Taxcutter
Posts: 389
Joined: 4/4/2016 Status: offline
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Sitrep Oct 21, 1943 I ousted Ironman from Shortlands killing 18,000-odd men. Engineers developing base to support attacks on Buka & Green Islands. I have Marine Divisions with tanks, artillery and combat engineers about 92% prepped for both islands. I have two amphib headed for New Guinea. Two army division plus tanks and artillery for Buna. Airedale recon says 10,000 man garrison. The other TF is headed for Salamaua with a dividion plus a regiment of infantry and tanks. Airedales say 7,000 men. Both bases have been flattened and the debris rearranged for a couple months. I have the entire Aussie I Corps prepped to hit Port Moresby. It has been flattened and close blockaded for some time now. My intention is to surround the Port Moresby and Buna garrisons and slaughter them, but that means I have to work around them first and cut off their retreat into the Owen Stanley range and its great defensive terrain. Once I get Buna I'll develop it into a base for bombardment and escort in the area. I can them use single-engined fighters for bomber escort and sweep with P-38s. I have units over 75% prepped for operations against Finschaven and Gasmata. Recon shows small garrisons but I generally assume Ironman has 250% of what the airedales tell me. Once Buna and Port Moresby are properly surrounded, I'll let the Aussie I Corp eliminate them an take half the US force and drive from Salamaua to Wau and maybe cross the river behind Lae. I'll concentrate forces at Finschaven to assault Lae once surrounded. Once Lae is gone and Gasmata, Buka, and Green Islands are taken, I'll consider I've met Operation Cartwheel conditions. I can used short range planes as training unit to keep Rabaul/Kavieng neutralized. Once Rabaul is neutralized I plan to re-task South Pacific command to the Gilberts/Marshalls. Southwest Pacific will duck south of New Guinea and hit the western end. US forces will move up the east side onto the Vogelkopf Peninsula and the Aussies will move into Timor and Celebes. I have no idea where KB is hiding. My guess is Truk or the Inland Sea. One of my subs put a torpedo into one of his augmenting CV, south of the Bungo Suido. I doubt if it sank him, but he's spending some time in the yard. Air recon shows an outrageous concentration of air (700 fighter, 600 bombers) and over a hundred ships at anchor at Truk. Although he has hundreds of fighters at Truk, Ironman can't molest those recce B-24 variants flying high. Ironman did have a surprise waiting. Beginning 10/1 his ASW effectiveness, especially when E boat are present increased sharply. He's killed three subs and roughed seven others. But I'm still getting contacts and hits with my subs. the thing that make playing Ironman tough is his bottomless pools of planes. I have two fighter groups that have over 4,000 kills each, but Ironman still has to be approached with caution.
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