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Still holding on at Chungking:

Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 116851 troops, 1520 guns, 2568 vehicles, Assault Value = 3919

Defending force 138619 troops, 42 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 3137

Japanese adjusted assault: 3270

Allied adjusted defense: 3529

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

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

Japanese ground losses:
11414 casualties reported
Squads: 64 destroyed, 1207 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 156 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 98 disabled
Guns lost 125 (3 destroyed, 122 disabled)
Vehicles lost 128 (3 destroyed, 125 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
5882 casualties reported
Squads: 236 destroyed, 213 disabled
Non Combat: 103 destroyed, 99 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 7 (1 destroyed, 6 disabled)
Units destroyed 5

Assaulting units:
3rd Division
39th Division
3rd Tank Division
37th Division
27th Division
15th Division
23rd Tank Regiment
1st Tank Division
3rd Tank Regiment
36th Division
18th Tank Regiment
15th Tank Regiment
11th Tank Regiment
2nd Tank Division
9th Tank Regiment
Guards Tank Division
4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
1st Army
Botanko Hvy Gun Regiment
52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
4th Mortar Battalion
7th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
4th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
5th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
3rd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
6th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
1st Mortar Battalion
North China Area Army
12th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
11th Field Artillery Regiment

Most IJ players are so focused on their need for oil/fuel that any threat to the SRA is viewed as a mortal peril for the Empire. So Sauron's eye scans the SRA for places you might go and misses you creeping toward the arteries that carry the oil and fuel north. I hope he has some clean underwear in the drawer ...

Turn is away....these turns feel like work, so much to keep track of.

Some subs have already filled up at Tarakan...quite nice.

July 22, 1943

South China Sea

Well, the cat is somewhat out of the bag...hoping for some more deception here yet....

I have found assigning different airframes different jobs help me stay organized and avoid flaws in my defense. I used these Sea Hurricanes as low cap (5k) on fleet carrier during our KB clash of the New Guinea coastline. They did great, even getting an ace in a day.

Now they are on the Copahee, and will provide low cap for the landings.

I also discovered as Japan, that Rufes flying low cap are incredibly valuable for CV defense....these older, slower, obsolete ?, air frames do well flying CAP over carriers at low altitudes....they tend not to engage enemy CAP, but rather home in on the bombers if they are sufficient fighters. If it is a good tactic for Rufes, figure it would work out well with these Sea Hurricanes...plus they provide valuable point defense against Emily and others flying at 1k.

We have got a movement dot on an IJA Division at Chiang Mai...will take at least 1 more day to get into rail mode, if not already there. Japan is complaining about all the clicks needed last turn...I sign that we have surprised him a bit if it isn't deception, which I don't think it is from the lack of base building. As a JFB, I normally have interlocking size7,8,9 air bases with forts four all over the place by now along the rail line.

We are counting on Japan continuing their trend of being sloppy on their inner perimeter base building and garrisoning. Things will start happening with the following turn, and thanks to those extremely long legged Liberator recon, we should have good intel and be able to really pull off a nice attack.

Sadly, we will be activating the Militia in Indochina...Saigon, Luangprabang, Haiphong, and Hue I recall.

What will Japan do....with respect to the task forces heading for Cam Ranh Bay? Retreat forward SAGs back to Luzon/Hong Kong/Singapore and focus on stopping it?

Or raid my LOC with everything, everywhere?

Hybrid ops?

KB strike? I am hoping the KB is loitering somewhere between Babeldoab and Truk looking to raid my LOC...rather than in say Hong Kong.

Subs are patrolling more for a raid, than a retreat back up to Luzon...detection levels on the subs are don't exist here...might get a few good shots in. Cats on a dedicated naval search arc, about 8-9 hexes north of Babeldoab will hopefully let me know what is going on...might get in an AB strafing run too.

Not sure I can pull this off...be we will try:

Our night campaign is over, and we had great success at Rangoon, and no success at Bangkok...distance?

Will continue the campaign at Rangoon, focus on refineries till 50 percent moonlight and then stand down.

Repairs at Sorong, only have some naval support squads and ADs now...will be adding ADs, ARs, and more naval squads over the next few days and wanted to see the impact on the repair length.

Gaining experience by doing 1 hex milk runs....

I believe there is also a Viet-Minh division that activates at Hanoi, but ... there is a date after which the Vietnamese switch sides and there is no activation against you. I forget whether it is in Mid 1943 or early 1944. IRL, I am sure it would have been after the British victories at Imphal and Kohima and likely after the liberation of Rangoon.

BBfanboy wrote: Mon Mar 20, 2023 7:00 pm there is a date after which the Vietnamese switch sides and there is no activation against you. I forget whether it is in Mid 1943 or early 1944. IRL, I am sure it would have been after the British victories at Imphal and Kohima and likely after the liberation of Rangoon.

I don't recall that at all....is it unique to Dababes?

July 23, 1943

Subs have a good day, miss several warships including a CL, get info on the Yamato, and make some other hits.

Sub attack near Singkawang at 56,87

Japanese Ships
xAK Chojun Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Kisogawa Maru
PB Ginyo Maru

Allied Ships
SS Skipjack

SS Skipjack launches 2 torpedoes at xAK Chojun Maru

Submarine attack near Singkawang at 56,87

Japanese Ships
xAK Chojun Maru, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Skipjack

ASW attack near Tandjoengselor at 68,95

Japanese Ships
CA Atago, Torpedo hits 1
CL Kuma
DD Michishio
DD Sanae
DD Natsugumo

Allied Ships
SS Puffer

Submarine attack near Cam Ranh Bay at 64,72

Japanese Ships
xAK Somedono Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Wahoo

Lowpe wrote: Mon Mar 20, 2023 7:55 pm

BBfanboy wrote: Mon Mar 20, 2023 7:00 pm there is a date after which the Vietnamese switch sides and there is no activation against you. I forget whether it is in Mid 1943 or early 1944. IRL, I am sure it would have been after the British victories at Imphal and Kohima and likely after the liberation of Rangoon.

I don't recall that at all....is it unique to Dababes?

I looked in the manual and it does not state that but I remember something that stated there was no Viet Minh after 1942.

RangerJoe wrote: Mon Mar 20, 2023 9:09 pm

Lowpe wrote: Mon Mar 20, 2023 7:55 pm

BBfanboy wrote: Mon Mar 20, 2023 7:00 pm there is a date after which the Vietnamese switch sides and there is no activation against you. I forget whether it is in Mid 1943 or early 1944. IRL, I am sure it would have been after the British victories at Imphal and Kohima and likely after the liberation of Rangoon.

I don't recall that at all....is it unique to Dababes?

I looked in the manual and it does not state that but I remember something that stated there was no Viet Minh after 1942.

Here is CR Sutton's post from Dec. 29, 2016:


This is correct. China and Vietnam have been historic enemies for a very long time and the Viet Minh would have been alarmed if Chinese troops entered the country early in the war. But by 1943, the Viet Minh were solidly in the Allied camp, so there would have been no activation. If I am not mistaken there were Chinese troops in Northern Vietnam for a while after the war to help disarm the Japanese. The Chinese were responsible for territory north of the 16th parallel, the British south of the line.

My Dad was on a LST that picked up Chinese troops at Haiphong and transported them north to fight Mao. Here is an excerpt from his letter dated 4/4/46:

" Tied up at the docks at Haiphong, Indo-China (now Vietnam) Came in yesterday afternoon and loaded on some supplies for Chinses troops and expect to get some Chinese troops aboard and pull out today.

This is a right interesting place it seems to me. ... The town was built around 1900 by the French, stucco buildings two or more stories with big green shutters on the windows. There are several thousand French troops here who came in since the war ended.

... They had some trouble when the French came in. The Chinese (Vietnamese0 fired on the French ships (US built LCIs0 and the French cruiser and destroyer fired on this town and did quite a bit of damage. No one seem to know just why this happened.

The pathetic part is that both the Chinese and the French are supplied and equipped by the US. The native people here are trying to get their independence but were put down by the French troops with American equipment."

jedwardpita wrote: Tue Mar 21, 2023 1:18 pm My Dad was on a LST that picked up Chinese troops at Haiphong and transported them north to fight Mao. Here is an excerpt from his letter dated 4/4/46:

" Tied up at the docks at Haiphong, Indo-China (now Vietnam) Came in yesterday afternoon and loaded on some supplies for Chinses troops and expect to get some Chinese troops aboard and pull out today.

This is a right interesting place it seems to me. ... The town was built around 1900 by the French, stucco buildings two or more stories with big green shutters on the windows. There are several thousand French troops here who came in since the war ended.

... They had some trouble when the French came in. The Chinese (Vietnamese0 fired on the French ships (US built LCIs0 and the French cruiser and destroyer fired on this town and did quite a bit of damage. No one seem to know just why this happened.

The pathetic part is that both the Chinese and the French are supplied and equipped by the US. The native people here are trying to get their independence but were put down by the French troops with American equipment."

Very interesting!

July 23, 1943

China...still holding Chungking...don't see much movement away from Chungking which is good.

Have a tough time getting supplies to Ledo -- even though everything is built up. The supply dried up about a month ago for some reason from c20k to c3k. The bases to the west all have 20k...I will blame the monsoon season which started May 15, and just took a while to deplete the supply...

Time to put pressure on Burma and get the Burma Road open again...