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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> After Action Reports >> RE: Burma Bungle!

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/3/2014 10:33:19 PM

Lowpe

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

I'd also look out during any fleet engagements. He could just have decided to give up on hitting your bases, and instead decided that he wants to swarm your fleet during battles.
quote:

This has the ring of truth and would coincide with his first major major counteroffensive using new toys. I am sure he wants my carriers...

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 11:11:22 AM

Lowpe

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May 20th, 1943

Tokyo:

Admiral Yamamoto, immaculate in his white dress uniform complete down to his white gloves, which covered his honor wound from so long ago, listened to the Army officer give another glowing report on the victories in China while he looked at the trees beginning to bloom in the courtyard below. Blossoms. Tokyo in the springtime.

�Admiral?� General Terauchi said again, for the third time, �Do you not think this is now the time to launch operation �Rising Sun? We are victorious everywhere, and need Ceylon to forestall any attacks from the pitiful British. It will make a wonderful Naval Base. Yes?�

�I think the leaves are beginning to fall.�

�What silliness is this Admiral! It is May, the tress are only now showing their full promise.�

�Winter will be here very soon, and it will be a hard winter. � And then softer,
�very hard.�

�Admiral, cease these ruminations on the weather and let us return to the cold hard facts of this war that we are so clearly winning!. We need to plan our next offensive to bring glory to the Emperor!�

Yamamoto left the window, returned to his seat and nodded his head to his aide, who promptly started distributing several reports. The aide informed that these are the latest reports from Burma.

�General, we must seek an immediate negotiated peace!.� Yamamoto almost sighed, he spoke it so softly for now the Army would redouble their efforts to end him.

�You are a defeatist Admiral� roared Terauchi.

�You misunderstand me, General. This is the decisive battle and when we win the time will be ripe for a negotiated peace to assure our gains.� Yamamoto words were steely and hard, and Terauchi could not long look into his eyes, which was a good thing, because there deep in the Admiral�s eyes were a field of seeds growing�seeds of doubt and foreboding.

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 11:16:01 AM

Lowpe

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The storm approaches!

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 11:28:35 AM

JocMeister

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 11:28:57 AM

Lowpe

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"The Gulf of Siam" Captain Hattori thought to himself. At least the fleet wasn't still at Kavieng.

"Sir, we haven't finished bringing aboard all the new torpedo bombers."

"No matter...time is of the essence. The Shokaku must be ready to leave with the rest. We will not be late." Hattori felt this deep in his bones, in his right hand an emergency flash directive from the Admiral...Hattori was reflexively crumpling it.

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 11:35:57 AM

Lowpe

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The alarm was sounded, another practice, and once again the crack 21st Division exceeded all expectations. "Not surprising," thought General Tanaka from his observation post, hero of Broome and Java. These men had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat too many times to falter now.

Moulmein was ready. But points south? Hm...would the Navy get here in time?

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 12:39:51 PM

Lowpe

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Not much happened in the turn: Allied bombers did a half hearted night bombing on Uttardit which the KAI Dinah negated; and then some Lightnings swept Roi which had a few Zeroes shot down.

I did lose an xak to a submarine near Ternate. Destroyers punished two or three American submarines.

In pondering the Burma report, which has gotten Admiral Yamamoto so excited, I feel that the most likely outcome is a naval invasion of Ramree although he is not bombing the troops there yet. He did bomb the airfield several days ago. I have flown out splinters of most units there. I feel this way since his search and recon is so weak down past Moulmein.

However, since I am almost always wrong, we will assume the worst an invasion of Tavoy, too.

Now the question is do I strike now...or wait a day?

< Message edited by Lowpe -- 10/4/2014 1:42:54 PM >

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 2:07:26 PM

PaxMondo

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 2:15:51 PM

Lowpe

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Doctor X snored himself awake. Startled, and blurry, he looked at his surroundings. Ah, yes, in the lab. Asleep in the lab again. He grabbed his coke bottle glasses and inspected the drawings he had been working on. Er, sleeping on.

They were disfigured. He had drooled on them...but, upon looking closer, the shape was intriguing. Yes, if the nozzle was shaped like that then the efficiency of the chamber could be increased...Yes, Yes, Yes!

Of such small things are breakthrough made. The Toko rocket advances again.

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 2:27:34 PM

Lowpe

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Singapore:

Warrant Officer Oichi looked at the crates. Hundreds of them all labelled. His mechanics were busy sorting and organizing before the hard work of assembly began.

"Will they be ready in time?" the Captain asked. "We might have to fly at a moments notice!"

"I simply do not know, Captain. We have never assembled these before. The G4M3A is new to us. It looks like parts are missing. Something goes here and I do not know what it is" Oichi responded showing the Captain some diagrams.

"No doubt a future enhancement, Oichi. Now do your best. Let me know as soon as one is fully assembled. I will be at the hotel. They serve such wonderful drinks there and I will buy you one when the squadron is ready!"

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 2:37:46 PM

Lowpe

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Captain Takayanagi looked over his task force and smiled. This was Japan's secret weapons steaming to war.

They had fired their guns in anger only a few times: bombarding Soerabaja, the Americans in the Kuriles and sinking the British light cruisers in the Bay of Bengal. But now, the Yamato was joined by her sister ship Musashi and together they would be unstoppable.

It was too bad the Prince of Wales was in drydock for Takayanagi wanted to cross swords with that one. But there were reports of newer American battleships out and about. They would have to do.

Now to avoid the American submarines and arrive in time for battle!

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 6:27:53 PM

Lowpe

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May 21, 1943

Tokyo

The Admiral signed off on the attack orders. He had waited a day, not because he wasn't ready, but to watch and observe. The dispatches were quickly encoded and transmitted for Moulmein and points west. Tomorrow would be the day...

The Admiral then glanced at a routine report from a destroyer near Singapore. Engaged an American submarine on the surface. Well, pretty quiet for today then, but tomorrow the die had been thrown.

Hm., a gambling analogy. Sounds like just the thing to pass the time with.

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 6:37:42 PM

Lowpe

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TOP SECRET: FLASH: Target Akyab! Most urgent!

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 6:42:06 PM

Lowpe

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In other news around the Empire:

Allies bomb Kusaie catching some Emilies on the ground, damaging them.

Uttardit is bombed at night again, heavier, and two Zeroes are lost on the ground. I need more AA there, the coverage is light, but once again the KAI Dinah rises to the challenge disrupting every single attack.

Nauru: American ships try to clear the minefields are hit by mines and coastal guns. Sinking sounds heard, but no survivors washed up on shore.

< Message edited by Lowpe -- 10/4/2014 7:42:42 PM >

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 6:46:37 PM

Lowpe

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This exercise in Burma has shown me that I am woefully short fighter escorts. I am not all that low on fighters anymore, thanks to avoiding Allied sweeps for almost 2 months, but I simply don't have enough escorts to guide the planes in, especially when I have to break the attack down among many fields.

I will step up my plans to convert bomber squadrons to fighter bombers and eat the hefty 270 point conversion cost. No choice really...

I have had to hold back more than 70% of my strike bombers from attacking in Burma for lack of fighter escorts.

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 6:48:18 PM

JocMeister

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Good luck Lowpe!

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 7:26:33 PM

Lowpe

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quote:

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Good luck Lowpe!

Thanks, flying offensive missions in the monsoon with advance weather off -- I need all the luck I can get. However, all the bases I am flying from don't say Monsoon on the bottom.

If I timed this right, my planes might hit his ships either at Ramree or over the water.

I carefully set distance to not hit the BB fleet at Chittagong unless they move south. Every recon plane of Chittagong has been shot down.

Correction on my bomber count; I sent 100 Betties in.

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 10:26:52 PM

Lowpe

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May 23, 1943

A few night attacks again on Uttardit. No lasting damage.

Dawn breaks, and scouting reports show the Allied Battleship fleet of death moving down to Akyab. The order is given fly, fly.

And die, die! All strikes from the four different bases go in separately, not unexpected, but the enemy has bolstered their CAP too.

The Kates are the first to arrive over the target and the escorting fighters (67) are simply to few.

Vals show up next, and only 38 escorting fighters sortie with them. They are brave though, and penetrate the fighter screen scoring a hit on an xak.

The Betties show third, and with the longest way to fly, they have the fewest escorts. A second group of Betties try to go in unescorted with predictable results.

In the Afternoon the Vals try again, followed by the Lilly IIb, whose fighters (some 70) sweep ahead and despite fearsome losses at least a few Lillis make bombing runs.

140 Allied fighters inflict a blood bath on the combined IJAAF and IJNAF.

Subs prowl the waters around Akyab trying to rescue flight crews, and one of the subs put a torpedo into the previously damaged xak sinking her. An expensive ship.

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 10:31:30 PM

topeverest

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Looks like the opponent is quite versed in base defense. Need to do much more sweeping if this kind of attack has any chance. That said, you are at the part of the game where it gets very tough to do exactly what you are trying to do.

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 10:31:55 PM

Lowpe

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Setback. If I would have flown the day previously I would have faced on 50 enemy fighters. Ah well.

During the rest of the day the Allies bomb Rangoon.

Ok any guesses on where the fleet is going? Ramree? Rangoon? Moulmein? Tavoy? Mergui? Victoria Point?

Emergency exit Burma plan initiated! Rebuild the air force...I still have plenty of bombers (Betty, Val, Kates, Lilly IIb) left to throw at them...but it looks like I need 300 fighters to penetrate the CAP.

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 11:07:52 PM

PaxMondo

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

...but it looks like I need 300 fighters to penetrate the CAP.

or more ...

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/4/2014 11:55:32 PM

obvert

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Setback. If I would have flown the day previously I would have faced on 50 enemy fighters. Ah well.

During the rest of the day the Allies bomb Rangoon.

Ok any guesses on where the fleet is going? Ramree? Rangoon? Moulmein? Tavoy? Mergui? Victoria Point?

Emergency exit Burma plan initiated! Rebuild the air force...I still have plenty of bombers (Betty, Val, Kates, Lilly IIb) left to throw at them...but it looks like I need 300 fighters to penetrate the CAP.

As the war moves on the Allied defenses become much stronger between flak and fighters on CAP. It isn't possible to simply turn things on and exect them to get through anymore. You have to work the base a bit first. Sweeping even one day may cut the CAP in half, even if you suffer worse losses, especially in a base like this with no rail. You should be able to nullify Akyab once you wear down the defenders for a few days as the P-40s at least are service level 2.

Jab, jab jab ... right hook.

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/5/2014 1:18:14 AM

Lowpe

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quote:

ORIGINAL: obvert
Jab, jab jab ... right hook.

Thanks...the problem I find myself having is exceptionally limited intelligence in what the Allies plans are.

Is that 10 ship BB group contain troop transports or is it a very heavy shore bombardment task force for Rangoon or both? I have no clue as to what or how large it is. I know there are BB, CA, DD if I assume he has combined his two task forces.

So I guess I have to assume the worst and it is a huge task force looking to land at Tavoy in 3-4 days time. Which means I pretty much have to press the panic button all across Burma which I have done. But if it is Tavoy, and he relies upon LR CAP I have a chance yet to stop him with air and naval assets.

I still have 400 (100 fresh) fighters in the theater and probably 400 bombers (300 are fresh). Bangkok, Uttardit and Pisanuloke as big bases to base attacks against an invasion fleet which from what I can tell would only have long range CAP to contend with as there are no carriers spotted anywhere.

I guess I will need to send some ships in just to figure out what is there...and plan for the absolute worst.

I expect the big battleship task force to head south 6-9 hexes. I just can't see it as an invasion for Ramree, so that leaves Rangoon and Moulmein as being likely targets for the following day.

Moulmein will be overflowing with troops in two days, and has 500 AV with good forts there now so I don't think it is the point of attack. He could land troops at Rangoon and bombard heavily with the BBs seeking to break the line there and benefit from in hex CAP. So I guess 2 days I will know if it is either Ramree, Rangoon or Moulmein.

Three to four days for Tavoy and more for points further south which seems unlikely.

< Message edited by Lowpe -- 10/5/2014 2:19:20 AM >

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/5/2014 1:21:21 AM

Lowpe

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China: Another good attack, but time is running out...

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/5/2014 3:35:51 AM

PaxMondo

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

...the problem I find myself having is exceptionally limited intelligence in what the Allies plans are.

I invest a lot of time, effort, and as much HI as possible into Recon and Patrol .... Dinah III and the 2nd Nel are my best friends ...

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/5/2014 8:56:04 AM

obvert

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

quote:

ORIGINAL: obvert
Jab, jab jab ... right hook.

Thanks...the problem I find myself having is exceptionally limited intelligence in what the Allies plans are.

Is that 10 ship BB group contain troop transports or is it a very heavy shore bombardment task force for Rangoon or both? I have no clue as to what or how large it is. I know there are BB, CA, DD if I assume he has combined his two task forces.

So I guess I have to assume the worst and it is a huge task force looking to land at Tavoy in 3-4 days time. Which means I pretty much have to press the panic button all across Burma which I have done. But if it is Tavoy, and he relies upon LR CAP I have a chance yet to stop him with air and naval assets.

I still have 400 (100 fresh) fighters in the theater and probably 400 bombers (300 are fresh). Bangkok, Uttardit and Pisanuloke as big bases to base attacks against an invasion fleet which from what I can tell would only have long range CAP to contend with as there are no carriers spotted anywhere.

I guess I will need to send some ships in just to figure out what is there...and plan for the absolute worst.

I expect the big battleship task force to head south 6-9 hexes. I just can't see it as an invasion for Ramree, so that leaves Rangoon and Moulmein as being likely targets for the following day.

Moulmein will be overflowing with troops in two days, and has 500 AV with good forts there now so I don't think it is the point of attack. He could land troops at Rangoon and bombard heavily with the BBs seeking to break the line there and benefit from in hex CAP. So I guess 2 days I will know if it is either Ramree, Rangoon or Moulmein.

Three to four days for Tavoy and more for points further south which seems unlikely.

Strategically, if you don't know what he's doing, try to present yourself with several possibilities and then begin to align them from most to least probable. I've gotten caught too many times assuming I know what my opponent is up to after going with my first instinct and then getting smacked with something completely different.

What else could he be doing? Do you have to act on what he's doing now or can you wait and see what happens? What that you can do now will help you to be able to react more effectively if he does move in? How can you make him perceive that you have defenses in place where you do not?

Remember the Allied recon is slightly better at each point than yours, but he has fewer recon planes and can't see everything either. Look at what has DL on it turn after turn, or what he was looking at consistently for a while and has stopped looking at now. What can you look at that will freak him out and make him think you've got something up your sleeve?

The psychology of the game ramps up the farther you get into it. Play with that in mind and learn to use it to your benefit. If you want examples search anything by Nemo, but also Canoerebel, Cribtop, rader, PzB, and GreyJoy. Actually koniu is ding this really well in his current game. There are many others but those are the first that come to mind who I felt used this kind thinking in their game. Actually, also Jockemeister against me, (

) having now read some of his AAR, mused about these things a lot.

On top of all that, turn on everything to search and light up the whole gulf of India for a few days to really see what's happening. You've got the LR tools. Even take a quick look at deep ports like Colombo and Madras to see if something is staging there.

< Message edited by obvert -- 10/5/2014 9:59:11 AM >

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/5/2014 12:56:51 PM

Lowpe

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Thanks guys!

I don't think it is my naval search falling down. My recon does when they don't fly because of the weather, but for the most part I think my search is good. There are still 100 units Akyab and south; for example.

However, it is the size 10 task forces detected. I have spotted two of the for the last 3 days; now there is one. Some ships got transferred into the port at Akyab, but other than that I don't know what makes up the fleet -- especially if it has troop transports.

I don't have this problem over in the Marshalls, where the Allies are operating with less than 10 ship task forces...but here in the Bay of Bengal I am quite confused.

I set two squadrons on night attack...I am not expecting any hits, but perhaps more information.

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/5/2014 1:12:59 PM

Lowpe

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This turn I initiated the Burma evacuation stage 1 alert. Pulling everything back from Prome; reinforcing Rangoon with troops from north of Rangoon while the Prome forces flow into that hex; eighty percent of the north Burma forces are going into SR for a mass move potentially to Moulmein while other will hold the river line at Magwe and potentially fall back to Lashio Tuang Gyi and long, long road back to Indochina.

I am preparing for another aerial strike in case he does have an invasion fleet heading for Tavoy. A reserve division left Singers for points north on trains today; the IJN is moving into position; closely examining all enemy search patterns; I beefed up search even more...

I am expecting attacks at two places at once...Marshalls and Indochina. In the Indochina I think he will use his BB fleet backed up by land based air, and in the Marshalls he will use his CVs, 1 BB, and cruisers.

It would be nice if it were simply an amphibious invasion of Ramree instead! Anyway, I don't have naval superiority in the Bay of Bengal anymore so it is time to evacuate most of Burma to prevent the IJA from getting cut off.

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/5/2014 2:11:19 PM

ny59giants

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Intel & Recon: As Japan, you have better recon asset until mid-44 when the F-5E comes out in numbers for the Americans. The Allies have better Intel. I would try some 20 to 30% Rest for my air groups on long range or extended range Naval Search or Recon missions. This will cut down on op losses and indirectly keep you best pilots alive. For some groups, I have 20% Rest and Training. This allows pilots to steadily train up and keeps the most fatigued planes grounded. Many players look at just Pilots and their skills. I often look at my Planes to see how much Fatigue they have.

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RE: Burma Bungle! - 10/5/2014 2:33:02 PM

Lowpe

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quote:

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Intel & Recon: As Japan, you have better recon asset until mid-44 when the F-5E comes out in numbers for the Americans. The Allies have better Intel. I would try some 20 to 30% Rest for my air groups on long range or extended range Naval Search or Recon missions. This will cut down on op losses and indirectly keep you best pilots alive. For some groups, I have 20% Rest and Training. This allows pilots to steadily train up and keeps the most fatigued planes grounded. Many players look at just Pilots and their skills. I often look at my Planes to see how much Fatigue they have.

Hmmm, I am using 40-50 percent rest, avoid extended range for all but the Judy Recon (and what few Irv recons I have). Emilies I usually use an even higher rest percentage.

My loss of recon planes is usually flying into heavily CAPed bases....

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