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Let’s do a quick update! It’s been over a year, we’re in mid-December 1942 now. A bit longer than a full year in real time since Pharnakes and I started playing, too.

First, an update on the past few turns. Then, a look at the war so far. I’ll have more about my plans when we reach 1943 in a few weeks.

December ~1-12, 1942



December 3: Calcutta falls to nearly 100K Japanese troops and over 1100 guns. 3303 assault value! I suspect they could have pushed me over a couple weeks ago if the enemy had deliberate attacked a bit earlier, but I’m glad it dragged out. It’s over now, which means Jamshedpur will be next, and then I expect a general advance along the line.

I don’t think holding India through 1943 is achievable at this point, but I will continue to stall and defend as best I can. There is an actual US Infantry division in India now, but another few hundred AV won’t change the strategic situation. If he moves on Delhi, he’ll activate my reinforcement units, so I imagine he’ll wait until he’s cleaned up everywhere else he can first.

All that said, he could probably take on everything I have and win with that stack, even given the Delhi reinforcements.

December 4: Scouts reported enemy carriers heading south towards Tabiteuea from the Tarawa area. I’ve managed to fix my supply situation in SOPAC and Tabiteuea is fully stocked. 3 squadrons of fighters, some SBDs, some TBFs..

The first wave is 22 Dauntlesses escorted by 12 P-50B Skyrockets, 15 P-40Ks and 25 (!) F4F-4 Wildcats. I have a really good chance that a decent number of Dauntlesses will get through! How strong can his CAP be against that many fighters?



Boooo! Miss after miss on Zuikaku and Tairyu.



And very high losses. A Bad Day.

December 5:



Noooooo! Ark Royal founders just off the coast of southwestern Australia. I’m very sad about this.



Another strike on the Japanese carriers hovering near Tarawa, this time with Avengers. A few waves of TBFs make it through to drop their torpedoes - all misses, of course.



Another tough day.

December 6:




AAARRGHH!

Actually Enterprise is fine. (She arrives safely at Pearl Harbor on December 19th.)



Not much longer til Mangalore falls now. Things increasingly tenuous in Southern India. He’s already trying to surround and isolate Bangalore.



December 9: Serious escalation over Groote Eyelandt with these sweeps. The battle for air superiority over northern Australia will continue into the foreseeable future. I start mining Groote for the inevitable incoming naval bombardments. The Spitfires aren’t great, aren’t terrible. Kiwi and American Warhawk squadrons are ready to be fed into the grinder once the Spits are out of action.



By December 12, troops unleashed by the end of the siege of Calcutta were already making their weight felt at Jamshedpur. We’re flying out Bill Slim and the IV Indian Corp HQ staff on a C-47.