The Ever Rising Sun - Chuck vs Pat - Banzai!

[ctangus]

Feb 10, 1942

Well, I was right about things about to get exciting! US carriers show up within 600 miles of the KB to strike against my shipping at Milne Bay. Bugger...

Perfectly played by my opponent - my movement of KB was getting predictable & he also wound up just outside Zero range from Rabaul.

Elsewhere routine air raids against Singapore, Manila and Chinese forces continue. I take a dot base I had bypassed near Amboina. In Burma my forces continue to advance on Myitkina. On Java I've entered the outskirts of Soerabaja.

[ctangus]

From the strength of the attacks I appear to be facing 3 US CVs in separate TFs. While it will probably prove futile, KB will chase into the Coral Sea. I'm also rushing an AR and a second Fleet HQ to Rabaul just in case.

There will be some ground combat tomorrow as well, with a shock attack ordered at Singapore, a deliberate attack at Manila and a probing (bombardment) attack ordered at Soerabaja.

[Rob Brennan UK]

Hi CT , i'm beninning to think i should have followed your example in the PI [:D]. compared to me your racing ahead .. I never seem to find enough men for anything [;)].

Pretty piccies ..

and as ever good luck

[ctangus]

Hi Rob!

Oh I don't know. I'm farther ahead of you in the PI, but you seem to be farther ahead of me in the Southeast Fleet area. There certainly aren't enough troops to do everything, that's for sure.

Feb 11, 1942

BANZAI! The emperor is very pleased with the strategic genius of Admiral Chuckamoto today. [:)]

Coral Sea

The cowardly Americans fled from the might of the Kido Butai, but I did catch 3 straggling allied cruisers. BANZAI!!



I'm not going to press my luck & won't chase any more.

Malaya

Even more good news:

Ground combat at Singapore
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 95374 troops, 404 guns, 111 vehicles, Assault Value = 1809
Defending force 59827 troops, 324 guns, 13 vehicles, Assault Value = 674
Japanese max assault: 3414 - adjusted assault: 4639
Allied max defense: 691 - adjusted defense: 597
Japanese assault odds: 7 to 1 (fort level 4)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Singapore base !!!
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
Catalina I: 6 destroyed
Japanese ground losses:
2597 casualties reported
Guns lost 10
Vehicles lost 4
Allied ground losses:
99489 casualties reported [X(]
Guns lost 245
Vehicles lost 1

BANZAI!!!! Four days ahead of historical. I've seen others in AARs do much better, but as a Japanese newb I'm pleased. I'll rest my troops a couple weeks and then, who knows. [:'(] Unfortunately the industry was completely wiped out.

Java

The probing attack at Soerabaja shows it lightly garrisoned and I should be able to take it tomorrow.

Burma

I've ordered an attack with half a brigade at Lashio. It will only succeed if the enemy's low on supply there, but I'll try it. I'm also 1-2 days out from entering Myitkyina & closing the Burma Road.

Luzon

My commanders report that allied resistance is weakening and they suspect the enemy is running low on food & ammo. (Enemy adjusted AV is down from 1329 to 961 and I got 1:1 for the first time.) The troops will rest a few days, but hopefully can take the city in the next assault or two.

[ctangus]

Feb 12-14, 1942

The steamroller is steamrolling...

4th Fleet

Despite having apparently enough armament points, my 4th Fleet reinforcements came in at 1/4 strength. Bugger... This will delay further ops here.

Southeast Fleet

Well, the cowardly Americans ran away due south. (The glorious Japanese ran away due northeast. [:D]) I've got a couple Glen subs trying to locate the USN CVs, but I haven't been able to spot them for the last couple turns.

Buin fell unopposed. Lae airfield has reached size 2 and I'll soon start trying to reduce Port Moresby.

And the best news: a Zero sweep over Port Moresby shot down a Wirraway! I don't know how my opponent can suffer such losses. [:'(]

DEI

On the 12th, four-engined terror bombers attacked the oilfields at Amboina. 3 hits destroyed 10 of 50 oil points. A daitai of A6M2s was ordered to fly CAP & had limited success - a subsequent attack on the 14th was intercepted - no B-17s were shot down but no hits were scored against the oilfields either.

I also took a couple small bases on Borneo I'd bypassed. Only one base on Borneo (Pontianak) remains under colonial rule, though there are still a few pockets of troops in the jungle.

Java

Good news here. On the 12th Soerabaja was liberated completely undamaged and Madioen was secured on the 14th.

The Dutch are concentrating their strength at Batavia. I should be able to get there easy enough, but I might have to fight a prolonged battle there. IJN land-based planes will start softening it up.

[ctangus]

Burma

I took Myitkyina & Lashio and have now cut the Burma road in two locations. Yahoo! I've also ordered an attack against Taung Gyi tomorrow. I'm not sure how that will go.

I'm very weak here, to tell the truth, but so far so good.



China

Reinforcements have arrived & so in two or three days (once supplies get forward) I'll order the next attack against Wenchow.

Luzon

Next attack against Manila is ordered for tomorrow. It should do okay if my ground support flies (rain is forecasted).

[ctangus]

Feb 15-17, 1942

Manila's more troublesome than I'd like but otherwise it's going well.

4th Fleet

Tarawa just hit airfield size 4. [:)] Time to build some forts. Both Canton Island & Wake should hit size 4 within a couple weeks as well.

Southeast Fleet

Hudsons based at Port Moresby staged several raids against my shipping with no success.

With (finally!) the elimination of a stubborn base force, I'm shifting some bombers to start reducing the airfield at PM.

Also, there's been no more sightings of the American CVs. Glen subs will recon both Brisbane & Noumea tomorrow.

DEI

B-17 terrors continue to try to bomb the oilfields at Amboina. They had no success on the 15th & 16th but on the 17th one hit destroyed another 9 oil points. I'm sending in my lone Tojo Sentai but it will still be a few days until they get there, ready to fight. I can't wait until that plane & the Tony are in production...

On Java I'm driving towards Batavia where there's now 14 units and 42K troops reported. I'm also starting to prep Batavia to hopefully make taking the oil/resources easier. Talk about a nuke bombardment!

02/17/42
Naval bombardment of Batavia, at 20,60
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
Lockheed 212: 1 destroyed
F.K.51: 2 destroyed
PBY Catalina: 2 destroyed
CW-22 Falcon: 6 destroyed
C-60A Lodestar: 3 destroyed
Hawk 75A: 1 destroyed
Martin 139: 1 destroyed
Japanese Ships
BB Yamashiro
BB Fuso
BB Hyuga
BB Ise
Allied Ships
MSW Aroe, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
ML Rigel, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AP Van Riebeek, Shell hits 3, on fire
MSW Boeroe, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AP Pijnacker Hordijk, Shell hits 1
MSW Ceram, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
MSW Alor, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
Allied ground losses:
7397 casualties reported [X(][:)]
Guns lost 73
Vehicles lost 10
Airbase hits 23
Airbase supply hits 9
Runway hits 97

Collecting forces to take Timor - should launch in about a week.

Burma

I took Taung Gyi & eliminated the 2nd Burma Rifles Brigade that was defending there. I now hold all of Burma but Akyab, where recon reports 12 units & 42K troops. I'm considering an operation to land behind them & eliminate them but I want to finish off the SRA first.

Philippines

On the 15th I launched another deliberate attack at Manila. 1:1. My AV was up but so was the enemy's (961 to 1589!). My ground support didn't fly that turn, however. Disruption is down & so I'm attacking again tomorrow. My ground support will be flying from two bases (not one) this time, in case one of them is shut down.

I also have have a couple NLFs mopping up the unoccupied bases in the Philippines. In a week or two I should own it all. See the pic.

[ctangus]

China

After nearly a 4 week siege I finally took Wenchow, bagging 56K Chinese prisoners. Next stop Pucheng. A tank regiment will sweep around the city to cut off their retreat path.

[ctangus]

Feb 18 - Feb 20, 1942

Mopping up in the SRA & the Phillipines, while starting to consider future offensives.

Southeast Fleet

Recon of Brisbane & Noumea shows no signs of the US CVs. I'll check out Sydney, Rockhampton & Auckland soon. I'm concentrating on building up the airfields at Buin, Buna & Lae so further moves can be covered by LBA.

Kido Butai will get some R&R at Truk for now.

Nells from Rabaul & Kates from Lae are starting to reduce Port Moresby. Intelligence estimates that the facilities there are 16% damaged.

SRA

Terror bombers continue to hit the oilfields at Amboina - 25 of 50 oilpoints are now damaged. Tomorrow, in addition to Zeros, a Sentai of Oscars and Tojos will be flying CAP. Also, in retaliation for these aggressive allied moves, Koepang is being bombed daily in preparation for the liberation of Timor.

Javanese are celebrating as more and more of their island is being welcomed into the Co-prosperity Sphere. Dutch imperialist forces are concentrating at Batavia and are being punished by almost-daily bombardments by the bulk of the IJN's battleship fleet as well as daily air raids. (I want to disable as many engineers as possible before I attack there.) I'm bringing two divisions, one brigade, two tank regiments plus engineers & artillery to Batavia - should be enough but the Dutch are strong on Java.

At Singapore two divisions +++ are enjoying saki, sushi & Singapore girls while planning their assault of Palembang.



Burma/Indian Ocean

The 1st & 2nd Parachute Regiments are planning a paradrop to take Port Blair.

Phillipines

Another 3 or 4 undefended bases have been mopped up. Despite ground support being grounded due to weather, the latest assault on Manila almost takes the city:

02/18/42
Ground combat at Manila
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 102383 troops, 406 guns, 84 vehicles, Assault Value = 1869
Defending force 27182 troops, 257 guns, 107 vehicles, Assault Value = 397
Japanese max assault: 1856 - adjusted assault: 1659
Allied max defense: 396 - adjusted defense: 889
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0)
Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0
Japanese ground losses:
1557 casualties reported
Guns lost 13
Allied ground losses:
2059 casualties reported
Guns lost 59
Vehicles lost 10

General Kawabe reports that the next attempt will be tomorrow.

[Rafael Warsaw]

Great AAR.

[&o][&o][&o]

[ctangus]

Thanks! [:)] I'll try to keep it interesting.

[ctangus]

Feb 21 - Feb 23, 42

Manila continues to be a pain.

Southeast Fleet

It looks like the enemy still plans to contest further moves of mine in this area - SS I-156 spotted a patrolling SBD in the middle of the Coral Sea.

I'm slightly changing my force allocation for Operation Mo Go (PM invasion). I'm continuing to slowly bomb it into oblivion & I'm also continuing to build up nearby airfields. I want Lae at size 4 and Buna at size 2 before I launch.

I no longer have time, however, to use a division from the Philippines if I want to land before the Japanese invasion bonus expires. With the South Seas Detachment and naval infantry I can put together about 380 AV which should do it if I can keep PM isolated.



Edit: the SBD sighting should read 22 Feb.

SRA

MSW W. 13 took a bomb from an enemy Hudson near Boela. 9 mile oil points were destroyed by enemy B-17s at Amboina.

On the plus side I just landed at Pontianak, I continue to drive through Java (Tjilitjap fell) and the Koepang invasion sets sail tomorrow.

Burma/Indian Ocean

The 1st & 2nd para regiments successfully paradropped on Port Blair, eliminating a base force there. The RAF staged its first raid against Burma when Blenheims bombed the airfield at Myitkyina.

Phillipines

All of the Phillipines, except for Manila, has now been liberated from the American Imperialists. MacArthur's troops are still proving stubborn:

02/21/42
Ground combat at Manila
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 101590 troops, 392 guns, 83 vehicles, Assault Value = 1826
Defending force 24732 troops, 201 guns, 99 vehicles, Assault Value = 366
Japanese max assault: 1811 - adjusted assault: 1620
Allied max defense: 337 - adjusted defense: 881 So close!
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0)
Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0
Japanese ground losses:
1375 casualties reported
Guns lost 8
Vehicles lost 4
Allied ground losses:
1204 casualties reported
Guns lost 23
Vehicles lost 7

[ctangus]

Feb 24 - Feb 27, 42

I found out both something good & bad about my opponent. Good: despite being Swiss, he likes American baseball. [:)] But he's a Yankees fan! [X(] This means war!

Southeast Fleet

I-boats are continuing to scout for the US CVs (without success).

Daily bombing of Port Moresby continues. The damage to the AF fluctuates from 30 - 50%. Once I finish taking Koepang I should be able to release a couple Betty Daitai for this theater.

SRA

Pontianak falls and so Burma is now 100% Japanese. The drive up Java continues & my troops should be in Batavia in about 4 days. The preparations for the invasion of Sumatra are all but complete.

I've also invaded Timor - a paradrop by an SNLF took Dili and Koepang was just invaded by two SNLF. The allies haven't reinforced it so it should fall in a day or two.



Burma

12 Chinese units have been spotted marching west towards Lashio. I have a blocking force behind a river but I'm not sure it will be strong enough. I need to get more troops to this theater.

China

Shuffling forces around prior to my next moves.

[ctangus]

Feb 28, 42

I wanted to provide an end of the month update.

Southeast Fleet

The gold mines of Wau are now providing for the emperor.

SRA

Koepang fell under a little overkill. 148 to 1 odds. [:'(] Well, I'd prefer that over 0:1. Oz-based B-17s and Hudsons attacked my shipping at Koepang. A half dozen strikes missed Hosho & Taiyo (providing close support) but did put a bomb into an AP.

I also took Bandoeng (the base next to Batavia).

Philippines

I didn't mention that on the 25th the next assault on Manila was launched. On the 26th I forgot to rest my troops and they attacked again. 1:1 both times.

World View

Here's a look at the current defensive perimeter, and goals I have over the next two months. I'd be happy to dig in after that, but I might make further moves into South Pac. I'll fly some heavy recon at least.

[ctangus]

And here's the intel screen. I'm particularly happy with the A2A losses and ship losses.

[ctangus]

Mar 1-2, 42
I made the emperor proud today!

Southeast Fleet

SS I-175 spotted a patrolling SBD about 400 miles east of Townsville on the 2nd. A Glen sub is heading over to the area. KB's still resting at Truk.

Otherwise, it's routine airfield building and Port Moresby bombing. The Moresby invasion should be ready to load on around the 10th.

SRA

B-17s launch from Broome and put 3 bombs into AP Hokumyo Maru from 10,000 feet. She should live.

An SNLF has landed at Lautem and it should be liberated tomorrow. Also tomorrow, troops will enter Batavia.

There's still a few isolated pockets of resistance in and around Sumatra and I've started operations to clean them up. I'm not in a rush to take Palembang though. I want to pound it from the sea for a while first to disable the engineers there. At the latest I'll land before the end of the month.



Burma

The allies launch their first air attack against Mandalay. 11 Oscars tangle with 28 Hurricanes escorting 27 Blenheims. 2 Oscars were shot down in exchange for 1 Hurricane, but no damage to the airfield. Some A6M2s will add to the CAP tomorrow.

I've also ordered initial strikes against Tsuyung to try to disrupt the supplies of the Chinese marching into Burma.

Phillipines

And here's the good news. The arch-criminal MacArthur surrendered! [:)] IJA troops are greeted by thankful Filipino girls as they march into Manila.

03/02/42
Ground combat at Manila
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 100517 troops, 403 guns, 81 vehicles, Assault Value = 1745
Defending force 19946 troops, 119 guns, 84 vehicles, Assault Value = 309
Japanese max assault: 1738 - adjusted assault: 2110
Allied max defense: 258 - adjusted defense: 629
Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 0)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Manila base !!!
Allied aircraft
no flights
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
673 casualties reported
Guns lost 6
Allied ground losses:
26616 casualties reported
Guns lost 71
Vehicles lost 55

Well, that's good, but now I don't know what to do. [:D] The army bombers aiding the assault are being sent to Burma & New Guinea. But I'm not sure what to do with the 4+ divs that freed up. Reinforce Burma? North Oz? - the allied bombers there are already becoming a pain. New Caledonia/Samoa/Fiji? Finish current ops and dig in?

I don't want to surrender the initiative yet as that will allow the allies to start prepping offensives earlier. But also I want to avoid an attrition battle let alone a Midway. At least I have some time to decide since my troops need some rest, anyway.

[ctangus]

Mar 3-5, 42

Burma's getting interesting.

Southeast Fleet

Longshoreman at Truk are starting to load supplies for the Port Moresby invasion. Still waiting for the last of the APs to arrive to start loading the combat troops.

Engineers report that Buin's runway has been lengthened long enough to take torpedo & dive bombers (size 2) and Lae has had torpedo handling facilities installed (size 4). Additionally, army bombers are starting to arrive in theater from the Phillipines.

SRA

Lautem falls and all of Timor is now Japanese.

A probing (bombardment) attack against Batavia showed the defense to be relatively weak and General Yamashita, commmanding 25th Army, doesn't expect resistance to last long. The first assault will be launched tomorrow. Attacks have also been ordered to capture the tin mines of Toboali and the towns of Bankha and Kuala on Sumatra.

On the downside, Ise ate a Dutch torpedo while bombarding Batavia. Currently at 16/0/0. I could use it in a pinch but for now Ise will see some port time.

[ctangus]

Burma/India

Large Chinese forces are marching on Burma. I'm rushing forces to the border, but I'm definitely weak on the ground here - both with infantry units and aviation support. I've ordered airstrikes against Tsuyung to try to interdict allied supplies but weather has kept them grounded for the last 3 days.

I'm also considering an amphibious assault to eliminate a large allied concentration at Akyab. I don't have the troops available now but will shortly. It would expose my shipping to a lot of LBA and would therefore require carrier support. However, eliminating 50,000 allied troops would undoubtedly postpone the inevitable allied counter-attacks in the region. Also a landing inside India (even if I don't plan on keeping the base) should force the allied high command to guard the rest of the coast. The yellow lines show the operation I'm considering.

[ctangus]

North China

There's a strong allied force in the north which intel reports has large stocks of supplies. (Well, actually my recall of the allied OOB.) I sent a force there with the purpose of forcing the Chinese to withdraw & destroying their supplies. It wasn't successful, but it should be strong enough to keep the Chinese pinned in place. That will protect my flank so that I can proceed with the envelopment of Yenan. I'm still waiting for a couple units to arrive but marching orders will be issued in about a week.

[ctangus]

Mar 6-11, 1942

Mostly mopping up, but it should start getting interesting again soon.

4th Fleet

Wake has made it to a size 4 airfield, joining Canton Island in having torpedo facilities. Speaking of which, two allied AK TFs wandered to within Nell range of Canton Island and got spanked. No troops aboard so they must have been supply TFs that got lost - I do that myself at times.

Southeast Fleet

Well, the Port Moresby invasion has finally loaded and is leaving from Truk. A few ships from Rabaul carrying the South Seas Detachment will join up with it. I should be able to hit PM slightly before the end of the month and the end of the Japanese invasion bonus.

A few days prior I'll also be taking Munda in the Solomons. I may try to set a trap for the allied fleet here by not showing KB but landing on Munda and then having KB show up a day or two later.