It's been a while since I picked up a PBEM game... nonetheless Spence was seeking an IJ opponent so I obliged.
We will be playing CHS scenario 155 - the standard CHS. In addition we are playing a semi-historical start. Spence has agreed to leave Pearl Harbor as is however to compensate for the magic move the Allies are allowed to issue orders to units in the 'threatened zone"...from an e-mail from Spence...
1) Any unit anywhere can be assigned a new objective.
2) Any Ship or TF in the "threatened areas" may receive new orders/sail however ships of major warships (BB,BC,CA,CL,DD) of each nation will not enter the same hex or combine into multinational TFs. The US CVTFs are unrestricted.
3) Air units in the "threatened areas" will redeploy but only within their own colonial boundaries (no Dutch in Malaya, no Brits in PI, etc).
4) Chinese units have no restrictions whatever.
5) The "threatened areas" are:
Malaya
The Philippines
The DEI
Burma
China
All waters/islands West of Midway (inclusive) and East of Tricomalee (exclusive - South on the map more or less) and North of OZ
The intent is to allow the Pearl Harbor raid but complicate the planning for whatever accelerated invasions you have in mind. The geographic definition of threatened area is more or less where the Allies figured things would start popping. I sorta don't like this whole non-historic start but I am willing to go with it. I just sorta think that the Japanese concerns that blatant "war-moves" would jeopardize the success and possibly the survival of the PH Strike Force (in the game both are all but given but IRL the Japanese could not know that). Further, IRL the Japanese did not conduct multiple amphib ops in the PI on day 1. IRL they were not assured of neutralizing the USAAFE on day 1 and (overly) concerned with the damage it could do to their invasion forces so they held off the major landings until they were reasonably assured that they had neutralized the American AF.
I agreed, as Spence will soon find out, this is probably much ado about nothing. I imagine he will find December 7th relatively quiet compared to some of the other AARs around here. Unfortunately I imagine he will hide all of his air assets denying me a potential big day the first turn...c'est la guerre.
As I said when I started it has been a while since I've played a PBeM. There were many things I could have done that I did not do ... so instead of taking three days to issue orders I took about 5-6 hours. Hopefully my first turn moves are robust enough to allow me to build up some good momentum as the New Year comes rolling in....
The turn just went out and since Spence does have some freedom on the first day I do not expect to see a turn until tomorrow. Our first few turns will likely not move quickly as I still have a bunch of people that need to get moving themselves...
Brave warriors of the Nihon Kaigun scored a tremendous victory for our people today. Pilots reported sinking the Battleship Oklahoma and Light Cruiser Detroit. The Detroit was observed to have capsized and settled to the bottom of Pearl Harbor. The Oklahoma was racked by a number of torpedo hits and numerous bomb hits and exploded killing all aboard. Our pilots also believe that several other battleships may have been sunk or in the least settled on the bottom of the American anchorage in the Hawaiian Islands. Our pilots reported as many as 5 torpedo hits on the Battleship California. Several other battleships were hit by as many as two or three torpedoes during the attack.
(damage list updated with correct combat report)
CA New Orleans, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
BB Pennsylvania, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
BB Oklahoma, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
BB West Virginia, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
BB Tennessee, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP St. Mihiel, Torpedo hits 1
BB California, Torpedo hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
BB Arizona, Torpedo hits 3, on fire
DD Allen, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CL Honolulu, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
BB Maryland, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, on fire
BB Nevada, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 3, on fire
DD Case, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DM Pruitt, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
A second wave hit Pearl Harbor later in the morning (PM phase). It is believed that this wave inflicted the coup de grace' on the Oklahoma as the former battleship absorbed six additional bomb hits.
BB Tennessee, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
BB West Virginia, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
BB Oklahoma, Bomb hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
BB Maryland, Bomb hits 5, on fire
BB Arizona, Bomb hits 5, on fire
CA New Orleans, Bomb hits 1, on fire
BB Nevada, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Aroostook, Bomb hits 1
BB Pennsylvania, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
CA San Francisco, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
BB California, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
SS Cachalot, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CL Detroit, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Cassin, Bomb hits 1, on fire
A number of other vessels were sunk in the vicinity of Pearl Harbor including a destroyer, a seaplane tender and a troop ship. In addition to the damage inflicted on the US Navy, dozens of American aircraft were destroyed on the ground as our pilots pounded the airfields in and around Oahu.
In the actual attack on Pearl Harbor this is what happened (CAPITALISED words are the real life result in game terms)
Arizona - 1 torpedo, 8 bomb hits - SUNK
California - two torpedos, 1 bomb - sunk (Later raised) - HEAVY DAMAGE
Maryland - two bomb hits - repaired - DAMAGE
Nevada - One torpedo, 5 bomb hits - run aground and raised - HEAVY DAMAGE
Oklahoma - 5 torpedo hits (possibly more) - capsized, raised and scrapped - SUNK
Pennsylvania - one bomb hit - DAMAGE
Tennessee - two bomb hits - DAMAGE
West Virginia - two bomb hits, 5-7 torpedo hits- sunk raised, repaired - HEAVY DAMAGE
Helena - one torpedo - HEAVY DAMAGE
Honolulu - SLIGHT DAMAGE
Raleigh - one torpedo, one bomb - HEAVY DAMAGE
Shaw - three bomb hits - HEAVY DAMAGE
Cassin - one Bomb hit, one near miss - HEAVY DAMAGE
Helm - SLIGHT DAMAGE
Oglala - one torpedo - sunk, raised, repaired - HEAVY DAMAGE
Curtis - one bomb - DAMAGE
Sotoyomo - sunk, raised, repaired - HEAVY DAMAGE
Utah - two torpedos - sunk -SUNK
Vestal two bomb hits - HEAVY DAMAGE
YFD-2 - sunk, raised and repaired- PORT DAMAGE
American Aircraft Losses
Bellows Field -10
Ewa MACS - 33
Ford island - 26
Hickam Field - 18
Kaneohe - 33
Wheeler Field - 40
USS Enterprise - 5 B-17's - 4
Total: 169 aircraft destroyed
Final analysis - IMO the naval losses were similar, while in the air Japan suffered more losses and the Americans had its aircraft losses cut by 50%...( Hey designers you need to do something about the # (or lack thereof) of planes being destroyed on the ground [;)][;)])
Anyhow there was more than just Pearl Harbor on the first day...
Between our Sync bug which may have been caused by inccompatible pwhex files, which may have also caused some other anamolies and Spences e-mail issues we are having a time trying to get this one started!!!
I've been using Yahoo to send the turns (in this and another game) and now all of a sudden doesn't like pws extensions anymore. I can do the rename thing (which works) but I was wondering if somebody knows of some kind of Yahoo control I could use to just do like I was doing before about 3 days ago (just sending as .pws)
BTW,
O 091545Z DEC 1941
FM COMWAKEISLAND
TO CINCPACFLT
BT
C O N F I D E N T I A L
1. APPROXIAMATELY 091413Z ENEMY FORCE CONTAINING SEVERAL CRUISERS, DESTROYERS AND TRANSPORTS APPROACHED WAKE ISLAND AND OPENED FIRE.
2. RETURNED FIRE WITH ALL GUNS THAT WOULD BEAR AND SCORED MULTIPLE HITS ON NUMEROUS ENEMY SHIPS. ONE ENEMY DESTROYER WAS SET AFIRE AND BELIEVED TO BE HEAVILY DAMAGED. ENEMY FORCE HAS RETIRED AT THIS TIME.
BT
From: CinC Combined Fleet [right]10 December 1941 (Tokyo Time)[/right]
To: The Chief of Naval General Staff
Air units of the 22 NAF based in Singapore located and engaged an enemy Task Force off of the coast of Brunei. Pilots reported sinking the American cruiser Houston. Later in the day the Brunei Bombardment Force encountered the Task Force who was picking up survivors. In the ensuing engagements the destroyer Thanet, which was evidently serving as picket, was sunk by our surface forces. Shortly thereafter the bombardment group spotted two American destroyers at extreme range and engaged. One of the destroyer believed to be the Pope was reported sunk.
From: CinC 4th Fleet
To: Chief of Naval General Staff
Our forces have occupied outposts at Wake Island, Makin Atoll and Tarawa Atoll. Casualties were reported as light, although Amercian coast guns on Wake Island heavily damaged the destroyer Yayoi.
Captian Kimotsuki displayed the true spirit of the samurai has he ordered his vessel to close the range the American guns.
From: CinC Combined Fleet
To: The Chief of Naval General Staff
Progress is slowly being made in our drive south. American torpedo boats have attempted to interfere with our transport Task Forces in and around the Phillipines. A number of our Surface Group commanders have been given explicit orders to protect the landing sites.
[right]18 December 1941 (Tokyo Time)[/right]
From: CinC Combined Fleet
To: The Chief of Naval General Staff
A major fleet action today. Our surface forces performed admirably in the face of dire circumstances. The Kuching Surface Cover Group / Bombardment Group successfully engaged and defeated a powerful British task force led by the Battleship Prince of Wales and the Battlecruiser Repulse. The British were attempting to intervene in the landings at Kuching but were interecepted prior to making contact with our transport groups.
In the ensuing battle all of the British ships were damaged with the cruiser Danae and destroyers Express and Tenedos reportedly sunk. Most of the other British ships took heavy damage, however the modern battleship Prince of Wales appeared to only receive superficial damage. The fire control systems of the British battleship appeared excellent as our battleship Kongo took repeated hits from the large British guns.
An immediate inquiry by Captain Ozawa, Acting Fleet Commander Southern Fleet, revealed that the Distant Cover Strike Group led Captain Obayashi failed to detect the incoming British Task Force. A post-incident review has been scheduled upon the fleets return to base.
From: North China Area Army
To: Chief of Army General Staff
End of year summary. The war in China remains active. North China Area Army has succesfully concluded a campaign to eliminate active armed resistance in Shantung and Jiangsu provinces. The campaign lasted for approximately one month and involved elements of the 32nd Div and 16th Bde.
Enemy activity has increased in Henan Province. Two Chinese corps attempted to seize Hsinyang. An offensive is now planned to free the area along the Hsinyang-Kaifeng railine of enemy influence.
We have also consolidated our position on the North Bank of the Yangtze river at Hankow. Unfortunately the river remains closed to traffic beyond Nanchang. The Chinese have established themselves on the south bank of the river near Hankow with an estimate of no fewer than 4 corps.
American heavy bombers have appeared in China, having been observed in the skies above Hankow and Foochow. The bombers are evidently utilizing airfields in and around Chungking. Presumably these aircraft were originally based in the Philippines.
From: CinC Combined Fleet
To: Chief, Naval General Staff
Our naval aviators achieved a significant victory today. In a first of its kind battle a significant surface combat fleet was destroyed in detail by another fleet, without either fleet having seen the other. The battle took place in the Banda Sea and resulted in the destruction of a combined American and Dutch Fleet
Below is a detailed AAR of the incident:
01/08/42
Day Air attack on TF at 37,76
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8
B5N2 Kate x 13
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged
Allied Ships
CL Tromp, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CL Boise
DD Banckert, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
=============================================
01/08/42
Day Air attack on TF at 37,76
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11
D3A2 Val x 54
B5N2 Kate x 56
Japanese aircraft losses
D3A2 Val: 5 damaged
Allied Ships
CL Boise, Bomb hits 17, on fire, heavy damage
CL De Ruyter, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
CL Tromp, Bomb hits 10, on fire, heavy damage
DD Van Nes
DD Evertsen, Bomb hits 2, on fire
=============================================
01/08/42
Day Air attack on TF at 37,76
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 5
D3A2 Val x 28
B5N2 Kate x 20
Japanese aircraft losses
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 1 damaged
Allied Ships
CL Tromp, on fire, heavy damage
CL Boise, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
DD Banckert, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CL De Ruyter, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
CL Java, Bomb hits 1
=============================================
01/08/42
Day Air attack on TF at 37,76
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 5
B5N2 Kate x 20
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 1 damaged
Allied Ships
CL Tromp, on fire, heavy damage
CL De Ruyter, Bomb hits 11, on fire, heavy damage
=============================================
01/08/42
Day Air attack on TF at 37,76
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4
D3A2 Val x 26
B5N2 Kate x 16
Japanese aircraft losses
D3A2 Val: 6 damaged
Allied Ships
CL De Ruyter, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
DD Evertsen, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
CL Java, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
CL Tromp, on fire, heavy damage
CL Boise, Bomb hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
=============================================
01/08/42
Day Air attack on TF at 37,76
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8
B5N2 Kate x 6
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 1 damaged
Allied Ships
CL Java, on fire, heavy damage
CL Tromp, on fire, heavy damage
Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
3 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
=============================================
01/08/42
Day Air attack on TF at 37,76
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 24
D3A2 Val x 83
B5N2 Kate x 107
No Japanese losses
Allied Ships
CL Java, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CL Tromp, on fire, heavy damage
DD Evertsen, on fire, heavy damage
CL De Ruyter, on fire, heavy damage
CL Boise, Bomb hits 20, on fire, heavy damage
DD Banckert, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
=============================================
01/08/42
Day Air attack on TF at 37,76
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 17
G4M1 Betty x 13
No Japanese losses
Allied Ships
CL Boise, on fire, heavy damage
CL Java, on fire, heavy damage
CL Tromp, on fire, heavy damage
CL De Ruyter, on fire, heavy damage
=============================================
From: CinC Combined Fleet
To: Chief, Naval General Staff.
Again our efforts at training our Naval Aviators has paid dividends. In a daring long range strike G3M's operating out of Kuching spotted a British Task Force steaming off of the south coast of Java. 25 of our planes engaged the task force and placed torpedos tnto three of the enemy vessels including the Battleship Prince of Wales. Our aviators reported that the battleship was observed listing heavily and is believed to have been sunk.
Day Air attack on TF, near Tjilitjap at 20,63
Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 25
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell: 4 destroyed, 16 damaged
Allied Ships
BB Prince of Wales, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
CL Marblehead, Torpedo hits 1
CL Glasgow, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
To: His excellency, Emperor Hirohito
From: Chief, Imperial Headquarters
RE: Progress of our Southern Initiative
Our Southern Initiative is progressing smoothly. Following is a synopsis of activity by region:
Malaya - The entire Malay peninsula has been occupied. The island of Singapore is currently under siege. The defenses have already begun to crack and the fortress is not anticpated to last beyond two or three weeks.
Borneo - Most of Western Borneo has been occupied. On the east coast of the island the oil fields and anchorage of Tarakan have been seized.
Hong Kong - Hong Kong was liberated on December 25 (Tokyo Time)
Philippines - Luzon - Manila and Bataan are under seige. Neither location should hold out for much longer. Mindanao - Most of the island has been captured. However resistance at Cagayan was stronger than anticipated and the defenders continue to hold.
Eastern East Indies - Amboina and Kendari have been captured as well as bases at Manado and Sorong. Our progress remains steady.
South Pacific - The port of Rabaul has been occupied and additional forces continue to stream into the area.
