RIDERS ON THE STORM-THANK YOU

[cantona2]

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner

Oh, forgot something.
He's know aware that i've sent bombers and fighters to the PI, cause he started to recon every single base at Luzon in the last turns. He doesn't seem to care much. Didn't noticed any concentration of enemy planes at Formosa...however the problem is that also here the surprise is gone[:o]

even if the surprise is gone, remember that strategically you want him to counter your PI airforces with units removed from india

[racndoc]

GH

Very interesting to see the India campaign unfold. I liked your original defensive plan for a fighting withdrawal with staged defensive lines but its unfortunate that the game engine didnt allow it...ie the unpredictable retreat routines, IJA armor advancing faster along a railroad than the Allies can retreat etc.

I know that you want to hold Bombay to keep your supply lines open out of Aden as long as possible but I agree with the other posters that you are so hopelessly outnumbered in India you need to get as much as you can to Karachi and dig in. If you stockpiled oil and resources in Karachi you can generate 550 supply per day on top of what supply is already there. Karachi can be cut off from Aden for quite some time before it runs out of supply. Assuming trollelite eventually takes Bombay, can you stage all your 4 Es back to Karachi and level Bombay's airfield after he parks 4-5 Betty daitais there?

Good luck as always.

[goodboyladdie]

Once your PI bombers start hitting his oil convoys he will have to counter. He is off balance strategically and you now have your hands across his throat. He will not be able to supply India if you are stopping him from getting his Oil/Res to the HI.

Have you got your Chinese LR bombers on Naval attack too? I use them with 30% search settings to inderdict my opponents LOC. It will make it difficult to move around your PI bombers.

[Gen.Hoepner]

Will edit and comment as soon as i get to office...

for now just the combat txt

Ok, here i am.
Today was an important day.
Operation "Frisco" has gone well (or at least that's what i think).
The above-mentioned Frisco Op. was a secret plan, made by the americans, to attract his attention on the PI. The 4 us CVs have moved secretly from PH, passing close to Iwo Jiima, moving towards the PI.
As soon as he detected my big ships with his recon planes, he started to move a significant amount of planes from all over the map towards Formosa-Okinawa-Saipan triangle. The icons of these bases became istantly "dark-red" the turn after my CVs were spotted.
I took all the cautions, keeping my ships far from the "zero-range" of 10 hexes, so that only unescorted launches could me made by the IJAAF and IJNAF. incidentally we were able to protect some transports that were fleeing from the PI, having unloaded their cargos at Manila.
At the same time my PI-based bombers officially started their campaign. Bataan Isl. was targeted on the first day of operation. On the little island, in the middle of the channell between Formosa and Luzon, there were present a Nate chutai and 2 sentais of recon planes.
Our P-40s performed quite well, shooting down 3 nates and losing none of their planes. The damge at the base isn't that great, but the psicological effect was exactly what i wanted to achieve. The message is: now Formosa and the shipping lanes in the Cinese sea aren't safe; move some air assets in the area or pay the price.

In China our attack towards Anking (a risky river-crossing) was bloody repulsed. He probably new where i was going and reinforced the base with one more division at the very last turn...[:o] I do not worry however: the general situation in China looks good.

The operation "Retribution" is proceeding. Our troops are still loading. Tomorrow all the convoys will be ready and will start to move. Now let's just wait for the CVs to come back and we're ready to go. in 4/5 days the Kwalajein bombing should start. No planes are reported in the Marshalls, other than few aux units (probably Mavis/Emilies). Soon i'll describe the OOB for the upcoming campaign......it's impressive!!

India:
Well guys...i thank u all for your comments and suggestions. His shock attacks with pursue-option are really scrumbling my defensive plans.... tonight i'll post some more details with maps...
However the problem now is that i've lost the contact with the KB....is it still in the Bengal bay or it's moving back to the pacific?? that could be a problem.....[:o]



AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 02/07/42

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Batan Islands , at 46,47

Japanese aircraft
Ki-27 Nate x 11

Allied aircraft
P-40B Tomahawk x 27
B-25C Mitchell x 41
B-17D Fortress x 9
B-17E Fortress x 12

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-27 Nate: 2 destroyed, 3 damaged
Ki-15 Babs: 1 destroyed
C5M Babs: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-40B Tomahawk: 2 damaged
B-25C Mitchell: 5 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
138 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 35

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 44th Indian Brigade, at 15,21 *this unit has been targeted for days now...it has no way of surviving being sorrounded by enemy units*

Japanese aircraft
D3A2 Val x 20
B5N2 Kate x 23
E13A1 Jake x 9
E7K2 Alf x 9
Ki-21-II Sally x 97

No Japanese losses


Allied ground losses:
194 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 66,56 *Near Iwo Jiima*

Japanese aircraft
E7K2 Alf x 8

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 9

Japanese aircraft losses
E7K2 Alf: 1 destroyed [:D] *so this is the first enemy a/c shoot down by USN pilot in this war*


Allied Ships
AK Ben Nevis, heavy damage


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at 20,19 *a Bde and a arty units are costantly shock attacked towards Hydebaran*...[:@]

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 37344 troops, 171 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 916

Defending force 1796 troops, 8 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 49

Japanese max assault: 534 - adjusted assault: 720

Allied max defense: 40 - adjusted defense: 3

Japanese assault odds: 240 to 1


Japanese ground losses:
103 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Allied ground losses:
64 casualties reported
Guns lost 1


Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

[Gen.Hoepner]

ORIGINAL: goodboyladdie

Once your PI bombers start hitting his oil convoys he will have to counter. He is off balance strategically and you now have your hands across his throat. He will not be able to supply India if you are stopping him from getting his Oil/Res to the HI.

Have you got your Chinese LR bombers on Naval attack too? I use them with 30% search settings to inderdict my opponents LOC. It will make it difficult to move around your PI bombers.

He could however take the longer way passing south of Mindanao...
Yes, my IL-4s are on Naval attack (40% search)...but their experience is so low that they really cannot stand any combat mission...

[Gen.Hoepner]

ORIGINAL: AdmSpruance

Assuming trollelite eventually takes Bombay, can you stage all your 4 Es back to Karachi and level Bombay's airfield after he parks 4-5 Betty daitais there?

Good luck as always.

Hi AdmSpruance,

My 4Es are now used in other theatres (Pi and Wake) and i cannot move them back to India. If i'll lose Bombay i'd be better start on bombing his troops advancing towards Karachi than his AFs full of fighters....at this stage of the war even my 4Es cannot stand against the HORDES of zeros he has packed in India...they simply fall down like flies and with the production rate so low i cannot stand those heavy losses...not now at least.

[Mistmatz]

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner

ORIGINAL: goodboyladdie

Once your PI bombers start hitting his oil convoys he will have to counter. He is off balance strategically and you now have your hands across his throat. He will not be able to supply India if you are stopping him from getting his Oil/Res to the HI.

Have you got your Chinese LR bombers on Naval attack too? I use them with 30% search settings to inderdict my opponents LOC. It will make it difficult to move around your PI bombers.

He could however take the longer way passing south of Mindanao...
Yes, my IL-4s are on Naval attack (40% search)...but their experience is so low that they really cannot stand any combat mission...

I've had good experience gains with the chinese bombers on recon mission at highest possible altitude. Do that for two weeks and they will be in therer upper 60s which should be ok for naval missions. On the other hand replacement rates are terrible...

[Gen.Hoepner]

Yes, i'll probably switch them to recon duties...but as you say their production rate is so terrible that even a single op loss is a pain!

However, i'm considering again and again the Indian problem.
Do you think that placing 2500 AVs at Karachi, with let's say 300,000 supplies, will prevent any Japanese capture of the city? And what if he starts to naval bombard Karachi with his BBs from Bombay? Will the base hold?
2500x4x5 makes...mmmm...50,000 AVs???? [X(]...even if without supplies, so at its 25%...is something like 12,500 AVs....
I don't know...

[Gen.Hoepner]

India.

Look at those 2 units indicated...they arrived on a clear hex which has not even a trail in it...seems quite strange...any clue for that??[&:]

[Gen.Hoepner]

China

[Mistmatz]

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner

Yes, i'll probably switch them to recon duties...but as you say their production rate is so terrible that even a single op loss is a pain!

However, i'm considering again and again the Indian problem.
Do you think that placing 2500 AVs at Karachi, with let's say 300,000 supplies, will prevent any Japanese capture of the city? And what if he starts to naval bombard Karachi with his BBs from Bombay? Will the base hold?
2500x4x5 makes...mmmm...50,000 AVs???? [X(]...even if without supplies, so at its 25%...is something like 12,500 AVs....
I don't know...

I dont have much experience with siege battles, but as I understand it even on a 0:1 attack forts may be destroyed.
So once the forts are gone the formula would be 2500 x hex bonus x supply/fatigue malus.

Thus probably less than 12500 AV, but still far from an walkover.

[mlees]

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner

India.

Look at those 2 units indicated...they arrived on a clear hex which has not even a trail in it...seems quite strange...any clue for that??[&:]

Railroad move rate "catapult" effect.

A land unit's move rate is determined by the infrastructure present in the hex it is in. (Bear with me.)

Have you noticed how a land unit sometimes (when on a rail hex) accumulates enough miles to travel two hexes in one day?

So, if you had a land unit starting out in Vizagapatam, and you targeted the hex 2 hexes to the "NW" (where you have an arrow pointing at a Japanese LCU), the unit would (assuming that the route was not blocked by enemy LCU's) travel along the rail one hex to the west on the first day, then on the second day it would travel along the rail one hex NW (across the river), and then one hex NE. (Gets there in two days, vice the four + it would need if it had marched directly cross country.)

The problem for him now is, that unit will be using the clear terrain move rate to get back to the rail line.

If your question was a strategy one, he may be trying to encircle your fleeing units with "J" controled hexes, to force it to surrender instead of retreating. You can pin an enemy force, encircle it, crush it after it has no retreat path. Pin it with paratroops, or units moving faster (like tank units). A pinned unit might have it's miles reset, if it is attacked (dunno if bombardment will be enough) with "unsuccesful" small attacks.

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 02/08/42

Two days of war without anything important to report.
He keeps on bombing my units in Southern India. Making some calculations i think i'm going to lose 3 Indian bdes before my troops reach a safe defensive line. A loss, that's for sure, but not a decisive one.
I've managed to damage one of his subs lingering at the Aden approach channell, losing the day after a TK in exchange.
There should be some more japanese planes now at Formosa...the air-ball has changed again!
Still no sign of his KB...wonder where it is...[&:]
Operation "Retribution" is on the way. All troops are loaded and now my TFs are moving to the concentration point in order to move towards the Marshalls...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack at 11,4 *near Aden Gulf*

Japanese Ships
SS I-2, hits 5, on fire[8D]

Allied Ships
MSW Cromarty
MSW Cromer
MSW Lismore
SC Hollyhock
SC Aster
SC Nigella


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Mangalore Naval Base Force, at 14,17

Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 21
Ki-21-II Sally x 42
Ki-15 Babs x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell: 2 damaged
Ki-21-II Sally: 5 damaged
Ki-15 Babs: 1 damaged


Allied ground losses:
137 casualties reported
Guns lost 2

A
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 44th Indian Brigade, at 16,20

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 27
E13A1 Jake x 9
E7K2 Alf x 12
Ki-21-II Sally x 40
Ki-49 Helen x 27

No Japanese losses


Allied ground losses:
80 casualties reported


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 102nd Reserve Division, at 43,59

Japanese aircraft
D3A2 Val x 22

No Japanese losses


Allied ground losses:
44 casualties reported
Guns lost 1



AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 02/09/42

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack at 17,8 *NW of Bombay*

Japanese Ships
SS I-4

Allied Ships
TK Empire Steel, Torpedo hits 1, on fire


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 2nd Parachute Regiment, at 17,16 *SE of Mangalore*


Allied aircraft
Blenheim I x 9
Blenheim IV x 11
P-40E Warhawk x 20


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
35 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

An easy training job

[Gen.Hoepner]

ORIGINAL: mlees

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner

India.

Look at those 2 units indicated...they arrived on a clear hex which has not even a trail in it...seems quite strange...any clue for that??[&:]

Railroad move rate "catapult" effect.

A land unit's move rate is determined by the infrastructure present in the hex it is in. (Bear with me.)

Have you noticed how a land unit sometimes (when on a rail hex) accumulates enough miles to travel two hexes in one day?

So, if you had a land unit starting out in Vizagapatam, and you targeted the hex 2 hexes to the "NW" (where you have an arrow pointing at a Japanese LCU), the unit would (assuming that the route was not blocked by enemy LCU's) travel along the rail one hex to the west on the first day, then on the second day it would travel along the rail one hex NW (across the river), and then one hex NE. (Gets there in two days, vice the four + it would need if it had marched directly cross country.)

The problem for him now is, that unit will be using the clear terrain move rate to get back to the rail line.

If your question was a strategy one, he may be trying to encircle your fleeing units with "J" controled hexes, to force it to surrender instead of retreating. You can pin an enemy force, encircle it, crush it after it has no retreat path. Pin it with paratroops, or units moving faster (like tank units). A pinned unit might have it's miles reset, if it is attacked (dunno if bombardment will be enough) with "unsuccesful" small attacks.

Thx mate, that sounds pretty clear...i'm really looking forward for the AE in order to solve this silly ground system

[Jim D Burns]

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner
2500x4x5 makes...mmmm...50,000 AVs???? [X(]...even if without supplies, so at its 25%...is something like 12,500 AVs....
I don't know...

Hi G.H.,

You're forgetting you're going to take huge hits to your modified AV due to experience and morale. You'd be very lucky to have 3,000 adjusted AV after the forts are gone. Less than 1,000 adjusted AV is what you’ll probably have once supplies dry up. If you can keep him from tearing down your forts, you’ll have a good chance to hold out in the long run. So the more force in the city the better.

As the battle rages your units experience will go up and if he allows them time to rest up after their experience goes up, then morale will go up too.

But if he just keeps pounding them, they’ll never get good adjustments for morale as it’ll stay in the tank, and that is a huge hit to your adjusted AV. Allied land units suck this early in the game, don’t make the mistake of assuming they’ll perform like the Japanese.

Jim

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 02/10/42

So the PI bombing campaign has started and we've already obtained the psicological objective: Trollelite is complaining in his mails about the effectiveness of my bombers...he told me that now he has to stop and think about how to deal with this new threat...[:D]

Today we've also obtained some good results on the ASW war in the Aden Gulf... untill those waters won't be full of enemy planes i'll be able to threaten his damned subs!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack at 15,7

Japanese Ships
SS I-171, hits 3, on fire[:D]

Allied Ships
PC Pathan
PC Pansy
PG Clive
SC Thyme

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack at 16,7

Japanese Ships
SS I-4, hits 1

Allied Ships
PC Netravati
MSW Poole
SC Cyclamen
SC Genista
SC Fritillary
PG Shoreham



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Taytay , at 40,54

This was a training easy mission for my B-25s based at Clark

Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 45


No Allied losses

Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 12

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And here we start...from Clark the B-17Ds (those allowed by HRs to bomb below 15k fts) targeted oil convoys at Brunei...not a single hit was scored but the piscological effect is gained

Day Air attack on TF, near Brunei at 33,56


Allied aircraft
B-17D Fortress x 11


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
TK Tatekawa Maru
TK Fujisan Maru
PC Ch 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Butuan at 44,59

While our B-26s from Manila obtained some great results in terms of accurancy

Allied aircraft
B-26B Marauder x 7


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
PC Sonan Maru #5, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage *sinks*
AK Yoneyama Maru, Bomb hits 1

Japanese ground losses:
11 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Brunei at 33,56


Allied aircraft
B-17D Fortress x 5


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
PC Ch 6
TK Kiyo Maru

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Butuan at 44,59


Allied aircraft
B-26B Marauder x 7


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
AK Sugiyama Maru
AK Yoneyama Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage[:D]

Japanese ground losses:
20 casualties reported



For the rest, Japan keeps on pounding my troops in southern India, and is now moving towards Hydebaran, now empitied by my units that are falling back towards Poona.

[Gen.Hoepner]

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner
2500x4x5 makes...mmmm...50,000 AVs???? [X(]...even if without supplies, so at its 25%...is something like 12,500 AVs....
I don't know...

Hi G.H.,

You're forgetting you're going to take huge hits to your modified AV due to experience and morale. You'd be very lucky to have 3,000 adjusted AV after the forts are gone. Less than 1,000 adjusted AV is what you’ll probably have once supplies dry up. If you can keep him from tearing down your forts, you’ll have a good chance to hold out in the long run. So the more force in the city the better.

As the battle rages your units experience will go up and if he allows them time to rest up after their experience goes up, then morale will go up too.

But if he just keeps pounding them, they’ll never get good adjustments for morale as it’ll stay in the tank, and that is a huge hit to your adjusted AV. Allied land units suck this early in the game, don’t make the mistake of assuming they’ll perform like the Japanese.

Jim

Thanks Jim. That's a thing i was not considering...I'm trying to arrive at 300,000 supplies at Karachi, just to be sure the siege will last for long. Engeneers are already moving towards it in order to help speed up the building forts process...let's see if i can build enough forts before the storm arrives.... I have the 7th AIF division whose exp is in its 90s and in one month it will be available at Aden the 6th AIF...so maybe...the 18th UK is a bit more averaged, being around its 60s in terms of exp and morale...plus i have the 2 indian tank bdes which are intact...they should help!

[Gen.Hoepner]

Just to clarify a bit:
Assuming that i will leave everything to go and defend Karachi (decision that i've not taken yet, but i'm keeping my back door well open for this eventuality), for the final stage i'm going to have 2 full divisions at Karachi (the 18th Uk and the 7th AIF) for some nearly 700 AVs, experienced, with high morale and sully supplied. Along with these 2 major units there will be some more 8 Indian Bdes (counting as destroyed or badly ruined 5 Bdes at least) for some more 800/900 AVs (morale and exp in their 55s), 2 Indian Tank Bdes for some more 130/140 AVs, plus a number of base forces, artillery units and other minor units (mostly fragments saved from Singapore and now rebuilding). SoutheastAsia and India HQs, along with the III Ind. Corp HQ and 3 Air HQs.
if i'm lucky i'll also be able to ferry to Karachi another Indian Tank Bde and another AIF division arriving in 30 days.
The Indian Air Force is now composed by some 600 planes (300 fighters, 150 bombers and 150 various aux a/cs).
 
As soon as i got home i'll try to enumerate more precisely the OOB for a last stand in Karachi

[Gen.Hoepner]

Now the question is , to follow up Jim's speach: how long can last 300,000 supplies? Malir is the closest base to Karachi. It's already a Level 4 AF at its max building capabilities. So Japan would only be able to base ....let's say 300 bombers here? if more he would suffer extreme op losses and penalties...
How much will it take to those 300 bombers to dry 300,000 supplies?

[jumper]

Hi,
only air campaign will not be enough to dry up 300k supplies IMO, considering Karachi generates a few supplies itself every day and you will have formidable AA there. Also the weather will play its role as in WITP 75% of the year are thunderstorms or rain.. The danger is in combination of aerial and naval bombing, backed up with neverending attacks of some small unit. Every ground combat uses HUGE amounts of supplies and it nearly doesn´t matter if he attacks with 10 divisions or 1 ruined NLF.
If he decide to let only his bombers to destroy your supplies, you will have A LOT of time to come out with something..
 
In my game I have surrounded Chunking and pound it every possible day (means 2-3 per week as all other days my AFs were closed becouse of weather) with 600-1000 planes for 1 year and still there were some supplies and when I attacked I have faced adjusted AV 30000 so my units were decimated for next two months.. Then I have brought 4 panzer regiments and start attacking every day with one of them. Sure my tanks were defeated, but in less then 1 month the adjusted AV droped from 30000 to 5000 as these constant attacks were able to achieve what my whole bomber AF was unable to do in 1 year - to dry up defenders supply..