SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - War in the Pacific AAR Thread

Molon Labe · 10-02-21, 10:58 PM

12 May 1942
Kido Butai tries to ambush a surface action group, gets a consolation prize

Java Sea
O21 attacked a surface combat task force that was mostly or all destroyers...maybe not the best choice. It missed, and fortunately got away with only slight depth charge damage.

Timor
The 48th Division (veterans of the Luzon campaign) is landing in Koepang. The landings were supported by a wave of 14 Sallies escorted by 35 Zeroes; we only managed 7 P-40s to oppose. One P-40 was shot down, the rest were driven off. We scored a hit on a cargo ship in the amphibious task force with a light bomber, but the damage was negligible (stupidly small 50kg bombs). That mission cost us another P-40.

I have a surface combat task force nearby, but the enemy formation is large and is centered around the battleship Hiei. This probably isn't the best target. Too bad I turned my Brit carriers around when I did, they'd be here for this otherwise.

Malaya
We lost 2 Beauforts, 2 Mohawks, and a Blenhieim trying to hit Kuantan's supply runs. Our Mohawks took down a Zero. A few Beauforts got through but missed their target.

SouthPAC
Not sending a surface group after the bogey north of Fiji ended up being a really good call...it was an ambush setup by the KB.

In addition to the last bogey off Fiji, there was also one at Pago again, I just didn't spot it yet. The KB was hanging out between them in strike range of both. Even though I didn't send a task force to intercept the Pago bogey, I did have a transport convoy moving through that area on its way back to the US, so the KB did get a target. We also had 4 destroyers passing near the Fiji bogey but the enemy didn't spot it. The KB launched raids against the transport convoy as well as a nearby ASW task force.

In echoes of the real life Battle of the Coral Sea, it was the USS Sims escorting the transport convoy, which fared only slightly better than the real-life Neosho. One transport was hit by 4 torpedoes and sank immediately. Another took two hits and is going to try to make it to port in Pago. The Sims will try to leave the area with the single remaining undamaged transport. Vals followed up to attack the Sims but missed.

The ASW group to the west of Pago drew a strike and fared better. The first wave attacked the PC Taney and missed, but not before P-40s from Pago shot down a Zero and 8 Kates, while losing only 2 of their own. That was followed up by Vals, though, and by that point our fighters had been mostly routed. We lost 2 more P-40s with no kills. The Vals severely damaged the Taney, sank a minesweeper, and damaged a corvette. This would have been a wipe had the bombers not been flying at extended range and carrying only 60kg bombs.

The timing of this is fortunate...I don't have any carriers passing through here, only one of my tanker convoys is here, and the only troop convoys are on their return trips. Although part of the reason the carriers aren't near here is because the appearance of the second bogey really made it look like something was going to go down here, so I moved them away. I'm routing as much traffic as I can away for now, which is going to be a little chaotic but we'll manage. I'm also moving a bit more aircraft into Pago and Suva from nearby bases. It looks to me like the KB isn't going to be deployed aggressively here. He's already standing off and trying to use his bait ships to bring me to him. But just in case, I'll have more fighters protecting the bases and even a few A-20s in case he gets close enough. Both bases also have a compliment of dive bombers, and Suva has B-26s with naval-attack trained crews.

China
The battle for Kaifeng is going well. We took their forts down from level 3 to level 2 and it appears we have overwhelming numbers. Casualties were 2300 to 3300 favoring them--that will improve as the forts come down. Support from SB-III and B-25 bombers is getting through unmolested. It appears we achieved strategic surprise.

South China Sea
USS Porpoise got into a surface attack against a previously-damaged cargo ship off the coast of Vietnam. It failed to score any detonating torpedo hits, but dealt significant damage with its deck gun, starting major fires.

Thailand and Burma
As theorized, the enemy armies bypassing Raheng have moved onto the road that supplies Raheng from Rangoon. Per our contingency plans, our reserve armies are moving out to retake the road and airlift operations have begun to keep Rageng supplied. Our bombers, resting ever since taking heavy casualties, are getting back into the action and will commence bombing the road tomorrow. I've pulled our fighters out of Raheng to be closer to Rangoon, in hopes this will help our bombers link up with them better than before. I've also moved a few fighters from protecting Force Lauren to add to the bomber escorts.

I've paid for the Indian division in Calcutta. It's going to take a couple days to load them onto ships and a few more to get them here and disembark. Figure a week before they can truly enter the fighting if need be.

Reinforcements/Refits
-HMS Illustrious is about to finish its journey from South Africa to Sri Lanka. (13 Swordfish, 20 Martlets)
DD Dent beginning refit in shipyard at Los Angeles (bigger fuel tanks, AA, radar)
CVE Long Island arrives at Balboa (no aircraft)
1st USMC Air Wing Base Force arrives at San Francisco (0% strength; I think this is a unit destroyed on Luganville being reformed)

10-02-21, 10:58 PM	#231
Molon Labe Silent Hunter Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Along the Watchtower Posts: 3,810 Downloads: 27 Uploads: 5	12 May 1942 Kido Butai tries to ambush a surface action group, gets a consolation prize Java Sea O21 attacked a surface combat task force that was mostly or all destroyers...maybe not the best choice. It missed, and fortunately got away with only slight depth charge damage. Timor The 48th Division (veterans of the Luzon campaign) is landing in Koepang. The landings were supported by a wave of 14 Sallies escorted by 35 Zeroes; we only managed 7 P-40s to oppose. One P-40 was shot down, the rest were driven off. We scored a hit on a cargo ship in the amphibious task force with a light bomber, but the damage was negligible (stupidly small 50kg bombs). That mission cost us another P-40. I have a surface combat task force nearby, but the enemy formation is large and is centered around the battleship Hiei. This probably isn't the best target. Too bad I turned my Brit carriers around when I did, they'd be here for this otherwise. Malaya We lost 2 Beauforts, 2 Mohawks, and a Blenhieim trying to hit Kuantan's supply runs. Our Mohawks took down a Zero. A few Beauforts got through but missed their target. SouthPAC Not sending a surface group after the bogey north of Fiji ended up being a really good call...it was an ambush setup by the KB. In addition to the last bogey off Fiji, there was also one at Pago again, I just didn't spot it yet. The KB was hanging out between them in strike range of both. Even though I didn't send a task force to intercept the Pago bogey, I did have a transport convoy moving through that area on its way back to the US, so the KB did get a target. We also had 4 destroyers passing near the Fiji bogey but the enemy didn't spot it. The KB launched raids against the transport convoy as well as a nearby ASW task force. In echoes of the real life Battle of the Coral Sea, it was the USS Sims escorting the transport convoy, which fared only slightly better than the real-life Neosho. One transport was hit by 4 torpedoes and sank immediately. Another took two hits and is going to try to make it to port in Pago. The Sims will try to leave the area with the single remaining undamaged transport. Vals followed up to attack the Sims but missed. The ASW group to the west of Pago drew a strike and fared better. The first wave attacked the PC Taney and missed, but not before P-40s from Pago shot down a Zero and 8 Kates, while losing only 2 of their own. That was followed up by Vals, though, and by that point our fighters had been mostly routed. We lost 2 more P-40s with no kills. The Vals severely damaged the Taney, sank a minesweeper, and damaged a corvette. This would have been a wipe had the bombers not been flying at extended range and carrying only 60kg bombs. The timing of this is fortunate...I don't have any carriers passing through here, only one of my tanker convoys is here, and the only troop convoys are on their return trips. Although part of the reason the carriers aren't near here is because the appearance of the second bogey really made it look like something was going to go down here, so I moved them away. I'm routing as much traffic as I can away for now, which is going to be a little chaotic but we'll manage. I'm also moving a bit more aircraft into Pago and Suva from nearby bases. It looks to me like the KB isn't going to be deployed aggressively here. He's already standing off and trying to use his bait ships to bring me to him. But just in case, I'll have more fighters protecting the bases and even a few A-20s in case he gets close enough. Both bases also have a compliment of dive bombers, and Suva has B-26s with naval-attack trained crews. China The battle for Kaifeng is going well. We took their forts down from level 3 to level 2 and it appears we have overwhelming numbers. Casualties were 2300 to 3300 favoring them--that will improve as the forts come down. Support from SB-III and B-25 bombers is getting through unmolested. It appears we achieved strategic surprise. South China Sea USS Porpoise got into a surface attack against a previously-damaged cargo ship off the coast of Vietnam. It failed to score any detonating torpedo hits, but dealt significant damage with its deck gun, starting major fires. Thailand and Burma As theorized, the enemy armies bypassing Raheng have moved onto the road that supplies Raheng from Rangoon. Per our contingency plans, our reserve armies are moving out to retake the road and airlift operations have begun to keep Rageng supplied. Our bombers, resting ever since taking heavy casualties, are getting back into the action and will commence bombing the road tomorrow. I've pulled our fighters out of Raheng to be closer to Rangoon, in hopes this will help our bombers link up with them better than before. I've also moved a few fighters from protecting Force Lauren to add to the bomber escorts. I've paid for the Indian division in Calcutta. It's going to take a couple days to load them onto ships and a few more to get them here and disembark. Figure a week before they can truly enter the fighting if need be. Reinforcements/Refits -HMS Illustrious is about to finish its journey from South Africa to Sri Lanka. (13 Swordfish, 20 Martlets) DD Dent beginning refit in shipyard at Los Angeles (bigger fuel tanks, AA, radar) CVE Long Island arrives at Balboa (no aircraft) 1st USMC Air Wing Base Force arrives at San Francisco (0% strength; I think this is a unit destroyed on Luganville being reformed) __________________ Last edited by Molon Labe; 10-03-21 at 01:15 PM.