Defending the Empire (No Xarguns)

[madflava13]

Trust me - as an Allied player, the false sigint move works... I have one opponent who (I suspect) uses it a lot. He preps bases that are believable, but not likely to be attacked. I end up racing my CVs and divisions all over the place to cover, and nothing comes of it...

If you can get it to work for you, it's great. I, of course, hate it!

[rroberson]

A good day for the empire. His imperial majesty will be pleased.

The day didn't start off very well as the Royal Navy slid silently into Andaman anchorage and attacked my troops stationed there with his 5 battleships...

They day improved when I-153 put a torpedo into the side of one of his transports trying to flee Noumea. I-28 followed that up with a run at the USS Dale causing her heavy damage.

The air battle of PM was begun anew as I hit the airfield again attempt to make it uninviting for his 4Es which struck Rabaul yesterday. Problem is, I prefer not to use my ship killers in this role and intend to bring down some Sallys as soon as I get the free tranport space.

I also struck Broome with a fresh Betty squadron, just to serve as a reminder that I can hit the north Australian coast at will.

Then the crowning attack of the day. Nagumo went into action with Junyo who had dashed at flank speed to a position northwest of Andaman Island. BANZAI!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 20,32

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8
D3A Val x 16
B5N Kate x 17

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A Val: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged
B5N Kate: 3 destroyed, 11 damaged

Allied Ships
BB Warspite, Bomb hits 1
BB Ramilles, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
BB Royal Sovereign
BB Resolution, Torpedo hits 1, on fire

The Kates suffered heavily in the attacks ...all replacements from the original squadron.

My Top Gun Betty Pilots were up next...and assured the Royal Navy will not darken this part of the IO without carrier support every again.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 20,32

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3
G4M1 Betty x 15

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed, 13 damaged

Allied Ships
BB Revenge, Torpedo hits 1
BB Resolution, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
BB Ramilles, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
BB Warspite


I reduced his fortress at Efate to zero. I really think the place is about to fall tomorrow or the next day. I can only hope now that all my combat power is steaming north to rearm and refuel.

All in all not a bad day at all.

Here is a shot of the situation in China...

[rroberson]

Back to back good days for the empire!

Ground combat at Efate

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 19216 troops, 220 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 6076 troops, 54 guns, 0 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Efate base !!!



Allied aircraft
no flights


Allied aircraft losses
PBY Catalina: 1 destroyed

Japanese ground losses:
326 casualties reported
Guns lost 11

Allied ground losses:
8342 casualties reported
Guns lost 59

I do not intend to hold this ground long. I am however flying in base troops and bettys to begun the harrassment of his shipping to the south. As long as I can give him "something to do" this far south, Lunga will have plenty of time to build up unmolested....which is my end goal.

With this, Amida is over.

Time to prep for my next operation....whatever that will be.

[rroberson]

Nice move by Xargun...he hit Efate with a cruiser group.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Efate at 73,109

Japanese Ships
AP Takayo Maru, Shell hits 3, on fire
AP Tamaki Maru, Shell hits 1, on fire
AK Tazima Maru, Shell hits 43, and is sunk
AP Teiyo Maru, Shell hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
AK Tone Maru, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AK Toyama Maru
AP Tsunushima Maru, Shell hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
AP Waura Maru, Shell hits 2
AK Yamabuki Maru, Shell hits 1
AP Yosyu Maru, Shell hits 24, and is sunk
AK Gisho Maru

Allied Ships
CA Portland
CA Chester
CA Astoria
CA Minneapolis
CL Leander
CL Tromp
DD Anderson
DD Hammann
DD Russell
DD Phelps
DD Dewey
DD Monaghan
DD Parrott
DD Le Triomphant



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Efate, at 73,109

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
CL Leander
CL Tromp
CA Astoria
CA Portland
CA Minneapolis
CA Chester

Japanese ground losses:
509 casualties reported
Guns lost 7

Airbase hits 2
Port hits 2

No troops were aboard the transports just supplies, but still it hurt. My betties didnt fly against the outbound enemy cruisers...rain in the morning turn...no idea why in the afternoon. I had slid TF9 (Todo) back to Efate, but they were out of range of the cruisers. TF9 is pursing them, but will not catch them. Slick move on his part.


Other then that, quiet turn...he sank one of my subs off of Auckland and one off of Alaska.

[rroberson]

Its probably been a week of turns since I last updated...I was off in boston and didnt have a great net connection so I didnt do much here. Xarg and I got in a few turns though. Most of them were routine with not a lot happening.

Yesterday's didn't go well for me as I suffered three set backs. I lost submarine I2 to his ASW....I took one of the bastards with me, but I hate losing subs. I made a landing at Gili with a sprinkling of troops and they were driven off by his entire 7th division. That was a shock....I have been flying searches out the ying yang and never once saw tranports around gili. While it was one of those annoyance operations I like to run. The fact that he could slip in an entire division without me seeing it. Painful. I had sent 3 destroyers to investigate what I thought was an AP group at Koumac. Wham...those damn cruisers of his again. 2 Destroyers were lost in the action.

My Betty bombers out of Efate just don't seem to want to engage the enemy. I see shipping all over the Noumea area and they keep whiffing. Yesterday they took a poke at a cruiser group that has been terrorizing me. Whiff Whiff Whiff. Makes me wonder where this great anti-shipping plane is that terrorized me as the allied player. I don't really want to be in Efate anyway and as soon as I can pull out I will. He is buiding up Noumac and once he has LBA assets in place he will flatten Efate.

Today's turn had some excitment.

I torpedoed the Tennessee at Midway. That was satisfying.

I had sent a group of raiders built around the carrier Unyo and Battleship Yamato off of Dutch Harbor. Honestly, didn't expect to find much more then a few cruisers or destroyers. Instead I found the American Battleline. The day started when my Vals struck one of his Battleships with 250 Kg bombs. Set her on fire, but probably just scratched the paint. I now wish I had deployed kates on the Unyo. In the afternoon the two Battlelines met and frankly I think we gave has good as we got. Three of my destroyers were heavily damaged int the action. According to the reports one of his was pretty shot up. All his Battleships suffered hits and damage, Yamato and Unyo suffered no major damage.

This battle should be a surprise to him. Prior to me running the turn he told me he was trying a mid-ocean intercept of a troop tranport group. Since I had no major ops at sea I didnt know what he was talking about . He found my raiders instead. With a carrier. It will be interesting to see what he does this turn. For my part I will withdraw north then east. I want to shake the battleships AND still would like to hit Dutch Harbor. If I was him I'd think I was going east to withdraw and while Id love to tear up the American heavies, Unyo cannot do it with Vals. And I won't throw away surface assets dueling his battleline. It was a good little recon though. I now know that he is heavily defending Dutch Harbor. Maybe in a few weeks I will send Kaga (in the yards now) a calling.

I also struck Noumea with TF9 (Todo) I was hoping to take out that cruiser squadron, but no dice. I did strike Chester 4 times with bombs and sink a couple of APs (one off Koumac) but for the most part the raid was a failure. I need to send TF9 home despertedly, but they remain on station while I continue to move the 65th brigade off Efate.

Its good to be home.

[Nikademus]

any news on this front?

This battle of wits has had me glued to my seat. [:D]