Racing the Sunrise: RA 4.0--Japanese Side

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

In the NE the KB plans to make strikes and perform recon of the NE bases. I've always planned on landing at Cairns but what about Bowen? It does have a Sz-1 Port and would make the landing BELOW the forces deployed by Lew in NE Australia. Not sure about this. Will wait for the recon results.

Any thoughts?

I like Rockhampton as it is a transport hub where the rail diverges. No good roads go around it. Also, easy to hit as it's clear, so you should be able to take it quickly. By landing there he also has no idea which way you'll go with your forces. Also, a good field already to use.

A secondary landing at Normanton would complement it, giving a good road into the heart of the NE of OZ.

[John 3rd]

February 25, 1942

Wow. I thought she was holed up somewhere in Australia. I was wrong and that is GREAT!

BANZAI! Scored a pair of Torp hits on her and she was smoking before I ever hit her.

What do I do now?

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

February 25, 1942

Wow. I thought she was holed up somewhere in Australia. I was wrong and that is GREAT!

BANZAI! Scored a pair of Torp hits on her and she was smoking before I ever hit her.

What do I do now?

BANZAI!

Two torpedoes to damaged US CV 50/50 that he sunk. Do you have any allied CV capable planes ground loses reported that turn. Check it. I he sunk you will have at lest 70 or more.

If he still floating i do not think that Lex will make more that 7 knots so no more than 2 hexes move for tomorrow.. Also he will not be able to launch planes so no CAP. If You have some ships in area try to find Lex and sunk (it should be one shot only). But risk is that there can another US CV in area so LCAP your ships.

Also search that area as much as passable. If your ships not kill then your planes will finish job. An maybe they find some cruiser from escort also [:'(]

[John 3rd]

Combat Report
February 24-25, 1942

BIG happenings over these two days!

North Pacific
Nothing major. There are two convoys over at Dutch Harbor. Would love to take a swipe at them but will hold off.

Central Pacific
My little strike force returns from its unsuccessful raid at Christmas. Will let them rest and then take a shot at Pago Pago.

South Pacific
KB Action:
The KB attacks a bunch of differing sites along the NE Aussie seaboard.
1. In a somewhat costly raid, 27 Z, 27 V, and 53 K fight their way through 31 P-40s to attack the port at Townsville. The strike does excellent work in sinking DD Voyager and SS's Purpoise and Stingray. Two US SS: NICE! An AS, 2 AK, PG, and an AMC are also hit. In return for shooting down over a dozen P-40, I lose 7 Zero, 1 Val, and 4 Kate.

2. Port Attack Cairns and Cooktown for no result.

3. Take LOTS of pictures to get an idea of the lay of the land here. Results:
a. Bowen is Pt-1 and has 1 Unit in it.
b. Townsville is Pt/AF-4 and has 7 Units
c. Cairns is Pt/AF-2 with ELEVEN units in it.
d. Cooktown weighs in at Pt/AF-2 with 3 units.

Retire the KB back towards Rabaul after the raid.

Cairns appears to have units that were in PM. Port Moresby did have 11 units in it a week or so ago and it looks like he pulled a few of them (somehow). There are now five present in PM and Cairns appears to be the base that got them. Based on this intel, I think Bowen or Cooktown is the best places for a NE Landing. Rockhampton was suggested above but I think that is too far south for what I want to accomplish. Any thoughts here would be beneficial.

Lady Lex
I am STUNNED on the 25th when Lady Lex makes an appearance east of Noumea! Looks like Lew REALLY wanted those transports. NOT! He just misses a convoy moving north with Imperial Guards moving to Lunga and the TF carrying an SNLF Brigade to Norfolk Isle. ACTION!

AM: The morning is tough. The Japanese launch the first strike of 13 Zero and 14 Betty. They fight through 12 Buffalo. BUFFALO?!! Wow. He hasn't upgraded them? CRAZY! OK. In return for 1 Zero and a single Betty the Japanese score a DUD on Lexington. CRAP. Fighters shotdown 5 Buffalo. Lex's strike comes in with 8 Buf, 14 SBD, 16 Vindicators. They are opposed by 14 Zero. My fighters do quite well in shooting down 7 enemy fighters and 5 DB. BB Hyuga takes 3 1,000lb bombs.

PM: Better second phase. This time 11 Zero and 11 Betty fight their way through just 5 Buffalo. The first 7 Betty drop and miss the nimble Lex. The last group of 4 score TWO TT hits! Excellent. The CV was already smoking some from high SYS Damage (I suppose) so these two hits could be pretty serious. Lex's afternoon response is just 2 Buf and 22 DB. They hit Hyuga two more times but are cut to pieces by my CAP. The Zeros nail 1 Buf and 11 DB! Very pleasant to watch. Hyuga ends the day with 21 SYS Damage (all minor) and served as a fine target.

I have two I-Boats around Suva and they take up interception patrols. Sortie four more out of Noumea.

Fly in another Chutai of Betty and a full Daitai of Zero to Noumea. Set for MAX Range strikes. Lex attacked from a range of 6 so it must move at least 8 hexes to reach the edge of Zero range. Order 36 Mavis and Emily to search from due south of Noumea (in case he makes for NZ) to slightly north of Suva. We'll see what happens here tomorrow...

Norfolk Isle Land here on the 25th and the base is undefended. Just in case anything appears here I order the TF to move NW away from the island.

Philippines
No major developments.

Java
21st Brigade takes Kalidjati on the 24th.

Two bases left and then the Java Campaign is finished.

CVL Shoho will make it to Soerabaja tomorrow.

The Christmas Isle IF is about to land there. Once I have that base then they will make a serious attempt at Cocos.

Malaya
SINGAPORE FALLS on the 24th! BANZAI! A 2-1 attack results in 28,186 POWs from 25 units. NICE! DMS move in immediately to begin Sweeping Operations. Two Inf Div will be pulled from here and sent to New Caledonia to finish the build-up for the main move in Australia. One ID will move up to Burma and the 4th will aid the Perth Operation.

Burma
NUTS! Take Bassein and Mandalay. Moving in on Magwe. Will grab it then wait until I can bring in my other TK Reg and Inf Reg before moving north to Swebo and Myitkina.

Australia
Katherine FALLS to my SNLF Brigade on the 24th. My two TK Reg force the 3rd Aussie Brig to retreat towards Daly Waters. My Paras still hold that base. The 54 Sally and 27 Betty working this area are plastering Aussie troops. The bases at Corunna and Pt Hedlund are really building up and this is positive news.

China
Cannot take Wenchow on the coast. Attack for the 3rd or 4th time and get a 1-4 result. Think I need to pound this place with airpower and maybe bombard it from the sea then try again. Perhaps I could use some 18.1" guns???

Have started driving troops out of the back hexes of China.

Hong Kong CV Soryu arrives and immediately moves into Drydock for repairs. YES!

SS Operations
I-175 sinks AKL Kooyong near Newcastle

Engineering
Langsa, SUM AF-2
Pt Hedlund, Aust AF-2
Madang, NG AF-4

Reinforcements
Am getting a steady stream of reinforcements right now. Got two Garrison units that will move to Manila and Soerabaja to help there. Have some of the new RA units about to come in and will Post Screenshots of them when I have them.

SUMMARY
Singapore FALLS! Makes things so much easier for the big operations.

Lexington: HMMMMMMM...YUMMY...can we bag her? Boy I hope so. Be nice to know I only am facing up to two CVs in the South Pacific. Enterprise was seen just a little less then a month ago near Cocos. We know Saratoga is up north in the Aleutians. Where is Yorktown?

[ny59giants]

I'm amazed that Lew continues to use his limited number of CVs alone. At this point in time, I would feel a little better having at least 2 groups of 2 CVs operating together (either in 2 TF or 1 TF).

Subs - Do you have any patrolling both sides of NZ, South Island?? If I was Lew, I would have TFs bound for Oz going this far south to avoid attacks.

Perth Area - I would aim for 15th March to invade Geraldton to put pressure here.

Cooktown, Cairns, or Townsville - If you invade at Cooktown, then you will have to march over just trails in terrain that benefits the defender and allow him time to react. I would go for Cairns and add another division to attack, if possible. Remember, that of the 5 Aussie divisions here, they all have poor experience levels so they will not get 100% AV.

[John 3rd]

Yaa...the 3rd ID is accounted for above Daly Waters.

Just gave the orders for 8 more SS to join the 5 on patrol around NZ. Perhaps heavy SS work around there would make him think NZ is the target? Makes sense with my obvious build-up that he has noticed at New Caledonia. Maybe I can reinforce that notion.

The 15th is the target date for Geraldton. Looks to be fairly accurate with Singapore going last turn and Java in the final phases. Figure a minimum 2 ID landing there to start with. I shall give time to March 1st to finish things up in Java. SHOULD be possible but we'll have to see.

Grabbing Christmas and then Cocos will certainly make life more difficult in running convoys through so that should help...

Risking a single CV that already has significant SYS Dam (at the least) is rather DANGEROUS. I was expecting her to be joined by at least one more CV and was pretty nervous about that. Luckily it wasn't so...

[John 3rd]

February 27, 1942

The crippled USS Lexington limps east towards Suva. She managed to avoid Japanese planes on the 26th due to weather. Not so on the 27th. Limping along, haven taken a TT and an Ammi Storage Explosion six weeks ago and then two more TTs on the 25th, the sailors are sad to see the clouds and bad weather gone. Japanese search planes fan out and quickly spot the cripple.

A small strike of 6 Zero and 5 Betty depart Noumea and easily fight their way through 2 Buffalo fighters. One Betty attacks from the Port side and the other four come in on the starboard. A few AA guns bark their defiance at the rapidly closing planes. The Port side attack nets a Torpedo hit and the Starboard side adds two more from that angle. In plain sight of the flyers, the Lady Lexington lists sharply to Starboard and slips beneath the waves...

'SCRATCH ONE FLATTOP!"

BANZAI!

One down and six to go...




For next to no cost, the Empire claims a fleet carrier.

[John 3rd]

Operational Orders
Operation Cherry Blossom

It is March 1942. This means the Invasion Bonus runs out in less then a month. It is time for the Invasion Australia: Operation Cherry Blossom. Things are in as good of shape as I could imagine so this is IT! Has anyone taken Australia? We are about to find out if I can.

The PLAN

1. NW Australia: The battle now taking place in NW Australia is perfect. For minimal resources (1 SNLF Brigade and 3 TK Reg) the Japanese have decimated an Aussie Brigade (3rd) and are currently pounding by air the 3rd and 4th Australia Inf DIv. The commitment of two Inf Div up is marvelous. Will do nothing to upset the situation here until the full scale invasion has begun.

2. Preliminaries:
Landings shall take place at Exmouth, Carnarvon, and Lord Howe Island. This bases shall allow Recon and Air Search assets to be moved into place as well as serve as spring boards for Paratroopers. Operations to take these places are currently underway.

3. Nibbling at the edges:
a. NE Australia shall be invaded about the 20th of March by the 3rd and 13th ID supported by the Imperial Guards Brigade and 144th Inf Reg. They shall quite probably land at Cooktown. Once established they shall drive south and threaten Townsville, Charter Towers, etc...
b. Western Australia will get the attention of the 2nd, 4th, and 16th ID landing at Geraldton about the same time (3-20). These units (in conjunction with Paras operating from Corunna Downs) will take Perth and drive east from there. It is HOPED to get a massed surrender somewhere east of Perth. The airborne troops (the two Army Raiding Regiments plus the 90th Inf Reg) will take Kalgoorlie and HOLD it until relieved.

4. The MAIN EVENT:
Landing about 27-28th will be the Assault Force. Twin Landings shall occur above and below Sydney. Newcastle gets the 21st, 38th, and 56th ID while Port Kembla has the 18th, 33rd, 48th ID. The bases shall be secured ASAP while my SNLF Assallt Brigade of Paratroopers (flying in from Lord Howe Island) will cutoff reinforcements by landing at Bathurst. The entire 9th Air Fleet will land with the troops to support nearly 400 aircraft that will fly in for support and aircover. A minimum of 4 ID will advance on and--hopefully--take Sydney.

If successful, Australia shall then be mopped up by the four major forces and the final drive on Brisbane shall occur at that point.

This is the PLAN. Comments?

[John 3rd]

Combat Report
February 27-Mar 1st

Operation Cherry Blossom is detailed above so you KNOW the pressures I am now under to get the pieces IN PLACE and READY to go. This will be a close-run thing to have everything ready by the dates listed above. Things look as good as can be expected but ANYTHING can derail this plan and I am highly conscious of that. Sinking the Lexington is a HUGE bonus to the planning stage of this and so this is/was fantastic news.

North Pacific
Lots of Allied activity around Dutch Harbor. I detail Floatplanes to do specific recon of Umnak and Dutch Harbor. We can now land without the Arctic weather being horrific so I am preparing to form-up the Karafuto Brigade to land at Umnak. AKs will also load to bring supply to all my garrisons. This flurry of activity SHOULD serve to draw out the Saratoga and we shall SINK her!

Central Pacific
Not a lot of anything here.

South Pacific
Lexington's DEATH
I've detailed the action here already but we'll do a recap (just because it ROCKS!). The Lexington arrives east of Noumea to attack my AKs/APs and does manage to damage BB Hyuga but, in return, takes a pair of TTs. The CV--seemingly--gets away on the 26th when a Daitai of my Betty impale themselves on Suva's MASSIVE CAP (nearly 60 fighters with a 50-50 split of Army and Navy planes). I am shocked to find Lexington on the 27th. Two more TTs SINK the CV and losses amount to 4 Fighters and 28 SBD when she sinks. Nice. BANZAI!

Noumea
Suva is now Lew's major base to my east. He has mined it, has bunches of Fighters there as well as some 4EB. Small numbers of B-17 and B-24 raid Noumea everyday and they are ineffectively shot at my two Daitai of Zeros operating from there.

Norfolk Isle
The island falls on the 26th and I immediately begin loading the SNLF Assault Brigade to head for Lord Howe. The STF Covering the Invasion Force includes a BB so it is fairly stout. Won't take Lord howe for at least a week or so but need to build that AF up so I can stage aircraft and troop transports through it.

KB
The 4 CVs of the KB sorties after 4 days in port at Rabaul. They have lessoned SYS Damage, full air groups, and plenty of fuel to operate with. Dispatch them due south heading for the waters between NZ and Australia. They'll also cover the Lord Howe Landing from a distance.

SS
The Japanese surge 18 I-Boats and Ro-Class SS into the waters around Suva, NZ, and southern Australia. These SS join-up with the dozen or so already on patrol. This is A LOT of subs...

Philippines
Am about to end resistance in the Central Philippines. The 65th Inf Brigade will then load and head for Darwin (if I've taken it at that point).

Java
Grrrr...this is taking longer then I want. My Perth Operation hangs on Java. Troops will enter the final southern coast base tomorrow and I shall then take it the next day. Resistance continues at Bandoeng but that should end pretty quickly once the 21st Inf Birg reinforces the 4th ID presently in the hex. Have until the 10th the get this done. The APs/AKs are currently waiting in Soerabaja to load these boys to send south.

The fall of Christmas Isle set up the invasion of Cocos. Two BB protect the Invasion Force and Hiryu--Ryujo sail out to bag any shipping nearby.

Malaya
Singapore's mines are cleared by the 1st and LOTS of fast APs will arrive tomorrow to load the 18th and 21st ID for transport to New Caledonia.

Burma
CRAZY! Now have everything south of Swebo. Added a 3rd TK Brigade Regiment to the OOB here and they will soon advance on Swebo and move north towards Myitkyina. Aircraft moving in the create an aerial buffer here. When I take Magwe, I gain my last Oil Field and it is completely undamaged. How about that?

Australia
Capture Fenton on the 1st. Troops from Katherine have been forced to retreat each hex from Katherine BACK towards Darwin. There are 3 units at Darwin and 1 is a CD unit. My SNLF will probably NOT be enough to grab it. I will RR two Tk Reg from katherine to Fenton and they will then drive over to help finish it.

China
Stalemate across the board for the moment.

Bases Taken:
27th: Kirakira, Christmas IO, 49,99 (Java), 36,49 (Burma)
28th Ferguson Isle, Stewart Isles, Magwe (Burma)
1st: Ontong Java Atoll, Sansapor, Pucheng (China), 76,130 (Aust), and Fenton (Aust)

Engineering:
27th: Sapporo Pt-7, Milne Bay Pt-1

Reinforcements:
26th: CVL Nisshin
28th: BB Yamato and I-27

[obvert]

You're going VERY fast. Looks like you're on schedule. Good work with the Lex!

The plan looks great. One question. Is the landing so far North in the E meant to draw forces farther up there? It seems if it were me that I would just hunker down in the places that mattered and realize I couldn't really stop you up there. That's why I liked Rockhampton. It makes him think you're trying to cut off the north, and maybe threaten Brisbane, forcing a reinforcement there.

It'll probably work either way with the amount of stuff you're bringing. Aussie troops are still militia driving Matildas, so that should make it easier as well.

[John 3rd]

Obvert raises a solid thought here. The invasion could easily be moved southward. Landing BELOW Townsville so it might appear to be attempting to cutoff a retreat without crossing the LINE OF DEATH could hold some validity.

I am open to ideas. You have read what forces are available at a minimum so open up and provide some strategic thoughts. You are welcome to fire off any ideas!

[John 3rd]

Place your bet Forum! Here is the coast stretching down towards Sydney:

[SierraJuliet]

John, are you sure you don't mean Brisbane. Brisbane, itself, is off the map and there is still almost 1000k to travel to make it to Sydney. Bundaberg has some very nice beaches to land on and lots of flat country to run around in even if the map says otherwise. Plenty of sugar cane there too. And no nasty reefs hemming in your fleets. All that agricultural land around Rockhampon has to be inviting though.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: SierraJuliet

John, are you sure you don't mean Brisbane. Brisbane, itself, is off the map and there is still almost 1000k to travel to make it to Sydney. Bundaberg has some very nice beaches to land on and lots of flat country to run around in even if the map says otherwise. Plenty of sugar cane there too. And no nasty reefs hemming in your fleets. All that agricultural land around Rockhampon has to be inviting though.

Have a look at the outline of the plan on the previous page and it will all become more clear.

[SierraJuliet]

Oooops. Thanks obvert. This is what happens when you read a map and associated details out of context. Depends what you want your opponent to be thinking with this landing. Rockhampton is a good road block to all the forces stationed to the north. Taking Bundaberg or say Mayrborough is a more threatenting move in the direction of Brisbane. Either way a landing here should encourage forces from the south to be rushed north.

And I was trying to be a little tonuge in cheek with my last. [:)]

[John 3rd]

Keep up the discussion Gents. I am reading and thinking.

NEWS:

1. I land at Cocos and LOOK what I find. It appears to be two Inf Divisions. Those who know the Allied OOB, who are these guys? Got to say they can stay right THERE as long as they are NOT in Aussieland.
2. Spot the 2nd Aust ID NW of Daly Waters. This now makes THREE ID operating in this DISTANT and REMOTE area. Have visually seen the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ID up here.

[obvert]

That seems good for you. They're isolated on an island you can take at your leisure later, and as you say not in OZ. Strategic error by the Allies I'd say at this point in the game.

If you have the spare IJN MB, it might make sense to bomb to stop fort building.

[BigBadWolf]

Who are those guys and what are they doing there?

[Empire101]

ORIGINAL: obvert

That seems good for you. They're isolated on an island you can take at your leisure later, and as you say not in OZ. Strategic error by the Allies I'd say at this point in the game.

If you have the spare IJN MB, it might make sense to bomb to stop fort building.

I agree. Get a couple of bombardment groups to continually bombard them, and then take them at your leisure!!

[Squamry]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd
1. I land at Cocos and LOOK what I find. It appears to be two Inf Divisions. Those who know the Allied OOB, who are these guys? Got to say they can stay right THERE as long as they are NOT in Aussieland.

Reinforcements from Aden or stuff on route to Rangoon/singapore on 7/12/41.