AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 04/24/42
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TF 1064 encounters mine field at Dutch Harbor (103,36)
Allied Ships
MSW Quatsino
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Day Air attack on Ahmadabad , at 24,8
Allied aircraft
Buffalo I x 7
Blenheim IF x 9
Blenheim I x 24
P-40B Tomahawk x 6
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
54 casualties reported
Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 8
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Day Air attack on Bombay , at 20,10
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft
Blenheim IV x 37
Wellington III x 26
B-26B Marauder x 46
B-17E Fortress x 88
LB-30 Liberator x 60
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21 Sally: 2 destroyed
Ki-32 Mary: 3 destroyed
H6K4 Mavis: 1 destroyed
Ki-57-II Topsy: 2 destroyed
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
Ki-46-II Dinah: 1 destroyed
Japanese ground losses:
957 casualties reported
Guns lost 6
Airbase hits 43
Airbase supply hits 20
Runway hits 98
Ah, here we go. 257 heavy bombers strike my forces a devastating blow. The number of planes destroyed is quite low as most of my planes are already on their way to Karachi intending to deliver the same kind of devastation to their airfields. Unfortunately the real problem is that my airfield at Bombay is almost completely closed by this attack and there seems to be little chance of getting my planes off the ground and into safer airfields.
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Day Air attack on Karachi , at 21,3
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 52
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 72
Allied aircraft
Lysander I x 37
Mohawk IV x 7
Buffalo I x 6
Hurricane II x 55
Blenheim IF x 3
P-40B Tomahawk x 3
P-40E Warhawk x 24
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 10 destroyed, 7 damaged
Ki-43-Ib Oscar: 53 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Lysander I: 29 destroyed
Mohawk IV: 3 destroyed, 1 damaged
Buffalo I: 6 destroyed
Hurricane II: 36 destroyed
Blenheim IF: 3 destroyed
P-40B Tomahawk: 3 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 7 destroyed, 10 damaged
Two medium-experience Oscar Sentai and two elite Zero Daitai conduct a sweep over Bombay to prepare the way for my main bomber raid. At the cost of 53 Oscars and 10 Zeroes they shoot down 88 defending enemy fighters including the majority of the defending Hurricanes. This should give my main raid a significantly improved chance of making it through.
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Day Air attack on Karachi , at 21,3
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 71
G3M Nell x 9
Ki-21 Sally x 56
Ki-49 Helen x 138
Ki-46-II Dinah x 7
71 elite Zeroes escort 203 level bombers and 7 photo-reconnaissance planes to Karachi.
Allied aircraft
Lysander I x 8
Mohawk IV x 4
Hurricane II x 19
P-40E Warhawk x 17
They are opposed by the 48 enemy fighters which can be scrambled after the devastation of the morning's fighter sweep. In intense aerial combat the enemy CAP is destroyed almost to the man and the bombers range over the airfield. Intense FlAK sends 9 bombers and a photo-reconnaissance plane spiralling downward in flames but 198 bombs land within the airfield perimeter and destroy many of the enemy's grounded planes. In return for the loss of 15 planes the Japanese destroy 98 enemy airplanes either in the air or on the ground. Unfortunately no enemy bombers are destroyed as they are all currently in the air laying waste to Bombay.
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 5 destroyed
G3M Nell: 1 damaged
Ki-21 Sally: 5 destroyed, 14 damaged
Ki-49 Helen: 4 destroyed, 46 damaged
Ki-46-II Dinah: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
Lysander I: 14 destroyed
Mohawk IV: 6 destroyed
Hurricane II: 33 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 18 destroyed
Beaufort V-IX: 2 destroyed
Catalina I: 2 destroyed
Vildebeest IV: 7 destroyed
Martin 139: 1 destroyed
Swordfish: 5 destroyed
Dakota I: 6 destroyed
PBY Catalina: 3 destroyed
Allied ground losses:
324 casualties reported
Guns lost 6
Vehicles lost 1
Airbase hits 39
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 154
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Day Air attack on Amboina , at 39,73
Allied aircraft
B-17C Fortress x 7
B-17E Fortress x 9
No Allied losses
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Day Air attack on Johnston Island , at 102,74
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft
LB-30 Liberator x 85
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell: 1 destroyed
H8K Emily: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
LB-30 Liberator: 15 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
116 casualties reported
Guns lost 8
Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 18
Again, I lose no pilots and the LB-30s lose several of their number on the long flight back to Hawaii.
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Day Air attack on 21st Chinese Corps, at 40,36
Japanese aircraft
Ki-27 Nate x 33
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 65
Ki-48 Lily x 63
Ki-49 Helen x 32
Ki-15 Babs x 3
No Japanese losses
Allied ground losses:
94 casualties reported
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Day Air attack on 83rd Chinese Corps, at 45,35
Japanese aircraft
Ki-27 Nate x 49
No Japanese losses
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Day Air attack on 255th Indian Tank Brigade, at 14,24
Japanese aircraft
C5M Babs x 1
Ki-21 Sally x 70
Ki-46-II Dinah x 1
Japanese aircraft losses
C5M Babs: 1 damaged
Ki-21 Sally: 3 destroyed, 11 damaged
Allied ground losses:
50 casualties reported
Vehicles lost 4
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Day Air attack on 81st PA Division, at 42,58
Japanese aircraft
Ki-27 Nate x 10
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 10
Ki-15 Babs x 2
No Japanese losses
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Day Air attack on Trincomalee Base Force, at 14,24
Japanese aircraft
C5M Babs x 1
Ki-21 Sally x 32
Ki-46-II Dinah x 1
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21 Sally: 9 damaged
Ki-46-II Dinah: 1 damaged
Allied ground losses:
53 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
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Day Air attack on Koepang , at 28,77
Allied aircraft
Brewster 339D x 13
Hudson I x 5
Allied aircraft losses
Hudson I: 1 damaged
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Day Air attack on TF, near Koepang at 28,77
Allied aircraft
Brewster 339D x 6
Hudson I x 28
B-25C Mitchell x 6
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
MSW W.13
AP Denmark Maru, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
AP Konsan Maru
AP Genkai Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire
AP Heizan Maru
PG Kure Maru #5
Japanese ground losses:
95 casualties reported
Hmm, I definitely can't put off basing fighters at Koepang for any longer.
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Ground combat at 27,17
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 7686 troops, 6 guns, 411 vehicles, Assault Value = 278
Defending force 2444 troops, 28 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 19
Japanese max assault: 228 - adjusted assault: 242
Allied max defense: 10 - adjusted defense: 1
Japanese assault odds: 242 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
2 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Allied ground losses:
4863 casualties reported
Guns lost 69
Another bunch of hold-outs is eliminated. I'm down to only four areas in which Indian troops are still holding out as I've chased down all of the others with my infantry divisions and tank regiments.
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Ground combat at 23,47
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 5347 troops, 181 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 55
Defending force 2090 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2
Allied ground losses:
13 casualties reported
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Ground combat at Colombo
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 7620 troops, 76 guns, 3 vehicles, Assault Value = 115
Defending force 19349 troops, 166 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 425
Japanese ground losses:
2 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Allied ground losses:
23 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
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Ground combat at Asansol
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 850 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1
Defending force 1580 troops, 0 guns, 7 vehicles, Assault Value = 24
Allied max assault: 0 - adjusted assault: 0
Japanese max defense: 19 - adjusted defense: 53
Allied assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 0)
A very desperate assault indeed.
Below you can see a picture detailing some of the losses today. The main information to draw from this screenshot is that the Hurricane II losses have been extremely high. I think the British get something like 40 a month. They also get several squadrons as reinforcements but even accounting for the 200 they've received as replacements and the others they have received as reinforcement the loss of 335 planes must leave them scraping the bottom of the battle. The same goes for the Lysander and P-40s.
I, currently, have 100 Oscars and 60 or so Zeroes in reserve. In addition the A6M3 has finally begun production. It should be enough BUT when I view the next turn I note that Bombay has been completely destroyed and is unfit for use. With a large number of damaged planes there and no ability to mount an effective CAP it looks like my fighter and bomber reserves are about to be used to replace massive losses to the unit components I cannot evacuate today.
This couldn't have come at a worse time really as, in order to help lessen the need for Nakajimas I have recently stopped Helen production and switched back to producing Sallies. Essentially my forces are stretched tight and the loss of the 200 planes trapped at Bombay is going to eat up the reserves I required for a succesful air campaign over Karachi. I'm going to have to withdraw and come back again in a couple of weeks.
This also increases my need for a succesful carrier action in order to counterbalance this psychological lift for Trey. I have docked both CV TFs at Midway, spent the necessary PP to re-assign daitai and re-assigned all daitai to their original ships. In addition I have re-organised my carriers into three TFs. Each comprises 2 to 3 CVs, a CVL, a BB or CS, a CA and 5 to 6 DDs. Most of my CVs, BBs and CAs have system damage in the low tens due to the extensive use of full speed movement over the past few months. My CVLs are, generally speaking, in worse shape than my CVs but I daren't take the time to repair. I must have a victory to counter-point the proceedings at Bombay.
My 7 CVs, 3 CVLs,1 CS, 2 BBs, 3 CAs and 15 or 16 DDs set sail from Midway with an AO in tow as does the invasion convoy carrying the 35th Mixed Brigade. It appears that there is an extremely strong submarine cordon between French Frigate Shoals and Midway. At least a half-dozen submarines have been spotted so my TFs will use avoidant routing by moving directly east and only moving south when they are between the allied submarine cordon and the American CVs. While this increases the danger to my cripples manyfold once the battle is over I intend to cover the cripples by putting my surviving strike aircraft on ASW patrol once the battle is over. That should net quite a return and give my cripples some breathing space.
It looks like I'm facing 5 or 6 US CVs ( I forget how many they have at this stage of the war... The last time Trey sortied them he sortied in 3 distinct TFs so I am assuming I am facing 3 TFs each comprising 2 CVs. I have organised my force to send in a single massive strike. My hope is to ensure the sinking of two American CVs by hitting one TF with my entire strike group ( almost 300 dive and torpedo-bombers) instead of achieving less decisive results by spreading my strike between several TFs.
