Bullwinkle58
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Joined: 2/24/2009
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June 23, 1942
Baby Steps
1) Intense activity around the eastern end of Java continues today. Multiple heavy surface TFs linger, but there is no bombardment or combat. Many subs from Soerbaja sortie and engage, but no hits are scored. Several subs, particularly one Dutch O-boat, are severely damaged. Will keep trying. The heavy targets are just too juicy to ignore in this confined space.
Soerbaja itself is an interesting problem. The CAP has been worn down to a nub, but still fights on. Three Zeros are downed today. I know Mike well enough now to know the will continue to focus on the AF as long as any opposition exists and will ignore or under-serve the port and shipyard in the meantime. In that sense Soerbaja, at Port 7 and able to load torpedoes without an AS, is ideally positioned to support an intense sub campaign. The IJN ASW by contrast must go some distance to find DC reloads. Perhaps the heavies will depart when the DCs run out, perhaps not. Soerbaja has been flushed of skimmers now. DD Tenedos left damaged for Batavia, leaving only a couple of harbor defense types, an old PG, and the one PT boat (another is in the yards.) The one working attacks today and misses, but is undamaged.
2) This one got me excited for about ten seconds.
Sub attack near Marcus Island at 121,85
Japanese Ships
CVE Chuyo
DD Natsushio
Allied Ships
SS Gar
SS Gar launches 4 torpedoes at CVE Chuyo
Gar diving deep ....
I suspect this is a fighter shuttle delivering CAP to Marcus. There is a small DD raid heading there now to see if any xAKs are still around. I doubt an Air HQ has been used up on Marcus, but if so I still like DDs alone and their chances to dodge torpedo Bettys.
Subs also risk mines to penetrate Balikpapan. ASW engagement, but no attacks or losses.
3) Prome is severely bombed as well. Only light Mohawk CAP is there. Some supplies are destroyed, but supplies are no problem here. Some of the LCUs will be on the road soon in a SNAGGLEPUSS move. The armor is moving on Bassein, still with Aussie 7th Div. trailing by two days. And a large stack is moving toward Pegu, still with no discernible reaction.
4) The Chinese retreating from Chengtu's fall are blasted on the road march by Helens and Sally. 162 casualties. Chungking has been slowly building supply for a couple of weeks now. When the refugees arrive, now from two directions, supplies will dip. They are still far from the quantity necessary to build toward Forts 7.
5) Strat bombing attempts are light. Oil at Urumchi is missed in a storm. 11 Resource hits are recorded at Ankang. Some minor Nate CAP is found here and there.
6) A CL/DD/DD bombardment takes place at Benkoelen on the attacking 22nd East African Brigade. No damage. That unit attacks the sole defender of the base (it was not stiffened by the TF seen about a week ago transiting Sunda.) The brigade takes no casualties from offshore. It attacks the base and does well. It should succeed next time.
Ground combat at Benkoelen (45,91)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 4056 troops, 88 guns, 48 vehicles, Assault Value = 115
Defending force 1051 troops, 12 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 31
Allied adjusted assault: 54
Japanese adjusted defense: 23
Allied assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 1)
Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 0
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker: leaders(+), leaders(-)
Japanese ground losses:
74 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Allied ground losses:
32 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Assaulting units:
22nd (East African) Brigade
Defending units:
47th Naval Guard Unit
7) The 32nd ID is still moving to land on Sumatra, with all the escort that can be spared. Multiple sub sightings occur near Cocos I., and a CV TF is last seen near Loemadjang on Java's SE tip with a western vector. The 32ID has two RN carriers along, but they have weak anti-shipping capability. If Japan is moving on Cocos (a fair number of merchants are huddled there) there may be a bar fight over the 32nd's convoy. That division is key to the defense of PBang; it must get ashore somewhere. It can fight its way to Pbang against anything seen so far on Sumatra, and supply and HQs aplenty exist at PBang to heal it. But it's pucker time in the mid-IO right now. Some of the merchants at Cocos are going to head for Oosthaven to take fuel out; if they screen the 32nd so much the better. The rest are sent to DG or CT today.
8) Part of SNAGGLEPUSS is going to involve use of SSTs, Marine Raiders, Marine Parachutists, and other raiding forces. I have to admit I have next to no experience with this from AI games. All I've ever used SSTs for has been supply hauling. And the interface makes it hard to figure out which LCUs are air-droppable and SSTable. I'm still trying to figure out what Kanga Force can do, for example. (Cdo/para seems to indicate parachutist to me, but I haven't been able to get them to drop so far.) Also what patrol planes can do and what tasks need transports. That SST raiders have to be in Move mode is odd as well. I will make mistakes as I learn this side of the game. I have one SST load heading toward Tarawa now, and recon says a base force is there. I don't know what landing in Move mode looks like at an occupied base. They're sacrificial anodes.
But. One SNAGGLEPUSS jab takes place on the last phase tick today. It had to make Mike sit up and say "Whaaa . . .?" as he confidently moves on Cocos and Marcus. As I said, SNAGGLEPUSS is all about jabbing and motivating Japanese actions to run about, scream and shout. Use up resources. Force Japan to garrison islands they don't want to garrison, and then run supplies there and expose ships to attack.
Ground combat at Eniwetok (127,108)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 70 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 6
Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 0
Allied adjusted assault: 4
Japanese adjusted defense: 1
Allied assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 1)
Allied forces CAPTURE Eniwetok !!!
Combat modifiers
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-)
Assaulting units:
1st USMC Parachute Bn /1
< Message edited by Bullwinkle58 -- 7/19/2013 5:36:23 PM >
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The Moose
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RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwin... - 
) (might wait on just because there are some many games, and they're kind of the same thing over and over and the AI is garbage) 
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