RIDERS ON THE STORM-THANK YOU

[Kull]

Just a fascinating thread guys - thanks for an extremely entertaining evening. Kudos to GH for adhering to Sun Tze, identifying his opponents' strategic weak points, and leveraging his assets to attack them. And all this while experiencing hammer blows that would have broken a lesser player. My hat is off to you, sir.

[Gen.Hoepner]

ORIGINAL: Kull

Just a fascinating thread guys - thanks for an extremely entertaining evening. Kudos to GH for adhering to Sun Tze, identifying his opponents' strategic weak points, and leveraging his assets to attack them. And all this while experiencing hammer blows that would have broken a lesser player. My hat is off to you, sir.

Thanks mate, too kind! He's still winning anyway guys! If this war will continue remember that i'm still struggling to keep the Brits alive and there's on the way a very risky invasion of the Marshalls, which can end in a bath of american blood....so, don't be confident please[;)]

[Gen.Hoepner]

Trollelite has sent me the turn!!!!
We're back in action!!
 
Ok, after my bombing raid from luzon he moved a lot of planes to Formosa....very well! That means less planes in the pacific...[:D]
However i have prepared a little surprise for him at Luzon....let's see if he eats the bait[;)]
 
Still no sign of the KB...must be coming back to the DEI-SRA...gotta pay attention now...
 
tomorrow we'll have more news about it.
 
The "retribution" operation is on the way. We're just waiting for the CVs and then we can go. As scheldued for the second half of Feb 42 we'll start the landings... May God bless our men!

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 02/11/42

Well, he ate completely the bait...even too much[:)] He moved to Formosa more than 60 zeros and some 150 bombers!! I had move back to China my bombers at Clark Fields, leaving only 60 P-40s on CAP at 18,000 fts. He arrived en masse, with bombers at 12,000 fts. The zeros were still too much to handle for my low experienced american pilots, but we managed anyway to shoot down at least 12 zeros (but i didn't have the resturn file, so it could be some FOW), losing nearly 30 planes of mine.
The result was gained anyway: i have driven to the PI his attention!!
Now i'll try to cat and mouse here, moving my planes up and down from China...this should keep him concentrated on shutting down PI airfields and so keeping his bombers here...
However the maradeurs at Manila were not moved back so they could score one more hit near Davao[8D]

Now the strange news: KB spotted near Pangim (see picture), followed by what seems to be 3 different BB TFs....now the question is: are they going for Bombay? probable...he wants to NUKE bombay out and so to finally end the threat of my planes there...
What to do now? I have two options: moving back all my planes to Karachi and leave Bombay on its own, or i can stay, shifting some planes to Poona and moving down a Fast RN SCTF from Karachi, in order to be able to fight against his nuke-BBs?
mmmm....i have some time to think but i have to take a decision.....


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Clark Field , at 43,51 *some crack bastard zero pilots won't fight tomorrow[:D]*

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 61
G3M Nell x 69
G4M1 Betty x 48
Ki-49 Helen x 34

Allied aircraft
P-40B Tomahawk x 56

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 12 destroyed, 6 damaged
G3M Nell: 7 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
Ki-49 Helen: 7 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
P-40B Tomahawk: 28 destroyed, 1 damaged
B-25C Mitchell: 1 destroyed
B-17D Fortress: 1 destroyed


Allied ground losses:
69 casualties reported
Guns lost 3

Airbase hits 12
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 101

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

Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 20
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 9
Ki-21-II Sally x 76
Ki-49 Helen x 7
Ki-15 Babs x 1

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


Allied ground losses:
129 casualties reported
Guns lost 2

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

Japanese aircraft
D3A2 Val x 20
B5N2 Kate x 24
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 6
Ki-21-II Sally x 31
Ki-49 Helen x 22
Ki-15 Babs x 2

No Japanese losses


Allied ground losses:
164 casualties reported

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Tagbilaran at 44,58 *my B-26s are operating from Manila*


Allied aircraft
B-26B Marauder x 4


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
AK Yoneyama Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage[;)]

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at 16,20 *this is the 99th Indian Bde, which surrendered this turn near Mannargudi*[:(]

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 11289 troops, 85 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 327

Defending force 2344 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 48

Japanese max assault: 574 - adjusted assault: 514

Allied max defense: 25 - adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 514 to 1


Japanese ground losses:
17 casualties reported

Allied ground losses:
3057 casualties reported
Guns lost 10

[Gen.Hoepner]

The KB covering 3/4 BB TFs near Mangalore...

[Gen.Hoepner]

However...the real good thing is that if the KB and the main Combined fleet is still operating in India, so there won't be any real threat , regarding surface assets, in the Marshalls. I tempted to move back all my A/Cs to Karachi so to keep the menace of the RAF alive as long as possible, forcing him to keep his main assets in India....
 
What d'u think?

[okami]

Remember the Betty's and Nell's. Keep your cap strong in the Marshall's. You have him out maneuvered now.

[Gen.Hoepner]

ORIGINAL: okami

Remember the Betty's and Nell's. Keep your cap strong in the Marshall's. You have him out maneuvered now.

I've loaded every Marine air unit on the CVs (unloading the useless TBDs), but as you will all know the US CAP with 4 CVs at this stage is quite useless. More useless in this MOD, so i've already counted to lose my CVs...but if i manage to put a strong foot in the Marshalls then hundreds of planes are ready to move there...
I have to rely on the fact that the threat in the PI will keep his bombers and zeros away at least at the beginning of the operation. Then my BBs and my 4Es from Wake will try to nuke every AF in the Marshalls (particulary important are Kwalajein and Maloep which are both level 4). I just need to calculate the right timing....but i think it can be done!...i'm however ready to pay the price of this great risk!

[Gen.Hoepner]

BTW along with the HUGE landing force which is now approaching Jonhston Island, there's also a TF loaded up with 150 planes, ready to be unloaded at Maloep as soon as the atoll is conquered.
The recon says that he has reinforced Kwalajein at least with a unit (12 units are spotted there right now), while at Maloep there's still only the starting base force...i have to face probably thousands of mines there, that's why i'm bringing with me more than 80 DDs and every possible aux vessel i have at hands in the Pacific. Nearly 300k Fuel and 200,000 supplies are being brought also....

[okami]

GH I have played this mod three times and A2A is grossly in the allies favour. Set your cap at 90% for your naval fighters and 30% for your marines. Keep your carriers in one carrier TFs but all in same hex. Move to four hexes of Maelop and bomb the shit out of him. You will kill about 90% of everything that comes at you. You may lose a carrier but if you have an old BB in each TF they may take the hit for you. Have fun and good hunting.

[Gen.Hoepner]

ORIGINAL: okami

GH I have played this mod three times and A2A is grossly in the allies favour. Set your cap at 90% for your naval fighters and 30% for your marines. Keep your carriers in one carrier TFs but all in same hex. Move to four hexes of Maelop and bomb the shit out of him. You will kill about 90% of everything that comes at you. You may lose a carrier but if you have an old BB in each TF they may take the hit for you. Have fun and good hunting.

I have all the BBs, plus a british BB...something like 13 BBs i think (cannot check cause i'm not at home right now - being at the Court waiting for an audience[>:])...enough to create strong BB TFs and to protect my landing forces.
I do not experienced anything that says that this mod is strongly in allies' favour, but i take the advice[;)]
The problem will be the comming. He will spot me very far away from the Marshalls, so i have to think of a way to distract him....

Thanks for the suggestions Okami, really appreciated[:)]

[okami]

Use bad weather. Come in under rain or worse and he will only see you when you are on top of him, say 6 hexes. Wish you could get a weather report a week in advance like they did in the real war but oh well.

[TenChiMato]

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner

However...the real good thing is that if the KB and the main Combined fleet is still operating in India, so there won't be any real threat , regarding surface assets, in the Marshalls. I tempted to move back all my A/Cs to Karachi so to keep the menace of the RAF alive as long as possible, forcing him to keep his main assets in India....

What d'u think?

I would say withdraw the RAF to Karachi, concentrating then withdrawing then reconcentrating as you do in the PI will force him to maintain a lot of air and naval units in India. He cannot afford to withdraw the fleet with the RN around and a strong RAF ready to support it.

Also keeping his air units on the move on such distances will seriously raise their fatigue level.

Regarding the PI, too bad you dont have some more AA units there, with all those LBs attacking at low altitude...[;)]

[Gen.Hoepner]

ORIGINAL: TenChiMato



Regarding the PI, too bad you dont have some more AA units there, with all those LBs attacking at low altitude...[;)]

Yes, i have also thought about changing the HQ to USAFE fo some US west coast AA units, but that sounds pretty cheaty, due to the fact that those units simply would not be able to appear at Luzon but should need to be transfered there by sea... so while i find perfectly right to use this method between West Coast and Aden (simulating the passage through the Atlantic and Med), this cannot-imho- be done for China or the PI...
However it doesn't change much... i was thinking of doing exatcly the same thing u suggested for RAF in India...move move and move!!! No more sitting ducks![;)]

[Gen.Hoepner]

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner



Only infantry and tank units:

7th AIF div: 350 AVs
18th UK div: 340 AVs
6th Ind. Bde: 100 AVs
99th Ind. Bde: 100 AVs
63th Ind. Bde: 100 AVs
48th Ind. Gurkha Bde: 120 AVs
45th Ind. Bde: 120 AVs
46th Ind. Bde: 120 AVs
13rd Ind. Bde: 100 AVs
26th Ind. Div: 60 AVs
23rd Ind. Div: 100AVs
14th Ind. Div: 120 AVs
20th Ind. Div: 120 AVs
1st Burma bde: 60 AVs
2nd Burma Bde: 60 AVs
254th Tank bde: 70 AVs
255th Tank Bde:70 AVs

for a total of 2.210 AVs...

Again i can now guarantee the presence of these units, more or less intact, at Karachi for the final stand. I consider lost so far 2 full indian bdes, 1 arty unit, and one small regiment of an Indian Division. The rest should be pretty safe for the moment. The falling back is going fine and my Dakotas did a great job completely transferring the 3rd Car tank unit and the 99 Ind. Bde from Mangalore to Bombay in 5 days!!!! great Job! Now these 2 units are moving safely towards Karachi[8D]
For what concerns the RAF, i can master some 500 planes for the final stand in Karachi. Not bad.

[Jim D Burns]

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner
I have two options: moving back all my planes to Karachi and leave Bombay on its own, or i can stay, shifting some planes to Poona and moving down a Fast RN SCTF from Karachi, in order to be able to fight against his nuke-BBs?

Hi G.H.,

KB will sink your entire RN. Send it to Aden and wait for KB to leave the theatre before bringing it out. Right now he's in a good position to race north and get KB between you and the Aden channel. If he does that, he'll trap and sink your navy.

I know you feel you must fight, but you will need the RN for the future and losing it now will mean years of inaction as you await new units to arrive. It is far more valuable as a threat in being than as a coral reef.

KB will not be able to linger in the Indian Ocean long once the Marshal Islands landings commence, so save the RN by tucking it away in Aden till KB is gone.

Also when you leave the marshals, be sure to grab a small fragment of every unit you place out there. Japan has plenty of time and force to return and destroy everything you bring there right now, so assume you’ll lose it eventually. If you don’t want to slow down your 43 counter-attack timetables, you’ll want to rebuild those units before then if you can.

Jim

[Gen.Hoepner]

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner
I have two options: moving back all my planes to Karachi and leave Bombay on its own, or i can stay, shifting some planes to Poona and moving down a Fast RN SCTF from Karachi, in order to be able to fight against his nuke-BBs?

Hi G.H.,

KB will sink your entire RN. Send it to Aden and wait for KB to leave the theatre before bringing it out. Right now he's in a good position to race north and get KB between you and the Aden channel. If he does that, he'll trap and sink your navy.

I know you feel you must fight, but you will need the RN for the future and losing it now will mean years of inaction as you await new units to arrive. It is far more valuable as a threat in being than as a coral reef.

KB will not be able to linger in the Indian Ocean long once the Marshal Islands landings commence, so save the RN by tucking it away in Aden till KB is gone.

Also when you leave the marshals, be sure to grab a small fragment of every unit you place out there. Japan has plenty of time and force to return and destroy everything you bring there right now, so assume you’ll lose it eventually. If you don’t want to slow down your 43 counter-attack timetables, you’ll want to rebuild those units before then if you can.

Jim

Hi Jim, well, most of the RN is already at Aden. I've kept a SFTC at Karachi just in case, but i'm ready to send it back asap at full speed as soon as the threat of the Kb will arise.
Once the final siege of Karachi will start i'd like to use the RN as was used in RL with Malta fortress. Using it to cover the supply convoys towards the sieged city...would be cool[:D]

Here's the OOB for fighters and bombers that will partecipate to the final defence of Karachi...

[Gen.Hoepner]

And this is the OOB for the Operation "Retribution":

24th U.S. Division
25th U.S. Division
2nd USMC Division (in reserve)
153rd U.S. RCT
111st U.S. RCT
161st U.S. RCT
8th NZ Bde
14th NZ Bde
188th U.S. Arty
183rd U.S. Arty
98th U.S. AA rgt.
754th U.S. Tank Bn.
34th U.S. CBT Eng Rgt.
5th U.S. Base Force
71st U.S. Base Force
109th U.S. Base Force
2nd Marine CD unit
7th Marine CD unit

4 CVs
12 BBs
15 CAs
13 CLs
85 DDs
and lots of aux units.

[Gen.Hoepner]

.

[Gen.Hoepner]

As you can see from the screeshot above the retreat isn't going bad in India. The unit just south of Bengalore is the Bde that surrendered this turn, while the unit seen marchin towards Mangalore is the Madras base force.
Near Hydebaran there is a Ind.Bde and the arty unit that i consider already lost, constantly shocked and pursued by his tanks, while south of Raipur the small indian regiment which is completely depleted.
I've already abbandoned Hydebaran, going towards Bombay. i've waited till the "Heroes of Madras" arrived here then i ordered to move back to Bombay at full speed. As soon as these guys arrive the bulk of the 18th UK division, along with 2 Indian Bde, that are waiting for them, willmove all togheder back to Ahmadabad as a first step and then to Karachi.
I'm covering every base in my back with at least 100 AVs, just to be sure that his paras won't catch me off guard...
I think it should go fine till Malir....