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As said in an earlier Post, we are in a temporary lull between Phase ONE and Phase TWO Operations. This will change starting in 2-3 days as the next set of operations become apparent to the Allied Player.

John 3rd wrote: Sun May 14, 2023 2:53 pm January 4, 1942
Aleutians

Early jockeying has occurred in the Aleutians. The Allies are trying to get established from Adak east and the Japanese have taken Attu to Amchitka. Several small clashes have occurred but a strong victory for Japan occurs on January 4th. While covering supply and engineering reinforcements landing at Amchitka, the search planes on the Screening Force spot ships at Adak.

Orders are quickly given for the Screening Force of 3 old CLs and 4 DDs to attack. Quickly arriving at Adak, the Japanese spot dream targets of four large APs of the President's-Class screened by just an AVD. The attack is short but ferocious. All FOUR large APs are sunk along with the escort. Into the cold Bering Sea go nearly 1,000 troops, 28 Guns, and 70 Vehicles. Hmmm...what was he unloading? Enquiring Japanese minds want to find out!!!1-4-42.jpg

I wonder just what someone was thinking by using those large transports so close to your forces! Especially with only an AVD for an escort, your opponent would be better off trying to use fast transport TFs or smaller xAPs and xAKLs to unload there. In fact, just a task force small enough to dock if at all possible otherwise use an amphibious TF.

Yes. That is what I THOUGHT I might run into. When I saw those big, beautiful sitting DUCKS my only fear was not having enough ammo!

BANZAI!

January 7, 1942
Line Islands[/b]

CARDIV5 finds prey unloading at Christmas Isle. Two strikes fly (24 Z and 12 V then 12 Z and 24 V) and sink three good-sized APs unloading troops. Not many are killed but all three APs are sunk. CARDIV5 now takes up station as Japanese Invasion TFs begin to close in to the Line Islands...

Here are the results for one month of war:

January 9, 1942
Port Blair

Another day, another target.

An AKL is taken unawares as Japanese CARDIV2 enters the Indian Ocean...

January 10, 1942
Luganville

All three Japanese CARDIV are now in action! CARDIV1 goes into action swinging near Luganville, CARDIV2 is approaching Ceylon, and CARDIV5 is hitting the Line Isles covering for a landing in a couple of days. All three CARDIV now comprise 2 CV and 2 CVL carrying roughly 220 planes each. With the loss of Lexington, damage to Saratoga, and the sinking of CVL King's Mountain, it should be fairly safe to maintain these dispositions for another 6-8 weeks but at that point, we'll have to pair up CARDIV1 and CARDIV5 to deal with increased American CVs in the Pacific.

CARDIV1 (Akagi, Amagi, and 2 CVL) finds a cruiser extraganza as it approaches Luganville--HUNTING! The morning sees a strike of 28 Zero, 26 Val, and 34 Kate hit a TF at Luganville hitting CA Salt Lake City with 9 bombs, CL Leander 9 bombs, CL Detroit 3 bomb as well as a strike of 10 Zero and 27 Kate hitting a separate target just 40 miles away sinking CL Adelaide with 2 TT while putting single torpedo hits into CL Perth and CA Canberra. NICE MORNING!

Unfortunately, weather closes in and shuts down the Japanese decks for the afternoon. Will try to get cripples tomorrow.

Combat Report
January 9-12, 1942

BUNCHES of action throughout the Pacific and Indian Ocean!

North Pacific
After the clash on the 7th where the three large APs were sunk at Adak, things settle down. A small reinforcement and supply convoy unloads safely at Attu and Amchitka without issue.

The 12th sees the departure of an Invasion Force to take Adak. The TF contains 3 CL and 3 DD with the transports carrying an SHLF Assault Brigade. Air Recon shows just one unit at Adak so this should be enough.

Central Pacific
Midway gets a CD unit and Base Force plus about 20,000 supply. Once fully unloaded, the TF will pick-up the Assault Brigade and take it south.

Supplies also unload at Wake.

Southeast Pacific
CARDIV5 raises some HELL near the Line Isles and then joins up with an Invasion Force carrying a full Japanese ID heading for Christmas Isle. Landing should in about 3 days.

TF loading at Kwajalein to Baker Isle.

South Pacific
CARDIV1 kicks some serious booty! The TF moves SE along the northern edge of the Slot and swings due south heading for Luganville. While moving, the TF finds three separate Allied CA-CL-DD TFs.

10th
AS detailed earlier, CA Salt Lake City, CL Leander, CL Detroit, CA Canberra, CL Perth and an American DD all take bombs or TTs. Only CL Adelaide sinks.

11th
The CTF runs into the Canberra TF during the night with no major damage taken on either side. Well...CA Canberra takes 5 Shells and a Long Lance! The morning sees three Japanese air strikes and so does the afternoon. CA Salt Lake City, CA Canberra, CL Leander and 2 DDs are sunk. CL Perth and another DD are hit.

12th
The CARDIV moves south of Nadi continuing the hunt.

DEI
On January 9th, Singapore FALLS! After taking two Deliberate Attacks, a Shock Attack carries the base in a 3-1 result. Nearly 37,000 Allied troops surrender. BANZAI!

Land at Merak, JAVA with the Fast TF on the 12th. It will fall on the 13th. The Japanese ships have 30-45 Fighters flying CAP and they manage to cripple Java's bomber power over the 11th and 12th. Numerous Dutch Bombers are shot down as well as nearly 40 of the American A-24s. Very nice. HATE those army SBD rip-offs!

Burma
The Japanese have an Infantry Division and four TK Reg entering Rangoon's hex on the 12th.

Indian Ocean
CARDIV2 Moves up the west coast of Sumatra, passes Pt Blair, and strikes at Ceylon during this time. The 11th has an afternoon strike of 50 Zero, 44 Val and 63 Kate hit Columbo's harbor. Three AP, an AG, an AS, and several other ships are hit with 5 AMc sunk. Moving around the southern tip of Ceylon, the CTF runs into 3 KV at night and they are sunk with out issue. Dawn of the 12th has two strikes of 20 Z and 12 V + 10 Z and 19 V sink DDs Nizam and Napier as well as hit DD Nestor. The carriers are recalled on the 12th due to fuel needs.

China
The truce ends on January 7, 1942 and the war in China is now ON! Will detail in a later post.

Air strike on Brit DDs:

Those N class DDs are Australian.

I just caught up in your AAR. You are doing quite well and he has made a few mistakes. I was following Thomas's AAR, but as you know he hasn't posted in a while.

Regarding what flew from CVEs, it's pretty well known that F6Fs flew from the Sangamon-class as they had larger decks. Also, the Commencement Bays, which were also based on a tanker design, were big enough to handle F6Fs as well as F4Us. There are accounts of USMC F4Us operating from CVEs later on in the war, as most VMFs went to CVs and CVEs. Here's a pretty good source: https://thanlont.blogspot.com/2012/12/h ... -cves.html. So, I'd say on the U.S. side, those two CVE classes should be allowed to carry F6Fs and F4Us. Of course, if you get that far, the F8F could easily operate from all types of CVEs.

Regarding the Brits, they were more willing to press the envelope. They were the first to perfect the use of Corsairs from carriers. I'll look more into that later.

Cheers,
CB