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IJNAF elite A6M2 Zero unit Chitose Ku S-1 or its detachments or division(s)

3 (42.9%)

a IJAAF Ki-43 unit in Indochina, to be used in China/East Indies(mostly)

1 (14.3%)

a IJAAF Ki-43 unit in Burma(at least initially)

3 (42.9%)

Total Members Voted: 7

Voting closed: May 04, 2014, 08:49:03 am

[Sheb]

10 ships, heading for Guadalcanal. Do you think the intedend to land there, or at least sweep the airfields, hoping for some easy air kill?

Also, could it be a trap of some kind? The have 170 planes on their CVs, 50 more at Espirity Santo. Any other base in range?

[Erkki]

10 ships, heading for Guadalcanal. Do you think the intedend to land there, or at least sweep the airfields, hoping for some easy air kill?

Also, could it be a trap of some kind? The have 170 planes on their CVs, 50 more at Espirity Santo. Any other base in range?

I dont think that is the landing force - CVs are better used as stand off weapons. Espiritu Santo doesnt have large enough airfield to fly anything but CAP and naval search with floatplanes and flying boats. Allies know that Tulagi area has those cruisers and other ships though so maybe they are looking for hitting convoys or the warships. Although that position looks weird - my opponent must know that both Ndeni and Guadalcanal have long-range naval search. He should have ordered a high-speed dash within range, but maybe something went wrong?

My opponent also knows that the airfields in Tulagi-Guadalcanal area are too small for the Japanese long range 2-engine bombers... Just one day later and Tulagi could have operated 150 torpedo-equipped bombers, the B5N squadron would have flown the last transfer flight, and the CarDiv II with CVs Soryu and Hiryu would have joined the other carriers!

Any way, this early in the war I can accept even a fair 4 vs. 4 or the 4+2+lrcap vs. 2 that this seems to be. There is probably another CVBG further away so that the battle, if it happens, may become a 4+2 vs. 4. Allied torpedoes are still very bad, submarines not much of a threat for the same reason, and IJN has more planes. I suspect that with the Japanese carriers revealed, the Allies will withdraw.

[10ebbor10]

So, he arrived just one day to early to be nicely obliterated?

[Sheb]

Yeah, pardon my meme, but



Or not. Or it's one that'll fail by the look of it. 

Assuming it's not, and he turns around and flee now, will you intercept his CVs? They moved north before that Catalina spotted your CVs, right?

Or could it be that they only sighted CarDiv IV, have another CVBG nearby and think they can do a 4 v. 2* and sink some of your carriers? A carrier loss now would be pretty crippling for the Japanese I think, so he might be willing to take a chance.

* I actually don't think you told us what the respective composition of CarDiv I and IV were, so I'm assuming a 2-2 split of fleet carriers.

[Erkki]

So, he arrived just one day to early to be nicely obliterated?

Yeah. Which actually could, weather permitting and with some luck in getting enough planes through the CAP, have already happened as G4M1 carries a torpedo as far as 680 nm and Zeros can escort them for 560.

Yeah, pardon my meme, but



Or not. Or it's one that'll fail by the look of it. 

Assuming it's not, and he turns around and flee now, will you intercept his CVs? They moved north before that Catalina spotted your CVs, right?

Or could it be that they only sighted CarDiv IV, have another CVBG nearby and think they can do a 4 v. 2* and sink some of your carriers? A carrier loss now would be pretty crippling for the Japanese I think, so he might be willing to take a chance.

* I actually don't think you told us what the respective composition of CarDiv I and IV were, so I'm assuming a 2-2 split of fleet carriers.

Theres the FOW but I'd put my bet on both CarDiv I and IV being sighted, but only today.

Now the plane was sighted only once instead of the usual 3-4 times that happens in DEI area or even for the cruisers at Tulagi, so the Allies most probably cannot be sure how many CVs exactly.

Also:

-CarDiv II was sighted south of Mindanao 3 days ago
-CarDiv III is known to be in the North Pacific(actually Taiyo is at Tokyo while the others are still returning from the fruitless raid), info is only 2 days old for the Allies
-They have been observing the Japanese operating carriers in pairs and away from each other through the war

It could be that what I tried to do in the previous wars worked now: presenting an opportunity to defeat the IJN in detail and turning the table. The "only" problem now is that I'm still 2 CVs short(Hiryu and Soryu are near Truk and on their way) and that air bases in the Solomons cant provide attack aircraft. Just Zeros for LRCAP and 1-engine attack planes with short legs.. That are still underway. The torpedoes are ready but no planes or runway length to use them. 

I combined CarDiv I and IV, they are now in one big TF(for flight ops co-ordination and flak reasons) with

CV Akagi
CV Kaga
CV Shokaku
CV Zuikaku
CVL Shoho
CVL Zuiho
BB Hiei (3 float planes, range 4))
BB Kirishima  (3 float planes, range 4)(the 2 BBs that were detached from the CarDiv I earlier and destroyed CL Boise and her escort DD near Townsville)
CS Chioyda (24 float planes, 12-12 range 10 and 6)
12 DDs

The TF is commanded by Rear Admiral Tomeo Kaku who is the 2nd best leader I have for a CVTF. I couldnt give the best one as that can be only done at a port. However he does happen to be the most aggressive one of them and that might result in him reacting and giving chase to get within strike range... Thats also why I'm sending in the cruisers: in hopes of making the ENEMY force react and stay in the battle to be squashed. I hope it'll work!

If he flees I will not give chase, but will withdraw, merge Soryu and Hiryu into the KB and refuel out of air search range and wait for the amphibious TF. Then land at Luganville.


edit: I forgot Shoho and Zuiho again.

[Sheb]

I am really looking forward to your next update. Out of curisity, when you speak of "float planes", what are they? N1K1? F1M? E13A?

[Erkki]

I am really looking forward to your next update. Out of curisity, when you speak of "float planes", what are they? N1K1? F1M? E13A?

I wish I had N1K1 or even A6M2-N! Hiei and Kirishima have F1M2s, CS Chioyda has E13A and E7K. E13A is easily the best of them with by far the longest range, and is the only one being built. I hope to have all but the training groups flying it by mid-1942.

[Sheb]

Well, let's hope this goes better than the IRL battle of the Coral Sea. You have two more carriers for starters.

[Zrk2]

I can't wait to see how this turns out.

[Sheb]

Damn you Zrk2! I though Errki had posted an update!

[Zrk2]

Haha! BANZAI! GRORIOUS NIPPONRU TRICKS NEVER FAIR!

[Anvilfolk]

ばかなー。。。

[Sheb]

Sniff. So much hope, so much deceptions.

[Erkki]

My opponent has been busy but I just found the turn in the inbox. That means there'll be an update later today. Hopefully by 19 GMT.

[Erkki]

February 14 1942


South Pacific: The USN CVBG withdraws but does it rather lazily. It sails South through the New Hebrides and is still within naval search range today and is found several times by H8Ks.

Enemy shipping of some xAKs and xAKLs stays at Luganville. They are either unloading something important(doubtful), were not cared about, or the enemy did not expect KB to advance. KB remains out of strike range today, and will now withdraw.




China: Nanyang pocket is nearly destroyed:

Ground combat at 86,46 (near Nanyang)
 
Japanese Deliberate attack
 
Attacking force 64912 troops, 565 guns, 332 vehicles, Assault Value = 2139
 
Defending force 18719 troops, 172 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 22
 
Japanese adjusted assault: 1357
 
Allied adjusted defense: 9
 
Japanese assault odds: 150 to 1
 
Combat modifiers
Defender: leaders(-), disruption(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:
 
Japanese ground losses:
      37 casualties reported
         Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
         Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
         Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
 
Allied ground losses:
      8317 casualties reported
         Squads: 412 destroyed, 0 disabled
         Non Combat: 540 destroyed, 6 disabled
         Engineers: 20 destroyed, 1 disabled
      Guns lost 96 (94 destroyed, 2 disabled)
      Units destroyed 2
 
Assaulting units:
    13th Ind.Mixed Brigade
    12th Tank Regiment
    37th Division
    15th Division
    40th Division
    15th Tank Regiment
    116th Division
    15th Ind.Mixed Brigade
    87th Infantry Regiment
    China Expeditionary Army
    4th Mortar Battalion
 
Defending units:
    29th Chinese Corps
    84th Chinese Corps
    85th Chinese Corps
    13th Chinese Corps

Burma: 3rd Division storms across the river into Schwebo and routs the British!

Ground combat at Shwebo (59,45)
 
Japanese Shock attack
 
Attacking force 13074 troops, 120 guns, 32 vehicles, Assault Value = 442
 
Defending force 1470 troops, 4 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 58
 
Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0
 
Japanese adjusted assault: 284
 
Allied adjusted defense: 3
 
Japanese assault odds: 94 to 1 (fort level 0)
 
Japanese forces CAPTURE Shwebo !!!
 
Combat modifiers
Defender: leaders(-), preparation(-), morale(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(+), fatigue(-)
 
Japanese ground losses:
      18 casualties reported
         Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
         Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
         Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
 
Allied ground losses:
      720 casualties reported
         Squads: 54 destroyed, 10 disabled
         Non Combat: 35 destroyed, 6 disabled
         Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
      Guns lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)
      Units retreated 2
      Units destroyed 1
 
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
 
Assaulting units:
    33rd Division
 
Defending units:
    Upper Burma BAF Battalion
    13th Burma Rifles Battalion
    9th Burma Rifles Battalion


Malaya: historically Singapore surrendered on February 15th. Wont happen now.

DEI: Lautem invaded! Koepang invasion D minus 1.

PI: bombardment attacks at Manila have been advantageous to Japan despite Japan actually having less troops and AV there(and defenders having forts for sure). They also burn the defenders' supply so they'll keep bombing!

Submarines: a French submarine gets depth charged near Rabaul.