Humbugged - Sveint v Andy Mac the Battle of Northern Australia

[Andy Mac]

Intelligence reports a major Japanese TF consisting of at least 3 BB's and 2 CV's approaching the north coast of Australia. With expectations of many many more forces to follow. Sigint has reported 4th Division and and at least 1 Armoured Regt heading for Wyndham which has almost no defences.

During the invasion of Java the Japanese used 10 Divisions plus support I must allow for that many forces hitting Northern Australia which means I need to re balance my forces to stop them.

However I need to be aware of the possibility that this is a a massive feint and not leave Southern Australia vulnerable or Suva/New Cal/ NZ.

It will take a careful balancing of force to stop him but I intend to try.

Overall the Allies have had a massive intelligence, communication and and command failure which has resulted in Northern Australia being vulnerable to attack.

I anticipated an assault on India or New Cal or NZ but not Northern Australia.

As a result of this intelligence failure I have shipped 40,000 Indian/ Commonwealth and British troops and over 200 combat aircraft to India that were rescued from Java and could have been used to blunt the Japanese offensive.

If KB is supporting this attack then I dare not force a convoy through from India with assault troops or aircraft it would be dead.

In future posts I will outline what forces I have and my intentions in theatre and you will all see how negligent I have been in defending Northern Australia lets see how it goes.

I just truly never expected an assault on Australia

I have been Humbugged by god !!!

Andy

[AmiralLaurent]

What time is it in 1942 ?

With ten divisions, Japan can conquer far more than NE Australia, you should better send reinforcements to Perth.

I am currently invading NE Australia in January 1942 in two PBEMs. Both invasions met few resistance until now (except shooting down scores of Hudsons, Wirraways and B-17) but Darwin had not yet been attacked in any of the two.

[Andy Mac]

OK it is the 31st July 1942.

I am looking at a Bombardment TF heading for Derby probably due to hit next turn

At least 8 other TF's appear to be heading straight for Wyndham including CV support.

OK tactical situation

Broome is Port 3 Air 3 and Fort 3 (5%)

It is garrisoned by a RAAF Base Force and a DAF (50%) effectiveness Base Force the Base Commander is LTC Kilgore of the Australian Army.

It has one RAAF Flight with 7 operational Beauforts. A solitart DD the British Stronghold is Based there and will withdraw to Perth in the morning.

Derby is a lvl 5 post a lvl 6 AF and has lvl 5 Forts (28%)

It is heavily garrisoned under the overall command of General Van Den Bosch (KNIL) and his 1st ABDA Corps HQ at 34/62
In total he has 9,000 Infantry and 45,000 second line troops under command.

Including 1 Phillipine, 1 RAF, 10 Dutch and 1 US Base Force

Combat units under command include
Infantry

5th Australian Division (100/100)
7th Australian Division (100/100)
C Bde 24th US Division (84/86)
A Bde 3rd NZ Division (45/45)
3rd Australian Bde (46/47)
30th Australian Bde (31/32)
Plus One mixed Bn of Dutch and Phillipine troops in small company sized formations

Armour
2nd Aus Tank Regt (98/100) Honeys
192nd USA Tank Bn (85/86) Stuarts

Artillary
101st AT Regt (100/100)
Sarewak force (9/10 effectivenes)

(total AV 1100 of 1st ABDA Corps)

Air at Derby

4 Australian Beaufort Sqns
1 Kittyhawk
1 Wiraway
VF2 (Enterprise) Wildcats
1 Dutch Fighter Sqn in Brewsters and 2 PBY Sqns

Total 137 Aircraft.

Wyndham

Port 4 AF 3 Forts 3 (10%)

A weak garrison that intel tells me is the main invasion site it is garrisoned by

2 RAN base forces (100/100)
6th Australian Cavalry Bde and 1 company of PI infantry.

All under command of Col Sandover

Curent Air at Wyndham is 2 PBY Sqns, 1 Dutch Beaufort Sqn a Ditch recon Sqn and one Wirraway Sqn total 56 Aircraft.


Darwin

Port 6 AF 8 and Fort 9

Darwin is the reponsability of Lt General Roosevelt's 1st PI/US Corps (ex USAFFE HQ) (28/28)

To defend the base he has

3rd Aus Div (121/121)
B Bde 24th USA Div (100/100)
Darwin Defence Bde (100/100)
1 Bn of the Philipine Defence Force (ex 31st PI Div)
2 RAAF Base Forces/ 1 DAF and 1 RAN Base Force
Based there are 5th 6th and Darwin Coast Art Regt and 206th Coast AA Regt

In the air I have 1 Warhawk Sqn, 1 Mitchell Gp and 1 Hurrican and 1 Marine Wildcat Sqn plus 2 PBY Sqns.

Three Australian Divisions , 2/3 of a US Division and other minor forces to stop 10 Divisions this is going to be fun.

[Andy Mac]

Reinforcements on the way as follows

3 Dutch CD Forces (1100 miles away)
1 USMC Defence Bn (1200 miles away)
26th PS Cavalry Regt (1400 miles away 75/75)
Gull Force Bn (100/100) (1400 miles)
1st Army (Lt Gen Lavarack) 1600 miles
7th Aus Bde (1600)
1st Aus Cav Div (1600)
1st USMC Div (thank god they were in Australia 1600)
3rd Aus Tank Regt (1700 miles)
1st Aus Div (1700 miles)
2nd Aus Cav Div (1700 miles)

Plenty of reinforcements heading for the North coast but they will take time to get there.

Lt General Lavarack will be taking overall command when he arrives in theatre.

Air Reinforcements

43rd BG 30 B17's
36th BS 16 B 17's

Other reinforcements will need to come from outside the theatre

I am considering
1st and 5th NZ Bdes to Perth
13th Canadian Bde (from New Cal)
32nd USA Div (from New Cal)
40th USA Div (from Suva)
4th USMC Regt (from India)
31st US RCT (from India)
18th UK Div (from India)

This may be overkill but I may have to defend in depth.

Andy

[Andy Mac]

Only good news I have about 30 subs in northern australian ports that have sortied out to fight.

Andy

[Andy Mac]

Ohhh an a convoy on its way to India has turned back with 250 combat aircraft including a warhawk mitchell and B17 gp

but I have zero mines in northern Aus bases.

a 3 CV TF is approaching Perth I will detach some sqns and send them to aus bases to try and get in amongst the transports

[Andy Mac]

OK bombardments really really hurt.

I have ordered 7th Australian Division
101st AT Regt
A and C Bdes of 24th US Division to move immediately to Wyndham where the Japanese main thrust is apparently going to land.

Given the amount of reinforcements coming up from Brisbane I have decided to move Lt General 's Darwin Corps HQ to control the fight at Wyndham.

Additional fighters have moved into Darwin.

If these bombardments continue then I may withdraw airpoer until I can protect my Airfields.

Andy


AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/31/42

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Derby, at 24,85


Allied aircraft
no flights


Allied aircraft losses
Beaufort V-IX: 44 destroyed, 25 damaged
Brewster 339D: 2 destroyed, 2 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 7 destroyed, 9 damaged
Kittyhawk I: 8 destroyed, 7 damaged
F4F-4 Wildcat: 20 destroyed, 17 damaged
Wirraway: 7 destroyed, 5 damaged
PBY Catalina: 2 destroyed, 6 damaged

Japanese Ships
CL Oi
CL Kitakami
BB Ise
BB Yamato
BB Nagato
BB Haruna


Allied ground losses:
9347 casualties reported
Guns lost 100
Vehicles lost 49

Airbase hits 16
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 108

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Darwin, at 36,84


Allied aircraft
no flights


Allied aircraft losses
PBY Catalina: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
B-25C Mitchell: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged
F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed, 5 damaged
Hurricane II: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Haguro
CA Myoko
CA Atago
CA Takao
CA Chikuma
CA Tone


Allied ground losses:
461 casualties reported
Guns lost 20
Vehicles lost 1

Airbase hits 4
Runway hits 17

[Andy Mac]

Derby takes another pounding from a Cruiser led bombardment force.

I have 3 US BB's at Perth but they need the October AA upgrade before I will commit them anywhere that IJN bombers can get near them.

The 3 US CV TF under Mitscher just put into Perth to refuel I will need to decide whether or not to try and attack Bombardment Gps hitting Derby.

In the meantime I am withdrawing air units to Perth and Brisbane as they are useless on bases where they are attacked by bombardment TF's.

On reflection 6th Aust Cav Bde will not be able to hold Wyndham against the weight of heavy metal bearing down on them

My view at the moment is that I can probably hold the Derby Axis with local forces or at the very least slow him down a lot but I can trade space for time all the way to Perth if I have to.

I will reinforce Perth with 2 NZ Bdes and dig in for the long haul on that front.

My concern is General Roosevelts Eastern Front.

Assuming I lose Wyndham I will need to fight in the outback or else his Bombardments will crucify me.

Thats ok but I probably wont have the forces in theatre from the south to stop him for at least 3 - 4 weeks.

The key is not to lose the Rail Junction below Darwin where the line goes West and South.

It is of critical importance that I do not lose that junction in fact I am now viewing that as the critical military objective in theatre.

If I could I would fly engineers and Diggers in there to hold it but I cannot. (fortunatly the IJA cannot send Para in either)

If I can turn it into a pit fight for Wyndham so much the better. If I cannot I need to delay long enough for Lavaracks 1st Army to get in theatre he has 1st Aus Div/ 1st Marines and 1st and 2nd Aus Cavalry Dvisions plus support add that to Roosevelts Corps based at Darwin (If I can avoid getting them mangled) and that should be enough to knock the starch out an IJA offensive.

This is going to be fun I thank god the Marines were at Brisbane in ready reserve for New Cal/ NZ or Suva.

I am looking around for further reinforcements apart from the two NZ Bdes I think I can safely pull 1 Canadian Bde from New Cal and 1 of the 4 US Inf Divisions currently on Suva/New Cal.

Andy

[AmiralLaurent]

I won't send Allied CVs in the area if you don't know where the KB is. You can't use planes based in N Australia bases, as Japanese ships will blast them from the surface of the earth. While Japanese planes from Koepang may support Japanese operations.

Build quickly the airfield in Alice Springs, this will allow you to bomb the area and Japanese troops if they advance towards Perth or Cairns.

If you can't hold Wyndham (and you probably can't) I will evacuate Darwin or all troops here may be lost. You may fight a delaying action in Derby, especially if Japanese forces march first to Darwin, but you will fight in an area where Japan will have both air and sea superiority and where you have only coastal airfields.

Another possibility is to send Wyndham troops to Darwin and then prepare for a siege. You may have enough CD guns in Darwin to be able to resist most bombardment runs. And fort level 9 will help you resist here. But you probably can't hold the crossraods S of Darwin.

Send troops from the E coast and let the Japanese try to defend this same crossroads or having their troops in Darwin cut from supply.

Send quickly all minelayers you have to Perth to avoid a landing/bombardment here.

[Andy Mac]

My only issue Admiral Laurent is that I was so decieved by Sveints deception plan feint at India that I have diverted 90% of my heavy bombers to India.

Add in his shore bombardments and I am not doing to well in the air.

I will build up Alice Springs.

But my 1st Priority is to get Laverack's 1st Army into position with all haste.

I have 4 additional CD units on the way to Darwin but they have 1,500 miles to cover.

Australia is so different from any other campaign it just feels different the sheer scale of the road / rail links and the emptiness are going to make this a vfery fun campaign to fight.

What I need to watch very very carefully for is a thrust at South Australia or Perth.

For that reason the bulk of my US CV force and US BB groups will linger near Perth as I cannot afford to commit them without the AA upgrades.

I will rotate them one at a time to Brisbane/ or Aukland for upgrades.

Andy

[AmiralLaurent]

Those CD units will never arrive in time in Darwin. Reinforcements coming on the northern railway will probably fight around the crossroads S of Darwin or east of it. CD guns are more useful in NE Australia (Cairns and so on) as Japanese troops may board ships again and sail to this base when your Army will reach Darwin area after more than one month.

If Japanese troops all land in Wyndham, the city will fall very fast and you can except Japanese troops to reach Derby and the crossroads S of Darwin less than 10 days after. Reinforcements will have made only 1/3 of the distance at this time.

Edit: I think NE Australia is the best place for Japan to advance in 1942. The lack of inland airfield limits the Allied airpower. If the IJN still held the sea, Japanese forces will move faster than Allied ones and retain the initiative. All bases are vulnerable to BB bombardment and so are hardly able to resist a mojor IJA invasion.

From the Allied side, these bases have a small victory value and if Japan take them it can't use them much (except the ressources in Darwin and Derby, but Japan needs oil first). The main points Japan can score in the area are troops points if the Darwin troops are surrounded and surrendered. The only city really worth defending is Perth.

[Andy Mac]

I agree Lavarack wont be in position by then but I have ordered a reinforced 7th Aus Div from Derby to try and delay the fall of Wyndham and 2 Bdes of the US 24th Infantry are also concentrating on Wyndham.

If they are to late they will fight a delaying action back to the junction.

Also the junction is closer than Wyndham so know 300 or so mile ofrf the trek.

Its a race if I can get to the junction and dig in I wont need to evac Darwin.

If I cannot Darwin will fall because I wont get trapped there.

Andy

[Andy Mac]

My main concern is the lightness of my armoured spearhead.

Two Regiments with light tanks for an open field engagement is not enough.

I may try to bring a Grant equipped Brigade and 4th USMC Regt from India on fast AP's as I may need them.

Andy

[AmiralLaurent]

Once Japan has an airfield on the Australian shore and BBs to close Allied bases, KB is no longer needed there and will probably sail in Indian Ocean or towards Perth. I doubt any AP leaving India may reach the NW Australia. They may reach Perth but the risk of having them sunk at sea is huge. And they will take weeks just to reach Australia (Perth as other bases will be too close from Japanese LBA when they arrive) and then weeks to reach the frontline.

If there are so much troops as you believe in NW Australia, send rather troops from New Cal and Suva and replace them with troops from the States when they are released.

[Andy Mac]

OK I have a major problem.

This turn 7th Australian Div and 101st AT bn arrived in Wyndham just in time to get routed out they retrated towards Derby with 25% casualties.

6th Cavalry who bore the brunt of a 10 Divisonal Assault took a real beating and are at 60% effectives.

Well its confirmed the this is a full throated invasion attempt.

10 experienced battlehardened Divisons all of whom served in Java.

I expect the IJA to attack strongly in one direction and use forces to delay me in the other.

If he goes East I will stop him at the rail junction.

If he goes West I will try to stop him at Perth as I feel Derby is undefendable with an enforced retreat to Broome if I get pushed out.

I am setting up a defensive line 120 miles west of Derby using 5th Aus Div and all other forces of 1st ABDA Corps.

If I try to defend in Derby he will bombard me with ships and make any position untennable.

Andy

[Oliver Heindorf]

And becasue the land combat routine in WitP is soooo great, we will see the Jap Army blitz trough entire Australia and there is nothing that can stop them.

Who ever has seen western australia in real life would just laugh about what is possible in this game

[Andy Mac]

Not gonna happen Oliver once Lavarack is in place I plan to stop the Japanese cold !!!!

No retreat no surrender.

Fight in the outback where those dammed Battleships cant get near me thats the plan.

If they go West it gets more problematic but I still intend to stop them

I am pulling two Bde's from NZ and the Aus Bde from Hobart and the Canadian Bde on New Cal.

These four Brigades will provide the garrison for Perth.

Andy

[Andy Mac]

p.s. Allied HQ decides to launch operation Gryphon.

Over the next few days I will assemble two convoys in Indian waters

These convoys will convey Armoured elements Including 1 US Armoured Bn and a UK Armoured Bde to Australia and hopefully 2 Squadrons of Spitfires and a couple of Artillary Regts.

Basically the Australians have plenty of top notch Infnatry I need to round them out with Armoured Spearheads and Artillary.

The only place these can come from is India on 17 knot AP's.

Andy

[Andy Mac]

It is intended that Lavaracks ORBAT for stopping the IJA juggernaught if they come West is

1st Army (Lt Gen Lavarack)

1st USMC Div with C Regt 24th US Inf under command
1st Aus Div
2nd Aus Div (Left Sydney yesterday)
3rd Aus Div (Darwin will be replaced after additional CD units arrive in Darwin)
1st Aus Cav Div
2nd Aus Cav Div with 26th PS Cavalry Regt under command

7th Australian Bde with Gull Force Bn under command

3rd Australian Tank Regt

Both of the Australian Cavalry Divisons are horsed Cav not yet mechanised so the force looks stronger on paper than it actually is and is very short of Artillary and Armour.

Andy

[wobbly]

Andy - under the Jap hammer!!! As we have all heard now I am in no position to give advice - I attack rashly and don't have 100K supplies in every base, but I did have to suffer through the same kind of juggernaut in India.

You have already commited the first cardinal sin - got your combat formations routed. That's OK though as Oz is sooo much easier to reinforce from the US than India. So move those routed troops out of the firing line. My advice (such as it is):

Give up Northern Oz - try to do it by getting a force that can defend along the long straits towards eastern and Western Oz for time purposes, but give it up as a place to defeat him. The intention should be to stop him wherever he moves next.

Defend in the wild, choose places down the rail line where it goes through jungle - get engineers there and reinforce the men in the open. Do this closer to your bases so you have fighter and bomber support - so that he doesn't. I say fight in the open because if he manages to get 2-1 odds against you in a city YOU WILL RETREAT! In the open I have seen 50 - 1 not have this conclusion! It also allows you to halt his attempts to cut you off, but you need time to build bases for these troops in the open.

So his next ploy will be the end run - only which way to go?

West?

Reinforce Perth but keep the troops out of the city - look at what those BBs did - you will know if he is gunning for you down there and one or two big bombardments will be all you have to weather as he then has a huge run back to Northern Oz to reload; then move the troops back into the town. Be prepaired to loose Perth - it is too isolated. You will know pretty quickly which is the axis of his march - if he moves his forces, via land, to Perth - you gain time - heaps of it. If he goes via sea, well you wont get as much but we can make it hurt.

Biggest danger in Perth is you can't really use airpower - they can only base at Perth so are very open to those ridiculously powerful BBs. However, if he tries to do both east and west - a decent garrison plus stragglers from the North might just stop him. I would welcome an attack on Perth - as long as it isn't giving him 4-1 odds it is a bit of a dead end.

The East Coast is another story - defend it like your life depends on it. Cooktown is for me the greatest problem. It is terribly isolated and if taken suddenly allows him to base zeros right on your doorstep. You can't really use the 'garrison the open - then rush back' technique here as you aren't on rail. Guard the crossroads into Charter towers, in the jungle - don't let him cut you off! Get engineers to this crossroads and build in the open. The same benefits from defending in the open will exist - you can defend to higher odds and another benefit - forts you build are not reduced. If he gives you enough time you may have field based forts of as big as level 5!

I would contemplate a death or glory attack around Port Moresby or Cooktown with your Carriers, surface fleet and all the LBA you can muster. If you kill his carrier airpower then continued landings without LBA will REALLY start to hurt him. Even if you loose all your carriers (you do get them back) I would hope you would damage his cover so much that he doesn't go ahead with his invasion - a bit like the real battle of Coral Sea. You also have short distances to travel to get to bases.

You actually have a whole heap of time here - use it to choose your ground to fight upon and stop him cold. The distance you have to fight upon means that the North cannot be reinforced enough in time - but where ever he goes next is going to be a fortress - bring it on!!

I would say Gryphon is either the movement, via sea, of your bombers back to Oz; or the taking of a base somewhere that will give them the range to fly. You do need to get them back - don't make the same mistake I did with dithering; this is his main thrust (10 divisions says so) get ready to defend against it!