7/16-7/17/43
SUBS
SS Salmon sinks PB Suyozai Maru off Tawi tawi.
SS Muskallunge puts a torpedo in xAP Teifu Maru near Babeldaob.
SS Scamp is heavily damaged by Japanese ASW AC and is sunk near Wakkanai.
SWPAC
Fifht Air Force has shut down level 4 Japanese AFs at Aitape and Wewak with 100% damage and the level 4 AF at Vanimo is now 71% damaged. Allied medium bombers on New Guinea will continue to shut down Vanimo and will also switch targets to the level 2 AF at Sarmi.
CENTPAC
CENTPAC troops capture the base at Kusaie after a pair of shock attacks:
Ground combat at Kusaie Island (125,118)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 10491 troops, 186 guns, 231 vehicles, Assault Value = 374
Defending force 4345 troops, 109 guns, 12 vehicles, Assault Value = 94
Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 1
Allied adjusted assault: 344
Japanese adjusted defense: 27
Allied assault odds: 12 to 1 (fort level 1)
Allied forces CAPTURE Kusaie Island !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)
Japanese ground losses:
487 casualties reported
Squads: 16 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 59 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 29 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 36 (35 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Vehicles lost 10 (10 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 1
Allied ground losses:
495 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 45 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 7 disabled
Guns lost 16 (1 destroyed, 15 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Assaulting units:
147th(Sep) Infantry Regiment
34th Infantry Regiment
34th Combat Engineer Regiment
160th Infantry Regiment
Defending units:
302nd Ind.Infantry Battalion
28th Div /2
303rd Ind.Infantry Battalion
61st Div /8
40th JNAF AF Unit
24th Air Defense AA Regiment
3rd Engineer Construction Battalion
4th Div /5
Yokosuka 4th SNLF /1
Ground combat at Kusaie Island (125,118)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 10182 troops, 185 guns, 230 vehicles, Assault Value = 332
Defending force 3392 troops, 82 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 64
Allied adjusted assault: 269
Japanese adjusted defense: 9
Allied assault odds: 29 to 1
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), preparation(-), supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+)
Japanese ground losses:
938 casualties reported
Squads: 50 destroyed, 14 disabled
Non Combat: 30 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 6 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 19 (14 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
83 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Assaulting units:
147th(Sep) Infantry Regiment
34th Combat Engineer Regiment
34th Infantry Regiment
160th Infantry Regiment
Defending units:
303rd Ind.Infantry Battalion
61st Div /8
40th JNAF AF Unit
3rd Engineer Construction Battalion
24th Air Defense AA Regiment
28th Div /2
Yokosuka 4th SNLF /1
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3rd Engineer Construction Battalion Wiped Out at Kusaie Island by attrition!!!
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303rd Ind.Infantry Battalion Wiped Out at Kusaie Island by attrition!!!
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24th Air Defense AA Regiment Wiped Out at Kusaie Island by attrition!!!
Japanese Unit(s) Wiped Out at Kusaie Island by attrition!!!
The US infantry regiments will rest for a turn here before they finish off the remaining Japanese on the island. Construction engineers and base forces will be dropped off here next turn.
Allied bombardment TFs work over Mili:
Night Naval bombardment of Mili at 136,121 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
69 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
BB Mississippi
BB Idaho, Shell hits 1
BB West Virginia
CA Houston
CA Northampton
DD Aylwin, Shell hits 1
DD MacDonough
DD Farragut
DD Helm
DD Bagley
Japanese ground losses:
63 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 12 (5 destroyed, 7 disabled)
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 3
Port hits 1
Mili Naval Fortress firing at BB Mississippi
BB Mississippi firing at Mili Naval Fortress
BB Idaho firing at Mili Naval Fortress
Mili Naval Fortress firing at BB Idaho
OS2U-3 Kingfisher acting as spotter for BB West Virginia
BB West Virginia firing at Mili
OS2U-3 Kingfisher acting as spotter for CA Houston
CA Houston firing at Mili Naval Fortress
Mili Naval Fortress firing at CA Houston
CA Northampton firing at Mili Naval Fortress
DD Aylwin firing at Mili Naval Fortress
Mili Naval Fortress firing at DD Aylwin
DD MacDonough firing at Mili Naval Fortress
Mili Naval Fortress firing at DD MacDonough
DD Farragut firing at Mili Naval Fortress
Mili Naval Fortress firing at DD Farragut
DD Helm firing at Mili Naval Fortress
DD Bagley firing at Mili Naval Fortress
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Night Naval bombardment of Mili at 136,121 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
58 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
BB Arizona
BB Colorado
CA New Orleans
CL Boise
DD Hammann
DD Anderson
DD Renshaw, Shell hits 1
BB Arizona firing at Mili Naval Fortress
BB Colorado firing at Mili Naval Fortress
CA New Orleans firing at Mili Naval Fortress
CL Boise firing at Mili Naval Fortress
Mili Naval Fortress firing at CL Boise
DD Anderson firing at Mili Naval Fortress
DD Renshaw firing at Mili Naval Fortress
Mili Naval Fortress firing at DD Renshaw
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Night Naval bombardment of Mili at 136,121 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
59 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
BB Prince of Wales, Shell hits 2
BB Massachusetts
CA Hawkins
CA Exeter
CA Cornwall, Shell hits 2
CA Shropshire
CL Durban
DD Nestor
DD Nepal
DD Napier
DD Maury
DD Ralph Talbot
Japanese ground losses:
62 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 6 (3 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 1
BB Prince of Wales firing at Mili Naval Fortress
Mili Naval Fortress firing at BB Prince of Wales
Mili Naval Fortress firing at BB Massachusetts
BB Massachusetts firing at Mili Naval Fortress
CA Hawkins firing at Mili Naval Fortress
Mili Naval Fortress firing at CA Hawkins
CA Exeter firing at Mili Naval Fortress
Mili Naval Fortress firing at CA Exeter
CA Cornwall firing at Mili Naval Fortress
Mili Naval Fortress firing at CA Cornwall
CA Shropshire firing at Mili Naval Fortress
CL Durban firing at Mili Naval Fortress
DD Nestor firing at Mili Naval Fortress
DD Nepal firing at Mili Naval Fortress
DD Napier firing at Mili Naval Fortress
DD Maury firing at Mili Naval Fortress
DD Ralph Talbot firing at Mili
A couple of my BBs were shot up by the Mili Naval Fortress and now have 14-15% SYS damage so will need to go back to port for repairs.
I was going to invade here next turn with the 21st Marine Regiment in a coup de main of a very lightly defended atoll but Dave has reinforced by air and now has over 4000 troops on the atoll. I will postpone the invasion for 2 turns so I can load elements of the 2nd Marine Division at Makin to reinforce the assault. Meanwhile....hundreds of medium and tactical bombers will continue to work over the Mili Naval Fortress.
Transport AC were unable to fly in engineers and BFs to Maloelap due to the high level of AF damage. I will drop off some seabees via amphibious lift here next turn....but Maloelap has a stacking limit of 6000 and the 2 regiments ashore of the 25th Division already exceed the stacking limit so Im forced to withdraw the assault troops by landing craft before I can land construction engineers and BFs.
Looking farther north in the Marshalls....Dave has some 9800 troops at Roi-Namur which also has a stacking limit of 6000....I will be bringing over 1 1/2 divisions here when I land so I will probably need to land over 50,000 supplies via LSTs on D-Day to keep all the assault troops in full supply.
