RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjoy (J)

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> After Action Reports >> RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjoy (J)

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RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/21/2014 9:46:28 PM

Lowpe

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quote:

ORIGINAL: obvert
LT Clark felt his body being lifted into the air and thrown toward the water, and knew no more.

You'd think that GreyJoy would be a little more sensitive in his treatment of you characters.

< Message edited by Lowpe -- 4/21/2014 10:47:39 PM >

(in reply to obvert)

Post #: 151

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/21/2014 9:46:29 PM

obvert

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SW DEI
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now comes the dicey turn. What will he do? All out into PB, or another day of air strikes and maybe some surface action? There are two surface TFs out there plus the CVs.

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"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

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Post #: 152

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/21/2014 9:52:56 PM

obvert

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CHINA
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here is the first idea for an LR, although the term is loosely used and applied. Lots of these areas are meant to stall the IJA and make them lose a few battles in good terrain while rear units improve and fill out.

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"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

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Post #: 153

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/22/2014 1:02:36 AM

BBfanboy

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Looks like he will land at Djambi and march to Pb.

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Post #: 154

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/22/2014 2:21:58 AM

EHansen

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quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Looks like he will land at Djambi and march to Pb.

Hard to land at an inland base.

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 155

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/22/2014 3:46:07 AM

BBfanboy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: EHansen

quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Looks like he will land at Djambi and march to Pb.

Hard to land at an inland base.

D'oh! So it is!

My excuse (and I'm sticking to it) is that the estuary looked navigable to my old eyes ...

_____________________________

No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth

(in reply to EHansen)

Post #: 156

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/22/2014 7:51:50 AM

Barb

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Actually the SIGINT report about 38th Division at Hong Kong comes from loading the said unit on ships, not unloading. 38th Div starts the war by attacking Hong Kong, then its three regiments went to Ambon, Koepang and Java.

Anyway a good job at Palembang. Japan is moving very quickly, but you are making him pay for the speed - with enough ships sunk/in repair yards and number of pilots downed, Greyjoy will be much limited in their 2nd phase objectives...

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Post #: 157

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/22/2014 8:45:04 AM

obvert

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December 22, 1941

Near Bangka Island

They cruised all day in a small ten mile patrol zone back and forth between the entrance to the Musi River and Bangka Island. The Japanese fleet hugged the coast of Sumatra just over a hundred miles away. Several carriers had sent strikes in the day before, hitting the Dutch cruiser Tromp, which had moved up river to dock and repair. The entire strait was filled with ships in constant patrol. They would only file out occasionally to refuel at the docks along the Musi. This was oil country which was why the Japanese had come. The most productive well and refinery site in the Dutch East Indies was located just upriver, and rumour had it the engineers were beginning to rig it with explosives to deny them even if they made it past this blockade.

Even without the oil the airfields of Southern Sumatra would give the Japanese a Strategic foothold, cutting the defenses between Malaya and Java. Both the Dutch and British had moved their fighters in, and even some of the US Army air forces previously at Manila were now here. They constantly circled overhead as well, covering this force from the may Japanese strikes that had come so far. The Boise had already downed several of the big two engined naval bombers, or Bettys.

Last night a Japanese force had moved within range briefly, and Houston dueled it out with a Japanese cruiser, hitting her enough to light up the sky. The Japanese retreated without getting a major hit on Houston, but one destroyer, the Edsall, took a direct hit and was on fire for a few minutes. She looked alright now though steaming behind them.

�What�s the view like up here?� Hank joined him offering a coffee, which was strangely calming even in this heat.

�Same old so far. Nothing after last night.�

�Heard a mine got one. That whole area between the island and the mainland�s covered with �em I hear. Hope we don�t stray out there in the night.�

As they looked out over the white beaches of Bangka Island another Japanese patrol flew just over the top of one of the volcanoes and down low over the island attempting to elude discovery.

Oliver slapped the comm, �Floatplane bearing zero three zero. Looks like a Pete.� The ships over that way, the British Mauritius and destroyers started banging away with their bigger flak guns and as they looked up two Dutch Hawk fighters peeled off and dove into the area. The Pete, a small maneuverable Japanese plane turned back and climbed over a ridge to disappear. The fighters followed.

�Bet they get that one. Bold bastards, aren�t they!� Hank climbed back down and Oliver enjoyed the coffee. One thing they knew now. This would not be the quick and easy war everyone had imagined a months ago.

"Planes bearing three two zero!" The day was just beginning to get interesting.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by obvert -- 4/22/2014 11:34:32 AM >

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"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

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Post #: 158

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/22/2014 9:03:36 AM

obvert

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Barb

Actually the SIGINT report about 38th Division at Hong Kong comes from loading the said unit on ships, not unloading. 38th Div starts the war by attacking Hong Kong, then its three regiments went to Ambon, Koepang and Java.

Anyway a good job at Palembang. Japan is moving very quickly, but you are making him pay for the speed - with enough ships sunk/in repair yards and number of pilots downed, Greyjoy will be much limited in their 2nd phase objectives...

Good catch Barb! Thanks.

_____________________________

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

(in reply to Barb)

Post #: 159

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/22/2014 12:08:29 PM

obvert

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December 23, 1941

Near Bangka Island

The air strikes during the day were terrifying, the Japanese bombers gliding in low over the circling fleet like dark, giant gulls, but they were nothing like the terror to come. Oliver had been on watch for three hours of another night in low moon, with slight overcast. The sea was clam though, and the air refreshing after another hot day off the coast of Sumatra. He'd gotten in the habit of sleeping when he could, but the stifling heat below decks had frustrated his attempt to sleep in until noon to make up for his night shift on the watch.

Oliver scanned with glasses, then looked. Scanned and looked. The constant iteration of the same pattern over the same dark water. At times in the night he thought he saw shapes move, then disappear. It always gave him a start, but so far the only real movement he'd seen this night was a small local boat heading between islands on some mysterious late night mission. That was about to change. As he glanced out to the edge of Bangka island he jumped. Something was different there.

�Contact, bearing three one zero.� Oliver hit the comm after seeing the side of the island move and realizing it was a Japanese cruiser rounding the point. Two more followed and then a long string of destroyers came on as almost immediately the first flashes of their big guns lit the straits. �Three cruisers and eight destroyers.� The lead was a big heavy cruiser. Everyone in the US navy had a healthy respect for these ships. They were built to outmatch a US ship of the same size, and so far in the war nothing had proved the Japanese estimates wrong.

It was suddenly like the Fourth of July around him as the Japanese ships opened up followed shortly by Houston, then the Boise, then the rest of the USN. The Dutch and British were farther to the south and currently out of range. The Houston put a direct hit on the lead cruiser early on, but soon after Oliver spotted the telltale tracks of torpedoes. �Torpedoes in the water, bearing two nine zero.� The Japanese were still about 10,000 yards from Boise, and must have launched mush further out. Luckily their aim wasn�t good from so far, but still that was farther than their own torpedoes would reach, and at night it was a good tactic. The fish passed harmlessly to the stern as Boise closed the distance, but the line had maneuvered into some confusion avoiding the silver streaks of the torpedoes. Both fleets wanted to get in close, and the chaos of gunfire and water spouts made it impossible for Oliver to see anything most of the time.

Just behind them he saw the Marblehead had been hit aft of the bridge but continued on, and Alden had peeled out of the line and was on fire and dead in the water. The fleets narrowed the distance to 8,000 yards and a massive explosion tore into the area around Y turret. Another hit amidships soon after, but seemed a smaller caliber. Boise shuddered under the blows but stayed on, five and six inch shells cracking like popcorn in an uneven but persistent rhythm. They�d rounded the point and were away from the shelter of the island now, and as they ran past the Japanese in opposing lines, their destroyers launched fish again and ruined the Whipple and Pillsbury with a more accurate attack. The Pillsbury�s back broke immediately and she began to go down.

They broke clear into the semi-open water off Bangka, the three cruisers and two remaining destroyers, and began to make a long slow circle to let damage control do their work and get the ships into fighting condition again. The fires were still burning aft on Boise, and all of the ships had been hit a few times. He could see the Dutch and British getting into it behind now, and felt confident that in spite of the losses, they and their Allies would come away better from this one again.

Moments later his heart sank. Close in to the island dark shapes passed behind them and into the straits. Four big heavy cruisers and another six destroyers moved into the fray and tore into the Dutch task force. The Java was hit numerous times and then suffered a massive explosion from a torpedo hit amidship. She was still firing but had slowed and fell out of line. Another from the same salvo hit a Dutch destroyer that blew apart and sank immediately.

The Boise picked up speed and went in after them again. While the Japanese were still preoccupied with the Dutch the Houston hit one of the heavies and started a fire in the area near her arched funnel. Then they turned, the turrets trained toward them and blinding flashes lit the Japanese battle line. It was only in the light of their own guns firing that he realized how imposing the heavy cruisers were. Spouts and flashes erupted all around them, and Boise again was hit, this time along the waterline with a large caliber shell. She lurched and slowed like a bull elk hit hard in the flank, the hit opening a hole along the port side of the ship. Another slammed into A turret, throwing shrapnel up around Oliver�s position that bounced off of the rail and guard in front of him like metallic hail, miraculously missing his exposed face. Two more shots slammed into the ship aft and Boise leaned over to a twenty degree list and slowed to around five knots.

The fires were not bad, but the ship was obviously stricken and taking on water. Men yelled along the length of the ship, either shouting instructions or calling out in agony. It was hard to tell which. Soon after another shot ripped through the bow, twisting the deck of the port side of the ship up over the starboard edge. The call came moments later. �All hands abandon ship!�

Oliver took a last look out and ran down the stairs. He had no idea of the state of the other ships at this point. It had happened too fast, and now all he could think about was getting into the water. The ship was stopped and he could feel the list increase slightly as he hit the main deck. Boats were being lowered and men were untying rafts and throwing them down, leaping in after. He jumped.

He hit the water and went under for a moment before his vest pulled him up. As he hit the surface his face was coated in a thin layer of bunker oil spreading out over the sea. It stung and stank and he had to spit it out of his mouth to get in another breath. A raft was nearby to the left with one man climbing in already. He swam through the debris and oil and was pulled up. It was Furgussen, a gunner from Montana. He�d been on the starboard side 1.1 inch guns.

�Get up here Wilson.� He wiped his eyes clean and lifted Oliver the rest of the way up. �Good night for a boat ride, eh?� Furgussen�s teeth were a brilliant white against his oil blackened face.

�S***, Furgie, 'thought we were going to get through that one until the last four big bastards showed up.� They had room for two more and several men were angling through the water toward them. Boats were filling up and men were still jumping. Boise creaked and took a steep lean farther over to 35 degrees. �We�ve got to clear the area before she goes. God I can't believe this.� The ship burned beside them, leaning precariously as more men and boats were put in the water. he thought about those working lower decks in the engine rooms, magazines and other vital areas. He knew some had already succumbed to the damage, but hoped the quick decision to abandon would save the majority of them.

They took out the oars and started paddling. Two more men were pulled in, Seamen Tom Blythe from Florida and Dave Parson from California. Neither were injured but both had been similarly blackened by the oil.

The battle still raged to the south. They could see fire coming from ships on both sides, but it certainly looked like the Japanese were getting the better of this one. The spouts and explosions rising around the Dutch and British ships were strangely orchestrated, like a ballet where dancers were lifted up by their partners at regular intervals, up and down in succession. At a distance it was almost beautiful, which made him shudder as he thought of the men on those ships endured that barrage.

�What now fellas,� Tom was cool but obviously worried.

�Lets get to the Sumatra side. Make for Palembang. Looks like that�s where the boats are heading.� Mark Furgussen bent to the oar and pulled them around.

�Might not be a Palembang by time we get there the way this is going.� Oliver joined in on his side after they'd spun around toward the Sumatra coast. They took three more sailors up out of the water. As they pulled away the noise of men and equipment lessened behind them but the shots of the battle still boomed in the distance. After a few more minutes Boise leaned further, finally turning over fully capsized in the water. As he looked back, peering through the night he could see the smooth flanks of her glistening hull rock slowly back and forth in light of flashes from the battle still raging to the south.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by obvert -- 4/23/2014 10:50:24 AM >

_____________________________

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

(in reply to obvert)

Post #: 160

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/22/2014 7:32:34 PM

princep01

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Yeah, reading the fine print can be important. Note the small caption under the above picture. April 12. 1939; IJN Light Cruiser.... yeah, right! if that is a light cruiser, then Yamato was just a wee, small battleship. That is not only a CA, but it is also a "cheat" CA under the naval treaty limiting CAs to 10,000 tons.

I wonder if that was an attempt at misinformation. the photo looks like the Japanese may have been representing that vessel as a CL.

Tell Greyjoy to stop lying and cheating....oh wait, he is a lawyer afterall.

(in reply to obvert)

Post #: 161

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/22/2014 7:58:39 PM

BBfanboy

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From: Winnipeg, MB
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quote:

ORIGINAL: princep01

Yeah, reading the fine print can be important. Note the small caption under the above picture. April 12. 1939; IJN Light Cruiser.... yeah, right! if that is a light cruiser, then Yamato was just a wee, small battleship. That is not only a CA, but it is also a "cheat" CA under the naval treaty limiting CAs to 10,000 tons.

I wonder if that was an attempt at misinformation. the photo looks like the Japanese may have been representing that vessel as a CL.

Tell Greyjoy to stop lying and cheating....oh wait, he is a lawyer afterall.

It's true! The Mogami class cruisers were built as super light cruisers with 15 - 6.1" guns. The US built the Brooklyn class in response.
When naval treaty limits lapsed around 1939 or 1940, Japan replaced the triple 6.1" guns with twin 8"ers. It took over a year to do this on all four cruisers.

_____________________________

No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth

(in reply to princep01)

Post #: 162

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/22/2014 11:04:04 PM

obvert

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Dec 22-23, 1941
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DEI: Two days of battles around Palembang have left the Allied fleets in tatters, but have taken out some irreplaceable units of the IJN as well. Day one went well, with Houston fighting off three CL and eight DD almost by herself. Air strikes were mostly neutralized, but three bombs hit Mauritius and she was out for day two. The night battles on the 23rd started out alright, but once the four big CA showed up it was all over. They pounded the US cruisers after handling the Dutch. The Kumano though took three torps from two different subs, and that means two CAs sunk so far.

Four cruisers and 5-6 destroyers are disbanded in the port. They'll try to make a break tomorrow or the next day as the IJN will have to replenish at some point. This pretty much puts an end to surface resistance in the DEI, or at least for the ships starting there. I'll have to see how much I'll introduce RN units into the future. As usual the Allies will be short on DDs to start after these battles.

In the air the rag-tag group of fighters here is holding on. I had moved the 224 RAF HQ here during the past week, and that's paying off big time now. As a final parting shot the Beests put a hit on Mogami. Some eight ships are still in the Palembang hex so potentially the nine subs there an do some more work. I'll try again to hold out tomorrow but I imagine the LR CAP over everything will be thicker. Still, those A6M pilots have to be getting tired too, and ours aren't so bad since they're actually short on airframes.

SUBS: Lots of contacts again, and only one other hit besides the big one, on an xAKL. I'll swarm both the CV TF hex and Palembang. Other subs are working the Sulu Sea in search of an invasion and CV there.

Elsewhere some string bags out of Manado took out two loaded xAKs. Nice. A mix of float planes also hit some near Porto Princessa.

Pacific: More movement through the Central Pacific.

CHINA: Up North on the approaches to Sian The IJA is attacking in strength. They got a 1:1 off the bat, but now that all units are in the hex and most have forts, I'm hoping to hold a bit longer. More units are moving to the Psingsiang area, so I imagine that will be another target soon.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR December 23, 41
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night Time Surface Combat, near Palembang at 48,91, Range 10,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Chokai, Shell hits 2
CL Sendai
CL Oi, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Shikinami
DD Ayanami
DD Asagiri
DD Sagiri
DD Yugiri, Shell hits 1
DD Amagiri
DD Akebono
DD Sazanami, Shell hits 1
DD Ushio

Allied Ships
CA Houston, Shell hits 2
CL Marblehead, Shell hits 1
CL Boise, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Alden, Shell hits 27, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Barker, Shell hits 3
DD John D. Edwards, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Whipple, Shell hits 7, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Pillsbury, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Reduced sighting due to 25% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions and 25% moonlight: 11,000 yards
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 10,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 10,000 yards
CA Chokai engages CL Boise at 10,000 yards

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Palembang at 48,91, Range 7,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
SOC-1 Seagull: 5 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CA Mogami
CA Mikuma, Shell hits 1
CA Suzuya, Shell hits 1
CA Kumano, Shell hits 8, on fire
DD Maikaze
DD Nowaki, Shell hits 1, heavy fires
DD Arashi
DD Hagikaze
DD Fubuki
DD Usugumo

Allied Ships
CA Houston, Shell hits 35, and is sunk
CL Marblehead, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Boise, Shell hits 8, and is sunk
DD Barker, Shell hits 10, and is sunk
DD John D. Edwards, Shell hits 11, and is sunk

Reduced sighting due to 25% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions and 25% moonlight: 10,000 yards
Range closes to 9,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 7,000 yards
Japanese launch Long Lance torpedoes at 7,000 yards before allies detect Japanese presence
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submarine attack near Palembang at 49,90

Japanese Ships
CA Kumano, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Swordfish

CA Kumano is sighted by SS Swordfish
SS Swordfish launches 4 torpedoes

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submarine attack near Muntok at 49,89

Japanese Ships
CA Kumano, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS KIX

CA Kumano is sighted by SS KIX
SS KIX launches 4 torpedoes

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Palembang at 48,91, Range 22,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Mogami, Shell hits 1
CA Mikuma, Shell hits 1
CA Suzuya, Shell hits 4
DD Maikaze
DD Arashi, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Hagikaze, Shell hits 1
DD Fubuki
DD Usugumo, Shell hits 1

Allied Ships
CL Danae, Shell hits 4
DD John D. Ford, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Peary, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Pope, Shell hits 1, on fire

Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions: 28,000 yards
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 22,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 22,000 yards
CA Suzuya engages CL Danae at 22,000 yards

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Palembang at 48,91

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8
E8N2 Dave x 2

Allied aircraft
Buffalo I x 6
Vildebeest III x 12
B-339D x 3
75A-7 Hawk x 3
P-40B Warhawk x 2
P-40E Warhawk x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
E8N2 Dave: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Buffalo I: 1 destroyed
Vildebeest III: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
75A-7 Hawk: 1 destroyed

Japanese Ships
DD Fubuki
CA Suzuya
CA Mogami, Torpedo hits 1
CA Mikuma

Aircraft Attacking:
10 x Vildebeest III launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Mk XII Torpedo
2 x Vildebeest III launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Mk XII Torpedo
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Losses:

Loss of CA Houston on Dec 23, 1941 is admitted
Loss of CL Java on Dec 23, 1941 is admitted
Loss of CL Boise on Dec 23, 1941 is admitted
Loss of DD Alden on Dec 23, 1941 is admitted
Loss of DD Barker on Dec 23, 1941 is admitted
Loss of DD John D. Edwards on Dec 23, 1941 is admitted
Loss of DD Whipple on Dec 23, 1941 is admitted
Loss of DD Pillsbury on Dec 23, 1941 is admitted
Loss of DD Van Nes on Dec 23, 1941 is admitted
Loss of DD Banckert on Dec 23, 1941 is admitted
Loss of AVP Reiger on Dec 23, 1941 is admitted
Loss of TM-5 on Dec 23, 1941 is admitted
Loss of TM-7 on Dec 23, 1941 is admitted
Loss of TM-9 on Dec 23, 1941 is admitted

Ships Sunk:

CA Kumano is reported to have been sunk near Muntok on Dec 23, 1941
xAKL Muro Maru is reported to have been sunk near Lingga on Dec 23, 1941
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Still holding on barely in the air here.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by obvert -- 4/23/2014 12:15:07 AM >

_____________________________

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 163

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/23/2014 10:12:37 AM

obvert

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December 25, 1941

Sulu Sea

The preparations for a real Christmas diner were well under way. The cooks on Seadragon had set aside some real hams to roast and had potatoes, gravy and green beans on the side. The real treat would be a series of fruit pies made with the canned fruit they�d hastily added to the stocklists as the base at Cavite was emptied by over twenty subs leaving suddenly for patrols as the war began. They had fresh rolls baking now, and the pies would go in after.

Seadragon had been patrolling the Sulu and Celebes Seas for almost two weeks now. They�d had multiple contacts but were still without a hit on enemy shipping. Several attacks had left them wondering about their calculation and the torpedoes themselves. near Mindanao they had stalked a small convoy of Japanese ships and were in a perfect firing position off the bow, had launched a spread of four fish and they had seemed to run true. The sound man, James Landers, had heard a distinct thunk at the correct time for the end of the run that could only have been a hit, but no explosion.

LT Murrow had plotted a course for them to intercept a Japanese task force seen by searching PBYs operating out of the Dutch base Manado on the tip of the Celebes Islands. These planes had been at Manila, but were relocated as the air defenses there had broken down after the Japanese onslaught. They had heard that US and Philippine forces were digging in around Manila, Clark field and the Bataan peninsula. It was now 1530 local time and they still hadn�t come across any Japanese ships.

�How�s the view Coleman?� he asked as he emerged onto the bridge just after seven bells rang. SN Brett Coleman had been on the watch since noon.

�Nothing, sir. Not even a gull out here, sir.�

It looked like Christmas was going to be quiet. The water was soft and glassy in the tropics today, with almost no swells. The sub cut cleanly through the blue and not a single cloud marred the dome above. They felt strangely alone yet knew the area was teeming with other US and Dutch subs, Japanese ships and patrol planes.

�Keep it up, Coleman.� Murrow slid down the ladder to the control room and checked the maps. They were approximately 120 miles south of Jolo on a bearing of three four zero to pass southwest of that island. He could smell the fresh rolls and now the meat cooking, filling the boat with unavoidable pangs of hunger. Diner would be served at five. This would be the strangest Christmas he�d had, for sure. Just another day on Seadragon.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by obvert -- 4/23/2014 11:27:55 AM >

_____________________________

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

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Post #: 164

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/23/2014 1:20:37 PM

obvert

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Joined: 1/17/2011
From: PDX (and now) London, UK
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Dec 24, 1941
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DEI: The war has taken a decidedly brutal turn in the DEI. Although I did move the combined ABDA fleets into Palembang to slow the japanese advance, I had envisioned getting some out again. As it turned out it was pretty close to historical eventually. Maybe the Allies here took out a ship or two more than in reality. The overall impact of the move is debatable. I'll never completely 'Sir Robin' as I'm not interested in sitting and waiting, but preservation of forces and most efficient use of them is crucial. I'd give myself a C- for this particular portion of the war.

On the bright side we did inflict a good beating on irreplaceable Japanese air forces, bagging a load of Netties and some top notch carrier pilots too, while most Allied pilots fought over their own forces and were saved. The Mogami also appeared on the sunk lists, which I don't believe, but you never know.

The Allies did land and got a massive force on shore. palembang will fall next turn and despite my best efforts, with tanks here it'll be a miracle if any of the base forces, including the RAF HQ, can be saved. The cruisers and destroyers in the port will try to make a break tomorrow. The De Ruyter will be scuttled.

Today the Allies got a drubbing in the air thanks to the Dutch B-12s that finally flew now that LR CAP is all over the Palembang area. They'd been set the same for three days with ships in range and didn't budge. A shedload were lost today, as well as some of the fighters trying to protect them.

Look like the IJ are heading for Tarakan on the other side of Borneo. They're invading the base next to it. I do it this way as well, which takes longer but avoids those CD guns. Small air units will try to hit something.

CHINA: The Japanese again attack near Tsiaotso and the Japanese struggle to hold, but get a 1:2 with heavy casualties. This could get dicey, but the hex behind is +2 with two big Corps waiting to defend as well. I'd like to hold this road, but it may be tough with tanks coming through. Sian is nearly to level 4 forts and so will be pretty tough if he does break through.

BURMA: I'm trying something new here. I'll move the 1st Burma and all units back from Rangoon rather than getting them trapped. They'll be used to shore up the defense of the mountain approaches to China. Some will move through the hills to India and some down the Arakan. I'll not fight for central Burma. India and China are much more important.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR December 24, 41
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morning Air attack on TF, near Palembang at 48,91

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 41
F1M2 Pete x 6

Allied aircraft
139WH-3 x 30
B-339D x 4
75A-7 Hawk x 1

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
139WH-3: 14 destroyed, 1 damaged
B-339D: 1 destroyed

Japanese Ships
xAK Awazisan Maru

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x 139WH-3 bombing from 2000 feet
Naval Attack: 3 x 300 kg SAP Bomb

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Palembang at 48,91

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
F1M2 Pete x 4

Allied aircraft
Vildebeest III x 13
B-339D x 1

Japanese aircraft losses
F1M2 Pete: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Vildebeest III: 2 destroyed
B-339D: 1 destroyed

Japanese Ships
xAK Eihuku Maru, Torpedo hits 1
AK Sagami Maru, on fire
xAK Ryuyo Maru

Japanese ground losses:
67 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x Vildebeest III launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Mk XII Torpedo
3 x Vildebeest III launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Mk XII Torpedo

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at 87,41 (near Tsiaotso)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 36946 troops, 301 guns, 422 vehicles, Assault Value = 1147

Defending force 36042 troops, 226 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 720

Japanese adjusted assault: 505

Allied adjusted defense: 616

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), morale(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1370 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 123 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 26 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Vehicles lost 29 (9 destroyed, 20 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
2609 casualties reported
Squads: 67 destroyed, 144 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 30 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled

Assaulting units:
15th Tank Regiment
37th Division
41st Division
4th Ind.Mixed Brigade
9th Ind.Mixed Brigade
9th Tank Regiment
5th Tank Regiment
12th Tank Regiment
3rd Tank Regiment
5th Armored Car Co
1st Army
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
34th Chinese Corps
61st Chinese Corps
98th Chinese Corps
1st Chinese Corps
33rd Chinese Corps
43rd Chinese Corps
5th New Chinese Corps
7th Group Army
8th Group Army

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Losses:

Loss of TM-6 on Dec 24, 1941 is admitted
Loss of TM-8 on Dec 24, 1941 is admitted
Loss of TM-10 on Dec 24, 1941 is admitted
Loss of TM-12 on Dec 24, 1941 is admitted
Loss of TM-13 on Dec 24, 1941 is admitted
Loss of TM-14 on Dec 24, 1941 is admitted

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Not a good day in the air for the Allies!

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by obvert -- 4/23/2014 10:56:24 PM >

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"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

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Post #: 165

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/24/2014 10:16:54 AM

obvert

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December 24, 1941

Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR

Edgar Kaiser had called in leaders of the various teams to go over use of new technologies. He would be running this new shipyard his father was setting up and funding. At the construction site major buildings were in progress. The slips were being built stretched out in a line tilting into the Columbia river below like unearthed bones of a massive gray beast. Everything was dripping and cold. Sun lifting a fog off the river as it appeared over the edge of Mt Hood in the distance.

Everyone in the room felt damp from the mornings training sessions. The coffee and donuts here and the chance to hear more about the new processes was a welcome break from the constant construction in the cold winter drizzle. Kaiser stood in front with his team of administrators.

�Good morning gentlemen. Today we�ll go through the plans for teams to begin organizing the first builds, starting just after the new year. We�ve changed our production lines a bit from even what the yards are doing in California. We think we can get ships out faster at the same quality. We�re going to build out sections completely, weld them together and we�re gonna be able to finish ships in a matter of weeks, not months. I know you�ve been trained to do this, are ready to do this, and we�ll be doing it for real soon.�

He continued for an hour and began to go through the list of ship types and slight differences in how they would build up. They were going to specialize in cargo ships, the big liberty ships that were already beginning to come out of yards around the country. Martin listened but was also lost in his own thought. It was Christmas Eve and they would be with Elsie�s family for the next day�s feast. He was thinking about her sister and brother, who he didn�t especially get along with easily. They let their kids run wild with almost no discipline, and Elsie�s brother Ernie had a wife he couldn�t stand. She was completely batty as far as he was concerned, and he heard things about them he couldn�t even believe.

Ernie drove trucks, and he was gone for periods of time on the road. While he was back he was remodeling their house, putting on an extra bedroom and making the living areas bigger all around. Now any wife would be pleased as punch to have a husband put that much work into their place, but not Janet. On his last long trip in November she�d ripped out the siding he put in the living room and took up the new carpet, even completely took the new cupboards off the walls of the kitchen. She was a total loon as far as he could tell, and he wished they didn�t have to go at all. He�d be happier at their little place on the edge of the woods with just the boys and Elsie.

As he drove back that evening, the long forty-five minute haul from Vancouver back to the house he just felt worse about Christmas the farther he went. At home as a boy he�d always loved the family dinner, the presents and the singing. They didn�t do singing at his wife�s family, and they argued through most of dinner. No one should feel this bad about a holiday. As he passed into Hillsdale, almost home, he decided to keep going a ways up on Capitol Hwy and stop in at the Cider Mill tavern. It was a cozy place, and he just needed a drink to get him feeling better before home.

�Hey Martin. Merry Christmas! What�ll ya have this evening?� Toby Harris was the owner, a big burly guy who looked like he�d been an athlete but had put on a few extra pounds since his school days. He always made Martin feel comfortable in here though. he had that way about him, just friendly and easygoing. No frills.

�Hey Toby. I�ll have a beer and go from there. What are you doing for the holiday.� They chatted about things, and Martin began to relax. Toby also felt uncomfortable around his wife�s family, but he realized everyone had to go through that. After his second beer, and the arrival of several other local men getting ready for the next day, he felt a lot better. He had one more and headed home, ready to face the world.

�Hi honey. How are you?� he walked in just past eight in the evening, and Elsie was not pleased.

�Where were you? We have a lot to pack up for tomorrow and you were supposed to pick up that pie from Thompson�s on the way home.�

�Shoot, honey, I forgot all about it.�

�What are we gonna do now Martin, we�re not bringing anything other than potato casserole and that pie. They�re not going to be open on Christmas morning. So you go and sit at the bar drinking while I�m here cooking and getting ready, and you don�t do the one thing that could have helped me out?� Elsie was spitting mad now. She slammed her over mit on the counter which had a less serious slap on the surface than she�d obviously intended.

�Honey, I�m sorry, I just needed a few minutes to relax. I�m sorry about ��

�Relax? I need to relax too, but now I�ve got to bake a pie in the morning. You need to pull your weight around here is what you need to do.� She stalked out of the kitchen and into the bathroom, closing the door as hard as she dared with the kids asleep.

Martin sat down dejectedly. He�d screwed up, that was clear. He had no idea what to do now. He sat and stared into the night. Elsie came out and went into their room. He kept on sitting until at almost midnight he finally drug himself out of the chair and in to bed.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by obvert -- 4/24/2014 2:25:04 PM >

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"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

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Post #: 166

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/24/2014 8:28:36 PM

obvert

Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011
From: PDX (and now) London, UK
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Dec 25, 1941
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SUBS: The KIX gets an xAK near Palembang. Still, subs here haven't hit what I would have imagined. The torpedoes are surely the issue as the attacks are plentiful. The I-9 hits AMC Prince Robert near Dutch. An xAKL is also nailed off of Vancouver Island.

Pacific: At least one CV shows up South of New Guinea, probably supporting an early Port Moresby invasion. nic is surely going quickly, and the South Pacific is a big part of the plan, somehow. An xAK is sunk off the base unloading supply.

Up north the Alies see their only real success of Christmas Day with a paradrop on Amchitka and the complete destruction of the base force there. Taking out these two base forces and getting what could be free reign over the Aleutians for the next three months is priceless. Now, can I hold if he does come? invading in winter is not easy, even with the invasion bonus. All major islands have a contingent of troops, and a base force just landed at Umnak near Adak to get two bases up to speed with airfields, hopefully.

Two marine regiments are now on Dutch and part of an army regiment. A ton of engineers and other support are there too, but I may move the AR back to Kodiak, as that feels more secure. Two Marine Wildcat groups are on Kodiak training.

CHINA: The japanese try an ill-fated attack at Kahnsien and suffer for it. I'll not risk a counter strike, but this will ensure the passage of the troops through this base without interference. They'll continue on to Kukong, then some will head to Liuchow.

DEI: Well, a few ships got out, but not many. A fresh CL led TF showed up at Palembang and that proved enough to send the damaged ships down. The Danae and five destroyers made it out. The only chip the Allies sank was a DMS on the way out.

Palembang falls and it looks like the oil is completely intact. I'll try a strike with the B-17s, but I have a feeling about 50 of the best A6M will be here tomorrow.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR December 25, 41
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night Time Surface Combat, near Palembang at 48,91, Range 9,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Isuzu, Shell hits 1
DD Shinonome
DD Isonami
DD Shirayuki
DD Hatsuyuki

Allied Ships
CL Tromp, Shell hits 1
CL Mauritius, Shell hits 2, heavy damage
DD Edsall, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD John D. Ford, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Peary, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Pope, Shell hits 2
DD Jupiter, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions and 42% moonlight: 11,000 yards
Range closes to 15,000 yards...
Range closes to 9,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 9,000 yards
Japanese open fire on surprised Allied ships at 9,000 yards
CL Isuzu launches Long Lance Torpedoes at CL Tromp at 9,000 yards

Ground combat at Kanhsien (81,57)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 16954 troops, 123 guns, 42 vehicles, Assault Value = 481

Defending force 36300 troops, 204 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1046

Japanese adjusted assault: 323

Allied adjusted defense: 192

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 1)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0

Combat modifiers
Defender: preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
1996 casualties reported
Squads: 19 destroyed, 167 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 24 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 14 disabled
Guns lost 17 (1 destroyed, 16 disabled)
Vehicles lost 8 (1 destroyed, 7 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
514 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 53 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Assaulting units:
19th Ind.Mixed Brigade
102nd Infantry Regiment
51st Recon Regiment
115th Infantry Regiment
51st Engineer Regiment

Defending units:
49th Chinese Corps
50th Chinese Corps
70th Chinese Corps
21st Chinese Corps
86th Chinese Corps
32nd Group Army

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Singapore (50,84)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 55175 troops, 522 guns, 170 vehicles, Assault Value = 1666

Defending force 32555 troops, 388 guns, 244 vehicles, Assault Value = 486

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1

Japanese adjusted assault: 632

Allied adjusted defense: 559

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 1)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
4393 casualties reported
Squads: 13 destroyed, 309 disabled
Non Combat: 10 destroyed, 37 disabled
Engineers: 23 destroyed, 57 disabled
Guns lost 24 (2 destroyed, 22 disabled)
Vehicles lost 16 (3 destroyed, 13 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
2601 casualties reported
Squads: 65 destroyed, 52 disabled
Non Combat: 34 destroyed, 47 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 17 disabled
Guns lost 61 (17 destroyed, 44 disabled)
Vehicles lost 21 (1 destroyed, 20 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Assaulting units:
5th Division
23rd Ind Engineer Regiment
21st Division
15th Ind Engineer Regiment
18th Division
33rd Division
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
25th Army
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment

Defending units:
2nd Malay Battalion
2nd Gordons Battalion
2/17 Dogra Battalion
1st Malay Battalion
SSVF Brigade
2nd Loyal Battalion
22nd Australian Brigade
1st Manchester Battalion
3rd Cavalry Regiment
27th Australian Brigade
1st HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
Singapore Fortress
2nd HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
Singapore Base Force
Malayan Air Wing
Malaya Army
AHQ Far East
112th RAF Adv Base Force
24th NZ Pioneer Coy
III Indian Corps
113th RAF Adv Base Force
111th RAF Adv Base Force
3rd Heavy AA Regiment
1st Indian Heavy AA Regiment
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
5th Field Regiment

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Losses:

Loss of CL Tromp on Dec 25, 1941 is admitted
Loss of CL Mauritius on Dec 25, 1941 is admitted
Loss of DD Edsall on Dec 25, 1941 is admitted
Loss of DD John D. Ford on Dec 25, 1941 is admitted
Loss of DD Peary on Dec 25, 1941 is admitted
Loss of DD Pope on Dec 25, 1941 is admitted
Loss of DD Jupiter on Dec 25, 1941 is admitted
Loss of AGP Eridanus on Dec 25, 1941 is admitted
Loss of xAK Centaur on Dec 25, 1941 is admitted
Loss of xAKL Prominent on Dec 18, 1941 is admitted
Loss of xAKL Nootka on Dec 25, 1941 is admitted

Ships Sunk:

DMS W-5 is reported to have been sunk near Palembang on Dec 25, 1941

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

< Message edited by obvert -- 4/24/2014 10:15:47 PM >

_____________________________

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

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Post #: 167

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/24/2014 8:36:10 PM

Lowpe

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Joined: 2/25/2013
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What were you using the Prince Robert for? I am always tempted to raid them past the Kuriles early, but of course it never works. In my last game two DDs near Ominato took out both Princes easily. A fast 50 VP gone for for naught.

(in reply to obvert)

Post #: 168

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/24/2014 8:40:08 PM

obvert

Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011
From: PDX (and now) London, UK
Status: offline

NORTH PACIFIC
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After playing the Japanese side I know that early on, for a year or more, the advantage in the air and on the sea belongs to Japan. So why would I try to hold and build up the Aleutians now, in late 41?

The theory I'm interested in trying out is that with a threat up North the Japanese cannot go all out in a second tier objective, and will be compromised to defend the holdings they've taken in the extreme limits of the Empire if engaged so close to home.

Am I drinking too much Allied coolaid, or does this make sense?

The plan is as follows:

1. Secure and build all major Aleutian bases; Attu, Amchitka, Adak, Umnak, Kiska, Dutch and Kodiak, with an addition few around Dutch to provide air support. This will require most of the free troops available in the first few months.

2. Move CVs to Cape Town and eventually Perth. Hold there until the KB shows itself somewhere, and have a few minor moves ready to go either at the DEI or So Pac.

3. Assess the weakest part of the Empire and strike there. This means reading the SIGINT and the tea leaves. This could happen as early as late 42, but would be a strike meant only to unbalance the Japanese forces before moving with force in another distant area, hopefully the North Pacific into the Kuriles.

All of this depends on several key ingredients, especially intelligence and recon, but also sub warfare designed not only to take out ships but to gain information. This is the main reason to move so early into the Aleutians. If I can keep sub bases here I can turn them around twice as fast and have double the subs in the Home Island area all of the time.

It's a new world coming at the game from this direction. I'd love any feedback you all have on this so far.

_____________________________

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

(in reply to obvert)

Post #: 169

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/24/2014 8:41:47 PM

obvert

Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011
From: PDX (and now) London, UK
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

What were you using the Prince Robert for? I am always tempted to raid them past the Kuriles early, but of course it never works. In my last game two DDs near Ominato took out both Princes easily. A fast 50 VP gone for for naught.

Just as an escort and I was panning to leave it up there to get into mid-Pacific areas to work as a picket, basically. An expensive one yes, but also a capable one against anything but a surface combat TF.

_____________________________

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

(in reply to Lowpe)

Post #: 170

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/24/2014 9:19:59 PM

jmalter

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Joined: 10/12/2010
Status: offline

hi obvert,

sounds like you were able to deal out some counter-blows in exchange for your naval combatants.

do you have any plans to evacuate any Dutch bits & pieces? I'll note that there are several bases in North Oz west of Darwin that can be bought out to ABDA command for relatively few PP. Then you can fly your MLD[R] & KNIL[R] Dorniers there, w/ maybe a few BF pieces, & establish a DEW line of NavSearch over & west of the Timor Sea. You'll get a fairly good amount of PBY-5 replacements to gradually upgrade the 3-plane Dornier groups, but they fatigue rapidly - you need 2 groups at each base - 1 on NavS, 1 recovering/training.

There's also some few Dutch support ships, AS, ARD, AVP that can move to Oz, but they are deathly slow. If they haven't started moving south already, they're in trouble, unless GJ is overly focused on Pbang. Darwin is the most important, but you should be able to establish some action in North Oz. Those bases are mostly beyond range of Zero Escort from Timor, so you might be able to move some Oz fighters in as well, to bang on any Betties that come looking.

(in reply to obvert)

Post #: 171

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/24/2014 9:30:10 PM

obvert

Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011
From: PDX (and now) London, UK
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: jmalter

hi obvert,

sounds like you were able to deal out some counter-blows in exchange for your naval combatants.

do you have any plans to evacuate any Dutch bits & pieces? I'll note that there are several bases in North Oz west of Darwin that can be bought out to ABDA command for relatively few PP. Then you can fly your MLD[R] & KNIL[R] Dorniers there, w/ maybe a few BF pieces, & establish a DEW line of NavSearch over & west of the Timor Sea. You'll get a fairly good amount of PBY-5 replacements to gradually upgrade the 3-plane Dornier groups, but they fatigue rapidly - you need 2 groups at each base - 1 on NavS, 1 recovering/training.

There's also some few Dutch support ships, AS, ARD, AVP that can move to Oz, but they are deathly slow. If they haven't started moving south already, they're in trouble, unless GJ is overly focused on Pbang. Darwin is the most important, but you should be able to establish some action in North Oz. Those bases are mostly beyond range of Zero Escort from Timor, so you might be able to move some Oz fighters in as well, to bang on any Betties that come looking.

I've mostly concentrated on getting a few US base forces out of the PI and a few British ones off of Malaya. I'm sending a few to Cocos to either move on or hang there fr a while if enough troops also can be lifted in.

As for the Dutch, I'll most likely play them straight until the pools are gone, then go out in a blaze of glory and disband the units. The Dorniers are great planes, but without replacements, I'd rather not spend the PPs there. I'll have Dutch bases to use them long after the planes are gone the way i'm going. They've done Yoeman's work already though.

The entire contingent of Dutch ships, which is massive in DBB-C, have moved South toward Perth. The faster ones have already unloaded fuel they carried and are heading for Cape Town. Some even went direct there to top up the stores before all of these ships arrive. Other short range ships, small and very useful xAPs and xAKLs, will move to Adelaide, out of the firing lines. The ARDs are moving, and all of ten are close. A few are within 5-6 hexes of Perth. Some are nearing Exmouth that left last, and the IJN is prowling now, so although I've sent out ASW, they might not make it.

For OZ I'll send a brigade to Carnarvon and Exmouth, and if time allows I'll send a small armor unit to Derby and Broome. the divisions are all formed and a few were sent to Perth to prep fro defense. Others are at Sydney and Brisbane. Soon I'll start buying some US troops to head to OZ, and the engineers that don't go North will go there.

Darwin isn't salvageable if he really goes for it, but if he gets cute and goes around, trying to avoid a direct landing against CD guns, he might find more than he expected waiting.

< Message edited by obvert -- 4/24/2014 10:31:32 PM >

_____________________________

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

(in reply to jmalter)

Post #: 172

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/25/2014 1:14:05 AM

BBfanboy

Posts: 18046
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: obvert

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

What were you using the Prince Robert for? I am always tempted to raid them past the Kuriles early, but of course it never works. In my last game two DDs near Ominato took out both Princes easily. A fast 50 VP gone for for naught.

Just as an escort and I was panning to leave it up there to get into mid-Pacific areas to work as a picket, basically. An expensive one yes, but also a capable one against anything but a surface combat TF.

Somebody posted that he uses the AMCs that cannot carry troops or cargo as gun support in his amphib TFs. They can help beat off small surface raiders like DDs and can shoot back at coastal defences during landings.
I've never found them useful for anything else, except for sweeping a couple of mines each, perhaps.

_____________________________

No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth

(in reply to obvert)

Post #: 173

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/25/2014 2:04:00 AM

BBfanboy

Posts: 18046
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: obvert

NORTH PACIFIC
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After playing the Japanese side I know that early on, for a year or more, the advantage in the air and on the sea belongs to Japan. So why would I try to hold and build up the Aleutians now, in late 41?

The theory I'm interested in trying out is that with a threat up North the Japanese cannot go all out in a second tier objective, and will be compromised to defend the holdings they've taken in the extreme limits of the Empire if engaged so close to home.

Am I drinking too much Allied coolaid, or does this make sense?

The plan is as follows:

1. Secure and build all major Aleutian bases; Attu, Amchitka, Adak, Umnak, Kiska, Dutch and Kodiak, with an addition few around Dutch to provide air support. This will require most of the free troops available in the first few months.

2. Move CVs to Cape Town and eventually Perth. Hold there until the KB shows itself somewhere, and have a few minor moves ready to go either at the DEI or So Pac.

3. Assess the weakest part of the Empire and strike there. This means reading the SIGINT and the tea leaves. This could happen as early as late 42, but would be a strike meant only to unbalance the Japanese forces before moving with force in another distant area, hopefully the North Pacific into the Kuriles.

All of this depends on several key ingredients, especially intelligence and recon, but also sub warfare designed not only to take out ships but to gain information. This is the main reason to move so early into the Aleutians. If I can keep sub bases here I can turn them around twice as fast and have double the subs in the Home Island area all of the time.

It's a new world coming at the game from this direction. I'd love any feedback you all have on this so far.

It is always good to apply pressure wherever the Japanese have not sent dominant forces. He made a quick grab for a couple of bases in the hopes you were going into Sir-Robin mode, but you were prepared to hit back and made it hurt him. Well done!

Eventually he will either come back with the whole posse or decide he should concentrate on digging in the Kuriles to keep you from coming further. Knowing GJ did not over-extend in his previous outing as Japan, I think the latter is most likely.

He will try to draw your CVs into combat on favourable terms, but will not risk his own for some easy kills of less important targets.

I am a little leery of Perth as a CV base because several other players have had surprise KB raids there even though they put up search and pickets. The bases in North Oz are just too far apart for saturation search.
I think Adelaide would be a better location.

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Post #: 174

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/25/2014 4:12:49 AM

Capt. Harlock

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quote:

It's a new world coming at the game from this direction. I'd love any feedback you all have on this so far.

Some fast bombardment TFs during times of bad weather so that land-based air is less effective might also concentrate Japanese attention.

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Post #: 175

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/25/2014 6:40:05 AM

obvert

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Thanks for the thoughts so far. I have to say I am surprised by the depth already gained by Japanese forces in the South, well into the New Hebrides and it's not even 42 yet!

So I'm not sure he'll play it safe and dig in. He may decide that 42 is his best shot, before Allied air forces get their quality advantage and before the US CVs can effectively hold off any Japanese moves. We'll see, but i'm going to have to prepare for a second tier push regardless since he has already gotten so far in the DEI.

I'll definitely probe the Kuriles sometime soon, while the weather is still poor. Takes a toll on the system ops for the ships, though. Already have the AR working extra time at Dutch before it's move back to Kodiak.

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Post #: 176

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/25/2014 8:18:45 AM

KenchiSulla

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quote:

ORIGINAL: obvert

CHINA
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here is the first idea for an LR, although the term is loosely used and applied. Lots of these areas are meant to stall the IJA and make them lose a few battles in good terrain while rear units improve and fill out.

Kukong is very exposed, I would not defend it with more then a corps or two. The other places seem ok but I would focus defense on holding Lanchow in play while building your main line further back, in good terrain as a per attached example

Attachment (1)

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Post #: 177

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/25/2014 6:32:04 PM

obvert

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I like that line a lot, but I want to try to bleed what I can in good territory far in from of that as well. If there is a breakthrough, then yes, all should move back. There is a lot of +3 on the way there. Kukong is out on a limb, but not easy to move to cut it off. If there is a break in the center, then yes, it has to be abandoned.

When I went to Sian, and Jocke defended there, it took a good while to break down even with constant bombing with 2Es. GJ won't have that option in PDU-off. If he goes in the back way, which seems his goal, his LOC is also long and tenuous, and it's possible to mess with that.

Interestingly in DBB-C many of the Chinese Corps have 37mm AT guns. I don't remember this from before, His attacks near Tsiaotso have taken out a few tanks and damaged a bunch already, which is unusual in China.

Anyway, I'l be trying to keep a good reserve for whatever he loads up on. I wonder though how long it'll take to get some of these units to fill out a bit. Man. So many disabled squads!

< Message edited by obvert -- 4/25/2014 7:32:20 PM >

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Post #: 178

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/25/2014 6:46:43 PM

IdahoNYer

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quote:

The entire contingent of Dutch ships, which is massive in DBB-C, have moved South toward Perth. The faster ones have already unloaded fuel they carried and are heading for Cape Town. Some even went direct there to top up the stores before all of these ships arrive. Other short range ships, small and very useful xAPs and xAKLs, will move to Adelaide, out of the firing lines.

Don't forget you can use some of these Dutch AK/AKLs for off map. Great way to move fuel into Cape Town from England/NY since off map movement doesn't expend fuel or op damage. Couple of big convoys of short range AK/AKLs can move a lot of fuel over time.

Question on your SO PAC defense - what's your STOP line? With the marines going to NOPAC and CVs in Perth, seems you're giving a free hand in SOPAC?

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Post #: 179

RE: ::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjo... - 4/25/2014 7:34:21 PM

KenchiSulla

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From: the Netherlands
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quote:

ORIGINAL: obvert

I like that line a lot, but I want to try to bleed what I can in good territory far in from of that as well. If there is a breakthrough, then yes, all should move back. There is a lot of +3 on the way there. Kukong is out on a limb, but not easy to move to cut it off. If there is a break in the center, then yes, it has to be abandoned.

When I went to Sian, and Jocke defended there, it took a good while to break down even with constant bombing with 2Es. GJ won't have that option in PDU-off. If he goes in the back way, which seems his goal, his LOC is also long and tenuous, and it's possible to mess with that.

Interestingly in DBB-C many of the Chinese Corps have 37mm AT guns. I don't remember this from before, His attacks near Tsiaotso have taken out a few tanks and damaged a bunch already, which is unusual in China.

Anyway, I'l be trying to keep a good reserve for whatever he loads up on. I wonder though how long it'll take to get some of these units to fill out a bit. Man. So many disabled squads!

I would say delay the advance as much as possible but dig in in your main line of resistance. The troops doing that will fortify and repair a lot of disablements / train.. My China vs Chris might be slow due lack of aggressiveness on Chris his account but my OOB is impressive and well supplied.... If you manage to keep a small strategic reserve that is even beter..

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"It happened, therefore it can happen again: this is the core of what we have to say. It can happen, and it can happen everywhere.�
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Post #: 180

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