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Sinking the red castle - Smeulders vs. Erkki

 
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Sinking the red castle - Smeulders vs. Erkki - 7/19/2011 5:07:46 PM   
Smeulders

 

Posts: 1879
Joined: 8/9/2009
Status: offline 		This is the companion AAR to Erkki's "Aboard the Red Castle". Intel is still trying to figure out what the Red Castle is exactly, but we plan to sink it as soon as we find out.

The scenario is DaBigBabes, I know nothing about it except you get a number of funny little Yard Oilers and that lot of data has been changed to improve all kinds of routines, so it's going to be interesting.

News from the front will follow soon!

(Of course this is a private AAR, so Erkki shouldn't be reading beyond this point.)



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RE: Sinking the red castle - Smeulders vs. Erkki - 7/19/2011 6:25:49 PM   
Puhis


Posts: 1737
Joined: 11/30/2008
From: Finland
Status: offline 		Akagi means "Red castle". The ship is named after a volcano.

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Post #: 2
The day of infamy - 7/21/2011 7:24:46 PM   
Smeulders

 

Posts: 1879
Joined: 8/9/2009
Status: offline 		Puhis; Thanks for the information, now at least I know what I'm hunting.

7th-8th of December

Pearl Harbour
A surprise attack was launched at PH and the results were again surprising. Every ship in the port is still afloat, even the most heavily damaged battleships will be back in action in a year and a half. Strafing zeroes were punished heavily by flak over the port, 30 of them were shot down in their attack runs.

Due to these fighter losses Allied Command ordered counterattacks if the Japanese Carriers stayed within range. These counterattacks failed though, with the medium bombers and escorting fighters suffering for their effort. The Japanese also launched raids on the second day, CAP fighters were outmatched, but again little damage was done to the berthed ships. The Japanese are now in a position North of Lihue.

PI
Standard moves by the Japanese, landings in the North and KB is taking position in the Celebes sea to close the sea lanes South. Allied CAP is suffering heavily from zero sweeps, but do score the occasional success against bomber (Betty) raids.

Allies are starting to move towards positions at Clark/Manilla

Malaya
Landings at Kota Bharu and air strikes all along the North. Some ill-advised raids against the invasion convoys are launched and are defeated.

Allies are moving South to defend Singapore

Burma
Small scale fighting in the skies over Rangoon.




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RE: Sinking the red castle - Smeulders vs. Erkki - 7/21/2011 10:45:22 PM   
khyberbill


Posts: 1941
Joined: 9/11/2007
From: new milford, ct
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quote:

The scenario is DaBigBabes

Hi Bart. I am up to May 44 with this Scenario and really like it a lot better than stock.

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Post #: 4
9th - 13th of December 41' - 7/26/2011 3:04:48 PM   
Smeulders

 

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Status: offline 		9th-13th of December 41'

PI
The air battle over the PI is already lost, zero sweeps have made mince meat out of the P-40 CAP over Clark field and Manilla. On the ground not much has happened yet, Japanese troops are approaching Clark/Manilla from the North and South. Not too many Japanese forces have been identified yet, maybe 2 divisions, though more should still be landing. At sea ships are still trying to slip through the blockade, but losses are heavy.

Borneo
Miri and Jesselton have been invaded and Miri has fallen already. A small USN surface force with the Manilla destroyers tangled with a small invasion fleet North of Borneo, damage was negligeable on both sides, if I'm lucky one xAKL will be sunk.

Malaya
Bad news in Malaya, 2 brigades have already been cut at Alor Start. A recon regiment quickly moved to George Town and somehow this aborted the movement of the brigades South. Not much happening otherwise, Japanese air strikes are only aimed at the North of the country, so Singapore is fairly secure. Buffaloes scored a rare victory in the air war when a Betty raid ventured over the Malacca strait to attack some HDML without any fighter escorts.

SWPac
Kavieng is invaded and Rabaul will follow soon, a lack of destroyers means that the Australians and New Zealanders are not yet in a position to fight these incursions.

Pacific & KB
The 9th saw a 3rd day of strikes on Pearl Harbour, but each and every ship in the port stays afloat. Retiring KB went a good end to the South and has been close to Enterprise (10-12 hexes) for the past few days. As far as I can tell he hasn't spotted her yet, though today an SBD from the carrier spotted a sub, so who knows.

Lexingtons air groups managed to get a couple of strikes in on the Tarawa invasion, but don't manage to sink anything more interesting than a couple of xAKL and an xAK.



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RE: 9th - 13th of December 41' - 7/27/2011 2:19:16 AM   
khyberbill


Posts: 1941
Joined: 9/11/2007
From: new milford, ct
Status: offline
quote:


PI
The air battle over the PI is already lost, zero sweeps have made mince meat out of the P-40 CAP over Clark field and Manilla. On the ground not much has happened yet, Japanese troops are approaching Clark/Manilla from the North and South. Not too many Japanese forces have been identified yet, maybe 2 divisions, though more should still be landing. At sea ships are still trying to slip through the blockade, but losses are heavy.

I am about where you are in my game with John III. The last of my P-43's is gone but the pilot has 4 kills now.

Borneo
Miri and Jesselton have been invaded and Miri has fallen already. A small USN surface force with the Manilla destroyers tangled with a small invasion fleet North of Borneo, damage was negligeable on both sides, if I'm lucky one xAKL will be sunk.

Malaya
Bad news in Malaya, 2 brigades have already been cut at Alor Start. A recon regiment quickly moved to George Town and somehow this aborted the movement of the brigades South. Not much happening otherwise, Japanese air strikes are only aimed at the North of the country, so Singapore is fairly secure. Buffaloes scored a rare victory in the air war when a Betty raid ventured over the Malacca strait to attack some HDML without any fighter escorts.

I think I will lose a brigade or two also. Most troops are now in Singapore resting and drinking slings.


SWPac
Kavieng is invaded and Rabaul will follow soon, a lack of destroyers means that the Australians and New Zealanders are not yet in a position to fight these incursions.



Pacific & KB
The 9th saw a 3rd day of strikes on Pearl Harbour, but each and every ship in the port stays afloat. Retiring KB went a good end to the South and has been close to Enterprise (10-12 hexes) for the past few days. As far as I can tell he hasn't spotted her yet, though today an SBD from the carrier spotted a sub, so who knows.

Lexingtons air groups managed to get a couple of strikes in on the Tarawa invasion, but don't manage to sink anything more interesting than a couple of xAKL and an xAK.


< Message edited by khyberbill -- 7/27/2011 2:22:26 AM >

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14th-18th of December 41' - 7/31/2011 5:29:31 PM   
Smeulders

 

Posts: 1879
Joined: 8/9/2009
Status: offline 		14th-18th of December 41'

DEI
A quick Singkawang invasion is soon followed by an invasion of Palembang. Given all the attention fortress Palembang has gotten in Canoerebel's AAR I was sure this would happen soon. Consequently I haven't sent any more forces into the city, it would've been a waste of troops. Both invasions were very well covered, mini-KB nearby and half a dozen battleships in support, so nearby Allied surface forces were ordered to stand down.

SWPac
Rabaul indeed invaded, but nothing else happened.

PI
No battles, though the first Japanese forces have reached Manilla

Malaya
Quick moving armoured unit might cut off another brigade in Malaya, not good, not good at all.


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Re: 14th-18th of December 41' - 7/31/2011 5:39:07 PM   
Smeulders

 

Posts: 1879
Joined: 8/9/2009
Status: offline 		Some quick observations on my opponent. My other game is slow moving, with an opponent who takes his time to get everything in order. In this game, I'm getting turns back within the hour, even at this stage in the game where the Japanese have a lot to coordinate. Either my opponent is doing lots of preparatory work while the turns are sitting in my inbox, or he's rushing it a bit. I'm guessing it's the latter, so I have to keep alert and see if I can spot any mistakes he makes and exploit those. So far though, his opening moves have been solid without many openings for a counter-strike. I also need to be careful that I don't make mistakes trying send my turns back quickly, at Davao I already lost a PBY-squadron when the base fell. A bit more care and the squadron would have gone safely to Oz.


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Post #: 8
19th - 23rd of December 41' - 8/1/2011 11:39:26 PM   
Smeulders

 

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Joined: 8/9/2009
Status: offline 		19th - 23rd of December 41'

PI
Japanese forces manage an attack before everything is out of Manilla, 2 PI divisions get a bit banged up in the process.

The evacuation of ships from Manilla went better than expected, with a couple of ships including an AO well on their way to Hawaii or the West Coast.

Malaya
Alor Star fell with the loss of 2 brigades, but most other troops are safely making their way to Singapore. SigInt is spotting more troops being moved in.

DEI
Palembang fell and forces are advancing inland. Torpedo bombers at Singapore are ready to intercept any shipping returning from Sumatra now that air cover from mini-KB is gone, but we're not spotting anything at the moment.

Subs
Japanese subs are still getting good results against unescorted merchants, but most of them are entering major ports now so the 'happy times' should be over soon for the Japanese submariners. Allied subs have limited success, sinking 1 small TK and 2 medium and 1 largish xAK.


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RE: 19th - 23rd of December 41' - 8/1/2011 11:55:37 PM   
mc3744


Posts: 1957
Joined: 3/9/2004
From: Italy
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Smeulders

DEI
Palembang fell and forces are advancing inland. Torpedo bombers at Singapore are ready to intercept any shipping returning from Sumatra now that air cover from mini-KB is gone, but we're not spotting anything at the moment.



Hi Smeulders, been following this AAR as I recently re-joined the WitP community and found quite good the precise reference to dates and areas. Helps a lot in following the AAR

Don't you find it risky to leave the TBs in Malaya/DEI? You risk never been able to evac them to Northern Australia or India, don't you?
Also, LRCAP from Zero against Buffalo's and TBs can be quite effective, especially with the Zero bonus. Hence the risk to lose more then to gain is there, is it not?

Just a question, not criticizing . It's just that I'm inclined to preserve my forces for battles I'm more likely to win (or at least draw ) rather then risk them in the early stages.
I'm a bit of a "Sir Robin" I guess

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RE: 19th - 23rd of December 41' - 8/3/2011 4:12:02 PM   
Smeulders

 

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Joined: 8/9/2009
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quote:

ORIGINAL: mc3744

quote:

ORIGINAL: Smeulders

DEI
Palembang fell and forces are advancing inland. Torpedo bombers at Singapore are ready to intercept any shipping returning from Sumatra now that air cover from mini-KB is gone, but we're not spotting anything at the moment.



Hi Smeulders, been following this AAR as I recently re-joined the WitP community and found quite good the precise reference to dates and areas. Helps a lot in following the AAR

Don't you find it risky to leave the TBs in Malaya/DEI? You risk never been able to evac them to Northern Australia or India, don't you?
Also, LRCAP from Zero against Buffalo's and TBs can be quite effective, especially with the Zero bonus. Hence the risk to lose more then to gain is there, is it not?

Just a question, not criticizing . It's just that I'm inclined to preserve my forces for battles I'm more likely to win (or at least draw ) rather then risk them in the early stages.
I'm a bit of a "Sir Robin" I guess


Good question, of course the plan is to preserve the squadrons, but that doesn't mean I need the Swordfish or Vildebeest. If there is imminent danger of the squadrons being overrun I'll withdraw them and they'll rebuild in Aden or Sydney after 2 months. The loss of the good pilots might hurt, but I'll get time to train new ones and if they can take some valuable ships with them.

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RE: 19th - 23rd of December 41' - 8/3/2011 8:41:43 PM   
mc3744


Posts: 1957
Joined: 3/9/2004
From: Italy
Status: offline 		I had indeed forgotten that you can "save" the squadrons by withdrawing them Thanks for reminding me

Don't you find all the Dutch squadrons enough of a nuisance for the Jap player?

I noticed that those Dutch bombers (the ugly ones ) are quite good anti-shipping platforms on strafing attack and you have a bunch of them which can't be saved anyway (or can they?)

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24th - 25th of December 41' - 8/3/2011 10:16:32 PM   
Smeulders

 

Posts: 1879
Joined: 8/9/2009
Status: offline 		24th - 25th of December 41'

China
At the start of the war some Chinese corps surged forward to attack small Japanese formations, but most of these offensives have failed. One exception is an attack in the Northern mountains, where the Chinese are inflicting some damage to counter-attacking Japanese.

Meanwhile the Japanese are advancing in the plains and a 2 division offensive is rolling up all opposition on the road to Sian. A good sized force is being assembled though, so no worries just yet.

Christmas battle of Palembang
An Allied raid against shipping in Palembang harbour turns into a confused naval battle just outside the river mouth. A Dutch task force, reinforced by USS Marblehead blockaded the river mouth on the 24th. On the 25th several Japanese task forces sortied from the harbour to fight them off, resulting in several encounters. The Allied force manoeuvred expertly and crossed the T of the first Japanese force to leave port. However this allowed CL Oi to launch torpedoes straight at the Allied formation and CL Marblehead was struck early in the battle, sealing its fate. In the following encounter Allied gunnery proved slightly superior and a mortally wounded DD was finished with a torpedo. A second Japanese task force then attacked the remaining Dutch cruisers and Java was hit with a torpedo, though damage was light.

Luckily for the Allies the battle was fought in hex mined earlier and even though the battles themselves were a Japanese victory the battle manoeuvres through the minefield took a heavy toll. One light TF was turned away before joining battle after they lost 1 DD and a TB was damaged. One CL-led TF ran into a minefield after the battle, losing 1 DD, with 1 DD and 1 CL hitting mines as well. Finally, a transport TF trying to get through the hex was hit hard, with 1 DD sunk, 1 AK and 3 xAK were damaged.




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RE: 19th - 23rd of December 41' - 8/3/2011 10:24:58 PM   
Smeulders

 

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Joined: 8/9/2009
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quote:

ORIGINAL: mc3744

I had indeed forgotten that you can "save" the squadrons by withdrawing them Thanks for reminding me

Don't you find all the Dutch squadrons enough of a nuisance for the Jap player?

I noticed that those Dutch bombers (the ugly ones ) are quite good anti-shipping platforms on strafing attack and you have a bunch of them which can't be saved anyway (or can they?)


The only problem I think you could have with saving them this way is that they can sometimes take their planes with them, provided they withdraw in a well-supplied base. The idea that you sneak out some key personnel who reform the squadron in the rear doesn't seem that strange to me.

The Dutch bombers are training on Low Naval at the moment and I hope I'll get a chance to use them in that capacity. I don't think they can be saved, if withdrawn they'll return at a Dutch base, but these will probably have been overrun already.

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RE: 19th - 23rd of December 41' - 8/3/2011 10:35:25 PM   
SoliInvictus202


Posts: 367
Joined: 8/27/2010
From: Austria
Status: offline 		very nice tactical map - I like it that more and more people use "real" maps in their AARs! - gives these reports a different touch and is so much more entertaining to read than endless pages of combat reports!

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RE: 19th - 23rd of December 41' - 8/3/2011 11:39:43 PM   
mc3744


Posts: 1957
Joined: 3/9/2004
From: Italy
Status: offline 		I tried vs. the AI with 6k level bombing and 100ft with the Dutch bombers.
There's just no comparison, the strafing was way more successful.
I'm now using that in my PBEM (only 42/02). I've had only one opportunity to attack enemy vessels so far (my opponent is very well guarded), but that one single attack scored a hit with each wave (on merchant AKs).

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RE: 19th - 23rd of December 41' - 8/7/2011 12:24:37 AM   
Smeulders

 

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Joined: 8/9/2009
Status: offline 		Thanks, I liked making the map as well. Cap Mandrake's maps where the inspiration, he has nice ones in his AAR. They may be hard to find though, some strange stuff going on in that AAR.

As to the Dutch bombers, I don't think there are any house rules against low level naval attacks with 2E bombers, so I'll certainly try that approach.


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26th-31st of December 41' - 8/8/2011 6:33:26 PM   
Smeulders

 

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Joined: 8/9/2009
Status: offline 		26th-31st of December 41'

PI
Manilla has fallen and the Japanese are attacking at Clark already, the position does seem strong enough to withstand a bit longer.

Malaya
The offensive along the peninsula seems to have slowed down a bit, with Kuala Lumpur only falling on the 31st.

DEI
Tarakan is the only new casualty this week. Unfortunate, as a SCTF was within range for weeks, but had just withdrawn to Soerabaja for minor repairs when the invasion force hit.

A Swordfish attack from Singapore suffered badly near Palembang. Even though the CAP was only 15 planes, the nearly 40 escorting buffaloes didn't raise a finger in the defence of the torpedo bombers. All but one was shot down and that one aborted its attack run.

Burma
No combat just yet, Erkki seems to be employing a novel approach to this front, with the Imperial Guards division trying to outflank Pegu by moving through the jungle. No way to stop that move, but it'll keep them in the jungle for a week or two and the Commonwealth troops retire in good order to Tongou.


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RE: 19th - 23rd of December 41' - 8/9/2011 8:40:59 PM   
Capt. Harlock


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quote:


As to the Dutch bombers, I don't think there are any house rules against low level naval attacks with 2E bombers, so I'll certainly try that approach.


The Allies developed a lethal "skip-bombing" technique a little later in the war, so there definitely shouldn't be a permanent house rule against low-level 2E bombing. Some JFB's --ahem, players-- like a temporary rule for the first few months.

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RE: 26th-31st of December 41' - 8/10/2011 7:05:12 PM   
mc3744


Posts: 1957
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From: Italy
Status: offline 		There must be some strategy I don't know about.
In my PBEM (mid 42/02) my opponent has also stopped his Burma advance in Rangoon, Moulmein and Pegu.
I don't know why, but there must be some good reason as he is quite methodical.
I can certainly say that the only planes that can hit him within normal range in that area are the few 4Es. Maybe that's why, could actually make sense. Not many points or resources outside Rangoon anyway, right?

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1st - 6th of January 42' - 8/15/2011 10:30:23 PM   
Smeulders

 

Posts: 1879
Joined: 8/9/2009
Status: offline 		Harlock: No HR against it, so they keep training and hopefully they'll do some damage when the time comes

MC: This may be due to the supply restrictions, it might be rather hard to supply multiple divisions overland through the trails from Thailand if you're limited in the number of days supply move and restricted in the number of supplies moving through per day. In any case Magwe should be an important objective for any Japanese player with 200 oil points.

1st - 6th of January 42'

DEI
Oosthaven falls and almost all of Southern Sumatra is in Japanese hands now. Not many other advances on this front.

Multiple cruiser led surface forces are patrolling in the central and Eastern DEI to pounce on Japanese advances, but none seem to be forthcoming. It makes me fear that the next one will be heavily covered, maybe too heavy for my surface assets.

Banshee squadrons have arrived and are being placed in the DEI, but due to the Babes reduction of aviation support there are but few good bases for them. I haven't been able to find any good places for the P-40 provisional squadrons because of this.

PI
Clark is under attack, but holds out so far. Because Japanese bombing effectively halted fort building very early there are no more forts left at Clark, I'll retreat to Bataan where level 3 forts will keep my force alive a bit longer.

Malaya
Rearguard battles as the Allies move into Singapore.

Burma
Not even rearguard battles, the Allies are moving North. I'm concentrating forces and hoping the Japanese outrun their supply line.

China
Nanyang falls and the Japanese have another route of attack towards Sian.

Near Ichang a Chinese counteroffensive failed to dislodge 2 overstrength collaborator route bde as it was reinforces by a division and mixed inf bde. A later counterattack by the Japanese did rough up their forces and I might try a new attack against the now weakened Japanese.

In the South some Chinese formations are trying to sneak up on some weaker garrisons on the coast.


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7th - 10th of January 42' - 8/18/2011 4:59:59 PM   
Smeulders

 

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Status: offline 		7th - 10th of January 42'

Burma
The IG has caught up to the retreating Allies near Tongoo, but they're not strong enough to start routing them. Some bombers are moving in to slow down the Japanese advance.

China
Lots of battles on the plains, a small number of Chinese corps have been left behind to harass the Japanese there and it's taking some time before these get destroyed. Main axis of advance is still towards Sian, with moves out of Canton as well and moves in the South to clear the coast.

DEI
Small naval battle as Boise and a small number of DD raided Mindanao. A light DD force opposed them, one old Japanese DD was sunk alongside a PB. One Clemson-class DD is damaged moderately, but it might be in danger as sys damage is high and there are no safe ports in range. All in all I don't consider it a victory, Boise is lightly damaged but will need a good port for repairs, so won't be available again for the fights in the DEI.

Troop movements
Some of the more important moves :

- 41st Division is being shipped to Christmas Island, the first base to be secured on the line to Australia.
- 6th Australian Division is arriving in Aden, they're being shipped to Oz by way of Cape Town
- Royal Sovereign is moving to the DEI, it'll replace Prince of Wales, which will then move to join the fleet defending Australia.
- The carriers are assembling on the West Coast, they'll escort the first convoys to Pago Pago.

Allied plans
I started off the war weakly, without much of a plan besides harassing the Japanese a bit in the DEI. After the fall of Palembang that's about the only thing I can really do there, a fortress Java doesn't really appeal to me and I don't have the assets moving to actually pull it off anyway. At the moment I'm preparing for a quick invasion of the Marshalls, which I might pull of if KB reveals itself elsewhere. A good part of a marine division is prepping for this, but I still need to find the transports and base forces that'll also be needed for this operation. DaBabes means a lot less base forces(or at least smaller ones), so I'm really scrambling for those at the start.


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RE: 7th - 10th of January 42' - 8/21/2011 1:56:09 AM   
Capt. Harlock


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Status: offline 		According to the latest, the Red Castle and friends have been doing nasty stuff off the coast of Australia. Any thoughts?

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RE: 7th - 10th of January 42' - 8/21/2011 3:02:04 PM   
Smeulders

 

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Joined: 8/9/2009
Status: offline 		Could have been worse ? No, it's a good blow, so far I'm down HMAS Canberra and HMNZS Achilles, 1 AM and a slew of smaller xAK and xAKL. Another DD is likely to bite the dust later.

I made a mistake leaving so many ships in a forward base with too little naval search protecting it. Hudsons are patrolling but KB moved in from outside search range to within 100 miles of Brisbane in a single day. I'm not even sure about the direction of the attack, there are some Catalina flights further North along the coast of Australia, but there nothing covering the sea to the NE or East.

I'm interested to see what will happen later, most of the other cruisers and important ships are already near Tasmania, but a KB sprint might get close. Sydney might be attacked, I've got 100 P-40E there, but they are the inexperienced provisional squadrons.

A full update will follow later, I've still got turns in the inbox.




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RE: 7th - 10th of January 42' - 8/21/2011 8:48:49 PM   
mc3744


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Status: offline 		At 100% CAP, range 0 and staggered altitudes 100 P40s can still do a decent job playing defense.
No P39? I find them quite effective at 10k vs. DB and TB, in defense of course.

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RE: 7th - 10th of January 42' - 8/21/2011 9:34:13 PM   
Smeulders

 

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Status: offline 		Nope, early war Australia. The fighters there are the provisional squadrons, it isn't safe enough yet to bring in convoys with other planes. I don't think I'd have the aviation support to support more fighters anyway. DaBabes really makes a huge difference, only PH and the East Coast have an excess of aviation support.




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RE: 7th - 10th of January 42' - 8/22/2011 9:03:39 AM   
mc3744


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Status: offline 		Ah, I did not notice you where playing the mod.
I've only experienced scenario 1 so far (in AE) with the Allies, I'm in March '42.

How about sending air squadrons - by sea - via Balboa - Tahiti - Auckland? Is your opponent threatening you that south?

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Post #: 27
11th - 14th of January 42' - 8/22/2011 6:13:31 PM   
Smeulders

 

Posts: 1879
Joined: 8/9/2009
Status: offline 		MC: The first TF I have seen to the South of New Caledonia is KB. I could get the planes to Oz, but I'm not sure they'd be of much use there just yet. As said I need the aviation support to go with it. I'll also need to first secure the line from the West Coast to Oz, and I'll need planes at those bases as well. Soon the first fighters will leave for Christmas and Pago Pago, after that I'll take another look at what I can spare.

11th - 14th of January 42'

Burma
Japanese are in full pursuit mode and are using LRCAP to their advantage. A Blenheim strike against the Japanese spearhead just South of Tongou was roughly handled by Oscars and Zeroes. About 10 planes were lost between the RAF and AVG escort. The Imperial Guards division has somehow made it back to the spearhead. Japanese forces are about 1 division, 1 regiment and several tank formations.

China
Japanese forces are taking a breather in front of Sian, it doesn't seem like he has enough forces to outright take the city. I'm still assessing the situation here, I might be able to rout the advance guard (2 divisions and waiting for reinforcements), but it would divert a good number of forces from the defence from other directions.

In the South the defenders of Wenchow routed a regiment foolish enough to enter the city. The 400 AV corps there is slowly getting surrounded, but it'll be no easy task to destroy it and will draw off some divisions. Another 500 Chinese AV are advancing to Foochow aiming to take the city by weight of numbers.

Malaya
Bombing attacks on Singapore have started, Buffaloes rose to challenge these strikes on the 14th, but with little success, about 20 % shot down and 40% damaged, a couple of days like this will break the RAF's back. The Japanese advance guard has reached an abandoned Johore Bahru.

New Guinea
PM is being invaded, but there is little to be done about it. The KB strike at Brisbane sent almost every cruiser in Oz to the yards (one CA that was still at Sydney is still OK but is now cowering on the South Coast) and BB are supporting the invasion. There might be a lack of air cover, but the closest DB are far away in the DEI.

KB Raid
See the next post.



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(in reply to mc3744)
Post #: 28
KB-Raid - 8/22/2011 6:50:44 PM   
Smeulders

 

Posts: 1879
Joined: 8/9/2009
Status: offline 		KB-Raid

For those not yet in the loop, KB has been raiding along the Australian East coast. The first indication the Allies had of this were torpedo and dive bombers appearing over Brisbane harbour on the 12th. Despite the heavy attack and complete absence of CAP only HMAS Canberra is sunk, 4 other cruisers in port survive with light to moderate damage and the destroyers escape unscathed.



During the night the Allied cruisers attempt to escape the port and head to the South at full speed. A CL group that raids the harbour manages to catch one of the fleeing cruisers, HMNZS Achilles. Her escort puts up a brave fight, but torpedoes slam into the damaged cruiser and she quickly sinks. HMAS Stuart flees the scene of the battle undamaged and heads SE. Meanwhile a group of S-boats that were heading out to protect the Australian coast head towards KB.




During the day KB launches a number of strikes, a new port strike sinks nearly all xAK and xAKL in port. I had left them there assuming most would survive in port, while at sea they didn't have the speed to run away or any escorts to protect from subs, but without the cruisers diverting attention from the merchants it became a carnage. HMAS Stuart was hit a couple of times, but survives and is heading for Norfolk Island, hopefully she can be saved. During the day a nearby Dutch sub attempts to breach ASW screen around the Japanese task forces, but fails.



Finally for the 14 there was little damage. One xAP and an AS that I forgot to send further North were sunk (were at auto-disband but didn't). The S-boats are nearing the combat area and attacked the oilers of KB. I'm quite surprised to find them being escorted by AMC. I don't have any other indication that this is an invasion of anything, but it's still a bit worrying.



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(in reply to Smeulders)
Post #: 29
RE: KB-Raid - 8/22/2011 7:22:43 PM   
mc3744


Posts: 1957
Joined: 3/9/2004
From: Italy
Status: offline 		Some raid it was!! And very well told too :)

I was wondering why you'd want to place fighters on the route to OZ.
As this raid proves quite well, you need a strong and concentrated fighter presence to have any chance to withstand the KB strike.
Hence my humble point is, why even try a scattered air defense along the route? Just move all the air power you can where you absolutely need it (to protect the main naval assets), while the islands can be reinforced by ground units only.
The disparity in ground forces is less relevant playing defense and atoll landings are tough for Japan too if an island is well garrisoned and supplied.
Even without air force defending it, taking a well defended island is expensive.
That way you can also save aviation support points for Australia and surrounding. While on the route you can assist FPs with tenders only.

Just a thought. Hold on!


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(in reply to Smeulders)
Post #: 30
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