25 December 1941
"and Merry Christmas, by the way"
Hawaiian Island Chain
A quick note on the logistic situation.
If the manual is to be believed, they need a size 4 airfield with an AirHQ to operate torpedo-equipped Betties. The capture of Lanhaina gives them a size 3. So land-based medium bombers cutting off Pearl is a near-term, but not quite immediate threat. But the KB can fill in for that really nicely. To operate the KB continuously, they need fuel, replacement aircraft, replacement avgas/bombs/etc, and regular maintenance. Lahaina is the largest port in Hawaii other than Pearl, and is big enough to dock the Hiryu and Soryu, but the others can't dock. But, you don't necessarily need to dock to replenish, it's just inefficient. He's bringing in naval support crews to address that, and although I haven't seen them, tenders such as AOs and AEs can refuel and rearm carriers efficiently even if they can't dock. As for maintenance, the naval support will help if they can dock the carriers, but the others will have to rotate out on occasion. So, all things considered, if he moves in an AO and AE, I would expect he can maintain the KB on station and fully operational as long as 1-2 CVs are occasionally being rotated back to Japan for maintenance.
With his forces moving east, I noticed a small task force near Lihue to the west--I suspected these were the tenders. So I put a force of 2 CA and 4DD to run out of Pearl and hit them while they were vulnerable. I also ordered some B-17Es to hit Lihue, as these versions of the B-17 are the best protected and, I thought, would wear down their fighters a bit. And I sent some PT boats out raiding their landing at Lahaina as a diversion. It was a complete disaster. The task force failed to find the target and was hit with an airstrike as it returned. The B-17 raid also took heavy losses and didn't inflict a whole lot of damage either on Lihue or their fighters. The PT squadron was intercepted by a covering force and never got within range to fire torpedoes.
My losses: CA New Orleans sunk, CA Minneapolis severely damaged, 4 DDs bombed, 2 minesweepers sunk, 5 PT sunk, 3 P-40, 2 P-36, 3 B-17E
His losses: 2 MTB (entered the harbor and hit mines), 5 Zeroes, 5 Vals, 2 Kates.
He landed about a regiment on Kona.
Philippines
USS Pike torpedoed and crippled an Aden class cargo ship off Luzon.
His bombers took the day off in the north while bombing the mostly abandoned southern airfields. He swept Clark while I tried to raid San Fernando. Overall losses: 11 P-40, 1 P-35, 1 P-26, 1 B-17 to 1 Zero and 1 Nate, and 2 bombers blown up on the ground. Ouch!
His forces made an attack on Manila, reducing fortifications. It looks like he has enough there to take it, but it should take a few days.
Malaya
My medium bombers went after their land forces in and around Johore, but relative fighter strength between us made the bombers basically unescorted. 1 Buffalo and 7 bombers lost with nothing to show for it. It's time for the bombers to leave, they are't accomplishing anything anymore.
Taiping was captured.
Elsewhere
Ambon and Manado were finally captured.
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