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[Erkki]

March 16th


Java Sea: Japanese ASW attacks USN and Dutch submarines 6 times in shallow water hexes without scoring a hit. 3 Dutch PT boats, dunno where they appeared, try their luck at Kalidjati against Japanese cruisers in daylight, losing one of their number. Makassar invasion 100% in schedule. Next night phase, BB Ise and her escorts will bombard Makassar before the amphibious TF starts to unload the troops on shore. 50% of KB on station in a shallow water hex ready to kill anything that dares to interrupt. CVE raiders advance still(hopefully) undetected, almost reaching their planned station hex by tomorrow evening.

SOPAC:

Looks like the Allies have finally moved some submarines to the Solomons. One of them hits and sinks a Japanese PB escort but thats what those ships are for. Lunga and Tulagi are both over 50% on their way to airfield size 2, while first aviation support unit arrives at Tassafaronga starts to immediately building the airfield. A good 4% progress was made in just half a day and using only 4 engineering squads

EDIT: also Lae fell. We'll invade Finschafen tomorrow by an SNLF unit from Gasmata. After that, there'll be just 2 Australian infantry units in the whole New Guinea and they are both inland and cannot be saved by ships, aircraft or submarines.

NOPAC: There has recently been lots of enemy radio activity at following bases: Dutch Harbor, Kodiak, Attu and Anchorage. Like 3 weeks now. The Allies are definitely up to something, so I earmarked another JNAF AF battalion for Paramushiro Jima and sent some Zeros and a training bomber group to Hokkaido. Battleship Yamashiro, CL Kitakami and 2 destroyers are stationed at Paramushiro. I dont expect them to be able to stop a CV-supported invasion but they should be able to inflict enough losses to stall any invasion that isnt supported by CVs or (multiple)battleships. USN CVs are probably now at Sydney, but I think at least one of them was sent to East a couple of days ago, perhaps towards Panama. I'm pretty sure there arent any enemy CVs near Fiji or New Caledonia right now.

Can you write me in as the captain of the Kaga?

Want some other ship? 

[Sheb]

What are AF battaillon?

[Erkki]

What are AF battaillon?

An aviation support battalion.. they are JNAF AF or JAAF AF Bns or Coys(battalions and companies). People usually refer to them as "AV" units though. Theres different kinds of them... Base Forces are general purpose regiment size that also have small infantry, naval support and anti-aircraft compliments and pioneers/construction squads and engineers. AF Bns and Coys are just for aviation support with usually a small engineering section. IJNAF ones for some reason often have some infantry squads with them while the JAAF Bns and even some Coys have radars and better radar models enter production in 2 months. I'm not sure if the Navy units other than Base Forces ever get radars, probably some time in 1943.

Heres a tracker screenshot of whats in one of the JAAF AF Bns. This one is stationed at Tulagi:

[Sheb]

Great, thanks. Do you know a good dictionary for this kind of stuff? I feel bad taking your time for such trivialities when you could be devising grand strategies.

[Erkki]

Great, thanks. Do you know a good dictionary for this kind of stuff? I feel bad taking your time for such trivialities when you could be devising grand strategies.

Trivialities? I just noticed the JNAF units lacking radar myself last week - now guess if I remembered to check that each base gets at least one Base Force of JAAF aviation support unit?  At least the bases missing one are not right at the frontline and Allied air forces have been very passive lately any way.

Not sure what you mean with the dictionary.



I came to think about securing my northern flank again. I dont want Smeulders to do Canoerebels and invade Onnekotta and Paramushiro. On the other hand I have very little to spare from more vital areas. I was thinking about my battleships. I could move another one or even 2 more to support Yamashiro at Paramushiro. At Sakhalin peninsula they would be able to react while not dying the first day if the enemy brought CVs with them.

Currently we have:

Nagato class, Mutsu(at Rabaul) and Nagato(at Singapore). These are Japan's best battlewagons until Yamato and Musashi. They are the only ones with 16" guns and have the best armor too, so I of course want to keep them alive. Sitting at Paramushiro is probably waste of these ships, though.

Ise and Fuso class: Ise(soon to bombard Makassar at Java Sea), Yamashiro(at Paramushiro already), Fuso and Hyuga(at Singapore). These can later be converted to battleship-carrier hybrid ships. They are pretty bad battleships and no match for the latest US or British designs, although they should be able to do 1-1 against the older ones like Revenge class and the Pearl Harbor battleships. I could send one or 2 of these to help Yamashiro in the Kuriles.

Kongo class: Kongo, Haruna, Hiei and Kirishima. These ships have the least armor and guns but as modified battlecruisers they are fastest battleships on earth and have pretty good range. These are probably too valuable as CV escorts. I'd want more of them...

Yamato and Musashi are still being built. I'm not sure what to do with them - just keep them in the reserve until I can unleash them against an invasion force? They are the worst fuel hogs ever and cannot rearm their 18.1" guns at many bases in the whole Pacific, limiting their usefulness.

[Sheb]

I mostly meant a glossary of abbreviation. CV, JNAF and DE are straight enough, but some of the ones you're using are puzzling (took me a while to figure out what AV mean.)

[Erkki]

I mostly meant a glossary of abbreviation. CV, JNAF and DE are straight enough, but some of the ones you're using are puzzling (took me a while to figure out what AV mean.)

Ah yeah. I might add a list of abbreviations in the first post. I'll add some here now, hope it makes the AAR more readable.

CV - fleet carrier: big, fast, long range, heavy-hitting and versatile ships that provide a fleet with mobile over-the-horizon search and  firepower projection as well as fighter air cover from enemy aircraft
CVL - light carrier, smaller, less capable, usually no armor and much less AA guns)
CVE - escort carrier, small, slow, often converted cargo ships, very vulnerable)
BB - battleship
BC - battlecruiser(Renown and Repulse)
CB - assault cruiser/cruiser leader(USN Alaska class in the end of the war)
CA - heavy cruiser
CL - light cruiser(also destroyer leaders and older cruisers)
CS - Japanese float plane carrier cruisers
DD - destroyer, general purpose warship, long range capital ship escort
TB - "Torpedo Boat", Japanese Washington Treaty light destroyers
E - escort, light destroyers, almost same as below, Japanese designation
DE - destroyer escort, slower destroyers built for convoy escorts
DMS - destroyer mine sweeper
APD - destroyer troop transport, "assault destroyer"
DM - destroyer mine layer
KV - corvette - dedicated convoy escort
SC - "sub chaser", short range depth charge armed patrol vessels
PG - "patrol gunship", type of a smaller warships. Some of them are still heavily armed
PF - Frigate, large escort destroyer, some are as big as light cruisers
PC - "patrol craft", small warships
AVD - aviation(floatplane and flying boat) support destroyer
CM - mine layer cruiser
CMc - coastal mine layer
AM - mine layer
AMc - coastal mine sweeper
AMC - mine field tender(these are very important)
PB - "patrol boat", various types of xAKL and xAK converted to escort role
MGB, MTB, HDML, ML, MTL, PT - different types of very small torpedo, gun and/or depth charge armed craft
SS - submarine
SST - submarine transport
SSX - minisub

Spoiler: non-combatant ships (click to show/hide)

xAK - "Auxiliary c(K)argo", civilian cargo ship, can carry troops but capacity is used less efficiently
AK - naval or navalized xAK
xAK-t, AK-t, cargo ships converted to carry more troops
xAKL - coastal cargo ship
xAP, AP - troop transports
APA - Allied assault troop transports
TK - tanker
AO - oiler - can refuel ships at sea
AD, AS, AR, AG, AGP, AV/AKV - tenders that can help rearming and repairing various ship types(left to right, destroyers and smaller, submarines, general(repairs everything but only small amounts of damage), general(smaller than DD), small crafts, aircraft and float planes)
ARD - floating drydock
AKE - rearming ship
AE - rearming ship(can rearm at sea)
AVP - aviation support ship(small)

Then theres lots of different kinds of amphibious landings ships and, yard oilers and what else...

[inteuniso]

Any carrier, actually; even the Hosho would be fine.

[Erkki]

March 17th


East Indies:

Ise and her escorts bombard Makassar: results could have been considerably better, but at least we got some hits in...

Makassar amphibious force unloads troops without a loss. We should have at least 2-1 superiority and shock attack is ordered for tomorrow.

An Allied TF of unknown composition is sighted by Japanese submarines but escapes by daybreak. Carriers move south tomorrow, and together with the CVE raiders they cover a pretty large area.

Samarinda invasion is a go! Also Japanese troops ordered to attack at Bandoeng tomorrow.

Spoiler: East Indies March 17th 1942 (click to show/hide)

Submarine I-27 now refueled and refit at Palembang. A second pilot is taken aboard as well as 2 unassembled E14Y floatplanes storaged on the deck outside the hull. The I-27 now sets sail to its assigned patrol area near Perth, Australia. The patrol is likely to last up to 5 months, or until the submarine runs out of torpedoes and has to head home. I-27's route takes her across the Java Sea, sailing from Java Sea to the Indian Ocean East of Java. Next time she sees land will be at the NW coast of Australia which she follows for 4 days until turning to her patrol position some 120 nautical miles West of Perth, where 3 submarines are already at station, including another E14Y equipped sub, I-29.

PO1 Minobe, J. (Anvilfolk) at Rabaul flies his first combat mission. Today they escort Kanoya Ku K-1's  G4M1s to Finschhafen some 280 nautical miles to the West. There is no AAA fire no enemy aircraft, as expected, but these missions are good practice. Japanese troops just landed there and will occupy the place tomorrow, so this will also probably be the last non-CAP mission for some time.

PO2 Nishiura, P. (Burnt Pies) from the Kanoya Ku K-1 has flown 3 missions already. 2 to Lae and 1 to Finschhafen today. The unit has suffered no losses, and there has been no resistance yet whatsoever.

Any carrier, actually; even the Hosho would be fine.

How about Shoho? She hasnt seen any action yet but is stationed at Truk.

Captain Izawa, Ishinosuke. Shoho and her escorts, including CA Takao and BB Haruna, are ready at Truk. Shoho is a Zuiho class CVL with aircraft capacity of 30, speed of 28/15 knots, next to no armor and light AAA armament but very good range of 9240 nautical miles without refueling. She also carries 18 torpedoes and a unit of 9+4 B5N1 strike aircraft with well trained pilots that make her a threat to anything that floats including other carriers and battleships.

Shoho TF's mission is to be ready to react to any enemy move in the Central or South Pacific. Shoho only carries 38 aircraft aboard her, currently 21 ready Zeros and 9 B5Ns with 4+4 reserve planes and 40 pilots, but she and her escorts are a serious threat to anything that isnt another carrier task force. Haruna's task is to act as a floating anti-aircraft battery and a bomb & torpedo sponge. The force is also not operating alone but is supported by long range bombers at Truk and Rabaul(Kanoya Ku K-1) as well as fighters and search aircraft at Rabaul, Namatanai, Tulagi, Munda and Marshalls. Whenever possible, the Shoho TF will be stationed close to land-based fighters that will fly LRCAP over it while Shoho's and more forward land-based fighter units will provide escorts to Japanese air strikes by Shoho's and land-based strike aircraft.

[Erkki]

First post edited, I added the claims and how they're doing at the moment. Hanzoku will be assigned a Zero pilot ASAP.

[Anvilfolk]

Haha, I am elated! My very first sortie! Those corrupt, long-nosed westerners will feel cold, japanese steel! Let them come!

[timferius]

Do you plan to jump out of your plane to get them then? Or have you modified it tto shoot shurikenss? Im not sure how effective that will be, but let me know.

[Sheb]

I do not know how they make bombs in your place, but around here, they're in a cold steel casing.

[Erkki]

Haha, I am elated! My very first sortie! Those corrupt, long-nosed westerners will feel cold, japanese steel! Let them come!

Its a long war ahead, I wouldn't hurry to just get killed in the first fight. 

[Erkki]

March 18th

This was a good day for the Japanese. All of today's action was in the East Indies.

During the night, an Allied TF of 4 USN Clemson DD-class DDs escorting CLs Danae and Enterprise sailed from SE(Timor?) past Japanese submarines to the hex E of where the Kido Butai's movement arrow is on the above screenshot(lowest arrow). KB had 2 surface combat escort TFs - one set to react, the other set to not. The with CAs Tone, Chikuma, Abukuma, Nachi and 5 DDs was allowed to react and intercepted the Allied TF, but somehow managed to get itself surprised by the Allies and get "crossed T". It was a night battle at 0% moonlight. The Allies started their torpedo attacks, hitting and sinking DD Murasame almost immediately. The battle lasted very long at point blank range 3000 to 5000 yards with no hits, and eventually the Japanese started to get the upper hand. Tone and Chikuma received one hit each by the British cruisers but one didnt penetrate armor and the other was a relatively small caliber superstructure hit that didnt even start fires.

Then the Japanese ships started to hit things: hit after hit the 20cm main guns hit Danae and Enterprise, starting fires, causing explosions below waterline and in the fuselage. Japanese DDs also hit 2 of the 4 American DDs. As the Allies tried to retreat from battle, Chikuma and Nachi kept pursuing, shooting Danae and Enterprise. Enterprise finally suffered an ammo storage explosion and 5 further penetrating hits but refused to go down before first Chikuma and then Nachi shot their last Type 93 Long Lance torpedoes on her. Both torpedoes hit home. Danae suffered multiple massive explosions and heavy fires before point-blank 20cm fire from 3000 yards finally put her down. One of the 4 American DDs, Pope, was sunk by Chikuma before the rest of them disengaged.

DD Yugikaze actually collided with CA Tone during the battle, but the damage is very minor.



After daybreak the Allied TF was separated: DDs John D. Ford and Peary were heading towards Timor, but their journey was stopped by carrier borne strike aircraft from Akagi and Shokaku. Both DDs were sunk. The last DD, Parrot, for some reason head to SW and broke to the Indian Ocean. She was too unlucky to now meet the Japanese CVE raiders, and was sunk after a 250kg SAP bomb hit by one of CVE Hosho's D3A1s.

Dutch 139W bombers flew some 20 sorties to Makassar trying to hit Japanese destroyers and unloading transports -no hits were scored. Makassar fell to Japanese forces, and for tomorrow we will have 40 G4M1 bombers, a 20-plane Zero squadron and 10 E13A search floatplanes ready at Makassar.

Japanese carriers will retire towards Singapore from the deep water hexes that have about 15 Allied submarines. Carrier aircraft are ordered to strike Batavia's airfield in tango with Kalidjati's fighters.

On Java, Buitenzorg was captured and the attack at Bandoeng went pretty well, achieving 1:2 odds, lowering forts to 2 and we only lost twice as many troops as the Dutchmen.

Finschhafen captured in New Guinea, Marcus Island received reinforcements and is now building forts.

DD Yugumo (Zrk2): CL Sendai TF the Yugumo is part of almost found and engaged that Allied cruiser force. Perhaps luckily, the much heavier squadron got to them first or things might have ended up ugly. Sendai TF most probably could have disengaged at will from the 4-5 knot slower Allied cruisers but the Allies would have definitely held the firepower advantage.