August 16, 17, 18 :
Tarawa falls!![:D]
Keeping CVs stationary for too long can cost you!?! [:@][:@]
Key: TT = Torpedo; bb = ground bombardment; c = casualties; b = base hits; s = supply hits; r = runway hits; p = port hits; AV = Assault Value; DC = Depth Charged;
(*) = destroyed aircraft;
Subs:
16th & 17th - [>:]
18th - [X(][X(]
I-26 is hit once by DC off Tabiteuea
Sub attack near Nonouti at 137,133
Japanese Ships
SS I-21
Allied Ships
CV Lexington, Torpedo hits 1 13-17(9)-0-0
CA Minneapolis
CL St. Louis
DD Ralph Talbot
DD Preston
DD Smith
DD Mahan
SS I-21 launches 6 torpedoes at CV Lexington
I-28 if 8 hexes west of Palmrya and sink an APD with t TT hits.
Sub attack near Nonouti at 137,133
Japanese Ships
SS I-21, hits 1
Allied Ships
CV Yorktown, Torpedo hits 1 22-19(13)-0-0
CA Vincennes
CL Hobart
CLAA San Juan
DD Lardner
DD Hull
DD Dewey
DD Tucker
SS I-21 launches 6 torpedoes at CV Yorktown
I reply to Nick with the need to give the captain of I-21 a promotion and 30 days shore leave. I've had this lesson before and I was reminded again, "don't allow your CVs to be stationary." [:-] Both will easily make Pearl, unless I run over another sub. [:D]
I-20 is hit twice by an ASW TF off Melbourne
CVs: Mine are still in Gilberts, that includes 2 Brit CVs and CVL Hermes.
India/Burma:[>:][>:]
This theater has been quite for too long, but it will become very active as soon as the Monsoon season ends in two months. Right now, I have 2 airgroups (25 planes each) at Bombay training up P-38E with a third is finishing filling out with the new P-38F (all part of the 51st FG). Meanwhile, over at Delhi the three Chinese Corp continue to suck up all the Chinese Rifle squads (I've turn off these replacement for troops in China for the last few weeks) and their combined AV is now at 1574.
China: -
Yenan - Up to 23 Sally hit the AF daily
the daily ground bb attacks continue at 85, 43 (2 hexes due west of Loyang on trail)
Sian -
16th - 23 Oscar with 12 Ann = 1s, 3r; 7 Oscar & 6 Sonia = 2b, 4r;
17th - 22 Oscars with 12 Ann = 1s, 1r; 8 Oscar & 6 Sonia = 4r;
Wenchow -
16th - 20 Lily = 3b, 2s, 13r;
17th - 7 Sally & 5 Lily = 1b, 7r; 20 Lily = 1b, 1s, 5r;
Ground combat at Wenchow (89,58) on 17th
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 73187 troops, 606 guns, 132 vehicles, Assault Value = 2272
Defending force 13632 troops, 38 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 408
Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1
Japanese adjusted assault: 1559
Allied adjusted defense: 751
Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 1)
Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 1
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), experience(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
2075 casualties reported
Squads: 54 destroyed, 128 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 10 disabled
Guns lost 11 (3 destroyed, 8 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
1242 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 90 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 27 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Assaulting units:
110th Division
35th Division
27th Division
15th Division
1st Ind.Mixed Brigade
36th Division
Defending units:
100th Chinese Corps
25th Group Army
18th - 15 Sally & 24 Lily vs troops = 0 c;
Ichang -
18th - 30 Oscar, 12 Ann, 6 Sonia = 3b, 4s, 7r;
Australia:
Melbourne -
16th - 27(9) Zero sweep in to find 25 P-39s & 25(1) P-40s; a second group of 36(7) Zero sweep in to find 20(1) P-39s & 18(1) P-40s; total losses for the day are 26 Zeros (20 in A2A and 6 to ops) while I lose 6 planes and only 1 pilot. [:D][:D]
Adelaide -
16th - 42 Tojo sweep an empty sky;
South Pacific:
Noumea -
18th - 31 Zero on CAP vs 87 17E = 4 Nells destroyed, 22b, 5s, 76r; 18 more B-17s hit the AF in three small strikes and don't cause any more damage
Vava'u - 10 small xAKLs and 3 small TKs are loading here and then will head for Gilberts via Canton Island
Central Pacific:
Tarawa -
16th - 17 Martlet II, 20 F4F-3 Wildcat, 204 SBD-3 Dauntless, 85 TBF-1 Avenger = 606c;
18th - 8(1) Zero are on LRCAP as 16(1) Martlet II, 31 F4F-3 Wildcat, 93 F4F-4 Wildcat, and 136 SBD-3 Dauntless = 243c;
Ground combat at Tarawa (136,128) on 18th
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 6156 troops, 101 guns, 70 vehicles, Assault Value = 145
Defending force 3590 troops, 32 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 26
Allied adjusted assault: 26
Japanese adjusted defense: 1
Allied assault odds: 26 to 1 (fort level 0)
Allied forces CAPTURE Tarawa !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: disruption(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+)
Japanese ground losses:
1391 casualties reported
Squads: 48 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 17 destroyed, 35 disabled
Engineers: 8 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 22 (18 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Units destroyed 1
Allied ground losses:
91 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Assaulting units:
1st Marine/A Division
1st Marine/B Division
9th Port Maint Engineer Battalion
1st Marine Defense Battalion
15th Base Group
13th US Naval Construction Battalion
12th MAG
14th US Naval Construction Battalion
Defending units:
42nd Naval Guard Unit
43rd Naval Guard Unit
41st Naval Guard Unit
1st JNAF Coy
26th JNAF AF Unit
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41st Naval Guard Unit Wiped Out at Tarawa by attrition!!!
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42nd Naval Guard Unit Wiped Out at Tarawa by attrition!!!
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43rd Naval Guard Unit Wiped Out at Tarawa by attrition!!!
Gilberts -
Tarawa - 1921 supply, 140 AV, Port damage at 55, 45 P-39s. A Minelaying TF with 480 mines will lay them in the next day or two (I expect a BB TF and maybe KB to hit here once my CVs leave). The transports with supplies are ordered up from off Tabiteuea. My CVs will stay for another two or max three days and then head for Pearl. I want the xAPs to finish unloading and then leave some xAKs with only supplies to remain.
Abemama - 8655 supply, AF 1(2) 52%, 12 PBY-5A, 16 Kittyhawks
Nonouti - 10407 supply, AF 2(2) 19% (transports with an Air HQ is three days out)
Tabiteuea - 14416 supply, AF 2(3) 76%, 73 fighters, 37 SBDs
Follow up forces to maximize the bases here are gathering. IMO, it will be through Sept for me to expand the bases enough to move forward. Troops already prepping for Makin. An F-4 recon will be shifted up here to check out what is around me.
North Pacific:
Landings on 16th at Attu and falls to Japan on 17th
Notes:
A steady flow of air units and troops should be headed for the Gilberts over the next month as I get ready to move into the Marshalls. The big question will be how does Nick respond to this new threat in a few days once he sees my CVs leave. I have 135 fighters in the Gilberts with 300 in South Pacific that can transfer in via Canton in a few days. Another Army fighter group and two more F4F are headed for Canton. Right now I need to expand bases and get more Aviation Support there. I have the bombers nearby training.