Admiral, execute Operation Wrath! 
I say bring it on and show the US what a real naval power does and take control over the Pacific!
I say bring it on and show the US what a real naval power does and take control over the Pacific!
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The plan against the Americans looks good. Does the admiral have reserve Carrier Air Groups at his disposal to replace the ones serving aboard the carriers now, in case of prolonged naval combat against (primarily) American carrier task forces? without replacement aircraft the fleet might not be able to operate away from port for prolonged periods of time.
We'll get them. Unless, to use Ikar's phrase, "I really callaned"
Admiral, execute Operation Wrath!
I say bring it on and show the US what a real naval power does and take control over the Pacific!
Such zeal should with any luck get us over the line, and break the Americans!
Yes and no. We have some spare Carrier air groups that were completed for the next carrier fleet that is due in February, but only 1-2 air groups iirc. Perhapswe should prepare for more prolonged campaigns like you suggested, but we are hoping for a more decisive engagement.
I forgot to stick it in the footer of my last part, but the Q4 2014 ACAs (that is a mouthful) have been extended another few days to allow for more input. Exercise your community right by voting for one of the many excellent AAR's to choose from that started in the last quarter of the year gone by!
Obviously Admiral Yamamoto must have forgotten to tell you about America's "Murphy's Law". :huh:
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Well there is also Murphy's Law for the Americans. When Yamamoto can happen to them, it will. :ninja:
Tenno Heika Banzai!
Tenno Heika Banzai!
Those transports sailors were most dishonorabru. True sordiers of japan wourd have rammed the enemy!
The Calm Before the Storm
Because of the of the incoming Operation Wrath, and it's obvious need for High Commands full and unwavering attention, it was deemed that all other operations or sorties should therefore either be completed with post haste, or called off. No commander wanting to back down on any front, things began to move at a breakneck speed. On the Indian Ocean, Admiral Mikawa decided that Nicobar must fall once and for all, before his fleet would be recalled for Operation Wrath. In conjunction with the 12.Hoheishidan brought from Rangoon, Nicobar was again assaulted on the 20th May. The attack would also be supported by a wing of Tojo's Tactical bombers, and the carrier air groups. The defenders fought ferociously, despite being out of supplies and hope of any rescue. Because Mikawa's sleek, fast carriers could obviously not carry any serious guns, and the destroyers guns being too weak to have any impact, the troops went without any bombardment support, which prolonged the delay in taking the island. Even so, Mikawa could claim success on the 30th of May, with the Rising sun flying high over a bombed out Headquarters on Nicobar. Roughly 200 casualties, but an entire British division and a submarine outpost taken. But the best result came from the ship hulks burning in the port.
Nicobar proved tougher than expected, mainly due to a lack of support from heavy guns from heavier vessels. Still, a great victory nonetheless.
The reason Nicobar was even on High Commands agenda was the huge amounts of British ships trapped there, and Mikawa cared not for how many army casualties there were, so long as those ships were sunk. But it never came to fight on the seas. Indeed, the ships never even got the chance to leave the port. Throughout the attack, the Carrier air groups launched port strike attacks at regular intervals on the ships at anchor in the port. The results were most encouraging. A carrier, a battleship, a battle cruiser (the prestigious HMS Hood no less), a heavy cruiser, 4 destroyer flotilla's and 2 submarines flotilla's were sunk or burned out by planes whilst at anchor in the harbor. Most were abandoned when fires started on board , and our invading troops saw some of the sailors desperately trying to scuttle burning wrecks, lest we learn anything from them. Admiral Mikawa's carrier fleet once again proving it's absolute superiority, and eagerly awaiting Operation Wrath. However, the amount of ships sunk is once again not corresponding to the mysterious carrier fleet that thwarted our first assault. Intelligence suggests it's retreated to India for repairs, so vigilance is still the keyword for our convoys and spotters in Indochina.
HMS Hood's ammunition dump exploding, captured by a war correspondent accompanying our invasion forces. Our carrier air groups prevented the need for a engagement on the high seas, sinking all the ships in Nicobar's port, a heavy blow to the Royal Navy
In other news, a small oddity occurred in the South of India, where one of the light tank divisions occupying India was moving into Pondicherry, a French colonial outpost on the east coast of India. We suspect the a lone French submarine is operating out of it, so we were eager to close another lifeline to convoy raiders in the Indian Ocean. To the tank divisions shock however, it was attacked by two full french divisions, led by non other than France's leader, De Gaulle! Expecting to be badly beaten, Imperial High command ordered the tanks to withdraw to the nearest city of Bangalore, behind a river line, and to set up defenses. More capable divisions are being brought in to deal with this unexpected surprises. It marks the first time that Japanese authority has ever been contested in Mainland India. On a smaller note, Bhutan was taken and occupied on the 8th of June, after a brief, relatively bloodless struggle.
Despite Intelligence claiming he was in Africa, our forces stumbled on De Gaulle, who pushed our tanks back to Bangalore. He will pay for this dearly in time.
The final operation that was started was the Yunnan invasion, which began on the 30th of May. Much like the other Chinese conquests, the front line troops melted away like snow on a cheery blossom in spring, and our troops began to advance. However, the terrain is not with us. Our troops move painfully slowly, and it takes days for battles to conclude when rivers are involved, always incurring a steep casualty ratio. Hopes that Yunnan would surrender before Wrath were dashed, but their demise cannot be too far off. Our eyes turn to Communist China, who's heavily fortified provinces pose a real threat to the undefended north of China . A corps is making preparations to defend the border, and plans are in the works.
Yunnan, 25th June. Slow going for our men, but progress is being made. Victory comes to the patient.
Wake Island, 25th June 1940: 5:00 a.m, a sentry on a morning run braces for the cold sea air as he makes his way to the observation platform. As he scans his horizon, he see's a dot with a plume of black inky smoke on the horizon. Then another dot. 2, 3, 4 more. Soon, the entire horizon is blacked out by an armada. Reaching for his binoculars he peers out at the ocean...
Also folks, voting is nearly done for the Q4 2014 ACA's (this time for real, I promise). Make sure to vote before Sunday for any AAR started in the last quarter of the year gone by!
The Calm Before the Storm
1st May 1940 - 25 June 1940
1st May 1940 - 25 June 1940
Because of the of the incoming Operation Wrath, and it's obvious need for High Commands full and unwavering attention, it was deemed that all other operations or sorties should therefore either be completed with post haste, or called off. No commander wanting to back down on any front, things began to move at a breakneck speed. On the Indian Ocean, Admiral Mikawa decided that Nicobar must fall once and for all, before his fleet would be recalled for Operation Wrath. In conjunction with the 12.Hoheishidan brought from Rangoon, Nicobar was again assaulted on the 20th May. The attack would also be supported by a wing of Tojo's Tactical bombers, and the carrier air groups. The defenders fought ferociously, despite being out of supplies and hope of any rescue. Because Mikawa's sleek, fast carriers could obviously not carry any serious guns, and the destroyers guns being too weak to have any impact, the troops went without any bombardment support, which prolonged the delay in taking the island. Even so, Mikawa could claim success on the 30th of May, with the Rising sun flying high over a bombed out Headquarters on Nicobar. Roughly 200 casualties, but an entire British division and a submarine outpost taken. But the best result came from the ship hulks burning in the port.
Nicobar proved tougher than expected, mainly due to a lack of support from heavy guns from heavier vessels. Still, a great victory nonetheless.
The reason Nicobar was even on High Commands agenda was the huge amounts of British ships trapped there, and Mikawa cared not for how many army casualties there were, so long as those ships were sunk. But it never came to fight on the seas. Indeed, the ships never even got the chance to leave the port. Throughout the attack, the Carrier air groups launched port strike attacks at regular intervals on the ships at anchor in the port. The results were most encouraging. A carrier, a battleship, a battle cruiser (the prestigious HMS Hood no less), a heavy cruiser, 4 destroyer flotilla's and 2 submarines flotilla's were sunk or burned out by planes whilst at anchor in the harbor. Most were abandoned when fires started on board , and our invading troops saw some of the sailors desperately trying to scuttle burning wrecks, lest we learn anything from them. Admiral Mikawa's carrier fleet once again proving it's absolute superiority, and eagerly awaiting Operation Wrath. However, the amount of ships sunk is once again not corresponding to the mysterious carrier fleet that thwarted our first assault. Intelligence suggests it's retreated to India for repairs, so vigilance is still the keyword for our convoys and spotters in Indochina.
HMS Hood's ammunition dump exploding, captured by a war correspondent accompanying our invasion forces. Our carrier air groups prevented the need for a engagement on the high seas, sinking all the ships in Nicobar's port, a heavy blow to the Royal Navy
In other news, a small oddity occurred in the South of India, where one of the light tank divisions occupying India was moving into Pondicherry, a French colonial outpost on the east coast of India. We suspect the a lone French submarine is operating out of it, so we were eager to close another lifeline to convoy raiders in the Indian Ocean. To the tank divisions shock however, it was attacked by two full french divisions, led by non other than France's leader, De Gaulle! Expecting to be badly beaten, Imperial High command ordered the tanks to withdraw to the nearest city of Bangalore, behind a river line, and to set up defenses. More capable divisions are being brought in to deal with this unexpected surprises. It marks the first time that Japanese authority has ever been contested in Mainland India. On a smaller note, Bhutan was taken and occupied on the 8th of June, after a brief, relatively bloodless struggle.
Despite Intelligence claiming he was in Africa, our forces stumbled on De Gaulle, who pushed our tanks back to Bangalore. He will pay for this dearly in time.
The final operation that was started was the Yunnan invasion, which began on the 30th of May. Much like the other Chinese conquests, the front line troops melted away like snow on a cheery blossom in spring, and our troops began to advance. However, the terrain is not with us. Our troops move painfully slowly, and it takes days for battles to conclude when rivers are involved, always incurring a steep casualty ratio. Hopes that Yunnan would surrender before Wrath were dashed, but their demise cannot be too far off. Our eyes turn to Communist China, who's heavily fortified provinces pose a real threat to the undefended north of China . A corps is making preparations to defend the border, and plans are in the works.
Yunnan, 25th June. Slow going for our men, but progress is being made. Victory comes to the patient.
Wake Island, 25th June 1940: 5:00 a.m, a sentry on a morning run braces for the cold sea air as he makes his way to the observation platform. As he scans his horizon, he see's a dot with a plume of black inky smoke on the horizon. Then another dot. 2, 3, 4 more. Soon, the entire horizon is blacked out by an armada. Reaching for his binoculars he peers out at the ocean...
Also folks, voting is nearly done for the Q4 2014 ACA's (this time for real, I promise). Make sure to vote before Sunday for any AAR started in the last quarter of the year gone by!
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He will pay for his insolence! How dare he stop the imperial tour of India!
A Clash Of Titans
25 June 1940-1st August 1940
25 June 1940-1st August 1940
The US embassy was alerted at 5 a.m on the 25th June that it was at war with the Empire of Japan. Army staff had not wanted to give the Americans any time to prepare, but the Emperor insisted that if Japan were to fight like a major power, it first had to act like one. It mattered little in any event, there was little the men stationed on the rocky, barren backwaters of the Untied States could as the armada that lay siege to their Island opened fire. Wake fell within the day, 3 divisions of marines swarming the islands after hours of bombardment, including the might Musashi. No port strikes were launched from the nearby fleets however; we need Wake to serve as a supply base to launch the next series of attacks. A short bloody conflict saw just 10 of our marines dead, and a staggering 292 American casualties.
There was little time to celebrate, we had to move with the momentum to ensure victory
Shore Bombardment is an integral part of amphibious warfare, as Wake proved.
Whilst the main attack force rested and repaired to press onwards, a second pronged attack that had not been in the original plan, and was an incredible risk was launched. Guam was the target, a bastion of the Allies in amidst our colonial assets. It needed to be taken to prevent submarine action interfering with the supplying of the invasion. 2 Marine divisions, regrettably without battleship support attacked Guam on the 28th of June. The garrison was better prepared and more organized, and it took 4 days for the Marines to take the island. Casualties were steeper, but the Americans lost twice as many men as we did, with 500 casualties. Nevertheless, a bloody price just to keep American submarines a deterrent from wrecking our convoys, but the risk is too great.
Unlike Wake, Guam proved to be a bloodier victory against the Americans. However, it puts our Pacific islands in relative safety, as well as our valuable shipping.
Continuing with the breakneck pace, Midway was next in our sights. Once again, rather disappointingly, no major fleets were based there, apart from 3 submarines which were trapped and bombed into oblivion by Yamamoto's Carrier task force. The marines arrived to strike on the 2nd of July, but much like Guam the Americans were more prepared. They even tried to break the blockade and sink the transports, but lost 2 heavy cruisers for their insolence. It took 4 days to take Midway, even with the battleship fleets heavy guns hammering the island. In the end, when the dust settled, we lost 246 men, but the Americans lost another heavy amount, nearly 900 men. Such grim figures show how hard the Americans are fighting for their Pacific control. It's capture marks the halfway point of Operation Wrath's success.
Midway Island, this 2.4-square-mile atoll is valued for it's airbase and port. Over 1000 men have perished so far to ensure it belongs to Japan, thus sealing this rock's importance in history.
The American fleet was in complete chaos, and had seemed to be setting Pearl as a rally point. Intelligence reported over 80 ships in her docks! Despite the carrier air groups being exhausted, and some ships needing repairs, all available fleets were told to make heading for Pearl Harbor. A blockade was established within 2 days, a series of small probing attacks were had, until the marine attacked the trapped , rather bombed out island on the 6th July. The Marines took Honolulu within 2 days, with relatively small casualties on either side. It was what happened next that caused true havoc. Admiral Mikawa's fleet, who had sunk nothing bigger than an American destroyer flotilla up until now, was out side Pearl Harbor with Koga's 1st Surface action group, and together the two admirals had 38 ships. They face a monstrous American force of over 80 ships, containing Carriers to submarines. Surely, this had to be the majority of the American navy! A huge series of naval battles started, that lasted 3 days, until the American fleet was chased all the way to Johnston island. However, whilst the American fleet entered Johnston island, they had the majority of their ships. The Imperial Navy had sunk 1 Transport, 2 Submarine flotilla's, 1 destroyer flotilla and 2 Heavy cruisers. Disappointing for 3 days, but they hoped for greater results soon. The tired marines were summoned again to attack Johnston island.
The biggest naval battle of World War 2 so far, a resounding Japanese victory, despite light American losses. We can claim it a victory as all we lost was our dignity at sinking so few ships.
In hot pursuit of the American fleet, Johnston Island was invaded by a single Marine divisions that quickly overcame the small garrison. What followed next was decisive. We needed to sink the damaged American ships, other wise we would lose the initiative for good. Like with Pearl, a series of naval engagements broke out, resulting in another resounding Japanese victory, though our ships are badly beaten. We sunk a carrier, the USS Independence, 1 battleships, 7 destroyer flotilla's, 2 heavy cruisers another 3 submarines and a transport flotilla for good measure. The American fleet was still intact though, but was broken and out of supply and luck. To make the victory all the sweeter, Yunnan surrendered on the same day. America will find it hard to recover from this. Perhaps, with luck, Japan may even win this war.
Johnston Island, the last remaining objective of Operation Wrath, now safely in our marines hands.
So, in the light that this humble little column has been deemed worthy by the community to share the worthy mantle with two other brilliant AAR's, I would like to take this moment to thank some folks. Firstly, all of those who have contributed to this AAR, both on and off the forums with their little bits of advice and support, it was greatly appreciated and duly noted. Without your help this would a much different column, full of badly placed photo's and small lettering. A shout also to those who voted for this AAR, you minor act of kindness made my day ^^
Now, enough of all that "emotions" and "gratitude". Here's to thousand glorious updates!
Now, enough of all that "emotions" and "gratitude". Here's to thousand glorious updates!
The war is not yet won Admirar Carran, the western imperialist dogs must be defeated further!
A lightning fast island-hopping campaign. But the speed of the advance slightly worries me for it does not result in the destruction of many American ships.
Perhaps a prolonged blockage and siege is needed at the next base to ensure the destruction of this large American fleet. Wait, are there even any Pacific islands left or was this it already!
Perhaps a prolonged blockage and siege is needed at the next base to ensure the destruction of this large American fleet. Wait, are there even any Pacific islands left or was this it already!