Zuluhour vs Zigurat666: 1943

[zuluhour]

Australia: Capt. Jamison arrives Sydney after his successful raid on Buna. Damage is superficial and the TF will be ready in a week. Capt. Shannon on Pensacola with Boise arrive for patrol duties off southern New Guinea.

China: Wuchow recaptured!

[zuluhour]

March 5-6, 1942

SoPac: The 164th Inf Reg (Americal Div) finally boards for Pago Pago. No further contact in the Line Islands. Large quanities of supply and fuel on the way. Yorktown should be ready to sail in 48 hours with the Eua TF of marine raiders and engineers.

Java: Batavia dishing out counter battery fire to infesting hordes of Japs.

Burma: still quiet, two SCTFs operating in the eastern Bay of Bengal. Tomorrow we put out some pickets. (should have today!)

China: The big pressure has shifted to the center of the line. Will post shortly and pine for advice. AVG pilot reaches hero status in the beseiged city of Changsha. 1st Lt McMillan scores kills 10,11,12,and 13 on the afternoon of the 6th.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

Australia: Capt. Jamison arrives Sydney after his successful raid on Buna. Damage is superficial and the TF will be ready in a week. Capt. Shannon on Pensacola with Boise arrive for patrol duties off southern New Guinea.

China: Wuchow recaptured!

That was a great result from that raid, at little cost![:D]
A pity the Christmas Island clash never got any results, except maybe training. [:)]

[zuluhour]

That was a nice early moral boost to Allied moral!

March 7,8,9, 1942

West Coast: Over 100,ooo pts of fuel and over 100,ooo pts of supply at sea for SoPac. Some sub spots but no actions.

SoPac: Pago Pago: Amphib TF unloads engineers and base forces with armor and artillery. RADM Calhoun takes the bridge of the Indianapolis with Portland abeam to provide security. The 164th inf is a couple of days away for additional ground security. Capt Fischer on Warspite gets a change of orders. He was to bombard Suva but subs from Pearl have mined the harbor. He will switch to Nadi. Yorktown sails from Aukland under Spruance for the Tasman Sea where he can manouvre NNW if the IJN insists on bombarding Port Morseby. 1st Marine Raider Bn loading for Eau. Saratoga is at 18 days, Lexington at 19.
Hornet due shortly and will quickly deploy to SoPac.

SwPac: Pensacola intercepts IJN CAs off Milne Bay. It does not go well. Three quick shell hits doom Pensacola as the third cause a magazine explosion. She sinks in minutes. The Boise dishes out punishment in a big way as she stands alone with a tin can to face the floatilla. Some of the IJN vessels are still afire when they reach Port Morseby and sink a lone xAKL unloading. There is no bombardment.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Milne Bay at 100,134, Range 10,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
OS2U-3 Kingfisher: 2 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CA Myoko
CA Haguro
CA Nachi, Shell hits 8, on fire
CA Furutaka, Shell hits 7, heavy fires
CL Nagara
CL Natori, Shell hits 2
CL Tenryu, Shell hits 1
CL Tatsuta
CL Yubari, Shell hits 1
DD Kisaragi
DD Yayoi
DD Mochizuki
DD Oite
DD Hayate
DD Asanagi, Shell hits 1, heavy fires
DD Yunagi

Allied Ships
CA Pensacola, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
CL Boise, Shell hits 14, heavy fires
DD Stuart, Shell hits 3

Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions: 20,000 yards
Range closes to 16,000 yards...
Range closes to 10,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 10,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 10,000 yards
Shannon V. crosses the 'T'
CA Nachi engages CA Pensacola at 10,000 yards
CA Nachi engages CA Pensacola at 10,000 yards
CA Nachi engages DD Stuart at 10,000 yards
CA Pensacola engages CA Myoko at 10,000 yards
Range closes to 4,000 yards
CA Nachi engages CA Pensacola at 4,000 yards
CA Nachi engages CA Pensacola at 4,000 yards
CA Nachi engages DD Stuart at 4,000 yards
CA Pensacola engages DD Yunagi at 4,000 yards
Range increases to 6,000 yards
Magazine explodes on CA Pensacola
CA Pensacola sunk by CA Furutaka at 6,000 yards
CA Nachi engages CL Boise at 6,000 yards
DD Yunagi engages DD Stuart at 6,000 yards
DD Oite engages DD Stuart at 6,000 yards
DD Stuart engages DD Yayoi at 6,000 yards
Range increases to 8,000 yards
CA Furutaka engages CL Boise at 8,000 yards
DD Stuart engages DD Yunagi at 8,000 yards
CL Natori engages CL Boise at 8,000 yards
DD Stuart engages DD Yayoi at 8,000 yards
Range increases to 10,000 yards
CA Nachi engages CL Boise at 10,000 yards
CL Boise engages CA Nachi at 10,000 yards
CA Haguro engages CL Boise at 10,000 yards
CL Tatsuta engages CL Boise at 10,000 yards
DD Stuart engages DD Asanagi at 10,000 yards
DD Stuart engages DD Mochizuki at 10,000 yards
Range increases to 13,000 yards
CA Nachi engages CL Boise at 13,000 yards
DD Stuart engages DD Asanagi at 13,000 yards
CL Tatsuta engages CL Boise at 13,000 yards
Range increases to 15,000 yards
CA Nachi engages CL Boise at 15,000 yards
CL Boise engages CA Nachi at 15,000 yards
DD Stuart engages DD Kisaragi at 15,000 yards
Range increases to 17,000 yards
CL Boise engages CA Nachi at 17,000 yards
DD Stuart engages DD Yayoi at 17,000 yards
CL Tenryu engages CL Boise at 17,000 yards
CA Furutaka engages CL Boise at 17,000 yards
DD Oite engages DD Stuart at 17,000 yards
DD Yunagi engages DD Stuart at 17,000 yards
DD Asanagi engages DD Stuart at 17,000 yards
Range increases to 19,000 yards
CA Furutaka engages CL Boise at 19,000 yards
CA Nachi engages CL Boise at 19,000 yards
CL Tenryu engages CL Boise at 19,000 yards
CL Boise engages DD Yunagi at 19,000 yards
Range closes to 18,000 yards
CL Boise engages CA Furutaka at 18,000 yards
Shannon V. orders Allied TF to disengage
CA Furutaka engages CL Boise at 18,000 yards
CL Boise engages CA Nachi at 18,000 yards
Range closes to 17,000 yards
CL Tatsuta engages CL Boise at 17,000 yards
CL Boise engages CA Nachi at 17,000 yards
DD Yunagi engages DD Stuart at 17,000 yards
CA Nachi engages CL Boise at 17,000 yards
CA Haguro engages CL Boise at 17,000 yards
CL Boise engages CA Myoko at 17,000 yards
DD Asanagi engages DD Stuart at 17,000 yards
DD Mochizuki engages DD Stuart at 17,000 yards
Range increases to 18,000 yards
CA Furutaka engages CL Boise at 18,000 yards
CA Nachi engages CL Boise at 18,000 yards
CL Yubari engages CL Boise at 18,000 yards
CA Furutaka engages CL Boise at 18,000 yards
CL Yubari engages CL Boise at 18,000 yards
Shannon V. orders Allied TF to disengage
Range increases to 20,000 yards
CA Furutaka engages CL Boise at 20,000 yards
CL Boise engages CA Nachi at 20,000 yards
CL Nagara engages CL Boise at 20,000 yards
CL Boise engages DD Hayate at 20,000 yards
CL Boise engages CA Furutaka at 20,000 yards
CA Nachi engages DD Stuart at 20,000 yards
CL Natori engages CL Boise at 20,000 yards
CL Boise engages DD Asanagi at 20,000 yards
Shannon V. orders Allied TF to disengage
CL Boise engages CA Nachi at 20,000 yards
CA Nachi engages CL Boise at 20,000 yards
CL Boise engages CA Myoko at 20,000 yards
DD Stuart engages DD Kisaragi at 20,000 yards
Range increases to 21,000 yards
CA Nachi engages DD Stuart at 21,000 yards
CL Tatsuta engages CL Boise at 21,000 yards
Range increases to 23,000 yards
CL Boise engages CA Nachi at 23,000 yards
CA Nachi engages CL Boise at 23,000 yards
Range increases to 25,000 yards
CA Nachi engages CL Boise at 25,000 yards
CL Boise engages CA Nachi at 25,000 yards
Shannon V. orders Allied TF to disengage
Task forces break off...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 98,130, Range 18,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Myoko
CA Haguro
CA Nachi, on fire
CA Furutaka, heavy fires
CL Nagara
CL Natori, on fire
CL Tenryu
CL Tatsuta
CL Yubari
DD Kisaragi
DD Yayoi
DD Mochizuki
DD Oite
DD Hayate
DD Asanagi, heavy fires
DD Yunagi

Allied Ships
xAKL Sjobris, Shell hits 14, and is sunk

Burma: I stood down the RAF and AVG at Rangoon and it pays off as another 50 Zekes and Oscars sweep. Capt Baldwin returns to Ceylon with Prince of Wales and Repulse. Capt Agar remains off Port Blair with Dorsetshire and Glasgow.

China: The IJA surprised TWIT HQ with a quick crossing of the Yangtze SW of Changsha and take Hengyang. Bastards!! Four Corps of the 29th AG and 20th AG are ordered to NNW out of Changsha. Some meager bomber assets are transfered forward from the southern sector to interdict IJA movements SW of Changsha.

[zuluhour]

March 11, 1942

China: IJA forces intend to take China down. I have to delay and bleed him. Positions shown below with the next line of defense shown. Any ideas??? I can post force strength tomorrow.

[zuluhour]

March 11, 1942

NorPac: There is not enough spare PPs to spend here so I have ordered ordered everyone to dig in from the outset. Most units designated for the north pacific are at Dutch Harbor behind level 3 forts and growing. No attempts to open a strip yet I would like level 5 forts first as there is no plan for expansion til '43.

CenPac: Another squadron of early model P40s upgrades to "E" models. that makes three now. As they upgrade they are brought back to full strength. I think there is a bug with the P400 production as I thought it was just a two month run but its March and they are still being added to the pools. Anyone? Six subs are dispatched to Australia. Capt Hoover on St Louis is ordered back to Pearl from the Line Island patrol. All reinforcement and supply is complete for now. While some units train for assauls in the central Pacific, no plans are in place.

Panama Canal: Hornet is ordered to San Diego to upgrade Helldiver squadrons before deploying, hopefully with Lexington.

SoPac: Plans to occupy Eua and Pago Pago are moving along slower than they should be, with multiple faux pas, snafu, and fubar present at HQ. The amphib force at Pago Pago now should be done tonight and begin the voyage home. They will be escorted by RADM Calhoun on Portland with the Indianapolis. Enterprise is at sea and approaching decision time in Tasman Sea. She will be to late to intercept the IJN TF I believe to be closing on Port Morseby and search is very limited in the Coral Sea. I may have her recalled tomorrow. I have not seen the Kido Butai for weeks. Capt Dechaineaux on Australia with Perth is still on patrol off New Caledonia. Only a small garrison is at Noumea.

SwPac: Terapo was siezed yesterday, we never saw the TF. Airdrop?? 19th bomb group ordered over Buna tomorrow. Large IJN BB TF spotted off New Guinea. Capt Jamison departs Sydney on Achilles with Leander for a rendevous with destiny in the Coral Sea.

India: Last squadron of the 51st fighter group arrives on the sub continent. Capt Baldwin aboard Exeter with Enterprise and Emerald will relieve Capt Agar off Port Blair

[zuluhour]

March 12, 1942

New Guinea: RAAF patrol ac report the large IJN TF off Buna is now off SE New Britain. B17s do little damage to Buna port facilities. No losses. Port Morseby repairs runway damage and begins to work on the admin damage. No 75 RAAF fighter squadron relieves the last ABDA squadron which disbanded today. Boise should make Townsville tonight. She has some major engine damage but should not be in dry dock more than several weeks after fixing some system damage pierside. Under heavy cloud Capt Fischer on Warspite is ordered to return to New Zealand, not much to gain by hitting Nadi. IMHO.

China: Recon by fire on the southern front ends poorly and a retreat through the jungle ordered. More IJA units spotted moving on Changsha from the NE.

[zuluhour]

March 13, 1942

Java: Batavia perimeter: IJA units launch assault, replused with heavy casualties.

West Coast: Remainder of II fighter command and a squadron from the 19th bomb group ship out for SoPac.

Pearl Harbor: Increased CAP as IJN ac appear over Oahu. Additional sub patrols depart for defense and early warning to the west of Frigate Shoals and Johnston Island.

Australia: Night bombing over Port Morseby. The 76th RAAF squadron arrives and begins vigorous training program.

India: 2nd AVG squadron rebuilds with fresh pilots and P40Es at Calcutta. 6th Australian Div expected to combine soon and move to the frontier.

China: UhOH![X(]

[zuluhour]

March 14, 1942

China: Japs break through at Changteh! Chinese hold at Kweilin.

[DOCUP]

Kurt:  Been awhile since I've posted here.  Nice work with the last few surface engagements.  Looks like you traded a CA for a CA.  Thats a good trade at this stage of the war.  China don't know how to help you their.  Glad to see you updateing often.

[zuluhour]

Thanks Joe, I am playing a much more aggressive adversary now. I hope it comes back to bite him in his imperial rear end.[:D]

March 17, 1942

DEI: Only a handful of outposts remain. Under supplied, with no naval or air support, they are picked off with ease. The Dutch airforce is spent for all practical purposes. A small CAP is maintained over southern Java and dozen or so ground attack aircraft are left. Eleven regs shock into Batavia yielding 17,666 casualties. Sumatra was finished days ago.

SoPac: Supply closes in on the rear area. Yorktown and Enterprise will unite tomorrow and wait for Saratoga finishing her upgrades. 1st Marine raiders are off Eua and should unload tonight. Pago Pago approaches fort level 4. The airfield is still at 2 but 78% to level 3 when I switch the engineers over to AF construction. Some Liberators (LB30) arrive on the strip and P39s are on the way. Only occasional subs spotted in the south Pacific.

Australia: Fuel situation is stable with another 16,ooo pts arriving on the 19th. I have ordered stockpiling of Regular Aussie Inf squads and now there is at least a small pool to upgrade a division in Australia should the need arise. Port Morseby has recovered considerable damage and mounts a decent CAP. AAA will attempt to be shipped in soon as well as more ground troops and ac mechanics. B17s ordered to hit Buna port tomorrow, I do not want that division in good supply. The Liberators on Pago Pago may stage in to help while other squadrons are still many days out at sea.

Burma: IJA unit moving on Moulmein, nothing I can do. RAF ordered to fly again from central Burma, they refused yesterday, probably with good reason. 6th Aussie division will assemble in 48 hours. A brigade of the 7th div is on the menu in 48 hours. A small recon detachment of Lysanders, bought out several days ago stages forward to get some intel on the Japs in the jungle SE of Moulmein. Large RN TF is at sea hoping to strike this IJA force when it reaches the coast then escape west. Cruiser floatilla off Port Blair remains un spotted.

China: IJA forces shock attack in the north and central sectors. At Paotow the small defense is unhinged and sent packing west. A small army group is ordered to reinforce the northern road net. At Chanteh the Chinese hold their ground. These are the four corps sent from Changsha a week ago to keep a supply line open. The IJA also shocks Changsha where the Chinese formation holds, barely. The whole southern front is crumbling away and a general retreat is ordered, ceding recently recaptured territory as well un threatened points.

[zuluhour]

March 18,1942

West Coast: Quiet as most TFs are at sea. Girl friends wait for their sailors. Lots of empty bar stools.

SoPac: Catalinas report IJN ships SSE of the Fijis. No confirmation. We have little shipping in the area. Enterprise and Yorktown will have their minor repairs complete in 48 hours. Pago Pago almost to forts (4). Eua occupied.

SwPac: B17s drop 30 tons of TNT on Buna harbor and score one hit on a freighter. Repairs almost complete at Port Morseby. IJ airpower focuses on the Lark Bn on New Britain. I hope to sneak an AA unit in shortly to PM.

DEI: Air assault begins on Soerabaja. Our CAP is swept from the skies in the morning.

Rabaul: Oscars sweep Rangoon from over 38,ooo'. P40s and Hurries do well. In a later raid our fighters peel away the bombers leaving a single crater on the airfield to fill. we score 7:1 today. Recon ordered over IJA units SSE of Moulmein.

China: Heavy, heavy bombing over Changsha. We lose hundreds retreating out of the city. Its a lop sided brawl. Pressure everywhere as the IJAF hits targets up north as well.

[zuluhour]

March 19, 1942

SoPac: quiet

SwPac: quiet

Australia: quiet

Burma: IJA ground forces enter Moulmein. RN will try a bombardment. Two RAF squadrons ordered to ground attack. One squadron of Hurricanes relieved at Rangoon. Oscars come calling again today. We down three Oscars and two Sallys for one P40.

China: heavy air raids continue accross the nation. The next 24-48 hours may tell the story.

[zuluhour]

March 20, 1942

West Coast: Lexington has a week left for her refit while Hornet is due in 24 hours to join her. Single ships slip out of port to SoPac, escorts at a premium.

Washington DC: Yesterday agreements were reached with the Australians to release another brigade to southeast asia.

CenPac: IJN sub I-28 scores a kill on loaded xAK approaching Hawaii. Escort cannot locate her and more assets directed to the convoy from Pearl.

NoPac: I-172 scores a kill on yard patrol vessel off Dutch Harbor.

SoPac: Yorktown receiving F4F4 replacements while Enterprise repairs some minor damage. Pago Pago goes to AF2. Radm "Chas" Blakely arrives off New Caladonia undetected.

SwPac: B17s abort raid on Buna due to weather. AA unit loads for Port Morseby for a flank run into the port. Small cruiser TF covering the southeast coast.

Java: One plane CAP still gets into the air over Soerabaja.

Burma: Capt Halfhide closes on Moulmein. Blenhiem raid over Moulmein reveals the Imperial Guards division.

India: 6th Australian division railheads for the frontier.

China: Post below as Changsha is abandoned.

[zuluhour]

Burma: Capt Halfhide: Undetected

[zuluhour]

March 21, 1942

NorPac: 42nd Construction Reg reaches port at Anchorage and unloads. When the forts are deemed sufficient they will tranfer down the Aleutians.

West Coast: Hornet arrives! Her air groups, with the exception of VF-8 are not fully trained and flying obsolete aircraft. Decision time again. VF-8 does have 17 veteran pilots.

SoPac: Quite. Base building proceeding rapidly on Pago Pago. Fighters will arrive soon. Liberators staged into Sydney to join with the 19th bomb group in a couple of days.

Australia: An Aussie AAA unit is at sea to Port Porseby. A Brittish cruiser force is transfering from Perth the east coast.

Burma: The Imperial Guards take a bombardment, they lose a couple of hundred guys. BBs to move at flank for Ceylon tonight.

India: AVG-1 takes replacement pilots and planes.

China: Still heavy bombing, every day. Chinese and American fighter pilots staged into Tuyun and bag a couple. The IJA advanced into Tuyon yesterday. The Chinese are strong in fair supply with arty and 1300+ AV in forest rough. Changsha has fallen, the rear guard expelled yesterday with heavy loss of life.

[zuluhour]

March 22, 1942

West Coast: Still slipping single ship TFs out of port, there is an escort shortage. I also need to buy out a an F4 recon detachment. I have less than 100 PPs.

SoPac: Large fuel and supply transports arrive. Some diverted to Australia and New Zealand. Pago Pago goes to AF3 as a B17 squadron stages through. The last Liberator left yesterday for the Sydney. It looks like Paul cleared the mines from Suva.

SwPac: Port Morseby begins fort construction again (4% p/t). AAA should arrive tomorrow with more supply.

Australia: There are now 39 AIF '42 squads in the pool. Will work up quite a few more to cover possible losses in southeast asia before allowing upgrades to divisions at home.

Burma: Moulmein falls. The Imperial Guards have over 450AV. Burma command awaits accross the river. Possible invasion at Rangoon? IJAF targets patrol craft in the river delta. Capt Halfhide well to see with Hermes in trail.

China: Padang falls. I'm hoping for a small counter attack or at least an organized retreat on the Yangtze NNW of Changsha in the next 72 hours. Chungking now has over 2500AV trying to recover. The Chinese cut off a IJA army up north, only temporary but I hope distracting (46m due west of Nanyang).

[zuluhour]

March 23, 1942

West Coast: AAA and support units load for SoPac. Some older subs are sent to SoPac as well. A Maruder equiped group cross trained in naval as well as ground attack is close to shipping out to southern waters.

SoPac: Fuel and supply unloads and ships out from the rear depot area. USAF providing fighter cover. The first fighter squadron unloads at Pago Pago tonight. Within 72 hours engineers will ship out to Eua to help the Marines dig in and get a strip operational. Over 100 fighters are closing on Pago Pago with some fortresses.

Australia: IJA units are crossing the Owen Stanleys from Buna. I order the 19th Bomb group to lay some wood on Buna and try and use up their supply. Liberators have arrived on the NE Australian coast as well.

Burma: We target the Moulmein base complex from fields in the interior. More US and RAF air assets are staging to the frontier. The IJAF catches a merchant down river from Rangoon.

China: Aside from the massive IJAF bombing campaign, the IJA makes weekly gains on the ground all most everywhere. The Chinese repel a large shock attack 90mi NW of Changsha.

Ground combat at 81,51 (near Changsha)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 50028 troops, 600 guns, 195 vehicles, Assault Value = 1635

Defending force 39523 troops, 333 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1094

Japanese adjusted assault: 854

Allied adjusted defense: 1493

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
7375 casualties reported
Squads: 288 destroyed, 264 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 39 disabled
Engineers: 18 destroyed, 44 disabled

Allied ground losses:
2868 casualties reported
Squads: 98 destroyed, 76 disabled
Non Combat: 48 destroyed, 130 disabled
Engineers: 7 destroyed, 9 disabled
Guns lost 35 (10 destroyed, 25 disabled)

Assaulting units:
39th Division
34th Division
15th Division
32nd Division
52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
1st Mortar Battalion
China Expeditionary Army
11th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
20th Chinese Corps
99th Chinese Corps
58th Chinese Corps
72nd Chinese Corps
9th Prov Chinese Corps
78th Chinese Corps
37th Chinese Corps
5th Construction Regiment
57th AT Gun Regiment
17th Chinese Base Force
27th Group Army
30th Group Army
1st Artillery Regiment
9th War Area
7th Artillery Regiment

[zuluhour]

The China situation:

[zuluhour]

Signal intercepts: March 23, 1942




Two other units noted in planning stages for Columbo:

40th JAAF Bn (March 18th)
Kanno Det (March 12th)