Aussie Affair III - This time its personal!

[Raverdave]

Nah......I would say Luskan will surrender no later than December'44.

[2ndACR]

Raver.......you should ship the 18th UK div and the 7th Aus divisions to Java. Along with a B25 unit and assorted fighter units. Dig in hard there. You can really make him bleed badly for it.

[frank1970]

You could also order each and every engeneer unit into Palembang and let Luskan get a totally destroyed base without any undamaged resource or oil!

[Raverdave]

I am rather gun-shy about sending any Brit troops out of India as Honda nd Sneer have have punished me in other PBEMs for letting my guard down. The Aussie 7th is earmarked for the counter invasion of PM and should be embarking in the next 5 days or so.

[buzzz123]

$20 says the Aussie 7th does NOT show up in PM anytime soon!!! Any takers?

[Raverdave]

Tarawa falls to the allies ! ! !   Now that pesky banananana is in all sorts of trouble.   The Invasion of PM is planned and has been given the green light.   I am on the rampage !

[Luskan]

ORIGINAL: buzzz123

$20 says the Aussie 7th does NOT show up in PM anytime soon!!! Any takers?

$20??? I betting my entire game on it!

[Capt. Harlock]

ORIGINAL: Luskan

ORIGINAL: buzzz123

$20 says the Aussie 7th does NOT show up in PM anytime soon!!! Any takers?

$20??? I betting my entire game on it!

Never mind the bets -- where's the bloody combat report?? What happened on Tarawa?

[Raverdave]

It was a rather non event..............I attacked and one the day, sent bananana boy's troops scurrying to the other side of the Island.  Game turns have been slow (bloody Xmas) from both sides.

[Luskan]

Although it is currently Raver's turn . . . had some corrupt file issues I'm hoping got sorted out.

[Raverdave]

Back on track..............all systems go.   Building upon my success in the Marshall Islands group, I am toying with an idea for India/Burma.  I'll have to search the AARs to see if anyone has tried this before, better to see if it has been/could be done by someone in the past rather than put my head on chopping block.

[Luskan]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 02/18/42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Tarawa at 85,91
 
Japanese Ships
CA Tone
CA Chikuma
DD Shiokaze
DD Hayabusa
DD Kamo
 
Allied Ships
AK Admiral Halstead, Shell hits 28,  on fire,  heavy damage
AP Bloemfontrin,  on fire,  heavy damage
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Tarawa at 85,91
 
Japanese Ships
CA Tone
CA Chikuma
DD Shiokaze
DD Hayabusa
DD Kamo
 
Allied Ships
AK Arizonan
AK Santa Rita, Shell hits 6, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
AK Kohala, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
 
 
Allied ground losses:
776 casualties reported
Guns lost 7
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 3rd New Chinese Corps, at 53,27
 
Japanese aircraft
Ki-51 Sonia x 18
 
No Japanese losses
 
 
Allied ground losses:
14 casualties reported
 
Aircraft Attacking:
10 x Ki-51 Sonia bombing at 2000 feet
 8 x Ki-51 Sonia bombing at 2000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 6th Indian Brigade, at 23,50
 
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21 Sally x 27
 
Allied aircraft
Hawk 75A x 1
 
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21 Sally: 6 damaged
 
 
 
Allied ground losses:
48 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
 
Aircraft Attacking:
 6 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
 3 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
15 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
 3 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Singapore Fortress, at 23,50
 
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21 Sally x 50
 
Allied aircraft
Hawk 75A x 1
 
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21 Sally: 3 damaged
 
 
 
Allied ground losses:
56 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
 
Aircraft Attacking:
15 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
11 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
 6 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
18 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 57th Chinese/A Corps, at 50,38
 
Japanese aircraft
Ki-51 Sonia x 10
 
No Japanese losses
 
 
Allied ground losses:
18 casualties reported
 
Aircraft Attacking:
10 x Ki-51 Sonia bombing at 2000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Kwajalein at 79,79
 
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 25
 
Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 19
B-25C Mitchell x 6
B-26B Marauder x 9
 
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 damaged
 
Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 13 destroyed
B-25C Mitchell: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged
B-26B Marauder: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged
 
Japanese Ships
BB Nagato, Bomb hits 1
CL Natori
CL Kitakami
 
Aircraft Attacking:
 4 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 6000 feet
 1 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 6000 feet
 4 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 6000 feet
 4 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Tarawa at 85,91
 
Japanese Ships
CA Tone
CA Chikuma
DD Shiokaze
DD Hayabusa
DD Kamo
 
Allied Ships
AK Arizonan, Shell hits 27, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
 
 
Allied ground losses:
115 casualties reported
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Tarawa
 
Japanese Bombardment attack
 
Attacking force 2086 troops, 1 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 65
 
Defending force 7385 troops, 57 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 107
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Jaluit
 
Japanese Bombardment attack
 
Attacking force 4170 troops, 25 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 79
 
Defending force 1846 troops, 1 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 25
 
 
 
Allied ground losses:
6 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Tarawa
 
Allied Bombardment attack
 
Attacking force 7065 troops, 57 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 107
 
Defending force 3536 troops, 1 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 65
 
 
Japanese ground losses:
185 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Clark Field
 
Allied Bombardment attack
 
Attacking force 42432 troops, 592 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 1272
 
Defending force 124527 troops, 1084 guns, 360 vehicles, Assault Value = 1986
 
 

[Luskan]

Ok, so the situation isn't looking brilliant - Raver has lost about 12 aps at Tarawa to my surface raiders (man I'm racking up some kills) and I've drowned about 5000 kiwis (think 3 or 4 turns of the above combat report).  He's got a couple of chunks of combat brigades ashore, along with two seemingly complete CD units, and some engineers.  Now he controls the base (and my troops are tired) I am unsure whther or not I should be reinforcing or evacuating.  Reinforcing and retaking is the preferred option but I should be rushing those troops into PM.  Just two naval Infs would be enough to make Raver's PM move more costly.
 
In China, Raver pulled out of Kweilin with his 30 unit strong chinese army before my juggernaut could crush them.  I now control the entire railway line - except at nanning, where 10 exhausted chinese units have smashed themselves to bits going up against my brave mixed regiment and the size 3 fort.  Those 10 units are not as useless as chinese troops that have been routed - but they're not in good shape either.  Raver's juggernaut is moving cross country, which presents me with a bit of a decision - do I try and beat him to Nanning (he has a two hex head start) with my own juggernaut using the railway lines and force a big fight? Risky pulling all my troops out of the line.
 
Do I launch an assault on industrial china - where Raver has very few troops? Good option but risky again pulling out of my defensive railway line.  I would prefer to use my PP bank and get a division (or two) from the Korean peninsula/or even Chinese exped force and swap them over to SEA command - then send them off as fresh divisions to finish Manila or Clark, can't see myself doing that if I might need those reserves on the mainland. 
 
Obviously the best way to deal with it is catch Raver's 30 units, rout them, and then I'm safe (or at least safer) to pull Chinese exped units out of china to assist in the SRA for a few months.  Not that I have any fresh troops - they're all tired at the moment.
 
 

[2ndACR]

PP bank? It is only 2/42...............I never have more than 300 points or so about that time frame. Less than that if I convert the Claude units in the HI to a non restricted command. Takes me 3-4 months to gather 3,000 pp points.
 
I would re-take Tarawa. That base is vital to your southern defense perimeter. Not sure what you have in PM, but I would have at least a division there with 2 Engineer regiments to dig in quick and make fast repairs. Of course I also mass my engineers in Manchuria (the ones that start there) and have them rapidly build level 9 forts in all the frontline bases and then I move them to Port Aurther and change them to un-restricted command and then use them en-mass to build up all my forward bases. 4-6 Engineer regiments can build things very fast. Not to forget the mass construction bn's that are also building my bases from day 1 as I take the bases.
 
 

[Luskan]

I've got my engineers either buliding specific SRA bases or sitting at Singapore/Manila/clark trying to take down forts in vain.
 
I didn't spend many PP points at the start of the game - I'm looking good for at leasta  division's worth by the end of the month or so.
 
About the only thing that is working to plan is my resource/oil strategy - got lots flowing around the place at the moment.
 
I don't have that much at PM - didn't expect Raver to react so soon.  Thought I could use a division to smash my way in, and send the division off to Kwaj.
 
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 02/19/42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Tarawa at 85,91
 
Japanese Ships
CA Tone
CA Chikuma
DD Shiokaze
DD Hayabusa
DD Kamo
 
Allied Ships
AP Bloemfontrin, Shell hits 9, and is sunk
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 48th Chinese Corps, at 43,38
 
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21 Sally x 13
 
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21 Sally: 1 damaged
 
 
Allied ground losses:
10 casualties reported
 
Aircraft Attacking:
 7 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
 6 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 39th Chinese Corps, at 43,38
 
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21 Sally x 24
 
No Japanese losses
 
Aircraft Attacking:
13 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
11 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Hopei Militia Division, at 53,27
 
Japanese aircraft
Ki-51 Sonia x 18
 
No Japanese losses
 
 
Allied ground losses:
22 casualties reported
 
Aircraft Attacking:
10 x Ki-51 Sonia bombing at 2000 feet
 8 x Ki-51 Sonia bombing at 2000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Singapore Fortress, at 23,50
 
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21 Sally x 77
 
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21 Sally: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged
 
 
Allied ground losses:
20 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
 
Aircraft Attacking:
10 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
15 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
15 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
10 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
11 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
 6 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
 3 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
 6 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 57th Chinese/A Corps, at 50,38
 
Japanese aircraft
Ki-51 Sonia x 10
 
No Japanese losses
 
 
Allied ground losses:
10 casualties reported
 
Aircraft Attacking:
10 x Ki-51 Sonia bombing at 2000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 82,83
 
 
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 38
SBD Dauntless x 15
P-39D Airacobra x 18
P-40E Warhawk x 11
B-25C Mitchell x 3
B-26B Marauder x 6
 
 
Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged
B-25C Mitchell: 1 damaged
B-26B Marauder: 4 damaged
 
Japanese Ships
BB Hiei, Bomb hits 1
BB Mutsu, Bomb hits 1
BB Fuso, Bomb hits 3,  on fire
 
Aircraft Attacking:
 3 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
 2 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 6000 feet
 3 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 6000 feet
 2 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
 4 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 6000 feet
 9 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 25,50
 
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 23
 
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ib Oscar: 2 destroyed
 
Allied Ships
PT PT-33, Shell hits 8
PT PT-34, Shell hits 4
PT PT-35, Shell hits 4
 
Aircraft Attacking:
 4 x Ki-43-Ib Oscar attacking at 100 feet
 4 x Ki-43-Ib Oscar attacking at 100 feet
 3 x Ki-43-Ib Oscar attacking at 100 feet
 4 x Ki-43-Ib Oscar attacking at 100 feet
 3 x Ki-43-Ib Oscar attacking at 100 feet
 3 x Ki-43-Ib Oscar attacking at 100 feet
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Jaluit
 
Japanese Bombardment attack
 
Attacking force 4183 troops, 25 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 80
 
Defending force 1840 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 25
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at 50,38
 
Japanese Deliberate attack
 
Attacking force 20930 troops, 254 guns, 7 vehicles, Assault Value = 468
 
Defending force 1194 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 35
 
Japanese max assault: 464 - adjusted assault: 403
 
Allied max defense: 30 - adjusted defense: 3
 
Japanese assault odds: 134 to 1
 
 
Japanese ground losses:
9 casualties reported
 
Allied ground losses:
2377 casualties reported
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Singapore
 
Japanese Deliberate attack
 
Attacking force 86466 troops, 598 guns, 8 vehicles, Assault Value = 1253
 
Defending force 65450 troops, 535 guns, 22 vehicles, Assault Value = 1067
 
Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 5
 
Japanese max assault: 1229 - adjusted assault: 1152
 
Allied max defense: 1107 - adjusted defense: 1970
 
Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 5)
 
 
Japanese ground losses:
1464 casualties reported
Guns lost 32
Vehicles lost 2
 
Allied ground losses:
1930 casualties reported
Guns lost 53
Vehicles lost 2
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Clark Field
 
Japanese Bombardment attack
 
Attacking force 82082 troops, 991 guns, 16 vehicles, Assault Value = 2001
 
Defending force 57294 troops, 639 guns, 267 vehicles, Assault Value = 1275
 
 
 
Allied ground losses:
35 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Tarawa
 
Allied Bombardment attack
 
Attacking force 7147 troops, 60 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 114
 
Defending force 3288 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 53
 
 
Japanese ground losses:
121 casualties reported
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Clark Field
 
Allied Bombardment attack
 
Attacking force 42480 troops, 585 guns, 5 vehicles, Assault Value = 1275
 
Defending force 124987 troops, 1093 guns, 361 vehicles, Assault Value = 2001
 
 
Japanese ground losses:
31 casualties reported
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Lombok
 
Japanese Deliberate attack
 
Attacking force 763 troops, 1 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 24
 
Defending force 1684 troops, 9 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 27
 
Japanese max assault: 20 - adjusted assault: 12
 
Allied max defense: 24 - adjusted defense: 17
 
Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 3)
 
 
Japanese ground losses:
38 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
 

[2ndACR]

Okay. Just so you know, air transport now works. You can airlift units with little fear of the dreaded disappearing units bug. If you have Tabby's, use them enmass to airlift troops from Lae or Buna to PM. That keeps your ships safe from his airpower. But it also allows you to shift forces very quickly. All the at start naval transport groups along with all the army transports can lift basically an entire brigade per turn. If you convert them to Tabby's. But i do not think you are using PDU's, so you might be toast there. PDU is the way to go but it has to have some restrictions to be balanced some.
 
  I am not sure how badly you weakened your forces in the PI or Malaya. I always use 3 divisions and 2 engineer regiments in Malaya. I use at least 1 brigade, 3 divisions and 3 engineer regiments in PI. All engineers land in the south along with 2 divisions, sometimes 3 to take Manila from the south. I put bombers and a base force into Legaspi and go to continous bombardments of Manila. Non stop. I have seen it take 2 months or more for Manila to fall. Clarke is a little easier once Manila falls. It has no urban bonus.
 
  Same can be said for Singapore. Just bomb the crud out of it. I know it hurts, but use shock attacks to help knock down the forts. From the looks of your combat reports, you are using more than what I do in the key areas. More troops that is. But not with 1200 enemy AV there behind level 5 forts. You may need to do a massive rest up in Singapore while you airforce works him over alot.

[Luskan]

We are using PDUs . . . but I only actually realised what that meant in terms of air power last turn.  Am madly converting my economy to produce more "lesser" oscars for nates to convert to.  I think PDU is great - as long as you pay the PP points for the sallies everyone takes from Kwantung etc.  I've still got plenty of dive bombers in china et al.
 
Nice to know about air transport though . . . wish I'd known earlier as well.  keep the tidbits coming!
 
I've only just started the proper Singapore bombing campaign with sallies - has been getting results (finally).  I should have bombed the place flat THEN moved troops in and suffered the shock attack idiocy etc.  I've made lots of mistakes due to the changes in the game this last year - lots I would do differently (and am doing against other opponents) but Xargnu and Raver got off in the early game pretty easy

[2ndACR]

Well, Tabby's are like gold. I usually produce 20 a month until everything is upgraded to them and I have a pool of 150 or so. Then I halt the production. They are your Dakota's. Same exact a/c. And i mean convert every single navy transport group. The long range ones at the start, the float plane.......everything. You will be surprised how many troops you can fly in using just the Tabby's. I move entire brigades in 2 days with them. it really allows you to lightly garrison forward bases behind level 9 forts, but fly in heavy forces if trouble is coming. Just keep your reserve about 7 hexes back from the front with a decent number of transports. If the Allied player does not plaster your runways anyway. Best for island re-inforcment.
 
Build 40-60 Helens per month. Upgrade all Sally's to Helens. Much better a/c durability. IMO. I can always downgrade if i run low. I use them massed and call it the Helen Hammer. I can shut down just about any allied airbase in 2 days time.
 
There is a trick to getting rid of the army dive bombers completely and making them all Lilly's and then they can go to Helens. But most feel it is gamey. Depends on if Raver goes to mass 4E raids. Not sure of your house rule covering PDU's.
 
 I really hate the river crossing rule. I can live with the first Brigade/division having to shock attack across, but all follow on troops should not have to. I have seen entire Armies wrecked by this rule.
 
PDU is a huge plus. I always pay the PP for troops and a/c. I usually have no Nates in my air force by 4/42. All have been converted to Oscar 1's.

[Raverdave]

Thanks for helping the boy wonder 2ndACR..............he NEEDS all the help he can get in this game.[;)]

[2ndACR]

Well, he was away for along time. Alot has changed, and would hate for you to have too fair a fight.[:D]
 
Us IJN fanboys have to stick together. Sometimes anyway.