It was not a surprise - vs VHard AI

[krafen73]

A LITTLE BRIEFING
This AAR is a game of me against the AI. I do it to keep track of what I'm doing and to receive advises if I'm doing something wrong.
Since there is no oppnonent that can read this, I can do a detailed explanation of my war plans.
This is my first real game of WITP, I just did some weeks as Allied, time ago.
The game settings are: Allied AI, any realism option ON and AI difficulty Very Hard. Just the first turn (automatic first turn) the AI was setted to Historical. Reinforcements are setted as Historical.

THE FIRST TURN RESULTS
The first surprise was that the “Operation Outfield” was in act. Here the description that I received in the Operations report:

OPERATION OUTFIELD
Admiral Kimmel, uneasy about vague dispatches from Washington,
sends forces to Johnston Island, Midway and Wake Island,
in case the Japanese plan to move into the Central Pacific.
Kimmel calls alert for all bases, to avoid surprise.
Others in theatre follow suit.

Hawaii Area Combat Results
Since the Operation Outfield variation was in effect, the surprise attack was not such a surprise, and I scored less damage than I hoped and I got more damages of then I supposed to get.
My strike force (76 Zeros, 126 Vals, 143 Kates) was opposed by 11 P-36 and 31 P-40B.
These the aircraft losses:
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 7 destroyed, 7 damaged
D3A Val: 7 destroyed, 46 damaged
B5N Kate: 5 destroyed, 21 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
P-36A Mohawk: 16 destroyed
P-40B Tomahawk: 40 destroyed
B-18A Bolo: 7 destroyed
PBY Catalina: 8 destroyed
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed
A-20B Boston: 2 destroyed

About the scores on the ships on port, these was poor too:
BB Oklahoma, Bomb hits 15, on fire
BB California, Bomb hits 11, on fire, heavy damage
BB Nevada, Bomb hits 11, on fire
BB Arizona, Bomb hits 9, on fire, heavy damage
BB Tennessee, Bomb hits 9, on fire
BB Pennsylvania, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
plus some other shipping

A bit more intresting are the Airbase Hits:
134 casualties reported
Guns lost 6
Airbase hits 40
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 215

As a side note, B-17s tried an attack on my Fleet, luckily withoun any score.

Malaya Area Combat Results:
The Japanese main air attack was a bombardment of Singapore Airfield with 98 G3M Nells and 22 A6M2 Zeros.
Of the 19 Buffalo I in defence, 8 was destroyed and 1 damaged. The airfield got light damage, 2 Airbase Hits, 1 Airbase supply Hits and 18 Runway Hits.
Two waves raided Khota Baru Airbase, for a total sorties of 15 Ki-43-Ib Oscars, 35 Ki-21 Sallyes and 25 Ki-48 Lily, doing a total of 15 Runway Hits and 2 Airbase Hits.
The British air attacks was somehow more efficent. They sortied a total of 35 Buffalo I, 5 Wirraray (1 destroyed), 12 Swordfish (1 destroyed and 6 damaged), 39 Hudson (3 damaged), 47 Blenheim (1 destroyed, 8 damaged) and 19 Vildebeest (3 destroyed, 12 damaged).
The fact is that the Vildebeest scored 2 torpedoes to the CA Mikuma and the Swordfish 1 torpedo the the BB Haruna (and a PC), forcing them to leave the area.

Better was the Naval bombardment, scoring a lot of Airbase and Runway hits on Khota Baru, and the landing is going easily, with just 17 casualities and 1 gun lost.

Philippines Area Combat Results:
Here my main attacks was directed to Clark Field. The Airbase should be out of action, and the fighter force should be hampered.

JAPAN TOTAL SORTIES at CLARK FIELD
72xA6M2 Zero
36xG3M Nell
52xG4M1 Betty
2xKi-46-II Dinah
24xG4M1 Betty x1 Damaged

13xP-35A x9 Destroyed
15xP-40B Tomahawk x9 Destroyed
15xP-40E Warhawk x1 Damaged x7 Destroyed

JAPAN TOTAL SCORES
Airbase hits 32
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 208

The wrong new is that a raid of B-17 hitted the CVL Ruyo, damages are not so high, but enough to force her to leave the area.

The unloading actions gone easily, Batan Island was succesfully invaded with about 1200 casualities from the 1st SNLF

Wake and Guam Islands Area Combat Results:
Wake Island was reinforced and I decided to stop the invasion.
CL Tenryu and DD Kisagi got some costal gunnery hits, but without damage.
At Guam the unloading goes normally, and no enemy presence is reported


Hong Kong Area Combat Results:
Shock attack at Hong Kong.
My 22500 troops was opposed by 13000 ones, with 360vs207 casualities. The fortifications was reduced.

CONSIDERATIONS
The torpedo bombers in the Malaya Area are more dangerous of what I supposed. I will need some LCAP at least on Khota Baru to avoid further losses.
The Pearl Harbour attack is an half failure, but I guess that some of these old Battleships will sunk in the next few days. No torpedo hits was scored.
I have to decide if to make a second wave there, since the fighter defence are greatly reduced, but I'm a bit scared of the US CV force that should be near around.

Very soon there will be the posts about the strategies in the various areas.

[krafen73]

MALAYA AREA OPERATION

I was surprised to have not so much units availabe here. There are the 5th and the 18th Divisions that are currently disembarging and 3 Mixed Brigades at Saigon.

Land and Transport Operations

Plans are now to load the 23rd Mixed Brigade and the IJNAF Airbase Force from Saigon to Songkhia. I want to use the Songkhia Aribase as soon as possible with the Ki-43 of the 59th Figther Sentai.
From Taan will come the 2nd,6th and 14th Tank Regiments, they should take about ten days to reach the landing position.
Directly from Japan comes the 2nd Division, and it will take a while. All these loading procedures are yet begun.
Supplyes are loaded from Kompong Trach and delivered to Songkhia.

After the 23rd Mixed Brigade will be unloaded, I will take the 4th and 21st Mixed Brigades to the front.
The 18th Division will move south from the east coast, while the rest of the army from the west one.
The 4th Mixed Brigade will push North to Victoria Point.

Air Operations
The G1/Genzan and the G1/Mihoro Daitai suffered great losses (not reported on the combat summary). Both squadrons are fully struk on the ground with all the aircraft damaged (54 total Betties). Maybe the Saigon Airbase is too full?
Anyway I set the remaining Torpedo Bombers squadrons to Naval Search and Naval Attack, in the case the british dares to move on sea. Airfield Bombing Missions was set for Alor Star and Kuantang. Ki-43s are LCAP Khota Baru.

Naval Operation
The Bombard Fleets of Khota Baru remains in position (hoping the LCAP to be effective), as the Bombardment Fleet from Sonkhia (there was no air attack there). Maybe these are dangerous choices, but I dont want to leave the transports alone. The preparing Transport fleets are DD and CC escorted.
BB Haruna and CA Mikuma, both damaged, are heading with some escort to Saigon.

PS: I did some maps to show the situation and the plans, but seems I cant post links for 7 days from my 10th post...
I didn't understood what this really means.

[Wolfie1]

I assume you are playing stock as opposed to CHS/RHS, what patch level are you at?

[krafen73]

I play stock Scenario, patch is v1806.
I dont know what CHS/RHS means. I'm not so much into the game terminology , is enough if I know what PH is...
This is why I use historical references to play the game. I have a little knowledge of initial Aliied forces because I played a bit with them, but I guess the real fun is the Japanese side, at least for the first year. I don't know if I will play the war in its fully lenght, it should mean some real life years of commitment.

The fact is that i love the level of detail and the logistics of this game, and I want to give the game a serius try.
Against a human player I would be badly crushed.

I putted so much effort right now to plan the strategies that I dont want to begin again with a new scenario or such. It will put down my morale

I only wonder if, even in Very Hard level, the AI can be a good opponent, for a semi-rookie player.

Final note, I choosed to by this version and not the AE edition cause I hope here the major bugs (sure must be a lot in such kind of game)are almost solved.

[krafen73]

BURMA OPERATIONS
I have plans to push on the Burma Road.
The Imperial Guard and the 55th Divisions are moving to Bangkok, with the 1st Tank Regiment and the 124th IJA Base Force. Distances are large, so the campaign here will be slow in improvements.
The 8th Burma Army HQ is moving to Pisanuloke, her actual position on Luan Prabang is too much exposed from my tastes.
When the Air Base Force will reach Bangkok I will put there at least a gorup of Sonia and one on Nates. When Singapore will be secured, small invasion forces will be sent to Nicobar beach and Andaman Island. Operations on Ceylon are charming, I will decide in the future.

[Capt. Harlock]

The torpedo bombers in the Malaya Area are more dangerous of what I supposed. I will need some LCAP at least on Khota Baru to avoid further losses.

In the early months of the war, British torpedoes are much, much more effective than American ones. The good news is that the British torpedo bombers can be butchered by Japanese fighters.