Operation Dilemma
5
0100 December 25th 1944.
North China Army Headquarters. Jinghong, China.
More British troops had arrived in Baoshan to try and block the advance of Japanese forces into the province.
Another long battle would ensue with support arriving quickly in the shape of Japanese Dive bombers.
It would take a full twenty four hours to finally evict the latest defenders. Japanese troops were tiring quickly with regular combat and bad terrain but they continued their advance for the time being.
0700 December 25th 1944.
BB Division 1 Flagship. IJN Yamashiro, Gulf of Martapan.
Good news arrived for Yamamoto in the early morning of December 25th from Carrier Group C.
Nagano had caught the large enemy Transport fleet in the Palk Strait after it had been forcefully evicted from Trincomalee after a second successful invasion. Four Transport Flotillas would be sunk in all with three being credited to Japanese Aircraft Carriers. The fourth, from Brazil, sank due to unknown causes. The Carrier IJN Amagi, IJN Junyo and IJN Zuikaki would claim one British Transport Flotilla each.
The British fleet was forced to flee towards Madras where Japanese troops were due to arrive early in the New Year. Nagano would wait for them.
At 1300 hours on the 26th another attempt to run Yamamoto's blockade failed. The 118th and 26th Transport Divisions were sunk by the Battleships IJN Hyuga and IJN Yamashiro.
An hour later the third high seas fleet also found an enemy which it promptly sank. IJN Nagato would claim kills for both the Light Cruiser USS Astoria and the 22nd Destroyer Division.
Nagano did not sit and wait for the Transport ships to leave Madras, he sent his Carrier planes to bomb them in the harbour. The Fort Edmonton Flotilla was sunk by aircraft from IJN Zuikaku on the first raid.
1700 December 26th 1944.
North China Army Headquarters. Jinghong, China.
Field Marshal Wilson had decided it was time to try and break Japanese resistance in Indochina once more.
Instead of attacking the three infantry divisions guarding the jungles of Alor Star he chose to attack the armour and motorised force in the hills of Singora. The battle looked to be fairly even but Higashikuni had an ace to play if it was required.
Admiral Godo had recently embarked three divisions from Bangkok and was heading south to move around to reinforce the landings in India. He was going to sail right past Singora on his journey, and he could land these additional troops if needed, to assist with the defence.
In India a British mountaineer division tried to attack Calcutta but was immediately halted by the defenders. Two Japanese divisions had begun to move east towards Dimapur. There were now two possible ways to isolate British troops in Burma by either capturing Dimapur or Punakha.
Yet another British division had entered Baoshan and this time Higashikuni called off the advance after the headquarters was forced to retreat. Even if his troops could arrive in Baoshan they would not be able to defend the province from even a minor counter attack. They would rest for a few days before trying again. British forces in this area were slowly being destroyed by the Dive bombers and resistance was weakening.
Admiral Godo was ordered to land in Singora to assist with the defence of the province as the battle was still undecided and could go either way. His arrival stopped Wilson's assault and he picked his three infantry divisions up again to continue with his original mission.