The Setting Sun - Gotterdammerung, Japan 1944.

[Nathan Madien]

Those sneaky Canadians. One shouldn't trust a nations full of lumberjacks.

At least I take from your writing that no division was lost.

Now I'm eagerly waiting to see what your semi-secrets plans for reducing stacks are.

Well, I don't blame Canada. I mean, if I was being outshined by Brazil, South Africa, and some small country you need to use a map to locate, I would get a modern ship.

By the way, Remble, the photo you used to depict Yamamoto's funeral...where did you find it?

 

[Fgorginator]

The Canadians methods of sinking ships invole moose swimming to the ships with bombs strapped to them. Kabooom!

 

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alan_le_cowboy - I had two spare Transports. I very rarely fill all Transports in a fleet for just this reason.

stnylan - Surprises make things a bit more interesting.

robou - I will try again at some point but its probably safe for a few months now.

Maj. von Mauser - Thanks. Modern Canadian ships, whats the World coming to

germanpeon - Karachi will be a rinse repeat process. I will allow them to build up and atack it again then send the bombers back. I don't even have to look at India because I know the first thing I need to react to is an attack on Karachi. Although an invasion is always possible.

Sokraates - The new method is in the next update.

Nathan Madien - The picture is 100% authentic and from his actual funeral. Amazing what you can find in the Wiki

Fgorginator - Its kind of sad to say that Japan has only one ship more modern than that Battlecruiser was

The prize for the first person guessing the ship will have a secret plan named after something they say as is this is the current way code names are picked. Up until now its always been the Emperor's words that dictate the names.

Update to follow which includes Japan's solution to the island stacks ...

 

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A Pacific War​

13​

0300 December 8th 1945.
BB Division 1 Flagship. IJN Yamashiro, Kwajalein.

Allied resistance had been crushed in India and the need for air support had been removed.​

The Close Air Support wings that had been based in Ahmadabad rebased to Makassar in the Celebes where they would recover from their journey before being used in further operations.​

The South African interceptor wing caught all twelve Japanese Tactical bombers over the Central Carolines at 2000 hours. Some of the bomber squadrons were badly mauled during the encounter but none were critically damaged. They would disperse to various bases around the Marianas to recover. The South Africans would not have things all their own way. Mj. General Tanaka had a surprise for them.​

He had four Interceptor squadrons of his own that had been tasked with protecting the bombers. The new Ki-84 Gale aircraft dived into the preying South African squadrons as they chased the bombers and caused large casualties. Japan finally had an aircraft capable of competing in the air with the enemy fighters.​

At 0500 hours on December 9th Admiral Triye embarked both marine divisions from Yap and set sail for the Central Carolines. General Imamura and Mj. General Banzai would be the lead element in Japan's re-worked plans to rid the islands of heavily entrenched Allied forces.​

Siamese bombers found an American Submarine Division closing on mainland Japan. Unknown to the Submarines they had first been picked up by patrolling aircraft days ago as they tried to penetrate the outer borders of Japanese control. They had been tracked the entire time and would not be finding unescorted convoy ships to sink. Another fate awaited them.

Ozawa had approved of the new method to be used against island forces in the Pacific. The chosen target to test the new thinking was a lot more vunerable than other islands in the Carolines and elsewhere. The attack would not utilise the full assault possible but would mimic the remaining islands to prove its worth. The weakness of the Allied position was about to be demonstrated clearly.​

Imamura led the two marine divisions back towards Wolelai at 0700 hours on December 10th. The previous attack had failed even with massive air support, this time there would be no bombers to help as they were all recovering.

The overiding advantage that the Japanese forces would use on this occasion would be a supporting attack from a linked island. The three infantry divisions on Woleai could assist the assault and an additional attack avenue could also have been used from Ulithi. The only support the attack received was from the guns of BB Division 2.​

After seven hours of fighting the two armoured American divisions were forced to surrender and Japanese forces had suffered very few casualties as a result of the relatively short battle. The new tactic worked against an island with its infrastructure in tact and without air support. The defenders had been weakened by some bombing and previous attacks however. Notice had been served to all fortified Allied positions in the area that they were far from safe.

Ngulu, Truk and Admiralty Islands all had a similar flaw with islands adjacent to them that could be used to support any attack. Yap was already controlled by Japan which made Ngulu the next logical island to try. The fact that Truk had both an airbase and port made it a much more likely target but it was a lot harder to protect an invasion there.​

At 2300 hours the 9th Submarine Division entered its chosen area to prey on Japanese convoys. It sprung the trap waiting for it to arrive. Three more modern Japanese Destroyer Flotillas had left Osaka to chase the Submarine Division and it would be sunk by 17 Kuchikukantai after a brief battle. The Destroyers headed back to Osaka to rejoin the repairing ships in the port.​

Admiral Kato left Kota Bahru in southern Siam at 0000 hours on the 11th with three infantry divisions embarked on his Transport Flotillas. He headed for Sorong where offensive forces were mustering.​

Twenty four hours later Admiral Kaga also laid in a course for Sorong. He had four infantry divisions onboard his Transport Flotillas. Three had come from Japan and one from Taiwan. When both Admirals arrived that would bring the force size up to twelve divisions.

An hour before Kaga set sail Ozawa was handed a report from Yamashita who was patrolling the Marianas as he had been for many months. An American Aircraft Carrier had strayed into extremely hostile waters.​

 

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The USS Boxer, still damaged from an earlier encounter, was sighted close to Palau. The two Submarine Divisions escorting it were not going to be of any use against the forces that would hunt it down.

An alert was sent to Saipan airbase where four Naval bomber squadrons had been resting from their long range bombing of Kwajalein weeks earlier. Ichimaru would be flying with Genda for the first time since Ozawa had taken over as Pacific Commander. Three lightly damaged Tactical bombers would arrive first but only arrived minutes before Ichimaru.​

By 0500 hours on December 12th the USS Boxer had been crippled. The bombers would have to return the next day which gave the American fleet roughly twelve hours to get out of the Mariana Trench or suffer the consequences.

Japanese forces were not the only ones that were performing extremely hazardous missions and if the War went the Allies way the next report would make a hero for America.​

An American Transport Division had penetrated Japanese defences and entered the Central Carolines. The infantry division onboard had successfully disembarked to Wolelai under fire from BB Division 2. The Samuel Dexter Flotilla had managed to stay afloat long enough to protect its cargo before being sunk by the Battleship IJN Fuso.​

The entire episode had been in vain. The loss of the Transport Flotilla was swiftly followed by the surrender of the infantry division as Imamura and the supporting forces from Woleai overwhelmed it.​

Ozawa was keeping a very close eye on reports from around the Marshall Islands as his own Battlefleet was protecting the area. Numerous small Transport Fleets had been spotted by the two patrolling Interceptor squadrons but none had come close enough to be chased so far. IJN Yamashiro was still being repaired and Ozawa would wait.​

That changed at 2300 hours on the 12th when two Transport Fleets were sighted heading towards the Northwest Marshalls. BB Division 1 sailed to intercept immediately.​

Ozawa's next report informed him that the USS Boxer had not moved quickly enough and had been sunk at 0100 hours on December 13th in the South Mariana Trench. The two Submarine Divisions would escape with nothing but minor damage.​

Another brave American Transport Fleet Captain had managed to drop an infantry division into Merauke in New Guinea. Tactical bombers would chase it but fail to sink the Transport Fleet. The islands defensive bombers would have more target practice.​

General Imamura captured Wolelai island in the Central Carolines at 0300 hours on December 13th. A small period of rest and recuperation would follow before the next target was chosen.​

After weeks of marching following his defeat in Kerema, Mj. General Wada had finally arrived in Port Moresby. He was given no time to rest as he headed north into the Owen Stanley Mountains. New Guinea still had some work to be completed before it was fully under Japanese control.​

 

[robou]

These American Transport Captains must be insane..... brave though.

 

[zdlugasz]

The prize for the first person guessing the ship will have a secret plan named after something they say as is this is the current way code names are picked. Up until now its always been the Emperor's words that dictate the names.

Yamato comes to my mind with an alternative being Mushashi

 

[stnylan]

These American Transport Captains must be insane..... brave though.

I was thinking the same thing. In a slightly ironic way they remind me of the Yamamoto's last mission.

 

[unmerged(87183)]

I was thinking the same thing. In a slightly ironic way they remind me of the Yamamoto's last mission.

Those ships are 1938 technology, IRL they were constucted in the lates 30's.

My guess is one of your carriers, with the alternative being one of the German U-Boots.

Nice update also, glad to see those islands arn't invinceable.

 

[Sokraates]

9 ... 10 ... out! The USS Boxer is no more!

I like your new strategy for reducing stacks. Hope to see some more before you invade the SU.

Regarding your question: I think it coul dbe one of the ships you produced last. Some cruiser, I guess. First I thought it was the Nürnberg, but she is only level IV.

 

[HannibalBarca]

I cannot believe that there is a more unflattering picture of Imamura out there. He honestly looks like he has Down Syndrome.

 

[germanpeon]

I cannot believe that there is a more unflattering picture of Imamura out there. He honestly looks like he has Down Syndrome.

I know! I cant even tell if he has a chin. :wacko:

 

[Nathan Madien]

I find it sad when good transports die.

I know! I cant even tell if he has a chin. :wacko:

Maybe Imamura ate that poisonious Japanese fugu fish and is trying to keep it down.

 

[unmerged(87183)]

I never reallt noticed that before, but yeah, he does look pretty dumb.

 

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robou, stnylan - They still seem to forget to escort them. Mind you, they are running out of things to protect them with.

zdlugasz, Maj. von Mauser, Sokraates - Yamato is indeed 1938 tech and so not correct. Maj. von Mauser is closest so far but I require the actual ship. (it is mentioned in the AAR) Another Carrier bites the dust. The islands with more troops on them will be receiving the more standard infrastructure destruction as well as the island support attack.

HannibalBarca, germanpeon, Nathan Madien, Maj. von Mauser - At least he is prepared to look into the camara unlike a certain British Strategic bomber commander whose name I failed to get both times he showed up

Update to follow ...

 

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A Pacific War

14​

0400 December 13th 1945.
BB Division 1 Flagship. IJN Yamashiro, Central Marshalls.

The landing of another enemy division in Merauke on New Guinea was no real threat to Japanese progress, although something would need to be done to prevent the infestation spreading.​

General Omar Bradley and his infantry were welcomed to New Guinea by Lt. General Nakajima and his Close Air Support Aircraft. Bradley's tour of the island would be a short one.​

At 0600 hours Ozawa and BB Division 1 encountered a badly damaged Transport Division in the Central Marshalls which was promptly sunk by the guns of IJN Yamashiro.

The constant encounters with small fleets transitting around the Marshall Islands had a draw back. The patrolling aircraft were invariably sucked into combat with minor fleets which could allow a more potent threat to pass by without notice. Even with two Interceptor squadrons out on patrol one such fleet managed to penetrate their search patterns un-noticed.

Aircraft from IJN Zuiho, BB Division 1's Light Carrier, were the first to report the danger approaching and Ozawa was immediately informed. Ozawa had no choice, he had to turn towards the approaching enemy fleet or face destruction. He silently cursed that for once it was not raining and that dusk was far to far away to be of any help. IJN Yamashiro was also fairly heavily damaged from previous encounters which would make her even more vunerable now.

December 14th would see one of very few Naval encounters between a Japanese Surface Action Group and an American Carrier Task Force.

The enemy fleet was smaller than BB Division 1 but was well screened which would make Ozawa's task harder. He would have to engage and defeat these screens before he could begin to target the highly dangerous modern American Aircraft Carriers. IJN Zuiho's fighters soon reported multiple incoming enemy formations which had all of Ozawa's ships reach maximum speed to try and avoid what was to come. One ship would be singled out for the first two hours of the battle.

Only three ships in BB Division 1 could survive two hours against three American Carriers when they decided to target it exclusively. These were the Battleships IJN Yamashiro, IJN Hyuga and the Battlecruiser IJN Kongo. All three Carriers did pick one target and it would be aircraft from the USS Ranger that would supply the final blow to IJN Hyuga, which would be the first Japanese capital ship to be sunk for more than sixteen months.

Japanese guns were not idle and they too were finding their targets. The Light Cruiser IJN Yahagi had caught and sunk the 13th Destroyer Division shortly after the loss of the IJN Hyuga.

Sadly the next two hours would heavily favour the American Carriers despite valiant attempts to close and try to prevent their aircraft from taking off. Aircraft from the USS Leyte targetted the Heavy Cruiser IJN Aoba as aircraft from the USS Coral Sea picked on the Heavy Cruiser IJN Kumano. The USS Ranger had switched to the IJN Zuiho whose aircraft had almost all been destroyed as she tried in vain to prevent three full Carriers sinking a fleet with only a single small Carrier to protect it.

Both Heavy Cruisers would fail to survive the two hours of targetting but IJN Zuiho would manage to escape. In a final parting shot before BB Division 1 headed for the safety of Kwajalein, IJN Yamashiro, which had not been attacked once, sank the 33rd Destroyer Division which allowed it to also close on the USS Ranger and inflict some moderate damage to the Carrier.​

The Central Marshalls was an area that was proving costly for Japanese ships. Ozawa would switch tactics on the Americans and allow Ichimari and Genda free reign over the area from now on. They would not arrive quickly enough to find the fast moving American Carrier Task Force. BB Division 1 had managed to sink enough escorts to prevent the enemy fleet operating at full capacity without reinforcements.​

BB Division 3 and 8. Kaigun had returned to Saipan following their attempt to capture Attu Island. They would remain here to allow their infantry to reorganise before moving on.

Mj. General Kim was visiting his troops on Palau at 0600 hours December 16th, when his attention began to focus out to sea. What he saw had him running towards his command post soon afterwards.

Admiral Koga noticed his rather hurried arrival. Koga had brought BB Division 2 to Palau to conduct some minor repairs before it would escort more invasions.

"Getting some exercise?" he asked the slightly out of breath infantry commander.

"You could put it that way Admiral." Kim replied. "Were your ships about ready to sail?"

"More or less, why? Sailors need some rest time in port you know."

"Well you can either set sail on your own terms or do it with American bullets flying around your head when they arrive shortly. Your choice."

"Point taken Mj. General Kim. How many?" Koga asked.

"One division so far it looks like. There are a lot more Transport ships out there than are needed for only one division though. The total lack of shore bombardment tends to suggest they have no major ships with them."

"I had better get going then I suppose. At least its not raining so they aren't going to hide for long." Koga replied as he turned and headed to Palau's port.​

The single division turned into three two hours later. Kim knew he was not going to hold them for too long but should be able to give Koga enough time to stop the invasion using his ships. Ozawa also scrambled all of the Tactical bombers in the region as soon as he was informed. Help would be arriving but would it be soon enough.​

By 1500 hours BB Division 2 had not only left port but had also caught the Transport fleet in the Palau Trench. Two of the three Transport Divisions would sink before the third could escape. IJN Fuso would account for both as the invasion was stopped before it could do any serious harm to Kim's troops. The third Transport Division would be sunk before it could leave the area by the scrambled Tactical bombers.​

 

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0000 December 17th 1945.
Airforce Offices. Tokyo, Japan.

Jun had received word from Ginjiro of the latest aircraft to roll off Japan's production lines. They would be needed.​

Three more Close Air Support squadrons deployed to Fukuoka before heading south to Davao to build up organisation prior to active service.​

0000 December 18th 1945.
BB Division 1 Flagship. IJN Yamashiro, Kwajalein.

The Naval bombers had wasted no time getting airborne to patrol the Marshall Islands. They would not find any capital ships for the time being but they did discover an old adversary.​

Spruance had apparently lost enough ships by now that he was only being trusted with a Transport fleet. Neither of his latest charges would stay afloat for long as both Ichimaru and Genda exacted revenge for Yamamoto. It should take the Americans a while to recover the Admiral after his latest mishap.​

A second South African fighter wing had shown up over the Carolines and it had engaged two Japanese Interceptor wings. Lt. General Yasuda's three squadrons would take the brunt of the damage for the Japanese while Tanaka's wing inflicted large losses on the South Africans. Both of their interceptor and fighter wings were now grounded after suffering badly.​

Tanaka would find his own wing grounded for repairs after another encounter at 2100 hours on the 18th. He intercepted two full British and American Tactical bomber wings over the Central Carolines. Fortunately they had no escorts with them but damage was sufficient all around to ensure that every wing involved would need some time to repair.​

2300 December 19th 1945.
North China Army Headquarters. Lanzhou, China.

Higashikuni had little to do but wait. The British attacks in India had been forced backwards and the Soviets seemed reluctant to pick a fight with the Imperial Japanese Army.​

All territory in India was now back under Japanese control with the capture of Multan. Five infantry divisions would soon be fully dug in to await another inevitable Allied build up to the west of Karachi.​

0800 December 20th 1945.
BB Division 1 Flagship. IJN Yamashiro, Kwajalein.

Ozawa had waited for a few days for the American Carriers to be well clear of the area before he gave orders for BB Division 1 to head home to Japan to conduct further repairs.​

Admiral Triye had also picked up the last three divisions slated for future operations. He left Guangzhou, in southern China, and headed for Sorong. Fifteen divisions would soon be ready to be used for a major assault somewhere in the Pacific.​

Lt. General Tadaki had been embarked in Sorong and had now begun the invasion of Merauke to reclaim the province for Japan. Cover was provided by Carrier Group C as it was more prudent to guard against a possible Carrier Task Force with another one when the battle could not be dictated. Tadaki would capture Merauke on the 22nd providing there was no change in plans.​

 

[robou]

i am guessing Australia if you are using Sorong as your base of operations. Perhaps if you eventually get to New Zealand, you can encourage the New Zealand Troops to get off Truk.

 

[stnylan]

A rare American naval victory.

It will be nice to finish of New Guinea. Although I suppose being able to destroy the divisions the Americans put down there is good from an attritional standpoint, it does look rather irritating.

 

[unmerged(89090)]

Are you building any new capital ships to replace those ridiculously obsolete battleships and carriers you have (carrier group C even has a great war era carrier :rofl: )? I wanna see several fleets of improved super-heavies, like in your Germany AAR .