2/19-2/20/42
DEI: THE FLIGHT OF CL SUMATRA
CL Sumatra arrived as a reinforcement last turn in Soerabaja port of all places......Japan has captured bases on both sides of Soerabaja and IJA troops are now just outside the base.
KB is off the south coast of Sumatra while mini-KB is off Pakemasan. I can send CL Sumatra on a death ride to face KB to the SW or E to face mini KB. Japan has tons of invasion shipping off the east tip of Java and at Pamekasan so I elected to send CL Sumatra E where she stood a better chance of escape from mini-KB as opposed to KB plus maybe even if she was sunk at dawn she could shoot up a couple of amphibious TFs during the night.
Just after CL Sumatra leaves Soerabaja harbor she gets into combat with an IJN surface TF:
Night Time Surface Combat, near Pamekasan at 57,105, Range 9,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CL Kiso
DD Amagiri
Allied Ships
CL Sumatra
Reduced sighting due to 14% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions and 14% moonlight: 10,000 yards
Range closes to 9,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 9,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 9,000 yards
CL Sumatra engages CL Kiso at 9,000 yards
Range closes to 7,000 yards
CL Sumatra engages CL Kiso at 7,000 yards
DD Amagiri engages CL Sumatra at 7,000 yards
Range increases to 8,000 yards
CL Sumatra engages CL Kiso at 8,000 yards
Range increases to 9,000 yards
CL Kiso engages CL Sumatra at 9,000 yards
Task forces break off...
With the poor visibility CL Sumatra escapes from the IJN surface TF only to run into mini-KB in the next hex:
Night Time Surface Combat, near Pamekasan at 58,106, Range 10,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CVL Ryujo
CVL Zuiho
CVE Hosho
CVE Taiyo
CS Mizuho
CS Chitose
CS Chiyoda
CA Nachi
DD Ikazuchi
DD Inazuma
DD Hokaze
Allied Ships
CL Sumatra
Reduced sighting due to 14% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions and 14% moonlight: 8,000 yards
Range closes to 8,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 8,000 yards
Japanese TF attempts to evade combat
Range increases to 9,000 yards...
Range increases to 10,000 yards...
Range increases to 11,000 yards...
Range increases to 12,000 yards...
Range increases to 12,000 yards...
Japanese Task Force Manages to Escape
Japanese Air Combat TF evades combat
Mini-KB managed to escape from the engagement and by daybreak CL Sumatra has cleared the range of mini-KB's Kates. Ive attached a screenshot of the current location of CL Sumatra....she will head to Darwin next turn but is not out of danger yet as she is low on fuel and can only proceed at mission speed.
Meanwhile.....the night of excitement continues for mini-KB. After escaping from CL Sumatra they come into the crosshairs of SS Swordfish:
Sub attack near Kangean at 59,106
Japanese Ships
CVE Hosho
DD Hokaze
Allied Ships
SS Swordfish
SS Swordfish launches 4 torpedoes at CVE Hosho
DD Hokaze fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Hokaze attacking submerged sub ....
DD Hokaze attacking submerged sub ....
DD Hokaze fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Hokaze attacking submerged sub ....
DD Hokaze is out of ASW ammo
DD Hokaze is out of ASW ammo
Escort abandons search for sub
Sub attack near Kangean at 59,106
Japanese Ships
CVE Taiyo
DD Hokaze
DD Inazuma
Allied Ships
SS Swordfish
SS Swordfish launches 4 torpedoes at CVE Taiyo
Swordfish diving deep ....
DD Inazuma fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Inazuma fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Inazuma fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Inazuma fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Inazuma fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub
SS Swordfish launched 4 torpedoes at CVE Hosho and 4 torpedoes at CVE Taiyo but none of the 8 fish reach their intended targets.
On Java.....Japan captures Malang and Samerang while on Sumatra they overrun Benkolen and Bengkalis. Interesting assault on the DEI by Dave....its the death of a thousand pinpricks.
CBI
After getting his nose bloodied in the forests S of Sian.....Dave withdraws his 5600 AV army......42 LCUs....to Nanyang to rest and undisrupt squads.
Up north at Kweisui....I upgraded all the commanders of my LCUs and held on......just barely.....in a 1:2 assault:
Ground combat at Kweisui (92,35)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 30996 troops, 236 guns, 100 vehicles, Assault Value = 1114
Defending force 11458 troops, 90 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 471
Japanese adjusted assault: 603
Allied adjusted defense: 634
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
1338 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 104 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 66 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Allied ground losses:
976 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 54 disabled
Non Combat: 6 destroyed, 61 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Assaulting units:
11th Indpt Infantry Regiment
4th Cavalry Brigade
15th Ind.Mixed Brigade
12th Indpt Infantry Regiment
2nd Ind.Mixed Brigade
17th Ind.Mixed Brigade
1st Cavalry Brigade
2nd Ching An Tui Brigade
13th Indpt Infantry Regiment
Defending units:
3rd Prov Chinese/C Corps
3rd Prov Chinese/B Corps
11th Chinese/C Corps
3rd Prov Chinese/A Corps
11th Chinese/A Corps
81st Chinese/A Corps
17th Group Army
PHILIPPINES
Japan withdraws from San Fernando to Vigan just before the Allies launch an assault with 1500 AV.
The Japanese troops on Luzon are now pushed back to a tiny perimeter around Vigan and Laoag.....it really seems like 1945 on Luzon rather than 2/42.
Another 3 xAK blockade runners arrive at Naga/Legaspi to drop off another 10,000 supplies. I had stopped sending xAKs across the Pacific after Dave sent his DDs to intercept and sink an AK off Legaspi.....now only a single xAK is on the way towards the PI. The first blockade runners are already arriving back at Midway. I sent another 3 xAKs full of supplies from Peral Harbor last turn while another 9 xAKs with supplies were sent from Los Angeles to Midway and then the PI. With a little break in the action hopefully Dave forgets about the xAKs before the next batch arrives.
SOPAC
Dave invades at Kiriwina and Vella Lavella as Japan expands her grip across the Solomons.
Sigint
Got a report that the Chinese Expeditionary Army HQ is planning for Changsha.....maybe the whole Sian affair is just a diversion. Well I have the China Command HQ planning for Changsha so HQ prep should be a wash.
Got a report that 18th Division.....resting at Singapore......was planning for Langsa......dont understand this one....Japan could take northern Sumatra with a couple of SNLF/naval guard units.
