Who needs a title? Dixie vs Mike Solli

[Dixie]

[center]21st December 1941[/center]

MALAYA
Johore Bahru has fallen after an attack by Japanese tanks. With few ant-tank weapons available the Indian troops defending the base were quickly overrun. Everyone in Singapore is now preparing for a long siege. Morale among the aircrew is starting to drop to dangerous levels. No.34 Sqn has been withdrawn back to India with their self belief in tatters even though they’ve only lost one aircraft so far.
In a last ditch attempt to screw up Mike’s plans further north, the FMSV brigade has set out from Kota Bharu and will try to hit some of Mike’s troops from the rear. It’s risky seeing as I have hardly any intel on them, but it will give him something else to deal with. I might even get lucky and catch some artillery units on their own, it’s unlikely but it’s worth a shot.
The IJAAF stayed away from Kota Bharu today for some reason…

DUTCH EAST INDIES
The IJN cruisers escaped without damage again today, is Mike deliberately putting them in harm’s way to lure in the torpedo bombers? It’s a dangerous place for them, one lucky hit is all it takes after all. The other bombers look to be scared of the Japanese fighters as they haven’t tried to bomb Kuching lately, at this rate Zuiho is going to survive.
There have been a lot a recent recce flights by Japanese flying boats from Palau directed towards Weda recently, it could be a sign that another invasion attempt is in the offing. This time there aren’t any decent forces to counter the attempt so two destroyers have been detached from the Asiatic Fleet just in case. They will hang around for a bit, but if there are any major IJN surface ships then they’ll withdraw rather than get sunk.


PHILIPPINES
Yesterday’s bombing raid ran into IJN Zero fighters over Clark Field so the fighters have been ordered to stay close to Manila now. Two P-40 units are resting in preparation for their withdrawal. 3rd Fighter will be heading out to Java and 20th Fighter will be moving down to Australia.
Three remaining British MTBs are moving towards Taytay in an effort to ttack a Japanese force that looks to be loitering there. They will be followed by the three remaining Asiatic Fleet PT boats. It’s a last effort to cause some damage with what I have left here…

CENTRAL PACIFIC
Another day and another IJN sub damaged near Hawaii. This one was an accidental contact, the Jap sub I-22 foolishly launched an attack against a destroyer group. The group didn’t waste any time in launching a counter attack and hit the sub with a DC. Although she probably won’t sink, the sub is going to need repairs before she’s able to make any more attacks.


CHINA
I hate China.
The AVG 2nd Squadron is currently in Chunking, once they have all their fighters serviceable they are going to try an ambush on some of Mike's bombers. Then they'll run away and repeat the ambush somewhere else.

Since HK fell a couple of days ago Mike has sent his minesweepers to clear the port. The minesweeping force has cleared a lot of mines, although reports have been received that one of his ships hit three mines and sank.


Here's the ships I have confirmed as sunk. A pretty poor showing though as I'm up to 97 Allied ships sunk. I hate those Bettys and Nells more that I hate land combat in CHina! [:@]

[hubin]

Lose of HIJMS Hosho it's a stunning blow to the imperial navy.
I can only hope that commanding officer pay for this. [X(]

[Dixie]

Due to events outside my control there hasn't been an updaye on the war for a while, seeing as it's New Year's Eve 1941 I thought I'd restart the AAR ready for the trials of 1942.

Japanese troops have continued to steamroller their way through the combined Allied nations wherever they have been encountered.  American troops in the Philippines are preparing to make a last stand at Manila whilst Commonwealth forces have retreated to the safety of the fortress of Singapore.  Allied airpower is outclassed and outnumbered, the best fighters available (Hurricanes and P-40Es) are low in numbers and spread far from the front lines.  Hazardous low-level attacks by the RAF have resulted in the only success so far, in sinking one small carrier and heavily damaging another the Japanese naval airpower in the northern SRA has been momentarily checked.  Allied naval losses have been heavy in terms of civilian transport ships caught flat-footed by the start of hostilities but warship losses have been light.  The biggest losses so far have been HMS Mauritius, USS Houston and HMAS Adelaide.  Small hit and run operations from the Allied navies have been the only real success of the war, causing several losses and forcing the IJN to escort all of their troop convoys.  The star performer so far, needless to say, has been USS Boise.
In good news, I haven't seen the KB for a few weeks now and reinforcement convoys are starting to reach US positions in the Eastern Pacific.  No major losses have been suffered by the Allied navies, although HMS Repulse is out of action following a submarine attack.  Mike is hopeful that he's sunk her after she took 3 torps.  That incident was the end of my plans for a Force Z counter attack though...

MALAYA
Brit forces are now almost entirely confined to the island of Singapore.  The last remnants of resistance up country are being mopped up.  The RAF has been mauled quite badly be the Jap airpower, the heaviest losses have been in the poor old Buffalo squadrons which are trying to stem the tide of constant air raids.
The Blenheim squadrons are being withdrawn to Sumatra where they will still be in range to strike at Jap troop concentrations in Southern Malaya whilst being out of danger for the time being.


SRA
Not much happening around here.  Since the invasion of Northern Borneo the Japanese effort seems to be concentrated elsewhere.  The arrival of the MLE Prome has led to the restarting of a concentrated effort to leave minefields pretty much everywhere for Mike to clear up.  Allied ground forces are thinly stretched and poorly equipped, defending the area against Mike is not possible, the plan is to hit any invasion forces as hard as possible with airpower before sending whatever naval assets are still available to hit any actual invasions.  The US Asiatic fleet is still hovering around as is the Dutch Fleet, although the Royal Navy has pulled back to India.


Philippines
We're all doomed!  No friendly airpower, no chance of reinforcements, no chance of escape.  Not good times to be visiting Manila really...


AUSTRALIA AND NEW GUINEA
Japanese invasion forces are on their way to Port Moresby.  I got a decent heads up on this invasion so all my available naval forces were sent to try and halt the attack.  Unfortunately those forces are small.  USS Boise, HMAS Australia, HMAS Canberra, HMAS Perth and FFS Le Triomphant are all in the nearby area.  I'm expecting heavy losses for these guys, Mike has probably sent battleships to escort the transports although the latest scouting reports indicate nothing more than heavy cruisers.
Japanese forces are also ashore at Buna, where a scratch defence has been formed from troops rescued from Rabaul.


EASTERN PACIFIC
Without the KB interfering (yet) the first reinforcements for the Line Islands and Johnston Island are just 2 days out from their arrival.  The fast minelaying destroyers have been busy dropping off eggs at bases near Pearl Harbor, an attack is unlikely but I have to guard against it anyway.  I am expecting to lose Midway sometime in the next couple of months, it's too exposed and it's a tempting target for the Japanese.
US subs have been split between a few standard war patrols and a large scale minelaying effort.  Mines are being laid at most of the Japanese bases, although the minelfields are small their presence will force Mike to use escort ships to clear them.


INDIA
British, Indian and Malayan troops are gathering along the Indo-Burmese border.  A token defence has been left in Burma, the plan is to hit the extended Japanese supply lines with RAF bombers as the Japs advance.  If they try to advance into India the poor roads will favour my troops as the IJ advance will slow to a crawl.
The Indian coastline is currently undergoing massive fortification work.  Troops have been located at likely invasion sites should Mike try an amhib operation.  Again, all the bases are being defended by large minefields.  There are currently half a dozen minelaying ships assigned to the Eastern Fleet and the short distances from major supply bases mean the fields are being added to at least every other day.