Shattering the Sword. Cantona2 (a) vs Herbiesan (j)

[cantona2]

Herbiesan has over 4,000 troops at Lashio, i had no idea you could airlift such a large number in only a couple of turns. Seems that the one brigade will not be enough. Theres one more railing in hopefully it will get there in time. I get the 'transports intercepted' message but is it a random dice roll to see if any are shot down?
 
Palembang also fell but according to intel, and as admitted by Herbie, over 65% of its installations were destroyed [;)] No substantial litres of fuel will flow from here to the HI's. Three Dutch subs and one British one are hanging around the port in order to try and snipe at any of his ships that are leaving the area.
 
Turn was a relatively quiet one, considering the game date. Ive spotted the Baby KB heading to Palau and an AP laden transport heading toeards the Ambonia area. The CA Exeter and CL Boise and attendant destroyers making for Mendao will try and intercept and stike at this convoy that is being tracked from Sorong, Ambonia and Mendao.

[cantona2]

Small update.

Hong Kong has fallen and has finally made a landfall in the Souhthern Phillipines. The Battle for Luzon will now and truly begin. Bagio, Manila, Clarke and Bataan are fortifed and awaiting the onslaught. The aim is to bleed and delay and keep as many of his units there for as long as possible. In Malaya he has steadily advanced southerwards be we still hold KL and Georgetown. The only significant enemy force we have battled is the 18th Infantry Division.
In Burma the SEAC Chinese units are bearing down on Lashio. That should give him two axes to worry about. The Tojos from Canton have transferred to Lashio and H mentioned that they are starrng in his AAR so they may see some action and keep you lot entertained.

At sea he has savaged a lot of the small phillipino AK's but has successfully been able to blockade Manila. Singapore has almost been evacuated of seaworthy ships and the remaining ones will run the gauntlet once their state of repair allows. My subs have once again started to hit targets regularly, both Dutch and US. Two British boats have just joined the party and are sniping at transports carrying his troops to Toboali. He bombarded Batavia this last turn and two of his DD's hit mines. Martins later on in the day finished one off as it floundered in the water. The other one will be dealt with tomorrow. I only lost one B-10 and some port hits to the raid, so not bad. As a matter of fact the sea loss ratio today was 6-0 in my favour [:D]

[cantona2]

Herb has also made a two pronged assault into the Ambonia area with heavy surface units supported by carrier presence. Our af stacking rules, at herbies request, mean that he has to commit a large portion of the KB to provide air support for his SCTF's. Ive emptied the area of units until his carriers bugger off then i aim to quickly strike as his transports reinforce and resupply. Ambonia airfield is at level 3 so no torp carrying Nells or Betties will hit my forces. Im sure his aiming to cut the DEI from support from Australia. I have a squadron of B-17's at Darwin and will fly another in from Brisbane once it has expanded to level 4.

[cantona2]

Dutch aircraft are gaining in experience. BB Nagato received a bomb on the turret and an AK at Pontianak recieved abot 7 500lbers in two different waves of attacks. This linked with the fact that the swordfish at Singers have remembered to use torpedos porperly bodes well when the Japanese invasion hits Java.

I have given up trying to regain Lashio and now intend to cut them off. The 1st Burma Brigade and the 13th Indian Brigade, originally the Lashio relief force, are now bound for Mandalay. 18th British Division is already railing south from Karachi having arrived a few days ago. Herbie is playing conservatively in the south but playing hard, and very well in Burma. I love the challenges each PBEM opponent throws up.

[cantona2]

Another turn in which my submarines wreck havoc with herbs shipping. Here are some snippets from the combat report.

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Sub attack near Maloelap  at 85,86

Japanese Ships
AG Kaijo Torakku SD-19, Shell hits 4,  on fire Barge left on fire.

Allied Ships
SS Thresher
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Sub attack at 40,46

Japanese Ships
AP Shirashika Maru, Torpedo hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage Ship sinks.

Allied Ships
SS Swordfish

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Sub attack near Majuro  at 84,88

Japanese Ships
ML Tsugaru Dud torpedo hit

Allied Ships
SS Cachalot

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Sub attack near Toboali  at 21,57

Japanese Ships
AK Bujun Maru, Torpedo hits 3,  on fire,  heavy damage Ship sinks [:D]
PG Tatsumiya Maru
PC Shumshu

Allied Ships
SS Trusty

------------------------------------
Sub attack near Toboali  at 21,57

Japanese Ships
AP Ryugi Maru, Torpedo hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage Trusty strikes again.
PG Tatsumiya Maru
PC Shumshu

Allied Ships
SS Trusty

------------------------------------

The down side was a monumental cock up on my part. I had moved a SCTF based on the CA Exeter and CL's Boise and Marblehead into a position where i could strike at his forces in the Ceram/Banda Sea area once his carriers had moved off. I sailed them into Balikpapan where the following happened:

Day Air attack on TF, near Balikpapan at 31,64

Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 24

Allied aircraft
Brewster 339D x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell: 1 destroyed, 11 damaged


Allied Ships
CL Boise, Torpedo hits 2,  on fire,  heavy damage
DD Bulmer, Torpedo hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage
CA Exeter
CL Marblehead, Torpedo hits 1
First strike [:(]
--------
Day Air attack on TF, near Balikpapan at 31,64

Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 7

Allied aircraft
Brewster 339D x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell: 4 damaged
Allied Ships
CA Exeter, Torpedo hits 3,  on fire,  heavy damage
Second Wave [:(]
 
No ships were sunk but my strike force, and strongest naval forve in the SRA is not combat effective. The Exeter, Boise and Bulmer are all in dry dock, the other ships are heading to Perth. A major FUBAR! Forgot Kuching had a Level 4 airfield.

Meanwhile off Lingayen this was the sight that met two roaming MTB's. The result, one missed torpedo and one MTB sunk. Ive not seen so many ships in one screen before lol.

[cantona2]

A visual report of the current situation in the Ceram and Banda Seas.

[cantona2]

I hate these buggers.

[cantona2]

The CA Exeter lost her fight against the severe flooding caused by the three torpedo strikes yesterday and floundered in Balikpapan's Harbour. The Boise and Bulmer, however still struggle to survive!
 
The Baby KB off Kendari, im assuming the Baby KB as there were only 6 Claudes on CAP, was  subject to a torpedo attack but the only ship attacked was a PC on picket duty, and she escaped unscathed. Ambonia was bombarded but the coastal guns were able to pierce the CL Natori's armour and leave her burning and moving at a slower speed, hopefully more vulnerable to attack!
 
On Java, Herb has landed an SNLF on Merak and so begins the assault on Java. Subs again sink more ships, this time the AP Ryugi Maru, already hit by the SS Trusty yesterday. The subs in the area are forming a ring around Merak and Batavia in the hope of sinking a transport full of troops. The DD Inazuma, who had hit a mine at Batavia, was finished off by B-10's out of Batavia, the second such victim for the Dutch bomber pilots in a week.
 
In the mountains of central Malaya the 18th Division was stopped dead in its tracks by a brilliant rearguard acrion by two Indian Brigades. They have bought time for the complete evacuation of Kuantan. In Burma the AVG shot down another Lashio Oscar and damage a few of the Tojo's on CAP.

[cantona2]

My early assumptions that Herbiesan was a conservative player have been blown out of the water. He has made a lightning strike on Java with landings at Merak and para drops in Kragen, leaving this base ungarrisoned was an oversite on my part. A KNIL Regiment is on its way to assault and try to kick the paras out. The screenie below shows an over view of the position at Java Christmas Day 1941.



Landings have also been made in Ambonia and its aircraft have relocated to Wyndham, Madoen and Kendari. I expect the base to fall tomorrow, the day after at the latest. Two dutch subs tail the Jap carrier now heading towards Timor.

Submarines again were very active across the theatre. Another barge was hit at Kwajelein and more shipping was detected at Maleop. A CV raid on this atoll headed by the CV Lexington is enroute from Palmyra along with a bombardment group. Just a token gesture but one designed to make him think about the central pacific as well. A dutch sub missed after firing a 4 fish spread at the BB Mutsu, though she received a bomb hit from the surprisingly accurate Dutch B-10's. A fuel laden tanker was hit in a daylight surface attack with shells and torpedos. Still as shown below the submarine is my most effective killer.



In China, the advance Corps of the Central Army have entered the suburbs of Ichang to find the city bereft of defenders. The Japanese High Command probably did not want to waste troops in this salient. The units there will finish occupying the city tomorrow and then the Central Army will use it as a base of operations.

[cantona2]

New York Herald 26th December 1941

News from the Pacific Theatre.

We have finally struck back for Freedom against the yellow peril that assails all free loving peoples of this world. In response to their cowardly and perfidious attack on the Phillipines and on our British allies at Singapore, the aircraft carrier Lexington and her battle group has attacked the Japanese forward base at Maloelap. Diving out of the midday sun as to blind the anti-aircraft gunners, our brave Dauntless pilots, in wave after wave of sleek blue aircraft, pounded the Japanese mercilessly. These young men, the cream of our naval aviation, left the airbase there in flames. A direct hit on the fuel depot left a billowing balck cloud visible as far away as Baker Island. The airfield was cratered with multiple bomb hits and numerous transport planes were destroyed on the ground. Escorting fighters were left to circle above the diving bombers as the cowardly Japanese Air Force failed to make an appearence. As the evil Jap rapes the Dutch East Indies he should not forget to keep his back door shut or Uncle Sam will come and bite him hard.



Declassifed image from US Admiralty Office showing a recon flight over target area.

[cantona2]

Elsewhere in theatre:
 
The Japanese carrier in the Timor Sea finally caught up with a Dutch SCTF that had been evading it in the hope of sneaking back to Ambonia for a night strike against the unloading transports. The CL De Ruyter was badly damaged but is slowly limping to Derby to get rid of her flotation damage, the DD Banckert was sunk and another 3 Dutch DD's are steaming to Darwin and its dry docks, and more importantly its LRCAP cover.
 

 
Another 4 Japanese ships were confirmed sunk today, an AP, an AK and two MSW's. Two more ships were hit by submarines with another couple receiving dud hits or misses.
 
Ichang fell yesterday and as the final units march into the region, the push westwards will begin.
 
The following screenie shows the current situation in Malaya. The 18th Division is still bogged down in the mountains but a strong force is trying to force the flank through Kuala Lumpur. KL is well garrisoned but i must maintain control of the railway in order to keep on conducting a fighting withdrawl to Singapore. I have left two Dutch coastal subs based at Singapore should herb try and outflank my front with a landing at Kuantan, but the sheer amount of shipping around Luzon and Java, most of his heavy surface units hace been id'ed in these two theatres, makes this unlikely at the moment.
 

 
In Java, more Japanese troops have landed taking advantage of the bad weather that has grounded my 'deadly' B-10's (they've already accounted for 2 DD's and a couple of AK's already). The outlook for tomorrow is for more thunderstorms, damn weather is also closing the aerodromes of Northern Australia as well, so it will be up to the subs to snipe at the landing forces again. The KNIL regiment made Kragen and Hawks and Demons have intercepted transports for the second day running. The regimental artillery is setting up for a bombardment tomorrow.

[cantona2]

Java is currently looking as a Japanese Carrier Convention centre. H has some parked outside Sorebaja and another, now positively identified as a CVE, just West of Koepang. Ships of all shapes and sizes are converging on Java. One stream heads towards Merak, another towards Kragen and a large convoy has been spotted heading SW near Pontianak. B-10's once again are peoving their worth with another 8 bomb hits on different vessels. The Dutch Air Force again surprised me by downing two Kates from the above mentioned CVE. This time Brewsters flying LRCAP from Sorebaja.
 
 
The Lexington successfully pulled away from Maleoap and is now heading towards Pearl, which is still ringed by subs that elude my numerous ASW killer groups. A first wave of base force reinforcements has arrived, One will head to Palmyra, one to Adak and one to Attu Island. Likewise teo assault engineer units from Karachi are being railed south to Dacca.
 
A quiet day at sea with only 1 small coastal class AK and one PT sunk. In the air, the loss ratio was dramatically in my favour, surprising considering we're still in Decemebr 41.

[cantona2]

29th Decemeber 1941

What an action packed turn.

The night phase saw an AP sunk at Takao by the SS Shark. She sunk one more fish into the crippled transport and down she went. Then a PT squadron intercepted a reinforcement convoy heading to Kragen. One ship was hit by two torpedoes and one torp hit another transport, while all of them were raked by machine gun fire. Over 100 casualties were reported and the damaged transport left burning and slow moving in the water.



The KB, parked just outside Sorebaja, had a field day both with my Brewsters and ships. Heres a damage report of her three strikes on Sorebaja:

DD Whipple, Bomb hits 2,  on fire,  heavy damage
AK Van Heutsz, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
SS KXVI, Bomb hits 4,  on fire,  heavy damage
TK Iris, Bomb hits 1
AK Van Lansberger, Bomb hits 4,  on fire,  heavy damage
DD Alden, Bomb hits 3,  on fire,  heavy damage
AK Toendjoek, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
AK Van Outhoom, Bomb hits 1
AVD Mercel, Bomb hits 5,  on fire,  heavy damage
DD Edsall, Bomb hits 1
AK Modjekerto, Bomb hits 1
AR Castor, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
AP Van Overstraten, Bomb hits 1,  heavy damage
AS Janssens, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
AK Parigi, Bomb hits 2,  on fire
AK Ban Ho Guan, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
AK Batak, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
AP Van Landsberge, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
DD John D. Edwards, Bomb hits 3,  on fire,  heavy damage
AK Boero, Bomb hits 1
AGP Poolster, Bomb hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage
AGP Serdang, Bomb hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage
SC OJR-4, Bomb hits 2,  on fire,  heavy damage
SC OJR-3, Bomb hits 2,  on fire,  heavy damage
SC OJR-2, Bomb hits 8,  on fire,  heavy damage
AP Rochussen, Bomb hits 2,  on fire
AGP Poolster, Bomb hits 2,  on fire,  heavy damage
AK Van Outhoom, Bomb hits 1
TK Marpessa, Bomb hits 3,  on fire,  heavy damage
AK Balikpapan, Bomb hits 2,  on fire
AS Janssens, Bomb hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage
TK Iris, Bomb hits 2,  on fire,  heavy damage
AK Senang, Bomb hits 2,  on fire,  heavy damage
DD Whipple, Bomb hits 2,  on fire,  heavy damage
AK Modjekerto, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
AK Van Heutsz, Bomb hits 2,  on fire,  heavy damage
AP Van Landsberge, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
SS KXVI, Bomb hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage
AK Tasman, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
TK B. C. J. Grootes, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
AK Op Ten Noort, Bomb hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage
DD Alden, Bomb hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage

Surprisingly enough only two SC's and one submarine were sunk but getting those damaged ships out will be difficult indeed.

More gratifying were the multiple bomb hits (again!) achieved by B-10's. Yet again they prove to be highly accurate. Both Herbie and myslef are at a loss to explain this but im not going to complain. I'm not going to complain about the following either, well worth the two Buffalo's shot down on escort duty.



In the afternoon phase two brave Dutch PT boats took on the pride and joy of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Ill bet Herbie's heart skipped a beat when he saw this pop up on the combat replay!



Sad to report no hits were managed [:(]

Elsewhere Kragen fell and Herb made landings in Hollandia. Mavis's out of Eniwetok have started recon flights over Wake Island. SS Plunger took two depth charges at Rabaul and is now limping its way to Sydney, i am hopeful of her survival. In Luzon artillery shells were exchanged in Clarke Field while an attempt to take the Baguio Pass by coup de main was beaten back all the way to San Fernando. In central Malaya the 18th Division has been reinforced by the 2nd Division. As such the 15th Indian Brigade has been ordered to withdraw, rearguard action will be provided by the 28th Indian Brigade.

[cantona2]

Game has reached 1/1/1942. Here are the scores so far. The vast majority of sunk ships are small Dutch AK's that the KB has savaged in the past two turns. Likewise the majority of air-air losses are Dutch and Buffalo pilots, especially on the day 1 KB strike on Singapore.

[cantona2]

2nd January 1942.

The Japanese invasion of Java contiues apace. Depsite the valiant efforts of the Dutch Air Force, submarines and army units, the Japanese Army managed to make two landfalls on Java. At Kragen the Jap has moved south west and caught the defenders of Madioen by surprise and threatening Sorebaja's north flank. Still he hasnt had it all his own way:

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Sub attack at 18,61

Japanese Ships
CL Oi, Torpedo hits 3,  on fire,  heavy damage *sinks*

Allied Ships
SS Truant

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CL Oi in better days during a pre war tour of Hong Kong and Singapore.

[cantona2]

A snapshot of China.

Ive been able to turn the Japanese back at Wuchow, well a reconnaisance in force at least. Ichang has fallen about a week ago and the central army pushed the Jap Brigade on its way to Hankow and Sinyang. The bulk of the central army still has to reach the front while units from Honan have begun reinforcing the central army's left flank attack on the latter.

[cantona2]

The situation in the Dutch East Indies has developed rapidly. Herbie has enacted a massive double pincer movement of the SRA. Naval bombardments of Balikpapan and Tarakan are now being followed by invasions. As always my subs are snapping at his heels and hoping to damage any captial ships. I quite like this strategy as though i have ecavcuated a lot of shipping, i haven't been able to withdraw as many assets as i could have. The AMC Kambila is bearing down on Merak to have a pot shot at his ships What has surprised me is that despite the multiple number of bomb and torpedo hits my swordfish at Singapore have achieved he still hasn't closed Singers down. I now need to work on getting the B-10's out of Java as some of them are up to 70 in exp.

Situation in DEI 6th January 1942


In China the central front is where it is all happening. Sinyang has been assaulted but only 0-1 odds were achieved but the first reinforcements from 34th Army Corps should be arriving tomorrow and a second assault will go in the day after tomrrow. I need Sinyang in order to anchor my flank on it as i assault Hankow. So far he only has two brigades and support units in Sinyang, ownership of the railway to the NW allows me to feed more men quicker than him. Wasn't it Rommel that said the winner was the won with most battalions? If all goes well Sinyang's defenders will not be able to withstand a three Corps assault. The IJAAF has evacuated the city whereas i have rebased the 20th Fighter Squadron (P-40's) at Honan should he send Anns or Sonias to harass my troops.

[cantona2]

Game taking a few days of hiatus while Herbie sorts out some pc problems. Will be back soon.

[cantona2]

Game has restarted after Herb sorted out his hardware issues.
 
The Silent Service carried on where it left off, though this time not so lightly [:(]
 
--------
Sub attack near Kuching  at 27,56
 
Japanese Ships
AP Kasui Maru,  on fire,  heavy damage
 
Allied Ships
SS Snapper
 
------------------------------------
--------
Sub attack at 37,48
 
Japanese Ships
AP Herbil Maru, Torpedo hits 2,  on fire
 
Allied Ships
SS Skipjack
 
Japanese ground losses:
55 casualties reported
 
------------------------------------
--------
Sub attack at 31,66
 
Japanese Ships
AP Nichiryo Maru
AP Argun Maru
PG Taiko Maru
PG Okuyo Maru
 
Allied Ships
SS O16
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack at 31,66
 
Japanese Ships
AP Kyuden Maru
PG Taiko Maru
PG Okuyo Maru
AP Genoa Maru
AP Meizan Maru
AP Nichiryo Maru
 
Allied Ships
SS O16, hits 2
 
------------------------------------
--------
Sub attack near Shortlands  at 64,96
 
Japanese Ships
AP Tafuku Maru, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage
 
Allied Ships
SS Searaven
 
------------------------------------
--------
ASW attack near Shortlands  at 64,96
 
Japanese Ships
PC Takunan Maru #2
PC Shonon Maru #15
PC Tama Maru #8
PC Toshi Maru #3
PG Choko Maru #2
PG Choan Maru #2
 
Allied Ships
SS Searaven, hits 3,  on fire,  heavy damage Searaven pays for her bravery and sinks.
 
------------------------------------
 

[cantona2]

Southern China has also become quite fluid. I have strong positions around Pucheng and on a couple of hexes on the Hangchow-Nangchang supply route. 3 strong corps face the Japanese 22nd Divison while Herb has maneouvered 2 brigades behind this position. Supply flows from Pucheng so for the moment the position is solid. More worrying is a four division move on Changsha, though i have strong blocking forces in its path. Sinyang is still invested and awaiting the last of the assault forces.


Southern Chinese Front