RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28

RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (Full Version)

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Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/12/2015 8:27:46 PM)
Kaga out of danger? - has anyone ever seen fires come back after they are put out? [image]local://upfiles/32198/EBB56A3410814B059B10B1091C681860.jpg[/image]

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/12/2015 8:38:21 PM)
SW Pacific So, who said Japanese damage control sucks? Just hope that the repair crews are careful where they point their blowtorches from now on... An Allied SCTF composed of 5 cruisers and 5 destroyers is hovering north of Ndeni which puts it within striking distance of Tulagi. I have withdrawn a flight of Jakes from the island and put 45 Netties and 45 Zeroes based at Buna on strike alert. Mind you, there's not much I can do about a night time bombardment - unless the cruisers run over one of my screening subs... DEI Kalidjati on Java falls. Bay of Bengal SS KXIV launches 6 torpedoes at BB Fuso SE of Ceylon. I doubt if I will catch any major surface assets in the vicinity but I'm thinking it might be time to bombard the island to show some commitment.

jwolf -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/12/2015 9:06:48 PM)
Good news on the Kaga. Looks like she should be OK with enough repair time and if nothing else happens to her.

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/13/2015 1:38:22 PM)
June 16, 1942 Raid on Ceylon Having approached Ceylon from the south I decide to take up position to the west of Colombo so that if there are ships there I will be in a position to cut off their escape route. Our morning air patrols spot shipping in Colombo harbour and an air attack goes in during the afternoon.The Kates are flying extended range which suits me fine as I'd rather not expend torpedoes on merchant shipping. While the Zeroes deal with the Allied CAP, the Kate pilots show their naval bombing skills... quote: Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Colombo at 29,48 Weather in hex: Partial cloud Raid spotted at 29 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 12 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 50 B5N2 Kate x 42 Allied aircraft Hurricane IIb Trop x 8 No Japanese losses Allied aircraft losses Hurricane IIb Trop: 2 destroyed Allied Ships xAK Shirala, Bomb hits 11, and is sunk xAK Don Isidro, Bomb hits 8, and is sunk DD Thanet, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage xAK Steaua Romania, Bomb hits 7, and is sunk Aircraft Attacking: 25 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 12000 feet * Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb 7 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 12000 feet * 17 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 12000 feet * Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb 9 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 12000 feet * 4 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 12000 feet * 4 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 12000 feet * CAP engaged: No.258 Sqn RAF with Hurricane IIb Trop (2 airborne, 6 on standby, 0 scrambling) 2 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 10000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 12 minutes Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Shirala Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Don Isidro Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Steaua Romania Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Thanet Massive explosion on xAK Shirala Massive explosion on xAK Don Isidro Intel shows the three xAKs and DD Thanet sunk, although I suspect Thanet is still afloat so it hardly counts as revenge for Shortlands. The question is what to do next. There are 7/8 ships in Colombo, probably merchants, tenders and the odd escort. Hardly worth risking my seasoned pilots over if my opponent flies in a ton of CAP next turn. It's tempting to go in and bombard Colombo, the risk being how heavily mined the harbour is these days, and whether there are CD guns. As those ships won't be going anywhere in a hurry, I might just steam north for a turn or two to seek out other targets of opportunity. Its also tempting to peel off a cruiser force to see what is happening at Addu and Diego Garcia. [image]local://upfiles/32198/C2E0F51D6AF242A8A00468F80C9ECD51.jpg[/image]

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/13/2015 1:53:06 PM)
Burma / India In a sign that the war along the frontier is heating up, I set Oscars to sweep Imphal and they shoot down a brace of P-40Es for a loss of one. An Allied armoured unit is spotted heading towards Imphal and I expect the front line to solidify all along the border pretty soon as my opponent deploys reinforcements pulled from Calcutta. I have been quietly airlifting the 33rd division from Diamond Harbour for the past few weeks and its full AV is now deployed in Burma, bar a few motorised squads left behind. SW Pacific The Allied TF spotted south of Tulagi appears to have withdrawn, perhaps because it was heavily spotted. In response, have moved a SCTF nearer to Shortlands where it is under the protection of my LBA - at least that's the theory! China [>:] apart from a limited offensive that is aimed at clearing the route from Canton through to Kwangchowan on the southern coast.

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/14/2015 5:35:38 PM)
June 17, 1942 KB's adventures in the Indian Ocean As will be appreciated from the map below, there are very few Allied ships spotted and I think I made the right call in sweeping Colombo with 18 Zeroes from Hiryu rather than launching a further air strike on the port. More Hurricane reinforcements had clearly been flown in, and a total of 15 were reported shot down or lost operationally for the loss of one Zero. I am going to move north now, hopefully to cause more Allied merchant shipping consternation; meanwhile a cruiser TF will pay a visit to Diego Garcia. SW Pacific A small Allied TF is spotted at Ndeni and a larger one at Luganville. Still building my defences. Kaga remains fire free and I am now working on reducing the ship's system damage. China The 2nd Prov Chinese Corps is subjected to a DA in the hex directly west across the river from Canton. Japanese assault odds: 5 to 1 are sufficient to cause a tidy rout of the defenders: quote: Japanese ground losses: 209 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 21 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled Allied ground losses: 2130 casualties reported Squads: 75 destroyed, 60 disabled Non Combat: 47 destroyed, 5 disabled Engineers: 2 destroyed, 2 disabled Guns lost 12 (4 destroyed, 8 disabled) Units retreated 1 I need to maintain the pressure in China to try to discourage my opponent from moving any more Chinese forces across to support the British forces in India. The 5th Chinese Corps with approx 600 AV is one of the units investing my forces at Calcutta. [image]local://upfiles/32198/8467497C45B140CAB93554B8AA86D294.jpg[/image]

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/15/2015 1:05:54 PM)
June 18, 1942 Indian Ocean KB moves north as planned and hits the 8-ship convoy that was spotted the previous day near Mangalore. All of the vessels are either heavily damaged or sunk. Two AMcs are also attacked near Goa and one is sunk. The cruiser TF nears Diego Garcia and a 2-ship Allied TF is spotted. No info on the types of vessel, but I'm guessing they will be small. My recon reveals that a lot of Allied fighters have departed Calcutta and Jessore, so I'm guessing that Colombo and other Ceylonese airfields have now been reinforced. As fuel levels are still good, KB will continue to steam north supported by the heavy SCTF. SW Pacific SS I-1 launches 4 torpedoes at CL Trenton, part of a small TF near Ndeni but misses and takes some damage necessitating a return to base. Several turns ago, a strong SCTF based around the battleships Yamato and Hiei left Rabaul to counter a perceived bombardment threat to Tulagi. The force was in a position yesterday to mount a fast bombardment raid on Ndeni but after careful consideration I decided to abort this. Rationale: 1. I will need to keep my powder dry to counter any Allied incursions in the Solomons 2. I can't afford more damaged ships after the carrier force departed for the HI; 3 I don't know the whereabouts of the Allied carriers.

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/16/2015 7:54:44 AM)
June 19, 1942 Indian Ocean The detached cruiser TF surprises and sinks a small Allied TF at Diego Garcia. The AP was still unloading so Allied guns and vehicles are lost. quote: Night Time Surface Combat, near Diego Garcia at 11,62, Range 8,000 Yards Japanese Ships CA Mogami CA Suzuya CA Kumano DD Fubuki DD Shinonome DD Shikinami DD Oboro DD Akebono DD Sazanami Allied Ships DD Arunta, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk xAP Denbighshire, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk Allied ground losses: Guns lost 61 (59 destroyed, 2 disabled) Vehicles lost 24 (22 destroyed, 2 disabled) The action is followed by a bombardment attack on the incumbent 17th Indian Division and the TF will now proceed to Sabang, and then to Georgetown to refuel and rearm. The KB spots additional Allied shipping near Goa and Bombay and strikes are launched. Two xAKLs and two AMcs are sunk, and others heavily damaged. Both TFs will turn back today to mop up any damaged targets between here and Ceylon. If the Allies have a fleet in the area it will undoubtedly have withdrawn as far as Karachi by now, and I don't want to expose my LOCs with the tankers excessively. The purpose of the mission was to throw my opponent off balance and demonstrate that there remains a viable threat to Ceylon and Southern India while his carriers are concentrated in the Pacific. So far, I think that this objective has been achieved. I will have to recon Colombo on the way back but expect the CAP there to be pretty fierce. KB then needs to perform a fast rearming so that it can resume providing overwatch against Allied naval TFs attempting to bombard Diamond Harbour. After the current mission I'm pretty confident that they won't try anything too soon however. [image]local://upfiles/32198/828A6AB56AFC492D9CB73D3845DCDA14.jpg[/image]

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/16/2015 8:12:13 AM)
India / Burma Oscar Ics based at Diamond Harbour mount a probing sweep against Jessore and find that the RAF's Mohawk IVs are the only defenders home. Six defenders are lost for three of the attackers. My opponent has brought up the 254th Armoured Brigade to reinforce Imphal and launches a deliberate attack on the 143rd Infantry Regiment which is already withdrawing in combat order to a 'prepared defensive position'. The battle goes rather well for the highly-experienced Japanese unit in good defensive terrain. quote: Allied Deliberate attack Attacking force 5637 troops, 24 guns, 300 vehicles, Assault Value = 310 Defending force 3873 troops, 25 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 126 Allied adjusted assault: 195 Japanese adjusted defense: 121 Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), preparation(-), fatigue(-) Attacker: Japanese ground losses: 96 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 14 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Allied ground losses: 432 casualties reported Squads: 3 destroyed, 72 disabled Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 2 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled Assaulting units: 254th Armoured Brigade 75th Indian Brigade 103rd RN Base Force Defending units: 143rd Infantry Regiment DEI SS S-41 launches two attacks on a tanker TF near Balikpapan. Fortunately all six torpedoes miss. On Java, I have decided to clear Malang before attacking the two main cities, the reason being that I can then free up the full division that has been tied down there for the past month. It will take another couple of days for the reinforcements to arrive there.

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/16/2015 9:07:12 PM)
June 20, 1942 Indian Ocean As the KB heads south Allied naval bombers escorted by P-40s launch a naval attack near Cochin. I can't tell exactly which base they flew from, possibly Madras or one of the other bases in the vicinity. There are a few tense moments until it becomes clear that the carriers' CAP has the situation under control. quote: Weather in hex: Overcast Raid detected at 35 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 15 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 22 Allied aircraft A-24 Banshee x 2 P-40E Warhawk x 21 SB2U-3 Vindicator x 18 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed Allied aircraft losses A-24 Banshee: 1 destroyed P-40E Warhawk: 7 destroyed SB2U-3 Vindicator: 3 destroyed, 5 damaged SB2U-3 Vindicator: 2 destroyed by flak Japanese Ships BB Haruna BB Kongo CV Soryu CV Shokaku Aircraft Attacking: 1 x SB2U-3 Vindicator releasing from 2000' Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb 9 x SB2U-3 Vindicator releasing from 3000' Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb CAP engaged: Akagi-1 with A6M2 Zero (2 airborne, 5 on standby, 0 scrambling) 2 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters between 12000 and 13000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 4 minutes Soryu-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling) 1 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters between 8000 and 12000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 4 minutes Hiryu-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 14000 , scrambling fighters between 9000 and 15000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 12 minutes 2 planes vectored on to bombers Shokaku-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling) 1 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters between 10000 and 12000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 4 minutes An unescorted wave of A-24 Banshees tries its luck again in the afternoon but with no greater success: quote: Morning Air attack on TF, near Cochin at 27,39 Weather in hex: Overcast Raid detected at 23 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 9 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 13 Allied aircraft A-24 Banshee x 11 No Japanese losses Allied aircraft losses A-24 Banshee: 4 destroyed, 1 damaged A-24 Banshee: 2 destroyed by flak Meanwhile, KB launches three separate air attacks near Jaffna, Mangalore and Calicut sinking an AMc and 3 xAKLs. Although it would have been a black day if another precious carrier had been hit, in the event today's intel report indicates that 24 fewer US dive bombers will be available to threaten my convoys plying the Bay of Bengal. SW Pacific The Allied carriers are back in action as they take out a small supply convoy near Tabiteuea: quote: Weather in hex: Overcast Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 5 minutes Allied aircraft SBD-3 Dauntless x 30 No Allied losses Japanese Ships xAK Uji Maru, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk xAKL Katsura Maru, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk PB Hakozake Maru, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk Aircraft Attacking: 11 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000' Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb 11 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000' Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb 4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000' Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb 4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000' Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Uji Maru Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAKL Katsura Maru Heavy smoke from fires obscuring PB Hakozake Maru [image]local://upfiles/32198/4EFA9FBED76E4227843C3BD59691FDB8.jpg[/image]

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/17/2015 8:58:59 PM)
June 21, 1942 Indian Ocean The KB comes under Allied air attack again near North Male as it steams south towards Ceylon. However a significant threat fails to materialise as the bombers are unescorted and fall easy prey to the CAP. The first raid sees nine SB2U-3 Vindicators head into 60 A6M2s, losing five of their number before aborting the mission. Then it is the turn of the RAF's Blenheim 4s, attacking in two waves but losing fifteen planes without getting into a single attacking position. I can only assume that the assigned fighter escorts were out of range, or failed to fly. My ASW patrols have reported a line of Allied subs attempting to block the route south - lets hope we can break through without any major mishaps... [image]local://upfiles/32198/DE634B1EB05C473484A33F04CE55FDA0.jpg[/image]

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/18/2015 3:42:12 PM)
June 22, 1942 Indian Ocean The KB breaks through the Allied submarine screen without making contact and ends the day steaming well to the SE of Ceylon. No aircraft are launched by either side. I have decided not to chance my luck any further by mounting any raids on Colombo. The plan is now to retire for rearming and refuelling before taking up position again. I plan for the KB to 'disappear' at this stage so that I can revert to using it as a hidden deterrent rather than a visible threat. In particular I still want to deter any attempts by the British Fleet to re-enter the Bay of Bengal in the near future. However, I also need to think about how to defend in SW Pacific while my other carriers are being repaired. An Allied sub attacks destroyers from the force which raided Diego Garcia near Sabang. I'll have to use caution when my big ships enter the Strait of Malacca again... SW Pacific A lot of Allied TFs are milling around Ndeni. A strike northwards can only be a matter of time now. I wonder how emboldened my opponent will be knowing that he is unlikely to be opposed by Japanese carriers down here any time soon... Rabaul has a high DL and I move several extra fighter units to the base as I have quite a number of ships in the harbour. The nearest Allied base capable of mounting long range bombers is at least 22 hexes away by my calculations but you can never be too careful.

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/20/2015 5:52:02 PM)
June 23-24, 1942 Burma / India Zeroes sweep Chittagong to keep the Allies on their toes and 10 Hurricanes are reported shot down for no loss. I expect the Allied fighter count to rise again rapidly now that Ceylon is no longer under threat from the KB. My focus will continue to be to use superior pilot experience and planes to degrade the enemy's air power for as long as I can. Malaya All ASW aircraft are working overtime as the KB nears port. There are plenty of Allied subs lurking but no contact has been made with KB or its sister TF over the last two days. A naval guard unit invades the island of Tandjoengpinang just south of Singapore where there is still a 'heritage' Allied unit lurking. High disruption incurred but can't be helped. I will be placing mines there in future, hopefully to snag Allied subs that get too close to Singers. DEI Japanese forces CAPTURE Sibolga. Only one more base to go on Sumatra. Three B-339Ds, probably all that is left of the Dutch fighter force, intercept my escorted bombers over Malang on Java but no losses are incurred on either side. Carrier update All that were damaged have survived and, of those, all are in port somewhere getting repaired or upgraded. In terms of yard time, this will take between 20 - 40 days depending on the damage - and then the Japanese carrier force (ex-KB) will be miraculously resurrected!!!

jwolf -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/20/2015 7:10:27 PM)
Really amazing your carriers all came through with no loss other than down time. Their reappearance may well surprise your opponent.

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/20/2015 7:37:30 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: jwolf Really amazing your carriers all came through with no loss other than down time. Their reappearance may well surprise your opponent. I agree, I've been pretty lucky (although war can be full of surprises and missed opportunities). I'm certainly hoping that their reappearance will come as a nice surprise for my opponent.

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/22/2015 9:27:48 PM)
Jun 25-26, 1942 Strait of Malacca SS KXIV sights one of my SCTFs including the battleships Hyuga and Yamashiro near Phuket but is seen off by the escorts. SS Pompano launches 4 torpedoes at the same TF near Langkawi... and misses. The gathering Allied submarines fail to intercept the KB on its return from the Indian Ocean and the carriers will now spend a few days in port refitting before being redeployed. Malaya The island of Tandjoengpinang south of Singapore is captured. SW Pacific A full infantry division is now in reserve at Rabaul, with a second arriving at Truk shortly. Air and naval units remain on high alert in case of further Allied carrier raids into the Solomons. I have deployed several air groups from the previously-damaged carriers at Rabaul and Torokina to supplement the local LBA. A rapid reaction SCTF comprising two BBs, 4 x CAs, plus DD escorts is located at Rabaul but will need to operate with strong air support at all times.

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/25/2015 10:04:42 AM)
June 27 - 29, 1942 Indian Ocean With KB in port, I have deployed subs to interdict Allied shipping movements. SS I-32 torpedoes and sinks xAK Maridal near Cochin and the following day Allied PGs are sighted on patrol. I am also hoping to get early intel on any Allied warships returning to Colombo. Burma / India The front has been very quiet since my Indian Ocean raid and recent sweeps of Allied airbases lead my opponent to stand down or withdraw some fighter units. On the 28th, Sallies launch a probing Air attack on 36th Indian Brigade in the jungle near Jorhat. On the 29th the bombers switch target to hit the 1st Patiala Lancers Regiment in a front line jungle hex near Chittagong. I want to keep my opponent guessing as to my intentions. DEI I'm preparing to assault a few of the legacy bases that were bypassed in my initial push. Apart from making the map look untidy, they are potential staging posts for Allied subs so can't be allowed to remain unoccupied. The attack at Malang, delayed due to exceeding the stacking limits in the hex, finally goes ahead. The defenders should surrender or be pushed out in a few days, clearing the road to Soerabaja. quote: Japanese Deliberate attack Attacking force 27742 troops, 267 guns, 77 vehicles, Assault Value = 863 Defending force 8016 troops, 106 guns, 14 vehicles, Assault Value = 223 Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0 Japanese adjusted assault: 595 Allied adjusted defense: 316 Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0) Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0 Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-) Attacker: fatigue(-) Japanese ground losses: 513 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 70 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled Allied ground losses: 924 casualties reported Squads: 3 destroyed, 95 disabled Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 16 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Guns lost 19 (2 destroyed, 17 disabled) Assaulting units: 4th Division 48th Division 17th Medium Field Artillery Regiment Defending units: 1st KNIL Regiment II Marechausse Cdo 1st Cav Regiment Kendari KNIL Cdo 1e-VLG-II Sup Afd HQ III KNIL Division A-III-Ld AA Battalion 2e-VLG-II Sup Afd Home Islands In a very rare sub attack near Kushiro, SS Trigger sinks PB Kibi Maru escorting a resource convoy to Honshu. So far my opponent has tended to use the silent service in the war zones rather than against commerce shipping. I expect this focus to change somewhat as the longer-legged US boats acquire more reliable torpedoes. SW Pacific More Allied transports appear at Ndeni. Either its going to be the most well-defended base in the SW Pacific or they are preparing to strike north. Either way, it will all be down to my LBA to defend the Solomons until my carriers have been repaired and in some cases been through their first upgrade.

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/26/2015 10:52:37 AM)
June 30 - July 1, 1942 Home Islands My opponent is starting to get more ambitious with his subs as SS Wahoo launches 4 torpedoes at xAP Haruna Maru near Haha-jima, part of a convoy sending reinforcements to Truk. I usually route convoys to clear hexes or intermediate ports as the Allies superior Sig Int can often reveal the ultimate destination. DEI Samarinda, the port and oilfield across the river from Balikpapan falls to an amphibious attack. I could have landed at Balikpapan and attacked across the river but it was much the same result and the opposition was light. Malang is still holding out proving the difficulty in clearing a mountain hex with SLs. I have two full divisions and an artillery regiment but that's all I can stack. Bay of Bengal Well, it looks like Roger has managed to sneak a bombardment TF headed towards Diamond Harbour past my picket subs if that is what is shown on the picture. My search spotted this development and during the combat replay I got the following two messages: quote: 18 x G3M3 Nell unable to locate target due to range or weather 18 x G4M1 Betty unable to locate target due to range or weather A tad frustrating, and I have to hope now that there is not enough firepower in the TF for the airfield to be shut down. I have plenty of engineers in the hex which will help. I will likely evacuate my crack fighters but need to keep some CAP in the air as any attack will likely involve coordination with bombers. My blockade squadron ships have just finished repairing, but are too far south at the moment to intercept. However, I am going to send a SCTF north west in the hope of catching the Allied vessels on the return leg. [image]local://upfiles/32198/8669C4A643A84A5EA9E70B20CB15594E.jpg[/image]

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/26/2015 10:58:15 AM)
China Still a quiet theatre and I have started extracting the odd division to fight in the SW Pacific. I have a limited offensive going on in the south to take Kwangchowan and Pakhoi, and potentially to link up with forces in Indochina and open this supply route. [image]local://upfiles/32198/209FF2F1ED514F6B9B55A9070094AA27.jpg[/image]

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/26/2015 7:25:10 PM)
July 2, 1942 Bay of Bengal The Repulse turns up in the TF that bombards Diamond Harbour at night. Thankfully the damage is relatively light - 12 port, 31 airfield service, 28 runway, with 6 Oscars destroyed on the ground. The ships are reported by my naval search in the day although none are visible on the map, so I assume they must have retired towards Madras at flank speed. It's fortunate that the runway was not bombed as well, or the damage could have been worse. I expect the bombers will come tomorrow however. quote: Night Naval bombardment of Diamond Harbour at 52,38 Japanese aircraft no flights Japanese aircraft losses Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 5 damaged Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 4 destroyed on ground Ki-43-Ia Oscar: 6 damaged Allied Ships BC Repulse CA Exeter CA Cornwall CL Newcastle CL Mauritius CL Enterprise CLAA Van Heemskerck Japanese ground losses: 470 casualties reported Squads: 2 destroyed, 9 disabled Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 30 disabled Engineers: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled Guns lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled) Airbase hits 5 Airbase supply hits 2 Runway hits 20 Port hits 6 Walrus II acting as spotter for BC Repulse BC Repulse firing at Diamond Harbour Walrus II acting as spotter for CA Exeter CA Exeter firing at Imperial Guards Division CA Cornwall firing at Diamond Harbour CL Newcastle firing at Diamond Harbour CL Mauritius firing at Imperial Guards Division CL Enterprise firing at Imperial Guards Division CLAA Van Heemskerck firing at Diamond Harbour I have naval TFs approaching the Andamans and would really like to catch these cruisers if I can. They will either try to escape round Ceylon or hole up in Madras under a CAP trap, I guess.

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/26/2015 7:31:59 PM)
DEI Malang falls, finally... quote: Japanese Deliberate attack Attacking force 26830 troops, 267 guns, 77 vehicles, Assault Value = 771 Defending force 6944 troops, 102 guns, 14 vehicles, Assault Value = 117 Japanese adjusted assault: 675 Allied adjusted defense: 169 Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 0) Japanese forces CAPTURE Malang !!! Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), experience(-) Attacker: Japanese ground losses: 619 casualties reported Squads: 2 destroyed, 56 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled Allied ground losses: 3066 casualties reported Squads: 66 destroyed, 6 disabled Non Combat: 143 destroyed, 17 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Guns lost 58 (57 destroyed, 1 disabled) Vehicles lost 12 (12 destroyed, 0 disabled) Units retreated 6 Units destroyed 2 Defeated Allied Units Retreating! Assaulting units: 4th Division 48th Division 17th Medium Field Artillery Regiment Defending units: II Marechausse Cdo 1st Cav Regiment 1st KNIL Regiment Kendari KNIL Cdo A-III-Ld AA Battalion 1e-VLG-II Sup Afd HQ III KNIL Division 2e-VLG-II Sup Afd SW Pac Suddenly, I have no DL on anything in the Coral Sea [X(]. That's pretty scary and kind of reminds me of the sea pulling back before some kind of tsunami hits... [image]local://upfiles/32198/5349623904F946FA982E57824A815B8D.jpg[/image]

jwolf -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/26/2015 8:33:12 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Walker84 Suddenly, I have no DL on anything in the Coral Sea [X(]. That's pretty scary and kind of reminds me of the sea pulling back before some kind of tsunami hits... That's a perfect metaphor for collapse of search before an enemy strike! Good luck with whatever comes, if it does.

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/28/2015 4:58:52 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: jwolf That's a perfect metaphor for collapse of search before an enemy strike! Good luck with whatever comes, if it does. Thanks, as my next updates will reveal there is indeed something afoot in the Coral Sea ...

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/28/2015 5:11:46 PM)
July 3, 1942 SW Pacific Four B-17s and 17 B-26 Marauders ground attack Tulagi. Given the small numbers involved I suspect the purpose of the raid is to gain intel rather than cause casualties. In any case I have one JNAF Coy based there to support naval search floatplanes, plus a small SNLF unit. Nothing at all in terms of an invasion deterrent. We get some search back up and a fairly indeterminate TF is spotted steaming to the west of Luganville. Could this be the spearhead of something bigger, or is it just a probing move? Either way, I max out the search levels and check all of my LBA settings in case anything kicks off next turn. [image]local://upfiles/32198/97C1FB5DAF974874A1AE0656A0D14DCE.jpg[/image]

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/28/2015 5:21:34 PM)
Bay of Bengal Allied SS KXVII fires two torpedoes at my SCTF near Little Andaman and BB Haruna is identified. Later in the day a Mavis floatplane spots the Repulse TF heading back to Ceylon. As well as the SCTF, I have an air combat TF in the Andamans that just might intercept the Allied ships before they round the island if we go full speed ahead. Orders are given, and we will have to wait to see what happens... [image]local://upfiles/32198/F39D3C3961A24AA5B0A7C82676936AAD.jpg[/image]

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/28/2015 5:42:04 PM)
July 4, 1942 Bay of Bengal ... well that was a miss. Both TFs get to within 7 hexes of Ceylon but the Allied cruisers have disappeared by then. Ah well, they may have doubled back so I will set up a search pattern. The other point of the navy being up here is to protect a convoy that will soon be in position to make some troop withdrawals from Diamond Harbour. The airbase was hardly damaged by the recent bombardment and, by showing my hand, I won't need to worry quite as much about SCTF intervention, although the air war could get interesting if my opponent still has a significant anti-shipping air capability in India.

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/28/2015 5:57:08 PM)
SW Pacific I can't help wondering if Roger deliberately chose 4 July as the date for launching his offensive in the Solomons? quote: Allied Shock attack Allied forces CAPTURE Tassafaronga !!! Assaulting units: 2nd USMC Parachute Bn /1 This was a paradrop on to an unoccupied base directly north of Lunga. Prior to this, one of my picket subs took 2 hits attacking some US DDs further south. Multiple TFs were then sighted and Netties escorted by Zeroes flew into a massive carrier-borne CAP exercise: quote: Morning Air attack on TF, near Rennell Island at 114,142 Weather in hex: Light cloud Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 28 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 40 G4M1 Betty x 16 Allied aircraft Sea Hurricane Ib x 6 F4F-4 Wildcat x 123 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero: 3 destroyed G4M1 Betty: 5 destroyed Allied aircraft losses F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed Fortunately, other bombers failed to find their targets and were probably spared decimation as a result. So, it's kicked off. I can't get any DLs on the carriers yet, but there are multiple TFs of all different sizes and compositions heading north. I imagine that the entire Tulagi/Lunga complex is the goal, although I can't rule out the possibility that they might be bypassed and a more aggressive play be made against Shortlands itself. I'm still thinking about what orders to set for my LBA at the moment. I don't want to fritter it away in suicide attacks until I can see what I am up against. I'd like to operate where the odds are better where I can, picking off any stragglers if that's possible but I know that Roger plans these operations in great detail so I will have to look hard for opportunities. Need to pinpoint those darned carriers first of all � then the transports! [image]local://upfiles/32198/D8A86EC4724045259AC25498066A18E4.jpg[/image]

jwolf -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/28/2015 6:15:07 PM)
You've got a legion of subs there -- are they making any attacks?

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/28/2015 6:18:56 PM)
I have had a lot of subs in place ever since the carrier raid on Shortlands but they don't seem to have had much success so far - yesterday there was only one contact as reported above. I'm hoping for greater success next turn.

Walker84 -> RE: Great Tides that Ebb and Flow: Apbarog (A) vs Walker (J) DBB-B Scen 28 (4/29/2015 9:03:20 PM)
July 5, 1942 Another element of 2nd USMC Parachute Bn drops on Lunga, securing the unoccupied base but for some reason the invasion armada holds back and there are no landings elsewhere. Perhaps the plan was always to wait for the paras before landing any reinforcements. My subs don't have a great day amid the multitude of heavily-escorted Allied TFs. I-157 manages to loose two torpedoes at CL Marblehead but misses and is soon badly damaged by the combination of DD escorts and naval air flying ASW patrol. Soon after, a terse message reaches high command: Decks awash on I-23. Order given to abandon ship. I am holding my LBA back until some landings actually happen, which I guess will be tomorrow. The Allies seem to have a lot of carriers but Tulagi is too far away for any land-based CAP to lend a hand. This might provide an opportunity for creative disruption, but we'll have to see how events unfold. Elsewhere, Japanese forces CAPTURE Tandjoengselor, adjacent to Tarakan which seems like a cheap sideshow stunt at this point in time. [image]local://upfiles/32198/DAE57421F89B4FB7AD5B7618F48906BE.jpg[/image]

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