Quote:
Originally Posted by Ostfriese
Please don't stop writing these reports, i really enjoy them even though I've never played WiTP.
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Thanks, it's good to know people are getting something out of this. Years ago, it was AARs like this that got me interested in WitP. It took me years before I worked up the nerve to commit to it, but the AARs definitely sold me on it.
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28 January 1942
Stage set for another battle in the Celebes Sea?
CENTPAC
The HQ units I want to evac from Pearl weren't ready yet, so the Cuttlefish is still patrolling the harbor. It can't dock because then it's just going to get bombed by planes. So it got depth charged again, and got away again. BB Yamashiro and Nagato bombarded Pearl/Hickam, again, not doing much apparent damage because everything is already a wreck. So then for the new turn, I tried to finally load Cuttlefish and Pamano only be reminded that these subs can carry cargo in a pinch, but not troops, so I'm not evacuating anyone this way. Sigh.
Celebes Sea: Battle of St. Lucia Bay?
The name St. Lucia doesn't appear in the WitP map, but it's the bay that Tarakan sits on. One ARG from Jolo is headed this way. It's intentions were made clear when Sallies from Brunei bombed our troops at Tarakan, powering through resistance from a Buffalo squadron there. That airfield is too small for them, so they have to be flying with a reduced loadout. USS Sailfish made the contact report on the ARG and attempted a torpedo attack before being driven off by the escorts. The two army regiments he started to land in Jolo have apparently been re-embarked for Tarakan, it's just the marines in Jolo now--and they've taken it.
The HMS Indomitable battle group is transiting the Makassar strait and will be in position to attack, hopefully, in the PM phase tomorrow. They will be supported by fighters from Balikpapan and Tarkakan, if I don't lose it first. Force Y will act as a covering force with orders to intercept any enemy task force that approaches the CVBG. I'd prefer to avoid getting into a direct surface battle with their covering force, at least until I soften them up a bit with airstrikes. Betties/Nells are potentially based in Manila and Kendari--the Manila ones will be too far to bring torpedoes to the party, but Kendari is completely in range. Dutch medium bombers and US B-17s that escaped the Philippines will hit the Kendari airfield to try to mitigate that threat. The CVBG was detected today but not attacked, so that's a good sign. I also have medium bombers in range to hit the ships, but after those bombers pulled the fighter escorts away from dive/torpedo bombers at Pearl and Surabaya, I'm just going to have them sit this the first day out. My airfields are overstacked anyway so this will help keep more planes airworthy, and I'll have them when I need to start bombing troops on the ground.
Enemy Order of battle:
ARG1 (Tarakan): 1 CL, 2 DD, 2 DMS, 1 TB, 1 APD, 2 AK, 1 AP.
ARG2 (Jolo): 1 PB, 1 AMC, 3 AKs (very low confidence in this)
Covering force: 2 CA, 3 CL, and 4 DD
Air: At least 28 Sallies in northern Borneo. Unknown number of naval bombers from Manila/Kendari, possibly Menado. Fighter escorts expected to fly from Menado--even Jolo if he brought aviation support with his invaders.
Reinforcements: The CVLBG and 2 BB could be out there somewhere. He can fly Betties in from almost anywhere.
Allied order of Battle:
Indomitable CVBG: 1 CV (6 Hurricane F, 9 Fulmar FB, 26 Albacore TB), 3 CL, 5 DD
Force Y: 1 CA, 8 CL, 5 DD
13 US and Dutch subs (mostly at the entrances to the Celebes rather than in the immediate battle area), not including US subs on transport missions to Bataan.
Air: 9 Buffalo, 24 P-39 Airacobra, 7 P-40E Warhawk, 12 139WH-3 medium bombers. P-40 reinforcements available.
Malaya
Our moment of fighter parity in Singapore is already over. Our fighters were overwhelmed early and most bombing raids went unopposed. Before that happened we shot down 2 Zeroes and a Nate. Most of their raids targeted the airbase, but apparently my flak is intimidating because he kept his bombers high. 1 Hurricane was blown up on the ground and we took some mild facility damage, but the raid wasn't very effective.
Coral Sea
Bettys from Rabaul made their long-anticipated appearance with a night attack on PM's airbase, putting 2 craters in the runway. Nothing my engineers can't handle.
A pair of TBDs attacked submarines (attacked the same submarine twice?) along the PIM of the Enterprise-Saratoga CVBG in the Torres Strait and reported hits. The subs were variously classified as L4, KD4, and KD6A. All of these classes are small boats that would probably not survive a direct 500lb bomb hit. I may have just telegraphed my intentions with this group, though, and I'm not sure there is much point to sending this group west if surprise has been lost.
China
The few remaining Tojos and some Oscars are flying CAP over the former Ichang occupiers. They managed to get past my escorts and shoot down an SB-III bomber. When we took Ichang, it had no supply stockpiles--those troops bogged down in the swamp are probably running on empty, and the swamp is a terrible place to be when low on supplies.
Philippines
He's not waiting for the detachment to return to Clark. He attacked today at about 1.5 division strength. Casualties were 3600 to 1000 favoring us. Still, if he's going to attack now I might be better off beginning my retreat. Bataan has some supplies and fortifications. Clark does have more favorable terrain, though. There's also a new small task force at the north end of the Sulu sea, probably an ARG picking up troops there to bring them to the central or southern Philippine islands.
Papua New Guinea
He's been landing paratroops and other small forces across the north side of PNG and in the Leae area. Nothing too important, they're potential airbases later on.