Defending the empire 1943, the allies attack - a Jap AAR

[witpqs]

Guys, what is "the telephone pole"? Do you mean the big stack of units?

[jwilkerson]

Hey we're workin' on building up our top secret code speak here in this thread - so no one - even PzH knows what anyone is talking about!
[:D][:D][:D]

But darm, you guessed it - so back to the drawin' board!
[:D]

[Hortlund]

Today my taskforce was spotted.

I am sure he will fly in hundreds of aircraft now. We shall see if my 200 Zeros can protect my ships...

[jwilkerson]

Well if you're way out there I wouldn't be too worried. [:)]

[Hortlund]

Well, its been one more day...Im closer now. 4 hexes out to be exact. Tomorrow, there will be two BB bomardment runs on Trimcomalee as well as an airstrike consisting of VALs only on Colombo. The Zeros on KB are on LRCAP, all except two wings that are on escort duty and one that is LRCAP over Trimcomalee.

Tomorrow I will also deploy the paratroopers. If all goes according to plan there will be simultaneous drops over Trivandrum, Bangalore, Yanam and Hyderabad. It is amazing to see that neither Trivandrum nor Bangalore has been built up, airfields are still at 1 (4) on both locations, and recon tells me they are empty.

How the heck can you not garrison the entire southern half of India by September 1942?

[Hortlund]

Situation

[Hortlund]

How swiftly Caesar had surmounted the mighty alps and in his mind conceived immense upheavals, coming war. When he reached the water of the little Rubicon, clearly to the leader through the murky night appeared a mighty image of his country in distress, grief in her face, her white hair streaming from her tower-crowned head, with tresses torn and shoulders bare, she stood before him and sighing said, "Where further do you march? Where do you take my standards warriors? If lawfully you come, if as citizens, this far only is allowed."

Then trembling struck the leader's limbs, his hair grew stiff and weakness checked his progress, holding his feet at the rivers edge. At last he speaks, "Oh Thunderer, surveying Rome's walls from the Tarpeian Rock. Oh Phrygian house gods of Iulus, Clan and Mystery of Quirinus who was carried off to heaven, Oh Jupiter of Latium seated in lofty Alda and Hearths of Vesta, Oh Rome, equal to the highest deity, favor my plans! Not with impious weapons do I pursue you. Here am I, Caesar, conqueror of land and sea, your own soldier, everywhere, now too, if I am permitted. The man who makes me your enemy, it is he who be the guilty one."

Then he broke the barriers of war and through the swollen river swiftly took his standards. And Caesar crossed the flood and reached the opposite bank. From Hesperia's Forbidden Fields he took his stand and said, "Here I abandoned peace and desecrated law; fortune it is you I follow. Farewell to treaties. From now on war is our judge!"

[Hortlund]

The invasion of India starts.

This is not a "real" invasion, mind you. It is a serious attempt at taking Ceylon, but the attacks in India is more of the nuiscance kind, I intend to wreak havoc in his supply lines and in his rear areas by using paratroopers and small units.

I figure that every day I force him to march his units into the soutern parts of India wins me five days peace and quiet on the Burma front.



AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/06/42

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TF 4 encounters mine field at Trimcomalee (15,25)

Japanese Ships
BB Haruna, Mine hits 2, on fire

Haruna suffers, but is not likely to sink. She retires south with 30 sys 30 float

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TF 79 encounters mine field at Trimcomalee (15,25)

Japanese Ships
DD Hatsukari, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Hiyodori, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

These two are not so fortunate however, they will likely both sink.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Trimcomalee, at 15,25

Japanese Ships
BB Mutsu
BB Hiei


Allied ground losses:
139 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
Vehicles lost 1

Runway hits 1
Port hits 1

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Naval bombardment of Trimcomalee, at 15,25 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

4 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
CA Mikuma
CA Haguro, Shell hits 1
CA Takao
BB Ise, Shell hits 1


Allied ground losses:
170 casualties reported
Guns lost 4
Vehicles lost 3

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 2
Port hits 5

Not too bad, not too good...a pretty average result. Tomorrow I have three more units arriving to bombard the target.


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Ground combat at Bangalore

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 250 troops, 2 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 15

Defending force 13456 troops, 120 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 352

Japanese max assault: 14 - adjusted assault: 0

Allied max defense: 348 - adjusted defense: 204

Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 0)


Japanese ground losses:
176 casualties reported
Guns lost 1


My recon flights must have tipped him off, an Indian division has moved into Bangalore. Unfortunate.

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Ground combat at Hyderabad

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 115 troops, 1 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 8

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

Japanese max assault: 10 - adjusted assault: 12

Allied max defense: 0 - adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 12 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Hyderabad base !!!



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Ground combat at Trivandrum

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 112 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 5

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

Japanese max assault: 6 - adjusted assault: 8

Allied max defense: 0 - adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 8 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Trivandrum base !!!



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Ground combat at Yanam

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 73 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2

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

Japanese max assault: 2 - adjusted assault: 4

Allied max defense: 0 - adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 5)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Yanam base !!!


And the invasion has begun. It is amazing that he is not defending his bases in southern India. Trivandum has both resources, heavy industry and manpower. Not even a baseforce as defence..

[Hortlund]

I think I need to switch this from being an invasion to a raid. He managed to fly in two brigades to Trimcomalee, meaning that my division will not be able to take the base directly. I have halted the unloading of the troops, and will instead try to take Colombo.

I have managed to cut the supply from Karachi to the rest of India for a while, and I have disrupted some of his industry but that is probably the only outcome from this adventure. I will fly in some more troops to make the mopping-up operation somewhat more costly, but that is about it.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/07/42

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TF 133 troops unloading over beach at Mannargudi, 16,23


Japanese ground losses:
113 casualties reported

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TF 133 troops unloading over beach at Mannargudi, 16,23


Japanese ground losses:
25 casualties reported

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TF 13 encounters mine field at Trimcomalee (15,25)

Japanese Ships
DD Hasu
DD Samidare
CA Chokai, Mine hits 1
DD Shikinami

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TF 79 encounters mine field at Trimcomalee (15,25)

Japanese Ships
DD Tanikaze, Mine hits 1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Trimcomalee, at 15,25 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

11 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
CL Sendai, Shell hits 10, on fire, heavy damage
CA Kako
CA Kumano
CA Chokai
BB Fuso
BB Nagato


Allied ground losses:
235 casualties reported
Guns lost 5

Runway hits 2
Port hits 4
Port supply hits 1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Trimcomalee, at 15,25

Japanese Ships
CA Mikuma
CA Haguro
CA Takao
BB Ise


Allied ground losses:
63 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 5
Port hits 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TF 163 encounters mine field at Trimcomalee (15,25)

TF 163 troops unloading over beach at Trimcomalee, 15,25


Japanese Ships
MSW Tama Maru
MSW Ataka Maru
MSW Asahi Maru #2
MSW Aoi Maru
PG Hashidate
DD Akizuki
AP Hakusan Maru, Mine hits 1
AP Kashiwara Maru, Mine hits 1, on fire

Japanese ground losses:
45 casualties reported
Guns lost 2

Coastal Guns at Trimcomalee, 15,25, firing at TF 163
381 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
CA Ashigara, Shell hits 1
CA Suzuya, Shell hits 2
PG Hashidate, Shell hits 1
CA Aoba
CA Furutaka, Shell hits 2

Japanese ground losses:
1842 casualties reported
Guns lost 7

Allied ground losses:
41 casualties reported
Guns lost 2

The troops come ashore.


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Ground combat at Trimcomalee

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 11786 troops, 104 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 354

Defending force 9667 troops, 82 guns, 6 vehicles, Assault Value = 363


Japanese ground losses:
25 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Allied ground losses:
4 casualties reported
Guns lost 2

This was something of a shock, two brigades has been flown in from Madras. I have been intercepting transport planes for the past two days, but apparently I have not been able to stop them.

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Ground combat at Benares

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 80 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1

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

Japanese max assault: 0 - adjusted assault: 2

Allied max defense: 0 - adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Benares base !!!

another base in the interior of India taken without opposition.


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Ground combat at Ahmadabad

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 53 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2

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

Japanese max assault: 2 - adjusted assault: 3

Allied max defense: 0 - adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Ahmadabad base !!!

karachi is now cut off from the rest of India.

[jwilkerson]

Wow two brigades flown in already? He sure has a lot of troops!

As long as you're gonna have ships doing anything at Trincomalee, split out a few minesweepers into an MS taskforce. They will be much more efficient at preventing other ships from hitting minefields.

I'm surprised he can have 28 units approaching Akyab and have spare divisions and brigades all over South India. Maybe there aren't so many divisions and brigades in that big stack.

Well you've certainly distracted his airfarce. That should help cover one more reinforcement convoy to Akyab if you choose to send one in.

Hope you can pull out (by flying if nothing else) some of those airborne units eventually.

[2ndACR]

I was really worried about the air transports of his. I keep a ton of Dakota's and assorted transports in India for fast deployments forward. It really allows the allied player to concentrate his combat forces for rest, but allows him to rapidly fly them where needed. And it being 9/42, he has a ton of transport a/c available to him. I would make some fast transport TF's and have them evac as much of that division as possible.
 
 But I also do the same as the Japanese. Keep a healthy fleet of Tabby's in areas that allow me to rapidly fly in help or evacuate troops from a base. I can keep troops away from most air attacks to recover, yet be able to rapidly respond back forward if needed.

[Hortlund]

Well, this little adventure has convinced me that I need to build up a strategic reserve. Right now I dont have any reserves, only units deployed in forward defensive positions. If I had more units I could push on and take Ceylon, all I would need is one more division. I have such a division, but it is three weeks out, and that makes it pointless to continue the attack.

I am turning back the 1st and 2nd paras, and I ordering the evacuation of the bridgehead at Trincomalee. I turned my surface combat TF into a fast transport TF and managed to lift roughly half of the landed units. whats left on the beach right now is a contingent of roughly 1/4th of the division. I will withdraw to the Andaman Islands to refuel my carriers, and then I will return with a transport TF to rescue whatever can be salvaged of the troops ashore.

[Hortlund]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/08/42

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Sub attack near Trimcomalee at 15,25

Japanese Ships
AP Hakozake Maru
PG Hashidate
MSW Tama Maru
MSW Ataka Maru
MSW Asahi Maru #2
MSW Aoi Maru
DD Akizuki
CA Aoba

Allied Ships
SS KXII

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 15,23


Allied aircraft
B-26B Marauder x 17


Allied aircraft losses
B-26B Marauder: 3 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Chikuma
AP Kashiwa Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Kuretake
AK Muroran Maru

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 6000 feet

This attack scared me. The B-26s are dropping 1000-pounders...that makes them a threat to all my shipping.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 18,25


Allied aircraft
B-26B Marauder x 9


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
PG Muro Maru
AP Rozan Maru
AP Saiho Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 6000 feet

Same here.

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Ground combat at Mannargudi

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 1189 troops, 2 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 38

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

Japanese max assault: 28 - adjusted assault: 5

Allied max defense: 0 - adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 5 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Mannargudi base !!!

Im going to march all my units to Trivandrum and build a little Alamo there. The base has some resources so I should get free supply every day.

[Hortlund]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/09/42

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Day Air attack on 225 Group RAF , at 30,28

Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 26
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 3
Ki-21 Sally x 9
Ki-49 Helen x 67

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21 Sally: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
Ki-49 Helen: 11 destroyed, 45 damaged


Allied ground losses:
181 casualties reported

Aircraft Attacking:
17 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 11000 feet
6 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 11000 feet
11 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 11000 feet
10 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 11000 feet
8 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 11000 feet
12 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 11000 feet


Look at this.

Seriously. Look at this.

This is an airstrike on the telephone pole. Im using only level bombers at 11k. The result? I lost something like 20 bombers and as many damaged. How many AA guns does that stack walk around with? These losses are worse than when I try to bomb one of his airfields.

There will be no more strikes on the telephone pole. This is just a senseless slaughter of my bombers.

[jwilkerson]

Yeah looks like 100s at least of heavy flak - a.k.a. the NE Indian Mobile Flak Army is comming to town!

(sorry for the bad advice - I let thoughts of reality get in my head waaaay too often - and also I haven't played NikMod in a full PBEM campaign either - in the GuadMod - we didn't have huge stacks like this)

[Hortlund]

Heh, its ok. I was impossible to know it was bad advice before trying anyway...who suspected he would bring his entire AAA armory with him down the trail to Akyab.
 
I wonder if my little adventure in India has made him change his plans for Burma. Judging from our email conversations regarding the India debacle, I think its safe to say that he thinks Im a complete retard when it comes to all things WITP [:D] (he doesnt use those exact words though).

[ny59giants]

Once the Allied medium bombers (B-25 Mitchells and B-26 Marauders) get over 70 experience levels there is a die roll that they go through to have the chance to upgrade their bomb load for that mission from 500 to 1000 lb. [X(]
 
I'm playing CHS Nik Mod and in it the Allies in India have lots of light and then again half as many heavy AA flak LCUs to move around. Not a nice place to visit for the Japanese LBA. [:(] Plus, large Allied BF (Aviation Support of 90) carry up to 32 x 90mm AA guns plus the light stuff. Just ask my opponent as he paid a visit to Luganville shortly after I finally moved back in. I had two large BF plus some American AA units along with my fighters. KB lost over a CV worth of planes for that visit alone. Not many fighters, but he's having trouble getting new pilots to man his Vals. [:D]
 
The moral of the story is....India has some serious flak. [:-]

[jwilkerson]

ORIGINAL: Panzerjaeger Hortlund

Heh, its ok. I was impossible to know it was bad advice before trying anyway...who suspected he would bring his entire AAA armory with him down the trail to Akyab.

I wonder if my little adventure in India has made him change his plans for Burma. Judging from our email conversations regarding the India debacle, I think its safe to say that he thinks Im a complete retard when it comes to all things WITP [:D] (he doesnt use those exact words though).

Well if he's right then he'll be camping in Tokyo by 7 Dec 1942 and you'll be put out of your misery!
[:D]

[Jim D Burns]

ORIGINAL: Yakface

There is a problem with Nikmod, this version and the earlier version (both of which I have played).  Unfortunately it takes so many hits to down a bomber that the Allied 4E end up either getting through or aborting long before they are destroyed.  In trying to reduce the all aircraft losses 4E have become almost invulnerable - lots of damaged planes, very few brought down. At least in part it is a problem with the narrow range of damage each plane inflicts during an attack.   If it were more variable, then some would still be destroyed.

But that is historically accurate. The worst raid of the war in terms of downed heavy bombers was the 2nd Schweinfurt raid. 291 bombers took off and 59 were shot down and one ditched in the channel. Almost all the bombers were damaged, but only 60 were lost as a result of air to air action. That’s just 21% of the raid downed by air to air action.

But you have to remember, the two Schweinfurt raids were attacked over and over by hundreds of German fighters (some fighters engaged the raid three times that day) as the bombers traversed hundreds of miles of enemy territory. No raids like that were ever flown in the Pacific. At most bombers were over hostile air space for just a matter of minutes, except for Japanese bombers flying deep into China.

Bomber losses generally tended to be in the 1%-2% category for most raids flown during the war, and if a squadron lost 10% of its planes in a month it was considered combat ineffective for weeks.. Expecting to wipe out all attacking bombers with your fighters in one day is extremely unrealistic.

1st Raid:: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schweinfur ... rg_mission

2nd Raid: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Rai ... rt#_note-0

Bombers accuracy should be toned way down, but fighter’s ability to shoot them down is still far too high, even in nik mod.

Jim

[Q-Ball]

Jim, good points. Do you have a sense for what kind of losses the Japanese incurred on bombing missions? I suspect much higher than the Allies, but I don't have a sense for what that number is.