RE: The little ship that could. (Full Version)

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



Message

PaxMondo -> RE: The little ship that could. (10/23/2013 2:18:28 PM)

bummer!



1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (10/24/2013 10:05:53 AM)

And then Cantona slips a quickee in................YEAH!!!


3rd November

It is evening, a calm, beautiful one. The chill of cold creeps about, but this evening, old man winter has eleswhere to be.

Ogowa, Diogowa are sitting together on the steps of the ready room, the airfield spread before them.
It is quiet, the last fighter down, the setting sun reflecting of cnopies, red light glimmering.

The noise of Tokyo, a distant rumble, fights gainst the sound of summers lasts crickets.
Ogowa pours another draft of liquour into Diogowa's mug.
"thankyou friend"


Silently they drink. Its been a long day

"And your father, Ogowa?", the question is gentle
" Much to my surprise, good"
"Good?"
"Yes, the old warrior is mellowing in his age, plus, and I think this was the key, he's back in uniform again"
"Uniform?"
"118th AA regiment, central tokyo, private Uzawa has been given a gun again, gods preserve us"

Diogowa sniggers " Maybe he just wanted a way to shoot his wayward fighter pilot son down eh?"

"Oh lay off, you fat buggar...........although we did discuss poor aiming..................."





It is another quiet day for the war.
Taiho is dispatched north from Tokyo
Hoshos army continues its flight south.
2 divisions begin loading at siagon, malaya army last hope.

the evacuation of siapan continues.

And still no sign of an allied attack




1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (10/26/2013 2:13:39 AM)

5th of November

Two men stand beside each other, a large, very large map of the pacific spread before them.
tension crackles, ill will, and blood, can almost be seen in the room, so thick does it hang in the air. many feet behind them, the staff stand still, impassive, witnessing to history.

herbiesan pauses, and takes deep breath.

The Emperor, impassive, waits.

For years, since his siezing of power, the Emperor has been a virtual hostage to Herbiesan, kept in his palace, kept incommudicado with Japans people. But months go, that changed. With the raid on Tokyo, since "the attempt" on his life, that has changed dramatically.
When you are needed, you gain power.

Herbiesan has needed the Emperor greatly this last month.

And the emperor has been busy.


Almost daily, he has been seen, inspecting army units, visiting factories, even, heavens, being in the prescence of the common people.

One emperor, one people, one nation.
The media have trumpeted, almost daily this, and the people have responded.


So too the generals, the admirals, the air chiefs.........................


Herbiesan knows what has happened, knows that winds of discontent blow, that rumours are leading to conversations, conversations to plots............


He needs to convince this barsted, that he, herbiesan, still has the war well in hand..................

"Our defences..........sir,............"




1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (10/26/2013 2:49:55 AM)

The briefing will be a long one, but here is the guts of it

From Parishimo to Hokkado:
All bases have at least a regiment, behind full forts

Hokkado:
5 divisions, good forts
3 BBs, a CV, escorts enough
about 200 a/c


The Bonins:
15000 men on Iwo Jima, more arriving for all the islands there, good forts

The Marianas
Only garrisoned now, they are being stripped

Ponape, Truk, Eniwetok

All but empty, interestingly, supply ships have got through unmolested or sighted

Biak, noemfoor, manowakwari and Palua

A strong triangle , each base a regiment, or more strong, big forts


To the north, in the moluccas, tempe, moriati and those bases, a Division on Moriati, a regiment on all the others.

All bases in the Celebes have a regiment, at least, Kendari a lot more

Bima, has the 65th regiment

java, two divisions


The Phillipines are a fortress, the bulk of the remaining army and naval forces here.
There are no empty dot bases!


Malaya
Another attack on the army north of Chumphon failed, this army will, i think now escape, as Chumphon has 340 AV of fresh men behind level five forts. 3 regiments are entraining north as reinforcements, and two divisions are at sea loaded at Siagon

Vietnam
That river running north is now basically defended, 5 divisions holding it

(this was a house rule at start of this game, no restriction on land units, allied or Japanese marching across borders. China is a hollow shell, why Cantona has not launched offensive there beyond me)

China
Quiet,

(I have conquered little here in this game, maybe two cities, see above for why!)


The fleet:
CV taiho
Shokaku
CVL chitose

Unryu- 2 days
Ryuho- 11 days
Zuikaku-12 days
Kaga-48 days

Yamato, Musashi, Mutsu, nagato, Kongo, Kirishima
Hiei, 9 days
Ise, converted, 17 days

8 cruisers, about 30 DDs

Pilot pools are full of elite pilots, there are no pilot shortages, 100 elite available, 300 very good ones, at least
Airframes, however, are low, radical culling of plane production is underway, fighters dominating, with Dive bombers next.

Industry pools are thin however, I have never subscribed to a end of war bank of HI, in this game, I think it has paid off, its November 44, and the oil lanes remain open, thanks to the lavish production of 43.

The best news.
The SS menace has been defeated!, the huge output of the new E boats has paid off, no less than 20 ss killed in the last 30 days, all definate kills, many, many more damaged.

I find this easy to justify too in game turns
What military, after losing so many CVs to SS, would not swing everything it hd to a program to kill them?
Donitz lost the U boat war eventually, once sufficient resources were thrown at it, why not now, the Americans?

Finally
Cannot see in any way, Cantona reaching Japan by mid 45 using a conventional approach, north up through the phillipines, or even marcus, Okiwana, formosa route.

There is only one way left for him, via the north.

Thus every SS I have left is headed there, looking, seeking.
Any campiagn there I can make last months, and every month fighting there will be another month of oil flowing
, thus all reinforcements are moving north from now on.



Score
he leads by a mere 1000


Thats only 3 Essex class right[:D][:D][:D]



PaxMondo -> RE: The little ship that could. (10/26/2013 1:37:02 PM)

China, watch China. If you haven't contested it and he is able to get supply into it... at the very least all of those CHI corps now have good morale and 45 exp. Many of those corps can attain +700 AV. If he gets Shanghai its like losing Okinawa, or the Korean penninsula is the same as losing Hokkaido. Changsha to Shanghai is a short march ... Chengting to Fusan is longer, but ...




Crackaces -> RE: The little ship that could. (10/26/2013 3:29:35 PM)

quote:

Score ...he leads by a mere 1000


There are two big factors in the Victory formula . the numerator and the denominator. The VP's for bases affects both and in some cases strikingly..

Big swings take place in the numerator and denominator when the allies take Singapore as an example .. and like Pax explains . China can lead to the loss of Hong Kong . a really big point swing as the IJ lose a bunch of points (the denominator in the equation)...

Also Strat bombing can accumulate a 1,000 points in one raid [the numerator for sure]

However, that little comment about 3 Essex class CV's has some merit. Every point the IJ accumulate in LCU and Ship losses the Allies has to either find a base to take away of like VP's or accumulate 2:1 in the LCU/Ship loss column . A 1,000 VP's for the IJ means the Allies have to kill 2,000 points in strat bombing, LCU losses, ship losses or capture bases that equal a 2:1 gain ...

Good Luck!



pws1225 -> RE: The little ship that could. (10/31/2013 1:37:26 PM)

I'm starting to get Little Ship AAR withdrawals!



1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/1/2013 7:57:01 AM)

So was I, a turn in the box at last..............teachers and holidays[8|]


9th of November

Work on Chiburi moves slowly. Very, very slowly
For 4 days now, nary a workman has stepped aboard the escort, she has been literally left to her own devices.
The reason lies at the other end of the shipyard, Battleship Hiei has commenced warming flashes, daily her great turrets swing this way and that.
Long ant lines of men swing stores across her gangways, and alongside, 3 sparkling new float planes daily depart for cruises around the bay.
She is not alone, behind her, Nagato too shows a heat shimmer above her stack.
CV Unryu has also slid into the bay, another capital ship repaired.

Hirate and Okano exchange glances at each bother each evening as they hurry towards the trains for that sweet happiness across the bay.
Battleships need crews.
Chiburi , tub that she is, is more than sufficient for now.............


Okano solves this problem the sailor way.

It requires a heavy sacrifice, an evening at home forsaken.
He simply invites their new Charge, Chief Ito, out on a spectacular night on the town.
It costs a heavy price in yen, even a heavier one in sore heads.

"What a fine pair you are" will groan Ito the next day......."When will we do it again?"



1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/1/2013 8:00:28 AM)

Long pig emerges from the medical tent, and chucks a withering look in the direction of Bigglesworth.
There is little consolation that Bigglesworth suffers the same fate

"Crabs my friend, and not the eating kind.............."







1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/1/2013 8:07:04 AM)

The heavies come for 55th again

Again Hosho seeks the most precious of things, a hole in the ground.
Again the bombs scream down, the earth shakes, dust boils, men scream

The bombers drone away
20 miles to the new defence line at chumpon.....just twenty , you can do it Hosho, you can do it

He crawls from the shallow depression that has sheltered him, and stands, or attempts to.
His leg, numb..........

The pain flares, and he stares almost in disbelief.
A shard of shrapenel, two inches across lies imbedded in his right calf.
It is still smoking.



20 miles to the trains...............might as well be 2000
More in frustration, less in the pain, he utters that well known curse....................



1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/3/2013 12:50:42 AM)

7th November

118th heavy AA regiment
Tokyo

In a park, not far from Imperial palace.

Private Uzawa grits his teeth, and holds his tongue
He is 60 years of age, for Gods sake, a veteran of the Port aurthur campaign, which was, even he had to admit it, a decidedly stupidly run campaign. But this, this little show, made that affair a shining example of proffesional warfare.
The youngsters, the women, about him, are like sheep.
The poor Corporal screams his orders, they blink in incomprehension.

The idiot, obviously, thinks that shouting even louder will help.

"We do it again!..........load gun!" he screams

Awkwardly the girls run to the 6 precious rounds stacked neatly, struggle to lift them, bring them to the gun.
Other hands take them, load them, all the while Uzawa sits in his seat, awaiting for target information.
Sometimes it comes, many times, it seems, the radio remains dead.

Shouts about him, obviously it seems, the gun is ready.
The barrel is pointing somewhere vagually into the air, apparently, he Uzawa, should be following a bearing and range from the searchlight battery 100 yards away.

But not, it seems, today.............
'I have no target corporal!"

"TRUK!"

A pause............"Fire anyway!"

Idiots, idiots all of them.
Feeling a complete idiot, Uzawa pretends to pull the firing lever
'BANG!" he shouts

The gun will be unloaded, the shouting continued.


Tokyo, Miss Rose tells Japan, is protected by a steel umbrella.










1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/3/2013 1:57:54 AM)

Japans army has been down this road before, in those halocyen days of 41, early 42
Then, she marched, confident, proud, sure of victory

She also rode down these roads, on thousands of bicycles, flat tyres clattering, convincing many an allied troop that the armour was coming.
Now, as the tattered remains of 55th division, of 15th, 11 th army stgger south, its one of those bicycles that will (for now at least) save Hosho
Abandoned, lost, mayhaps even stolen, the bike has lain in the jungle, overgrown for nearly 3 years now, quietly rusting away
But the rims are still good.
They form the basis of the small cart Hosho's men have built, a crude affair, a wheelbarrow of sorts, bits and pieces lashed together with raw detirmination.

And, dare we say it...........love?


he will protest. he will shed tears.
His men will ignore them. '"You have always led us to safety, Hosho, always, with you we have escaped. We will not abandon our lucky charm, our man, now, no?........now get on the damn thing, and shut up!"

Wheels clatter on the road south again.

11 miles to go, to the defences at Chumpon.



1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/3/2013 2:02:07 AM)

'Its truked"

The charge nods his head in agreement at Hirates comment

"yes, its truly trucked"

The silently contemplate the cylinder liner of 1a cylinder, port main.

Corrosion inhibitors, water treatment.............this poor beast has never seen either, in fact, they are terms totally unknown to Chiburi's poor charge. All he can see, is that something has totally chewed away the metal around the liners lower sealing ring.

yep, its truked

Port main needs a complete re build



1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/5/2013 8:08:28 AM)

8th of November


55th is bombed again, the ground trembling beneath Hosho's little band. The bombs land miles to the north, a division, even one as chewed as this, can occupy many, many miles of road.
The sun bakes down on the little bnd of men, Hoshos cart clanking and rattling on the cobblestones, the gravel.
Incredibly, spirits are rising.
Yesterday, incredibly, new, fresh men, reinforcements, replacements have come marching up from the south, fresh uniforms, fresh faces, marching, heavens, even marching in formation, battle flag and all!, Northwards.

Astonished, Hosho's band has stopped, and silently watched them march past , destined for the rear guard.

It has been many, many months since they have seen the like.


Then, a second miracle. The prince himself, and a small aid station!
Hosho's wound has been dressed, a bowl of rice issued, ammunition generously handed out.
And news, real news.
Chumphon is being fortified. Fresh troops are waiting to relieve them. If this pursuit can be broken, a promise of trains to run them south..........
Hosho's men care little for the news, they are simply grateful for the food, the ammunition. Hosho, however, is thinking beyond that.
Somewhere, somehow, ships, supplies, are still flowing to Malaya. Ships flowing towards malaya..........have to leave gain for home.............



1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/5/2013 8:17:44 AM)

herbiesan again contemplates the front, the map.

how quickly it all collapsed!. One month, secure in the hills, Northen Burma..........
Now, now this.

The general drones on

"Two divisions have arrived singapore sir, we are confident that they will entrain to Chumpon in time. With the regiments from Sabang.............
"It should be enough, I know, general, but if the enemy land at sabang?"

'We are ruined"

Ah yes, we are ruined.......but that is the risk yes?. The bombers are getting close to palembang, herbiesan, and what then?

Thank gods for the russians , ney?
"And Indo China?"

"We are holding the mekong river , from north to south now, and 3 divisions are north of hanoi, the enemy are, it seems, concentrating on Malaya............"
"Southern China?"

Ah, that worrying pause.............

"An awful lot of air activity, no troop movements...............yet"

Another great risk. So many chinese army troops now in Indo china........

'A final question general, 15th army, 23rd army, their true status...can they be revitalised in time, in Singapore?"

Herbiesans general, a tougher barsted this one, does not hesitate. "We should, if we can, bring them home. Troops like that will be needed for the final decisive battles................."



1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/5/2013 8:27:05 AM)

Work continues on Chiburi.

The dockyard workers are fitting the new radar, the sonar lies in a million parts.
Chiburi's stokers do their own work.

Port main is being stripped down, the cylinder liners coming out one by one, the chain blocks clattering away.
The engine room looks like a bomb has hit it, parts covering every spare inch of the deck plates. Oil, black, staining, covers everything.
Rags lie everywhere.


Hirate leaves the small mess, the sparse meal completed. For a few moments he stands on the quarter deck, and contemplates Hiroshima bay. Nothing, he thinks, is more depressing than a naval dockyard nearing winter. A cold, biting wind, the white caps, the grey sky.
He shivers.
Still, by tonight, he will be home, with her, again.

A rough hand lands rudely upon his shoulder
Toyoda.
The inevitable crude comment follows. Does the man think of anything else other than sex?"
Hirate shudders inwardly.
The man, clearly, is an ape.

"Come on Hirate, work to do, let an expert show you how"

Another problem............working for someone who clearly doesn't.



1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/5/2013 8:29:00 AM)

extract from Shattering the sword, a cantona production..........

early November. B29's strike Manado.
And little else happens. Unless something happens soon, another winter of war is coming.



1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/5/2013 8:33:00 AM)

Bigglesworth gives Longpig a withering look. Its half serious this look.

"Are you sure you re not aiming to become a reverse ace?"
"What do you mean mate?"

Bigglesworth hands him the telegram.............
"This will make it easier, I am sure, God, to think I serve with a Jonah like you!"
The telegram is, of course, their latest posting.

"Oh God", thinks Long pig

Wellingtons. A bloody wellington.



1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/7/2013 8:15:02 AM)

9th November

55th division struggles south, a long tattered line of weary men. To their flank, the ocean, eternally restless, murmering.
The sun blazes down, and the humidity tickles 100 percent.
Other than the oceans gentle sounds, and the shuffling, clattering of sound of 10000 men on the move, it is quiet.

Dust hangs over the column.

10 miles to the rail head.


And then the enemy artillery erupts
This is not some random shelling of the rearguard, the normal harrassing fire to take out the wounded and too slow.
No, this is the full blooded thunder of two armies, of a thousand guns.

They erupt from the south, the east, almost ahead.

And the road erupts into sheer terror and mayhem.

They will pound for an hour, these allied guns, pound, and pound, murder and massacre.

When the tank columns attack, there is little left to resist

55th division, "becomes disorganised"
A cruel joke this description.
55th division is shattered, scattered, flung a hundred different ways.


15th, 23rd army.................will never fight again, not if they remain in malaya



1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/7/2013 8:32:03 AM)

10th November

Admiral Abe climbs wearily up to the very top of Yamatos great tower.
he pauses, takes a deep breath.

The view, as always revitalises him.
How can it not?. Too look down from here at her great sweeping prow, those huge slabs of steel, those great barrels, how can ones warrior blood not be stirred?

The carrier may rule, they say, yet yamato must surely feel in her frame satisfaction of duty done.
Few guns, anywhere, have sent so many enemy to the depths.

And yet, maybe, one more chance.


Word is out.
"the enemy fleet is at sea"
The american newspapers are full of it. No destination given, but he knows the signs.
The Buka's are coming
But not to here, he feels that too.

Abe grips the binoculars, swings them on their pinnacle.
herbiesan has decreed, here, at Ominato, the fleet must gather.
Abe thinks him wrong.

Musashi, Nagato, Mutsu, the CV Taiho, 2 cl, destroyers, and this giant.

And I think they are in the wrong place.

This is the most dangerous, most desperate thing I will ever do. But I must. I must, for Japan, for her honour.

It is no small thing to disobey in Japan.

Without Herbiesans knowledge, in utter secrecy, Abe leads Japans last great task force to sea.



GreyJoy -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/7/2013 9:26:12 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

10th November

Admiral Abe climbs wearily up to the very top of Yamatos great tower.
he pauses, takes a deep breath.

The view, as always revitalises him.
How can it not?. Too look down from here at her great sweeping prow, those huge slabs of steel, those great barrels, how can ones warrior blood not be stirred?

The carrier may rule, they say, yet yamato must surely feel in her frame satisfaction of duty done.
Few guns, anywhere, have sent so many enemy to the depths.

And yet, maybe, one more chance.


Word is out.
"the enemy fleet is at sea"
The american newspapers are full of it. No destination given, but he knows the signs.
The Buka's are coming
But not to here, he feels that too.

Abe grips the binoculars, swings them on their pinnacle.
herbiesan has decreed, here, at Ominato, the fleet must gather.
Abe thinks him wrong.

Musashi, Nagato, Mutsu, the CV Taiho, 2 cl, destroyers, and this giant.

And I think they are in the wrong place.

This is the most dangerous, most desperate thing I will ever do. But I must. I must, for Japan, for her honour.

It is no small thing to disobey in Japan.

Without Herbiesans knowledge, in utter secrecy, Abe leads Japans last great task force to sea.



[X(]...without Herbiesan's permission? Oh God....



1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/8/2013 7:02:01 AM)

Hi grey joy

(its not a react move, if thats what you think...........just very naughty admirals)[8|]

11th of November

Ogowa and Diogowa join the crowd of pilots around the new plane.
NK1J2- the newest version of the george.

As usual, the pilots are split, some love the new plane, its promise of greater agility, others lament its shorter range, the new all cannon arrangement.
Diogowa however stills the conversation for a moment
'Whats it matter?, we can't fly the bloody thing anyway"

Its a terrible truth.
Fuel, aviation fuel, is so short............

"We will fly when all the replacement planes have arrived..........."
At three a day, Ogowa and Diogowa have a few more boring weeks ahead of them.



1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/8/2013 7:03:24 AM)

Zuikaku joins re joins the fleet.
In 8 days, all capital ships will be ready again.

Please, please, gods of war, give us 8 days....................



obvert -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/8/2013 7:38:18 AM)

What ships are left including those repairing?



1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/9/2013 9:42:08 PM)

Hello Obvert!

The fleet:
CV Shokaku, Zuikaku, Taiho, Unryo, CVL Chitose, Chiyoda, Shoho
CVE Hosho, kaiyo

Kaga is still 30 days away, just noticed she is in refit, not repair..............
Battleships Yamato, Musashi, Mutsu, Nagato, Kongo, Kirishima, Hiei, Fuso
Ise, 6 days as a BBCV
8 CA, 1 CL, 3 CLAA
40 odd destroyers


There has been intense discussions on the fleets battle doctrine for whats ahead..................


While we have stepped out of the story,
Cantona, who I have been playing for nearly 6 years now, is a superb opponent.
But here is the thing, you would be surprised, I think, at how little we actually corresspond.
In 6 years we have had one very minor quibble over tactics, I moved forces of the exit to off base hexes, we fixed that quick.

The secret has been , and remains, we play as close as we can tactically to real life as we can, we never overstack bases with planes, we fly em at the hieghts they tried to in real life.
We treat ships as valuable assets.

Anyway, our mail is almost always, back, to you, here you go. Sometimes its, what ya think of that!

He hardly, ever, ever, comments on plans, or what might happen, has happened.



But today, and hopefully, this will emphasise the import of what he wrote


"Masses of ships at sea"


And



"Battle soon"



1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/9/2013 9:52:18 PM)

Abe watches the men on the focastle prepare to drop Yamatos anchor.

A good crew, a good, reliable captain

The fleet, in 3 days, will gather here, and then sail to its battle position.

Takao will be its departure point, if the enemy does as expected.


But what of the coming battle?
Abe knows what comes. Death

There has been "much discussion" on how to meet the enemy.

In 42, the fleet doctrine was, seek CV battle -and this was successful
In 43 - the CVs had tried to seek battle, with some success, but also with much failure
In early 44, the doctrine had changed, the CVs would shephered the BBs to strike range, and would seek the enemy invasions , the enemy support fleets. This, had worked.

But now?. Now the enemy CVs would seek them............ and sink what ever they would find, regardless of CAP, of AA, of anything.

Thus, a new doctrine

Ise would play as bait

The CVs would lead the battle ships, sail 120 miles ahead, and throw everything into strikes, occupy the enemy as best they could

And hopefully, this would leave the BBs free for one final lunge...........


But , he knows this, only a miracle would give a victory.
best pray for one, yes?



PaxMondo -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/9/2013 9:56:27 PM)

I hope you have a LOT of LBA assist ... so few CV's ... he will have a CAP of +500 ....



John 3rd -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/10/2013 3:35:23 AM)

BANZAI!
[sm=sterb032.gif]



british exil -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/11/2013 8:11:03 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

I hope you have a LOT of LBA assist ... so few CV's ... he will have a CAP of +500 ....



All the more to shoot down, Japans Aces can't miss.

BANZAI!

Mat



John 3rd -> RE: The little ship that could. (11/12/2013 5:34:26 PM)

Has your opponent gone on vacation again???

[:D]



Page: <<   < prev  88 89 [90] 91 92   next >   >>

Valid CSS!




Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition 2.4.5 ANSI
1.25