Matrix Games Forums

March 7, 1943

Not much, he bombed some of my troops that are in the jungle around Katha.
A few disablements, no destroyed elements.

But I did get some intel that I really needed

Cam Ranh Fortress is located at Cam Ranh Bay(64,72).

March 8, 1943

I lost a good xAK, an Euro L near Arorae in the South Pacific
I just do not have enough escorts for all supply TFs.

Submarine attack near Arorae at 140,140

Japanese Ships
SS RO-63

Allied Ships
xAK Somelsdijk, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage

xAK Somelsdijk is sighted by SS RO-63
SS RO-63 attacking xAK Somelsdijk on the surface
Okano F. decides to submerge SS RO-63 due to damage
============================================
He again bombed my troops in the jungle outside of Katha,
a few more disablements.

I finally got a hit on the sub that is lurking SW of Koggala, I dispached
an ASW TF.

I also got a radio transmission report at 36, 50 which is 7 hexes East of Koggala.

I am getting radio transmission reports near Diamond Harbor, might be another sub.

And I keep getting reports of aircraft over Cocanada and Vizagapatnam. I wonder
what those are. Maybe float planes from subs in the area?

March 9, 1943

Attack bombers attack

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Ailinglaplap at 133,117

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 7 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 1 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-25D1 Mitchell x 4

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
xAKL Konsan Maru, Shell hits 6, Bomb hits 6, and is sunk
PB Takunan Maru #5, Shell hits 4

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B-25D1 Mitchell bombing and strafing from low level
Naval Attack: 6 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

======================================================
Not much else

March 10, 1943

Not to be outdone, the FBs attack too.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Kavieng at 106,122

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Allied aircraft
Beaufighter Ic x 16

Allied aircraft losses
Beaufighter Ic: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
PB Keiko Maru, Shell hits 2, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
PB Kohuku Maru

Aircraft Attacking:
16 x Beaufighter Ic bombing from 100 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 lb SAP Bomb

=======================================
With no ships in sight, the Attack Bombers bomb and strafe

Afternoon Air attack on 43rd Naval Guard Unit, at 127,128 (Nauru Island)

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 7 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 1 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-25D1 Mitchell x 9

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D1 Mitchell: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
97 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x B-25D1 Mitchell bombing and strafing from low level
Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb

===========================================================

March 11, 1943

Not much, Attack Bombers found no ships to attack, so they bombed and strafed
the unit on Nauru Island

Afternoon Air attack on 43rd Naval Guard Unit, at 127,128 (Nauru Island)

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 4 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 0 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-25D1 Mitchell x 9

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D1 Mitchell: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
84 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x B-25D1 Mitchell bombing and strafing from low level
Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb

=============================================

March 12, 1943

Not much happened
He bombed my troops around Katha and I bombed his troops on Nauru Island

Neither bombing did much

March 13, 1943

Nothing happened. If the darn weather would not ground all my air missions, something could happen.

March 14, 1943

That figures. For three days Recon showed 35 fighters at Kavieng and for
three days my attacks were scrubbed due to weather. They fly today and
there are no aircraft at all there.

Frustrated. [:(]

And I did have recon flying from two different bases and they were both
different from where the attacks were coming from.

March 15, 1943

Not much, a little bombing, both sides, no real effect.

March 16, 1943

Nothing much

March 17, 1943

The USN DOINKED on the xAKL

Sub attack near Nauru Island at 123,125

Japanese Ships
xAKL Taiyu Maru
PB Fumi Maru #3

Allied Ships
SS Drum

SS Drum launches 2 torpedoes at xAKL Taiyu Maru
-------------------------------
But the USAAF didn't wiff

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Nauru Island at 126,127

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 11 NM, estimated altitude 3,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-25D1 Mitchell x 4

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
xAKL Taiyu Maru, Shell hits 9, Bomb hits 6, and is sunk

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B-25D1 Mitchell bombing and strafing from low level
Naval Attack: 6 x 500 lb SAP Bomb
================================================

March 18, 1943

Nothing happened

March 19, 1943

I put up some LRCAP over my troops at Kachin Hills, which is
a dot base NW of Lashio, one of Andy Macs additional bases in Burma.

Morning Air attack on 3rd New Chinese Corps, at 61,45 (Kachin Hills)

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIb Helen x 56

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 5
P-38G Lightning x 8

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 8 destroyed, 7 damaged

No Allied losses

Allied ground losses:
29 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
21 x Ki-49-IIb Helen bombing from 8000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
22 x Ki-49-IIb Helen bombing from 8000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
No.136 Sqn RAF with Hurricane IIb Trop (5 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
5 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 15000.
Raid is overhead
23rd FG/75th FS with P-38G Lightning (8 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
8 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 14000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 14000.
Raid is overhead



---------------------------------------------

Morning Air attack on 3rd New Chinese Corps, at 61,45 (Kachin Hills)

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 11 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIb Helen x 23

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 4
P-38G Lightning x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 1 damaged

No Allied losses

Allied ground losses:
40 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
23 x Ki-49-IIb Helen bombing from 8000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
No.136 Sqn RAF with Hurricane IIb Trop (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 4 scrambling)
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters to 8000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 50 minutes
23rd FG/75th FS with P-38G Lightning (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 4 scrambling)
Group patrol altitude is 14000 , scrambling fighters to 8000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 39 minutes

Tracker says I shot down 14 Helens and he lost 2 more to ops.

I lost 1 Hurricane to ops

March 20, 1943

Interesting things.

First, Tinosa found a working Mk-14

Sub attack near Truk at 109,113

Japanese Ships
CM Tokiwa, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
DD Oyashio
DD Kuroshio
CM Okinoshima
DD Hayashio
DD Yukikaze

Allied Ships
SS Tinosa

SS Tinosa launches 4 torpedoes at CM Tokiwa
Tinosa diving deep ....

The interesting thing is shown in the picture and the fact
that when a PBY flew over this TF I got the enemy carrier audio message.
I find it hard to believe that there are CMs in a ACTF( not sure how if you can )
and there are no aircraft shown on the mouseover.

Tinosa in the sub to the NE of the TF.

That looks like a FT TF. Japanese CMs have cargo capacity and maybe troop capacity too. IIRC, Tokiwa is one of the big ones, with guns in the 140-150mm range. It might be big enough to survive the torp hit.

March 21, 1943

In the night he sent bombers to try and suppress my LRCAP at Katha
Night Air attack on Katha , at 61,43

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 99 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 31 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIb Helen x 14

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 7 damaged
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 2 destroyed by flak

Aircraft Attacking:
12 x Ki-49-IIb Helen bombing from 10000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb



---------------------------------------------

Night Air attack on Katha , at 61,43

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 12 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIb Helen x 13

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 4 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
13 x Ki-49-IIb Helen bombing from 10000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
======================================================
At Kachin Hills he moved in some more units


Ground combat at Kachin Hills (61,45)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 10424 troops, 71 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 351

Defending force 19533 troops, 163 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 672

Allied adjusted assault: 127

Japanese adjusted defense: 685

Allied assault odds: 1 to 5 (fort level 0)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), op mode(-), leaders(-), preparation(-)
Attacker: leaders(+), leaders(-)

Japanese ground losses:
99 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 11 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
549 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 59 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled

Assaulting units:
3rd New Chinese Corps

Defending units:
59th Infantry Brigade
55th Division
86th Nav Gd /2

to be honest I am just poking and probing in Burma.
I have no real interest at this time to make any bold
moves into Burma. I have the units, but it is very hard
to move supply to Burma.
==================================================
In the South Pacific I pick up a mouseover of a possible ACTF.
Earlier I got a similar mouseover and it turned out to be a
full KB. In the picture below, the red circle is the CVTF that
matches the mouse over.
The green circle is my DS. I have 7 size 90 CVs there, all with 60 fighters
and 36 DBs aboard. They are following a small SCTF and there are 2 more larger
SCTFs also following. The red circle at the bottom is my CVEscort TF with 205 fighters all
on 100%, 0 Range CAP. It is moving to join the DS.
I did not get a audible carrier alert this turn.

Mar 22, 1943

Now we come to an even more interesting situation.
It would seem that weather precluded any Naval Air attacks
that turn.

In the composite picture below I see that only my TF 5 has any detection showing
I have 625 fighters in the hex and that is 205 F4F-4s and 420 F6F-3s.
I have 2 size 18 F4U-1 squadrons within 2 hexes. I moved in 44 active
B-25D1s set for 4000 feet and I have two USMC F6F-3s squadrons providing
escort.
So I roll the dice and see what happens next.

And BTW, the weather forecast for tomorrows turn is clear sky.

March 23, 1943

Well, KB went in a different direction than I expected.
KB is now 5 hexes East of Manus. My DS did not move, I didn't
give it orders to move. Now I have to decided what to do.

Some of my B-25D1 launched but they were devestated.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Emirau Island at 106,119

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 73 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 20 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 55
A6M5c Zero x 72

Allied aircraft
B-25D1 Mitchell x 16

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D1 Mitchell: 10 destroyed

CAP engaged:
Kaga-1 with A6M3a Zero (5 airborne, 11 on standby, 0 scrambling)
5 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 17000 , scrambling fighters between 1000 and 17000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 7 minutes
Soryu-1 with A6M3a Zero (7 airborne, 14 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 17000 , scrambling fighters between 6000 and 17000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 11 minutes
Hiryu-1 with A6M3a Zero (4 airborne, 12 on standby, 0 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 2 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 7000 , scrambling fighters between 4000 and 7000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 23 minutes
Ryujo-1 with A6M5c Zero (12 airborne, 26 on standby, 0 scrambling)
12 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters between 3000 and 12000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 9 minutes
Shoho-1 with A6M5c Zero (7 airborne, 23 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 4 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 17000 , scrambling fighters between 1000 and 17000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 28 minutes

I am not sure why, but my escorts did not launch even though they were given
a range of 10 along with the Attack bombers, who only traveled 9 hexes for their
attack.
===============================================

At Kachin Hills he bombed me again and my Hurricanes did not do enough
I will have to try and move out of the hex.

===============================================
I had a minesweeper TF that went into Rabaul, I thought
they would go in to the port at night and then move back out
towards Milne Bay, but they took both the night and day naval
movement phases, didn't find any mines and then were sunk by KB
and friends.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Rabaul at 106,125

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M3 Nell x 6

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
AM Castlemaine, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x G3M3 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo



---------------------------------------------

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Rabaul at 106,125

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 36
D3A1 Val x 25

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 2 damaged

Allied Ships
AM Cairns, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
AM Tamworth, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
AM Horsham, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk

Aircraft Attacking:
10 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
11 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AM Cairns
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AM Tamworth
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AM Horsham
=========================================================
I am still thinking about what I should do. There are two
big questions right now
1. Where is KB going to move to?
2. Does he know I am in the area with a strong CV presence?

Looking at #2, my TF 1, the DS, has a detection of 1/1, so he may
still not know I am about. None of the others have any detection.
He might conclude that there is a single TF in the area and it could
almost anything. He did get a 1/1 detection on a different TF last turn.

As to #1, I doubt he is moving to Rabaul, there does not seem to be
much of a reason for that. He could move to Kavieng or Manus. He could
also return to Truk. It depends on what he has in mind. He might see
the presence of the minesweepers for what it was, a prelude to an invasion
of Rabaul. In that case he might stay around the area hoping to launch
against my landing ships/forces. In that case I would think that Truk is too
far away from the possible coming action.

I have the option to move my DS and CV escort TFs to be in a position to
launch against KB either at Kavieng or Manus.

I note that he only had 125 fighters on CAP. I would be sending 252 SBDs
escorted by 234 F6F-3s.For defense I have 205 F4F-4s, 186 F6F-3s and a lot
of AA fire. Andy Mac put the DBB AAA stats in this version of scenario 2.
I have about 50,000 AAA in the hex.

I have decided to temporize for one turn. I am going to move a few hexes to the NW.
Depending on where he actually goes, if I try to do an intercept this turn I could
end up 8 hexes away from him. That could prove to be a disaster. I will move
a bit closer and see just where he goes. If he spots me and leaves the next turn
that might be a good thing also. But I have a window now that I might be able
to win a CV battle, I have a lot of F6F-3s and they are better that any of the
A6Ms he has available.

I should probably revise the last paragraph. I will move closer to Kavieng, so if
moves there I will be in range with no problems. If he moves to Manus I will be
far out of range. It is the possible move to Manus that could cause a problem if
I

March 24, 1943

Good news and I don'tknow.

Good news, a sub strikes

Sub attack near Manus at 101,117

Japanese Ships
CV Hiryu, Torpedo hits 2, heavy damage
BB Kirishima
BB Hiei
CA Chokai
CA Takao
DD Isokaze
DD Teruzuki
DD Akizuki
DD Kasumi
DD Tanikaze
DD Urakaze
DD Shiranui

Allied Ships
SS Permit

SS Permit launches 2 torpedoes at CV Hiryu
DD Kasumi fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Tanikaze fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Urakaze fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Shiranui fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub


There were no CV aircraft lost that turn
=============================
The I don't know, I have no idea where KB is now.
None of my PBYs found it. The sub strike was two hexes directly North of Manus.
The sub attack was 6 hexes from where KB was last turn and the sub attack was
during the daylight naval movement phase. I doubt that KB went much further
than 3 hexes from that attack hex.
All of my DS TFs are in thunderstorms and have no detection reported. They are
3 hexes East of Kavieng.

===========================================
Elsewhere, my LRCAP intercepted bomber, some escorted over Kachin Hills
I shot down 5 Helens and lost one Hurricane.
He was able to defeat my lone Chinese Corps there and the retreated.

Ground combat at Kachin Hills (61,45)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 18733 troops, 154 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 666

Defending force 9986 troops, 71 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 295

Japanese adjusted assault: 345

Allied adjusted defense: 121

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
380 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 41 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled

Allied ground losses:
3331 casualties reported
Squads: 39 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 47 destroyed, 19 disabled
Engineers: 7 destroyed, 10 disabled
Guns lost 12 (7 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Units retreated 1

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
59th Infantry Brigade
55th Division
86th Nav Gd /2

Defending units:
3rd New Chinese Corps
========================================

More musings.

If did indeed hit a CV, there are none that can fit into the repair shipyard
at Truk. So it will have to return back to the Home Islands for repair.
That will take a while. And that does take 71( if it is Hiryu ) aircraft away.

I did move a PBY unit into Buka to give me double coverage in the Rabaul - Kavieng - Manus area
Maybe I will spot KB this turn. It is unnerving to know that KB is near and not know where it is.

I am not moving my ACTFs this turn, I will wait to see if I spot KB.