Borner vs Wirraway

[Wirraway_Ace]

Ike,

look at the 2nd paragraph. It is possible that the claim was slightly exaggerated...

[borner]

 you really should only allow your crews to drink beer when they are back in port.      Pretty soon they may be shooting at each other 

[borner]

Our carriers finally meet. I had been sailing and hitting the bases East of Irau to cut down on the bombing attacks and see if the US fleet woudl come out. 2 turns before this, our fleets were about 5 hexes from each other, but in bad weather, nothing flew.
 
Lex and Big E are confirmed sunk. I expect Saratoga to make it home. Given that those SBD's were hitting me with 1000-pounders, I cannot complain about the damage I took. Both of my hit CV's should make it back unless something unfortunate happens along the way. I expect Saratoga to make port too.
 
Stay tuned.
 
 
Air attack on TF at 50,46
 
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 90
A6M3 Zero x 11
 
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 18
SBD Dauntless x 33
TBF Avenger x 12
 
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 2 destroyed
A6M2 Zero x 3 damaged
A6M3 Zero x 1 damaged
 
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat x 4 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 1 damaged
SBD Dauntless x 29 destroyed
SBD Dauntless x 11 damaged
TBF Avenger x 15 destroyed
 
ENS T.Kawakami of AII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 11
 
Japanese Ships
CV Kaga, Bomb hits 1
CL Kuma
CV Junyo, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 50,46
 
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 58
A6M3 Zero x 5
 
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 9
SBD Dauntless x 36
TBF Avenger x 10
 
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 5 damaged
 
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat x 2 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 5 damaged
SBD Dauntless x 24 destroyed
SBD Dauntless x 15 damaged
TBF Avenger x 7 destroyed
TBF Avenger x 5 damaged
 
PO1 U.Sagara of DI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 6
 
Japanese Ships
CV Junyo, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
CV Hiryu
CV Kaga
CA Haguro, Bomb hits 2
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 50,46
 
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 48
A6M3 Zero x 5
 
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 6
SBD Dauntless x 27
 
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 1 damaged
 
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat x 2 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 1 damaged
SBD Dauntless x 15 destroyed
SBD Dauntless x 15 damaged
 
PO2 K.Kaneko of DII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 4
 
Japanese Ships
CV Kaga, Bomb hits 3,  on fire
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 50,46
 
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 79
A6M3 Zero x 11
 
Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 17
TBF Avenger x 24
 
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 1 damaged
 
Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless x 13 destroyed
SBD Dauntless x 2 damaged
TBF Avenger x 17 destroyed
TBF Avenger x 9 damaged
 
ENS L.Hagiri of DI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 5
 
Japanese Ships
CV Soryu
CV Shokaku
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 50,46
 
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 79
A6M3 Zero x 8
 
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 11
SBD Dauntless x 16
 
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 3 destroyed
 
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat x 4 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 2 damaged
SBD Dauntless x 4 destroyed
SBD Dauntless x 15 damaged
 
LTJG J.Nagaishi of BI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 5
 
ENS L.Hagiri of DI-1 Daitai bails out and is CAPTURED
 
Japanese Ships
CVL Ryujo
CVL Shoho
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 56,46
 
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 45
A6M3 Zero x 7
D3A Val x 87
B5N Kate x 74
 
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 91
 
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 3 destroyed
D3A Val x 4 destroyed
D3A Val x 9 damaged
B5N Kate x 11 destroyed
B5N Kate x 27 damaged
 
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat x 9 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 9 damaged
 
ENS L.Hirano of AI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 4
 
Allied Ships
CV Lexington, Bomb hits 34, Torpedo hits 3,  on fire,  heavy damage
BB North Carolina, Bomb hits 5, Torpedo hits 3,  on fire,  heavy damage
CLAA San Juan
CA Quincy, Torpedo hits 4,  on fire,  heavy damage
CV Enterprise, Bomb hits 16, Torpedo hits 7,  on fire,  heavy damage
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 56,46
 
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4
D3A Val x 25
B5N Kate x 16
 
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 9
 
Japanese aircraft losses
D3A Val x 1 destroyed
D3A Val x 1 damaged
B5N Kate x 2 destroyed
B5N Kate x 2 damaged
 
 
LTJG J.Gallagher of VF-42 is credited with kill number 3
 
Allied Ships
CA Quincy, Torpedo hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 2,  on fire
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 56,46
 
Japanese aircraft
D3A Val x 21
B5N Kate x 22
 
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 19
 
Japanese aircraft losses
D3A Val x 10 destroyed
D3A Val x 8 damaged
B5N Kate x 15 destroyed
B5N Kate x 11 damaged
 
 
LTJG N.Early of VF-42 is credited with kill number 2
 
Allied Ships
CV Yorktown
CA Pensacola, Bomb hits 3
DD Mustin
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 8, Torpedo hits 2,  on fire
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 57,46
 
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 33
A6M3 Zero x 5
D3A Val x 64
B5N Kate x 33
 
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N Kate x 1 damaged
 
Allied Ships
APD Manley, Torpedo hits 2,  on fire,  heavy damage
APD Colhoun, Torpedo hits 2,  on fire,  heavy damage
SC 641, Bomb hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage
AK Draco, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 2,  on fire,  heavy damage
AK Arided, Torpedo hits 4,  on fire,  heavy damage
AK Celeno, Bomb hits 7,  on fire,  heavy damage
AK Cetus, Bomb hits 5,  on fire,  heavy damage
AK Carina, Bomb hits 1
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 57,46
 
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 3
D3A Val x 23
 
no losses
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 57,46
 
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8
D3A Val x 9
B5N Kate x 8
 
no losses
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 57,46
 
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11
B5N Kate x 12
 
no losses
 
Allied Ships
SC 644, Torpedo hits 2,  on fire,  heavy da

[borner]

Round two to the allies, but all 4 damaged CV's shall return.... oops, that is my opponents line isn't it?
 
air attack on TF at 50,46
 
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 76
 
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 29
SBD Dauntless x 32
TBF Avenger x 19
P-40E Warhawk x 12
A-20B Boston x 10
B-26B Marauder x 29
B-24D Liberator x 13
A-20B Havoc x 12
 
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 4 destroyed
A6M2 Zero x 9 damaged
 
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat x 6 destroyed
SBD Dauntless x 8 destroyed
SBD Dauntless x 5 damaged
TBF Avenger x 6 destroyed
TBF Avenger x 8 damaged
P-40E Warhawk x 3 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk x 1 damaged
A-20B Boston x 3 destroyed
A-20B Boston x 3 damaged
B-26B Marauder x 2 destroyed
B-26B Marauder x 4 damaged
A-20B Havoc x 3 destroyed
A-20B Havoc x 5 damaged
 
CPO P.Hori of AI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 5

LT T. Hoashi of EI-1 Daitai bails out and is CAPTURED
 
Japanese Ships
CVL Shoho, Bomb hits 1
CVL Ryujo, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
CA Kako, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
CA Chikuma
CA Maya

[Wirraway_Ace]

MacArthur forgot to order Mitscher's carriers to retire before going to bed on 8 December.  His sleep was troubled by the thought.  Two days later, with his two best carriers and only battleship sunk with little to show for it, he can only be thankful it was not worse.  With both Nevea and Gavigamana airfields out of action, the carriers were badly exposed.  Without the order to retire, they were a bone to be chewed.  Bad weather kept the 2nd Jap strike from hitting Sara and Yorktown.  Sara is heavily damaged but should fight again.
 
He sits down with paper and pencil and begins revising his strategy for resuming the offensive.   

[Wirraway_Ace]

11 Jan 43.
 
[font="times new roman"]Well before dawn, 80 medium bombers roar into the dark night from Nevea airstrips enroute to Guadalcanal.  They are joined by 40 P38s flying off the adjacent fighter airstrip (dubbed Fighter 1).  Over a hundred miles to the southwest, 80 heavy bombers lumber off the massive airfield at Luganville.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]At the large Jap airfield at Lunga, 100 zeros form-up with betty bombers enroute to the Allied-held island of Nevea.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]The largest air battle of the campaign has just commenced…[/font]
 

[borner]

Nothing more than probes against the eastern outposts at this point. 5 US ships have hit mines trying to make it north or Irau. While most of my minelayers have been lost, they had been working non-stop for months. Hopefully US ships will hit many more in the months to come.

[Wirraway_Ace]

**News Release** 22 Jan 43  Gen MacArthur's HQ issued the following statements. 
The enemy is no longer dictating the pace of operations in this Theater.  Operations Rita Hayworth and Greta Garbo have been completed.  These synchronized landings by the Marines in the Solomons and the Australians in New Guinea went off without significant causualties to the ground forces.  Naval losses were also light.    The KB attempted to intervene in New Guinea, but arrived too late to hinder the landings.  Several AKs were sunk just as they finished unloading and some older destroyers on picket duty were caught by Vals and Kates and quickly sunk.  Some measure of revenge was achieved, when an unescorted strike of Vals approached the retiring transports at long range.  The Wildcat CAP flown from the CVEs destroyed 22 of 24 enemy dive bombers.   Japanese aircraft losses among their Betty's and Nells were very heavy during numerous and (generally) ineffectual strikes. 

[borner]

Battleships everywhere! except when I play the US! I think I got a defective copy of the game!  Just kidding.....
 
Seriously, The US has landed in force north of Irau A recon group landed found many Eng units, undoubtedly working hard on an airfiled. I intend to fight the good fight, but unless Wirraway does something foolish, I do beleive a victory is his. Land and carrier airstrikes against the landing force were disappointing again. A small TF sent in from Lugna found 2 BB's plus escorts. Most lived to run away thankfully. My air force did not even choose to fly on this TF, picking small AP's units in the same hex instead.
 
In general, air losses have been very high for Japan overall this month , for very little in return.
 
 
 
 

[Wirraway_Ace]

**JAPANESE FORCES FIGHT FOR THE SOLOMONS, IGNORE THE THREAT TO NEW GUINEA**  According the sources within MacArthur's HQ, the Japanese have attempted a counter invasion of the Marine foothold into the Solomon Chain.  The 228th Regiment has made landings by barge and destroyer fast transport.  So far the enemy's strength is inadequate to threaten the dug-in Marines.  U.S Naval forces report sinking 7 enemy destroyers in a series of sharp night actions over the past week.  No U.S warships were sunk in these actions.  Medium bombers of the 5th Airforce and RAAF Beaufighters have taken a very heavy toll on the enemy's attempts to reinforce and supply by barge.
 
Meanwhile, the beachhead in New Guinea grows rapidly without interdiction from the enemy.  The newly reestablished New Guinea Command predicts a rapid transition to direct offensives against the enemy forces.

[Wirraway_Ace]

MARINES INVADE THE SOLOMONS IN MACARTHUR'S "HIT EM WHERE THEY AIN'T" CAMPAIGN TO ESTABLISH FOOTHOLDS TO RETAKE THE SOLOMONS AND NEW GUINEA

[Wirraway_Ace]

21 JAN 42, AUSTRALIAN FORCES RE-ENTER NEW GUINEA AS PART OF MACARTHUR'S "HIT EM WHERE THEY AIN'T" CAMPAIGN TO ESTABLISH FOOTHOLDS IN THE SOLOMONS AND NEW GUINEA

[Wirraway_Ace]

**JAPANESE AIRCRAFT LOSSES IN JANUARY "UNSUSTAINABLE"--MACARTHUR**
Gen MacArthur reported Jap air losses of major combat aircraft were so great during the month of January, that the "Combined Fleet staff must be in a state of apoplectic shock."

IJN major combat aircraft losses during Jan 43:
A6M2 =157 (total for campaign= 511)
A6M3 = 42 (total 166)
D3AVal = 47 (total 133)
B5NKate = 30 (total 90)
G3MNell = 34 ( total 90)
G4M1 Betty= 45 (total 186)

Jan 43 Total=355

[Wirraway_Ace]

**ALLIED TOP ACES IN SOUTH PACIFIC**
Allied ground and air forces leaders recognize top aces in the South Pacific:
LT B. Johnson, VF-2, 14 kills in a F4F-4 Wildcat
1LT K. Stoltz, 35FS, 8 kills in a P38G Lightening
1LT B Franklin, 35FS, 6 kills in a P38 Lightening
1LT G. Holder, 35FS, 6 kills in a P38 Lightening
CPT D. Mc Govern, 35FS, 6 kills in a p38 Lightening
FLT LDR E. Livingston, 76th Sqdn RAAF, 5 kills in a P40E Kittyhawk

Note: the 35FS and VF-2 provided cover for the recent allied invasions of the Solomons and New Guinea where many of their kills were recorded.

The victories during the campaign have not been without cost. 1LT J. McKeon and 1LT P. Jenkins, both with 5 kills, were lost over Lunga in December 42.

[borner]

there is nothing like on the job training. As in my other game with IKE, I am learning that trying to runa historical style defense is not really workable. I am now really starting to pay the price for my early mistakes - that Wirraway took expert advantage of by the way - of loosing too many AP's. I still think I can put up a good fight until about July, but sooner or later I expect things to get ugly unless I can pull off something clever. stay tuned!
 

[Ike99]

What happened to this game? Is it over?

[borner]

nearly, about two more months and Wirraway will/would have started doing the same thing you did in our game IKE. I know he had some system problems with his computer though, so this one is still on hold.

[Wirraway_Ace]

Sorry guys, I lost two computers to catastrophic break-down and almost swore them off and went back to paper. Additionally, I bought a house in Australia, which given the real estate costs and mortgage rates, left me destitute (or two poor to buy another personal computer for a number of months).

All that being said, I am back up an running again.

I think Borner and I had agreed back in April that this game, which was a lot of fun, had run its course.

[bigbaba]

welcome back, ace. hope to read more new stuff in this great AAR.

i also play a game against borner (i play the japanese in scenario 17) and will also start an AAR when our game continues after borner cleans up the damage caused by ike (not our ike[;)] here).