Mayan storyline

[Kaiser Kirk]

For a rough idea of the battlespace :

[Kaiser Kirk]

April 1923
Month 3 of the Mayan-Japanese-Aztec War

Weather :
March starts with Rough (BF 6) seas in the Pacific, Calm in the Gulf, Rough (BF 6)  in the Greater Antilles (Caicos) and Calm off Martinique.

Along the Yucatan frontier, new Aztec fighters roar into action, and sweep the Mayans from the Sky.
Occasional distant planes are spotted, and obviously units are active around the Naval bases, but those areas of the border within range of Aztec airstrips are dominated by the Aztec.

The situation in Costa Rica is reversed. The Japanese planes have been swept from the sky, and several Mayan squadrons continue to be active. They strafe and bomb the front lines, provide spotting for Mayan artillery, and harass the Japanese coastal forces attempting to nibble at the edges.

The Japanese base at Almirante comes under intermittent air attack.  Almirante is a small commercial port, located on the banks of a large lagoon with a deep dredged channel. While not large, it is sheltered waters in the worst storms.  The flights of aircraft do little damage to the port and ships, with a major exception in the third week of a bomb that ruptures and sets afire one of the two oil tanks present at the port. Furious fire from the fleet in response to the raids damages several aircraft but claims only one.

(Harbor maps :  https://postimg.cc/gallery/tyXXKVV)

Towards the end of April, the Mayans have gotten the airfield at San Isidro into action and launch a pair of strikes by torpedo bombers at Puerto Armuellos. The freighters anchored off shore, slowly unloading by lighter prove are their targets, but success is poor, with seven strikes, but three torpedoes failing to detonate, of the four that do, one freighter has it's bow blown off and three are critically damaged, one beaching, but two sinking.

Amphibious Operations :
A large joint Aztec - Japanese Task Force with nearly 100 freighter-liners and freighters has assembled in Acapulco.  The BF 6 winds and waves striking the Pacific coastline is sufficient to make destroyers and smaller craft operations problematic in the open sea, and would make unloading at Puerto Armuellos impossible.  The weather continues into the second week, but finally breaks. The fleet departs before storm's end, assured by Zeppelins that the weather over the deep Pacific is clear. The fleet insures it takes a course over 200nm distant from the Mayan coast, and nearly 300nm from Puerto Bahia, finally turning and heading for Puerto Armuellos, for a total distance of 1380nm.  At 8 knots that takes a week.

The Mayan Fleet does not attempt to interfere, or does not succeed if it tries. There is a scare where their destroyers make a series of raids hunting the IJN subs

Puerto Armuellos is a minor port that has been improved for commercial use. The port is on the east side of a  long peninsula extending to the south, while to the north the land curves around to head  East to Panama. A long gentle beach follows the coast South. It has a couple piers and a rain connection inland. A large coal bunker provides fuel for freighters, and a small tank farm stores fuel oil for the fleet. There are some limited merchant repair shops, and warehouses, but no drydocks.
The port is only sheltered from storms from the West, Storms from the South or East would drive ships ashore.

This is the port the amphibious force arrives at. The troops unload by lighter, and proceed ashore rapidly. Unloading  of supplies promises to take far longer. The armor and artillery is difficult to unload by lighter, giving them precedence for dock use.


Land :

With the escape of the the bulk of the Japanese forces, The month is one where the Mayans, the routes north repaired, work to build up depots to support a further main advance. Fighting does continue,
but a third of the Mayan forces are not engaged.

The Mayan NW force moves to finishing the conquest of the province, and clearing the General River valley and completing the push of the Japanese out of the Province.

On the Costa Rican frontier, a portion of the Mayan force test the Japanese front, again the defensive positions and forts save many Japanese troops, but the fighting is still sufficient to shatter several worn down units. Of the original 13 legions, three have ceased to exist in the field, and the rest are reduced to shells.

Submarines
Surfaced submarines are vulnerable to aircraft, as even a 25kg bomb is fatal, and they can not dive fast to always be safe.  Worse, even shallowly submerged they can be seen from above.  The submarine commanders are aware of this and  follow their orders from a distance intended to keep their boats alive when operating near a naval base and it's associated air assets. However, the visual search radius from the top of a sail of a surfaced submarine is limited, the height is much lower than the 30+m of a cruiser or battleship's mast tops, making a much shorter distance to horizon, which is somewhat aided by opposing masts sticking over it, but seeing masts against the clouds is much harder than seeing hulls. This means the further out they are , the greater the perimeter and the less coverage they have, making them a less effective search platform.

When the weather clears sufficiently, Mayan aircraft resume outside Bahia and sight a sub, leading to a more intense effort. For several days a coordinated campaign of aircraft and destroyers hunt the Japanese submarines found. The Mayans ASW capacity is very limited, but the ability return to base and sortie a second time, guided by a plane to the last known position gives them better odds. This also makes it difficult for the subs to surface and recharge batteries. Despite this effort, only one submarine is sunk and one substantially damaged. After several days, the aerial sweep pushes the submarines below the surface, but at least some of the destroyers seemingly head seaward. The submarines have hydrophones as well but all they tell them is the destroyers are either out of range, or moving very slowly, and tell them nothing of the seaplane patrols.

The IJN subs creep further away and attempt to radio Puerto Armuellos that Mayan Destroyers may be at sea, but they lack the long aerials of a ship and their signal does not reach 415nm away. They do however reach the littoral bombardment forces, who retreat. The Mayan Destroyers receive a message from their Army forces long before they reach the coast that the Japanese have retreated. The IJN Battlecruiser and attendant destroyers are further out at sea, and would not have opportunity to intercept. This scenario is repeated a couple weeks later, though this time the IJN subs have chosen positions further out.

Littoral Forces

In the Caribbean, Japanese forces launch raids along the Mayan south coast, and the NE province. The relatively undeveloped Costa Rican coast lacks modern port infrastructure, with ports such as Limon, Puerto Veijo, and Cahuita primarily serving local fisher folk. Coastal steamers serve these areas by lighter, but the barges can be beached and offloaded. This means limited barge traffic along the coast is the only useful alternative to overland supply for the Mayans, and the Japanese strike against this, catching and sinking a number of barges. Mayan fishing boats appear to have been pressed into service as well, or at least they are at sea, and go down easily.

The Nicaraguan coast is sufficiently far from Mayan naval units as to be relatively safe to raid,  but raids on Mayan coastal towns, to catch the Mayans at the source, are less successful than hunting barges. Much of the Mayan coast has mangroves, with lagoons behind the coastline. The towns are within the sheltered lagoons, with the passages in and out making for predictable routes. The Mayan coastal batteries command those routes, while observation towers dot the coastline. But they are not everywhere.

As the month unwinds, the Jengi I finds pockets of coast where she can slowly unload MTBs and send them on raids. Attempts by MTBS to force the Mouth of the Brillo river encounter sandbars and some gun batteries, but they ascend the river and shell a bridge, setting it ablaze. Fishing craft are also sunk.    Elsewhere, attempting to land on the forested coastline, and hike inland through swamps is more successful, but once at the agricultural villages, there is little of value to destroy, and retreat through the swamps as the alarm summons soldiers highlights some difficulties. 

The attempted raid on the lagoon codenamed 'bluefields' runs afoul of an alerted defense, and the QF guns hammer the light Japanese forces at a range of a couple thousand yards, abetted by 47mm QF guns.  The initial attack blows past the outer batteries, shell the town, and sink a coastal freighter and  some fishing vessels, but on the way out, the defenses are fully alert. The defenders who had hurriedly fired some rounds at the rapidly moving MTBs are now prepared. As the MTBs sprint for the Lagoons exit, the guns tear the formation apart. Half the ten craft are destroyed.

The attempt to ascend the border San Jose river (future Nicaraguan Canal) with MTBs to strike at the crossing infrastructure does not go well. The river is the fortified border, the river mouth and estuary has batteries of coastal guns, and the Mayan forts controlling the crossing points are unharmed.  With shifting sandbanks and a sinuous river, the MTBs ascending find themselves going slowly and large targets for the QF guns commanding the rivers turn.   The 10 MTBS that come round the horseshoe bend, a battery opens up at a range of less than 1000 yards. Three are destroyed in the first minutes. As the squadron desperately return fire as they try to turn in the river. Their light guns do nothing to the fortifications and they are hammered as they reverse course, exposing broadsides at point blank range, and try to flee down the river. The 75mm guns pick them off rapidly.  What the point blank 75mm fire fails to do, the heavy machine guns commanding it  turn the MTBs into charnel houses. The expedition fails to return.

In the Pacific, Japanese littoral forces continue to harass Mayan forces attempting to use the Coastal route. 

Commerce Raiding :
With a Centralized command economy and scripted war start, the Mayans scheduled their overseas freighters to be outbound and clear of danger at the beginning of the conflict. Their economy is limited and so traffic is not robust, but during the second month, they started to trickle back, and by the 3rd month, they are attempting to return. Likewise, trade attempts to continue with their colonies. Every $ generated there does have to reach the homeland.
The Japanese and Aztecs did not have such a heads up. Of course most vessels are neutrals, and there is some tiny chance of 'sink on site' orders regarding warships to lead to the wrong nation being involved.

In the first week, an Aztec sub seizes a merchant and places a prize crew on it, as does a GTB squadron. The sudden withdrawal of most Aztec forces from the Florida region at the beginning of the month means that few ships are  available. A pair more of merchants are caught by the limited forces. The 250t subs from Martinique can spend little time on station, and are frustrated in their attempts.

So when a Zeppelin spots a Mayan cruiser C3 Florida at 1100 hrs, off the Florida Keys, the closest Aztec force is 3-3, 4 GTB-W, only 49nm away. They move to intercept and catch the cruiser. The C3 class is a large destroyer in size has a top speed of 24knots, 3x 14cm and no armor to speak of. The GTBs count on their speed as armor, and combined firepower of 12 x 10cm to overwhelm the small cruiser.  Dashing through the C3s early volleys, the GTBS score the first hits, immediately dismounting a 14cm gun and smashing the primary firecontrol. As a cruiser, there is a second fire control position.

A trio of hits send shrapnel ripping into the aft control, while a pair of 10cm shells bury themselves in the hull prior to exploding, starting a fire in one engine room, and causing serious flooding. But for it's disabled gun, the C3 would have scored a hit, but... the slowed vessel, on fire, makes for a better target, and six more 10cm shells land in close succession. One ruptures the shell plating, letting more water pour in, shrapnel pierces the deck and disables the other engine, the bridge is wiped out, a second 14cm gun is destroyed, while the third has been abandoned by it's crew. The magazine hit and explosion is almost redundant. 

Though Mayan merchants are trying to make it back during the month, Aztec forces are extremely busy elsewhere for the last three weeks.

Battle of Martinique : See next post.

After the battle, the Mayans took a possible course I sketched out pre-battle, which I then compared to Tac's post battle orders, taking in consideration his ships then-current locations.

Only when the Mayans almost reached home did the Aztecs have a 'shot'.

[Kaiser Kirk]

April 13th, Martinique

The harbor at Martinique is a bay, 5nm deep and with the naval base in an inlet to the NE side, not directly visible from the mouth of the bay.  The harbor is heavily defended, with 210mm guns in turrets mounted high on the mountains surrounding the bay, which allow them to fire down on decks. On reverse slopes are batteries of 245mm mortars,  while 150mm QF guns are sited for both enfilade and direct fire. AA guns are sited around the harbor.
The waters of the harbor are sown with command – detonated mines, and heavily netted to stop both torpedoes and submarines. Burrowed into the mountain sides are bunkers storing fuel, supplies, ammunition and command and control.

Two air squadrons provide a substantial air presence over the island. The reconnaissance planes of the day, with a fuel reserve, only reach out about 120nm.

The Mayan fleet has steamed with these limits in mind, picking it's way through the middle of the Caribbean. It's call in Cumana was while the Zeppelin was cruising back to Grand Turk. The submarines that might have seen it did not happen to be at just the right place at the right time, especially as the Mayans were attempting to take courses to avoid the common routes.

The first warning the Aztecs have is their GTB pickets, just  predawn and 30nm to sea.
A screen of 4 GTBs , when weather permits,such as the current gentle breeze, take up an arc West of the Island. The waning crescent moon provides sufficient light to see the glow of the stacks as the Mayans approach. The GTB does not know quite who that is over there, but it's obviously a number of smaller ships in front, followed by larger ships, and by the phosphorescent bow wakes, at some speed.
The chance of it being a friendly call seemed high, perhaps a pizza delivery, but the GTB decided to send out a radio call and raise the alarm, and force the throttles to full. The lead Mayan destroyers take some fitful shots at the distant target, but are quite wide.

This gives the base a couple hours of notice. The commander orders the defenses manned. The ships in harbor are few, with a couple submarines resupplying, some minesweepers, a tug, and some torpedo craft. The cruisers and BC and most of the submarines are far away.  Sending the torpedo craft into the open ocean would get them butchered, but the submarines can slip away. The other vessels can hide behind the peninsulas jutting out into the harbor.

Martinique is home to a couple squadrons of aircraft, and they start arming and launching at dawn, the first strike catching the Mayans shortly before they can start bombardment. Serviceability being what it was, not all are able to go. The waves of torpedo bombers focus on the capital ships, something made easier by the battleline being strung out. The Mayans have fairly limited AA armament and role out their nets, then make their best angles as their limited AA hammers away. The torpedo bombers though are slow at 70knots and launch relatively close, making for fat targets, so a couple are damaged and abort or drop early.  The 18" aerial torpedoes are launched from 2500 meters, and 2 strike home.   One tangles in nets, the other fails to function.

The bombers land and rearm, and go again, and again, reving the throttles and roaring into action, going danger close and launching on capital ships.  The initial waves have more success, but the nets frustrate two strikes (no pen), a second dud frustrates, and a single explosion is a bow hit on Dzula, which will limit her max speed to 20knots or imperil her forward bulkheads until it can be addressed. 

Each time, mechanical failures claim more and more, and damage from shrapnel and simple holes ground more aircraft. By the end of the 5th sortie, of the original 32 aircraft, 3 are destroyed and 12 damaged, while after hours of aggressive flying mechanicals have grounded a third, some of which are ready to soon return to service, but right then only 4 are good to fly.

In between, the islands scout force is pressed into service as level bombers, and take to the air and try to rain death and destruction on the fleet. However in 1918, without sights, from then high level (3500m) in 10knot winds and with 25kg HE bombs against a moving target masked by coal smoke the effects are limited (like 0, so 1%). The Fleet's AA is also less effective. After flying six sorties, only 3 planes have been downed, and 4 have damage while far more are down for maintenance issues. The damage done to the fleet is a series of nuisance hits, causing no serious damage.

The Mayans launch float planes as spotters, only to have them ruthlessly cut down by the fighters over the island. They settle down to a long oblique battleline, fending off the torpedo bombers as they occur. The destroyers take up positions to monitor hydrophones, sprinting and drifting around the formation.

The 210mm guns outside the harbor entrance are in two batteries of four guns sited at 200 feet in elevation above the sea North and South of the Harbor entrance. A further battery is hidden inside the harbor.  Observation towers and long based rangefinders are hidden nearby. The location gives them a commanding view of the harbor approaches and pushes the spotting range seaward.  The concrete casements are well masked and not readily visible to the observers on the ships until they fire.
With the approach of the capital ships, hold their fire and wait until the range falls to where they believe their downward firing may have the best advantage.

The first volleys are ranging fire, and the Mayan fleet turns to bring their broadsides to bear on the hillside and replies with all big guns. Radio messages assign targets to cut down on interference.

The 210mm batteries strike first, with a shell bursting in DosPilas's upperworks, shattering the main director. The unfortunate ship is hit again half a dozen minutes later, this time loosing it's aft director.
A further hit jars A turret, temporarily stalling the training motor. Aft Con is then destroyed. 
The Cerros takes three more hits in the upper hull,  hit wiping out it's port casement battery with a fire ensuing that takes time to put out.

The Mayans turn to steam broadside and reply , interrupted in the middle by a late torpedo bomber attack, is a deluge of shells. The individual 210mm mountings are difficult and hidden targets, but the Maya bring 12 battleships and 4 cruisers to bear on the problem, and nearly 2000 rounds later, they have somewhat reduced the elevation of the ridge that used to host the batteries.

The battleline, between addressing the batteries, and maneuvering to respond to air attack, has drifted from position. Now it returns to it's primary task, bombardment of the key Aztec naval base in the Antilles.  Having discovered that Aztec fighters mean no spotter aircraft, and sightlines are blocked from the WNW and W, the fleet circles round and after fending off more air attacks, approaches from the SW of the harbor entrance, where it can get a bearing on the naval base.

The Aztec Subs are smelly and temperamental gas powered vessels of an old design with saddle tanks. Fresh back from station off Cumana, they are undergoing maintenance and safety checks. It takes time to recall sufficient crew. But gas engines do not need to slowly get up steam, allowing the two to slip into the harbor once they had sufficient crew aboard. Moving slowly to wind it's way through the mined channel, they submerge and creep towards the sea for two painstaking hours. With only 2 bow tubes, they rely on the training and perception of their skipper to deliver their torpedoes.  Aztec destroyers are out in force, and while their basic hydrophones are limited in sensitivity, they are effective when close and make sneaking to point blank range difficult (most subs fired from very close in) make it hard to creep up on a fleet that keeps changing course.  Perhaps more important is the platform for many eyes to spot a periscope , for each time the subs raise periscope and pick a new course to close with the fleet, there is risk.

The island of Martinique's fortifications include a pair of 4-tube 240mm howitzers mounted on turn tables. One is North of the harbor, the other in a valley South of the harbor. Between them, there is little of the island, or harbor, that is not within the 15000m range of the large guns. The southern Battery commands the approach the Mayan fleet is now taking, and opens fire, giant water spouts erupting around the vessels. The Mayans are unsure of where the fire comes from, searching for more coastal batteries, but when Cerros is bracketed by spouts and shrapnel showers the vessel, the Admiral calls for an immediate turn.  The vessels turn, and chased by spouts, move out of range, but not before Chicanna  bridge suffers a 240mm hit, killing all outside the Conning armor.

The submarines find themselves further than desired of a fleet no longer approaching, but sailing broadside and distracted. Independently, each skipper seeks to press closer.  The Mayans, having been able to sight and start shelling the naval base, have an idea of the range, and relative position to the North Harbor Entrance This allows them to place in their plotting table and use radio to coordinate a bombardment. They open fire on the coordinates, each gun having 20 HE shells set aside for this purpose.

The subs try to creep closer, taking a quick periscope look, then move, take another peep, move, and then hopefully raise scope and fire. For the second sub, this prove fatal, raising scope nearby destroyers, who rush the spot and roll their tiny DCs overboard, the first striking the shallowly submerged and slow driving sub, and a following DD dropping ahead of the oily water and hitting twice more. The pressure hull is not strong, and the sub can not take that level of damage.

The first sub takes it's shot from 5000m, a slant shot at a large Mayan battleship. The Mayan fleet is quite alert at this point, and the slow diving sub is quickly attacked by the nearby destroyers, also being hit fatally.  The two torpedoes race towards Cerros, who's spotters call out and the ship swings into a turn to comb the spread, but with only 6 minutes run time, there are only a couple minutes to react and start the turn. Both torpedoes hit home, one hitting the midships nets, one the bow, causing minor flooding damage. Damage control teams and pumps go to work.

The fleet continues on, volleying broadsides at their hoped for targets until their fire mission is complete. All battleships and the C4 cruisers participate, bringing 96 guns to bear, walking the shells back and forth in the target area. A last air attack does little. Shortly before noon, the Mayan fleet steams off NNW.  Scout planes follow and watch the fleet meet up with four merchants and proceed. Over the course of the after noon, two further torpedo attacks is launched, including some planes restored to service. The results are disappointing with no further torpedo damage, but a pair of damaged planes.

That evening, the GTBs set to sea serving as leads for the TBs. Heading NNW the hope to find the Mayan fleet, now over 60nm away. Making 20 knots for 3 hours, they find where the Mayans probably were at the time of the last sighting report, but the planes have long gone home. They fan out and continue on the last reported course for a further 2 hours. Now 5 hours out at sea, they do not sea signs of the Mayan fleet, but the MTBs have already burned half their fuel. Slowing, they turn and search on the way back, returning to Martinique.

The Battle of Martinique has ended.

Postscript :
April 26th :  Weather turns rougher in the last week, which also harms visibility.

The 500 tons subs have been operating off Puerto Barrios, which has an airbase. One is damaged when they are in close. They back off to a perimeter about 180nm out, giving 10nm between subs, which 'works', being slightly beyond the Mayan range, while allowing them to racetrack and maintain fairly good coverage. The water is choppy and visibility poor when Mayan fleet looms out of the haze, destroyers laboring to do sprint and drift. 

The fleet position places it between two submarines's race tracks. By time they can make positive ID, the fleet is nearly abreast their line.  While  two submarines are in visibility range, they can make a maximum of 14 knots on the surface..in good weather, and at best 10 submerged. With the Mayans nearly abreast as the sub wallows north.  The southern sub has no choice but to try to race ahead and submerge in front of the fleet. This attempt is spotted by a flanking destroyer, which takes the sail under fire at ~7000m, the first 14cm volley scores a hit on the sail [there were 2 hits, I decided any hit but 'con' was a miss, and then hit 'con']. Unable to submerge, the sub is peppered with shots until the crew abandons ship.

The second sub is ahead of the fleet, on the Northern edge of it's racetrack, and needs to make 9nm south before the Mayans pass. Unable to make top speed of 14knots in these waves, she wallows southwest at 12knts, closing 6nm in a half hour.  The Mayans, spooked by the first sub, increase speed to 12 knots and shallowly zig zag, passing beyond the potential intercept zone before the sub closes, and it struggles to catch up to them.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Air : Yucatan

The Yucatan airspace continues to be calm, the Aztec intrusions being met with AAA and sights of flocks of Mayan fighters in the far distance, who flee if approached. The Mayans seem intent on hoarding their planes to resist any actual ground invasion.

Air : Costa Rica


The Air over Almirante is abandoned, allowing the Mayans to fly unopposed, bombing and strafing the Japanese and Aztec ground troops and supplies. The town, harbor, and ships  of Almirante is bombed repeatedly by the Mayan heavy and light bombers. The coal and fuel oil supplies are set on fire, and the ammo depot explodes, leveling several blocks. When the Japanese fleet steams out to provide fire support, attacks are made on the ships.  The ships stationed off the coast of Colon island become a target for submarines and aerial attack.


A Japanese air wing offloaded in the latest shipping becomes active in the strip outside Puerto Armeulles and offers air cover for the ships at the port, and over the battlefield of Corredor.  These tangle with the Mayan air wings flying out of the River General valley.  The Mayans fly imported Iberian fighters, and have twice the numbers.  The two forces engage in vicious fighting over the front. The Japanese, while outnumbered, claim a mayan plane for each they loose, but the result is half way through the month the Japanese are struggling to field aircraft, scrambling those which have been repaired to defend the town, and launching nuisance raids with the bombers which fly.


Mayan Fleet
The Mayan Caribbean and Pacific fleets, considering the information available to them, do not appear to offer battle. The Carribbean fleet does sortie for exercises, but returns to port. Their Iberian-built submarines do make an appearance.

Commerce Raiding
At the beginning of the month a Mayan sub captures a Aztec freighter within sight of Cuba, placing the crew in boats before sinking the ship. A pair of Japanese freighters on the Guyana->Costa Rica run go missing.  The latter two weeks, Aztec and Japanese commerce sails undisturbed.

The Mayan freighters are not as fortunate. A number have congregated at the Parthian Pacific freeports, prompting the Parthiansto reiterate their stance of no conflict around their freeports. Others have stayed on the far side of the Pacific. Those in Incan territory also find themselves stranded. 

However, in the Atlantic, the freighters that had steamed to distant ports at the beginning of the war are now trying to come back, while others need to make for foreign ports.  Mayan Zeppelins attempt to monitor and assist, but the Aztecs use theirs for the same purpose.  The Aztec 3rd fleet haunts the waters off Florida straits, returning to Grand Turk to refuel, but catching 9 Mayan freighters, heading each way.  Subs haunting the Mayan coast torpedo several small coastal ships and a couple larger coastal freighters. 

Battles :
The Mayans had spent the prior month bringing down supplies and new troops. Nearly a third of their
their forces had not been engaged the prior month due to supply issues, but they were now ready for a full offensive.

The Aztec reinforcements had landed at Puerto Armuelles. The minor port was tremendously undersized to handle an armada of that size. The 20 miles of beaches outside the town served to rescue the situation, as the Aztec shipping could, slowly, unload over the beach. Even moving basic supplies in this fashion took weeks, and minimal provision could be made for the needs of upcoming months. The fleet put back to sea and headed for Acapulco to reload, to return later in May.  The Aztec reinforcements split, with some marching east to reinforce the beleaguered IJA there, their heavy equipment lagging. The bulk of the force, three quarters, and their heavy kit is rushed to the front in the Correder district, where they quickly stabilize the Japanese front, winning localized victories.

Caribbean : Battle of Almirante

The Aztec troops had landed over the beach at Puerto Armuelles, and started marching for the East. The Aztec heavy artillery and other equipment, as well as most of their pack animals were greatly delayed, as they needed scare dock space to unload, or they had to be loaded into lighters and loaded ashore, then dragged across the beach. Trudging over the low mountains and descending to the coastal plain, they arrived at the heavily embattled Japanese lines.

The Japanese have been leapfrogging backwards for months, and held the line the prior month against the limited Mayan attacks, but at great cost. The front is less than 20miles from Almirante when the Aztecs arrive, marching to the front along the main routes. As they start to disperse to bolster the IJA positions they find the Japanese formations shadows of their on-paper strength. The Mayan offensive that is unleashed shortly after they arrive starts with a slow thrust through the foothills, The massively outnumbered Japanese and Aztec are pushed back through the foothills. While the coastal road comes under a heavy bombardment the Mayans do not initially push there, perhaps leery of coastal bombardment, instead simply fixing the defenders in place while the foothill advance moves forward.
It becomes evident the drive is seeking to severe the supply routes over the central ridges and moves towards the town of Cauchero.  The hammer blow that then unleashes is a drive, perhaps 10miles inland, towards Almirante. Seeing their coastal forces threatened with encirclement, the Japanese withdraw to Almirante while the fleet there tries to provide fire support.  The harbor at Almirante is dredged, but only 1200m long, constraining the ships. The Northern arm of the lagoon has a small area of deep water off the shipping channel, but most has depths of under 7m or less, constraining the heavy ships ability to operate there without risking grounding. The lighter ships can operate near the shore there, but the mangroves mean direct fire support is not relevant. So the fleet sails out the shipping channel, at the South end of Colon island, and to the coast near Changuinola to provide fire support.
This brings the intermittent attention of Mayan bombers, with squadrons making torpedo attacks on the bombarding ships. The ships are old, slow and try to evade, or turn into the attack to comb the spread, but and lack AA suite to disrupt the attackers. The saving grace is the Maya planes are domestic construction, and are not the best platforms.  Over the course of the month, the Mayans keep returning to launch torpedo runs. [I roll location, dud %, and I doubled the dud for bow hits as nose-on could cause problems with contact mechanisms....I got a ton of bow hits.] Suwo is hit by a 14" in the bow, causing flooding damage (360), but a cofferdam is put in place. The Sagami is hit amidships, but the torpedo fails. Tsugaru manages to ram the torpedo, which glances off.  Only Aso suffers, as an amidships hit in the coal bunker starts a fierce fire, which blazes for another half hour. (432 float dam)

Resupplied by their tenders, Japanese destroyers range up the coast, sinking the Mayan supply barges and fishing vessels they keep stubbornly trying to send down. Catching a pair of coastal freighters at sea, they sink them. Mayan light bombers make repeated strikes at the destroyers, and are generally unsuccessful, with each bomber dropping 8 little 25kg GP bombs, the 16 bombers drop 128 bombs a strike at a low elevation at the twisting destroyers, and the Japanese Kawakaze find their rotary 51mm anti-TB guns inadequate in an air-defense role they were not designed for. Over the course of the month, attrition takes hold as destroyers are struck by the light bombs and the delicate ships fare badly. One is blessed as three little bombs hit, but only one goes off, wrecking the upperworks. The Mayans suffer pass through in several cases, and drop over 1500 tiny bombs, but have success catching the Destroyers at their tender(s). By the months end, 4 destroyers have been sunk or rendered ineffective and beached, and two have had their upperworks reduced to wreckage, and one of the tenders was hit by a string, suffering severe damage and being reduced to a sinking condition, being run aground. 

The dedicated defense slows the Mayans down, and unable to advance directly down the Coast they are held for weeks at the outskirts of Almirante. As more Mayan forces move up, and the foothill advance closes on Cauchero, the high command is faced with a problem. The narrow channel through the lagoon could easily be closed if a ship sinks in it, and the available shipping are bulk freighters and tankers, with little accommodations. While the soldiers could huddle on deck on the freighters, or on the warships, their heavier kit and supplies lack the boarding time- if the forces are cut off, withdrawal by sea would be problematic.  With the handwriting on the wall, there is a fighting withdrawal to Cauchero, and almost immediately to Chirquiri Grande.   The Aztec legions, the most intact forces available, serve the rearguard, and take terrible losses.

At the tail end of the month, the fleet withdraws to the fishing village of Bocas Del Toro on Colon island. The Japanese chose to excavate their army to the island, crammed aboard the available vessels.
Of the five partial legions which had held this front, two have been dispersed, the 10th and 13th are inland with the Aztecs, and the only troops to retreat through town to the ships are the remains of the 9th Legion, consisting of the 94th regiment and the artillery.

As much of the fleet is coal-burning, a pair of colliers are diverted to anchor there.  The village fronts on the dredged shipping channel, and so ships can put in at the tip, sheltered by Carenero island. This also puts the ships behind the mines sown at the harbor entrance. The minesweepers and layers are kept busy, ensuring ships can safely be guided into the shipping lane.  The fleet ventures out from here to make daylight bombardment raids- depth permitting- along the coast and lagoon. The new anchorage then attracts the Mayan  bombers (AEGIV)  which can turn their attention here from the front every several days. The first airstike several large 100kg bombs slam into the collier, turning it into a roaring inferno that sinks at its moorings, blocking the berth.  The return visits the bombs show considerable drift, but wreck havoc on the fishing town.  Aso is hit at anchor, but the bomb blows up on her armor deck (+220sd). Suwo is caught and the bombs break up on "A" and the adjacent deck. A Seta Maru is sunk. On the Bombardment runs, SC Harado takes a 100kg hit, while  Sagami is caught in and torpedoed in the bow [400fp], with a second skidding off the stern.

To pass from the Northern lagoon to the Southern, to conduct fire support missions off Chiriqui Grande, the vessels must exit through the shipping channel, and pass South 15 nm to the entrance of the Southern lagoon. Returning to harbor, the sudden explosion on the starboard side of Aso sends water pouring into her forward magazines, whole the flash sets a fire in her engine rooms. (+3600float). This is originally believed to be drifting mines from the harbor mouth, but shortly after Hizen spots first the wakes and then the periscope, which quickly vanishes. The shooter must be inept, as none of the torpedoes come close. The IJN recalls some of the destroyers, while lacking hydrophones, they have depth charges and can at least attack the area and keep submarines down. This does not save SC Mikuma, lost later that day.   At the end of the month finds the Japanese fleet low on fuel and ammunition, scuttling back and forth from a bombed out fishing village, while worried about the submarines lurking offshore.  The regular resupply vessels are warned to stay clear.

The Highway 10 pass, at half a mile high, connecting the Pacific's Chirquiri to the Carribeans' Chirquiri Grande becomes the vital extraction corridor. The Mayans push the Aztec and Japanese forces through the passes and into the foothills on the farside, while their troops push remnants of formations to the East, with retreating Japanese and Aztec troops arriving at the Wilno border at the end of the month.

By Month's end, the Northern half of the Province is lost.

Pacific : Battle of Uvita

The Japanese Naval Infantry in line outside of Puerto Armuelles are withdrawn, with fresh Aztec units taking their place in line.  Loaded on Japanese ships, an overnight steam places the Japanese Costa Rican fleet off the point of Uvita. Waves have carved two arcs of beach meeting in a point, allowing landing at whichever the weather favors. The fishing town of Uvita is here, and the main coastal stone road, built ages before by the Mayans on an old trade route, passes along the coast here. The town has been bombarded and fought over, but the Mayan Office of One Thought has commandeered the best buildings while a transiting Company has encamped outside town.

The Mayan sentries alert the company to the Japanese assault, but are not ready for light regiment of Naval Infantry and particularly the naval bombardment that accompanies the Japanese presence.

The shocked Mayans withdraw and notify their superiors. The Japanese have intermittently bombarded and slowed supplies on the road for months, leading to mostly night movements, and why the Company was outside town. Two Mayan Legions are enroute to the southern battlefields, and the lead one finds itself severed by the Japanese landing.

The Japanese Army and Littoral Squadrons provide fire support with the elderly Ex-Wilno battleship Tango providing gunfire support in conjunction with with two old Takasago class protective cruisers and a flotilla of gunboats and destroyers.  The heavy use of naval bombardment commands the coast road and helps keep the Mayans at bay, and the overnight run to Puerto Armeullos means the ships can compete for scarce dockspace to reload magazines as needed. Aerial scouts and fighters flying the 70nm from Puerto Armeulles provide some spotting and air cover, but the closer Mayan bases means any efforts are short lived. Mayan planes harass the bombardment fleet as the Mayans slowly gather for a week, probing and bombarding the defenses.

A persistent problem for the attackers is air raids by the Mayans.  They mount daily sorties, attempting to bomb the defenders and launch torpedo attacks.  Fighters escort Scout planes who spot for the Mayan artillery which is slowly brought up.

The torpedo planes here focus on the larger and slower vessels, the elderly ex-Wilno battleship, the  cruisers, gunboats and transport. The cruisers and gunboats dodge, but over the week and a half, the Aikoku Maru transports are all hit, some twice, some also bombed and all sunk.  A smaller Matsu Maru is also torpedoed. Another Matsu is bombed, with minor topside damage. An gunboat, the Tatsuta, is similarly lucky, but two more of the Kuma class are caught and hit repeatedly, one moderately (26%) damaged, the other severely (51%).  The ASW sloops are busy, and claim to have engaged numerous submarines, but they also attract attention, with two being sunk.

The battleship takes a first a torpedo in the bow, then days later one in the stern, flooding the ends. The flash and flooding from the second hit damage the generators, limiting on-board electric power. On board damage control then Then an 18" torpedo takes it amidships, in a coal bunker. The damage places the ship at the edge of sinking, and the commander steams the slowly sinking vessel into the shallows on the north side of the point, where it settles on the bottom.  The crew remain on board, manning the guns until they run out of ammunition, an unsinkable fort.  The Mayans bomb the vessel hitting it a dozen times, and torpedo it again, but lack the specialize bombs to penetrate even moderate armor to cause serious damage.   

The thousand Naval Infantry hold on as best they can, but as the Mayans march to the scene, they are are massively outnumbered. The Mayans take to a Vauban style trench advance, and the final rush comes at night, as thousands of Mayans charge. On the landward side of town, Mayan tanks loom out of the dark, focusing on the muzzle flashes of Japanese machine gun emplacements. The valiant defenders of Utivala are captured or killed.  However, by causing the diversion of forces, interrupting supply flow and causing the forces to consolidate, they have managed to effectively delay two Mayan Legions from arriving at the front for two weeks, and rendered them ineffective for the battlefront this month.



Battle of Corredor

Corredor District is a fertile and well developed area at the base of the low hills dividing from the River General Valley.  The frontlines here are bitterly fought over, but only 25 miles from Puerto Armuelles. Six fresh legions of the Aztec forces move into line here, and are soon joined by their supporting arms. This allows the Japanese to withdraw their Naval Infantry and send it North. The Mayan forces here are weaker than in the East, and would have been more than sufficient if not for the Aztec presence. The fighting on this front is a bitter stalemate.  By Months end, the tattered remnants of the Eastern formations trickle back over the central ridge, chased by the Mayans. Pivoting, forces are redeployed to shore up the East flank. The timely arrival of more Aztec troops at the beach help in this effort as the the arrival of Jaguar warriors at the last weeks the month sees new forces enter the battle and the Aztec tanks are a surprise for the clumsy Mayan counterparts

The newest Aztec convoy arrives on the 14th and begins to unload. As before, the 50 odd ships drastically exceed the ports capacity. As per the earlier expedition, the transport freighters string out along the beach at 500 yard intervals, and take to offloading by lighter. Every day some vessels up anchor to head to the two piers, to unload some of the heaviest and most cantankerous cargo. 

The Japanese fighters at the nearby field have already been mauled in battles over the front lines in the past couple of weeks. They have given a good account of themselves, but were outnumbered by twice the number of Mayan fighters. Weeks of daily fighter sweeps and sorties of fighters followed by bombers have reduced the Japanese so that they send the remaining damaged and repaired planes skyward. By the time the landing fleet arrives, the fighters can no longer provide an effective defense.

For 11 days, the anchored freighters make good targets, but the planes have to attack from the stern quarter and drop from far enough the 18" torpedoes do not bury their nose in the mud.  The bombers strafe the lighters off loading supplies as well. The escorting  fleet sets up to screen the approaches, but covering 16 miles of coastline is problematic, and the warships do not wish to anchor themselves and become the targets instead. The result is limited success, damage to several aircraft, but only on May 23rd is a torpedo bomber shot down. This is a particularly bad day for the Mayans, as the Japanese fighters which managed to take wing shoot down two of the attackers as well. The primary role the Japanese aircraft take is forcing Mayan escort fighters and light bombers focusing on the town and airport, and bombing and strafing the offloaded supplies.  Despite these minor victories, the Mayan torpedo planes slowly take their toll on the fleet.

The approach and angles give them problems, but they seem to improve as the days tick past. Considering the torpedoes launched this is astonishingly few and such light losses could not be expected to continue. Only 19 torpedoes hit, and 3 are duds,  but the hits are severe.   The subsidized freighters of the Aztec merchant marine are large vessels built to transport passengers and freight for oceanic voyages. The smaller warhead would matter if the ships had a TDS, but instead they have large holds and few bulkheads and do not take torpedoes well. The ships are as close to shore as they can manage without wave and tide action grounding them, which is what happens when the torpedoes suddenly cause flooding and their draft drastically increases. Sinking in shallow water, their holds flood and the unloaded supplies become unreachable. Those that ground take additional damage from the wave action and will eventually break up. With tugs and a drydock, several could be salvaged, but those are not available, nor are naval commanders willing to risk warships. Still at this point, nearly a quarter of the Aztec transport fleet that came to Puerto Armuelles will not return to Acapulco.

The disruption often multiple air attacks a day on the troops struggling to row the supplies ashore and wrestle them over the beach where mule trains can take them to a depot is profound. Between the supplies sunk with the ships, and those destroyed on the beach, or in the ad hoc depots about town by bombers, a substantial amount of supplies are lost. Two of the Jaguar formations will have only their light artillery, and none of their heavier guns or tanks.  Worse, the loading schedule is slowed, and several more days of unloading awaits the fleet, with final completion being estimated for the 4th.

When considering the lost depots, and the abbreviated supplies brought in both transport runs, the supply situation for the defenders looks problematic in several months.

[snip]

Roman Declaration of War

May 25th, 1923

Notice delivered to the Mayan Consulate in the Confederation of the Five Nations. Copies to other diplomatic offices as appropriate.

WHEREAS, the Government of the Peoples Republic of Maya has committed to a conflict of aggression against independently recognized territorial claims of the Empire of Japan, it is the determination of the Imperial Roman Republic that the Peoples Republic of Maya represents a threat to the continued exercise of freedom of navigation though the Gulf of Azteca and the trade routes therein. In addition, the Peoples Republic of Maya via its holdings in the Mobile territory, represents a now major security concern to the Imperial Roman Republics holdings of Novus Francia. As such, as resolved by the Roman Senate and Imperial Assembly with the endorsement of Her Majesty Empress Amelia, a state of war is hereby declared between the governments of the Imperial Roman Republic and the Peoples Republic of Maya. The Prime Minister of the Imperial Roman Republic is hereby authorized and directed to employ the necessary military forces pursuant to this state of war, its goals to restore the security of commerce and Roman territory, and to bring the conflict to a successful termination.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Roman-Mayan

Alabama :
The arrival of a storm in the area does little to change the Roman plans, as their dozens of Legions execute their orders and advance overland. It does ground the Roman aircraft for much of the first week, but the Roman Assault is overwhelming. With a 5:1 Advantage, the Mayan regiments manning the frontier are subjected to withering air and artillery assault. Dazed and confused they grimly hold on, becoming the focus of numerous Roman assaults.  As Mayan units break and try to flee down roads, the packed troops and wagons become appealing targets for the air and artillery. The Mayans quickly resort to night time movements.

The weakly held outer reaches of the provinces fall quickly in a storm of Roman Artillery fire. Roman mechanized forces allow destruction of Mayan machine gun posts with minimal losses.  These border regiments hold out as long as they can before retreating, where they are cut apart by Roman cavalry and armored cars. As the month wears on, Roman aircraft, curiously finding no aerial opposition, roam freely over the lines, strafing and bombing in the face of weak Mayan AA fire.

The central towns studded along the railroads are more strongly held, and have strongly dug in artillery with pre-registered fires. Roman attempts to capture strategic points, particularly bridges and ferries, lead to heavy losses to defensive artillery and small counter attacks by packets of Mayan armor. Naval bombardment along the coast helps the advance along those coastal roads. The 75mm batteries guarding the various fishing ports do not reveal themselves, but once they try to assist defenders the Roman Naval forces can bombard them.  The Mayan squadron, with the cruiser and destroyers absent, hides in harbor, with air recon discouraged by the heavy AA around the port.

Mayan forces are severely mauled, with over half their formations effectively removed from their OOB. The Mayans lines collapse to around their harbors at Mobile and Pensacola.  As they withdraw the destroy as much as they can around them.  The Romans are nearly unscathed with less than 5% losses (4 regiments KIA, 1 WIA).

Yucatan

An Early Hurricane curves up the middle of the Caribbean in the first week and lashes Havana and the Florida keys with heavy winds. On the Mayan side of the Yucatan straight, the wind force is just that of a tropical storm.  The approaching storm is sufficiently threatening as to cause the Aztec, Roman, and Mayan vessels in the neighborhood of the Yucatan and Florida straits to all seek good harbors.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Costa Rica
The airwar resumes with planes from the missing 4th Mayan airwing making a reappearance alongside the three other wings.  The Japanese continue to frantically patch and repair their remaining aircraft to send them airborne, and they score a trio of aerial victories, but between the Mayan fighters and the bombing of the airstrip, the remaining Japanese aircraft do not survive the week.

At Colon island, the older Mayan aircraft harass the IJN until they depart, and then turn their efforts on the destroyers left behind.

On the Pacific side of the divide, the Mayans fly their declining stock of Iberian planes. There, they commit to ground support, but daily muster their bombers for an escorted sortie against Puerto Armuellos. With concentrations of supplies being formed for road and rail transport, as well as the remaining coal and oil stockpiles, and of course the piers and warehouses, there are many targets. The torpedo planes continue attacks against offloading freighters.  Once the remaining Japanese planes have been rendered ineffective, the Mayans fly more freely.

The fleet continues to try to provide cover, but it is difficult as the potential targets are so widely scattered. The Aztec Destroyers, with their 70mm AA gun and 8mm MG provide most of the hulls for the screen, while the Corvettes and Frigates seek to defend the dock area, and the ships unloading there. Once the Combined fleet departs, these protections are no longer present.

The return of the Japanese Army and Littoral forces add some smaller craft which can be anchored between unloading freighters, but the Japanese vessels lack any designed AA weapons or sights and are not terribly effective.  Placing a screen of ships further out, to more easily interfere with the delivery path for the torpedoes is difficult.  The freighters slowly drag their anchors, and should a storm come in the night could be forced into each other if close spaced. So the unloading ships are widely spaced, meaning miles and miles to defend, allowing attackers to scoot around and attack where the ships are not, forcing the defenders to long difficult long distance deflection shots. 

The difficulty of defending such a spread out force is offset somewhat by the torpedo planes having to launch from further out in deep water at the large stationary targets, typically at a fairly shallow angle to the target. This has dramatically reduced the results, and the Mayans pilots initially failed to rise to those reduced expectations,  but as the Mayans have live practice, they improve somewhat and manage to torpedo 7 freighters in the last 4 days, bringing the total to 27.

Shortly after the fleet departs, the last Japanese fighter is damaged beyond repair, and the next day the last bombers are destroyed.

While the Mayan legions have taken substantial losses over the campaign, they are dispersed across their forces. The smaller number of Japanese legions lost firepower as their manpower fell, further increasing the disparity. Still, a number of the leading Mayan formations have taken substantial losses, only a couple are as threadbare as the Japanese formations. This status which led them a couple months ago to bring new formations south, with the first of the new Legions first encountered the prior month.  The Aztec reinforcements to date have been far greater, and now provide 80% of the forces available.

The Pacific defenders occupy a line starting 20nm NNW of Puerto Armuellos and then extending East, extending into the foothills around the towns of David and Chiquiri, where the main roads to the Caribbean pass over the central ridges.  Small forces guard strategic points safeguarding the Coastal road for the 50miles to the Wilno border.  The remaining Japanese Army and Littoral units stand by to add gunfire support as useful.

The newly arrived Jaguar soldiers have been sent to staunch the flood of Mayans to the East, part of their heavy support kit still lying submerged off the beach. The intervention allows the retreating units from the East to pause and regroup, before being flung back into line.

The Mayans having advanced to the Pacific foothills the prior month, there is intense fighting outside the town of David and Chiquiri as the Mayans try to sever the Pacific Coastal road and cut the defenders into isolated pockets. The Jaguars counter attack the Mayan thrust, only for the Mayans to work through the flank and push through the weakened Japanese forces, threatening the rear of the Aztec position and the lines to Puerto Armuellos.

In the Corredor district, the Aztec forces have managed to stabilize the situation, and make a small advance towards Agua Bena, but the late arrival of the two fresh Mayan Legions held up last month is felt on the seaward flanks of the Corredor district. These are held by the exhausted Japanese formations, and the Mayans force them back, capturing the village or Laurel, 10miles NW of Puerto Armuellos,  threatening the rear of the Aztec position,forcing them to fall back.  The Mayans harry them as they attempt to withdraw. The growing gap between the Aztecs around Corredor and by David also becomes a source of grave concern. 

The Aztec commander is faced with his left flank being pushed in, cutting off his left, and a wedge being driven between the left and the rest of his forces. Once cut off the left wing would then be crushed.  The reserve forces are but a single Jaguar Legion, and that is sent to plug the gap and prevent the defenders from being cut in two.

The long strung out defense is a problem, and the Commander is faced with a decision – consolidate to reinforce his left flank, and be trapped on the peninsula of Puerto Armuellos, or withdraw East towards Wilno, while the Coast Road is still held.

To hold out, they would have to stabilize a line in front of Puerto Armuellos and it's nearby airfield, making a 20 mile front to defend. This would allow the Mayans to concentrate their forces along the same front. Worse, the major roads feeding the theater would become the Mayan supply routes, allowing them to maintain the pressure.

Meanwhile, supplies were becoming critical for the Combined forces. The Central American province had been provisioned with depots, and produced food domestically, but  most fresh supplied came via the two small ports to keep  Japanese forces furnished. The loss of 80% of the region, along with the depots and food production,  and the better sheltered port of Almirante meant they would be dependent on Puerto Armuellos to supply the Combined Forces. In order to defeat the Mayans they would have to land, feed and supply at least as many as the Mayans had. With the Mayans possessing overland supply routes, and presumably soon the use of Almirante, this would be very problematic.

The Town of Puerto Armuellos has had it's port and rail facilities bombed mercilessly, and unloading ships come under ruthless attack. The supply and fuel dumps there have been bombed for weeks and provide little respite.  The prospective reinforcements could stabilize the situation temporarily but are  still a couple weeks off, so they would have to hold out that long. But it seemed improbable they could move enough supplies and troops over the beach to supply the current force, much less a breakout, especially as the rainy season approaches and they face future bad weather and the prospect of air attack in good weather. 

The road East is currently held, and the Japanese have depots of food, albeit small, in David, Chiquiri and San Juan.  That route would allow them to block the Mayans with a force along the road, and keep the Mayans from concentrating and destroying the force. Further, they would not be trapped on the peninsula, but be able to retreat to the relatively safety of Wilno.

Listening to the reports flowing in of the intense fighting, and of units breaking under the pressure, and reports of current strengths,  the Commander realizes his forces are threatened and decides to retreat East towards Wilno.  A fighting withdrawal rescues most of the forces west of David, and the combined army withdraws to the Wilno border and starts crossing into internment while the Jaguars fight a furious regard action. . The tropical storm that rolls in during the last week makes this decision look wise, as it makes unloading on beach at Puerto Armuellos impossible.

Edit : At months end, the Central American provinces are held by Maya, and the Combined forces have been interned in Panama.

The Combined forces took ~32% losses this month, which is sufficient to make most forces retreat.
Historically loosing forces tend to take ~20% losses, which can spiral higher in a route. 32% is quite severe.  There were two Legions completely dispersed and the equivalent of 18 regiments destroyed. The promised reinforcements, of 6 new legions, would have increased strength by 24, for a net change of +6 regiments.

So far in the campaign, the Japanese and Aztec have committed 27 legions to the conflict in piecemeal fashion, while the Mayans started with 25 and have increased to 30 legions. The Japanese forces have lost 91% of their fighting strength, and the Aztec 45%, and can muster a little under 9 legions in strength.  The Mayans, having engaged with a nearly 2:1 advantage, but against a dug in foe backed by light forts, have lost nearly 39% and can still muster closer to 19 legions strong in-theater, and have more to send.

Caribbean Coast
The Japanese fleet at Colon Island sends it's12 of its Kawakazes and its submarines along with Tender support North to raid the Mayan coastal supplies. They have early success, finding a quartet of coastal freighters and sinking them. It seems the Mayans thought the coast would be clear, which it is not. Over the course of the next couple weeks, they sink a half dozen barges before the Mayans stopped sending them. Air attacks fly in intermittently, severely damaging one destroyer, sinking another which is  wrecked when several bombs rupture the air bottles on it's torpedoes...or they detonate...something makes a mess.  The support vessel is also bombed and turned into a wreck. The short ranged destroyers
terrorize the coast for a week before their fuel states argue for them to depart and they head for Panama.

The main fleet, loading the reinforced 4th Regiment of the 9th Legion on deck, and cramming supplies into their corridors, sails to Panama. Exiting Colon, the destroyers zig-zag ahead, looking for periscopes.  There is great excitement when one is spotted only 3500m from the fleet, and it is charged by destroyers, which while lacking hydrophones, depth charge the area. The fleet changes course, and after several minutes the alert is given as a spread of torpedoes is noticed, one 21" striking Tsugaru in the stern and causing severe flooding as the ship looses speed. The Destroyer split their effort to attack this new threat and are awarded with a slight gleam of oil. The Destroyers hoard their DCs dropping them at intervals in widening circles, trying to keep the submarines from reestablishing contact with the fleets.  Limping away at 6 knots, a tow line is passed to Tsugara to ensure she can be kept up. Two hours later a squadron of Mayan torpedo bombers swoop in and unleash a spread of torpedoes...which all miss. The fleet anchors in the lee of Isla Escudo de Veragus.  As the damage control parties manage to get a cofferdam into place and pump the stern of Tsugaru.

Proceeding at a sedate 12knots, the fleet heads to Panama, where it sits in the roads off the Canal for two days, waiting for mercantile traffic to pass through.  As merchants have scheduled well in advanced, the passage of the fleet will take a while. At the end of the first week they are joined by their destroyers.   On the far side, they slowly gather and proceed towards Puerto Armuellos, joining the Army fleet and putting the remains of the 9th Legion ashore at the fishing village of Puerto Vidal.

Commerce
With the Roman declaration of war, Mayan freighters flee to friendlier ports, and Mayan warships are not seen either. Once the storms clear, the seas are at least temporarily clear of Mayan shipping.

Amphibious
Plotting where ships are can either be done on maps, or a bit more abstract.
In this case the Combined Aztec-Japanese forces are moving between Acapulco and Puerto Armuellos, and want to avoid air attack. This puts them over 150nm from the Mayan coast. Moving over 450nm would put them out of Mayan Zeppelin range, but also add days to a trip, and further challenge some destroyers fuel supplies.

The weather, rolled prior to the turn then also gets consulted and effects search, or if severe, smaller ship's transit.


May 30th : Very Large number of Japanese freighters arrive in Acapulco. They need provisions and fuel.

June

4th – Aztec transports finish unloading, Combined Fleet departs for Acapulco, gathers fast wing.

5th – Very Large number of Japanese freighters spotted  in Acapulco by Mayan Zeppelins
6th – 1st – Japanese Battlecruiser  TF with Japanese freighters head south from Acapulco at 8 knots. 

9th – Combined Fleet & transports spotted by Mayan Zeppelin.

10th - Battlecruiser TF is spotted gain by Mayan Zeppelin ~670nm SSE of Acapulco and 400nm West of Bahia. The Mayan Bahia fleet with usual precautions slips to sea, and is not spotted by the submarines off the port. On the evening of the 10th, an Aztec Zeppelin spots the Mayan fleet heading in pursuit of the BC/Transport task force.  The length of the Zeppelin and altitude allow for long aerials and radio transmissions, the Aztec Zeppelin radios the contact information.

The  Battlecruiser TF, while having superior individual capital ships, could not shield the nearly transports from attack, and despite the poor performance of torpedoes so far, a destroyer attack on a massive fleet of slow ponderous transports would be disastrous.  Worse would be a night attack, where the Mayan fleet could bludgeon its way into the transport formations. The admiral makes the choice to turn and head NE to avoid the Zeppelins, and then make full power for Acapulco.

The Combined fleet turns short of Acapulco and leaves the transports with the fuel challenged destroyers and head for the Japanese BCs.  A second Mayan Zeppelin makes a pass of Acapulco that evening, flying over the Combined fleet. Evening falls.

11th –  The Aztec transports back at Acapulco

12th – The Mayan Pacific fleet returns to port. A sub can observe them from the distance, but is not in position to intercept. Again, aerial patrols hunt for subs as destroyers comb the waters ahead and guards the flanks. The Mayan capital ships proceed in a moderate zig-zag with nets out.

13Th – The Combined forces, including the Japanese TF, return to Acapulco. The Combined fleet returns to fueling and restocking supplies..

18th – Combined TF  with Aztec supply and Japanese troop transports starts south.

21st – Heavy weather arrives, with waves too choppy for torpedo attack, and grounding aircraft. Offloading is impossible, as the waves threaten to push the transports onto the beach, grounding them and dashing them to pieces. The wrecks on the beach are driven ashore and start breaking into pieces, making the beach more hazardous.

25th  – Combined Fleet arrives. Must shelter at sea. The fleet has head seaward, where they ride out the gale force winds. The additional week creates a problem for the smaller and shorter ranged vessels, as they can no longer refuel at Puerto Armuellos.  During this period radio transmissions from the Combined Army ashore are received, with word of their retreat to the Wilno border.  The fleet heads for Panamanian waters.

28th – The week of foul weather passes.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Clarification : I failed to be sufficiently clear - by the start of July, the Combined forces have withdraw from the Central American provinces and entered internment in Panama.
The Mayans hold the Central American Provinces.

[Kaiser Kirk]

For the July turn, I received orders from Rome, and a little commentary from the Mayan navy.
Lacking direction, I will move events forward.

July 1923

With the retreat of the Aztec- Japanese forces from the Japanese Central American province to internment in Wilno Panama, active fighting comes to a pause.

The Aztec-Japanese combined fleet offloads supplies to be given to internees, but already 3 weeks at sea, with destroyers running low on fuel and now with the damaged Caribbean fleet accompanying, they head for the nearest friendly anchorage, 900nm away in the Galapagos. Setting a course sufficiently far out to sea as to avoid aircraft and returning to Alcapulco is considered, but at 1500nm, a number of vessels would have fuel problems, making any engagements problematic. They can refuel at the Galapagos, and then head for Alcapulco or elsewhere.

In the captured Japanese territories, the Mayans work to repair infrastructure, move supplies and rest units, while preparing for the next phase of the war.

The Roman front is not quiet, as the Roman forces press the attack.
The Mayan 3rd Legion is entrusted with the defense of the tradeport commanding the Pensacola bay, and fights bitterly against tremendous odds. The 1st Cohort of the 3rd Legion becomes the focal point of 5 Roman Legions, contesting the town in a block by block battle. The Mayans fight bitterly, with almost all those captured being already wounded.

The fight for Mobile is similarly tough, with the remainder of the Mayan forces committed to the defense of the town.  Spite and resignation is in evidence as explosives are used to wreck the port, and the small naval squadron is scuttled in the navigation channel.  The Mayan troops fight staunchly, withdrawing only under great duress. Some Cohorts stand their ground and become separate cauldrons of Roman fire. Mayan coastal defenses can do little to effect the land battle, even the Siege Howitzers are of little value against the broad Roman front.  The Coastal forts serve as the Mayan Command Post, and are defended by a pair of well dug in Cohorts, but when the Mayan commanders find the the battle  engulfing their fortified command post, they capitulate.  The well fed and clothed Mayan Commanders, members of the party elite emerge from their bunkers and surrender.  All Mayans are equal, but some Mayans are more equal than others

[Kaiser Kirk]

August Results :

Land : No Land combat occurs

Pacific : The Japanese-Aztec combined fleet moves to Acapulco.

Gulf of Azteca  & Florida waters : The warships present are Aztec, Roman, with the mid August patrol by a Five-tribes cruiser.  Aztec, Roman, Wilno, Five-tribes and Norse commercial vessels are present. Many of these head south through the Yucatan strait, probably towards the canal.
On the other side of Cuba, much the same mix.  Freighter captains on the Canal → Hispanola run report Mayan freighters not far from the Wilno waters, proceeding along the coast.

Roman forces in the Bahamas intercept a Mayan freighter on a course of roughly  NY-Puerto Rico.

Yucatan Strait : There is heavy air presence from both Cuba and the Yucatan, leading the transit of Roman and Aztec forces through the strait mainly at night in waters near Cuba. There are some tense moments involving the question of 'who's warship in the dark is that'.   The shelf that extends 9miles out from Cancun means even a submerged submarine can not go deeper than 100 feet and so can not exploit their  full diving depth to evade attack. Currently, there is precious little traffic in and out of Cancun, mostly coastal and fishing. Some larger freighters and gunboats are tied up. The port has substantial gun defenses and both passive and command controlled minefields.

Both Rome and the Aztecs maintain a distant presence between Maya and Cuba.

The Mayan habit is daily ASW sweeps with aircraft, with different start times and routes, combined with random destroyer sweeps. Zeppelins are a particular hazard, as they can hover over a patch of sea all day long, and vector other assets to a contact.  Aztec Aerial reconnaissance discovers the Mayan Caribbean fleet missing near the beginning of the first week.

The Aztec fleet had transited the Yucatan days earlier, heading back to refuel and re-provision. Destroyer ranges make staying on station for long periods very difficult, and doing so 1000nm away means only half the time can actually be on station while reserving some fuel for combat as well. The Aztec Zeppelins make surveys over the port, when unloaded their maximum altitude makes them hard to intercept, but they are not immune to counter attack, and so have to choose days where they can loose pursuers in clouds, but it is not so overcast they can not see.

The Romans only learn of the missing fleet later...but as they do not know when it went to sea, the potential list of places it could be is greater.  The Romans are already on alert, and have contingencies, but still seek to find the missing fleet, trying to safeguard their territories.  Haze and fogs in the mid month restrict visibility to under 10km for much of the month, and makes both sea and air reconnaissance difficult, and time goes by with no appearance of the Mayan fleet in the Mobile-Florida-Cuba theater, leading to fears of another distant Martinique style attack.

The mystery is solved by a Aztec sub, the small vessel spotting the fleet along with dozens of freighters departing Cumana, escorted by aggressive aerial reconnaissance. Attempts to close for a torpedo shot are successful, and the sub torpedoes a freighter. The sub attempts to submerge and evade, but is depth charged by several destroyers and is twice damaged. The small sub does not surface.  The Mayan formation steams off, far from anyone looking for it. Heavy storms in the last part of the month ground aircraft and allow the Mayans to sneak back to Bahia.

[Observation : While the Mayan fleet waltzing around seems odd, there are a lot of assets devoted to looking for it in some areas, and virtually none in others...and the Caribbean is quite large.   Bahia is ~1100nm from Veracruz  and 600nm from Havana. The Royal Navy, with a homeland 250nm from the High Seas Fleet base, still could not maintain close enough observation to track the HSF reliably. ]

[Kaiser Kirk]

August 30th, 1923

The Peoples Republic of Maya announce that
"The defenders of San Diego have been avenged, and the schemes of the Aztec Alliance to threaten our peaceful nation have been repulsed.
Our brave soldiers have eliminated the final pockets of resistance, and have complete control over the Central American Provinces
and liberated the peace loving peoples of those lands formerly dominated by the malevolent monarchists of Imperial Japan.

With San Diego Avenged, and the threat to our border resolved,
the war that the Aztecs and Japanese started is effectively over.

As an initial measure, we shall cease any and all attacks on commerce, and will not engage Aztec or Japanese Naval forces
that stay at least 150nm from our coastline. 

We hereby proffer a truce and ask for talks to formally recognize the current borders.
At the conclusion of which, a prisoner exchange may occur.