Downfall 1944

[joegrundman]

Allied Air Forces strike Jap airbases in Indochina



The famed Flying Tigers struck at Japanese airbase in Haiphong while other allied planes flying from Rangoon struck at Vientiane, destroying many Japanese planes. More and more, allied pilots have the measure of their Japanese opponents.

2 Japanese aaf lost, for 1 allied (flying tiger)

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944

Air raid on oil production facilities at Palembang



American long range bombers strike at oil production facilities in Palembang causing extensive damage for no losses.

1 oil damage marker, 5 brps inflicted

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944

US submarines withdrawn for fleet support missions, reduced damage to Japanese merchant shipping



Reports filtering out that Submarine commanders at Pearl Harbor and Brisbane are unhappy with the demands by Admiral King that more submarines serve a fleet support role just as the attack on Japanese merchant shipping was becoming successful.

With fewer subs operating with simultaneously more Japanese ASW assets in play, US subs inflicted light damage.

1 sub lost for 1 transport lost, 2 aborted

[joegrundman]

Summer 1940
Battle of Guadalcanal



The half-starved defenders of Guadalcanal put up a stiff resistance against the marines, but this long isolated outpost of the retreating Japanese empire fell.

japanese 2-2 lost, us ca2 lost

[joegrundman]

Summer 1940

Rabaul attacked in air-land operation



After being subject to evry heavy air attack, the Japanese garrison in the stronghold of Rabaul were overwhelmed by an infantry assault from the West of New Britain.

Elsewhere, American forces landed on Biak unopposed

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944

Battle of Truk



In a huge operation involving the air support from carrier battle groups as well as massive shore bombardment, the determined defenders were defeated after a month long campaign led by the 1st Marines

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944

Battle of Irawaddy valley



The few remaining organised Japanese forces in Burma tried to maintain a defense of the last major river crossing connecting Burma to the Japanese forces in India, but were overwhelmed by a combined US-Commonwealth attack.

The Allies now control the entire Irawaddy valley and Burma-india border from the coast to the chinese mountains, and Japanese forces in India are now unable to get supplies and with little prospect of that situation reversing.

[joegrundman]

Fall 44

Commonwealth forces hold the line in Battle of Bengal, Japanese forces routed in counter-attack



The isolated Japanese forces in Bengal launched a massive, but suicidal attack on a Commonwealth forces held sector, led by General Slim. After holding the line against the Japanese onslaught, the counter-attack destroyed all Japanese forces except those in fortified Dacca

two Indian 2-2 lost
two Japanese 3-2 infantry and 3o3 armor lost

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

US submarines exact heavy toll on Japanese supply missions



CA2, DD1 and CA2 damaged in attempts to supply islands.

[joegrundman]

Fa44

Allied ASW forcing the U-boats down



all the way down, that is. U-boats outclassed, sinking just 2 transports for the loss of 3 uboat factors

[joegrundman]

Fa44

German forces in France retreat to new line centered on Paris



German forces fall back in france to defend around the paris-seine area

Also German forces form new line in the Bavarian alps to defend against the Italian front

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

German ground forces rescue the cauldron in the Great Don Bend



Obeying orders to hold fast and rescue the isolated German defenders stuck in the cauldron in the Great Don bend between Stalingrad, Rostov and Kursk, German ground units in a great attrition managed to restore supply to all those isolated units.

However, German forces trapped in the cities of Stalingrad and Kuybeshev remain isolated and their prospects are increasingly dim

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

Allies eliminate last of the French U-boat pens



Last of the German U-boat bases in France has now been captured by the allies. German U-boat operations have now shifted to Norway

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

Massive Air Combat sees heavy losses on both sides in France and Germany



The Allies attempted to neutralize the luftwaffe ahead of the ground campaign resulted in heavy losses to both sides, and succeeded in preventing the luftwaffe from supporting the ground forces in France and Italy

Germany lost 8 AAF, allies lost 9 AAF

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

Bombers prevented from damaging German industry, heavy air losses on both sides



Massive luftwaffe resistance, supported by radar guided jets and interceptors, prevent the allied bombers from doing more than light damage to German industry, but losses to both sides in air combat are very high, as long range allied escorts and the highly armed bombers take a heavy toll on German interceptors

3 brps bombing damage

british and US lose 4 bombers and 3 interceptors each
German loses 6 aaf, 3 interceptors and 2 jets

Total german air losses this turn is 19 factors

for the allies 23 factors, but the allies do not worry any more about their ability to replace them all.