mind_messing
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Joined: 10/28/2013
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May 6th to May 7th, 1942
North Pacific
Nothing new to report, other than the constant flow of reinforcements from Japan to the Kuriles. Pamamushiro-jima has been built up to a level 4 airbase, with level 3 fortifications. Most of the engineers will be sent to build up Shimishuri-jima, and their billets taken by the AA crews and infantrymen that will form the core of the islands garrison.
The 1st Fleet Naval HQ is moving to Ominato, so that when this base reaches a size 7 port, it can rearm every weapon in the IJN's inventory in the event of fleet engagements in the Kuriles.
The KB's destroyers are still 15 days from finishing their upgrades. I'm using this time to resize all the IJN land-based groups to 81 planes using the Akagi. I doubt I'll have much need of 81 plane groups even if I fill them out with aircraft, but it's extra slots for training pilots and represents a massive expansion to the IJN's training program.
Central Pacific
The Nashville and company depart. I suspect this was Lokasenna testing our defences. I'm not sure how we performed.
As ny59giants kindly pointed out, I'd overlooked Ailinglaplap, which will get a Naval Guard and a minefield.
The garrison marked to Tabiutea, the 3rd Independent Mixed Brigade, is set to leave China by Hong Kong before May ends. It's at 25% strength following it's brutal shock attack into Chungking, and the veteran troops will no doubt welcome some rest on a tropical island.
Otherwise, the only thing stirring is the sound of Japanese engineers digging in furiously.
South-West Pacific
Quiet, thankfully. With our air defence network being repositioned and several key bases undeveloped, a respite here is to my advantage. A big convoy carrying the 17th Army and a host of support units arrives at Rabaul along with several thousand tonnes of supply, a welcome addition to the defences here.
Austrailia
Three IJA divisions enter Katherine. They'll rest a turn to recover supplies, while the artillery bombards to find out just what they're up against. Two more divisions are on the way, and a armoured regiment is heading to help close the hexsides.
Just north of Katherine, the 1st Tank Regiment routs an Austrailian coastal gun regiment and the NAOU boys. While victories are always welcomed, the 1st Tank Regiment is badly out of position, and Austrailian troops are marching from Fenton to engage them. The JAAF will bomb Fenton with every plane that will fly to enable the Japanese tankers to escape north-east.
Seeing as Darwin is garrisoned by only two units (one of which is a static CD unit), a tentative plan is forming to seize the base by a combined paratrooper and armoured attack. If the 1st Tank Regiment can outflank the Austrailians at Fenton, two IJN paratrooper units are availible to be dropped to support it, and combined with heavy air support, the combined force should be great enough to capture Darwin. Once Darwin is secured, a IJA infantry regiment is on standby to be landed to consolodate the capture.
A naval landing directly at Darwin is off the cards, seeing as I feel that exposing transports to 6-inch shellfire isn;t worth it. A secondary option is to land a IJA infantry regiment in the clear hex to the east of Darwin, but it's a non-base hex, and I think that the losses caused by landing in a non-base hex might make it a pointless venture.
The operation would normally only have moderate importance, but Darwin has a nice big airbase and port, and most importantly, it's where I plan to get all my units back out again, and as such, getting a hold of it as quick as possible is probably a good idea.
Burma
The British respond to the move by the IJA to cross the Kaladan River north of Akyab by appearing to pull out themselves, retreating up the coast road.
This could just be a few units moving a single hex to take advantage of the forced shock attack, or it could be a general withdrawal from Akyab. For the present, it's not important. The priority of the IJA is to fix the British and Indian units in place, allowing the IJN to conduct constant bombardment runs on them and as the only Allied ships spotted here for weeks have been the two (?) British submarines, it looks like the IJN will get a free hand to bombard.
In the north, it's likely that the Chinese are all but safe in India. We'll keep bombing them in the hope of catching them and forcing a surrender before they can escape.
The program of airstrip building in Burma is about a third complete. Magwe is a size 4 airbase, and Mandalay nearly at size 5. Now, Meiktila will be built up to a size 3 airbase to support the two and then the IJA engineers will start working back towards Rangoon, focusing only on bases connected to the rail network. The only real exception to this is Lashio, which will be built up to size 3 or 4 to provide coverage for Northern Burma and for to support raids on the Chinese mountain strongholds.
The forces fresh from the Philippines have started to embark from Manila, bound for Rangoon
China
Another deliberate attack at Chungking is ordered. This time, the results are much more equal:
Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 208669 troops, 2372 guns, 1494 vehicles, Assault Value = 6309
Defending force 241438 troops, 1145 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 6620
Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 3
Japanese adjusted assault: 3361
Allied adjusted defense: 11607
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 3 (fort level 3)
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), supply(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
18294 casualties reported
Squads: 78 destroyed, 2036 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 233 disabled
Engineers: 7 destroyed, 200 disabled
Guns lost 147 (3 destroyed, 144 disabled)
Vehicles lost 170 (5 destroyed, 165 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
7143 casualties reported
Squads: 158 destroyed, 512 disabled
Non Combat: 35 destroyed, 453 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 23 (2 destroyed, 21 disabled)
Units destroyed 1
With the majority of squads disabled and losses much lesser than previous attacks, things bode well for the siege of Chungking. The apperence of the supply malus for the Chinese suggests to me that the hard part of the siege is over. With forts down to three and the Chinese having supply problems, seeing the Rising Sun flying over Chungking in 1942 is a real possibility.
I am disapointed in the absence of a leaders bonus for the Japanese. Considering how every division, corps, army and army group formation has a excellent leader in command, I've not seen the "+ leaders" bonus yet.
We'll grind on at Chungkingrad: knocking China out of the war is a worthy goal.
.jpg) A curious combination: Type 95 tanks and Imperial Japanese Navy paratroopers in a combined operation to capture a lightly garrisoned Darwin. Would the Austrailians let themselves be outflanked?
< Message edited by mind_messing -- 9/25/2014 5:48:01 PM >
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Printable Version
RE: Another Question to the Gallery: R&D - 
I'll probably continue to lean towards th Allies, but playing both gives you a good perspective of what the other side looks for. Nemo inflicted me some expensive lessons. 
Some bases are more important to deny to the other side than for you. Port Moreseby is a classic case in point.
IMO, you need to challenge the Allies in '43 or by '44 the "fleet in being" doesn't help as much.
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