RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B

RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (Full Version)

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Bo Rearguard -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (8/30/2017 10:37:59 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: apbarog Here's the big fast xAP that escaped from the Philippines and is almost to safety. Are you sending an ASW escort out to meet her? Nothing more excruciating than getting to the doorstep of safety and tripping. [:D]

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (8/30/2017 10:49:04 PM)
Yes, an escort will meet up. Escorts are few and far between right now, with high priority convoys already formed, but I should be able to manage a short ranged escort from Pearl. I document this xAP because it is the only ship (so far) to make it out of the Philippines to the east. I do now have a couple others that more recently left, and it looks like Aurorus discontinued his patrols to the east, figuring that he'd gotten just about everything. Which he has. I do have an AS making the run now though. It's always a challenge to save the ships from Manila. It's more difficult with the non-historical start, giving the enemy an extra turn to set up a blockade. Aurorus did an excellent job. Just a few escapees to the south, southeast, and the one to the east. I did better evacuating Java. I had more time, and started almost immediately. I did fill up with supply and fuel with what I could. I estimate about 60,000 fuel escaped Borneo and Java and made it to Australia.

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/1/2017 1:38:54 AM)
18 Dec 41 South of Java, I-165 targets xAKL Mauban, but misses with 2 torpedoes. Mauban is by itself, running away from Java towards India. This is the first confirmed sub sighting south of Java. Japanese minesweepers start clearing mines at Hong Kong. Aurorus is determined to sink every last miscellaneous ship out there. The tiny tanker La Estrella Caltex, with 2 yard oilers, delivered fuel to Pakhoi from Manila. On the way back, today, BBs Nagato and Mutsu, with 5 destroyers, found and eliminated them. This area is a sideshow now. No reason to have battleships out here roaming around. The usual daily bombing in China and Malaysia. It is worth noting that 50 Helens completely eliminated an AT gun regiment near Malacca, in clear terrain, today. This is noted, and as said before, when the Allies start doing this later in the war, the results will be ten times worse. Enemy task forces are arranged near Banjermasin, Borneo. The Dutch Air Force sortied today. The first strike was the best, when 15 bombers were escorted by 12 fighters, going up against 22 Zeros. The fighters tied up the CAP sufficiently so that 6 B-339D bombers dropped on CV Shokaku. All bombs missed, but it was exciting to watch, and I'm sure was a tense moment for Aurorus. Followup attacks were unescorted and fragmented, and many Dutch bombers were lost. Total losses for the day were 27 bombers and 12 fighters. Only 1 Zeros was lost. There were a few bombs dropped near BB Haruna, but all missed. Bombers from the enemy carriers here sank 4 AMs that made it to Balikpapan, then sank some patrol craft at Soerabaja. Ternate was lost. An enemy bombardment attack at Johore Bahru shows that the defenses are weak. I've extracted parts of a few airbase support units from Malaysia and the Philippines. Aurorus got intel on my huge reinforcement convoy that left the West Coast a few days ago. I split the convoy up, hoping that it doesn't happen again. Catalinas will be setting up patrols in the Solomons in a day or two. [image]local://upfiles/6549/B25F5BDBDAA74591A7F1B78B5E6429E0.gif[/image]

Nami Koshino -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/1/2017 2:45:21 AM)
I was curious if you currently have plans for the future disposition of the passengers of the Pensacola Convoy? That's the transport TF that starts the war near Canton Island escorted by the CA Pensacola. If I recall it consists of some field artillery and air support personnel. Historically they were intended for the Philippines. They usually seem to end up landing in either Fiji or Australia in the games I've started. Not terribly imaginative but safe.

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/1/2017 2:50:22 AM)
Yes, this convoy will be arriving at Sydney in the next turn. I figured it was safer there than to land on one of the South Pacific islands. The artillery units are nice, but aren't going to hold an island by itself.

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/1/2017 9:35:53 PM)
19 Dec 41 More enemy minesweepers arrive at Hong Kong and work on the minefield there. Subs, mostly Dutch, target enemy task forces north and east of Java. No torpedoes hit. No significant damage to the subs. Miri is invaded. Johore Bahru troops are bombed, and the base is lost. Nells from Borneo target patrol boats near Muntok, but miss in missions in the morning and in the afternoon. The TMs will move close to Singapore today to stir up a little trouble. More of the clear terrain bombing in China. A few units are pocketed south of Nanyang. Nothing that could be done. Persistent bombing slowed the units, preventing an escape. Just one big corp in the group that will eventually be lost. The enemy seems to be headed toward Nanyang. Will have to wait and see if Aurorus pauses to eliminate the encircled enemy, or pushes north. Chinese units are scrambling to form a line in the woods. Sallys from Malaysia bomb Dutch troops at Medan. Clear terrain means over 100 casualties. If it keeps up, I'll be force to evacuate the base because of the terrain. A few Dutch bombers go after BB Haruna north of Soerabaja. One bombs but misses. Claudes shoot down most if not all of the planes. The bulk of the Dutch bombers were set to rest today. Most are at Soerabaja. Hoping that the transports to the east come closer, they are set to attack today, and are reinforced (hopefully) with two fighter units that had been resting. Maybe, with some escorts, they can get lucky. It almost happened yesterday. Bettys from Koepang bomb the port at Broome. No doubt looking for shipping in port. None there. Malacca and Johore Bahru are lost. The badly damaged destroyer that has been in the shipyard at Singapore, and had been regularly targeted and hit early one, will come out of the shipyard for a final attempted run to safety. 3 days to start that run. US carriers will start to move south from Hawaii to escort the many troops and cargo ships coming from the West Coast. The US combat TF with Boise and Houston made it to Sydney, and will start repairs, that will take about a week. BB Prince of Wales is approaching Sydney from Melbourne. I did spot an enemy sub southeast of Sydney today. It's too soon to have planes on ASW, since no units start with pilots trained in ASW, so it's a nervous time around the ports. I do have some small ships doing ASW in the area. [image]local://upfiles/6549/BAACA867C4EC4087971D5CEFCAAC6E76.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/2/2017 6:49:39 AM)
20 Dec 41 A small landing force hits Semarang on Java. Semarang hits back. TF 62 encounters mine field at Semarang (53,102) Japanese Ships DD Yudachi, Mine hits 1, heavy damage xAP Kamo Maru, Mine hits 1 Japanese ground losses: 39 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 1 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TF 101 encounters mine field at Semarang (53,102) - Coastal Guns Fire Back! 28 Coastal gun shots fired in defense. Japanese Ships DMS W-20, Shell hits 4, on fire DMS W-19, Shell hits 2, heavy fires DMS W-12, Shell hits 6, heavy fires DMS W-11, Shell hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Invasion action off Semarang (53,102) - Coastal Guns Fire Back! Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force 56 Coastal gun shots fired in defense. Japanese Ships CL Nagara DD Samidare DD Yudachi, heavy damage xAP Kamo Maru, Shell hits 3, heavy damage (hit again in a later round) DD Murasame There's undoubtedly more to come, but maybe not at Semarang. I had juggled Dutch units on Java, reinforcing some bases that start basically empty. I think that Semarang was one of those. Near Christmas Island in the South Pacific, I-20 has a good day, finding xAK Ludington by herself, hitting her with a shell and a torpedo, sinking her. Then, in the same hex, I-20 hits tanker Eidsvold with a torpedo, sinking her. Ludington had unloaded supply at Christmas, and was moving to rendezvous with Eidsvold's TF, which was headed back to the West Coast. Both sunk ships were empty. Near Exmouth, on the northwestern tip of Australia, I-153 finds the very last convoy from Java. AN xAKL was moving with a large number of tiny AMc, helping fuel them on the way to safety. It was a long and slow trip. I-153 hit xAKL Van Diemen twice, sinking her. The AMc's do have enough fuel to make it to Carnavon now. A noble sacrifice. US sub Pike fires 4 torpedoes at xAK Tatukami Maru near Makassar, but misses. 40 sweeping Zeros down a bunch of P-26s flying CAP at Bataan. 27 Bettys bomb ground troops at Singapore. I had moved every AA unit that I could in Malaysia to Singapore. 11 Bettys are downed by flak. A great result. More enemy bombing in China and Malaysia. Near Bandjermasin, Java, 6 Dutch bombers and 7 Hawks escorting attack an enemy carrier TF. 37 fighters fly CAP. 1 bomber gets through and drops bombs on CV Soryu. And misses. Followup attacks do poorly, and most Dutch bombers are shot down. It would be worth the entire Dutch air force to hit a carrier. Instead, the attempts are costing the entire Dutch air force. Bettys with Zeros fly from Koepang and bomb Derby's port. No ships here either. KB Kates bomb Semarang's troops, which aren't many. Davao is lost. The enemy advances in a few places in China. Georgetown is lost. Miri is lost. Sidate is lost. Dili is lost. Autobombardment at Semarang shows that only the Kure 1st SNLF unit has landed there. [image]local://upfiles/6549/0F0FF1C6CE384A6FA5B5C713B80D0C1E.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/2/2017 11:40:18 PM)
21 Dec 41 Lots of enemy minesweepers clearing recently dropped mines at Singkawang. No success for me there. Allied subs are active between Java and Borneo. Some don't get to fire. S-38 fires 4 torpedoes at CM Shirataka but misses. Lots of xAKs in this task force. Shirataka probably has troops on board. Dutch sub KXI fires 4 torpedoes at DD Hishu, escorting at least one xAP near Pontianak, but misses. Zeros sweep Darwin from Timor. No CAP. No fighters anywhere in Australia, for that matter. Just how the war starts. Squadrons are on the way, but it will be awhile. Nells bomb Palembang's airfield, doing moderate damage. The sneaky supply route into Pakhoi is officially closed. Petes, likely stationed on Hainan Island, bomb xAKL Sagoland near Hainan as it round the island for Pakhoi. Lots of 30kg bombs sink the ship. Another xAKL turns around to return to Manila. No use wasting 1000 supply. The usual clear terrain bombing in China. KB Vals sink an HDML at Soerabaja. Many KB Kates bomb Dutch troops at Semarang. A Chinese corp is destroyed south of Nanyang. The interesting news for today is activity at Christmas Island in the South Pacific. I moved in Catalinas for search and Bolos for ASW today, and spotted subs east and west of the island. But the big surprise was seeing 2 AMCs sitting right on Christmas Island. They were probably hoping to run into the convoy that was attacked by subs yesterday. I expect the AMCs to leave to the northwest. Excellent French destroyer La Triomphant leaves its convoy to the southwest of the island, and will set up a patrol to the west and northwest of Christmas Island. An eastbound convoy will divert to the south of Christmas. US carriers are inbound from the northeast, but are several days away. Interesting that Aurorus put the AMCs in harm's way. I expect him to run now that he's been spotted.

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/3/2017 3:52:16 AM)
South Pacific [image]local://upfiles/6549/1280F83C62BA4BB7924DCC2658F7C441.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/3/2017 3:52:55 AM)
China [image]local://upfiles/6549/14D153CDE7334CD18007AB2090146C17.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/3/2017 7:38:38 PM)
22 Dec 41 3 undamaged DMS start to clear mines at Semarang. The damaged ones are not seen. One is probably sunk. The enemy 4th Infantry Division starts to land. South of Hawaii, I-169 fires 2 torpedoes at xAP Maori, but misses. Maori is part of a 3 ship task force of fast xAPs, without escort. They'll get to Pearl today. The usual daily bombing in China. Eventually, my troops will have left the clear terrain. One way or the other. Nanyang is bombed. Many enemy units headed here. Puerto Princesa and Taytay are invaded. Enemy deliberate attack at Nanyang. Goes at 1 to 1 and reduces the forts to 1. 595 enemy casualties and 724 Chinese. With so many enemy approaching, the base may hold another day or two, no more. The wood line awaits to the north. An enemy attack at Pontianak, Borneo fails. Didn't bring enough. Equal casualties. The AMCs at Christmas Island disappear today, but a convoy to the south reacted away from them, so they went at least somewhat to the south. I'll keep looking. I'm happy to report that AS Otus and xAP Elcano successfully escaped the Philippines, going southeast, and then south, between Babeldaop and Truk. Also, AS Canopus has successfully escaped also, going east, passing north of Iwo Jima, and will get to the Aleutians soon, providing needed sub support there. DD Scout, barely floating for days in Singapore, being bombed daily for awhile, and with 99 SYS for a number of days, is leaving Singapore today. It's still badly damaged, but can make 6 hexes a day normally. It will make a short run up the west coast, and hopefully duck into a port, then make a high speed run toward Sabang. I could have done the high speed run today, but it wouldn't have gotten out of bomber range, so I'll take the chance on the first day, and then hopefully be out of range on day two. 10 days until a P-40E squadron appears at Brisbane. (Probably with terrible pilots though) SigInt reports the previously unseen Imperial Guard Division adjacent to Georgetown, so it is in Malaysia.

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/4/2017 12:58:58 AM)
I think that I need to be a bit careful around Christmas Island. Those AMCs could be just bait. There's lots of enemy carriers at Java now, but I can't say that ALL of the carriers are there. I have to remember Allied rule number one: don't lose the carriers. I'm probably being paranoid but Aurorus is an excellent player, and Christmas can be approached from the NW without being seen. Time for caution.

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/4/2017 6:22:34 AM)
23 Dec 41 More enemy troops land at Semarang. Northeast of Soerabaja, 3 TMs sortie out and run into battleships Kongo and Haruna, and friends. Despite the range closing to 3,000 yards, which was maximum visibility, no torpedoes are launched, and 2 of the three TMs are sunk. Near Geraldton, Australia sub I-166 finds and sinks tiny AMc Bonthorpe. One onf the tiny minesweepers in the last convoy heading down the coast. West of Christmas Island, I-24 fires 4 torpedoes at destroyer Le Triomphant, but misses. The French ship is looking for the enemy AMCs but doesn't find them today. Off the Java coast near Tjepoe, Dutch sub KIX spots 2 destroyers, fires 2 torpedoes at DD Murasame, but misses. The sub avoids significant damage. Just west of Makassar, Dutch sub KX finds a couple of DMS, and hits with a torpedo out of four fired. The DMS is almost surely sunk. KX then reattacks the other DMS, but misses with four torps. China bombing etc. 2 squadrons of AVG are redeploying to China. The bombing is getting closer to where they can be useful. And the defense is becoming more urgent with time. Earlier in the day, sub KIX engaged a task force but missed. Later, it spots a big transport TF, fires 4 torps at the big ship AV Kunikawa Maru, and gets one hit. Certainly not sunk, but any torpedo hit is worth celebrating at this point. In Malaysia, Port Dickson is lost. The enemy bombards at Nanyang, and finds almost no one home. Most headed into the woods. Here's the order of battle to show the largest stack Aurorus has moving in China at the moment. He can add to this stack also, with more nearby. Assaulting units: 2nd Ind Engineer Regiment 35th Division 8th Ind Engineer Regiment 9th Armored Car Co 110th Division 41st Division 12th Tank Regiment 15th Tank Regiment 13th Tank Regiment 3rd Ind.Mixed Brigade 1st Mortar Battalion 51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion 11th Army 52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion 6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment 14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment 15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment 2nd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment 12th Army 11th Field Artillery Regiment Defending units: 29th Chinese Corps Semarang, the enemy invasion point on Java, is lost. Puerto Princesa is lost also. I'm hoping that the minefield laid off shore of Semarang finds some customers today. I'm also hoping to track down the 2 AMCs near Christmas Island. The lone xAP that reacted yesterday headed east today, and it reacted away from the enemy again. So the AMCs are approximately south or southeast of the island. A US carrier is coming south to try an intercept, but the carrier TF was spotted today, but only with a detection level of 1. Aurorus could flee if he sees a carrier, or he could move toward the TF if he thinks it might be a juicy target. Regardless, if I don't get the AMCs today, the carriers and shipping will move to consolidate and move more safely together. [image]local://upfiles/6549/E1C7FEA5E61F45DD8A5724C545FC8819.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/4/2017 8:27:25 PM)
24 Dec 41 Lots of mineclearing and troop landing at Semarang. And a bunch of enemy ships are disbanded in the port. Instead of flying all of the Dutch bombers on naval strike, with poor skills, today they will hit the port, with mediocre skills. AVP Heron, moving to Tarakan as part of an escape plan, runs into a big invasion task force, with 4 cruisers, 4 destroyers, and 3 xAKs. Both sides decline combat. The invasion convoy moves to Tarakan and engages 3 small HDML ships, sinking all easily. A couple of Dutch subs are damaged in the shallow waters near Java. O19, having already dropped mines near Semarang yesterday, takes some moderate damage and will head to Brisbane for repairs. Soerabaja is very close, but is an easy target for KB, which still sits in range to the north. I-22 fires 2 torpedoes at Le Triomphant but misses. The destroyer was hunting for the AMCs but no luck today. The Dutch air force does sortie in numbers. Lots of bombers are downed, and escorting fighters too. About 25 total, for no enemy air lost. Bombers drop on transports at Semarang and battleships off shore. And the Dutch get a hit! 3 T.IVa's drop on xAP Tango Maru, and get a single bomb hit. The ship has guns loaded on it, and a few are destroyed and disabled. At least it's something. 87 Kates then hit Dutch troops at adjacent Djokjakarta. Damage is moderate, not too terrible this time. Tarakan is then invaded. China. Bombing. More. The push north of Nanyang isn't starting yet. Enemy units there seem to be turning east and south to clean up the isolated Chinese uints. Could be just a couple of units. Too soon to say where the big push will be. There's definitely growing enemy strength far up in the northeast, where it's incredibly difficult to get Chinese troops to. I expect an enemy push there to the northwest, hoping to cut China in two and isolate the oil production. And maybe conquer the oil. I'm moving what I can but a defense of this area won't be a forward defense. Not enough units. If I stay close to the bases, I can deploy some Allied bombers and hit the enemy in the clear, far from his own bases. That's my plan anyhow. I haven't faced this problem before. 2 squadrons of AVG and a squadron of B-17s are now in China. They'll rest a day and look to hit something tomorrow. You can bet the bombers will hit some enemy in clear terrain. Nanyang is lost to the huge enemy army. One corp is practically eliminated, with 439 destroyed squads. The picture tells the story of the hunt for the enemy AMCs. I'll keep hunting as long as it is done in a way that continues to protect the vital convoys nearby. [image]local://upfiles/6549/217766E493FA4B1AB5FD56118537E993.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/5/2017 2:46:42 AM)
25 Dec 41 Enemy troops continue to unload at Tarakan. Sub Skipjack misses xAK Kiyozumi Maru with 2 torpedoes near Samah. Later, sub Pike misses BB Kirishima southwest of Kendari. I certainly can't complain about US torpedo duds yet. I haven't had a US torpedo hit so far! The Dutch have done somewhat better though. Singapore's port is bombed, first time in awhile. Only one point of damage, which is repaired immediately, and the forts go to level 2. Forts were stuck at 0 for a long time, with the base being bombed daily, but in the last week, troops have been digging in. Enemy bombing in China. Today one squadron of AVG is setup to catch some unescorted bombers. 2 B-17 squadrons are set to bomb enemy troops in the clear at Nanyang. Some of the enemy units will be in move mode. The Dutch make another maximum effort. Every time I've done this, the Dutch lose 20 to 30 planes. No different today. They go for Semarang's port. Just a few bombers make it to drop bombs, and no ships are hit there. Later it still looks like there are ships there though. 2 Dutch fighters sweeps of Semarang kill their first Zero, at a high cost to themselves. A few Hudsons from Bandjermasin go for a DMS nearby, but miss. Zamboanga is invaded. A Japanese shock attack at Tarakan fails at a 1 to 2 odds and fort level 1. The base may get to fort level 2 today. 212 enemy losses and 104 Dutch. Good news in the South Pacific! Carrier aircraft find the 2 enemy AMCs and SBDs sink both ships. The AMCs moved little from yesterday, which I found odd, since they were spotted yesterday. [image]local://upfiles/6549/013CAF8807534F9DA5AC923A86EF7C25.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/5/2017 2:47:25 AM)
Here's a look at the area around Java. [image]local://upfiles/6549/DADC6F104579440DA6EB2478439FD429.gif[/image]

BBfanboy -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/5/2017 6:13:05 AM)
Looks like those AMCs were looking for your convoy routes to feed Pago-Pago and Suva. Nice job catching them. Carriers clean up enemy riff-raff really well! [:)]

Yaab -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/5/2017 11:31:50 AM)
Apbarog, did you augment your PP pool with early withdrawals?

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/5/2017 3:50:11 PM)
No Yaab, I did not add to my PP pool by doing early withdrawals. Some probably makes sense. I like to get every air unit doing some kind of training, if it makes sense. So far, my PP spending has been on the Chinese air transports and the Chinese divisions that can be purchased and reformed as a corp. I'm already getting them out of China and moved to India. Also, I've bought out just about every Chinese air unit, and flown them to India for long term training. That's been the bulk of it. I did buy out some B-17s in the Philippines. I am considering buying out P-40s in the Philippines and getting them to India through China. Not sure if it is worth 50 points for units that withdraw in June '42, but as the points accumulate after the Chinese purchases, I may. I don't mess many naval and air leaders till later. Ground unit leaders replaced as needed, but not yet.

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/5/2017 11:51:25 PM)
26 Dec 41 Enemy troops start to land at Namlea, adjacent to Ambon. No defense there. More troops land at Tarakan, and the 120mm CD gun there gets 3 hits on xAK Aobasan Maru. More enemy bombing in China, but today the AVG shows up. Near Nanchang, 29 or so Anns go to bomb Chinese troops. 12 H81s appear, and shoot down 20 of the bombers. A handful of bombers survive to drop their bombs. 16 Sonias then appear, and are intercepted by 5 H81s, but the fighters can engage only briefly, and the bombers get through. This surprise happens in just about every game. But it only happens once. Aurorus will be more careful, no doubt, and may end up committing some Zeros to China. Today the AVG squadron that flew from Changsha will CAP Changsha. The other AVG squadron moves to a nearby town and will LR CAP a possible target today. The other planned surprise, 2 B-17s squadrons hitting ground troops near Nanyang, didn't occur today, due to weather. They try again tomorrow. Bettys with Zeros bomb Darwin's airfield. 2 days in a row. Time to pull the air units out. No fighters anywhere around to protect. Zamboanga was lost. An enemy bombardment at Djokjakarta finds a stronger defense. Not a bad day. 20 Anns shot down and no friendly aircraft shot down today. Need to take these small victories when we can get them, at this point.

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/6/2017 12:47:44 AM)
My concerns in Northern China. [image]local://upfiles/6549/7D1DC94E27AA4A7FB7FA59CDA80E5D43.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/6/2017 7:32:03 AM)
27 Dec 41 S-38 gets hammered by destroyer escorting transports near Semarang. 2 good depth charge hits and some minor flooding hits. SYS 23/FLOT 50-33/ENG 4-4. Will go to Soerabaja for a brief fixup and hopefully not get bombed. 3 enemy DMS move through a minefield adjacent to Balikpapan, then move to Balikpapan and get hammered by guns there. Mines are swept though, and nothing appeared to have hit mines on the way through, when other ships passed. Balikpapan is invaded. Some bombing of the Chinese in the plains, where AVG could not possibly reach, but noticibly fewer bombing missions today. A few Wirraway from Oosthaven attack shipping unloading at Palembang, but all bombs miss. No CAP. Near Nanyang, 9 B-17s bomb the 41st Infantry Division, causing a bit over 100 casualties. Not a lot, but I'm sure this will get Aurorus' attention. The B-17s fly back to India, and the AVG pulls back closer to the Burma border. I will use them all in a hit-and-run fashion. Port Swettenham, on the west coast of Malaysia, is lost. Another bombardment attack at Djokjakarta. Lots of troops have arrived from Semarang, including 4 tank regiments. Namlea is lost. US carriers and lots of cargo ships are coming back together west of Christmas Island. Another US carrier arrives in 2 days. That will make 4.

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/6/2017 7:30:17 PM)
28 Dec 41 More troops land at Palembang. I'm still showing my minefield in the shallows adjacent to Palembang, and no sweeping today. But most of the enemy ships have come and gone, without finding the mines, apparently. Palembang is bombed. Then Palembang is lost to the enemy. I need to check the map for the possibility of oil damage. Singapore's airfield is bombed. Minor damage. I've stopped building forts at 2, with limited supply left. Dutch fighters sweep Semarnag, finding about 20 Zeros. Dutch losses are heavy, but they soften up the CAP for the bombers to come. 19 B-17s hit Semarang's port. With over 60 ships spotted in port, I was expecting good results, but I got just one bomb hit on xAK Tosei Maru. I send the B-17s out of Java back to Australia. Sambas on Java is lost. An enemy stack is moving SE in the open. I switch things up and send the Dutch bombers on ground attack here. Several Chinese units are rounded up and destroyed in the plains. The bulk of the enemy forces haven't committed to the north yet. Another attack at Tarakan fails, but makes progress. The Dutch here have enough to hold for a few days. CL Mauritius (64/13/2/0), DD Jupiter (25/15/0/0), and DD Isis (37/5/0/0) made it to Capetown and start repairs. Looking at the big picture, it's still too soon to say where Aurorus is going to commit. I did searchplane recon of Truk today. The quality of the recon wasn't great, so I will continue doing this for awhile, but I saw few ground troops. With absolutely no enemy activity in the Solomons or the Marshalls, I just feel that Aurorus is going "all in" somewhere. I just don't know where. At first, I thought that it probably isn't Australia, with no activity in the Solomons, not even Rabaul. But he could easily roll Darwin (I think that is coming soon) and then head southeast through Horn Island. I can't stop a big push with KB now. He could go straight for northeastern Australia, and maybe hope to cut off whatever I through into the void in the Solomons. (I haven't, and won't) My gut says India. He hasn't shown any interest in Burma yet either. Maybe hoping I pile into Rangoon. I'm not. I prepare for both India and Australia. I've started some long range planning for the Marshalls. If the whole area remains ignored, there may be an opportunity for an early advance there. Maybe a chance to get him to react to me instead of vice versa. But that is not in the near future. It's still December '41.

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/7/2017 6:26:10 AM)
29 Dec 41 Increased bombing in China. Worth noting that 40 Zeros swept a hex in China near Pingsiang. This was a hex he shock attacked today, and was a likely place for AVG to show up. So yes, Aurorus reacted quickly and sent Zeros to China. Based on the size of the unit, it may be the same one that started the war at Takao and swept the Philippines repeatedly. Excellent pilots with lots of kills already. The Dutch air offensive to bomb the 4th Division advancing in clear terrain was about as successful as it could be. A couple of Zeros tangled with escorting Dutch fighters, downing a couple, but the bombers got through and caused 108 casualties. Won't make a difference, really. Maybe slows the unit by a day. The enemy has landed a lot of force on Java and will clear the island, eventually. Aurorus appears to be heading toward Soerabaja first. The shock attack near Pingsiang, China easily pushes back 2 Chinese corp. There's now a real threat south of Changsha and the other central cities (in clear terrain). Units were already scrambling to form a line in the woods. Another attack at Tarakan fails, again at 1 to 2, with 96 enemy losses and 74 Dutch losses. The attritional battle will go the way of the enemy. Just a matter of time. CV Yorktown is now available. It will head out from the West Coast. Next carrier reinforcement is Hornet in 50 days or so. It's easy to see disaster in China as a possibility. There is no reserve. I will continue to try to form defenses in defensible terrain, but if Aurorus is willing to commit enough forces, China could be hard to hold onto.

pontiouspilot -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/7/2017 6:22:02 PM)
It looks like full court press in DEI for opponent. I like the Pensacola troops in Savu. Unless he lands with several reinforced regiments he will get bogged down there, especially if the artillery hits while he unloads. Given his apparent direction of advance I would land them there. Le triumphant is arguably the best DD in the game at surface combat...I would have a go at the AMCs!! I have never checked to see what her skipper is like.

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/7/2017 9:25:25 PM)
If the AMCs had gone to the NW instead of to the S of Christmas Island, Le Triumphant could have engaged. As it was, the AMCs went down to carrier SBDs. 30 Dec 41 The Dutch subs continue to do better than the US subs. Today, KXVII finds a transport convoy near Singkawang, probably headed towards Saigon. It hits big transport xAP Hakozaki Maru with one torpedo. The ship appears to be empty. Then the sub reengages, and fires 4 torpedoes at escorting light cruiser Isuzu, but misses. Near Hong Kong, US sub Skipjack spots destroyer Mikazuki, fires 2 torpedoes, and gets a hit! And it's the first dud of the war. Probably not the last. Dutch sub KVIII spots a convoy southwest of Kendari, fires 2 torpedoes at AK Sado Maru, but misses. The 40 Zero group in China sweeps Hengyang, but does not find AVG. AVG is back in India already. Enemy troops get closer to Soerabaja. Troops land at Balikpapan. Another Chinese corp is erased in the plains south of Nanyang. 2 pieces of useful SigInt today: 56 Recon is at Kendari, and the 4th Infantry Battalion is planning for Horn Island. I doubt that Aurorus will be stopping at Horn Island. My prediction is a quick landing at Normanton with lots of troops (and armor). Enemy carriers have moved south of Kendari, and may around Timor to the west or to the east. A landing at Darwin is probably coming very soon.

Bif1961 -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/8/2017 1:16:56 AM)
Actually both the early Mk-1 torpedo on S-boats and the MK-14 on fleet boats missed frequently because they were runing deeper than set, The Mk-10 was running about 4 feet too deep. That was discovered quickly and corrected and then it started to hit regularly. The fleet boats with the Mk-14s were running about 11 feet too deep and frequently never struck their target. It took almost a year before the Navy accepted that they were not working properly. Once that was corrected then the magnetic triggers were defective and it took another 6-9 months before that was fixed by not using them and relying on the mechanical trigger. However, they later discovered that too was defective as it was the same trigger as on the much smaller and lighter Mk-10s and the MK-14s were deforming the mechanical trigger so it would frequently not work. I know in the database the MK-14 issues are resovled sooner than historic, but a dude isn't always the ones that hit and don't explode in the early war it is also those that frequently miss as well.

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/8/2017 3:58:44 AM)
31 Dec 41 More troops unload at Balikpapan. AM Latrobe, on ASW duty west of Carnavon, Australia finds I-166 lurking. The sub attacks with 2 torpedoes but misses. Nells bomb the mountain base of Bandoeng, Java doing moderate damage. A few fighters will CAP tomorrow. The Dutch have retreated a lot of units to the two mountain hexes on the island. Might as well make the enemy dig them out, if they aren't ignored entirely. Pulling supply in also, to make the stand last as long as possible. Lots of Dutch bombers fly from Samarinda to adjacent Balikpapan to hit invasion shipping. No CAP, but no bombs hit a target. KB (or part of KB) moves south of Timor and hits Darwin's airfield with Kates escorted by Zeros. I've noticed a tendency by Aurorus. He likes to hit a new invasion sight with Kates at range 7. Sometime in the future, I think this tendency is going to give me an opportunity to predict where he may be. Yes, a Dutch bomber hits! 3 Wirraways, flying out of Oosthaven, hit xAK Tokiwa Maru at Palembang. The single bomb hit is just a 100 pound bomb, but the ship has heavy fires. Something at least. The Dutch air force is getting fewer and fewer bases to operate from, as bases are lost. Kuala Lumpur is lost to the enemy, as is Loyang in China and Tjepoe on Java. Taiping holds for a day, but the Dutch take unsustainable casualties. Balikpapan is lost. Another enemy attack at Tarakan fails, and the odds are getting worse for the Japanese. This time it was 1 to 4, with the attackers being fatigued. Tarakan will hold for awhile longer. With KB moving south of Timor, and other task forces spotted, Darwin is about to be invaded.

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/8/2017 4:19:29 AM)
End of 1941 - Northern China [image]local://upfiles/6549/6F406EC8C10F4CD9BFF205B4228912CA.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B (9/8/2017 4:20:05 AM)
End of 1941 - Southern China [image]local://upfiles/6549/497A29A0E20441E08EC3F43F647805BC.gif[/image]

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