USSAmerica
Posts: 18715
Joined: 10/28/2002 From: Graham, NC, USA Status: offline
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The shooting has started! Got the turn back from Mike last night and watched the long December 7th replay. The waves of Vals and Kates keep on coming at Pearl Harbor. When you think the end might be near, there are always more. LOL Fortunately for me, the damage was pretty light. All 8 BB's took damage, significant to severe in most cases, but none are in danger of sinking. Tennessee should be fully repaired in under 7 weeks! Maryland survived, but took 60 system and 87 flotation damage. She will spend the first year of the war in the shipyards, as usual. I'll post a screen shot of the carnage later. Mike seems to hit the airfields with more than the usual share of bombers. They caused lots of damage, but the key for me is that only a total of 4 PBY's were destroyed. Elsewhere, moving at full speed, both Boise and Houston seem to have made it past the IJN net cast around the PI. I'm hopeful that both will make it to Balikpapan to form up with the other USN ships in the area. The 3 Brit DD's from Hong Kong were caught by a CA led SC TF and were sunk. They did a bit of damage to one of the IJN DD's, but that's really it. The SRA is where the interesting developments took place. Mike landed at Singkawang and landed in force at Mersing. Intel shows no heavy escorts at Singkawang, so Force Z, who slipped out of port since they were already formed up, will try to make some noise there next turn. There are lots and lots of ships at Mersing, with some decent escort, but no apparent CV CAP coverage. I'm going to try to hit as much shipping there as I can from the air. If I were playing Japan, I think I would always try the Mersing Gambit. With sufficient SC escort the Allies can't prevent a landing in force on Dec 7th. The cost is the only question mark for Japan. That will be determined by how much shipping damage I can do from the air. I will order all Malaya ground forces that are on a rail line to mount up and race for Singapore, but I expect that most won't make it before the rail line is cut. The Aussie Bde at Mersing will be ordered to hold as long as they can to keep the gates of Singapore open a long as possible. Japan taking Singers early means to me that they can move to take Burma earlier and cut off the back door to China. I just hope I can make Mike pay a high price for the gambit. Now, I get to undertake the looooong process of issuing orders for all the forces that are "locked in place" for Turn 1 as the Allies. I hope I don't get Carpal Tunnel from all the mouse clicks, as I have an appointment to hoist a tasty beverage or two with a Thread Brother tomorrow afternoon!
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Mike "Good times will set you free" - Jimmy Buffett "They need more rum punch" - Me Artwork by The Amazing Dixie
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