PBEM Japanese Strategic Thinking, Aztez Vs.FDRLincoln (Don't Read Aztez!)

[FDRLincoln]

Attempts to interdict Allied supply lines with submarines in the Baker Island area have met with total failure. Allied ASW is extremely effective and two submarines have been lost in the last few days, with two others damaged.

On the other hand, Japanese ASW seems useless. American submarines seem to escape our ASW attacks with ease.

[FDRLincoln]

60+ Liberators from Midway bomb Wake Island. Damage to Wake is minimal, runway damage was quickly repaired. 2 Liberators shot down by air defenses.

Is this just a raid? A prelude to invasion? Or a distraction from a thrust elsewhere?

[FDRLincoln]

With the exception of Admiral Ozawa's air/ASW/CVE force escorting a convoy from the Aleutians, all of KB has now gathered at Maizuru for fleet reorganization and final refitting. The staffs of Combined Fleet and Imperial General Headquarters are meeting to discuss the best way to utilize this strong concentration of power.

Options on the table:

Operation "Fire Eagle," an anti-shipping carrier thrust into the Indian Ocean. Benefits: no allied carriers in this area. Unprotected convoys ripe for the picking. Downsides: Will do damage but not a decisive operation.

Operation "Fire Hawk," a carrier thrust against Northwest Australia and the Darwin area. Benefits: Recon reveals shipping in Darwin and nearby ports with only minimal CAP cover. Downsides: Will do damage but not a decisive operation. Could be combined simultaneously with Fire Eagle.

Operation "Fire Falcon," a carrier thrust southward from the Solomons. Benefits: Lots of shipping in this area, to and from Australia. Could do major damage and possibly catch Allied carrier forces dispersed and/or disrupt their next amphibious assault. Downsides: significant allied LBA in this area. Carrier force may be concentrated as well.

Operation "Fire Dragon," a carrier thrust into the Marcus/Wake/Midway Gap. Benefits: Dislocation of allied supply routes and (hopefully) a chance to catch American carriers moving to and from Pearl Harbor when they are not concentrated. Downsides: we have little effective recon in this area and we could be trapped ourselves.

Operation "Fire Serpent," a carrier thrust against Dutch Harbor. Benefits: disrupt what looks to be Allied invasion preperations in this area. Downsides: not a decisive operation.

Some on the staff want to postpone ALL of these possible "Fire" operations and hoarde our carriers for later battles.

[Grotius]

You mentioned training for Shinano's air crews. How much XP did they enter with? For that matter, I'm sorta curious to see the "ship screen" for that CV. Don't think I've ever seen it in any of my own games, or in a PBEM here. Got a screenshot by any chance?

Not sure what to advise on your CVs. Generally, I prefer having them operate in the opean ocean, away from enemy LBA, so I'd lean toward your Midway gap option. Or maybe the Indian Ocean, but that might take them too far from any Allied offensive ops in the Pacific...

[Kapten Q]

Think hard before you comit the KB. Just because there are no allied CV present does not mean that the LBA threat is not there. In late 43 the allied fighters will eat your CAP for breakfast and the allied levelbombers will have high experience. God forbid there are any uber ship destroying 4E bombers present. Going anyehere near allied bases will probably cost you a couple of carriers. Best thing would be to manouver into a gap betwen allied bases and go comersial rading, if you can nail a fat supply tf or two you will have gained much. Belive me, the allied offensive eats fuel and supply like crazy. It is very hard for the allied player to keep up with the demands in late 44 even though he has hoards of AK and TK.

Q

[FDRLincoln]

Shinano's aircrews came in with 60-62 experience.

[FDRLincoln]

Enemy carriers sighted!

One of my submarines probing the Midway gap was just slaughtered by allied ASW. Before sinking, she got off a radio message reporting contact with an Allied task force including a CVL of the Independence class, two CVE, and numerous cruisers and destroyers.

It looks like my enemy is doing the same thing I was thinking of, probing the Midway gap!

KB will NOT be heading in that direction.

[FDRLincoln]

The preliminary go-ahead for Operation Fire Eagle has been given.

Carrier Division Three (Hiryu, Unryu, Soryu) under command of Vice Admiral Yamaguchi Tamon has left Japan en-route for Singapore via Shanghai. Another carrier division will depart for Singapore tomorrow.

[FDRLincoln]

Allied airstrike on Wake Island by US Navy Liberators meets resistance! IJN A6M5 and IJA Ki-44 fighters cooperate to shoot down nine allied bombers (of 60 on the mission) and damage at least 10 more, for the loss of only three Japanese fighters and two lost on the ground. Once again, damage to Wake facilities is minimal. However, since we know that major US fleet elements are in this area, this could be a prelude to invasion.

[Kapten Q]

Exellent, thats the way to go! Should teach him to provide escorts, now move and prepare the next ambush. Sounds like you are off raiding in the Indian ocean with KB, seems logical to go where his carriers are not. May you find many a fat target to practise on, BANZAII.

If he invades WAKE it could mean he is going for the direct aproach to the Marianas. Better look over the defences, 4/44 the B-29 come online for the allies.

Q

[FDRLincoln]

Recon reveals Allied fleet including carriers and battleships is approaching Japan, on a northwest course towards the Tokyo area!

A feint designed to distract attention? Or a large scale raid intended to draw out KB?

We have shuffled air units around to meet this threat, but we have no intention of committing our carriers to battle on Allied terms!

[FDRLincoln]

Not a feint.....it appears his entire carrier fleet is heading towards Tokyo. Betty attacks met a wall of Hellcats, over 400 of them, protecting the US fleet.

I have no chance against that.

[FDRLincoln]

Heavy air raid against Tokyo. Our fighter defense was strong and did substantial damage to Helldivers, but we also have many civilian vessels damaged in harbor.

Judy counter-attack landed two bombs on an allied AO.

[FDRLincoln]

The Third Carrier Division under Admiral Yamaguchi now lies astride the supply lines between India and Australia. So far, no contacts. We will continue to search.

Fourth Carrier Division (Ryuho, Ryujo, Zuiho, Shoho) is backing up Yamaguchi and will assist in the search for vulnerable convoys.

First Carrier Division (Akagi, Kaga, Hiyo) has left Maizuru for a secret deployment.

Second Carrier Division (Taiho, Zuikaku, Shokaku) is completing refit and should be ready within 48 hours.

Fifth Carrier Division (Shinano, Junyo, 4 CVE) is in training in the Sea of Japan.

[Rob Brennan UK]

You really do have a ton of CV's kicking about .. how did you manage to get the air groups organised so quick?. or are they all incompetants on trainig missions ? [:D] .. raiding the brit-aus lines is a good idea .. it seems to me very few japanese players do this .. and as a 'mostly' allied player i'm thankful ..

[FDRLincoln]

a lot of the air groups are in the low 50s, but that's good enough if I can avoid his LBA and his carriers.

[veji1]

Do you have allied bases in the PI or somewhere that you could use as a training ground for your carrier airgroups ? Maybe in China ? You could rotate groups from the different carriers there..

It's going to be quite an interesting game for you... How to make the best of your toys, were and how to sacrifice them the most efficient way possible...

[FDRLincoln]

Two carrier divisions probing the India/Australia sea lanes have found nothing so far, no convoys, nothing. Very frustrating!
So much for my brilliant plan!

[Grotius]

Well, convoys move slowly, so maybe they need a bit more time to "find" your CVs in the India/Aus pipeline. As for those training in the Sea of Japan, what targets do they train on, or are they just set to "train"? And are they safe from the Allied CVs that just raided Japan?

This is a very interesting AAR. Hang in there!

[FDRLincoln]

The pilots are set on a mixture of "training" for the fighters, and "training" and "ASW" for the bombers and torpedo planes. I am conducting some tests to see which method builds up experience most quickly.

Yes, the carriers are safe for now. I moved all major fleet units to the Sea of Japan about a week before the Tokyo Raid hit. I suppose he can get to them if he really tries but he would be exposed to an awful lot of LBA if he tried that.