1943 January 22
The Empire captured:
The Allies captured:
There were Imperial amphibious operations at:
There were Allied amphibious operations at:
A redux of a strange attack in China, and another tough day at Kungchang. It seems that the Imperial unit there is simply recovering squads as fast as we can disable them.
Ground combat at 73,49 (near Kweiyang)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 1152 troops, 0 guns, 210 vehicles, Assault Value = 364
Defending force 15711 troops, 87 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 469
Japanese adjusted assault: 109
Allied adjusted defense: 367
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 3
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:
Allied ground losses:
723 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 86 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
4th Tank Regiment
10th Tank Regiment
66th Infantry Regiment
4th Ind.Mixed Regiment
11th Tank Regiment
Defending units:
56th Chinese Corps
48th Chinese Corps
5th Chinese Cavalry Corps
50th Chinese Corps
79th Chinese/B Corps
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Kungchang (81,36)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 28230 troops, 69 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 747
Defending force 3227 troops, 26 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 64
Allied adjusted assault: 70
Japanese adjusted defense: 202
Allied assault odds: 1 to 2
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+)
Attacker: fatigue(-), supply(-)
Japanese ground losses:
79 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Allied ground losses:
330 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 21 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 1 disabled
Assaulting units:
1st Chinese Corps
9th Chinese Corps
4th Chinese Base Force
6th Chinese Base Force
Defending units:
11th Indpt Infantry Regiment
Washington repairs are finished. Midway has finished building fortifications and will now concentrate on the port for use as an advance submarine base. Our planes, both yesterday and today, delivered more destruction to Milne Bay.
Imperial Navy on the move!
Morning Air attack on TF, near Ndeni at 120,143
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 114 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 48 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 80
B5N2 Kate x 38
Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 8
P-40E Warhawk x 8
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3a Zero: 3 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 1 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 2 destroyed
Allied Ships
CL Java
PT-39
CL De Ruyter
DD Piet Hein
DD Evertsen
DD Banckert
PT-48
Aircraft Attacking:
10 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
8 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
8 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 9000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
12 x A6M3a Zero sweeping at 13000 feet
6 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
14 x A6M3a Zero sweeping at 12000 feet
6 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
10 x A6M3a Zero sweeping at 12000 feet
12 x A6M3a Zero sweeping at 12000 feet
8 x A6M3a Zero sweeping at 13000 feet
8 x A6M3a Zero sweeping at 13000 feet
CAP engaged:
343rd FG/11th FS with P-40E Warhawk (0 airborne, 6 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(2 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 2 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 7000 and 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 35 minutes
70th FS with P-39D Airacobra (2 airborne, 6 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters between 6000 and 9000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 36 minutes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Ndeni at 120,143
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 51 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 14
B5N2 Kate x 18
Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 2
P-40E Warhawk x 4
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3a Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 1 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
No Allied losses
Allied Ships
DD Van Nes
CL De Ruyter, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CL Sumatra
CL Java
DD Van Ghent
Aircraft Attacking:
7 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
9 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
CAP engaged:
343rd FG/11th FS with P-40E Warhawk (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
4 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters to 14000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 46 minutes
70th FS with P-39D Airacobra (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters between 9000 and 15000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 30 minutes
De Ruyter is now sheltering in harbor with -40(35)-0-0 damage. Our aircraft came out OK with losses for the day of:
A6M3a Zero: 7
P-40E Warhawk: 5
B5N2 Kate: 4
P-39D Aircobra: 3
A6M2 Zero: 1
PBY-5A Catalina: 1
The IJN battleships and cruisers are now in position to shell the island base. Or, they might be there to destroy the two search plane outposts, Reef Islands and Duff Islands. The situation is shown below. The USN Battle Fleet, including 3 x fleet carriers and 8 x escort carriers, plus fleet carrier Wasp if she can catch up in time, will make to pass east of the Duff islands. As the Battle Fleet will be heading away from the five refitted CA returning from Pearl those ships will likely miss the party. They will head straight across north of baker/south of Howland to join any late action.
It's just possible that DAW HQ believes that any remaining USN fleet carriers have departed for refit. Current distance from the KB to the USN Battle Fleet is 29 hexes. Ndeni is being cleared of non-essential aircraft. The three USA fighter squadrons will remain (2 x P-40E; 1 x P-39D), the search squadron (PBY-5A), one USMC dive bomber squadron with short range orders (SBC-4), and the lone float plane from De Ruyter.
Vanua Lava has one P-38G squadron ordered to LRCAP Ndeni; one B-17E squadron that will fly against the carriers; plus one squadron each of USMC F4F-3 fighters and SBD-2 dive bombers.
Luganville is packed to the gills and stood down a USMC SBD-2 squadron as their range will likely keep them from flying, and two USA fighters squadrons as there is no room for them in the active base area. Squadrons on duty include one B-17D, three B-24D, and one LB-30 to fly against the carriers; One USMC TBF-1 on search and attack; one P-40K on CAP; and Saratoga's entire air wing. Sara's air wing could be flown to the CV USS Ndeni in case the Battle Fleet finds a chance to engage near that island. In case airfield repairs are needed, there are presently 174 engineers and 52 engineer vehicles on Ndeni. 205 defensive mines protect the anchorage. Another 130 mines dot the approaches of the Reef Islands.
Some bad news regarding the Gilberts operation - the beaches at Abemama will not be assaulted by US Army cavalry. There are enough USA 43 Rifle Squads to upgrade the regiment, so the soldiers will have to walk from the landing craft. As far as the date goes, the two refitted fast battleships will set the schedule. They'll take about a week to make Pearl Harbor and refuel. Then they will join the fleet on its way to the Gilberts, refueling at sea on the way. So, that means the invasion of Arorae will take place just after they leave Pearl Harbor. The units for Tabiteuea have much lower prep, so I might hold them back for a follow-on wave. If Tarawa goes well enough, though, it might be possible to use naval sea and air bombardment to allow the invasion of Tabiteuea just after.
In Burma, tomorrow 4EB will begin hitting Katha and then the units in the jungle guarding the approaches from India to soften them up for the attack that is not going there.
