Speedy vs Fabertong: Death to the Penguin!

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Hi Capt. - well nowadays it's not as risky as you may think. The only real Japanese air precense begins in PI and from Hong Kong east wards towards the HI. Of course Faber can fly in air from time to time to bases in Indo China but everywhere else (including Indo China) can be smacked at will be me. I just really wanted to get that b*stard BC....the audacity of it sneaking into Kuching and surviving a load of torpedoes fired at it[;)]

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Siam/Malaya -

More heavy bombing in Siam and Malaya. Chinese forces have reached Kuantan on the east coast of Malaya. It's empty and will fall tomorrow.

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SRA -

A surprise B29 raid from Koepang against Tacloban, Leyte failed with the loss of 30 x B29 to Frank, George and Tony fighters.

An enemy convoy felt the wrath of Jesselton today. The enemy convoy was moving westwards down the east coast of Borneo towards Tarakan. The following empoty ships were sunk:

AP Maya Maru
AP Matsukawa Maru
AP Nissho Maru
AP Josho Maru

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CentPac -

A fairly quiet day in this region.

The first B25J raid will be launched from Iwo Jima against Bonin Island tomorrow.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Siam/Malaya -

Kuantan was taken by the Chinese today and Khota Bharu is next (where the Japanese NLF retreated to).

Johore expanded to level 5 airfields. 95,000 tonnes of supply are 7-10 days away. When they arrive it will be time to march towards Singapore.

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SRA -

British CV's are 1-2 days away from Kuching. It will soon be time for a few paradrops east of Jesselton.............

British BB's/US CVE's will arrive at Darwin tomorrow after repairs in South Australia.

An enemy AK convoy was attacked at Biak today. Allied LBA flew from Bulla and Babo. AK Hisashima Maru took 3 bomb hit and at least 4 more AK's were spotted. We hope to continue the attacks tomorrow.

------------------------

CentPac -

Bonin's were hit by Mitchells.....welcome to the war boys[;)] This will become a milk run from now on.

After a few days rest it's time for Saipan's B29's to get into the action again. Target is Osaka HI again. P51D's will hopefully sweep before them.

The men on Iwo Jima will attack the enemy again tomorrow after a few days of shelling.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Siam/Malaya -

A routine day in this theatre with Allied bombing providing the action for the day.

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SRA -

All damaged ships at Kuching were formed up into a TF and will leave today escorted by RN CV's back to Indian ports.......CV Intrepid and Bennington are amongst them[&o]

Enemy AK's are attacked near Biak by Allied LBA. AK's Muko Maru and Hisashima Maru are sunk by Havocs and SB2C's.

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CentPac -

Osaka felt the war today and in a big way!

P51D's claimed 106 enemy planes destroyed today for the loss of 9 friendlies[&o]

227 B29's then pounded enemy HI plants damaging 260 out of 720...............

They will rest tomorrow.

The enemy is finally weakening on Iwo Jima:

Ground combat at Iwo Jima

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 216222 troops, 1464 guns, 816 vehicles, Assault Value = 4788

Defending force 26762 troops, 7 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 469

Allied max assault: 5171 - adjusted assault: 6845

Japanese max defense: 423 - adjusted defense: 49

Allied assault odds: 139 to 1


Japanese ground losses:
7051 casualties reported
Guns lost 5

Allied ground losses:
1177 casualties reported
Guns lost 32
Vehicles lost 6

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Siam/Malaya -

Chinese forces shelled Japanese held Kweiyang for the first time in the war:

Ground combat at Kweiyang

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 77211 troops, 217 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 4415

Defending force 199490 troops, 2175 guns, 310 vehicles, Assault Value = 3918


Japanese ground losses:
38 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Vehicles lost 1

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SRA -

3 fleets will leave Darwin for Kuching today. 1 containing 3 repaired US CVE's (including the famous Gambier Bay. Always remember her from the real war!). The other 2 TF's contain a RN BB, 2 cruisers and 8 x DD. Time for some surface presence in SRA again with more to follow from India..............

ML Toshima hit a sub laid mine near Hong Kong and sank[:)]

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CentPac -

A quiet day apart from more hell on Iwo Jima:

Ground combat at Iwo Jima

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 215747 troops, 1449 guns, 813 vehicles, Assault Value = 4729

Defending force 25657 troops, 2 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 443

Allied max assault: 5079 - adjusted assault: 6281

Japanese max defense: 278 - adjusted defense: 37

Allied assault odds: 169 to 1


Japanese ground losses:
6193 casualties reported
Guns lost 4

Allied ground losses:
997 casualties reported
Guns lost 33
Vehicles lost 5

B29's rested today but a small experiment will take place tomorrow......City bombing of Matsuyama, Shikoku, Japan..............

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Siam/Malaya -

Allied forces are 7 miles away from closing the enemy escape route from the Raheang-Bangkok rail line.

Every day 100's of Allied of planes bomb the Japanese positions in Siam.

Vital supplies are 7 days away from Johore Bharu...then we move on Singapore.

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SRA -

Usual stuff in this theatre with Allied air raids and support/supplies/fuel 2 days from Jesselton and British BB's/US CVE's moving NW past Timor.

A Japanese AK was sunk by Havoc's near Biak today.

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CentPac -

Matsuyama felt wrath today with 27 enemy Nick's falling in combat (vs 1 P51D) and then 227 x B29's caused 9650 fires throughout Matsuyama. No industry was damaged....the 'test' continues tomorrow..........

Japanese continue to weaken on Iwo Jima:

Ground combat at Iwo Jima

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 215224 troops, 1408 guns, 813 vehicles, Assault Value = 4673

Defending force 24417 troops, 1 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 411

Allied max assault: 4954 - adjusted assault: 8022

Japanese max defense: 241 - adjusted defense: 34

Allied assault odds: 235 to 1


Japanese ground losses:
3147 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Allied ground losses:
561 casualties reported
Guns lost 21
Vehicles lost 10

[Alfred]

Speedy,
 
I've sort of lost track of game date.  I think you are sometime in November 1944.  Next time you post, could you provide the game date?
 
Alfred

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Hi Alfred - I always post the current date in my post title. It's 6th December 1944 at the moment[:)]

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A fairly routine day for Siam/Malaya/SRA with heavy Allied bombing, damaged ships moving past Singapore towards India and my engineers and support personnel (along with supply and fuel) reaching Jesselton before ultimately invading islands further east.

AK Gisho Maru sunk by Havocs near Biak.

Massive obliteration of Matsuyama today as 249 B29's landed 445 manpower hits causing 19320 fires and now causing a couple of points damage to manpower, HI and resource productuion....this test will end now. I will rest my B29/P51D's (a further P51D FG has flown into Iwo Jima) tomorrow before they begin a Fire bombing campaign against Gumma..............

The end is nearing for the Japanese on Iwo Jima:

Ground combat at Iwo Jima

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 216058 troops, 1416 guns, 815 vehicles, Assault Value = 4721

Defending force 19669 troops, 1 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 227

Allied max assault: 5058 - adjusted assault: 8304

Japanese max defense: 132 - adjusted defense: 19

Allied assault odds: 437 to 1


Japanese ground losses:
2509 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Allied ground losses:
144 casualties reported
Guns lost 10
Vehicles lost 1

[Capt. Harlock]

The end is nearing for the Japanese on Iwo Jima:

Ground combat at Iwo Jima

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 216058 troops, 1416 guns, 815 vehicles, Assault Value = 4721

Defending force 19669 troops, 1 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 227

Allied max assault: 5058 - adjusted assault: 8304

Japanese max defense: 132 - adjusted defense: 19

Allied assault odds: 437 to 1


Japanese ground losses:
2509 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Allied ground losses:
144 casualties reported
Guns lost 10
Vehicles lost 1

You've said that before -- but this is the first time you've gotten the number of defending troops below 20,000. Maybe it's time for the Banzai charge?

On a different subject, it seems to me that conventional escorted bombing was doing quite as well as fire-bombing: no manpower hits but considerably more damage to HI. Well, in Dec. '44 I can't blame you for wanting to speed up the game.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Hi Capt. - I had but I had seen the CR for today before I posted yesterdays[;)]:

Ground combat at Iwo Jima

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 216957 troops, 1427 guns, 817 vehicles, Assault Value = 4782

Defending force 16086 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 100

Allied max assault: 5177 - adjusted assault: 9143

Japanese max defense: 57 - adjusted defense: 16

Allied assault odds: 571 to 1


Japanese ground losses:
19948 casualties reported
Guns lost 90

Allied ground losses:
143 casualties reported
Guns lost 5
Vehicles lost 3

Elements of 1 unit remain in some final bastions........they have fought damn hard[&o]

In general a fairly quiet day but some important developments..........

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Siam/Malaya -

Japanese forces are pulling back from Bangkok! Interesting. I was not expecting this. I will keep an eye on this.

The Japanese conducted a final suicidal attack on the Rahaeng-Bangkok rail line:

Ground combat at 31,36

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 160701 troops, 283 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2976

Defending force 138600 troops, 746 guns, 469 vehicles, Assault Value = 3099

Japanese max assault: 3532 - adjusted assault: 70

Allied max defense: 3214 - adjusted defense: 3159

Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1


Japanese ground losses:
23879 casualties reported
Guns lost 157

Allied ground losses:
1013 casualties reported
Guns lost 46
Vehicles lost 1

Allied troops are 5 miles away from totally encircling this pocket.........

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SRA -

I have ordered a mass of submarines to converge on Kuching. In total 40 submarines left Columbo/Darwin to head there. Kuching will be my temporary forward submarine base in SRA. A mass of submarines will swamp every 60 mile hex around PI/Hong Kong when I go for Hainan.............

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CentPac -

Another rest day for B29's tomorrow.

Another B29 BG is en route from America............

[DuckofTindalos]

Why attack Hainan? Seems like a bit of a diversion to me...

[Speedysteve]

Why not?
 
I'm going for some of the smaller islands to the west of Luzon but mainland Luzon and Mindanao seem like a quagmire to me. As such where else to go with SRA forces? Forces in Siam/Malaya will land in Indochina so that is that option out.

[DuckofTindalos]

Do you intend to go after Formosa?

[Speedysteve]

Potentially. Hainan is VERY weakly defended. I'm thinking either HK/Canton, further flanking in Indochina (depends on situation there) or Formosa.

[DuckofTindalos]

I'd stay out of mainland China if it were me. It'll soak up your forces for little return. Formosa lets you close the SRA permanently.

[Alfred]

Sorry Speedy, I should have paid more attention.
 
Regarding Hainan - it is a good target for an invasion, particularly if lightly held.  It provides good VP, provides a solid base to support landing in Indochina/China to interdict overland supply to penguins in Bangkok/Saigon area, and supports Formosa landing which is an even richer VP territory.  Combined with ownership of Palawan and Mindoro, it closes off sea access to the South China sea.
 
In general terms landing on Chinese coast or Luzon may not appear to be attractive except for 2 possible factors.
1.  Capture of a Chinese port to allow for the landing of ship borne supply to Nationalist Chinese bases.
2.  Manila itself is worth a lot of VP and is the most direct route to the Clark airfields.
Thus depending on circumstances it may be worthwhile to launch limited offensives to establish a presence in these locations.
 
Alfred

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Siam/Malaya -

The Japanese are definitely retreating in IndoChina. Bangkok is now empty and Allied forces have begun to move towards it.

95,000 tonnes of support will be at Johore Bharu within 2 days and then we begin to march on Singapore.

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SRA -

Engineers/support personnel are disembarking at Jesselton.

Enemy PC's were spotted 360 miles NE of Jesselton. Beaufighters and Mitchells attacked puttign 2 bombs into PC Miyake and leaving PC Etorofu heavily damaged with 2 bombs.

--------------------

CentPac -

SS Moray lightly damaged by Type 4 mine outside Tokyo.

B29's will hit Gumma Manpower tomorrow. Iwo Jima P51D's will support............

Iwo Jima is clear of Japanese forces at long last!:

Ground combat at Iwo Jima

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 217842 troops, 1435 guns, 824 vehicles, Assault Value = 4835

Defending force 5726 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 19

Allied max assault: 5253 - adjusted assault: 9129

Japanese max defense: 10 - adjusted defense: 4

Allied assault odds: 2282 to 1


Japanese ground losses:
11821 casualties reported
Guns lost 46

Allied ground losses:
45 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

A fairly routine day with the Allies advancing on Bangkok now...the Japanese nearing Saigon..........

Supply is flowing ashore at Johore Bharu and the advance on Singapore will begin soon.

RN units/US CVE's nearing Kuching.

Para landings will begin in west PI within 4 days.

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B29's and P51D's flew over Gumma today. 26 x Irving were blown to pieces whilst a shed load of bombs were dropped on Gumma by 183 x B29. 4000 fires were caused and a couple of resource/manpower/HI units were damaged. The attacks will continue.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Siam/Malaya -

This front is becoming more rapid again now....at least for the time being. Bangkok was taken today.

Allied forces are 2 miles from closing the ring on the Rahaeng 'Japanese' forces.

207,000 tonnes of fuel are leaving Karachi tomorrow for Kuching....will be more fleet activity around here soon.

The map shows the situation fairly well.

---------------------

SRA -

US CVE's/RN BB's leaving Kuching for Jesselton tomorrow. They will support Allied incursions west of PI.

Allied mine's finish off PC Etorofo at Manila....muhahahahaha. SS Storm lightly damaged by Japanese mine (10/13/0).

---------------------

CentPac -

Gumma is hit hard today. 229 x B29 fly and there are now 12000 fires across Gumma. HI damaged by 13, Resources by 7, Mitsubishi engines by 6....will continue tomorrow.

[DuckofTindalos]

ORIGINAL: Speedy

Hi all,

Siam/Malaya -

This front is becoming more rapid again now....at least for the time being. Bangkok was taken today.

Allied forces are 2 miles from closing the ring on the Rahaeng 'Japanese' forces.

207,000 tonnes of fuel are leaving Karachi tomorrow for Kuching....will be more fleet activity around here soon.

The map shows the situation fairly well.

Er, no it doesn't, actually...[:'(]

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Siam/Malaya -

Allied forces are beginning to move into Indo China SE from Bangkok. The encirclement of the last Japanese forces in Siam is completed tomorrow. Only death awaits them.........

LOL...friendly fire at Khota Bharu[;)]

Ground combat at Khota Bharu

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 4027 troops, 34 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 94

Defending force 282 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 9



Allied ground losses:
2 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

We'll attack tomorrow.

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SRA -

A fairly quiet day here except my B29 raid over Hong Kong met resistance. I lost 34 x B29 in the air but incl ground losses Japanese losses were about the same:

Day Air attack on Hong Kong , at 43,42

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zeke x 26
J2M Jack x 11
Ki-45 KAIb Nick x 9
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 18
Ki-84-Ia Frank x 26
Ki-102a Randy x 15

Allied aircraft
B-29 Superfortress x 130

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zeke: 11 damaged
J2M Jack: 2 destroyed, 5 damaged
Ki-45 KAIb Nick: 9 damaged
Ki-61 KAIc Tony: 5 destroyed, 8 damaged
Ki-84-Ia Frank: 10 destroyed, 7 damaged
Ki-102a Randy: 2 destroyed, 5 damaged
Ki-46-III Dinah: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-29 Superfortress: 28 destroyed, 69 damaged

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CentPac -

Gumma is hit again and no enemy fighters wre on CAP. A new section of the city was hit causing 13,500 fires in total and damaging 10% of the Frank production (down 30 points). I aim to keep this up for 2-3 more weeks to see what effect it can have. If no good then it's back to precision bombing.