Spanking Lowpe (NJP72 vs Lowpe (A))

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Will start moving on Chittagong, mostly with restricted troops...while pushing into northeastern Burma.

Starting to think about how to retake Ceylon, but I think that is probably back burner...

Darwin and Broome operations are moving forward...

Kalgoorlie is assembling...

Baker to Tabby is assembling...

Continue pushing our logistics heavily...

So many clicks!

Start reconning every base and when you can clear the air, drop in for a visit . . .

Especially with more units ready to airlift in and possibly a TF ready to sail and drop off supplies and troops.

[Lowpe]

I lost a recon Mitchel yesterday, and need some aviation support to get down the Dimpaur road for the SBs' I am using as recon, so I just put them on rest for a couple of days.

Sometimes I think all of a sudden flooding an area with recon makes for a good diversion.

[Lowpe]

June 8th, 1942

Quiet day.[;)]

[Lowpe]

June 9th, 1942

In the predawn darkness, the 2nd Marine regiment storms ashore at Addu. They are mostly prepared for the objective and two British heavy cruisers provide plenty of accurate fire support!

[Lowpe]

An Sboat off Burma sinks a cargo ship.

[Lowpe]

Illustrious and Formidable launch small strikes to support the landing as there are no IJN ships spotted.


Morning Air attack on 96th JAAF AF Bn , at 16,52 (Addu)

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 1,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Allied aircraft
Fulmar II x 3
Swordfish I x 12

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
32 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x Fulmar II bombing from 100 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 lb GP Bomb
12 x Swordfish I bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb

Afternoon Air attack on 96th JAAF AF Bn , at 16,52 (Addu)

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 7 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Allied aircraft
Albacore I x 5
Martlet II x 18

No Allied losses

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

Aircraft Attacking:
5 x Albacore I bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb

[Lowpe]

As the Mitchell pilots reported, only a standard engineering base force present...the Marines take control of Addu easily.

Our first Atoll invasion a success.[:)]

[Lowpe]

Many lessons learned...recon is important, our forces need better ships to unload with at the beachhead, and of course combined operations with naval bombardments, aerial bombardments help. Landing some Naval support would have been nice...well, it would have been nice to have more assets assigned the op...

All the Allied fleets have a DL of 100/1...and will need to evacuate. Never stay more than one day at a beachhead, unless I am planning something sneaky.

Illustrious has a 3/3 DL and the light cruiser SAG patrolling 45 mile east and north of Addu have 0 DL.

This was an opportunistic landing...and was definitely rushed to achieve surprise....our recon was strong...our mission accomplished so far.






Ground combat at Addu (16,52)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 1817 troops, 5 guns, 8 vehicles, Assault Value = 81

Defending force 347 troops, 6 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 1

Allied adjusted assault: 33

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 33 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Addu !!!

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
H6K4 Mavis: 1 destroyed

Combat modifiers
Defender:
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-), fatigue(-)

Japanese ground losses:
432 casualties reported
Squads: 13 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 41 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 7 (7 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Assaulting units:
2nd Marine Rgt /1

Defending units:
96th JAAF AF Bn

[Lowpe]

The Qboat never supported the invasion with their guns....no supplies or troops to unload.

I think in future having some surface warships merge with the invasion fleet in the AM naval pulse, so they provide naval bombardment support for the afternoon landings would be a good thing too.

Having an AKE to disband into the captured base, if High Command estimates a one day victory, would also be situationally nice, although in crowded waters spending the op points to dally and reload might not be the wisest course of action.

Strange for me for Japan to take the base and never even use it...most likely even a slight dl ping on the invasion fleet would have caused a delay in the invasion.

[Lowpe]

One 12 VP xAP was the most expensive ship at risk, while most of the xAPs were in the 7-8 VP range and one was even only 1 VP.

The 2nd Marine Regiment certainly at risk, and quite a bit of the remaining British warships were involved. Now to escape without any additional cost...

I liked the sub net patrolling a likely path from Colombo.

If I can get the supplies here, this could be shortcut to get PT Boats in theater...worth it or exploit? I think I have a transport TF headed to Cape Town to do the same thing.





The DM didn't fire, but he PC did. Interesting...a factory I never really paid attention to prior.

[Lowpe]

Progress!

[jdsrae]

The town of Tennant Creek grew in response to gold mining in the area in the 1930s. By 1935 some 600 prospectors were working on the goldfields and by 1937 the towns gold production valued at £85,000 accounted for two thirds of the Northern Territory’s total gold output.

Tennant Creek was declared out of bounds to military personnel in late 1941 when the authorities became concerned about potential altercations between Tennant Creek’s mining community and servicemen. In September 1942 all licensed premises along the highway were made out of bounds to service personnel.

Perhaps the occupation force decided not to risk a fight with the Tennant Creek gold miners?

This picture is of a convoy stop at Tennant Creek 1941:
https://northernterritory.com/articles/ ... rt-highway

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: jdsrae

This picture is of a convoy stop at Tennant Creek 1941:
https://northernterritory.com/articles/ ... rt-highway

Fascinating articles....I would love to visit someday. Very enjoyable and thanks for the great link![&o]

[ny59giants]

"The Art of the Amphibious Assault - Allied Version"
I remember the first few times I tried this when playing a PBEM. Not very good, but like you said, a learning experience. There are ways to do it in '42 and early '43 before you get the APA and later the AKA and a different version(s) from mid-'43 and beyond. If using just xAP and xAKs, I would use 3 to 4x the needed capacity and not load extra supply. I would use TFs just with supply to unload along with xAP/xAKs. Of course having those slow LST help when unloading your armor. Another early war tactic is to use those numerous small xAPs (CW xAKs with capacity of 1750 that you should have converted to small xAPs). They are ideal in this role. Of course, a naval BF with naval support always helps.
Those 'slow' BBs now salvaged from Pearl now come in very handy. I tend to place one or two in the Amphib TF as they soak up CD hits and often will fire causing significant disruption. Of course MSW go in those TFs as Nathan loves his mines. [:)]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

"The Art of the Amphibious Assault - Allied Version"
I remember the first few times I tried this when playing a PBEM. Not very good, but like you said, a learning experience. There are ways to do it in '42 and early '43 before you get the APA and later the AKA and a different version(s) from mid-'43 and beyond. If using just xAP and xAKs, I would use 3 to 4x the needed capacity and not load extra supply. I would use TFs just with supply to unload along with xAP/xAKs. Of course having those slow LST help when unloading your armor. Another early war tactic is to use those numerous small xAPs (CW xAKs with capacity of 1750 that you should have converted to small xAPs). They are ideal in this role. Of course, a naval BF with naval support always helps.
Those 'slow' BBs now salvaged from Pearl now come in very handy. I tend to place one or two in the Amphib TF as they soak up CD hits and often will fire causing significant disruption. Of course MSW go in those TFs as Nathan loves his mines. [:)]

Thanks...I did have a separate xakl convoy with KVs unloading supply...the KVs fired, but the actual level of supplies unloaded with pretty poor...but I think they spent the first movement phase reaching the beaches.

I also had a separate AM TF sweeping (remain on station), they hopefully arrived first, but I didn't have enough minesweepers to embed some in the amphibious invasion TF. There was no mines.

I think Canton and Baker Island will be pretty straight forward as long as the IJN doesn't show up...but Marcus will most likely be stuffed with cd guns, mines, and 6k troops.

I did convert those ships to xap...but a lot of my shipping fled off map about a month or two ago for fear of a deep strike by the IJN.

Japan has two plus divisions on Ceylon...it will be a long time before I tackle that I fear. It would be nice to sneak the shipping around Ceylon to Madras and invade from that vector...which would be an order of magnitude less risky. I do have 2 of the Pacific xap class at Calcutta, they can carry 1000 men each plus a handful of xaks. Jaffna might be in our future.[;)]

[Lowpe]

Japan attacked here...don't like all my maluses. I want to eventually get those tanks into China...so they can upgrade to Valentines and perhaps hold the mountain passes. But it is slow progress getting other troops there to relieve them.

Two of my infantry units didn't come out of reserve no attack...as the attack was only 1-1.

Ground combat at Bhamo (63,44)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 4323 troops, 64 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 127

Defending force 1890 troops, 12 guns, 124 vehicles, Assault Value = 149

Japanese adjusted assault: 118

Allied adjusted defense: 94

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0

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

Japanese ground losses:
157 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 12 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

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

Assaulting units:
47th Infantry Regiment
2nd Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
Upper Burma BAF Battalion
13th Burma Rifles Battalion
254th Armoured Brigade

[Lowpe]

June 10, 1942

No couunter at Addu other than a lone Iboat that is spotted. Marines have supply...

Sank an AMc clearing mines at Singers...supplies very low there.

Lost a tanker to an Iboat in Alaska...my bad as I moved the ASW patrol to Kodiak for whatever reason. Fixed and improved.

The Ankang road is lost, I may or may not be able to hold in the circled area, probably not against a determined attack..which this is. Just no supplies.

The other danger is rotating the US TOE units from Tuyun to counter this attack leaves the Tuyun area very vulnerable to a possible attack by the 1st and 2nd Tank Divisions once they are formed up.

Ground combat at 82,43 (near Ankang)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 36229 troops, 216 guns, 569 vehicles, Assault Value = 1317

Defending force 27385 troops, 50 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 914

Japanese adjusted assault: 633

Allied adjusted defense: 580

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
1946 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 155 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 32 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 11 disabled
Vehicles lost 81 (8 destroyed, 73 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
2236 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 236 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 18 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 8 (1 destroyed, 7 disabled)

Assaulting units:
10th Tank Regiment
12th Tank Regiment
3rd Ind.Mixed Brigade
13th Tank Regiment
9th Tank Regiment
9th Ind.Mixed Brigade
8th Ind.Mixed Brigade
110th Division
15th Tank Regiment
3rd Tank Regiment
23rd Tank Regiment
11th Tank Regiment

Defending units:
67th Chinese Corps
47th Chinese Corps
92nd Chinese Corps
3rd Prov Chinese Corps




Japanese attack north of Lashio was at 1-6...

[Lowpe]

Planning out the war....

Short term...Baker to Tabby.

3 months Marcus and Pagan. The USN, Marines and American Army are so strong we will have enough troops to assign prep for all our targets in the Marianas (Pagan and surrounding islands) Marcus, 3 Islands in the Kuriles, and the Jimas. The fights are anticipated at Pagan (maybe) and definitely Marucs. But the real goals are the three islands around Pagan. They can hold plentiful troops, can be built into decent runways and there are three of them Japan would have to attempt to suppress.

This move will obviously trigger a KB response...so we will need some maskirovka![:D] Fortunately, plenty of opportunity from an over expanded Japan.

We are planning for success, so prep will extend down with available troops to Hokkaido and some Japanese Islands. Whether we get there or not is not material. That we are prepared to exploit the crack in the perimeter before Japan can fully defend it is....

This move will create a huge frictional loss for Japan I believe....CV clashes can always be a bit on the dodgy side....and it is early.

Any of you AFBs ever buy out the 13th Armored Divsions?

[Lowpe]

Looking on the big map, it is a darn audacious plan...getting the Marshalls first would be more prudent.

But success leads plenty of opportunity and will cause Japan lots of reshuffling of troops. A thrust to close off the shipping routes to Honshu or Hokkaido invasion could be possible.

A big followup move on Hokkaido seems like the most promising, as moves from Pagan would be under the watchful Japanese eyes and be dependent upon a large victory at sea or Japan ceding the Pagan islands without a CV clash which is a possibility.

[Encircled]

Can you even buy out the 13th Armd Div? I'm not sure its possible

I'm not sure you have the shipping for that

Once the invasion forces split, then you are going to be short of cover

Course, if you know the KB is in the Indian Ocean, then you should be ok

If you don't know where the KB is, then I'd say that this is too ambitious