No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL)

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Dixie -> No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (7/31/2011 8:09:09 PM)
-or- Bugger that for a game of soldiers. I've finally managed to get a game of AE as the Allied player, instead of the Japanese. My oppo is Goodboyladdie, a former regular on the forums and a long-time WPO opponent. This will be my first game as the Allied nations (unless playing the AI counts) and GBLs first game as Japan. The price of getting him to play as Japan is agreeing to play Scen 2. Still, it's probably worth it to have ships with sensible names like Repulse, Indomitable and er, Decoy. HRs are limited, instead we're relying more on common sense: Pay PPs to move restricted units across the Indian/Manchurian borders. Thai units are allowed to provide garrison forces in Southern Burma. No invasions of the non-base hexes. Both Manila and Pearl Harbor are valid targets on turn 1. No ridiculous long range strikes into the midst of the DEI on turn 1. No new TFs can be created by the Allies, the exception is Singapore (representing heightened British alert). British air units can be given new orders, although the planes are terrible so it's not going to make a huge amount of difference unless the Vildebeest get loose...

Dixie -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (7/31/2011 8:24:37 PM)
The Allied Plan: Is basically limited to trying to roll with the punches until mid-42. The intention is to try and prevent GBL from reaching a few key areas. I am well aware that no plan survives contact with the enemy, but thoughts so far: Malaya: Pull back to Singers with as much strength as I can manage. Infantry forces are going to rest in an effort to get some strength and morale back before the Japanese Army arrives. The RAF will do what they can to bring down Japanese aircraft. Probably not a great deal really. Torpedo bombers are going to redeploy to Singers, hopefully they will be able to cause damage to anyone trying to land on the NW tip of Borneo. I want to withdraw the 2nd Argyles to India. Good British units are in short supply and an LCU with 70 Exp will be better used on the Indian border rather than falling in Malaya. If circumstances allow I'd like to get the Aussie AIF forces out of Malaya. The problem is that they're restricted units and I'm not sure that I'll be able to get them out before Betty comes calling. The Pacific: Depends on the Pearl Harbor results. The plan is to secure the convoy/air routes from Hawaii to Australia, Fiji and New Zealand. But there's a lot of territory and not a lot of soldiers available. My first instinct is to send the 34th Infantry Rgt and 8th Marines to the Line Islands, along with some coastal artillery. Later reinforcements will be used to extend coverage down through Pago Pago to Fiji and Noumea. The RAN heavy cruisers will be attached to USN carrier forces to increase the radar coverage in those forces. The lack of USN radar equipped ships could be a slight issue.

Dixie -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/2/2011 4:45:31 PM)
Dec 7th Panicked reports are being received in Washington DC, unconfirmed so far these reports indicate that the Japanese have attacked US and British territory and forces. Japanese carrier based aircraft are reported to have attacked Pearl Harbor leaving the harbour and airfield in ruins and the USN Battleships are reported to have all been crippled or sunk. Initial indications are that USS Nevada and California are beyond saving after receiving multiple torpedo strikes. Further rumours from Hawaii indicate that explosions were detected from the defensive minefields covering the approach to PH. Contact has been lost with USS Antares shortly after she sent SSS report to Pearl Harbor. Japanese bombers also attacked Manila, home of the Asiatic Fleet submarines. Several reports indicate severe damage was sustained by several submarines. The USN oiler USS Trinity is believed to be badly damaged and burning out of control in the harbour. USS Childs is reported lost with all hands as she attempted to get underway. Great Britain reports that Japanese forces have landed in Northern Malaya, near the Thai border. RAF forces have launched a series of heavy air attacks on Japanese shipping concentrations. Japanese air forces have countered with raids on British airfields in the northern regions of Malaya, repulsed with heavy casualties. **** I've only seen the combat replay so far, GBL is sending the actual save file later. Until then I can only base my information on what was seen during the combat replay. I was expecting far worse than I seem to have got, especially at Pearl Harbor. No air raids on Singapore and only two landings at Kota Bharu and Batan Island, which suggests to me that instead there's going to be at least one landing in the South Pacific. Rabaul anyone? Pearl Harbor Allied Ships CM Oglala BB California, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage BB Pennsylvania, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires BB Oklahoma, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage BB Maryland, Bomb hits 9, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires BB West Virginia, Bomb hits 5, Torpedo hits 2, on fire BB Arizona, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires BB Nevada, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage xAKL Hirondelle CL Phoenix, Bomb hits 1 BB Tennessee, Bomb hits 5, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage AM Vireo, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage AVP Swan, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage CL Detroit, Bomb hits 1, on fire CA New Orleans, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1 AO Neosho, Torpedo hits 1, on fire CA San Francisco, Bomb hits 1 I'd guess that Nevada and probably California are doomed, but the rest of the BBs should be retrievable. Arizona, Maryland and Pennsylvania might even be ready to move back to the mainland for repairs fairly soon. 40 aircraft were also lost, including 15 PBYs. I had plans for those... Manila/Philippines Allied Ships xAKL Anakan, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires SS Sailfish, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage SS Sealion, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage AO Trinity, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires SS Swordfish, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage xAP Neptuna, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires SS Seal, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage SS Salmon, Bomb hits 1 AVD Childs, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires TK Mindanao, Bomb hits 1, on fire PT-34, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk The results of two air raids on the port. All 850kg bomb hits, so the subs are probably quite badly messed up right now. Even if I do lose them all it's only 5 out of the 27 Asiatic Fleet subs, so I feel that the US has escaped lightly there considering what the damage could have been. Airfield attacks managed to destroy a few aircraft (3 in fact!), but they were all P-26 rather than B-17s or P-40s. Will the failure to kill my more effective fighters and heavy bombers come back to haunt the IJ forces? Malaya (& Burma) Mostly air raids here, as expected the RAF bombers got chewed up quite badly without actually hitting anything due to Japanese fighters. The Buffaloes did OK against a couple of unescorted raids, but got slapped about when they ran into Oscar. 56th Infantry Rgt with 12th Engineer Rgt and 5th JAAF Coy have landed at Kota Bharu. Not a big force but more than enough to overwhelm my Indian troops there. I'd expect overland advances from Thailand and further landings in the next few days. A raid against Rangoon managed to swat down some more Buffs and slightly damage the airfield. A sweep by Navy Zeros achieved nothing as all my fighters were hiding by the time they arrived. I hope they crashed into the jungle on the way home! quote: Yesterday, December seventh, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

Dixie -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/3/2011 11:06:36 AM)
Despite the confusion and panic spreading throughout Washington and London, the situation is not as bad as was first feared. Japanese forces have only landed in two locations and the element of surprise has passed although Allied forces remain scattered across vast distances, and in the case of the British forces they are far from the quality that will be needed to throw back the Japanese advance. Whilst the US Pacific Fleet's battleships are out of the war, it is expected that all of them will return to active service following extensive repairs. Even Nevada, hit by four torpedoes and multiple bombs should be retrievable. The Royal Navy has escaped damage at the hands of the Japanese, leaving Prince of Wales and Repulse on the loose. Reinforced by further RN ships from Singapore an enlarged Force Z remains a potent weapon in the East Indies. Pearl Harbor Things here are actually far, far better than I expected. The battleships soaked up most of the damage and their numbers meant that the damage was spread around, whilst Nevada is the most badly damaged it is entirely possible she'll survive (flt 74/43). All of the burning ships have been extinguished and the repair yards were hardly touched. The airfield is badly mauled, with heavy casualties amongst the various squadrons based there. Despite that, there are enough aircraft available to hopefully mount a decent defence of Hawaii. The damage suffered is likely to make offensive operations against the Japanese fleet unlikely for a few days. Philippines Again, not as bad as I expected. Most of the damaged subs will make it out of Manila, Seal is going to need some yard time to ensure her escape. The rest of the Asiatic Fleet is planning to bomb-burst out of Manila and head for safer areas in Java and Australia. Malaya The Royal Navy has escaped the worst of the carnage, unlike US bases the port of Singapore was not subjected to Japanese bombing raids. This has meant that a vast array of shipping is available for the Allied war effort, it also means I've got tons of the damn things to evacuate safely... Force Z is heading to Java to meet up with the Dutch Fleet and the USN Asiatic Fleet cruisers and destroyers. Admiral Dixie has learned the lessons of Crete and does not believe in sending warships out under skies that are clearly enemy controlled. Given the poor performances of Malaya Command in pre-war jungle warfare excercises the majority of the forces are pulling back to Singapore where hurried work is commencing to build serious fortifications on the inland side of the island. 1) Is it worth replacing Percival as head of Malaya Command? Will replacing him make a major difference to the ability of the British and Indian forces to resist the Japanese? I'm unsure if it's worth paying the large PP cost to replace him when his successor will probably just end up in a PoW camp. He also costs almost as much as buying out a US unit from the West Coast. 2) Reinforce the Line Islands? There are a few units available on the US West Coast (8th Marines and 34th Infantry) which could be used to garrison the islands preventing an attempt to take them on the cheap. With addition of coatal artillery and some forts they'll be a surprise for GBL. OR do they get sent to the SOPAC area to shore up the defences around Fiji? 3) Do I buy out the Australian AIF forces in Malaya? They could be handy in either defending India, or more likely, heading to the SWPAC area. It'll cost a lot of PPs to do it and there's no guarantee of safe passage once I have saved the points. 4) Only two landings on turn 1, I suspect that this means several more are planned for prime locations. There aren't enough carriers to cover all these places and they're mostly out of LBA range. Committing the Allied navies to counter moves against these locations might be a worthwhile gamble, depending on the locations of IJN heavy cruisers and battleships. Several TFs have been spotted heading SW from Thailand. -Kuching (surprised there was no landing here on turn 1) -Tarakan -Balikpapan -Manado -Ternate -Rabaul -Ambon -Kuantan (unlikely due to proximity to Singapore) 5) What to do with the Allied navies, specifically Prince of Wales (and Repulse). Remain in the DEI? Back to Ceylon? Or link up with the USN in the Pacific to replace the BBs at Pearl Harbor? [image]local://upfiles/20142/4CAFE68CFD3F4854AB5DC84446AFC741.jpg[/image]

Mynok -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/3/2011 5:57:21 PM)
I see another Thread War has broken out.

mc3744 -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/3/2011 11:57:23 PM)
I will be following this. Godspeed [:)]

Dixie -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/4/2011 10:59:11 AM)
8th December, 1941 We heard today that the Japanese have attacked Malaya and America! Rumours are spreading that the squadron is going to be diverted to the Far East to help out. Not sure if I like the idea of the jungle any more than the desert, but at least it won't be as hot out there. Smudge reckons that by the time we'll get there the whole thing will be over anyway and we're going to end up in Egypt anyway... From the Diary of AC1 Reginald Shoe, 232 Sqn Malaya The Japanese are firmly ashore at Kota Bharu, strangely my elite Indian infantry with their experience of 40 weren't able to hold back the Japanese attack. And if these supermen can't defeat the Japanese what hope is there for a unit with 27 experience?... Four Japanese cruisers bombarded Kuching, alas my cunning trap didn't work as the Vildebeest and Swordfish managed 1 bomb hit between them [:@] Poor show chaps! Most disappointing... A Dutch submarine is moving to intercept the force, assuming they take the most direct path back to where they came from. The two squadrons based there are out of action for a while, but hopefully they'll be back to some sort of strength soon. Only 13 more days until the first Hurricanes arrive! Then Johnny Foreigner will be sorry. Perhaps. Philippines The USAAF (or is it still USAAC?) continue the Allied master plan of getting shot down in droves, thus causing the Japanese air force to become jaded and question the morality of their actions. 19 P-40s and 8 P-35s were downed today, guess they were at low power or something... On the credit side, the P-35s managed to shoot down 4 unescorted Sally bombers, thus making them the second highest scoring US squadron of the war so far. Somehow I suspect this situation will not be continuing... A series of naval actions took place in the Sulu Sea, the action started when USS Boise ran into a Japanese carrier escorted by destroyers and a cruiser. The exchange of long range fire was generally inaccurate (lucky for Boise). the Japanese destroyers managed to land a couple of hits on Boise, in return she managed to hit the carrier twice. One hit ripped away the crow's nest (at least that's what GBL says) and the second bounced off the flight deck [:@] This attack was followed by an attempted torpedo attack by a group of Asiatic Fleet destroyers, whilst three of the destroyers drew the Japanese fire USS Pope worked into position to launch a torpedo attack. And missed. USS Houston missed the fun though, by about 40 miles. The carrier spent the rest of the day throwing Kates at various ships and ports, luckily achieving very little. Betty and Nell however managed to put torpedoes into several ships fleeing Manila. The ships hit so far have all been civilian vessels. South China Sea British ships leaving Hong Kong have been bombed and torpedoed heavily today, none have been lost so far but it's likely that several will not make it to South Borneo. Rumours persist that several Canadian soldiers have managed to hitch a ride with ships leaving the British territory. Pacific Not much happening here on the face of it. The Japanese carriers are still NW of Hawaii and the islands are surrounded by Jap submarines. Once the carriers have cleared out it'll be time to put some destroyers to sea and get rid of some of the subs. The first troop convoys have formed up on the US West Coast and set sail (even though they're using engines, never understood all this nautical stuff really). An infantry regiment and coastal artillery unit are moving to Palmyra, a USN patrol squadron is slated to be based either at Palmyra or nearby Christmas Island. I'm wondering if it's worth swinging Lex and her TF in to the south of Kwajalein in an effort to catch any Japanese shipping there? Currently she's between Kwaj and Johnston Island avoiding being sunk by the KB. After that it's operation hide in the South Pacific for a few months. In other news, I realised that the French destroyer Le Triomphant has a decent radar system fitted (in fact I just like having any radar system for a change). This has increased the pool of radar equipped vessels to 7 (Australia, Canberra, Perth, Hobart, Achilles, Leander and Le Triomphant). The addition of any oof those ships means my crews will get more warning that they're about to be sunk by Japanese aircraft. I suspect that I've got a week, maybe two, in the Pacific before the Japanese make any major moves beyond Rabaul. The KB is still at sea and under observation, so any moves into the South Pacific are unlikely (but not impossible) for now, especially as GBL doesn't know where my carriers are (unless he's cheating and reading this...). Because of this there's a mad dash about to occur with ships trying to get to the US or NZ/Oz with supplies, fuel and the occasional group of angry men with guns. I want to reinforce several places but I don't have enough troops, Fiji for example. Whilst I could get at least two regiments there, plus various ANZAC troops I'm wary at having the island cut-off so instead it's a more gradual securing of the LoC to the South Pacific and Australia. quote: This is British territory. You're not invited. We don't want you here. I want you to go now and take all your men with you. Governor Sir Rex Hunt

Dixie -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/4/2011 10:44:50 PM)
9th (Action) Dec Philippines Today's action amounted to carnage around the Philippine Islands. Japanese carrier aircraft and land-based aircraft have sunk seven ships, left four more sinking and damaged several others. The lack of US air cover is not helping, but I'm hoping that as the ships manage to get further south they will find the situation less dangerous as they leave Betty and Nell behind. Back on the mainland the US fighters were, again, badly mauled by repeated Japanese fighter attacks. 18 US fighters are lost, against a claimed total of around 8 Zeroes. In addition four PBYs were lost to various causes. Japanese forces have landed on the northern coast, despite the presence of US submarines. S-36 and Stingray both made contact with convoys near Aparri, Stingray even launched an attack only for the torpedoes to result in duds. Further submarines are making their way to the area along with a force of PT boats. Malaya The Japanese Navy put in an appearance above Singapore today, despite a strong CAP being mounted by Buffaloes from basically every squadron in Malaya, the results were not good. A handful of A6Ms brought down for the cost of 10 Buffs. Still, just 12 days until the Hurricanes arrive! The Dutch sub K-XIII was sunk off the coast after attempting to attack Japanese landing forces near Kota Bharu. Dutch East Indies (& Borneo) Not a lot so far, but it looks like invasions are imminent. At least 1 TF is heading to Kuching, with a heavy cruiser (confirmed Chokai) escort. I'm in two minds now, either risk sending in Dragon and Durban or hold them back for later use. Elsewhere Dutch and US forces are scrambling to meet several potential invasions, Jap convoys are showing up between the DEI and Babeldaob heading West. There are several bases under threat so it's a best guess as to where the blow will fall. I'm confident that the USN will be able to cause some damage if they meet in the daylight, especially Boise. Pacific Lexington has continued her long sweep Westwards from the Line Islands, hoping to catch any Japanese invasion forces trying to take the weakly held islands south of the Marshall Islands. In conjunction with Enterprise I feel some calculated aggression could slow down potential IJN operations until the KB has rearmed. Several US, Australian and Kiwi cruisers are loose in the (bloody vast) area as well as a French destroyer. It looks like things are about to kick off around Rabaul and the Solomons with confirmed sighting of three Japanese forces moving south, suspected targets are Rabaul, Kavieng and either Shortlands/Lunga/Tulagi. Adelaide has been diverted from escorting a convoy to Brisbane and will head to Rabaul. Australia and Perth are heading towards the Solomons, hopefully they'll be fast enough to get there before the Japanese. Things could change if either of the two Japanese carriers that are unaccounted for turn up though. [image]local://upfiles/20142/9DB6F96AA8514365994A7E4429F58F05.jpg[/image]

Dixie -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/4/2011 10:49:02 PM)
Coming tomorrow (UK time): Some planning stuff. And maybe some super secret ideas! quote: There�s a man with a gun over there, Tellin� me I got to beware Buffalo Springfield

mc3744 -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/5/2011 3:59:31 AM)
Do you think that it's plausible that he is not coming to Rabaul and surrounding area without any air support? It's quite a risk you are running, is it not? Good luck anyway [:)]

Blackhorse -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/5/2011 4:41:26 AM)
quote: From the Diary of AC1 Reginald Shoe, 232 Sqn Reginald Shoe, eh? I heard reports that Reg died fighting in Sergeant-at-Arms John Keel's old outfit. I must have been misinformed. "How do they rise up, rise up?" [;)]

Dixie -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/5/2011 6:58:48 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: mc3744 Do you think that it's plausible that he is not coming to Rabaul and surrounding area without any air support? It's quite a risk you are running, is it not? Good luck anyway [:)] It is a risk, yes. But I feel it's a worthwhile one for a couple of reasons: 1) Some aggressive defence may be enough to derail any plans he has in the South Pacific. 2) Unlike the East Indies, where I know I'll get bombed and torpedoed, there's a chance of escaping without air attacks. 3) Any air attacks will likely be limited in numbers. 4) In the worst case it will give me an idea where the remaining Japanese CVL/CVEs are. Adelaide is not the most useful of my ships, little better than an oversized destroyer really. Seeing as I know where the KB is and where one of his CVLs and CVEs are and that the other CVL and CVE start the war in the Home Islands I'm fairly confident that air cover is limited to whatever is at Truk. I'm not going to needlessly sacrifice ships, but this is a risk that I feel is worth taking. Rabaul is also a good airfield, so stopping a major landing here makes my task a little easier around NG. This is GBLs first time as Japan, so he's well aware of the Allied shortcomings in the region but he's a bit unsure as to what the IJ forces can manage. A short, sharp shock might well be enough to knock his schedule back a bit. The threat of Allied intervention will hopefully cause him to keep some (or all) carriers in the Pacific.

Alfred -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/5/2011 5:02:22 PM)
If you do decide to spend the PPs to get the two Aussie bdes out of Singers, just remember they only represent 2/3 of 8th AIF Div. The other third of the division is already attached to an unrestricted HQ so you might want to attach the Singers bdes to the same HQ with a view to constituting the division in the future. Alfred

Dixie -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/5/2011 8:00:24 PM)
I'm still undecided on the fate of the two Aussie bdes, with Jap invasions pitching up on Borneo things are probably soon going to turn rough for the Brit ships. The two Bdes both cost a good chunk of PPs and I might be better served by buying out the far more experienced USMC regiment at San Diego. How much difference are those Oz bdes likely to make with their presence at Singapore? Seeing as GBL has managed to rope in some support on Japanese policies, I think it's only fair that I get to ask questions of you lot (whoever that may be), only two so far: Where should I be reinforcing? I'm aware that Ceylon is impossible to hold if GBL really wants it so a large garrison is pointless there. Instead I'm focusing on shifting reinforcements to cover the Bengal coast and the Burma/India border. The Line Islands are an attractive and easy place to garrison, close enough to Pearl Harbor to make it risky for the Japs to try and take without air cover and a long way to cart a division of troops to ensure their capture. What to do with the Australian AIF divisions that come from the Middle East? It seems that there won't be a lot of employment for them in SWPAC for a while and the obvious option is to keep them in India to bulk up the defences there and spread the casualties across three nations (Brit, Indian and Oz).

mc3744 -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/5/2011 8:07:28 PM)
How about bringing the Australian divisions to Colombo? With one of those and some "leftover" from Burma taking Ceylon would become very expensive for Japan. Maybe doable, but at a high price. It is after all well within your LBA range and very far from his core. And once you have some Hurricane's to cover on range 0 + a couple of BBs and some good British cruisers landing at Ceylon is not going to be a piece of cake for him.

Canoerebel -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/5/2011 8:10:17 PM)
Dixie, glad to see you lauching into a new game! Thanks for keeping an AAR that promises to entertain us for a long time to come. I remember GBL, but don't know much about him as a player. If he's aggressive, organized, and good, then you should have a real challenge since this is Scenario Two. Under those circumstances, Auto Victory is definately a possibility, so the stakes are high from the word go. The tension will mount. You will sweat. Your readers will enjoy the ride! I've completed one Scenario Two match as the Allies and am involved in two others (well, one of them may have died or may be soon resurrected in the form of a legendary opponent), so I tremble at the thought of Scenario Two in the hands of a strong Japanese player. Best of luck!

Dixie -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/5/2011 9:35:31 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Canoerebel Dixie, glad to see you lauching into a new game!� Thanks for keeping an AAR that promises to entertain us for a long time to come. I remember GBL, but don't know much about him as a player.� If he's aggressive, organized, and good, then you should have a real challenge since this is Scenario Two.� Under those circumstances, Auto Victory is definately a possibility, so the stakes are high from the word go.� The tension will mount.� You will sweat.� Your readers will enjoy the ride! I've�completed one�Scenario Two match as the Allies and am involved in two others (well, one of them may have died or may be soon resurrected in the form of a legendary opponent), so�I tremble at the thought of Scenario Two in the hands of a strong�Japanese player.� Best of luck!� Aye, I'm expecting a tough game but tempered by the fact that it's GBLs first game as Japan. I'm sort of hoping he carries on as he has been doing so far, we're 5 days in and he's just noticed that his CVL that was tasked with hunting down fleeing ships from the Philippines was set to port attack [:'(] He can't be any worse than me as Japan, my other GC game is going badly, although that's partly through playing the Dec 8th Scen. I'm hoping that some channeled aggression in the form of short sharp shocks will cause him to tread carefully. I think that I can either expect an amphibious invasion of India and Ceylon -or- an invasion of New Caledonia and Fiji. Just a gut feeling at the moment, but IJN carrier support won't stretch to both ends of the map in a meaningful time frame. When I see the main turn I'll have a better idea of the lie of the land, but I've seen the replay and have a rough plan formulated. This is how the situation looked during my last planning phase, Marblehead and Boise were both moving towards the spotted TFs, although Boise looks to have waited to dash in tomorrow and hit the Ternate TF. If I operate beyond the AV support I can shift another 40+ Australian Hudsons and Dutch Martins into surrounding airfields giving me around 60 assorted bombers able to bomb Ternate. The only IJN heavy surface assets spotted so far has been a single CA escorting the CVL, so I'm confident that Boise at least will be the equal of anything she's likely to come across. [image]local://upfiles/20142/473D2C65E3C44BC785CCDE3A4081AB82.jpg[/image]

Dixie -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/6/2011 8:26:13 PM)
11th Dec 1941 More Allied ships were sunk during the action (13 today! 3* xAP, 3* xAK, 4* TK, 1* PG, 1* AS, 1* AV) by various means. Four tankers were sunk south of Sumatra trying to run the gauntlet of Japanese submarines. A freighter was sunk by the northern end of Sumatra by Nells, the rest were sunk by Japanese aircraft near the Philippines. The air war continues. Badly for the Allies. Japanese fighter sweeps over the Philippines and Singapore result in the loss of 24 Allied fighters in return for 9 A6Ms brought down. MALAYA & SINGAPORE Not much to report aside from more burning Buffs over the island. British and Indian troops are continuing to reach position and dig in. The remaining ships in the port are escaping in small groups now, the liner Dominion Monarch will be leaving today escorted by the last two RN destroyers in the harbour. On her way out she's taking the 2nd Argyles with her. The final big ships left are the Australian merchant cruisers Kanimbla and Manoora along with a couple of Brit freighters waiting for some escort ships to guide them to safety. EAST INDIES Japanese forces have landed at Kuching and Miri, they have (so far) avoided the minefield at Kuching although a couple of ships were hit with 500lb bombs dropped by RAF Vildebeest bombers, including a penetrating hit on the cruiser Suzuya. The presence of heavy cruisers means I'm reluctant to risk any of the Allied CLs still able to reach the area for now. Further south the Japanese landed troops at Ternate, USS Boise was unable to reach the location in time to intercept the invasion and will instead arrive during the night. She has orders to either enagage the enemy ships, or if they have left then she will provide some naval gunfire. Australian and Dutch bombers are being moved to surrounding airfields as a temporary measure to try and sink some Japanese ships. Their stay will be limited due to the lack of AV support available in these bases. Another Japanese force has been spotted slightly to the north of Sorong, Marblehead and several US destroyers are en route to try and block this thrust. Other naval forces in the area include three Brit destroyers and the Dutch fleet although the Dutch are probably too far away to play any part in the action today. PHILIPPINES Japanese forces now control Laong and Aparri, both taken without serious resistance. S-39 managed to sink a Japanese freighter, unfortunately she seems to have been an empty. Allied PT boats and MTBs are gathered at Aparri to attempt a night-time strike on shipping still clustered around the beach-heads. Japanese troops are also ashore at Legaspi, and following the sinking of Tulsa and Asheville's damage at the hands of Japanese aircraft there are no warships left here to oppose the landings. There were more fighter sweeps here, with the result that fighter squadrons in the Philippines are down to a total of 51 aircraft. On the credit side, a morale boosting raid by B-17s managed to damage several IJN ships at Babeldaob as well as teaching the Japanese Navy a valuable lesson on flying CAP. After 5 days of flying to the Japanese base without seeing Jap fighters the latest attack went in a a lower altitude and scored some direct hits. The next raid is going in higher, and will laugh at eh Japanese fighters who are unable to reach their altitude. [:D] PACIFIC A Japanese cruiser bombarded Rabaul, presumably in preparation for an imminent amphibious landing. Lucky for me the 'cruiser' is Kashimi and she's now used most of her 6" ammo so I'm optimistic that Adelaide will stand a good chance of causing some havoc. Australia, Perth and Louisville are proceeding towards the Solomons, but they are all unlikely to reach the predicted landings at Shortlands. Similarly there is nothing that can be done to alleviate the situation at Kavieng where the Japanese have also got troops ashore. Penguin ran into an invasion TF in mid ocean, and managed to land a shot on a Japanese ship before making her escape to the east. I'd say, on the basis of guessing, that this TF is going to Wake. Elsewhere in the Pacific, it's the continued theme of relocation, relocation, relocation. 8th Marines are boarding their transport for "somewhere in the Pacific". 161st Infantry are on their way to "somewhere else in the Pacific, but not where the Marines are going." Both of these forces are following in the path of 34th Infantry Regt are are going "somewhere, also in the Pacific, but not where either the Marines or other army unit are going." Six S-boats are heading to Alaska, along with support elements to form a new submarine flotilla. Based around the tender Fulton they will form the first elements of the North Pacific fleet (Motto: It's bloody cold up here). Fuel and supplies are on their way along with whatever air units I can be bothered to spare for now. So that's 1 group of B-26 aircraft for now. INDIA & BURMA A bit like the US side of the Pacific, but with less things for me to click on. Allied merchant ships are being collected together at designated hubs, where they will be sorted and either sent to Africa, Aden or kept in theatre for local work. Inland it's yet more units moving as weaker forces are deployed to new locations to allow (theoretically) stronger or more mobile forces move to the South and East. Major reinforcements are on the horizon, I'd much prefer them on the subcontinent instead. ~~CRIME~~KBWATCH South of Midway, heading west towards Wake Island. 11 Days until the first Hurricanes arrive! quote: And another one gone, and another one gone Another one bites the dust -Queen

Dixie -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/7/2011 1:40:06 PM)
12th December MALAYA More fighter sweeps over Singapore and as a result, more Buffs brought down. Japanese aircraft bombed Brit troop positions, but the thick jungle in northern Malaya has prevented too much damage being caused. Dominion Monarch has safely left Singapore and helped by her fast speed and escort of destroyers, she has so far avoided submarine contact. EAST INDIES Kuching, Miri and Ternate all fell to the Japanese invasions [:(] The Kuching invasion was helped by a heavy bombardment, an action which has left the base unusable for (hopefully) some time, especially as there are no base forces reported amongst the Japanese troops. Unfortunately all of the Jap ships seem to have missed the minefield I laid there. S-37 has claimed a Japanese freighter sunk at Miri, so in two days the S boats have claimed 66% of the ships sunk by the Allies in the entire campaign thus far. Which speaks volumes about the effectiveness of the other elements of the forces. At Ternate the Jap invasion force escaped scot free as Boise either failed to make contact or couldn't locate the fleeing Japanese ships in the dark. Later reports from air patrols indicate that she was just 40 miles away from a Japanese escort carrier TF, as was a group of RN destroyers. The destroyers will make a quick nighttime dash towards the carrier before retreating back to Darwin with daylight. More Japanese troops landed at Sorong, once again the US ships sent to intercept ended up just short of the target. Hopefully Marblehead will make contact tonight. Dutch cruisers and destroyers are working ther way to Ternate in order to lob some shells at the base. PHILIPPINES The presence of carrier-borne aircraft around the islands has made the evacuation of shipping a costly exercise so far, luckily the loss rate is starting to drop off now. Mostly because most of my ships are already sunk. Japanese troops have taken Legaspi in the face of stiff opposition. At least according to Japanese radio. Plus the obligatory fighter sweeps and destroyed P-40s. B-17s launched against Japanese ships, although no hits were scored. Several British MTBs were sunk during a nighttime engagement at Laoag, a lack of leadership has probably been responsible there. After the first two were sunk the commander ordered the MTBs to withdraw, despite being close to the enemy. The resulting panic caused more casualties among the Brit forces. INDIA & BURMA The first combat was experienced by the AVG today over Rangoon. Operating in conjunction with the RAF Buffs (i.e. using them as bait) the AVG managed to shoot down three Oscars. Not brilliant, but it's a start. Still moving troops around elsewhere. PACIFIC Kavieng has fallen. Hardly a great loss but it does add to the impression that the world is collapsing around me! Nothing turned up at Rabaul, so Adelaide either remains as a guard against Japanese action or she moves somewhere else. First opinion is that she stays, Rabaul is the key base for any attack on the Solomons and Port Moresby as the only built up airfield. Allied cruisers are still trekking towards the region. Lexington and Enterprise are working their way towards Australia/New Zealand. Long term planning is based around Enterprise being based in the region as her first refits do not require shipyards unlike Lex/Saratoga. I don't expect her to achieve a great deal but if I don't keep something there then she definitely won't do anything useful. 10 days until the Hurricanes arrive!

xnavytc -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/7/2011 5:05:24 PM)
great AAR dixie, i'm just now starting PBEM games 1 against AW1Steve and one against d0mbo, I enjoy reading ur AAR's and I am still learning how things work and looking for ways to imporve how I play before I take on a GC in pbem. Keep up the good work. Tran ET1(SS)

Dixie -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/10/2011 3:47:30 PM)
13th December A mixed bag this turn, lessons learned (and taught). MALAYA We all know what is about to be written. More fighter sweeps against Singapore, more Buffs hitting the ground and not many Zeroes joining them. Japanese troops have reached Alor Star, just as the last remnants of the British forces are boarding trains for the south. Not sure if they'll make it before they're over-run. All of the composite elements of 11th Indian Div have arrived in Singapore, the division is planned to be rebuilt. British command (i.e. me) is trying to decide on the feasibility of using their unrestricted status to evacuate the division, either to Java or back to India. I am still undecided on the Australian AIF brigades. Haul them out and save them, or use them as a sacrifice to hold Singapore for a few days longer? I'm leaning towards moving at least one out even with the PP costs involved and the risk in losing more ships. The situation would appear to be either an all or nothing approach to the plan. Currently Singapore has 821 AV with just shy of 200 more making it's way to the island. Withdrawing 11th Indian would massively weaken the defence by (300 AV) and the two Australian Bdes add another 200AV to the defence, in addition to the engineers etc that would be moved. Moving these units would (a) deny GBL the VPs for their destruction (b) provide extra troops for other areas (c) make taking Singapore easier (d) tie up Allied ships. It seems like a worthwhile effort, it'll take a lot more time and effort to destroy the troops in India rather than cooped up on an island prison. INDIA & BURMA No. 5 Sqn traded in their obsolete biplanes for some Mohwak fighters. The squadron will provide some rear area defence along the Indian border until new shipments of fighters arrive. The first elements of the Bengal coastal garrison have arrived and are hurriedly digging fortifications. The AVG and RAF defenders at Rangoon have now notched up an impressive tally of three kills between them. It's a wonder that Tojo carries on flying in the face of such a defence! EAST INDIES Today (well yesterday really) saw the first Allied victory (although a day later than desirable). USS Marblehead and her destroyer flock caught the Japanese invasion fleet at Sorong. With the IJN caught flat-footed two ships were sunk and several more damaged (I'm hoping that three more will sink on the way home). The US ships escaped without damage after bombarding Japanese troops. Elsewhere an anti-shipping sweep by Boise and the Royal Navy failed to locate any prey, instead Boise bombarded Japanese positions on Ternate. S-37 has continued the trend set by the US subs, sinking (obliterating) a small Japanese minesweeper near Miri. PHILIPPINES A lot like Malaya, but further East. And with more Zeroes shot down. The lack of available fighter aircraft has meant that the process of folding the remaining aircraft into the surviving squadrons has begun. A Japanese cruise sank the Si Kiang, no great loss in itself, but the ship was carrying the last surviving elements of the Cavite Base Force [:(] PACIFIC Victory number 2 for the Allies was offset by another defeat. A Japanese landing at Wake Island suffered heavy casualties at the hands of the Marine defenders. Also at Wake, the flight of the Penguin continues as the plucky ship and her crew escaped the clutches of yet more Japanese warships before setting course for Hawaii. Adelaide was lost at Shortlands however, after moving to intercept Japanese landings she was surprised by a heavy cruiser went down after a brief but courageous fight. She held her own until struck by two Long Lance torpedoes which sent her to the bottom [:(] This was followed by Japanese landings at Tulagi to the south. There are some Allied forces in the area that can intercept the invaders though. Lexington is about 1000 miles to the east and a high speed dash might just put her within striking range for her airgroup. There is also the Louisville to the south, she is being ordered to delay her arrival however, as a lone ship she's too vulnerable to Japanese escort ships to be risked at the moment. Australia and Perth are both too far away to play any part in the action. [image]local://upfiles/20142/5B6233AC60C94757BDFD7E1E63F7022B.jpg[/image]

mc3744 -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/10/2011 7:25:09 PM)
Looks like the Japs are moving quite fast! Especially in the Guadalcanal area.

Dixie -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/11/2011 4:12:52 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: mc3744 Looks like the Japs are moving quite fast! Especially in the Guadalcanal area. It's not unexpected, hit hard and fast whilst the Allies are still scrambling to move their forces around. If the Jap player can land on Guadalcanal early doors then it's far easier to build up the airfield. What I'm hoping for is the surprise effect of the Lexington CVTF pitching up between the Jap TF and Truk. Drop some nasty bombs on GBLs ships and send in Louisville to mop up any stragglers. Will it work that way? I can hope...

mc3744 -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/12/2011 11:02:19 PM)
You certainly like to play it dangerously [;)] It does sound like a very interesting move though. If successful it should be a nice blow to Jap's pride! Looking forward to it.

Dixie -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/13/2011 9:12:56 PM)
December 14th quote: The flight asked for volunteers to form an advance party for some of our aircraft. Bugger that! Never volunteer for anything the old man said. So I stayed quiet and I'm going to Aden with the rest of the squadron. From the diary of AC1 Reg Shoe MALAYA More fighter sweeps against Singapore. The net result is several Buffs shot down in return for an Oscar (plus a few crashing on the way home). Alor Star is captured by Japanese troops with heavy casualties amongst the Brit forces still remaining after a troop train is hit by tanks. EAST INDIES Most of the action takes place in the southern areas, as IJN carrier aircraft continue to harass Allied shipping. Jap aircraft are also now flying from Northern Borneo to carry out shipping strikes along the Southern Borneo coastline. The highlight of the action was USS Seadragon putting a torpedo into Jingei near Babeldaob. USS Sargo hits Nagara with a torpedo which fails to explode. Japanese battleships (and cruisers, and destroyers) bombard Singkawang and destroy a Vildebeest on the ground. HONG KONG Captured. Damned bad show, what. PACIFIC Wake Island is captured. Also bugger. Lexington's aircraft spot Japanese troops at Tulagi, but fail to launch an attack. GBL must now be aware that the carrier is nearby, but hopefully he'll think it is to the south. Instead, she is east of the Solomons and will head NW overnight. In case GBL tries to be clever and runs southwards a force of Allied cruisers is massing to the south, from here they will either block any attempts by the Japs to flee this way or mop up any stragglers among the Japanese ships. With the KB last spotted near Wake/Midway and the IJN CVLs in the DEI things should look grim for the Japs tomorrow. [sm=00000613.gif] INDIA Australia Star has arrived in Madras with the evacuated Port Blair base force. Nothing else even remotely interesting to say here. Sorry. 8 days until the Hurricanes arrive! [image]local://upfiles/20142/41AAEA9180384A15812B91680186AA74.jpg[/image]

Dixie -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/14/2011 8:31:07 PM)
15th December MALAYA More of the same. But with 100% extra added Betty! Fighter sweeps against Singapore continue to whittle down the numbers of serviceable Buffaloes. In effect the back of the RAF defence is well and truly broken. Losses are high and kills are low. I'm not sending good money after bad, so reinforcements are unlikely. Especially in view of the evacuation of LCUs that is taking place. Betty and Nell bombers targeted three USN destroyers sent to escort troop ships away from Singapore. 11th Indian Div is boarding two separate convoys in order to (hopefully) maximise the chance of escape. Three small troopships have dropped off 3/16th Punjab Bn on Java and will attempt to get back to Singapore and evac some Australian troops. EAST INDIES Japanese battleships pitched up at Tarakan and sank a freighter and a tanker. Apart from that there's not a lot to report in this area for a change. PHILIPPINES Japanese forces have taken Jolo. This gives them a decent (size 3) AF close to Ambon, not ideal for me really. Seeing as USS Houston is loitering nearby she's going to take a risk and attempt to bombard the base before GBL can consolidate his new holding. Naga has also fallen to the advancing hordes of angry Japanese. Nothing I can do about that though. CHINA What a mess. Chinese infantry are being swept aside by Japanese advances. Although they will try and hold the line, preparations are already being made to fall back to a much shorter defensive line. The one bright spot has been the performance of the AVG 3rd Sqn who have shot down 11 Japanese Nate fighters in the past two days around Changsha. This has brought IJAAF reinforcements in the form of Tojos and more Nates. Perhaps it's time to relocate the Americans? CAF bombers have been hitting an advancing force of Japanese infantry but the recent arrival of extra IJAAF fighters has cost several bombers. PACIFIC The 'Lexington Plan' has worked. Sort of. Although she was too late to prevent Japanese forces landing at Tulagi her airgroups have managed to sink three Jap freighters (probably five) and left their escort a blazing wreck (which I suspect has also sunk after being hit by eight 1000lb bombs). USS Zane has been sunk near Hawaii by a Jap sub. These sharks are clustered around the islands and are making it risky to move my damaged battleships back to the continental US. Hopefully they'll start to bugger off soon. The assorted group of Allied cruisers will chuck some shells at Tulagi before heading south again. Lex will send her airgroups to drop some nasty stuff on the Japs and head for Oz. INDIA A lot like yesterday, but the date is different and the mess at Dum Dum is serving bully beef stew instead of bully beef casserole. There is (believe it or not) a logic in using my isolated surface units to hit some of GBLs landings and bases. Now that he knows I'm willing to risk my ships he has to either escort TFs with cruisers and destroyers or risk heavy losses. With Lex on the loose he'll also need to provide decent CV support to SOPAC operations, meaning probably the KB. In order to maintain his chances of victory in a CV clash he'll probably keep the KB as a single unit and probably gather his CVLs together, meaning he can support two major operations at a time. I plan to keep my CVs separate, and separated, dropping bombs on various places as and when I can locate the KB. Of course, now that he knows I'm willing to risk my ships it's time to change tactics. In fact, I'm finding myself wondering what his HI based aircraft are doing right now... 7 Days Until the Hurricanes arrive!

Chickenboy -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/14/2011 8:54:07 PM)
Following your AAR with interest, Dixie. Never before has Allied defeat been rendered in so much sepia! BANZAI!

Dixie -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/21/2011 1:30:02 PM)
16th December A fairly quiet day today. Bad weather managed to keep the Japanese air power grounded. [8D] EAST INDIES USS Houston engaged a Japanese convoy, sinking a TB (Hayabusa) and damaging a freighter. She escapes any Japanese counter strike and is currently north of Davao. USS Snapper launches 4 torpedoes against the CVE Taiyo, unfortunately the torps prove to be duds. [:(] Japanese battleships sink a Dutch convoy at Manado, followed soon after by the initial waves of an invasion. PACIFIC Allied cruisers lob some shells at Tulagi causing minimal damage. The damaged BBs at Pearl are going to make the trek across to the US East Coast. Only 6 days until the Hurricanes arrive!! [8D]

Cribtop -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/21/2011 5:10:03 PM)
Very nice. The AAR, not the Bully Beef stew. [:D]

mc3744 -> RE: No Way to Fight a War (Dixie vs GBL) (8/21/2011 8:44:13 PM)
How much time do you think you'll save by moving the BBs to the West Coast?

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