JANUARY 22ND, 1942
No shortage of action today as the Allies face an unparalleled series of disasters from the Philippines to Australia to the Central Pacific.
CENTRAL PACIFIC:
I knew that if I withdrew KB from the Central Pacific for a couple of months to cover operations in the DEI and India that I would be leaving myself wide open for Bombur to counterattack my island bases in the Pacific. I had no idea however that he would begin his counteroffensive in January 1942!
Elements of the US Army 25th Infantry Division were landed on Palmyra today by a Fast Transport convoy of DDs. Dont know how they got there without being spotted by my Mavis patrols or my Nells but the 2nd Coastal Defense Regiment was there to provide a warm reception:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TF 1090 encounters mine field at Palmyra (110,90) - Coastal Guns Fire
Back!
40 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
DMS Southard, Shell hits 8, on fire, heavy damage
Allied ground losses:
100 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TF 1090 encounters mine field at Palmyra (110,90) - Coastal Guns Fire
Back!
TF 1090 troops unloading over beach at Palmyra, 110,90
63 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
DMS Southard, Shell hits 39, on fire, heavy damage
Allied ground losses:
42 casualties reported
Coastal Guns at Palmyra, 110,90, firing at TF 1090
1114 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
DMS Southard, Shell hits 8, on fire, heavy damage
DD Cassin, Shell hits 24, on fire, heavy damage
DD Tucker
DD Flusser, Shell hits 10, on fire, heavy damage
DD Reid, Shell hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
DD Shaw, Shell hits 1
DD Conyngham, Shell hits 8, on fire, heavy damage
DD Case
Japanese ground losses:
75 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
Allied ground losses:
1019 casualties reported
Guns lost 35
As the day wore on my Nells finally spotted the enemy transports and added tro the carnage:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Palmyra at 110,90
Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 21
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell: 15 damaged
Allied Ships
DM Sicard, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Conyngham, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Cassin, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DMS Elliot
DD Case
Aircraft Attacking:
1 x G3M Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
4 x G3M Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
4 x G3M Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
4 x G3M Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
4 x G3M Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
4 x G3M Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 113,84
Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 3
No Japanese losses
Allied Ships
DD Hull
2 DDs, a DM and a DMS sink immediately.
The Allied troops that made it ashore were a disorganized rabble:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Palmyra
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 3498 troops, 60 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 77
Defending force 756 troops, 23 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 33
Allied ground losses:
111 casualties reported
Guns lost 7
Ground combat at Palmyra
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 604 troops, 15 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 27
Defending force 9900 troops, 60 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 77
Allied max assault: 18 - adjusted assault: 0
Japanese max defense: 76 - adjusted defense: 79
Allied assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 1)
Japanese ground losses:
24 casualties reported
Allied ground losses:
232 casualties reported
Guns lost 3
If Bombur doesnt bring some serious reinforcements here the few Allied survivors will be mopped up in a few days. Another Betty daitai and a A6M2 chutai are staged to Palmyra to help isolate it.
PHILIPPINES:
The American/Philippino pocket at Bataan is overrun today after over 3 weeks of daily land and air bombardment. Here are todays Bataan bombing reports to give an indication of how much air was committed to this objective:
Day Air attack on Bataan , at 42,51
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-II Sally x 52
Ki-48-I Lily x 23
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-II Sally: 1 damaged
Ki-48-I Lily: 1 damaged
Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 15
Day Air attack on 45th PS Regimental Combat Team, at 42,51
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-II Sally x 9
Ki-48-I Lily x 11
No Japanese losses
Allied ground losses:
37 casualties reported
Aircraft Attacking:
11 x Ki-48-I Lily bombing at 6000 feet
9 x Ki-21-II Sally bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Corregidor CI Fortress, at 42,51
Japanese aircraft
D3A2 Val x 27
Ki-21-II Sally x 89
Ki-48-I Lily x 15
Ki-49 Helen x 23
No Japanese losses
Allied ground losses:
85 casualties reported
Guns lost 4
And here is the final coup de grace:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Bataan
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 71204 troops, 275 guns, 252 vehicles, Assault Value =
1543
Defending force 17279 troops, 45 guns, 15 vehicles, Assault Value = 352
Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 3
Japanese max assault: 1542 - adjusted assault: 1247
Allied max defense: 329 - adjusted defense: 163
Japanese assault odds: 7 to 1 (fort level 3)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Bataan base !!!
Japanese ground losses:
1191 casualties reported
Guns lost 24
Vehicles lost 2
Allied ground losses:
24727 casualties reported
Guns lost 46
Vehicles lost 11
24,000 Allied troops surrender and the Allies are now reduced to a 50,000 troop pocket at Manila and a 13,000 troop pocket at Lamon Bay.....both of these pockets are also being hit hard on a daily basis by the IJAAF.
AUSTRALIA/NEW GUINEA:
KB East hits the port at Darwin pretty hard:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Darwin , at 36,84
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 20
D3A2 Val x 89
B5N2 Kate x 102
E13A1 Jake x 1
Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 6
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 damaged
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed, 22 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 5 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
Wirraway: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged
Allied Ships
AK Valentijn, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
AVD Arend, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
AK Belawan, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AK Sloet van de Beele, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AP Van Imhoff, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AP Zealandia, Bomb hits 1
AK Bengalen, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
PC Canopus, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP Westralia, Bomb hits 3, on fire
AK Liran, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AK Dona Nati, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AK Barossa, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AK Koolinda, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
TK D. L. Kruithof, Bomb hits 1
AR Platypus, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
MSW Deloraine, Bomb hits 1
TK George G Henry, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Both, Bomb hits 1, on fire
Allied ground losses:
234 casualties reported
Guns lost 7
Port hits 4
Port fuel hits 5
Port supply hits 7
IJN troops storm ashore at Salamaua.
SOUTH PACIFIC:
The South Seas Detachment leads the invasion at Koumac....from here they will advance the length of New Caledonia to Noumea.
MALAYA:
With the 56th Division unable to wipe out the 22nd Indian Brigade pocket NE of Mersing, the 33rd Division is landed by transports here to help out. Following reduction of this final Malayan pocket, the assault of Palembang will be ordered.
DEI:
5 SAA divisions are currently landing at Kragen and 18th Division will arrive tomorrow. Meanwhile, advance elements of the Japanese Java invasion force reach Madioen and Djokjakarta and attacks to capture the airfields will be ordered for tomorrow.
Elsewhere in the DEI, Babo is captured.
