1275psi(herbiesan) vs gen Hoepner

[1275psi]

SBLT Hannamato

Congradulations for completing your intensive flight training, and your commissioning as a combat pilot
You are posted to his Imperial carrier Akagi , currently alongside Tokyo naval dockyard.
Be onboard no later than 0800 tomorrow.
Good hunting

Commander Ushigara
training command


From
Nagumo
to
Yammato

Am recieving pilots at the rate of 1 per every 2 days.
Have commissioned the Shoho -her pilots do not reach required naval avaiation standards -particularily Kate pilots -many cannot execute an angled attack above 20 degrees at all . Intend to dispatch her to phillipine area of operations for combat training.

[1275psi]

From General Sawada
Southern area command
to
Herbiesan

herbiesan -too busy for detailed reports my friend!
However we have got a good jump in Java, and the enemy is in full retreat to Soerabaya -the divisions chasing are not in the greatest of shape -but I think we can achieve the set timetable.
I have occupied Timor -or will shortly complete this task -this isolates the DEI nicely.
Again I seek all the transport planes be gathered for Burma ops as per the attachment.

Planning for phase 2 ops -the solomons continues.
I intend to invade Legaspi with the new naval guard units in Tokyo shortly.

The plan as agreed at conference is proceeding.

[1275psi]

Flight Diary
Lt yamato
98th sentai

Checked out in the new Ki 49 today
Mixed plane
frighteningly poor take off performance!
Its a shocker to fly -spungy -no confidence in its stability at all.
Does have self sealing tanks though -and better guns.
Rumour we are moving to Java -good, no more Flak forests for us I hope.

[1275psi]

29/1/42
japan sends 50 sonia's and 36 fighters over rangoon, and 53 zeros also sweep the skies -but the allies are holding their forces back -and are not to be drawn into the battle.

In the phillipines heavy bombing at clarke precedes the battle developing there.
The Shoh enters the waters to the west -and begins striking various targets, working up her pilots.

In Java the allies -outflanked at madieon, retreat rapidly towards soerabaya.

In china -a near miss -a big attack at hangkow fails
At Singapore an aborted attack goes in -and gets nowhere -and high command asks who ordered that fiasco!
Brunie -and troops enter there.
In High Command herbiesan rails at the lack of progress - and has to be reminded that it is only the end of January.

[1275psi]

Diary ofSBLT Hanamato
CV Akagi

Well father, I have finally made it.
You, who once said I would be unable to even milk the cow, have been shown to be wrong
I am here, a pilot of the emperor -on her capital strike ship.
The mess is small, the other pilots friendly, my plane is ready.
I am in heaven.
Now to prove I am a man.

[1275psi]

For nearly 6 hours general Homma fought the impulse to order the general attack.
Every bone in his body, every drop of his fighting blood, wanted the attack, needed it.

But he with held the impulse.
The artillery pounded away, and somehow -no matter how confused the reports were of heavy defence, of resolute americans barring his way -he knew that the allies would soon retire.
They must. they would.
They had too.

[1275psi]

For LGeneral Yamamato, commander 15th Army, it had been a salatory lesson.
A company attack -a probe -that was all, had been ordered.
Somehow, it had turned into a full thrust -and damn near broke his army.
Two lessons.
One -check all orders understood
Two -his men were getting impatient to fight

and a third, Herbiesan would not tolerate that again!

[1275psi]

30/1/42
The American B17s from the phillipines re appeared in the war -operating from deep within China
As the day wore on, it became apparent where the majority of the allied planes from Luzon had gone.
China comand would have to be very careful. Like all commands at that time -China command immediately screamed for zeros.

In the DEI the claude fighters from the CVLs were busy at work -sinking several PT boats in the area

Nell bombers pounded madieon - awasted effort - as the allies had already withdrawn -winning the race to soerabaya.
By a tragic mistake some paras landed in the city -and were lucky to escape with their lives.

In Singapore a deliberate attack went in -this one fully planned and prepared for -and failed.

[1275psi]

from
LGEN Yamamato-15th Army
to
LGEN Sawada - Southern area HQ

regret latest push rebuffed with heavy losses.
Must report that am currently unable to press any further attacks until
1/ ammunition ststes rebuilt
2/ fatigue and disablement levels reduced
3/ proper, full preparations conducted

many apologies.

[1275psi]

LGEN Sawada had a very simple procedure for passing bad news to herbiesan

he waited until he was drunk
this was often

the news was passed of the failed attack -correctly, fully, and with no ommissions.

herbiesan acknowledged it.
offered the LGEN a drink
Passed out

Sometimes war is easy.
sometimes its hard.
today was a cinch.

[1275psi]

For private Ado the care free days of cycling down jungle tracks seemed like a dream.
War, the harsh reality of it pressed at hm.
Over half his unit were casualties -and still the officers screamed at them -advance!, advance!

But he was no fool. in the dark, in the din, shell holes offer good cover.
Aim lessly he fired his rifle a few times into the night - he was not so stupid to return from a battle with out doing that.
presently the atack died away.
by dawn they were back where they started from, and anxiously he searched for friends.
"Stupid bastards" how could they attack so unprepared.

4000 dead -and still the australians faced them.

[1275psi]

extract from the minister of production letter to a certain shipbuilding company..........


..........again regret this. Must stop the battleships again -as i simply do not have the capacity to give you the steel..............

....the payments will continue ................they will eventually be built..........
she was very nice thankyou.....................account number as per usual...

[1275psi]

31/1/42
The first mission of the B17 from bases deep within China caused little pysical damage.
Pychologically they shook up the dictator herbiesan quite deeply. They, along with all the phillipine fighters, and the AVG, now meant that China was even more dangerous.
China had already bogged down, the failed attack at Hankow had severly dented the japanese plans..
In Java the troops continued to come ashore at madang, where a dutch SS took revenge -a torpedoe striking the taiyo.
Along with the haranua at kendari -this made the second capital ship the allies had crippled this month.

The new Liz bomber was in action again -bombing canton - its performance declared satisfactory

As hoped, the allies quit Clarke field -the siege of manilla would soon commence -some 31 different allied units identified in the city.
It would be a long siege -something herbiesan was sure would make the general very pleased.

[1275psi]

RADM Takagi almost vomited in horror as the huge plume of water rose from taiyo's midships.
here -graphically -was the cost of being tied to operations supporting landings -the SS could hunt you down.
"Standby to rescue survivors"

Destroyers raced to the scene -hunting for the SS -soon reports of contacts were being recieved on the Zuiho -and the distance crump of charges filled the air.

The Admiral turned his attention back to the taiyo -fully expecting to see the worst. To his joy -she seemed undamaged

"message from the taiyo sir"
" Minor damage to fresh water tanks , some sprung plates -17 percent flooding, 10% loss of propulsion .
have changed our underwear"

[1275psi]

Combat diary
General Kawabe
Burma


.................heavy enemy attack by 4 british regiments at Moulimien today repulsed by the 4th brigade with heavy losses!. EXCELLENT!
I will send those troops my..............
..........is still heading north -and still no sign of the enemy moving there as well.
I have been told by high command to pull my head in about complaints on lack of support -something"big" is promised to me -cannot imagine what, these bloody jungle tracks that pretend to be roads -what a nightmare -how will I ever take mandalaby at the rate one moves on these goat tracks is beyond me...........

[1275psi]

1/2/42

Summary of the war to date
Northern climes

have captured all the islands we intend to capture -digging in

Burma
Approaching tai gyi? - and still at siege at moulmien.
Still, progress is satisfactory

Sumutra
First oil convoys leave palembang today

Java
Siege of soerabaya about to begin, 3 divisions, 35 brigade and a lot of other troops involved
The majority of the fleet stuck now at Tilitijap with NO FUEL -a real cock up!

Singapore
5 divisions here , awaiting 100% prep points, and rebuilding -its going to take at least a month or more I fear to take the place

Timor is secured

PNG
The coast is secured, I have deliberately not assualted rabual -hoping to catch the general trying to evac the place -he has run away from everywhere else.

Gilberts
secured

Solomons
No sign of the enemy yet -I again refrain from attacking here- hoping to destroy large forces here in May -phase 2 ops

Home islands
Building units, a lot of reinforcements to fill out

Phillipines
Siege of manilla -i need to take Naga, to cut his supplys -these troops enroute.

China
I have stalled a lot here.
He simply has no reserves though -all his units at the fronts.
Slowly making progress in the south, wenchow is the next target. I admit to being out played here big time!


Game perspective
The General is a very, very good player -but he is showing a few signs of carry over from Trollelite game - a lot of Sir robin going on -but all the right moves for holding up my advance with minimum cost.
Im playing pretty poorly though -rushed turns (Im still trying to repair a house smashed up last december!), and this costs at times.

To take singapore Im going to have to take soerabaya first -and then crush singapore with 8 divisions.

Then the tricky bit.
[:D]

[1275psi]

2/2/42

The China air war briefly flared, as 100 plus zeros swept across Changsa, seeking the AVG.
11 P40e were destroyed for no loss
But it was apparent that the China front would remain irrepairably bogged down until the burma campaign had cut off the supply routes from India -at the least.
China was proving to be very frustrating -it really appeared though that the general had stripped all his northern bases for action at the front.

At Singapore the bombing continued, the losses continued.

In jave the army reached the outskirts of soerabaya -and prepared to attack.

[1275psi]

Again, once again, the atmosphere in the command tent was tense.
All 7 commanders involved in the attack on singapore were gathered around the map.
Fiercly LGEN Mutaguchi pushed his point -"one more thrust general, one more -we can get the reservoir, just one more"
'Grimly sawada held his ground " No general - we cannot risk our army, I cannot have it wrecked"
LGEN Mori spoke his piece - "I agree with Mutaguchi -we are so close, capture the reservoir, and the island is ours"

Inwardly sawada sighed
His commanders aggression was admirable -desirable. But they were so fixated on this immediate objective, the Glory of Singapore - that the rest of the war had slipped their minds.
'This is my last word on the subject. No more attacks until we are 100% ready -until the british are straving, until the bombers are bombing against no flak."
"Dismiss"

[1275psi]

3/2/42
LGEN Oda would deny it forever.
But this night a regiment of troops attempted to sieze the reservoir through a rushed silent attack.
it was a disaster, 1000 troops being killed or injured.
The allies remained solidly behind their forts.

In java 122 Nells bombed soerabaya, and 70 bombers hit manilla
Things in the war had seemingly stalled, as Herbiesan put the final pieces into place.

[1275psi]

Capt Takeda looked rufelly at the naval might gathered at tjiltjap.
Around him he could see 7 battleships, 3 small carriers, and 10 heavy cruisers.

"and all as useless as this motor boat' he thought as he made his way in said boat towards the Zuiho, " until the fuel arrives"

The carrier was a strange vessel to him, the concept of a ship with out a tower bridge was, well was just wrong.
The news from RADM Takagi however was pleasant.

"Im re organising the fleet here. You are promoted to RADM, and Im giving you the Mutsu and Nagato.
Your BB squadron is going to Goto -if he gets here -and that firebrand Tanaka is getting the cruisers.'

"I am being recalled to Japan with the carriers. take charge of the final conquests of the DEI and borneo."
he smiled "Congratulations friend -but Im sorry, more bombardments I'm afraid"

The new RADM Smiled back " Thats Ok sir, I'm actually beginning to enjoy it" Promotion, new responsibilities, new plans. "Sir, the fuel situation?"