12 February 1943
Lashio Captured, major losses to local airpower
Solomons
Three IJN destroyers shelled the small port facility at Shortlands. Fortunately they didn't run into any of the small supply convoys I'm running there to keep the CBs stocked with building materials. An enemy sub had better timing and found the destroyer-minelayer Pruit, shooting 4 torpedoes and missing. The Pruit retaliated but ran out of depth charges before inflicting major damage. It was able to complete its mission and lay a small minefield there.
During the day, 20 Betties, probably from Rabaul, bombed the USMC positions at Shortlands, causing a few casualties. I'm switching my fighter priority from offensive counter air to flying CAP around Shortlands and my supply runs.
B-17/25/26 raids took out an Emily and a Betty on the ground at Rabaul and caused light base damage, while P-38 sweeps got 3 Zeroes and a Tojo over Guadalcanal.
I somehow messed up my raid on Ndeni. The landing craft all arrived empty, and the troop ship backing them up only had supplies and support units. So now those support units are coming ashore with no shooters backing them up. I've sent the landing craft back to pick up the troops they were supposed to still have and I'm trying to get the support units back on the troop ship.
Burma and India
2 light cruisers, the Kiso and the Juntsu, shelled our airbase at Chittagong, India. Damage was minimal. I'm moving a Vengeance dive bomber squadron further south from Calcutta to try to protect these coastal bases a bit better.
Nicks raided Lashio overnight, 4 Nicks were shot down by night fighters and a fifth was lost to AA. One of a night fighters was also shot down. Base damage was minimal.
During the day, 4 Tojos tried to sweep Lashio and met 16 fighters on defense, 3 Tojos were shot down with no enemy victories.
I hadn't noticed that an enemy armor division reinforced their attacking armies at Lashio, giving them overwhelming strength. Despite still having level 2 forts, our positions were overrun. We took 3800 casualties to their 1000, while losing the fighter squadrons based there (and many of their pilots, who were quite elite):
Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk III: 1 destroyed
Hurricane IIc Trop: 19 destroyed
Beaufighter VIf: 5 destroyed
P-40K Warhawk: 11 destroyed
(I think those loses are understated, actual losses were closer to 60 aircraft total)
Losing the planes was a major error on my part. I should have seen the writing on the wall and not waited until the last possible moment to pull them out.
South China Sea
USS Peto took a shot at an escorted tanker convoy and missed. Looks like a Palembang to Japan run; we should get another chance at them in the Luzon Strait.
China
The enemy has advanced on Chusien. Looks like about 40,000 troops, could be a major battle coming up. I have similar numbers and Level 6 forts here, I expect to hold.
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