War in the Pacific AAR Thread - ML vs JFranzen

[Molon Labe]

11 December 1943
Supply situation in China improving due to Rangoon reopening for shipments; US subs sink 4 ships in Japanese waters

Japan
Near Iwo Jima, USS Sand Lance attacked an enemy tanker (4670 tons) from the surface, hitting it with 4 torpedoes and gunfire, sending it straight to the bottom.

USS Sailfish torpedoed and sank an artillery-carrying light cargo ship (875 tons), also near Iwo Jima. Sailfish then surfaced to attack another cargo ship (2375 tons), sinking it with 2 torpedoes and gunfire.

A very large convoy (15 cargo ships, 5 escorts) was spotted by USS Crevalle. She scored a single hit one one 2900-ton cargo ship, which is believed to have been sunk.


Philippine Sea
USS Plunger tried to attack on an ASW group near Legaspi, but missed and ended up taking some depth charge damage.


DEI
Battleships New Mexico and Arizona, which had been busy as part of the amphibious task force landing at Ambon, are now back to making bombardment runs of Ambon. I don't expect the enemy to hold out much longer.

Air raids:
Surabaya(sweep): 21 P-38s: no joy
Surabaya (port attack): 30 B-24:
AV Nippo Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Wakaba, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Sado Maru, Bomb hits 1
xAK Kurohime Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
1 port hit
Ambon (airbase, ground forces): 2 hits, 0 casualties
Kendari (airbase): 9 hits
Makassa (ground forces): 0 hits

Land combat:
Ambon: Japanese bombardment attack - 6 japanese casualties from counter-battery


Truk
Trying to take advantage of the enemy seemingly running out of supplies--not even firing at our aircraft anymore--I sent an amphibious task force in to land a few support units but mostly to land supplies to keep our troops fighting. The enemy found some ammo for us:
CL Mobile, Shell hits 6
CL Trenton, Shell hits 4
CL Achilles, Shell hits 3
DD Radford, Shell hits 5, on fire
DD O'Brien, Shell hits 4, on fire

Air attack on port and ground forces: 9 hits, 16 casualties
Allied deliberate attack: fortifications reduced to 0, casualties 315(J) to 55(A).


China
Air raids:
Sinyang (ground forces): 14 casualties
Anking (ground forces): 10 casualties


I've noticed that the supplies in the central China area bases have been surging. It's taken awhile, but the recapture of Rangoon is leading to supplies flowing. (I've been sending convoys to Rangoon full of supplies ever since we took control). The situation still isn't great, bases along the front in the north and along the coast near Shanghai have severe shortages, so much that fighters have been grounded for months without being repaired. But maybe in a week or two these will start coming up too.



Burma
Air raids:
Near Rangoon (ground forces): 8 vehicles lost
Port Blair (port attack): Failed intercept attempt by 17 Zeroes, 13 Georges. Bombers scored no hits.
Raheng (sweep): 3 P-40Ks vs 6 Georges then 21 P-40Ks vs 5 Georges--4 Georges and 2 P-40s shot down
Uttaradit (ground forces): Failed intercept attempt by 4 Georges against 2 separate raids. 8 casualties

7 B-25Gs attacked the evacuation task force at Port Blair with 17 Zeroes and 12 Georges intercepting. They bounced the bombers but only just barely before the reached the ships; only 1 was shot down.
xAK Hokko Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
155 troop casualties reported


Papua New Guinnea
Deliberate attack at Hollandia: forts reduced to level 1, casualties 81(J) to 14(A)


Reinforcements
CV Intrepid arrives at Balboa
DD Knapp arrives at Balboa
DD Picking arrives at Balboa
LSI(L) Brisbane Star arrives at Aden
PF Ogden arrives at Mare Island
494th BG/864th BS arrives at Wendover Field