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RE: So, now things get serious....

 
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RE: So, now things get serious.... - 3/27/2010 9:47:08 PM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001
From: Los Angeles
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quote:

he action at the Marshalls has, strategically, utterly succeeded in the goal of destroying the heavy IJN assets ( BBs and CAs ) which will be needed to cover the invasion of Sumatra. I'm not sure if Mike realises it but I think the last 2 days of action have just cost him the game...


As usual, massive casualties, but a highly valuable result. Oklahoma and Nevada are two of the weaker USN battlewagons, but I was a bit sorry to see Salt Lake City go: her extra main gun is useful for fast bombardment missions.

During the war, there was considerable anxiety that the IJN would use its potent CA's as convoy raiders. (That's part of why they built the Alaska class.) AE seems to model that they would have been effective indeed.

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Post #: 271
RE: So, now things get serious.... - 3/28/2010 2:58:11 AM   
bklooste

 

Posts: 1104
Joined: 4/10/2006
Status: offline 		Why dont you submit a save a s a bug for manilla ?

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Post #: 272
RE: So, now things get serious.... - 3/28/2010 5:58:32 AM   
bklooste

 

Posts: 1104
Joined: 4/10/2006
Status: offline 		This Marshal invation is quite interesting not just for this AAR but in many cases Japanese players choose to bomb Manilla Harbour the strategic consequence is a Pacific attack with the Old BBs and Cvs the moment KB is in the DEI.

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Post #: 273
RE: So, now things get serious.... - 3/28/2010 10:16:54 AM   
Nemo121


Posts: 5821
Joined: 2/6/2004
Status: offline 		bklooste,

I'm not so sure that the strategic consequence of not bombing Manilla is a significant Pacific attack once KB is in the DEI.... For that to be the case we have to have several other conditions met ( which may not commonly be met )...

1. Once Manilla is hit KB remains in the DEI area and doesn't just transfer to the Pacific.

2. other IJN/IJA actions in the Pacific may well pin the Allies back even in the absence of PH and KB.

3. I quite doubt that most players would launch an attack designed at taken an entire geographical region/island chain in late January 1942. They might pin-**** with the occasional raid etc but I doubt most people would try anything strategically important. Don't forget that I'm only doing this in order to bolster Sumatra.

In the absence of Sumatra taking the Marshalls etc doesn't make all that much sense really unless you are really paranoid about Truk and have maintained control of Rabaul, as I have, and wish to limit Truk's utility as a jumping off point for future Pacific adventures.

As it is the lack of APs and the rather unfortunate troop loading algorithms which prevent them being spread " too thinly" --- too thinly being defined at a level of about 400 load points per ship --- or about 50% more than an xAK or xAP can unload in a single turn ---- have pretty much combined to make landings which should have been relatively easy knife-edge affairs which almost failed massively at Roi-Namur. If his BBs had gotten among the transports or my 2nd day of attacks hadn't gone well I'd have no hope of takign Roi-Namur and that'd be the end of this attack. Fortunately I brought along several hundred AV vs about 30 AV and so my sheer numbers should win out.

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Post #: 274
RE: So, now things get serious.... - 3/28/2010 11:11:46 AM   
bklooste

 

Posts: 1104
Joined: 4/10/2006
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Nemo121

bklooste,

I'm not so sure that the strategic consequence of not bombing Manilla is a significant Pacific attack once KB is in the DEI.... For that to be the case we have to have several other conditions met ( which may not commonly be met )...

1. Once Manilla is hit KB remains in the DEI area and doesn't just transfer to the Pacific.

2. other IJN/IJA actions in the Pacific may well pin the Allies back even in the absence of PH and KB.

3. I quite doubt that most players would launch an attack designed at taken an entire geographical region/island chain in late January 1942. They might pin-**** with the occasional raid etc but I doubt most people would try anything strategically important. Don't forget that I'm only doing this in order to bolster Sumatra.

In the absence of Sumatra taking the Marshalls etc doesn't make all that much sense really unless you are really paranoid about Truk and have maintained control of Rabaul, as I have, and wish to limit Truk's utility as a jumping off point for future Pacific adventures.

As it is the lack of APs and the rather unfortunate troop loading algorithms which prevent them being spread " too thinly" --- too thinly being defined at a level of about 400 load points per ship --- or about 50% more than an xAK or xAP can unload in a single turn ---- have pretty much combined to make landings which should have been relatively easy knife-edge affairs which almost failed massively at Roi-Namur. If his BBs had gotten among the transports or my 2nd day of attacks hadn't gone well I'd have no hope of takign Roi-Namur and that'd be the end of this attack. Fortunately I brought along several hundred AV vs about 30 AV and so my sheer numbers should win out.


Good points but you can get your attack ready and the moment Kb shows in the DEI (after Manilla) unleash it ,you should have a week or so.

Agree about the whole island chain but Tarawa & Makin and Wake are very fine targets from which you can then do a fuller invasion. Nauru/Kusaie/Ponape are also interesting. While Japan can take these back it will require a huge commitment which will hinder his DEI advance You still had Wake which wont often be the case.

re Truk . As an allied player you may not be paranoid about Truk but as a Japanese player im paranoid about it , All those Soloman /Fiji /Tonga adventures become a whole lot of cut off troops ( except via a massive KB escorted convoy) once Truk is untennable.


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Post #: 275
RE: So, now things get serious.... - 3/28/2010 11:23:08 AM   
Nemo121


Posts: 5821
Joined: 2/6/2004
Status: offline 		Yes, you can get an attack ready the moment KB shows up but between loading time and travel time it'll take 2 weeks to get into position to actually invade anything.

That then leaves the question as to what you invade with. The dispositions of deployable units in the Pacific at the beginning of the war are extremely sub-optimal. If you want to have troops in position to load and invade anything it'll take you a month MINIMUM ( 2 weeks to transport to where you are going to base your invasion and 2 weeks to load and transport to the invasion beaches ). Sure you could just bombard a base more quickly but that's pointless and will cost you more damage than you inflict.

I think you need to actually look at what is available and what scale of invasion you talk of. Taking Ponape should take about 300 AV worth of troops - getting that requires 1 month work - and holding Ponape without holding Roi-Namur or Wotje/Maloelap is pretty pointless. You'd just have stuck your head into a meatgrinder of Netties hitting your support TFs on both flanks.


I was looking at the ships sunk list around Kwajalein... It is looking quite favourable actually:

Allied losses: 1 CV, 3 BB, 1 CA, 3 CL, 8 DD.
IJN losses: 4 BB, 16 DD, 1 AMC

Given that 2 additional IJN BBs have been torpedoed in the last month that gives him a maximum of 4 to 5 BBs available on-map... I have 12 BBs available for action ( 5 around the DEI and 7 in the Pacific ).

KB should show up soon enough and so I am ordering empty AKs and APs to begin heading home. damaged shipping is still congregating at Roi-Namur as that is an invasion which MUST succeed. Once it falls I'll pull that shipping out and, hopefully, KB's claws will close on relatively empty air...


As re: Truk... There's no point being paranoid about it, just make a rational assessment of its worth and possibilities given your strategic concept and the enemy's probably course of action/strategy and then decide whether you will hold it and if so in what strength.

Oh in China I can see another huge number of IJA units flooding the road to Sian. Fortunately I've managed to thin my lines elsewhere just in time and am going to have just over 4,000 AV available to hold the line... I have also been moving my AT units into position and while they aren't quite there yet they are just 3 or 4 days away. If I hold the first attack all future attacks should find their armoured components pretty badly shot up.

< Message edited by Nemo121 -- 3/28/2010 11:32:38 AM >

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Post #: 276
RE: So, now things get serious.... - 3/28/2010 12:30:46 PM   
bklooste

 

Posts: 1104
Joined: 4/10/2006
Status: offline 		Warplan Orange would be invoked now... And only KB can stop it.

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Post #: 277
RE: So, now things get serious.... - 3/28/2010 12:36:29 PM   
Nemo121


Posts: 5821
Joined: 2/6/2004
Status: offline 		Warplan Orange right now would be the perfect way to lose the entire Pacific fleet... I think that IF the USN had enacted warplan orange then Netties + night-time SC TF strikes would have been sufficient to attrit the fleet before a decisive battle. If one adds in KB then it would have been sufficient to annihilate the USN Pacific fleet long before the IJN had to commit its battleline.

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Post #: 278
RE: So, now things get serious.... - 3/28/2010 1:11:41 PM   
bklooste

 

Posts: 1104
Joined: 4/10/2006
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Nemo121

Warplan Orange right now would be the perfect way to lose the entire Pacific fleet... I think that IF the USN had enacted warplan orange then Netties + night-time SC TF strikes would have been sufficient to attrit the fleet before a decisive battle. If one adds in KB then it would have been sufficient to annihilate the USN Pacific fleet long before the IJN had to commit its battleline.


In WITP you were right but Netties seem, to go down so quick to any form of significant cap. Resuplying Manilla must be tempting though...WHat would Macarthur ask ?

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Post #: 279
RE: So, now things get serious.... - 3/28/2010 1:26:23 PM   
Nemo121


Posts: 5821
Joined: 2/6/2004
Status: offline 		bklooste,

Well, if you want to go on a suicide ride feel free to do so. I'd love to read that AAR, it'd lose you the entire US Pacific fleet vs any competent opponent but, hey, feel free to do it and AAR it.

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Post #: 280
RE: So, now things get serious.... - 3/30/2010 5:26:59 PM   
Arizona41

 

Posts: 4
Joined: 2/21/2010
Status: offline 		Wow you have truly brutalized this poor fellow.

I would be very surprised if he didnt fold up his tent after you crush his attempts to invade Sumatra.

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Post #: 281
RE: So, now things get serious.... - 3/30/2010 8:27:35 PM   
Nemo121


Posts: 5821
Joined: 2/6/2004
Status: offline 		Arizona41,
We'll see. Conceding at that point would certainly make sense. If I can prevent him from taking critical resources then his long-term future is highly questionable... At that point in time it might be interesting to swap sides though and see if the Japanese situation could be salvaged... maybe by going back a month or two. It mightn't prove much of a challenge though as, to be fair, Japan is far, far stronger than the Allies ( this is Scenario 2 don't forget). I am just able to mass in unexpected places and fake him into meeting me with small portions of his force. That isn't nearly the same thing as overmatching the enemy.

Onto the next day... which has turned out to be a better than expected day for the Allies. I had thought that the IJN might try to send their damaged shipping to Kwajalein and might also evacuate whatever was trapped at Kwajalein so I flooded the area with SC TFs. MANY TFs made contact throughout the night but while the naval combt icon appeared on-map many times it appears most of the TFs couldn't localise the enemy and bring them to action. One particularly juicy convoy got away ( multiple AKs, AGs, ADs etc ) but my support TF also got away from one of his forces so, overall, I'm happy to swap escapes there.


AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Feb 09, 42

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Invasion Support action off Wotje
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force

14 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
xAK Henry S Grove
CA San Francisco, heavy damage
xAK Peisander
xAP Bloemfontein
AP President Jackson, Shell hits 5, on fire
AP Crescent City


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack near Roi-Namur at 132,114

Japanese Ships
xAP Kashima Maru

Allied Ships
SS Tambor



SS Tambor is sighted by escort
Tambor bottoming out ....
Escort abandons search for sub


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Roi-Namur at 132,114, Range 9,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CM Tokiwa, Shell hits 11, and is sunk
CM Okinoshima
AS Jingei, Shell hits 3
DD Mutsuki
xAK Aratama Maru, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AS Yasukuni Maru, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
xAP Kashima Maru, Shell hits 13, and is sunk

Allied Ships
BB California, Shell hits 1
BB Tennessee, Shell hits 3
BB Warspite
DD Bagley
DD Blue
DD Craven
DD Maury
DD Benham
DD Ellet

Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions and 39% moonlight: 8,000 yards
AS Jingei collides with CM Tokiwa at 132 , 114

I don't know what this TF was doing transitting Roi-Namur. It seems pretty suicidal to me.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Kwajalein Island at 132,115, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Asanagi

Allied Ships
DD Litchfield
DD Chew
DD Schley
DD Ward
DD Talbot
DD Dent
DD Kennison
DD Crane
DD Kilty
DD Brooks
DD Humphreys, Shell hits 2, on fire

Well the answer to the eternal question, "How much is one IJN DD worth?" appears to be "More than 11 USN DDs." Sometimes you shoot the bear, sometimes the bear shoots you, your entire family and everyone you've ever met. Equanimity in all situations.

Wells, J. crosses the 'T'

*chuckle* the USN TF CO even crossed the T.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Namu at 133,116, Range 7,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Asanagi

Allied Ships
TK Agwiworld, Shell hits 4, heavy fires
TK Gulfbreeze, Shell hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

LOL! Sometimes you just have to laugh at fate... These guys were AT Roi-Namur covered by 3 BBs and multiple CL-led TFs and decided to run away from the Tokiwa TF. In their escape from, possibly, the most heavily protected bit of water within 1,000 miles they ran right into the Asanagi and got sunk.

So, an IJN DD is now worth about 12 USN DDs and at least 2 tankers. God, I hope it doesn't run into a BB TF or I'm screwed, I couldn't afford to lose 3 BBs tonight

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Taongi at 136,107, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Kuri, Shell hits 1

Allied Ships
CL St. Louis
DD Drayton
DD Case
DD Conyngham
DD Smith

Japanese ground losses:
23 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Ebadon at 131,114, Range 12,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
xAKL Shonan Maru #8
xAKL Toyotsu Maru
AKE Kashino
AG Soya
xAK Tatuharu Maru
xAK Tenyo Maru
xAK Kamikaze Maru
xAK Terushima Maru
xAK Kohoku Maru
xAK Yosyu Maru
xAK Tensyo Maru
xAK Kinjosan Maru
xAK Kureha Maru #3
AD Shintoku Maru
xAK Uji Maru
xAKL Katsura Maru
xAKL Kaito Maru
xAKL Tenposan Maru

Allied Ships
DD Porter
DD Selfridge
DD Balch

Ooh, that was a close one. An AD, AG and AKE... I guess this is the shipping trapped at Kwajalein before the invasion.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Bikini at 132,105, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Kuri, Shell hits 1, on fire

Allied Ships
CA Portland
DD Sims
DD Hughes
DD Anderson
DD Hammann

Japanese ground losses:
47 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Kwajalein Island at 132,115, Range 7,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Fuso, Shell hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
CA Haguro
DD Kuroshio, Shell hits 3, heavy damage
DD Wakaba

Fuso is still swanning around? That's about the 3rd torpedo it has taken.

Allied Ships
CL Leander, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Russell
DD Gilmer, Shell hits 1
DD Sands

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TF 384 encounters mine field at Shimushiri-jima (132,51)

Allied Ships
DD Ralph Talbot, Mine hits 1

Well, on the bright side, this will make Mike think my BBs are back covering my transport TFs and might make him less likely to send CLs and DDs into action at Shimishuri Jima.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submarine attack near Wotje at 135,115

Japanese Ships
SS I-15

Allied Ships
AP President Jackson, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage



AP President Jackson is sighted by SS I-15
SS I-15 attacking AP President Jackson on the surface


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submarine attack near Denpasar at 58,109

Japanese Ships
SS I-169, hits 1, on fire

Allied Ships
xAK Chios, Shell hits 6, heavy fires

xAK Chios is sighted by SS I-169
SS I-169 attacking xAK Chios on the surface
Masuyama E. decides to submerge SS I-169 due to damage


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Roi-Namur at 132,114, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
xAK Aratama Maru, Shell hits 11, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CL Phoenix
CL Honolulu
DD Dunlap
DD Fanning
DD Mahan
DD Cummings
DD Cushing
DD Preston
DD Monaghan
DD Aylwin
DD Fox

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack near Singapore at 50,84

Japanese Ships
DMS W-19
DMS W-18
DMS W-17

Allied Ships
SS KXVII, hits 2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-Invasion action off Mili - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

49 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
xAK Crown City, Shell hits 32, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK J.L. Luckenbach, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Julia Luckenbach, Shell hits 2

Oops, the Mili invasion fleet got stripped of its CAs to bolster the SC TFs... My error in not adding one back in costs me 5 xAKs this turn. OOPS!!!


Allied ground losses:
66 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-Invasion action off Puerto Princesa

Japanese Ships
DD Namikaze
PB Heiei Maru #7
AK Tosan Maru

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-Invasion action off Mili - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

54 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
xAK Admiral Halstead, Shell hits 23, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Mathew Luckenbach, Shell hits 1
xAK Admiral Y. Williams, Shell hits 14, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Coast Farmer, Shell hits 8, on fire


Allied ground losses:
139 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Invasion Support action off Wotje
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force

19 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
xAK Henry S Grove
CA San Francisco, heavy damage
xAK Mobile City
xAK Peisander
xAP Bloemfontein, Shell hits 12, on fire
AP Crescent City

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack near Kwajalein Island at 131,117

Japanese Ships
SS RO-61, hits 1

Allied Ships
PC Reliance
AM Grebe
AS Fulton
AVD Thornton
AG Aldebaran
PG Warrego
PG Swan
PG Charleston
PC Travis

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Namu at 133,116, Range 4,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Asanagi, Shell hits 1

Allied Ships
DM Gamble
DM Ramsay
DM Tracy

Ok, 12 DDs, 2 TKs and 3 DMs.... and counting.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Kwajalein Island at 132,116, Range 25,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Fuso, heavy damage
CA Haguro
DD Kuroshio, heavy damage
DD Wakaba

Allied Ships
AS Fulton
AV Wright
AD Dixie
AVD Ballard
AVD McFarland
AVD Thornton
AVD Hulbert
AVD Williamson
AM Kingfisher
AM Turkey
AM Rail
AM Tern
AM Grebe
AM Vireo
AM Robin
AM Bobolink
AE Mauna Loa
AE Lassen
AG Aldebaran
AG Vega
AG Sirius
PC Tiger
PC Reliance
PC Kimball
PC Jackson
PC Travis
PG Charleston
PG Swan
PG Warrego


PHEW, that's a lot of AGs and AEs saved right there. These are the guys I am relying on to reprovision my BBs, CAs and CLs.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submarine attack near Roi-Namur at 133,113

Japanese Ships
SS RO-60

Allied Ships
xAK Suva, Torpedo hits 3, heavy damage

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Groot Natoena at 58,84

Japanese Ships
xAK Mogamigawa Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
PB Chosa Maru

Allied Ships
SS S-36

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Truk at 112,108

Japanese Ships
PB Yahada Maru

Allied Ships
SS Nautilus

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at 86,41

Just east of Sian. 2,024 AV vs 3,785... I don't think the Japanese force will prove sufficient. It'll be close but I think I have the depth to hold here.

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 5972 troops, 403 guns, 422 vehicles, Assault Value = 2024

Defending force 122566 troops, 871 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 3785

Japanese ground losses:
Guns lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Vehicles lost 3 (0 destroyed, 3 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
128 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 2 (0 destroyed, 2 disabled)


Assaulting units:
14th Division
9th Tank Regiment
15th Tank Regiment
27th Electric Engineer Regiment
5th Tank Regiment
20th Recon Regiment
37th Division
20th Engineer Regiment
6th Ind.Mixed Brigade
9th Ind.Mixed Brigade
3rd Tank Regiment
3rd NCPC Infantry Brigade
7th Ind.Mixed Brigade
5th Armored Car Co
4th NCPC Infantry Brigade
11th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
22nd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
26th Field Artillery Regiment
9th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
9th Ind. Engineer Regiment
4th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
6th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
12th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
15th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
4th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
1st Army
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
10th Mortar Battalion
7th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
4th RF Gun Battalion
7th Ind. Engineer Regiment

Defending units:
1st Chinese Corps
34th Chinese Corps
96th Chinese Corps
3rd Chinese Corps
36th Chinese Corps
76th Chinese Corps
61st Chinese Corps
2nd Chinese Cavalry Corps
38th Chinese Corps
40th Chinese Corps
57th Chinese Corps
29th Chinese Corps
48th Chinese Corps
47th Chinese Corps
82nd Chinese Corps
7th Chinese Corps
33rd Chinese Corps
85th Chinese Corps
84th Chinese Corps
98th Chinese Corps
34th Group Army
4th Group Army
7th Group Army
8th Group Army
8th War Area
39th Group Army
24th Group Army
21st Group Army
36th Group Army
1st War Area
3rd Group Army
57th AT Gun Regiment


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Manila (79,77)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 1885 troops, 156 guns, 93 vehicles, Assault Value = 1889

Defending force 51342 troops, 948 guns, 814 vehicles, Assault Value = 1584

Japanese ground losses:
Guns lost 5 (0 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Vehicles lost 3 (2 destroyed, 1 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
13 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Assaulting units:
21st Ind. Engineer Regiment
24th Infantry Regiment
16th Infantry Regiment
4th Tank Regiment
Kimura Det
20th Infantry Regiment
66th Infantry Group
47th Infantry Regiment
3rd Ind. Engineer Regiment
16th Engineer Regiment
9th Infantry Regiment
4th Division
1st Formosa Inf. Regiment
48th Recon Regiment
16th Recon Regiment
Tanaka Detachment
7th Tank Regiment
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
1st RF Gun Battalion
14th Army
25th Ind. Engineer Regiment
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
3rd Mortar Battalion
9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
2nd Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
31st PA Infantry/A Division
41st PA Infantry Division
11th PA Infantry Division
26th PS Cavalry Regiment
2nd PA Constabulary Division
86th PS Coastal Artillery Battalion
3rd/12th PA Inf Battalion
31st Infantry Regiment
192nd Tank Battalion
71st PA Infantry Division
31st PA Infantry/B Division
194th Tank Battalion
4th Marine Regiment
51st PA Infantry Division
21st PA Infantry Division
91st PA Infantry Division
1st PA Infantry Division
14th PS Engineer Regiment
45th PS Infantry Regimental Combat Team
31st PA Infantry/C Division
57th PS Infantry Regimental Combat Team
61st PA Infantry Div /1
1st PI Base Force
I Philippine Corps
803rd Engineer Aviation Battalion
202nd PA Construction Battalion
USAFFE
II Philippine Corps
1st USMC AA Battalion
Bataan USN Base Force
301st PA Field Artillery Regiment
Clark Field USAAF Base Force
PAF Aviation
88th PS Field Artillery Regiment
Provisional GMC Gp
Manila USAAF Base Force
Far East USAAF
200th & 515th Coast AA Regiment
201st PA Construction Battalion
Cavite USN Base Force /2

My supplies here are in the red. An attack might take the city. I propose a little light maskirovka to talk about the ineffectiveness of arty but highlight its supply burning effect and the fact that over 3 or 4 weeks that could be decisive --- all true and planting the idea that Manilla will need 3 to 4 weeks of prep in his mind due to the psychological effect of the "anchoring" effect.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Eniwetok (127,108)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 1408 troops, 19 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 55

Defending force 1084 troops, 33 guns, 10 vehicles, Assault Value = 21



Assaulting units:
Maizuru 1st SNLF

Defending units:
1st/298th Infantry Battalion
2nd/298th Infantry Bn /15
Palmyra (Det.) Defense Battalion


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Wotje (135,115)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 259 troops, 20 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 23

Defending force 3634 troops, 30 guns, 21 vehicles, Assault Value = 90

Allied forces look like they have enough ashore to bludgeon through the Japanese here.

Japanese ground losses:
7 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



Assaulting units:
Wotje Naval Fortress
Wotje Base Force

Defending units:
8th NZ Bde /21
1st Australian Brigade
19th Combat Engr Rgt /21


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Roi-Namur (132,114)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 4647 troops, 141 guns, 172 vehicles, Assault Value = 144

Defending force 2201 troops, 18 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 20

Allied adjusted assault: 74

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 74 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Roi-Namur !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: leaders(-), fatigue(-)
Attacker: shock(+), disruption(-), fatigue(-)

Japanese ground losses:
4012 casualties reported
Squads: 42 destroyed, 33 disabled
Non Combat: 370 destroyed, 174 disabled
Engineers: 25 destroyed, 13 disabled
Guns lost 39 (39 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

OUCH, that's a lot of dead Japanese troops even accounting for FOW. The 6th Base Force was utterly destroyed. Basically it remained at about 66% strength until the tank unit I had attacked. That immediately dropped its adjusted AV down to zero.


Allied ground losses:
291 casualties reported
Squads: 6 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 32 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 18 destroyed, 1 disabled
Vehicles lost 19 (12 destroyed, 7 disabled)


Assaulting units:
34th Combat Engineer Regiment
193rd Tank Battalion
8th Marine Regiment
3rd Marine Defense Battalion
II US Fighter Cmnd /22

Defending units:
6th Base Force


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Wotje (135,115)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 3634 troops, 30 guns, 21 vehicles, Assault Value = 90

Defending force 1076 troops, 29 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 23

Allied adjusted assault: 28

Japanese adjusted defense: 13

Allied assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 2)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 0

Combat modifiers
Defender: experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), disruption(-)

Japanese ground losses:
325 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 24 destroyed, 16 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 8 disabled


Allied ground losses:
189 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 22 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Perfect, Wotje looks like it should fall tomorrow.


Assaulting units:
1st Australian Brigade
8th NZ Bde /21
19th Combat Engr Rgt /21

Defending units:
Wotje Naval Fortress
Wotje Base Force

With Kusaie, Ponape, Roi-Namur and Wotje the primary objectives of the invasion have been accomplished. I can suppress Maloelap and ignore Kwajalein for now and come back to them once I get a few more regiments online and prepped. Time to fly in the fighters I salvaged from the USN CVs and begin unloading the 150+ USAAF fighters I have crated up on my transports at Roi-Namur.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at 55,56

This was excellent news... It looks like the IJA Imperial Guards division couldn't be sufficiently supplied and my well-supplied CHinese units ( and the Burma Division ) continue to push it down the coast and farther from anything important. Importantly they are also continuing to inflict huge losses. After two forced withdrawals the Imperial Guards division should be down to about 60% AV. That's a significant loss in a headline unit.

In other news the 14th Tank Regiment didn't appear today so I think it must have been annihilated yesterday. Double-Ouch !!!

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 54033 troops, 410 guns, 24 vehicles, Assault Value = 1849

Defending force 16103 troops, 175 guns, 121 vehicles, Assault Value = 477

Allied adjusted assault: 931

Japanese adjusted defense: 455

Allied assault odds: 2 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), fatigue(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
5253 casualties reported
Squads: 197 destroyed, 32 disabled
Non Combat: 240 destroyed, 51 disabled
Engineers: 29 destroyed, 25 disabled
Guns lost 29 (16 destroyed, 13 disabled)
Vehicles lost 45 (23 destroyed, 22 disabled)
Units retreated 7


Allied ground losses:
1162 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 119 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 68 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 4 disabled
Vehicles lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
54th Chinese Corps
1st Burma Division
14th Chinese Corps
BFF Brigade
60th Chinese Corps
5th Chinese Corps
66th Chinese Corps

Defending units:
1st RTA/B Division
55th Engineer Regiment
Imperial Guards Division
1st RTA/C Division
55th Mountain Gun Regiment
15th Army
21st Medium Field Artillery Battalion

I think that after today the IJA Imperial Guards Division is pretty much destroyed as a major combat formation until it has had a significant period for rebuilding. I'll strip another Chinese Corps out of the line and send it to bolster the Corps already pushing into Thailand. The rest will push the IJA Imperial Guards further into the jungle before echeloning left.

Mini-KB has been spotted making for Truk by my submarine picket line ( which has been keeping faithful tabs on everything going to and coming from Truk for the past 4 weeks.... Superior intel has really won this battle.

Unfortunately some of the shipping which sank was carrying 2 BFs so I'm critically short of aviation support. Still, after an operation like this it is churlish to complain too much. I'll find some BFs and bring them forth, until then my forces will have to make do... or die in place. Either is acceptable strategically.

(in reply to Arizona41)
Post #: 282
Re: Maskirovka - 3/30/2010 9:46:37 PM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001
From: Los Angeles
Status: offline
quote:

I propose a little light maskirovka to talk about the ineffectiveness of arty but highlight its supply burning effect and the fact that over 3 or 4 weeks that could be decisive --- all true and planting the idea that Manilla will need 3 to 4 weeks of prep in his mind due to the psychological effect of the "anchoring" effect.


I have to vote against the "3 or 4 weeks" part. When you give a specific time frame that you know is incorrect, that comes a bit too close to lying -- especially since this game is something of an experiment. You are dealing with what looks very much like a bug at Manila, and it might be useful for your opponent to back you up with his figures.

BTW, congratulations on your manhandling of an Imperial Guards unit. You don't see that very often.

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Nemo121)
Post #: 283
RE: Re: Maskirovka - 3/30/2010 10:55:17 PM   
wpurdom

 

Posts: 476
Joined: 10/27/2000
From: Decatur, GA, USA
Status: offline 		You've already got him on the ropes and he's already indicated that he thought you guys were on a cooperative exploration of how the game engine works.

To coin two of your phrases, "if he truly thought" you were on a cooperative exploration, and you now think he won't discount your implicit suggestions about 3-4 weeks of prep, then "no matter how clear you felt you were [about your exchange of thoughts about your game] it is clear that you weren't clear enough for your opponent. . . . To add [more disinformation in your personal communications to him] is highly questionable IMO.

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 284
RE: Re: Maskirovka - 3/30/2010 11:02:17 PM   
Nemo121


Posts: 5821
Joined: 2/6/2004
Status: offline 		LOL! Spot the lawyer. Gees, I'll just say nothing then.

As to co-operative exploration of how the game engine works... Aye we are but we've both also agreed to try to beat the tar out of eachother. There's nothing inconsistent in those two... Thinking that figuring out how the game works and discussing that means not playing to your best is just anathema to me. You only play sub-par when you are teaching others and ensuring they get learning opportunities and small victories to keep their spirits up. Once they have achieved competence to play sub-par is actually dishonouring to them. One does them better honour by playing well and thus validating them as valid opponents and not mere mewlings to be succoured.

Anyways, I'm going to just pipe down now, it isn't worth the hassle.

< Message edited by Nemo121 -- 3/30/2010 11:24:54 PM >

(in reply to wpurdom)
Post #: 285
RE: Re: Maskirovka - 3/30/2010 11:37:15 PM   
wpurdom

 

Posts: 476
Joined: 10/27/2000
From: Decatur, GA, USA
Status: offline 		By all means you should go ahead with beating the tar out of him. I just suggest you don't use your communications with him to do it. You don't need that particular weapon and its not worth the hassle or potential ill will.

(in reply to Nemo121)
Post #: 286
RE: Re: Maskirovka - 4/1/2010 8:55:26 PM   
Nemo121


Posts: 5821
Joined: 2/6/2004
Status: offline 		wpurdom, maskirovka is a part of any operation. I really don't understand that focus. With that said in this game it isn't worth the hassle of involving it either in-game or discussing it on the forum...


So, what's the plan for today in the game....

1. A quick review of US fighter groups shows lots of trainee pilots with 67 or 68 A2A Exp. So I'm going to empty the 60 to 65 Exp airgroups in Sumatra and fill them with these guys. That'll give a 5 to 10% A2A skill boost over Sumatra which ought to come in handy.

2. The first US Fighter group is beginning to offload at Roi-Namur. Another Fighter group is 1 day away and 3 more Fighter groups are on the way. I don't have much in the way of bombers but I plan to flood that island with fighter groups ( P39s and P40s ). 4 Fighter Groups with each group comprising some 80 fighters. That's a max of 320 fighters to utilise in the Roi-Namur/Ponape/Wotje triangle. Enough to overwhelm anything Truk or mini-KB can muster, but not enough to stand against KB... and that's the point... Just maybe the fact that KB can overwhelm this AND the fact that I continue to operate high-value surface combat TFs with no carrier cover in the area will draw KB proper into action... It will sweep aside the US fighters but its strike groups would be ravaged... and in return for a couple of CAs and CLs around Roi-Namur I will further delay the invasion of Sumatra ( since he'll have to rebuild his airgroups which can take up to 3 weeks if I almost annihilate a single airgroup 7 x 3 = 21 replacements over 3 weeks ) ) and increase the survivability of those RN BBs and CAs when the time comes.

In other news I've found a nice Base Force to build up the islands west of Java and tankers and AOs are positioning already to have sufficient fuel available. AGs are also in the area. If the BBs survive they'll be able to return to action fully fuelled and re-ammunitioned only a little more slowly than the IJN. I probably won't get the chance to use these bases for a 2nd strike but it is better to be prepared and not use them than to have an opportunity I can't take advantage of.


3. In other news... My APs and AKs are beginning to pull out of the Kwajalein area after having unloaded most of their troops and supplies. Why is this? Simply because by my count KB could be in the Eniwetok/Ponape area tomorrow and in the Roi-Namur area the day after that. Thus I'm pulling my transports out of the area a day before his quickest possible arrival. A couple of xAKLs will remain unloading just in case Mike is careless enough to let his CV strike groups on full naval strike while they transit into the area.


4. Imperial Guards crushing continues... I figure that crushing a unit Mike must have thought would be pushing into and through Burma will be pretty devastating to his morale.


5. I've looked at the USN forces available in the area of the Marshalls and it looks like I have 5 USN BBs, 2 CAs, 3 CLs and about 20 DDs still available and capable for combat. I plan to form some shuttle bombardment runs of Maloelap to close that airbase and then I'll continue bombing it with DBs and LBs.... These bombardment runs are, of course, unnecessary but they will give Mike a convincing reason why I'm keeping my forces in the region where his carriers can get at them and sink them... if only he'll commit the CVs

(in reply to wpurdom)
Post #: 287
Stupid commanders get people killed.... - 4/2/2010 2:22:24 PM   
Nemo121


Posts: 5821
Joined: 2/6/2004
Status: offline 		AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Feb 10, 42

I made my 3rd major mistake of the war today:
1. Risking 4 CLs near Balikpapn in the first week when his CVs were nearby... Not much of a mistake as it was more of a risk I shouldn't have taken in retrospect.

2. Not covering the xAKLs at Shimishuri Jima with an SC TF>

3. Not withdrawing the xAKs at Ponape when I said I would. I utterly forgot about the 30 or so xAKs there yesterday and today a CA TF hit them and sank 2/rds. What an idiot !!!!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Invasion Support action off Wotje
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force

27 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
xAK Henry S Grove, Shell hits 8, heavy fires
CA San Francisco, heavy damage
xAK Mobile City
xAK Lillian Luckenbach
xAK Peisander, Shell hits 7, on fire
AP Crescent City, on fire

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Kusaie Island at 120,120, Range 10,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Myoko

Allied Ships
xAK Californian
xAK Hawaiian
xAK Kansan
xAK Minnesotan
xAK Pennsylvanian
xAK Trento
xAK Charles H Cramp
xAK Sagadahoc, Shell hits 10, and is sunk

Well, he's beginning to use his CAs as raiders...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Bikini at 129,110, Range 9,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
xAKL Shonan Maru #8
xAKL Toyotsu Maru
AKE Kashino
AG Soya
xAK Tatuharu Maru
xAK Tenyo Maru
xAK Kamikaze Maru
xAK Terushima Maru
xAK Kohoku Maru
xAK Yosyu Maru
xAK Tensyo Maru
xAK Kinjosan Maru
xAK Kureha Maru #3
AD Shintoku Maru
xAK Uji Maru
xAKL Katsura Maru
xAKL Kaito Maru
xAKL Tenposan Maru

Allied Ships
CA Pensacola
AP William Ward Burrows
xAK American
xAK Carolinian
xAK Steel Exporter
xAK Steel Navigator
xAK Steel Seafarer
xAK Lena Luckenbach


Both Task Forces evade combat


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Roi-Namur at 131,115, Range 12,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Fuso, heavy damage
CA Haguro
DD Kuroshio, heavy damage
DD Wakaba

Allied Ships
AS Fulton
AV Wright
AD Dixie
AVD Ballard
AVD McFarland
AVD Thornton
AVD Hulbert
AVD Williamson
AM Kingfisher
AM Turkey
AM Rail
AM Tern
AM Grebe
AM Vireo
AM Robin
AM Bobolink
AE Mauna Loa
AE Lassen
AG Aldebaran
AG Vega
AG Sirius
PC Tiger
PC Reliance
PC Kimball
PC Jackson
PC Travis
PG Charleston
PG Swan
PG Warrego

Both Task Forces evade combat


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Ponape at 119,113, Range 9,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Maya
CA Ashigara
CA Mogami
CA Mikuma
CA Suzuya
CA Furutaka
CA Kako
CL Naka
DD Hatsukaze
DD Murasame
DD Harusame
DD Oboro
DD Uzuki
DD Kikuzuki
DD Yuzuki

Allied Ships
xAP Etolin, Shell hits 22, and is sunk
xAP Santa Barbara, Shell hits 19, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
xAP Santa Maria, Shell hits 23, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAP Santa Inez, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Missourian
xAK Ohioan
xAK Panaman
xAK Virginian, Shell hits 3, on fire
xAK Challenger
xAK Ensley City
xAK Tuscaloosa City
xAK Nisqually, Shell hits 11, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Anhui
xAK Anshun, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Centaur
xAK Dumosa, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Kauri
xAK Kekerangu, Shell hits 1, on fire
xAK Talune, Shell hits 2
xAK Yochow, Shell hits 2, on fire
xAK Yunnan
xAK Dardanus, Shell hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Idomeneus, Shell hits 15, and is sunk
xAP Lycaon, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
xAK Johanne Justesen
xAP Montoro, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Adelong, Shell hits 4
xAK Allara, Shell hits 1, on fire
xAK Arkaba
xAK Beltana, Shell hits 4, heavy fires
xAK Colac, Shell hits 11, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Corio, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
xAK Dilga, Shell hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Dundula
xAK Echunga, Shell hits 20, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Iron Knob, Shell hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Iron Master, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Iron Warrior, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 5, and is sunk
xAK Koomilya, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Momba, Shell hits 1

*sigh* Idiotic error there.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Ponape at 119,113, Range 9,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Maya
CA Ashigara
CA Mogami
CA Mikuma
CA Suzuya
CA Furutaka
CA Kako
CL Naka
DD Hatsukaze
DD Murasame
DD Harusame
DD Oboro
DD Uzuki
DD Kikuzuki
DD Yuzuki

Allied Ships
xAK Virginian, Shell hits 8, and is sunk
xAK Iron Knob, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

BTW, "Iron Knob" is the BEST name I've ever seen for a ship... maybe not to Americans but the British and Irish people who get the joke it certainly is


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack near Ponape at 119,113

Japanese Ships
DD Murasame
CA Furutaka
CA Maya
DD Oboro
DD Harusame

Allied Ships
SS Pompano

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Invasion Support action off Wotje
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force

6 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
xAK Mobile City
CA San Francisco, heavy damage
xAK Lillian Luckenbach
xAK Silksworth
AK Procyon
AP Crescent City, heavy fires, heavy damage

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Invasion Support action off Wotje
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force

4 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
xAK Mobile City
CA San Francisco, heavy damage
xAK Steel Age
xAK Lillian Luckenbach
xAK Silksworth
AK Procyon
AP Crescent City, heavy fires, heavy damage

Just landing lots of supplies to Wotje to allow the troops there to capture it in a couple of days time.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Ailuk at 137,112, Range 18,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Asanagi, Shell hits 2, on fire

So, 12 DDs, 2 DM types and a few xAKs BUT not a match for an AK.

Allied Ships
AK Alchiba, Shell hits 4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Ailuk at 137,112, Range 14,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Asanagi, heavy fires

Allied Ships
AP Harris
AP Tasker H. Bliss
AP Henry T. Allen
AP Hugh L. Scott
AP President Monroe
AP President Polk
AK Betelgeuse
AK Arcturus
xAK Irenee Du Pont

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Ponape , at 119,113

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 31 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M2 Nell x 18
G4M1 Betty x 8



Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M2 Nell: 1 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed on ground
B-17D Fortress: 2 destroyed on ground
PBY-4 Catalina: 1 destroyed on ground

Enjoy it while you can. the first USAAF fighter group ( 80 fighters ) is ashore at Roi-Namur.

Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 41

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Roi-Namur at 131,116

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 21 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 8
TBD-1 Devastator x 8


Japanese aircraft losses
No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
TBD-1 Devastator: 1 destroyed, 5 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Haguro
BB Fuso, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Actually over the course of the day the Devastators got 11 torpedo hits of which only 4 detonated.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 82nd Chinese Corps, at 86,41

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 25 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 36



Allied aircraft
I-16-III x 1
I-15-III x 8
Hawk 75M x 3


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 1 destroyed, 10 damaged

The PLAAF's first combat...



Allied ground losses:
107 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 2 (0 destroyed, 2 disabled)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 82nd Chinese Corps, at 86,41

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 48 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 15
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 16



Allied aircraft
I-16-III x 2
I-15-III x 2
Hawk 75M x 1


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
I-15-III: 1 destroyed


Allied ground losses:
64 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Ailuk at 136,112

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 43 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 22 minutes


Allied aircraft
TBD-1 Devastator x 9


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
DD Asanagi, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk


And so it ends.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Roi-Namur at 131,116

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 22 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8



Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 1
SBD-3 Dauntless x 4


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Roi-Namur at 131,116

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 26 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8



Allied aircraft
TBD-1 Devastator x 8


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
TBD-1 Devastator: 3 destroyed

Damn, all 8 went down.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Ponape , at 119,113

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 11 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 6



No Japanese losses



Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 8

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Roi-Namur at 131,116

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 34 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4



Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 7
TBD-1 Devastator x 5


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
TBD-1 Devastator: 1 destroyed, 4 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Haguro, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Roi-Namur at 131,116

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 27 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8



Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 11
TBD-1 Devastator x 9


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
TBD-1 Devastator: 7 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Wakaba
DD Kuroshio, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Shimushiri-jima at 132,51

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M2 Nell x 11



No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
xAKL Honomu

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Truk at 112,108

Japanese Ships
PB Yahada Maru

Allied Ships
SS Nautilus

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Invasion Support action off Wotje
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force

27 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
xAK Steel Age
CA San Francisco, heavy damage
xAK Mobile City
xAK Steel Scientist
xAK Lillian Luckenbach
xAK Silksworth, Shell hits 4
AK Procyon, Shell hits 10, heavy fires, heavy damage
AP Crescent City, heavy fires, heavy damage


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at 86,41

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 5964 troops, 403 guns, 422 vehicles, Assault Value = 2029

Defending force 122585 troops, 871 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 3787

Japanese ground losses:
Vehicles lost 7 (0 destroyed, 7 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
138 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled)


Assaulting units:
9th Tank Regiment
6th Ind.Mixed Brigade
20th Engineer Regiment
15th Tank Regiment
27th Electric Engineer Regiment
3rd NCPC Infantry Brigade
14th Division
37th Division
9th Ind.Mixed Brigade
7th Ind.Mixed Brigade
5th Tank Regiment
5th Armored Car Co
20th Recon Regiment
3rd Tank Regiment
4th NCPC Infantry Brigade
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
22nd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
15th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
6th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
4th RF Gun Battalion
1st Army
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
7th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
11th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
9th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
4th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
10th Mortar Battalion
4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
9th Ind. Engineer Regiment
4th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
26th Field Artillery Regiment
12th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
7th Ind. Engineer Regiment

Defending units:
48th Chinese Corps
36th Chinese Corps
40th Chinese Corps
38th Chinese Corps
7th Chinese Corps
82nd Chinese Corps
3rd Chinese Corps
47th Chinese Corps
33rd Chinese Corps
29th Chinese Corps
1st Chinese Corps
84th Chinese Corps
61st Chinese Corps
85th Chinese Corps
57th Chinese Corps
2nd Chinese Cavalry Corps
76th Chinese Corps
34th Chinese Corps
96th Chinese Corps
98th Chinese Corps
34th Group Army
1st War Area
36th Group Army
21st Group Army
3rd Group Army
24th Group Army
4th Group Army
8th Group Army
39th Group Army
8th War Area
7th Group Army
57th AT Gun Regiment


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Manila (79,77)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 1862 troops, 156 guns, 92 vehicles, Assault Value = 2061

Defending force 51427 troops, 948 guns, 814 vehicles, Assault Value = 1600

Japanese ground losses:
Guns lost 4 (0 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Vehicles lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
18 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled)


Assaulting units:
4th Tank Regiment
48th Recon Regiment
20th Infantry Regiment
1st Formosa Inf. Regiment
4th Division
24th Infantry Regiment
16th Infantry Regiment
9th Infantry Regiment
67th Infantry Group
21st Ind. Engineer Regiment
Tanaka Detachment
Kimura Det
66th Infantry Group
3rd Ind. Engineer Regiment
47th Infantry Regiment
16th Recon Regiment
16th Engineer Regiment
7th Tank Regiment
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
14th Army
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
25th Ind. Engineer Regiment
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
1st RF Gun Battalion
3rd Mortar Battalion
9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
2nd Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
31st PA Infantry/A Division
41st PA Infantry Division
3rd/12th PA Inf Battalion
31st PA Infantry/C Division
194th Tank Battalion
26th PS Cavalry Regiment
4th Marine Regiment
11th PA Infantry Division
1st PA Infantry Division
45th PS Infantry Regimental Combat Team
31st Infantry Regiment
86th PS Coastal Artillery Battalion
192nd Tank Battalion
2nd PA Constabulary Division
71st PA Infantry Division
57th PS Infantry Regimental Combat Team
51st PA Infantry Division
21st PA Infantry Division
91st PA Infantry Division
31st PA Infantry/B Division
14th PS Engineer Regiment
61st PA Infantry Div /1
88th PS Field Artillery Regiment
USAFFE
200th & 515th Coast AA Regiment
1st PI Base Force
Clark Field USAAF Base Force
301st PA Field Artillery Regiment
1st USMC AA Battalion
II Philippine Corps
Bataan USN Base Force
PAF Aviation
I Philippine Corps
Far East USAAF
Provisional GMC Gp
Manila USAAF Base Force
803rd Engineer Aviation Battalion
202nd PA Construction Battalion
201st PA Construction Battalion
Cavite USN Base Force /2


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Eniwetok (127,108)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 1448 troops, 19 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 58

Defending force 1113 troops, 33 guns, 10 vehicles, Assault Value = 25



Assaulting units:
Maizuru 1st SNLF

Defending units:
1st/298th Infantry Battalion
2nd/298th Infantry Bn /15
Palmyra (Det.) Defense Battalion


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Wotje (135,115)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 128 troops, 20 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 19

Defending force 3511 troops, 28 guns, 21 vehicles, Assault Value = 82

Japanese ground losses:
16 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



Assaulting units:
Wotje Naval Fortress
Wotje Base Force

Defending units:
8th NZ Bde /21
1st Australian Brigade
19th Combat Engr Rgt /21


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Puerto Princesa (73,83)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 1466 troops, 18 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 69

Defending force 145 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 3

Japanese adjusted assault: 65

Allied adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 65 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Puerto Princesa !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), morale(-), experience(-)
Attacker:


Allied ground losses:
331 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 34 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Units destroyed 1


Assaulting units:
Yokosuka Assault SNLF

Defending units:
2nd PI Base Force



So, overall, a stupid, stupid mistake... There's no real excuse for such an obvious mistake. Very disappointing play, very poor.

Overall though given an objective overview Wotje looks good to fall tomorrow and large numbers of US airplanes should be beginning to get into action in the Marshalls starting tomorrow. That'll help.

With his CAs committed here the BBs and KB can't be far behind... This pushes the Sumatran invasion back into early March - a disastrous state of affairs for the Japanese. I'll have another Ozzie Division in Sumatra by then... That'll be about 4,500 AV in total in just southern Sumatra.

< Message edited by Nemo121 -- 4/2/2010 3:23:26 PM >

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 288
RE: Stupid commanders get people killed.... - 4/3/2010 2:09:39 AM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001
From: Los Angeles
Status: offline
quote:

Actually over the course of the day the Devastators got 11 torpedo hits of which only 4 detonated.


Seems fairly realistic to me. And I have to say that you got good value for those four detonations: a BB finished off, a DD sunk, and one of the irreplaceable Japanese CA's heavily damaged.

How soon until you can start replacing the inaccurately named Devastators with the more fittingly named Avengers?

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Nemo121)
Post #: 289
RE: Stupid commanders get people killed.... - 4/3/2010 12:33:45 PM   
Nemo121


Posts: 5821
Joined: 2/6/2004
Status: offline 		I begin getting Avengers in May 1942... Which means I have 3 months of no replacements and soon the Devastator squadrons will be attrited into impotence.

On the other hand Roi-Namur, Ponape etc aren't intended to project masses of power out into the Pacific, they're meant to act as magnets for IJN surface assets and to wreck KB's strike groups --- to that end the first group of debarkations at Roi Namur has finished and I have 147 fighters at that base. At least another 160 should disembark over the next 2 to 3 days... Unfortunately the BF which was due to unload at Roi Namur got clobbered by sub attacks ( both transports sank ) and so only 2% of the BF is ashore. It is rebuilding but with only 1 AV support squad surviving things don't look too good for having a functional airbase at Ponape soon.

On a more positive note my AKEs were able to fully reprovision the BB, CA and CL guns and my SC TFs are now back to full power. With the first USN reinforcements ( 2 BBs and escorts ) only 4 or 5 days away and another 2 BB due a week after that I'm quite positive that Roi Namur will provide a target too tough for SC TFs to punch through to and marginally too tough for mini-KB... Fingers crossed that KB shows up.


I did a count of troops in Southern Sumatra and I now have over 160,000 troops there... More USAAF fighters are ferrying in from Oz every day. The experience of the new arrivals isn't great but 10 days and I'll be able to transfer in as many 65+ A2A Exp pilots as I wish. My plane pools aren't amazing but I have 35 P-40Es in the pools and enough Oz and NZ units in Sumatra to take advantage of some Kittyhawk deliveries. I have shifted engineers to Oosthaven as that's where I'm expecting any blow to fall now ( and that's where I have 2/3rds of my combat forces ) and Oosthaven should be a Level 5 fortified zone within about 10 days at the current rate.

In other news the repair of the RN in the DEI is continuing apace with an expected total of 4 BBs, 6 CLs and 15 DDs available for battle by the end of the week. I am beginning to eye enemy forces at Singkawang. Once I have confirmation of enemy committment of KB to the Marshalls area I think I might raid Singkawang - I routinely spot 20+ ships there but none of them are showing as BBs or CAs and I've just accounted for about every CA he has in the Marshalls area. I can LRCAP the TFs with over 100 P-40Es ( using long range tanks ) and if I time it properly with a bad weather turn I think I can get in and out with minimal damage --- of course if he has BBs guarding Singkawang that'll change but if he has that then I just presume we'll swap BBs and that'll be a strategic victory for me also.

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 290
RE: Stupid commanders get people killed.... - 4/4/2010 4:31:41 AM   
jrcar

 

Posts: 3613
Joined: 4/19/2002
From: Seymour, Australia
Status: offline 		Nemo you are doing a nice job! Can you detail your Marshalls forces by base?

Getting that many fighters there will wreck KB, that is for sure!

Plus it protects your supply lines to Oz... and shortens them considerably... very nice!

Allied bombers are few are far between at this stage of the war... and don't get much better :(

Cheers

Rob

_____________________________

AE BETA Breaker

(in reply to Nemo121)
Post #: 291
RE: Stupid commanders get people killed.... - 4/4/2010 12:37:29 PM   
Nemo121


Posts: 5821
Joined: 2/6/2004
Status: offline 		Rob,

My Marshalls deployments are only the invasion dispositions at present.... In other words a lot of the follow-on waves aren't yet ashore and several components ( particularly 2nd echelon engineer units ) are still unloading or have been diverted to Roi Namur as Wotje hasn't fallen yet and with strong IJN naval forces at Truk ( at least a half-dozen CAs and 5 CVLs ) and the possibility of Netties operating out of Wotje I'm not willing to risk my transports on the open sea yet. Within the week that should all change but a week from now isn't today ;-).

With that said I can give you a rough guide as to current dispositions... although there's no point limiting that to just the Marshalls as the weakness of the Japanese thrust into the Pacific has gradually turned what I had initially viewed as raids and delaying actions into a coherent series of operations designed to pin the IJN back into its own watres and give me safe and short SLOCs to Darwin where I intend to, shortly, begin operating the USN in strength from Darwin using the bases in the Ambon/Kendari/Timor triangle to shield Darwin from anything short of a raid from KB - which I will advance quickly away from, not a retreat just a rapid advance towards Perth or Brisbane



Port Moresby:
Appears to be safe now as it is shielded from Japanese invasion by Rabaul.

Rabaul:
Reinforced by the entirety of the 2nd Australian Division which is building up preparation, a Base Force unit and most of what was there to begin with. In essence I have just over 300 AV in rough terrain with Level 3 forts building to Level 4 forts. I intend to base a rapid reaction SC TF at Kusaie island supported by an AO and AE to provide cover for IJN moves against Rabaul or Ponape. Rabaul has more than enough fuel stockpiled ( about 30,000 tons ) to refuel a CA TF which has to sprint to its rescue.



Ponape:
Forward base with a Level 2 airfield and Level 1 port, 0 Forts at present. The airfield allows for the possibility of bomber raids on Truk and, in the fullness of time, I intend to base B-17s and medium bombers at Ponape ( which can be built to a Level 6 airfield ) in order to close Truk airfield and force the IJN to base out of Saipan. I foresee no need to invade Truk ever but forcing the IJN to base out of Saipan puts their surface raider groups even further from my SLOCs to Australia and thus lessens the risk to these SLOCs.

One reason I wanted Eniwetok was that I had the idea of basing a half-dozen PBY squadrons in Rabaul, Ponape, Kusaie, Eniwetok, Wake and Roi-Namur searching east and west to create a great barrier of interlocking search arcs running laterally across the map from Rabaul to Roi-Namur, spotting any SC TFs moving south towards my SLOCs. KB could fight through anything I put to oppose it but using KB for nuisance raiding is a strategic misallocation as such raiding won't be strategically decisive. Anyways, I don't have Eniwetok but I'll make do.

Forces at Ponape:
6th Marine Defence Bn - 111/117% TOE. Includes 6 x 5", 4 x 7" CD guns ( which is why I picked it for Ponape, I expect Ponape to be bombarded and 2 x SC-270 radars - which will help the fighters I'm about to fly in.
34th Infantry Regiment - 83/102 TOE.
87th Mountain Regiment - 48/55 TOE. The 87th got badly beaten up in the landings.
131st FA Bn 87/93 TOE.
119th USAAF BF- 12/15 TOE. The two ships carrying this force got hit by subs. Bad luck. At least something got ashore and since I have over 40,000 tons of supply at Ponape it is rebuilding quite nicely.

Overall CD defence = 6 x 5", 4 x 7", 4 x 155mm FA and 36 x 105mm arty tubes. I expect that to be sufficient to hurt anything short of a CA or BB and committing BBs or CAs to the Marshalls serves my purposes admirably... they can't be in two places at once . Why the heavy emphasis on CD-capable units? Well, Ponape is most likely to be bombarded of all my bases and the Marshalls is intended to be a series of bases inviting attack. My goal here is to invite attack and kill irreplaceable IJN units ( or at least put them out of action for the invasion of Sumatra). Lots of CD guns should do that pretty effectively.



Kusaie:
I diverted the infantry forces from Ponape to Roi-Namur when it became clear atoll invasions were tougher than I had anticipated so at present there are only:
The Rarotonga Detachment - About 7 AV and
a small group of stranded troops from 2nd Bn 298th Regiment. I am shipping over an engineer unit to build up the port at Kusaie ASAP so it can begin functioning as a base for a reaction force based on my CAs. PBYs can be supported by a docked AV.



Eniwetok:
1st and 2nd Bns 298th Regiment and Palmyra Detachment.
The 1st and 2nd Bns are down from about 80 AV combined to just 17 and the Palmyra Detachment is somehow at full strength. Altogether I have 28 AV on the island and the Japanese have about 56. I'm going to recover disruption and try continuous deliberate attacks supported by bombers operating out of Roi Namur once Wotje falls.

Basically my plan is that Wotje can suppress Maloelap using dive-bombers while Roi Namur suppresses Kawajalein atoll and ground attacks Eniwetok's defenders until such time as my orphaned troops can mount an attack.


Roi-Namur:
193rd Tank Bn 50/98%
57th CD Regiment - CD guns have been impressive in the Marshalls so I made sure to bring enough of them along.
7th Marine Defence Bn - 33/39% Some of this force is still unloading from ship but, basically, half of the force was totally wiped out trying to land at Milli. As I said, CD guns are tough.
3rd Marine Defence Bn 73/96%
34th Combat Engineer Unit 15/47% -- The combat engineers took huge losses during the assaults... I've only used them twice but both times they seemed to take disproportionate casualties. Probably fairly realistic actually, engineers got tough assignments during an assault.
8th Marine Regiment 54/97%

I also have the II USAAF Fighter Command and a USN BF unloading today as well as the 808th EAB ashore already.

I'm overstacked but the 40,000 tons of supplies I have ashore and the 99,000 tons+ on my transports offshore helps me not have to worry too much about that. I am burning supplies repairing disablements and replacing losses also. I'm happy to spend the supplies if it'll boost combat power.

In terms of aerial defence I have the following planes ashore ( although not all yet repaired ):
F2 - 17 planes
F4 - 93 planes
P40B - 98
P40E - 87
P-38 - 16 ( all with my newest graduates. The lowest A2A experience in the P38 squadron is 68 A2A Exp. They might be hangar queens but when they fly I expect a good kill ratio. )

I have another 100+ fighters on the way from Hawaii and another 100 or so in between the West Coast and Hawaii. I also have another 50 level bombers and about 50 more dive-bombers on the way. Commensurate engineer and aviation support reinforcements are on the way.

So, in the end it looks like I should have between 400 and 500 fighters in the Marshalls area. If KB comes calling I'll expend them in order to savage KB's strike groups. If KB doesn't come calling I'll settle into defensive positions, withdraw the forces which aren't necessary for defensive action and send a division or so's worth of US troops + several hundred fighters into the DEI to make his job tougher there and try to savage his strike groups there.


Wotje
This landing was unsupported by tanks. I only had 1 tank Bn and since |Roi-Namur HAD to succeed I committed the tanks there. Wotje went in without tanks and has paid the price.
1st Australian Bde 3/68%. Yes, you read that right. One third of the Bde is destroyed and of the rest about 95% is combat ineffective.
8th Nz Bde 47 AV ( this represents about 50% of the Bde )
19th Combat Engineer Regiment - can muster about 13 AV instead of a regulation TOE of about 50.

So, altogether I can muster about 60 AV. The island's defenders can muster about 20 AV but the experience of my troops is poor and so I keep getting JUST below 2:1 odds. I am planning to load up the tanks from Roi Namur and drop them at Wotje.



Wake and Marcus:
Wake has defeated an IJN amphibious invasion, sunk numerous transports and been the place where an IJN BB took three torpedoes and foundered. Wake and Marcus both have Marine Defence BNs, CD Bns and Base Forces. In addition Wake has Level 6 forts and Marcus is quickly building to that level.

Wake and Marcus can be taken but it will cost the IJN a lot of ships to do so. I don't expect the IJN to try again for several months yet by which time the forts will be fully ready and my troops will be fully prepped. It'll cost the IJN a lot to take these islands and, by then, my CVs might even be back in action.


The Kuriles:
Two islands have been taken. Each island now contains an infantry regiment, a CD Bn and an engineer unit. This is enough for them to hold until I can organise something more permanent. Supplies are low at Shimishuri Jima and I have transports there unloading. I expect the IJN at any moment but have DDs to screen the transports and am willing to lose them if it means getting engineers and supplies ashore.



In my mind these raids have now become more than a nuisance and describe a semi-circle constraining any IJN movements southward or eastward.


Reinforcements:
2 US Infantry Regiments and 1 Tank Bn are moving west from CONUSA. I'm also going to strip 1 Infantry Regiment from Hawaii. My plan to use these forces to bolster the garrisons of Ponape, and Kusaie and invade Eniwetok and Maloelap since they don't look like they're going to fall in the first rush.

The IJA/IJN can certainly take any of these bases but to do so while Sumatra and Java remain untaken would, IMO, be a serious misallocation of scarce combat resources. I do, of course, have evacuation plans for all of the above bases should they be invaded. I'll be able to evacuate cadres of all units using PBYs and pre-positioned submarines.



USN forces in the Marshalls: I'm going to list only combat-ready units. Anything with more than 10 system damage is ommitted as needing repair.
5 BB, 4 CA, 3 CL and 41 DD....


In the DEI it looks like once the 2 new R class BBs are in position I'll have:
5 BB, 1 CA, 6 CL and 18 DD.


I've finally spotted BB at Singkawang and that is making me even more seriously consider a raid there. I have checked and have over 100 x P40s in Sumatra ready to LRCAP along with the Dutch Buffaloes. I think I could sneak in, do a lot of damage, swap 2 BBs for 2 IJN BBs and get out without excessive naval losses to Netties.

With 6 BBs gone out of 10 he started with and all his CAs committed in the Marshalls this would certainly complicate Mike's strategic calculus... and punish him for his penny-packet usage of BBs. It'll be risky though so I think I'll just wait around within a 2 day sprint while I wait for the right ( aka bad ) weather to cover my raid.



P.s. I just had my first B-17 raid on a defended enemy base when 3 B17s went in against Wotje which was defended by 10 Zeroes. They got through with only 2 B17s damaged and appear to have accounted for several Zeroes. My intel shows that 7 went down over Wotje. I count 2 destroyed by my fighters in an earlier combat and 2 more damaged. The B-17s accounted for 8 damaged Zeroes.

So, if you count 2 downed and 10 damaged and see the intel as listing 2 killed in A2A and 5 going down from ops it looks like the B-17s may have accounted for 2 or 3 of the Zeroes which went down second to damage and are listed as ops losses.

I've been afraid to commit them to action but I have about 50 of these guys at or near the front ready for action... I may just consider unleashing them. I have 30 at Sumatra but have been husbanding them for the strike on the invasion fleet. My thinking was that if what everyone said was right they might draw so much CAP onto themselves and damage so many of the enemy fighters that other raids would get an easier time of it. It looks like that might be a workable plan.

< Message edited by Nemo121 -- 4/4/2010 12:41:08 PM >

(in reply to jrcar)
Post #: 292
Defence Plans - 4/4/2010 6:45:16 PM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001
From: Los Angeles
Status: offline
quote:

4 x 7" CD guns


If my research is correct, those 7" guns date from the 1890's. You might want to check out the accuracy rating.

I've had good results matching B-17's against Zeroes in games past. But it helps to have a supply of Fortresses in the replacement pool. (Swapping a land-based USAAF plane for an IJN carrier plane is good, swapping a ten-man crew for a single pilot, not so much.)

This AAR shows, as no other that I've yet read, the importance of operational tempo to the Japanese expansion. If he fails to take Sumatra, his economy could collapse pretty quickly.



_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Nemo121)
Post #: 293
RE: Defence Plans - 4/4/2010 9:42:26 PM   
Nemo121


Posts: 5821
Joined: 2/6/2004
Status: offline 		Ah well, c'est la guerre. Checking gun stats etc? I really don't get into that level of detail on things. I worry about the strategic level and pretty much assume one DD = one DD, one CA = one CA, one BB = one BB. Pretty much the same for fighters and bombers except when there's an obvious disparity in technical details. Same for guns and infantry squads.

I figure if the strategic level works out in my favour then any slight disparity on lower level will take care of itself. To bastardise an old but wise saying, " The essentials, toujours the essentials."

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 294
RE: Defence Plans - 4/6/2010 8:24:00 PM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001
From: Los Angeles
Status: offline
quote:

one DD = one DD, one CA = one CA, one BB = one BB


A workable assumption for the most part, but I would avoid using Clemson-class DD's or Omaha-class CL's for CV escorts. (Four stacks = bad) This is more important than it might seem in these early months when the USN has no CLAA's or fast BB's available. Brooklyn-class CL's, on the other hand, are as good as CA's for CV escort, and probably even better for beating on those pesky IJN DD's.

< Message edited by Capt. Harlock -- 4/7/2010 8:30:20 PM >

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

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(in reply to Nemo121)
Post #: 295
RE: Defence Plans - 4/6/2010 9:00:29 PM   
modrow

 

Posts: 1100
Joined: 8/27/2006
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Nemo121
Ah well, c'est la guerre. Checking gun stats etc? I really don't get into that level of detail on things. I worry about the strategic level and pretty much assume one DD = one DD, one CA = one CA, one BB = one BB. Pretty much the same for fighters and bombers except when there's an obvious disparity in technical details. Same for guns and infantry squads.


Too general a statement, I think... my view on Empires Ablaze was that it was full of nice little details, a system of checks, balances and pitfalls for the unwary designed with lots of love for the detail.

As always, just my 2cts

Hartwig

(in reply to Nemo121)
Post #: 296
RE: Defence Plans - 4/6/2010 9:49:51 PM   
Nemo121


Posts: 5821
Joined: 2/6/2004
Status: offline 		Well when playing units are mostly interchangeable. Doing anything else is just too time-consuming and takes the eye off the main level of interest, the strategic level.


When designing EA there were loads of traps and design niceties but they weren't things which had to be taken into account every day. Every day a DD was a DD, a CA, a CA etc. They were things which mostly struck at the strategic level. So I would view a trap in the specifications of an aircraft as being something you look at once, in detail, when designing your research and production some 18 months before the plane enters service. It wouldn't be something which you'd look at every day when assigning planes to missions etc --- unless you got it wrong obviously and fell into the trap and were bemoaning your fate.

(in reply to modrow)
Post #: 297
RE: Defence Plans - 4/6/2010 10:23:03 PM   
modrow

 

Posts: 1100
Joined: 8/27/2006
Status: offline 		Nemo,

quote:

ORIGINAL: Nemo121
Well when playing units are mostly interchangeable. Doing anything else is just too time-consuming and takes the eye off the main level of interest, the strategic level.


maybe my perception is wrong here, but for the air assets in EA I think one cannot say a fighter is a fighter, etc. Rather, there was a tool for every job and you had to take care that the appropriate squadron was at the appropriate spot of the map. I'd say that is below the strategic level, but of course I may be wrong.

Hartwig

(in reply to Nemo121)
Post #: 298
RE: Defence Plans - 4/6/2010 10:36:54 PM   
Nemo121


Posts: 5821
Joined: 2/6/2004
Status: offline 		Yes it is but NOT on an everyday basis... It is a simple thing of: "I decided to build two types of fighters. Type 1 is anti-fighter, type 2 is anti-bomber."

So, you don't have to go into details every day. YMMV which is fine.

(in reply to modrow)
Post #: 299
RE: Stupid commanders get people killed.... - 4/8/2010 4:32:16 PM   
SqzMyLemon


Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Nemo121

P.s. I just had my first B-17 raid on a defended enemy base when 3 B17s went in against Wotje which was defended by 10 Zeroes. They got through with only 2 B17s damaged and appear to have accounted for several Zeroes. My intel shows that 7 went down over Wotje. I count 2 destroyed by my fighters in an earlier combat and 2 more damaged. The B-17s accounted for 8 damaged Zeroes.

So, if you count 2 downed and 10 damaged and see the intel as listing 2 killed in A2A and 5 going down from ops it looks like the B-17s may have accounted for 2 or 3 of the Zeroes which went down second to damage and are listed as ops losses.

I've been afraid to commit them to action but I have about 50 of these guys at or near the front ready for action... I may just consider unleashing them. I have 30 at Sumatra but have been husbanding them for the strike on the invasion fleet. My thinking was that if what everyone said was right they might draw so much CAP onto themselves and damage so many of the enemy fighters that other raids would get an easier time of it. It looks like that might be a workable plan.


Hi Nemo, you've hit the nail on the head as far as the lethality of the B17's. I think they are darn near indestructible other than the token Ops losses they take. Commit them to areas you want to attrition the Japanese fighter force, you'll find they accomplish the goal of decimating Japanese fighter and pilot strength quicker, and with fewer losses, than any amount of your fighters will.

< Message edited by SqzMyLemon -- 4/8/2010 4:33:13 PM >

(in reply to Nemo121)
Post #: 300
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