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SoulBlazer -> (6/23/2003 7:23:06 AM)
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AAR STATUS -- SITUATION OF THE GAME TO DATE
Drex and I had allready played one complete game. When he surrendered, we decided to start a new one, this time with me as the Japanese. It was sec 17 but ship reinforcements were on 200% to make sure fighting was hot and heavy, and it was. :D
I spent the first few game months taking territory for Japan and building some bases. Soon all of NG outside of PM was mine and I was working on a base on Irau. Around May or June of 1942, I moved my carriers (Zuikaku, Shokaku, and the light one) of off Irau in support of those operations and ran into the Lexington and the Yorktown. Drex addmited later he made a mistake with the plane settings, and I pounded Lexington beneath the waves and crippled Yorktown. To this date, he has confirmed the ship is STILL sitting in Pearl! :p
After this early carrier victory, I gathered my forces and in early August went down to do the 'take PM by sea' thing. For very minor losses -- I think my biggest loss was a CL -- the base fell. I was debating what to do, but I had to rest after that operation -- my fuel and supply stocks across the Empire was exhausted, and the Combined Fleet returned to Rabul to wait for fuel.
At the time, I was also starting to develop a new defense plan for Japan -- the defense in depth. It called for a number of small bases in the Coral Sea and in the Solomons to ensure that each base had support from at least two others, so that if Drex took one base the troops and planes could be evac'd somewhere else and he could'nt just roll up the entire defensive line. A Eng unit had been dropped at one of the Coral Sea islands east of GG about this time.
It was in September 1942 that sufficent fuel was finally in Rabul to allow me to sortie again. So the entire Combined Fleet -- seven fleet carriers, three light carriers, the Yamato, and all my other battleships -- left Rabul to head south, on a raid mission. (Where, I had'nt quite decided yet.) Suddenly scouts sent back a big report -- all five American CV's were seen entering the Coral Sea! I changed course right away and within a couple days had engaged them in battle.
Drex had said this was a raid mission on my building base. He did'nt know MY fleet was allready at sea and in a great position to ambush him. And that I did with a massive airstrike. Drex had thrown up something like 90 percent CAP and my first strikes were destroyed with few hits. Hurridaly I transfered in new planes from a CVE and nearby bases and kept attacking. It paid off -- I was able to overpower his CAP and started landing critical hits. Breaking off surface fleets, I chased his fleet all the way to the coast of Noumea.
It was a slaughter on the greatest scale. By the time the battle was over, all five CV's had been sunk, as well as the BB North Carolina and a number of capital ships. My carriers and bombardment forces ranged at will off of Noumea and Luganville and finally retired to Rabul to send the damaged ships home. Yamato, especily, got to land a 18.1 shell on North Caorlina and other Allied ships. A couple carriers were finished off by surface forces.
It was THAT victory, combined with my defensive plan, that has allowed me to maintain a point lead aganist Drex this late in the game. It came at a heavy price, though -- hundreds of carrier planes lost, the cream of the crop. I've never quite rebuilt my carrier air arm due to it.
For a few months after that my carrier forces romed at will off Noumea and Luganville (Australia did'nt have much) but finally at the end of the year he hit me hard, sinking the CV Hiyo and sending several units back to Japan. To make matters worse, enough of his PT boats surived to surprise my bomardment fleets. Yamato took THREE PT torpedo hits and had to return to Japan for the war. One CL took a single torpedo hit and sank before she could reach port. After that I was more carefull with carrier raids and stoped sending bomardment forces.
The next major battle was for the island of Nevea. In late 1942 (I think) I noticed Drex had built a base there. Even though it was beyond what I had planned for a defensive line, it was too close t Irau and to tempting. So I landed a large force and took it. In trying to take it back, Drex lost about two division's worth of troops. My bombers based on the island also crippled Washington and came THIS close to sinking it. She finally made it to port and is out of the war.
Early 1943 saw continued carrier raids from me but on a reduced scale. I also sent in a massive transport fleet to keep Nevea supplied. It worked and kept it supplied for two months, but at a high cost of ships. Then Drex mined the port and started to close the whole base with heavy bombers. Could'nt even send in fast transports. I pulled out my attack planes.
Summer of 1943 saw me get the last of my returned ships from Japan. There has been nothing from the homeland for about six game months now. It also saw my Zero's (the land based squadrons were still crack) get mauled from the Corsairs. Unfairly, I think. But soon Irau was closed as well and my planes gathered on Lunga. For a time I could sink Allied shipping but air losses got too high and I had to suspend all operations.
Drex chose to play the waiting game, building several bases to inch closer to Nevea. I finally decded it was time to fast evac the over 10k in troops there. Unforentuly, my fleets ran into several of his powerfull bomardment fleets. In the 'slaughter of Nevea' in the course of a single night I lost three admirals, 15 DD's, and 4 CL's. A lot of other ships were crippled and had to return to Japan. I finally got almost all the troops off, but at high price, and Drex took the base in September 1943.
Now with Irau the target of his planes I started to do the same thing but after losing another nine destroyers and just as many crippled (a couple are STILL limping their way to Truk) I decided to be content with just getting the critical troops out. The good news was that South Dakota hit her OWN mine an had to return to Pearl. :)
SITUATION REPORT: OCTOBER 10th, 1943 --
The Combined Fleet is sitting in a secret port, not having been at sea for about six months due to previous losses. Up until the loss of all our surface ships, losses had been light -- one CV, one CVL, one CVE (due to a Allied mine). Now, however, I have just enough DD and CL's left to screen the fleet. There's no hope of getting much more from the home islands at this point.
A lot of Japanese forces are being held in reserve, to try to throw back any Allied attacks. Not every base will be fought over, but if Drex tries to take a critical base I will have to respond.
I can freely say this about the makeup of my forces, as Drex allready knows all of the following -- the Japanese airfoce is either all at Lunga or PM. I still have the Musahi and a number of other BB's, as well as a equal number of carriers. Over a dozen cruisers and over two dozen DD's are still available for duty.
My subs were effective eariler in the game -- they have been on computered controled in this one as a experiment. They have sunk a lot of shipping and finished off two crippled CA's. (One of them, and my last sub great victory, was the sinking of a CA -- the only Allied ship damaged at the Battle of Nevea). Now, however, his ASW is so strong that my subs can't do much.
Drex has been denied his three best BB's and all six of his pre war carriers. Still, I can make a estimate on what he has. Here is what I believe the Allies can throw at me:
2-3 Essex class CV's
HMS Victorius
2-3 Indepdence class CV's
5 CVE's (Long Island was sunk early)
USS Massachusests (his only modern BB)
8 older BB's.
Over a dozen cruisers
Over two dozen destroyers
20+ subs (his have not done much this game, thank God)
Several hundred heavy bombers and dive bombers.
Several hundred Lightings and Wildcats.
At least three squadrons of Corsairs.
One squadron of Thunderbolts, at least.
Hellcats for his carriers.
Over 25k in troops with plenty of transport and lift for them.
Numerous PT boats and smaller craft.
Looking at my game file, you will no doubt notice several curious things......
1) How much Japanese strength is being held in reserve. This is a key part of the defensive plan -- just put enough in the key bases and hold the rest to shuffle around to meet a threat.
2) The number of planes lost -- my plane losses have been HUGE! I have enough pilots but not enough planes in the pool to replace serious losses.
3) How many planes are lost each day due to 'operational' flying -- and I'm not even training my boys that hard! :rolleyes:
4) Number of ships lost on both sides -- it's been active, folks! :D
Top suriving Japanese ace has 12 kills, and he is on a carrier. A couple of pilots with 8 kills are part of the fighter base on Lunga.
A few more troops and planes are due to come from Japan before the game ends, but nothing heavy.
Whew -- I think that's it. Honestly, not much has happened the last few game months. I'm just making sure everywhere in the Empire is prepared, training my boys, and waiting for the Allied attack I KNOW must come if Drex wants to catch up to me in points.
Comments on the game file and everything else, PLEASE! :D
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