Vettim89 vs Greasylake - Reversal of Fortunes

[vettim89]

2-3 January 1943

Got two turns in tonight!. First raid goes in at Darwin. I lost about 5 a/c total. Larry lost 27 - all fighters. Will continue to pound the AB until troops are closer. Oz will be all mine again sooner than later.

Units moving toward Lunga. Once the transports are there, I will withdraw the CV's. I realized how much I have been wasting time. I hoped to be going for Tarawa about now and I still have no units on Nanumea or Baker Island. Well I can't change the facts of life or the huge expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Tarawa will be the first of the Seven Dwarfs - bases in the Marshalls and Gilberts. I also intend on taking Narue Is back (sp?)

Cursor intel reveals 60 bombers and no fighters at Moulmein. I am sending the B-25's and 72 P-38's from Akyab at this base to see what we get.

[vettim89]

7 January 1943

Lunga now has nearly 150 fighters to protect shipping so the US CV's head SE toward Samoa. Duey and Louey are just a matter of weeks away. After those bases grow to level 4 AB which shouldn't take long as those SeaBee units are pretty darn effective, I will start Snow White (Nauru Is) and the Seven Dwarfs (Gilberts and Marshalls).

Units are resting at Katherine but will push towards Darwin soon. I have been concentrating on Darwins AB to discourage Larry from flying supply in or moving units out. Once Darwin is back in Allied Hands, I will move towards Timor then Kendari then Balikapaypan. This is like a dagger aimed right at the heart of the the SRA.

My units crossed the Irwaddy (sp) and to my surpise pulled off a 1 to 1 attack. The bridgehead is now secure and more troops are pouring across. The Chinese left Lashio heading west. The will try to looop around and cut the IJA off.

My conservative opponent has been laying back and not exposing his forces much of late. The only action has been in China where the allies have won some nice air batttle over Changsha at a cost of a lot of obsolete airframes. I am hoping my current moves will force Larry's hand somewhere. When I look at the map, I see why the Japanese pushed so hard in Burma. If I retake Rangoon, a lot of Larry's industry/resources will be exposed.

[vettim89]

10 Jan 1943

Well Larry managed to retreat some units from the bridgehead hex across from Mandalay. Only one full Inf Div here now. A deliberate attack is ordered to reset movement. The Chinese units traversed the trail hex in one turn and took the base east of Meiktila (Tau Gyi or something like that)

Units moved out for Darwin on the 9th and have moved one hex. Will take a while to get there but the ground units are being pounded every day from the air.

Lunga should reach level 3 Port tomorrow. The AB will then be expanded to the max of 7 ASAP. No moves here at all to oppose this move. I think Larry will be surpised when he finds out this move was only to secure my left flank. We are heading north and NW towards the Marianis not WNW towards Rabaul.

Larry is not opposing me at all right now. Only training runs in China and NEI. No air activity in Burma nor SoPac. I guess he is hoping he will have lots of high exp units to oppose me once his defensive perimeter is penetrated. Problem is by then he will be fighting F4U, F6F, P-38, and P-47 instead of P-40, F4F, and P-39.

[Capt. Harlock]

Problem is by then he will be fighting F4U, F6F, P-38, and P-47 instead of P-40, F4F, and P-39.

Don't you already have F4U's and P-38's on the line?

[vettim89]

11-12 January 1943

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

Problem is by then he will be fighting F4U, F6F, P-38, and P-47 instead of P-40, F4F, and P-39.

Don't you already have F4U's and P-38's on the line?

P-38's yes but it is a slow crawl to get various units upgraded. Especially now that I could use them in Burma, Oz, and maybe a few for SoPac. F4U start in 19 Days but produce at 150 per month. F6F start them same day and are listed at 80 per month but I think the current F4F production gets rolled into that though I am not sure. Brian, are you listening?

On the 11th the last IJA unit in the bridgehead hex south of Mandaly got out before I could attack. Cursor intel say five units now at Meiktila. Have seven Chines Corps heading that way plus about fifteen UK/Commonwelath troops. Interesting how this is a reverse of the conquest of Burma just six short months ago. Larry tried a few cursory aerial bombardments of my troops but no real damage. Fighters are switched to LRCAP from Mandalay to discourage such foolishness in the future. If I ever play this game as Japan I have learned that you must push the Allies back in Burma past Mandalya and Lashio. Otherwise the RR hexes just allow too free movement. Of course in AE, that will all change.

My CV's are about halfway from Lugainville to Pago Pago. Will start forming up the TF's for Duey (Nanumea) tomorrow. I am considering a somewhat bold move. Instead of making Baker Island the objective for Louey, I am considering Abemena (Sp?). I will see how much resistance I get when I run the units in for Duey. If Larry doesn't fight hard, I will go for it. This hex is just 120 nm south of Tarawa. Be nice to fill it up with A/C right before I hit Tarawa. CV Essex is approaching the exit from the Panama sea lanes

In China, Larry moved all his units that were east of the Crossroads into the Crossroads hex. He tried a bombardment attack this turn which did like 130 casualties with AS 4500 for China to 3100 for Japan. Forgot to check the fort level but I suspect it is high as my units have been sitting there for some time. He again left that intervening hex empty. Units are leaving Hengchow to occuppy it and once again cut off a huge stack of IJA units.

[vettim89]

13 January 1943

Units have arrived at Darwin and the Japanese tried a bombardment attack. The attack caused no casualties and revealed an AS of only 250 (vs 1750 for the Aussies). I think the constant pounding from the air is having a decided affect. That and I have blockaded this port for months now with a half dozen or more subs. I ordered a deliberate attack just so I can get a feel for the fort level.

Units arrived at Meiktila and discovered the unit count at 4 (was 5 last turn). There are units on the RR between Rangoon and Meiktila now. Larry is obviously doing the Japanese version of Brave Sir Robin. Not excited about it but I ordered a deliberate attack here too to reset the movement. Stand still so I can hit you Larry! I cannot believe he is not even trying to oppose me here. He has two units with a count of 10 k at Moulmein. I am heading straight there then swing back to Rangoon. After that op is complete, I will rest my UK/Commonwealth units while the UK CV's repair. IF I wait long enough, they will come back with Corsairs and Avengers. One thing I am considering is sending the 7 Chinese Corps back to China once Rangoon falls. These will be a nice addition to the OOB in China and I may consider a attack into Indochina. That is a long way away.

TF's are formed and units are loading for Duey. US CV's will make Pago Pago in about two days. B-25's upgrading to -J and A-20 upgrading to -G.

[vettim89]

14 January 1943

Hate to include combat reports but I thought it would be useful information for both hexes. None of my units have horrible disruption at the moment. WIll do a few more turns of bombardment and hit them again. That is about it for now. One of my Liberator III squadrons ignored the ground attack order and instead attacked the arifield at Moulmein for no losses and 3 IJA bombers destroyed. I checked the unit and it is indeed set on ground attack/rest - go figure.

Attacks at Darwin and Meiktila:

Ground combat at Meiktila

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 74144 troops, 659 guns, 1554 vehicles, Assault Value = 2165

Defending force 34187 troops, 174 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 590

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 4

Allied max assault: 1812 - adjusted assault: 1333

Japanese max defense: 452 - adjusted defense: 481

Allied assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 4)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 4


Japanese ground losses:
512 casualties reported
Guns lost 16

Allied ground losses:
459 casualties reported
Guns lost 16
Vehicles lost 10


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Darwin

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 70722 troops, 620 guns, 239 vehicles, Assault Value = 1733

Defending force 22693 troops, 192 guns, 1 vehicles, Assault Value = 329

Allied max assault: 1559 - adjusted assault: 841

Japanese max defense: 271 - adjusted defense: 432

Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 7)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 6


Japanese ground losses:
1663 casualties reported
Guns lost 53
Vehicles lost 1

Allied ground losses:
107 casualties reported
Guns lost 7
Vehicles lost 2

[derhexer]

The screen shots that vettim89 have supplied look different from what I see when I play WiTP.  What version are these from?  Our son gave me a copy for Christmas, 2007, and it is copyrighted 2005.  Is there a later vesion I can download?

[vettim89]

Larry and I are using Andrew Brown's extended Map available here: Andrew's WiTP Page

[vettim89]

15-16 January 1943

CV's depart Pago Pago today and will rendevous with the transports at Savali tomorrow. Then we're off to Nanumea. Transports and CV's will turn right around and pick up troops for Louey which will either be Baker Is as originally planned or Abemena. The response to Duey will dictate Louey's target CV Essex should be at Pago Pago in time for Louey. CVL Princeton is exactly 30 days away now.

Deliberate attacks are ordered at both Darwin and Meiktila. We'll have to see how this goes. Got my Av support a little out of whack in Oz and am now rushing a unit to Katherine where there is no Av support but a P-40E Sq.

Larry continues pounding away at the crossroads from the air and the ground. He is inferior to my AS by a score of 4500 to 3400. He would have to take those Chinese units a long way down to even hope to budge them. BTW, fort level is 6 in that hex. Can you say stalemate? Sure you can

[vettim89]

17 January 1943

Deliberate attack at Meiktila reduces Forts to 3 with only minimal disruption. Deliberate attack at Darwin doesn't touch the forts. Darwin looks to be a much harder nut to crack here. I am bolstering the engineer strength at both Akyab and Ramree Island.

TF's are still loading supply at Savali so it will be a day or two before they set off. Sending extra AP's back to PH and WC to move units into place for Snwo White and the Seven Dwarfs. CV Essex is less than a week from Pago Pago.

Need to find some more Av Support so I can rduce the AB's in PNG to allow free movement of convoys around teh NE corner of OZ to facillitate my move in SRA once Darwin falls

[vettim89]

18 January 1943

Dueys's units will arrive in 4 days. My SCTF are trailing behind and I am concerned that they may be vulnerable to air attack. I may have to send them back to Pago Pago and they can go for Louey. Don't want to give Miss Betty any easy pickings.

Deliberate attack at Meiktila drops forts to 2. I have enough units that I am rotating my units in and out of the attacks to keep up the pressure. Still have four Chinese corps inbound. My attacks are coming off at 2:1 every time. Last casualty count was 700 IJA vs 1100 for Allies.

Moving a bunch of Aussie MSW to Pago Pago for the Tarawa op.

Larry is still pushing hard at the Crossroads to no avail at all. He has six full divisions commited here. He may need those units soon

[vettim89]

19-21 January 1943

Meiktila fell on the 20th. Darwins forts are now level 4. Resting units at Darwin for a few days. SOPac units are 2 hexes from Nanumea with no resistance as of yet. I have to believe Larry is taking the Iwo Jima approach to defense - laying back and waiting until the Allies are exposed and then counterattacking.

[Capt. Harlock]

Looks like the Japanese were not able to keep the upper hand until Spring '43, as I've seen happen in many a game.

[vettim89]

22-23 January 1943

Huge battle at Ramree Island between the UK and IJN surface fleets. I lost Ramilles to a TT hit then secondary explosion. Have several ships severely damaged but will be saved even though they will be out of the war for a while. IJN confirmed losses are a DD (Hibiki - sorry Cuttlefish). Will update the condition of my ships once they make port. I suspect FOW is hiding some losses here becasue many of the Japanese ships were seriously dinged. They two TF's actually tangled twice with the second battle being very brief and resulting in Hibiki's loss and Ramilles' fatal damage. A Beufort IV from Akyab reported a TT hit on Hiei. Sorry about the image, I am getting better at pasting images together with paint but this one is a rough

[vettim89]

Image of the first battle

[Capt. Harlock]

Nothing like surface combat! Since you had four BB's to two (and 15" guns to 14"), it's a bit disappointing you didn't manage to sink more. Still, control of the ocean in that area should be yours for some time.

[vettim89]

24 January 1943

Woohoo. The Japanese stay in Oz is almost over. Darwin fell today. Mopping up time now as cursor intel still says 23k troops present. will start prepping units for Timor invasions as soon as mop up is done.

Unloading proceeding at Nanumea and the Japanese finally respond. A weka strike still managed to have one Betty sneak through and torpedo Wasp. She is fine but heading back to Pago Pago then PH then WC. Fortunately Essex is waiting at Pago Pago to take Wasp's place.

Included an image of a Japanese training run in China gone bad. Total air losses today were 49 Japanese to 10 Allied of which half were op losses.

I had put all my bombers on Naval attack in the BoB but they did not seek out the three Japanese TF's withdrawing from the big battle two nights ago.

[vettim89]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

Nothing like surface combat! Since you had four BB's to two (and 15" guns to 14"), it's a bit disappointing you didn't manage to sink more. Still, control of the ocean in that area should be yours for some time.

For some reason my BB's seemed to be sending a lot of fire towards the cruisers. Maybe that was secondary bateries.

[vettim89]

25 January 1943

Well I guess I didn't have as much control of the seas as I thought. ANother Naval battle. Very little damage to the transports. I sent the TRANS TF to AKyab and sent the remaining UK ships to rendevous with them there. Larry has lost a CA, a CL, and two DD's confirmed in the two nights at Ramree. But it may cost him more than that as there are a lot of damaged ships limping home. I have lost a BB, a CLAA, and two DD's. More on that later. Combat text from the second nights battle:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Ramree Island at 29,29

Japanese Ships
BB Nagato, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CA Suzuya, Shell hits 2
DD Yukikaze, Shell hits 1
DD Amatsukaze, Shell hits 11, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Hagikaze, Shell hits 1
DD Nenohi, Shell hits 1
DD Wakaba
DD Tachikaze, Shell hits 5, on fire
DD Karukaya
DD Hiyodori, Shell hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
DD Sagi

Allied Ships
CLAA Van Heemskerck, Shell hits 29, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Isaac Sweers, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Nepal, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
DD Nestor, Shell hits 8, on fire, heavy damage
DD Kimberlley
AK Bellatrix
AK Alcyone, Shell hits 1
AK San Anselmo
AK San Vincente, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
AK Legazpi
AK Port Orford, Shell hits 1
AK Caleb Strong
AK Empire Brook
AK Empire Patrol
AK Hinsang
PG Aster
PG Cyclamen

The TT hit on Nagato was probably correct as she was caught SW of Ramree Island and hit by 4 Bombs. But poor Kongo was caught WSW of Rangoon and hit with 67 bombs!!!! Now most of them bounce but many of them include nice tags like 6" Battery destroyed, 25 mm Battery destroyed, etc. She has also got to be aflame like Chicago after MRS. O'Leary's cow did her thing.

US SS now on offensive patroling Off Taiwan, Japan, Truk and other places. One sub has took a couple of shots at some transport but missed. Then SS SCorpion en route to the South China Sea bumps into a small SCTF and puts a TT into DD Wakatake which is now on fire with heavy damage. Really hope to start hitting some resource/oil convoys soon though.

Unloading continues at Nanumea with no Japanese counter except a sub that was driven off by US DD's before she could fire a shot. CV Wasp heading for Pago Pago to pump out then back to WC for repairs. She sits at 27/27 syst/flot. Two CVE's plus 8 old BB's depart PH to Pago Pago for run up to Tarawa. Plenty of supplies in Samoa but a little short on fuel. That is being remedied. Three TF's with five TK each have departed LA over the past week.

Sorry for the long post, but a lot to be told today