At dawn we slept...in the cab on the way back from Olongapo

[Cap Mandrake]

Solomons: JJ bombs Buka...we bomb Buin, which has no fighter cover. The B-17's move up to Rennell Is., which is now level 6.

Morning Air attack on Buin , at 109,131

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 27 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-17F Fortress x 7

Allied aircraft losses
B-17F Fortress: 1 damaged

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 23

[Cap Mandrake]

JJ switches to ground bombardment at Buka. Probably they are getting ready to take it back.

Morning Air attack on 2nd/102nd Infantry Battalion, at 109,128 (Buka)

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 37 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 15
Ki-45 KAIb Nick x 8
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 26

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 2 damaged

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

Well, both actually

Morning Air attack on Buka , at 109,128

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 39 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-48-IIa Lily x 47

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48-IIa Lily: 1 damaged

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

Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 19

[Cap Mandrake]

Sundas: Pretty effective bombardment of Koepang. PoW is back in action at Darwin but it's dangerous to use her because the KB may be lurking.

Night Naval bombardment of Koepang at 68,116

Japanese Ships
BB Ise
BB Nagato
DD Oite
DD Matsukaze
DD Minegumo
DD Hamakaze
DD Kagero
DD Makigumo

Allied ground losses:
30 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 43
Port hits 6

[Cap Mandrake]

Burma/Siam: Night naval bombardment of Tavoy. Jap bastards there are real "grass eatahs"

Night Naval bombardment of Tavoy at 54,60

Allied Ships
CA Cornwall
CA Devonshire
CL Birmingham
CL Mauritius
CL De Ruyter
CL Sumatra
CL Java
CLAA Van Heemskerck
DD Norman
DD Napier
DD Nestor
DD Arunta

Japanese ground losses:
108 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled

Airbase hits 7
Runway hits 7

[Cap Mandrake]

Burma/Siam

[Cap Mandrake]

A portion of the air units at Moulemin which is now 7.4 AF with 377 aviation support, perhaps 100 3.7in AAA and 50 Bofors. Eventually we can reduce Bangkok AF and take out the refineries but there are 58 hotshot fighters there still.

[Cap Mandrake]

************December 27, 1942(e)*************

Pretty tame.

New Guinea: Should have taken care of PM some time ago but we were busy.

Night Naval bombardment of Port Moresby at 98,130

Allied Ships
CA Vincennes
CA New Orleans
CLAA San Juan
DD Reid
DD Stack
DD Meade
DD Gillespie
DD Aaron Ward

Japanese ground losses:
34 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Airbase hits 11
Airbase supply hits 9
Runway hits 42
Port hits 6
Port supply hits 4

[Cap Mandrake]

JJ wisely got out of PM in time. 146th IR at PM. Doesn't matter. We are bypassing it.

Morning Air attack on Port Moresby , at 98,130

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 26 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 13

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 10
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 23

[Cap Mandrake]

Sweeps week at Sorong. The base is not useful to us as long as they keep this up.

Morning Air attack on Sorong , at 82,107

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 46 NM, estimated altitude 27,810 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 40

No Japanese losses

Aircraft Attacking:
40 x A6M3a Zero sweeping at 22810 feet

[Cap Mandrake]

PI: Oscar sweeps over Mindanao. We trade 2 of ours for 1 crappy Oscar

Morning Air attack on Malaybalay , at 80,90

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 28,560 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 27

Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk IA x 1
P-38G Lightning x 3
P-40E Warhawk x 4
P-40K Warhawk x 1

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
P-38G Lightning: 1 destroyed
P-40K Warhawk: 1 destroyed


And

Morning Air attack on Malaybalay , at 80,90

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 25 NM, estimated altitude 24,560 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 7

Allied aircraft
P-40K Warhawk x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 1 destroyed

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
2 x Ki-43-IIa Oscar sweeping at 22560 feet *

[Cap Mandrake]

Epic smackdown at Clark. A Jap division melts away. We are back up to level 1 forts and they lack the engineers to take them down. Very gratifying.

Ground combat at Clark Field (79,76)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 37806 troops, 512 guns, 359 vehicles, Assault Value = 1114

Defending force 35176 troops, 445 guns, 535 vehicles, Assault Value = 923

Japanese adjusted assault: 469

Allied adjusted defense: 3418

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

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

Japanese ground losses:
5889 casualties reported
Squads: 34 destroyed, 190 disabled
Non Combat: 7 destroyed, 49 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 34 disabled
Guns lost 74 (4 destroyed, 70 disabled)
Vehicles lost 33 (5 destroyed, 28 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
205 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 33 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 8 (1 destroyed, 7 disabled)
Vehicles lost 18 (3 destroyed, 15 disabled)

Assaulting units:
16th Division
14th Division
48th Division
7th Tank Regiment
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
25th Army
20th Ind. Mtn Gun Battalion
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Art.Mortar Regiment
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment

Defending units:
51st PA Infantry Division
192nd Tank Battalion
627th Tank Destroyer Battalion
637th Tank Destroyer Battalion
71st PA Infantry Division
1st Constabulary Regiment
21st PA Infantry Division
26th PS Cavalry Regiment
762nd Tank Battalion
194th Tank Battalion
45th PS Infantry Regiment
91st PA Infantry Division
803rd Aviation Engineer Battalion
632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion
4th Constabulary Regiment
III/Prov'nl SPM Grp
4th PAAC Avn Sup
35th Avn Sup
1st USMC AA Battalion
501st Coast AA Regiment
165th Field Artillery Battalion
200th & 515th Coast AA Regiment
II/Prov'nl SPM Grp
11th PAAC Avn Sup
24th PS FA Regiment
88th PS Field Artillery Regiment
Clark Field AAF Base Force
I/Prov'nl SPM Grp
!/23rd PS FA Battalion
209th Field Artillery Battalion
86th PS Field Artillery Battalion
301st PA Field Artillery Regiment

[Cap Mandrake]

The Philippine infantry on Luzon is in good morale with experience in the high 50's. The USMC regiment on Luzon is being flown into Batan Is south of Formosa (which was never captured by the LYB's). That will be a nasty surprise at some point.

I found a way to get some RAF fighters (Hurris) to Luzon. That will help.

[T Rav]

Any chance of getting a large map of the Philippines and Formosa area?

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

PI: Oscar sweeps over Mindanao. We trade 2 of ours for 1 crappy Oscar

If you had made that trade for a Oscar-Ia, Ib or Ic, I'd have agreed. However, the IIa, IIb, III and IV Oscar models are decidedly 'so-so'. [:'(]

[Cap Mandrake]

Luzon et environs

[Cap Mandrake]

*************December 28, 1942(e)*************

Burma, Andamans, Siam and Vietnam [:)]: "Heavy damage" Yathink?

Sub vs Sub: SS O24 attacking SS I-124 at 51,61 - near Mergui

Japanese Ships
SS I-124, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS O24

[Cap Mandrake]

Jalatarang was trying to unload supplies at Port Blair. Didn't even see Kirishima coming. Our nearest recon planes are at Moulmein.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Port Blair at 46,58, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima
DD Yamakaze
DD Suzukaze
DD Ikazuchi
DD Shinonome
DD Murakumo
DD Hatakaze

Allied Ships
xAKL Jalatarang, Shell hits 3, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

Bastards don't even send escorts when they bomb Mergui. I've unloaded about 200K supply at Moulmein and it is starting to percolate over the mountains toward out troops north of Bangkok and even up toward Kunming. Supply coming from Cochin in India and Calcutta

Morning Air attack on Mergui , at 53,62

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-48-Ib Lily x 13

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 1 damaged

Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

Getting ready to attack this unpronounceable burg in Siam

Morning Air attack on 3rd RTA/C Division, at 58,61 (Nakhon Ratchasima)

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 14

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
150 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

The Immortals are still holding out near the Indian border. I think they have an underground city by now. I finally sent a few Indian divisions walking up the road toward Rangoon but it took forever.

Ground combat at 56,42 (near Chittagong)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 10220 troops, 167 guns, 182 vehicles, Assault Value = 438

Defending force 15012 troops, 67 guns, 120 vehicles, Assault Value = 339

Japanese ground losses:
26 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
13th Burma Rifles Battalion
7th Indian Division
73rd Motorised Brigade
Bannu Brigade
24th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
1st Bombay Construction Battalion
26th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
23rd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
21st Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
25th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
1st Bengal Construction Battalion
1st Madras Construction Battalion
Pathan Construction Battalion
6th Medium Regiment
12th Indian Engineer Battalion
Sikh Construction Battalion

Defending units:
Imperial Guards Division
15th Army
55th Mountain Gun Regiment