RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Warplan Pacific >> After Action Reports >> RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943

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RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 9/18/2021 6:37:31 AM

ncc1701e

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Nice to see you back in action.

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Post #: 31

RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 9/18/2021 1:17:36 PM

YueJin

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Allies-March 14th/April 11th, 1943

In a surprising move, the IJN strikes the destroyer groups blockading Manus, sinking two of them. The US Navy is slightly out of position to counterstrike as we didn't expect the Japanese to be so bold as to risk their last naval power here. Land based fighters from Rabaul and Kavieng clear a lot of the carriers air wing out of the way to allow our carriers to try and catch the Japanese on the retreat. The battle turns out much more evenly than expected with the CVL Ryujo and CA Furutaka being sunk caught and sunk by dive bombers but tragically, a single torpedo from a weak Japanese counterstrike finds the CV Wasp and she is scuttled later that day.

Still, even the inconclusive nature of this engagement is a good outcome for the Allies. This turn an additional two CV's, a CVL and a BB arrived at Los Angeles (one of which has been hastily rechristened Wasp II) to allow two full carrier groups to operate in the Pacific now and the damage to Japanese air wings, battleships and infantry forces cannot be repaired easily.

Anglo-Indian forces are largely exhausted, at the end of a long supply line and with the monsoon season soon arriving in Burma, may have to wait for landing craft to arrive to continue the push into South-East Asia.

In better news though, the Chinese army has recaptured the island of Hainan taking control of the coal mines from the Japanese further weakening their production capability. The weather will soon clear in Central China allowing for a renewed offensive by Communist and Nationalist forces across the country.

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Post #: 32

RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 9/19/2021 12:26:41 AM

YueJin

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Allies-April 11th/May 9th, 1943

With the weather clearing over China, the summer offensive of 1943 is underway. Small breakthroughs are made against the weaker Japanese divisions including a river of the Yangtze. Shanghai and Nanking are the primary objectives for this year as well as inflicting constant casualties on the Japanese to ensure they cannot spare production repairing or producing new naval or air forces.

Further south, the enemy position must be even weaker than expected as they abandon Rangoon, allowing imperial forces to recapture the vital port. Not only will this allow supply for further penetration into Thailand, but the Burma road will also be reopened providing even more power to the Chinese offensive.

In the Central Pacific, Truk, Guam and the Palu islands are blockaded in the hope that either the surviving Japanese navy will attempt to destroy the blockaders or a small force will be able to land and overrun the starving defenders.

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Post #: 33

RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 9/19/2021 7:20:11 AM

ncc1701e

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Are you sure you can do a port blockade in Guam and Truk with planes on top of them?
This is more port supply interdiction here. Maybe I am not well understanding the rules yet.

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You don't trust me, do you? I don't blame you. If there is to be a brave new world, our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it.

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Post #: 34

RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 9/19/2021 8:01:20 AM

YueJin

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Yup, the only thing that stops blockades is having your own naval group adjacent to the port as well in the current build. Maybe something's changed in the beta.

Here you can see a single submarine group putting Guam and Saipan out of supply even with air units on both.

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Post #: 35

RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 9/22/2021 5:39:28 PM

YueJin

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Allies-May 9th/ May 23rd, 1943

The landings at New Guinea are slated to begin at the end of March. To soften up the defenders around Lae and Port Moresby a small British force secures several beaches ahead of American army. Moving a huge concentration of AA guns into Rabaul pays off as an ambitious bombing raid leads to the destruction of an entire Japanese air division. With three wings of 1944 tech escort fighters now available, Japanese air power should be heavily limited in effectiveness.

The Chinese offensive begins in earnest with Communist forces advancing to Xi'an whilst the Nationalist armies in the south continue crossing the Yangtze and attempt to encircle two Japanese armies around Nanchang. Only four Japanese armies have been identified in China and several divisions are already on the verge of collapse. Breaking through to Shanghai this year seems a possibility.

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Post #: 36

RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 9/24/2021 4:22:47 PM

YueJin

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Allies-May 23rd/June 6th, 1943

Disaster at New Guinea, as not only does the wet weather set back the capture of Lae, but the CA Salt Lake City and BB's Indiana and South Dakota are sunk by the Japanese air force flying from Wewak and Jayapura. The Japanese pilots suffer heavily for their success, taking 25 points of damage from anti air fire from the ships and the air superiority fighters at Rabaul and Kavieng. Combined with the losses in China it seems doubtful that they can recover to repeat this feat next turn and with any luck, Lae should fall even if the rain continues, giving us the foothold needed to quickly wrap up the New Guinea campaign and turn our sights onto the Philippines and Marianas Islands by the end of the year.

Seven destroyer and cruiser groups are in production to reduce our reliance on the battleships but it will be some times before the burden can be lifted off of the heavy ships.

In China, the Japanese are evacuating their positions south of the Yangtze entirely and seem to be attempting to reform their lines around Nanking. In the short term, Chinese objectives are to recapture the cities of Anking, Hefei and Sinyang which will allow for either a further thrust north to dislodge the enemy around Xi'an or a pivot east to the resource rich Nanking and Shanghai.

< Message edited by YueJin -- 9/24/2021 4:24:44 PM >

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Post #: 37

RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 9/27/2021 10:13:39 PM

YueJin

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Allies-June 6th/June 20th, 1943

Our blockading forces take a pummelling again as two submarine groups and a destroyer group are sunk by Japanese airpower. Once again, the Japanese take over 15 air losses for their successes, even victory further weakens Japan now.

The remaining Japanese carriers and their escorting battleships move to relieve Truk by sinking the destroyer group blockading the island. This leaves it wide open to attack from the twelve American fleet and light carriers within striking distance, as well as the escort fighters (1944 tech) from the Solomons. The sweeps from the land based fighters clear out 13 strength of Japanese naval air before the two carrier groups arrive to press the attack. Frustratingly, the American pilots are ambushed from above on their way into attack the enemy carriers and can only sink the fast battleship Kongo and inflict minor damage on other ships. The second strike is slightly more effective with bombers finding and sinking the CVL Zuiho as well as crippling the Ise and Yamato.

Unfortunately, the rain allows the Japanese to escape the main American CV fleet which fails to locate their damaged opponents. As such, the Japanese live to fight one more engagement with their ever dwindling naval resources.

The front in Southern China continues to disintegrate at a rapid pace. Japanese forces are forced to fall back or become enveloped by the veteran Chinese armies. Morale is high and soldiers have been told they will be participating in the liberation of Shanghai and Nanjing by Christmas with the invaders being repelled from the country by 1944.

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Post #: 38

RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 9/27/2021 10:16:02 PM

YueJin

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Allies- June 20th/July 18th, 1943

The incessant rain falling over the Pacific Ocean has forced the progress on New Guinea to a snails pace and delayed the capture of the naval base at Truk. These hold ups have called into question the ability of American forces to secure the Philippines, Marianas and Bonin islands by the end of the year. Lae and Port Moresby have been secured though and the second wave of Australian troops landed to push onto Jayapura. Once clear weather arrives, the end is in sight on New Guinea.

In Burma, African and Indian troops supplied with bridging equipment and supported by dive bombers prepare to cross the Salween river into Thailand. An Indian division has also landed at Port Blair to support potential operations on the Malay peninsular.

In China, the historic city of Xi'an is recaptured and troops advance within touching distance of Shanghai and Nanjing. A small skirmish even breaks out in the suburbs of Shanghai by overeager local commanders desperate to win the honour of liberating the city. The Japanese will likely withdraw to the mighty Yellow river and attempt to dig in for the winter. If this last natural barrier could be overcome, even Peking could be in our sights by 1944.

< Message edited by YueJin -- 10/1/2021 4:00:40 PM >

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Post #: 39

RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 10/10/2021 12:26:06 PM

YueJin

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Allies- July 18th/August 29th, 1943

The end of the war is approaching as Japanese forces retreat on all fronts.

In the Pacific, New Guinea has been secured as well as Guam and Truk, leaving the Japanese with no major bases left in this area of operations.

The Chinese continue the rapid reclamation of their country, liberating the old capital of Nanjing and trapping Japanese armies in Canton and Shanghai. American troops have also landed on Formosa bypassing the Philippines as the island will be used to assist the operation to take Okinawa.

There is little resistance facing British and Indian troops in South-East Asia and the fall of Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore is inevitable.

The four remaining objectives for the Allied forces in 1943 are the Bonin islands and the port of Busan in Korea. The capture of these locations would enable an invasion of mainland Japan in 1944. The home islands have been heavily fortified with all remaining Japanese airpower and the majority of their field armies stationed there so even with complete naval superiority casualties will likely be heavy.

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RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 10/10/2021 1:26:45 PM

EwaldvonKleist

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What do you gain by using troops to capture Vietnam/Singapore etc. since the territory is cut off from the Japanese mainland now? Do you get victory points for Singapore etc? Or is there simply no other use for these troops atm? Can they move into China?

From an armchair general perspective it seems like the only significant tasks are invasion of the home islands and retaking of China now.

< Message edited by EwaldvonKleist -- 10/10/2021 1:29:27 PM >

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RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 10/10/2021 1:54:55 PM

YueJin

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The Indian/British troops can't enter Chinese territory as they're a non-cooperative ally and UK transport capacity is very limited still so they might as well wrap up the capture of South-East Asia. There's a couple of Japanese divisions it would be nice to stop evacuating to the Home Islands, getting bombers in range of Canton and Hanoi to help the Chinese would be useful and taking Singapore reopens the strait for quicker movement of any new British ships. Saigon, Hanoi and Singapore are also VP hexes but definitely non-critical tasks though. Korea is a far more important objective as taking that cripples Japan's industry, sets up for the HI invasion and can bring the Soviets into the war sooner.

Once I got the decisive carrier engagement at the end of 1942 the plan was always to try and invade Japan itself in 1944.

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Post #: 42

RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 10/11/2021 4:26:38 PM

YueJin

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Allies- July 18th/September 12th, 1943

The Japanese fleet makes its final stand attempting to relieve the defenders of Formosa. 16 American CV/CVL's are positioned within striking distance and move in for what will likely be the final naval battle of the war. Although the Japanese have only light carriers remaining as their strike force, their resistance is ferocious and the carriers Bon Homme Richard, Saratoga and Monterey are sunk. Eventually though, the overwhelming number of American carrier aircraft break through the Japanese fighters and flak, sinking two CVL groups, four battleships, a heavy cruiser and three destroyer groups. Although casualties were heavier than hoped for, this should break the back of the IJN at last.

< Message edited by YueJin -- 10/11/2021 4:27:13 PM >

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RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 10/13/2021 4:55:30 PM

CrackingShow

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Just started reading this.

The big wins in AUS/IND were because of Axis overextension. The only value he got from being so pushed in India was occupying Ledo, maybe it would have been wiser to accept that he's not pushing on to Delhi and just fall back to a more defensible line.

Similar issue in AUS. I think if you don't kill AUS fairly quickly you just want to pull out, its so easy for the Allies to come around behind you and cut you off. All the supply comes from a string of ports that are so easy to interdict.

Great game! You are a scary player!

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Post #: 44

RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 10/28/2021 11:28:02 PM

YueJin

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Allies- September 12th/May 21st, 1944

After a fairly quiet winter and spring where the Allied forces were occupied taking the Bonin islands and Okinawa, the snow and rain has finally cleared from the Japanese Home Islands and the greatest operation in human history has commenced. Operation Downfall appeared to face an almost impossible task with thousands of Japanese fighter and bomber aircraft still operational and almost every port defended by an army sized formation. However, thanks to signals intelligence one weak link was found, the port of Aomori in Northern Honshu. Escorted by almost the entire US Navy, three corps are launched onto the island securing the port with minimal casualties thanks to the firepower of the battleships and aircraft from nearly 20 carriers and long range fighters from Iwo and Chichi Jima inflicting horrific losses on the Japanese air force.

At the same time, an ancillary operation to capture Japanese sources of rare materials vital to the war effort is underway in Korea. A marine division and two corps land at the port of Incheon and reinforcements from the British and Indian armies will soon arrive to assist in securing the peninsular.

In mainland China, Peking is the last remaining city in Japanese hands and the Chinese armies will soon break out into the plains of Manchuria, a move likely to convince the Russians that final victory in the Pacific is inevitable bringing them into the war to strengthen their hand at the peace treaty.

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Post #: 45

RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 10/30/2021 11:09:19 AM

YueJin

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Allies- May 21st/June 18th, 1944

Progress in the first weeks of the invasion of Japan has been promising. The port of Hakodate on the Northern island of Hokkaido has been captured and the Royal Navy is blockading the remaining ports which should allow for a rapid takeover of the rest of the island. More ports will allow our armour and more air units to begin operations soon and they will be sorely needed as in the south, three Japanese armies have dug in around Sendai and Niigata and even with naval support moving them will not be an easy task.

Operations in China and Korea are rapidly approaching their conclusion. The guns of the USS Idaho allow the Chinese to make rapid advances along the coast of Manchuria and a three way race for Harbin will soon be on.

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Post #: 46

RE: January 17th/February 14th 1943 - 11/3/2021 10:39:39 PM

YueJin

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Allies- June 18th/September 24th, 1944

The fight for Japan has been bloody but an end is in sight. American troops have battled to within sight of Tokyo and are poised to launch an assault on the city. In the west, a massive multinational British, Australian, American, Indian and Russian force stormed ashore and succeeding in capturing Hiroshima and Kitakyushu. With Kyushu cut off from the mainland, these ports can now be blockaded and the Japanese armies there should collapse. Unfortunately the snow will likely arrive soon making Japan's final surrender this year unlikely. Over 250,000 American troops have been made casualties since first landfall at Aomori and expectations are that over a million Allied casualties are expected by the end of the war.