Part 18: Operational Report: 24/12/41

Wake Island is under attack once more, and this time it seems the enemy is serious about taking it.



The unloading freighters have no chance to escape when two battleships and two cruisers sail into view and begin firing. The ships then turn their guns upon the island itself, causing heavy casualties to the troops stationed there.



Then the enemy land forces storm ashore under the cover of this fire. This time there is no stopping them.



This headlong attack on our forces may have captured all of our defenders, but it cost the enemy over 1,400 men dead or wounded. If they continue to make attacks with these losses, then this is to be a very bloody war indeed.





Off the coast of Japan, the Sealion hits a freighter sailing along the coat.



She returns to this ship at dawn and puts another torpedo into her burning shell.





Off the Marshall Islands, the Triton hits another Japanese ship. Causing heavy damage.



That evening troops land at Canton island.




The Japanese aerial bombardment in Malaya spreads south as Kuantan becomes the next target of large scale raids, seeing nearly one hundred planes in one raid.



And it seems that the carrier we sighted a few days ago has reversed its course and moved to north Borneo to support the landings there.



As dusk falls, yet another submarine claims yet another kill. With two torpedo hits, its hard to see the Azuma making it to a port.



The reason for the enemy shifting their air attacks south is the loss of Georgetown and its defenders. Three minesweepers are scuttled to prevent their capture.







In the Philippine the skies over Manilla are clear once more, as the enemy continue to give our flyboys a rest. Maybe the two weeks of constant bombardment has exhausted their own pilots, forcing them to call this halt in their attacks.



The 51st PA Division is able to push back an enemy recon regiment. Casualties are fairly even, but this is at least a reversal.







Not much here to comment on here. Were taking slow losses across the pacific, but nothing to catastrophic.



The enemy are reinforcing Rabaul and Hong Kong, and an attack on Jolo is planned.



With no defenders and little value, we'll just let this fall, we have more important areas to defend.





With the fall of Wake, Midway is next in line of the enemies advance. I'm going to have to move some troops up there as soon as possible.





With the air attacks over Rangoon tapering off over the last few days, I'm going to risk a couple of convoys of supplies in, this will help prepare the defences for any coming attacks.





The defenders of Port Moresby are coming in thick and fast, we now have 8,000 defenders in place and another two brigades just a day out.