Thinz2 vs Zuluhour

[zuluhour]

One hint, business end of a P40E

[zuluhour]

underside

[zuluhour]

Christmas Eve 1942

Quick update: We spot an RO class sub off Columbo and perferate her a little; Hollycock (already one confirmed kill) is ordered to finish her tomorrow. More squadrons convert to P38s and K model Warhawks. Best news of the day, the first P38s see action in the southern Solomons on drop tanks on an air superiority mission claim 11 Zekes to one of their own. While the combat report shows five, the replay shows eleven as does the tally s for the day. We suspect an entire Chutai. I think thats nine. We are close to disclosing the opening of the allied counter offensive. Unfortunately needed shipping which scattered before the KB is just straggling back to their propper ports debarking their cargos. APDs are now three days out as well as some of the ships needed for the screens. I have to get the TWITS on the calculators tonight to see what need versus what we have.

Afternoon Air attack on Russell Islands , at 113,136

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 30 NM, estimated altitude 25,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 14



Allied aircraft
P-38E Lightning x 18


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3 Zero: 5 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-38E Lightning: 1 destroyed



Aircraft Attacking:
7 x P-38E Lightning sweeping at 23000 feet

[DOCUP]

Nice job with the Lightnings.  P40 looks nice where is it?

[zuluhour]

The photo of the P40 is at the Steven F. Udvar- Hazy Center in Dulles Virginia. It is a branch of the Smithsonian. The place is well worth the trip. The museum is very modern and houses many aircraft and artifacts. Among the high lights one can see is an SR71, space shuttle Enterprise and the Enola Gay.
Heres an cool bird I have found little use for in the Pacific but the exhibit makes me think a little harder.

[zuluhour]

The info:

[zuluhour]

Of course we are getting close to this beast:

[zuluhour]

another shot:

[zuluhour]

One more for now:

[zuluhour]

December 26th 1942

Australia: I-16 takes three reported hits off New Castle. Our heavy bomber strength for Operation Earth Wind and Fire is ready to stage.

Ceylon: RO-63 takes down a large tanker and holes another 200nm+ off shore. ASW assets sent to the area. We noticed several days ago the presence of offensive mines in the Columbo harbor area. We have been sweeping with no results; not good as more tankers are steaming for the port.

Burma: 19th Indian holds off another IJA assault on the south bank of the Irrawady by Shwebo. Warhawk and Hurricane sweeps over Bhamo reveal no LRCAP but the Hudsons can't hit anything. We order a four squadron raid of Liberators on this base as it shows over 10,ooo IJA troops less than 100mi from Burma HQ.
Ground combat at 60,45 (near Shwebo)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 5159 troops, 26 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 188

Defending force 9079 troops, 88 guns, 151 vehicles, Assault Value = 316

Japanese adjusted assault: 109

Allied adjusted defense: 223

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
376 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 25 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 2 disabled


Allied ground losses:
165 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 30 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled


Assaulting units:
4th Raiding Regiment
3rd Raiding Regiment
12th Garrison Unit

Defending units:
19th Indian Division

SoPac: We order another P38 sweep for practice. We hope to have 50 Lightnings in position as Operation Wind unfolds within ten days. (KB dependent)

SoPac: heavy inventory:

[zuluhour]

Heres some German birds:

[zuluhour]

December 27th 1942

SoPac: A Kido Butai, appears to be smaller force, two fleet carriers and many light carriers get in our rear area again. The action is swift and lop sided. The moble force is NNW of Pago Pago which is better than Suva.
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Savaii at 145,156

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 79 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 29 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 43
B5N2 Kate x 47
D3A1 Val x 18
D3A2 Val x 24



Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 12 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 2 destroyed by flak
D3A1 Val: 7 damaged

Allied Ships
CL Helena, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Duncan
CL Trenton
DD Drayton
DD Gansevoort
DD Meade
DD Laffey
DD Frazier
DD Gillespie, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Burma: Liberators fail to fly. We relieve all of the COs. They are all low 40s in aggression and hardly inspiring. We lose a Bn of raiders on the China road.

Solomons: Sweeping P38s at 23ooo' are met by M3 Zekes at 27ooo'. We are playing second highest MVR and I neglected to check the Zekes alt bands. We shoot a couple down at a loss of one of ours but half a dozen planes are lost to damage.

[zuluhour]

December 28th 1942

SoPac: KB mauls CL Helena and DD Drayton trying to make port from yesterday. KB stays positioned 280nm NNW of Pago Pago. Our surface TF decides against engaging so is given orders to beat feet back accross the equator to CenPac. Photo recon ac are now giving us a better picture of what we face in January.

NoPac: Did I mention we sent supplies to Nome.

India: Several mechanized units are at railheads with orders to move to the front. B24s fly after the command changes yesterday and score hits on the IJA at Bhamo. Tired squadrons flying supplies to China are rotating to rear areas for fresh aircraft, they are still in short supply, only half the squadrons operate at full strength. Four more squadrons are on the map now moving to port in western India. They were forced to deviate as IJN sub activity has picked up around Columbo and we have not suppressed them yet.

China: 66th Corp, the old ally of 20th Army Group in the battles for Kukong is hit by IJAF units as it enters Wuchow to stiffen the lines.

[zuluhour]

One last post for the night:

[zuluhour]

confusion on the turn this morning:

[zuluhour]

December 29th 1942

West Coast: Our first LSTs under convoy debark for marshalling port.

CenPac: KB hits our SCTF ordered NE yesterday and sets DD Duncan on fire. Over 50 attack aircraft score two hits; we consider this lucky and order the TF at flank for safer waters. DD Henley forces I-4 to the surface off Ohau and finishes her.

SoPac: IJN battleships spotted of Russel Island. Our staging port is cramed and we have to wait for the amphib TF to load while cargo and fresh aircraft unload.

India: Holycock adds ventilation to RO-66 off Columbo.

Burma: waiting on ground units to reach forward railheads.

[zuluhour]

December 29th spotting reports:

[zuluhour]

December 29th spotting reports:

[zuluhour]

January 2nd 1943

Campaign: The Allies to this point have taken nothing back from the Rising Sun. The US Navy has one operational fleet carrier with one on the critical list in the yards. NoPac has not been expanded, only hardened. CenPac consists of the US held positions of December 7th. SoPac has been developed into five major bases. Australia is free at this time. India is free at this time. Burma is contested but the Burma road is closed and China is paying for it. China is precarious at best. The southern IJA offensive between the Pearl and the Yangtze has gained momentum and threatens central China. The Allies, led by the TWITs, at Zulu HQ have devised the first steps to reverse the tide. From this point on this will be an "after action" report. With the utmost in secrecy we launch Operation "Red Native". Much of the following pages will be written using the code from the Ops. I will volunteer this to readers interested, providing they pass Zulu HQ security, in a PM.

January 2 nd 1942

West Coast: radio silence

CenPac: Tarpon and Flying fish exchange pleasantries with the IJN. We search for the KBs lair. After a brush with I-153, Tarpon puts a hot fish in Horai Maru and lights her on fire. In the replay she looks like a big AP. Plunger follows suit and puts another fish in her soon after. We wait for conformation. CenPac is otherwise quiet. Escorts reach our SCTF, just out of fuel in their run from the KB, fuel them and provide additional escort. A B10 reports a hit on I-171.

SoPac: The 90thBG stages into theater as well as two squadrons of the 5thBG. Fighter support is also reorganized as the airfields develope. Recon is building a better picture.

Burma: Fifty bombers are sent over the Imperial Guards division including 3 B24 squadrons for no effect. Lysanders are sent forward to provide recon. The IG division is on the coast near Akyab. We have intel the 33rd Div is planning an attack on Akyab, but we believe it to be inland in the vicinity of Shwebo-Mandalay.

India: We unload the rest of the C-47s we shifted from the east coast. One ready squadron stages east to Ledo for work over the "hump".

China: The 20th Army group recoups to 2089av at Chungking. Two small corps of the Lusu War area get orders to march south from Chungking on the double. In another knee jerk reaction we give orders to a mixed bag of units deployed to SE of Changsha to assault the IJA salient there.

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

... The Allies, led by the TWITs, at Zulu HQ have devised the first steps to reverse the tide. From this point on this will be an "after action" report. With the utmost in secrecy we launch Operation "Red Native". Much of the following pages will be written using the code from the Ops. I will volunteer this to readers interested, providing they pass Zulu HQ security, in a PM...

Let me guess, another TWIT will be administering the security testing of interested readers. You don't think that might be a bit like playing the roulette wheel?[:)]

Alfred