14-17 January 1942
The 17 January was really the desicive day of the war until now. The 25th Army managed to advance in Singapoe without much losses and the first BB bombardment of PH was a success.
Central Pacific
I didn't attack again PH airfields during this period and no raid from there either. The daily CAP continued over the island without meeting any CAP and I lost several recon aircraft to AA fire without learning much more. On the other side I shot down a half-dozen of Allied patrol planes.
On the two first days, the 5 CVs remaining off PH covered the two convoys arriving in Lahaina. The base is now a size 4 airfield with 380 air support squads and a size 4 port with an AR.
The pounding of Pearl Harbor to prepare the landing started on the 16 with a Kate raid against the port at 20000 feet, the main targets being the coastal guns. Only 5 CVs were still near PH on this date and 65 Kates flew the raid. To my surprise they found 3 BBs in the port (Nevada, Tennessee and Pensylvania) and scored 6 torpedo hits on them but murderous AA fire shot down 27 Kates... ouch... (on the whole this day costed Japan 40 aircraft against only 6 Allied) The only good news was that 17 guns were hit so I was confident enough to send 5 BBs to bombard the island the next night. They won their battle agains the coastal guns (18 more guns hit while the BBs suffered almost no damage) but hit nothing more and as I apparently forgotten to switch "escort bombard" to no, the DD Hayate was sunk by return fire and another DD was badly hit and docked in Lahaina for repairs. On the 17 Sallies and Nells bombed again the port. This time they suffered no loss to AA but scored only one bomb hit on an AV and 2 that bounced on BBs (Lahaina was still AF 3, so no 800kg bombs for Nells).
The secondary operation against Hilo was launched on the night of the 14-15 and proved costly. The CL Yura was badly damaged by a Mk16 mine despite the 3 MSW included in the FT TF and the MSW W20 was hit 7 times by the CD guns and is now docked in Lahaina port but issue is in doubt to know if she can be saved. The 1500 men of 16th Div who landed launched a shock attack on the 16, that destoryed the 3 levels of forts, and then a deliberate on the 17 but it only achieved 1 to 1 and failed with low losses. A chock attack will be launched tomorrow with the support of 3 cruisers.
Submarines made few contacts E of Hawaii. One was followed for two days and 1 CL and 3 DD were sent for an open sea interception. The CL and a DD met a TK SE of Hawaii on the night of 16-17 but didn't sink her (several shells and a torpedo hit the TK) before returning to base.
Off California, the I-17 sailed close enough to the shore to fly a recon with her Glen above San Francisco. Nothing was spotted but enough Wildcats and SBDs were reported in the air to be sure that at least one US CV is in the area.
The main part of the KB is now in Midway and had finished recompleting air units (by absorbing land-based units and fragments, or drawing reinforcements from the pool). The only part of the CV airgroups currently depleted are the Kates groups of the CVs sailing off Hawaii (and now refueling at Lahaina). And 39 Kates and crews are island-hopping from Japan to join them.
Four bomber units (1 of Nell, 1 of Betty, 1 of Sally and 1 of Helens) are now based in Lahaina and will bombard PH every day before the landing. The naval bombers will bomb the port and the The KB will regroup NE of PH to cut any retreat path for the Allied ships. The BB TF will continue to raid PH but will do it every two days, resplenishing in Lahaina between two raids. The fact that the big guns in PH or the mines didn't do any damage to my BBs is good news. And from what my opponent is saying in his mails, it seems to me he is not excepting an invasion of PH but rather a siege. The invasion convoy is now less than a week from the island.
South Pacific
Two DD carried from Kwajalein to Tarawa a part of a NLF, that took the atoll on the 16.
Sarmi, New Guinea, was occupied on the 17 by a NLF.
Philipinnes
Apart the daily attacks by Ki-48s on the 11th PA Div in Lingayen, there was no action. But I decided to accelerate things there and is loading a big base force in Tainan to land it in Aparri.
Dutch East Indies
On the 14, an Allied surface TF was seen NW of Macassar and sailing NE, probably for a bombardment run to Samarinda where Japanese troops are gathering. I sent 4 CA, 2 CL and 8 DD to intercept them at night, ordered the 80 naval bombers of Jolo to fly naval attack and placed some submariens to chase cripples. Well nothing happened and the next day the Allied cruisers were nowhere to be seen.The were found on the 16 again (9 CA off Maumere) and lost again the next day.
The 5th Eng Rgt arrived in Samarinda on the 16 and is unloading, the 4th Bde will arrive tomorrow. 3 surface TF and LRCAP from Brunei are portecting them. The 35th Bde and 2 naval units are also in Samarinda and the advance on Balikpapan will start shortly.
A NLF took the undefended town of Jesselton on the 17.
The TFs here used more fuel than planned (especially as Tarakan oilfields have been badly damaged during the invasion) and 4 TK began to load fuel in Camranh Bay on the 16 to carry it to Tarakan.
Malaya
Daily raids hit SIngapore targetting the airfield on the 14 and the troops later. I ordered the 25th Army to advance to Singapore on the evening of the 14, choosing the unit with the most FAT (an Eng Rgt) to lead the advance. On the 15 it has walked 22 miles ,all other units 23. On the 16 the game showed the Eng Rgt on the map at Singapore but on the unit list still at Johore Bharu with no more movement orders. All other units were at 46 miles. I ordered all to follow the 18th Div, that was still following the Eng Rgt, that was ordered again to march to SIngapore. And I upgraded to v1.602.
On the 17 the whole 25th Army (except the late Eng Rgt, that has now been ordered to remain in Johore Bharu) arrived in Singapore hex. The shock attack was at 0 to 1 against fort 7 but Allied casualties (3000) were higher than Japanese (2500) so I'm rather confident with the outcome of the battle. All my units have disruption around 80 but few are really hit. The 23rd Bde has suffered the most in the LCU. The worst hit are my ART units. 2 of the 5 are intact but the 3 others have almost all their guns disrupted (maybe 7 remaining for the 3 units).
The only air raid outside Singapore was a sweep by 25 Zeroes over Palembang on the 16. They met 10 Hurricanes and shot down 3 for one loss.
The 25th Army will spend the next 3-4 days resting before attacking again Singapore. The base is held by 12 Bdes, the Sing Fort, 1 AA Rgt, 11 BF and (probably) 3 HQ. Attacking forces are 4 Div, 1 Bde, 1 Tk Rgt, 2 Eng Rgt, 5 ART units (but only 2 effective) and the HQ 25th Army, with the HQ Southern Area in Johore Bharu.
During this pause, Johore Bharu airmen won't bomb Allied troops but will revert to their former targets: Palembang airfield for the Ki-21, Singapore airfield for the Ki-48 and naval attack or SIngaproe airfield for the Nells.
Burma
Rangoon resisted two days to 2/3 of 33 Div but fell on the evening of the 15 with 3800 POWs (taoal Japanese casualties for the two days were around 400). Ressources and oil are intact !
The two Tk Rgts sent 120 miles N of Rangoon has the wanted effect. On the 17 British forces started to move north and only 1 British unit was still in the hex 120 miles NE Rangoon. The 21st Bde and 1/3 of 33rd Div will cross the river tomorrow to try to shock attack this unit before it retreats. The units that moved north will come back south to take the bridge rather than walking trough the jungle.
Recon continued to report P-40B flting CAP over Mandalay (from 37 to 62 depending to times) but no other Allied air activity was reported. IJAAF bombers based in Tavaoy bombed Allied troops NE of Rangoon on the 14, in Rangoon on the 15 and the empty Andaman Islands on the 16. These islands were captured by 110 paratroops coming from Bangkok the next day. Mavis should be based there in the short future.
China
The only event of the four days was a raid by 70 Ki-51 on Changsha on the 14. The ydisbaled 32 more ressources (now 230 hit) while losing 2 of their numbers.
The artillery routine in Yenen continued and was a little modified on the 17 when Chinese guns ifred back (8 Japanese casualties).
Japan
The naval shipyard production was increased in two small ports (+ 10 points).
The first TFs to carry oil and ressources inside the Japanese Empire were created on the 17. Two TK left Saigon to load oil in Brunei for Indochina. And two 7000-ton AK are loading ressources in Saigon to bring them to Japan.
The fact that the Allied submarines are mainly active along the frontline made me confident to move small transport TFs with little or no escort.
Bloody Pacific: Pomphat (Allied) vs Amiral Laurent (Japan)
Moderators: wdolson, Don Bowen, mogami
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AmiralLaurent
- Posts: 3351
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 8:53 pm
- Location: Near Paris, France
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AmiralLaurent
- Posts: 3351
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 8:53 pm
- Location: Near Paris, France
Strategic plans + report 18-21 January 1942
18-21 January 1942
Game is running slower this week, due to heavy work schedule on my part. I spent less time playing at home but more time thinking about the game and its future while travelling in trains.
Central Pacific
On the 18, the I-168 sank the TK Admiral Chase damaged by warships the day before E of Hawaii, a patrolling PBY bombed a PG off Lahaina (damage 49/13/20) but 3 other were shot down by Zeroes. Betties, Nells and Sallies bombed Pearl Harbor, hitting the BB Nevada, Tennessee and Pennsylvania and the SS Triton, destroying 1 supply dump, 4 P-39D and 2 B-17E on the ground and disabling 417 men and 15 guns, but AA shot down 6 Betties, 3 Nells and 1 Sally. Hilo fell this day and the 115th USN Base Force surrendered (1500 POWs) but the base was completely wrecked (100/2/92). 400 mines were counted off the base. In the evening the Northern CarDiv left Midway towards PH again while the Southern CarDiv left Lahaina steaming SE to chase an Allied convoy, letting the too slow Taiyo behind.
The next night the 5 BB TF returned to PH and blasted it with devastating results. Two BBs were hit in the port, 10 aircraft on the airfield (3 F4F-4, 3 B-17E, 2 LB-30, 1 P-39D, 1 P-40E) and most of all 8123 men and 182 guns were disabled… this raid probably wrecked most base forces of the base…. The Japanese ships were undamaged… Coastal guns only fired four shells. During the day, 2 MSW swept some mines off PH without any reaction by CD guns while 2 PBYs were shot down by Zeroes in the area. On a sidenote a PG hit by a B-17 off Hawaii before the Lahaina landing was scuttled in the evening 60 miles W of Wotje after trying to reach Kwajalein.
In the morning of the same day the SS S-27 tried to attack both TF of the Northern CarDiv SE of Midway and was chased twice by the escorts. At the same time, the Southern CarDiv found an AK convoy SE of Hawaii at range 5 and launched against it 25 Zeroes, 38 Vals, 39 Kates in two waves in the morning and 24 Zeroes, 31 Vals and 36 Kates in the afternoon. They used only bombs due to range and no AK was reported sunk but 5 were heavily damaged, 5 reported in fire and a last one hit more slightly. A Jake reported 3 ships, including a DD NE of Palmyra and sailing NE. Just in case it was an USN CV TF, the Southern CarDiv (3 CV + 1 CVL, with one Val group lacking) returned to Lahaina without finishing the Allied convoy. 4 submarines were ordered to chase it. The US TF was probably fast ships escaping southwards from PH, as no US CV was reported later and the number of ships in PH decreased.
During the night of the 19-20 the BBs returned to PH after having rearmed on the afternoon of the 19. This time CD guns were more active, firing 66 shells that hit two BBs but only destroyed some AA guns on one of them. The bombardment was far less effective than the night before: 440 Allied casualties, 18 guns, 2 vehicles. It was probably another duel between the CD guns and the BBs.
After dawn, a PBY was shot down by AA over the Northern CarDiv and another one was shot down by a Zero during the day. Lahaina bombers flew against PH again, targeting this time the airfield with 25 Ki-49 (first operational use), 36 Betties, 17 Nells and 16 Ki-21 at 20000 feet. They suffered no loss but only scored 13 runways hits and destroyed 1 B-17E and 1 F4F-4.
No AK was reported sunk of the convoy hit on the 19, that was followed by Glens, and in the evening of the 20 the CL Kuma and 3 DD that were off Hilo sailed SE at full speed. During the night the SS I-171 sank one of this transports and then the surface TF intercepted the crippled AKs in daylight, first sinking a full TF made of the 5 AKs that were the most damaged and then attacking the TF made of the other five AK, sunk one more and hit two (one heavily damaged, one in fire). The TF retired in the evening to Hilo while the 4 submarines in the area will continue to chase the remaining AKs.
More north, another raid by 27 Ki-49, 39 Betties, 18 Nells and 20 Ki-21s targeted PH. Betties flew low over the port to drop torpedoes and AA shot down 8 while they hit several times the 3 BB still there. IJAAF bombers hit the airfield and destroyed 9 aircraft (3 F4F-4, 2 P-39D, 1 B-18A, 1 B-17E, 1 P-40B, 1 LB-30) without loss. Two PBYs were shot down by Zeroes in the area. The heavily damaged MSW W20 sank in Lahaina port after one week in a size 4 port with an AR….
The convoys approaching Hawaii were not attacked during this period. They are carrying troops for PH (landing now scheduled in 3 days) and Lahaina (more construction troops and a Fleet HQ) and supplies and fuel for Lahaina. Two TFs carrying together 130 000 fuel sailed past Midway to drop it to Lahaina, that has no more fuel except 18 000 fuel in a resplenishment TF docked there). A quick check of the TF list shows that more than 250 000 tons of fuel and 150 000 tons of supplies are currently sailing towards this area. And around 10 000 fuel are in Midway and 90000 supplies in Lahaina, Johnson and Midway.
At last my opponent decided to use his PTs to defend PH. He was maybe keeping them in reserve waiting for the invasion TF… Anyway the BB bombardment run scheduled for tonight was cancelled and instead two TF of 3 DDs each are sent to chase PTs. I have always been successful with this kind of PT chase until now so I hope it will continue. After dawn the Sally group of Lahaina will also attack these PTs while the other bombers will continue to pound PH. The Northern CarDiv will also raid PH airfield with Kates if no naval target is seen.
Southern Pacific
Allied engineers expanded the airfield at Suva to size 4.
Philippines
The 11th PA Div was bombarded at Lingayen on the 19 by 12 K-48s (34 cas) and on the 20 by 10 (33 cas).
A NLF coming from Jesselton landed on Puerto Princesa on the 20 and occupied the undefended port the next day.
Dutch East Indies
On the 18, a Mavis hit the Dutch SS KXIV off Balikpapan. The next day, the SS KX attacked in the morning several Japanese TF SW of Samarinda and was sunk by the DD Mineguma and Suzukaze in the 3rd action, after missing a DD in the first. The 4th Mixed Bde landed in Samarinda on the 20-21 without any Allied interference and on the evening of the 21 the whole troops here (35th Bde, 4th Mix Bde, 5th Eng Rgt, 2 naval units) started to march to Balikpapan. All ships sailed to Tarakan, where loaded TK should arrive tomorrow and will refuel there.
I am thinking to use these warships to support an invasion of Kendari in the end of the month by the 56th Bde (now in Davao) and the 65th (now in Menado), as soon as Menado will be a size 4 AF (currently at 72%), while Balikpapan will be attacked by land. Then one brigade will be used to take Macassar while the 3 others will be shipped to the PI.
Malaya
On the 18, 46 Ki-48 bombarded Singapore airfield and AA shot down one. They were heavily escorted while at the same time 51 Ki-21 went to Palembang without escort and were intercepted by 9 Hurricanes. 3 bombers went down, 15 turned back and 33 bombed the airfield and destroyed 2 Wirraway, 1 Lockeed 212, 1 Demon, 1 Martin 139 and 1 Swordfish. The same day it was confirmed that the Dutch AKs Siberoet and Beatrice had been scuttled in Singapore after severe damage by LBA.
On the 19 46 Ki-48 bombed Singapore without loss while 17 Ki-21 went again to Palembang but this time under escort by 25 Zeroes and 11 Oscars. They met 11 Hurricanes that shot down 1 Oscar but lost 3 of their number. The Sallies lost 1 to AA while they destroyed on the ground 1 Hurricane and 1 Wirraway. In the afternoon 39 Nells bombed Singapore while Hurricanes shot down a C5M Babs over Palembang.
On the 20, 63 Ki-21 and 22 Zeroes flew to Palembang despite clouds covering it (15 more Zeroes get lost) and again met 8 Hurricanes. Zeroes shot down 4 but the British fighters destroyed 1 Zero and 2 Sallies and then AA shot down 3 Sallies while bombs destroyed on the ground only 2 Martin 139 and 1 Wirraway (recons reported 150-200 aircraft here). They also scored 7 supply hits but I suppose Palemebang will never lack supply…In the afternoon 28 Nells bombed Singapore, losing 1 to AA fire, while 7 other attacked an AK off Toboali but all torpedoes missed.
On the 21, Singapore was raided by 54 Ki-48 and 101 Ki-21, one of the latter being shot down by AA fire. The cumulated results of 4 raid of aerial bombings are 72 casualties and 8 supply hits. The Japanese artillery fire has been far more successful (1894 Allied casualties in 4 days, while Allied guns only 110 Japanese in the same time).
Japanese troops in Singapore now have disruption 15-20 and fatigue 50-60 and this had not changed the last turn so I ordered a general deliberate attack to hit the Allied fortifications for tomorrow. IJAAF bombers based in Johore Bharu will bomb Allied troops to support the attack while Nells will fly ASW patrols, as 3 Dutch SS are around Singapore since several days.
The last aerial units have now left Komphong Tranch, Cambodia, and the base forces here march now for Malaya and mainly Burma.
Burma
On the 18, 15 Ki-21 bombed the 16th Indian Bde 120 miles NE of Rangoon (37 cas). This unit was retreating and when Japanese troops crossed the river there in the evening, it was already well north and there was no battle. The next day the 16th Ind Bde was again bombed by 13 Ki-21 SE of Pagan (10 casualties).
The main body of the 15th Army (see map attached) arrived S of Pagan on the 20 and they reported 3 Allied units in Pagan. The 33rd Div, a Tk Rgt and a Const Bn were ordered to march E while the rest of the Army was resting. The Const Bn advanced alone the next day and reported one more Allied unit in Taung Gyi (sp?).
The plan was to occupy the two towns and to stop there, or to cross the river W of Mandalay if the hex was undefended and then to lay siege of Mandalay. It has been changed and Japanese troops will now try to surround Allied troops in Pagan and Taung Gyi (see the red arrows on the map).
An Aviation Rgt will arrive in Rangoon in some days but the Burma Army will probably have no aerial support before the fall of Singapore and Palembang.
China
A Chinese unit was reported W of Yenen on the 18. I wondered if it was a HQ leaving Yenen or reinforcements. It moved more W on the 21 and Chinese artillery ceased firing the same day so maybe Yenen is evacuated. The first Japanese units reached the hex SW of Yenen on the 19 while Mongol cavalrymen occupied the crossroads NE of Yenen, so that may be the cause. Artillery fire in Yenen was continued the 4 days by Japanese (total 757 Chinese casualties) and for 3 by Chinese (total 10 Japanese casualties).
The 2nd Eng Rgt will arrive in Yenen tomorrow and then a probing attack will be launched against the city. 32 Sonias flew from Wuhan to Chengting to support the attack. The other China Army DBs are ordered tomorrow to bomb again the resources of Changsha.
Japanese economy
An AK convoy loaded 35 000 supplies in Japan and sailed to Tarakan. These supplies will be used to repair the oilfields.
Strategic planning
In the last days, I defined more precisely the strategy I will use in the next months.
I decided to invade Palembang without waiting for the fall of Singapore. This operation will be supported from Johore Bharu and will be done by the 14th Army troops assembling in Canton: (21st and 38th Div, 2 Tk Rgts, 14th Army HQ), all preparing for Manila or Clark Field. They will continue to prepare for Luzon operations but will before be used in Palembang. Two Eng Rgt will also take part in the operation: 4th Eng Rgt currently in Johore Bharu and 5th Eng Rgt that is marching to Balikpapan.
Preliminary operations will include landing in Sinkep Island by a naval unit. The main landing will be done in Jambi (MLs were reported off Palembang in the past) and troops will march to Palembang by the road.
I will have to invade Luzon one day. As said above, 3 of the 4 Bdes currently used in DEI will be brought back to PI. Also the 21st and 38th Div back from Palembang. And I will add the 17th Div, currently a China Army Div holding Shangai. It will be replaced there by one of the 2 Divs arriving as reinforcements in 23 days. I should have the PP to buy it in one month and a half. Luzon operations will start in March.
Once Singapore and Palembang will be Japanese, the next target will be Java. One of the four Div currenly in Singapore will go to Burma, the 3 others and the Bde will be used in Java. And then against Timor… or NW Australia depending the easiest target.
Burma is not my priority. With 2 Div, 1 Bde & 1 Rgt, I don't think i will be able to take Mandalay. And I will not attempt to take Akyab. During one of the quiet periods in the south between 2 main operations, I will mass airgroups in the area and try to crush AVG and other Allied units in one big blow.
In the Pacific, I am now rather confident about the PH operation. The five divisions here should be enough to crush the garrison. After its fall, I will probably split the KB between a fast and a slow TF. The second may sail to the DEI to support the Java/Timor campaign. The first will remain in the area. Before splitting, I may use all CV/CVL/CVE for a raid against the West Coast.
Game is running slower this week, due to heavy work schedule on my part. I spent less time playing at home but more time thinking about the game and its future while travelling in trains.
Central Pacific
On the 18, the I-168 sank the TK Admiral Chase damaged by warships the day before E of Hawaii, a patrolling PBY bombed a PG off Lahaina (damage 49/13/20) but 3 other were shot down by Zeroes. Betties, Nells and Sallies bombed Pearl Harbor, hitting the BB Nevada, Tennessee and Pennsylvania and the SS Triton, destroying 1 supply dump, 4 P-39D and 2 B-17E on the ground and disabling 417 men and 15 guns, but AA shot down 6 Betties, 3 Nells and 1 Sally. Hilo fell this day and the 115th USN Base Force surrendered (1500 POWs) but the base was completely wrecked (100/2/92). 400 mines were counted off the base. In the evening the Northern CarDiv left Midway towards PH again while the Southern CarDiv left Lahaina steaming SE to chase an Allied convoy, letting the too slow Taiyo behind.
The next night the 5 BB TF returned to PH and blasted it with devastating results. Two BBs were hit in the port, 10 aircraft on the airfield (3 F4F-4, 3 B-17E, 2 LB-30, 1 P-39D, 1 P-40E) and most of all 8123 men and 182 guns were disabled… this raid probably wrecked most base forces of the base…. The Japanese ships were undamaged… Coastal guns only fired four shells. During the day, 2 MSW swept some mines off PH without any reaction by CD guns while 2 PBYs were shot down by Zeroes in the area. On a sidenote a PG hit by a B-17 off Hawaii before the Lahaina landing was scuttled in the evening 60 miles W of Wotje after trying to reach Kwajalein.
In the morning of the same day the SS S-27 tried to attack both TF of the Northern CarDiv SE of Midway and was chased twice by the escorts. At the same time, the Southern CarDiv found an AK convoy SE of Hawaii at range 5 and launched against it 25 Zeroes, 38 Vals, 39 Kates in two waves in the morning and 24 Zeroes, 31 Vals and 36 Kates in the afternoon. They used only bombs due to range and no AK was reported sunk but 5 were heavily damaged, 5 reported in fire and a last one hit more slightly. A Jake reported 3 ships, including a DD NE of Palmyra and sailing NE. Just in case it was an USN CV TF, the Southern CarDiv (3 CV + 1 CVL, with one Val group lacking) returned to Lahaina without finishing the Allied convoy. 4 submarines were ordered to chase it. The US TF was probably fast ships escaping southwards from PH, as no US CV was reported later and the number of ships in PH decreased.
During the night of the 19-20 the BBs returned to PH after having rearmed on the afternoon of the 19. This time CD guns were more active, firing 66 shells that hit two BBs but only destroyed some AA guns on one of them. The bombardment was far less effective than the night before: 440 Allied casualties, 18 guns, 2 vehicles. It was probably another duel between the CD guns and the BBs.
After dawn, a PBY was shot down by AA over the Northern CarDiv and another one was shot down by a Zero during the day. Lahaina bombers flew against PH again, targeting this time the airfield with 25 Ki-49 (first operational use), 36 Betties, 17 Nells and 16 Ki-21 at 20000 feet. They suffered no loss but only scored 13 runways hits and destroyed 1 B-17E and 1 F4F-4.
No AK was reported sunk of the convoy hit on the 19, that was followed by Glens, and in the evening of the 20 the CL Kuma and 3 DD that were off Hilo sailed SE at full speed. During the night the SS I-171 sank one of this transports and then the surface TF intercepted the crippled AKs in daylight, first sinking a full TF made of the 5 AKs that were the most damaged and then attacking the TF made of the other five AK, sunk one more and hit two (one heavily damaged, one in fire). The TF retired in the evening to Hilo while the 4 submarines in the area will continue to chase the remaining AKs.
More north, another raid by 27 Ki-49, 39 Betties, 18 Nells and 20 Ki-21s targeted PH. Betties flew low over the port to drop torpedoes and AA shot down 8 while they hit several times the 3 BB still there. IJAAF bombers hit the airfield and destroyed 9 aircraft (3 F4F-4, 2 P-39D, 1 B-18A, 1 B-17E, 1 P-40B, 1 LB-30) without loss. Two PBYs were shot down by Zeroes in the area. The heavily damaged MSW W20 sank in Lahaina port after one week in a size 4 port with an AR….
The convoys approaching Hawaii were not attacked during this period. They are carrying troops for PH (landing now scheduled in 3 days) and Lahaina (more construction troops and a Fleet HQ) and supplies and fuel for Lahaina. Two TFs carrying together 130 000 fuel sailed past Midway to drop it to Lahaina, that has no more fuel except 18 000 fuel in a resplenishment TF docked there). A quick check of the TF list shows that more than 250 000 tons of fuel and 150 000 tons of supplies are currently sailing towards this area. And around 10 000 fuel are in Midway and 90000 supplies in Lahaina, Johnson and Midway.
At last my opponent decided to use his PTs to defend PH. He was maybe keeping them in reserve waiting for the invasion TF… Anyway the BB bombardment run scheduled for tonight was cancelled and instead two TF of 3 DDs each are sent to chase PTs. I have always been successful with this kind of PT chase until now so I hope it will continue. After dawn the Sally group of Lahaina will also attack these PTs while the other bombers will continue to pound PH. The Northern CarDiv will also raid PH airfield with Kates if no naval target is seen.
Southern Pacific
Allied engineers expanded the airfield at Suva to size 4.
Philippines
The 11th PA Div was bombarded at Lingayen on the 19 by 12 K-48s (34 cas) and on the 20 by 10 (33 cas).
A NLF coming from Jesselton landed on Puerto Princesa on the 20 and occupied the undefended port the next day.
Dutch East Indies
On the 18, a Mavis hit the Dutch SS KXIV off Balikpapan. The next day, the SS KX attacked in the morning several Japanese TF SW of Samarinda and was sunk by the DD Mineguma and Suzukaze in the 3rd action, after missing a DD in the first. The 4th Mixed Bde landed in Samarinda on the 20-21 without any Allied interference and on the evening of the 21 the whole troops here (35th Bde, 4th Mix Bde, 5th Eng Rgt, 2 naval units) started to march to Balikpapan. All ships sailed to Tarakan, where loaded TK should arrive tomorrow and will refuel there.
I am thinking to use these warships to support an invasion of Kendari in the end of the month by the 56th Bde (now in Davao) and the 65th (now in Menado), as soon as Menado will be a size 4 AF (currently at 72%), while Balikpapan will be attacked by land. Then one brigade will be used to take Macassar while the 3 others will be shipped to the PI.
Malaya
On the 18, 46 Ki-48 bombarded Singapore airfield and AA shot down one. They were heavily escorted while at the same time 51 Ki-21 went to Palembang without escort and were intercepted by 9 Hurricanes. 3 bombers went down, 15 turned back and 33 bombed the airfield and destroyed 2 Wirraway, 1 Lockeed 212, 1 Demon, 1 Martin 139 and 1 Swordfish. The same day it was confirmed that the Dutch AKs Siberoet and Beatrice had been scuttled in Singapore after severe damage by LBA.
On the 19 46 Ki-48 bombed Singapore without loss while 17 Ki-21 went again to Palembang but this time under escort by 25 Zeroes and 11 Oscars. They met 11 Hurricanes that shot down 1 Oscar but lost 3 of their number. The Sallies lost 1 to AA while they destroyed on the ground 1 Hurricane and 1 Wirraway. In the afternoon 39 Nells bombed Singapore while Hurricanes shot down a C5M Babs over Palembang.
On the 20, 63 Ki-21 and 22 Zeroes flew to Palembang despite clouds covering it (15 more Zeroes get lost) and again met 8 Hurricanes. Zeroes shot down 4 but the British fighters destroyed 1 Zero and 2 Sallies and then AA shot down 3 Sallies while bombs destroyed on the ground only 2 Martin 139 and 1 Wirraway (recons reported 150-200 aircraft here). They also scored 7 supply hits but I suppose Palemebang will never lack supply…In the afternoon 28 Nells bombed Singapore, losing 1 to AA fire, while 7 other attacked an AK off Toboali but all torpedoes missed.
On the 21, Singapore was raided by 54 Ki-48 and 101 Ki-21, one of the latter being shot down by AA fire. The cumulated results of 4 raid of aerial bombings are 72 casualties and 8 supply hits. The Japanese artillery fire has been far more successful (1894 Allied casualties in 4 days, while Allied guns only 110 Japanese in the same time).
Japanese troops in Singapore now have disruption 15-20 and fatigue 50-60 and this had not changed the last turn so I ordered a general deliberate attack to hit the Allied fortifications for tomorrow. IJAAF bombers based in Johore Bharu will bomb Allied troops to support the attack while Nells will fly ASW patrols, as 3 Dutch SS are around Singapore since several days.
The last aerial units have now left Komphong Tranch, Cambodia, and the base forces here march now for Malaya and mainly Burma.
Burma
On the 18, 15 Ki-21 bombed the 16th Indian Bde 120 miles NE of Rangoon (37 cas). This unit was retreating and when Japanese troops crossed the river there in the evening, it was already well north and there was no battle. The next day the 16th Ind Bde was again bombed by 13 Ki-21 SE of Pagan (10 casualties).
The main body of the 15th Army (see map attached) arrived S of Pagan on the 20 and they reported 3 Allied units in Pagan. The 33rd Div, a Tk Rgt and a Const Bn were ordered to march E while the rest of the Army was resting. The Const Bn advanced alone the next day and reported one more Allied unit in Taung Gyi (sp?).
The plan was to occupy the two towns and to stop there, or to cross the river W of Mandalay if the hex was undefended and then to lay siege of Mandalay. It has been changed and Japanese troops will now try to surround Allied troops in Pagan and Taung Gyi (see the red arrows on the map).
An Aviation Rgt will arrive in Rangoon in some days but the Burma Army will probably have no aerial support before the fall of Singapore and Palembang.
China
A Chinese unit was reported W of Yenen on the 18. I wondered if it was a HQ leaving Yenen or reinforcements. It moved more W on the 21 and Chinese artillery ceased firing the same day so maybe Yenen is evacuated. The first Japanese units reached the hex SW of Yenen on the 19 while Mongol cavalrymen occupied the crossroads NE of Yenen, so that may be the cause. Artillery fire in Yenen was continued the 4 days by Japanese (total 757 Chinese casualties) and for 3 by Chinese (total 10 Japanese casualties).
The 2nd Eng Rgt will arrive in Yenen tomorrow and then a probing attack will be launched against the city. 32 Sonias flew from Wuhan to Chengting to support the attack. The other China Army DBs are ordered tomorrow to bomb again the resources of Changsha.
Japanese economy
An AK convoy loaded 35 000 supplies in Japan and sailed to Tarakan. These supplies will be used to repair the oilfields.
Strategic planning
In the last days, I defined more precisely the strategy I will use in the next months.
I decided to invade Palembang without waiting for the fall of Singapore. This operation will be supported from Johore Bharu and will be done by the 14th Army troops assembling in Canton: (21st and 38th Div, 2 Tk Rgts, 14th Army HQ), all preparing for Manila or Clark Field. They will continue to prepare for Luzon operations but will before be used in Palembang. Two Eng Rgt will also take part in the operation: 4th Eng Rgt currently in Johore Bharu and 5th Eng Rgt that is marching to Balikpapan.
Preliminary operations will include landing in Sinkep Island by a naval unit. The main landing will be done in Jambi (MLs were reported off Palembang in the past) and troops will march to Palembang by the road.
I will have to invade Luzon one day. As said above, 3 of the 4 Bdes currently used in DEI will be brought back to PI. Also the 21st and 38th Div back from Palembang. And I will add the 17th Div, currently a China Army Div holding Shangai. It will be replaced there by one of the 2 Divs arriving as reinforcements in 23 days. I should have the PP to buy it in one month and a half. Luzon operations will start in March.
Once Singapore and Palembang will be Japanese, the next target will be Java. One of the four Div currenly in Singapore will go to Burma, the 3 others and the Bde will be used in Java. And then against Timor… or NW Australia depending the easiest target.
Burma is not my priority. With 2 Div, 1 Bde & 1 Rgt, I don't think i will be able to take Mandalay. And I will not attempt to take Akyab. During one of the quiet periods in the south between 2 main operations, I will mass airgroups in the area and try to crush AVG and other Allied units in one big blow.
In the Pacific, I am now rather confident about the PH operation. The five divisions here should be enough to crush the garrison. After its fall, I will probably split the KB between a fast and a slow TF. The second may sail to the DEI to support the Java/Timor campaign. The first will remain in the area. Before splitting, I may use all CV/CVL/CVE for a raid against the West Coast.
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AmiralLaurent
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22 January 1942
22 January 1942
Only one turn was done since Friday.
Central Pacific
The DD sent during the night to chase PTs didn’t meet them (they were disbanded in port) and only reported one mine, that was sunk by rifle fire.
After dawn, clouds cancelled all planned Japanese raids and only patrol aircraft flew, another PBY falling to a Japanese Zero.
The PH invasion fleet is two days sailing away of its target. It will gather tomorrow 60 miles W of PH and land troops the next night. All available ships and aircraft will support the invasion. Tomorrow, the BB TF will sail to PH, following 2 TFs of 3 DD ordered to chase PTs. They are ordered to remain off the island after the bombardment run. All Japanese CVs will gather in the same hex as the invasion convoy and Kates will bomb PH airfields.
The next target after PH will be Christmas Island and the South Seas Detachment, currently in Johnson Island, is preparing for that since the fall of Johnson. I just realized this turn that Christmas is 11 hexes away from Johnson and so I can base Navy bombers and fighters there to harass the base. Mavis will start to recon the base tomorrow.
The remnants of the convoy hit those last days are only sailing one hex a day. The four submarines chasing them didn’t attack today and will continue to chase these ships.
Southern Pacific
A barge TF unloaded part of a NLF in Biak, that is undefended and will be taken tomorrow.
Philippines
Two raids were launched from Batan Island. 10 Betties bombed Naga without success while 7 Ki-48 bombed the 11st PA Div in Lingayen (12 cas).
During the day, the last PT in the area, the PT-32, was sunk off Guian, Samar, by 3 DDs sent especially to chase her. These 3 DDs were ordered in the evening to sail to Butuan and will be used as a FT TF to invade Leyte and Samar.
Dutch East Indies
The four TF returning from Samarinda to Tarakan found several minefields (probably laid by subs) off this base but escorts swept part of them and no ship was damaged. These TFs will refuel in Tarakan, and then the warships will sail to Menado and join the convoy (currently loading 56th Bde in Davao) that will invade Kendari.
Malaya
Singapore was cloud-covered and so wasn’t bombed. The only Japanese raid was a sweep by 15 Zeroes escorting a Babs to Palembang. 8 Hurricanes of 453 Sqn intercepted them and managed to shot down a Zero and the Babs while losing only one aircraft. The sweeps to Palembang will be stopped after this poor show.
The 25th Army launched the deliberate attack planned in Singapore but it was a failure at 0 to 1 and the forts (level 7) were not reduced by the engineers. Japanese losses were 3424 men, 107 guns and 9 vehicles, Allied lost 2799 men, 102 guns, 1 vehicle. The Allied guns bombarded the Japanese lines but hit nobody. All assault troops of the 25th Army have disruption at 75-80 and fatigue 60 after this attack and will rest 3-4 days before a new attack. The support troops have DIS around 20 and fatigue also about 60. The five ART units in the island now have 74 of their theorical 156 guns/mortars of 150mm available). All Johore Bharu will bomb Singapore airfields tomorrow (to destroy supply).
Burma
A Japanese recon aircraft reported a CAP of 62 P-40B over Mandalay. No Japanese aircraft will come to play with them for a while.
The main body of the 15th Army is now SE of Pagan and troops are ordered to advance NW, NE and E of the hex (to Pagan, the hex S of Mandalay and Taung Gyi).
China
47 Ki-51 (with 30 escorts) bombed Changsha resources and scored 20 hits.
South of Yenen are now the 110th Div, 10th Ind Bde and 1/3 of 27th Div (600 assaults points together). They are ordered to march NW to cut the road W of Yenen (but will arrive in one month). Chinese artillery didn’t fire in Yenen for 2 days (while Japanese did, hitting 190 men today) and the Chinese may be retreating from the city. Japanese troops will wait one more day and then attack, hoping to hit troops when a part will have left the city and another still being there.
Only one turn was done since Friday.
Central Pacific
The DD sent during the night to chase PTs didn’t meet them (they were disbanded in port) and only reported one mine, that was sunk by rifle fire.
After dawn, clouds cancelled all planned Japanese raids and only patrol aircraft flew, another PBY falling to a Japanese Zero.
The PH invasion fleet is two days sailing away of its target. It will gather tomorrow 60 miles W of PH and land troops the next night. All available ships and aircraft will support the invasion. Tomorrow, the BB TF will sail to PH, following 2 TFs of 3 DD ordered to chase PTs. They are ordered to remain off the island after the bombardment run. All Japanese CVs will gather in the same hex as the invasion convoy and Kates will bomb PH airfields.
The next target after PH will be Christmas Island and the South Seas Detachment, currently in Johnson Island, is preparing for that since the fall of Johnson. I just realized this turn that Christmas is 11 hexes away from Johnson and so I can base Navy bombers and fighters there to harass the base. Mavis will start to recon the base tomorrow.
The remnants of the convoy hit those last days are only sailing one hex a day. The four submarines chasing them didn’t attack today and will continue to chase these ships.
Southern Pacific
A barge TF unloaded part of a NLF in Biak, that is undefended and will be taken tomorrow.
Philippines
Two raids were launched from Batan Island. 10 Betties bombed Naga without success while 7 Ki-48 bombed the 11st PA Div in Lingayen (12 cas).
During the day, the last PT in the area, the PT-32, was sunk off Guian, Samar, by 3 DDs sent especially to chase her. These 3 DDs were ordered in the evening to sail to Butuan and will be used as a FT TF to invade Leyte and Samar.
Dutch East Indies
The four TF returning from Samarinda to Tarakan found several minefields (probably laid by subs) off this base but escorts swept part of them and no ship was damaged. These TFs will refuel in Tarakan, and then the warships will sail to Menado and join the convoy (currently loading 56th Bde in Davao) that will invade Kendari.
Malaya
Singapore was cloud-covered and so wasn’t bombed. The only Japanese raid was a sweep by 15 Zeroes escorting a Babs to Palembang. 8 Hurricanes of 453 Sqn intercepted them and managed to shot down a Zero and the Babs while losing only one aircraft. The sweeps to Palembang will be stopped after this poor show.
The 25th Army launched the deliberate attack planned in Singapore but it was a failure at 0 to 1 and the forts (level 7) were not reduced by the engineers. Japanese losses were 3424 men, 107 guns and 9 vehicles, Allied lost 2799 men, 102 guns, 1 vehicle. The Allied guns bombarded the Japanese lines but hit nobody. All assault troops of the 25th Army have disruption at 75-80 and fatigue 60 after this attack and will rest 3-4 days before a new attack. The support troops have DIS around 20 and fatigue also about 60. The five ART units in the island now have 74 of their theorical 156 guns/mortars of 150mm available). All Johore Bharu will bomb Singapore airfields tomorrow (to destroy supply).
Burma
A Japanese recon aircraft reported a CAP of 62 P-40B over Mandalay. No Japanese aircraft will come to play with them for a while.
The main body of the 15th Army is now SE of Pagan and troops are ordered to advance NW, NE and E of the hex (to Pagan, the hex S of Mandalay and Taung Gyi).
China
47 Ki-51 (with 30 escorts) bombed Changsha resources and scored 20 hits.
South of Yenen are now the 110th Div, 10th Ind Bde and 1/3 of 27th Div (600 assaults points together). They are ordered to march NW to cut the road W of Yenen (but will arrive in one month). Chinese artillery didn’t fire in Yenen for 2 days (while Japanese did, hitting 190 men today) and the Chinese may be retreating from the city. Japanese troops will wait one more day and then attack, hoping to hit troops when a part will have left the city and another still being there.
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AmiralLaurent
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- Location: Near Paris, France
Almost invaded PH (23 January 1942)
23 January 1942
In fact I landed in PH on the 24 but there was a bug (see the support section for details) and we agreed to redo the turn. Landing will take place on the 25.
Central Pacific
During the night, the SS S-23 was seen by the escort of a convoy S of Midway and hit twice by the APD-38, but will probably not sink, and the S-35 was chased by 3 PGs between Midway and Johnson Island. At the same time, 3 DDs engaged 12 PTs off PH, surprised them, sank four and damaged another but the DD Yayoi was torpedoed and sunk by the PT-30.
After dawn more Japanese warships arrived off PH and swept some mines. Clouds covered the whole area and cancelled raids planned in the morning. In the afternoon a PBY was shot down by a Zero and 80 Kates raided PH airfield. AA shot down 4 but they destroyed on the ground 6 F4F-4, 3 B-17E, 3 P-39D, 1 LB-30, 1 B-18A, 1 P-40E, hit 150 men and 8 guns and scored 78 hits (32 airfield /4 supply/42 runways).
The bombardment TF (5 BB and 6 DD) engaged the PT TF off PH 3 times and sank 5 PTs (4 by DDs and one by 16in shells of Mutsu). The US sailors fired 4 torpedoes against DDs and all missed. The BBs then pounded PH and hit 396 men and 20 guns. 31 shells were fired against them but all missed.
The Japanese submarines were still unable to hit the crippled convoy SE of Hawaii. One of the damaged AK (Horace Luckenbach) sank in the evening.
The original plan was to land in PH on the 24. We did it but there was a bug. 25000 of my men landed in the hex W of PH (that is not ocean in the game but coastal) rather than on PH. We agreed to redo the turn and I will move my fleet one hex SE and land on the 25. For some reason my BBs didn’t bombard PH during the bugged turn so I won’t use them either on the first turn of the landing.
APs are loading troops of 16th Div in Hilo and Lahaina to drop them as a second wave in PH. Lahaina bombers are ordered to bombard ground troops in PH. CV Kates will continue to bomb the airfield. The 3 CV TFs will gather NE of PH and some warships will meet them tomorrow. The 3 BBs currently with the CVs will then be used to bombard PH too with their new escort (so 8 BBs will be available to bombard PH.. the plan is to use 4 each night).
Off West Coast the I-17 is ordered again to recon San Francisco. Another Glen-carrying submarine, the I-23, is ordered to patrol off Seattle and leaves her position N of Midway.
The first Emily Chutai started to move towards Hawaii but lost one aircraft and crew in a crash.
Southern Pacific
A NLF occupied the undefended island of Biak.
Two DDs picked up the troops at Makin and sailed north. They will carry them to Nauru to seize the atoll tomorrow.
Philippines
Three DDs will carry a NLF from Butuan, Mindanao, to Ormoc, Leyte, tomorrow.
Dutch East Indies
In the afternoon the SS S-39 was hit by a patrolling Mavis west of Tawi Tawi.
Two transport TF (one carrying 56th Bde, the others carrying some supplies and scheduled to load 65th Bde in Menado) sailed from Davao to Menado in the evening. The 3 surface TF in the are were reorganized in Tarakan in 2 TFs, refuelled and also sailed to Menado. All should gather there in 2 days, when the airfield will be expanded to size 4, and then the Kendari operation will be launched. The 56th Bde will be used first and the 65th Bde will remain in reserve. If everything went well, the 65th Bde will be used to seize Macassar.
Malaya
54 Ki-48 and 111 Ki-21 (and 100 escorts) raided Singapore and hit 45 men, scoring 26 hits on the airfield, 8 on supplies (good news) and 86 on runways. 1 Ki-48 hit by AA crashed later. Japanese artillery pounded Allied lines and hit 603 men
Burma
The first Allied aerial offensive mission in the area is launched by 20 Hurricanes (of 2 squadrons) escorted by 35 P-40B that attacked the 33rd Div S of Mandalay and hit 12 men.
The 33rd Div and a Tk Rgt are now just S of Mandalay. The Div was ordered to march NW and cross the river to an undefend hex (and then surround Pagan), the Tk Rgt will march E to close the northern escape road from Taung Gyi. More troops will arrive tomorrow in the hex S of Mandalay. The 21st Bde and 4th Rgt will respectively arrive in Pagan and Taung Gyi in 2 days.
China
The usual Japanese artillery fire at Yenen cost 147 men to the Chinese units, that are still in place. The 8th Bde will arrive tomorrow to reinforce Japanese troops here and I will wait one more day to order an attack here.
Intelligence reports show that now 259 ressources centers are damaged in Changsha, so the last raid disabled 29 (for 20 hits).
In fact I landed in PH on the 24 but there was a bug (see the support section for details) and we agreed to redo the turn. Landing will take place on the 25.
Central Pacific
During the night, the SS S-23 was seen by the escort of a convoy S of Midway and hit twice by the APD-38, but will probably not sink, and the S-35 was chased by 3 PGs between Midway and Johnson Island. At the same time, 3 DDs engaged 12 PTs off PH, surprised them, sank four and damaged another but the DD Yayoi was torpedoed and sunk by the PT-30.
After dawn more Japanese warships arrived off PH and swept some mines. Clouds covered the whole area and cancelled raids planned in the morning. In the afternoon a PBY was shot down by a Zero and 80 Kates raided PH airfield. AA shot down 4 but they destroyed on the ground 6 F4F-4, 3 B-17E, 3 P-39D, 1 LB-30, 1 B-18A, 1 P-40E, hit 150 men and 8 guns and scored 78 hits (32 airfield /4 supply/42 runways).
The bombardment TF (5 BB and 6 DD) engaged the PT TF off PH 3 times and sank 5 PTs (4 by DDs and one by 16in shells of Mutsu). The US sailors fired 4 torpedoes against DDs and all missed. The BBs then pounded PH and hit 396 men and 20 guns. 31 shells were fired against them but all missed.
The Japanese submarines were still unable to hit the crippled convoy SE of Hawaii. One of the damaged AK (Horace Luckenbach) sank in the evening.
The original plan was to land in PH on the 24. We did it but there was a bug. 25000 of my men landed in the hex W of PH (that is not ocean in the game but coastal) rather than on PH. We agreed to redo the turn and I will move my fleet one hex SE and land on the 25. For some reason my BBs didn’t bombard PH during the bugged turn so I won’t use them either on the first turn of the landing.
APs are loading troops of 16th Div in Hilo and Lahaina to drop them as a second wave in PH. Lahaina bombers are ordered to bombard ground troops in PH. CV Kates will continue to bomb the airfield. The 3 CV TFs will gather NE of PH and some warships will meet them tomorrow. The 3 BBs currently with the CVs will then be used to bombard PH too with their new escort (so 8 BBs will be available to bombard PH.. the plan is to use 4 each night).
Off West Coast the I-17 is ordered again to recon San Francisco. Another Glen-carrying submarine, the I-23, is ordered to patrol off Seattle and leaves her position N of Midway.
The first Emily Chutai started to move towards Hawaii but lost one aircraft and crew in a crash.
Southern Pacific
A NLF occupied the undefended island of Biak.
Two DDs picked up the troops at Makin and sailed north. They will carry them to Nauru to seize the atoll tomorrow.
Philippines
Three DDs will carry a NLF from Butuan, Mindanao, to Ormoc, Leyte, tomorrow.
Dutch East Indies
In the afternoon the SS S-39 was hit by a patrolling Mavis west of Tawi Tawi.
Two transport TF (one carrying 56th Bde, the others carrying some supplies and scheduled to load 65th Bde in Menado) sailed from Davao to Menado in the evening. The 3 surface TF in the are were reorganized in Tarakan in 2 TFs, refuelled and also sailed to Menado. All should gather there in 2 days, when the airfield will be expanded to size 4, and then the Kendari operation will be launched. The 56th Bde will be used first and the 65th Bde will remain in reserve. If everything went well, the 65th Bde will be used to seize Macassar.
Malaya
54 Ki-48 and 111 Ki-21 (and 100 escorts) raided Singapore and hit 45 men, scoring 26 hits on the airfield, 8 on supplies (good news) and 86 on runways. 1 Ki-48 hit by AA crashed later. Japanese artillery pounded Allied lines and hit 603 men
Burma
The first Allied aerial offensive mission in the area is launched by 20 Hurricanes (of 2 squadrons) escorted by 35 P-40B that attacked the 33rd Div S of Mandalay and hit 12 men.
The 33rd Div and a Tk Rgt are now just S of Mandalay. The Div was ordered to march NW and cross the river to an undefend hex (and then surround Pagan), the Tk Rgt will march E to close the northern escape road from Taung Gyi. More troops will arrive tomorrow in the hex S of Mandalay. The 21st Bde and 4th Rgt will respectively arrive in Pagan and Taung Gyi in 2 days.
China
The usual Japanese artillery fire at Yenen cost 147 men to the Chinese units, that are still in place. The 8th Bde will arrive tomorrow to reinforce Japanese troops here and I will wait one more day to order an attack here.
Intelligence reports show that now 259 ressources centers are damaged in Changsha, so the last raid disabled 29 (for 20 hits).
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AmiralLaurent
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- Location: Near Paris, France
Pearl Harbor invaded
24-25 January 1942
Central Pacific
On the 24, Lahaina bombers (37 Betties, 23 Ki-21, 21 Ki-49) bombed two US CD units in PH in the morning hitting 227 men and 9 guns but losing 4 Betties, 3 Ki-21 and 3 Ki-49 to AA fire. In the afternoon, 70 Kates bombed the airfield and destroyed on the ground 18 aircraft (6 F4F-4, 4 P-36A, 3 P-39D, 2 P-40E, 1 B-17E, 1 B-18A, 1 SBD) while losing 2 to AA. They hit 159 men and 7 guns and scored 56 hits (2 on supplies).
The PH invasion fleet sailed to the hex SW of PH during the day, as there was a bug in the hex W of PH the first time we did this turn. In the evening SS Tautog tried to attack one of the three convoys but was seen and chased by 15-20 escorts. A PC hit her with one depth charge but not seriously.
The whole invasion fleet sailed to PH during the night of the 24-25. 3 PTs engaged twice a cevering surface TF of 2 DDs, losing one PT in the first action but torpedoing the DD Wakaba in the second (I just realised I forgot to disband her in Lahaina… I hope she will survive one more turn). The two remaining PTs were engaged in daylight by the escort of 4 BBs and sunk by DDs.
6-8 minefields protected the base but few ships hit mines, as 20-25 MSWs were sailing with the invasion TFs. An AP hit 6 Mk 6 mines and sank, but I think this is the bug that saw a ship hit a mine everytime a minefield is swept. CD guns were far more a problem. A TF unloaded during the night and the 3 during the day and they lost 2 (empty) APs, 1 APD, 4 fast MSW and 1 PG sunk. 7990 men were hit in the landings and 250 more in the bombardment by US troops (24th and 25th Div are the only combat units in the island but there is a dozen ART units). Japanese counterbattery fire hit 82 men while 70 Lahaina bombers attacked 3 CD units during the day, hitting 162 men and 3 guns but losing 3 Betties, 2 Ki-21, 2 Ki-49 and 1 Nell to AA fire.
In the evening 56810 men are ashore (53254 still able) and have an ASS value of 1359. They have 709 guns and 25 tanks. Disruption is between 20 and 50, fatigue around 50. Most are still lacking supplies. They were bombed by 44617 Allied men. The bad news of the day is that I forgot to change the 48th Div orders to PH and I changed it today. The other units are all prepared at 65-75% for PH.
16 damaged ships (1 CA (damaged 12/3/10), 3 DD, 5 empty AP, 2 AKs, 2 APD, 2 PG, 1 MSW) sailed in small groups (depending of their speed) to Lahaina where they will auto-disband. This port is size 4 with an AR (the AR…) and a HQ Fleet. Some damaged ships docked there with FLT 0 (2 CL, 1 DD, 1 AP, 1 AK) sailed out of the port towards Japan to make more room for the new damaged ships. It is hoped 3/4 of them will be saved.
The remaining ships of the 3 convoys numbered exactly 100. The 6 able APD formed an ASW TF and will remain in the area but not be exposed to CD fire. The other 94 ships were gathered in a giant transport TF that will continue to unload the 46237 troops it has aboard with the support of 4 cruisers and a dozen of DDs. Eight APs of this convoy are damaged, two of them will sink during the night but they will remain there to finish unloading troops.
Two bombardment TF (4 and 3 BBs, the latter detached from KB) will attack PH tonight. Lahaina bombers will be grounded for some rest, except the Nell unit that will bomb the airfield at 20000 feet. All Kates of KB have been given the airfield of PH as secondary target.
Ground operations will start slowly with the two ART units ashore bombing the Allied lines. The 16th Div is now aboard transports in Lahaina but will remain in reserve. It will sail in a second wave with supply carrying ships after some days of fighting in PH. The first TF TF (carrying 75000 fuel) will arrive in Lahaina in 3 days and is badly needed.
Japanese suffered 8000 "casualties" during the landing but only ONE troop point was scored by my opponent... almost all the "lost" squads were disabled and not destroyed. Now the difficulty will be to bring supply to them.
Both days the Glen of the SS I-17 flew recon over San Francisco but only reported a CAP of around 30 F4F-3 and F4F-4. So USN CVs are probably here but there is no proof of it.
On the 25 the I-25 found again the remnants of the convoy hit NE of Christmas Island, now 240 miles NE of this island, and sank the damaged AK Mauna Ala.
A new reinforcement convoy arriving in Lahaina was divided to send base forces to Hilo and Kona. The recon and patrol squadrons will be based here and that will leave more room in Lahaina for combat units. 36 Betties are flying across the Pacific to reinforce the area (2 crash today with the loss of their crews...).
Southern Pacific
2 DD landed part of a NLF on the empty atoll of Nauru on the 25 and it was captured.
Philippines
A FT TF landed on the 24 in Ormoc a NLF, that occupied the base on the 25.
On the 24 9 Betties from Batan Island bombed and missed the 101st USAAF BF in Naga. On the 25 7 Ki-48s bombed the 11st PA Div in Lingayen (27 cas). Recon flights reported 22 Allied units in Manila.
Dutch East Indies
Nothing happened during these two days. The convoy scheduled to load 65th Bde arrived on the 25 in Menado and started to load it. The 56th Bde convoy will arrive there tomorrow and then sail towards Kendari with both surface Tfs already at Menado. The airfield here is at 97% to be size 4 and will be tomorrow. 20 Zeroes arrived today and bombers will follow tomorrow. Fuel situation is bad in this area and two TKs are loading fuel in Palau to bring it to the area but Palau stocks are themselves low (50 000 tons are sailing from Japan to Palau but will arrive in more than 10 days).
In Borneo, the troops advancing from Samarinda to Balikpapan should arrive in 2-3 days.
Malaya
Singapore was bombed on the 24 and the 25 by the same number of bombers, 53 Ki-48 and 111 Ki-21 (one lost on the 25). Bombs hit 63 men and 1 gun and scored 221 hits (10 on supplies). Artillery fire hit 905 men during these two days while Allied artillery fire replied only on the 25, hitting 97 Japanese.
Allied submarines still patrol around Singapore but there is no Japanese shipping in the area. On the 25 a Ki-30 bombed and hit the SS O23 SW of Singapore.
The supply in Singapore is probably disappearing at least at a rate of 5% a day. Japanese troops here are at disruption 15-20 and fatigue 45-55. They will launch another deliberate attack tomorrow.
Recons show that Kuala, in N Sumatra, is empty, and 11 barges loaded on the 24 a SNLF in Kuala Lumpur to take it.
Burma
SW of Mandalay, the 33rd Div was raided on the 24 by 18 Hurricanes (escorted by 36 P-40B) from Mandalay and lost 62 men. It started to march NW to croos the river and surround Pagan and walked 20 miles in 2 days. The Tk Rgt sent to the west marched 60 miles in 2 days and is now N of Taung Gyi, that has been reached by the 4th Mixed Rgt on the 25. The 21st Bde is not yet in Pagan, but has only 8 miles to walk along the railway to arrive.
I was excepting only base forces in these two bases but the unit reported in Taung Gyi is 4000-men strong, so is probably a brigade. And there are 3 units (no more details) in Pagan. Burma army is weak and may be beaten but for the moment I will stick to the plan and hope my opponent will retreat rather than launch a counter-attack.
China
Artillery fire continued in Yenen (480 Chinese casualties in 2 days). A Chinese unit appeared W of Yenen. My troops SW of Yenen are marching NW towards the road but will arrive there in only 3 weeks.
Tomorrow I will launch a probing attack in Yenen. 3 Div, 1 Bde & 2 Eng Rgt will launch a deliberate attack with the support of 36 Ki-51 based in Chengting (now a size 4 AF).
Central Pacific
On the 24, Lahaina bombers (37 Betties, 23 Ki-21, 21 Ki-49) bombed two US CD units in PH in the morning hitting 227 men and 9 guns but losing 4 Betties, 3 Ki-21 and 3 Ki-49 to AA fire. In the afternoon, 70 Kates bombed the airfield and destroyed on the ground 18 aircraft (6 F4F-4, 4 P-36A, 3 P-39D, 2 P-40E, 1 B-17E, 1 B-18A, 1 SBD) while losing 2 to AA. They hit 159 men and 7 guns and scored 56 hits (2 on supplies).
The PH invasion fleet sailed to the hex SW of PH during the day, as there was a bug in the hex W of PH the first time we did this turn. In the evening SS Tautog tried to attack one of the three convoys but was seen and chased by 15-20 escorts. A PC hit her with one depth charge but not seriously.
The whole invasion fleet sailed to PH during the night of the 24-25. 3 PTs engaged twice a cevering surface TF of 2 DDs, losing one PT in the first action but torpedoing the DD Wakaba in the second (I just realised I forgot to disband her in Lahaina… I hope she will survive one more turn). The two remaining PTs were engaged in daylight by the escort of 4 BBs and sunk by DDs.
6-8 minefields protected the base but few ships hit mines, as 20-25 MSWs were sailing with the invasion TFs. An AP hit 6 Mk 6 mines and sank, but I think this is the bug that saw a ship hit a mine everytime a minefield is swept. CD guns were far more a problem. A TF unloaded during the night and the 3 during the day and they lost 2 (empty) APs, 1 APD, 4 fast MSW and 1 PG sunk. 7990 men were hit in the landings and 250 more in the bombardment by US troops (24th and 25th Div are the only combat units in the island but there is a dozen ART units). Japanese counterbattery fire hit 82 men while 70 Lahaina bombers attacked 3 CD units during the day, hitting 162 men and 3 guns but losing 3 Betties, 2 Ki-21, 2 Ki-49 and 1 Nell to AA fire.
In the evening 56810 men are ashore (53254 still able) and have an ASS value of 1359. They have 709 guns and 25 tanks. Disruption is between 20 and 50, fatigue around 50. Most are still lacking supplies. They were bombed by 44617 Allied men. The bad news of the day is that I forgot to change the 48th Div orders to PH and I changed it today. The other units are all prepared at 65-75% for PH.
16 damaged ships (1 CA (damaged 12/3/10), 3 DD, 5 empty AP, 2 AKs, 2 APD, 2 PG, 1 MSW) sailed in small groups (depending of their speed) to Lahaina where they will auto-disband. This port is size 4 with an AR (the AR…) and a HQ Fleet. Some damaged ships docked there with FLT 0 (2 CL, 1 DD, 1 AP, 1 AK) sailed out of the port towards Japan to make more room for the new damaged ships. It is hoped 3/4 of them will be saved.
The remaining ships of the 3 convoys numbered exactly 100. The 6 able APD formed an ASW TF and will remain in the area but not be exposed to CD fire. The other 94 ships were gathered in a giant transport TF that will continue to unload the 46237 troops it has aboard with the support of 4 cruisers and a dozen of DDs. Eight APs of this convoy are damaged, two of them will sink during the night but they will remain there to finish unloading troops.
Two bombardment TF (4 and 3 BBs, the latter detached from KB) will attack PH tonight. Lahaina bombers will be grounded for some rest, except the Nell unit that will bomb the airfield at 20000 feet. All Kates of KB have been given the airfield of PH as secondary target.
Ground operations will start slowly with the two ART units ashore bombing the Allied lines. The 16th Div is now aboard transports in Lahaina but will remain in reserve. It will sail in a second wave with supply carrying ships after some days of fighting in PH. The first TF TF (carrying 75000 fuel) will arrive in Lahaina in 3 days and is badly needed.
Japanese suffered 8000 "casualties" during the landing but only ONE troop point was scored by my opponent... almost all the "lost" squads were disabled and not destroyed. Now the difficulty will be to bring supply to them.
Both days the Glen of the SS I-17 flew recon over San Francisco but only reported a CAP of around 30 F4F-3 and F4F-4. So USN CVs are probably here but there is no proof of it.
On the 25 the I-25 found again the remnants of the convoy hit NE of Christmas Island, now 240 miles NE of this island, and sank the damaged AK Mauna Ala.
A new reinforcement convoy arriving in Lahaina was divided to send base forces to Hilo and Kona. The recon and patrol squadrons will be based here and that will leave more room in Lahaina for combat units. 36 Betties are flying across the Pacific to reinforce the area (2 crash today with the loss of their crews...).
Southern Pacific
2 DD landed part of a NLF on the empty atoll of Nauru on the 25 and it was captured.
Philippines
A FT TF landed on the 24 in Ormoc a NLF, that occupied the base on the 25.
On the 24 9 Betties from Batan Island bombed and missed the 101st USAAF BF in Naga. On the 25 7 Ki-48s bombed the 11st PA Div in Lingayen (27 cas). Recon flights reported 22 Allied units in Manila.
Dutch East Indies
Nothing happened during these two days. The convoy scheduled to load 65th Bde arrived on the 25 in Menado and started to load it. The 56th Bde convoy will arrive there tomorrow and then sail towards Kendari with both surface Tfs already at Menado. The airfield here is at 97% to be size 4 and will be tomorrow. 20 Zeroes arrived today and bombers will follow tomorrow. Fuel situation is bad in this area and two TKs are loading fuel in Palau to bring it to the area but Palau stocks are themselves low (50 000 tons are sailing from Japan to Palau but will arrive in more than 10 days).
In Borneo, the troops advancing from Samarinda to Balikpapan should arrive in 2-3 days.
Malaya
Singapore was bombed on the 24 and the 25 by the same number of bombers, 53 Ki-48 and 111 Ki-21 (one lost on the 25). Bombs hit 63 men and 1 gun and scored 221 hits (10 on supplies). Artillery fire hit 905 men during these two days while Allied artillery fire replied only on the 25, hitting 97 Japanese.
Allied submarines still patrol around Singapore but there is no Japanese shipping in the area. On the 25 a Ki-30 bombed and hit the SS O23 SW of Singapore.
The supply in Singapore is probably disappearing at least at a rate of 5% a day. Japanese troops here are at disruption 15-20 and fatigue 45-55. They will launch another deliberate attack tomorrow.
Recons show that Kuala, in N Sumatra, is empty, and 11 barges loaded on the 24 a SNLF in Kuala Lumpur to take it.
Burma
SW of Mandalay, the 33rd Div was raided on the 24 by 18 Hurricanes (escorted by 36 P-40B) from Mandalay and lost 62 men. It started to march NW to croos the river and surround Pagan and walked 20 miles in 2 days. The Tk Rgt sent to the west marched 60 miles in 2 days and is now N of Taung Gyi, that has been reached by the 4th Mixed Rgt on the 25. The 21st Bde is not yet in Pagan, but has only 8 miles to walk along the railway to arrive.
I was excepting only base forces in these two bases but the unit reported in Taung Gyi is 4000-men strong, so is probably a brigade. And there are 3 units (no more details) in Pagan. Burma army is weak and may be beaten but for the moment I will stick to the plan and hope my opponent will retreat rather than launch a counter-attack.
China
Artillery fire continued in Yenen (480 Chinese casualties in 2 days). A Chinese unit appeared W of Yenen. My troops SW of Yenen are marching NW towards the road but will arrive there in only 3 weeks.
Tomorrow I will launch a probing attack in Yenen. 3 Div, 1 Bde & 2 Eng Rgt will launch a deliberate attack with the support of 36 Ki-51 based in Chengting (now a size 4 AF).
RE: The plan
Hi all,
Oh my... this has been a long dream/plan of mine as Japanese (months and months old) and now I accidentaly find ot this thread... [:)]
I wish you _BEST_ of luck!
BANZAI !!!
Leo "Apollo11"
ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent
<SNIP>
The main idea of the plan is to put a maximal pressure on the Pacific front. Japanese forces will invade Hawai Islands in January 1942 with five divisions. Once it is done, they will occupy under CV cover the atolls south of them. Then all ships, planes, troops and supplies available in the USA will be “trapped” there. With a PH under Japanese control and with the Kido Butai and half of the Japanese surface ships in the area, they won’t be able to ship to the other fronts.
<SNIP>
Oh my... this has been a long dream/plan of mine as Japanese (months and months old) and now I accidentaly find ot this thread... [:)]
I wish you _BEST_ of luck!
BANZAI !!!
Leo "Apollo11"
Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!
A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE
-
AmiralLaurent
- Posts: 3351
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 8:53 pm
- Location: Near Paris, France
26 January 1942
Thanks Appolo. This PBEM is a serious attempt to invade and hold PH, while also having to conquer the rest of the world... or at least of Asia. My opinion was that I can't use more than 5 Div in this operation and future will tell if this will work. I am rather confident, the only question is how much time PH will fight before running out of supply... the main reason I am bombing it as much as I can.
The fun part is also to handle activity in the deserted areas. I planned at a time to write an humourous AAR telling how Gen Hodda, commanding of the mighty 14th Army, will invade Luzon with a row boat, his seasonned personnal ordonnance (a veteran of the China War.. the one that took place in 1895), a squad of Formosan soldiers that don't speak Japanese and had no rifles (and don't really understand what all this is about) and his dog, the fiercest element of his army. But I'm not a good writer enough, especially in English.
By the way N Luzon has been invaded by a NLF and a half. And they are keeping away the whole PI Army. Banzai !!!
26 January 1942
Central Pacific
The landing continued in Pearl Harbor. American defences shot 4249 shells during the night (3 AP sank during this phase) and 2258 during the day (one AP sank). Almost all Japanese troops still aboard landed but they suffered more than 9600 losses. 4 BBs and a CA bombarded PH before dawn hitting 378 men and 13 guns but that was not enough. Allied artillery in the evening hit 226 more Japanese.
During the night, two Allied submarines were chased off Lahaina and PH by Japanese escorts, the latter after missing the BB Fuso with torpedoes, but escaped unhurt. Another was chased SW of PH during the day.
In the afternoon, the KB launched 113 Kates to bomb PH airfield. AA shot down 5 while they destroyed 15 aircraft on the ground (4 P-36A, 2 B-17E, 2 SBD, 2 F4F-4, 2 P-39D, 1 P-40E, 1 PBY, 1 P-40B) and hit 195 men and 10 guns but only one of the 72 hits scored destroyed a supply dump.
The evening check found that 3 3000-ton AP were too badly damaged to be saved off PH and they were scuttled. 6 badly damaged APs and 9 less badly hit, with the 5 DD damaged today will sail to Lahaina in 2 TFs. The main convoy will also sail back to Lahaina. In this port a MSW and a 1500-ton AP were scuttled as they were slowly slipping under the waves.
92000 men are now ashore in PH (1466 ASS pts, 1146 guns, 34 tanks) but the supply level of the big divisions is not good. They will wait a little while I gather AKs in Lahaina.
Tomorrow PH will be bombarded by 3 BB and 2 CAs during the night and then 5 BBs and 1 CA during the day. The KB wil lstop raiding PH for one day (at least) and will chase submarines (5 reported around Hawaii) with Kates (naval attack with 50% search) and Vals (100% search). Also 27 Kates based in Lahaina will fly ASW. The patrol and recon squadrons are now based in Kona and Hilo, where base forces have landed during the day.
Elsewhere in the Pacific, the AK Steel Seafarer, that was hit in the convoy attack launched by Japanese CV days ago, finally sank 120 miles E of Palmyra Island. And the Glen of the SS I-17 off San Francisco was lost in a landing accident and will be missed.
Philipinnes
Ki-48 bombed the 11st PA Div in Lingayen (7 cas). An barges loaded in Puerto Princesa a NLF to invade Taytay.
Dutch East Indies
A NLF landed during the day in Manokwari. It was brought by barges from Sarmi and is changing of operationnal area, as it is getting close from Amboina. In fact it is perhaps the first New Guinea base outside Hollandia that I will use, to base patrol planes.
A Do24K-2 flying too close of Menda was shot down by a Zero (a pilot of F1/3rd claimed it as his 6th victory). The airfield became size 4 and 50 Betties/Nells and 8 Mavis flew in in the evening. Several Allied merchants have been seen off Amboina and W of it. A surface TF (4 CA, 2 CL, 8 DD) will attack Amboina tonight and then bombers will track Allied ships under Zero escort. During this time the 56th Bde convoy and the escorting BB TF will leave Menado towards Kendari. The landing is scheduled in 3 days.
Malaya
54 Ki-48 and 111 Ki-21 bombed Singapore, hitting 64 men and scoring 4 supply hits amongst others. A deliberate attack was launched by Japanese troops but failed at 0 to 1 against level 7 forts, that were untounched by the engineers. 2570 Japanese and 1563 Allied fell. Disruption of Japanese troops returned to level 80 and they will rest again.
A secondary operation saw a NLF landing in Kuala, the first place of Sumatra invaded. Recons have reported the city as empty and troops confirmed that. The base will be occupied tomorrow.
Burma
The daily raid by Hurricanes (this time 39 of them) hit troops S of Mandalay and the 33rd Road Const Bn lost 99 men. The 33rd Div continued to advance and has now marched 30 miles. The 4th Mixed Rgt bombed the Allied lines in Taung Gyi and is facing a Burma Bde. It has been ordered to launch a shock attack tomorrow. The 21st Bde arrived in Pagan, where 3 Allied units are. It will bombard them tomorrow.
Two Zero Daitais arrive in the evening in Rangoon. They were doing little in Malaya and will try to ambush the Hurricanes and P-40B used by the enemy. But tomorrow they will only rest.
China
31 Ki-51 from Chengting bombed a Chinese Corps in Yenen and hit 40 men but lost one of their number to AA fire. The Japanese troops (3 Div, 1 Bde, 2 Eng Rgt) launched a attack and engineers reduced the fort level to 3 but the attack was at 0 to 1 and costly: 1677 Japanese casualties, 521 Chinese.
The surrounding move is also threatened. A Chinese unit is now 60 miles W of Yenen and another 60 miles more W so Chinese may receive reinforcements. For the time being orders are not changed. Troops in Yenen revert to artillery fire and the KI-51 will bomb Yenen airfield to stop the building of fortifications.
The fun part is also to handle activity in the deserted areas. I planned at a time to write an humourous AAR telling how Gen Hodda, commanding of the mighty 14th Army, will invade Luzon with a row boat, his seasonned personnal ordonnance (a veteran of the China War.. the one that took place in 1895), a squad of Formosan soldiers that don't speak Japanese and had no rifles (and don't really understand what all this is about) and his dog, the fiercest element of his army. But I'm not a good writer enough, especially in English.
By the way N Luzon has been invaded by a NLF and a half. And they are keeping away the whole PI Army. Banzai !!!
26 January 1942
Central Pacific
The landing continued in Pearl Harbor. American defences shot 4249 shells during the night (3 AP sank during this phase) and 2258 during the day (one AP sank). Almost all Japanese troops still aboard landed but they suffered more than 9600 losses. 4 BBs and a CA bombarded PH before dawn hitting 378 men and 13 guns but that was not enough. Allied artillery in the evening hit 226 more Japanese.
During the night, two Allied submarines were chased off Lahaina and PH by Japanese escorts, the latter after missing the BB Fuso with torpedoes, but escaped unhurt. Another was chased SW of PH during the day.
In the afternoon, the KB launched 113 Kates to bomb PH airfield. AA shot down 5 while they destroyed 15 aircraft on the ground (4 P-36A, 2 B-17E, 2 SBD, 2 F4F-4, 2 P-39D, 1 P-40E, 1 PBY, 1 P-40B) and hit 195 men and 10 guns but only one of the 72 hits scored destroyed a supply dump.
The evening check found that 3 3000-ton AP were too badly damaged to be saved off PH and they were scuttled. 6 badly damaged APs and 9 less badly hit, with the 5 DD damaged today will sail to Lahaina in 2 TFs. The main convoy will also sail back to Lahaina. In this port a MSW and a 1500-ton AP were scuttled as they were slowly slipping under the waves.
92000 men are now ashore in PH (1466 ASS pts, 1146 guns, 34 tanks) but the supply level of the big divisions is not good. They will wait a little while I gather AKs in Lahaina.
Tomorrow PH will be bombarded by 3 BB and 2 CAs during the night and then 5 BBs and 1 CA during the day. The KB wil lstop raiding PH for one day (at least) and will chase submarines (5 reported around Hawaii) with Kates (naval attack with 50% search) and Vals (100% search). Also 27 Kates based in Lahaina will fly ASW. The patrol and recon squadrons are now based in Kona and Hilo, where base forces have landed during the day.
Elsewhere in the Pacific, the AK Steel Seafarer, that was hit in the convoy attack launched by Japanese CV days ago, finally sank 120 miles E of Palmyra Island. And the Glen of the SS I-17 off San Francisco was lost in a landing accident and will be missed.
Philipinnes
Ki-48 bombed the 11st PA Div in Lingayen (7 cas). An barges loaded in Puerto Princesa a NLF to invade Taytay.
Dutch East Indies
A NLF landed during the day in Manokwari. It was brought by barges from Sarmi and is changing of operationnal area, as it is getting close from Amboina. In fact it is perhaps the first New Guinea base outside Hollandia that I will use, to base patrol planes.
A Do24K-2 flying too close of Menda was shot down by a Zero (a pilot of F1/3rd claimed it as his 6th victory). The airfield became size 4 and 50 Betties/Nells and 8 Mavis flew in in the evening. Several Allied merchants have been seen off Amboina and W of it. A surface TF (4 CA, 2 CL, 8 DD) will attack Amboina tonight and then bombers will track Allied ships under Zero escort. During this time the 56th Bde convoy and the escorting BB TF will leave Menado towards Kendari. The landing is scheduled in 3 days.
Malaya
54 Ki-48 and 111 Ki-21 bombed Singapore, hitting 64 men and scoring 4 supply hits amongst others. A deliberate attack was launched by Japanese troops but failed at 0 to 1 against level 7 forts, that were untounched by the engineers. 2570 Japanese and 1563 Allied fell. Disruption of Japanese troops returned to level 80 and they will rest again.
A secondary operation saw a NLF landing in Kuala, the first place of Sumatra invaded. Recons have reported the city as empty and troops confirmed that. The base will be occupied tomorrow.
Burma
The daily raid by Hurricanes (this time 39 of them) hit troops S of Mandalay and the 33rd Road Const Bn lost 99 men. The 33rd Div continued to advance and has now marched 30 miles. The 4th Mixed Rgt bombed the Allied lines in Taung Gyi and is facing a Burma Bde. It has been ordered to launch a shock attack tomorrow. The 21st Bde arrived in Pagan, where 3 Allied units are. It will bombard them tomorrow.
Two Zero Daitais arrive in the evening in Rangoon. They were doing little in Malaya and will try to ambush the Hurricanes and P-40B used by the enemy. But tomorrow they will only rest.
China
31 Ki-51 from Chengting bombed a Chinese Corps in Yenen and hit 40 men but lost one of their number to AA fire. The Japanese troops (3 Div, 1 Bde, 2 Eng Rgt) launched a attack and engineers reduced the fort level to 3 but the attack was at 0 to 1 and costly: 1677 Japanese casualties, 521 Chinese.
The surrounding move is also threatened. A Chinese unit is now 60 miles W of Yenen and another 60 miles more W so Chinese may receive reinforcements. For the time being orders are not changed. Troops in Yenen revert to artillery fire and the KI-51 will bomb Yenen airfield to stop the building of fortifications.
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AmiralLaurent
- Posts: 3351
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 8:53 pm
- Location: Near Paris, France
27 January 1942
27 January 1942
Today the number of 100 confirmed sinkings of Allied ships was reached. The bodycount shows 2 BB, 1 CA, 3 CL, 1 DD, 1 ML, 6 DM, 13 SS, 2 AS, 2 AVD, 1 AV, 1 AO, 6 TK, 1 AP, 36 AK, 3 PG, 3 MSW, 18 PT.
40 were sunk by CV airmen, 32 by surface ships, 17 by LBA, 7 by submarines, 3 scuttled when a base fell and the last one was sunk by naval bombardment in port.
Central Pacific
Pearl Harbor suffered two devastating naval bombardments. During the night 3 BB and 1 CA drew no return fire and hit the 3 damaged BB still in the port (Nevada, Tennessee and Pennsylvania) and an AE, disabled 960 men and 54 guns and scored one supply hit. In daylight came 5 more BBs and 2 CAs. CD fired 19 shells with no results and the island was hit hard. Two Catalinas were sunk at anchor, the 3 BB and 2 AV were hit in the port, 3829 men and 154 guns were hit and both the airfield and port structures were hit but no supply hit was scored. I wonder if that means supply is lacking in PH….
The aircraft flying ASW around Hawaii found 4 submarines and the Cuttlefish was hit once in the morning E of Lahaina and the S-28 twice in the afternoon SW of PH. Another submarine was chased by 6 APDs SW of PH in the evening but escaped. A PBY was shot down by a Zero during the day.
For once, an Allied submarine scored a hit. A supply-laden AK was hit by one torpedo fired by the SS Silversides 60 miles W of Midway. It will be docked there. As the submarine threat was until now inexistent in my supply lines, this convoy was escorted only by one MSW. In the area I have 2 convoys carring 72000 supplies and 144000 fuel to Hawaii and I reinforce their ASW escort. I also ordered 54 naval bombers in Midway to fly ASW patrols tomorrow to chase the 3 submarines reported in the area.
In Pearl Harbor the Allied bombing attack opposed 46 375 American men to 81 725 Japanese and hit 193 Japanese. See the attached image for the details of units.
Lahaina port is full of damaged and burning ships. All ships with FLT and FIR 0 are sent elsewhere but there is still in the port 20 APs, 8 DD, 2 APDs and 2 PGs. None is in immediate danger of sinking.
All Lahaina bombers are ordered again to bombard PH airfield. The island will also be bombed by 3 BBs and 2 CAs tomorrow, while the other BB TF will resplenish. The CV airmen will continue to chase submarines.
Philippines
Tacloban surrendered to Japanese forces in nearby Ormoc. Barges unloaded part of a NLF in Taytay during the day and will ocuupy the undefended town tomorrow.
Dutch East Indies
During the night, 4 CA, 2 CL and 8 DD raided Amboina and found two TK off the island. Both are sunk and then the Japanese ships bombarded the base (137 men and 4 guns hit, 5 supply and 6 fuel hits). CD guns hit the DD Yudachi and set it on fire.
The 21st NLF occupied Manokwari during the day.
The convoy carrying the 56th Bde will arrive tomorrow 120 miles NE of Kendari and the landing is scheduled for the next day. The BB TF covering it will be joined tomorrow by the CA TF that raided Amboina. Zeroes from Menado will LRCAP them.
The first Japanese troops (a SNLF and a Eng Rgt) reached Balikpapan from Samarinda. The 4th and 35th Bde and a Naval Guard Unit are 10 miles behind and bombers from Jolo and Menado will bomb the Allied troops here (6 units, 12000 men) as I fear a counterattack before all my troops arrive. Just one Nell Daitai in Mendao remained with naval attack orders and will try to hit the Allied transport seen today off Sorong.
Sumatra
The Kainan Guard SNLF took the undefended base of Kuala and then received order to march W. Once it will be in the hex W of Kuala, I will land in Sabang and the Allied troops here will have no retreat path.
Malaya
Clouds grounded Japanese aircraft. The daily artillery bombing in Singapore hit 188 Allied men.
Burma
The daily raid from Mandalay (42 Hurricanes and 17 P-40B) hit today the 2nd Tk Rgt S of Mandalay: 31 men and 2 tanks hit.
The 4th Mixed Rgt launched a shock attack in Taung Gyi against the 1st Burma Bde and failed at 0 to 1 against fort 2. 277 Japanese and 9 Allied fell in the battle.
In Pagan, the 21st Bde bombed the Allied lines (27 cas) and reported it is facing the 16th Indian Bde, the 2nd Burma Bde and a BF.
The 33rd Div still advanced 10 miles today and is now 20 miles away from the river.
More troops will go to Taung Gyi (a SNLF, a Tk Rgt, the HQ 15th Army and an ART unit) in the hope to take it. 21st Bde will remain in Pagan to fix the Allied units here. 33rd Div will cross the undefended river and then march to Mandalay, as so many Allied troops are S of the river it should be possible to arrive there and hold. As soon as it will be done, the 2 Tk Rgts of the army will try to reach Lashio and Mitkyina around Mandalay before the Chinese arrive here.
The 2 Zero Daitais in Rangoon are now rested and will LRCAP tomorrow the troops S of Mandalay to intercept the Hurricane raid.
China
31 Ki-51 from Chengting bombed Yenen airfield and scored 10 casualties and 13 hits (1/3/9) for no loss. The Japanese artillery fire then hit 152 Chinese. There is now a 5th Corps in the town, that had arrived from the west.
In the south, the APs planned to carry the 14th Army to Palembang are almost all already in Canton and the 38th Div will leave the frontline between Canton and Wuchow to board ships in the former.
Today the number of 100 confirmed sinkings of Allied ships was reached. The bodycount shows 2 BB, 1 CA, 3 CL, 1 DD, 1 ML, 6 DM, 13 SS, 2 AS, 2 AVD, 1 AV, 1 AO, 6 TK, 1 AP, 36 AK, 3 PG, 3 MSW, 18 PT.
40 were sunk by CV airmen, 32 by surface ships, 17 by LBA, 7 by submarines, 3 scuttled when a base fell and the last one was sunk by naval bombardment in port.
Central Pacific
Pearl Harbor suffered two devastating naval bombardments. During the night 3 BB and 1 CA drew no return fire and hit the 3 damaged BB still in the port (Nevada, Tennessee and Pennsylvania) and an AE, disabled 960 men and 54 guns and scored one supply hit. In daylight came 5 more BBs and 2 CAs. CD fired 19 shells with no results and the island was hit hard. Two Catalinas were sunk at anchor, the 3 BB and 2 AV were hit in the port, 3829 men and 154 guns were hit and both the airfield and port structures were hit but no supply hit was scored. I wonder if that means supply is lacking in PH….
The aircraft flying ASW around Hawaii found 4 submarines and the Cuttlefish was hit once in the morning E of Lahaina and the S-28 twice in the afternoon SW of PH. Another submarine was chased by 6 APDs SW of PH in the evening but escaped. A PBY was shot down by a Zero during the day.
For once, an Allied submarine scored a hit. A supply-laden AK was hit by one torpedo fired by the SS Silversides 60 miles W of Midway. It will be docked there. As the submarine threat was until now inexistent in my supply lines, this convoy was escorted only by one MSW. In the area I have 2 convoys carring 72000 supplies and 144000 fuel to Hawaii and I reinforce their ASW escort. I also ordered 54 naval bombers in Midway to fly ASW patrols tomorrow to chase the 3 submarines reported in the area.
In Pearl Harbor the Allied bombing attack opposed 46 375 American men to 81 725 Japanese and hit 193 Japanese. See the attached image for the details of units.
Lahaina port is full of damaged and burning ships. All ships with FLT and FIR 0 are sent elsewhere but there is still in the port 20 APs, 8 DD, 2 APDs and 2 PGs. None is in immediate danger of sinking.
All Lahaina bombers are ordered again to bombard PH airfield. The island will also be bombed by 3 BBs and 2 CAs tomorrow, while the other BB TF will resplenish. The CV airmen will continue to chase submarines.
Philippines
Tacloban surrendered to Japanese forces in nearby Ormoc. Barges unloaded part of a NLF in Taytay during the day and will ocuupy the undefended town tomorrow.
Dutch East Indies
During the night, 4 CA, 2 CL and 8 DD raided Amboina and found two TK off the island. Both are sunk and then the Japanese ships bombarded the base (137 men and 4 guns hit, 5 supply and 6 fuel hits). CD guns hit the DD Yudachi and set it on fire.
The 21st NLF occupied Manokwari during the day.
The convoy carrying the 56th Bde will arrive tomorrow 120 miles NE of Kendari and the landing is scheduled for the next day. The BB TF covering it will be joined tomorrow by the CA TF that raided Amboina. Zeroes from Menado will LRCAP them.
The first Japanese troops (a SNLF and a Eng Rgt) reached Balikpapan from Samarinda. The 4th and 35th Bde and a Naval Guard Unit are 10 miles behind and bombers from Jolo and Menado will bomb the Allied troops here (6 units, 12000 men) as I fear a counterattack before all my troops arrive. Just one Nell Daitai in Mendao remained with naval attack orders and will try to hit the Allied transport seen today off Sorong.
Sumatra
The Kainan Guard SNLF took the undefended base of Kuala and then received order to march W. Once it will be in the hex W of Kuala, I will land in Sabang and the Allied troops here will have no retreat path.
Malaya
Clouds grounded Japanese aircraft. The daily artillery bombing in Singapore hit 188 Allied men.
Burma
The daily raid from Mandalay (42 Hurricanes and 17 P-40B) hit today the 2nd Tk Rgt S of Mandalay: 31 men and 2 tanks hit.
The 4th Mixed Rgt launched a shock attack in Taung Gyi against the 1st Burma Bde and failed at 0 to 1 against fort 2. 277 Japanese and 9 Allied fell in the battle.
In Pagan, the 21st Bde bombed the Allied lines (27 cas) and reported it is facing the 16th Indian Bde, the 2nd Burma Bde and a BF.
The 33rd Div still advanced 10 miles today and is now 20 miles away from the river.
More troops will go to Taung Gyi (a SNLF, a Tk Rgt, the HQ 15th Army and an ART unit) in the hope to take it. 21st Bde will remain in Pagan to fix the Allied units here. 33rd Div will cross the undefended river and then march to Mandalay, as so many Allied troops are S of the river it should be possible to arrive there and hold. As soon as it will be done, the 2 Tk Rgts of the army will try to reach Lashio and Mitkyina around Mandalay before the Chinese arrive here.
The 2 Zero Daitais in Rangoon are now rested and will LRCAP tomorrow the troops S of Mandalay to intercept the Hurricane raid.
China
31 Ki-51 from Chengting bombed Yenen airfield and scored 10 casualties and 13 hits (1/3/9) for no loss. The Japanese artillery fire then hit 152 Chinese. There is now a 5th Corps in the town, that had arrived from the west.
In the south, the APs planned to carry the 14th Army to Palembang are almost all already in Canton and the 38th Div will leave the frontline between Canton and Wuchow to board ships in the former.
- Attachments
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- PearlHarbor27Jan42.jpg (150.45 KiB) Viewed 184 times
RE: 26 January 1942
Hi all,
Thank you - I will be looking forward to every new entry in this AAR!
BTW, you write in English OK (we all understand you)... [:)]
Leo "Apollo11"
ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent
Thanks Appolo. This PBEM is a serious attempt to invade and hold PH, while also having to conquer the rest of the world... or at least of Asia. My opinion was that I can't use more than 5 Div in this operation and future will tell if this will work. I am rather confident, the only question is how much time PH will fight before running out of supply... the main reason I am bombing it as much as I can.
The fun part is also to handle activity in the deserted areas. I planned at a time to write an humourous AAR telling how Gen Hodda, commanding of the mighty 14th Army, will invade Luzon with a row boat, his seasonned personnal ordonnance (a veteran of the China War.. the one that took place in 1895), a squad of Formosan soldiers that don't speak Japanese and had no rifles (and don't really understand what all this is about) and his dog, the fiercest element of his army. But I'm not a good writer enough, especially in English.
Thank you - I will be looking forward to every new entry in this AAR!
BTW, you write in English OK (we all understand you)... [:)]
Leo "Apollo11"
Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!
A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE
RE: 20-21 December 1941
Hi all,
Sorry for not spotting this earlier...
The CD guns will only defend from enemy invasion, enemy bombardment and protect the friendly minefields.
They will _NOT_ engage other enemy TFs that enter their HEX.
Please note that there was a bug in earlier WitP where all CDs behaved like those on Bataan (the CDs there are the only ones that will shoot at everything that enters their HEX)!
Here is the link for the thread where this was discussed (look at the bottom of the page):
http://www.matrixgames.com/default.asp? ... 6mpage%3D1
I hope that I was not too late with this info...
Leo "Apollo11"
ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent
And I don't know if I can send a TF with surface combat orders to PH without being engaged by the CD guns (and they are big here). If someone knew, please post it. I want also to do this off Singapore, to hit single transport TF. My impression is that surface combat TFs won't be engaged by CD guns but I would like to be sure.
Sorry for not spotting this earlier...
The CD guns will only defend from enemy invasion, enemy bombardment and protect the friendly minefields.
They will _NOT_ engage other enemy TFs that enter their HEX.
Please note that there was a bug in earlier WitP where all CDs behaved like those on Bataan (the CDs there are the only ones that will shoot at everything that enters their HEX)!
Here is the link for the thread where this was discussed (look at the bottom of the page):
http://www.matrixgames.com/default.asp? ... 6mpage%3D1
I hope that I was not too late with this info...
Leo "Apollo11"
Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!
A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE
-
AmiralLaurent
- Posts: 3351
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 8:53 pm
- Location: Near Paris, France
28-31 January 1942
28-31 January 1942
Thanks for the advice, Apollo, but I have allready had the answer and tried this, both off Singapore and PH.
It is time for an update of this AAR. January 1942 is now gone and finished with some Japanese successes. All my objectives for January have been met.
Sorry for the long post. The next one will be a review of economy and of objectives for the next month, as I did at the end of December.
Aleutians
After two months of total inactivity of my part in this area, I noticed on the 28 that Allied aircraft were now based in Amchitka and Adak. 3 Mavis were sent to Paramushiro Jima to fly patrol in this area. On the 30 they reported a ship off Amchitka. Pilots identified an AP but it was probably an AV. Anyway this evening two DDs escorting a empty convoy returning to Japan from Hawaii were detached and ordered to sail to Amchitka and raid the base. They sailed so slow on the 31 that they are still not in position and will tomorrow sail to 6 hexes of the base, and then raid it during the night. The ship wasn't seen on the 31.
Central Pacific
The 28 was quiet with just an ASW group engaging and missing an US submarine E of Midway and DDs discovering a new minefield off Lahaina. Artilley fire hit 824 Japanese men at Pearl Harbor, far more than usual. The ASW patrols by KB airmen saw nothing and they reverted to normal naval attack orders. A ground attack with full support was planend the next day in PH. Also 8 Tabbies arrived this day in Lahaina and dropped then dailys supplies to troops in PH. More transports are planned to do this but I will wait that Lahaina airfield is extended as I don't want to overcrowd it.
During the night, 3 BB and 2 CA pounded PH CD guns (269 men and 7 guns hit). The SS Searaven that patrolled off PH was unable to intercept and was then hit by a Val. Off Lahaina an AK hit the new Allied minefield and was docked with moderate damage. 70 bombers from Lahaina bombed the 25th US Div and hit 14 men at the cost of a Ki-21 shot down by AA while only PBYs flew on the Allied side, as usual, and one was shot down by a Zero. In the evening the second BB TF (5 BB and a CA) bombarded PH and hit 673 men, 16 guns and 1 vehicle. The 29 shells fired against it did no harm. But the deliberate attack launched failed at 0 to 1 (78 000 supply-lacking Japanese attacked 71 000 Allied under fort 6). Losses were 2422 Japanese vs 684 Allied but at least I knew what I was facing. The following Allied artilley fire hit nothing.
This day, 2 APs were seen off Palmyra and 25 Nells and 26 Zeroes flew from Midway to Johnson to attack them while the SS I-25 sailed closer to the island with her Glen.
The next night 3 BBs and 2 CAs again engaged the CD guns off PH and hit 288 men and 13 guns. On the 30 the Mk10 minefield off Lahaina was cleared but a PC hit one and was docked with FLT 70. A PBY was shot down by a Zero over Lahaina, where the KB came to refuel. A TK convoy carried here 70000 fuel some days ago but after refueling the BBs there was not enough for all CVs.. 77 Lahaina bombers hit PH airfield and destroyed on the ground 3 SBD, 2 P-39D and 2 P-40E. For the first time they suffered no loss to AA fire. 107 men and 7 guns were hit and 33 hits scored. In the evening, the badly hit SS S-28 sank 300 miles NE of PH. American artillery fire hit 144 men in PH while Japanese shells (fired by the 2 divisions still with supplies) hit nothing.
During the day a Mavis flew a recon over Palmyra and reported no CAP but also no ship off the island.
The pounding of PH continued on the 31 and was especially bloody. For the first time the two BB TF hit together during the night and while 5 BB and 1 CAs pounded the CD guns, hitting 343 men and 11 guns while being shot at only 3 times, the 3 other BBs and 2 CAs experienced no return fire and pounded the airfield (11 hits including a supply, 1 P-39D destroyed... airfield is almost empty) and the port (PC Tiger sunk (never heard of this ship before), BB Pennsylvania on fire, the two other BBs, 2 AK and 1 MSW hit, 11 hits including 1 supply). 4818 men, 120 guns and 4 vehicles were hit by the rain of shells. Airmen of Lahaina were grounded by bad weather but 35 Allied men were hit by Japanese artillery fire while American guns remained silent ! Are they allready out of supply ?
Recon and patrols reported several transports off Palmyra, covered by 13 P-40E. 20 Zeroes and 9 Nells took off from Johnson Island and without loss shot down 2 P-40E and sank the AK Diamond head (allready bombed and hit in the convoy attack by KB on the 20th). Returning airmen reported in Palmyra 2 units (8680 men), 63 aircraft (21/24/18) and 3 APs in two TF off the island.
Ships continued to be patched in Lahaina and left port as soon as their FLT was 0 to leave more room for crippled ships. 2 DD and 1 APD were such declared saved on the 28, 1 PG on the 29, 1 DD and 2 AP on the 30, and 4 AP, 2 AK, 2 DD and 1 APDon the 31. Only one AP is still in danger at 90 FLT since 2 days (and at 80 before). The port has no more fuel but 75 000 tons will arrive in 2 days and 140 000 3-4 days later. The first convoy made of ships damaged off PH left in the evening of the 31 Lahaina for Japan. It is made of ships able to do 10-knots: the CA Chikuma, 4 DD, 1 APD, 1 PG and 3 4500-ton AP.
Japanese intelligence learned during the past few days that an AK hit off PH on the 2nd and an AVD bombed off French Frigate Shoals on the 28 December had both been scuttled. They are both credited to KB airmen.
A full effort has been decided tomorrow against PH. Both BBs TF will bombard, joined by all Lahaina bombers and the Kates of KB, still docked at Lahaina, that will bomb the airfield at 20000 feet. The convoy carrying 16th Div is still off Lahaina and is incorporating supply-carrying AKs. The plan was to wait to send it to PH that Lahaina port was near-empty of damaged ships but if it is confirmed that American guns are no more firing in PH the landing date will be advanced.
Operations will continue against Palmyra. More south the Glen of I-9 saw an AP NE of Canton and the submarine will chase her.
South Pacific
The RO-64 patrolling S of Rabaul was chased by an Allied warship without DC on the night of the 27-28. It is possible that this was a FT TF to Rabaul. 27 Nells are based in Truk and were supposed to fly naval search. When I checked them at the end of the turn, I discovered I grounded them sometimes ago. Thei new orders are naval attack, search 50%, max range just one hex short of PM to not meet Allied CAP.
Philipinnes
The 22nd LNF occupied Taytay on the 28. The NLF holding Ormoc was busy every day receiving the surrender of the nearby islands. Catbalogan on the 28, Bacolod on the 30 and Tagbolan on the 31 (sp?)
The 11st PA Div in Lingayen was bombed on the 29 (10 Ki-48s, 14 cas) and the 31 (10 Ki-48s, 12 cas). This won't be repeated as the Ki-48 Sentai based in Batan Island moved in the evening of the 31 to Saigon and then Burma. Only recon planes remain in the area.
Dutch East Indies
This area saw some action and the greatest successes of the period.
On the 28, 10 Betties from Menado bombed a Dutch Bn at Balikpapan to prevent any counterattack against the few troops allready there. A Bde marched in the hex during the day and artillery fire revealed that only 3 Dutch Bns and 3 Base Forces were holding the base and no more air support was required. All Betties and Nells were given naval attack orders.
The same day 17 Nells from Menado found 2 APs without CAP off Macassar and sank the Roseboom. The AP Camphuys was hit by 2 torpedoes and sank the next night NW of Macassar by the SS I-155 while trying to escape.
Naval patrol revealed several transport Tfs in the area and the CL Jintsu and 2 DDs were ordered to leave Menado to attack them in daylight the next day. The other warships were ordered in Kendari where the 56th Bde would land during the night.
Starting on the 29 a Tospy Chutai dropped paratroops of the 1st Rgt on empty Sulawesi bases. Pomala was taken on the 29, Makale on the 30 and Pinrang on the 31. So the garrisons of Kendari and Macassar have no more retreat path.
The main event of the 29 was the landing of the 56th Bde in Kendair. No CD fire was experienced but 799 men were disabled in landing operations (the Bde is preparing for Manila...). The BB TF covering the landing had the surpirse to see a Dutch AK attempt to enter the port during the day. It was a wild uncoordinated action and at least 6 IJN ships fired torpedoes (not a brillant idea when the closest torpedo store is 2000 miles away) on the poor merchant, that was also hit by 14in shells and sank without survivors. More Allied TFs were reported this day especially two surface TF (6 and 10 CAs?) 240 miles off Kendari. A Dave was shot by AA fire while getting too close of one of them. But the only naval attack launched from Menado was by 4 Nells against an AP SW of Kendari and missed. 4 other transport TFs were reported.
The CL Jintsu and escort was too slow and didn't reach Sorong, being one hex short. It was seen by Allied planes and Japanese patrols reported one CA off Sorong. Either it was real and the opposition was too strong for the Japanese Tf or it was wrong and the Allied ships will sail away. So I changed orders and sent the TF south of Amboina, via the channel SW of Sorong.
Both surface TFs were in range of Kendari. With 2 BBs, 5 CAsand CLs and DDs in two TF I had superiority but night naval battles are always risky and these British sailors know how to use torpedoes. As the 56th Bde was unoladed at 95% and only 2 Allied units were defending Kendari, I ordered all Japanese ships to sail 120 miles to the NE and wait there. The 56th Bde was ordered to attack the base. 3 Betty/Nell Daitai were ordered to attack Allied ships tomorrow from Menado at range 13 maximum (both surface TFs were at range 12) while the Zero unit here, that had LRCAPed tghe Kendari TF for two days, was rested.
On Borneo, the last troops troops marching to Balikpapan arrived this day and were also ordered to attack the next day.
During the night a Dutch submarine tried to attack the ships leaving Kendari E of the base and was chased away by DDs. I don't know if the Allied warships sailed to Kendari during the night and then retired but dawn found them exactly at the same place as yesterday. They weren't attacked but in the morning 28 Nells from Menado torpedoed 180 miles SW of Menado 2 Dutch AP and sank them with the 12th Dutch Air Force aboard. They didn't fly in the afternoon.
Both Balikpapan (where 3 Dutch Bns and 3 BF were attacked by the 4th and 35th Bde, 1 Eng Rgt and 2 naval units) and Kendari (1 Dutch Bn and 1 Bf vs 56th Bde) fell at the first attempt. The garrison of Balikpapan retreated towards Banjarmasin, and will be pursued by the 4th Bde and a SNLF, while the 2000 men holding Kendari surrendered. In Balikpapan 528 of the 600 ressources and 233 of the 300 oil were seized intact. Damage was more important in Kendari where only 288 of the 600 ressources are usable. 20 000 oil and 37 000 ressources were seized in the two bases but only some thousand of fuel and supplies, Allied ships should have taken a good amount of them.
29 Ki-57 arrived during the day in Jolo, that is no longer a frontline base, to ferry an Aviation Rgt to Balikpapan where a Zero unit (the last one released from Japan) arrived to protect the oilfields against Allied bombers
The Allied ships were still in Sorong and in range of the Jintsu TF that was ordered to attack them at night. 3 DDs were sent to intercept an AK SE of Kendari. Adm Nishimura gathered his best ships, 2 Bbs, 4 CA, 2 CLs and 6 DD and led them SW to a spot where Allied warships had been seen the last two days. The Japanese TF was to slow to arrive in one phase so the battle will take place in the day where BBs will have a hig advantage against Allied cruisers. The main danger was torpedo bombers from Macassar or Lautem but they have not attacked the day before and thunderstorms were forecast.
With the successfull completion of the Kendari operation, the 65th Bde was released from reserve status and its convoy left Menado to the NE, sailing to Macassar around Sulawesi. Nishimura will round Sulawesi by the south while all other warships in the area will refuel in Menado (where 2 TKs will arive shortly) and then follow the 65th Bde.
During the night of the 30-31, the Jintsu and DD Tokitsukaze and Kuroshio sank 2 Dutch TKs off Sorong and met no resistance. At the same time 3 DDs found and sank an AK 120 miles SE of Kendari. A captured survivor revealed it was the Philipino AK Taurus, that had been torpedoed by LBA off Toboali on the 10 and was too slow to escape.
The BB TF led by Nishimura found no target at sea but was not attacked either. Japanese bombers reported several TFs and found a surface TF (10 CAs?) off Lautem and another (10 CAs?) between Timor and Amboina. In the morning clouds reduced operations and the 18 Nells sent to attack transports NW of Lautem didn't find them. In the afternoon 11 Betties were sent to Lautem and found Dutch warships without CAP. AA fire shot down 3 Betties and they only scored a torpedo hit on a Dutch DD, heavily damaging her, while missing the CL Java and De Ruyter.
This day Allied engineers expanded the port of Darwin to size 6.
Nishimura will not remain in Maumere area and will bombard Macassar tonight before retiring to Balikpapan for refueling. Other warships all return to Menado, where bombers still receive naval attack orders and will tomorrow be escorted by Zeroes, that are now fully rested.
Three submarines in the triangle Timor-Amboina-Darwin are all ordered to sail closer of Darwin that is the logical destination of the Allied ships in the area.
Sumatra
The 14th Army (Army HQ, 21st and 38th Div, 2Tk Rgt, 1 large BF and 3 small) began on the 30 to board a huge troopship convoy (50 3000-4500 ton AP) in Canton and will sail to Palembang in 2 days. It will be joined by supply-carrying AKs from Formosa and Bangkok. Other troops planned for the assault are two Eng Rgts currently in Johore Bharu and Balikpapan.
The plan is to first take Sinkep Island (that is empty according to low-level recons flown sicne several days) and Jambi. FT TF will carry NLF to occupy them. Then transport AC will bring air support to Jambi and Nates and Oscars will be based here to cover the landing of the main force, that will march to Palembang. The warships currently operating off Sulawesi will be used to cover the operation.
Malaya
Singapore airfield were bombed without loss on the 28 by 165 IJAAF bombers (35 cas, 79 hits) and on the29 by 163 (86 cas, 130 hits). Japanese artilley fire also pounded Allied position and hit 1000 men from the 28 to the 30. On this last day Japanese bombers started to bombard troops and 148 Navay and Army bombers hit with few results the 22nd Aus Bde and Singapore Fortress (25 cas), losing 1 Ki-21 and one recon Ki-15 to AA fire. The last day of the month saw a new deliberate attack against the city. 91 bombers pounded the Singapore Fortress before the attack (82 cas) without loss. The assault failed at 0 to 1 and 2503 Japanese and 961 Allied soldiers fell. But for the first time Japanese engineers reduced the fort level, from 7 to 6.
Allied aircraft in the area continue to do little. On the 29 and the 31 Dutch transports were intercepted by Oscars over Singapore (where LRCAP is maintained every day) and on each day 3 transports were shot down by the Army fighters, that increased easily their scores. The best IJAAF pilot has still only 3 victories.
Bombers will again bomb Singapore airfield for some days, before the next attack in 3-4 days.
A special operation will be launched shortly. The whole 2nd Parachute Rgt is in Johore Bharu and recon have shown only one BF and 9 patrol planes, probably 3 Do-24 units, in Singkawang, Borneo. I gather 70 transport planes in Johore Bahru and will drop the whole Rgt on the town, to destroy on the ground the aircraft. Then I will air transport some air support squads there.
Burma
On the 28 the 33rd Div was LRCAP by Zeroes from Rangoon but bad weather ground Allied aircraft. The division now with FAT 64 slowed to 5 miles a day. On the 29 Zeroes rested and 42 Hurricanes escorted by 7 P-40B attacked, hitting 133 men. The next day 42 Huris and 8 escorting P-40E returned to the same target but this time Zeroes of two Daitais bounced them. For its first fight the AVG lost 6 P-40B and hit nothing. 9 Hurricanes were shot down but at least they shot down a Zero and reached their target, hitting 44 men. The Zero pilots flew in the evening back from Rangoon to the rear base of Bangkok and one was lost in a crash. The Allied pilots repeated the attack the next day with 35 Huri and 11 P-40B and the 33rd Div lost 77 men but this same day she crossed the Irrawaddy river west of Mandalay without meeting any resistance.
In Pagan the 21st Bde bombarded with artilley fire Allied troops (45 cas in 4 days) and was the 30 and 31 bombed by a sqn of Hurricanes based in Akyab, that was escorted by P-40Bs on the 31. 51 Japanese men were hit in 2 days.
The 4th Mixed Rgt in Taung Gyi was reinforced by the HQ 15th Army, a SNLF and an ART unit and a schock attack was launched against the 1st Burma Bde on the 31. The attack was repulsed but managed 1 to 1 ratio and reduced the fort level of the town to 1. 340 Japanese and 45 Allied fell but Japanese troops are fine and the shock attack will be repeated tomorrow. A Tk Rgt is also arriving there as reinforcements.
The plan is to take Taung Gyi and throw the Burma Bde in the jungle E of it, then the 4th Mixed Rgt and other troops will march to Pagan and defeat the Allied troops here, repulsing them towards Akyab. During this time the 33rd Dvi won't move and will held its bridgehead, launching shock attacks if Allied troops move from Mandalay in this hex. Then the main body of the 15th Army will cross the river thereand then march to Mandalay.
The main problem is that only tiny troops hold the river S of Mandalay and an Allied counterattack may be dangerous.
Two Ki-48 Sentais will reinforce the theater, coming from China and PI.
For the month of February 1942, the Admiralty wants to retire one CA and two DD of the Far East.
China
Yenen airfield was raided again on the 28 (7 hits) by 23 Ki-51 of Chenging, that were then grounded. Japanese artillery bombarded the town daily and hit 774 men in 4 days. Chinese reinforcements are coming tothis theater. Yenen is now held by 5 Corps, a Div, a BF and 1 HQ. Another unit is now just W of the town and a new one appeared 120 miles W of it on the 31. Japanese troops have not been reinforced and are still marching SW of the town to the NW for a good part.
In Central China, 55 Ki-51 bombed Changcha on the 29 without loss and disabled 18 more ressources (now 277 of the 600 are disabled). The next day a new Ki-48 Sentai bombed Ichang airfield without loss but scored no hit (gaining one exp point anyway). It left the next day the area to Indochina and then Burma.
In the south, the 116th Div, relieved of garrison duties by Mongol cavalrymen, arrived on the 29 in the frontline between Wuchow and Canton.
Nothing special is planned in the next day. Ki-51s will again raid Changsha tomorrow.
Japan
The Ki-48 production, stopped at the start of the war, was restarted on the 31. More detailed economic data will be in the next post.
The DD Kazegumo was commissioned on the 29 in Hiroshima. My naval policy is to accelerate CVs and DDs, even if this requires to stop or slow BBs. The other biggies (Shinano and Taiho) have been stopped on day one, and Musashi is halted about 40% of the times. I stop it everytime my naval point stock is under 200 and restart it when it is above 500.
Much Japanese ports have been expanded to their maximum size. It is always useful to have good ports. Airfields won't be needed in the near future and their expansion is not planned, except for certain ASW bases.
Sigint
Yes, I am talking of Japanese sigint. So far I have only used it to spot Allied Tfs at sea (once a month roughly) and once I so managed to sink an Allied submarine by sending several ASW TF to the spot. But last turn I noticed that the game was showing ground units in SF (15 of them when I put the mouse over) and reported 21 ships (5 AP identified) in LA. I have no aircraft in range, my Glen-carrying submarine off California has lost its in a crash days ago, but both LA and SF are in the sigint file of the day....
By the way I just check every other Allied base out of range of my patrols and was unable to know how many ships or units they have.
I have never noticed this aspect of sigint... if it is one.
Thanks for the advice, Apollo, but I have allready had the answer and tried this, both off Singapore and PH.
It is time for an update of this AAR. January 1942 is now gone and finished with some Japanese successes. All my objectives for January have been met.
Sorry for the long post. The next one will be a review of economy and of objectives for the next month, as I did at the end of December.
Aleutians
After two months of total inactivity of my part in this area, I noticed on the 28 that Allied aircraft were now based in Amchitka and Adak. 3 Mavis were sent to Paramushiro Jima to fly patrol in this area. On the 30 they reported a ship off Amchitka. Pilots identified an AP but it was probably an AV. Anyway this evening two DDs escorting a empty convoy returning to Japan from Hawaii were detached and ordered to sail to Amchitka and raid the base. They sailed so slow on the 31 that they are still not in position and will tomorrow sail to 6 hexes of the base, and then raid it during the night. The ship wasn't seen on the 31.
Central Pacific
The 28 was quiet with just an ASW group engaging and missing an US submarine E of Midway and DDs discovering a new minefield off Lahaina. Artilley fire hit 824 Japanese men at Pearl Harbor, far more than usual. The ASW patrols by KB airmen saw nothing and they reverted to normal naval attack orders. A ground attack with full support was planend the next day in PH. Also 8 Tabbies arrived this day in Lahaina and dropped then dailys supplies to troops in PH. More transports are planned to do this but I will wait that Lahaina airfield is extended as I don't want to overcrowd it.
During the night, 3 BB and 2 CA pounded PH CD guns (269 men and 7 guns hit). The SS Searaven that patrolled off PH was unable to intercept and was then hit by a Val. Off Lahaina an AK hit the new Allied minefield and was docked with moderate damage. 70 bombers from Lahaina bombed the 25th US Div and hit 14 men at the cost of a Ki-21 shot down by AA while only PBYs flew on the Allied side, as usual, and one was shot down by a Zero. In the evening the second BB TF (5 BB and a CA) bombarded PH and hit 673 men, 16 guns and 1 vehicle. The 29 shells fired against it did no harm. But the deliberate attack launched failed at 0 to 1 (78 000 supply-lacking Japanese attacked 71 000 Allied under fort 6). Losses were 2422 Japanese vs 684 Allied but at least I knew what I was facing. The following Allied artilley fire hit nothing.
This day, 2 APs were seen off Palmyra and 25 Nells and 26 Zeroes flew from Midway to Johnson to attack them while the SS I-25 sailed closer to the island with her Glen.
The next night 3 BBs and 2 CAs again engaged the CD guns off PH and hit 288 men and 13 guns. On the 30 the Mk10 minefield off Lahaina was cleared but a PC hit one and was docked with FLT 70. A PBY was shot down by a Zero over Lahaina, where the KB came to refuel. A TK convoy carried here 70000 fuel some days ago but after refueling the BBs there was not enough for all CVs.. 77 Lahaina bombers hit PH airfield and destroyed on the ground 3 SBD, 2 P-39D and 2 P-40E. For the first time they suffered no loss to AA fire. 107 men and 7 guns were hit and 33 hits scored. In the evening, the badly hit SS S-28 sank 300 miles NE of PH. American artillery fire hit 144 men in PH while Japanese shells (fired by the 2 divisions still with supplies) hit nothing.
During the day a Mavis flew a recon over Palmyra and reported no CAP but also no ship off the island.
The pounding of PH continued on the 31 and was especially bloody. For the first time the two BB TF hit together during the night and while 5 BB and 1 CAs pounded the CD guns, hitting 343 men and 11 guns while being shot at only 3 times, the 3 other BBs and 2 CAs experienced no return fire and pounded the airfield (11 hits including a supply, 1 P-39D destroyed... airfield is almost empty) and the port (PC Tiger sunk (never heard of this ship before), BB Pennsylvania on fire, the two other BBs, 2 AK and 1 MSW hit, 11 hits including 1 supply). 4818 men, 120 guns and 4 vehicles were hit by the rain of shells. Airmen of Lahaina were grounded by bad weather but 35 Allied men were hit by Japanese artillery fire while American guns remained silent ! Are they allready out of supply ?
Recon and patrols reported several transports off Palmyra, covered by 13 P-40E. 20 Zeroes and 9 Nells took off from Johnson Island and without loss shot down 2 P-40E and sank the AK Diamond head (allready bombed and hit in the convoy attack by KB on the 20th). Returning airmen reported in Palmyra 2 units (8680 men), 63 aircraft (21/24/18) and 3 APs in two TF off the island.
Ships continued to be patched in Lahaina and left port as soon as their FLT was 0 to leave more room for crippled ships. 2 DD and 1 APD were such declared saved on the 28, 1 PG on the 29, 1 DD and 2 AP on the 30, and 4 AP, 2 AK, 2 DD and 1 APDon the 31. Only one AP is still in danger at 90 FLT since 2 days (and at 80 before). The port has no more fuel but 75 000 tons will arrive in 2 days and 140 000 3-4 days later. The first convoy made of ships damaged off PH left in the evening of the 31 Lahaina for Japan. It is made of ships able to do 10-knots: the CA Chikuma, 4 DD, 1 APD, 1 PG and 3 4500-ton AP.
Japanese intelligence learned during the past few days that an AK hit off PH on the 2nd and an AVD bombed off French Frigate Shoals on the 28 December had both been scuttled. They are both credited to KB airmen.
A full effort has been decided tomorrow against PH. Both BBs TF will bombard, joined by all Lahaina bombers and the Kates of KB, still docked at Lahaina, that will bomb the airfield at 20000 feet. The convoy carrying 16th Div is still off Lahaina and is incorporating supply-carrying AKs. The plan was to wait to send it to PH that Lahaina port was near-empty of damaged ships but if it is confirmed that American guns are no more firing in PH the landing date will be advanced.
Operations will continue against Palmyra. More south the Glen of I-9 saw an AP NE of Canton and the submarine will chase her.
South Pacific
The RO-64 patrolling S of Rabaul was chased by an Allied warship without DC on the night of the 27-28. It is possible that this was a FT TF to Rabaul. 27 Nells are based in Truk and were supposed to fly naval search. When I checked them at the end of the turn, I discovered I grounded them sometimes ago. Thei new orders are naval attack, search 50%, max range just one hex short of PM to not meet Allied CAP.
Philipinnes
The 22nd LNF occupied Taytay on the 28. The NLF holding Ormoc was busy every day receiving the surrender of the nearby islands. Catbalogan on the 28, Bacolod on the 30 and Tagbolan on the 31 (sp?)
The 11st PA Div in Lingayen was bombed on the 29 (10 Ki-48s, 14 cas) and the 31 (10 Ki-48s, 12 cas). This won't be repeated as the Ki-48 Sentai based in Batan Island moved in the evening of the 31 to Saigon and then Burma. Only recon planes remain in the area.
Dutch East Indies
This area saw some action and the greatest successes of the period.
On the 28, 10 Betties from Menado bombed a Dutch Bn at Balikpapan to prevent any counterattack against the few troops allready there. A Bde marched in the hex during the day and artillery fire revealed that only 3 Dutch Bns and 3 Base Forces were holding the base and no more air support was required. All Betties and Nells were given naval attack orders.
The same day 17 Nells from Menado found 2 APs without CAP off Macassar and sank the Roseboom. The AP Camphuys was hit by 2 torpedoes and sank the next night NW of Macassar by the SS I-155 while trying to escape.
Naval patrol revealed several transport Tfs in the area and the CL Jintsu and 2 DDs were ordered to leave Menado to attack them in daylight the next day. The other warships were ordered in Kendari where the 56th Bde would land during the night.
Starting on the 29 a Tospy Chutai dropped paratroops of the 1st Rgt on empty Sulawesi bases. Pomala was taken on the 29, Makale on the 30 and Pinrang on the 31. So the garrisons of Kendari and Macassar have no more retreat path.
The main event of the 29 was the landing of the 56th Bde in Kendair. No CD fire was experienced but 799 men were disabled in landing operations (the Bde is preparing for Manila...). The BB TF covering the landing had the surpirse to see a Dutch AK attempt to enter the port during the day. It was a wild uncoordinated action and at least 6 IJN ships fired torpedoes (not a brillant idea when the closest torpedo store is 2000 miles away) on the poor merchant, that was also hit by 14in shells and sank without survivors. More Allied TFs were reported this day especially two surface TF (6 and 10 CAs?) 240 miles off Kendari. A Dave was shot by AA fire while getting too close of one of them. But the only naval attack launched from Menado was by 4 Nells against an AP SW of Kendari and missed. 4 other transport TFs were reported.
The CL Jintsu and escort was too slow and didn't reach Sorong, being one hex short. It was seen by Allied planes and Japanese patrols reported one CA off Sorong. Either it was real and the opposition was too strong for the Japanese Tf or it was wrong and the Allied ships will sail away. So I changed orders and sent the TF south of Amboina, via the channel SW of Sorong.
Both surface TFs were in range of Kendari. With 2 BBs, 5 CAsand CLs and DDs in two TF I had superiority but night naval battles are always risky and these British sailors know how to use torpedoes. As the 56th Bde was unoladed at 95% and only 2 Allied units were defending Kendari, I ordered all Japanese ships to sail 120 miles to the NE and wait there. The 56th Bde was ordered to attack the base. 3 Betty/Nell Daitai were ordered to attack Allied ships tomorrow from Menado at range 13 maximum (both surface TFs were at range 12) while the Zero unit here, that had LRCAPed tghe Kendari TF for two days, was rested.
On Borneo, the last troops troops marching to Balikpapan arrived this day and were also ordered to attack the next day.
During the night a Dutch submarine tried to attack the ships leaving Kendari E of the base and was chased away by DDs. I don't know if the Allied warships sailed to Kendari during the night and then retired but dawn found them exactly at the same place as yesterday. They weren't attacked but in the morning 28 Nells from Menado torpedoed 180 miles SW of Menado 2 Dutch AP and sank them with the 12th Dutch Air Force aboard. They didn't fly in the afternoon.
Both Balikpapan (where 3 Dutch Bns and 3 BF were attacked by the 4th and 35th Bde, 1 Eng Rgt and 2 naval units) and Kendari (1 Dutch Bn and 1 Bf vs 56th Bde) fell at the first attempt. The garrison of Balikpapan retreated towards Banjarmasin, and will be pursued by the 4th Bde and a SNLF, while the 2000 men holding Kendari surrendered. In Balikpapan 528 of the 600 ressources and 233 of the 300 oil were seized intact. Damage was more important in Kendari where only 288 of the 600 ressources are usable. 20 000 oil and 37 000 ressources were seized in the two bases but only some thousand of fuel and supplies, Allied ships should have taken a good amount of them.
29 Ki-57 arrived during the day in Jolo, that is no longer a frontline base, to ferry an Aviation Rgt to Balikpapan where a Zero unit (the last one released from Japan) arrived to protect the oilfields against Allied bombers
The Allied ships were still in Sorong and in range of the Jintsu TF that was ordered to attack them at night. 3 DDs were sent to intercept an AK SE of Kendari. Adm Nishimura gathered his best ships, 2 Bbs, 4 CA, 2 CLs and 6 DD and led them SW to a spot where Allied warships had been seen the last two days. The Japanese TF was to slow to arrive in one phase so the battle will take place in the day where BBs will have a hig advantage against Allied cruisers. The main danger was torpedo bombers from Macassar or Lautem but they have not attacked the day before and thunderstorms were forecast.
With the successfull completion of the Kendari operation, the 65th Bde was released from reserve status and its convoy left Menado to the NE, sailing to Macassar around Sulawesi. Nishimura will round Sulawesi by the south while all other warships in the area will refuel in Menado (where 2 TKs will arive shortly) and then follow the 65th Bde.
During the night of the 30-31, the Jintsu and DD Tokitsukaze and Kuroshio sank 2 Dutch TKs off Sorong and met no resistance. At the same time 3 DDs found and sank an AK 120 miles SE of Kendari. A captured survivor revealed it was the Philipino AK Taurus, that had been torpedoed by LBA off Toboali on the 10 and was too slow to escape.
The BB TF led by Nishimura found no target at sea but was not attacked either. Japanese bombers reported several TFs and found a surface TF (10 CAs?) off Lautem and another (10 CAs?) between Timor and Amboina. In the morning clouds reduced operations and the 18 Nells sent to attack transports NW of Lautem didn't find them. In the afternoon 11 Betties were sent to Lautem and found Dutch warships without CAP. AA fire shot down 3 Betties and they only scored a torpedo hit on a Dutch DD, heavily damaging her, while missing the CL Java and De Ruyter.
This day Allied engineers expanded the port of Darwin to size 6.
Nishimura will not remain in Maumere area and will bombard Macassar tonight before retiring to Balikpapan for refueling. Other warships all return to Menado, where bombers still receive naval attack orders and will tomorrow be escorted by Zeroes, that are now fully rested.
Three submarines in the triangle Timor-Amboina-Darwin are all ordered to sail closer of Darwin that is the logical destination of the Allied ships in the area.
Sumatra
The 14th Army (Army HQ, 21st and 38th Div, 2Tk Rgt, 1 large BF and 3 small) began on the 30 to board a huge troopship convoy (50 3000-4500 ton AP) in Canton and will sail to Palembang in 2 days. It will be joined by supply-carrying AKs from Formosa and Bangkok. Other troops planned for the assault are two Eng Rgts currently in Johore Bharu and Balikpapan.
The plan is to first take Sinkep Island (that is empty according to low-level recons flown sicne several days) and Jambi. FT TF will carry NLF to occupy them. Then transport AC will bring air support to Jambi and Nates and Oscars will be based here to cover the landing of the main force, that will march to Palembang. The warships currently operating off Sulawesi will be used to cover the operation.
Malaya
Singapore airfield were bombed without loss on the 28 by 165 IJAAF bombers (35 cas, 79 hits) and on the29 by 163 (86 cas, 130 hits). Japanese artilley fire also pounded Allied position and hit 1000 men from the 28 to the 30. On this last day Japanese bombers started to bombard troops and 148 Navay and Army bombers hit with few results the 22nd Aus Bde and Singapore Fortress (25 cas), losing 1 Ki-21 and one recon Ki-15 to AA fire. The last day of the month saw a new deliberate attack against the city. 91 bombers pounded the Singapore Fortress before the attack (82 cas) without loss. The assault failed at 0 to 1 and 2503 Japanese and 961 Allied soldiers fell. But for the first time Japanese engineers reduced the fort level, from 7 to 6.
Allied aircraft in the area continue to do little. On the 29 and the 31 Dutch transports were intercepted by Oscars over Singapore (where LRCAP is maintained every day) and on each day 3 transports were shot down by the Army fighters, that increased easily their scores. The best IJAAF pilot has still only 3 victories.
Bombers will again bomb Singapore airfield for some days, before the next attack in 3-4 days.
A special operation will be launched shortly. The whole 2nd Parachute Rgt is in Johore Bharu and recon have shown only one BF and 9 patrol planes, probably 3 Do-24 units, in Singkawang, Borneo. I gather 70 transport planes in Johore Bahru and will drop the whole Rgt on the town, to destroy on the ground the aircraft. Then I will air transport some air support squads there.
Burma
On the 28 the 33rd Div was LRCAP by Zeroes from Rangoon but bad weather ground Allied aircraft. The division now with FAT 64 slowed to 5 miles a day. On the 29 Zeroes rested and 42 Hurricanes escorted by 7 P-40B attacked, hitting 133 men. The next day 42 Huris and 8 escorting P-40E returned to the same target but this time Zeroes of two Daitais bounced them. For its first fight the AVG lost 6 P-40B and hit nothing. 9 Hurricanes were shot down but at least they shot down a Zero and reached their target, hitting 44 men. The Zero pilots flew in the evening back from Rangoon to the rear base of Bangkok and one was lost in a crash. The Allied pilots repeated the attack the next day with 35 Huri and 11 P-40B and the 33rd Div lost 77 men but this same day she crossed the Irrawaddy river west of Mandalay without meeting any resistance.
In Pagan the 21st Bde bombarded with artilley fire Allied troops (45 cas in 4 days) and was the 30 and 31 bombed by a sqn of Hurricanes based in Akyab, that was escorted by P-40Bs on the 31. 51 Japanese men were hit in 2 days.
The 4th Mixed Rgt in Taung Gyi was reinforced by the HQ 15th Army, a SNLF and an ART unit and a schock attack was launched against the 1st Burma Bde on the 31. The attack was repulsed but managed 1 to 1 ratio and reduced the fort level of the town to 1. 340 Japanese and 45 Allied fell but Japanese troops are fine and the shock attack will be repeated tomorrow. A Tk Rgt is also arriving there as reinforcements.
The plan is to take Taung Gyi and throw the Burma Bde in the jungle E of it, then the 4th Mixed Rgt and other troops will march to Pagan and defeat the Allied troops here, repulsing them towards Akyab. During this time the 33rd Dvi won't move and will held its bridgehead, launching shock attacks if Allied troops move from Mandalay in this hex. Then the main body of the 15th Army will cross the river thereand then march to Mandalay.
The main problem is that only tiny troops hold the river S of Mandalay and an Allied counterattack may be dangerous.
Two Ki-48 Sentais will reinforce the theater, coming from China and PI.
For the month of February 1942, the Admiralty wants to retire one CA and two DD of the Far East.
China
Yenen airfield was raided again on the 28 (7 hits) by 23 Ki-51 of Chenging, that were then grounded. Japanese artillery bombarded the town daily and hit 774 men in 4 days. Chinese reinforcements are coming tothis theater. Yenen is now held by 5 Corps, a Div, a BF and 1 HQ. Another unit is now just W of the town and a new one appeared 120 miles W of it on the 31. Japanese troops have not been reinforced and are still marching SW of the town to the NW for a good part.
In Central China, 55 Ki-51 bombed Changcha on the 29 without loss and disabled 18 more ressources (now 277 of the 600 are disabled). The next day a new Ki-48 Sentai bombed Ichang airfield without loss but scored no hit (gaining one exp point anyway). It left the next day the area to Indochina and then Burma.
In the south, the 116th Div, relieved of garrison duties by Mongol cavalrymen, arrived on the 29 in the frontline between Wuchow and Canton.
Nothing special is planned in the next day. Ki-51s will again raid Changsha tomorrow.
Japan
The Ki-48 production, stopped at the start of the war, was restarted on the 31. More detailed economic data will be in the next post.
The DD Kazegumo was commissioned on the 29 in Hiroshima. My naval policy is to accelerate CVs and DDs, even if this requires to stop or slow BBs. The other biggies (Shinano and Taiho) have been stopped on day one, and Musashi is halted about 40% of the times. I stop it everytime my naval point stock is under 200 and restart it when it is above 500.
Much Japanese ports have been expanded to their maximum size. It is always useful to have good ports. Airfields won't be needed in the near future and their expansion is not planned, except for certain ASW bases.
Sigint
Yes, I am talking of Japanese sigint. So far I have only used it to spot Allied Tfs at sea (once a month roughly) and once I so managed to sink an Allied submarine by sending several ASW TF to the spot. But last turn I noticed that the game was showing ground units in SF (15 of them when I put the mouse over) and reported 21 ships (5 AP identified) in LA. I have no aircraft in range, my Glen-carrying submarine off California has lost its in a crash days ago, but both LA and SF are in the sigint file of the day....
By the way I just check every other Allied base out of range of my patrols and was unable to know how many ships or units they have.
I have never noticed this aspect of sigint... if it is one.
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AmiralLaurent
- Posts: 3351
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 8:53 pm
- Location: Near Paris, France
Monthly report, January 1942
Monthly report, January 1942
Japanese score: 6639 (+ 2489)
Bases 2260 (+ 478)
Aircraft 1203 (+ 734)
Army 1784 (+ 648)
Ship 1228 (+ 520) 113 ships sunk (+ 76: 1 CL, 6 DM, 11 SS, 6 TK, 27 AK..)
Scuttled ships 126 (+109)
Strategic 38 (+ 0)
Allied score: 7066 (-246)
Bases 6238 (- 798)
Aircraft 573 (+ 352)
Army 67 (+ 44)
Ship 188 (+ 156) 33 ships sunk (+ 27: 3 DD, 1 APD, 1 SS, 8 MSW, 11 AP..)
Strategic 0
Economic situation (stocks rounded to the thousand):
Supply stock: 2 561 000 (- 2 000)
Fuel stock: 3 788 000 (- 203 000)
Ressource centers : 14 334 (+ 1 215)
Ressource stock: 1 527 000 (- 101 000)
Oil centers : 1 388 (+ 305)
Oil stock: 1 425 000 (- 179 000)
Manpower centers : 791 (+ 4)
Manpower pool : 220 000 (+ 71 000)
Heavy industry: 13 255 (+ 0)
Heavy industry pool: 50 000 (+ 8 000)
Naval shipyard: 1270 (+ 50)
Merchant shipyard: 1000 (+ 0)
Repair shipyard: 560 (+ 3)
Armament industry: 600 (+ 32)
Armament stock: 40 000 (+ 13 000)
Vehicles industry: 113 (+ 0)
Vehicles stock: 1 098 (+ 793)
Aircraft engine factories: 1567 (+ 52)
Aircraft frames factories: 821 (+ 86)
Aircraft research: 78 (+ 41)
Aircraft production:
197 A6M2 Zero (capacity 228 (+66)), 64 Ki-43-Ib Oscar (62), 51 G4M1 Betty (46 (+20)), 45 D3A Val (41), 31 E13A1 Jake (28), 30 B5N Kate (28), 25 Ki-49 Helen (23), 22 Ki-21 Sally (20), 21 Ki-51 Sonia (45, partly stopped), 17 H8K Emily (32 (+32, replaces Mavis)), 16 A6M-2 Rufe (14), 13 Ki-57 Topsy (10), 12 L2D2 Tabby (10), 5 H6K2-L Mavis (4 (+2)), 3 Ki-46 Dinah (31, suspended), 3 E7K2 Alf (5), 3 L3Y Tina (5), 3 E14Y1 Glen (4), 2 C5M Babs (4), 1 MC-21 Sally (5)
Total: 564 aircraft (261 fighters, 98 level bombers, 66 divebombers, 37 floatplanes, 34 transport, 30 torpedo bombers, 17 patrol, 16 fighter floatplanes, 5 recon)
Analysis of the strategic situation
The 16th Army is now ashore at Pearl Harbor where no more Allied resistance is met. BBs and aircraft bomb the island at will. The only problem is that Japanese troops are lacking supplies, but there is enough in Lahaina and in convoys going there. As soon as Lahaina port will be empty of crippled ships, supply will be landed in PH and it is fairly probable that PH will fall in the next month.
The next target in the Pacific will be Palmyra and Christmas Island. The former is probably held by a brigade and the latter will probably be seized first and turned into an active airbase.
In DEI the January objectives have been met with the capture of Kendari and Balikpapan. I just checked and in fact my annouced objectives were Kendari and Tarakan... I was rather cautios next month [;)]. The current operation will end with the capture of Macassar and then the area will remain quiet, as warships will sail north to support the Palembang operation (see below). The four brigades in the area are all preparing for Manila and will be replaced by naval garrison troops. Between Miri, Tarakan and Balikpapan 230 oil centers are damaged in this area [:@] and supplies will be sent there to repair them (allready 35000 at sea will reach Tarakan in a week).
The main new operation will be the landing in Jambi, Sumatra, by the 14th Army with 2 reinforced divisions that will then march to Palembang. The operation will be heavily supported by IJAAF fighters that have had a really quiet January month. Palembang is THE oil center of the map [X(] and should be taken undamaged. I plan at least 2 weeks of artillery, air and naval bombardment before actually assaulting it. So the probable date of Palembang fall is in early March 1942.
At this date Singapore should have fallen. Forts there are harder to reduce than planned but the 4 divisions and 1 bde here should take the base this month as planned, even if the target date of 15th Feb is not assured. Then one division will go to Burma at once and other troops will prepare for Java. One division will be used to seize Medan and Bankha while such preparing.
Burma is rather confuse. If my opponent doesn't counter-attack things should be OK. Taung Gyi and Pagan will be taken separatly, and troops here (3 Bdes) repulsed in the jungle... that will leave Mandalay with less troops to be held and no river crossing will be necessary. So the town may be taken by the available troops in Burma, even before the extra division arrived from Malaya. In this case this division may be used to seize Akyab in an amphibious operation... the problem being that naval support for this operation will be reduced. It can't be launched before March in all cases.
Philipinnes will remain quiet for the whole month... [>:] the 14th Army troops won't be available in the area until mid-March and will then start operations in Luzon with the 17th Div brought from China.
In China I am not sure of the outcome of the Yenen operation... it will probably turn into a slatemate but at least it is costing supplies to China. The "strategic air offensive against Chinese ressources" is slow, as only Ki-51s are available but that may change once PH will fall in the Pacific as the Army bombers will then be sent to China. Another operation in preparation is the capture of Ichang. 5 divisions are preparing for it and it will be a brutal and quick frontal assault along the road, to frighten my opponent and maybe draw units back from the northern front. No encirclement will be attempted here.
As shown above the Japanese Empire is still using its oil and ressources stocks... and the outcome of extra HI is rather reduced. No significant increase or modification of industry is planned this month, except the capture of Singapore... this will probably change after the capture of Palembang and the first convoys coming from DEI (first TK convoy is loading in 50000 oil points in Brunei right now)
Below is the air losses screen. As you can see IJNAF air groups are used to the limit but most of them have been kept at full strenght by emptying the IJN pilot pool [8|] and disbanding Kates, Val and Zero land-based units into CV units. You can also notice the huge number of Allied sorties... less than 100 are actually frontline sorties and this is probably showing a huge training program.
Japanese score: 6639 (+ 2489)
Bases 2260 (+ 478)
Aircraft 1203 (+ 734)
Army 1784 (+ 648)
Ship 1228 (+ 520) 113 ships sunk (+ 76: 1 CL, 6 DM, 11 SS, 6 TK, 27 AK..)
Scuttled ships 126 (+109)
Strategic 38 (+ 0)
Allied score: 7066 (-246)
Bases 6238 (- 798)
Aircraft 573 (+ 352)
Army 67 (+ 44)
Ship 188 (+ 156) 33 ships sunk (+ 27: 3 DD, 1 APD, 1 SS, 8 MSW, 11 AP..)
Strategic 0
Economic situation (stocks rounded to the thousand):
Supply stock: 2 561 000 (- 2 000)
Fuel stock: 3 788 000 (- 203 000)
Ressource centers : 14 334 (+ 1 215)
Ressource stock: 1 527 000 (- 101 000)
Oil centers : 1 388 (+ 305)
Oil stock: 1 425 000 (- 179 000)
Manpower centers : 791 (+ 4)
Manpower pool : 220 000 (+ 71 000)
Heavy industry: 13 255 (+ 0)
Heavy industry pool: 50 000 (+ 8 000)
Naval shipyard: 1270 (+ 50)
Merchant shipyard: 1000 (+ 0)
Repair shipyard: 560 (+ 3)
Armament industry: 600 (+ 32)
Armament stock: 40 000 (+ 13 000)
Vehicles industry: 113 (+ 0)
Vehicles stock: 1 098 (+ 793)
Aircraft engine factories: 1567 (+ 52)
Aircraft frames factories: 821 (+ 86)
Aircraft research: 78 (+ 41)
Aircraft production:
197 A6M2 Zero (capacity 228 (+66)), 64 Ki-43-Ib Oscar (62), 51 G4M1 Betty (46 (+20)), 45 D3A Val (41), 31 E13A1 Jake (28), 30 B5N Kate (28), 25 Ki-49 Helen (23), 22 Ki-21 Sally (20), 21 Ki-51 Sonia (45, partly stopped), 17 H8K Emily (32 (+32, replaces Mavis)), 16 A6M-2 Rufe (14), 13 Ki-57 Topsy (10), 12 L2D2 Tabby (10), 5 H6K2-L Mavis (4 (+2)), 3 Ki-46 Dinah (31, suspended), 3 E7K2 Alf (5), 3 L3Y Tina (5), 3 E14Y1 Glen (4), 2 C5M Babs (4), 1 MC-21 Sally (5)
Total: 564 aircraft (261 fighters, 98 level bombers, 66 divebombers, 37 floatplanes, 34 transport, 30 torpedo bombers, 17 patrol, 16 fighter floatplanes, 5 recon)
Analysis of the strategic situation
The 16th Army is now ashore at Pearl Harbor where no more Allied resistance is met. BBs and aircraft bomb the island at will. The only problem is that Japanese troops are lacking supplies, but there is enough in Lahaina and in convoys going there. As soon as Lahaina port will be empty of crippled ships, supply will be landed in PH and it is fairly probable that PH will fall in the next month.
The next target in the Pacific will be Palmyra and Christmas Island. The former is probably held by a brigade and the latter will probably be seized first and turned into an active airbase.
In DEI the January objectives have been met with the capture of Kendari and Balikpapan. I just checked and in fact my annouced objectives were Kendari and Tarakan... I was rather cautios next month [;)]. The current operation will end with the capture of Macassar and then the area will remain quiet, as warships will sail north to support the Palembang operation (see below). The four brigades in the area are all preparing for Manila and will be replaced by naval garrison troops. Between Miri, Tarakan and Balikpapan 230 oil centers are damaged in this area [:@] and supplies will be sent there to repair them (allready 35000 at sea will reach Tarakan in a week).
The main new operation will be the landing in Jambi, Sumatra, by the 14th Army with 2 reinforced divisions that will then march to Palembang. The operation will be heavily supported by IJAAF fighters that have had a really quiet January month. Palembang is THE oil center of the map [X(] and should be taken undamaged. I plan at least 2 weeks of artillery, air and naval bombardment before actually assaulting it. So the probable date of Palembang fall is in early March 1942.
At this date Singapore should have fallen. Forts there are harder to reduce than planned but the 4 divisions and 1 bde here should take the base this month as planned, even if the target date of 15th Feb is not assured. Then one division will go to Burma at once and other troops will prepare for Java. One division will be used to seize Medan and Bankha while such preparing.
Burma is rather confuse. If my opponent doesn't counter-attack things should be OK. Taung Gyi and Pagan will be taken separatly, and troops here (3 Bdes) repulsed in the jungle... that will leave Mandalay with less troops to be held and no river crossing will be necessary. So the town may be taken by the available troops in Burma, even before the extra division arrived from Malaya. In this case this division may be used to seize Akyab in an amphibious operation... the problem being that naval support for this operation will be reduced. It can't be launched before March in all cases.
Philipinnes will remain quiet for the whole month... [>:] the 14th Army troops won't be available in the area until mid-March and will then start operations in Luzon with the 17th Div brought from China.
In China I am not sure of the outcome of the Yenen operation... it will probably turn into a slatemate but at least it is costing supplies to China. The "strategic air offensive against Chinese ressources" is slow, as only Ki-51s are available but that may change once PH will fall in the Pacific as the Army bombers will then be sent to China. Another operation in preparation is the capture of Ichang. 5 divisions are preparing for it and it will be a brutal and quick frontal assault along the road, to frighten my opponent and maybe draw units back from the northern front. No encirclement will be attempted here.
As shown above the Japanese Empire is still using its oil and ressources stocks... and the outcome of extra HI is rather reduced. No significant increase or modification of industry is planned this month, except the capture of Singapore... this will probably change after the capture of Palembang and the first convoys coming from DEI (first TK convoy is loading in 50000 oil points in Brunei right now)
Below is the air losses screen. As you can see IJNAF air groups are used to the limit but most of them have been kept at full strenght by emptying the IJN pilot pool [8|] and disbanding Kates, Val and Zero land-based units into CV units. You can also notice the huge number of Allied sorties... less than 100 are actually frontline sorties and this is probably showing a huge training program.
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AmiralLaurent
- Posts: 3351
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 8:53 pm
- Location: Near Paris, France
1 February 1942
Northern Pacific
The two DDs sent to attack the AV off Amchitka Island are now in position and were not spotted by Allied aircraft AFAIK. They will hit tonight.
Central Pacific
During the night, Japanese minesweepers swept the last Allied mines off Hilo and continued to sweep some off Moloaki. During the day, the planned bombardments were all cancelled: the air raids by bad weather and the BBs pounding because I forgot to change back the TFs to bombardment from surface combat. No PBY flew from PH today, maybe because the airfield was closed by damage. Japanese artillery fire hit 5 Allied men while Allied guns remained silent.
Mavis continued to recon Palmyra Island and reported 14 P-40E flying CAP and 2 1-AP TFs off the island. Johnson Island air operations were cancelled by bad weather but not before a patrol saw an Allied warship, identified as a CA, but probably a DD, 400 miles SE of Johnson. It was probably a warship fleeing PH (that is 600 miles NE of the position of the sighting). I-171 was ordered to Palmyra to attack these ships while Johnson airmen still have naval attack orders.
Both BB TFs receive bombardment orders and will pound PH this night. Hilo and Kona are lacking fuel and two AK are sent from Lahaina to Hilo (now mine-free) to unload some. No ship was “saved” (FLT falling to 0) in Lahaina today but all FLT levels seem to decrease.
The lack of return fire by the American in PH make me wonder if they still have enough supplies to fight. I will wait the results of the bombing planned tomorrow and if return fire is slight, the 16th Div won’t land in PH but only supplies (and the last few remmants of already ashore units still aboard ships). No need to wreck a division for finishing an out-of-supply base.
Southern Pacific
The coconut production of the Japanese Empire increased by a wide margin today when natives from the well-known island of Apamama rowed to Tarawa to bow before the Japanese flag.
Philippines
A quiet month started with extensive recon. The Allied OOB is the following according to Japanese intelligence : Bataan 1 unit (fixed CD), San Marcelino 1 unit (probably a Div/RCT), Lingayen 1 unit (11th PA Div), Clark Field 11 units (20000+ men), Manila 22 units, Naga 2 units (probably a Div and a BF), Legaspi unknown. The main Allied position will then be Manila. A good thing as far more units are preparing for Manila than for Clark Field and none is preparing for Bataan.
Dutch East Indies
During the night 2 BBs, 4 CAs and 2 CLs bombarded Macassar, destroying a Do24 on the ground, hitting 175 men, 3 guns, 5 vehicles and 4 supply dumps and scoring 28 hits on the airfield. I forgot to change the home base to Balikpapan and they returned to Kendari where in the evening the Dutch SS O16 attacked the CA Nachi. A torpedo hit in the middle of the ship… and didn’t explode. The submarine escaped the 6 DDs of the escort (that strangely were shown each twice in the animation searching her). The TF received orders to return to Macassar for a bombardment run and this time sail then to Balikpapan.
The feared B-17 raids again Borneo oilfields became a reality when 18 B-17Cs of the Java-based 19th BG attacked Balikpapan. 17 Zeroes intercepted the raid but were only able to damage 3 bombers and 9 bombs fell on the fields, damaging 21 more oil centers (212 remain usable). The Zero Daitai based in Menada was sent in the evening to Balikpapan, naval bombers based here will fly without escort.
In Menado, the Jintsu and 2 DDs joined the other surface TF of the area and all ships refuelled from 2 TKs sent there and then left the base to escort the 65th Bde convoy that is sailing to Macassar.
Sumatra
The 14th Army convoy left Canton towards Sumatra, and 3 supply-laden AK left Formosa. 5 other AK are loading supplies in Bangkok and their escort is arriving from Saigon.
Malaya
179 Navy and Army bombers hit Singapore airfield. 72 men and a gun were disabled and 1 supply dump destroyed (with 75 other hits). AA fire hit badly a Ki-21 that was lost during the return to base. Artillery fire was more efficient and hit 348 men.
The barge TF that carried troops to Kuala some days ago left Kuala Lumpur to Johore Bharu and will be used in preliminary operations to seize Sinkep and Jambi. A SNLF will be carried by trains from Kuala Lumpur to Johore. Still two Dutch submarine are in the area and Nells and Ki-30 of Johore will chase them tomorrow.
Burma
The usual raids hit the 21st Bde in Pagan (14 Hurri and 10 P-40B from Pagan, 13 cas) and the 33rd Div now W of Mandalay (39 Hurris and 12 P-40B from Mandalay, 54 cas). Two Hurricanes were lost in accidents.
The Japanese troops (4th Mixed Rgt, a SNLF, HQ 15th Army and an ART unit) attacked Taung Gyi and for the first time since a month some king of aerial support was planned. Ten Ki-27s took off from Rahaeng to strafe Allied troops but didn’t find the target… The shock attack was nevertheless a success (at 6 to 1, fort 1, 176 Japanese and 12 Allied cas) and the 1st Burma Rifles Bde retreated, leaving the town by the trail leaving SE ! It will have to walk 2 months in the jungle to arrive to Lashio, the closest Allied base. By this date it will probably be no more an Allied base. The other good news are that 96 of the 100 ressources of Taung Gyi were taken intact.
The SNLF will remain in Pagan to hold it against an eventual comeback of the Burmese Bde, that will probably become a guerrilla unit given its new position. Other troops are sent to Pagan to help the 21st Bde to take it.
The two Zero Daitais assigned to this theatre flew again from Bangkok to Rangoon. As the last time they will rest one day and then LRCAP troops in Central Burma to intercept Hurricanes.
China
Artilley fire hit 53 Chinese men in Yenen. The map at the end of the turn showed 9 units in Yenen but the combat animation showed IIRC no new combat unit. So they might be a new Chinese HQ in Yenen.
Korea
The DD Kazegumo was commissioned in Port Arthur and sailed to Japan to join a combat formation. Limited operations are planned in the Aleutians in March and will be supported by the new warships launched and lightly damaged ships returning from Hawaii. The flagship will be the CA Chikuma, currently sailing to Tokyo with SYS 13 after a CD hit off PH.
Before these operations if will probably be useful to have some ASW-capable DD off Japan as the Allied submarines have left PH and may use Dutch Harbor or Anchorage as bases to reach Japanese waters.
The two DDs sent to attack the AV off Amchitka Island are now in position and were not spotted by Allied aircraft AFAIK. They will hit tonight.
Central Pacific
During the night, Japanese minesweepers swept the last Allied mines off Hilo and continued to sweep some off Moloaki. During the day, the planned bombardments were all cancelled: the air raids by bad weather and the BBs pounding because I forgot to change back the TFs to bombardment from surface combat. No PBY flew from PH today, maybe because the airfield was closed by damage. Japanese artillery fire hit 5 Allied men while Allied guns remained silent.
Mavis continued to recon Palmyra Island and reported 14 P-40E flying CAP and 2 1-AP TFs off the island. Johnson Island air operations were cancelled by bad weather but not before a patrol saw an Allied warship, identified as a CA, but probably a DD, 400 miles SE of Johnson. It was probably a warship fleeing PH (that is 600 miles NE of the position of the sighting). I-171 was ordered to Palmyra to attack these ships while Johnson airmen still have naval attack orders.
Both BB TFs receive bombardment orders and will pound PH this night. Hilo and Kona are lacking fuel and two AK are sent from Lahaina to Hilo (now mine-free) to unload some. No ship was “saved” (FLT falling to 0) in Lahaina today but all FLT levels seem to decrease.
The lack of return fire by the American in PH make me wonder if they still have enough supplies to fight. I will wait the results of the bombing planned tomorrow and if return fire is slight, the 16th Div won’t land in PH but only supplies (and the last few remmants of already ashore units still aboard ships). No need to wreck a division for finishing an out-of-supply base.
Southern Pacific
The coconut production of the Japanese Empire increased by a wide margin today when natives from the well-known island of Apamama rowed to Tarawa to bow before the Japanese flag.
Philippines
A quiet month started with extensive recon. The Allied OOB is the following according to Japanese intelligence : Bataan 1 unit (fixed CD), San Marcelino 1 unit (probably a Div/RCT), Lingayen 1 unit (11th PA Div), Clark Field 11 units (20000+ men), Manila 22 units, Naga 2 units (probably a Div and a BF), Legaspi unknown. The main Allied position will then be Manila. A good thing as far more units are preparing for Manila than for Clark Field and none is preparing for Bataan.
Dutch East Indies
During the night 2 BBs, 4 CAs and 2 CLs bombarded Macassar, destroying a Do24 on the ground, hitting 175 men, 3 guns, 5 vehicles and 4 supply dumps and scoring 28 hits on the airfield. I forgot to change the home base to Balikpapan and they returned to Kendari where in the evening the Dutch SS O16 attacked the CA Nachi. A torpedo hit in the middle of the ship… and didn’t explode. The submarine escaped the 6 DDs of the escort (that strangely were shown each twice in the animation searching her). The TF received orders to return to Macassar for a bombardment run and this time sail then to Balikpapan.
The feared B-17 raids again Borneo oilfields became a reality when 18 B-17Cs of the Java-based 19th BG attacked Balikpapan. 17 Zeroes intercepted the raid but were only able to damage 3 bombers and 9 bombs fell on the fields, damaging 21 more oil centers (212 remain usable). The Zero Daitai based in Menada was sent in the evening to Balikpapan, naval bombers based here will fly without escort.
In Menado, the Jintsu and 2 DDs joined the other surface TF of the area and all ships refuelled from 2 TKs sent there and then left the base to escort the 65th Bde convoy that is sailing to Macassar.
Sumatra
The 14th Army convoy left Canton towards Sumatra, and 3 supply-laden AK left Formosa. 5 other AK are loading supplies in Bangkok and their escort is arriving from Saigon.
Malaya
179 Navy and Army bombers hit Singapore airfield. 72 men and a gun were disabled and 1 supply dump destroyed (with 75 other hits). AA fire hit badly a Ki-21 that was lost during the return to base. Artillery fire was more efficient and hit 348 men.
The barge TF that carried troops to Kuala some days ago left Kuala Lumpur to Johore Bharu and will be used in preliminary operations to seize Sinkep and Jambi. A SNLF will be carried by trains from Kuala Lumpur to Johore. Still two Dutch submarine are in the area and Nells and Ki-30 of Johore will chase them tomorrow.
Burma
The usual raids hit the 21st Bde in Pagan (14 Hurri and 10 P-40B from Pagan, 13 cas) and the 33rd Div now W of Mandalay (39 Hurris and 12 P-40B from Mandalay, 54 cas). Two Hurricanes were lost in accidents.
The Japanese troops (4th Mixed Rgt, a SNLF, HQ 15th Army and an ART unit) attacked Taung Gyi and for the first time since a month some king of aerial support was planned. Ten Ki-27s took off from Rahaeng to strafe Allied troops but didn’t find the target… The shock attack was nevertheless a success (at 6 to 1, fort 1, 176 Japanese and 12 Allied cas) and the 1st Burma Rifles Bde retreated, leaving the town by the trail leaving SE ! It will have to walk 2 months in the jungle to arrive to Lashio, the closest Allied base. By this date it will probably be no more an Allied base. The other good news are that 96 of the 100 ressources of Taung Gyi were taken intact.
The SNLF will remain in Pagan to hold it against an eventual comeback of the Burmese Bde, that will probably become a guerrilla unit given its new position. Other troops are sent to Pagan to help the 21st Bde to take it.
The two Zero Daitais assigned to this theatre flew again from Bangkok to Rangoon. As the last time they will rest one day and then LRCAP troops in Central Burma to intercept Hurricanes.
China
Artilley fire hit 53 Chinese men in Yenen. The map at the end of the turn showed 9 units in Yenen but the combat animation showed IIRC no new combat unit. So they might be a new Chinese HQ in Yenen.
Korea
The DD Kazegumo was commissioned in Port Arthur and sailed to Japan to join a combat formation. Limited operations are planned in the Aleutians in March and will be supported by the new warships launched and lightly damaged ships returning from Hawaii. The flagship will be the CA Chikuma, currently sailing to Tokyo with SYS 13 after a CD hit off PH.
Before these operations if will probably be useful to have some ASW-capable DD off Japan as the Allied submarines have left PH and may use Dutch Harbor or Anchorage as bases to reach Japanese waters.
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AmiralLaurent
- Posts: 3351
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 8:53 pm
- Location: Near Paris, France
2 February 1942
2 February 1942
Only one turn done yesterday... my Net connexion at home is no more working [:@], I hope it will be quikly fixed. I haven't played WITP for 16 hours now and my hands are not shaking... yet. Not too bad for a WITPolic like me. [:'(]
Northern Pacific
The first firing of the war in the area took place during the night. Two DDs were searching an American AV off Amchitka but only the DD Asakaze found and engaged the AVD Gillis and fought her at 7-8.000 yards. The Japanese ship was not hit while the AVD was heavily damaged by one torpedo and some shells. It is hoped that she will sink before reaching a good Allied port.
The two DDs then sailed at full speed westwards towards Kuriles but ran out of fuel 360 miles out of Amchitka. An empty AK of a convoy returning from Hawaii to Japan was detached and sailed towards them to refuel them at sea.
Central Pacific
During the night some MSW were active off Kona while farther east the SS S-23 that was hit on the 23rd by an ASW group sank while trying to reach the West Coast. It is the 15th Allied submarine sunk, the second by surface ships.
The night bombardment followed the same scheme as the last time. Both BB TFs attacked together and CDs were only able to repel one. 3 BBs and 2 CAs so engaged the CDs (187 cas and 5 guns hits, 49 shells fired by CDs) and then 5 BBs and 1 CA could hit the base, receiving only 18 shots in return and hitting 1421 men, 26 guns, 3 vehicles and 3 BBs, 2 DDs (1 heavily damaged) and 1 AD in the port.
PBY were again active over Hawaii but may be based in Palmyra now rather than PH that was reported almost empty by patrols. A PBY was shot down by Zero but a Zero was also lost today to an Allied patrol aircraft at an unknown place. And to my great surprise PH launched a raid today. 4 P-39D escorted by 3 F4F-4, 2 P-40B and 3 P-40E, probably all available aircraft, attacked a convoy SW of PH and an AP was hit by a 250lb bomb. She was not seriously hit and will continue to sail back to Japan with one escort. 2 P-39D and 1 P-40E were lost operationnaly by the Allied forces today and may have crashed on battered PH runways. And revenge was exacted in the afternoon when 87 Kates raided PH AFs at 20000 feet. They suffered no loss and only 4 were hit, showing another time that PH is running out of ammunition… They destroyed on the ground 2 F4F-4, 1 P-39D, 1 PBY and 1 P-40B and hit 226 men and 5 guns. Artillery fire then targeted Allied lines and hit nobody but reports showed only 65000 able men in PH, 10000 less than during the initial landing.
Mavis continued to recon Palmyra and reported 2 TFs of one AP each and another of one “CA”-DD, the one that probably escaped from PH yesterday. They were covered by a CAP of 14 P-40E that shot down today the Glen of the I-25 when it got too close of the island (she will go to Lahaina to pick a replacement while I-9 sails north from Canton Island area to replace her). Clouds covered the island and so no raid was launched from Johnson, where a big TF will arrive in two days, and that will then receive more bombers.
After the escape of this ship and the apparent lack of supplies of PH, that will probably fall soon, a general stampede from PH is probable. To prevent it the Japanese CV were reorganised into a fast and a slow TF, and will probably remain more or less so in the future. CarDiv 1 is the fast one, led by Yamaguchi, and made of CV Akagi, Soryu, Hiryu, Shokaku and Zuikaku, CVL Shoho and Zuiho, 1 CA, 2 CL, 6 DD. It carries today 332 AC and can make 26 knots. CarDiv 2 is led by Nagumo, made of CV Kaga, CVL Ruyjo, CVE Taiho and Hosho, CS Chitose and Chiyoda, 1 CA, 1 CL, 6 DD, carries 136 AC and 42 floatplanes and is able to do 20 knots.
CarDiv 1 will sail to the NE of PH with a surface TF (1 CA, 2 CL, 3 DD) to catch any ship fleeing towards the West Coast. CarDiv 2 will sail S and intercept ships going to Palmyra and will also be assisted by a little surface TF (1 CA, 3 DD). Johnson Island bombers and a Daitai of Nells in Lahaina will also be used for naval attacks. If no naval target is seen CarDiv2 will recon Christmas Island.
The result of today bombing attacks show that PH fire is far less dangerous than some days ago, that probably means that it is lacking supplies. Bombardments will continue with IJAAF bombers and the 2 BB TFs. The 16th Div will remain in reserve and a new transport TF is created in Lahaina with 6 3000-ton AP (that will land the part of 4th and 48th Div and 3rd and 21st Eng Rgt not landed in PH in the first assault, 4000 men on the whole) and 17 AK (carrying 46 000 supplies) escorted by 3 CL for counter battery fire, 11 PG and 11 PC. Once all troops in PH will be complete and supplied the final assault will begin.
In Lahaina, 2 APs and 1 PG were declared saved and left the port to join a docked TF. Two convoys of damaged ships sailing respectively at 3-4 knots and 5-7 knots left today Lahaina for Japan. The damaged ships (7 AP, 2 DD, 1 APD, 1 PG) are escorted by 4 PG, 6 MSW and 1 CL (to draw aircraft).
One of the convoys returning to Japan is running out of fuel N of Midway and has been ordered to sail to this base, where 4 TK (originally planed to go to Lahaina) will arrive with fuel.
Southern Pacific
Another malaria-ridden island joined by its own initiative the Empire: Noemfoor’s mosquitoes are strongly in favor of the Great Coprosperity Sphere and will welcome Japanese soldiers anytime.
Philippines
The air power of the area was greatly improved by the arrival of 10 Ki-27s in Appari. They will bomb and strafe Allied troops from there.
Dutch East Indies
Sending submarines off Darwin paid off. During the night the damaged Dutch DD Van Galen was sunk by the I-165 60 miles of Darwin, that she was trying to reach after being torpedoed by LBA off Lautem. Some hours after dawn the RO-34 found the AK Van Neck unescorted E of Tenimbar and attacked on the surface, heavily damaging her with 2 torpedoes and some shells. Both submarines moved in the evening, respectively towards Derby and Amboina.
An AP convoy is screened since two days by Japanese patrol planes going from Timor to Java and 26 Nells were sent in the evening from Menado to Balikpapan to attack it. Transport AC will continue to bring air support personnel from Jolo to Balikpapan.
Japanese merchants will leave Menado, the AP load the last part of 65th Bde that was not carried by the first convoy and will join it while the TKs will go to Tarakan and load oil before sailing back to Japan.
Malaya
162 Ki-21s and Ki-48s bombed Singapore but only hits 4 men, 1 gun, 2 supply hits and scored 117 hits on the airfield, while one bomber of each type was shot down by AA fire. These airfield raids are rather ineffective and costly lately and troops will be bombarded starting from tomorrow. Japanese artillery fire hit 469 men today. Troops will have one more day of rest and will attack in two days.
SE of Singapore the heavy aerial ASW patrols finally scored a hit when a Ki-30 bombed the Dutch SS O24.
The planned paradrop on Singkawang is still planned and waiting for a clear weather day.
Burma
Allied aircraft didn’t fly and the only war activity was in Pagan where the 21st Bde bombarded Allied lines but scored no hit.
The 14th Tk Rgt that is currently SE of Mandalay received orders to march NE to cut the Mandalay-Lashio road. I also played with the idea to send most of my troops to the 33rd Div bridgehead while the 21st Bde will fix Allied troops in Pagan, rather than take Pagan first. The idea being that if I repulse them from Pagan they will go to Akyab that I don’t plan to take before mid-March and they will have time to go there. Anyway I decided finally to take Pagan and then to concentrate troops to take Mandalay, Lashio and Mitkyina faster.
The 2 Zero Daitais of Rangoon will LRCAP Pagan tomorrow to try to catch the Allied FBs.
China
56 Ki-51 bombed resources centers in Changsha again but only disabled 11 (bringing the total of disabled centers to 288) with 15 hits while losing 3 of their number to AA fire.
Japanese artillery fire hit 344 men in Yenen.
Supply is becoming scarce in Canton, mainly because the 14th Army convoy loaded there, and an AK service is established to bring in Canton part of the useless supply docks in nearby ports, Swatow, Amoy and Wenchow all having more than 20000.
Only one turn done yesterday... my Net connexion at home is no more working [:@], I hope it will be quikly fixed. I haven't played WITP for 16 hours now and my hands are not shaking... yet. Not too bad for a WITPolic like me. [:'(]
Northern Pacific
The first firing of the war in the area took place during the night. Two DDs were searching an American AV off Amchitka but only the DD Asakaze found and engaged the AVD Gillis and fought her at 7-8.000 yards. The Japanese ship was not hit while the AVD was heavily damaged by one torpedo and some shells. It is hoped that she will sink before reaching a good Allied port.
The two DDs then sailed at full speed westwards towards Kuriles but ran out of fuel 360 miles out of Amchitka. An empty AK of a convoy returning from Hawaii to Japan was detached and sailed towards them to refuel them at sea.
Central Pacific
During the night some MSW were active off Kona while farther east the SS S-23 that was hit on the 23rd by an ASW group sank while trying to reach the West Coast. It is the 15th Allied submarine sunk, the second by surface ships.
The night bombardment followed the same scheme as the last time. Both BB TFs attacked together and CDs were only able to repel one. 3 BBs and 2 CAs so engaged the CDs (187 cas and 5 guns hits, 49 shells fired by CDs) and then 5 BBs and 1 CA could hit the base, receiving only 18 shots in return and hitting 1421 men, 26 guns, 3 vehicles and 3 BBs, 2 DDs (1 heavily damaged) and 1 AD in the port.
PBY were again active over Hawaii but may be based in Palmyra now rather than PH that was reported almost empty by patrols. A PBY was shot down by Zero but a Zero was also lost today to an Allied patrol aircraft at an unknown place. And to my great surprise PH launched a raid today. 4 P-39D escorted by 3 F4F-4, 2 P-40B and 3 P-40E, probably all available aircraft, attacked a convoy SW of PH and an AP was hit by a 250lb bomb. She was not seriously hit and will continue to sail back to Japan with one escort. 2 P-39D and 1 P-40E were lost operationnaly by the Allied forces today and may have crashed on battered PH runways. And revenge was exacted in the afternoon when 87 Kates raided PH AFs at 20000 feet. They suffered no loss and only 4 were hit, showing another time that PH is running out of ammunition… They destroyed on the ground 2 F4F-4, 1 P-39D, 1 PBY and 1 P-40B and hit 226 men and 5 guns. Artillery fire then targeted Allied lines and hit nobody but reports showed only 65000 able men in PH, 10000 less than during the initial landing.
Mavis continued to recon Palmyra and reported 2 TFs of one AP each and another of one “CA”-DD, the one that probably escaped from PH yesterday. They were covered by a CAP of 14 P-40E that shot down today the Glen of the I-25 when it got too close of the island (she will go to Lahaina to pick a replacement while I-9 sails north from Canton Island area to replace her). Clouds covered the island and so no raid was launched from Johnson, where a big TF will arrive in two days, and that will then receive more bombers.
After the escape of this ship and the apparent lack of supplies of PH, that will probably fall soon, a general stampede from PH is probable. To prevent it the Japanese CV were reorganised into a fast and a slow TF, and will probably remain more or less so in the future. CarDiv 1 is the fast one, led by Yamaguchi, and made of CV Akagi, Soryu, Hiryu, Shokaku and Zuikaku, CVL Shoho and Zuiho, 1 CA, 2 CL, 6 DD. It carries today 332 AC and can make 26 knots. CarDiv 2 is led by Nagumo, made of CV Kaga, CVL Ruyjo, CVE Taiho and Hosho, CS Chitose and Chiyoda, 1 CA, 1 CL, 6 DD, carries 136 AC and 42 floatplanes and is able to do 20 knots.
CarDiv 1 will sail to the NE of PH with a surface TF (1 CA, 2 CL, 3 DD) to catch any ship fleeing towards the West Coast. CarDiv 2 will sail S and intercept ships going to Palmyra and will also be assisted by a little surface TF (1 CA, 3 DD). Johnson Island bombers and a Daitai of Nells in Lahaina will also be used for naval attacks. If no naval target is seen CarDiv2 will recon Christmas Island.
The result of today bombing attacks show that PH fire is far less dangerous than some days ago, that probably means that it is lacking supplies. Bombardments will continue with IJAAF bombers and the 2 BB TFs. The 16th Div will remain in reserve and a new transport TF is created in Lahaina with 6 3000-ton AP (that will land the part of 4th and 48th Div and 3rd and 21st Eng Rgt not landed in PH in the first assault, 4000 men on the whole) and 17 AK (carrying 46 000 supplies) escorted by 3 CL for counter battery fire, 11 PG and 11 PC. Once all troops in PH will be complete and supplied the final assault will begin.
In Lahaina, 2 APs and 1 PG were declared saved and left the port to join a docked TF. Two convoys of damaged ships sailing respectively at 3-4 knots and 5-7 knots left today Lahaina for Japan. The damaged ships (7 AP, 2 DD, 1 APD, 1 PG) are escorted by 4 PG, 6 MSW and 1 CL (to draw aircraft).
One of the convoys returning to Japan is running out of fuel N of Midway and has been ordered to sail to this base, where 4 TK (originally planed to go to Lahaina) will arrive with fuel.
Southern Pacific
Another malaria-ridden island joined by its own initiative the Empire: Noemfoor’s mosquitoes are strongly in favor of the Great Coprosperity Sphere and will welcome Japanese soldiers anytime.
Philippines
The air power of the area was greatly improved by the arrival of 10 Ki-27s in Appari. They will bomb and strafe Allied troops from there.
Dutch East Indies
Sending submarines off Darwin paid off. During the night the damaged Dutch DD Van Galen was sunk by the I-165 60 miles of Darwin, that she was trying to reach after being torpedoed by LBA off Lautem. Some hours after dawn the RO-34 found the AK Van Neck unescorted E of Tenimbar and attacked on the surface, heavily damaging her with 2 torpedoes and some shells. Both submarines moved in the evening, respectively towards Derby and Amboina.
An AP convoy is screened since two days by Japanese patrol planes going from Timor to Java and 26 Nells were sent in the evening from Menado to Balikpapan to attack it. Transport AC will continue to bring air support personnel from Jolo to Balikpapan.
Japanese merchants will leave Menado, the AP load the last part of 65th Bde that was not carried by the first convoy and will join it while the TKs will go to Tarakan and load oil before sailing back to Japan.
Malaya
162 Ki-21s and Ki-48s bombed Singapore but only hits 4 men, 1 gun, 2 supply hits and scored 117 hits on the airfield, while one bomber of each type was shot down by AA fire. These airfield raids are rather ineffective and costly lately and troops will be bombarded starting from tomorrow. Japanese artillery fire hit 469 men today. Troops will have one more day of rest and will attack in two days.
SE of Singapore the heavy aerial ASW patrols finally scored a hit when a Ki-30 bombed the Dutch SS O24.
The planned paradrop on Singkawang is still planned and waiting for a clear weather day.
Burma
Allied aircraft didn’t fly and the only war activity was in Pagan where the 21st Bde bombarded Allied lines but scored no hit.
The 14th Tk Rgt that is currently SE of Mandalay received orders to march NE to cut the Mandalay-Lashio road. I also played with the idea to send most of my troops to the 33rd Div bridgehead while the 21st Bde will fix Allied troops in Pagan, rather than take Pagan first. The idea being that if I repulse them from Pagan they will go to Akyab that I don’t plan to take before mid-March and they will have time to go there. Anyway I decided finally to take Pagan and then to concentrate troops to take Mandalay, Lashio and Mitkyina faster.
The 2 Zero Daitais of Rangoon will LRCAP Pagan tomorrow to try to catch the Allied FBs.
China
56 Ki-51 bombed resources centers in Changsha again but only disabled 11 (bringing the total of disabled centers to 288) with 15 hits while losing 3 of their number to AA fire.
Japanese artillery fire hit 344 men in Yenen.
Supply is becoming scarce in Canton, mainly because the 14th Army convoy loaded there, and an AK service is established to bring in Canton part of the useless supply docks in nearby ports, Swatow, Amoy and Wenchow all having more than 20000.
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Rob Brennan UK
- Posts: 3685
- Joined: Sat Aug 24, 2002 8:36 pm
- Location: London UK
RE: 2 February 1942
Cor ,, just discovered this AAR and its a very good read and also very exciting ..
Adm Laurent .. your english is superb , far better than my french at least
and taking PH .. didnt think it was possible .. congratulations ( i hope) this is now subscribed and im awaiting the next turn with baited breath ! [&o][&o]
Good luck
Adm Laurent .. your english is superb , far better than my french at least
and taking PH .. didnt think it was possible .. congratulations ( i hope) this is now subscribed and im awaiting the next turn with baited breath ! [&o][&o]
Good luck
sorry for the spelling . English is my main language , I just can't type . and i'm too lazy to edit
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AmiralLaurent
- Posts: 3351
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 8:53 pm
- Location: Near Paris, France
3-4 February 1942
ORIGINAL: Rob Brennan UK
and taking PH .. didnt think it was possible .. congratulations ( i hope) this is now subscribed and im awaiting the next turn with baited breath ! [&o][&o]
Good luck
Thanks. PH has not been taken yet, so I won't rejoice in advance, but will probably fall this month. Singapore will fall this month and I am confident that Mandalay will too. So I'm seriously thinking to the "what next?" question. Java and PI are obvious targets but how and will how many troops is another question. WITP requires to plan 3 months in advance for maximal efficiency and currently I have plans up to April 1942. It's time to think seriously to the third phase: May-July 1942.
3-4 February 1942
Northern Pacific
The Glen-carrying SS I-28 was commissioned in Tokyo on the 3 and became the flagship of 4 other submarines (two minelayers and two fleet subs lightly damaged in Pacific and repaired in Tokyo last month) that will operate off Aleutians and Alaska.
Central Pacific
Clouds grounded Lahaina bombers for two days. Pearl Harbor defenders had least had quiet days but their night were still noisy. As usual the two BB TF bombarded each night. The CD guns were able to repulse them on the night of the 2nd-3rd, firing 90 shells and destroying some AA guns aboard the CA Aoba but lost 728 men and 18 guns. The next night, 5 BB crushed the CD (618 cas and 17 guns hit) while 3 BB and 2 CA hit the base (1530 men and 45 guns hit, the 3 BB and 1 AK (heavily damaged) hit in the port and 17 hits on the airfield). Japanese troops on the island now only face 63500 able men. No raid was launched from PH but PBYs flew the two days and one was shot down by a Zero on the 3.
The last Allied mines off Kona were swept on the 3. An APD TF sailed there on the 4 and loaded the present troops of 16th Div (500 men) that will take French Frigate Shoals.
No raid was launched from Johnson against Palmyra, that was covered both days by 13-20 P-40E. Allied engineers expanded the local airfield to size 3 on the 4 and recons report now 12000 men (2 units) there. Ships are still off the island but the DD that escaped from PH was seen by a Glen sailing south on the 3 and left the area.
Another warship, the DD USS Maury tried to escape from PH following the same path on the 4 but Cardiv 2 was in position to intercept it and in the afternoon 22 Vals and 19 Kates sank her with 13 250kb bombs 300 miles N of Palmyra. This CV TF will sail tomorrow 360 miles N of Palmyra and his escort force will so be able to bombard the island the next night.
Japanese engineers are also working and expanded Lahaina AF to size 5 on the 4. This extra space was immediately used as 27 Betties and 20 Tinas arrived from Midway to fly over PH, respectively to bomb and drop supplies. 24 Zeroes left Lahaina for Johnson Island, where there are now 160 air support points, and will help to reduce Palmyra Island.
The second wave convoy for PH had loading problems… It was supposed to load 4000 men but the 500 of the remnant of 48th Div boarded all six 3000 and repulsed any attempt by other units to board the ships… not especially a professional attitude. So I create a new transport TF to load the other units and will then merge then. This TF will go to PH as soon as a full bombing day hit PH. Not tomorrow, as one BB TF didn’t have time to rearm today and only one BB TF will pound PH tomorrow.
Southern Pacific
Two CD units and 3 Construction Bns currently in reserve in Formosa were ordered on the 3 to board AP that will carry them to Kwajalein and then to Pacific Islands.
Philippines
11 Aparri-based Nates strafed unsuccessfully the 71st PA Div in San Marcelino on the 4. The only goal of these raids is to identify targeted units.
Dutch East Indies
13 Java-based B-17Cs of the 19th BG flew to Balikpapan on the 3. The two Daitais of Zero here were on 70% Cap but for some reason more Zeroes flew escort (see later) than CAP and only 20 intercepted the raid. They shot down one bomber without loss and the B-17Cs scored 5 oil hits but in fact they hit only already disabled centers and did no new damage.
The same day 22 Nells escorted by 27 Zeroes left Balikpapan in the morning to hit an AK convoy 120 miles NE of Bali (the convoy seen thes 2 last days heading to Java) and scored 11 torpedo hits (50%, but two duds) to sink the AK Senang and Sorabaja and heavily damage the AK Ban Ho Guan with 2 torpedoes. 9 escorted Nells took off again in the afternoon and sank the AK Tjikanti sailing alone more south, 60 miles NE Raba.
The BB TF that was slowed because some DDs ran out of fuel and it has ‘no refueling’ orders finally reached Balikpapan on the 4 without having done the bombardment of Macassar planned.
On the 4, 19 B-17C returned to attack Balikpapan oilfieds but met this time 31 Zeroes, as both Daitais were on 100% CAP, and lost 7 bombers shot down while damaging only some Zeroes. They scored two oil hits but they were effective this time and 8 more oil centers were disabled, leeving 204 usable.
The 65th Bde convoy has been joined by the light surface TF and will be joined tomorrow by the BB TF. It managed to sail past the staits S of Tarakan without being attacked by submarines and will reach Macassar in two days.
The last report of Allied warships was the sighting of 9 “CA” in Darwin on the 3. The damaged AP Van Neck, hit by the RO-34, sank the same day off Darwin.
On Borneo the SNLF and 4th Mixed Bde sent W of Balikpapan to chase Dutch troops arrived too late, they were already on the next hex. They will march back to Balikpapan and will be ship-carried to Banjarmasin.
A convoy is loading in Japan the 3 BF of the 128th serie (IJA, IJN and IJNAF) and will carry them to this area, where they will manage small and rear area bases, so the big base forces will be concentrated on forward bases (Kendari, Balikpapan and Menado).
Sumatra
The Palembang operation will begin tomorrow with a 3 pronged preliminary offensive:
1) 24 Tabbies and 54 Topsies will drop the 2nd Para Rgt from Johore Bharu to Singkawang, to take the airfield and destroy the patrol planes based here. Johore Bharu Nells will bomb the BF based here to support the attack.
2) the CA TF in Johore Bharu (4 CA, 4 DD) will carry a Naval Gd unit to Sinkep Island S of Singapore
3) 11 barges will carry half of a SNLF to Jambi.
The main convoy carrying the 14th Army is now in South Chinea Sea and will arrive at Jambi in 9 days.
Malaya
Ki-21 and Ki-48 bombed during two days at Singapore the 22nd Aud Bde and Singapore Fortress on the 3 (111 AC, 2 AA losses, 72 men hit) and the 4 (106 AC, no loss, 46 men hit) while 40 Nells bombed unsuccessfully the airfield on the 4. A Ki-30 bombed and hit on the 3 the last Dutch submarine in the area, the O-21, SW of Johore Bharu but she was still there the next day.
Japanese artillery hit 465 defenders of Singapore on the 3 and the well-rested Japanese troops launched a shock attack the next day. The ratio was for the first time 1 to 1 and the forst were reduced from level 6 to 5. It costed 4140 Japanese casualties vs 1700 Allied but this is the beginning of the end for the Malaya Army. Japanese units were not all disrupted at 80% after the attack and the next shock attack will be in 3 days. Also the Allied score fell this turn of at least 80 points and that means that a big Allied base is lacking supplies. It is almost certainly Singapore.
Burma
On the 3 42 Hurricanes, escorted by 11 P-40B, bombed the 33rd Div W of Mandalay and hit 57 men. Zeroes LRCAPing Pagan saw nothing so the next day they were ordered to cover the 33rd Div.
So on the next day 18 Zeroes were orbiting the are when the daily raid (42 Hurricanes and 22 P-40B) arrived. But this time the AVG won the battle. The F1/3rd Daitai lost 8 Zeroes while shooting down only 2 P-40Bs and 2 Hurricanes). The F1/Yamada was more successful and shot down 5 P-40B and 2 Hurricanes without loss. The FBs hit the troops again and disabled 68 men.
In the evening the two Zero Daitais were grounded for rest while 36 Oscars arrived in Rangoon as reinforcements. After I sent the turn, I thought twice about it and my conclusion was that I have made 3 mistakes:
1) a strategic mistake : I am trying to dispute the control of the air over Burma while it has very little influence on the ground war and so is not important. For this I have used 2 Zero Daitais (half of the forces available from Mandalay to Kwajalein….) for 8 days and will wait several days until the beaten unit recovered.
2) an operational mistake: there is still no air HQ in Rangoon and so my units don’t fly at full strength. The HQ 3rd Air Division has been ordered to Rangoon from Bangkok.
3) a tactical mistake: these Zeroes LRCAPed two days in a row and were too fatigued to be efficient.
The end result of the operation is that in 8 days I shot down 13 P-40B and 13 Hurricanes and lost 10 Zeroes and their pilots. I can’t afford that. So I have decided to retire all fighters from Burma for the time being and use them over DEI, where the enemy is less powerful.
The convoy carrying 4 BF from Japan to Bangkok is unloading in this port and these BF will go to bases in Burma area so when aircraft will return they will be correctly supported.
Japanese ground units continued to advance according to orders. A Tank Rgt will cut the road between Mandalay and Lashio tomorrow.
China
The usual artillery fire continued in Yenen and hit 620 Chinese in two days. My opponent is apparently rotating his units. An HQ arrived some days ago and another (or the same) left the town on the 3 and is now W of the city with probably a corps.
On the 4, 32 Ki-51 bombed Yenen AF and scored 11 hits (2 on supply) for 2 losses to AA.
Tomorrow the strategic resource air offensive will start again with a raid of 35 Ki-48 from Hanoi against Kumming.
-
AmiralLaurent
- Posts: 3351
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 8:53 pm
- Location: Near Paris, France
First American victory of the war
5-7 February 1942
Northern Pacific
Allied engineers expanded the size of Nome airfield to size 4.
Central Pacific (1) : the Battle of Palmyra Island
It started with a standard “sea superiority” operation by CarDiv2 and ended as the first American victory of the war.
CarDiv 2 (Kaga, Ruyjo, Taiho and Hosho) was ordered on the evening of the 5 to sail 240 miles NE of Palmyra Island to chase Allied ships in the area and recon with floaplanes Palmyra and Christmas Island. LBA of Johnson Island was in support. But here I made a mistake. I thought a recent message said Allied engineers expanded Palmyra AF to size 3, in fact it was the port, AF was already size 4.
And so on the morning of the 6 the battle began by a sweep of 27 Zeroes of F2/3rd from Johnson to Palmyra. They met 15 P-40E of 49th FG and lost the battle, 4 Zeroes and 3 P-40E being shot down.
The next action was over CarDiv 2 when 6 B-26B, 3 B-25C and 4 P-40E attacked and met a CAP of 52 Zeroes, that shot down without loss the 4 P-40Es, 5 B-26B and 2 B-25. The 3 surviving bombers missed the CA Chokai. I was excepting this kind of weak raid and though the bombers attacked the first available target.
So I was chocked to see the real raid arrive: 31 B-26, 11 B-25 and 24 P-40E targeting the carriers. The Cap was the same but shot down “only” 14 P-40, 1 B-26 and 2 B-25s while losing 3 Zeroes. A bad day for the 49th FG but they really brough the bombers safe to their targets. Then I was still relaxing, those American level bombers in 1942 can’t hit Shinano in a pond… the first plane to attack (a B-25) was even shot down by AA. But it was the only one and some minutes later two Japanese carriers were burning. They were the CVE Taiho (4 bomb hits, 2 fuel explosions) and Hosho (1 bomb hit, 1 fuel explosion).
At the same time Vals and Kates from Kaga were executing the DD Craven SW of Christmas Island, at range 5. She took 15 bombs and sank.
Things were turning bad and could have gotten worse in the afternoon. All 27 Zeroes of the Taiho were apparently airborne during the battle and all landed aboard the Kaga. It seems to me that v1.602 is ignoring the 115% rule for diverting AC abord CVs. In this case, the Kaga has now 21 Vals, 21 Kates and 50 Zeroes aboard = 91 AC for a capacity of 72. So she launched no AC in the afternoon. While Palmyra airmen returned… the first raid targeted again the escorting surface TF with 3 B-25 and 3 B-26 and met only 15 Zeroes, that shot down 2 B-26. A CA and a DD were missed. The main afternoon followed with 20 B-26B and 11 P-40E and the CAP was only able to shot down 3 P-40 and 3 B-26B. The 17 other all missed this time….
At the end of the day, both CVE were closed (Hosho Zeroes flew during the afternoon). Taiho was damaged at 60/25/49 and able to do 8 knots and 15 hexes away from the nearby port. Hosho was less damaged (forgot to note how much) and able to do 13 knots. I created 2 escort TF, each with a damaged CVE and 3 DDs. Kaga’s Vals flew to Johnson Island, so Zeroes and Kates would be able to fly. I thought Taiho was doomed and didn’t want to risk Kaga and Ruyjo to save her so the two CVs were ordered a hex north of the position Taiho will reach the next day and probably in the hex where Hosho would be.
Reinforcements were ordered to join the fleet. 3 CAs and 6 BBs left Lahaina while CarDiv 1 patrolling NE of PH was ordered at full speed to the area in case the US CVs came. Johson Island AC were ordered to raid Palmyra to try to help.
So 5 Nells bombed Palmyra during the night but hit nothing. After dawn 38 Zeroes also from Johnson swept the skies above Palmyra and met 16 P-40, shooting down 4 for one loss. Allied bombers targeted both CVEs in the morning and were opposed by about ten Zeroes above each. First raid (5 B-26, 3 B-25) missed the Hosho, shot down a Zero and lost a B-26. The second (11 B-26) lost 2 B-26 to CAP but scored 3 more hits on Taiho…In the afternoon 14 B-26B attacked again but met 11 Zeroes and all turned back after one B-26 has been shot down and several damaged.
Nevertheless at the end of the day, the Taiho is now damaged at 96/56/39 and no more moving. The Hosho is damaged at 54/10/8 and will escape but Taiho is now doomed. The only reason I didn’t scuttle her this turn is that it seems to me Japanese ship control has been increased slightly in v1.6/1.602 and I want to see her state tomorrow.
CarDiv 1 will arrive near the cripples tomorrow. The 3 CA and 6 DD sent from PH wail sail tomorrow to 6 hexes NE of Palmyra and bombard it the next night.
The battle is not finished but the score for now is in American favor:
Japanese losses: a CVE lost, another damaged, 9 Zeroes, 1 Kate
Allied losses: 2 DD sunk, 28 P-40E, 15 B-26B, 5 B-25C
And I could have been far worse… the bug cancelling ops on the Kaga on the afternoon of the 6 is really serious. I was lucky all bombs missed. I am also lucky that none Zero or pilot of the Taiho is trapped aboard the burning wreck.
Central Pacific (2) : Hawaii operations
Pearl Harbor was bombarded during the night of 4-5 by 3 BB and 2 CA (164 cas). A PBY was shot down by Zeroes during the day but clouds cancelled other raids.
The next night the two BB TF were off PH and both overwhelmed the CD defences and hit the base, a sign the defences were becoming weaker. Combined losses were 5700 men, 518 guns, 3 SBD and 1 P-40E destroyed on the ground and 1 PC on fire in the port. The 3 wrecked BBs in the port were also all hits by more than a dozen shell and all were on fire after the second raid. Allied guns only fired 22 shells but one managed to disable a 5in gun abord the BB Nagato.
Clouds cleared during the day for the first time this month and 103 bombers bombed the airfield, hitting 58 men and destroying 2 PBY and 1 SBD.
So in the evening of the 6 and as planned the second wave convoy left Lahaina for Pearl Harbor with 4000 men and 50000 supplies. To free CA and DD to help CarDiv 2, the 8 BBs were put in the same TF that was ordered to pound PH during the night. Troops were planned to arrive and land in the afternoon.
Plan was not followed. There was no BB bombardment during the night, either my fault or ?, and the transport TF was off PH at the end of the turn but didn’t unload despite ‘do not unload’ was NOT activated… 90 Lahaina bombers had hit PH AF and port (only IJAAF bombers) during the day, destroying 1 PBY, scoring some bomb hits on BBs and hitting 20 men but losing 1 Ki-48 and 1 Ki-21 to AA fire.
Allied troops in PH opened fire again with guns on Japanese troops on the 7, hitting 25 men.
Minesweeping operations continued in Hawaii Islands and all Japanese-held islands are now mine-free. Another secondary operation saw 3 APD land 400 men of 16th Div on French Frigate Shoals on the 7 and the atoll was seized.
In the period 6 AP and 3 DD saw their FLT reduced to 0 and left Lahaina. 7 more AP and 1 PC are still there, one of the AP with FLT 86 and several more around 70.
The orders for the PH landings have been reissued. The problem is that the landing will be before the naval bombardment by the 8 BBs.
Southern Pacific
There was one military event: on the 7 16 Truk-based Nells bombed Rabaul at 20000 feet just to be sure the base was still occupied. They drew AA fire and reported seeing 3 units in the base. They scored no hits and suffered no loss.
Other than that, several small Tfs are operating in the Marshalls. I will only only use Kwajalein, Maloelap, Jaluit and Ponape and is bringing all troops, supply and fuel from the other bases to them.
Philippines
On the 5, 10 Ki-27s strafed the 71st PA Div in San Marcelino and hit 11 men but one Nate was lost in an accident.
On the 7 3 DD brought part of a NLF from Ormoc to Guian, that will be occupied tomorrow.
Dutch East Indies
Note : the effective boundary between the DEI Japanese Command and the Malaya Command has been fixed as the middle of Borneo. Sumatra and the NW corner of Borneo are now under Malaya Command responbability.
A convoy with two TK arrived at Tarakan on the night of the 4-5 and met a submarine-laid minefield. The four MSW of the escort swept it and as often (always?) happens when MSW swept the last mine of a minefield and they are in a TF with other ships, another ship (in this case a TK) hit a mine. She was docked in Tarakan with damaged$ 41/51/1 and 3 days later is still at 41/48/0… The 4 MSW were detached from the convoy and sent to Balikpapan where they cleared completely another minefield on the 7. The remaining undamaged TK is loading oil for Hong Kong.
On the 5, 9 B-17C from Java raided again Balikpapan but were intercepted by 28 Zeroes. 4 B-17s and 2 Zeroes were shot down in the battle. The remaining American bombers missed their target.
During the night of 5-6, 2 BB, 4 CA, 2 CL and 6 DD bombarded Macassar while the 65th Bde landed there. The base fell on the 7 and the Makassar Garrison Bn and the 9th DAF BF surrendered (2700 POWs). The only Allied reaction was by Java-based B-17, 3 of them flying on each day. On the 7 one scored a hit on the BB Kongo and destroyed a 5in gun.
On the 6 Hollandia-based Nells flew recon over Darwin and reported a CAP of 15 P-39D, that shot down one of the two Nells sent there. Other than that the recon only saw 4 “CAs” and a TF of 4 SS off Darwin.
A secondary operation was launched in N Borneo on the 6 when the Kure 1st SNLF landed in the hex NE of Brunei to capture the 106 RN BF that went there after the fall of Brunei. The first (deliberate) attack the next day was at 5 to 1 but the British didn’t surrender. A shock attack will be launched tomorrow.
On the 7 air patrols reported 4 APs off Maumere (S of Macassar) and sailing NW (towards Java). Both surface TF at Macassar will try to intercept it at sea NW of Maumere (1 and 2 hexes from this base) and then return to Balikpapan.
The damaged AK Ban Ho Guan sank on the 6 in Soerabaja port. Japanese intelligence confirmed also that the AK Capillo, torpedoed on the 11th December by the mini-KB off Borneo, was scuttled by her crew.
Sumatra - Malaya
The Palembang operation started on earnest in the night of 4-5 when the CA TF of Johore brought a Naval Guard unit to Sinkep Island, south of Singapore. The base was empty, as reported by aerial recons and was occupied the next day.
On the 5, Singkawang was attacked from Singapore first by 31 Nells that hit 106 men of the 11th DAF BF and then by the 2nd Parachute Rgt that was dropped on the base and took it. The DAF BF retreated to Pontaniak and the Japanese captured 5 Do24K-2 based here. Only loss was a Topsy lost in an accident. The next days, transport aircraft brought there a small BF and supplies while 15 escorted Martins bombed the airfield on the 6, scoring 10 hits. The first aircraft (2 Ki-46) arrived in the evening of the 7.
The barge convoy for Jambi was slower and was covered during the night of the 5-6 by the CA TF and the next day LRCAPed by Oscars but wasn’t attacked. It landed troops on Jambi during the night of 6-7 and troops again found an empty base, that will be occupied tomorrow.
Air operations were planned on the 7 by both sides, ending the long lull in the area. The day before the Hurricanes flying CAP shot down a Ki-46 flying the daily recon over the airfield but another came back with picture showing 188 aircraft (74/31/83). All available bombers in Johore Bharu (51 Ki-48, 145 Ki-21, 46 Nells) were ordered to attack the airfield at 10000 ft and all available fighters in the area (71 Ki-43 and 39 Zeroes) were gathered in Johore Bharu to escort them. Johore was badly overcrowded then, with 519 AC on a size 5 airfield. So not all aircraft were able to join the raid that was flown by 46 Nells, 50 Ki-48, 107 Sallies and 66 Oscars. The absence of Zeroes was not really felt as there was no CAP over Palembang. AA fire shot down 1 Ki-21 and 1 Ki-48 but 7 Hurricanes, 6 Wirraways, 4 Vildebeests, 4 C-60A Lodestar, 3 Swordfishes, 2 Hawk-75A and 1 Lockeed 212 were destroyed on the ground while 163 bombs cratered the runways, 29 the airfield and 7 destroyed supply dumps. The Allied aircraft base here had naval attack orders and 7 Brewster 339, 2 Martin 139 and 2 CW-21B attacked CAs off Johore Bharu. Only 6 Nates took off from the overcrowded airfield and didn’t intercept them, but they did no damage and AA shot down a Brewster. At the same time 13 Hawk strafed barges off Jambi but again scored no hits.
On the 5 another shock attack was launched against Singapore. It was unplanned and casualties were rather light, 540 Japanese vs 160 Allied. The reason was that after the 1 to 1 attack the turn before I had ordered my troops to do bombardmenr attack by clicking on a Div. Troops that have no gun (2 Eng Rgt and 1 Tk Rgt) can’t follow this order and so remained with shock attack orders…. The Tank Rgt was OK but more than 90% of the Eng squads of the two Eng Rgt were disabled. No more attack was launched after that. The Allied troops were bombed on the 5 (112 Ki-21/48, 111 cas, 2 Ki-21 lost) and 6 (127 Ki-21/48, 123 cas, 1 Ki-48 lost) and the base on the 6 (41 Nells, 35 cas). Artillery fire hit 500 men the 6 and 7.
Now Singapore troops are well rested and have been ordered to launch another shock attack (except the Eng Rgts). Johore Bharu airmen will raid Palembang airfield again, in the hope the airfield has been closed by the last raid and many aircraft will be trapped on the ground. 150 aircraft left Johore Bharu (Ki-57, Ki-48, divebombers flying ASW…) but that stiull leaves 370 here, so the base is still overcrowded.
Burma
Allied aircraft used their local air superiority and bombed the 33rd Div west of Mandalay on the 5 (36 Hurris, 34 cas) and the 7 (42 Hurris, 161 cas) and the 21st Bde in Pagan on the 6 (14 Hurris, 44 cas). If the 33rd Div has disruption and fatigue around 70 after the last attack, that was not enough to stop the 21st Bde and save Pagan.
Reinforcement (Hq 15th Army, 4th Mixed Rgt, 1 Tk Rgt) arrived there on the 6 and a shock attack was launched on the 7 and the town taken at 78 to 1. Both sides lost 380 men in the battle. 89 of the 100 ressources of the base are still usable. The Allied troops (16th Ind Bde, 2nd Burma Bde, a BF) retreated in the jungle towards Akyab.
On the other side of Mandalay the 14th Tk Rgt reaches the Mandalay-Lashio road on the 5 and was ordered to go to Lashio, where one unit was reported. The move was cancelled the next day as now 2 units were in Lashio and it was supposed a Chinese unit reached it. In fact it may be a British unit air-carried from Mandalay, as the number of units in Mandalay was reduced from 11 to 10.
Now the troops of Pagan will move north and join the 33rd Div bridgehead and then march to Mandalay. With 3 Allied Bdes defeated and trapped in the jungle the city will probably fall quickly before the 15th Army troops. All Japanese troops are preparing for Mandalay since 7th Dec and are between 80 and 100% of prep.
China
Artillery fire continued in Yenen and 550 Chinese in 3 days were hit. Chinese artillery replied on the 7 and hit 14 Japanese. The Chinese now have 5 Corps, 1 Div, 1 BF and 2 HQ in Yenen, ca 81 000 men (70 000 able). Two other Chinese units are 120 miles W of Yenen but the hex just W of the town is undefended. The first Japanese troops in the forest SW of Yenen will reach the road in 8 days (1 Bde and 1/3 Div), followed by the other (1 Div, 1/3 Div and 1 Tk Rgt) the days after.
Japanese engineers expanded Hong Kong port to size 9.
Score
After two monts of war, the Japanese score is on the evening of the 7 for the first time above the Allied one, thanks to the Allied ground losses in Pagan and Macassar: 7198 vs 7125. Of course that is without the 100 or 90 points that is worth the Taiho…
I concluded from a sudden drop of score that Singapore was lacking supplies. The Allied score returns to his normal level the next day and my opponent denied any of his major base was in the red.
By the way here is the reply of my opponent after he received the 6 February turn:
“Ah, the joy of the replay. The massacre of my infantry at Pearl, the destruction of my air force at Palmyra, the loss of a DD trying frantically and pathetically to escape it's inevitable doom. Oh and hitting a couple of escort carriers was nice too. Not bad for a bunch of mid-50 pilots. Who would have thought they had it in them?”
Northern Pacific
Allied engineers expanded the size of Nome airfield to size 4.
Central Pacific (1) : the Battle of Palmyra Island
It started with a standard “sea superiority” operation by CarDiv2 and ended as the first American victory of the war.
CarDiv 2 (Kaga, Ruyjo, Taiho and Hosho) was ordered on the evening of the 5 to sail 240 miles NE of Palmyra Island to chase Allied ships in the area and recon with floaplanes Palmyra and Christmas Island. LBA of Johnson Island was in support. But here I made a mistake. I thought a recent message said Allied engineers expanded Palmyra AF to size 3, in fact it was the port, AF was already size 4.
And so on the morning of the 6 the battle began by a sweep of 27 Zeroes of F2/3rd from Johnson to Palmyra. They met 15 P-40E of 49th FG and lost the battle, 4 Zeroes and 3 P-40E being shot down.
The next action was over CarDiv 2 when 6 B-26B, 3 B-25C and 4 P-40E attacked and met a CAP of 52 Zeroes, that shot down without loss the 4 P-40Es, 5 B-26B and 2 B-25. The 3 surviving bombers missed the CA Chokai. I was excepting this kind of weak raid and though the bombers attacked the first available target.
So I was chocked to see the real raid arrive: 31 B-26, 11 B-25 and 24 P-40E targeting the carriers. The Cap was the same but shot down “only” 14 P-40, 1 B-26 and 2 B-25s while losing 3 Zeroes. A bad day for the 49th FG but they really brough the bombers safe to their targets. Then I was still relaxing, those American level bombers in 1942 can’t hit Shinano in a pond… the first plane to attack (a B-25) was even shot down by AA. But it was the only one and some minutes later two Japanese carriers were burning. They were the CVE Taiho (4 bomb hits, 2 fuel explosions) and Hosho (1 bomb hit, 1 fuel explosion).
At the same time Vals and Kates from Kaga were executing the DD Craven SW of Christmas Island, at range 5. She took 15 bombs and sank.
Things were turning bad and could have gotten worse in the afternoon. All 27 Zeroes of the Taiho were apparently airborne during the battle and all landed aboard the Kaga. It seems to me that v1.602 is ignoring the 115% rule for diverting AC abord CVs. In this case, the Kaga has now 21 Vals, 21 Kates and 50 Zeroes aboard = 91 AC for a capacity of 72. So she launched no AC in the afternoon. While Palmyra airmen returned… the first raid targeted again the escorting surface TF with 3 B-25 and 3 B-26 and met only 15 Zeroes, that shot down 2 B-26. A CA and a DD were missed. The main afternoon followed with 20 B-26B and 11 P-40E and the CAP was only able to shot down 3 P-40 and 3 B-26B. The 17 other all missed this time….
At the end of the day, both CVE were closed (Hosho Zeroes flew during the afternoon). Taiho was damaged at 60/25/49 and able to do 8 knots and 15 hexes away from the nearby port. Hosho was less damaged (forgot to note how much) and able to do 13 knots. I created 2 escort TF, each with a damaged CVE and 3 DDs. Kaga’s Vals flew to Johnson Island, so Zeroes and Kates would be able to fly. I thought Taiho was doomed and didn’t want to risk Kaga and Ruyjo to save her so the two CVs were ordered a hex north of the position Taiho will reach the next day and probably in the hex where Hosho would be.
Reinforcements were ordered to join the fleet. 3 CAs and 6 BBs left Lahaina while CarDiv 1 patrolling NE of PH was ordered at full speed to the area in case the US CVs came. Johson Island AC were ordered to raid Palmyra to try to help.
So 5 Nells bombed Palmyra during the night but hit nothing. After dawn 38 Zeroes also from Johnson swept the skies above Palmyra and met 16 P-40, shooting down 4 for one loss. Allied bombers targeted both CVEs in the morning and were opposed by about ten Zeroes above each. First raid (5 B-26, 3 B-25) missed the Hosho, shot down a Zero and lost a B-26. The second (11 B-26) lost 2 B-26 to CAP but scored 3 more hits on Taiho…In the afternoon 14 B-26B attacked again but met 11 Zeroes and all turned back after one B-26 has been shot down and several damaged.
Nevertheless at the end of the day, the Taiho is now damaged at 96/56/39 and no more moving. The Hosho is damaged at 54/10/8 and will escape but Taiho is now doomed. The only reason I didn’t scuttle her this turn is that it seems to me Japanese ship control has been increased slightly in v1.6/1.602 and I want to see her state tomorrow.
CarDiv 1 will arrive near the cripples tomorrow. The 3 CA and 6 DD sent from PH wail sail tomorrow to 6 hexes NE of Palmyra and bombard it the next night.
The battle is not finished but the score for now is in American favor:
Japanese losses: a CVE lost, another damaged, 9 Zeroes, 1 Kate
Allied losses: 2 DD sunk, 28 P-40E, 15 B-26B, 5 B-25C
And I could have been far worse… the bug cancelling ops on the Kaga on the afternoon of the 6 is really serious. I was lucky all bombs missed. I am also lucky that none Zero or pilot of the Taiho is trapped aboard the burning wreck.
Central Pacific (2) : Hawaii operations
Pearl Harbor was bombarded during the night of 4-5 by 3 BB and 2 CA (164 cas). A PBY was shot down by Zeroes during the day but clouds cancelled other raids.
The next night the two BB TF were off PH and both overwhelmed the CD defences and hit the base, a sign the defences were becoming weaker. Combined losses were 5700 men, 518 guns, 3 SBD and 1 P-40E destroyed on the ground and 1 PC on fire in the port. The 3 wrecked BBs in the port were also all hits by more than a dozen shell and all were on fire after the second raid. Allied guns only fired 22 shells but one managed to disable a 5in gun abord the BB Nagato.
Clouds cleared during the day for the first time this month and 103 bombers bombed the airfield, hitting 58 men and destroying 2 PBY and 1 SBD.
So in the evening of the 6 and as planned the second wave convoy left Lahaina for Pearl Harbor with 4000 men and 50000 supplies. To free CA and DD to help CarDiv 2, the 8 BBs were put in the same TF that was ordered to pound PH during the night. Troops were planned to arrive and land in the afternoon.
Plan was not followed. There was no BB bombardment during the night, either my fault or ?, and the transport TF was off PH at the end of the turn but didn’t unload despite ‘do not unload’ was NOT activated… 90 Lahaina bombers had hit PH AF and port (only IJAAF bombers) during the day, destroying 1 PBY, scoring some bomb hits on BBs and hitting 20 men but losing 1 Ki-48 and 1 Ki-21 to AA fire.
Allied troops in PH opened fire again with guns on Japanese troops on the 7, hitting 25 men.
Minesweeping operations continued in Hawaii Islands and all Japanese-held islands are now mine-free. Another secondary operation saw 3 APD land 400 men of 16th Div on French Frigate Shoals on the 7 and the atoll was seized.
In the period 6 AP and 3 DD saw their FLT reduced to 0 and left Lahaina. 7 more AP and 1 PC are still there, one of the AP with FLT 86 and several more around 70.
The orders for the PH landings have been reissued. The problem is that the landing will be before the naval bombardment by the 8 BBs.
Southern Pacific
There was one military event: on the 7 16 Truk-based Nells bombed Rabaul at 20000 feet just to be sure the base was still occupied. They drew AA fire and reported seeing 3 units in the base. They scored no hits and suffered no loss.
Other than that, several small Tfs are operating in the Marshalls. I will only only use Kwajalein, Maloelap, Jaluit and Ponape and is bringing all troops, supply and fuel from the other bases to them.
Philippines
On the 5, 10 Ki-27s strafed the 71st PA Div in San Marcelino and hit 11 men but one Nate was lost in an accident.
On the 7 3 DD brought part of a NLF from Ormoc to Guian, that will be occupied tomorrow.
Dutch East Indies
Note : the effective boundary between the DEI Japanese Command and the Malaya Command has been fixed as the middle of Borneo. Sumatra and the NW corner of Borneo are now under Malaya Command responbability.
A convoy with two TK arrived at Tarakan on the night of the 4-5 and met a submarine-laid minefield. The four MSW of the escort swept it and as often (always?) happens when MSW swept the last mine of a minefield and they are in a TF with other ships, another ship (in this case a TK) hit a mine. She was docked in Tarakan with damaged$ 41/51/1 and 3 days later is still at 41/48/0… The 4 MSW were detached from the convoy and sent to Balikpapan where they cleared completely another minefield on the 7. The remaining undamaged TK is loading oil for Hong Kong.
On the 5, 9 B-17C from Java raided again Balikpapan but were intercepted by 28 Zeroes. 4 B-17s and 2 Zeroes were shot down in the battle. The remaining American bombers missed their target.
During the night of 5-6, 2 BB, 4 CA, 2 CL and 6 DD bombarded Macassar while the 65th Bde landed there. The base fell on the 7 and the Makassar Garrison Bn and the 9th DAF BF surrendered (2700 POWs). The only Allied reaction was by Java-based B-17, 3 of them flying on each day. On the 7 one scored a hit on the BB Kongo and destroyed a 5in gun.
On the 6 Hollandia-based Nells flew recon over Darwin and reported a CAP of 15 P-39D, that shot down one of the two Nells sent there. Other than that the recon only saw 4 “CAs” and a TF of 4 SS off Darwin.
A secondary operation was launched in N Borneo on the 6 when the Kure 1st SNLF landed in the hex NE of Brunei to capture the 106 RN BF that went there after the fall of Brunei. The first (deliberate) attack the next day was at 5 to 1 but the British didn’t surrender. A shock attack will be launched tomorrow.
On the 7 air patrols reported 4 APs off Maumere (S of Macassar) and sailing NW (towards Java). Both surface TF at Macassar will try to intercept it at sea NW of Maumere (1 and 2 hexes from this base) and then return to Balikpapan.
The damaged AK Ban Ho Guan sank on the 6 in Soerabaja port. Japanese intelligence confirmed also that the AK Capillo, torpedoed on the 11th December by the mini-KB off Borneo, was scuttled by her crew.
Sumatra - Malaya
The Palembang operation started on earnest in the night of 4-5 when the CA TF of Johore brought a Naval Guard unit to Sinkep Island, south of Singapore. The base was empty, as reported by aerial recons and was occupied the next day.
On the 5, Singkawang was attacked from Singapore first by 31 Nells that hit 106 men of the 11th DAF BF and then by the 2nd Parachute Rgt that was dropped on the base and took it. The DAF BF retreated to Pontaniak and the Japanese captured 5 Do24K-2 based here. Only loss was a Topsy lost in an accident. The next days, transport aircraft brought there a small BF and supplies while 15 escorted Martins bombed the airfield on the 6, scoring 10 hits. The first aircraft (2 Ki-46) arrived in the evening of the 7.
The barge convoy for Jambi was slower and was covered during the night of the 5-6 by the CA TF and the next day LRCAPed by Oscars but wasn’t attacked. It landed troops on Jambi during the night of 6-7 and troops again found an empty base, that will be occupied tomorrow.
Air operations were planned on the 7 by both sides, ending the long lull in the area. The day before the Hurricanes flying CAP shot down a Ki-46 flying the daily recon over the airfield but another came back with picture showing 188 aircraft (74/31/83). All available bombers in Johore Bharu (51 Ki-48, 145 Ki-21, 46 Nells) were ordered to attack the airfield at 10000 ft and all available fighters in the area (71 Ki-43 and 39 Zeroes) were gathered in Johore Bharu to escort them. Johore was badly overcrowded then, with 519 AC on a size 5 airfield. So not all aircraft were able to join the raid that was flown by 46 Nells, 50 Ki-48, 107 Sallies and 66 Oscars. The absence of Zeroes was not really felt as there was no CAP over Palembang. AA fire shot down 1 Ki-21 and 1 Ki-48 but 7 Hurricanes, 6 Wirraways, 4 Vildebeests, 4 C-60A Lodestar, 3 Swordfishes, 2 Hawk-75A and 1 Lockeed 212 were destroyed on the ground while 163 bombs cratered the runways, 29 the airfield and 7 destroyed supply dumps. The Allied aircraft base here had naval attack orders and 7 Brewster 339, 2 Martin 139 and 2 CW-21B attacked CAs off Johore Bharu. Only 6 Nates took off from the overcrowded airfield and didn’t intercept them, but they did no damage and AA shot down a Brewster. At the same time 13 Hawk strafed barges off Jambi but again scored no hits.
On the 5 another shock attack was launched against Singapore. It was unplanned and casualties were rather light, 540 Japanese vs 160 Allied. The reason was that after the 1 to 1 attack the turn before I had ordered my troops to do bombardmenr attack by clicking on a Div. Troops that have no gun (2 Eng Rgt and 1 Tk Rgt) can’t follow this order and so remained with shock attack orders…. The Tank Rgt was OK but more than 90% of the Eng squads of the two Eng Rgt were disabled. No more attack was launched after that. The Allied troops were bombed on the 5 (112 Ki-21/48, 111 cas, 2 Ki-21 lost) and 6 (127 Ki-21/48, 123 cas, 1 Ki-48 lost) and the base on the 6 (41 Nells, 35 cas). Artillery fire hit 500 men the 6 and 7.
Now Singapore troops are well rested and have been ordered to launch another shock attack (except the Eng Rgts). Johore Bharu airmen will raid Palembang airfield again, in the hope the airfield has been closed by the last raid and many aircraft will be trapped on the ground. 150 aircraft left Johore Bharu (Ki-57, Ki-48, divebombers flying ASW…) but that stiull leaves 370 here, so the base is still overcrowded.
Burma
Allied aircraft used their local air superiority and bombed the 33rd Div west of Mandalay on the 5 (36 Hurris, 34 cas) and the 7 (42 Hurris, 161 cas) and the 21st Bde in Pagan on the 6 (14 Hurris, 44 cas). If the 33rd Div has disruption and fatigue around 70 after the last attack, that was not enough to stop the 21st Bde and save Pagan.
Reinforcement (Hq 15th Army, 4th Mixed Rgt, 1 Tk Rgt) arrived there on the 6 and a shock attack was launched on the 7 and the town taken at 78 to 1. Both sides lost 380 men in the battle. 89 of the 100 ressources of the base are still usable. The Allied troops (16th Ind Bde, 2nd Burma Bde, a BF) retreated in the jungle towards Akyab.
On the other side of Mandalay the 14th Tk Rgt reaches the Mandalay-Lashio road on the 5 and was ordered to go to Lashio, where one unit was reported. The move was cancelled the next day as now 2 units were in Lashio and it was supposed a Chinese unit reached it. In fact it may be a British unit air-carried from Mandalay, as the number of units in Mandalay was reduced from 11 to 10.
Now the troops of Pagan will move north and join the 33rd Div bridgehead and then march to Mandalay. With 3 Allied Bdes defeated and trapped in the jungle the city will probably fall quickly before the 15th Army troops. All Japanese troops are preparing for Mandalay since 7th Dec and are between 80 and 100% of prep.
China
Artillery fire continued in Yenen and 550 Chinese in 3 days were hit. Chinese artillery replied on the 7 and hit 14 Japanese. The Chinese now have 5 Corps, 1 Div, 1 BF and 2 HQ in Yenen, ca 81 000 men (70 000 able). Two other Chinese units are 120 miles W of Yenen but the hex just W of the town is undefended. The first Japanese troops in the forest SW of Yenen will reach the road in 8 days (1 Bde and 1/3 Div), followed by the other (1 Div, 1/3 Div and 1 Tk Rgt) the days after.
Japanese engineers expanded Hong Kong port to size 9.
Score
After two monts of war, the Japanese score is on the evening of the 7 for the first time above the Allied one, thanks to the Allied ground losses in Pagan and Macassar: 7198 vs 7125. Of course that is without the 100 or 90 points that is worth the Taiho…
I concluded from a sudden drop of score that Singapore was lacking supplies. The Allied score returns to his normal level the next day and my opponent denied any of his major base was in the red.
By the way here is the reply of my opponent after he received the 6 February turn:
“Ah, the joy of the replay. The massacre of my infantry at Pearl, the destruction of my air force at Palmyra, the loss of a DD trying frantically and pathetically to escape it's inevitable doom. Oh and hitting a couple of escort carriers was nice too. Not bad for a bunch of mid-50 pilots. Who would have thought they had it in them?”
RE: First American victory of the war
ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent
... the bug cancelling ops on the Kaga on the afternoon of the 6 is really serious.
Bummer. Do you have a save for Mr. Frag to look at? This one might be serious enough that they try to track it down even at this stage.
Intel Monkey: https://sites.google.com/view/staffmonkeys/home
RE: First American victory of the war
Hi, It is not a bug. There are people who would rather throw aircraft overside when they land to avoid overloading but it's not a bug.
I'm not retreating, I'm attacking in a different direction!
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AmiralLaurent
- Posts: 3351
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 8:53 pm
- Location: Near Paris, France
RE: First American victory of the war
ORIGINAL: Mogami
Hi, It is not a bug. There are people who would rather throw aircraft overside when they land to avoid overloading but it's not a bug.
Yes it is a bug. Until the last versions it wasn't working like that and if the change is intentionnal I missed it (not that I have really checked what v1.602 changed, I had no more PC for a month at the time). In fact it is either a bug (developper & manual announced the game will do something and it does something else) or it is a faulty simulation.
All navies were throwing a lot of aircraft overside during the war to be sure that the carrier remained operative. The important things are the carriers and the pilots... who cares of aircraft ? In fact a lot of damaged AC were just thrown out of the carriers, but they usually let the crew get out....
By the way there were enough place on both of my CV and the diverting AC may have landed on both and so all will operate in the afternoon.
Another faulty feature is that the unit that was diverted had orders escort with 70% CAP. The fragment (that has 100% of the AC and pilots) had in the evening escort 0% CAP... It should have kept the same orders, or reverted to default setting (escort 60% for fighter).
And yes, I have saves of the turn before and this turn. Same problems have been reported several times on this board. I checked the turn before and there were no reason my Zero didn't fly CAP on the afternoon. More important in this case my overcrowded CV survives the turn and so I could see at the end of the turn that shis was carrying 140% of her capacity. I flew Kaga's Vals to a land base and the next day the Zeroes flew again.