1943 February 20
The Empire captured:
The Allies captured:
Gove
There were Imperial amphibious operations at:
There were Allied amphibious operations at:
Tabiteuea
More progress for the Empire in China. Chihkiang is doomed, and the troops nearby will be lucky to get out semi-intact. With Chihkiang and the positions around it, Tuyun and Kweiyang are more likely to fall.
Ground combat at 78,49 (near Chihkiang)
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 384 troops, 0 guns, 71 vehicles, Assault Value = 374
Defending force 47144 troops, 141 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1251
Japanese adjusted assault: 16
Allied adjusted defense: 3133
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 195
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+)
Japanese ground losses:
Vehicles lost 24 (1 destroyed, 23 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
60 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
22nd/B Division
12th Tank Regiment
51st Engineer Regiment
15th/A Division
Defending units:
73rd Chinese Corps
37th Chinese Corps
20th Chinese Corps
65th Chinese Corps
4th Chinese/C Corps
6th War Area
19th Group Army
9th War Area
32nd Group Army
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Ground combat at 77,49 (near Chihkiang)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 26432 troops, 151 guns, 70 vehicles, Assault Value = 802
Defending force 27570 troops, 190 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 484
Japanese adjusted assault: 674
Allied adjusted defense: 101
Japanese assault odds: 6 to 1
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
696 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 98 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Allied ground losses:
8964 casualties reported
Squads: 163 destroyed, 62 disabled
Non Combat: 476 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 17 destroyed, 6 disabled
Guns lost 34 (30 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Units retreated 11
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
61st Infantry Brigade
51st Infantry Brigade
57th Infantry Brigade
15th Tank Regiment
2nd Ind.Mixed Brigade
Defending units:
53rd Chinese Corps
28th Chinese Corps
10th Chinese Corps
57th Chinese Corps
7th Artillery Regiment
3rd Heavy Mortar Regiment
30th Group Army
29th Group Army
20th Group Army
23rd Group Army
4th Heavy Mortar Regiment
The air attacks went well, but in spite of many other types of casualties noted, there were no vehicle casualties.
Morning Air attack on 104th/B Division, at 72,49 , near Kweiyang
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Allied aircraft
Liberator II x 3
Wellington Ic x 15
B-17F Fortress x 6
B-24D Liberator x 10
Allied aircraft losses
Wellington Ic: 1 damaged
B-17F Fortress: 1 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
168 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
12 x Wellington Ic bombing from 5000 feet *
Ground Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
3 x Wellington Ic bombing from 5000 feet *
Ground Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
3 x Liberator II bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
10 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
3 x B-17F Fortress bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
3 x B-17F Fortress bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
Also attacking 5th Tank Regiment ...
Also attacking 9th Tank Regiment ...
Also attacking 55th Infantry Brigade ...
Also attacking 21st Ind.Mixed Brigade ...
Also attacking 55th Infantry Brigade ...
Also attacking 104th/B Division ...
Also attacking 55th Infantry Brigade ...
Also attacking 104th/B Division ...
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Morning Air attack on 5th Tank Regiment, at 72,49 , near Kweiyang
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Allied aircraft
Liberator II x 3
Wellington Ic x 4
B-17E Fortress x 14
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
65 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
3 x Liberator II bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
4 x Wellington Ic bombing from 5000 feet *
Ground Attack: 4 x 500 lb GP Bomb
3 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
11 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
Also attacking 23rd Tank Regiment ...
Also attacking 104th/B Division ...
Also attacking 55th Infantry Brigade ...
Also attacking 104th/B Division ...
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Morning Air attack on 9th Tank Regiment, at 72,49 , near Kweiyang
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Allied aircraft
Liberator II x 9
B-17E Fortress x 3
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
11 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
9 x Liberator II bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
3 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
Also attacking 55th Infantry Brigade ...
Also attacking 9th Tank Regiment ...
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Morning Air attack on 55th Infantry Brigade, at 72,49 , near Kweiyang
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 36
Allied aircraft losses
B-25C Mitchell: 1 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
31 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
15 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 5000 feet *
Ground Attack: 3 x 500 lb GP Bomb
3 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 5000 feet *
Ground Attack: 3 x 500 lb GP Bomb
3 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 5000 feet *
Ground Attack: 3 x 500 lb GP Bomb
15 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 5000 feet *
Ground Attack: 3 x 500 lb GP Bomb
Also attacking 3rd Tank Regiment ...
Also attacking 21st Ind.Mixed Brigade ...
Also attacking 104th/B Division ...
Also attacking 55th Infantry Brigade ...
Also attacking 21st Ind.Mixed Brigade ...
Also attacking 55th Infantry Brigade ...
Also attacking 21st Ind.Mixed Brigade ...
Also attacking 55th Infantry Brigade ...
Also attacking 21st Ind.Mixed Brigade ...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 3rd Tank Regiment, at 72,49 , near Kweiyang
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 12
Allied aircraft losses
B-25C Mitchell: 2 damaged
Aircraft Attacking:
12 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 5000 feet *
Ground Attack: 3 x 500 lb GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 21st Ind.Mixed Brigade, at 72,49 , near Kweiyang
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Allied aircraft
B-17F Fortress x 8
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
101 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
8 x B-17F Fortress bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 55th Infantry Brigade, at 72,49 , near Kweiyang
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 8
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
95 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
8 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 55th Infantry Brigade, at 72,49 , near Kweiyang
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid spotted at 3 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 0 minutes
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 9
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
74 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
9 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 55th Infantry Brigade, at 72,49 , near Kweiyang
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid spotted at 5 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 1 minutes
Allied aircraft
B-17F Fortress x 9
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
74 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
9 x B-17F Fortress bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 21st Ind.Mixed Brigade, at 72,49 , near Kweiyang
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 11
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
11 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
11 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 5000 feet *
Ground Attack: 3 x 500 lb GP Bomb
Tarpon was hit twice south of Rabaul, but the Allies did better off of Bombay.
ASW attack near Bombay at 34,24
Japanese Ships
SS I-157, hits 26, heavy damage
Allied Ships
DE Encounter
DE Express
SS I-157 is located by DE Encounter
I-157 bottoming out ....
DE Express fails to find sub, continues to search...
DE Express attacking submerged sub ....
DE Express attacking submerged sub ....
SS I-157 eludes DE Express by hugging bottom
SS I-157 eludes DE Express by hugging bottom
DE Express fails to find sub, continues to search...
DE Express fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub
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ASW attack near Bombay at 34,24
Japanese Ships
SS I-158, hits 2
Allied Ships
DE Express
SS I-158 is sighted by escort
DE Express fails to find sub, continues to search...
DE Express attacking submerged sub ....
DE Express loses contact with SS I-158
DE Express is out of ASW ammo
DE Express is out of ASW ammo
DE Express is out of ASW ammo
DE Express fails to find sub, continues to search...
DE Express attacking submerged sub ....
DE Express is out of ASW ammo
DE Express is out of ASW ammo
DE Express is out of ASW ammo
DE Express is out of ASW ammo
DE Express is out of ASW ammo
DE Express is out of ASW ammo
DE Express attacking submerged sub ....
DE Express is out of ASW ammo
DE Express is out of ASW ammo
DE Express is out of ASW ammo
DE Express is out of ASW ammo
DE Express is out of ASW ammo
Escort abandons search for sub
The USMC Raider Bn on Tabiteuea has 19 disruption, higher than I would like, but an attack is ordered for tomorrow anyway. The Combat Eng Bn has only 5 disruption, 3 x CA + 2 x DD will bombard, and 18 x dive bombers from Tarawa will strike. Those factors, plus the revealed inexperience of the Japanese defenders (see (-) from landing day combat) should make the difference.
It looks like CL St Louis and DD Tucker collided while escorting Lexington. The two will separate from the carrier TF and have to make their own way back to Pearl Harbor.
Here is Central China after the latest set back.
