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[inteuniso]

Any time I read about the winter war I realize that the finns are the only true scandinavian badasses.

[Anvilfolk]

It's not much, but I've gone through the wikipedia page on Finland during WWII. Really quite unique, to say the least.

I might be interested in reading a bit more about it. Is there any chance there's a good book on the Finn participation in WWII that I can get my hands on? Suggestions?

[Erkki]

It's not much, but I've gone through the wikipedia page on Finland during WWII. Really quite unique, to say the least.

I might be interested in reading a bit more about it. Is there any chance there's a good book on the Finn participation in WWII that I can get my hands on? Suggestions?

I dont know any general ones that are in English I'm afraid.


April 25th 1942

Another silent day. An unescorted 2-ship convoy gets attacked by a submarine near Truk, xAK Izumo Maru receiving 3 hits. Miraculously 2 of the hits are duds(Dutch sub, not USN) and the only hit does only moderate damage.

Other than a couple of air raids in Burma and one against British troops on Borneo, no action, but the buttons are moving...

[Erkki]

And heres the future battlefield:

Spoiler: Timor Sea and northern Australia (click to show/hide)

[Sheb]

Are you doing to do the clean-up (invade Florres etc etc) before invading Australia? It could be a nice use of the troops you used in Timor and serve to hide your concentration of troops.

[Erkki]

Are you doing to do the clean-up (invade Florres etc etc) before invading Australia? It could be a nice use of the troops you used in Timor and serve to hide your concentration of troops.

Most of those bases, AFAIK all but Denpasar and Mataram(first and second islands E/SE fof Java, outside the screenshot) have no or only tiny garrisons with no aviation support squads... Currently the enemy flies naval search and recon only in the East Indies. Everything else is either destroyed or evacuated. The used bases are on Java, Denpasar and Ambon. All but Denpasar will be dealt with well before we can launch any adventure in Australia.

Clean-up of those islands will be quick as theres practically no resistance left and change of aerial or naval attacks is close to zero, so we dont need either preparation or support. I've earmarked 4 units to do that, 1 Army infantry regiment and 3 separate Marine battalions.

BTW that "Imperial Crash Squadron" crashed another plane! However this time the pilot is OK. 

[Hanzoku]

BTW that "Imperial Crash Squadron" crashed another plane! However this time the pilot is OK. 

"Imperial Crash Squadron, crashing our planes so you don't have to!"

[Erkki]

April 27th

27th? Has the calendar skipped a turn? Looks like a typo in previous AAR report.

Another silent turn.

Semarang falls on Java, while a small Japanese transport gets torpedoed near Kwajalein.

First recon aircraft sortie to Broome in northern Australia. Looks like the base has received no reinforcements, as it is reported to have only couple of hundred troops and just 2 guns. Excellent. 

[Fishbreath]

Pah. If there's one thing all those hours in Silent Hunter IV it's that the only way to kill stuff early in the war with US torpedoes is to ignore them and use the deck gun.

[Erkki]

Pah. If there's one thing all those hours in Silent Hunter IV it's that the only way to kill stuff early in the war with US torpedoes is to ignore them and use the deck gun.

Yeah the Mk. XIV torpedo has a dud rate of 80% initially... And keeping ships in 2-ship or bigger convoys almost always prevents the sub from using the deck gun. And if it does use the deck gun the target can fire back, and merchants can have lots of guns... What I forgot to mention the 2 torp hits WERE duds but the lost xAK was the one that was hit yesterday, Nizumo Maru. 

[Erkki]

April 28th

Another silent day.


Burma: still silent, Japanese photoreconnaissance aircraft overfly whole Indian border once in 3 days and theres nothing worth mentioning.

East Indies: Japanese troops are advancing and will reach Djokjarta in 2 days! Timor will be 100% Japanese in 6 days.

Australia: Derby reconnoitered, just a small garrison. Good news that.

Central Pacific: the Kido Butai will be reformed and at the peak of its might tomorrow, near Truk. In 2 days, 100,000 tons of fuel will arrive at Truk. That should allow the KB to sortie at long range missions at least twice.

KB is from tomorrow

CV Akagi
CV Zuikaku
CV Shokaku
CV Hiryu
CV Zoryu
CVL Zuiho
CVL Shoho
CVE Taiyo
CVE Hosho
BB Kirishima
BB Haruna
BB Hiei

+ lots of smaller ships. On average each CV has 4 DD escorts. All the ships are divided among 3 task forces: ASW & surface combat cover, KB-1 and KB-2. Aircraft numbers in TFs are so high that theres about a 50% chance of lack of coordination each time the full number of aircraft sortie, but as some fighters fly CAP and some strike aircraft fly naval search so it could be 10-15% and I'm OK with that.

[Anvilfolk]

That's some kick ass Kido Butai! Looking forward to seeing it do great things!

Just avoid Midway (Finished reading Shattered Sword yesterday - a must-read for any WWII naval aviation enthusiast!)

I forgot what happened to Kaga. Where is it?

[Erkki]

That's some kick ass Kido Butai! Looking forward to seeing it do great things!

Just avoid Midway (Finished reading Shattered Sword yesterday - a must-read for any WWII naval aviation enthusiast!)

I forgot what happened to Kaga. Where is it?

Kaga, Ryujo and Unyo are elsewhere... Kaga and Ryujo are still returning from the South Indian Ocean raid. They'll make it to Singapore in about 5 days.

[Erkki]

BTW CV Junyo is ready in 7 days... She and CVE Unyo will relocate to Singapore ASAP where they'll join the CV Kaga and CVL Ryujo's Carrier Division III. Battleship Kongo is with them. That force will be used to protect the initial landings at Australia.

[Erkki]

April 29th

Another silent day.


Burma: The Allies are finally moving troops(probably support) and aircraft forward - Chittagong just received its first squadron of bombers, probably Blenheims or Wellingtons. A Ki-43 squadron from Malaya is transfered reserve at Bangkok.

Australia: Aerial reconnaissance shows Wydham almost empty, too. Tomorrow its Darwin's turn.

Pacific: An American submarine sights our oiler convoy from Borneo to Truk, but fails to penetrate the convoy's escort screen twice. Excellent performance by the 2 destroyers...