20 January 1943
Hong Kong Liberated!
China
The enemy forces in Hong Kong were all REMFs. Our army easily took the city. The enemy armies just to the north in Canton (which was going to be my original target until I saw how much fewer troops there were in Hong Kong), instead of sallying south to try to take Hong Kong back from me, are headed east, towards consolidated Japanese control. Thus is appears he's conceding Canton to me as well and trying to prevent his armies from being surrounded.
Yesterday I wondered what my army near Wenchow was going to do, now I know. They're going to block the Canton forces' retreat.
This could be a huge turning point in the China campaign. Losing Rangoon was causing massive supply shortages all over China. I have plenty of resources here, but lack the factories to turn that into usable supply. Taking Hong Kong gives me a lot more factories, and so will Canton if I really do get that too. Also, if I really do eliminate the Japanese in the south, that lets me shift forces to the east, essentially letting me work my way north up the coastline to threaten Shanghai.
Burma
Things are looking bad for the units in the rear of the mountain trail. Their supplies are nearly completely exhausted, and their movement has been reduced to nothing or near-nothing by enemy artillery as additional units close in. This is about 17,000 worth of troops, mostly base forces. The rest of the procession appears to be back in supply, so they'll probably be OK, although there's always a chance they'll have to deal with an enemy force on the other end of the trail. Right now there is a large enemy force near there, but they're trying to off-road through mountains, which would work with infantry, but this army is very tank-heavy. So that's a mistake that's helping me.
Zeroes replaced the Tojos near Mandalay, and my Hurricane pilots loved it. We shot down 7 of the 8 that came up to greet us, no losses..
__________________
|