing, and lost 39 men. Japanese guns continued to pound Wuchow and hit 122 men and 1 gun in 3 days.

Japan

I did a tour of Japanese ports on the 13 and sent overseas all units I had there that were not of the Home Defence Command. The biggest convoy will bring 1 Army HQ, 1 Air Division HQ and 2 Const Bn to Suva, but 12 small IJA/IJN/IJNAF Base Forces, another Const Bn and 1 NLF were also sent to garrison small bases from Sumatra to New Guinea and Luzon.

The damaged CV Akagi and Zuikaku left Okayama on the 13 with a good escort, one will go to Osaka and the other to Tokyo, both of these bases have now repair yards of size over 100.

14 July 1942

Central Pacific

Two Allied submarines were seen and attacked by submarines off PH and have probably laid mines there.

Southern Pacific

During the night, 3 BB and 5 DD bombarded Suva, hitting 49 men and 1 gun and scoring 4 hits on the airbase, 6 on the runways, 2 on the port and 1 on a fuel dump.
During the day the 2nd USMC division was again bombed, first by 16 Vals from Nandi (no damage), then by 53 Kates and 44 Vals from the KB (137 men, 2 guns and 2 tanks hit) and then by 11 Betties and 3 Nells from Pago-Pago (again no damage). Two Vals ditched near the carriers on return due to fuel shortage.
That was not enough and the daily deliberate attack achieved only 0 to 1 ratio, and didn’t destroy a new fortification level (current level 4). Losses were 1379 men and 29 guns on the Japanese side, and 836 men, 21 guns and 6 tanks on the Allied side. The offensive will be stopped for some days for the troops to be rested, the support squads marching from Nandi to arrive and the warship horded to rearm in Pago-Pago and come back. Only 3 BB will remain there and continue to bombard.

A convoy left Kwajalein for Pago-Pago with 45 000 fuel.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

In the morning, the damaged Naka and Arashio dropped 600 more men of the 5th Eng Rgt in Sorong but again all combat squads were disabled! So some para will be dropped on the base tomorrow from Kendari to deal with it for once.

The weather was clear but the Allied bombers from Darwin found no suitable target, the only offensive sortie being launched by 6 B-17E south of Amboina to attack BBs that they didn’t find.

Anyway their targets didn’t need more beating, the Haruna is now damaged at 32/7/11 and the Ise at 27/0/6… they will continue to sail north and will probably go to Japan for extensive repair. In Kendari more cripples arrived. The CA Mikuma was docked with damage 37/46/0, 3 AP and 1 PG are in port with FLT over 50. The CA Takao (SYS 19), an AP with only SYS damage, 2 escorts and the resident AD left the base for Soerabaja to avoid a possible air raid. Tomorrow the last convoy will reach Kendari, with the BB Hyuga, one escort and 11 AP (only one with FLT over 50 (82 in fact)).

Some DD are also busy to transport the paras of the Yokosuka 1st SNLF from Amboina to Menado, where APs will then carry them to China.

Burma

The last Japanese Bde that participated to the battle between Lashio and Myitkyina got out of the jungle and will march to Mandalay for some R&R. The two other are already marching to Rangoon for the same reason.

Philippines

After two of cloud cover, Manila was again bombed, first by 21 Ki-21 aiming at the airfield (2 runway hits), then by 41 Ki-21, 38 Ki-48, 37 Ki-49, 36 Nate and 27 Zeroes that attacked the 21st PA Div and hit 72 men and 2 guns.

China

In the north, Zeroes from Yenen flew LRCAP over Kungchang and found as expected transports flying supplies, probably from Lanchow. They shot down without loss a C-47 and a Dakota I. Another C-47 was wrecked in an hurry force-landing. Tomorrow they won't patrol there as Allied fighters will probably move in. Japanese gunfire hit 11 men here.
34 Ki-48, 22 Ki-21 and 20 Ki-49 from Yenen bombed NW of Sian the 2nd Chinese Temp Div, hitting 53 men and 2 guns. There they saw only 10 Chinese units, compared to 11 the day before: one did march back to Sian, where another arrived from Homan, so now 3 units are here.
Homan was reached by 1 Japanese Army HQ, 3 Div and a half Bde, another Bde will arrive tomorrow, bringing the total of Japanese troops here to 80 000 men. The city is held by 4 Chinese units (44 000 men) and will be bombed tomorrow to identify them. They are probably prepared 100% for Homan and in good fortifications, so will resist the attack. I will try it anyway and tomorrow bombers from Yenen and Wuhan will start to bomb these troops, while 2 divisions left Wuhan (hald of the garrison of the town) to join the Homan battle. Also a new Ki-48 Sentai created today in Japan flew to Peking to support this attack.

In the south, a training mission from Canton by 30 Ki-51 and 23 Vals bombed the 28th New Chinese Div NW of Wuchow and hit 48 men and 2 guns. Japanese guns hit 13 men in Wuchow.

Japan

The CV Zuikaku and one AR arrived in Osaka, the CV Akagi and another AR will sail to Tokyo.

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent
Two Allied submarines were seen and attacked by submarines off PH and have probably laid mines there.

[X(][X(][X(]

Just to illustratte that we really do read and enjoy your most excellent AAR! [:)]


Leo "Apollo11"

15 July 1942

I did today a survey of my HQ units and decided some changes. The details will be described in the concerned sections below.

Central Pacific

I just realized that the Air HQ that was planned to be in PH ended in Amboina… There are two Air Flotilla HQ in Kwajalein and one was ordered to sail to PH. They have only a range of one, but in Hawaii only PH will be really used as an airfield against attacking forces.

My MSW didn’t find any mine off PH. Maybe it was just a nostalgic visit by the American sailors.

Southern Pacific

During the night, Japanese MSW swept some Allied mines off Nandi while the Suva bombardment group (always 3 BB and 5 DD) sent some shells on the Allied positions, hitting 21 men, 1 airbase building, 2 runways, 2 port buidlings and 1 port supply dump.
During the day, 16 Vals from Nandi bombed the 2nd USMC Div in Suva. They hit only 2 men but reported no AA fire. Are the Marines lacking supplies? One Val was nevertheless lost in an accident.
Artillery fire hit 70 Allied and 107 Japanese men in Suva.

Except the Suva bombardment group, all Japanese warships refueled and rearmed in Pago-Pago today. The CL Sendai and 5 DD were sent to PH for refit, the other will sail back to Suva and support the restart of the offensive in some days.
In the evening the Ki-46 Chutai based in Tongatapu flew to Nandi and will now fly with the Val raids, so achieving a better coverage of Suva. Tomorrow the Kates of KB will bomb again the 2nd USMC to test if the AA guns are really out of ammunition.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

163 bombers (57 B-17E, 50 B-25C, 24 Beaufort V-IX, 23 LB-30 and 9 Hudson I) took off from Darwin at noon under escort by 15 Kittyhawk I and attacked Aru Island. This base has only a port size 1 and no airfield. The bombers scored 12 hits on the port and 15 on supplies (but the island has less than 100 supplies at dawn, and still 81 in the evening). 3 B-17E, 1 LB-30 and 1 B-25C were lost in crashes.

155 men of the 2nd Parachute Regiment boarded 6 Tabbies in Kendari and were dropped over Sorong to help the 5th Eng Rgt to occupy the empty town… It was seized almost intact, only one manpower and one oil being damaged. 4120 oil and 348 ressources were also captured. Allied raids are expected very soon.

A big reorganization of troops will take part in the area. Amboina was planned to be a major airbase and has a number of air units that will be more useful elsewhere. So shipping will be needed and 16 1500-ton AP left Java for Menado. Several convoys were created or rerouted to bring fuel (total around 90 000 tons) to Menado or Kendari to supply operations in the area.

All ships hit in the Kai Island operation docked in Kendari. 6 AP with only SYS damaged will continue to Soerabaja with 2 escorts. Kendari is lacking a Fleet HQ while there are 3 in Truk (one will remain in Truk and another will go to Rabaul once the base is taken), so the HQ 8th Fleet boarded ships and sailed to Kendari.
More north the 1500-ton AP Haruya Maru 2, the first hit during the Kai operation, was finally scuttled in Menado when FLT raised over 90.

16 barges are now busy to bring supplies from Kendari to Timor. Also the 6 Tabbies used for the Sorong paradrop will remain there and bring supplies to Koepang. It is planned to have in one month a transport AC base in Macassar, as this base is out of range of Allied bombers from Darwin.

Southern Ressource Area

Two Dutch units were still at large in the jungle of Sumatra, one in the north near Medan and the other in the south near Benkolen. The latter marched today back to Benkolen. It may retake the empty base. A convoy is already sailing to this base with a complete IJN Base Force, including 40 SNLF squads, and prepared 100% for the base. It will retake the town if needed and eliminate the Dutch remmants.

A TK convoy arrived in Soerabaja from Japan and divided in 3 parts that will load oil in Soerabaja, Batavia and Palembang and then gather in Singapore with oilers coming back from Medan and Bankha before returning to Japan.

Burma

In the morning, 132 Dacca-based bombers (60 Blenheim IV, 47 B-17E, 13 Il-4c and 12 Wellington III) escorted by 22 P-40B attacked Mandalay airfield and scored 17 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 70 on runways, doing 135 casualties. A Blenheim IV hit by AA fire force-landed in the jungle during the return trip, while two B-17E and 1 P-40B were lost in crashes.
In the afternoon, Akyab was attacked by 106 bombers from Chandpur (58 SB-2c, 24 Beaufort V-IX and 24 Beaufort I) that scored 9 hits on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 32 on runways. One Beaufort V-IX was lost in an accident.
At the same time a F-5A Lightning based in India flew a recon over Hanoi, reporting a CAP of 23 Nates (27 are based here). This was the first known use of this aircraft. Just in case 17 Zeroes flew from Rangoon to Hanoi to reinforce the CAP.

The 5th Air Division that took part in the occupation of Java boarded today 2 3000-ton AP and will sail to Rangoon, and then march to Mandalay. It will then command all airfields of Central Burma, while the 3rd Air Division will remain in Rangoon.

Philippines

Manila airfield was bombed by 20 Ki-21 that scored 1 airbase and 1 runway hits. Allied troops were only hit by shells and lost 168 men to Japanese fire and 203 to lack of supplies, falling under 80 000 able men.

Vals from Canton and Japan arrived in Clark Field to train against the besieged garrison. A Nate Sentai left south to do some room (personnal home rule: I ignored the 250 AS rule) and one fighter crashed with his pilot during the fight to Davao.

China

In the north, 45 Nells and 43 Betties from Wuhan bombed the 53rd Chinese Corps in Homan, hitting 274 men and 4 guns for one loss, a Nell lost to engine failure. Then Japanese forces bombarded the city with artillery fire and hit 168 more men. Three Chinese Corps (20th, 53rd and 54th) and 1 HQ held the city with a total of 34 000 able men.
More north Japanese artillery fire hit 88 men and 1 gun in Kungchang.
The expected Chinese counter-attack SE of Kungchang will probably not be launched as Chinese troops marched south again to Sian. There are now only 7 Chinese units NW of Sian (-3), and 6 in Sian itself (+ 3).
In Homan Japanese troops will rest one day, while bombers from all bases will be grounded tomorrow. An attack will be launched if the opportunity arises in some days.

In Central China, Wuhan and Nanchang have around 70 000 supplies (combined stock) and all Japanese units in the area have been turned to replacement on for the first time.

In the south, the 28th New Chinese Division was hit again NW of Wuchow by a training raid from Canton (30 Ki-51s and 21 Vals) and lost 43 men and 1 gun.
Japanese artillery fire hit 91 men and 1 gun in Wuchow and for the first time since I monitor the garrison strength of all cities I am bombing daily the number of defenders here decreased (73 341 men, 5 Corps, 2 base forces, 2 HQ). Maybe the city will now lack supplies. The current besieging Japanese forces (1 Army HQ, 4 Div, 3 ART units) will be reinforced by the reserve kept until now south of the city (1 Div, 1 half Bde and 2 Eng Rgts) and will try to take the town.

The map of the day: Asia

16-17 July 1942

Northern Pacific

Allied engineers expanded the airfield of Adak Island to size 5.

Southern Pacific

On the night of the 15-16 a MSW detected a minefield off Tongatapu. The day was quiet, except for the Dutch submarine O23 that was bombed by a Val 240 miles north of Suva. The next day 17 Vals from Nandi and 58 Kates from Japanese CVs met over Suva and bombed together the 2nd USMC Div, hitting 131 men, 2 guns and 2 tanks. AA fire was again experienced but only damaged a couple aircraft.
The usual artillery fire in Suva hit 203 Allied and 80 Japanese in two days (a reversal of the former casualty ratio, indicating that the Allied artillery was hit hard in the last battles). Anyway in two days the number of able Allied defenders had rised by 535, so the base still has supplies. At the same time the number of able Japanese men in the area rised by 1292.

Tomorrow the warship fleet will return from Pago-Pago and the Yamato, 5 CA, 3 CL and 10 DD will join Japanese aircraft to bombard Suva, that will be again attacked by Japanese troops. The three BB that bombarded the island for several days left on the evening of the 17 to resplenish in Pago-Pago.

Solomons-New Guinea

Allied engineers expanded the port of Port Moresby to size 5.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

The Sorong centers didn’t work for Japan for long. On the 16, while 77 B-17E from Darwin bombed and missed Amboina (losing two of their number to AA fire and 1 in a crash), 24 LB-30 of the same base bombed Sorong and disabled the 10 ressource centers of the base while losing one of them to engine failure. The next day 73 B-17E and 23 LB-30 bombed the oil centers of Sorong and disabled 44 of them, leaving only 5 running. One more B-17E was lost in a crash.
In the afternoon of the 17th 39 B-25C and 26 Beaufort V-IX escorted by 14 P-40E took off from Darwin and bombed Aru Island, scoring 1 hit on the port and 4 on supplies. One Beaufort and one P-40 were lost in accidents

A Glen saw an Allied ship off Broome on the 17 but no action will be taken against it.

The Timor bases are now receiving regularly supplies from barges and some transport AC. Six more barges were launched in Kendari on the 17, bringing the total number in the area to 22.

Southern Ressource Area

The Dutch Zuid Garrison Battalion reoccupied the empty town of Benkolen, Sumatra, on the 16 with 420 able men. Palembang bombers (23 Ki-21 escorted by 12 Nates) bombed it the next day, hitting 6 men, while Nells flew more naval patrols in case an Allied ship will try to pick up these troops. Japanese troops will land in Benkolen in some days.

On the 17 a small convoy left Singapore for Kendari with an AA Bn aboard while 3 AK loaded fuel in Palembang for the same destination. Also 4 AK were sent from Singapore to Toboali to load ressources.

Burma

On the morning of the 16th, Mandalay airfield was bombed by 52 Blenheim IV, 39 B-17E, 11 Il-4c and 9 Wellington III escorted by 21 P-40B from Dacca. The raid hit 175 men and 4 guns and scored 13 hits on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 113 on the runways. One Blenheim IV was shot down by AA fire, two other and an Il-4c were lost in accidents. In the afternoon Akyab airfield was bombed by 51 SB-2c, 26 Beaufort V-IX and 23 Beaufort I from Chandpur and 13 hits were scored on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 49 on the runways while one Beaufort V-IX ditched during the return flight when it ran out of fuel.

A recon found the 19th USA Engineer Rgt in Bangalore. On the 17 Allied engineers expanded the size of Ledo airfield to 5.

Philippines

The city and troops were again bombed on the 16 by a total of 215 aircraft (76 Ki-21, 42 KI-48, 34 A6M2, 33 Ki-49, 31 Vals) that hit the airfield and the 1st and 41st PA Div, disabling 275 men and 3 guns and scoring 2 hits on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 12 on runways while one Ki-49 was lost in a landing accident. Bad weather covered the area the next day. Japanese artillery fire hit 477 men in 2 days, while lack of supplies disabled 820 more.

In the evening of the 16 34 Ki-21s left Clark Field for Canton and their place was taken by 27 Kates of an operational training unit (exp 44). The Southern Army HQ is now landing in Naga and the 35th Bde and 2 Tk Rgts will arrive in 2 days.

China

On the 16 a pilot of the AVG/B shot down a Ki-15 Babs flying a recon over Kungchang. The only other activity in the area was Japanese artillery fire in Kungchang, Homan and Wuchow, hitting respectively 247, 109 and 39 men in 2 days in theses cities.

The 6th and 34th Div and a Rgt of the 32nd will reach Homan tomorrow. No Chinese reinforcements were seen coming there from Sian. Either my opponent thinks the 3 Corps in Homan will held, or he only wants to fight a delaying action here.

Japan

With 61 factories, the Ki-61 Tony release date was advanced one month ahead from the planned date of August 1942 (that is the nice surprise of the title), and so started being produced immediately on the 17. 5 Sentais and 1 Chutai of Nates and Oscars will be upgraded to this aircraft type.

The CS Mizuho returned to Japan, unloaded his Pete and loaded 22 Jakes before sailing back to South Pacific to chase Allied submarines.

Bilan of Kai operation

The bases of Kai Island, Aru Island and Sorong have been occupied by Japanese forces. There is no strategic reason to seize them, as expected the ressource and oil of Sorong were blasted quickly after their seizure, even if it was hoped they will last more than 2 days… Kai and Aru Islands will not be defended. The two goals of the operation were to deprive the Allied of their advanced base of Kai Island, and to destroy Allied troops, ships and aircraft. The first goal was reached, for the second losses of both sides should be compared:

Japanese losses: CA Kumano, one 3000-ton AP, nine 1500-ton AP, 1 PG, 1 PC, 20 aircraft (12 A6M2, 2 A6M3, 2 Nells, 2 Tabbies, 2 Daves), small troop losses. Total around 125 points.

Allied losses: one Dutch Rgt, one Australian Bn, two Dutch Base Forces (around 200 troop points), one submarine, 52 aircraft (21 B-17E, 13 Hurricane II, 5 LB-30, 5 B-25C, 5 Hudson I, 2 P-40E, 1 Kittyhawk I). Total around 260 points

So the score ratio was over 2 for 1, not bad in the second part of 1942, but not helping to keep the 4 to 1 ratio. I made two mistakes, keeping my transports one more day off Kai and underestimating the Dutch Navy, and that costed me much of the naval losses that could have been avoided. On the other hand these 260 points will make the war last longer in the end.

Not appearing in point score is the fact that more Japanese ships were damaged. Transports are not a problem, but the 3 BB taking part in the operation (Ise, Haruna and Hyuga) all now have SYS damage between 24 and 38 and will require extensive repairs. Also one CA, one CL and one DD are also damaged and will be out of the war for 1-2 months.

This theater will now fall in defensive mode. I will wait and see for the first Allied move north of Australia. It is believed that no threatening operation (except than air raids) will be launched until several months, so the ships damaged in this operation will come back in service before it.

18-21 July 1942

There will probably be no summer lull... my opponent is sailing the kitchen sink to Hawaii ! More details below...

Northern Pacific

The Allied port in Adak Island reached size 3 on the 21st.

Central Pacific

The usual routine (intensive minelaying) was broken on the afternoon of the 20 when a Geln reported 3 AP and 1 MSW 480 miles WSW of San Francisco "probably heading to Hawaii" (1800 miles away at the time). All seven submarines of the picket line off the Western Coast (all with a Glen aboard) were ordered to converge on the convoy.

The word of the sighting crossed the Pacific and reached Yamamoto at Hiroshima. He at once ordered the 3 BB and 5 DD refueling at Pago-Pago to sail north, and transmited the news to the Japanese CVs returning from Suva to Pago-Pago but not yet changing their orders. The 25 Zeroes of F1/Tainan left at once Nandi for Pago-Pago.
In Pearl Harbor, the local admiral also took measures. He gathered all available AKs and sent them to Lahaina to evacuate all unnessecary troops, as the division planned to defend the island was in Fiji. He ordered the minelaying operations to be continued, and sent west 2 CS and 1 AO.
His officers issued reports describing the local situation. First the ground situation. Pearl Harbor was deemed able to resist against an Allied landing (972 ASS points (core of which is the 56th Div), all 100% prepared for PH, enough support squads (the 16th Army is here), fort 9, 24 780 mines... 100 000 supplies, 100 000 fuel). Lahaina had no chance resisting any serious landing, but may disrupt one or two divisions (82 ASS, fort 8, 12 700 mines). Hilo and Kona were both defended by an understength IJN Base Force (both around 20 ASS, with 30% prep for their base) and 2200-2300 mines. Lihu and Moloaki were only covered by minefields (around 2500 mines each).
The original plan was that one more division was in Lahaina, but the ground situation is not so worse, compared to the air and sea situation. I had planned a two-month break in July-August, and I really needed it. My (apparently wrong) estimation was that the Allied forces will return to Hawaii in October 1942 or later. The plan was to have a strong BB TF off PH able to stop bombardment runs, and 200 Army and Navy fighters protecting them. The plan was to let the USN crash on them (and the extensive minefields) and then counter-attack with the Kido Butai (if it was in the area) and Betties.
Problem is that neither the Japanese BBs, CVs or fighter arm were now strong enough to apply the plan. In the evening of the 18, Hawaii had 76 Zeroes, 36 Ki-51, 33 Kates, 27 Emilies, 26 Betties, 26 Nells, 17 Vals and some floatplanes. The only warships in the port (CV Kaga and Hiryu, BB Kirishima, 3 CA, 6 DD) were almost all not operationnal (one CA had SYS 5, the two other 8, all other ships had SYS between 12 and 18). Only five submarines were fully ready to sail.
Another problem was that the fuel situation in the Pacific was critical already before the bad news. Neither Pago-Pago or Palmyra had no more fuel, and 130 000 tons of fuel were planned to arrive in one week at the former. Only 5-6 AO still had fuel in the area and were busy refueling ships.
Yamamoto ordered on the early hours of the 21st that Palmyra will be the concentration point of the IJN, and ordered both TK TF to sail to this base rather than Pago-Pago. He then went to bed at 3 in the morning, hoping that next day Glens will report that it was just a convoy sailing south...

It was not the case. At dawn, the SS I-7 reported several Allied TFs 180 miles more SW of the sighting of the day before and tried to attack one, but was chased by the escort (only one DD). Glens then found again the Allied armada (see map above to see their reports). The I-17 crew disappeared after a message saying "Engaged by fighters". That could only mean one thing: Allied CV sailed with this force. Other Glens didn't see them but reported BB, CA, DD, AP, AK and MSW... The fleet is moving 240 miles a day and will arrive in 7 days in Hawaian waters.
Once the news were confirmed, Japanese radio frequences became even more active. All major warships in PH (both CV, the BB, CAs and DDs) left the port toward Johnston Island. The five submarines left the other way, to patrol along the probable path of the invasion TF. One of them, the I-122, will try to lay an open sea minefield in the path of the enemy fleet. The AK fleet sent to Lahaina quickly loaded 3 of the 4 Const Bns of the island and an AA Bn and will unload them in PH before retreating too. The MLs were ordered to lay more mines in Hawain waters and E of the islands (in open sea) for 2 more days before also leaving the area.
And an air reinforcement plan devised during the night by the IJN Command was set in motion. The 25 Zeroes that left Nandi the day before saw their orders to go to PH confirmed. Other units flying eastward are 17 Zeroes from Hanoi, 26 from Clark Field, 27 Betties from Wuhan and 27 from Hiroshima, and 20 Vals and 11 Zeroes from the CV Soryu that will arrive tomorrow in Tokyo for SYS repairs.
All Japanese warships in the Pacific will be concentrated in Palmyra. The Kido Butai sadly had no more any of the 6 major Japanese CVs and has only 250 AC (at least all have experienced crews), and is facing probably 3 US CVs and 2-3 British ones, for a total of around 350 AC... So the idea is to let the LBA draw the first blood. The surface warships available are 4 BB, 8 CA, 4 CL, and 25-30 DDs.
The more Yamamoto was thinking to it, he saw no means of stopping an Allied landing in any place, and that left Pearl Harbor as the only place able to hold in the area. The mega-minefields (result of four months of daily clicking...) will probably decimate the invasion TFs, but will they be able to stop bombardment of PH ? A lucky hit on a CV by a submarine or an open sea minefield will really help the Japanese defence.
The Allied commander had probably chosen the best possible date for his first offensive move.



Southern Pacific

A new attack was launched against Suva on the 18 with the support of the BB Yamato, 5 CA, 3 CL and 10 DD that bombard night and day and hit 880 men, 8 guns and 5 vehicles, and scored 3 hits on the airbase, 5 on airfield supplies, 29 on runways, 10 on port, 3 on port supplies and 6 on fuel. 17 Vals from Nandi bombed the 2nd USMC division and hit 7 men. The KB did launch a raid with 49 Kates (1 lost to AA and another ditched) against the Allied artillery unit of the base, the 26th FA Rgt, that lost 155 men and 2 guns, but was attacked in the evening by the SS S-33, that was unable to get trough the escort and was chased by 5 and then 6 DD southeast of Suva. The attack failed at 0 to 1 (1313 ASS points vs 1347 after coreections) but the engineers destroyed another fort level, reudcing it to 3. Japanese losses were 1965 men, 18 guns and 1 tank, Allied ones 455 men, 15 guns and 9 tanks.
After this relative failure, Japanese troops reverted to artilley fire and the Japanese CVs left toward Pago-Pago for recompleting bomb stocks.

The next two days were more quiet. The MSW Kyo Maru 5, hit by a patrolling B-25C some time ago, sank off Nandi on the night of the 18-19, while the 4500-ton AP Chifuku Maru was scuttled at the same place in the evening. Nandi Vals hit two Allied submarines, the Dutch KVII on the 19 and American S-33 on the 20. 17 Vals from Nandi bombed again the 2nd USMC on the 19, hitting 12 men and 1 tank, and on the 20 9 Betties and 7 Nells from Pago-Pago attacked the airfield, hitting 7 men, 2 airbase buildings and 1 supply dump and leaving 5 hols in the runways. In two days, artillery fire hit 31 Japanese and 130 Allied.

Another attack was launched on the 21. In the preceding night, the Yamato TF (1 BB, 4 CA, 3 CL, 7 DD) bombed the base before sailing to Pago-Pago and then probably to Hawaii. 121 men and 1 vehicle were disabled, the airbase was hit once, the runways twice, the port twice and supplies once. At the same time 3 MSW found a new minefield off Nandi. In the morning the SS S-39 tried to attack the ASW group patrolling SE of Suva (5 APD). She was unable to find a firing position but wasn't detected.
The deliberate attack reduced the fort level to 2 and achieved a ratio of 1 to 1 (1501 ajusted ASS points to 907, the best ratio so far). Japanese losses were still heavier (1699 men, 40 guns, 1 tank vs 921 men, 28 guns and 16 tanks) but the local commander is confident enough to order a shock attack for tomorrow. It is hoped it will destroy all fortifications, and maybe take the place. He asked a last effort to his men, but didn't tell them that the Navy was retiring most ships and aircraft from the area to counter the threat on Hawaii.

Solomons-New Guinea

Japanese engineers expand the airfield of Truk to size 8. Four DD should arrive shortly from Davao and will be used for FT operations to take small Solomons and New Britain bases around Rabaul.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

Allied airmen continued to be very active in this area. On the 18, a Nell was shot down by the CAP over Darwin while 48 B-25C and 24 Beaufort V-IX from Darwin bombed Aru Island under escort of 10 Kittyhawk I, failing to hit anything and losing a Beaufort in a crash.

The next morning 84 B-17E from Darwin attacked Sorong and scored 21 hits on the oilfields but only hit installations already disabled, leaving the 5 intact centers running. A B-17E was lost in an accident. In the afternoon five more operationnal losses occured when four raids were launched from Australia. The first three raids were from Darwin. 20 Beaufort V-IX bombed Aru Island and lost one, 27 LB-30 hit Amboina (70 men and 1 gun disabled, 8 hits on the base, 4 on supplies and 12 on runways) and 37 B-25C and 7 T.IVa attacked Lautem (8 casualties, 1/2/4 airfield hits) but lost 4 B-25Cs in a storm. Ten B-25C from Derby missed Koepang.

The next night, two FT TF that left Kendari on the evening of the 18 reached Aru Island and one picked up 2100 men of the Imperial Guard division, while the other was unable to find the planned beach and returned empty. The next morning 4 B-25Cs from Darwin were sent to attack them but didn't find their target. These TFs returned home on the 21.
In the afternoon of the 20, Aru was bombed by 19 Beaufort V-IX from Darwin escorted by 9 Kittyhawk I. They scoredo ne port hit but lost one Beaufort in an accident. 48 B-25C from Derby bombed Koepang, hitting 41 men and 1 building and cratering 19 times the runways but losing one of them to AA fire. 47 B-25C and 7 T.IVa from Darwin attacked Lautem and scored 1 hit on the airbase, 3 on supplies and 12 on the runways, doing 41 casualties, but one of each type was lost in an accident.

Five raids from flown in the afternoon of the 21st. 30 LB-30 from Darwin attacked Kendari airfield. They were intercepted by 36 A6M2, 31 Nates, 23 Oscars and 9 A6M3 and a bloddy battle saw 11 LB-30, 4 Nates, 3 A6M2 and 1 Oscar fall. Only 6 LB-30 reached the target but they bombed efficiently, destroying 2 Oscars and 2 Tabbies on the ground, hitting 30 men, 1 gun, 2 buildings and leaving 4 craters on the runways. 25 Beaufort V-IX escorted by 16 Kittyhawks bombed and missed Aru Island. 85 B-17E attacked Sorong airfield, scoring 9 hits on the airbase, 4 on supplies and 51 on runways and doing 215 casualties. On Timor, 35 B-25C from Derby bombed Koepang (12 casualties, 3/1/25 AF hits) and 53 B-25C and 6 T.IVa attacked Lautem,scoring one hit on supplies and 2 on runways. They were 3 more losses, a B-25C shot down by AA over Koepang and a B-17E and a Beaufort lost in accidents.

The damaged BB Ise and Hyuga sailed from Davao on the 18 with two DD as escort, while the four other DD that were there sailed to Truk (that has no warship bigger than a PG).
The FT missions to Aru Island won't be repeated: too dangerous with the heavy bombers concentrated in Darwin, and FT TF are not good at all to pick up disabled squads. Six barges were sent from Amboina to Aru Island and should arrive on the 22 or 23. They will evacuate soldiers still on the island.

Southern Ressource Area

The Zuid Garrison Battalion didn'y keep Benkolen for long. After a raid by 31 Ki-21 from Palembang on the 18 that hit 20 men and 1 guns, the 137th IJNAF Base Force landed there on the 19 and 20 (314 casualties) and launched on the 20 an attacked supported by 41 Ki-21, 32 Ki-27 and 28 Ki-30 from Palembang, that hit 38 men and 1 gun. The Dutch were defeated at 36 to 1 and surrendered (717 POW, around 15 troop points) while the Japanese lost 33 wounded and killed.

The usual transport operations were not stopped by this episode.

Burma

Japanese engineers expand the airfield of Rangoon to size 6, and then stopped working on it and will build more fortifications (current level is only 2). One Const Bn left the city and was sent to Mandalay. That was the only noticeable event. Rangoon Zeroes will LRCAP Akyab and hope to intercept Allied bombers here when good weathe will return but thunderstoms raged the last four days.

Philippines

Manila continued to get pounded by Japanese guns and by aircraft when the weather allowed it. In four days, Clark Field airmen flew 425 sorties (118 Ki-21, 78 Ki-48, 66 A6M2, 63 Vals, 52 Ki-49, 48 Kates) and hit 423 men, 5 guns and 2 supply dumps, while Japanese shells hit 488 men and 1 tank and lack of supplies disabled 739 more men.

The Japanese reinfoircements (HQ Southern Army, 35th Bde and 2 Tk Rgt) have all finished landing in Naga and are marching to Manila, as are the troops (several SNLF and Eng Rgt) that were sent to Clark Field for R&R. A new attack will be launched next week.

China

Nothing really new here. All Japanese troops ordered to Wuchow and Homan were in place in the evening of the 17 and joined the artillery fire at both places. Both cities are probably lacking supplies, their garrisons being reduced respectively of 350 (225 hit by shells) and 438 (422 hit by shells) in four days. In Homan, Japanese troops are waiting for a good weather day to have the best aerial support possible and will then launch a schock attack.

The Chinese situation is better more north. 13 units are in Sian, and 7 in the hex NW of the city, on the raod to Kungchang. They are probably busy preparing defences here, so Homan will probably not be defend nails and toes.

More north, the Chinese supply situation is better and despite losing 166 men to Japanese artillery fire in 4 days, Kungchang saw the number of its able defenders only reduced by 127. In Lanchow the Japanese are the side lacking supplies and Chinese artillery began pounding them on the 20 and hit 90 men and 3 guns in 2 days. A Tk Rgt and an Eng Rgt being here received orders to march to Yenen. They should leave the city NE by the road, and then one of the two units will march west to cut the Sining-Lanchow road. One IJA Base Force (with 30 ASS points) left Yenen and will keep a part of the Yenen-Kungchang road, enabling one of the units actually doing this duty to move to Lanchow-Sining area.

In this area, Allied aircraft were the most active. On the 18, the 110th Japane Div was attacked near Kungchang by 23 Hurricanes and 5 P-40B from Lanchow and lost 88 men and 2 guns, while a regiment of the 27th Div besieging Lanchow was hit by 23 Hurricanes from Sining and lost 41 men. These raids were repeated on the 20, the 37th Div losing 86 men and 1 tank in Kungchang and the regiment of the 27th 22 men in Lanchow.

Japan

An Allied submarine was seen on the 19th and the 20th in the Bonins area, but there still had been no submarine attack in Japanese waters.

Someone in the Japanese industry ministery took a strange decision: he converted all Ki-43-Ib factories to Ki-61 Tony. As it seems to me that the Ki-43-Ib will be used until the arrival of the Ki-84, and that the actual pool is rather small, I will probably have to convert one of my small factories to Ki-43-Ib again to produce some in the future.

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

There will probably be no summer lull... my opponent is sailing the kitchen sink to Hawaii ! More details below...

Hmmm... attacking well protected and build up Hawaii in summer of 1942 without superiority... I seriusly doubt the success of that endavour for Allies... the Japanese Emperor will be pleased with yet another great victory to come!


Leo "Apollo11"

22 July 1942

Hi Leo, actually I am not ready in Hawaii. My position would have been much stronger in one or two months.

There are two possibilities. Either my opponent thinks I fully commited in Suva, Manila and Kai, and he can take back PH with a fast operation. Then he will land in PH and the 25000 mines and 900 ASS points under fort 9 will stop him cold....

Or he will do like me and land in Lahaina. I am not able to hold the base, and I don't see how I will take it back if he lands two divisions here... then it will be an attrition battle between Lahaina and PH, and attrition battles are never good for Japan.

I don't think I will have a working KB before September. The IJN will commit near Hawaii only if the LBA has seriously depleted the Allied power.

Central Pacific

During the night, the SS USS Finback reconed the approaches of Pearl Harbor and hit a Type 93 mine but survived the explosion, and two missed attacks by Japanese aircraft later in the day.

During the day, Glens continued to follow the Allied fleet and one (of I-33) was again shot down. The Allied fleet speed was calculated to be 300 miles per day, but she had lost cohesion and was in the evening 120 miles long (see attached map below).

Nine ML and two MSW left Hawaii for Palmyra, some other will remain disbanded in PH.

Th aerial reinforcement operation continued, and still without op losses. 23 A6M2 Zero flew from Palmyra and arrived in PH, bringing the total number of fighters here to 101. 26 other flew from Saipan to Wake and 11 from Marcus to Midway. 27 Betties from Tokyo also arrived in Midway, while 20 vals from Marcus reached Wake. 17 Zeroes rested for one day in Tokyo.
A new unit was chosen to reinforce PH, the 27 A6M3 defending Pago-Pago. They flew aboard the KB (overcrowding one of the CV) because they lack the range to fly by their own. They will be flown out as soon as possible.

Southern Pacific

Four MSW sweep all Allied mines off Nandi in the morning. Japanese airmen bombed Suva, 9 Betties and 8 Nells from Pago-Pago hitting the airfield, disabling 61 men and 1 gun and scoring 14 hits including 2 on supplies, while 17 Vals divebombed the 2nd USMC Div and hit 26 men but AA fire shot down one.
The Japanese shock attack in Suva achieved 1 to 1 ratio and destroyed another fort level (now level 1). Losses were heavy (2888 men and 31 guns, compared to 838 men, 19 guns and 6 tanks on the Allied side) but all units are still in good shape regarding disruption and fatigue and the assault will be continued tomorrow, with the same aerial support and the support of two bombardment TF made of .... please don't laugh... 2 DD, 5 PG and 5 APD. All other warships have left toward Japan for repairs or Hawaii for the impeding battle.

The TK Baldbutte, badly damaged by the KB on 27-28 June, had been confirmed by Japanese intelligence to have been scuttled.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

A Nell flying recon over Darwin was shot down by the Allied CAP.

Burma

44 B-17E from Dacca bombed Taung Gyi and scored 6 ressource hits, I forgot to check the real results of the raid.

Philippines

Japanese guns hit 146 men in Manila, lack of supply disabled 222 more.

China

9 Ki-51 from Kaifeng bombd Homan and scored 10 hits, 3 on the base, 1 on supplies and 6 on runways !

Japanese artillery fire hit 53 men in Homan, 119 in Kungchang and 26 in Wuchow, while Chinese guns hit 82 men and 3 guns in Lanchow.

NW of Sian, a Chinese unit marched NW and reached the Japanese positions along the Sian-Kungchang road. Japanese troops won't react and will continue to build fortification (half Bde has fort level 3, both divisions level 1).

Japan

The Shokaku (SYS 16) and Soryu (SYS 10) arrived in Tokyo and were disbanded for repairs and upgrades.

36 Zeroes left Japan for operationnal training in PI, 9 Vals did the same but went to China.

23 July 1942

Central Pacific

1000 miles ENE of Pearl Harbor, the SS I-28 was chased and sunk in the morning by a DMS and a DD. A Glen and her crew was lost with her. Another submarine reported a SBD, another proof of the presence of US CVs.

A new strategy was chosen for the defence of Hawaii. Only Emilies and Zeroes will remain in PH, Betties, Vals and Kates will fly to Midway, Johnston and Palmyra. 133 Zeroes were in PH in the evening of the 23, including 26 just arriving from Wake. A small TF (a CL and 6 DD) will remain off PH to draw Allied planes and slow bombardment TF. It is a sacrifice mission for sure…
The Kaga and Hiryu (SYS damage 11 and 13) will join the KB and be used in the battle. Some aerial reinforcements are still on the move: 20 Vals flew from Wake to Midway and 17 Zeroes from Tokyo to Wake. During the moves of the day occcured the first two op losses of the reinforcement, a Nell and a Zero, but all airmen were saved.
The SS I-122 was ordered to lay minefield in open sea on the probable path of the incoming Allied fleet.

Southern Pacific

Two new Allied minefields were discovered off Pago-Pago and partly swept but a DD and an AK were badly damaged by Mk 10 mines here during the night and the day. Six MSW were ordered to sweep these mines.

The assault continued in Suva. Both bombardment TF were totally inefficient, not a ship appeared on the combat report, even the DDs (small ones, Ototi and Hato, maybe they didn’t have guns big enough). 15 bombers from Pago-Pago (9 Betties and 6 Nells) did a little better, hitting 10 men, 2 supply dumps and 4 runways, but the 17 Vals from Nandi that attacked the 2nd USMC Div only wounded 3 men. But the shock attack of the day destroyed the last Allied fortifications with a 1 to 1 ratio. Losses were 1486 men and 17 guns for Japan and 688 men, 9 guns and 9 tanks for the Allied. The assault will continue tomorrow, but without the unefficient naval support. All these ships were recombined into two ASW groups.

Timor-Amboina-Australia

The AP Jinrai Maru sand in Kendari port during the night, a late victim of the Kai opeartion. In the afternoon, Allied patrol AC were active around Aru Island. Two of the 6 barges sent there were sunk by a B-25C and a Beaufort, while a B-17E hit the SS I-165 north of the island.
The four remaining barges loaded all remaining paratroops in the island, leaving around 1000 men of the Imperial Guard. The damaged I-165 (68/54/0) and the other submarine in the area sailed for Soerabaja.

Southern Ressource Area

Three 1500-ton AP began to load supplies in Palembang for Benkolen.

Burma

24 B-17E from Dacca attacked Moulmein but disabled only one ressource center, leaving 82 running, while losing one of their number to bad weather. A raid of 61 Blenheim IV, 14 Il-4c and 9 Wellington III with 22 P-40B as escort also took off from Dacca to attack Pagan ressources but did no new damage and a Blenheim was lost in a crash.
48 SB-2c from Chandpur attacked the Yokosuka 4th SNLF in the jungle NE of Akyab and hit 75 men and 1 gun. One Chinese bomber was lost in a crash.

Philippines

Bad weather continued to ground most of the Japanese airmen and only 20 Ki-21 bombed the airfield of Manila, hitting 30 men and scoring 4 hits on the airbase, 4 on supplies and 14 on runways. Artillery fire disabled 35 more men, lack of supplies 354 more.

China

Eight Ki-51s from Kaifeng bombed again Homan airfield and scored 1 hits on the airbase, 1 on supplies and 9 on the runways.

Artillery fire hit 93 Chinese in Homan, 46 in Wuchow, 45 and 2 guns in Kungchang and 20 Japanese and 2 tanks in Lanchow.

Two Chinese units are now sharing the hex SE of Kungchang with Japanese troops blocking the Sian-Kungchang road.
In Lanchow both Japanese units ordered to leave the city didn’t move at all in 4 days. To try to make them move, I changed their destination to the hex immedialty to the E of their current position.