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vettim89 -> Catching Up (8/20/2008 7:26:44 PM)
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4-18 August 1942
Hey, nothing like a once every two week update. Having issues with the baby laptop overheating while running WiTP. Have had multiple shut downs with several of them (like maybe 6 or 7 times) it happened in the process of saving a file. So no AAR as I don't want to tax the poor little guy any more than I already am. Lots to report in two weeks. Here are the highpoints.
* IJA invades and takes Bali (yawn)
* IJA moves on and takes Magwe - this is Larry's last hurrah in Burma unless he moves considerably more troops in
* IJA takes the hex that is two hexes NNE of Hengchow in China. I only had two units acting as flank security here so no big whoop. The hex immediately NNE of Hengchow has an AV of nearly 1000 and level 9 forts. His two divisions will not make any progress here
* With the IJA evicted from Changsha, I moved about 3200 AS into Hengchow. These units are waiting here for Larry's next move which will either be to the NNE or to the south.
* IJN subs are wreaking havoc in both the Pacific and IO. My ASW forces are doing their best but my DD shortage is really showing here.
* Larry sent a SCTF up towards Diamond Harbor for what had to be a commerce raiding mission. Instead he found the UK CV force which torpedoes a CA for slight damage. He withdrew imediately which is good becasue all the LBA at CHittangong had been switched over to Naval Attack. That could have gone very wrong for Larry.
* No movement at all in OZ. My subs did a little damage with Larry's last supply convoy but it was too small to be doing anything but moving supplies. No a/c are based at Darwin. I evacuated the BF at Derby by sea. This base is now empty and now exposd to a para landing but I think Larry is having a hard time supporting Darwin let alone another base. Darwin is now mined also.
* SWPac units are now just two to three days away from Townsville. They will move to Cooktown and immediately expand the AB there. Once up to snuff I have nearly 150 B-17's that will attack Dobodura.
* The NZ Brigade released to SoPac is now at Lungaville. A BF and a hefty amount of supplies are loading at Noumea and will arrive in less than a week.
Now for the intersting part:
Larry discovered I was using Pago Pago as a supply hub and sent KB in to attack. Through an incredible stroke of good luck, the vast majority of convoys moving from WC to here were either on the way back to WC or far off. Still, I lost a few TK and AK as well as about 6 DD's (OUCH!). My CV's were escorting my Oz bound troops and I had them meet up at Suva, rufuel, and head out. There were three TF's with a CV in each (Lexington, Saratoga, and Yorktown). They were all set to follow Yorktown's TF. Instead, Lexington's TF wondered two hexes away from the other two and was ambushed and of course sunk. My CV's did not react nor was there any counter strike. KB hung around for two more days as I withdrew all ships as fast as possible.
KB has now returned and is hovering off Pago Pago. On the good luck side, one of the TF's mauled by the first KB run had a squadron of P-40E's on board. These offlaoded at Pago Pago and are nipping at the massive KB strikes like a crazed Jack Russell Terrier. As you can imagine, they are getting the worst of it but are still doing damage. Larry told me his Naval Pilot pool was already empty so even losing 6-8 Vals/Kates per strike is hurting him. If Larry wants to piss away his Naval Air Arm to sink several already crippled transports, fine by me
My CV's are now saferly to the east heading for Jarvis Island and then will head home. Hornet is down to 9 SYST damage and Enterprise is at 15. Sara and Yorktown are late for their July upgrades. And, of Course, Lexington II is only 505 days away. Absolute supidity that I have to lose a CV to get one that was being built anyway. My CV's will make for PH, repair and upgrade, then get ready for offensive operations.
I already had set up Papete as a secondary base and it is now my new waypoint for troops heading this way. Thank you to whoever it was that suggested I establish a fall back position in the Society Islands. While adding a few days to the trip, this is a much safer route.
So we are now approaching September 1942 and I need to figure out where to go. Most importantly I need to draw Larry into a batle of attrition somewhere to whittle down his forces. With KB operating in the SoPac, my Gilberts plan is looking less inviting. The Solomons are now looking much more inviting. In a few weeks, I will have 5 operational CV's. Even with them, I think I need to move in an area where LBA can be a factor. My Options are in most likely order:
Solomons
Counteroffensive in Oz
New Guinea (only after building up PM)
Gilberts
Wake
Burma (would require massive shift of men, material, and ships)
Hvae about two to three weeks of game time to plan
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