6 September 1943
Rangoon will have to wait--combat engineers are not optional
But maybe Wuchang?
SouthPAC
USS Herring hit a cargo ship with a Mk14 near Truk. The damage does not appear to be lethal, so it can probably make it to Truk for repairs.
DEI
An enemy midget sub torpedoed and sank an LCI near Namlea. Forturnately it was empty, having already delivered construction engineers to the new base.
Burma
I'm making another landing on the Burma coast, mostly base forces along with badly needed combat engineers...more on that later. I'd originally intended for this task force to go all the way to Pegu, but the massive bomber presence on Port Blair means that's a bad idea. But I also can't wait anymore. So overland on crappy roads these troops will go.
Nick and Tony fighterst attempted to defend Rangoon from our B-24 raid, that battle resulted in 2 Nicks shot down, with us losing a P-40 and 2 B-24s. Bomber targets have switched from airbase/port facilities to the enemy troops themselves to aid in the ground assault.
We attempted a shock attack on Rangoon, encountering level 3 forts. Casualties were 2943 (J) to 4341 (A), and critically, we did not reduce the fortifications. So... even at 4 to 1 assault strength, it's not enough. Those combat engineers already landing up the coast will be needed to break through. So, I'll need to change strategy a bit--move my troops out of Rangoon and encircle it. Maybe take Moulmein first. During that time I'll try to kill off as many enemy troops outside of Rangoon that I can, and continue to build up bases close to Rangoon so I can fly sorties without drop tanks as much, or just needing fewer fighter sorties total. Keeping supplies up is going to be challenging, but I might be willing to risk a delivery to Pegu if the cargo ships have land-based air protection the whole way. Building up Pegu and Prome will be key to that.
China
I swept Wuchang again, but instead of using Chinese AF P-40Es, I attacked with USAAF P-40Ks. The P-40K really is a much better aircraft, and having better pilots helps too...8 enemy Tonies down, no losses.
Having noticed that he pulled a lot of troops out of Wuchang to try to attack the rather low-value space of Kuikiang, and was even moving troops out of here for the Sinyang attack, I decided to just go for it, moving my main force at Changsha to make a play on Wuchang. They've arrived and it looks like our assault power ratio is 5.5 to 1. Looks pretty good, hopefully good enough to overcome likely high-level fortifications.
Marshalls
We detected 3 ships near Roi-Namur, no classification. Probably either evacuating troops or trying to add supplies to maybe bring an airbase online-enough to send searchplanes out. Sending 3 DD from Midway... Essex isn't that far away either.
Celebes Sea
S-27, patrolling the chokepoint between the Celebes and Makassar Strait, was bombed by a Japanese aircraft. Damage is severe--she's trying to make it back to Darwin, but I'm not that hopeful.