Canoerebel
Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002 From: Northwestern Georgia, USA Status: offline
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2/16/42 to 2/23/42 Lots of interesting little skirmishes and bushwhacks and probes going on. I think the good guys are pretty effectively slowing the bad guys but it's been so long since I played an early game (2013?) that I might be wrong. In any event, this isn't going to turn into some Nemo/Obvert kinds of Allied butt-kicking. Java: Dave managed to bring in reinforcements - two divisions - and landed near Batavia, catching me on the wrong foot as I thought he was coming back to Semereng. After all KB was posted close by. So I tried for an ambush of KB, bringing my carrier air to Soerabaja. The aircraft didn't do anything except get shot down. Having "shot my wad" (Dave knew I had carrier squadrons on Java, though for all he knew they had island hopped in from Oz), giving away my secret, I backed off...and KB backed off to Balikpapan...and suddenly enemy reinforcements were coming ashore near Batavia under cover of a small carrier force. So the Allied carriers (Saratoga, Indomitable, Hermes) moved in close to Java's south coast. Strikes, and managed one hit on Shoho, but mostly I just lost aircraft. Now Dave knew for certain there were carriers and, as luck would have it, suddenly KB wasn't at Balikpapan. I didn't have detection but I suspected he might sprint into the IO to intercept. And he did. He nearly caught a bunch of good ships that were somewhat low on fuel, while the majority of the fleet had enough to flee at full speed. He didn't keep up the pursuit, thank goodness. The sum total of all this is that he suffered a few modest hits to ships but managed to get more infantry ashore. He doesn't have armor or arty or HQ, so he's really not configured to fight hard yet. I think the Allies may be able to hold at key points for at least a few more weeks. Pretty soon I'll have to pull away the mass of fighters at Soerabaja or risk losing them. Their evac route is either Koepang to Oz or (more problematic) Batavia to Sumatra to Port Blair to Chittagong. I get the feeling, though, that he won't detach KB until Java is squared away. The invasion bonus is ticking away. And I think Hiyo was damaged in a collision caused by an Allied DD interept of KB near Bandjermasin. China: A key battle is being fought in rough terrain a few hexes east of Sian. Dave had a numerical advantage against three Chinese corps. His guys attacked repeatedly, doing ugly things to two of the corps. But the third Chinese corps fought valiantly. After three or four consecutive attacks, the Japanese army is gassed (I think and hope). A decent Chinese corps should arrive in hex tomorrow or the day after, buying at least another round or three, perhaps even weeks. Elsewhere, Dave is pretty much not probing anywhere. The Chinese have superior numbers in good terrain. He's probably bringing in reinforcements that will blow a hole in the line - likely at Sian - but for now China isn't a lost cause. Burma: I have little to fight with here. The Allied army has managed to pull back to Schwebo without taking any further lickings. I'll just slow Dave as much as I can. Singers: Dave still hasn't tried another attack since the opening. Forts at 4.70. Supply still at 180k. He hasn't used bombers in about ten days, since his last strike got ambushed. Philippines:Allies out of supply at Clark and Bataan. Dave hasn't attcked. His army is roughly equal to the Allied army, so he may not feel he has the numbers. He does. New Guinea and SoPac: No probes other than Dave taking Milne Bay. To the SE, an Allied engineer unit is ashore at Luganville and an Aussie cav brigade arrives tomorrow or day after. I'm worried about a mini KB showing up. I have two nearby combat TFs to try to ward off enemy patrols. Christmas Island: A Glen-boat parked nearby since the war started. Reinforcements inbound. Midway: 1st Rangers arrived. The garrison is complete. Supply level decent. Forts at about 3.4. I hope to get it up to 4 before Dave comes. And I think he is. NoPac: No enemy forays.
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