Bushido Code - an HOI3:SF Japan AAR

Battle of the Andaman Sea - July 21st to 22nd, 1941

When the HMS King George V separated from the HMS Prince of Wales, RADM Harwood took his battleship towards the east from the Nicobars, this brought him into contact with Fukudome's task group centered around the battlecruiser Kongo and the light carrier Zuiho, in addition the 2nd submarine squadron of older boats was present in the area.



The KGV took on this entire collection of Japanese ships by itself.

7th Corps crosses the Kra Isthmus

At the end of July the 2nd Army's, 7th (Mountain) Corps was ordered to cross the Kingdom of Siam's territory and push into as yet un-reoccupied southern Burma as far north as the Salween river and hold that position in anticipation of a larger operational plan that had been submitted to IGHQ.

While the plan itself had not been approved for execution, the 7th Corps would have to leave immediately if it was to be in position to fulfill it's role.



In Borneo as the special police were being landed to occupy the northern oilfields a number of Dutch holdout troops were located. These were readily put to flight by the paramilitary police.

The inscrutable European Axis powers

As special police operations continued in the greater Dutch East Indies, a group of Italian transport aircraft appeared from out of the mist...



They air landed a German fallschirmjager division at Manado.



Who promptly broke out their smokes and made arrangements for vacation villas...



Perhaps what had prompted this unusual generosity of manpower was exploiting the propaganda value of the Italians taking Egypt, the Sinai, and pushing on into the western "holy lands"

Action off the Similan Islands - August 16th to 20th, 1941

The Royal Navy had based a numbered of submarines at the recaptured port of Rangoon and were using them to raid the supply convoys to the Nicobar and Andaman islands, as well as penetrating the Straits of Malacca.

CSF 2 was patrolling the north end of the straits off Siam when contact was made with some of these submarines, the HMS Seawolf and Sturgeon.



These two subs were dealt with so quickly that they could not transmit their fate...



...thus a few days later their station relief boats (the Thames and Rover) began to arrive on scene without any idea of danger.



They shared a similar fate.

We are not gone from Burma

On the 21st of the month the Okabe's division of the 7th Corps ran into a very surprised Royal Nepalese division doing "mop up" work in southern Burma.

Battle of the Martaban Gulf - August 27th to 28th, 1941

On the night of the 27th, Fukudome's task group operating off Rangoon in the Gulf of Martaban was set upon by a small carrier group centered around the HMS Courageous.









The IJN escorts were hit hardest, but with daylight the RN decided to temporarily disengage...the destroyer Hatakaze being the only casualty for the moment.



A few hours later the Amagi/Soryu group had entered into range and were actively engaging the Courageous group.







A whole day had passed with the ships and planes of the IJN & RN clashing south of Rangoon, in the dark of the 28th the RN retreated into the safety of the port with the HMS Courageous seriously damaged, the losses of the engagement being even with the sinking of the HMS Venomous.

The Giant Awakes

In an afternoon address to Congress the President of the United States asked for and received a declaration of war against the Axis powers.



In Burma the 7th Corps faced a front of allied colonial troops from Nepal and Bhutan.



The Japanese response to the American DoW was relatively quick, a naval landing force division was inserted into northern Luzon within two weeks with more to follow.

Battle of Investigator Channel - 23rd to 24th September, 1941

The Royal Navy's persistence in operating capital ships in singles or pairs was evident again as the HMS Malaya was caught by itself off the Kra Isthmus by the ubiquitous Kongo / Zuiho battlegroup.

Battle of Moulmein - 24th to 26th September, 1941

The 7th Corps had forced back the colonial left flank and were pushing into the Salwin Hill Tracts to the north.



With this threat to their rear areas the Nepalese troops began a fighting retreat out of their headquarters at Moulmein. This was only partially successful and over half of these protectorate troops were trapped.



IJAA bombers operating from Siam and the 7th Corps troops began to wear down the encircled Nepalese.

Second Luzon Beachhead - 26th September, 1941

The second naval landing force beachhead was formed at Lingayen, the general objective of the marine forces was Clark Field in central Luzon before making for Manila.

Second Similan Island Action - 27th September, 1941

RN Submarines were again causing trouble in the neutral waters off Phuket where they were prosecuted by Fukudome's taskgroup.

Carrier Strike off Palmyras Point - 29th September, 1941

CSF 2's air search picked up two RN carriers with a couple escorts sailing off Palmyras Point, away from the strike force. While in pursuit, but unable to effectively close to naval gun range, CSF 2 launched a full strike.



The HMS Illustrious was lightly to moderately damaged, the HMS London was lightly damaged by this long range strike.

Operational Plan "Kanpuu" - The Return to India

The South Seas Expeditionary Army, Army Group B, 2nd Army, and the shore staffs of Admirals of CSF 2, MBF 1, and AF 1 task groups composed a return to India plan titled "Kanpuu."

Having sent this plan to IGHQ for approval, the AG B staff had already dispatched 7th Corps in July so they could be in position on the Salween as "Oyaji" force when the first landings were to commence.

IGHQ approved the plan with amazingly little comment, allowing the theater strategic commanders to take the responsibilities they had already tasked themselves with but allowing the additional outlay of resources required. Those politically minded officers undoubtedly understood exactly whose heads would roll if the plan was as big a debacle as the first India action.

The plan called for a complete return of 2nd Army to India, but instead of a traditional concentration of force, the plan called for three separate landings all across the west shore of the Bay of Bengal, the actions of 7th Corps had already seemed to draw the weight of the British Army towards southern and eastern Burma, where their supply situation was less than optimal (an intelligence inference based on those same troops not participating in the combat against 7th Corps.)

The first landing would be "Jishin Landing" at Calcutta, this was Fourth Corps assignment and they were to take the city and it's surrounding territory but not push on. Their task was to act as what could be termed a "speed bump" against which a British fallback from Burma would have to break against.

The second landing would be at "Kaminari Landing" at Ceylon, this Fifth Corps job to secure the island.

The last landing would be "Kaji Landing" at Madras, from here Second Corps and Army Group troops would sweep into central India and up the coast to link up with Fourth Corps at Calcutta.

Bombing of Rangoon - September 30th to October 4th, 1941

The IJAA and the IJN air fleet based out of Siam made a concerted effort at the beginning of October to disrupt the port of Rangoon.

This air campaign began with the IJAA fighters sweeping the defending CAG's out of the air.



Followed by four days of bombing by the IJN Betty's.

Operation Kanpuu : Jishin Landings - October 4th, 1941

Fourth Corps invasion of India, the Jishin Landing, commenced with no opposition on the east and west beaches, but the direct assault was hotly contested by the Calcutta garrison.

Luzon Operations - 4th to 6th October, 1941

In the Philippines the Naval Landing troops advance from the north towards Clark Field and Manila was progressing, but American/Philippine forces had also appeared out of the northern Luzon hills to cut the first beachhead off.



A third NLF invasion was put ashore at Batangas, another marine division accompanied by a special police division. With these troops the plan was to link up with the troops from the north around Clark/Manila and chase the defenders into the upper reaches of Luzon to be destroyed.

Great Andaman Sea Battle, Part 1 - October 5th to 6th, 1941

Beginning in the Andaman Basin the MBF 1 task group encountered the Courageous battlegroup.





Just before dusk the Zuiho airgroup surprised the RN ships...







In the dark hours overnight Fukudome tenaciously stayed in combat with the Courageous task group.

















Fukudome's persistence in the face of overwhelming odds paid off with the arrival of CSF 2.

Marianas Submarine Shoot - October 6th, 1941

CSF 1 responded to a report of enemy submarines operating off Saipan and Tinian.

Great Andaman Sea Battle, Part 2 - October 6th to 8th, 1941

CSF 2 continued the chase of the Courageous battlegroup.

Operation Kanpuu : Jishin Landing - 8th to 10th October, 1941