9th July, 1942
BURMA/INDIA
Illustrious and Hermes are in position NW of Colombo, but today the Japs decided to pull back to Trimcomalee again. On the way home a Jap CL meets Beauforts out of Madras and is sunk.
I pull the Brit CVs back, but only a short ways. Lets see where KB is and try and dance around them, I think he thinks the RN is entirely elsewhere.
he is almost, but not entirely, correct. [;)]
My two Chinese units at Calcutta seem to repair at least one assault point of damage every day. One of them just came up to 100 assault points today. Wow. I highly advise unit rotation to any reading this AAR, provided the pools are plentiful it really doesnt even take long. A month or two of R&R will work wonders.
DEI
Quiet. Heavy bombers are resting at Koepang, going to see about some offensive moves with them tomorrow. Lots of shipping in the area...
CHINA
Still stalemated. Some Blenheims are bombing him at Chungking now, for what its worth.
SOPAC/AUS
Lunga is being developed, my marine raiders took Tulagi today for fun. My APs are still massing at Noumea in readiness for the trip to Canton Island with troops embarked. Takes so long to slowly build up an attack.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
Baker Island is hit by the biggest Allied raid yet of the war, almost 100 Fortresses aimed at the port. And the poor Japs have a month to endure this damage too before I commence landings.
Got lots of subs in the Marshalls and Gilberts covering the routes back to Japan or Truk, Kwajalein appears to be his only major base and it has been mined fairly heavily by S-boats. I seriously doubt his navy will make an appearance here, it looks like the majority of it is in the Indian Ocean. Soon we'll see just what the SNLF are made of...
EUB vs Sprior - see who gets his banana straightened
Moderators: wdolson, Don Bowen, mogami
RE: Lunga recaptured
10th July
BURMA/INDIA
Some battleships stray near Madras and get Beauforted. Kirishima takes 3 torpedo hits from Beauforts. Hudsons out of Colombo (where did they come from? Something upgraded) and Vildebeest hit APs at Trimcomalee but dont score any hits.
Yamato + CVs sighted west of Ceylon, the British carriers pull right the way back. Looks like he might be planning a raid along the west coast of India, in which case it'll be evac time. Waiting till tomorrow to better gauge his intentions there.
The heavies are going to pound his troops on the trail tomorrow. Lets bleed him as well as we can.
CHINA
Still all mired. I think he'll need to commit more troops to crack this place, or leave Chungking alone and send everything he has to Sian (or viceversa).
DEI
Setting my fortresses at Koepang to bomb the oil at Soerabaja tomorrow. Its more a test of his air defences than anything else. I think half the Allied Beaufort force is at Koepang, I'm just itching for him to move a bit closer. [:D]
SOPAC/AUS
Pretty much quiet. Some Jap shipping is sighted by sub pickets around Rabaul and NE of New Guinea, probably supply convoys. Needless to say the subs dont actually attack anything...
Big convoy of AKs has just left Pago Pago with a big aviation unit headed for Lunga.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
Just when I say no Jap ships in Centpac, a Jap convoy is sighted at Tarawa. My US carriers are 2 days steaming from there at full speed as they are between Lunga and Canton Island - what the hell, its raiding time. The American force (3 x CV) is dispatched to Tarawa to see if we can sink things. The Anglo-American force (2 Brit CV, USS Enterprise) keeps headed for home - Pearl.
BURMA/INDIA
Some battleships stray near Madras and get Beauforted. Kirishima takes 3 torpedo hits from Beauforts. Hudsons out of Colombo (where did they come from? Something upgraded) and Vildebeest hit APs at Trimcomalee but dont score any hits.
Yamato + CVs sighted west of Ceylon, the British carriers pull right the way back. Looks like he might be planning a raid along the west coast of India, in which case it'll be evac time. Waiting till tomorrow to better gauge his intentions there.
The heavies are going to pound his troops on the trail tomorrow. Lets bleed him as well as we can.
CHINA
Still all mired. I think he'll need to commit more troops to crack this place, or leave Chungking alone and send everything he has to Sian (or viceversa).
DEI
Setting my fortresses at Koepang to bomb the oil at Soerabaja tomorrow. Its more a test of his air defences than anything else. I think half the Allied Beaufort force is at Koepang, I'm just itching for him to move a bit closer. [:D]
SOPAC/AUS
Pretty much quiet. Some Jap shipping is sighted by sub pickets around Rabaul and NE of New Guinea, probably supply convoys. Needless to say the subs dont actually attack anything...
Big convoy of AKs has just left Pago Pago with a big aviation unit headed for Lunga.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
Just when I say no Jap ships in Centpac, a Jap convoy is sighted at Tarawa. My US carriers are 2 days steaming from there at full speed as they are between Lunga and Canton Island - what the hell, its raiding time. The American force (3 x CV) is dispatched to Tarawa to see if we can sink things. The Anglo-American force (2 Brit CV, USS Enterprise) keeps headed for home - Pearl.
RE: Lunga recaptured
I let a few days pass as its more slow grinding than dramatic action atm.
15th July, 1942
BURMA/INDIA
His carrier raid didnt go much past Tivandrum. He bombed the airbase at Bangalore with his carrier air, and got a pretty good ratio - 3 to 1 in aircraft I would say including the ones on the ground - despite defending Spitfires and Hurricanes. Then he lay off the coast of Tivandrum and hasnt moved since, presumably to prevent the RN from intervening at Ceylon.
Colombo is now under siege from two Chinese divisions and supporting armour, with more on the way. The heavies at Bangalore have been lowered to ground support lately, but I dont have much confidence in Colombo holding long.
I got three Chinese divs at Calcutta now on R&R. The most fixed is up to an assault value of 110, not bad as it was down to 80 at time of evac. Hermes and Illustrious remain at Bombay for fear of the KB, Warspite and a small battlegroup remain pinned at Calcutta.
Not much change planned - except I'm moving my huge transport a/c fleet to Bangalore in readiness for aerial evacuation of the island.
DEI
I'm trying to lure him into a costly attack on Koepang by needling at him. I got 50 Fortresses there who take a prod at Soerabajas oil every so often. As Soerabaja has a single Zero squadron, low risk tactics are being used - very high level (25,000 feet) bombing, or 5000' night bombing. Its almost without effect, but every so often I get 1 or 2 hits for minimal loss, and it'll add up in time unless he does something about it.
SOPAC/AUS
After the invasion of Lunga and my recon of Fortress PM its all gone quiet here. Lunga now has 1750 mines, 72 Airacobras were relocated to Derby. Some of the EAB units I pulled back out of Lunga, as it had way too many engineers. That has meant I got about 10 APs still in the South Pacific when I really need them in the Central Pacific, but thats life.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
Quiet for months, this is where the action will be for the next month or so of game time. The carrier raid I proposed in my last post had to be called off due to lack of fuel, the detour was too big. So instead, my battleships, which had made it to Canton Island already, made a daring sortie. He had no a/c in the Marshalls whatsoever beyond patrol a/c, and not many of those, so I figured it a calculated risk. The battleships engaged a small Japanese convoy at Tarawa, heavily damaging a DD, several PGs and a couple of APs, and spent a full day bombarding the Jap garrison there. Today it is given the order to retire to Canton Island at full speed.
Kwajalein (airfield 4) has an angry red aircraft symbol, Maleoelap (airfield 4) and Jaluit (airfield 0) have less angry aircraft symbols, so I guess those are patrol a/c. Tarawa seems to be without garrison, maybe he was evaccing it when the battleships surprised him? or maybe the battleships disrupted his deployment of some forward units. Either way, Tarawa and Baker Island look nicely exposed and I'm gonna have 'em.
The carrier fleet is either at Canton or Palmyra, with a refit at Pearl remaining the intent. Its Avenger time so the naff Devastators are being upgraded. Ground units and APs are miles away (Fiji) so assaults wont be happening for a while yet.
Norpac is still quiet. Of course.
15th July, 1942
BURMA/INDIA
His carrier raid didnt go much past Tivandrum. He bombed the airbase at Bangalore with his carrier air, and got a pretty good ratio - 3 to 1 in aircraft I would say including the ones on the ground - despite defending Spitfires and Hurricanes. Then he lay off the coast of Tivandrum and hasnt moved since, presumably to prevent the RN from intervening at Ceylon.
Colombo is now under siege from two Chinese divisions and supporting armour, with more on the way. The heavies at Bangalore have been lowered to ground support lately, but I dont have much confidence in Colombo holding long.
I got three Chinese divs at Calcutta now on R&R. The most fixed is up to an assault value of 110, not bad as it was down to 80 at time of evac. Hermes and Illustrious remain at Bombay for fear of the KB, Warspite and a small battlegroup remain pinned at Calcutta.
Not much change planned - except I'm moving my huge transport a/c fleet to Bangalore in readiness for aerial evacuation of the island.
DEI
I'm trying to lure him into a costly attack on Koepang by needling at him. I got 50 Fortresses there who take a prod at Soerabajas oil every so often. As Soerabaja has a single Zero squadron, low risk tactics are being used - very high level (25,000 feet) bombing, or 5000' night bombing. Its almost without effect, but every so often I get 1 or 2 hits for minimal loss, and it'll add up in time unless he does something about it.
SOPAC/AUS
After the invasion of Lunga and my recon of Fortress PM its all gone quiet here. Lunga now has 1750 mines, 72 Airacobras were relocated to Derby. Some of the EAB units I pulled back out of Lunga, as it had way too many engineers. That has meant I got about 10 APs still in the South Pacific when I really need them in the Central Pacific, but thats life.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
Quiet for months, this is where the action will be for the next month or so of game time. The carrier raid I proposed in my last post had to be called off due to lack of fuel, the detour was too big. So instead, my battleships, which had made it to Canton Island already, made a daring sortie. He had no a/c in the Marshalls whatsoever beyond patrol a/c, and not many of those, so I figured it a calculated risk. The battleships engaged a small Japanese convoy at Tarawa, heavily damaging a DD, several PGs and a couple of APs, and spent a full day bombarding the Jap garrison there. Today it is given the order to retire to Canton Island at full speed.
Kwajalein (airfield 4) has an angry red aircraft symbol, Maleoelap (airfield 4) and Jaluit (airfield 0) have less angry aircraft symbols, so I guess those are patrol a/c. Tarawa seems to be without garrison, maybe he was evaccing it when the battleships surprised him? or maybe the battleships disrupted his deployment of some forward units. Either way, Tarawa and Baker Island look nicely exposed and I'm gonna have 'em.
The carrier fleet is either at Canton or Palmyra, with a refit at Pearl remaining the intent. Its Avenger time so the naff Devastators are being upgraded. Ground units and APs are miles away (Fiji) so assaults wont be happening for a while yet.
Norpac is still quiet. Of course.
RE: Lunga recaptured
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Colombo
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 33032 troops, 269 guns, 114 vehicles
Defending force 27230 troops, 255 guns, 5 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 7)
Japanese ground losses:
3349 casualties reported
Guns lost 55
Vehicles lost 4
Allied ground losses:
56 casualties reported
Guns lost 6
Vehicles lost 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That was the majority of his Ceylon forces as currently deployed. Looks like Colombo might turn out to be more of a pain in his ass than I thought.
Ground combat at Colombo
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 33032 troops, 269 guns, 114 vehicles
Defending force 27230 troops, 255 guns, 5 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 7)
Japanese ground losses:
3349 casualties reported
Guns lost 55
Vehicles lost 4
Allied ground losses:
56 casualties reported
Guns lost 6
Vehicles lost 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That was the majority of his Ceylon forces as currently deployed. Looks like Colombo might turn out to be more of a pain in his ass than I thought.
Colombo clings on
17th July, 1942
BURMA/INDIA
He's not taking Colombo without reinforcement, I underestimated the combat power of the baseforces there. The baseforces in question are remnants from the DEI which got shipped over to India as cadres in subs, and have since grown significantly. So yes, moving cadres is a Good Thing (tm). Unfortunately the reinforcements are already on the trimcomalee->colombo trail...
His ASW efforts are pretty good, none of my subs are hitting anything. I unchained the heavies today to try and take out some APs but they all went for CAs/BBs instead and their 500lb bombs just bounced off.
KB is now east of Ceylon (ie, down, looking at the map).
CHINA
His forces in Chungking have been cut off from supply now for over a week thanks to my guerilla efforts. I ordered a deliberate attack today to see how the assault points stack up. I feel like I have to try and push him off because he's got lots of divs chasing my guerillas, and he might get his supply line open again soon...
DEI
Koepang is almost an airfield 6. This is important, as when it reaches that level it won't be malarial anymore, and as the place is filled mostly with scraps of baseforces it means reinforcement can start flooding in.
Recon suggests Soerabaja has lost about 25 oil over the weeks of high level bombing, I think thats an overestimate however.
Jap shipping spotted around Soerabaja now as well?
Surely this pain in the ass in his side must be getting to him by now. *evil*
4th Dutch Regiment at Derby is now on 100 assault points, up from a low of 60 or so. Pondering whether to ship it to Koepang.
SOPAC/AUS
Been looking at the defences of Australia, the north coast was pretty weak, with just 1 div + 1 Bde at Darwin and DEI remnants at Derby. I'm sending two more divisions from the south east to the north coast, one to Derby, one more to Darwin, to make up.
The South Pacific seems very quiet and devoid of Japs.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
The bombing campaign out of Canton Island is sucking Canton dry of supply, its incredible how flying 100 a/c a day on average, plus heavy CAP, drains the coffers. CentPac is actually fairly devoid of supply, for ages I was sending it all to Noumea. Pearl has the most and thats only 50k.
Theres more coming of course, but AKs are so slow and the Pacific is so big that they are a long way away.
BURMA/INDIA
He's not taking Colombo without reinforcement, I underestimated the combat power of the baseforces there. The baseforces in question are remnants from the DEI which got shipped over to India as cadres in subs, and have since grown significantly. So yes, moving cadres is a Good Thing (tm). Unfortunately the reinforcements are already on the trimcomalee->colombo trail...
His ASW efforts are pretty good, none of my subs are hitting anything. I unchained the heavies today to try and take out some APs but they all went for CAs/BBs instead and their 500lb bombs just bounced off.
KB is now east of Ceylon (ie, down, looking at the map).
CHINA
His forces in Chungking have been cut off from supply now for over a week thanks to my guerilla efforts. I ordered a deliberate attack today to see how the assault points stack up. I feel like I have to try and push him off because he's got lots of divs chasing my guerillas, and he might get his supply line open again soon...
DEI
Koepang is almost an airfield 6. This is important, as when it reaches that level it won't be malarial anymore, and as the place is filled mostly with scraps of baseforces it means reinforcement can start flooding in.
Recon suggests Soerabaja has lost about 25 oil over the weeks of high level bombing, I think thats an overestimate however.
Jap shipping spotted around Soerabaja now as well?
Surely this pain in the ass in his side must be getting to him by now. *evil*
4th Dutch Regiment at Derby is now on 100 assault points, up from a low of 60 or so. Pondering whether to ship it to Koepang.
SOPAC/AUS
Been looking at the defences of Australia, the north coast was pretty weak, with just 1 div + 1 Bde at Darwin and DEI remnants at Derby. I'm sending two more divisions from the south east to the north coast, one to Derby, one more to Darwin, to make up.
The South Pacific seems very quiet and devoid of Japs.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
The bombing campaign out of Canton Island is sucking Canton dry of supply, its incredible how flying 100 a/c a day on average, plus heavy CAP, drains the coffers. CentPac is actually fairly devoid of supply, for ages I was sending it all to Noumea. Pearl has the most and thats only 50k.
Theres more coming of course, but AKs are so slow and the Pacific is so big that they are a long way away.
RE: Colombo clings on
Don't have the computer to hand so this is from memory of this mornings turn, so...
date is around 20th July 1942, not sure precisely!
BURMA/INDIA
The Jap reinforcements to Colombo turned out to be a small tank regiment, its not sufficient to break the Colombo defences. Dakotas out of Bangalore have picked up a cadre of each of the evacuatable units - many Dakotas were shot down by enemy LRCAP, about 15-20 over several days, but the Dakota pools are vast so their losses dont faze me. I'm going to leave the Daks at Bangalore and when it looks like the base is about to go down attempt a massive airlift of the valuable Indian Division there, as the Indian LCU pools are alwyas empty due to the constant filling out of the Indian Divs all over the place - not like a cadre will be getting much reinforcement...
The heavy bombers at Bangalore are concentrating on the airfields of Trimcomalee now, it looks like his AA isnt yet in place as I'm going in at 5000' and suffering sustainable losses in exchange for 80 runway hits a shot. Defences appear to be one Daitai of Oscars (wholly inadequate) and one of Zeroes, which is responsible for those losses... I dont want him in position to try massive Sally attacks on Bangalore from Trimcomalee, similar to what closed down Javas defences so decisively.
Madras has no LCUs beyond an arty unit I'm using a coastal battery. A single Indian division has been moved from Bangalore to Madras, therefore, to slow him up. Reinforcements from Calcutta - two more LCUs - are dispatched to Bangalore. Given the Chinese units now at Calcutta, this doesn't really imply an unacceptable weakening of the Calcutta/Dacca/Diamond Harbour triangle.
DEI
Soerabaja down to 80 oil now from my Fortresses, the raids continue, at 25-30000 feet depending on how I feel. I lose 2-3 Fortresses a raid but thats a loss I'm prepared to accept. As the Allied submarine force grows I'll place another cluster of boats around Palembang, surely rich pickings for tankers.
I also have submarines patrolling west of the Home Islands now thanks to my forward sub base at Dutch Harbour, today USS Gato came across an ASW TF but turned the tables and sank a Jap MSW with a single torpedo, USS Wahoo fired on a Jap AO but it got off thanks to dud torpedoes (damnnnn, AO = juicy target).
SOPAC/AUS
Marine raiders have been running around the Solomons causing trouble, stealing unguarded Jap bases and reconning the enemy. His attempts to reinforce Shortlands came somewhat adrift when the convoy of 2 AKs was heavily bombed by Marauders and Bostons out of Lunga. Base forces and another 64 Marauders are only a few days out of Lunga now, when they arrive the Solomons Is Mine, as pretty much the whole chain will be in striking distance of my bombers at Guadalcanal (100 medium bombers + 50 Wildcats at Henderson Field, 1 x USMC Div + 1 NZ Bde, 2000 mines, ample base forces).
SE New Guinea meanwhile is now a heavily defended Jap base, bristling with garrisons on both north and south sides, Buna, Gili Gili, Port Moresby, just about every base has some Jap ground unit or baseforce. Looks like a very tough nut to crack, I might have to end up bypassing the whole thing till the late war. [:(]
Not overly bothered about a strike from NG to Australia, the base forces (always apparently the limit of Allied airpower) are already in place, and massed Marauders and Mitchells could be moved there in a day, which should mess up slow moving and easily hit AKs/APs real well.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
Trying something ambitious. Baker Island has been blown to the stone age and is still being pummelled, by the time the APs and AKs are ready to move ground troops there "not a rat will be left alive". Assuming it doesn't turn into the Somme and really does fall relatively easily to my massed assault forces (looking at around 3 divisions plus tanks and plentiful artillery, with those 150 bombers supporting) I want to promptly zip them over to Tarawa within a week of Bakers fall.
With that in mind I'm starting the softening of Tarawa - as its out of range of heavy bombers, the duty falls to battleships. The BBs that did the successful surface sweep around Tarawa have been rearmed at Canton Island and are headed back for more. Tarawa doesnt have an airfield yet, and Kwajalein is a long way away - plus the battleships wont be lingering during the daylight hours - so hopefully this isnt insanely dangerous. In the absence of an effective Japanese counter this'll be an "American Express" between Canton and Tarawa, with the battleships keeping up that pressure until the day of the assaults arrive - when they'll be tasked with assisting at the beachheads.
Meanwhile a dozen Allied submarines cavort in the Marshalls, mostly around Kwajalein, which gets nuisance mined every so often to add to the Jap difficulties.
date is around 20th July 1942, not sure precisely!
BURMA/INDIA
The Jap reinforcements to Colombo turned out to be a small tank regiment, its not sufficient to break the Colombo defences. Dakotas out of Bangalore have picked up a cadre of each of the evacuatable units - many Dakotas were shot down by enemy LRCAP, about 15-20 over several days, but the Dakota pools are vast so their losses dont faze me. I'm going to leave the Daks at Bangalore and when it looks like the base is about to go down attempt a massive airlift of the valuable Indian Division there, as the Indian LCU pools are alwyas empty due to the constant filling out of the Indian Divs all over the place - not like a cadre will be getting much reinforcement...
The heavy bombers at Bangalore are concentrating on the airfields of Trimcomalee now, it looks like his AA isnt yet in place as I'm going in at 5000' and suffering sustainable losses in exchange for 80 runway hits a shot. Defences appear to be one Daitai of Oscars (wholly inadequate) and one of Zeroes, which is responsible for those losses... I dont want him in position to try massive Sally attacks on Bangalore from Trimcomalee, similar to what closed down Javas defences so decisively.
Madras has no LCUs beyond an arty unit I'm using a coastal battery. A single Indian division has been moved from Bangalore to Madras, therefore, to slow him up. Reinforcements from Calcutta - two more LCUs - are dispatched to Bangalore. Given the Chinese units now at Calcutta, this doesn't really imply an unacceptable weakening of the Calcutta/Dacca/Diamond Harbour triangle.
DEI
Soerabaja down to 80 oil now from my Fortresses, the raids continue, at 25-30000 feet depending on how I feel. I lose 2-3 Fortresses a raid but thats a loss I'm prepared to accept. As the Allied submarine force grows I'll place another cluster of boats around Palembang, surely rich pickings for tankers.
I also have submarines patrolling west of the Home Islands now thanks to my forward sub base at Dutch Harbour, today USS Gato came across an ASW TF but turned the tables and sank a Jap MSW with a single torpedo, USS Wahoo fired on a Jap AO but it got off thanks to dud torpedoes (damnnnn, AO = juicy target).
SOPAC/AUS
Marine raiders have been running around the Solomons causing trouble, stealing unguarded Jap bases and reconning the enemy. His attempts to reinforce Shortlands came somewhat adrift when the convoy of 2 AKs was heavily bombed by Marauders and Bostons out of Lunga. Base forces and another 64 Marauders are only a few days out of Lunga now, when they arrive the Solomons Is Mine, as pretty much the whole chain will be in striking distance of my bombers at Guadalcanal (100 medium bombers + 50 Wildcats at Henderson Field, 1 x USMC Div + 1 NZ Bde, 2000 mines, ample base forces).
SE New Guinea meanwhile is now a heavily defended Jap base, bristling with garrisons on both north and south sides, Buna, Gili Gili, Port Moresby, just about every base has some Jap ground unit or baseforce. Looks like a very tough nut to crack, I might have to end up bypassing the whole thing till the late war. [:(]
Not overly bothered about a strike from NG to Australia, the base forces (always apparently the limit of Allied airpower) are already in place, and massed Marauders and Mitchells could be moved there in a day, which should mess up slow moving and easily hit AKs/APs real well.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
Trying something ambitious. Baker Island has been blown to the stone age and is still being pummelled, by the time the APs and AKs are ready to move ground troops there "not a rat will be left alive". Assuming it doesn't turn into the Somme and really does fall relatively easily to my massed assault forces (looking at around 3 divisions plus tanks and plentiful artillery, with those 150 bombers supporting) I want to promptly zip them over to Tarawa within a week of Bakers fall.
With that in mind I'm starting the softening of Tarawa - as its out of range of heavy bombers, the duty falls to battleships. The BBs that did the successful surface sweep around Tarawa have been rearmed at Canton Island and are headed back for more. Tarawa doesnt have an airfield yet, and Kwajalein is a long way away - plus the battleships wont be lingering during the daylight hours - so hopefully this isnt insanely dangerous. In the absence of an effective Japanese counter this'll be an "American Express" between Canton and Tarawa, with the battleships keeping up that pressure until the day of the assaults arrive - when they'll be tasked with assisting at the beachheads.
Meanwhile a dozen Allied submarines cavort in the Marshalls, mostly around Kwajalein, which gets nuisance mined every so often to add to the Jap difficulties.
RE: Lunga recaptured
I tend to keep a strong Corps at Calcutta, Hyderabad with a smaller reaction force at Ahmabad
Then keep tripwire forces at Chandpur/Dacca (Dacca more than Chandpur) Diamond Harbour and Madras, Bombay and Karachi
Of these Madras is usually at least Divisonal Strength.
I try to keep my inland reaction forces at least 2 Inf Divs or equivalent with Bdes and an Armoured Bde a corps HQ, 2 or 3 Art Regts and a BF or 2.
Ahmabad gets the 3rd Armoured Bde and at least an Inf Bde
As more forces rebuild/ arrive I then strengthen secondary coast bases, or the tripwires.
If you dont he will land and get ashore.
Madras is probably the place that has to be defended in most strength of the coastal forces given that Hyderabad Corps will take a week to get there.
Andy
Then keep tripwire forces at Chandpur/Dacca (Dacca more than Chandpur) Diamond Harbour and Madras, Bombay and Karachi
Of these Madras is usually at least Divisonal Strength.
I try to keep my inland reaction forces at least 2 Inf Divs or equivalent with Bdes and an Armoured Bde a corps HQ, 2 or 3 Art Regts and a BF or 2.
Ahmabad gets the 3rd Armoured Bde and at least an Inf Bde
As more forces rebuild/ arrive I then strengthen secondary coast bases, or the tripwires.
If you dont he will land and get ashore.
Madras is probably the place that has to be defended in most strength of the coastal forces given that Hyderabad Corps will take a week to get there.
Andy
ORIGINAL: EUBanana
Today is the 25th, yesterday the 24th. My bad.
The Supreme Commander is puzzled. 3 Jap TFs in Blenheim range of Calcutta headed NW hove into view today. Recon suggested CAs and APs but some of my Wimpies had a crack at them - at least some of them turned out to be MLs, of all things, in force, 3 or 4 of them. A few bombs hit home too, so not bad effort.
I dunno what hes doing. A feint? A cockup? A diversion?
My port strike on Rangoon was totally ineffective. Recon of Rangoon today picked up - get this - 16 units, and a listed strength of 30,000 (which I reckon is crap, given Lunga you may as well multiply that by 4). So something big is in the offing.
Oddly, recon only picked up 9 aircraft at Rangoon.
???
your guess is as good as mine.
Recon of Mandalay picked up 9 units but thats not so scary, they have been there for quite a while and are, I believe, somewhat screwed up by malaria.
A Japanese light force of CL + DD went over my sub picket in the Malacca Straits and a Perch class had a go. Dud torpedoes and it got heavily depth charged and is unlikely to make it home but we'll see. The heading of the TF is unknown but presumably its going NW.
In answer to the above, current land unit dispositions in India are (not including base forces, only combat units) :-
Karachi : None
Bombay : Indian Division (little one), 1 Arty, Fortification 6
Bangalore : UK Bde, Indian Division (little one), Fort 5
Madras : Arty (using it as a coastal battery), Fort 4
Colombo : Indian Division (big one) Fort 6 (almost 7)
Trimcomalee : None
Diamond Harbour : 1 Arty
Calcutta : 3 Indian Div, 1 Indian Bde, Armoured Bde
Chandpur : 1 Arty
Asansol : 1 UK Div, 1 Armoured Bde
Jorhat : 1 Indian Bde
1 UK Div and 7th Armoured stuck on a hill SW of Jorhat, about 2 weeks from getting back on the railroad. Ledo is picking up 2 Chinese divs from Myritkina.
Ground reinforcements fairly soon (within a month) :-
3 Chindit Bdes at Karachi
Indian Bde at Colombo
Major airfields (>270 av support and airfield at least 5)
Bangalore
Bombay
Calcutta
Dacca
Ledo
Royal Navy :
2 Battleships
1 CV
1 CVL
About a dozen submarines
Assorted lesser ships
(not good eh)
Just about every base in India has some limited ability to hold a/c. Currently just about every frame is at Calcutta or Dacca, with Colombo holding a lesser force of Beauforts.
Setting the bombers to skip bomb tomorrow to clean up his MLs which foolishly are in range. Aside from that I'm gonna have to wait and brace myself for what dastardly scheme SPrior has in mind.
Elsewhere, disturbing quiet across the pacific...
RE: Lunga recaptured
The Ceylon assault has given the game away and you will be well ready for him by now if he hasnt tried a major landing
RE: Lunga recaptured
ORIGINAL: Andy Mac
I tend to keep a strong Corps at Calcutta, Hyderabad with a smaller reaction force at Ahmabad
Then keep tripwire forces at Chandpur/Dacca (Dacca more than Chandpur) Diamond Harbour and Madras, Bombay and Karachi
Of these Madras is usually at least Divisonal Strength.
I try to keep my inland reaction forces at least 2 Inf Divs or equivalent with Bdes and an Armoured Bde a corps HQ, 2 or 3 Art Regts and a BF or 2.
Ahmabad gets the 3rd Armoured Bde and at least an Inf Bde
As more forces rebuild/ arrive I then strengthen secondary coast bases, or the tripwires.
If you dont he will land and get ashore.
Madras is probably the place that has to be defended in most strength of the coastal forces given that Hyderabad Corps will take a week to get there.
Andy
Well... guarding the back door I've got a division at Bombay, the three Chindit Brigades at Karachi.
After I've moved around a bit I'll have a division at Madras.
All the British artillery is in CD mode, covering the various big ports.
The two main linchpins of the Indian defence are at Calcutta and Bangalore - given he has landed at Ceylon I'm denuding Calcutta somewhat and reinforcing Bangalore now, so it'll have the bulk of my reserves.
I figure if he wants to land I won't be stopping him, he has the KB there, so he has complete air superiority wherever he needs it. He can get to the coastline easy.
Bangalore is a nice central spot where Beauforts and Fortresses can reach out and touch him along a huge chunk of Indian coastline, and LCUs can be quickly dispatched along the RR to Bombay or Madras, as needed.
One slight strategic issue is that China is being pressed exceptionally hard in this game, he's at the gates of Chungking in force already, and the Chinese have been beaten back at just about every turn. But the Burma Road remains open and is helping keep the Chinese on life support. i know its not much but the situation is hairline there, and it forces me to keep a garrison in Myritkina to keep it open.
It is fortunate I have ample transport capacity to move units to and from Myritkina.
RE: Lunga recaptured
I would always have a few units prepping for Ahmabad/Delhi if an invasion of India is possible and a rebuilding bf or 2 there building forts. (This is my last line of defence as Karachi can be bombarded to rubble if IJN can base battlewagons at Bombay.
If he gets off the coast having landed at say Madras the only real place you can stop him is North India. Central India (as Wobb found out) is a very hard place to defend.
I dont think Art acts like CD's so I would keep them back off the coast to support your reaction forces. (except 155mill CD Guns)
Andy
If he gets off the coast having landed at say Madras the only real place you can stop him is North India. Central India (as Wobb found out) is a very hard place to defend.
I dont think Art acts like CD's so I would keep them back off the coast to support your reaction forces. (except 155mill CD Guns)
Andy
RE: Lunga recaptured
22nd July 1942
BURMA/INDIA
Part of KB shows up off Chandpur and tries to sink Warspite, who is holed up there, bottled up in the Bay of Bengal. Unfortunately one of the Allied Kate-attracting MSWs is there and takes all the torpedoes. Spitfires shoot down a few precious Navy pilots without loss. Chandpurs fighter strength is doubled, and the RN TF disbanded into the port, to limit further damage.
Elsewhere lots of convoy activity in the Bay of Bengal, I've a cluster of subs at each end (ie Rangoon and Trimcomalee) but they seem real timid. Thunderstorms have grounded the aircraft for the last few days.
CHINA
He finally cleared his Chungking supply routes after about a month of having them cut off. Looks like my attack at Chungking was timed about right, it really was my best chance. Unfortunately it didnt work. He has learned his lesson now, and has a string of Japanese units spread out across his entire Chinese supply line. The month of August will see me test these defences around the centre of the theatre, if I can't break his supply lines again, another diversionary attack will have to be attempted.
DEI
Fortress Koepang remains. An enormous AK/TK convoy about level with Java now with oodles of fuel and supply. I would like to diversify a bit and build up Lautern now but I'm still very strapped for base forces.
SOPAC/AUS
He's hoovering up islands around Rabaul now which he didnt already take. Fair bit of convoy activity in the area still. Lunga now has a brace of PT boats. Allied defensive mining continues apace, every ML and DM in the fleet pretty much is busy here.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
Quiet - but its the quiet before the storm. my APs are now 1 day from Canton Island. I'm thinking of having a go at Baker Island without CVs, as the huge airbase at Canton is in range and I have three battleships available - and as the KB is miles away - I dont think I need carrier support. Supply is coming down from Pearl Harbour, as thats the limiting factor now. Units are preparing for Tarawa, I think Baker should be a fairly easy fight (we hope), Tarawa might be much tougher, and I still have this quick advance in mind.
I estimate the invasion of Baker Island will begin in 7 days, allow 2 weeks for Baker to fall, and then hit Tarawa - this will give the CVs 3 weeks of refit time, which at Pearl, with ARs, should be enough to get them battle ready, though perhaps not polished to a blinding shine. There are quite a lot of ships at Pearl, the shipyard is busy.
8 CVs. [:D]
BURMA/INDIA
Part of KB shows up off Chandpur and tries to sink Warspite, who is holed up there, bottled up in the Bay of Bengal. Unfortunately one of the Allied Kate-attracting MSWs is there and takes all the torpedoes. Spitfires shoot down a few precious Navy pilots without loss. Chandpurs fighter strength is doubled, and the RN TF disbanded into the port, to limit further damage.
Elsewhere lots of convoy activity in the Bay of Bengal, I've a cluster of subs at each end (ie Rangoon and Trimcomalee) but they seem real timid. Thunderstorms have grounded the aircraft for the last few days.
CHINA
He finally cleared his Chungking supply routes after about a month of having them cut off. Looks like my attack at Chungking was timed about right, it really was my best chance. Unfortunately it didnt work. He has learned his lesson now, and has a string of Japanese units spread out across his entire Chinese supply line. The month of August will see me test these defences around the centre of the theatre, if I can't break his supply lines again, another diversionary attack will have to be attempted.
DEI
Fortress Koepang remains. An enormous AK/TK convoy about level with Java now with oodles of fuel and supply. I would like to diversify a bit and build up Lautern now but I'm still very strapped for base forces.
SOPAC/AUS
He's hoovering up islands around Rabaul now which he didnt already take. Fair bit of convoy activity in the area still. Lunga now has a brace of PT boats. Allied defensive mining continues apace, every ML and DM in the fleet pretty much is busy here.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
Quiet - but its the quiet before the storm. my APs are now 1 day from Canton Island. I'm thinking of having a go at Baker Island without CVs, as the huge airbase at Canton is in range and I have three battleships available - and as the KB is miles away - I dont think I need carrier support. Supply is coming down from Pearl Harbour, as thats the limiting factor now. Units are preparing for Tarawa, I think Baker should be a fairly easy fight (we hope), Tarawa might be much tougher, and I still have this quick advance in mind.
I estimate the invasion of Baker Island will begin in 7 days, allow 2 weeks for Baker to fall, and then hit Tarawa - this will give the CVs 3 weeks of refit time, which at Pearl, with ARs, should be enough to get them battle ready, though perhaps not polished to a blinding shine. There are quite a lot of ships at Pearl, the shipyard is busy.
8 CVs. [:D]
things are afoot
26th July 1942
BURMA/INDIA
Thunderstorms have stopped air activity over the last few days. Not much has changed. He continues to batter at Colombo but he has nowhere near the force required. His navy still seems to be around Trimcomalee, Vals are attacking my subs so I assume KB, or part of it, is still around.
I set the heavies to try their hand at naval bombing today, there are convoys in range. I think.
I've moved the transports out of Bangalore back to Ledo. They were overcrowding the airfield, and besides, looks like Colombo wont fall immediately. Back to supplying Myritkina and China for them.
CHINA
No change.
DEI
My Fortresses dont want to hit Soerabaja anymore it seems. It is at the outside limit of their range. So I'm switching targets to Kendari's resources - which, as an added bonus, is in Hudson range so they can handle recon.
SOPAC/AUS
In the last few days Japs have landed at Goodenough Island, Shortlands, Torokina, Dobodura, Kavieng. The place is a major fortress - I'm bypassing this future hellhole for sure if I can. My toehold in Lunga has 100 medium bombers there now, so the Solomon chain at least is mine. Not even contemplating an advance up the chain beyond marine raider harassment until we've found out what the gilberts/marshalls are like.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
My offensive here is all going pear shaped before its even started due to lack of supply. Thats what I get for changing my axis of advance off the cuff. Canton Island was well supplied to handle 50 mediums and one division, now its stuffed to the gills with bombers, battleships and jarheads its chewed through that in short order. Air missions there are now very sporadic due to lack of supply - an invasion now would be folly, surely. About 10 AKs of supplies are a couple of weeks away from Canton - more behind - I'm going to have to wait for that now. [:(]
New Mexico, Mississippi and North Carolina have been bombarding Tarawa/Baker Island over the last few days, and we'll keep that steamroller moving at least. I've also decided to go for a sort of mini Operation Hailstone - I've dispatched four CVs from Pearl Harbour - unfortunately two of them are British - to head for Kwajalein, to attritt the airfield and sink any Jap shipping in the Marshalls in readiness for the offensive. As my BBs were skulking around Tarawa without CAP, it cant be that dangerous. ([:D]) Palmyra is being used as a forward base, and AO support should be conjurable for the op.
BURMA/INDIA
Thunderstorms have stopped air activity over the last few days. Not much has changed. He continues to batter at Colombo but he has nowhere near the force required. His navy still seems to be around Trimcomalee, Vals are attacking my subs so I assume KB, or part of it, is still around.
I set the heavies to try their hand at naval bombing today, there are convoys in range. I think.
I've moved the transports out of Bangalore back to Ledo. They were overcrowding the airfield, and besides, looks like Colombo wont fall immediately. Back to supplying Myritkina and China for them.
CHINA
No change.
DEI
My Fortresses dont want to hit Soerabaja anymore it seems. It is at the outside limit of their range. So I'm switching targets to Kendari's resources - which, as an added bonus, is in Hudson range so they can handle recon.
SOPAC/AUS
In the last few days Japs have landed at Goodenough Island, Shortlands, Torokina, Dobodura, Kavieng. The place is a major fortress - I'm bypassing this future hellhole for sure if I can. My toehold in Lunga has 100 medium bombers there now, so the Solomon chain at least is mine. Not even contemplating an advance up the chain beyond marine raider harassment until we've found out what the gilberts/marshalls are like.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
My offensive here is all going pear shaped before its even started due to lack of supply. Thats what I get for changing my axis of advance off the cuff. Canton Island was well supplied to handle 50 mediums and one division, now its stuffed to the gills with bombers, battleships and jarheads its chewed through that in short order. Air missions there are now very sporadic due to lack of supply - an invasion now would be folly, surely. About 10 AKs of supplies are a couple of weeks away from Canton - more behind - I'm going to have to wait for that now. [:(]
New Mexico, Mississippi and North Carolina have been bombarding Tarawa/Baker Island over the last few days, and we'll keep that steamroller moving at least. I've also decided to go for a sort of mini Operation Hailstone - I've dispatched four CVs from Pearl Harbour - unfortunately two of them are British - to head for Kwajalein, to attritt the airfield and sink any Jap shipping in the Marshalls in readiness for the offensive. As my BBs were skulking around Tarawa without CAP, it cant be that dangerous. ([:D]) Palmyra is being used as a forward base, and AO support should be conjurable for the op.
RE: things are afoot
29th July 1942
I'm getting the leadership bug quite badly it would seem. I wondered why so many of my subs refuse to attack - now I know. Seems they left port without commanders... I guess aggression 0 might have something to do with it? [:(]
BURMA/INDIA
He's having a spot of bother with Fortress Colombo. [:D]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Colombo
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 49981 troops, 392 guns, 118 vehicles
Defending force 27031 troops, 258 guns, 7 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 7)
Japanese ground losses:
2907 casualties reported
Guns lost 54
Vehicles lost 4
Allied ground losses:
297 casualties reported
Guns lost 9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thats 4 Japanese divisions engaged now. I'm pondering an aerial reinforcement of the place - but he'll know instantly and then KB could fly LRCAP. If KB moves away I might go for it though.
Air superiority has been lost at Colombo, I pulled out what Hurricane remnants were left to Bangalore.
Heavy bombers are spent after bombing the hell out of his battleship in Trimcomalee instead of the convoys all around the Bay of Bengal. I guess a BB has its uses after all, as a fortress magnet. The flak and low level attacks have screwed up their morale quite badly, so the heavies are going to be out for a week maybe.
On the plus side, I got 3 squadrons of Spitfires at Bangalore now.
Ground reinforcements near Bangalore too, most, though not all, of my reserves.
CHINA
Battles break out on the Jap supply lines to Chungking. I come off worse, though not much worse given how he outnumbers me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at 45,35
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 52383 troops, 685 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 27407 troops, 319 guns, 0 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
3160 casualties reported
Guns lost 87
Allied ground losses:
473 casualties reported
Guns lost 19
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
On the plus side Sian and Chungking look able to hold for quite a while. Hopefully this India affair can be dealt with before they fall.
DEI
Lightnings have been reconning around, Soerabaja is his biggest base near Koepang - 50 fighters, 100 bombers, 10 ground units apparently. I keep plinking him with bombers without much difficulty. Looks like a fairly quiet part of the map really.
60k supply is almost at Lautern, when that is in place, I'll be sending a Dutch regiment there. Its in Beaufort range of Koepang, and so a landing in force there will be costly indeed unless he manages to neutralise Koepang first.
Good luck old bean! [:D]
SOPAC/AUS
Quiet here too pretty much. Northern Australia is pretty tough now, about 400 assault points at Darwin and 200 or so at Derby.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
Carriers are now about four days out of Kwajalein. An AK hit a sub laid mine at Kwajalein today as well, I love it when harassing attacks hit something. [:)].
Allied battleships will be hitting Tarawa in two days as well, and I reckon we got at least 10 days before supply at Canton Island is in a fit state to throw out an assault.
I'm getting the leadership bug quite badly it would seem. I wondered why so many of my subs refuse to attack - now I know. Seems they left port without commanders... I guess aggression 0 might have something to do with it? [:(]
BURMA/INDIA
He's having a spot of bother with Fortress Colombo. [:D]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Colombo
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 49981 troops, 392 guns, 118 vehicles
Defending force 27031 troops, 258 guns, 7 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 7)
Japanese ground losses:
2907 casualties reported
Guns lost 54
Vehicles lost 4
Allied ground losses:
297 casualties reported
Guns lost 9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thats 4 Japanese divisions engaged now. I'm pondering an aerial reinforcement of the place - but he'll know instantly and then KB could fly LRCAP. If KB moves away I might go for it though.
Air superiority has been lost at Colombo, I pulled out what Hurricane remnants were left to Bangalore.
Heavy bombers are spent after bombing the hell out of his battleship in Trimcomalee instead of the convoys all around the Bay of Bengal. I guess a BB has its uses after all, as a fortress magnet. The flak and low level attacks have screwed up their morale quite badly, so the heavies are going to be out for a week maybe.
On the plus side, I got 3 squadrons of Spitfires at Bangalore now.
Ground reinforcements near Bangalore too, most, though not all, of my reserves.
CHINA
Battles break out on the Jap supply lines to Chungking. I come off worse, though not much worse given how he outnumbers me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at 45,35
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 52383 troops, 685 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 27407 troops, 319 guns, 0 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
3160 casualties reported
Guns lost 87
Allied ground losses:
473 casualties reported
Guns lost 19
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
On the plus side Sian and Chungking look able to hold for quite a while. Hopefully this India affair can be dealt with before they fall.
DEI
Lightnings have been reconning around, Soerabaja is his biggest base near Koepang - 50 fighters, 100 bombers, 10 ground units apparently. I keep plinking him with bombers without much difficulty. Looks like a fairly quiet part of the map really.
60k supply is almost at Lautern, when that is in place, I'll be sending a Dutch regiment there. Its in Beaufort range of Koepang, and so a landing in force there will be costly indeed unless he manages to neutralise Koepang first.
Good luck old bean! [:D]
SOPAC/AUS
Quiet here too pretty much. Northern Australia is pretty tough now, about 400 assault points at Darwin and 200 or so at Derby.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
Carriers are now about four days out of Kwajalein. An AK hit a sub laid mine at Kwajalein today as well, I love it when harassing attacks hit something. [:)].
Allied battleships will be hitting Tarawa in two days as well, and I reckon we got at least 10 days before supply at Canton Island is in a fit state to throw out an assault.
RE: things are afoot
1st August 1942
A new month, another British battleship to withdraw. I've not had positive PPs for months now...
BURMA/INDIA
He's still held up at Colombo but I've noticed that my artillery bombardments, which were doing about 200 casualties a pop, are down to do doing him 20 casualties and me 10. I guess the disruption of his units is down now from their trek from Trimcomalee. Still, looks like Colombo will hold quite a while, a la Manila.
No reinforcements for India for some time though so it doesnt make much difference. Bad weather has kept the heavies at Bangalore mostly grounded all this time, on the plus side it means their morale and fatigue are down to acceptable levels now from earlier maulings.
Not much I can do here but wait for his next move, after Colombo has finally fallen.
CHINA
He tried a deliberate attack at Sian a couple of days back, and took 10,000 casualties (!!!). He won't be doing that again no doubt. [:D]. Aside from that, stalemate. He must have 12 units on the road from Chungking to Changsha, my guerilla efforts against that mass are pathetic. Still, thats 12 units tied up on the roads. [;)]
I've started bombing his troops in Chungking with Blenheims out of Ledo, keep that supply burning...
DEI
No change. No action, either.
SOPAC/AUS
Lot of submarine activity around Lunga. I have a naval garrison there now of 5 x DD, they are running around with radar guided depth charges and causing trouble. The Marauders there are set to ASW duty as well - so far I've bagged one sub, I hope to get more in the coming days.
A division from the US lands at Noumea, restoring my garrison there to 2 x Div. I seriously doubt we'll be seeing any more Japanese attacks around here in the war.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
My carrier TF finally made contact with the enemy today, bombing his airfield on the island east of Kwajalein. Not much damage, no Jap aircraft in evidence. Tomorrow will be more interesting, they'll be in range of Kwajalein. Dauntlesses are set to airfield attack, Avengers and Swordfish to port attack. Lots of ships in Kwajalein harbour I think, and i want 'em.
Tarawa and Baker Island are still getting the round robin bombardment treatment while this is going on. I estimate Canton Island will have supply enough to launch my long delayed CentPac assault in about 7 days.
A whole pile of ARs show up in 7 days as well. Excellent.
A new month, another British battleship to withdraw. I've not had positive PPs for months now...
BURMA/INDIA
He's still held up at Colombo but I've noticed that my artillery bombardments, which were doing about 200 casualties a pop, are down to do doing him 20 casualties and me 10. I guess the disruption of his units is down now from their trek from Trimcomalee. Still, looks like Colombo will hold quite a while, a la Manila.
No reinforcements for India for some time though so it doesnt make much difference. Bad weather has kept the heavies at Bangalore mostly grounded all this time, on the plus side it means their morale and fatigue are down to acceptable levels now from earlier maulings.
Not much I can do here but wait for his next move, after Colombo has finally fallen.
CHINA
He tried a deliberate attack at Sian a couple of days back, and took 10,000 casualties (!!!). He won't be doing that again no doubt. [:D]. Aside from that, stalemate. He must have 12 units on the road from Chungking to Changsha, my guerilla efforts against that mass are pathetic. Still, thats 12 units tied up on the roads. [;)]
I've started bombing his troops in Chungking with Blenheims out of Ledo, keep that supply burning...
DEI
No change. No action, either.
SOPAC/AUS
Lot of submarine activity around Lunga. I have a naval garrison there now of 5 x DD, they are running around with radar guided depth charges and causing trouble. The Marauders there are set to ASW duty as well - so far I've bagged one sub, I hope to get more in the coming days.
A division from the US lands at Noumea, restoring my garrison there to 2 x Div. I seriously doubt we'll be seeing any more Japanese attacks around here in the war.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
My carrier TF finally made contact with the enemy today, bombing his airfield on the island east of Kwajalein. Not much damage, no Jap aircraft in evidence. Tomorrow will be more interesting, they'll be in range of Kwajalein. Dauntlesses are set to airfield attack, Avengers and Swordfish to port attack. Lots of ships in Kwajalein harbour I think, and i want 'em.
Tarawa and Baker Island are still getting the round robin bombardment treatment while this is going on. I estimate Canton Island will have supply enough to launch my long delayed CentPac assault in about 7 days.
A whole pile of ARs show up in 7 days as well. Excellent.
1.6 - not good
3rd August, 1942
This 1.6 thing is not good. No combat reports (Simon assures me they are turned on) so I'm half blind especially when it comes to land combat, it doesn't even write to a file so I have any record of it all.
[:(]
We soldier on.
BURMA/INDIA
Thunderstorms all this time, and Colombo still seems firm, he hasnt even shaved one of the 7 fortification levels it has off yet. Clear weather forecast today though, going to have the Bangalore heavies hit Trimcomalee's airfield while Tomahawks sweep it.
Bangalores ground reinforcement is complete, 2 Indian Div, 1 UK Bde, 2 arty, 1 armour, 7th armoured nearly there. Land in southern India at your peril, Simon! Plan to rush to the beachheads and throw him back into the sea if he does land. Madras has 1 Indian Div + 1 arty still, Bombay has 1 UK Div + 1 arty, theres an Indian div on the way to Panaji as well.
Also Bangalore now has 50 fighters, half Spits, half Hurricanes, with reasonable experience though not great.
CHINA
I've thrown out the troops that were besieging Kunchang in the far north east - 3 divisions worth of Japs. A fairly small engagement compared to the huge Chungking/Sian attacks. I'm following him, maybe Yenen is empty?
Potential weak spot in the Jap line near Changsha as well, he shock attacked my Chinese and failed to move them. Going to shock attack him back tomorrow and see if I can send him packing! A thumb on the throat of Changsha would not do him any good at all...
I'll post a screenie of China when I get chance.
Chinese supply remains fairly good. the aerial Burma Road has been flying non stop again, as well as the ground Burma Road.
DEI
My 50 Fortresses now with some upgraded Dutch Hudsons have been really getting stuck into Kendari over the last few days, as it is undefended. I've flattened, according to Lightning recon, 250 resources there. I think thats an overestimate, but still, not bad.
I really wanna go for his oil, but enh. I think an invasion will brew here in time, so short term goals (ie resources) apply. Plus the experience of the crews isnt so good, so good training.
I've got a lot of submarines - 2/3rds of the entire Allied force I'd guess, not including those laid up in port - marking his supply routes. Theres a cluster around Palembang, another around Camranh Bay, a picket line of almost ten boats around the Home Islands, and a few scattered in various channels like the Macassar Straits.
No scores yet though. [:(]
SOPAC/AUS
All quiet... bit of Jap sub activity in the Solomons, but nothing major. No air activity even. Allied operations here are defensive, ie more mining.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
My carriers have been raiding around Kwajalein (Yorktown, Wasp, Formidable, Indomitable). His Marshalls defences seem particularly light. One small squadron of Zeroes at Kwajalein itself, one squadron of unidentified bombers, presumably Betties. No attacks on my CVs were made. I'm concentrating on naval assets, so accordingly several PGs, PCs, MSWs and a couple of AKs/APs were sunk. I caught him just as he was reinforcing Wotje, loaded APs caught quite a few torpedoes from Avengers and Swordfish. Nice.
The carriers are going to linger for a couple of days, really put some shot and shell into him. Elsewhere, its invasion preparation at Canton Island. 150 bombers smashed Baker again (no gun hits despite lots of port attack, looks good re. coastal guns being smashed up), no less than three divisions are being loaded up (1st USMC, Americal, 40th US), AKs with supply are being dispatched to Baker already, battleships are rearming.
The transport TF is 43 ships, with a CA, CLs, DDs and DMSes as support.
All the troops are prepping for Tarawa not Baker, I plan on my lightning strike, two islands in one. Baker has been so pulverised, so smashed and so beaten (1+ month of solid bombing with 150 frames) that surely it won't last long! They've got between 20 and 30 prep points, not much, but better than nothing.
This 1.6 thing is not good. No combat reports (Simon assures me they are turned on) so I'm half blind especially when it comes to land combat, it doesn't even write to a file so I have any record of it all.
[:(]
We soldier on.
BURMA/INDIA
Thunderstorms all this time, and Colombo still seems firm, he hasnt even shaved one of the 7 fortification levels it has off yet. Clear weather forecast today though, going to have the Bangalore heavies hit Trimcomalee's airfield while Tomahawks sweep it.
Bangalores ground reinforcement is complete, 2 Indian Div, 1 UK Bde, 2 arty, 1 armour, 7th armoured nearly there. Land in southern India at your peril, Simon! Plan to rush to the beachheads and throw him back into the sea if he does land. Madras has 1 Indian Div + 1 arty still, Bombay has 1 UK Div + 1 arty, theres an Indian div on the way to Panaji as well.
Also Bangalore now has 50 fighters, half Spits, half Hurricanes, with reasonable experience though not great.
CHINA
I've thrown out the troops that were besieging Kunchang in the far north east - 3 divisions worth of Japs. A fairly small engagement compared to the huge Chungking/Sian attacks. I'm following him, maybe Yenen is empty?
Potential weak spot in the Jap line near Changsha as well, he shock attacked my Chinese and failed to move them. Going to shock attack him back tomorrow and see if I can send him packing! A thumb on the throat of Changsha would not do him any good at all...
I'll post a screenie of China when I get chance.
Chinese supply remains fairly good. the aerial Burma Road has been flying non stop again, as well as the ground Burma Road.
DEI
My 50 Fortresses now with some upgraded Dutch Hudsons have been really getting stuck into Kendari over the last few days, as it is undefended. I've flattened, according to Lightning recon, 250 resources there. I think thats an overestimate, but still, not bad.
I really wanna go for his oil, but enh. I think an invasion will brew here in time, so short term goals (ie resources) apply. Plus the experience of the crews isnt so good, so good training.
I've got a lot of submarines - 2/3rds of the entire Allied force I'd guess, not including those laid up in port - marking his supply routes. Theres a cluster around Palembang, another around Camranh Bay, a picket line of almost ten boats around the Home Islands, and a few scattered in various channels like the Macassar Straits.
No scores yet though. [:(]
SOPAC/AUS
All quiet... bit of Jap sub activity in the Solomons, but nothing major. No air activity even. Allied operations here are defensive, ie more mining.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
My carriers have been raiding around Kwajalein (Yorktown, Wasp, Formidable, Indomitable). His Marshalls defences seem particularly light. One small squadron of Zeroes at Kwajalein itself, one squadron of unidentified bombers, presumably Betties. No attacks on my CVs were made. I'm concentrating on naval assets, so accordingly several PGs, PCs, MSWs and a couple of AKs/APs were sunk. I caught him just as he was reinforcing Wotje, loaded APs caught quite a few torpedoes from Avengers and Swordfish. Nice.
The carriers are going to linger for a couple of days, really put some shot and shell into him. Elsewhere, its invasion preparation at Canton Island. 150 bombers smashed Baker again (no gun hits despite lots of port attack, looks good re. coastal guns being smashed up), no less than three divisions are being loaded up (1st USMC, Americal, 40th US), AKs with supply are being dispatched to Baker already, battleships are rearming.
The transport TF is 43 ships, with a CA, CLs, DDs and DMSes as support.
All the troops are prepping for Tarawa not Baker, I plan on my lightning strike, two islands in one. Baker has been so pulverised, so smashed and so beaten (1+ month of solid bombing with 150 frames) that surely it won't last long! They've got between 20 and 30 prep points, not much, but better than nothing.
the promised pics
OK, heres China...
The Chinese map has been pretty much unchanged for months now.
And something else... [:D]
A quick update to whats going on in CentPac, 3 APs, an AK, and CVE Taiyo were sunk at or near Kwajalein today. Three CLs in port at Kwajalein took a 1000lb bomb each as well.
The Chinese map has been pretty much unchanged for months now.
And something else... [:D]
A quick update to whats going on in CentPac, 3 APs, an AK, and CVE Taiyo were sunk at or near Kwajalein today. Three CLs in port at Kwajalein took a 1000lb bomb each as well.
Baker Island recaptured
7th August,1942
BURMA/INDIA
He now has Sonias at Trimcomalee as well as Oscars and Zeroes. He bombed Colombo with about 15 of them, it didn't do much damage, and 4 Sonias were shot down by flak. A Tomahawk sweep out of Madras meanwhile knocked down a Zero in exchange for one of their own.
A bit more worrying, he started reconning Mannargudi, on the southeast coast of India. There is nothing there, but it make me think he's contemplating landing on the Indian mainland.
I'd like nothing more than to move my heavy bombers to China where the Chinese are getting kicked about and their supplies are slowly dwindling, but I can't with such a threat on India's doorstep.
More worryingly, something is afoot in Burma. A Jap unit is now on the railroad between Mandalay and Myritkina. Blenheims are set to bomb it, and ID it as well. Could be a feint to get me to commit to Burma just as he's about to land in southern India, could be a real attack in a pincer. I've set the three Chinese divisions recovering at Calcutta all this time to head for Ledo (their assault values are all around the 120 mark now), it looks like reinforcements may be needed - and the Chinese, India can spare.
CHINA
Looking quite bad. I have two Chinese corps down to 3 assault points, that gives an idea of how beat up my units are. He seems to have a limitless supply of units, wherever I turn I am outnumbered and outclassed. He has 27 units at Chungking or on the trail from Chungking, and another 15 at Sian, and 7 between Yenen and Kunchang, which is the only spot the Chinese have managed to actually drive him back, if only briefly. Maybe these are his Phillippine units?
Its important I make him pay elsewhere in the meantime, and I think China is going to need urgent support sooner rather than later, I'd guess around 1943. I actually have been planning on an attack upon Mandalay in Burma with British and Chinese units in the hope of taking the pressure off there.
DEI
Its gone quiet here. Lautern got a supply convoy today unmolested by Jap bombers. I'm going to send a Dutch regiment, currently at Derby, to Lautern, so both ends of Timor are garrisoned. Meanwhile my bombers continue to pound Kendari's resources without opposition. The Hudson groups lowest experience is now in the mid 50s, not bad, given they were 25s not so long ago.
SOPAC/AUS
Northern Australias defences are being considerably beefed up - partly as I'm planning on shipping LCUs to Timor which will leave the northern coast undefended. There will be a Bde and a Div at Darwin and 2x Bde and a Div at Derby. I got another SWPAC Aussie Div coming up too but thats going to be planted at Lautern in the fullness of time - which would bring up the Timor garrison to two Australian divisions plus Dutch remnants.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
The Marines stormed onto Baker Island and found it a bit cushy really, as expected. The island was taken in a day, with most of my three divisions not even unloaded. It was guarded by a single 5000 man SNLF unit, which folded like a wet newspaper. I guess all that bombing worked. [:D]
An RCT is being dispatched from Palmyra now to Baker as a garrison, a base force was included in the invasion force so thats already there, and CVE Long Island was actually in the invasion fleet too with Wildcats aboard, they will be unloaded when the moonscape of an airfield has been a bit fixed up.
The three divisions who did the landing are already being loaded up again in readiness for Tarawa, which will get hit as soon as possible. The battleships have already been dispatched on a bombardment mission, the carriers that raided Kwajalein should be near Tarawa as well in about four days.
BURMA/INDIA
He now has Sonias at Trimcomalee as well as Oscars and Zeroes. He bombed Colombo with about 15 of them, it didn't do much damage, and 4 Sonias were shot down by flak. A Tomahawk sweep out of Madras meanwhile knocked down a Zero in exchange for one of their own.
A bit more worrying, he started reconning Mannargudi, on the southeast coast of India. There is nothing there, but it make me think he's contemplating landing on the Indian mainland.
I'd like nothing more than to move my heavy bombers to China where the Chinese are getting kicked about and their supplies are slowly dwindling, but I can't with such a threat on India's doorstep.
More worryingly, something is afoot in Burma. A Jap unit is now on the railroad between Mandalay and Myritkina. Blenheims are set to bomb it, and ID it as well. Could be a feint to get me to commit to Burma just as he's about to land in southern India, could be a real attack in a pincer. I've set the three Chinese divisions recovering at Calcutta all this time to head for Ledo (their assault values are all around the 120 mark now), it looks like reinforcements may be needed - and the Chinese, India can spare.
CHINA
Looking quite bad. I have two Chinese corps down to 3 assault points, that gives an idea of how beat up my units are. He seems to have a limitless supply of units, wherever I turn I am outnumbered and outclassed. He has 27 units at Chungking or on the trail from Chungking, and another 15 at Sian, and 7 between Yenen and Kunchang, which is the only spot the Chinese have managed to actually drive him back, if only briefly. Maybe these are his Phillippine units?
Its important I make him pay elsewhere in the meantime, and I think China is going to need urgent support sooner rather than later, I'd guess around 1943. I actually have been planning on an attack upon Mandalay in Burma with British and Chinese units in the hope of taking the pressure off there.
DEI
Its gone quiet here. Lautern got a supply convoy today unmolested by Jap bombers. I'm going to send a Dutch regiment, currently at Derby, to Lautern, so both ends of Timor are garrisoned. Meanwhile my bombers continue to pound Kendari's resources without opposition. The Hudson groups lowest experience is now in the mid 50s, not bad, given they were 25s not so long ago.
SOPAC/AUS
Northern Australias defences are being considerably beefed up - partly as I'm planning on shipping LCUs to Timor which will leave the northern coast undefended. There will be a Bde and a Div at Darwin and 2x Bde and a Div at Derby. I got another SWPAC Aussie Div coming up too but thats going to be planted at Lautern in the fullness of time - which would bring up the Timor garrison to two Australian divisions plus Dutch remnants.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
The Marines stormed onto Baker Island and found it a bit cushy really, as expected. The island was taken in a day, with most of my three divisions not even unloaded. It was guarded by a single 5000 man SNLF unit, which folded like a wet newspaper. I guess all that bombing worked. [:D]
An RCT is being dispatched from Palmyra now to Baker as a garrison, a base force was included in the invasion force so thats already there, and CVE Long Island was actually in the invasion fleet too with Wildcats aboard, they will be unloaded when the moonscape of an airfield has been a bit fixed up.
The three divisions who did the landing are already being loaded up again in readiness for Tarawa, which will get hit as soon as possible. The battleships have already been dispatched on a bombardment mission, the carriers that raided Kwajalein should be near Tarawa as well in about four days.
RE: Baker Island recaptured
Finally got a couple of turns going, Simon has been busy partying and debauching lately. [:)]
9th August 1942
BURMA/INDIA
A Jap convoy of APs arrives at Trimcomalee with reinforcements for Ceylon, another convoy of AKs is out in the Bay of Bengal. Heavy bombers from Bangalore had a go at them, and did reasonably well - a MSW sunk, two destroyers lightly damaged, CA Tone hit with a lot of ineffective bombs, 2 APs quite badly damaged and an AK hit by a 1000lb bomb from a Fortress (I definitely saw this on the animation!). A Dutch submarine fired a spread at an AP as well, but missed.
CV Kaga is sighted south of Ceylon (left on the map). Not sure if its the whole KB though, Kaga is the only carrier I've sighted repeatedly in the area - where are the others..?
Decisions. Colombo has 400,000k supply so it could hold a long time. I'm pondering reinforcing it by air from Bangalore with a UK Div, but this aerial transport thing makes me think of Stalingrad and gives me the jitters. [:)]. He is suspicious too and has been maintaining constant Zero LRCAP over Colombo, so it won't be without a cost.
I'm sending 7th Armoured to Mannargudi, which he keeps on reconning. Two reasons for this
a) its not a beach like Tivandrum, a possible landing point, currently unguarded
b) If Ceylon falls, I'll want to cut the place off, and Tivandrum is in easy Beaufort range of Trimcomalee.
I will mull the air transport possibilities over the next few turns. I'm inclined to let him take Ceylon, and then rot.
Burma went all quiet by the way, I don't know what that moving unit was there I spotted a while back.
CHINA
My recent modest victories are undone here, Mao's men on the road west of Yenen are repulsed by the Japs - such a sound thrashing that Kunchang is in danger in fact. And the road to Chungking is now decisively cleared.
I'm giving up on the Chungking supply cutting efforts - its tied up about 15 Jap units and given China a few months but its exacted a terrible toll on the Chinese army. They are retreating back to Kweiyang for R&R. He'll be unmolested for about a month now I suspect, we'll have to hope no major city falls in that time.
DEI/SUB OFFENSIVE
Koepang has an airfield 6 and a port 4, but it still seems to be malarial... So much for those plans. [:(]. Is there something further I need do to unmalaria it?
Been bombing Kendari still, not much to report within air range of Timor. Supplies are still being unloaded at Lautern but the intended reinforcements for the place are still in Australia.
The submarine offensive has been fairly negative for the Allies. USS Wahoo on station near Okinawa had a go at a TK (dud torpedoes) and an AK (missed) and is forced to retire for lack of ammo, near Palembang a Dutch submarine O23 caught a bomb and is forced to retire. The nearby USS Whale is moved to Wahoos position as it seems to be a sweet spot where convoys pass.
SOPAC/AUS
The Jap has been quiet here, even his submarine "offensive", if such things can be called when Allied ASW is taken into account, has ended. The bombers at Henderson Field are getting bored, no ships have come into their range - well, ever, actually, its been quiet since they were stationed there pretty much. Allied high command is happy to let sleeping Japs lie in this part of the map.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
My Tarawa assault will happen tomorrow, the transports are 1 hex away. Problem here is shipboard ammo, I've been using the carriers and battleships hard here. Support for the three divisions will be extremely limited - I'm hoping weight of numbers (I mean, 3 divs, come on) will carry the day.
Preliminary port attacks from the Dauntlesses and Swordfish hit no guns, so I'm hopeful that there are no guns to hit. here is hoping. Anyway, orders are given for a battleship bombardment from 3 BB, 1 CA, 4 CL, and the aircraft are ordered to a mix of port and ground attacks in readiness for the troops hitting the beach. LRCAP is ordered over Tarawa as well, just in case.
After this the battleships and cruisers really need a refit. Thats not so bad, there is a reserve cruiser force at Pearl and the veterans of Pearl will be back in action soon.
Supply is much better than it was, and is now under control, though further offensives I think are out. Plan is after I, touch wood, take Tarawa, we'll develop it, have the bombers at Canton hop over to Tarawa, and then work on the northern Marshalls, with the Supreme Commander hoping to take probably Wotje around late September 1942, and then bypass Kwajalein. With the navy retiring while this is going on, hopefully we'll be able to put eight CVs into the field to support this September operation.
The decisive battle is here perhaps? [;)]
9th August 1942
BURMA/INDIA
A Jap convoy of APs arrives at Trimcomalee with reinforcements for Ceylon, another convoy of AKs is out in the Bay of Bengal. Heavy bombers from Bangalore had a go at them, and did reasonably well - a MSW sunk, two destroyers lightly damaged, CA Tone hit with a lot of ineffective bombs, 2 APs quite badly damaged and an AK hit by a 1000lb bomb from a Fortress (I definitely saw this on the animation!). A Dutch submarine fired a spread at an AP as well, but missed.
CV Kaga is sighted south of Ceylon (left on the map). Not sure if its the whole KB though, Kaga is the only carrier I've sighted repeatedly in the area - where are the others..?
Decisions. Colombo has 400,000k supply so it could hold a long time. I'm pondering reinforcing it by air from Bangalore with a UK Div, but this aerial transport thing makes me think of Stalingrad and gives me the jitters. [:)]. He is suspicious too and has been maintaining constant Zero LRCAP over Colombo, so it won't be without a cost.
I'm sending 7th Armoured to Mannargudi, which he keeps on reconning. Two reasons for this
a) its not a beach like Tivandrum, a possible landing point, currently unguarded
b) If Ceylon falls, I'll want to cut the place off, and Tivandrum is in easy Beaufort range of Trimcomalee.
I will mull the air transport possibilities over the next few turns. I'm inclined to let him take Ceylon, and then rot.
Burma went all quiet by the way, I don't know what that moving unit was there I spotted a while back.
CHINA
My recent modest victories are undone here, Mao's men on the road west of Yenen are repulsed by the Japs - such a sound thrashing that Kunchang is in danger in fact. And the road to Chungking is now decisively cleared.
I'm giving up on the Chungking supply cutting efforts - its tied up about 15 Jap units and given China a few months but its exacted a terrible toll on the Chinese army. They are retreating back to Kweiyang for R&R. He'll be unmolested for about a month now I suspect, we'll have to hope no major city falls in that time.
DEI/SUB OFFENSIVE
Koepang has an airfield 6 and a port 4, but it still seems to be malarial... So much for those plans. [:(]. Is there something further I need do to unmalaria it?
Been bombing Kendari still, not much to report within air range of Timor. Supplies are still being unloaded at Lautern but the intended reinforcements for the place are still in Australia.
The submarine offensive has been fairly negative for the Allies. USS Wahoo on station near Okinawa had a go at a TK (dud torpedoes) and an AK (missed) and is forced to retire for lack of ammo, near Palembang a Dutch submarine O23 caught a bomb and is forced to retire. The nearby USS Whale is moved to Wahoos position as it seems to be a sweet spot where convoys pass.
SOPAC/AUS
The Jap has been quiet here, even his submarine "offensive", if such things can be called when Allied ASW is taken into account, has ended. The bombers at Henderson Field are getting bored, no ships have come into their range - well, ever, actually, its been quiet since they were stationed there pretty much. Allied high command is happy to let sleeping Japs lie in this part of the map.
CENTPAC/NORPAC
My Tarawa assault will happen tomorrow, the transports are 1 hex away. Problem here is shipboard ammo, I've been using the carriers and battleships hard here. Support for the three divisions will be extremely limited - I'm hoping weight of numbers (I mean, 3 divs, come on) will carry the day.
Preliminary port attacks from the Dauntlesses and Swordfish hit no guns, so I'm hopeful that there are no guns to hit. here is hoping. Anyway, orders are given for a battleship bombardment from 3 BB, 1 CA, 4 CL, and the aircraft are ordered to a mix of port and ground attacks in readiness for the troops hitting the beach. LRCAP is ordered over Tarawa as well, just in case.
After this the battleships and cruisers really need a refit. Thats not so bad, there is a reserve cruiser force at Pearl and the veterans of Pearl will be back in action soon.
Supply is much better than it was, and is now under control, though further offensives I think are out. Plan is after I, touch wood, take Tarawa, we'll develop it, have the bombers at Canton hop over to Tarawa, and then work on the northern Marshalls, with the Supreme Commander hoping to take probably Wotje around late September 1942, and then bypass Kwajalein. With the navy retiring while this is going on, hopefully we'll be able to put eight CVs into the field to support this September operation.
The decisive battle is here perhaps? [;)]
RE: Lunga recaptured
ORIGINAL: EUBanana
7th July, 1942
BURMA/INDIA
Been hesitating with Illustrious and Hermes. As it looked like the whole Jap fleet was retreating to Trimcomalee I let the Brit carriers retire towards Bombay - now the surface blockaders/bombarders have resurfaced. Snap decision, I decide to "go for it" and the two tiny Brit carriers charge at full speed, hoping for that strike on Jap shipping at Colombo at maximum range.
A Jap DD sinks in the mid Bay of Bengal due to coastal gun fire, and an AP carrying troops is torpedoed just off Rangoon by my lurking subs. He's disbanded some damaged ships at Trimcomalee harbour - today I set the heavy bombers of Bangalore on a night port strike of Trimcomalee.
CHINA
Looking grim. Not much to say really. I look at other AARs (like Tabpubs) with envy, seeing the Kuomintang advancing! Advancing! I'm only just clinging to Sian and Chungking by the skin of my teeth!
Really cocked China up early on and now I'm paying for it alright.
DEI/SOPAC
With the change of plan from taking Port Moresby, the massive bomber base at Cairns has become a bit redundant. I sent 72 Airacobras from Cairns to Derby. I might send em over to Koepang, I might not - not sure. Koepang has 200 fighters now but is a bit down on bombers, there are some Beauforts but not a lot (well, 50 odd, I guess thats a fair bit!). Derby could use a proper garrison anyway, so they are staying there for now.
Lunga is getting another AK convoy fairly soon which should bring it up to 50,000 supply. Then... I can let Lunga stew for a whilewith engineers building things.
I just noticed Koepang has 3 AA divisions there. 3! probably overkill. All the Dutch remnants.
CENTPAC
Fleet relocation is underway. Coronados out of Nanomea Atoll spot 4 Jap AKs at Tarawa, looks like the place is not as sleepy as I thought after all. I have quite a lot of fleet subs marking the Gilberts and Marshalls - probably too many really, its not target rich. Some more fuel and supply is dispatched from SF to Canton Island - it doesnt need it urgently, but if the campaign is going to really roll I better stock up anyway.
APs will be a long time in coming, they are still in the process of rendezvousing at Noumea.
Bombers out of Canton Island are now bombing Baker Island's port facilities. I think I'm gonna land at Baker after all, I dont want to overextend myself. I got plenty of time. Baker can be getting a roasting from Canton Island round the clock while my fleet gets itself upgraded.
NORPAC
Norpac gets a special mention all of its own today, as my submarine activity here is really being cranked up a peg. Sub reinforcements from SF have been routinely sent to Dutch Harbour of late, I now have about 10 subs operating in the far north. Gatos are sent to the strait between Japan and China, S-boats are lurking in the Kuriles.
Tabpub has a BIG ADVANTAGE -we have a house rule -50 pp before assualt, so he always seemed to know where I was going to attack -its a great rule!
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt