Unfortunately the pilot list in the game got bugged, showing Allied pilots as well, so take a look at what the Tracker can show us. 44 Japanese pilots (23 Navy, 21 Army) managed to score more than 5 kills during this war, and 32 of them still are alive, including all five double aces. Except for carrier pilots and guys from 202 Ku, which was out of active fighting for more than half a year, most of them actually are wartime pilot schools graduates. Half of those units that currently shoulder active frontline duties are relatively freshly-raised and were packed with newly trained pilots to begin with, others had their pre-war veterans killed off. Only 64th Sentai retains about half-dozen of its starting pilots, despite being deployed in Andamans and Burma.
Yet, save for the fact that Air skill of my current top pilots usually is just a little above 70 (which, for Army units, is not even that much of a loss), I can say, that I'm successfully maintaining an elite core in my airforce so far. Besides pilos in the list, the war produced 41 aces with 5 kills (again, 32 still are alive) and a wealth of lesser skilled pilots. Most of the aces are fairly long-lived with 200-300+ missions on their records (the Tracker doesn't show that). On a whole, most Japanese pilots in the frontline units have kills. Average figher pilot experience is 57, but that includes rookies in the training units. Pilots in Burma and around rarely have less than 60. I also have a solid reserve to maintain this quality.
I believe, though, I'm mainly still holding Allies off in the air due to lack of focus and patience on my opponent's part, rather than my own skill or objective conditions of our forces. Allies already have tools to nuke just about any airfield in Burma they want and inflict disproportionate hurt on my airforce, but they mustn't squander them in countless minor skirmishes.
I thought that the increased pilot training tax should kick from January of 1943, but apparently it is active from February. Well, I still (barely) have enough HI to break even. And still not enough fuel/oil. Supply situation also deteriorates, to which heavy fighting in China probably contributes most of all. A single bombardment by main force seems to consume supply in tens of thousands of tons.
In a bright news, with CL Oyodo just arriving, naval expenses finally begin to shrink. I'm pondering if I should complete some of the currently-stopped KD subs, available before 1944, as Bigred continues to neglect his ASW (even with that, building any subs that won't be ready in 1943 is out of the question, Allied ASW potential will be just too great even through simple escort availability to justify them).
As I expected, Ushio sank and Shigure successfully reached Tulagi. However, I did a bone-headed mistake by not immediately sending ships from Tulagi to Rabaul, even though I knew Tulagi is in 4E range and Bigred has units in the theatre. As a result, Shigure was sunk in the harbor, and Uranami damaged badly enough that her survival is not assured.
Meanwhile, I-158 managed a single hit on CA Wichita, resulting in reported heavy damage, and was killed by escorts in return. The new front already is bleeding my forces... but at least now I know where the new front is. With the best non-carrier USN ships on the frontline, it looks like a serious commitment, if not exactly to Solomons, then to SWPac. While my defences in Solomons/Gilberts aren't top-notch (too little infantry), they are not exactly weak, and I'll be happy to fight a delaying fight here. If Allies won't be able to break into the Bismark Sea for a year, this might be considered a victory.
Burma, by March 3
Under repeated deliberate attacks Allied units at Magwe began to surrender, one by one... Meanwhile, battered Allied armored force tried to flank my infantry, now moving north, using the road running along Irawaddy, but my own tank regiments met it on the right bank, preventing them from deblocading forces caught at Magwe. My air support was more efficient and despite Allied numeric superiority, they were unable to dislodge my tanks so far. Speaking of the air fighting, there Japanese squadrons are destroying more planes than they are losing lately, thanks to all fighting predictably happening over the armored forces. Corsairs and Lightnings aren't able to wrest air superiority from me so close to my bases yet. However, I'm bothered by the fact, that despite 250 air support and effective AF rating of 10, Magwe still can't service my planes satislyingly. 1/3 of my fighters remain grounded every day. Might be due to exhaustion of AF units by extended fighting - all of them have fatigue of 99 or close by now.
Defense At Solomons: After actually looking through what I have at Home Islands, I found that I still can scrounge a decent number of support units for Solomons, as well as an infantry group. Now that Allies will soon have a working airfield at Ndeni, the plan is to set up the main airbase with torpedo support at Munda (already decently build up) and reinforce Tulagi/Lunga with more infantry, in hope that Allies will try to take them directly, instead of employing dot bases crawl. Tulagi, Lunga and Tassafaronga all have at least size 2 airfields, so, considering that the dread 4E bombers are spread between Burma and SWPac (and their slow, but considerable attrition in Burma), it will be hard for Bigred to completely suppress my forward airfields. If air raids will remain bearable, divebombers also will be based there - I'm shifting a large unit to the theatre.
I've encountered a problem though: a number of Japanese base forces are scheduled to gt extremely useful upgrades, that give them signigicant number of 12cm and 8cm DP guns, and the upgrade time passed weeks ago... but none of them expanded its TOE yet, not even a base force sitting on a lot of supply at Singapore. This is puzzling and problematic. I have only one mobile CD unit worthy of the name (and it goes to Georgetown currently, until and unless Andamans are completely secure), so these base forces are my main actual CD force. Never mind AA value of those guns.
Battles continue to rage across the Empire's perimeter. In Burma I cleaned up Allied troops surrounded at Magwe and chased Allied armor into jungle with considerable losses. Allied aviation is back to nuisance night raids again, as they probably need to lick their wounds. I tried a limited air offensive, targeting Allied shipping and airfield at Akyab, and achieved favorable kill ratio against the Allied airforce, but bombers failed to achieve anything. Allied land-based flak is monstrous on Arakan front as well, and even night raids suffer heavily from it.
In Solomons we both maintain limited commitment. Allies brought Ndeni to AF level 2 by now, despite some naval and air bombardments (the former cost me 1 modern DD lost to mines). Second Naval Battle of Ndeni was fought between destroyer groups and ended undecisively, with no loss no either side. I've also lost another medium sub and about half-dozen more subs were crippled by roving USN DDs, sinking only one more xAK in return. I think it is about time to withdraw most of my subs, to preserve them for supporting the fleet in major haval battles - Allied ASW is just too good.
China Front
With great concern I must say that by now the situation ended in a stalemate, instead of a breakthrough. The Southern Army force needed to detach too many units to guard its stretched supply route and ended up with 900 AV against first 2000 and now over 3000 in Kweiyang. I'm forced to retreat now, although all Chinese attempts of counterattacking my spearhead were repelled so far. I don't think that even committing my strategic reserve from Burma will be enough to break there.
Meanwhile, my main army remains blocked on the road north of Kweilin, after five attacks. While unceasing bombardments whittle the Chinese down, and Japanese both lose less squads destroyed in deliberate attacks than the defenders and recover disablements much faster, breakthough is still not achived, because Bigred gradually feeds new units into the grinder, maintaining the size of his force between 3400-4000 AV, so my 10000 AV (twice dropped almost to 8000) cannot rout them, and Chinese still have plenty of reserves in the rear to keep this up. I think I should have tried a shock attack at one moment...
This pretty much demolished my offensive schedule for the entire war. The only resort in this situation is trying to attrit the Chinese, primarily of supply, abandoning my intent to capture as much industry as possible intact. Most of IJAAF now operates in China and I put a serious effort at firebombing Chungking. Other cities in the Chinese heartland will follow. I also have a plan of another land operation (using further optimization of garrizon forces, units from Home Islands, fresh arrivals and possibly a part of my reserve), aimed at the same goal of achieving a better position in the war of attrition... more on that later.
Major air action took place today in SWPac. Betties from Munda were set to free day hunt, responding to signs of major Allied troop movements around Ndeni, while fighters fighters swept and LRCAPped Ndeni. The latter met only a lone Corsair. The former ran into a large concentration of Allies ships around Vanikoro, SW of Ndeni, that astonishingly had no aircover. Unfortunately, their accuracy left much to be desired.
At the end of the day, after 68 sorties against the Allied surface combatants, CLs Columbia and Honolulu took a single torpedo hit each. DD Laffley was torpedoed as well, and I hope at least this one is a kill. 24 planes diverted to attack Allied landing ships and sank an LST and two LCIs, unfortunately already empty. Weather was only "Moderate rain" during the biggest raid at the morning, and pilots were decent (65-70 NavT in general). Either Yankees got lucky, or flak played a role. Speaking of flak, 4 Betties were shot down, which, I admit, is quite low for this type of attack, even taking into account big raids and ability to set up torpedo runs without fearing fighter interference.
Meanwhile, about 36 Liberators visited the port of Munda and hit my auxilaries there. Defending A6M4s reportedly took down five of the monsters, in exchange of four of their own, but failed to prevent bombing runs. An ACM and the big AKE Pshc Maru went down. What is the point of having auxilaries if I cannot place them close to the front? I guess they will be more useful once I don't have a big base like Rabaul immediately at the rear...
Point-wise this was an Allied day, but hopefully damage to the modern USN cruisers will slow down Allied operations at Solomons, which already unfold at a pace so slow, that I would have found it very suspicious and decoy-like, if not for commitment of fleet units up to a fast battleship.
And while ships and planes burned at SWPac, the IJAAF bomber force started the offensive operation in China I mentioned above, by beginning to pound the 2000+ AV army Bigred incautiosly moved into the open ground at Sian. I hope 3-4 turns of raids by over 300 medium bombers should be enough to raise their disruption sky-high.
March 28-30: Convoy to Burma and the Naval Battle of Ramree Island
I needed to drop more supply to Burma, while extracting my reserve committed against the recent Allied offensive to a place from which it can be safely sealifted in case of an emergency. So, a large convoy moved to Rangoon, preceded by a light cruiser SCTF. Allied aviation remains strangely passive so far. One of the smaller Dutch subs tried to attack my convoy in shallow water and was apparently sunk by Mikazuki and Mutsuki in return. Meanwhile, a small Allied DD force of four ships, including two four-stacks, moved down the Arakan Coast, my SCTF reacted to it, and a prolonged battle/chase ensued. DDs Patterson and Gilmer were sunk, in exchange for moderate damage to Akatsuki. My squadron was stuck around the western tip of Burma's landmass by the daylight and I dreaded an Allied aviation response, but it did not materialize. The lesson: don't set reaction value too high, if you just want your ships to patrol under the air umbrella.
Sub Wars
While withdrawing surviving medium boats (three of which were sent to the bottom in March: I-158, I-173 and I-171 that finally succumbed to the damage sustained a week earlier on March 30), I moved the undamaged large ones further away from SWPac front, hoping to interdict the Allied communications around Suva-Pago Pago, instead of pounding my head against the fist of the American combat fleet. The ploy worked, with 4 hits on xAKs over the last week, 2 of which were scored by I-22, although not all of these transports might be lost. Of course, this is mostly due to Bigred's grievous lack of convoy discipline (most if not all of the victims were unescorted) and airsearch cover, but I'll take whatever victory I can.
I see no significant increase in Allied sub activities and damage they do so far. In fact, the most sub sightings are in forward combat zones, where subs are relatively easy to suppress, or at least avoid. This might be caused by lack of appropriate forwards bases for Allies, as Bigred certainly tries to interdict communications around Home Islands and Formosa, but the number of USN subs on patrol there is too low.
In the light of this, and my existing surplus of xAKs, I've decided to reduce the merchant shipbuilding program significantly. Besides completing ships already well on the way to completion, I'm going to stop all the construction projects, save for Std-A large xAKs (I like their high cargo/fuel efficiency, plus, they are survivable and, by Japanese standards, well-armed) and TKs (I want to eventually relieve converted Std-C tankers from their fuel-hauling duties, as they are inefficient compared to purpose-built tankers) - but not purpose-built AOs. These are junk - not enough cruise speed to keep up with the fleet, and low capacity, which makes them poorly suited for SRA convoys.
Merchant shipyards will be shut down, leaving only enough of them working to accomodate the reduced production schedule. In case I'll need more xAKs later, there still are over 17k Merchant SY points in the pool, stored during 1942 - should be enough for several dozens of small Std-D ships. This should make my HI stockpile expand steadily once again.
Burma and Solomons barely smolder now. It is possible that Bigred waits for his Hellcats to resume serious air action.
Meanwhile, my schedule for 1943 is more or less shattered by failure to overrun Chinese and reconnect Southern Army forces advancing across the Burma Road with my main forces. I wanted to land on Little Andaman in March, to clear the threat from my flank before the Allied airforce starts growing by leaps and bounds. May it the earliest viable date at the moment, if there is a viable date for this invasion at all now.
At least on the last day of March the garrizon of Sian (about 1200 AV) smashed the Chinese forces (about 2200 AV before the beginning of massed air raids), heavily disrupted by four days of air bombardment. This success will be exploited to the North, with the help of concentrating Japanese reserves, to cut off and seize the northern Chinese oilfields, reducing their supply production to whatever available in the Chinese heartland (which will be bombed).
Taking a look at the current victory screen, one can see that the fight remains bloody for the Japanese. I'm continuing losing ships, thankfully nothing critically important so far, by careless mistakes
Despite my efforts to avoid overproduction of early-war planes, I ended up with almost 3700 planes, nearly all of them obsolete to some degree, in the pools. This number will swell significantly, as I phase out older Navy bombers. Producing Nates until running out of engines was a mistake, looks like on-map tranining isn't going to use up all of them.
Note, that there are annoying mechanics in the game which causes Japanese planes of the types that aren't used by any airgroups to be broken up for resources... So I try to use a bit of every old model in my training airgroups
I'm now considering shutting down Tojo production entirely for the time being (you might notice that 2/3rds of it are stopped already). I don't want to end up with a huge pile of old Tojo IIa airframes, once IIc model enters production (which can be expected in June). They are not very useful as future kamikaze planes...
The bug which was polluting the list with the Allied aces disappeared after installing the beta pactch, thankfully...
As you can see, my pilot losses are brutal (but not brutal enough to exhaust my pools - not sure how I can count my trained reserve pilots but there are alot of them, for IJAAF I even sucked all replacements dry and was drafting pilots right from the training program, until the beta patch removed the ability to do so). I'm losing close to one pilot killed or missing per two destroyed planes. A few of MIAs will return later, but only a few. I wonder what ratio of pilot lossed to plane losses Allies usually have.
Even though the Army aviation had seen more combat and more losses than their Navy counterparts so far, 4 out 5 five double aces on my list are riding Zeros. I guess it is hard to score big with mere machineguns.
On April 6th, after almost a month of constant artillery bombardment, the sixth Japanese assault on Chinese positions in hex 76,51 finally succeeded, albeit at a great cost.
Ground combat at 76,51 (near Chihkiang)
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 268464 troops, 3232 guns, 2217 vehicles, Assault Value = 9586
Defending force 119967 troops, 996 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 3465
Japanese adjusted assault: 8354
Allied adjusted defense: 2995
Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1
Assaulting units:
19th Ind.Mixed Brigade
110th Division
32nd Division
26th Division
9th Division
8th Recon Regiment
17th Division
1st Division
116th Division
23rd Tank Regiment
40th Division
39th Division
10th Division
9th Tank Regiment
36th Division
51st Recon Regiment
6th Division
3rd Division
19th Division
35th Division
19th Tank Regiment
16th Division
3rd Tank Division
4th Division
15th Tank Regiment
14th Division
3rd Tank Regiment
41st Division
22nd Division
11th Tank Regiment
RGC Army
11th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
8th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
10th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Mobile Field Artillery Regiment
9th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
5th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
6th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
4th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
Botanko Hvy Gun Regiment
4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
2nd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
10th Mortar Battalion
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
12th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
11th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
12th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
13th Mortar Battalion
North China Area Army
4th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
China Expeditionary Army
NCPC Army
7th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
7th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
4th Army
3rd Army
1st Mobile AA Battalion
13th Army
10th Mortar Battalion
22nd Ind.Mtn Gun Battalion
21st Mortar Battalion
12th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
Mongol Garrison Army
5th Army
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
22nd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
6th Army
5th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
20th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
15th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
Kwantung Army
4th Mortar Battalion
3rd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
13th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
Defending units:
71st Chinese Corps
95th Chinese Corps
1st New Chinese Corps
98th Chinese Corps
80th Chinese Corps
24th Chinese Corps
27th Chinese Corps
56th Chinese Corps
14th Chinese Corps
31st Chinese Corps
9th Chinese Corps
8th New Chinese Corps
5th War Area
1st Group Army
7th War Area
9th Group Army
Central Reserve
22nd Group Army
Bigred could have doubled the number of defenders here, but I think that endless artillery fire, that (in combination with poor supply situation, I believe, mostly prevented Chinese from recovering their disabled squads, discouraged him from piling up too many units. I still think it was possible for him to improve odds by withdrawing a couple of exhausted infantry formations and replace him with fresh ones, without exposing toom many units to artillery.
19th Independent Mixed Brigade was reduced to effective AV 3 by this battle. I don't like the game's propensity for concentrating fire on unlucky units during the assaults, sometimes even wiping them out entirely.
The breakthrough at Sian is equally successful, with Chinese being chased north under air attacks and routed repeatedly. It seems that the road to Lanchow is open. There is still tough fighting in China ahead, but I think the end of the road is finally in sight.
The previous Allied convoy to Little Andaman was sunk by my aviation at the beginning of March. This time Bigred has deployed what was probably a decoy convoy meant to draw my forces into fighting. My reaction was proportional. On April 6 preliminary air raids against approaching Allied ships occured, with my Vals demonstrating abysmal accuracy and only hitting a single xAK, and on April 7 the main battle happened. To demonstrate what out battles usually look like now, I'll repost the relevant sections of the combat report:
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Apr 07, 43
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Car Nicobar at 44,61, Range 2,000 Yards
Poor visibility due to Thunderstorms with 7% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Thunderstorms and 7% moonlight: 2,000 yards
Range closes to 10,000 yards...
Range closes to 8,000 yards...
Range closes to 6,000 yards...
Range closes to 4,000 yards...
Range closes to 2,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 2,000 yards
Japanese open fire on surprised Allied ships at 2,000 yards
PT-165 sunk by DD Yuzuki at 2,000 yards
Combat ends with last Allied ship sunk...
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Little Andaman at 44,60, Range 1,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Kagero
DD Hatsukaze
DD Urakaze
DD Hagikaze
DD Sazanami
DD Mutsuki, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Mikazuki
DD Yuzuki
Allied Ships
CL Trenton
DD Ward, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Kennison, Shell hits 12, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
Poor visibility due to Thunderstorms with 7% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Thunderstorms and 7% moonlight: 2,000 yards
Range closes to 19,000 yards...
Range closes to 13,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
Range closes to 3,000 yards...
Range closes to 1,000 yards...
Inoue, Yoshio crosses the 'T'
DD Kennison engages DD Yuzuki at 1,000 yards
DD Kennison engages DD Yuzuki at 1,000 yards
DD Kennison engages DD Mutsuki at 1,000 yards
DD Kennison sunk by DD Kagero at 1,000 yards
Range increases to 2,000 yards
DD Yuzuki engages DD Ward at 2,000 yards
DD Ward engages DD Mikazuki at 2,000 yards
Range increases to 5,000 yards
CL Trenton engages DD Mutsuki at 5,000 yards
DD Kagero engages DD Ward at 5,000 yards
Task forces break off...
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Little Andaman at 44,60, Range 2,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Kagero
DD Hatsukaze
DD Urakaze
DD Hagikaze
DD Sazanami
DD Mutsuki, on fire
DD Mikazuki
DD Yuzuki
Allied Ships
PT-182, Shell hits 1
Reduced visibility due to Thunderstorms with 7% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Thunderstorms and 7% moonlight: 2,000 yards
Range closes to 10,000 yards...
Range closes to 8,000 yards...
Range closes to 6,000 yards...
Range closes to 4,000 yards...
Range closes to 2,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 2,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 2,000 yards
PT-182 engages DD Yuzuki at 2,000 yards
PT-182 engages DD Mikazuki at 2,000 yards
Tibbetts, D.D. orders Allied TF to disengage
DD Yuzuki engages PT-182 at 2,000 yards
DD Urakaze engages PT-182 at 2,000 yards
Task forces break off...
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Little Andaman at 44,58, Range 1,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Kagero
DD Hatsukaze
DD Urakaze
DD Hagikaze
DD Sazanami
DD Mutsuki, Shell hits 1, heavy fires
DD Mikazuki, Shell hits 19, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Yuzuki
Allied Ships
DD O'Brien
DD Vampire, Shell hits 4, on fire
Low visibility due to Thunderstorms with 7% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Thunderstorms and 7% moonlight: 2,000 yards
Range closes to 23,000 yards...
Range closes to 17,000 yards...
Range closes to 11,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
Range closes to 5,000 yards...
Range closes to 3,000 yards...
Range closes to 1,000 yards...
DD Vampire engages DD Mikazuki at 1,000 yards
DD Mikazuki sunk by DD O'Brien at 1,000 yards
Range increases to 2,000 yards
DD Yuzuki engages DD Vampire at 2,000 yards
DD Vampire engages DD Mutsuki at 2,000 yards
DD Vampire engages DD Urakaze at 2,000 yards
Range increases to 4,000 yards
DD Yuzuki engages DD Vampire at 4,000 yards
DD Mutsuki engages DD O'Brien at 4,000 yards
Task forces break off...
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Day Time Surface Combat, near Little Andaman at 43,59, Range 3,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
DD Kagero
DD Hatsukaze
DD Urakaze
DD Hagikaze, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Sazanami
DD Mutsuki, heavy damage
DD Yuzuki
Allied Ships
DD Scout, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Stronghold, Shell hits 2, on fire
Low visibility due to Thunderstorms
Maximum visibility in Thunderstorms: 4,000 yards
Range closes to 19,000 yards...
Range closes to 13,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
Range closes to 3,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 3,000 yards
DD Hagikaze engages DD Stronghold at 3,000 yards
Task forces break off...
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Day Time Surface Combat, near Little Andaman at 44,60, Range 4,000 Yards
Low visibility due to Thunderstorms
Maximum visibility in Thunderstorms: 4,000 yards
Range closes to 14,000 yards...
Range closes to 8,000 yards...
Range closes to 4,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 4,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 4,000 yards
Shiraishi, Nagayo crosses the 'T'
DD Sazanami engages PT-161 at 4,000 yards
DD Kagero engages PT-161 at 4,000 yards
Minnick, G.H. orders Allied TF to disengage
Range closes to 2,000 yards
DD Yuzuki engages PT-161 at 2,000 yards
PT-161 sunk by DD Kagero at 2,000 yards
Combat ends with last Allied ship sunk...
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Morning Air attack on Little Andaman , at 44,59
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid detected at 46 NM, estimated altitude 39,740 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 32
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 17
Spitfire Vc Trop x 11
Kittyhawk I x 2
P-40K Warhawk x 29
Aircraft Attacking:
6 x A6M5 Zero sweeping at 36740 feet
CAP engaged:
No.14 Sqn RCAF with Kittyhawk I (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 2 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 35600
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 43 minutes
No.77 Sqn RAAF with Spitfire Vc Trop (0 airborne, 8 on standby, 0 scrambling)
8 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 35600 , scrambling fighters between 35000 and 36000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 3 minutes
No.146 Sqn RAF with Hurricane IIc Trop (2 airborne, 6 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 35600.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 1 minutes
No.261 Sqn RAF with Hurricane IIc Trop (0 airborne, 6 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 35600.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 6 minutes
49th FG/7th FS with P-40K Warhawk (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 17 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 29000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 44 minutes
23rd FG/74th FS with P-40K Warhawk (0 airborne, 2 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 9 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 29000 , scrambling fighters to 29000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 35 minutes
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Morning Air attack on Little Andaman , at 44,59
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid detected at 227 NM, estimated altitude 40,740 feet.
Estimated time to target is 68 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 3
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 1
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 7
Spitfire Vc Trop x 3
Kittyhawk I x 1
P-40K Warhawk x 10
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed
No Allied losses
CAP engaged:
No.14 Sqn RCAF with Kittyhawk I (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 35600 , scrambling fighters to 34600.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 51 minutes
No.77 Sqn RAAF with Spitfire Vc Trop (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
3 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 35600 , scrambling fighters between 36640 and 38740.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 32 minutes
No.261 Sqn RAF with Hurricane IIc Trop (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
6 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 35640 and 36740.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 67 minutes
49th FG/7th FS with P-40K Warhawk (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 29000 , scrambling fighters to 15000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 68 minutes
23rd FG/74th FS with P-40K Warhawk (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 29000 , scrambling fighters between 14000 and 34740.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 75 minutes
No.146 Sqn RAF with Hurricane IIc Trop (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 36740.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 41 minutes
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Little Andaman at 41,56
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid detected at 144 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 53 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 31
G3M3 Nell x 22
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 5
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 1 destroyed by flak
No Allied losses
Allied Ships
CL Trenton, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
DD Ward
Aircraft Attacking:
21 x G3M3 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
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Morning Air attack on Port Blair , at 46,58
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid spotted at 30 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 6
Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 10
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 2 damaged
Runway hits 2
Aircraft Attacking:
10 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 11000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
CAP engaged:
Kamikawa Maru-2 with A6M2 Zero (2 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters to 15000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 8 minutes
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Afternoon Air attack on Little Andaman , at 44,59
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid detected at 32 NM, estimated altitude 39,740 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 14
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 41
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 17
Spitfire Vc Trop x 12
Kittyhawk I x 6
P-40K Warhawk x 20
Aircraft Attacking:
18 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 36740 feet
CAP engaged:
No.14 Sqn RCAF with Kittyhawk I (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 4 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 35600 , scrambling fighters to 30600.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 20 minutes
No.77 Sqn RAAF with Spitfire Vc Trop (0 airborne, 6 on standby, 4 scrambling)
6 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 2 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 35600 , scrambling fighters between 30000 and 37000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 13 minutes
No.146 Sqn RAF with Hurricane IIc Trop (0 airborne, 3 on standby, 2 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 10000 and 35600.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 19 minutes
No.261 Sqn RAF with Hurricane IIc Trop (2 airborne, 5 on standby, 4 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 10000 and 35600.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 10 minutes
49th FG/7th FS with P-40K Warhawk (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 13 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 29000
Raid is overhead
23rd FG/74th FS with P-40K Warhawk (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 5 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 29000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 4 minutes
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Afternoon Air attack on Little Andaman , at 44,59
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid detected at 28 NM, estimated altitude 41,740 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 10
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 35
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 4
Spitfire Vc Trop x 2
P-40K Warhawk x 4
No Japanese losses
No Allied losses
Aircraft Attacking:
31 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 36740 feet
CAP engaged:
No.146 Sqn RAF with Hurricane IIc Trop (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 4000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 33 minutes
No.261 Sqn RAF with Hurricane IIc Trop (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 5000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 20 minutes
49th FG/7th FS with P-40K Warhawk (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
4 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 29000 , scrambling fighters to 6000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 132 minutes
No.77 Sqn RAAF with Spitfire Vc Trop (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 35600 , scrambling fighters between 3000 and 6000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 30 minutes
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Little Andaman at 44,59
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid detected at 161 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 68 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 40
B5N2 Kate x 27
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 1
Allied aircraft
Spitfire Vc Trop x 1
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 1 damaged
No Allied losses
Allied Ships
BB Ramillies
Aircraft Attacking:
27 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
3 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 15000 feet
20 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 15000 feet
CAP engaged:
No.77 Sqn RAAF with Spitfire Vc Trop (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(1 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
1 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 35600 , scrambling fighters to 18000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 10 minutes
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Sub attack near Little Andaman at 43,59
Japanese Ships
DD Hagikaze
Allied Ships
SS Scamp
DD Hagikaze is sighted by SS Scamp
SS Scamp launches 2 torpedoes at DD Hagikaze
A disappointing performance by my DD flotilla, that searched for the Allied transports, and Kates' pilots surely were blind to miss a barely moving target. Mutsuki is crippled and might be lost on the next day. Air losses were about even, thanks to planes from Port Blair not flying in the morning phase and leaving their comrades from Victoria Point to fight alone.
I-166, however, helped to save the day (together with the Nell kokutai from Trinkat), sinking DD Russel south of Perth in the evening.
Adding to the post above, according to Bigred's email, he places alot of SBDs at Little Andaman on that turn, but they did not fly. I suspected this after seeing a number of bombers there, and, I must say, I was quite lucky, as LRCAP over my destroyers included only one group (which wouldn't have covered damaged ones that fell behind of the main TF).
Well, he wasn't the only one suffering from this. Two groups of Helen skipbombers from Trinkat refused to sortie for two days in a row... I'm not sure of the reason. Morale was excellent and commanders good.
On April 24 China Expeditionary Army finally met forces of Southern Army at Kweiyang, after fighting for every hex on the road to it, and on April 25 the Chinese garrizon was pushed out of the city with massive casualties. Lanchow was overran by my northern offensive several days earlier, cutting remaining heavy industry in the Chinese heartland from oil flow. Low supply levels are evident whenever we encounter Chinese troops.
I think there is no possibility of preventing my army in Kweiyang area, that numbers almost 10000 AV in the first line now, and will grow more as disabled squads are recovered, from breaking in the Chinese heatland and besieging Chungking from all sides. The question is whether I'll be able to storm Chungking. Remnants of the main Chinese force in the south were pushed in the woods, but they will require troops to watch, and I believe that Bigred still has 1.5-2k of surviving AV north of Kweiyang-Kunming road. Recon shows 29 units at Chungking, but who knows, how many of them are remnants, instead of reconstructed units, and how starved they are. I took care to isolate rather than destroy as many Chinese units as I can, so I think there is a chance of ending the campaign decisively.
Naval Woes
On the seas, though, war is not going well for IJN. Allied subs claimed DD Mutsuki, as it retreated from the fighting, described above, 1 E and 2 PBs. Skipbombers destroyed DD Nowaki and APDs Oite and Wakatake during an ill-planned resupply run to Milne Bay area. The only noticeable Japanese success was sinking 2 xAKLs and 2 patrol boats from a resupply convoy to Little Andaman by Nells, that executed a night torpedo attack on a 100% moonlight night. Another transport from this convoy was sunk by a sub. My pilots failed to repeat this feat, though, and several more night attack there and at Solomons resulted in torpedoing of only one xAKL.
Worse still, I think a couple of transports managed to unload at Little Andaman, while BB Ramillies somehow got out, despite taking about 20 bombs hit while in port... Bigred is employing a lot of single-PT TFs, so I gave up on checking every one of the many detected TF in close proximity to the island.
In better news, CV Ryukaku just joined the fleet, while almost all of my other carriers finished their 4/43 upgrades. Taking them all out of comission for a month and leaving only two small carriers in the Pacific was rather risky, but I decided to gamble on Bigred being cautious and busy with expanding his bases around Ndeni. This worked. Possibly the surprise Allied air raid on Rabaul, that resulted in Hosho damaged at the pier (only system damage) helped to convince Bigred, that KB is busy watching his every move.
1. Full-stength Chinese troops produced by a bug in the scenario turned my advances in China into a crawl (and there were a few points, where I avoided a rout only by emergency concentration of bombers on top of the most of IJAAF bomber force already occupied there). This lasted until Bigred took over and we dropped all HRs, allowing me to move Kwantung Army forces into China.
2. Even then, my victory owed more to an accumulation of tactical mistakes by my opponent, than to any big plan of my own. I've started employing diversionary moves only in 1943, more by accident than by design, and I'm not sure if they were effective at all. As about mistakes, I believe that Bigred grasped the importance of concentrating forces into mega-stacks, rather than trying forming a frontline too late, and allowed his forces to be defeated piecemeal or blocked in pockets too often. In particular, the forces that stalled me for several months after Japanese breakthrough at Hengyang should have been combined with the army that defended Hengyang... I'm pretty sure that they weren't newly regenerated units.
3. My own conduct of the second stage of the campaign (after Kwantung Army entry into it) was lackuster and insufficiently vigorous. Bigred outmaneuvered me in the grand scheme of things, when I attempted to march five divisions through Hymalaias, creating a series of threats on their stretched flanks, guarding against which took more AV than actually reached Kweyang, and I've failed to regroup and counter in a meaninful manner. Breakthrough in the hex 76,51 was bought with over 100 000 Japanese men overall (about a thousand of destoyed squads and vehicles, if not more), and I could have implemented the measures that let me won after the first failed assault, not after the fifth. Similarly, northern assault could and should have been planned moths sooner, as soon as Bigred moved his northern army in the open, leaving it exremely vulnerable to disruption by massed air attacks.
As a result of this, I'm entirely late with the planned invasions. It remains to be seen if I'll still be able to pull them off in the Hellcat age. Allied aviation remains quiet since almost the beginning of April, save for nuisance raids, attempts to catch my convoys in Solomons by unescorted skipbombing raids, and temporarily putting stiff and successful resistance over Little Andaman. This is certainly the calm before the storm - Bigred is correct taking his time to build up the Allied airforce, after it was battered during the last battle for Burma.
The war goes on without big events. No major Allied moves so far. I'm suffering steady but ultimately acceptable losses in ships and planes, while inflicting about as much damage on the enemy. Hopefully I'll be able to mop up China and proceed with other operations, planned for 1943, by the end of May.
Everyday Allied actitivites are limited to building up Ndeni and Vanikoro, plus nuisance raids by night bombers and PT boats. Suits me just fine. Fleet units up to cruisers are sighted in the theatre. On my side, Tulagi, Lunga and Munda were strongly reinforced, Rabaul stocked with massive amounts of fuel and supply. Unfortunately, skipbombers make further convoy movements towards forward bases quite dangerous already. Inclusion of heavy cruisers as AA units and good CAP mitigates losses even against 4Es, but did not eliminate them entirely. Airlift will be used to mitigate this problem.
Absolutely no moves on the ground for weeks. In the air things were relatively quiet as well, but now I'm moving the bomber force no longer needed in China to set Allies straight here. Unfortunately, my attempt of a surprise mass night raid on Ledo, where Allied 4Es and transports, supporting the Chinese, are based, ended up with a whimper - night CAP was small and quickly overwhelmed by numbers, but bombing accuracy remained completely pathetic. Weather was good, so I'm not sure why.
Allies restrict themselves to nuisance night raids, which I'm not contesting, except over Magwe, as they do not cause any appreciable damage. Although Bigred tried a high-altitude day 4E attack on Mandalay the last turn, with barely better results.
