Forlorn Hopes: The Japanese Respond

[John 3rd]

Funny!  I do believe that they are South Pacific assigned.  Have to run a turn to see.
 
I do know that they are now getting alimited amount of Fosters lager from captured Aussie breweries!  [:D]

[John 3rd]

I have been busy watching my two sons over the last couple of days and have nearly 2 weeks of Combat to Report. Problem is--I am READY for bed. I decide to play out the turn I got from Dan and head for beddy-bye when suddenly my Recon spots the whole damned American navy one hex from Maleolap and Wotje!

HOLY COW! How could my recon not spot these guys 8-12 hexes away??? Expecting the worst, I hit the play button...

All I have to say is SCRATCH ONE FLATTOP! To the men of the USS Wasp...

Will do a real update tomorrow morning. Sorry for the teaser but will take care to add more detail in about 9 hours.

[USSAmerica]

It's been 7.5 hours...... I'm counting.  [:'(]

[John 3rd]

OK.  OK.  OK!
 
Just woke up and Mom has the kids for the moment.
 
Many of you had seen my Operational Layout in the Central and SE Pacific with the screenshots that I had put up last week.  As you know, my biggest fear of counterattack while I am so heavily invested within Australia has been an attack at either the Papeate area or the Marshalls/Midway region.  It appears that Dan is making a serious effort to distract me from Australia by trying to make a contested landing at either Maleolop or Wotje in the Marshalls.
 
What I cannot believe is that this massive force wasn't picked up by my Recon!  Of, well...
 
As the October 14th turn started to roll, I was simply watching the recon reports when suddenly (1 HEX away from Maleolop and Wotje) my planes spot TF after TF after TF and positively identify Hornet and Wasp!  Yikes!  BB South Dakota, a CLAA, and 8 DD bombard Maleolop in the morning. 
 
OK---Here we go!  I had planned on this possiblity so let us see what happens...
 
In the morning phase nothing really happens.  Wotje is hit by 28 SBD from Wasp and that is about it.
 
The afternoon brings great GLORY to Japan!  I mentioned earlier, I had pooled my attack planes in Kwajalein:  54 Zero, 81 Betty.  These planes launch two strikes against the American Fleet:
 
1.  The first strike is small (11 Zero  7 Betty) and it targets my Alaskan adversary USS Hornet.  Surprisingly there are only 18 F4F on CAP.  At a cost of 3 Zero, all my Betty get through and make their drops.  None hit!  One Betty falls...
 
2.  The second strike packs a punch (10 Zero and 45 Betty) and fights its way through light opposition (16 F4F) again.  The two Daitai of 75+ Lvl skill make a classic scissors attack upon the USS Wasp!  The desperate ships tried to avoid nearly 30 TT dropped from close range.  She isn't fast enough!  Count them--NINE TT find their mark and down goes the Wasp with nearly all of her Wildcats and Avengers!  The remaining Betty make drops on the USS New Mexico and put a TT into her as well.
 
End of day.
 
Reaction
1.  Where were Dan's F4Fs?  Who cares!!!  I sank a CV for little to no cost (3 Zero and 7 Betty) and the Invasion Force hasn't landed yet.
 
2.  Planes--I order a convergence of aircraft at Maleolop and Kwajalein.  A Daitai of Zero and two Daitai of Betty arrive at Kwajalein.  Another--indentical--force lands at Maleolop.  I move to Baker a one Daitai of each of the following:  Zero, Val, Kate, and Betty.  We shall see how strong this American Force is with one CV already sunk!
 
3.  Ships--As mentioned earlier, I had 2 CA, 6 CL, and 18 DD at Kwajalein.  This force was augmented just a day earlier by 2 BC, 3 CA, 1 CL, and more DDs.  I form two STF to attack.  I am guessing that Wotje is the target.  It has a weaker defence and Sz-4 AF.  Each STF has a BC, numerous cruisers and DD.  They are set for full speed and can easily make the round trip.  We see if they can get into the invasion convoys!
 
BANZAI!
    

[USSAmerica]

Well done, John!  [&o]
 
If Dan presses on with his invasion, things could get very bloody tomorrow. 

[John 3rd]

I'm kind of hoping that is exactly what he does.  His AK/AP cannot get away too fast.  If he retreats, then I will savage his fully loaded troop convoys.  If he attacks, then I have a great chance of inflicting far more serious casualties. 
 
My STF are strong enough--particularly in TT--to cause fearful damage to his ships.  Any cripple will--hopefully--be picked off my by LBA.
 
It should be REAL interesting to watch. 
 
Simple fact though...the loss of the Wasp for no CV loss to me is HUGE!  My CV TF remains intact and his is now down by 3!  Let us see:
 
Sunk CV:  Enterprise, Lexington, and Wasp
Available CV:  Saratoga, Yorktown, and Hornet
 
To this I have 8 CV, 5 CVL, and 4 CVE...
 
It appears that 1943 might be a VERY good year for Japan!
 

[USSAmerica]

Hey John, what's up with your signature banner?  I haven't been able to see it for several days now.

[John 3rd]

Hi Sir. I have my banner linked to an art site and they took the picture off and I have yet to find a replacement that I like. Should find something today I hope.

Combat Report
October 15, 1942

Scratch another US CV! Two down and two to go...

The Americans decide to concentrate their landings at Maloelap. Thank Goodness since I am strongest there. They do try a landing at Wotje but fail. I have two pages of notes but will try to be brief about events:

Surface Fights
My 2 STF do indeed mix it up with several TF at Wotje! American Cover is provided by a TF centered on BB Mississippi, CL Phoneix, and 7 DD. Doing darned fine work, the Japanese TF completely disrupt the landings and sink 2 DD, 1 AO, and 2 AP. Heavy damage is delivered to a further 3 DD, 1 CL, the Mississippi, 4 AP, and 2 AK. In return these Japanese TF take very little damage. I place 1 BC and 2 DD into harbor at Kwajalein.

The remaining ships replennish and 1 STF is immediately sent back to Wotje to prevent more landings. The other STF changes its mission to Fast Transport and begins loading 4200 troops of the 35th Inf Brigade for landing at Wotje. I already have 24 TR planes flying the 35th into this island.

LBA Strikes
Morning Attacks:

Raid 1 of 18 Zero and 9 B try to hit Saratoga and Yorktown's TF. They meet up with 47 Wildcats and lose 8 Z for 7 Betty for 2 F4F. The remaining bombers drop a pair of TT that miss Yorktown.

Raid 2 of 5 Zero and 41 Betty find a Torpedo pilot's dream below them. An American CV with NO CAP up! Lots of planes on deck though... Before the Hornet can launch her planes, my Sea Eagles dive to the attack! Hornet takes 1TT, BB Tennessee 1 TT, and CL Concord 1 TT. Somewhat disappointing but I only lose 4 Betty.

Raid 3 of 32 Zero and 47 Betty appear right at the end of this attack and have the net effect of not allowing Hornet to launch her fighters. These planes--the victors over the Wasp yesterday--really do the job! Between them they do the following: Hornet 2 TT, Tennessee 5 TT and CL Trenton 1 TT for a cost of 2 Betty. The Tennessee, survivor of Pearl Harbor, rolls over as she heads for the bottom. Hornet lies dead in the water crippled!

Afternoon Strikes
Raid 1 (10 Zero and 3 Betty) make another attempt at Saratoga and Yorktown but 40 Wildcats force the decision to be an attack upon a CL. They miss the Honolulu at a cost of 3 Zero for 1 F4F.

Raid 2 (15 Zero and 25 Betty) bore in from Maleolap. They find the Hornet and SINK HER with another pair of TT! Losing 1 Betty, they miss their other targets...

Raid 3 comes in from Baker Island and goes after the TF around Maloelap. A group of 13 Betty hit an AK and AP with 1 TT each.

Landings:
Wotje is hit with the 1st Marine raiders and they easily throw them back into the water! Gopt to note that I only have a A.S. of 15 there. If Dan wants to keep up this attack, he will know that this is an easy capture. This is why I am flying in 35th Brigade ASAP and prepping my Fast Transport TF to get nearly 5,000 troops there.

Maleolap has a far larger landing going on. Units identified are 1st Marine Division, 34th Eng Reg, 2nd Mar Defence Btn, and 804th EAB. THANK GOODNESS this is my strongest Island--next to Kwajalein--in the area! The Japanese Bombard for 479 Casualties. The American Shock Attack gets a 0-1 versus Fort 8 and costs them 1,739 Casualties for NO Japanese!

This island should hold without a major issue.

Orders for the 16th:
1. STF to prevent landing at Wotje.
2. Fast Tran TF to land 35 Inf Brig on 17th at Wotje.
3. Set all Betty Daitai to shorter strike range so they can concentrate on Allied surface forces and transports.
4. Move a Daitai of Vals and Sentai of Marys to Baker for deployment at maleolop on the 17th.
5. CarDiv2 (Hiryu-Soryu) is en route to Baker and should arrive there on the 19th. I'll use them to clean up any stragglers.

Thoughts???

Things look beyond solid at this point! Will Dan continue the landing and allow me to kill more troops as well as ships? This is the major question but he is in Atlanta for a good part of today so we won't know until later today.




Raid 2 of

[USSAmerica]

Thoughts???
 
Only this.  BANZAI!!! [&o]

That hurts coming from an AFB.  [:'(]

[Q-Ball]

John, Great AAR by the way! I am also reading your opponent's, but no comments from that, loose lips sinks ships and all!

And Bettys too. I am playing 2 games as IJN, and you are doing better than both of mine by far. Both my esteemed opponents, though, have made major mistakes in underestimating the Betty. Bettys can be anywhere in the map in one or two days, and any Allied player attempting an invasion would be foolish not to supress all lvl 4 airfields within 6 to 8 hexes, otherwise you will definitely hear from Ms. Betty! Dan didn't have a plan for supressing your airfields, with so many in range of Maloelap.

Surprised you had all those surface ships at Kwaj though, a better idea for him might have been a Port Raid on Kwaj. Though it's easier to raid Allied ports than IJN.

[Cap Mandrake]

Ouch. This reminds me of the fight scene in Cool Hand Luke.

Shouldn't you put in the second string or something?

Maybe Sallys and Oscars in place of the Bettys and Zeros

[John 3rd]

Thanks everyone!
 
I do not understand Dan's choice in attacking here.  Why not hit an edge where I only have one AF available?  Why not suppress my AFs with Bombardment?  More importantly why didn't he do ANY recon to see what is where?  Midway or Canton or Papeate would have been my choices.
 
Since some of you are reading both AARs, you might want to help Dan and buck him up some.  I wager that he is really down in the dumps at the moment.  I would be furious that my fighters didn't fly!  WHERE were Hornet's CAP?  Were they set on LR CAP elsewhere?  Did Hornet separate from the other 2 CVs accidently?
 
Not sure how this will continue.  I want the fight to keep going and Dan NOT collapse and give in!  Can I actually TAKE Australia at the end of 1942 and beginning of 1943?  People (and Japan) want to know!
 
 
 
 
 

[John 3rd]

Dan is pretty depressed.  I have offered him a mulligan since his CAP didn't fly.  I don't want him to kill the game for the above reasons...
 

[ny59giants]

If this was actual war, the Allies would have to fight into 1947 or beyond to win. [X(]
 
I have limited, but enough, experience as an Allied player to know that CVs vs unsurpressed LBA is not a winning situation. [:(]  You have learned that getting within a level 4 AF that can base TB's is dangerous for your health and your ships. If Dan continues on, he will not be able to do much until sometime in '44. 
 
You should strongly consider invading Nz after Australia as you have time to do so easily now.

[John 3rd]

Dan wrote a while ago this evening and is strongly considering quitting the game due to the situation.  Once again, could people jump onto his AAR and try to bolster his morale??
 

[castor troy]

If he didn´t mess up with his CAP settings then he was hit by the same bug I´ve just recently been hit in my game against Hortlund. Until a couple of days I only heard ONCE about this, Mogami stated it was a bug (I think in AndyMac´s game?) when CVs don´t launch any cap (IF THE CAP SETTING WASN´T MESSED UP). THIS IS NOT A FEATURE!!

I don´t know if Cap of one CV would have saved him but you never know. In my case I had a whole CV TF not launching cap.

[John 3rd]

Hey Christian!
 
You should hop over to the other AAR and mention this to Dan.  I offered to replay the turn but he seems resigned to the loss.  It wasn't his fault and I am 'game' to try again...
 
John
 

[John 3rd]

Hello.  Been a couple of busy days for me and I haven't been able to update the AAR.  Hope to do so tonight once everyone has gone to bed.
 
Anyone like my new art for my posts?  Found a new art site and picked these two!  [:D]

[John 3rd]

...with thanks to my wife who understands how these infernal computers WORK...(she is standing to the side as I write this!)...[&o][&o][&o]

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

...with thanks to my wife who understands how these infernal computers WORK...(she is standing to the side as I write this!)...[&o][&o][&o]

very nice pics John!