13 au 17 février 1943
Pacifique
Qu'à cela ne tienne !
Nos troupes sont embarquées, on poursuit la mission prévue.
Un premier débarquement avec la 1st Marine Division est prévu afin de prendre la base.
Suivra une flotte avec tout le support afin de la développer.
La tout est protégé par nos CV et CVE et escorté par des CA et BB et une pléthore de DD.
Le
14 février, nos troupes débarquent :
Pre-Invasion action off Kavieng (106,122)
14 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
CA Wichita
CA Minneapolis
CL Honolulu
CL Adelaide
DD Fanning
DD Jarvis
DD Lansdowne
xAP Monterey
DD Cummings
Japanese ground losses:
15 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Allied ground losses:
16 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
CA Wichita firing at 66th Naval Guard Unit
CA Minneapolis firing at 66th Naval Guard Unit
CL Honolulu firing at 66th Naval Guard Unit
CL Adelaide firing at 66th Naval Guard Unit
DD Fanning firing at 66th Naval Guard Unit
DD Jarvis firing at 66th Naval Guard Unit
DD Lansdowne firing at 66th Naval Guard Unit
DD Jarvis fired at enemy troops
DD Lansdowne fired at enemy troops
Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft at 4,000 yards
Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft at 2,000 yards
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Amphibious Assault at Kavieng (106,122)
TF 160 troops unloading over beach at Kavieng, 106,122
Allied ground losses:
43 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
13 troops of a USMC Rifle Squad lost from landing craft during unload of 1st Marine Div /2
13 troops of a USMC Rifle Squad lost overboard during unload of 1st Marine Div /7
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Ground combat at Kavieng (106,122)
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 1446 troops, 12 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 59
Defending force 610 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 47
Assaulting units:
66th Naval Guard Unit
Defending units:
1st Marine Div /9
Le
15 février, on tente notre chance :
Ground combat at Kavieng (106,122)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 2034 troops, 65 guns, 6 vehicles, Assault Value = 143
Defending force 1429 troops, 12 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 58
Allied adjusted assault: 60
Japanese adjusted defense: 119
Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 0)
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+)
Attacker: fatigue(-)
Japanese ground losses:
188 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 14 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Allied ground losses:
44 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
1st Marine Div /9
Defending units:
66th Naval Guard Unit
Aie aie aie ... il va falloir se dépêcher !
En effet, les sous-marins ennemis infestent la région et arrivent en force autour de nos TF.
ASW attack near Kavieng at 106,122
Japanese Ships
SS I-19, hits 5
Allied Ships
BB Idaho, Torpedo hits 1
CL Columbia
DD Hatfield
DD Brooks
DD Monaghan
On a de la chance, elle n'explose pas !
Le
16 février, l'aéronavale japonaise arrive sur place !
Les japonais sont à 8 cases : nos avions ne décollent pas, mais les avions japonais sont en longue portée, donc capacité de charge réduite.
Un premier raid est repoussé :
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 26
B5N1 Kate x 6
B5N2 Kate x 15
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 99
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 4 destroyed
B5N1 Kate: 4 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 9 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed
Le second raid parvient à passer,
Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 33
B5N1 Kate x 5
B5N2 Kate x 16
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 85
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 10 destroyed
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 8 destroyed, 2 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 3 destroyed
Allied Ships
CVE Prince William, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires
CVE Chenango, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B5N1 Kate bombing from 12000 feet *
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
5 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 12000 feet *
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
Heureusement, ce sont des bombes et non des torpilles, mais nos CVE sont en carton ...
Pour une dizaine de chasseurs, nous abattons une soixantaine d'avions ennemis, un bon ratio !
17 février
On continue à débarquer afin de préparer un nouvel assaut sur la base !
Horreur ! En plein débarquement, une flotte de surface japonaise arrive !
Night Time Surface Combat, near Kavieng at 106,122, Range 7,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Maya, Shell hits 1
CL Naka
CL Tama
CL Kiso
CL Tenryu, Shell hits 2
DD Asashio, Shell hits 1
DD Michishio
DD Arashio
DD Harusame
DD Kawakaze, Shell hits 1
DD Hatsuharu, Shell hits 1
DD Akatsuki
Allied Ships
BB Idaho, Shell hits 5
CL Columbia, Shell hits 2
DD DeHaven, Shell hits 1
DD Monssen
DD Craven, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Gridley
DD Monaghan
DD Brooks
DD Hatfield, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAP President Fillmore
xAP Santa Elena
xAP Santa Paula
xAP Etolin
xAP Maui
xAP Thomas Barry
xAP Santa Barbara
xAP Santa Maria
xAP Santa Inez
xAP Sarpedonia
xAK Anshun
xAK Talune
xAK Yunnan
xAK Autolycus, Shell hits 1
xAP Dunedin Star
xAP Empire Pride
xAP Glenapp
xAP Glenorchy
xAP Denbighshire
xAP Idomeneus
xAP Lycaon
xAP Diomed
xAP Boschfontein
xAP Bloemfontein
xAP Klipfontein
xAP Noordam
xAP Poelau Laut
xAP Poelau Bras
xAP Tjisadane
xAP Kota Tjandi
xAP Tjisaroea
xAP Rangitiki
xAP Rangitata
xAP Mataroa
xAP Duntroon
xAP Rangatira
xAP Raranga
xAP Zealandia
xAP Macdhui
xAP Montoro, Shell hits 6
xAP Mungana, Shell hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
xAP Koolinda, Shell hits 1
Allied ground losses:
63 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 4 disabled
Les flottes paniquent, et s'enfuient en retraitant vers Shortlands tandis que le japonais retraite au nord, hors de portée de mon aviation...
Malgré un cuirassé dans la TF, le japonais s'en sort sans une égratignure...comme trop souvent lors de ce genre de combat
Cette retraite casse un peu nos plans et nous surprend, car nous n'avons perdu qu'un destroyer et 2 transports... le second étant coulé par un sous-marin lors de la retraite :
Submarine attack near Kavieng at 106,122
Japanese Ships
SS RO-102
Allied Ships
xAP Boschfontein, Torpedo hits 2, heavy damage
Allied ground losses:
17 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
La bonne nouvelle vient de la prise de Kavieng par les marines !
Ground combat at Kavieng (106,122)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 3624 troops, 116 guns, 20 vehicles, Assault Value = 228
Defending force 1204 troops, 12 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 28
Allied adjusted assault: 412
Japanese adjusted defense: 7
Allied assault odds: 58 to 1 (fort level 0)
Allied forces CAPTURE Kavieng !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(-)
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(+)
Japanese ground losses:
816 casualties reported
Squads: 50 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 7 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 4 (4 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 1
Allied ground losses:
121 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 21 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
1st Marine Division
Defending units:
66th Naval Guard Unit
Bilan de l'opération
Le but est atteint, Kavieng est prise, nos pertes navales sont légères (2 AP et 1 DD), on a infligé quelques bonnes pertes aériennes au japonais, mais 2 CVE sont hors d'usage pour des mois...
On a également grenadé plusieurs sous-marins ennemis, j'espère ne plus revoir certains ...
Japanese Ships
SS I-154, hits 15, on fire, heavy damage
Birmanie
La route d'approvisionnement de la Chine est réouverte !
Ground combat at 63,46 (near Lashio)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 1623 troops, 18 guns, 194 vehicles, Assault Value = 177
Defending force 462 troops, 0 guns, 56 vehicles, Assault Value = 13
Allied adjusted assault: 41
Japanese adjusted defense: 1
Allied assault odds: 41 to 1
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), op mode(-), fatigue(-), experience(-)
supply(-)
Attacker: leaders(-)
Japanese ground losses:
Vehicles lost 35 (31 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Units retreated 2
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
50th Tank Brigade
Defending units:
14th Tank Regiment
9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion