[font="Times New Roman"]March 5 - 8, 1943[/font]
I arrived back to a turn from Nick. I think I still know what I was doing here, but I'm sure in my sleep-deprived state I forgot something major in my adjustments. I'm a few turns behind as I'd planned to catch up but found I was doing a lot of more important things there like laying by the pool, eating Madagascar prawns and sleeping 10 hours a night!
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SUBS: [/font]My subs are fanning out from the SW corner of OZ up to the North and around into the DEI. it's the first time I've used any there since early in the game. Now that I'm beginning to secure the routes from Cape Town again, OZ will begin getting regular fuel shipments and subs will base from the closest possible port, currently Esperance.
Grenadier gets a shot at Kinugasa near Torokina with four fish but none find the mark.
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INDIA: [/font] Night mining claimed it's first victim with DMS Taneko taking one for the team at Madras.
A strike on Trincomalee didn't go as planned as sweeps came in late (even though much closer to the destination) and the LR CAP and escorts got smashed by numbers. Still, the later sweeps evened the score a bit and it wasn't disastrous, but it's a crime I can't do better than this with the elements in place. I'll figure it out soon, as these are still the preliminary rounds.
A few bombardments get mostly losses for the Allies at Madras, but it's still good to throw them in occasionally. All troops are now prepping for the base as is the India Command, so soon the bonuses may kick in and things might get a bit dicey for Nick here.
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CENT PAC: [/font] Probing the area for any remaining Japanese resistance. I'll start bombarding other islands including Mili and Nauru. Two USN battleships have moved into the area to add some weight to the fleet here.
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SO PAC: [/font] The Milne Bay invasion lands. This is another shoestring op with only one AP and a bunch of APD and one fast xAKL. If this works I'll quickly expand the move to the islands North of Milne Bay and fast transports will load up to drop troops beginning tomorrow. Aussie cruisers are moving in to lend support and will bombard Milne Bay. Some LR CAP will come from nearby islands.
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CHINA: [/font] Changsha falls. This is a decisive finale to the battle with 87k Chinese troops lost and a large Japanese Army now free to work on ether the Chungking of the Sian area. A small tank led army continues to apply pressure up into the mountains near Kunming, and it is likely it'll eventually break through as supply wanes.
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OZ:[/font] Albany is empty and landing craft will deliver small forces to claim the base in the next few days. AA and a base force are being loaded to follow. Tanks are moving toward Kalgoorlie and will arrive within about 8-10 days depending on Japanese resistance. There haven't been any more bombing of the ground troops since Esperance was taken.
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SIGINT:[/font] Looks ike he's loading up at Exmouth and maybe at Port Hedland. I'd guess though that those troops will move to the DEI perimeter.
[font="Trebuchet MS"]38/Imperial Guards Division is loaded on a Std-D Cargo class xAK moving to Port Hedland-5th
19th Division is loaded on AK Yamaura Maru moving to Truk. -6th
5th Amphibious Brigade is located at Exmouth(50,129).-6th
4/17th Garrison Unit is loaded on xAK Unkai Maru #6 moving to Exmouth.-8th[/font]
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Mar 5, 43
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TF 232 encounters mine field at Madras (35,40)
Japanese Ships
DMS Taneko
32 mines cleared
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TF 472 encounters mine field at Esperance (56,153)
Allied Ships
AM Doomba
AM Madras
31 mines cleared
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TF 477 encounters mine field at Esperance (56,153)
Allied Ships
AM Swallow
2 mines cleared
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Night Naval bombardment of Nauru Island at 127,128
Allied Ships
CL Montpelier
CL Denver
CL Trenton
Japanese ground losses:
236 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 22 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled
Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 12
Port hits 3
CL Montpelier firing at Kure 5th SNLF
CL Denver firing at Nauru Island
SOC-1 Seagull acting as spotter for CL Trenton
CL Trenton firing at Nauru Island
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TF 232 encounters mine field at Madras (35,40)
Japanese Ships
DMS Taneko, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
32 mines cleared
Morning Air attack on Trincomalee , at 31,47
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid detected at 32 NM, estimated altitude 27,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 30
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 108
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 10
P-400 Airacobra x 16
F4U-1 Corsair x 36
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5c Zero: 2 destroyed
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar: 3 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIc Trop: 6 destroyed
P-400 Airacobra: 3 destroyed
F4U-1 Corsair: 3 destroyed
Aircraft Attacking:
12 x F4U-1 Corsair sweeping at 25000 feet
6 x F4U-1 Corsair sweeping at 25000 feet
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Morning Air attack on Trincomalee , at 31,47
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 21
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 88
Allied aircraft
Liberator II x 21
Kittyhawk I x 16
Kittyhawk III x 16
B-24D Liberator x 18
P-400 Airacobra x 3
P-40E Warhawk x 25
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
Liberator II: 2 destroyed, 6 damaged
Liberator II: 1 destroyed by flak
Kittyhawk I: 1 destroyed
B-24D Liberator: 1 destroyed, 9 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 2 destroyed
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 17
Aircraft Attacking:
12 x Liberator II bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Trincomalee , at 31,47
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 16
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 74
Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk I x 15
B-24D Liberator x 6
B-25C Mitchell x 3
P-40K Warhawk x 25
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk I: 1 destroyed
B-24D Liberator: 2 destroyed, 3 damaged
B-25C Mitchell: 2 destroyed
P-40K Warhawk: 2 destroyed
Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Trincomalee , at 31,47
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 26,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 5
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 10
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 16
P-39D Airacobra x 7
P-40K Warhawk x 96
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5c Zero: 3 destroyed
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar: 5 destroyed
No Allied losses
Aircraft Attacking:
22 x P-40K Warhawk sweeping at 25000 feet
25 x P-40K Warhawk sweeping at 25000 feet
4 x Hurricane IIc Trop sweeping at 10000 feet
19 x P-40K Warhawk sweeping at 25000 feet
7 x P-40K Warhawk sweeping at 25000 feet
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Mar 7, 43
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Ground combat at Changsha (82,52)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 138789 troops, 1378 guns, 762 vehicles, Assault Value = 3899
Defending force 78563 troops, 263 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1518
Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2
Japanese adjusted assault: 5217
Allied adjusted defense: 801
Japanese assault odds: 6 to 1 (fort level 2)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Changsha !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), disruption(-), supply(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
6751 casualties reported
Squads: 6 destroyed, 406 disabled
Non Combat: 22 destroyed, 61 disabled
Engineers: 31 destroyed, 34 disabled
Guns lost 34 (1 destroyed, 33 disabled)
Vehicles lost 14 (6 destroyed, 8 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
87990 casualties reported
Squads: 1751 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 3889 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 119 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 357 (357 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 16
Assaulting units:
8th Ind Engineer Regiment
59th Division
116th Division
68th Division
58th Division
40th Division
13th Division
3rd Division
70th Division
60th Division
3rd Tank Division
39th Division
16th Division
2nd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
5th Fleet
11th Army
11th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
10th Mortar Battalion
4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
1st Mortar Battalion
12th Army
51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
6th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
12th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
5th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
Defending units:
2nd Chinese Corps
26th Chinese Corps
59th Chinese Corps
94th Chinese Corps
18th Chinese Corps
79th Chinese Corps
3rd New Chinese Corps
6th War Area
30th Group Army
29th Group Army
14th Construction Regiment
19th Group Army
9th War Area
27th Group Army
5th Construction Regiment
17th Chinese Base Force
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Mar 8, 43
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Morning Air attack on Torokina , at 109,130
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid detected at 31 NM, estimated altitude 25,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 56
Allied aircraft
P-38G Lightning x 20
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 12 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-38G Lightning: 2 destroyed
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x P-38G Lightning sweeping at 25000 feet
CAP engaged:
Yokosuka Ku S-2 with A6M5 Zero (0 airborne, 6 on standby, 36 scrambling)
6 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 3 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 25000 , scrambling fighters between 19000 and 27000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 40 minutes
281 Ku S-1 with A6M5 Zero (0 airborne, 8 on standby, 0 scrambling)
8 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 19000 and 29000.
Raid is overhead
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Ground combat at 71,48 (near Kunming)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 13628 troops, 245 guns, 485 vehicles, Assault Value = 419
Defending force 17526 troops, 90 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 432
Japanese adjusted assault: 327
Allied adjusted defense: 148
Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
383 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 22 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled
Allied ground losses:
1031 casualties reported
Squads: 47 destroyed, 37 disabled
Non Combat: 75 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 10 (2 destroyed, 8 disabled)
Units retreated 4
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
19th Ind.Mixed Brigade
Guards Tank Division
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
20th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
Defending units:
34th Chinese Corps
73rd Chinese Corps
49th Chinese Corps
88th Chinese Division
9th Group Army
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[font="Trebuchet MS"]When I get CAP up around Ceylon I inevitably pick off a lot of search planes. I've been turning the tip naval bases into search CAP traps for a while and now with PTs, Amc and subs around the ports the attracted planes get zapped regularly. This really adds up! [/font]
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill