Lambs to the slaughter (Lowpe (J) vs Jocke; BillBrown (A)) Finished

[Lowpe]

Katha

[Lokasenna]

Dat's a lot of Nicks.

[Lowpe]

August 23, 1943

Four British heavy cruisers bombard Rangoon, shutting down the air field and destroying 23 planes on the ground. An amazing performance[:(]...

Allied forces scatter on the planes moving south, southwest. The lead column is strafed by Nicks after the sweeping Franks destroy 4 Jugs. Unfortunately, the main strike force of Nicks was at Rangoon and were grounded.

Another tank column is bombed by south of Katha. Light damage is inflicted in both cases.

The convoy heading south pictured, was the target of a targeted naval strike that I had running for several days before moving out the bombers yesterday. Pity. My best guess is that there is close to 2000 AV there in the plains perhaps more with a nasty chunk of tanks.

Allied heavy bombers strike Katha, inflicting no losses but supply drain and 15 points on the runway.

[Lowpe]

That is the kind of damage that 5 battleships were doing daily to Pearl.

[Lowpe]

Burma

Allies lose 5 more C47 today. Orange arrows are how I anticipate the supply heading out. Not to mention all the troops around Katha are pulling from there too.

[jwolf]

That was quite a bombardment at Rangoon! [X(] Even took you below the garrison limit. Kudos to Jocke for a perfectly timed gutsy move. Your air support is really low at Rangoon, too -- is that a temporary problem due to the disruption from the bombardment?

[Lokasenna]

Keep in mind that supplies can flow from further bases, it doesn't have to be just the closest ones.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

This strafing attack goes remarkably well. Unfortunately one Sentai of Oscar IV hits the Indian and Chinese Divisions to the north and gets really savaged.

Perhaps 100 or more Helens and Sallys bomb from 9K but despite the excellent crews losses there are disappointing. Another 100 twin engine bombers hit the Chinese and Indian Divisions to the north and losses there are respectable.

This strafing attack goes remarkably well. Unfortunately one Sentai of Oscar IV hits the Indian and Chinese Divisions to the north and gets really savaged.

Perhaps 100 or more Helens and Sallys bomb from 9K but despite the excellent crews losses there are disappointing. Another 100 twin engine bombers hit the Chinese and Indian Divisions to the north and losses there are respectable.

Nice way to build your pilots experience levels with minimal risk!

It's just a shame that the flak routine is pretty unforgiving with low-level attacks.

How is your Nick investment panning out?

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: jwolf

That was quite a bombardment at Rangoon! [X(] Even took you below the garrison limit. Kudos to Jocke for a perfectly timed gutsy move. Your air support is really low at Rangoon, too -- is that a temporary problem due to the disruption from the bombardment?

I have moved a slug out, since the jungle runways are now level 4 or 5. I have more coming.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Keep in mind that supplies can flow from further bases, it doesn't have to be just the closest ones.

I know, but these are the two closest, plus the others still use the same land route. His troops can only move to where a valid supply line can be traced, but I probably won't ever get that far due to his 4E bombers.

[Lowpe]

I have six FB squadrons...one is moving from China to Burma and the other is at Truk about ready to make runs on some paratroopers.

When the FB aren't strafing good ground targets they are flying deep CAP over places that could be bombed but without escorts.

Very happy with them.

[Lowpe]

Aug 24, 1943

Nicks and Oscars strafe the first two columns, and there is no flak against them. Then wave after wave of Sallys and Helens hit them from the polite distance of 5000 feet.

A final Helen sentai hits the troops south of Katha.

No Allied LRCAP. Rather, they sweep Katha with Corsairs and Hurricanes today, and then set all their bombers on destroying the runway there -- which they do. The lone AA unit ran out of ammo yesterday, and just watched the bombers fly by.

[Lowpe]

19 100# SAP bombs for this six vp merchant.

[Lowpe]

The final splinter attack on the Allied troops west of Magwe...



Morning Air attack on 3rd Carabiniers Regiment, at 56,47 , near Magwe

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 48 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-Ic Sally x 11

No Japanese losses

Allied ground losses:
Vehicles lost 7 (5 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Aircraft Attacking:
11 x Ki-21-Ic Sally bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb


Another Sally strike:

Morning Air attack on 3rd Carabiniers Regiment, at 56,47 , near Magwe

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 47 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIb Sally x 20

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIb Sally: 5 damaged

Allied ground losses:
24 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 14 (4 destroyed, 10 disabled)

Aircraft Attacking:
20 x Ki-21-IIb Sally bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb

[Lowpe]

Some Oscars making hay!

Morning Air attack on Gardner's Horse Regiment, at 56,47 , near Magwe

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 24 NM, estimated altitude 3,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 34

No Japanese losses

Allied ground losses:
11 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Vehicles lost 16 (2 destroyed, 14 disabled)

Aircraft Attacking:
34 x Ki-43-IIb Oscar bombing from 100 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Gardner's Horse Regiment, at 56,47 , near Magwe

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 39 NM, estimated altitude 3,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 32

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 2 damaged

Allied ground losses:
5 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Vehicles lost 12 (1 destroyed, 11 disabled)

Aircraft Attacking:
32 x Ki-43-IIb Oscar bombing from 100 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb

[Lowpe]

Not too much difference between Oscars and Nicks.

Morning Air attack on 637th Tank Destroyer Battalion, at 56,48 , near Magwe

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 33

No Japanese losses

Allied ground losses:
36 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 11 (1 destroyed, 10 disabled)

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x Ki-45 KAIa Nick bombing from 100 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
30 x Ki-45 KAIa Nick bombing from 100 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb

[Lowpe]

Destroying about 5 squads a day at Katha.

Ground combat at Katha (61,43)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 1566 troops, 93 guns, 186 vehicles, Assault Value = 620

Defending force 25826 troops, 430 guns, 237 vehicles, Assault Value = 782

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

Assaulting units:
112th Infantry Regiment
3rd Tank Regiment
33rd Division
7th Ind.Tank Brigade
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
Botanko Hvy Gun Regiment
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
11th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
54th Field AA Battalion
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
12th JAAF AF Coy

Defending units:
32nd Infantry Division
6th Australian Division

[Lowpe]

So much going on.

I wonder if the British Cruisers were trying to bombard the troops moving down the road.

I made the decision several days ago not to retreat here, but rather fight the 2000 AV on the central plains and attempt to prevent them from taking a base.

I also stepped up my move on the isolated Aussie and Yank division in the Katha pocket.

I've got 4 Frank squadrons and 1 Tojo IIc that sweep the bombing targets. I figure the Allies got to make an attempt to protect them with LRCAP at some point.

We are in monsoon season, in a malaria zone, and getting bombed daily. That can't be good for morale or disablement recovery.

I am debating moving from a ground bombing campaign and trying to penetrate the Ramree CAP to nail the ships there. It would be a blood bath...since the Allies have 150 fighters there, but with perhaps the right timing they might be on LRCAP over the Allied troops? Wishful thinking, I fear, since if the timing was wrong and the sweeps went in last the losses to the bomber force would be ugly.

[Lowpe]

Finally a squadron arrives that can fly the Frances. Only 73 more days for a 2nd squadron to arrive.[:(]

[Lowpe]

August is winding down, and next month sees four sentai (and big ones) able to convert to the Ki61d which is a huge step up with CL cannons. It will take a while to make enough planes for the conversions, but this is a big improvement.

2 are in Magwe, 1 Taberfane, and 1 Nagasaki. With an SR 2 the Taberfane unit will participate around Rabaul I think. The other three in Burma.

The Tabby arrives. This wonder plane is severely limited as the first two squadrons that can use the plane arrive in 130 days and are sized 18; a third and final squadron arrives in 10/44 but it is sized 36 and really can move mountains.

The final new arrival will be the Helen IIb armored bomber. Four squadrons can upgrade to her, 3 Sally and 1 Helen IIa. A fifth and final squadron arrives in 113 days.

In October the first Jack squadron arrives, and the Jack is a true beast. Unfortunately, I will only ever have 4 squadrons of them and they trickle in so the plane really won't be very meaningful.