EUBanana vs Sprior, Banana Strikes Back

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: sprior

I have to say I didn't even notice PoW et al off of Kuching.

There was a blip of a message popped up, "Transport TF avoiding surface combat TF" or some such. It does happen sometimes.

[VSWG]

Yes, Japanese transports did the same at Manado in my PBEM. On the other hand, Japanese cruisers merrily sunk my merchants at Pontianak. [:(]

[sprior]

12/10/41

Haruna sunk by Swordfish at Khota Baru - bugger.

Other than that lots of ASW practice for the IJN off the PI.

[EUBanana]

The USN is chalking up some ASW practice off of Pearl Harbor too.  At least one IJN sub was shaken, rattled and rolled pretty badly.

Jap bombers at Singora close the strait between Malaysia and Sumatra, bit surprised it took so long to be honest.  Won't be evaccing anything from Georgetown except maybe a DD or two.  Not all bad though, the Vildebeest and Swordfish have drawn blood!  And an old S boat torpedoed a Jap CL off Formosa with reliable Mk10s. 

Attention has been spared this turn to logistics finally.  In turn 2 some big convoys started loading up at Aden/West Coast in readiness, now I'm looking at some more detailed requirements, a TK here, an AK there, setting up some stashes to give my units freedom of movement.

Kota Baru has been evacuated, I reckon it'll be falling any day now.

[sprior]

Peek-a-boo

[EUBanana]

"I've got the beasht in my shightsh..." </connery>

Time for them to ruuuuun!&nbsp;

[EUBanana]

The slaughter of Allied merchant shipping continues.&nbsp; Very few ships look like they'll get out of the PI.&nbsp; I had them split in all directions pretty much, but bombers at Kuching are nailing the ones that went west, Jolo Island the ones that went south.&nbsp; The ones that went east are doing alright mainly because the Jap can only drop bombs on them but on the other hand its a hell of a long way to sail through enemy territory that way.

the RAF are having a rest in Malaya and they were the only units really able to hurt the Jap so aside from SS Sturgeon torpedoing a Jap AR (whats it doing there one wonders?) and some ASW operations the Jap was having it his way today.

A battleship TF is sighted south of Borneo along with baby KB...&nbsp; action stations!

[EUBanana]

I'm starting to pick which units I want and which I will have to give up.&nbsp;

The welcome wagon is being rolled out at Java.

PoW has been refuelled, has linked up with Repulse to form a serious SCTF, and is now on the prowl!

[EUBanana]

Marblehead and De Ruyter led a group of DDs against the Jap at Amboina today.&nbsp; Unfortunately they engaged at night (I was hoping for a daytime engagement) and so the Jap fended them off pretty effectively despite being outnumbered.&nbsp; Three Allied destroyers are lightly to moderately damaged, one took a torpedo hit but must've been lucky.&nbsp; One Jap DD got pounded pretty bad.

Mini KB is bombing some TKs I moved to Macassar, that battleship group is nearby.&nbsp; Also I notice a CA group just south of the Philippines.&nbsp; Bad weather in Malaya suits me, my Vildebeest and Swordfish are on R&R, flying a stringbag against Zeroes being a scary, morale sapping thing.

Aside from the usual Jap mopping up of hapless AKs not much else to report, beyond a US submarine torpedoing another Jap merchant between the Home Islands and Formosa.

[Andy Mac]

Excellent they are back !!!! <Gets out the popcorn>
&nbsp;
I enjoyed the last AAR guys I notice you are doing joint one on this one
&nbsp;
Good luck to you both

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Excellent they are back !!!! <Gets out the popcorn>

I enjoyed the last AAR guys I notice you are doing joint one on this one

Good luck to you both

Hi Andy, I remember you and your own epic games. [:D]

Yeah, we werent sure if we could keep up separate AARs so this is a joint one.

First time with CHS for me this, I'm noticing some major differences already. Like - with aircraft so tough fighter CAP is not nearly as effective, CAP which would give the Betties a run for their money (say, 16 Brewsters when the bombers have no escort) is instead scratching them. They may well crash on the way home but they get the payload on target.

...and what on earth is that PG the Dutch have with battleship guns on it? PG Soerabaja? I see it has experience <20 so it won't have the pleasure of firing them, but still. Is that a monitor?

[sprior]

This is my first CHS game too.

Build up in PI ans Malaya continues. Khota Baru falls easily.

Andy - enjoy!

[EUBanana]

Some stonking surface actions today.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Amboina at 40,74

Japanese Ships
CL Nagara, Shell hits 1
DD Yukikaze, Shell hits 3
DD Tokitsukaze, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Yamakaze, Shell hits 8, on fire, heavy damage
DD Kawakaze, Shell hits 86, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Umikaze, Shell hits 9, on fire, heavy damage
DD Suzukaze

Allied Ships
CL De Ruyter, Shell hits 2
CL Marblehead The De Ruyter and Marblehead, who barely engaged last time, leave their DD screen and double back.&nbsp; Allied pride is restored!&nbsp; The surface engagements around Amboina have now cost the Japs almost as much as they've cost the Allies, though unfortunatley the landings were not disrupted, so a strategic victory for Japan.



Day Time Surface Combat, near Rabaul at 62,90

Japanese Ships
AP Hie Maru, Shell hits 9, on fire, heavy damage
AP Hakone Maru, Shell hits 14, on fire, heavy damage
AP Tango Maru, Shell hits 4, on fire
AP Horai Maru, Shell hits 2
AP Gyoko Maru, Shell hits 6, on fire
AP Heiwa Maru, Shell hits 15, on fire, heavy damage
AP Igasa Maru, Shell hits 3, on fire
AP Kiko Maru

Allied Ships

CL Adelaide, Shell hits 5 [:D][:D][:D]

Goes to show what a piece of crap CL can do in the right place at the right time!

[ny59giants]

A common problem I had when I looked at ships with CHS was the various ship folders (Back & Transport) under the ART folder. I had followed Andrews direction for installing and found out that the CHS ship ART was in a backup folder for these two folders. I had to copy and then re-paste the new ART (both these folders should have ship art into the 470's (old has in the 200's). Hope I made myself clear.&nbsp;

[sprior]

Hmm, apart froma few pink AKs I had no problem installing CHS into a seperate, parallel install of WitP.

[EUBanana]

I've sorted it out now.

Didn't run the modselect thing so the files were not actually in the game folders.&nbsp;

[sprior]

Amboina fell yesterday. Today Honky Fidd falls too, maybe a little too easily. Anyway, another div. released for deployment (38th). Alor Star has been evacuated - is he running away in Malaya?

[EUBanana]

Some more surface action (I'm amazed by the amount of surface action so far, I think every day has seen some pretty much since the war started) at Rabaul.&nbsp; The Kiwis didn't want the Aussies having all the fun so Leander and Achilles hit the Jap transport fleet at Rabaul, badly damaging an IJN cruiser and sinking a MSW, with the odd 6" landing on an AP or DD.&nbsp;&nbsp; No damage was inflicted to the Kiwis, but again, while its some attrition it was too late to help the beleagured Rabaul garrison.&nbsp; (They burned rubber as fast as they could from Wellington but its a long way).

Even better, Ryujo got near the welcome wagon at Java, and got torpedoed twice by Dutch T.IVs as a result.&nbsp; Damage seems sllight unfortunately, but really, a CV being torpedoed by Dutchies is quite the embarassment to the IJN.

An Allied DM on mining operations in CentPac got torpedoed by a Jap submarine, which is a real bummer, as DMs are rare, precious assets.

Simon is definitely better at this game than he was in our last battle!&nbsp; Amboina falls and immediately Nells are stationed there, sinking AKs who almost made it out of the PI.&nbsp;&nbsp; I worry for an attempt on Timor now to encircle Java.

Defence Plan Alpha has been initiated in Malaya.&nbsp; [:D]

[sprior]

I can only assume those T. IV are carrying the Mk1 paint scratcher. I even had to set some hands to painting where they hit!

12/14/41

Alor Star falls. Build up continues. Watch this space

edited for typos

[EUBanana]

Looks like fog of war on the T.IVs, no smoke over Ryujo when my Martins had a crack.&nbsp; Damn!

MiniKB has moved over to Timor now, I guess the heat at Java was too great?&nbsp; My cruisers and destroyers make sure they won't be there when the CVs arrive.

Allied air assets in the DEI/SRA area are reorganised.&nbsp; Still quiet in Burma, I've begun a bit of recon there, it can only be a matter of time.&nbsp;

Jap units at Rabaul seem to have supply problems but the sheer number of troops mean the Aussies of Lark Force are in deep.&nbsp; Its fall can surely only be a matter of time, and I assume KB is headed to SOPAC as well.&nbsp; I imagine Guadalcanal and possibly Port Moresby will be right after Rabaul.

My headaches are basically supply and lack of merchant shipping.&nbsp; Even India could use more supply!&nbsp; The first convoy out of Aden hasn't even reached land yet.&nbsp; At least the Brits have plenty of AKs though, so the situation should rapidly improve.&nbsp; The West Coast/Australia situation is much, much worse though, the US just dont got the AKs to do what I want/need.&nbsp;

Needless to say the supply situation in the embattled DEI is even worse.&nbsp; Its gonna be a long time before any hope of resupply and at the speed Simon is moving I seriously doubt that will be possible.