AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Sep 24, 43
The war continues at a slow pace for now - LoBaron is away in Barcelona ? (somewhere in Spain anyway) until Thursday.
I hope he has a great little holiday and I am tempted to play the US in the interim but decided that common sense
dictates that I don't [;)]
I do know the new plan for Rabaul is to hammer it from the sea - US minesweepers have been dodging in and clearing a few
over the past week. Commonwealth naval officers have persuaded the US that a bombardment group of CA's should be able to hit
the place and not worry about mines too much so long as the escorts do not bombard either. As mines are sewn close to shore
in most cases all should be well for the Yanks. BUT recon today showed some possible CV's in Rabaul ?? true ?? i doubt it
as CA's are commonly reported as carriers. Still the US Heavy Cruiser TF is refuelled in Shortlands and should imo go in
regardless as he might catch some CV's in port ! It's worth a gamble. Even if Japan creates a CV fleet he might catch it
at night as it forms up.
Australian Transports carrying more support elements to Lae have been diverted to Milne bay as a precaution to CV
activity in the area. It might have been more prudent to sail them back to Townsville but as i stated earlier i do
not really think he has CV's in Rabaul.
Meanwhile Hollandia has some troops in it , recon shows 1900 and 11 fighters so Japan has finally started to make
some defences in north New Guinea, We will still start the para drops next turn regardless as spits can now reach
the landing bases to provide some LR CAP.
1st Australian Para Battalion will land on Wewak. Covered by spitfires.
2/6 Cavalry commando battalion will land on Aitape. Covered by Hurricanes.
How I can keep these places is a bit moot as they are more of a diversion to the main attack (see below)the next big
Goal(s) for the Aussies are Gasmata to help isolate Rabaul, this will be v risky landing but now we have Finchaven
up and running as a fighter base we will attempt to invade it in a week or so. Planners havnt set much in the way
of troops to take the place but we do have sufficient Base forces to get it to a useful state relatively fast
once its secured by the 2/11 Armoured Car Battalion and the 2nd RAA Jungle arty regiment. the Port Moresby defence
Battalion can be shipped over if needed too (which it probably will be). 1st Australian HQ is also 100% Prepped
to help keep the place once taken.
Our main attack will be on Manas in the Admiralty islands , but only once Rabaul is closed for business. both 1st and
4th Australian Divisions are preparing (being on refit in Sydney right now) along with SW Pac HQ and 2nd Australian HQ.
Both or either of these divisions could also be railed to Perth for use in Java too if needed. So its more of a strategic
reserve right now.
JAVA INVASION
WE have roughly the following troops loaded up :-
11th West African division
5th Australian Division
5th Indian Division
Several Batallions/brigades , one motorised and one Tank
TD and artillery
Base forces and Air HQ for Torpedo usage upon capture for land based air.
most is prepped for Tjiljap but the follow on and one HQ is prepped for Batavia as next target. This will ofc be subject to change
as Japan reacts.
Over 100 P47's have been assembled in Christmas island for Land based fighter protection , along with search a/c . The bases ASW squadrons
have been withdrawn to Cocos as the base was overloaded with groups. Its now 100% safe and functional to maximise the fighters which i suspect
we will need badly. Some smaller fighter units are also present ( P40E/P40N1/hurricane and spits arriving) as added numbers. While albacore
and swordfish provide the anti shipping punch. Being Commonwealth we don't have dive bombers.
Additionally we have another African Division in Mombasa preparing for Java while filling out and refitting. by the time i get AP's there
it should be upto 100% with a 72 skill leader.
The lead invasion TF's have been spotted near Cocos so its time to push everyone forward to Christmas island and send in the landing next turn.
I was preparing for a very detailed landing order but this has gone completely out of the window as some TF's have gone a lot faster than others,
We will just use the kitchen sink approach and try and bully our way in ASAP.
This whole operation could be end of the CW forces if it all goes wrong , OR we can start denying Japan its vital Oil mid war, potentially
driving her economy into the ground in 44 (I hope).
America has been most generous in its loaning od large numbers of APA/LST and AP ships along with the essential Carriers and escorts
needed for this operation.
Burma ..
Port Blair was hit by Japanese bombardment a/c . WE NEED an Air HQ in the region badly to allow the stationing of longer range torpedo a/c
in the Andaman islands .. range 6 Vengeance dive bombers just don't work well at all.
Night Naval bombardment of Port Blair at 46,58
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIc Trop: 21 damaged
Hurricane IIc Trop: 1 destroyed on ground
Hudson IIIa: 68 damaged
Hudson IIIa: 3 destroyed on ground
Catalina I: 26 damaged
Catalina I: 1 destroyed on ground
Vengeance I: 28 damaged
Vengeance I: 1 destroyed on ground
Japanese Ships
BB Yamashiro
BB Fuso
CA Aoba
CA Takao
DD Maikaze
DD Kiyonami
DD Hayanami
DD Onami
DD Tamanami
DD Takanami
DD Makinami
Allied ground losses:
445 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 12 destroyed, 41 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled
Vehicles lost 6 (4 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Airbase hits 34
Airbase supply hits 10
Runway hits 49
Port hits 1
Losses were minimal I'm happy to report , one Hudson and 2 vengeance .. many damage a/c however.
Allied ships hit Boela again , and for just one CL and some dinky DD's the damage is great (if true)
Night Naval bombardment of Boela at 80,110
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 7 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 34 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-61-Ia Tony: 7 damaged
Ki-61-Ia Tony: 1 destroyed on ground
A6M3a Zero: 10 damaged
A6M3a Zero: 1 destroyed on ground
Allied Ships
CL De Ruyter
DD Piet Hein
DD Vendetta
DE Express
DE Decoy
Japanese ground losses:
36 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Airbase hits 14
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 31
CL De Ruyter firing at Boela
DD Piet Hein firing at Boela
DD Vendetta firing at Boela
DE Express firing at Boela
DE Decoy firing at Boela
Allied planners are sending down large numbers of liberators to cocos islands for both long range naval search and
ground attacks in Java as needed.
That just about covers the Allies turns and CW plans for now , + we are landing at Car Nicobar, in the Andaman's as
yet another airfield to threaten Sumatra and Malaya. Again its a distraction for Japan but damn useful if i can keep
it. As its a level 0(0) port , naval support has been maximised to help it build up and unload eng. vehicles (i hope).
