Threadwar 3x3 - Japanese Animal War

[Mike Solli]

13 Mar 42
 
We continued to land troops at Noumea and Cagayan, and invaded Sabang. 
 
The S-45 put a torpedo into an AK at Noumea (causing surprisingly light damage) and in return, an escort hit her with a depth charge. [:D]
 
At Pt. Blair, the Allied AK that was torpedoed yesterday sank and Bruce's venerable Nells and Bettys sank the DD Electra to boot!  He's making the Allied reinforcement of Pt. Blair very costly.  I hope they decide to increase the port and airfield levels for us.  That's on Bruce's hit list.
 
In the Aleutians, 5 Allied DDs raided Attu and sank half a dozen AGs.  They were empty but were used to supply Kiska.  I expected to lose them eventually.  No matter they'll come back soon.  I have a SAG headed that way composed of a CA, 2 CLs and 4 DDs.  I have to be careful with it because the Allies have a couple of BBs there, but I hope to catch some of the light ships sailing around up there.  It'll be in the area in a couple of days.

[Mike Solli]

13 Mar 42 (Continued)
 
I forgot to mention that Speedy has 4 US CVs hanging around off the coast of Tarawa.  The reason we know that all 4 are there is because they launched 133 SBDs at Tarawa the first time we ran the 12 Mar turn.  The rerun of the 12 Mar turn and the 13 Mar turns had the CVs just sitting off the coast doing nothing.  Faber has moved 3 Daitai of Zeros and 2 Daitai of Nells to Tarawa hoping for a launch tomorrow.  The US CVs appear to be heading east.  We'll see what (if anything) happens.

[BrucePowers]

!3 March 42 continued. IJN Nells and Betty's operating out of Victoria Point have managed to sink 3 DDs of a 4 DD British ASW force west of Port Blair. Hopefully this is the start of an air campaign to close the Indian Ocean to allied shipping.

[fabertong]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

13 Mar 42 (Continued)

I forgot to mention that Speedy has 4 US CVs hanging around off the coast of Tarawa.  The reason we know that all 4 are there is because they launched 133 SBDs at Tarawa the first time we ran the 12 Mar turn.  The rerun of the 12 Mar turn and the 13 Mar turns had the CVs just sitting off the coast doing nothing.  Faber has moved 3 Daitai of Zeros and 2 Daitai of Nells to Tarawa hoping for a launch tomorrow.  The US CVs appear to be heading east.  We'll see what (if anything) happens.

This move has surprised me........I don't expect an Invasion.......but this is a risky move for the allies....but not without possible reward.....if my planes are destroyed on the ground or in the air without any return.....with the HR about units only from HQ in theatre....then a full raid on Kwaj. is possible....for this reason I'm moving some high value units out.........

[Mike Solli]

14 Mar 42
 
Today, another AK was sunk off Pt. Blair from Bruce's Nells and Bettys.  To add insult to injury, Nells put 3 torps into an AK 120 miles west of Rangoon.  He's doing a wonderful job of beating on the RN. [:D] 
 
The Rowboat Corps took tagbilaran and our victorious troops also took Sabang.
 
There were attacks at 3 enemy bases.  Honan's forts were reduced to level 1 with 3:1 odds.  Not quite enough to take the base.  We caused 2300 Chinese casualties to 2326 Japanese casualties.
 
I attacked Ningpo with the forces available.  I didn't expect to take the city yet but I wanted to see what I was facing.  0:1 odds, [8|] but I discovered only fort level of 1.  More forces are approaching so a better attack will occur soon.
 
Finally, Faber attacked cagayan.  The odds were 1:1 and the fort level was reduced from 2 to 1.  There were 125 Allied casulaties to 363 Japanese casualties.
 
Finally, Attu finally built a level 1 airfield.

[Mike Solli]

15 Mar 42
 
The AK damaged off Pt. Blair yesterday sank today.  Also, one of Bruce's Sallys put a 250 kg bomb into the Shark in the Malacca Strait.  British shipping in the area of Pt. Blair and Rangoon has evaporated. [:D]
 
In the Noumea campaign, Speedy's subs put a torpedo into an AP at Noumea and and AK at Luganville.
 
We took Woodlark and Pagai Islands (both dot bases) and landed at Mussau Island. 
 
There were attacks on Honan and Noumea again.  At Honan, The fort level dropped from 2 to 1, 1:1 odds, and 1586 Chinese casualties to 1271 Japanese casualties.
 
Noumea's attack didn't do much.  The fort level remained at 3, Odds were 0:1, and Allied Casualties were 241 to 524 Japanese casualties.
 
Nagoya's port increased to level 4.  Guam and Tarawa's airfields increased to level 4.

[Mike Solli]

16 Mar 42
 
The SS Finback made an unsuccessful attack (60 miles east of Noumea) on an empty TF heading north from Noumea.  An escorting PC made a direct hit on the Finback. 
 
We captured Mussau Island.  The Allies caught on to our Rowboat Corps and captured Ogliugu (a dot base next to Adak). 
 
Our gallant troops on Adak finally succumbed to overwhelming force on Adak.  They caused casualties all out of proportion to their loss. 
 
A Hudson bomber caused light damage to an AK with one of their feeble 250 lb bombs.
 
We began landing troops at Siberoct Island.
 
There were several Japanes attacks today:
 
Honan - The fort level was reduced from 1 to 0 in a 1:1 attack.  There were 1795 Chinese casualties to 1374 Japanese casualties.
 
Cagayan - In a 1:1 attack, the fort level was reduced from 1 to 0.  There were 137 Allied casualties to 289 Japanese casualties.
 
Puching - The fort level was reduced from 5 to 4 in a 2:1 attack.  There were 18 Chinese casualties to 157 Japanese casualties.

[USSAmerica]

Mike, what kind of ground forces do you have at Noumea, and what do you think you are up against there?

[Mike Solli]

Let's see, here's what I have:
 
1st Gds Mixed Bde
South Seas Det
Maizuru 4 SNLF
21 Res Eng Reg
1 Mtr Reg
 
Here's what Chris has:
 
14 NZ Bde
BICNM In Bn (no clue what this unit is other than an infantry bn)
754 Tk Bn
47 USGS Eng (US Geological Survey? [:D])
131 US FA Reg
147 US FA Reg
148 US FA Reg
51 US BF
812 EAB

[Mike Solli]

17 Mar 42
 
Reinforcements:  G2/4 Daitai (27 Bettys exp 75) at Hiroshima for Southern Area.
 
Bruces's IJAAF did a nice job on ASW patrols off the coast of Malaya today.  Helens put 2 250kg bombs into the S-39 and she promptly sank.  They also put one into the Spearfish.  Banzi Bruce!
 
We took Siberoet Island (dot base west of Summatra) and landed at Kiriwina Island.
 
There were several attacks:
 
Nanchang - I moved a force over the river to Nanchang and was forced to shock attack.  Japanese losses were 3435 to 67 Chinese casualties.  Now I'm there they will bombard until they recover then try to retake the base.  The main reason for this is to pull back some of Bob's Great Yellow Horde that is headed toward Shanghai (I think).
 
Ningpo - Japanese assault reduced the fort level from 2 to 1 with 1:1 odds.  There were 1084 Japanese to 846 Chinese casualties.
 
Pucheng - We took the base with a regiment against a weak Chinese unit.  The reason for this attack was to, again, give the Great Yellow Horde something else to think about.  I'll try and post a picture later today so you can see it.
 
Cagayan - Japanese attack, 1:1 odds almost ousted the Allied defenders.  Faber will take it in the next couple of days.
 
 

[BrucePowers]

The ASW aircraft are gaining experience. If Speedy wants to put his subs in confined spaces I will continue to try and sink them[:)]

[Mike Solli]

18 Mar 42
 
Bruces ASW planes nicked the Allies again.  This time a Lily put a 100 kg bomb into the tarpon.  His Nells also sank an AK at Rangoon.
 
The KXVIII put a torp into one of our AKs 120 miles south of Balikpapan. 
 
There were several ground attacks today. 
 
Cagayan - Faber attacked Cagayan again, to no avail.
 
The Chinese attacked me 1 hex west of Yangku causing 698 Japanese casualties to 381 Chinese casualties.
 
The Chinese counterattacked my force at Nanchang pushing them back across the river.  There were 290 Japanese casualties to 342 Chinese casualties.  So much for that incursion. [8|]

[Mike Solli]

19 Mar 42
 
We got two chutai today; one each Val and Kate.  These were units that were disbanded into KB 90 days ago.  An interesting thing happened.  They both came back at 75 average experience and didn't use any of the pilots from the pilot pool.  Odd......
 
We lost an AP to old damage today.
 
On the ground, we took Kiriwina Island (a dot base) and landed at Dadjangas (southern part of Mindinao).  The Chinese evacuated Honan!  We'll take it next turn.
 
Three Japanese divisions from the Honan attack force are now headed south toward Shanghai to reinforce the forces there.  I'm not sure what to do with the force remaining, about 100k troops.  Gotta think about that a bit.

[Mynok]

Did you give up Nanchang?

[Mike Solli]

Not intentionally.

[Mike Solli]

20 Mar 42
 
I-27 put a torpedo into the AO Sabine about 400 miles east of Fiji.  I'm sure she was a part of Speedy's carrier's replenishment TF.  Hopefully, that'll put a crimp in their operations.
 
Three Allied DDs hit the I-4 with a depth charge about 500 NE of Pago Pago.  She'll make port but she's now added to the long list of damaged subs. [8|]
 
On the ground, the Rowboat Corps took Aoba Island (near Luganville).  We took Honan, which Bob evacuated yesterday.  Also, Faber finally took Cagayan in a 2:1 attack.
 
Lunga's airfield reached level 4, allowing the 3 Betty Daitai to carry torpedoes, if Speedy's carriers are stupid enough to come within range.

[Mike Solli]

21 Mar 08
 
The SE Fleet got a Nate Sentai (in Mukden).  They flew do Osaka, upgraded to Oscars, and were loaded on a supply TF headed for Truk.
 
We lost an AP to old damage.
 
The Allied version of the Rowboat Corps took Atka Island, in the Aleutians.
 
We took Nias Island ( west of Summatra).  We also took Ningpo in a 6:1 attack.  Unfortunately, because of the mess in that area, the Chinese were able to escape.

[Mike Solli]

22 Mar 42
 
Not much happened today, except for the crew of the KXVII.  She sank an AK and damaged an AP carrying troops from the Gds Division.  They, along with a whole lot of other troops, are headed for Pt. Blair on a roundabout trip to Rangoon.
 
Bob's Great Yellow Horde pushed a speedbump (1/2 an infantry brigade) from the hex west of Hangchow.
 
There was various artillery and air bombardment at various strategic bases (which happens daily).
 
KB is still hanging around Noumea flying LRCAP over Noumea.  Niceguy is attempting to reinforce Noumea with the 8 NZ Bde using Catalinas and B-17s.  We shoot down a few each turn.
 
I've got an SNLF and NG heading to Noumea with more soon to follow.  It's a stalemate down there right now.  Eventually, I'll get an airfield built nearby to be able to use the daitai of G5N Liz aircraft to bomb Noumea out of existance.  That plane carries 4 x 500kg bombs. [X(] [:D]

[Mike Solli]

23 Mar 42
 
Still plugging away.  The Yukaze caught the Dutch sub KXV on the surface and put 2 torpedoes and 26 4.7" shells into her. [X(] Needless to say, she sank like a stone. [:D]
 
The only other item of note was that Singapore hit port level 9.  Now MLs can load there. [:D]
 
We landed troops at Deboyne Island, another dot base off the SE coast of New Guinea.

[Mike Solli]

24 Mar 42
 
Completely uneventful day.  Subs missed ships on both sides and ships missed subs on both sides.  We took Deboyne Island. (Sarcastic smiley.)
 
Pt. Arthur's airfield hit level 6.  Also, Luganville's airfield hit level 1.  We can now station some fighters there to protect the flying boats that will be there soon.
 
The additional forces headed to Noumea include 2 SNLFs and 2 Naval Guard units.  One of the SNLFs is marching south on New Caledonia to Noumea to ensure the Allied forces surrender rather than retreat. 
 
KB is still tooling around Noumea flying LRCAP to shoot down planes flying in reinforcements.  Today they got 5 planes (2 B-17Es and 3 Catalinas).  Hopefully, Niceguy is beginning to have ulcers over this. [:D]
 
Bruce is mounting invasions of Australia (probably at Wyndham initially) and Pt. Blair, which will then invade Burma.  When he gets a chance, I'm sure he'll give more details.