1000 mile war - liberating the Aleutians

[Energisteron]

Day 51 - Jun 03

Fourth, the same TF moves in to bombard Adak base with good results.

[Energisteron]

Day 51 - Jun 03

By daybreak our Bombardment TF is heading northwards away from Adak when it meets the remnants of the Enemy TF it encountered earlier during the night, the three DDs Ganesvoort, Edwards and Pruitt. Despite being low on ammunition, it sinks the latter two Destroyers with ease. DD Ganesvoort heads east well alight but still afloat.

But, CA Kumano and the only remaining DD Usugumo sustain hits.

[Energisteron]

Day 51 - Jun 03

DD Ganesvoort lit-up like a candle flees east but runs into our 'wolfpack' of 3xSS and SS I-156 and SS I-155 fire a total of 16x torpedoes yet manage just 1 hit! Worse the intrepid DD Ganesvoort stays on the surface and continues east!

[Energisteron]

Day 51 - Jun 03

Finally, Bettys from Attu attack the oncoming Allied Transport TF but score no hits and suffer losses.

[Energisteron]

Day 52 - Jun 04

The latest intelligence suggests the largest Enemy Transport TF has turned back eastwards for Dutch Harbor, but two smaller TFs still seem to be heading for Kiska Island.

Our Bombardment TF has insufficient ammunition left to intervene after several actions yesterday, but one vessel, CL Oyodo, does have enough shells left and it will detach and head for Kiska to intervene if possible. Similarly, the Supply TF is deserted by its two escorts, DDs Wakazuki and Samidare, which have not yet seen action, so that they too can join CL Oyodo at Kiska.

The unfortunate DD Naganami, badly damaged and in great danger of sinking, can only hope the Allies will concentrate on forcing a landing and allow its escape northwards.

All aircraft will suspend operations against Adak and concentrate on defending Attu and Kiska. The Bettys will hunt for the incoming enemy TF.

Back at P-jima the potential Invasion TF has competed loading, btit will be held back as a possible reinforcement should the Allied Invasion Force make landfall. As for the big guns we have there, plus the Carriers, there's simply not enough escorts to permit a reasonable level of security if they're sent out.

[Energisteron]

Day 52 - Jun 04

There's a minor air raid on Kiska then night Recon appears to show the Allied Invasion has turned back to Dutch Harbor.

Our concentration of force near Kiska can be dispersed again tomorrow.

DD Naganami battles on, slowly moving north-west.

[Energisteron]

Day 53 - Jun 05

There are three daylight air raids on Kiska by unescorted Mitchells. They are met each time by a CAP of Zeros and Oscars which shoots down 4x Mitchells for no loss. Flak claims another. There is no significant damage.

Attu airfield reaches level 3, and will now expand its port. DD Naganami is still afloat and creeping away from the battle zone.

The Allied TFs are again confirmed to be heading east. It seems we have survived another Allied Invasion attempt.

[Energisteron]

Day 54 - 06 Jun

Summary of Naval Assets and Repair Status

I have lost very few naval units. Just two have gone down so far; SSX Ha-33 was lost during 21-April on what turned out to be a suicide mission trying to infiltrate Dutch Harbor having been piggy-backed there on the deck of a regular submarine, and DD Shirakumo eventually sank on 14-May after sustaining serious damage during a naval action which resulted in an Allied invasion of Attu Island being vigorously repulsed before it had made landfall.

However, although the AI has proved to be fairly ineffective tactically (but I wait to see at the end if any of its fine ships have been scattered off-map due to reaction and thus effectively lost), I have had some fairly near fatal hits on several ships.

Looking at the attached table, you can see that four submarines have been written-off and will not take to sea again. Another is just about serviceable but will never be fully repaired. If they had gone down instead a creeping back to Paramushiro-jima that would have cost me 55 points!

Similarly, our Destroyers have suffered. Three cannot be fully repaired and only one of these may go back to sea. Also, there's DD Naganami struggling back to dock. If we'd lost all those that would have been another 42 points lost!

I have an embarrassing surplus of fresh good quality naval units, including CVs, a BB and several Cruisers, but I simply cannot use them since I have a woeful inadequacy of escorts. Even if the damaged Destroyers were intact there would be nowhere near enough.

[Energisteron]

Day 54 - Jun 06

A very quiet day. All Allied TFs have disappeared, seemingly having gone back to base at Dutch Harbor.

There's a very ineffective air raid by Mitchells from Dutch Harbor but it doesn't even reach its target on Kiska and turns away with the loss of one bomber.

DD Naganami is losing its battle to stay afloat and cannot be expected to reach Paramushiro-jima. So it diverts to Attu Island. Perhaps she can make it that far at least.

[Energisteron]

Day 55 - Jun 07

One of those days when literally nothing happened, except Recon of course!

DD Naganami makes it to Attu and is promptly docked.

But . . . . . the Allied AI is not done yet! By day's end it would appear there's 3 more Allied TF bound for Kiska or at least as far as Adak. We have no Surface TF in the vicinity!

So here's the plot going into Day 56 - Jun 08

[Energisteron]

Day 56 - Jun 08

We rely heavily on our land-based aircraft for the defence of Kiska Island. The 12 remaining Bettys are fitted with torpedoes with 3 set for Recon along with 4xJakes. It is time for the Bettys to deliver!

There is a screen of 4xSSX also of course, but the leading Enemy TF seems to have evaded our larger submarines further off the coast. One SSX, Ha-31, attempts to make an attack on the approaching Enemy TF 40 NM east of Kiska but is lost when hit by depth charges.

In the event the Bettys did their job brilliantly. The xAP Perida is hit twice and sunk. DD Aylwin succumbs to a single torpedo strike.

Will the enemy abandon another invasion attempt?

[Energisteron]

Day 57 - Jun 09

We continue much as we did yesterday except that we gather a new Surface Combat TF to intervene at Kiska if necessary.

The Bettys strike again hitting AK Richard March Hoe but the large Freighter stays afloat while its TF hangs back seemingly waiting for other supporting TF to join in the action.

[Energisteron]

Day 58 - Jun 10

The Allies press forward despite their losses.

Our Bettys, heavily escorted by Oscars and Zeros, make a torpedo attack but score no hits on the Allied TF. We have 3xBettys damaged by flak. There was no enemy CAP.

However, later in the day, as the main Allied Transport TF arrives off the coast of Kiska, our Sub, SS I-9, launches 6 torpedoes and hits xAP Chirikof which is heavily damaged and soon ablaze. The previously damaged AK Richard March Hoe is observed to be still operating despite heavy damage from the earlier torpedo strike. The Allied escorts fail to locate SS I-9 so she survives the encounter.

[Energisteron]

Day 58 - Jun 10

KISKA ISLAND INVADED !!!!!

The Enemy persistence and their complete disregard for losses of ships and men forces a landing on Kiska Island.

A relatively small force establishes what seems like a tenuous hold on their beachhead. We bombard and will attack tomorrow!

Meanwhile our Surface Combat TF is on its way from P-jima.

[Energisteron]

Day 59 - Jun 11

Plans for today. Our objective is to further damage the Enemy Transport TFs and eject the Enemy Troops from their beachhead on Kiska.

[Energisteron]

Day 59 - Jun 11

The weather is poor and conceals the Enemy TF from our Recon such that our Bettys find no targets today. The Enemy Transports continue to discharge their payload over the beaches despite a vigorous bombardment from the shore defences but experience no hits. The troops do suffer though with casualties amounting to nearly 600 over the course of the day.

Our Surface Combat TF cannot intervene until tomorrow!

We order the Kiska garrison to make a deliberate attack but with our best unit, 3rd SNLF, mounting a shock attack. The US Infantry prove resolute in defence however, and our casualties are murderous, which results in both sides' losses being equivalent for the day.

We had not expected to eject the enemy foothold outright with our first attack but we had expected to hurt them! It seems that this second day of unloading has been crucial and a whole but depleted US Infantry Regiment is ashore, well equipped and supplied and dug-in.

So, do we send our Infantry Brigade as reinforcement? Yes, since it's already loaded and ready to go, I think we will!

[BBfanboy]

Doesn't this scenario end on day 60?

[Energisteron]

Hi BBf

Yes, I am expecting the next turn to be the last.

Which means in all likelihood the Allies will retain a foothold on Kiska. Despite the apparent lack of vigour by the AI it has been disappointing that they've managed to get a beachhead on Kiska at such a late stage!

I always play 'for real' so although the loaded Infantry Brigade cannot get to Kiska in time, it will depart Paramushiro-jima in that direction all the same.

As soon as it ends I will check if the Allies have lost any ships (or complete TF!) off the northern mapedge, then I'll write a summary of the game.

[Energisteron]

Hmm . . . I seem to have gone slightly wrong with my Day Count, but no matter! This Scenario is due to end with the last computed action on June-13th so effectively there's 2 combat turns left.

That's not enough time to get my Infantry Brigade over to Kiska from Paramushiro-jima especially since they seem to have got bored aboard ship and have started unloading! (I must have done that somehow.)

But there should be time for my Surface Combat TF to drive away the Enemy Invasion TF from Kiska, unless its Capital Ships finally show up!

So, here goes the final roll of the dice!

[Energisteron]

Day 59A ([:D]) - Jun 12

So, today's plans are patently obvious; the Surface Combat TF will attack at Kiska and hopefully drive off the enemy TF or at least disrupt its unloading and the Allied build-up, and given the chance will bombard the Allied beachhead also.

The multitude of Subs around Kiska and the Bettys on Attu will have a crack at the same TF too.

And to maintain pressure on the Allied Beachhead we will make another Deliberate Attack.

The Infantry Brigade is ordered back on to the Transports at P-jima!