Rise of the Orange Empire: FDR Lincoln vs. Chiaroscuro

[FDRLincoln]

I have two PBEM going right now. I am on the defensive in both games, the first game with a friend in Germany I am the allies, 4/42. The second game is the one I picked up with Aztez, with me taking over the struggling Japanese in late 1943.
But I wanted a game where I could actually do some attacking, and Chiaroscuro has agreed to convert our current War Plan Orange game over to WitP. I will be Japan, he is the Allies.

The game:
The starting point is stock scenario 15, but with the following modifications we have made to make it more interesting:

Japanese Modifications:

Three conjectural "Hanshin" class destroyer escorts. These are built on a Otori-class torpedo boat hull but are optimized for ASW rather than surface attack.

B65 class battlecruiser "Niitaka," on the build list.

Shinano can be built as a battleship or as a carrier. On the first turn I will cancel one or the other.

The fourth Yamato class hull (which I have named Tosa) can be built as a battleship or a carrier. Like with the Shinano I will cancel one or the other.

Ibuki can be built as a carrier or a cruiser.

A sister ship for carrier Taiho is buildable.

Some of the destroyers that the Japanese cancelled late in the war are buildable in this mod.

Sister ships for ML Tsugaru and CS Nisshin are buildable.

Survey ship Tsukushi is in the game as well as a buildable sister.

Some Japanese midget subs are added.

Note that I will not have the shipyard resources to build ALL of this stuff....I will have to cancel a lot of things or shipbuilding will come to a halt. The point is that it presents me with different options, as well as making the Japanese order of battle a little bit more difficult to predict.

Additional Japanese aircraft:
Liz 4-engine bomber
the "escort fighter" version of the Betty
night fighter version of the Zero

Allied modifications:
The focus of the Allied modifications is a stronger ANZAC defense.

New Australian DDs Bruce, Malcolm, Campbell, Vortigern

New Australian CL Sydney (begins game under repair)

New Australian submarines Oxley and Otway

New New Zealand CL Dunedin and Diomede

New New Zealand DD Success, Scimitar, Stalwart, Swordsman (old British S class)

British minelayer Adventure added to game. Converts to repair ship in 1944.

Conjectural Dutch "aviation cruiser" Celebes added, built on Tromp-type hull and inspired by Swedish aviation cruiser Gotland

Refit available for old Dutch CL Java and Sumatra. They can be refitted to an anti-air configuration with British equipment in late 1942, similar to what the Brits did with some of their own old CL

American "Auxiliary cruisers" Alliance, Confiance, Defiant, and Reliant added as "PG". These are conjectural units built on freighter hulls with extra weapons, including depth charges, and better AA defense. Also manned by naval crews so they have decent experience ratings. Useful for convoy escort or amphibious invasion

Some British Q-ships and AMC are imported over from CHS.

Australian and New Zealand Fairey Battle units added. These are Operational Training Units that come in with very low experience. They can be trained up and converted to Beauforts later in the game, or you can train them up and disband their pilots into the new "named pilot pool" that was added to the game in the last patch.

Austrailan and New Zealand "ANZAC air" units added. These are low experience fighter units with Mohawks intended for emergency local defense.

A small unit of "carrier capable" B-25s are added to the game as the "Doolittle Force". These B-25s are stripped of defensive weapons but have great range and are carrier capable.

Some additional Seafire and Wildcat variants imported from CHS are added. Also the Bearcat fighter. XB-15 and XB-19 heavy bombers are in the game (one example of each, no replacements). Can be used for transport, ASW, or bombing attacks if you are really desperate. A small number of B-23 Dragon bombers are also available. A small number of YB-40 escort B-17s enter the game in May 1943. Yes, yes, I know these were only tried in Europe, but the mod is meant to be fun and interesting, not historically accurate.

[FDRLincoln]

The Japanese also have a few additional air units, plus some of the historical AMC imported over from CHS.

As stated, I've never had the chance to take the offensive before, and am looking forward to this!

[aztez]

Good luck my friend. I will be following this AAR with an intrest [:)]

[FDRLincoln]

I don't have time to do a blow-by-blow AAR, but I will post occasional comments and thoughts. Remember that this is a two-day cycle game.

First turn, December 7 and 8.

Japanese landings at Vigan, Aparri, and Ligayen in the Phillipines go well. Air strikes on Clark Field and Manila catch most of the US air force on the ground and do significant damage. Two US submarines bombed and reportedly severely damaged.
Landings on Guam go well, but landing force at Wake Island is wiped out by the Marine defenders. Reinforcements are on the way from Kwajalein.

Singapore bombed, Force Z was caught in harbor and Prince of Wales took a torpedo.

Landings along the Malayan Coast are in progress. . .information sketchy. Brunei bombarded and about to be invaded.
Mini KB is prowling around the southern Phillipines looking to cut-off retreat.

Pearl Harbor could have been a major disaster for Japan: bad weather prevented morning launch from KB! Afternoon strike went in and four American BB are reportedly heavily damaged. Damage to air fields in Hawaii less than expected....American counterattack was mostly wiped out by Japanese CAP, but some B-17s managed to near-miss Zuikaku with several bombs. KB is withdrawing towards Truk, looking for American carriers to sink.

[FDRLincoln]

So far the only confirmed Allied ship loss is the MSW Penguin, destroyed by gunfire at Guam.

[FDRLincoln]

Status, December 11, 1941

Medano, Guam, and Makin Island all seized. Landings continue at Ligayen, Appari, Vigan, and various places along the coast of Malaya, although allied defenders in these areas have yet to be wiped out. Defeated Wake Force is retreating back to Kwajalein. Strong air raids on Singapore, Clark Field, and Manila continue....one US submarine reported heavily damaged in bombing attack.

Japanese troops have beseiged Hong Kong and have offered the British unit there one final chance to surrender. If surrender is not received by dawn, the assault will begin.

Submarine I-1 makes unsuccessful torpedo attack on American destroyer near Pearl Harbor.

First Japanese loss of the war is the minesweeper W1, which was hit and sunk by two bombs from British Blenheim aircraft operating out of Singapore.

KB withdrawing towards Truk, still searching for American shipping to sink.