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RE: Baking a cake... - 8/6/2014 5:02:19 PM

Bullwinkle58

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Re 4E bases:

Wake can handle them (some) as can Eniwetok. If he takes Kwaj/Roi Namur they can as well, but maybe at reduced loads. Haven't looked at those numbers in months. Also a long time since I looked, but I think Ponape can as well. In my limited experience with holding Wake though they aren't that useful in mid-Pac. Ranges are long and they eat a LOT of supply that has to unload at primitive port levels. Far better to get land-based TBDs and DBs and hold off IJN surface forces from incursions while you prepare the next jump forward. CentPac is the one place on the map where carriers are not optional. You know when his arrive, so you know how much time you probably have.

Why do you think he cares that much about the southern islands? I'm asking for reasons I see in my games. If you draw a vector from Wake/Eniwetok at the Marianas you don't really even need Tarawa, or anything south of it, to invade the Marianas in early 1944. Canton, Baker, Tabiteuea, etc. are good to force long detours on Oz runs, but I don't see them as vital to a CentPac strategy.

I think you are wise to send the best you have to the Marianas. That is a battle royale for the end-game chips.

_____________________________

The Moose

(in reply to mind_messing)

Post #: 241

RE: Baking a cake... - 8/6/2014 10:31:33 PM

mind_messing

Posts: 3393
Joined: 10/28/2013
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Can I put you on retainer?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

Re 4E bases:

Wake can handle them (some) as can Eniwetok. If he takes Kwaj/Roi Namur they can as well, but maybe at reduced loads. Haven't looked at those numbers in months. Also a long time since I looked, but I think Ponape can as well. In my limited experience with holding Wake though they aren't that useful in mid-Pac. Ranges are long and they eat a LOT of supply that has to unload at primitive port levels. Far better to get land-based TBDs and DBs and hold off IJN surface forces from incursions while you prepare the next jump forward. CentPac is the one place on the map where carriers are not optional. You know when his arrive, so you know how much time you probably have.

Eniwetok is only a size 1 (0), so no danger there. If he wants Kwaj/Roi Namur and Ponope, he's got a fight on his hands, all three are well garrisoned and defended.

I'll need to make a major effort into Kusaie and Ponope, however. Those two bases seem, to me anyways, as key to keeping your lines of communication open in CentPac.

quote:

Why do you think he cares that much about the southern islands? I'm asking for reasons I see in my games. If you draw a vector from Wake/Eniwetok at the Marianas you don't really even need Tarawa, or anything south of it, to invade the Marianas in early 1944. Canton, Baker, Tabiteuea, etc. are good to force long detours on Oz runs, but I don't see them as vital to a CentPac strategy.

I had written paragraphs and paragraphs in reply to this, but most of it was fluff. So I opened WitP, and spent a good hour switching between the map and your post.

I had myself convinced he was slowly working his way towards the Gilberts based soley on the premise that he'd taken three outlying islands and used important ships to do so. Big forecasts on a very narrow base of information.

It comes down to the following:

Lokasenna is methodical. He's deliberate. He keeps his spreadsheets and his notes. He has taken Canton, Funafunti and Baker in fairly quick succession, and he did it with a greater purpose in mind. Perhaps it was to shorten his convoy routes, or as a prelude to a campaign for the Gilberts.

Simply put, he cares about the Gilberts and the surrounding islands, but I don't know the extent to which he cares about them. It may be as a prelude to moving on the Gilberts, or he could transfer everything northwards and have another go at Wake. I'll need to keep my eyes open...

quote:

I think you are wise to send the best you have to the Marianas. That is a battle royale for the end-game chips.

I've kept the Marianas in mind from the very start. The southern islands are all well developed, and every month or so I try to buy something out for one of the islands. So far, we've engineers and AA for Guam and Saipan, and a bunch of engineers digging on Rota. They're nearly finished, at which point they'll start improving the northern islands.

The first Crack division (with a capital letter - 97 EXP) is marching to Canton for Tinian, and more will follow. The divisions will go to the four southern bases (with no stacking limits), while brigade and regiment sized units will go to the northern islands. I'm going to abandon Almagan (bar a token garrison) as with a SPS of 0(0) 0(1), it doesn't seem worth it. Guam, Tinian and Saipan are the bases that I feel are most valauble, so they'll get the best I can buy.

It's worth rementioning something I picked up from Obvert's Japan AAR. You need to keep the Allies behind schedual to take advantage of reinforcements. The IJA gets lots of unrestricted brigades in late 1943 and early 1944 - so it's a goal of mine to keep the Allies away from the Marianas till 1944 to try and take full advantage of those reinforcements.

Easier said than done, I suppose...

(in reply to Bullwinkle58)

Post #: 242

RE: Baking a cake... - 8/6/2014 10:44:56 PM

Lowpe

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I think you are correct in thinking the Gilberts are the key to getting 4e into the central pacific. Especially Tabit. They are a pain, and will close your airfields making CVs important in this theater to prevent advances.

Atolls are very, very hard to defend against an experienced opponent. Most Allies get very experienced after one failed attack.

(in reply to mind_messing)

Post #: 243

RE: Baking a cake... - 8/6/2014 11:51:50 PM

Bullwinkle58

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You're right about Eniwetok. I've held it for about a year in my game with Mike and I flipped Port with AF in my mind. I don't have 4Es there, but I do on Wake. Ponape can take them. Roi Namur can, but Kwaj can't. Heck, Makin can take them if you're a gambler. Lots of Level 4 potential, reduced-load AFs if you have time and Seabees. (Seabee regiments, not the initial battalions, are fearsome engineers. Japan has nothing like them.)

If you think he wants the south for strategic reasons I won't try to dissuade you. He might. Or, he might just want some VPs to counter the whupping he got at Chungking. Or, he might want training opportunities. Or, he could be trying to pull you as far forward as possible to make you burn fuel. There could be lots of reasons.

In my game with Mike he has Tabit. and the surrounding, while I have Canton and Baker, plus a fighter base on Makin. There has been a lot of small-fry sniping in there. I run FT supply TFs into Makin, he counters with cruiser TFs from the west. I have enough Fletchers now to get 6-8 into a party, and have gone in several times. He has tried to hit them with torpedo Netties, but they're very nimble. You can come to rely on long-range bombers too much. They miss high maneuver combatants quite a bit, and 1943 AA packages are pretty good.

Up north though he's kicked me good a couple of times with real carriers. I lost three CVEs last week getting supplies into a fortress Eniwetok. I don't have CVs yet to do much but snipe. But in our game at least Japan's investment in Tabit. hasn't paid off.

I enjoy seeing Loka play "my" side as he slices me up from the other.

_____________________________

The Moose

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Post #: 244

RE: Baking a cake... - 8/7/2014 8:23:57 PM

mind_messing

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

You're right about Eniwetok. I've held it for about a year in my game with Mike and I flipped Port with AF in my mind. I don't have 4Es there, but I do on Wake. Ponape can take them. Roi Namur can, but Kwaj can't. Heck, Makin can take them if you're a gambler. Lots of Level 4 potential, reduced-load AFs if you have time and Seabees. (Seabee regiments, not the initial battalions, are fearsome engineers. Japan has nothing like them.)

If you think he wants the south for strategic reasons I won't try to dissuade you. He might. Or, he might just want some VPs to counter the whupping he got at Chungking. Or, he might want training opportunities. Or, he could be trying to pull you as far forward as possible to make you burn fuel. There could be lots of reasons.

In my game with Mike he has Tabit. and the surrounding, while I have Canton and Baker, plus a fighter base on Makin. There has been a lot of small-fry sniping in there. I run FT supply TFs into Makin, he counters with cruiser TFs from the west. I have enough Fletchers now to get 6-8 into a party, and have gone in several times. He has tried to hit them with torpedo Netties, but they're very nimble. You can come to rely on long-range bombers too much. They miss high maneuver combatants quite a bit, and 1943 AA packages are pretty good.

Up north though he's kicked me good a couple of times with real carriers. I lost three CVEs last week getting supplies into a fortress Eniwetok. I don't have CVs yet to do much but snipe. But in our game at least Japan's investment in Tabit. hasn't paid off.

Thankfully, Eniwetok is safe for the present. It could do with another garrison unit (one of the South Seas Garrison units are earmarked for Eni once they arrive), but it won't be taken until Wake or some other outlying island falls.

I've little idea what Lokasenna plans to do. You hut the nail on the head when you said about multiple angles. He's on the move in Burma, re-occupying Northern Austrailia and has his carriers skirting the fringes of the CentPac defences. I've no doubt that once winter ends we'll see some action in NorPac as well.

If he does come for CentPac, I'm well-equipped for the knife fight. Resized squadrons of Vals should do a nice job of putting bombs in Fletcher's, and I've resized Kate squadrons for the bigger ships. Backed up with Nicks trained on strafe and we should be well prepared for the petite guerre in CentPac. The focus is on air power here, as I'll be saving the IJN for the Marianas end-game clash.

The fustrating thing about being on the defensive as Japan is that more often than not, your investment of troops, engineers and supply will get you no return. I try to keep that in mind at all times, and cut my losses when I still have a chance. Once the main axis of Lokasenna's offensive becomes clear, I'll start withdrawing from areas that don't interest him. If he does go all out for CentPac, I will likely abandon the Guadalcanal complex, set up a blocking position around Rabual and send whatever I can get out to the Marianas.

quote:

I enjoy seeing Loka play "my" side as he slices me up from the other.

No doubt our roles will be reversed in six months: I'll be getting sliced while you do the slicing. Be sure to be on hand to offer comfort when that happens!

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I think you are correct in thinking the Gilberts are the key to getting 4e into the central pacific. Especially Tabit. They are a pain, and will close your airfields making CVs important in this theater to prevent advances.

Atolls are very, very hard to defend against an experienced opponent. Most Allies get very experienced after one failed attack.

Well, at present Tabit is pretty key to the Allies getting any airfields in CentPac - not unless Lokasenna fancies digging up some dot hexes under Japanese guns...

He's also had his failed atoll attack at Wake. That was a cheap attempt to get the island, so does it count? :)

(in reply to Lowpe)

Post #: 245

RE: In the absence of orders... - 8/8/2014 4:01:38 PM

mind_messing

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November 11th to November 13th, 1942

Some monumental planning turns on my part.

North Pacific

The 79th Infantry Regiment is nearly at Onnekotan-jima, which will combine with the 80th Infantry Regiment to form the 40th Brigade - part of the 20th Division. Over time, I'll try to buy out the other components to form the 20th Division in order to slowly strengthen defences here so that once winter ends, there's a stronger Japanese garrison.

Good news comes from the tuna boat fleet - they caught the Pickerel in the afternoon phase and put some excellent hits on her, with an oil slick been seen on the surface and sinking sounds heard. Exceptionally impressive, not only for the tuna boats, but for ASW ships armed with the Type 95 depth charge attacking a ship in deep water.

Central Pacific

Engineers, aviation support and AA are all en-route to Truk. Most will be sent back to the Marianas, but some of the AA will be sent forward to the Marshalls and Gilberts. I've essentially stripped all the AA from China and Manchuria, as well as most of the aviation support from China.

The focus here is on getting the frontline bases ready for action. All the air-groups are going to be as ready as I can make them, and the garrisons as strong as I can reasonably make them. The northern Gilberts are very weak, with only 6k men on atolls with a 30k limit. However, these bases are between two cornerstones of my defence - Mili and Tabiteuea. Mili, however, needs another garrison unit, though thankfully I've been able to free up a unit on garrison duty in China for transportation to Mili. No PP's to buy it out, but it's a priority at present.

South-West Pacific

Interesting developments. Luganville is still a massive hive of Allied activity, but now we're seeing Allied movement on the north-eastern coast of Austrailia. Engineers seem to be building up Cooktown, Coen and Portland Roads. That's an axis pointed at Horn Island, perhaps as a precursor to a move on Port Moresby or to enable access to Darwin from the east, rather than the conventional western approach.

At any rate, this is a difficult move for the Allies, as any move on Horn Island is well within the range of my airbases at Buna and Lae.

The only concern I have is that Marauke is no more than a seaplane outpost, so if Lokasenna makes a determined effort for Horn Island, there's no major base on his western flank till he reaches Taberfane and Dobo.

Allied engineering work in Northern Austrailia. Nusiance raids on these bases will be conducted from Buna.

China-Burma-India

The 22nd Division is bought out from China with it's preliminary destination as Rota. While this isn't as crack a division as the 6th (only 78 EXP), it does have an excellent artillery park.

Things are starting to stablize in Burma. The escape of my troops in the north looks likely, though with the Chinese still wandering around in numbers I'm reluctant to say that they're out of the woods yet. With the British looking like they're moving across the border, re-organizing my defences around Katha is fast becoming a priority.

Some rare air-to-air combat in India, as a sweep of 30 Tojo's over Chittagong is met by 12 P-66 Vanguards of the exiled Chinese Air Force. 2 Tojo's are lost to 9 Vanguards.

Home Islands

As part of my monster planning session, I finally sort out what I'm doing for flak over the Home Islands.

My focus is on preserving Light and Heavy Industry, as supply seems to be the bottleneck for Japan in the late war.

Everything east of Tokyo is being abandoned - there's nothing worth defending.

Tokyo and Osaka/Kyoto are obviously taking the cream of AA defences: most of the Air Defence Regiments and Battalions are heading for these two bases, as well as nearly all the Independant AA Companies with their 10cm guns.

Yokohama has no need of AA defences, in fact, you can strip Yokohama of all AA units. The Yokosuka Naval Base Force unit undergoes a TOE upgrade in early 1944 that gives it a monster 96 12.7cm dual purpose guns, and when combined with the dual purpose guns in the two naval fortress units, Yokohama has plenty of anti-air capability.

Hiroshima/Kure is the same case as Yokohama. The Kure Naval Base Force upgrades to 54 12.7cm DP guns.

That leaves the bulk of my AA split between Nagasaki, Nagoya and Kobe. In other words, my AA is concentrated on the top 12 HI and LI locations in the Home Islands.

Once the units are in position, I'll give a complete tally of what guns are where.

Obviously, you shouldn't let the Americans within 4E range of the Home Islands, and your first line of defence should be trying to kill them on the ground, followed by night fighters. If all else fails, your flak should keep attrition up over the most valuable bases.

Industry

A6M5 comes online, and I boost production to 150 planes/month. This may seem high, but the demand for Zero's is extreme, with my resized 81 plane fighter squadrons. There are still some carrier squadrons stuck with the A6M2! However, this should solve itself over the next few months, as IJA land-based fighters start to come online.

Oil is starting to consistantly climb in Japan, which is excellent. We also broke 2 million supply in Japan two dozen turns ago.

The DEI is almost drained of oil and fuel, which is fantastic.

12.7 cm DP gun. These guns will be the mainstay of the anti-aircraft defences of Yokohama and Kure, freeing up mobile guns for deployments to other cities.

< Message edited by mind_messing -- 9/25/2014 5:52:22 PM >

(in reply to mind_messing)

Post #: 246

RE: In the absence of orders... - 8/8/2014 5:34:36 PM

Bullwinkle58

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Re NE OZ and other places building. Not saying this is his game plan, but I would say that in the lull period you're in Allied-wise--have survived the first year, waiting on carriers and Hellcats and good torpedoes--there are dozens and dozens of VP-building opportunities in very safe bases such as NE Oz. Lots and lots of engineers are now available to him, even in many RAF and RAAF aviation BFs, and you can harvest 2-5 VPs from a nothing-base very quickly. Say from an AF 1 to an AF 4, not maxed but better, then move on up good roads and RRs. Supply infills and viola! a nice 10 VP bag at no risk and no fuss.

There are also dozens and dozens of these opportunities in India and Assam with Seabees and EABs safely snuck in to Bombay or Karachi via CT. Developing India also has the beneficial effect of making interim supply bases on the way to Burma auto-fill with more Bombay supply as their draws become stronger.

I guess my other point is not to assume he's aiming at NG just because he's building NE Oz. He might be. Or he might just be VP farming.

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The Moose

(in reply to mind_messing)

Post #: 247

RE: In the absence of orders... - 8/8/2014 5:58:40 PM

mind_messing

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58
I guess my other point is not to assume he's aiming at NG just because he's building NE Oz. He might be. Or he might just be VP farming.

I nailed a couple of RAAF recon planes on that strike on Portland Downs that were scoping out Horn Island, which is the plane icon you can see at that base.

He has a lot in NE-OZ. The DEI refugees plus the Austrailians, plus whatever he has brought in. Tennant Creek switched ownership a few turns ago, so he's re-occupying NW-Oz.

I think he might be wanting a 4E base closer to Rabual. IIRC all of those bases can host 4E's, and there's not much distance between Portland Downs and Horn Island/Port Moresby.

Either time, or my D4Y1-C recon planes will tell me.

(in reply to Bullwinkle58)

Post #: 248

RE: In the absence of orders... - 8/11/2014 9:21:52 PM

mind_messing

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Home Island AA Defences

Obviously, if a bombing attack is at the stage where AA has to fire, things are going bad. However, Japan in the late-game has to accept that the Allies will send bombers where they want: the goal then changes to make the Allies lose as many bombers as possible.

So, in a fit of mad planning, I've organized the placement of AA units within the Home Islands. My method focused on a concentration of defences at the top ten or so heavy and light industry centers in the Home Islands, essentially leading to the abandonment of almost every other base in Japan.

My reasons for this are two-fold. First, supply always seems to be the critical factor for end-game Japan rather than engines, airframes or HI/Armaments points. Secondly, manpower attacks (and the resulting firestorms) seem to do far more damage than pinpoint attacks against a specific factory - it is no conincidence that the top manpower bases are also top HI/LI bases: two birds with one stone.

The Statistics

Let's consider the weapons that Japan has to defend her skies come 1944-45. I'll disregard smaller weapons that likely won't be in play.

IJA Anti-Aircraft Weapons

The bulk of AA weapons can be found in the dedicated IJA AA units.

Gun - Range - Effect - Pen - Acc - Ceiling (Comments)

8cm/40 Type 88 AA gun - 4 - 26 - 28 - 34 - 23000 (most common IJ AA gun. Decent accuracy and good ceiling)
8cm T99 AA gun - 11 - 26 - 28 - 35 - 27500 (used in the Home Islands AA units, minor improvements over the Type 88)
10cm/40 Type 14 AA gun- 17 - 34 - 45 - 38 - 31000 (bigger, heavier, more accurate. Used by Independant Gun Coys)
12cm/56 Type 03 AA gun - 22 - 45 - 53 - 53 - 36500 (hits hard, hits often, hits high. The 10cm Type 14 upgrades to this monster in 9/43, and some "Air Defence" units in Japan undergo a TOE upgrade in mid 44 that gives them these monsters.)

As you can see, the bigger the gun, the better it is. Japanese flak isn't anywhere as good as the Allied devices, so it's important to make the most of what you have. Sadly, the bulk AA units will be stuck with the Type 88 or 99 for most of the war, with only some units upgrading to the 12cm weapons.

IJN Dual-Purpose Weapons

Interestingly, the IJA doesn't have a monopoly on air defences in the Home Islands. Quite a few bases in Japan have dedicated IJN base forces, and these bases have some dual-purpose weapons that can supliment the IJA's AA weapons.

8cm/40 Type 88 DP gun - 4 - 26 - 28 - 34 - 23000 (exact same stats as AA version above, most common DP gun)
8cm/40 Type 41 DP gun - 12 -13 - 28 - 33 -19000 (much poorer version of the Type 88)
10cm/65 Type 98 DP gun - 21 - 29 - 45 - 58 - 41000 (great gun, but only 20 guns in 5 static fortress units)
12cm/45 10YT DP gun - 17 - 45 - 52 - 45 - 32800 (good gun, mostly used in fortress units)
12.7cm 3YT DP gun - 18 - 51 - 58 - 55 - 38900 (fantastic gun, accurate, packs a punch and can hit just about anything. Best gun that Japan has for bomber killing!)

However, all of these weapons are used in small numbers by dispersed base forces, so it's impossible to effectively concentrate them.

Thanks to the wonder of TOE upgrades, however, they can be concentrated. Various other Japanese units undergo TOE upgrades, giving them small numbers of these weapons. The only TOE upgrades that give large numbers of DP guns are as follows:

Kure Naval Base Force - Has a TOE upgrade in Jan '44 giving it 54 (!) 12.7cm guns.
Yokosuka Naval Base Force - Has a TOE upgrade in Jan '44 giving it 96 (!!!) 12.7cm guns.

The Plan

My AA defence is centered around the following cities, in order of importance:

- Tokyo
- Osaka/Kyoto
- Yokohama/Yokosuka (come Jan 44, the Naval Base Force can defend this city alone)
- Nagoya
- Kobe
- Hiroshima/Kure (come Jan 44, the Naval Base Force can defend this city with the help of a few IJA AA units)
- Nagasaki/Sasebo

Tokyo
4 AA Regiments
3 AA Battalions
4 Independant Gun Co's
Total: 88 8cm Type 99 guns, 16 10cm Type 14 guns.

Osaka/Kyoto
2 AA Regiments
1 Feild AA Gun Co
3 Independant Gun Co's
Total: 36 8cm Type 99 guns, 12 10cm Type 14 guns.

As AA units arrive as reinforcements in the Home Islands, they'll be centered on Osaka/Kyoto till there's about 100 guns.

Yokohama/Yokosuka
Nothing at present. If Allied bombers are in range before the Base Force TOE upgrades come into effect, defences will be stripped from Nagasaki/Sasebo to cover this base.

Nagoya
3 AA Regiments
1 Independant Gun Co.
Total: 46 8cm Type 99 guns, 4 10cm Type 14 guns.

Kobe
3 AA battalions
2 Indepdnant Gun Co's
Total: 24 8cm Type 99 guns, 8 10cm Type 14 guns.

Later reinforcements will be sent here to bring the total number of guns to about 60.

Hiroshima/Kure
1 AA Regiment
1 Independant Gun Co.
Total: 16 8cm Type 99 guns, 4 10cm Type 14 guns.

This will be suplemented by the TOE upgrade to the Kure Naval Base Force.

Nagasaki/Sasebo
2 AA Regiments
1 Independant Gun Co.
Total: 32 8cm Type 99 guns, 4 10cm Type 14 guns.

Crew of a Type 88 Gun in a training exercise.

< Message edited by mind_messing -- 8/11/2014 10:31:06 PM >

(in reply to mind_messing)

Post #: 249

RE: Baking a cake... - 8/11/2014 10:27:45 PM

mind_messing

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November 14th to November 16th, 1942

North Pacific

Another Allied sub seems to be heading to stalk out the Hokkaido-Honshu convoys. I've got the tuna boat fleet after the sub, so she shouldn't last long!

Fort construction up here is starting to wind down as the supply cost is increasing. Paramushiro-jima and Onnekotan-jima will stop at level 5 forts, and Shimushiri-jima has had building work stopped after reaching level 5 forts.

Shemya Island (adjacent to Attu) becomes a level 1 airbase. At present, it's a 1(4) airbase, but I can see it becoming a size 7 base in due time.

The situation in the Aleutians. Attu is un-occupied, but the Allies show no interest in recapturing the base.

Central Pacific

Our nuisiance raids on Baker Island have kept the airbase damaged and prevent the Allies from flying in air units. So far, there's still the USA regiment that captured the island, so the Allies aren't exploiting it as a forward search station any time soon.

Units are being shifted around. With a strong IJA presence on Tabiteuea, I can afford to move a Naval Guard unit to Makin. I also send a Naval Guard on Ponope to Eniwetok, leaving a IJA Mixed Brigade on Ponope and bring the strength on Eniwetok to 2 Naval Guard units behind level 4 forts.

As with the North Pacific, fort construction here is winding down. Tabiteuea will soon have level 5 forts, and the Marshalls are all developed to level 4 forts, bar Mili, which has level 5 forts.

30k worth of fuel is a day out from Kwajalein. The crusier force I deployed to the Marshalls to contest the Allied landing at Baker used it all up, and I want a good stockpile if I need to base more ships from this base.

The Kaga, Akagi, Hiryu and Soryu reached Tokyo safely and will be back in action for the start of September.

The Strategic Map. I'm getting around to mopping up those dot hexes!

South-West Pacific

The Allies respond to our pinprick raid on Portland Roads by hitting us with a sledgehammer. Over thirty B-17's blast Buna airbase into the stone-age, destroying ten Helen's on the ground. Recon reveals that Portland Roads now hosts 38 fighters, while Cairns has 58 fighters, 44 bombers and over 80 auxillary aircraft.

IJA recon is going to keep a close eye on this sector for the present, and once some more supply is off-loaded, I intend to mount some aggressive sweeps to keep the Allies on their toes.

As usual, the Noumea-Luganville region is a hive of Allied activity.

China-Burma-India

A big chunk of aviation support, including two base forces, from China is bought out on the cheap. It's being distributed between the South-West Pacific and the Central Pacific, with most of it going to Truk.

The IJA have very nearly blown a path from China into Burma, being only one hex away from Paoshan. It's a race against the clock here, as the situation in Burma requires a healthy dose of IJA divisions to stablize the situation.

The situation in Burma. Hopefully we can fight the Allies in the jungles of Northern Burma, rather than the open territory of the central plains.

Lashio is recaptured from the Chinese by the 21st Division, with a garrison unit in support. The garrison unit is heading back to Rangoon, to be replaced by a RTA unit, while the 21st Division will move northwards to keep engaging the fleeing Chinese.

Japanese troops marching into Lashio following its recapture from the Chinese.

< Message edited by mind_messing -- 9/25/2014 5:52:29 PM >

(in reply to Bullwinkle58)

Post #: 250

Panzerarmee India? - 8/13/2014 7:21:55 PM

mind_messing

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November 17th to November 23rd, 1942

North Pacific

The Allies have some A-24 Banshee's bombing away happily at Attu, despite the fact there's nothing there. Why Lokasenna has been so tardy in taking this base is beyond me.

The Allied terraforming machine is hard at work on Shemya Island, with the island already hosting a level 3 airbase. I suspect that Lokasenna will/has switch the command of the base so he can base perma-restricted air groups here to field them against the Kuriles.

Central Pacific

Quiet, bar the elaborate dance of reinforcement and resupply task forces darting around.

The 13th Independant Mixed Brigade is boarding ship at Fusan to suppliment the garrison unit at Mili, while a big shipment has dropped off AA and aviation support at Truk to be parceled out to other islands.

Most of the AA is destined to the Marianas, though the first of the combat troops are still trying to walk to a railway station.

South-West Pacific

I respond aggressively to reports that the Allies are basing fighters out of Ndeni. Two groups of A6M2's sweep the base. We lose on over-all loses about 1.5:1, but considering the outdated nature of the A6M2 and the average quality of the pilots, I'm quite happy with it.

Nevertheless, we're firmly on the defensive here now.

Low-altitude night-time bombing continues to be the bane of this theater. B-17's and B-24s flying at 2000ft have breezed through the Nicks on NF duty, dodged the AA fire, put some good hits on the airfield and destroyed aircraft on the ground on several occasions. Not much I can do, other than be glad the raids are small and only kill 3-5 Japanese aircraft.

Australia

The Allies re-enter an empty Darwin. The IJAAF is redeploying some units to Timor to get some practice in on the undefended bases and units. Thankfully, our defences in Timor and the Eastern DEI are almost complete. More troops and aviation support are needed, but that's at a premium right now all over the empire.

China-Burma-India

Panzerarmee China captured Paoshan, killed 7000 of the Chinese rearguard and is now one hex away from the border with Burma. The infantry and the extensive artillery train is one hex behind.

With the Chinese Expeditionary Army that close to Burma, the 21st Division is re-locating from Lashio to the Katha sector, and Panzerarmee Burma will drive north for Myitkyina.

Another deliberate attack at Katha fails to get a 1:1 by five AV points, and one of the garrison units is pretty beat up. However, a full IJA division is en-route to shore up the defences and give a little depth to our operations around Katha.

The Imperial Guards and company are about half-way out from Warazup. There's ten Allied units in the hex with them, and I've no idea what sort of AV they'll have. Supplies are low for the Japanese units, but not critcally so.

On the whole, things have remained much the same. Hopefully, the hoards of tanks and infantry arriving from China can stem the tide.

Thing's don't bode well for the future. Large numbers of Chinese units have escaped, and the Chinese squad replacement rate is 350 squads/month. In India, they'll be able to take replacements and recover disablements. By my "back of an envelope" calculations, Allied AV in Burma will increase by about 400-500 AV/month from Chinese replacements/recovered disablements alone.

In other words, I'll need to reinforce Burma with a division each month just stay level with the AV increase in the Chinese units alone - that's not to mention the British/Indian reinforcements that will arrive in the theater.

Scary stuff.

The KMT units that have made it into India will no doubt return, well-equipped, well-train, well-supplied and in large numbers.

Industry

After much pondering, I turn off merchant shipyards. I've large numbers of ships sitting idle, and plenty of points in the pool to run a small deficit for the tankers I want to build. At this stage, I'd rather save the HI. When the USN sub campaign really gets going (Lokasenna has remained almost exclusively dedicated his subs to fleet operations rather than comerce raiding), I can turn the shipyards back on to replace losses.

Industry totals:

HI - 661,000
Armament - 169000
Vehicle - 14000
Naval - 12300
Merchant - 6300

Japan resource totals:

Supply: 2,166,000
Fuel: 2,499,000
Resources: 10,901,000
Oil: 1,181,000

Question to the Gallery

How do my HI/Resource numbers look?

This is new territory for me, so I'll be asking for a great deal of advice, especially on the economic side of things.

< Message edited by mind_messing -- 9/25/2014 5:52:36 PM >

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Post #: 251

RE: Panzerarmee India? - 8/13/2014 8:24:38 PM

Bullwinkle58

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One note regarding Myitkyina; you may already have analyzed this.

It is in easy bomber range of Ledo. Ledo is at the end of the tracks and is an absolute supply vacuum cleaner. It is easy to build to AF 9 in the autumn of 1942. Certainly by the end of 1942. The bases west of it along the tracks (I don't recall all the names) can be built to AF 7 I believe, and are equally easy to supply. Ledo is behind a terrible belt of jungle (terrible for you.) It is normally pretty big early as it is the Hump airhead. Loka may have backed off that given China is gone, or he might not have. My point is Myitkyina is pretty easy for you to take, but expensive to hold. He can snipe and eat up your fighters pretty easily. Also do night work.

If you under-garrison it he gets two very good Chindit para-capable units in late 1942 that can drop on it and be supplied from massive transport assets at Ledo again. He may not go that way if you don't point an arrow at it.

< Message edited by Bullwinkle58 -- 8/13/2014 9:25:37 PM >

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Post #: 252

RE: Panzerarmee India? - 8/13/2014 8:49:44 PM

mind_messing

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

One note regarding Myitkyina; you may already have analyzed this.

It is in easy bomber range of Ledo. Ledo is at the end of the tracks and is an absolute supply vacuum cleaner. It is easy to build to AF 9 in the autumn of 1942. Certainly by the end of 1942. The bases west of it along the tracks (I don't recall all the names) can be built to AF 7 I believe, and are equally easy to supply. Ledo is behind a terrible belt of jungle (terrible for you.) It is normally pretty big early as it is the Hump airhead. Loka may have backed off that given China is gone, or he might not have. My point is Myitkyina is pretty easy for you to take, but expensive to hold. He can snipe and eat up your fighters pretty easily. Also do night work.

If you under-garrison it he gets two very good Chindit para-capable units in late 1942 that can drop on it and be supplied from massive transport assets at Ledo again. He may not go that way if you don't point an arrow at it.

You're spot on regarding Myitkyina. I'm only going to take it so as to enable redeployment of troops quickly to other parts of Burma. The crux of my defence will be Katha and Bhamo (the dot base south of Myitkyina), bases that are will within support range. I think keeping the combat in the jungle of Northern Burma is vital for me, especially with the large numbers of Chinese refugees that made Ledo, let alone Allied bombers.

I've already felt the power of the Chindits - they seized the northern Burmese bases and caused the whole mess in Burma in the first place - once bitten, twice shy. The A/B/C components of Thai divisions are a bit weak to be dependable anti-paratrooper garrisons, so I'll probably divide up a IJA division for the most exposed bases (Katha, Lashio, Shwebo) and have the Thai's garrison the southern bases. Once Panzerarmee Burma has taken Myitkyina, I'll have two or three tank regiments posted to Mandalay to act as a fire-fighting force just in case.

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Post #: 253

RE: Panzerarmee India? - 8/13/2014 9:35:19 PM

Lowpe

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What is your resource/supply growth per day average?

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RE: Panzerarmee India? - 8/13/2014 9:54:51 PM

mind_messing

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

What is your resource/supply growth per day average?

According to the WitP flow chart:

Supply: 31k per day (~20k in Japan, 5.6k in China/Manchuria, the rest elsewhere)
Resources: 21140 per day
Oil: -2580 per day
Fuel: 13274 per day

We're also banking just under 5k HI points.

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Post #: 255

RE: Panzerarmee India? - 8/13/2014 11:34:49 PM

Lowpe

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I think fuel is low especially will declining oil levels. I would be concerned about it, imho.

I can't remember whether you get supply when refining oil in your game....

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RE: Panzerarmee India? - 8/18/2014 3:34:23 PM

mind_messing

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I think fuel is low especially will declining oil levels. I would be concerned about it, imho.

I can't remember whether you get supply when refining oil in your game....

Scenario 1, so refineries produce supplies as well.

Globally, the oil/fuel numbers seem to be staying roughly level. However, with over 11 million supplies in the Home Islands (203 days worth), I'm going to start shutting off resource convoys from the DEI, and ship in resources from China, Manchuria and Hokkaido, which should be more than enough to cover costs and continue to build a stockpile.

With the long-range convoys stopped, as well as my dormant fleet, we should be able to save plenty of fuel.

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Post #: 257

RE: Panzerarmee India? - 8/18/2014 5:54:51 PM

Richard III

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Interesting Game against one of the best players around.

Has his Subs Ops accomplished anything significant against your supply/oil convoys so far ?

I know it`s still early, but any thoughts about the "No Rules" rule

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Post #: 258

RE: Panzerarmee India? - 8/18/2014 7:33:10 PM

mind_messing

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Richard III

Interesting Game against one of the best players around.

Has his Subs Ops accomplished anything significant against your supply/oil convoys so far ?

I know it`s still early, but any thoughts about the "No Rules" rule

Loka's kept his subs strictly tied to the fleet role - the Central Pacific is crawling with Allied subs. The only commerce attacking he's doing is a few subs off the Kuriles and less than a half-dozen through the DEI. I've lost one big oiler, one big tanker and three small capacity tankers - all of which were amply covered by Std-C and D conversions.

On the whole, the "No Rules" has been quite good - and very educational. The air war is much more interesting without any rules: altitude and airframes are no longer paramount. The ground war is going to be very borked; the Kwantung Army in Burma, and the Chinese Army in India...

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Post #: 259

RE: Baking a cake... - 8/21/2014 1:46:45 AM

mind_messing

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November 24th to December 1st, 1942

A quick update, as there's not much happening.

North Pacific

The Allies, at length, land at Attu. The Japanese response is thunderous in it's silence.

Musahsi arrives, and will steam to join the Yamato as dockside attractions in Ominato.

Central Pacific

A hive of Allied activity, as is usual, but no action. A SNLF equipped with CD guns is en-route to Tarawa, and various smaller reinforcement packages are headed to other islands in the Central Pacific.

South-West Pacific

The usual night-bombing drill over the Lower Solomons keeps a low attrition rate on Japanese airframes, but there's no daylight fighting. The Allies are being allowed to move into Ndeni unharmed: that base now hosts a formidable fighter defence and several units.

The Allies bomb the Naval Guard fragment on Horn Island to destruction, then capture the base with troops landed via submarine. Japan responds with a counter-invasion of paratroopers, and a bombing campaign of their own. An Naval Guard unit is to be fast-transported onto the island to assist in it's recapture.

Austrailia

With Allied tanks having re-occupied most of Northern Austrailia, the last Japanese outpost at Broome is closing down, and the seaplane station will be heading to somewhere in the Lower DEI. The Mini-KB is to provide cover for the operation.

China-Burma-India

China is going to start becoming an exporter of supplies to the Home Islands now that military operations are at an end. The supply is needed in Japan to help build up that stockpile for the end-game - I'm aiming for 3 million supply in the Home Islands by the end of 1943.

That also means I'll draw supply from China rather than the Home Islands, if it's pratical.

Panzerarmee China crosses into Burma, and becomes Panzerarmee Burma! The last major Chinese force left in China is thrown into Burma with heavy losses, and the IJA is right behind them. They'll keep up the pursuit of the Chinese troops as they flee to India.

Long-range IJN Nell bombers raid Madras, and sink a few small merchantmen. Nothing major, but a nice collection of VP's that the Allies will need to regain.

The supply situation in Burma has been poor overall, so I'm moving to change this by sending supply from Sumatra to fund operations in Burma - with the IJA forces from China moving in, the supply situation in Burma will grow worse before it gets better, but there are some big supply convoys on the way to throw tonnes of supply at the problem to make it go away.

Japanese tanks in China. Instrumental in bringing about the defeat of the KMT, they were now being sent to chase them to the Indian border.

< Message edited by mind_messing -- 9/25/2014 5:52:46 PM >

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Post #: 260

RE: Baking a cake... - 8/22/2014 6:43:30 PM

mind_messing

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December 2nd to December 8th, 1942

Some interesting turns as we mark one year of war!

North Pacific

Nothing. So far, the Americans aren't even moving to build up Attu.

Central Pacific

Everything is about as ready as I can make it here. Taibuteuea is a formidable frontline base, with CD, a strong garrison and a decent air detachment. On the 8th the Nells strike a errant Allied convoy of xAP's. One is sunk, another damaged.

Another Allied convoy is hanging off around Canton Island, in an effort to bait by Nells into a CAP trap. Thankfully, I've set enough CAP traps to know one when I see one, so we'll leave that convoy hanging for some IJN subs to take a few shots at.

South-West Pacific

Horn Island is the scene of a short, brutal battle between Japanese and Austrailian troopers. IJA paratroopers combine with a Naval Guard unit fast transported in to recapture the island. Evidently this angers the Allies, as the 4E and 2E hoards make an appearance, flying into a considerable A6M2 LRCAP, which sends them home to think again.

I'm overjoyed to keep giving the Allies these minor reverses with local forces. With 1943 a few weeks away, long may they continue.

Some much needed aviation support is making its way into Hasas Bay, at last turning it into the rear-area airbase I've been needed for New Guniea.

China-Burma-India

The Imperial Guards Division and company, after a frantic month or so, at last escapes from Warazup. They're heading west, to consolodate around Katha, while Panzerarmee Burma blasts a route northwards, through Bhamo, to Myitkyina. The infantry and artillery is following behind in case the Chinese are defending Myitkyina in numbers too great for the tanks to deal with on their own.

Several big supply convoys are en-route to Burma with big loads, to hopefully keep the bases well stocked. There's a wealth of ripe targets in India for the taking: I've spotted a couple of bases lacking CAP, but lack of supply prevents me from conducting big bomber raids. That should change for the better now.

Once the situation stabilizes in Burma, some of the units fresh from China will take up the garrison duties of the Thai units, who'll get a posting along the India-Burma border as picket units.

Question to the Gallery

I'd love some advice on defending the Burma-India frontier. Obviously, I want to fight in the jungle as much as possible, to minimize the Allied advantage in air power. However, it seems to me that it's a difficult thing to do. Any comments would be welcome.

< Message edited by mind_messing -- 9/25/2014 5:52:57 PM >

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RE: Baking a cake... - 8/22/2014 7:35:47 PM

Bullwinkle58

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Just two comments:

NorPac is under winter rules right now. Landing is costly in disruption and building is slow. And he might want you to come back for Attu. I just took it in my game with him, and I'd like that.

Re India/Burma, watch the calendar. Indian 1943 squads start coming in pool 3/43 and they are a huge upgrade in anti-armor.

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RE: Baking a cake... - 8/22/2014 7:58:10 PM

mind_messing

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

Just two comments:

NorPac is under winter rules right now. Landing is costly in disruption and building is slow. And he might want you to come back for Attu. I just took it in my game with him, and I'd like that.

Re India/Burma, watch the calendar. Indian 1943 squads start coming in pool 3/43 and they are a huge upgrade in anti-armor.

He's not going to get what he wants in regards to Attu then. I've had my holding action in the Aleutians, that's enough for me.

The time for Japanese offensives is over. If he'd taken big losses to his carrier and surface fleet I'd make a serious consideration of a move to snap off one of his spearheads.

As it stands, I've built a nice wall in the Kuriles for the Allies to bash against. It needs more bricks and mortar in the form of IJA units, but it's enough till winter ends.

As for Burma, this theater will be a pain. Untold thousands of Chinese providing the mass, backed up by British and Indian units providing the punch. I won't win the war here, but I could lose it.

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RE: Baking a cake... - 8/22/2014 8:54:55 PM

Bullwinkle58

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quote:

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

Just two comments:

NorPac is under winter rules right now. Landing is costly in disruption and building is slow. And he might want you to come back for Attu. I just took it in my game with him, and I'd like that.

Re India/Burma, watch the calendar. Indian 1943 squads start coming in pool 3/43 and they are a huge upgrade in anti-armor.

He's not going to get what he wants in regards to Attu then. I've had my holding action in the Aleutians, that's enough for me.

The time for Japanese offensives is over. If he'd taken big losses to his carrier and surface fleet I'd make a serious consideration of a move to snap off one of his spearheads.

As it stands, I've built a nice wall in the Kuriles for the Allies to bash against. It needs more bricks and mortar in the form of IJA units, but it's enough till winter ends.

As for Burma, this theater will be a pain. Untold thousands of Chinese providing the mass, backed up by British and Indian units providing the punch. I won't win the war here, but I could lose it.

In my game with Mike I've had about 500,000 Chinese in Burma for a year at Rangoon, Pegu, and Moulmein. Have made some attacks into forts, with a lot of Brit and Indian help, and taken huge losses to Chinese. They can garrison, but they are not much help at all against cities. Burma in March 1943 is a supply game, end of story. It's interesting, but it's a slog. The jungle drives everything, and the rivers make going around through the jungle take months. Air power is useful, but so far not determinative. It's supply.

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Post #: 264

RE: Baking a cake... - 8/25/2014 3:05:32 PM

mind_messing

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

quote:

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

Just two comments:

NorPac is under winter rules right now. Landing is costly in disruption and building is slow. And he might want you to come back for Attu. I just took it in my game with him, and I'd like that.

Re India/Burma, watch the calendar. Indian 1943 squads start coming in pool 3/43 and they are a huge upgrade in anti-armor.

He's not going to get what he wants in regards to Attu then. I've had my holding action in the Aleutians, that's enough for me.

The time for Japanese offensives is over. If he'd taken big losses to his carrier and surface fleet I'd make a serious consideration of a move to snap off one of his spearheads.

As it stands, I've built a nice wall in the Kuriles for the Allies to bash against. It needs more bricks and mortar in the form of IJA units, but it's enough till winter ends.

As for Burma, this theater will be a pain. Untold thousands of Chinese providing the mass, backed up by British and Indian units providing the punch. I won't win the war here, but I could lose it.

In my game with Mike I've had about 500,000 Chinese in Burma for a year at Rangoon, Pegu, and Moulmein. Have made some attacks into forts, with a lot of Brit and Indian help, and taken huge losses to Chinese. They can garrison, but they are not much help at all against cities. Burma in March 1943 is a supply game, end of story. It's interesting, but it's a slog. The jungle drives everything, and the rivers make going around through the jungle take months. Air power is useful, but so far not determinative. It's supply.

That's encouraging. With China now under complete Japanese occupation, I've an extra 4.5k supply production per day that I can ship in towards Burma. That, and trying to keep the Allies as far away from their Indian bases as possible, should hopefully be enough to stem the Allied tide, for the time being, anyways.

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Post #: 265

RE: Baking a cake... - 8/26/2014 5:03:36 PM

mind_messing

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December 9th to December 16th, 1942

1942 is fast drawing to a close.

North Pacific

Still nothing up here other than a few Allied subs having a go at the Hokkaido resource convoys. Other than some ASW air groups, everything is stood down for some rest and training. Winter in the Kuriles must be a fun experience.

Allied shovels are working furiously on terraforming the Aleutians. Shemya Island is being developed into a big airbase at an impressive rate, so no doubt we'll be seeing some Allied 4E's based out of it before long.

Central Pacific

I've decided to juggle my deployment of aviation support around. An Air HQ on Roi-Namur will be sent to Mili, so as to maximize the use we can get from the size 4 airbase there. Roi-Namur will get an Air HQ on the replacement list in about two months, so we'll be able to keep Roi-Namur as a rear-area airbase.

After a long spell of misses, the IJN submarine fleet strikes gold, after a wolfpack closes in on a sub floatplane report of carriers north-east of Suva:

Sub attack near Wallis Island at 141,155

Japanese Ships
SS I-22

Allied Ships
CVE Copahee, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB South Dakota
CA Exeter
CL Leander
DD Barton
DD Downes
DD Reid
DD Frazier

Fuel storage explosion on CVE Copahee
SS I-22 launches 6 torpedoes at CVE Copahee
I-22 diving deep ....
DD Downes fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Reid fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Frazier fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Frazier fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Frazier fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Frazier fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Frazier fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Frazier attacking submerged sub ....
DD Frazier fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub

Sinking sounds are heard, and 15 Wildcats are reported lost on the ground! Banzai!

IJN submarines will do their best to chase down the task force, as I'd love nothing better than to put some torpedos into the South Dakota or other CVE's.

Away from the action, the first crack Japanese division leaves China for Tinian in the Marianas, with a second division destined for Rota before the end of December. 450 AV behind level 5 forts should be formidable, and I hope to supliment that with additional reinforcements over the course of 1943.

South-West Pacific

The action is focused firmly on Horn Island, where Allied bombers fly again and again into Japanese LRCAP in an effort to wipe out the Japanese units holding the island. Already a IJA paratrooper unit has been wiped out by bombing, and a Naval Guard unit is likely to go the same way. I'm moving some AA in by fast transport in an effort to attrition the Allied bomber pools, but I doubt it will make much of an impact.

The Tojo and Nick can't quite reach Horn Island from my New Guinea bases, so the bulk of bomber interception has fallen to Oscars, Zero's and Rufe's. Hardly ideal airframes, but they've made a respectable showing.

The Allies evidently want Horn Island, and I'm in no real position to stop them if they make a move on it, but I'll persist in making them pay as heavy a price for it as I can.

China-Burma-India

Another crack division is bought out for the Pacific from the forces in Burma, and is railing to Rangoon to be sent elsewhere.

Panzerarmee Burma blasts a path north and shock attacks into Myitkyina for good results while the infantry slogs behind the tankers. The British troops in Katha are surrounded, and their escape seems unlikely with more and more Japanese units concentrating around them. Considerable Chinese forces remain between Katha and Myitkyina, but they shouldn't be able to stand in the way of the overwhelming Japanese forces amassed against them.

Engineering efforts start work on improving the Andaman Islands. Port Blair is already a size 4 airbase, but work is starting now on Little Andaman to bring the airbase up to level 2, mainly to provide additional fighter support to Port Blair, as well as enable recon flights of Colombo. If I can gather a good enough garrison for Little Andaman and a decent Air HQ for Port Blair, I may develop Little Andaman to a level 4 base to make Allied moves in the Indian Ocean difficult.

Perhaps just a "jeep carrier", with plenty more to replace it, but with the Allied material advantage growing greater every month, every little helps.

< Message edited by mind_messing -- 9/25/2014 5:53:07 PM >

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Post #: 266

Locking Horns... - 8/27/2014 3:15:28 AM

mind_messing

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December 17th to December 23rd, 1942

Lokasenna updates his AAR, which means there's something coming. My response is another monster planning turn: got to be ready - whatever it is!

Plus, I like to knock him off the top of the page.

North Pacific

No change.

Central Pacific

The above mentioned HQ swap in the Marshalls is underway.

Our subs have no luck in following up their sinking of the Copahee (reported in Intel as the Nassau), so it looks like it will be back to the usual run of disapointing results.

South-West Pacific

The action is firmly centered here.

My attempt to fast transport in some AA to Horn Island is sunk by an American SCTF comprising of the battleship Nevada and the crusiers Pensacola and Vincennes.

The Allies keep up the high tempo of air raids on Horn Island, destroying whatever fragments I couldn't evacuate and leaving the island without a garrison. In essence, the Allies have cleared Horn Island with air power alone. Alls that remains for them to do now is to land and tear down the Hinomaru.

There's not much I can do to prevent it. Any garrison flown into Horn Island will be bombed out of existance, and any bid to move a substantial garrison in by sea will have to run right through hoards of Allied aircraft. I have several excellent airbases on New Guinea, and planes flying from there have made a good job of inflicting losses on Allied bomber raids, and I hope to use these same airbases to keep inflicting losses.

Once Horn Island falls, I'm in a sore spot. The Allies can start working their way westwards towards Darwin or northwards, towards Merakue, or even strike east, towards Port Moresby.

Overview of the situation. The Allies are posied to take and hold Horn Island, but the question is where do they go from there?

I'm well positioned to punish an Allied move on Horn Island. Buna, Lae, Milne Bay and Hansa Bay are all formidable airbases within striking distance of Horn Island. The Allies can only count on support from Portland Roads (4 hexes away) and Coen (6 hexes away).

Thankfully, it's not all doom and gloom. An IJA division and a Infantry group have been bought out from the Home Islands in a long-overdue PP splurge, and they'll be joining a bunch of aviation and base force units to beef up my forces in the area.

As is the norm at present, we're short on frontline troops, but there's the reserve division at Truk, plus the troops I'm secreting away for the fight for the Marianas that are at arms reach if needed.

China-Burma-India

Myitkyina is re-occupied without a fight as the Chinese flee towards the border. IJA tanks are in pursuit. Other than that, this theater is quiet.

The Allied buildup of air power in Northern Austrailia has made itself clear over Horn Island.

< Message edited by mind_messing -- 9/25/2014 5:53:13 PM >

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RE: Locking Horns... - 9/2/2014 8:16:45 PM

mind_messing

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December 24th, 1942 to January 2nd, 1943

We enter 1943!

1942 has been a good year for Japan, here's hoping 1943 will be even better!

North Pacific

The only activity is on Allied controlled Attu and Shemya Islands. Our long-range recon Judy's are keeping a close watch on the latter, as I expect to see B-24's flying from it eventually.

Central Pacific

More units are starting to arrive as reinforcements, and this is allowing me to optimize my garrisons in the Central Pacific. Naval Guard units are being moved off of frontline islands and sent to garrison rear-area bases, and they're being replaced by IJA units that have a little more staying power.

A couple of IJA Garrison units have arrived, but their withdrawal dates makes them somewhat less useful, so they're being deployed to Tarawa and Makin in the hope that an Allied landing enables them to see some action before they disapear.

South-West Pacific

Horn Island still sits empty, but the Allies make no move to flip it's ownership. On the other side of the Torres Strait, the Japanese build-up continues. A big troop convoy carrying engineers, aviation support and combat troops lands in Rabual, where most of it will remain.

More is still to come. One IJA division sits in Tokyo awaiting shipment out, while the 4th Division at Truk is awaiting the arrival of a brigade from China to free it from garrison duty and allow it to act as the strategic reserve for the Pacific.

I suspect Lokasenna is trying to force open a sea-lane to Darwin via Horn Island, so I hope to send one division to Port Moresby and a brigade to Milne Bay before the end of January to keep these bases well-defended - if the Allies want to try to send convoys through the Torres Straits, they'll need to knock out these two bases first or be forced to accept losses to their convoys.

DEI

Preparations are being cranked up in a big way. I'm planning for the worst, and assuming that the Allies get Darwin operational as a major airbase by March 1943. There's a good line of bases running both eastwards and westwards from Timor, though we're short on combat aircraft as well as on troops.

Thankfully, I scrounged up some IJN air units that converted to fighters, and they're being resized and redeployed here to boost our strength in the air. To solve the lack of troops on the ground, I'm debating redeploying a division destined for the Marianas to the Eastern DEI - the Marianas is pretty removed from the frontline, while only a few hexes of water seperates Austrailia from Timor at present.

I'm quite satisfied with Java and Sumatra at present. The only real reinforcements needed is an extra unit to garrison Oosthaven to ensure that all the Southern Sumatran coastal hexes have decent defences.

The Mini-KB is at Singapore while it's destroyers undergo their 1/43 upgrades, along with the slow battleships, and they'll likely remain here till I find a suitable use for them.

China-Burma-India

I've transfered two training units from Manchuria to China. The intention is for them to fly into Chungking and Chengtu and fly CAP as part of their training program to boost their EXP as well as to provide some protection against Allied raids against Chinese industry from Ledo.

Warazup is re-captured, but the Chinese have managed to escape. This marks the last hex in Burma, bar Akyab, that the Allies own. With the Chinese running back to the border, most of the Japanese units will be re-located to Rangoon, to keep logistics as simple as possible. Three divisions will be sent to dig in at the Moulmein-Tavoy-Mergui axis, with a fourth possibly being sent to Victoria Point. The bulk, however, will remain ready to respond to an Allied thrust from India.

Overall, the situation in Burma has went from critical to stable very quickly - I'm hoping it stays that way.

(in reply to mind_messing)

Post #: 268

The Great Milne Bay Swim - 9/5/2014 8:26:22 PM

mind_messing

Posts: 3393
Joined: 10/28/2013
Status: offline

January 2nd to January 17th, 1943

Things get interesting just into the start of 1943.

North Pacific

Cold and quiet.

Plenty of avaition units arrive as reinforcements on Hokkaido, including an Air HQ. We've got this theater covered, so the Air HQ will be redeployed, probably to the SWPAC area.

Central Pacific

The Allies have build Baker Island to a size 1 airbase, which I only found out after my Betties dediced to sortie into the CAP provided by it.

I've bought out a division from the Home Islands to use as a garrison in this region, but I'm unsure exactly where it would do the most good. Currently Mili is the prime candidate, as it allows me to move the 210 AV 13th Ind. Mixed Brigade (IMB) to another island, probably Tarawa. This would leave the island with about 550 AV behind level 5 forts.

Overkill? Possibly, but it's one of the best (if not the best) bit of real-estate in the Marshalls.

As an added bonus, the 13th Brigade can combine with another brigade to form a division in about 130 days.

Rough overview of the Marshalls redoubts.

Red - bases with air HQ's
Purple - Bases that have good defences but no CD guns
White - Bases that have good defences and CD guns.

Tarawa is looking like a strong position, with three naval guards (one with CD guns) behind level four forts for a total of 200 AV. The 13th IMB would bump this up to about 410 AV, and when the 13th Brigade forms the 65th Division that will be well over 500 AV on Tarawa, at which point I'll move some Naval Guards around to keep some depth to the defence.

Makin is the weak link at present, with no CD guns and only about 250 AV behind level 3 forts. I intend to scrounge a Naval Guard or an IJA brigade from somewhere over the next few months to bring this base to over 300 AV.

Wotje is as capable as it's 6k stacking limit enables me to make it, as it has an Air HQ, CD guns and 100 AV behind level 4 (halfway to 5) forts.

The Gilberts.

Taibutieua has two IMBs, the Wake CD gun unit, some AA and some arty, as well as an Air HQ unit. In total, 450 AV behind level 5 forts. I'm debating scrounging a division from somewhere to replace those two IMB's, just for more flexibility, but there's more pressing concerns elsewhere.

In the air, I've 3 Sentai's of Netties and a Sentai of Kate's, as well as two Sentai's of Zero's, plus another four or five a transfer flight away.

Events elsewhere are causing me some concern for this theater.

South-West Pacific

As is usual, all the action is reserved for SWPAC.

Horn Island is still in Japanese hands, despite the absence of any defenders. I've been moving reinforcements into this theater slowly since the Allies started building up NE Oz, but in recent weeks I've made this theater a priority for reinforcements.

The Allies have made a big effort to shut down Milne Bay, with a crusier bombardment being followed by several bomber attacks from North-Eastern OZ. In response, I try to move the 9th IMB into Milne Bay to boost the rather disapointing garrison. The Allies, however, have a different plan, sending a big crusier force.

They run right into the covering force:

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Jan 11, 43
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Milne Bay at 101,133, Range 7,000 Yards

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
E13A1 Jake: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
SOC-1 Seagull: 3 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CA Kinugasa, Shell hits 31, and is sunk
DD Onami, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Oshio
DD Michishio

Allied Ships
CA Pensacola, Shell hits 1
CA Minneapolis, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA San Francisco
CA Quincy, Shell hits 3, on fire
CA Vincennes, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
CL Perth
CL Nashville
DD Grayson, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Benham, Shell hits 1
DD Sterett
DD Norman, Shell hits 2

Reduced sighting due to 25% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions and 25% moonlight: 8,000 yards
Range closes to 23,000 yards...
Range closes to 17,000 yards...
Range closes to 11,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 7,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 7,000 yards
Sawa, Masao crosses the 'T'
Range closes to 3,000 yards

...and then get through to the transports:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Milne Bay at 101,133, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DMS W-22, Shell hits 30, and is sunk
xAP Brazil Maru, Shell hits 4
xAP Kokuryu Maru, Shell hits 8, on fire
xAP Huso Maru, Shell hits 17, and is sunk
xAP Teikyo Maru, Shell hits 13, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Teika Maru
xAP Teison Maru

Allied Ships
CA Pensacola
CA San Francisco, Shell hits 6
CA Quincy, on fire
CL Perth
CL Nashville
DD Benham
DD Sterett
DD Norman, on fire

Japanese ground losses:
1840 casualties reported
Squads: 25 destroyed, 66 disabled
Non Combat: 49 destroyed, 36 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 14 (10 destroyed, 4 disabled)

To be fair, I can't actually complain. To avoid the Allied radar advantage, cross their T and get within 3000 yards is no mean feat for the IJN in 1943.

In spite of this, I manage to salvage the situation to a decent degree. Thankfully, the Kinugasa and her destroyers took some American ships with them, and the 9th IMB managed to off-load at Buna, where it will march over-land to join in the defence of Port Moresby.

On top of some aggressive moves by the Allies in the air and at sea, patrol planes catch sight of what I assume to be escort carriers operating in the Coral Sea. Something's afoot, that much is clear.

The focus of the action at present is on Papua in general and Milne Bay in particular.

The 53rd Division is currently waiting in Tokyo for a convoy to assemble. Once the ships are in place, I intend to land it at Milne Bay, with the IJN out in force to provide cover. Following that, the 4th Division at Truk will be sent to Buna and march to Port Moresby overland, replacing the Guards Mixed Brigade, which will probably be sent to Rabual in anticipation of the compments arriving to allow the formation of the 1st Guards Division.

The 4th IMB has been bought out from China and is destined to garrison Truk. It's another unit that can form a division in a couple of months, but it's TOE is fairly typical of a "China Division" - lots of infantry, but hardly any artillery and no tanks. In other words, a unit that won't be missed if it spends the war manning pillboxes and bunkers on Truk.

In short, current plans involve a big dance of LCU's to put divisions on frontline bases and smaller units in rear-area bases.

When I stare at the map, it looks like the old Portland Roads - Port Moresby - Milne Bay line of advance. If that's the case, excellent - I've the AV, the aircraft and the divisions to turn it into a meat-grinder.

What is causing me to doubt my judgement is that there's been little action over in the Eastern Solomons. Bar the odd night raid from the Allies, there's been no action at all.

As old Albert once said - sooner or later, time will tell...

China-Burma-India

Currently counting down the days till some of the collaborationist units expand their TOE's. With the added AV, I hope to be able to free up a few more IJA units, mostly for the DEI.

Burma is firmly in Japanese hands, with the only combat between straggling British and Chinese units.

To keep things interesting, I'm mounting a recon-in-force into India with a half-dozen divisions. The border bases are very weakly held, so hopefully I can trash a few units and get a chance to earn some cheap VP's at little expense.

Submarine Warfare

Lokasenna's subs have had a good 1943! In 18 days, they've sunk two tankers and an oiler, as well as another four merchantmen of various types. My response is pretty drastic - every convoy running the Singers-HI route is now on a coastal routing. What idle ASW-capable ships I have dotted around the map are being sent out as hunter-killer groups, and the IJA ASW squadrons are at last being put to use.

I take part of the blame. Lokasenna used his USN submarines almost exclusively in the fleet role for 1942, and that's led me to become complacent regarding convoy defence. Now that his torpedos work, he's out for the lifeblood of the economy!

< Message edited by mind_messing -- 9/25/2014 5:53:26 PM >

(in reply to mind_messing)

Post #: 269

RE: The Great Milne Bay Swim - 9/5/2014 9:55:38 PM

Lowpe

Posts: 22133
Joined: 2/25/2013
Status: offline

In the Marshalls, don't forget the dot base Ailinglaplap where you have something. 30K sl. Makes for a good supporting base smack in the middle.

Mili is nice because the CD can pack a punch if not bombed into oblivion.

(in reply to mind_messing)

Post #: 270