Part 102: Operational Report: 18/03/42

Japanese forces land a Medan in Sumatra today, they get a number of men ashore, but our coastal batteries are not totally ineffective. After getting this and another hit, the ships carrying the invasion troops withdrawn, leaving the town unmolested for another day.



The KVII's apparent hatred of patrol boats continues, as another two torpedoes are used to bring one down.



This is taken to extremes when the Captain chooses to sink a patrol boat rather than a destroyer.



Words must be had with this man, words like “Target Selection” and “Ammunition Conservation”

The KXI's chosen target is marginally better, a small freighter, which the combat report states “Is obliterated” by the torpedo strike.



I still don't know why there are no fighters in the air protecting Denpasar, but I'll look at that once more.



But we can continue to show what we can do if the enemy sends out unprotected bombing runs.



The Djambi raids are getting more and more coordinated, today's planes came over in one large mass, and bombs rained down from the sky.







The enemies long expected invasion of Noumou may have begun today, as the harbour is attacked by a large enemy force.



This force had no destroyers, as none were to spare, but the cruiser Louisville would have been more than a match for previous invasion forces seen in the area, but with the Imperial Navy sending two cruisers to the area, she is quickly singled out and sunk.
The only godsend is that these ships were nearly empty, having just a few supplies left, all the troops they were carrying are already dug in on the shore.





The Japanese bombers in China hit a new target today, Kunming in the north. I don't know what the planes stationed here are, but the enemy must think that something there is worth bombarding.



At Wuchang, the enemy make a deliberate attack on our men, but the brave Chinese defenders are ready for them.



at 10-1, the Japanese cannot continue to fight the war in China like this. They fair only a little better at Sinyang, at about 5-1 losses.



At Nanchang, their exhausted troops manage to keep their losses to near parity with our own, but that seems to be due to lack of preparation on our side behalf. Something I can fix quickly.



Our own assault on Hankow goes well, without their defences, its easy to inflict heavy losses on the Japanese troops.




A raid at Wake hits some of the ships unloading a base construction unit to Wake, these men are here to help build fortifications to protect the island from another enemy attack.







The Japanese continue to was large number of supplied bombing a worthless PT boat, and missing constantly, even though the thing is stationary from lack of fuel. Its been worth its construction costs five times over now in the bombs that have been thrown in its direction – 3,200kg in this raid alone.







There is a landing at Akyab, which is probably what those cruisers were sent out to sweep for a couple of days ago. They take the undefended town, but this gives me the chance to get my cruisers in and get some revenge – I'm hoping that's them in the clouds. I can't quite make out the Icon.









Once again, success in China is balanced by losses at sea, I never expected that many Japanese ships to arrive at Nomou, which I considered a secondary front at best, I seems that the enemy disagree with me on that one.



Losing the Louisville is a blow.

In other news, Wanger is back! Unfortunately, I can't move his squadron base - its still fixed to the the far east command,which now no longer exists, but I now have the option to disband the unit, so some lucky squadron may be getting the best pilot in the Pacific as a replacement!
If that doesn't work, then he can sit out the rest of the war in Training Command.



I was right though, those cruisers should have a field day tomorrow.