Herb VS Tabpub

[Nachoz]

***Holding my breath***

[1275psi]

Boldly the herbiesan goes into the attack

And is decisevly defeated by
Pt boats
A Tabpub who runs away
B24's at low level naval attack

But mostly once again -crappy, crappy game mechanics and bugs
But I gave it a shot
The turn begins

DD hits mine Kupang
CL hits mine Kupang

Enemy BBs pound Palua

The Tone TF -6 CA 4 DD encounter 3 PT boats -sink 1
Then 3 PT boats again -1 sunk again?

The CAs deliver a nice Naval bombardment -2 LCVP sunk -3700 casos, 12 runway hits -some planes destroyed

Yammato and Co fail to reach the place until dawn -a mere 2 hexes to travel and they do not go in -what the @#@!%

AM
Muamere clouded in -drats

KB is now in range of Kupang -2 hexes, Dilli -3 hexes, and Lautern -5 hexes, maybe 6 depending on how you measure it
Tapbub has retired his BBs to Lautern -and they do not react to the ships steaming into Dilli

261 zeke, 6 george and 127 Kami Judy -all good experience pilots strike
15 P38, 9 kittyhawk, 10 corsair,6 wildcats CAP

82 zekes lost

AND I WATCH 127 JUDY dive into the airfield[:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@]

IF THIS IS NOT SUCH UTTER CRAP.

We did shoot down nearly all the CAP though.

from Maccassar a good strike goes in, no CAP left -14 hits on Kupang
A big strike goes into Lautern from kendari -and thet Corsairs -30 plus -eat em all for breakfast

The next bit was painful -waves of level bombers attacking ships here and there.
4 mitchell -dd hit
Just 2 havoc -DD hit
Just 5 beufort attack -BB haraunua Torpedoed
Kirishima a bomb from a mitchell
A CL Hit

Then the liberators from Darwin come in at 8000 feet -and plaster the two Battle cruisers -only 500 lbs -but they hurt the same
They sink a DD though


PM Phase
More stupid Kami attacks -this time against the PT boats -50 more planes wasted.

Finally the yammato battle groups battles the PTs, hits kupang heavily


His death star is one hex off palua -pounding Yap

I am now ruined.
No fuel left
No ammo left
No planes left
All the ships retire -even now I do not think Tabpub will come out and fight -only an invasion might do it.
The invasion is enroute to Muamere -2 days out.
I will keep the LBA effort up -as the CVs retire.
I have emptied the CVs of planes -all except the TBDs - a lot of them left -why did they not strike? who knows.

So the fleet is I think about finished now - I literally have just 25000 fuel left in the entire southern half of the map - not nearly enough for the CVs and the BBs

I wonder where a man can hide 12 or more CV's????[8|][8|][8|]

[1275psi]

Ps

Sorry I lost guys -I gave it my best shot.

I really do think that If I had a good oil base in this game -I really could have given tabpub a real run for his money.

[1275psi]

7/8/44
The battle continues, as I try to extract myself from the disaster.
Haranua and Kirishima battle 4 Pts at dilli -I lose a DD of course

But they deliver a very nice bombardment at the same time.
Terrible news as 129 B29 hit Nagoya from China today -ouch
We attack Kupang from maumere, 34 zeke, 20 jack, 14 frank, 9 kate, 16 Lilly, a few helen -little opposition - so losses are fairly light

Then 37 sally, 21 helen, 18 betty come in - no CAP! -46 hits, this is probably the last imperial offensive strike of the war[8|]

Morotai smashed
CVL Ryujo is sunk near Truk -failing to launch any strikes against all the targets in range -she takes 30 plus bombs from Truk bombers..

His Death star is coming west!.
We run away -now for the gauntlet of SS as we head to soerabaya - the only fuel left is there..

I am going to sing a lot of planes to the paluas -his death srtar is coming west -might have a shot at the invasion of Wolmei!

[1275psi]

8/8/44
here is exactly as my notes tell it.
More troops land Wolemai
dd sunk by ss ponparo
Cl yura sunk by the same ss
AP sunk by ss near maumere
AO sunk by ss
death star enters banda sea
Kendari bombed by B29s -they fail morale check against tony CAP

We bomb Kupang -I get another"last one in"

We retreat!!

[1275psi]

9/8/44

a very quiet turn
The fleet arrives soerabaya -losing another CL to SS on the way
I lose a AO to SS

Once again I have the terrible task of rebuilding the carrier airgroups.

Buggar!

[1275psi]

10/8/44
I am totally stymied as to what to do now
Spent this turn unloading CV air groups into soerabaya - a easier way to re organise them.

Today about 17 zeke squadrons should have arrived - the returnies from the Truk attack/battles.
Well none have -all organising - I simply am producing so few planes now I think.
I have shut down all production of bombers, and am concentrating on fighters only

Today showed how pointless building bombers is -as i attacked the fleets of Woleai -waves of bombers in little packets of 2, 6, 12, 3, and so on and so on!
No fighters fly with them -and the CAP murders the lot
Then finally 60 frank escort a small packet -and the 88 hellcats eat the lot.
All up about 150 planes lost today .

Now the fleet is stuck at soerabaya - CVs that is, the BBs are headed home -fingers crossed.

I have decided to send what ever is left as fighters back to the home islands -B-29s from china really worry me .
The tanker situation is now so bad that I have also disbanded the remains of KBs replenishment tankers - so thats it for replenishment at sea.
This gives me some tankers at Brunie -filling with oil, now 5 at soerabaya filling with oil, and a few scattered around the map -most damaged.


man I hate re organising the shattered CV groups.
This time it will be a real higgly piggly - whatever fits and is rebuilt first -loads first!

[1275psi]

11/8/44
quiet turn - naval bombardments Woleai -and Bangkok battle is definately into the last stages.
His Death star -or one of them, now lurks near Timor -glad I cancelled the invasion -4 divisions of troops are headed back to Davao.

[1275psi]

12/8/44

Worst nightmare begins -maizure home islands bombed by B-29s operating out of Japan
I spend ages re establishing a CAP of sorts over the home islands -the fighters from around the empire are now trickling home.

I will just have to go with a fleet in being -Yammato BB group leaves Legaspi for Japan -and will run out of fuel probably 8 hexes short!
carriers are even worse state!

[1275psi]

13/8/44

Its a very disturbing AAR trend -but have you noticed how Japanese AArs get shorter and shorter as the war progresses.
Turns get easier, less things to move.
It really becomes painful.

Bangkok -he gets 64 to 1 today -and 8000 casos -this battle enters final stage
All up I will lose about the equivelant of 8 or more divisions I suppose - but worse this will release huge numbers of troops for his war in china.
tabpub policy is now very clear
No invasion Siapan
No central pacific drive
Cut me off from the resources -as he has done with his SS anyway
Pound Japan from China into dust.

So, placing all fighters into Home islands now seems to be about the best thing I can do.

[1275psi]

14/1/44

Got a few turns to update.
before i do -as the disaster for japan unfolds, I can see now how terribly stupid I was in the last 4 months of the game -squandering my forces at Truk, and other adventures.
at the end of this update Tabpub is in the very situation I wanted him to be in - a base deep in my territory -surrounded by my bases -and stuck on a forward island -exposed.

But I now have nothing to use to take advantage of this.
Its a sorry tale

THE BIG LESSON!
PATIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh well.

here is how the disaster unfolds
Bangkok another 12000 casos- the defence is now a hunt for survivors
A invasion fleet approaches Wasile!

The CV fleet air groups are "organised" -if you could call the rabble and mess of rookie pilots, mixed up groups -organised[8|] It will escort the last tanker convoy from Soerabaya -via batavia -some resources we might be able to get
Score - 32173 me - 49685 him -pretty low scores I think

15/8/44

Wasile invaded -kamis attack -none get through at all
Bangkok -139 to 1 -not long now.
The CVs are stuck at soerabaya -no fuel
I challenge tabpub to finish me off before AE comes out.[8D]

16/8/44
BB Yamato dodges 2 SS attacks today -missed, as she heads slowly north - a AD does not
DD Hibiki escorting Yamato launches a futile counterattack[8|][&o]
The mobile fleet departs soerabaya -at cruise speed, escorting 5 tankers to batavia

last of the Kamis I have at the moment melted over the furnace at Wasile

All fighter airgroups -other than 4 george ones -are now back in the home islands.
The george groups are near Davao -exp levels -Oh about low 40's now[:(]

17/8/44
Woodlark island invaded -tabpub I think going for points -cleaning me up in the rear areas

Bangkok is finished


Was that the longest siege? -or has PZB had a longer one at Iwo Jima? -this siege went for at least 9 months i think

The way is open for his conquest of malaya -and the transfering of troops to China -which Im sure will happen.

[1275psi]

18/8/44
CVE taiyo is smashed by 3 SS torps -glub
A ss tries to attack the convoy - sunk
Wasile falls -bad news
b-29s again hit davao -the george fighters shoot 3 down - poor results indeed.

tabpub has a go at Hong Kong -testing the waters - 0 to 1, forts 9 -but supplies are low.

Siagon falls
he has cleared South east Asia.

The only bright spark is that he tries a shock attack at Woleai - and it fails badly.
If only!

Also 3 very badly damaged BBs reach home islands -disbanded

[1275psi]

19/8/44
tabpub tells me via the mail he"mucked up" the invasion of Woleai
Man -I really should have been patient

The SS war is frightening today I do sink 2 SS today - but down goes another 2 AK

68 B- 29s attack Japan -16 oscar, 20 zeke, 18 frank -all 40's exp -only shoot down 4 of them, for 5 losses !!!

This pilot bug is biting now -that should have been 70's exp pilots [:@]
7 kawasaki engine hits
The death star -or one of the death stars approaches menado!

[1275psi]

20/8/44
The curse of the shrinking Jap AAr continues

Invasion Menando coming, a death star lurks to its North

The most depressing thing is -I have 2 tanker convoys - and the number of escorts for them is almost stupid- (no house rules on escorts for us -only on dedicated ASW groups)
Tanker got torpedoed today -despite having 9 escorts surrounding it.

[1275psi]

21/8/44
more ss carnage today -2 msw sunk - both by the same ss
A death star has moved deep into the celebes sea
In Malaya the bombs rain down -and a CV strike arrives at Davao - round 1 i think!

17 hellcats, 29 avengers,25 Hell divers - 56 george CAP
I shoot down 10 for 17 losses

The second round sees 158 hellcats escorting the dive bombers - smashes the CAP - sinks a already badly damaged tanker

menado -invasion begins -this will be over quick - only a base force here for defence.

[1275psi]

22/8/44

The collapse of the empire continues -the fleet is headed to batavia -escorting Tankers.
An invasion fleet approaches george town! - I order every troop formation south of there in malaya to march to the beaches -we will fight here, and try to throw him back into the sea.

As if[8|][:'(]

Songkia -the battle is joined as forces come south.

[1275psi]

23/8/44
On the 9th of december last year our house got smashed up in a big hail storm.
Since then we have replaced the cars, fixed the new garage roof, replaced the house roof, replaced the ceilings, replaced the computer, built a new granny flat, and basically restored everything back to as new. Finally I can return to WITP properly[8|][:'(] -just kidding -its been amazing how this game has kept plugging along through all that.

(on the plugging along bit -terribly worried that the general has dropped off the planet).
Tabpub keeps the turns coming nicely -he plays at insane hours.

Today as I get the computer set back up -Tabpub asks -have I moved the airgroups home -which is actually a big yes.

Today marked yet another offensive -landings at georgetown in malaya.
B-29s bomb nigata in Japan -oil the target!
The main oil convoy with its mobile fleet escort is off kupang -and the Jills, graces and Judys are spotting literally a carpet of ss contacts ahead of it. This is going to hurt!

[1275psi]

24/8/44
tabpub comments that he thinks the fleet must be going home -all those contacts!
The landings continue at georgetown
Menado falls today!
The DEI are now cut off
I lose a ak to the SS as they zero in on the convoy/fleet -but it costs tabpub one ss.
6 divs landing at georgetown!
5 at songhkia!

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhh -there is no escape!

[1275psi]

25/8/44
The convoy/fleet crawls towards miri - all attantion focussed on it
ssKXViii is run down and sunk -but ss tanivy gets a tanker[:@] -and also is then killed.
I rush every soldier I can gather to georgetown

Cam rah bay bombers strike the convoy -2 aps sunk
8 mozzies attack - 325 zeke CAP - kill!
georgetown - my AV is 3253, his 937 -i order a shock attack!

I look at the fleet -I still have 8 Bbs, and 15 CV/CVl -but no fuel!

The empire is grinding to a shuddering halt!

[1275psi]

26/8/44
Muliple British task forces pound the beaches at georgetown and the massive shock attack that the desperate japanese army launches to throw the british/indians/south africans back into the sea

the sky goes dark with bombers -wave after wave

My initial AV is 3562-his 939 -so mathematically i have a chance
The shock attack gets 1 to 1 -this is doom for the malaya army

herbiesan writes it off[8|][:(]

B-29s attack Okayama -little damage.
The oil convoy continues its great struggle against what i guess is at least 10 ss in the hunt.