1275psi(herbiesan) vs gen Hoepner

[1275psi]

Radm Takagi sighed.
It would be another 2 days before sufficient fuel arrived -at least.
A terrible fact of life for any Admiral.while at sea with a war, a task force to sail, one could concentrate purely on that.
Now here, at anchor, a different, but no less vital war had to be fought.
The war on paper....

Again he sighed.
Another combat report, that Captain of the Hibiki, yes, another complaint about the lack of AA weaponary, as if HE did not know...........

[1275psi]

11/2/42
Things begin to quicken with the war again
Over 120 nells, 33 helens, 76 sally hit soerabaya - and this time the bombing is highly accurate, many of these planes have come from the Singapore battles -and are very experienced.
Flak is moderate -4 bombers taken down

Tha army uses the air attack to pave the way for another attack -the fighting is heavy, but progress is solid and very encouraging.

manilla is again bombed with poor results.
The American B17 is again sighted in action, operating from darwin 6 of them harass the shipping in Kendari harbour -but miss.

General Homma's urgent request for more troops is answered, 2 naval guard units begin to land against no opposition at legaspi -objective to cut of all supply generating bases south of manilla.

The biggest news of the war though occurs at tauyng gyi, where recon probes from the 33rd division reveal just the 1st and 2nd Burma rifles.
The Division agressively manouveres -and plans to attack the next day -a risky move -with such a long supply line.
the attack must succeeed, and capture the airfield

In Timor, destroyer landed troops capture lautern.

[1275psi]

Flight log
Lt Yamato 98th sentai

magnificant day today!
operating from batavia field -target Soerabaya.
200 plus navy and Army bombers.
Took off at 0900 -circled for some 30 mins waiting for aother squadrons to get airborne -some of the navy fellows flew circuits for nearly 2 hours!

Co ordination was tricky -but the HQ staff had us well organised today.
Flak light -target plain to see -bombing good.
Ones confidence mightily restored.
The new bomber is still terrible to fly -every take off I wonder if we will get clear.
Today marked mission 18.
I feel a veteran!

[1275psi]

From
LGEN Sawada
to
His imperial greatness -herbiesan

..............and progress in soerabaya is quite satisfactory, I give this battle about a week and we should be securing the place.
critical moment in Burma, if 33rd division succeeds I may be able to give poor Kawabe a nice surprise, he deserves it I think.........

troops in Singapore are conserving strength as you ordered -I do feel that in a weeks time a resumption of the attack should occur.........

......and the vases were"liberated" from a newly secured area in Singapore this week -I belive that 3rd century Ming is interesting to you, I hope that they will add much to your collection.........

[1275psi]

Captain Umeya could simply not believe his eyes.
There were no waves any longer here in the barents sea -just liquid mountains detirmined to drive little Hosho into the depths.
And the wind!
The freezing cold he could handle -but these seas!

A carrier strike from the barents sea?
What had they been thinking!?

[1275psi]

11/2/42
Again the bombers hit soerabaya today - 123 nell, 33 helen,76 sally. 4 bombers are lost, 30 are damaged, but the strikes are destroying the dutch resistance, another deliberate attack reduces the enemy defences yet again, the noose tightens further.

a mixture of navy and Army bombers strike manilla -again poorly.
Landings at laegaspi continue.

In Burma the critical action occurs. 33rd division strikes.
In later times much would be made of the battle.
The 2 british Brigades had known the japanese were coming for weeks now, and knew that with out the airfield the Japanese troops would be at the end of a long, tenous supply line -that they must attack.

Many would later blame the tremendous thunderstorm that blinded many, others the lack of clear orders.
Most certaintly think the British thought the japanese troops must rest before the attack.
Whatever the reason , the attack simply caught the defenders off guard -burtsing into, and through the defences before many even realised that an attack was occuring.

The 2 brigades simply shattered.
Worse, By middday -33rd division was able to report to a jubiliant Gen Kawabe that the small crude field was intact, and ready to recieve planes.

And recieve planes they would.
LGEN Sawada of Southern Command siezed the opportunity, a large air bridge of transport planes swung into action - from bangkok, from hanoi -troops and supplies were on their way.

[1275psi]

12/2/42


Combat diary
Gen Kawabe
Burma Command

........BANZIA!!!............and high command inform me that I have reinforcements!.
To mandalaby! -We march!
Banzia!!

[1275psi]

13/2/42
The war continued in much the same vien as the last few at the main points of the conflict
japanese bombing and deliberate artillery at Manilla, Singapore and Soerabaya.

The allies were a little active this day -B17s over Timor, as they again tried to interdict Japanese destroyer troop ship landings at Dilli.

Timor was now basically secure -with Kendari and Ambionia also secured, any prospect for relief for the defenders st soerabaya were now gone.

In Burma the allies shocked attacked at Moulmien -but the 21st and 4th regiments were simply too strong for them.
With Taung gyi now firmly in the Japanese Armies grip - and the Transports flying in in a concentrated effort -the troops at moulmien were in grave danger of being cut off. the retreat to the North began

IN two Japanese HQs jubilation ensued -Burma and Southern command both now convinced that the bold -minimum thrust -would work.
They had no comprehension yet of the shock that awaited them.

[1275psi]

From
LGEN SAWADA -Southern Command
to
General Kawabe

Congradulations on siezing Taung gyi - you bring honour to the Army with your bold thrust.

General - you must now move as quickly as possible
Our agents tell me that Rangoon will be an open city -waste no time investing it -proceed to taung Gyi with your 2 regiments as fast as you can get the rails to work.
You will find a large proportion of the population welcoming you as liberators.
In addition, you will find that our delivery of 6 Steam engines, and 100 rail cars last december -"Under our Co operation agreement "of last year extremely useful.
We contrived to have them delayed at the docks all last year -they will still be there.

It is imperitive that Lashio is taken, the Chinese are fighting very hard, bolsted by the terrorist Churchill promise to leave the Burma road open. You Must cut it.

Accordingly I am flying to your command numbers of SNLF, and Base force units to the point of advance -use them wisely!.
Again I ......................

[1275psi]

from
15th army HQ
25th Army HQ
to
Southern area HQ

100% preparations will be completed 19th of this month
Request permission to resume attack 20th.

From Southern HQ
Approved.

[1275psi]

herbiesan thoughts

Im pretty pleased still with the war
Biggest Sir Robin I've ever seen in this game, I will have to exploit it.
The game is very much fun, no gamey stuff here -I have tried to have air cover for all invasions.
The general is really piling it on in China -troops now to the north of canton as well as in the city.
I think China will stalemate mainly.
I have noticed a big drop in HI points -will have to find out what the Minister of production is doing!

[1275psi]

14/2/42
Over 100 bombers hit manila today, and the results were not too bad.
Its was going to take a long time, but the enemy would not be counterattacking any time soon.

The allies sent some Hudsons and B17s to Kupang, the zeros were unable to shoot any down, the bombers unable to hit anything.
Dili fell, and this completed the conquest of timor

The attacks at soerabaya again went in, the defences being slowly prised apart

In Burma, the enemy were definately retreating as fast as they could from moulmien.
Things continued to shine for the army in burma.

[1275psi]

From Herbiesan
to
LGEN Sawada -Southern Command

Sawada -I do not want to pre empt the planning metings due next week on disposition of troops for the phase 2 operations.
However -please consider the following

1/
Enemy "sir robin tactics"
2/ Crises in China
3/ The fact that we will soon have taken all the war aims -ie, the oil and resources needed.
In the meantime, I authorise you to start -as soon as shipping becomes availabel -to start trickling construction battalions and companies out of manchuria.
Nothing Dramativ, or that will raise army ire -or the russian bears at that as well!

I am thinking that already we should be thinking about defence...................

[1275psi]

For private Ado, the dawn brought confirmation that soon he would again be thrown into the terror of battle.

Across the entire island, and from malaya -the Artillery began -a great bombardment.
A bombardment that could only mean one thing - an attack was soon to come.

[1275psi]

15/2/44

A very un eventual day in the war
Heavy artillery at Singapore, and at Manilla.
Most Army bombers rested today
Japanese troops occupied Moulmien, and continued the pursuit, while 33rd division way to the north attempted to head west and to cut the rail line from Mandalaby to Rangoon.
The roads -if you could call them that, would completely frustrate that attempt.

[1275psi]

For Capt Umeya, the whole week had taken on almost an operatic air.
A grand stage of nature, with his little Hosho and her escorts as mere bit players in a swirling maelstorm of wind and snow and sleet, and a never ending parade of swells, huge and towering.

Hosho was barely making headway, as again, and again her little form struggled up, over, or sometimes through each liquid mountain.
Umeya was cold -as cold as he had ever been in his life -had he ever been warm?

A lookout was shouting -something -the wind whipping his words away -Umeya grimly tried to make his way to him.
Before he'd even got half way, the cause of the lookouts concern burst overhead - a big PBY, at almost wave top level.

For just an instant they were close enough for Umeya's eyes to lock into the pilots, and then they were gone -into the howling weather.
Umeya would always wonder who got the greatest shock - his lookout, or the pilot.

What fate was this -in this weather for that plane to spot him -to actually fly across his decks?

For a few minutes he contemplated the weather, the fact of surprise lost -his little Claudes as opposed to what Dutch harbour probably held.

$#@!@$% this. It was too cold.
"Navigator! -set course for home -this is busted"

[1275psi]

An Extract of a letter from Minister of production to a certain plant in Shanghia


....................... further more I did not promise you contract at that price. You have been more than compensated for your position and support. Its simple. Oil costs x yen per ton. You will pay this price. Your products costs me Y per object. I agree to pay this.
We both take our cut.
Simple.
But you have forgotten that things now have changed - withdrawing your production at this time over price is not wise -Herbiesan needs those weapons and is watching carefully.
A full division of troops are in Shanghia.

Pay your price -oil is on the way.
I pray that we here no more from you or my other China contacts over this matter, as I find it very dis agreeable to my indigestion.
On further matters..........

[1275psi]

HI Pool plummetting
(No oil in China)[:(]

[USSAmerica]

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

HI Pool plummetting
(No oil in China)[:(]

[:D]
Herbiesan, I am enjoying your AAR very much! Keep up the great work! [8D]

[1275psi]

Thankyou[:'(]

16/2/42
Despite the swinging of the majority of the Armies bombers to the battle of Soerabaya, some bombers had been re tained for the operatiopns against singapore.
Despite the apparent " lower piority" of this battle, there were still daily calls for air support from the troops attacking, or probing the weakening allied defences.

Lower piority or not, war takes no back seat. 20 Sally Bombers sortied this day -attacking artillery positions near the city centre.
In A terrible 5 minutes, Flak tore 5 of their numbers from the sky - a quarter of the strike.
This particular squadron would have to be with drawn from the battle

At Soerabaya - where the main bomber wieght was being thrown -things were nearly as bad - out of 140 mixed army and navy bombers thrown into the battle, 15 would not return.

These losses simply would not be sustainable for much longer.

Manilla bombers -now 150 strong, suffered perversly no losses.

The Grinding continued at Soerabaya -the defences all but breached.
In the harbour all dutch papers were being burnt.