Air Raid Pearl Harbor! This is not a drill! 1941 Allied Campaign.
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eddieballgame
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RE: January 18h, 1942
Much thanks & high praise for doing this.
RE: January 18h, 1942
Another thank you for doing this. I look forward to watching it going forward
RE: January 18h, 1942
Thanks for the undeserved praise. I have one turn ready to load up tonight and expect to get at least one more turn beyond that maybe two tonight.
The Japanese in my game at one point abandoned their Manila blockade, I think to go after my subs. This allowed me to get supply in, but didn't really help as the units where outmatched and outgunned.
The Japanese in my game at one point abandoned their Manila blockade, I think to go after my subs. This allowed me to get supply in, but didn't really help as the units where outmatched and outgunned.
RE: January 18h, 1942
COMINT
Someone mentioned COMINT so I thought I would say something here about it.
As for COMINT in my AAR there isn't a lot to say. I thought I mentioned it, will have to go back and look, but as the USA I did build up 60 points and tried to break the Japanese Code. It was unsuccessful. [:@]
I believe, could be proven wrong, but I would rather break the Japanese Codes (60pts) and get full knowledge of where they are going instead of just having a limited area (40pts). I think the appropriate way to handle it as, well really the US more than the allies, is break the Japanese Code then place the COMINT units where you see the Japanese mustering. I have seen COMINT units used without the breaking of the codes and they are helpful, but they would be so much better if the Japanese Codes were breaking. At least that is the way I am playing it and hoping it is right. (Will have to read rule book more).
I also, along these lines, think I miss-used the American subs. Correctly so, they are hampered by faulty torpedoes. Placing them on the convoy routes did nothing and made them targets. The one time I did attack a naval CVL task force ended up with the sub lost and no damage to the enemy. I think a much better use of the American subs is to put them on raider and use them as scouts. Let them be your COMINT units in a way. That is what I am going to do with them from this point forward until the problems with the Mk 14 torpedo are worked out.
Someone mentioned COMINT so I thought I would say something here about it.
As for COMINT in my AAR there isn't a lot to say. I thought I mentioned it, will have to go back and look, but as the USA I did build up 60 points and tried to break the Japanese Code. It was unsuccessful. [:@]
I believe, could be proven wrong, but I would rather break the Japanese Codes (60pts) and get full knowledge of where they are going instead of just having a limited area (40pts). I think the appropriate way to handle it as, well really the US more than the allies, is break the Japanese Code then place the COMINT units where you see the Japanese mustering. I have seen COMINT units used without the breaking of the codes and they are helpful, but they would be so much better if the Japanese Codes were breaking. At least that is the way I am playing it and hoping it is right. (Will have to read rule book more).
I also, along these lines, think I miss-used the American subs. Correctly so, they are hampered by faulty torpedoes. Placing them on the convoy routes did nothing and made them targets. The one time I did attack a naval CVL task force ended up with the sub lost and no damage to the enemy. I think a much better use of the American subs is to put them on raider and use them as scouts. Let them be your COMINT units in a way. That is what I am going to do with them from this point forward until the problems with the Mk 14 torpedo are worked out.
February 1st, 1942
February 1st, 1942. Japan Moves
News Flash....
US units in the Phillipines forced to Surrender. Phillipines lost to the Japs!
Rangoon
With units cutoff the Japanese 56th Division and 121st Bast Force attack the India 20th Div. Their attacks are just a feint though as their real attacks go against the India 1st Corp sitting on the crossroads of the road heading west and the rail heading north. The Japanese 56th Div and 121st Base Force attack with the 56th Div being replaced, after exhausting itself, with the 1st Air Div. Losses on both side are light as the 1st Corp holds firm.
South China
200 miles east of Chungking the Chinese 1st Calvary falls under repeated assault from the Japanese 17th Ind Bde. The 1st Calvary holds with little losses(0) while inflicting significant damage to the attackers(1).
50 miles to the southeast of Changsha the Japanese make a concentrated effort to move the Chinese 9th Army. The Japanese 40th Div and 13th Air Div repeatedly attack, but only to a stalemate.
East Indies
The Japanese invade the east coast of Borneo. They take the ports of Tarakan and Balikpapan
Phillipines
The Japanese 12th Army finally assaults the last US unit holding out in Manila forcing it to retreat. The 12th Army keeps its pursuit up until the last units surrender giving the Japanese control of the Phillipines.
News Flash....
US units in the Phillipines forced to Surrender. Phillipines lost to the Japs!
Rangoon
With units cutoff the Japanese 56th Division and 121st Bast Force attack the India 20th Div. Their attacks are just a feint though as their real attacks go against the India 1st Corp sitting on the crossroads of the road heading west and the rail heading north. The Japanese 56th Div and 121st Base Force attack with the 56th Div being replaced, after exhausting itself, with the 1st Air Div. Losses on both side are light as the 1st Corp holds firm.
South China
200 miles east of Chungking the Chinese 1st Calvary falls under repeated assault from the Japanese 17th Ind Bde. The 1st Calvary holds with little losses(0) while inflicting significant damage to the attackers(1).
50 miles to the southeast of Changsha the Japanese make a concentrated effort to move the Chinese 9th Army. The Japanese 40th Div and 13th Air Div repeatedly attack, but only to a stalemate.
East Indies
The Japanese invade the east coast of Borneo. They take the ports of Tarakan and Balikpapan
Phillipines
The Japanese 12th Army finally assaults the last US unit holding out in Manila forcing it to retreat. The 12th Army keeps its pursuit up until the last units surrender giving the Japanese control of the Phillipines.
RE: February 1st, 1942
February 1st, 1942. Allied Moves
Rangoon
Having the Japanese 56th Div and Imperial Guards Div encircled makes General Giffard consider an attack against them. However, the attack would have to cross a river so it is called off. To ensure that the Japanese units stay encircled General Giffard orders the India 20th Div, 1st Corp, and 13th Bde to assault the Japanese 121st Base Force. Repeated attacks inflict heavy damage(4) on the 12st and force it to retreat. Losses to the India forces are slight(3). General Giffard's staff want him to order either the 1st Corp or the 20th Div to follow the retreating Japanese unit, but Giffard overrules them and has his units hold their position and dig in.
Australia
Rumors of Japanese submarines of the east coast of Australia run rampant and the AUS 1st RAAF even goes searching, but the rumors are apparently unfounded.
Very interesting game play here. I see the Japanese sub, but is it worth the oil to go looking for it? You cannot just fly your planes and send out your ships. I decided to try it and find I am dissappointed. Oil use with no result.
USN
The SS Pike, in Manila when it came under assault, is forced to retreat and rebase to Port Darwin in Australia. The SS Pike was low on supply so I moved it the Manila thinking the US force there was in good supply and could hold out one turn. I was wrong. As such, the SS Pike actually ended up out of supply.
The SS Grayling spots a task force that includes the CVL Zuiho, BB Hyuga, BB Ise, and BB Nagato. It attacks and achieves suprise, but is sunk with no hits. Sigh. The US subs being useless at convoy hunting I decided to change my tactics. I decided to attack. I could have taken losing the sub, fine. I can handle that, but at least give a single hit.
The US Task Force of BB California, BB Arizona with the 10th CL/DD and 11th CL/DD arrive in Sydney Australia.
Task Force 2 (CV Yorktown and Saratoga) lauanch an airstrike against Wake Island with little results and no loses. I am doing this in the hopes of building up experience. I do not see any immediate increase, so maybe it is going to update in a turn? I thought the Hermes updated immediately.
China.
With snow covering the ground Chinese units dig in for the winter.
UK
The Dutch CL De Ruter arrives in Africa after repair and begins patroling the Indian Ocean convoy lane.
Rangoon
Having the Japanese 56th Div and Imperial Guards Div encircled makes General Giffard consider an attack against them. However, the attack would have to cross a river so it is called off. To ensure that the Japanese units stay encircled General Giffard orders the India 20th Div, 1st Corp, and 13th Bde to assault the Japanese 121st Base Force. Repeated attacks inflict heavy damage(4) on the 12st and force it to retreat. Losses to the India forces are slight(3). General Giffard's staff want him to order either the 1st Corp or the 20th Div to follow the retreating Japanese unit, but Giffard overrules them and has his units hold their position and dig in.
Australia
Rumors of Japanese submarines of the east coast of Australia run rampant and the AUS 1st RAAF even goes searching, but the rumors are apparently unfounded.
Very interesting game play here. I see the Japanese sub, but is it worth the oil to go looking for it? You cannot just fly your planes and send out your ships. I decided to try it and find I am dissappointed. Oil use with no result.
USN
The SS Pike, in Manila when it came under assault, is forced to retreat and rebase to Port Darwin in Australia. The SS Pike was low on supply so I moved it the Manila thinking the US force there was in good supply and could hold out one turn. I was wrong. As such, the SS Pike actually ended up out of supply.
The SS Grayling spots a task force that includes the CVL Zuiho, BB Hyuga, BB Ise, and BB Nagato. It attacks and achieves suprise, but is sunk with no hits. Sigh. The US subs being useless at convoy hunting I decided to change my tactics. I decided to attack. I could have taken losing the sub, fine. I can handle that, but at least give a single hit.
The US Task Force of BB California, BB Arizona with the 10th CL/DD and 11th CL/DD arrive in Sydney Australia.
Task Force 2 (CV Yorktown and Saratoga) lauanch an airstrike against Wake Island with little results and no loses. I am doing this in the hopes of building up experience. I do not see any immediate increase, so maybe it is going to update in a turn? I thought the Hermes updated immediately.
China.
With snow covering the ground Chinese units dig in for the winter.
UK
The Dutch CL De Ruter arrives in Africa after repair and begins patroling the Indian Ocean convoy lane.
RE: February 1st, 1942
February 1st, 1942. Production
UK
65-9 (128/21)
USA
375-20 (231/35)
I have some air units (the USAFFE) that is not getting repaired so I pump the reinforcements back up to 258.
With submarine losses high and needing them to provide some kind of intelligence of Japanese movements I order 2 sub units taking the stockpile down to 39.
China
63-4 (41/16)
I order a single set of 10 supply trucks.
Australia
61-8 (37/23)
India
30-4 (4/5)
My reinforcements are at 51 and my upkeep for the turn was 29. Now, you would think I could lower it, but with the combat that just happened I am going to keep it the same to make sure I cover my losses.
UK
65-9 (128/21)
USA
375-20 (231/35)
I have some air units (the USAFFE) that is not getting repaired so I pump the reinforcements back up to 258.
With submarine losses high and needing them to provide some kind of intelligence of Japanese movements I order 2 sub units taking the stockpile down to 39.
China
63-4 (41/16)
I order a single set of 10 supply trucks.
Australia
61-8 (37/23)
India
30-4 (4/5)
My reinforcements are at 51 and my upkeep for the turn was 29. Now, you would think I could lower it, but with the combat that just happened I am going to keep it the same to make sure I cover my losses.
RE: February 1st, 1942
Supply Problems
The central China supply problems are just killing me. I know part of the problem right now is the whether, but units keep falling out of supply so I have to retreat them, giving up any entrenchment and now I am retreating out of defensive hills into plains. I am worried that if I stop retreating the Japanese will easily pick off out of supply units, but if I keep retreating I am moving into plains that give the defenders no advantage.
The central China supply problems are just killing me. I know part of the problem right now is the whether, but units keep falling out of supply so I have to retreat them, giving up any entrenchment and now I am retreating out of defensive hills into plains. I am worried that if I stop retreating the Japanese will easily pick off out of supply units, but if I keep retreating I am moving into plains that give the defenders no advantage.
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February 15th, 1942
February 15th, 1942. Japan Moves
India-Burma-Rangoon
The Japanese 15th army attacked the India 20th Div. 50 miles north of Rangoon hoping to break through relieve the encircled Japanese units, but the 20th Div. holds inflicting the same amount of losses as it takes.
It is a different story 100 miles to the northeast where the Japanese 22nd Army forces the 13th Bde to retreat even though the 13th Bde inflicts just as much losses as it takes.
North China.
200 miles northeast of Chungking the Japanese 12th Army attacks the out of supply Chinese 19th Army. The Chinese army inflicts have losses before retreating, but the 12th army keeps up the pressure and the 19th army dissolves into nothingness. (They did inflict 3 strength point loss to the Japanese before dying.)
South China.
Japanese forces begin to mass on the Indochina-Chinese border that is lightly guarded by the Chinese.
I am kind of impressed by the AI’s move here. I left this lightly guarded and the AI has sniffed it out and moved units to attack the area. Impressed.
Other
The Japanese have completed their conquest of the East Indies, both Dutch and Netherlands, the Philippines, and the Central Pacific. They have not made any further moves in the Solomon Islands.
Convoys
Several Japanese submarines are spotted on various convoy routes, but there are no Allied losses.
India-Burma-Rangoon
The Japanese 15th army attacked the India 20th Div. 50 miles north of Rangoon hoping to break through relieve the encircled Japanese units, but the 20th Div. holds inflicting the same amount of losses as it takes.
It is a different story 100 miles to the northeast where the Japanese 22nd Army forces the 13th Bde to retreat even though the 13th Bde inflicts just as much losses as it takes.
North China.
200 miles northeast of Chungking the Japanese 12th Army attacks the out of supply Chinese 19th Army. The Chinese army inflicts have losses before retreating, but the 12th army keeps up the pressure and the 19th army dissolves into nothingness. (They did inflict 3 strength point loss to the Japanese before dying.)
South China.
Japanese forces begin to mass on the Indochina-Chinese border that is lightly guarded by the Chinese.
I am kind of impressed by the AI’s move here. I left this lightly guarded and the AI has sniffed it out and moved units to attack the area. Impressed.
Other
The Japanese have completed their conquest of the East Indies, both Dutch and Netherlands, the Philippines, and the Central Pacific. They have not made any further moves in the Solomon Islands.
Convoys
Several Japanese submarines are spotted on various convoy routes, but there are no Allied losses.
RE: February 15th, 1942
February 15th, 1942. Allied Moves
India-Burma-Rangoon
General Giffard surveys the units his command near Rangoon. The India 2nd Bde in Rangoon is dug-in and prepared for a long siege and the India 14th, just outside Rangoon to the south is also adequately dug-in. Any attack against the encircled Japanese units would have to cross the Irrawaday river making them fool hardy at best. The good news for Giffard is that intelligence reports say the Japanese encircle units are losing strength.
More worrisome though is his other units. Looking to relieve the pressure and attack the Japanese seems foolhardy as the units doing the fighting are at all mid-40% effectiveness. Giffard even looks to possibly relieve the units, giving them rest from the good fighting they have done, but their relief is little better in effectiveness. At least they have prepared positions.
North China.
Chang-Kai-shek is worried. 200 miles to the northeast of Chungking the 1st/8th War Area is teetering on the edge of completely falling apart. The Chinese 20th, 27th, and 1st armies are exhausted. None are above either 40% effectiveness or experience. The 27th army is especially hurt with just a 16% effectiveness. Worse yet, the weather is so bad, a major snowstorm has hit the area, that reinforcements cannot move into relieve them.
South China.
Snow covers the ground limiting any movement. But several 25th Army and 5th Army begin moving toward the Indochina border. I try to bring the 14th and 6th army groups, on the Indochina border, out of garrison mode, but don’t have enough production to do so. This could be bad because their effectiveness is halved while in garrison mode. I might have made a mistake. Hopefully weather may save me.
USN
The USA SS Swordfish enters Sydney harbor for repairs.
The USA SS Pike begins patrolling to the east of Port Moresby.
Task Force 2 finishes its raiding of Wake Island and returns to Pearl for resupply.
Other
--The UK BB Ramillies reports for duty and begins moving towards the east coast of Australia.
--The USA has a Bomber group that arrives in the West Coast where it sits. And sits, and sits, and sits….
February 15th, 1942. Allied Production
UK
65-9 (153/17)
For production you have to think ahead. March 14th the UK gets their first 10 transports. That will be enough to move the UK 11tth E. African Div so I purchase 4 sets of 10 supply trucks now because it will take 90 days for them to be built. I also purchase a single Supply Oiler. (Stockpile 3)
I had to do a deep dive into the manual, but if I understand it right India can use UK’s supply trucks. I perhaps should have built some for use prior to this turn. Something to remember for next game.
This has brought up the question of what Major supplies China? If that Major can build supply trucks it would be a boon to China. I had assumed since China had its own production it had to build its supply trucks.
USA
377-20 (125/40)
I purchase 4 sets of supply trucks.
China
63-4 (6/22)
I lower reinforcements since I know I need production to get units out of garrison mode.
Australia
62-8 (17/31)
India
30-4 (1/2)
The battle for Rangoon is eating my oil and my production.
India-Burma-Rangoon
General Giffard surveys the units his command near Rangoon. The India 2nd Bde in Rangoon is dug-in and prepared for a long siege and the India 14th, just outside Rangoon to the south is also adequately dug-in. Any attack against the encircled Japanese units would have to cross the Irrawaday river making them fool hardy at best. The good news for Giffard is that intelligence reports say the Japanese encircle units are losing strength.
More worrisome though is his other units. Looking to relieve the pressure and attack the Japanese seems foolhardy as the units doing the fighting are at all mid-40% effectiveness. Giffard even looks to possibly relieve the units, giving them rest from the good fighting they have done, but their relief is little better in effectiveness. At least they have prepared positions.
North China.
Chang-Kai-shek is worried. 200 miles to the northeast of Chungking the 1st/8th War Area is teetering on the edge of completely falling apart. The Chinese 20th, 27th, and 1st armies are exhausted. None are above either 40% effectiveness or experience. The 27th army is especially hurt with just a 16% effectiveness. Worse yet, the weather is so bad, a major snowstorm has hit the area, that reinforcements cannot move into relieve them.
South China.
Snow covers the ground limiting any movement. But several 25th Army and 5th Army begin moving toward the Indochina border. I try to bring the 14th and 6th army groups, on the Indochina border, out of garrison mode, but don’t have enough production to do so. This could be bad because their effectiveness is halved while in garrison mode. I might have made a mistake. Hopefully weather may save me.
USN
The USA SS Swordfish enters Sydney harbor for repairs.
The USA SS Pike begins patrolling to the east of Port Moresby.
Task Force 2 finishes its raiding of Wake Island and returns to Pearl for resupply.
Other
--The UK BB Ramillies reports for duty and begins moving towards the east coast of Australia.
--The USA has a Bomber group that arrives in the West Coast where it sits. And sits, and sits, and sits….
February 15th, 1942. Allied Production
UK
65-9 (153/17)
For production you have to think ahead. March 14th the UK gets their first 10 transports. That will be enough to move the UK 11tth E. African Div so I purchase 4 sets of 10 supply trucks now because it will take 90 days for them to be built. I also purchase a single Supply Oiler. (Stockpile 3)
I had to do a deep dive into the manual, but if I understand it right India can use UK’s supply trucks. I perhaps should have built some for use prior to this turn. Something to remember for next game.
This has brought up the question of what Major supplies China? If that Major can build supply trucks it would be a boon to China. I had assumed since China had its own production it had to build its supply trucks.
USA
377-20 (125/40)
I purchase 4 sets of supply trucks.
China
63-4 (6/22)
I lower reinforcements since I know I need production to get units out of garrison mode.
Australia
62-8 (17/31)
India
30-4 (1/2)
The battle for Rangoon is eating my oil and my production.
