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Dec 9 and 10, 1943

Destroyed 200+ IJ planes for about 20 Allied losses in air attacks around Formosa. Also sank around a dozen small IJN patrol ships (E, AM, SC, PB etc).

Grabbed another port, Orchid Bay should be a size 1 AF on the morrow.

Such a nice B-29 base is growing under the jap nose

Stock map has Orchid Island but not Orchid Bay. Is there an Orchid Bay on an extended map or is that just a typo Bay for Island? (I thought you already had Orchid Island the previous turn so I thought I should ask).

BBfanboy wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2024 7:44 pm Stock map has Orchid Island but not Orchid Bay. Is there an Orchid Bay on an extended map or is that just a typo Bay for Island? (I thought you already had Orchid Island the previous turn so I thought I should ask).

Old person disease...meant Orchid Island

traskott wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2024 5:35 pm Such a nice B-29 base is growing under the jap nose

I want closer and better....IJN has steamed back to the north east....so I should have a day or two of no unpleasant interruptions.

Can you tell us the next step vs. Formosa or would you rather surprise us? Good move on getting nearby anchorages for all of your support ships (if you haven't read it yet, Bullets, Beans and Black Oil is a great book covering that aspect of the war).

There are some great airfields on Formosa from which to bomb Japan, although you have to be sure shore bombardments are a small risk before loading up a field with B-24s or 29s.

EDIT: Now might be a good time to look up the kamikaze rule. You are definitely within range; the only question is the date.

Cheers,
CB

CaptBeefheart wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2024 2:11 am Can you tell us the next step vs. Formosa or would you rather surprise us? Good move on getting nearby anchorages for all of your support ships (if you haven't read it yet, Bullets, Beans and Black Oil is a great book covering that aspect of the war).

There are some great airfields on Formosa from which to bomb Japan, although you have to be sure shore bombardments are a small risk before loading up a field with B-24s or 29s.

EDIT: Now might be a good time to look up the kamikaze rule. You are definitely within range; the only question is the date.

Cheers,
CB

Shhh....

don't care about IJ kamikazes....wont change anything for me.

supposedly an interesting turn ..... Japan complaining about Allied CAP.

Dec 11, 1943

Raided the Chinese coastline with fletchers....near Amoy:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Amoy at 83,61, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
APD Fuji, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
E Hachijo, Shell hits 34, and is sunk
E Kunashiri, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
E W-33, Shell hits 40, and is sunk
E Kamome, Shell hits 8, and is sunk

Allied Ships
DD Hutchins, Shell hits 3
DD O'Bannon
DD Pringle

Low visibility due to Thunderstorms with 96% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Thunderstorms and 96%

It is Orchid Island :

Morning Air attack on Orchid Island , at 85,67

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 163 NM, estimated altitude 39,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 48 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 25
A6M8 Zero x 33
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 21

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 34
F4U-1A Corsair x 5
F6F-3 Hellcat x 23

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M8 Zero: 1 destroyed
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
25 x A6M5 Zero sweeping at 36000 feet
6 x A6M8 Zero sweeping at 36000 feet
15 x Ki-44-IIc Tojo sweeping at 36000 feet
6 x A6M8 Zero sweeping at 36000 feet
10 x A6M8 Zero sweeping at 36000 feet
2 x A6M8 Zero sweeping at 36000 feet

A new bomber makes a splash...the last attack of the day, or 2nd to last:

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Laoag at 81,69

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
P1Y1 Frances x 26

Allied aircraft
Sea Hurricane Ib x 19
FM-1 Wildcat x 20

Japanese aircraft losses
P1Y1 Frances: 3 destroyed, 8 damaged
P1Y1 Frances: 3 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
CVE Breton
CA Astoria
CVE Copahee, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CVE Anzio

Aircraft Attacking:
7 x P1Y1 Frances launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
7 x P1Y1 Frances launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp

CAP engaged:
VC(F)-33 with FM-1 Wildcat (11 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
11 plane(s) intercepting now.
9 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 5000 , scrambling fighters between 2000 and 35500.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 19 minutes
No.880 Sqn FAA with Sea Hurricane Ib (11 airborne, 0 on standby, 8 scrambling)
11 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 1000 and 7000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 34 minutes

Fuel storage explosion on CVE Copahee

Air losses

Orchid Island to Nagasaki 21 air hexes....

Ship losses:

Japan says he thinks he might be in for tough times.

I'd say he is. It's not even 1944 and you've got a solid foothold in SW China and you're threatening Formosa.

Cheers,
CB

Dec 12th, 1943

A really bad die roll at Singers, unfortunate.

In other news lost the Copahee (damaged from the previous day), a DD and a DE (to an E no less), but I sank a dozen or so small IJN craft: MTBs, E, SC and PBs. Plane losses were 90 IJ to 30 US.

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Ground combat at Singapore (50,84)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 56222 troops, 1194 guns, 681 vehicles, Assault Value = 1715

Defending force 40953 troops, 374 guns, 56 vehicles, Assault Value = 1030

Allied adjusted assault: 519

Japanese adjusted defense: 6905

Allied assault odds: 1 to 13 (fort level 3)

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

Japanese ground losses:
1458 casualties reported
Squads: 14 destroyed, 54 disabled
Non Combat: 71 destroyed, 25 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 16 (6 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Vehicles lost 3 (2 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1673 casualties reported
Squads: 6 destroyed, 254 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 23 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 15 disabled
Guns lost 46 (1 destroyed, 45 disabled)
Vehicles lost 11 (1 destroyed, 10 disabled)

Assaulting units:
18th British Division
7th Australian Division
8th KGV Light Cav Regiment
150th RAC Regiment
39th Indian Division
5th Indian Division
9th Australian Division
2/11th Field Regiment
205th Field Artillery Battalion
2/9th Field Regiment
6th Medium Regiment
6th Mixed A/T Mtr Regiment

Defending units:
16th Naval Guard Unit
35th Division
15th Naval Guard Unit
II/124th Infantry Battalion
8th Malay Militia Regiment
83rd Naval Guard Unit
25th Division
21st Infantry Regiment
9th Infantry Regiment
Tanaka
9th Malay Militia Regiment
38th Div /1
16th Recon Regiment
206th Ship Eng Coy
4th Ind Engineer Regiment
39th Field Const Co
51st Field AA Battalion
23rd AA Regiment
306th Ship Eng Coy
62nd JAAF AF Bn
6th JNAF Coy
302nd Ship Eng Coy
94th JAAF AF Bn /4
12th JAAF Base Force
44th Field AA Battalion
8th JNAF Coy
42nd Infantry Rgt /3

We seem to be keeping up with Frank R destruction....

I hope you have an army or corps HQ just north of Singapore, as well as a command HQ within range. Those can help a lot with the rolls.

Cheers,
CB

Singa is just a matter of time, don't worry

Yep, two HQs near Singers at 100%....but you really need command level HQs to get the big boost.

Dec 13, 1943

Another tough day in the air for Japan: