Matrix Games Forums

Great AAR, you're very good in providing suspence to your stories; that makes the real difference for an AAR.
Now we readers got another epic fight for Calcutta, finger crossed even if I bet on Japan
Also Obvert is a good writer so this is also another challenge between you two

one more question. Why do you attack on Luzon? All you needed there is a force around 1000av that can be mostly second class like those ind bgds just to keep the Allied locked down to be bombed by your airforce. In March at the latest they will have run out of supplies at the latest and by May they will have lost hundreds of combat squads due to starvation. When I took Manila in May with a more or less pityful force khyberbill asked my why I didn't do that any earlier which reflects the situation he had there in the previous months already.

Wouldn't it be better to use your real combat power elsewhere instead of depleting it on Luzon that will just solve itself? Make sure no supplies are getting in and bomb them, the problem solves itself there. [:)]

ORIGINAL: MrBlizzard

Great AAR, you're very good in providing suspence to your stories; that makes the real difference for an AAR.
Now we readers got another epic fight for Calcutta, finger crossed even if I bet on Japan
Also Obvert is a good writer so this is also another challenge between you two

Thank you Blizz!

I do my best, but i know that this AAR could be way better. I'd need more time to take screenshots and to write a more Comprehensive story...unfortunately the damned RL Always kicks in [:D]

ORIGINAL: castor troy

one more question. Why do you attack on Luzon? All you needed there is a force around 1000av that can be mostly second class like those ind bgds just to keep the Allied locked down to be bombed by your airforce. In March at the latest they will have run out of supplies at the latest and by May they will have lost hundreds of combat squads due to starvation. When I took Manila in May with a more or less pityful force khyberbill asked my why I didn't do that any earlier which reflects the situation he had there in the previous months already.

Wouldn't it be better to use your real combat power elsewhere instead of depleting it on Luzon that will just solve itself? Make sure no supplies are getting in and bomb them, the problem solves itself there. [:)]

Good question. That was my original plan Castor. However, because of Erik's aggressiveness at Luzon and a couple of mistakes on my side, i wasn't able to estabilish any air supremacy over Manila-Clark so far. The AVG dominates the skies over Manila and Clark and i decided not to divert my zero units there, so to concentrate on a fast conquest of Malaya first and then to obtain immediately the air supremacy over Calcutta.
Probably a mistake, i know. Now i'm sending there some zeros, but it may be too late

I'm using in Luzon 2 IDs and a mixed bde, along with some tanks and 2 SNLF units. I'm attacking in order to conquer Clark and trap the enemy at Manila, hoping to force him back to Manila and so be able to conquer Bataan and then use the BBs against Manila.
Clark is a beast however and Erik got me a couple of bloody noses there already.
It will all depends on how the Calcutta thing develops.
If i see the light at Calcutta in the next few turns, i may send the 26th ID to Luzon so to give the 16th a break. If not, the 26th will immediately move towards India and Luzon will have to wait.
However, what you say (to leave just 1000 AVs of secondary line troops) cannot be done with the present situation.
Manila and Clark cannot be sieged with only 1000 AVs of secondary troops. He has some good quality troops there by now and if he advances towards Central Luzon, i may be not able to hold him back with some mixed regiments and Bdes. too risky.

Jan 29, 1942

The 25th Army arrived at Calcutta.
A general attack is ordered for Tomorrow.
200 Bombers will hit the troops at Calcutta.
5 CAs and 4 CLs will bombard.
The 5th, 18th, 21st, 2nd, 33rd and 38th Divisions will deliberate attack.
2 para companies will shock attack from NE and from N, opening the exit doors for my units (the 55th ID is already moving to Calcutta from DH, along with 1 mixed regiment) that will move North to face the advancing allied tanks.

Today we've bombed some of those units advancing towards Calcutta from the North. A couple of small tank units...nothing to really worry about for the moment. My Air force, along with the 55th ID, will be more than enough to prevent them to reach Calcutta.


In china we've managed to cut the main road North of Sian. Now 100,000 japanese are closing on Sian from 3 different directions: NW, NE and East. The enemy's armies are moving back from the Woods South of Sian and from Sian to the Woods east of the city.

At Wouchow the enemy moved in the AVG along with some bombers and attacked Shangai. Will have to deal with this nail in my side sooner or later.

Enemy subs are spotted in the Mariannas, near the Bonins and in the Bengal Bay.

CAR DIV 1 (spotted 10/10) is moving north west of Ceylon.
CAR DIV 2 is approaching Java. Tomorrow the 4th ID will land North of Sosarbaja.
Kaga's Group (future CAR DIV 3) is moving back to Singapore

The first attack on Calcutta goes way better than expected! 1-1 and forts down to 2...with my units still in very good shape! Don't think the defenders will last long...

My minesweepers did a horrible job...despite being there for days they haven't been able to sweep any mine...and my DDs paid an heavy price as usual[:(]


AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Jan 29, 42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TF 221 encounters mine field at Calcutta (52,37)

Japanese Ships
DD Minazuki
DD Satsuki
DD Usugumo, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Hatsuharu
DD Umikaze
DD Yamakaze
DD Tokitsukaze

11 mines cleared


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Naval bombardment of Calcutta at 52,37

Japanese Ships
CA Nachi
CA Haguro
CA Myoko
CL Naka
CL Sendai
DD Suzukaze
DD Kawakaze
DD Samidare
DD Murasame
DD Hatsukaze
DD Oyashio
DD Kuroshio

Allied Ships
xAK Indianan, Shell hits 1
xAK Oregonian, Shell hits 3
xAKL Illinoian, Shell hits 1, on fire

Allied ground losses:
295 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 10 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 14 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 12 (1 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Repair Shipyard hits 1
Resources hits 1
Airbase hits 13
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 20
Port hits 4
Port fuel hits 3

CA Nachi firing at 18th British Division
E13A1 Jake acting as spotter for CA Haguro
CA Haguro firing at 18th British Division
CA Myoko firing at 18th British Division
CL Naka firing at 18th British Division
CL Sendai firing at 18th British Division
DD Suzukaze firing at Calcutta
DD Kawakaze firing at 18th British Division
DD Samidare firing at 18th British Division
DD Murasame firing at 18th British Division
DD Hatsukaze firing at Calcutta
DD Oyashio firing at Fort William
DD Kuroshio firing at Calcutta


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Naval bombardment of Calcutta at 52,37

Japanese Ships
CA Chokai
CL Kiso
CL Kinu
DD Minazuki
DD Satsuki
DD Shirakumo
DD Shinonome
DD Umikaze
DD Yamakaze
DD Tokitsukaze
DD Yukikaze
DD Yugumo

Allied Ships
xAK Testbank, Shell hits 5, on fire
xAK Indianan, Shell hits 5, on fire
xAK Texan, Shell hits 2
xAK Oregonian, Shell hits 2, on fire
AMc Dacca, Shell hits 2, on fire
xAKL Illinoian, Shell hits 1, on fire
AMc Sophie Marie, Shell hits 1

Allied ground losses:
162 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 14 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Vehicles lost 7 (1 destroyed, 6 disabled)

Manpower hits 1
Fires 40
Airbase hits 17
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 27
Port hits 5
Port fuel hits 2
Port supply hits 2

CA Chokai firing at 18th British Division
CL Kiso firing at 18th British Division
CL Kinu firing at Calcutta
DD Minazuki firing at Calcutta
DD Satsuki firing at 18th British Division
DD Shirakumo firing at Calcutta
DD Shinonome firing at 18th British Division
DD Umikaze firing at Calcutta
DD Yamakaze firing at Calcutta
DD Tokitsukaze firing at Calcutta
DD Yukikaze firing at Calcutta
DD Yugumo firing at Calcutta


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TF 62 encounters mine field at Calcutta (52,37)

Japanese Ships
DD Suzukaze
DD Kawakaze

3 mines cleared


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TF 62 encounters mine field at Calcutta (52,37)

Japanese Ships
DD Hatsukaze

2 mines cleared


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TF 62 encounters mine field at Calcutta (52,37)

Japanese Ships
DD Kuroshio

2 mines cleared


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TF 62 encounters mine field at Calcutta (52,37)

Japanese Ships
DD Kawakaze, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage


During the day, several bombers attack the troops, escorted by 200 fighters...RAF and USAAF do not interfere...

Then, we attacked...

Ground combat at Calcutta (52,37)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 84829 troops, 885 guns, 381 vehicles, Assault Value = 2529

Defending force 38915 troops, 296 guns, 504 vehicles, Assault Value = 1142

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 1643

Allied adjusted defense: 1289

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
2060 casualties reported
Squads: 16 destroyed, 289 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 28 disabled

Allied ground losses:
668 casualties reported
Squads: 17 destroyed, 54 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 39 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled
Guns lost 32 (9 destroyed, 23 disabled)
Vehicles lost 109 (14 destroyed, 95 disabled)

Assaulting units:
33rd Division
38th Division
21st Division
20th Ind Engineer Regiment
5th Division
19th Ind Engineer Regiment
18th Division
2nd Division
2nd Raiding Rgt /1
2nd Mortar Battalion
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Mortar Battalion
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
Southern Army
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
34th Field AA Battalion
16th AA Regiment
31st Fld AA Gun Co
35th Field AA Battalion
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
47th Field AA Battalion
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
20th AA Regiment
25th Army
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st RF Gun Battalion
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
12th JAAF Base Force

Defending units:
50th Tank Brigade
254th Armoured Brigade
18th British Division
255th Armoured Brigade
43rd Cavalry Regiment
1st Patiala Lancers Regiment
Fort William
44th Indian Brigade
45th Indian Brigade
36th Indian Brigade
23rd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
India Command
Eastern Command
6th Heavy AA Regiment
35th Light AA Regiment

Possibly i'd need not more than 1 day of rest before the next attack!

Here's the situation. As you can see, the doors NE and NW are now closed. The door E will be closed soon. Want them to retreat into the swamps SE of Calcutta...

Somewhere else...


We attacked at Clark again...Downing the forts to 1....but odds are bad...

Ground combat at Clark Field (79,76)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 32771 troops, 369 guns, 253 vehicles, Assault Value = 890

Defending force 25455 troops, 302 guns, 263 vehicles, Assault Value = 674

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1

Japanese adjusted assault: 420

Allied adjusted defense: 1324

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 3 (fort level 1)

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

Japanese ground losses:
2300 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 178 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 23 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 23 disabled
Guns lost 15 (1 destroyed, 14 disabled)
Vehicles lost 23 (3 destroyed, 20 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
351 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 18 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 23 disabled
Guns lost 13 (1 destroyed, 12 disabled)

Assaulting units:
16th Division
48th Division
3rd Ind Engineer Regiment
4th Tank Regiment
21st Ind Engineer Regiment
Kure 1st SNLF
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
14th Army
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
14th PS Engineer Regiment
31st PA Infantry Division
26th PS Cavalry Regiment
192nd Tank Battalion
194th Tank Battalion
45th PS Infantry Regimental Combat Team
4th Marine Regiment
2nd PA Constabulary Division
88th PS Field Artillery Regiment
21st PA Infantry Division
1st PI Base Force
301st Construction Battalion
I Philippine Corps
201st PA Construction Battalion
Far East USAAF
803rd Aviation Engineer Battalion
202nd PA Construction Battalion
200th & 515th Coast AA Regiment
Clark Field AAF Base Force
301st PA Field Artillery Regiment




We also attacked at Pingsiang... not better results...

Ground combat at Pingsiang (82,54)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 42332 troops, 414 guns, 190 vehicles, Assault Value = 1220

Defending force 37625 troops, 216 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1034

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 728

Allied adjusted defense: 1535

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 2)

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

Japanese ground losses:
1870 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 82 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 36 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 16 disabled
Vehicles lost 23 (2 destroyed, 21 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
761 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 80 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 4 (1 destroyed, 3 disabled)

Assaulting units:
8th Armored Car Co
34th Division
2nd Ind Engineer Regiment
116th Division
15th Division
23rd Tank Regiment
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
13th Army
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
4th Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
26th Chinese Corps
45th Chinese Corps
79th Chinese Corps
9th Prov Chinese Corps
3rd New Chinese Corps

At Sian things look better....

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

ORIGINAL: castor troy

one more question. Why do you attack on Luzon? All you needed there is a force around 1000av that can be mostly second class like those ind bgds just to keep the Allied locked down to be bombed by your airforce. In March at the latest they will have run out of supplies at the latest and by May they will have lost hundreds of combat squads due to starvation. When I took Manila in May with a more or less pityful force khyberbill asked my why I didn't do that any earlier which reflects the situation he had there in the previous months already.

Wouldn't it be better to use your real combat power elsewhere instead of depleting it on Luzon that will just solve itself? Make sure no supplies are getting in and bomb them, the problem solves itself there. [:)]

Good question. That was my original plan Castor. However, because of Erik's aggressiveness at Luzon and a couple of mistakes on my side, i wasn't able to estabilish any air supremacy over Manila-Clark so far. The AVG dominates the skies over Manila and Clark and i decided not to divert my zero units there, so to concentrate on a fast conquest of Malaya first and then to obtain immediately the air supremacy over Calcutta.
Probably a mistake, i know. Now i'm sending there some zeros, but it may be too late

I'm using in Luzon 2 IDs and a mixed bde, along with some tanks and 2 SNLF units. I'm attacking in order to conquer Clark and trap the enemy at Manila, hoping to force him back to Manila and so be able to conquer Bataan and then use the BBs against Manila.
Clark is a beast however and Erik got me a couple of bloody noses there already.
It will all depends on how the Calcutta thing develops.
If i see the light at Calcutta in the next few turns, i may send the 26th ID to Luzon so to give the 16th a break. If not, the 26th will immediately move towards India and Luzon will have to wait.
However, what you say (to leave just 1000 AVs of secondary line troops) cannot be done with the present situation.
Manila and Clark cannot be sieged with only 1000 AVs of secondary troops. He has some good quality troops there by now and if he advances towards Central Luzon, i may be not able to hold him back with some mixed regiments and Bdes. too risky.

where should those high quality troops come from on Luzon? You should face the same troops there as always, a total of 2000av at best if no combat happens and the enemy has received all reinforcements and has used air transport to bring the couple of 100av units from surrounding islands to Manila or Clark.

Luzon is the best place for the Japanese to bypass completely, one doesn't even need to have troops on Luzon at all and totally isolate it if you fear you can not stand on the island. Luzon doesn't do you any harm. Doing that Indian operation and thinking about taking units out of it to bring them back to Luzon sounds horrible to me when I thought your 2500 av there would be very optimistic for me already.

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy


Then, we attacked...

Ground combat at Calcutta (52,37)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 84829 troops, 885 guns, 381 vehicles, Assault Value = 2529

Defending force 38915 troops, 296 guns, 504 vehicles, Assault Value = 1142

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 1643

Allied adjusted defense: 1289

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
2060 casualties reported
Squads: 16 destroyed, 289 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 28 disabled

Allied ground losses:
668 casualties reported
Squads: 17 destroyed, 54 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 39 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled
Guns lost 32 (9 destroyed, 23 disabled)
Vehicles lost 109 (14 destroyed, 95 disabled)

Assaulting units:
33rd Division
38th Division
21st Division
20th Ind Engineer Regiment
5th Division
19th Ind Engineer Regiment
18th Division
2nd Division
2nd Raiding Rgt /1
2nd Mortar Battalion
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Mortar Battalion
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
Southern Army
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
34th Field AA Battalion
16th AA Regiment
31st Fld AA Gun Co
35th Field AA Battalion
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
47th Field AA Battalion
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
20th AA Regiment
25th Army
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st RF Gun Battalion
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
12th JAAF Base Force

Defending units:
50th Tank Brigade
254th Armoured Brigade
18th British Division
255th Armoured Brigade
43rd Cavalry Regiment
1st Patiala Lancers Regiment
Fort William
44th Indian Brigade
45th Indian Brigade
36th Indian Brigade
23rd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
India Command
Eastern Command
6th Heavy AA Regiment
35th Light AA Regiment

wow, you get some serious good die rolls. One really has to feel for your enemy. Having 3 times more fully prepped units than you against less opposition I took 5 times more losses in the first attack alone, after something like a dozen naval bombardments. Wonder if that was all that damned river crossing. [8|]

Besides that, why did you shock attack? Your enemy's adjusted av is just horrible. You should have more problems here when thinking about the odds compared to Luzon. But if you get the same rolls again, it was a cake walk with less losses the usual attack on Singapore causes that only gets a 2x bonus for urban light.

The paras marching in over the rivers convert the whole thing into a shock attack, so be careful. That said, a tremendous result and I think the base is doomed. Two more attacks to kill forts, you will take it on the second or third attack.

Why let them retreat at all? I'd kamikaze another unit to close the last hexside.

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

The paras marching in over the rivers convert the whole thing into a shock attack, so be careful. That said, a tremendous result and I think the base is doomed. Two more attacks to kill forts, you will take it on the second or third attack.

Why let them retreat at all? I'd kamikaze another unit to close the last hexside.

I don't think that is what happens. The message will say shock attack if any unit does that, but the other units can still make deliberate attacks or bombardment attacks.

Ok, before i reply to your posts guys... i need to update the war diary... a fracking disaster has just involved the Japanese Army in China. 2 Divisions and a half completely wiped out and a Whole front in jeopardy....[X(][X(][X(][X(][X(]

Good news first:

INDIA:

On Jan 30th, the 25th Army bombards Calcutta, while the Divisions rest a bit before the next attack.
At Ansalon, formerly conquered by japanese paras, an allied tank unit entered into the hex and attacked, followed up by a infantry battallion.
The paras of the 2nd Raiding Rgt had just left the city, so the lancers conquered it before the land attacking phase. However i had ordered another para drop, and the enemy tanks, heavily bombed during the day, found a wall of experienced and fanatic japanese soldiers!:-)
The attack is repulsed and followed by a shock attack that pushes back towards their bases the two enemy units!

Ground combat at Asansol (53,34)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 264 troops, 0 guns, 90 vehicles, Assault Value = 68

Defending force 885 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 30

Allied adjusted assault: 0

Japanese adjusted defense: 11

Allied assault odds: 1 to 99

Combat modifiers
Defender: preparation(-)
Attacker: disruption(-)

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

Assaulting units:
15th/1st Punjab Battalion
16th Light Cavalry Regiment

Defending units:
1st Raiding Rgt /1


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Asansol (53,34)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 823 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 23

Defending force 1311 troops, 10 guns, 97 vehicles, Assault Value = 67

Japanese adjusted assault: 16

Allied adjusted defense: 7

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Asansol !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: disruption(-), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(+), leaders(-)

Allied ground losses:
238 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 22 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 61 (61 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 2

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
1st Raiding Rgt /1

Defending units:
15th/1st Punjab Battalion
16th Light Cavalry Regiment





In the meanwhile, the IJA units are sorrounding Calcutta, closing any possible exit door.

On the 31st, followed up by a cruiser bombardment and by several air bombings, the 25th Army Attacks again.

Ground combat at Calcutta (52,37)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 82847 troops, 885 guns, 378 vehicles, Assault Value = 2517

Defending force 37701 troops, 287 guns, 499 vehicles, Assault Value = 957

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1

Japanese adjusted assault: 1393

Allied adjusted defense: 977

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

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
3784 casualties reported
Squads: 16 destroyed, 110 disabled
Non Combat: 6 destroyed, 36 disabled
Engineers: 24 destroyed, 62 disabled
Guns lost 16 (1 destroyed, 15 disabled)
Vehicles lost 17 (3 destroyed, 14 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
961 casualties reported
Squads: 20 destroyed, 73 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 43 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 14 (7 destroyed, 7 disabled)
Vehicles lost 61 (38 destroyed, 23 disabled)

Assaulting units:
19th Ind Engineer Regiment
33rd Division
2nd Division
15th Guards Regiment
20th Ind Engineer Regiment
55th Cavalry Regiment
1st Tank Regiment
5th Division
38th Division
21st Division
18th Division
2nd Raiding Rgt /4
3rd Mortar Battalion
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
2nd Mortar Battalion
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
16th AA Regiment
20th AA Regiment
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
112th Infantry Rgt /5
25th Army
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
1st RF Gun Battalion
31st Fld AA Gun Co
Southern Army
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
143rd Infantry Rgt /3

Defending units:
50th Tank Brigade
45th Indian Brigade
254th Armoured Brigade
43rd Cavalry Regiment
1st Patiala Lancers Regiment
255th Armoured Brigade
Fort William
44th Indian Brigade
18th British Division
36th Indian Brigade
Eastern Command
India Command
6th Heavy AA Regiment
23rd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
35th Light AA Regiment

The 33rd ID is the only unit who suffered more than usual...now at only 200 AVs left...while the other are in good shape.
The 18th UK division is the only enemy units still in fighting shape, but now the odds are really shifting towards my side and we're not far from a 2-1... potentially with two more Attacks the city may be ours!
In the while, more Guards regiments are arriving, along with 3 tank regiments... they should make the trick.
Another para company this turn has crossed the river, closing the last RR Door (eastern one). There's now no way they can leave the town.
RAAF keeps on not contesting the skies over India, thus leaving me a great freedom of movement here.

JAVA:

Considered the good odds obtained at Calcutta, i decided to send both the 4th and the Imperial IDs to Java, in order to conquer fast Sosarbaja, thus having a good port and closing the dutchs at Batavia only.
The plan seems to be working, thanks to CarDiv2 who's providing close air support.

At the same time, Kaga, Zuiho, Ryuho and Tayio just arrived at Singa for some RnR.

Car Div 1 is moving towards Karachi....

And now the bad news...


CHINA:

As you may remember, we had ordered the northern Army to close on Sian.
I thought: clear terrain, plenty of tanks on my side, experienced IDs... what can stop me at Sian?

WRONG!

My armies crossed the rivers...from 3 different directions...all at the same time... shocked... and got wiped out...not even the forts were touched!
I have now the 41st ID that has 8 AVs left[X(]..and two more divisions that are below 200 AVs... if Tomorrow he shocks back i may be in deep doo doo!!!
Only the tanks and the mixed Bdes are in perfect shape strangely... go figure!
Only 1600 AVs left of the nearly 3000 that crossed... God!

Ground combat at Sian (83,41)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 78579 troops, 617 guns, 674 vehicles, Assault Value = 2503

Defending force 122683 troops, 440 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2968

Japanese adjusted assault: 1046

Allied adjusted defense: 1136

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 3)

Combat modifiers
Defender: experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
11393 casualties reported
Squads: 336 destroyed, 526 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 166 disabled
Engineers: 21 destroyed, 32 disabled
Guns lost 78 (10 destroyed, 68 disabled)
Vehicles lost 111 (7 destroyed, 104 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
5997 casualties reported
Squads: 91 destroyed, 314 disabled
Non Combat: 25 destroyed, 286 disabled
Engineers: 13 destroyed, 41 disabled
Guns lost 77 (10 destroyed, 67 disabled)

Assaulting units:
36th Division
41st Division
12th Tank Regiment
37th Division
4th Ind.Mixed Brigade
6th Ind.Mixed Brigade
2nd Ind.Mixed Brigade
5th Tank Regiment
5th Armored Car Co
3rd Tank Regiment
9th Tank Regiment
15th Tank Regiment
10th Tank Regiment
7th Ind.Mixed Brigade
110th Division
11th Tank Regiment
1st Army
15th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
12th Army
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
North China Area Army
Botanko Hvy Gun Regiment

Defending units:
3rd Chinese Corps
38th Chinese Corps
3rd Construction Regiment
9th Chinese Corps
90th Chinese Corps
2nd Chinese Cavalry Corps
92nd Chinese Corps
16th Chinese Corps
2nd Construction Regiment
57th Chinese Corps
96th Chinese Corps
1st Construction Regiment
7th Construction Regiment
85th Chinese Corps
36th Chinese Corps
4th Construction Regiment
1st War Area
24th Group Army
8th Group Army
10th Chinese Base Force
34th Group Army
14th Group Army
4th Chinese Base Force
4th Group Army
7th Group Army
Red Chinese Army
2nd War Area
3rd Group Army
5th War Area
15th Chinese Base Force

My mistake here... i thought i could go big in China even without a full air superiority and the use of bombers... that is plain wrong!
I decided not to spend PPs on buying out the air groups from HI and Manchuko, in order to save them for LCUs... at the same time i decided not to contest his USAAF air force in China in order to concentrate my best air units for DEI and India... can be a rational choice, but the fact is that the chinese need to be pounded from the air to be defeated... and at the moment i have nothing in the air in China...

At Shangai, the AVG sweep the skies from Wenchow... i sent a second quality class Zero Group who managed to hold the air space and prevent the arrival of more bombers...but we didn't do well. Those yankees are now an elite unit and i would need high quality pilots to face them. But for the moment i'm ok in just containing them. Sending now 3 BBs to take care of that damned city!

At Pingsiang...another bloody nose... gotta realize that without the air power i can't do much more than that here...

Ground combat at Pingsiang (82,54)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 41142 troops, 414 guns, 158 vehicles, Assault Value = 1104

Defending force 37151 troops, 215 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 967

Japanese adjusted assault: 590

Allied adjusted defense: 1125

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 2)

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

Japanese ground losses:
2644 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 203 disabled
Non Combat: 15 destroyed, 23 disabled
Engineers: 26 destroyed, 7 disabled
Vehicles lost 12 (7 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
525 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 59 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
2nd Ind Engineer Regiment
15th Division
34th Division
116th Division
23rd Tank Regiment
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
13th Army
8th Armored Car Co
4th Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
26th Chinese Corps
9th Prov Chinese Corps
79th Chinese Corps
45th Chinese Corps
3rd New Chinese Corps