1943 May 11
The Empire captured:
The Allies captured:
Katha
There were Imperial amphibious operations at:
There were Allied amphibious operations at:
The line is barely holding in China, with the forces that were assaulted today trying to pull back to the next line before they break ranks. Pilots at Chungking continue to shoot down the odd Imperial Death Glider, despite the odds against them.
Ground combat at 78,47 (near Chungking)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 35560 troops, 297 guns, 273 vehicles, Assault Value = 1072
Defending force 34840 troops, 146 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 637
Japanese adjusted assault: 634
Allied adjusted defense: 808
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
1081 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 81 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 22 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Vehicles lost 29 (1 destroyed, 28 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
1179 casualties reported
Squads: 27 destroyed, 132 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 29 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 15 disabled
Guns lost 24 (5 destroyed, 19 disabled)
Assaulting units:
17th Tank Regiment
37th Division
58th Infantry Regiment
39th Division
14th Tank Regiment
67th Infantry Brigade
6th Tank Regiment
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
Defending units:
2nd Chinese Corps
13th Chinese Corps
88th Chinese Corps
84th Chinese Corps
94th Chinese Corps
13th Group Army
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Ground combat at 75,47 (near Chungking)
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 17967 troops, 113 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 774
Defending force 42701 troops, 231 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1276
Allied ground losses:
7 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
57th Infantry Brigade
2nd Ind.Mixed Brigade
51st Infantry Brigade
13th/A Division
Defending units:
53rd Chinese Corps
86th Chinese Corps
95th Chinese Corps
3rd Chinese Corps
97th Chinese Corps
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Ground combat at Kweiyang (74,49)
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 2607 troops, 194 guns, 70 vehicles, Assault Value = 855
Defending force 43823 troops, 103 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 910
Allied ground losses:
67 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
22nd/A Division
32nd/A Division
56th Recon Regiment
27th/B Division
36th/B Division
13th Indpt Infantry Regiment
104th/C Division
12th Army
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
4th Mortar Battalion
1st Mortar Battalion
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
2nd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
2nd Mortar Battalion
Defending units:
30th Chinese Corps
91st Chinese Corps
9th Chinese Base Force
7th Chinese Base Force
21st Group Army
9th War Area
4th War Area
2nd Chinese Base Force
6th War Area
3rd War Area
20th Chinese Base Force
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Ground combat at Lanchow (81,34)
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 360 troops, 29 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 696
Defending force 41274 troops, 172 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1005
Allied ground losses:
14 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
1st Cavalry Brigade
3rd Ind.Mixed Brigade
53rd Infantry Brigade
19th/A Division
19th/B Division
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
Defending units:
85th Chinese Corps
41st Chinese Corps
72nd Chinese Corps
82nd Chinese Corps
92nd Chinese Corps
22nd Group Army
8th War Area
5th War Area
8th Chinese Base Force
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Ground combat at 82,28 (near Kiuchuan)
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 672 troops, 4 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 27
Defending force 2304 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 82
Assaulting units:
1st Ching An Tui Brigade
Defending units:
9th Separate Brigade
Katha is ours. Resistance in the air over Burma is fierce, with a total of 5x 4EB and 3x Wellingtons lost today.
Ground combat at Katha (61,43)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 5967 troops, 31 guns, 14 vehicles, Assault Value = 223
Defending force 3494 troops, 20 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 104
Allied adjusted assault: 105
Japanese adjusted defense: 29
Allied assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 0)
Allied forces CAPTURE Katha !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), preparation(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
1040 casualties reported
Squads: 39 destroyed, 28 disabled
Non Combat: 23 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 11 (10 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Units retreated 1
Allied ground losses:
260 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 44 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
Mandalay BMP Battalion
5/14th Punjab Battalion
2/17 Dogra Battalion
1st Burma Brigade
2nd Burma Brigade
Defending units:
113th Infantry Regiment
The bulk (or maybe all?) of the Empire's bombing in Burma was focused on the two Indian divisions near Toungoo. Under cover of the jungle canopy their disruption reduced about 20% and is now in the mid-50s. The tanks have rolled into defensive positions, and the USA 27th ID, if not slowed by aerial interdiction, will arrive tomorrow. The 6th and 7th Australian Divisions are both on the plain and making their way to Magwe. They will also move/attack down the Prome/Toungoo road.
The 2nd British Divisions and the 29th British Brigade have both taken up positions at Taung Gyi, and their approach yesterday seemed to be enough to cause evacuation of the airfield. The IV Indian Corps HQ will arrive in a few days (now at Meiktila), and the 19th Indian Division will arrive in about 6 days. Then the assault will commence.
There is an interesting turn at sea in the Bay of Bengal. Long range search out of Calcutta has picked up an IJN force, 6 ships sighted including 1 x CS. Force R is on another 'show the flag' sortie and tonight would approach to within 4 hexes of the enemy's last reported position. The most likely mission for an IJN TF there is to deal with Force R, given Force R's previous activity. So, Force R - detection level 7/7 - will retire to Chittagong and its fighter umbrella, ready to act if the IJN is up to something else entirely.
4EB from Australia hit Finschhafen airfield again, which now shows damage of 78%. Scouting shows far fewer troops at Ponape, so that TF might be loading up. More troops are shown at Lunga - if true, being flown in? Shortlands is showing more. Truk is showing more.
Tomorrow the fighter squadron on Enterprise should be able to upgrade to Hellcats (35 in the pool now). In a couple of days after that we will begin loading up the invasion forces for Torokina/Shortlands. Recapping, Torokina will be seized from the air with forces to assault Shortlands landing at the newly captured base the day after. Just to be safe, as the fleet approaches, Torokina will be reconnoitered from the air to ensure that it is still empty. Even if it is, it will still be bombarded by USS Colorado, deemed too slow to venture farther into hostile territory. If Torokina is strongly garrisoned, plan B is for the Shortlands assault force to land directly at Shortlands. All are 100% prepped, so that is a viable option.
In either case, the preferred mission for the 24 knot and fast battleships is to bombard Rabaul on the eve of an all-out 4EB strike. CA/DD groups will range toward Rabaul to clear out surface opposition. The carriers, and surface groups with adequate ammo after the above mission, will cover the troops disembarking at Torokina. During that process the Vangunu/Munda assault forces will close in. When the carriers are available to provide cover, a prepped regiment will land at Vangunu, followed after capture by the forces prepped for Munda.
Here is a look at that contact in the Bay of Bengal.
