Part 396: Operational Report: 06/01/43

We continue to use up the last of the dodgy torpedoes.



The reinforcements come under attack again, but we hold them off with planes based out of Port Moresby.



The Imperial carriers decide to deal with the two destroyers that were escorting the battleships yesterday.



We have an exceptionally good day at Guadalcanal, a few more like this and we have reclaimed the island.







We do get a live torpedo when the Haddock finds a freighter off the coast of Japan.



The Greenling also has good luck with their combined surface and torpedo attack.



We continue to blast the Shipyards at Hiroshima.



I do wonder why they insist on coming in in two waves though.







Our troops arrive at Makin, and begin landing troops.



When the men arrive at Wotje, they are met by a storm of fire from the Japanese forces on the island, but we continue the invasion.



The bulk of this fire comes from the Naval Fortress, and they continue to fire away, and our ships are battered by this fire.



The Japanese bombers come out again, and our CAP see them off again.



Our escort carriers have no planes protecting them, and the Chenango is hit.



More of their planes go for the invasion force heading to Kwajalein, but the guns of the battleships drive them off.



They also try for the ships at Nauru, but once more, our ships put up to much flak for them to make any headway.



Our planes make an attack on a sub chaser, wrecking her with a couple of bombs.



The bulk of them however attack Wotje, causing only minimal damage.



This is enough though, for the men on the ground hit the tiny defending force hard, even with the toughest fortification we have seen in the war so far, we manage to kill or capture haf of the defenders in one day. The battle for this island should not be a long one.



The defenders at Makin hold up better, but still have little chance of holding out for long.







The Japanese launch another attack at Kiangtu, which we fend off well.



The attack at Sinyang is brutal once more, and we don't seem to be reducing the enemy AV at any rate, I shall try one more day, this time with a Shock attack, before deciding that this is a real stalemate.



In Indochina, we run into a large Japanese force, and even though we catch them by surprise, the fortifications in the region are to strong for our men to break through.









I was worried that the Invasion of the Marshall Islands would be bloody, the fortifications at Wotje were always going to be hard to crack, but we're half way there – and a good thing to – look at the damage they have inflicted on the bombarding ships!



The battleships and their thick armour have shrugged off most of the damage, but the cruisers have suffered.
I've had to let the Illustrious go at Sydney, but as there was little chance of me sending her out alone, this is not to much of a blow, and it means that at least some of the Royal navy will survive the war.