Forlorn Hopes: The Japanese Respond

[John 3rd]

My raid occurs on time and schedule...

[John 3rd]

Dan moves out of Iwo Jima on December 1st and heads NORTHEAST! Coming as a complete surprise to the Japanese High Command, a massive movement of ships, aircraft, and troops commenses:

1. 4 Inf Divisions with over a dozen support units beginning moving north to Sendai, Aomori, and points north. The primary fear is a landing in Hakkaido where only 1 Inf Div sits. Transports are flying in a second Inf Div and 2 Inf Div are at sea (coming up from China and Australia) and now heading for the same spot.

2. Nearly 2,000 planes (1,000+ Fighters) fill the Japanese AF from Tokyo--Gumma going north.

3. The KB is finishing its concentration at Tokyo Bay. The last CV TF will make Tokyo on the 6th and the force will sail on the 7th for battle. I will detail the Fleet layout in a bit.

Should note that there are two major Fleet detachments absent:

A. The Shokaku/Zuikaku/Shoho TF sailed about November 25th for a raid along Dan's supply lines. Having sunk about half-a-dozen TK, this force is caught to the east of the American Fleet; however, numerous American convoys have been spotted moving west about 10 hexes south of the Aluetians with no aircover. This TF will attack those units. If they are coming west then they have troops in them.

B. With the war hanging by a thread in Burma/Malaya, a powerful STF of Yamato and Musashi, 2 CL, 4 DD have just linked up, in Singapore, with the 12 DD that have been operating in the area. This strong TF will wait for an opportunity to strike at the British Fleet units near Tavoy/Victoria Point.

Here is the screenshot of the area around Japan:

[Nemo121]

Well that's a brilliant opening. He is totally within range of ALL your land-based torpedo and level bombers and if you set your CVs such that he has to fight his way back through them to get to Iwo you should be able to get the CV on CV combat you want with LOTS of land-based bombers to thicken the strikes on Day 2.
 
Let him stick his hand a little more into the grinder first though but then definitely chop it off. Now is, IMO, definitely the time to strike. Be sure though not to have your CVs in a coastal hex ( which they are in the picture ) as they will only put up 25% of their fighters on CAP.

[John 3rd]

Here is where the war has been lost. At this point in the war one expects to be fighting huge numbers of bombers and Allied fighters but not 1.4 million troops in BURMA--MALAYA. I am now in headlong retreat in the Moulmein--Tavoy area. I cannot fight the HUGE numbers of Allied troops!

Brian--you should ask Dan for a look at one of his turns! I cannot fathom where all these troops are coming from. No matter how many I get there it is not enough. This is some serious complaining right now.

Here is the screenshot that comments on things...

[John 3rd]

Nemo---THANKS for that tidbit of Information!  I had no idea about 25% CAP in a coastal hex.  Where do you learn these things?!
 
I will place the KB in the 1 hex outside the coastal zone and INVITE Dan to attack.  I'll dictate LR CAP from Toyko, Sendai, and Sapporo to support my Zeros and we shall see the result.  To be honest, I cannot report the sheer numbers of Japanese aircraft sitting in AF from Tokyo north.  It is a huge number...
 
Once again Nemo thank you for the advice.  We'll see how spectacular it is on Dec 7th or 8th.  Wouldn't it be ironic if the decisive battle was fought on the two year anniversary of Pearl Harbor?
 

[John 3rd]

To be specific I will place the KB in the hex where the word Sendai is written.
 

[John 3rd]

December 6, 1943
Tokyo Bay, Japan

Many times the Decisive Battle has been discussed and attempted with the American Fleet but this day Admiral Nagumo knows is it. C-in-C of the Kaigun Adm Yamamoto Isoroku flies in from his HQ at Saipan to present to his carrier commander the legendary 'Z' Flag that Togo flew in the Russo-Japanese War.

The American Fleet is either headed towards Sendai or Ominato. Smart money is Ominato and Japan is--literally--buzzing with aircraft. A quick scan of the Navy and Army AF tally a force of 800 Fighters, 550 Bombers, 210 Carrier Torpedo Planes, and 140 Dive Bombers. To this total a further 700 Fighters fly from the decks of Japan's Carriers. Nearly 2,400 aircraft await their final orders.

At precisely 1800 hours, the 'Z' Flag is unfurled from the Flagship of the Fleet IJN Akagi. Throughout the Fleet BANZAI's can heard heard as 150+ warships lift their anchors from the silt of Tokyo Bay...

Operation Tora

Phase 1
The Imperial Fleet will sail to a point 180 miles east of Sendai. This will place them within strike range of the American Fleet whether it lands at Ominato or Sendai. All 700 Fighters on the carriers are set at CAP 90% Range 1. Augmenting them are Fighters flying from Tokyo, Gumma, Sendai, and Ominato with nearly more 500 planes.

The Americans will launch everything they have at the Japanese Fleet. Those Fighters and Bombers will then be crushed by the massed CAP. The American will lose all their strike planes and at least 40% of their Hellcats.

Phase 2
Based on the results of Phase 1, every Bomber, Dive Bomber, and Torpedo Bomber--plus Fighter support--will be flung at the American Fleet in a do-or-die effort to crush the invasion and sink as many ships as possible.

Here is the current screenshot:

[Nemo121]

This should be interesting. One other thing... Don't forget your air transports. They are the quickest way to get significant forces to the various possible landing zones. I won't go into details as to how to optimise this as the airbridge concept is rather inimical to my defensive plans in my current game but I'm sure you can get the gist.

[John 3rd]

I am using Transports to some troops to Ominato right now.  Problem is every AF from Gumma/Tokyo north is full of combat planes...
 
[:D][:D][:D]
 
I thoroughly expect Dan to land and grab his target.  My intent is to sting him so hard that he cannot do anything to help those troops and I can then destroy them.  That is my HOPE at least.
 
Just got the fateful turn from Dan.
 
Think GOOD THOUGHTS...
 

[Nemo121]

I AM Donald Sutherland [:D] and those bridges WILL be there. They are, after all, beautiful bridges [:D]

[ny59giants]

No negative waves. [:D]

He seems to be heading where I had though he would go before I took on the role as economics adviser.

[John 3rd]

Oh, my...

LOOK at the screenshot! Banzai BABY! [:D][:D][:D][:D]

I will detail later but let us simply state that the Japanese lost a total of 122 Fighters in exhange for GET THIS 141 F6F, 221 Dive Bomber, and 202 Avengers! [:'(][:'(]

Got to finish making dinner but there is a song in my heart and spring in my step...the song is the Imperial Navy March!

"It's a Mother beautiful bridge and it WAS there!" One of my favorite war movies of all time Nemo...

[Alikchi2]

Good god damn! [X(] Kudos, sir!

Now sink them while the CAP is depleted!

[FeurerKrieg]

Wow - that's one of the best CAP trap results I've seen for Japan. Onward with the bombers - kill those Allied ships!

[John 3rd]

Thanks to a lot of planning, some great advice from several players, and the American Navy entering into the Japanese lair, a great aerial victory occurred on December 6, 1943.

The CV TF were three hexes apart but then the Americans reacted and closed the range to two and the fight was on! The American attacks were carried out in 10 waves of aircraft. It was a strange attack: six of these attack groups were unescorted bombers that were all shot down, three groups had 10 F6F or less, and only one came in with any strength (124 F6F).

Not a SINGLE plane got through to launch a torpedo or drop a bomb! [8D][8D][8D]

Following this victory, the Japanese shift to the attack! BANZAI!!

In a massive shuffling of planes the following bases are filled with these combinations of aircraft (north-to-south):

Sapporo 36 F and 40 Bombers
Ominato 136 F, 27 DB, and 136 B
Sendai 89 F, 27 DB, and 18 TB
Gumma 91 F and 90 B
Tokyo 272 F, 27 DB, 61 TB, and 140 B

LBA Total: 624 F, 81 DB, 79 TB, and 406 B

The KB shifts some of its victorious Zeros out for something with TEETH! Onto the carrier decks land 55 DB and 136 TB to augment the 525 Fighters. I reduce CAP to 40% so a large number of planes will fly CAP as well as strike.

American Options:
1. Run with the Fleet--Dan could high-tail it out with his battlefleet and leave his AP/AK/TK/AO vulnerable to slaughter.

or

2. Mass everything together and HOPE his remaining Hellcats can survive the pounding.

I figure that he will take Option 2 for the 7th and see what happens. I order the KB to move east to be positioned to hit his support fleet and box him in with my LBA. We'll see what tomorrow brings!

Here is the VP Record for Dec 6th:

[jumper]

I wonder how well prepared he is for this battle. It would be "funny" if he countered you with the same tactic. He could have replacement planes ready on IWO and now he could just fly them in and prepare you the same CAP-TRAP as you did.. [;)]

[castor troy]

congrats John! Well done, but what your opponent is thinking to do such a move is beyond me. It couldn´t have gone better for you. People should be aware that carriers only are not the weapon to attack an area with several supporting airfields. You can go up against two bases but the Marianas for example are already a hard nut to crack if you have only carrier support. But JAPAN!!! [X(] Unbelievable.

One thing though, I wouldn´t set your Cap to only 40%, this would just be too dangerous for me.

[John 3rd]

Phase Two Map...

[John 3rd]

Thanks for the thoughts guys.  I am TRYING to go to sleep!  I'm just finishing the next turn and think that perhaps you are correct.  I will raise CAP back up to 60% to make sure my CVs don't get hurt.
 
Had another strange thing happen on that turn.  As mentioned earlier, I have Shokaku/Zuikaku/Shoho out about 8 hexes south of Amchitka.  Emilys had spotted a convoy moving west two days ago and I moved to intercept.  I was furious when no strikes were launched the 5th or 6th!  That said; however, on the 6th my recon spotted what appeared to be 3 CV (1 CV and 2 CVL would be my bet) protecting the convoy.  Luckily--for some reason--Dan didn't have a single recon plane up and I wasn't spotted...
 
Ordered the TF to move east away from the convoys for the moment!  Dodged a terrible bullet considering the victory occurring about 1,200 miles to the west...
 

[FeurerKrieg]

ORIGINAL: castor troy


One thing though, I wouldn´t set your Cap to only 40%, this would just be too dangerous for me.

I'm with Castor on this - I wouldn't go lower than 60-70%. If he sets up a cap trap of his own, better to lose a lot of bombers than a lot of bombers AND experienced fighters.