Forlorn Hopes: John III vs. Canoerebel

[Canoerebel]

3/12/44 to 3/16/44

A long period of relative quiet is about to come to an end as the Allies are preparing to go on the offensive in several areas. But first a summary of what has taken place since the Allies invaded Hokkaido in early December 1943:

NoPac: After evacuating Hokkaido in January '44, the Allies concentrated on strengthening the defenses on Sikhalin Island and bringing in supplies, fuel, and reinforcements. Since John committed the KB down in the Malaya area, no real threats ever developed. Most of the ships damaged in the invasion (including CV Hancock and a CVL) are now well on their way to the West Coast. Most of the merchant shipping has just returned to Midway or is on the way to various West Coast ports. The airfield at Shikuka on Sikhalin Island just went to level seven and can now support B-29 raids (our house rules require at least level seven to support B-29 raids). These will commence in about a month when the first squadrons arrive. Over the next month or so, the Allies will attempt to recapture some or all of the Japanese-held Aleutians bases and possibly Paramushiro Jima. The Allied airfield at Onnekotan Maru just went to level 2 and the Allies have a full aviation regiment there, so this makes a third airbase in the region (joining Shikuka and Toyohara). With the Sikhalin Island bases secure, air raids against Japanese resources, heavy industry, and ports will be the focus of Allied offensive activities in NoPac for the remainder of the war. At present, most of the U.S. fleet carriers are stationed at Shikuka, but they will eventually depart for warmer waters.

CenPac: I believe Iwo Jima is essentially impregnable at this point, and the Allies have resupplied the base. B-24s, PBY-Liberators, and B-17s are hitting targets in Japan on a revolving basis. This will be Iwo's primary role unless and until the Allies decide to strike the Philippines, Formosa, Okinawa, or the Home Islands. On 3/16, for instance, 130 4E bombers hit Osaka, hitting CA Suzuya 35 times and damaging a host of other ships including five or six ARs. Most emtpy transports used in the Iwo invasion back in '43 have now returned to Midway and are available for use in upcoming amphibious operations. The Allies will eventually strike in CenPac, though I'm not sure where and when.

SoPac and SwPac: : There are lots of tempting targets down this way, but a lack of transports and combat ships has prevented me from undertaking large-scale amphibious operations. Eventually this too will change and the Allies will look toward Pago Pago, the Societies, Suva, Noumea, and other targets.

Australia: The Aussie advance has been pretty slow, but the advance units will arrive a hex from Daly Waters tomorrow. The Aussie army is huge and mostly prepped for Darwin. Once the army reaches the good roads again, the advance should be rapid. I think John intends to evacuate his remaining units rather than putting up a fight for, say, Darwin. The Aussies have also just landed at Thursday Island and will take the vacant base tomorrow. Soon the Aussies will have to decide where they go next - Flores? Celebes? New Guinea? New Caledonia? The main factor will be availability of shipping and escort carriers. By summer, though, the Aussies should be mounting major amphibious operations.

Sumatra/Malaya: This is the one area where the Allies have been on the offensive since late '43. The bases in western Sumatra should be secure with the possible exception of Padang. The Allied landing at Malacca has bogged down, but drew considerable Jap attention. The beachhead will hold, in my estimation, and eventually the Allies will take this hex. The landing at Johore Bahru will end in failure, but totally freaked out John and possibly factored into his decision to pull back troops in Vietnam. But the Brits have been quiet for a few weeks while regrouping, loading troops, and preparing for the next strike. This is about to occur. Meanwhile, a small army is moving on Raeheng (NW of Bangkok) while a stout army is moving out of Tavoy and will move down the Malay Peninsula to create another pressure point (along with Malacca, Johore Bahru, etc.). RAF forces have decimated Jap air in this region over the past days and weeks. Most imporantly, all the activity here drew John's full attention. He committed both the KB and all remaining battleships down here, leaving Sikhalin Island alone at a time where it was still pretty vulnerable due to lack of supplies.

Vietnam: The Chinese successes here were totally unexpected, but have opened a new vector of attack. I did not expect Hanoi and Haiphong to fall, but they did. The Chinese still haven't vanquished the Jap defenders at Haiphong, but that will happen eventually, freeing up a large army. A smaller army moved south to Hue and attacked on March 14, achieving 1:1 odds and equal casualties of 1500 to 1500. Forts dropped from 6 to 5. But it looked like Hue would be a bump in the road that would take some days or weeks to overcome. To my surprise, John evacuated the base on the 15th and the city fell to the Chinese on the 16th. The troops are now prepping for Camrahn Bay. By summer I expect the Chinese to be threatening Saigon.

Jap Shipping: The number of "safe" Jap ports is dwindling. Singapore is already within range of the RAF, but I haven't hit it yet due to distance and the need to hit other targets. But it won't be long before this port is shut down. None of the Home Island ports are safe any longer, but it will take me some time to convice John of this fact. That will leave him with just a few - Manila, Soerabaja, Palau, and Truk. What do the Japs do when there isn't any safe port for their ships?

Points: John's lead is 11,300 and is falling slowly but steadily. I expect the pace to pick up considerably when the Allies initiate their next two major offensive and ramp up the B-29 raids in April.

[Canoerebel]

I've seen my opponent in the forums the last two afternoons and evenings and I've sent him emails regarding the status of the game, but I've had no reply nor has he sent a game turn.  I know he's still mentally in the game, because he posted a bunch of updates in his AAR yesterday.  There's probably some logical explanation for his not sending a turn, but for now I'm sidelined awaiting activity on his part.

[Canoerebel]

3/17/44
 
John sent a turn along with a note that he may be totally unavailable to play for some time to come.  So this may be the last turn for awhile.
 
NoPac:  Allied 4EB from Shikuka hit resources at Sapporo, scoring 48 hits.  The transports have nearly finished unloading an aviation regiment at Onnekotan Jima.  D-Day for the next amphibious operation in NoPac is about 14-17 days away.
 
CenPac:  Most of the transports returning from Iwo and Sikhalin Island have arrived at Midway and are ready for the next operation, but I'm not yet sure when that will take place.
 
SoPac/SWPac:  The Aussie's reclaimed Thursday Island.
 
Australia:  The Japs have one unit at Daly Waters.  The Aussies should arrive here en masse in three or four days.  Once I have this airfield, Aussie bombers may be able to strike Jap shipping at Darwin, making John's efforts to evacuate his remaining Australian forces a bit more difficult.
 
Malaya/Sumatra:  British forces are on the move in several areas, and the army at Rangoon is nearly finished loading on transports.  D-Day for the next amphibious operation in this region is probably about 7-8 days away.
 
Points:  Japs 51,807; Allies 40,899.  The Jap lead dropped below 11,000 for the first time since the beginning of the game.

[Q-Ball]

That would bum me out if you guys had to hang it up for awhile. You guys have the best AAR format, lots of strategic commentary, good maps, no combat.txt stuff. Also alot of interesting ideas/gambles in this game.

[Canoerebel]

3/18/44
 
Thanks for the encouraging words, Q-Ball.  Just when I thought the game was at a standstill indefinately, John sends me a turn.  He's handling real life matters so that time for the game should be limited or non-existent for awhile, but just when I think he's checked out he pops back in.  So we got one turn in at least.
 
Malaya/Sumatra:  In preparation for the next British amphibious operations, I want to send mixed signals that any of a number of ports could be the target hex.  On the 18th, the RN bombardment group at Bankha, Sumatra, led by BB Queen Elizabeth, bombarded Kuala Lumpur.  Over the next week she'll hit a number of bases on Malaya's west coast.  The invasion transport TFs will weigh anchor from Rangoon tonight.  The RN CV TF is taking station between Port Blair and Tavoy.  The RAF has shut down (or the Japs emptied) all airfields in northern Malaya and Bangkok, so I'm not concerned about air strikes.
 
Vietnam:  The Chinese units at Hue are resting and prepping for Camranh Bay.  The Chinese at Haiphong tried a deliberate attack at Haiphong, getting high odds but taking more casualties, so I'll bombard for a few more days.
 
NoPac:  The transports finished unloading at Onnekotan Jima and will head for Shikuka, a will the carrier TFs.  I'm going to rest and refuel the carriers and then contemplate a raid against the Home Islands.  Transports are closing on Kodiak and Anchorage as the Allies begin serious planning for the invasion of some of the Jap-held Aleutians.
 
CenPac:  I had Iwo's 4EB's set to strike one of the Home Island cities but mistakenly targeted Manpower rather than Resources.  The strike scored 48 hits (which I think yields 96 points), but I don't intend to hit Manpower - Resources, Heavy Industry, and Port strikes will be my most common Strategic targets.
 
Australia:  Aussies march, march, march toward Daly Waters.
 
 

[String]

why not go straight for the jugular and target fighter production and R/D?

[Canoerebel]

String, I should have mentioned aircraft factories.  I've already hit the factories at Gumma multiple times and they will continue to receive regular attention.  In fact, that will be the primary target once I have B-29s and P-51s.  The B-24s and B-17s will primarily hit resources and ports with heavy industry secondary.  I won't mess with the other industrial sectors.
 
3/19/44
 
Sumatra/Malaya:  The Japs continue to bombard the beleaugered Allied beachhead at Johore Bahru and tried a high odds shock attack today, but somehow the Allied troops held and inflicted much greater casualties on the Japs.  But they won't hold much longer, but I really don't need them too - a week would be gracious plenty.  KXVI put a torpedo in BB Ise, hopefully putting her in dry dock for awhile.  The British invasion fleet weighed anchor from Rangoon and is moving south to a rendezvous point.  I won't disclose the objective hex yet.  The RN bombardment fleet that hit Kuala Lumpur on the 18th will hit Taiping on the 20th, trying to send mixed signals about where the invasion will take place.  Jap kamikazes sortied from Benkholen on the Sumatra's southeast coast to hit two transports at Padang, but ran into heavy Allied fighter opposition.  The Japs scored one hit but lost 30 aircraft.
 
Australia:  It appears that the Japs have evacuated Daly Waters.  The Aussies ought to arrive tomorrow or the day after.  This will give the Allies an airbase within striking range of Japanese ships at Darwin.
 
 

[vettim89]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

String, I should have mentioned aircraft factories.  I've already hit the factories at Gumma multiple times and they will continue to receive regular attention.  In fact, that will be the primary target once I have B-29s and P-51s.  The B-24s and B-17s will primarily hit resources and ports with heavy industry secondary.  I won't mess with the other industrial sectors.

I would suggest you use some of this down time to look through as many Japanese production threads as possible. From my limited reading as an AFB, I think engines and HI are the key. I would try to figure out which fighters John is using now and where the next likely upgrades will be. Then concentrate on those engine factories needed for those fighters. Also, I would decide which fighters he is using that are most cpable and hit those engine factories as well. The nice thing about engine factores is that you can often target multiple lines of aircraft as there is some common use of the engines by multiple airframes. Same with hitting HI: it affects a/c production , ship production, and armaments production. There is a lot of info on the forums for JFB as far as production goes. As I approach the point where I can affect my opponents economy with LBA, I plan to spend a lot of time in those posts. I will then reverse engineer that info to do the most damage possible.

Also, have you considered instead of reclaiming the CentPac and SoPac that you should move towards the Formosa area instead. If you could establish a large air presence in that area, you will cut Japan off from its oil and resources in the SRA. John's economy will quickly grind to a halt.

[Canoerebel]

No, I won't hit engine factories.  Concentrating on resources and aircraft factories will be sufficient, not only to hurt the Japanese economy, but also to score points.

I have no intention on hitting Formosa.  I don't need to in order to win the game.  The Allied positions at Sikhalin Island and Iwo Jima give the Allies great bases to hammer Japan.  There's no need to expends assets and effort on further offensives in that area.  The main Allied offensives from here on out will occur in CenPac/SoPac/SWPac (both to create and protect a good line of supply to Australia and to score points by taking high-value Jap bases), DEI (where the British can hammer resources and have plenty of airbases to cover advances), and SE Asia (where the Chinese are doing good work and are establishing air bases that will permit the Allies to hit places like Manila).

IE, without taking any major chances, the Allies are now in a position to hammer the Japanese heartland.  By also advancing in CenPac/SWPac and the DEI, the Allies will also be in a position to eventually control the air over every remaining major Japanese port.  There won't be a safe harbor left for Japanese ships. 

I learned alot in my game with Miller, so some of this strategy is based upon conclusions I drew from that game.  But Sikhalin Island is the key to the game now.  With two big air bases there fully supplied and quite secure, the Allies can pound Japan the rest of the game.  That was and is the key to the outcome, in my estimation. 

[Canoerebel]

3/20/44 to 3/22/44
 
Allied Philosophy:  In the previous posts I've mentioned that the Allies do not plan any major amphibious operations near Japan (Formosa, Okinawa, etc.) in the foreseeable future.  I should have mentioned a few other reasons:  The Allies engaged in very risky and costly invasions of Hokkaido, Sikhalin Island, and the Aleutians in late '43 and early '44.  These operations cost the Allies dearly in transports and I don't want to undertake a similar operation in the near future.  These operations were tremendously successful, however, and I figured that if successful I would be in a position where I wouldn't need further high-cost invasions in '44.  There should come a time late in '44 when the Allies have so much men and material that I may proceed with more large-scale invasions near Japan, but I don't think I'll need to to win the game.  The Allies are in a great position to win without undertaking risky, potentially costly invasions that would give the Japs alot of points.
 
Sumatra/Malaya:  On the 20th, a British transport between Sabang and Ceylon sighted a Judy - what the heck?  I know the KB must be lurking somewhere to the south, so I divert the ships in the area north into the Bay of Bengal.  The traffic is mainly transports, but I also had a large convoy of moderately damaged combat ships returning to Aden from "the front lines."  I would have been sick had BB Warspite stumbled into the KB.  Moreovery, my amphibious fleet had moved toward Andaman Islands and was somewhat exposed, so I sent it a bit north to wait things out.  In an exchange of emails, John confirmed this is the KB - something like eight carriers.  I don't think he is aware that the RN carriers are close by.  I don't think John has sighted the invasion fleet yet, either.  I'm waiting for the coast to clear before committing my invasion fleet to the final approach to the target hex.  Meanwhile, two RN bombardment fleets continue to hit targets - one anchored by BB Royal Sovereign is based at Port Blair and just hit Victoria Point; the other anchored by BB Queen Elizabeth continues to alternate between Kuala Lumpur, Taiping, and Georgetown.  The beachhead at Johore Bahru continues to hold and may do so a few more days.
 
Vietnam:  The Chinese are resting at Hue and will move out toward Camranh Bay in a few days.  The Japs seem to be using barges to evacuate the isolated army at Haiphong to the island off the coast.  I hate to let a Jap army get away, but there's not much I can do about it - B-25s and fighter-bombers from Hanoi and Chinese air strips hit the barges, but it's hard to get alot of them.
 
NoPac:  The Allies now have 3000 AV on Sikhalin Island.  I don't think John could mount a credible invasion at this late date in the game for a variety of reasons, the most important being that the Japs are short on carriers and battleships (which are all down around Sumatra now anyhow) while the Allies have a strong force posted at Shikuka.  The airfields at Toyohara is 6 and at Shikuka 7 and both continue to build up.  B-29s arrive in just two weeks, so the Allied strategic bombing campaign is about to go into overdrive.  In the Aleutians, ships and men are converging on Kodiak Island, the staging point for the next amphibious operations in the Aleutians.
 
CenPac:  As soon as the Aleutians are cleared out, all Allied transports will head to Midway and Pearl Harbor for the next operations.  This is still several months off.
 
Australia:  The Allies claimed a vacant Daly Waters on the 21st and now have 70 Liberator IIIs searching for shipping in the Timor Sea.  The Japs have successfully evacuated most of the Australian occupation force, and I don't anticipate any determined defense of Darwin.  The Aussies will have a huge army at Darwin, and I could mount a big amphibious operation from there if I had the ships, but I don't right now.
 
Points:  As of 3/21, Japs: 51,876; Allies 41,408.  The spread should drop below 10,000 in just a few days.

[Heeward]

What are your air forces doing?
 
You now have secured Hue -
Have you move Aircraft Support forward?
Do you have long range Coverage of the South China Sea?
Anti Shipping Strikes? Indochina generates only so many supplies - do you believe he is consuming more then generated?
Do you believe port / airfield / city attacks on the base behind the front to interdict supplies to be worth it or a waste of effort?
 
What role are you using your medium bombers in at this time?
 

[Canoerebel]

Thanks, Heeward, for asking.  I must say that it could take alot of time and detail to explain how I'm employing my bombers all over the map.  Instead, I'll summarize by theater:
 
Vietnam:  Hue has fallen and has a large airfield (level 5, I think). A small base force (30-level) is about to arrive, with a larger on the way from Chungking.  So Hue should become a fairly large Allied air base although supplying it will be difficult. Bombers operating from the field will be a nuisance to John's shipping in the South China Sea, but not crippling since he still has "safe" sea channels from the SRA to Japan via the Philippines.  Hue will help the Allies in the campaign for Camhran Bay, which will then help with Saigon.  I don't think Hue or any other base in Vietnam will have sufficient supplies to allow sustained bombing campaigns by B-29s and other 4EBs.
 
Burma/Malaya/Sumatra/Siam:  The RAF has been occupied with hitting resource targets (Bangkok/Saigon), suppressing Japanese airfields in the region, especially those on the Malay Peninsula, and occasionally stinging Japanese shipping.  IE, the RAF is currently being used to support the land campaign as the Allies first took western Sumatra and now seek a major base on the Malay Peninsula.  As soon as I get that major base, the RAF will begin to target Singapore and Palembang on raids of a more strategic nature.
 
NoPac:  4EB from the Sikhalin Island bases periodically target either resources or ports in Japan, primarily Sapporo, Ominato, and vicinity.  This activity will increase dramatically when B-29s (and P-51s) arrive on the scene in a few weeks.  I envision this being the primary method of taking the war to Japan and defeating her.  These fields also support B-25s which are used primarily to strike Japanese ships or harrassment raids against the airfields on Hokkaido.
 
Iwo Jima:  As stated previously, B-24s and B-17s from this base periodically hit strategic targets in Japan (aircraft factories at Gumma and resources throughout the Home Islands) and ports.  They've done good work for months, and this activity will increase in tandem with the major raids planned from Sikhalin Island.
 
Australia:  At this time, air assets in Australia are primarily Aussie, which means a moderate number of Liberator IIIs and just a squadron or two of B-24s.  These will be sufficient to harrass, but not cripple, Japanese shipping and land targets on Timor and other islands.  If Darwin can be built to level 7 airfield (I don't recall, but I don't think it can) I might base some B-29s there to hit Soerabaja.

[Heeward]

Ah but what is your medium bombers upto?

[Canoerebel]

Heeward seeks more details about my medium bombers.  In the interest of full disclosure, here's a summary:
 
Wellington IIIs:  Mostly based at Rangoon, Moulmein, and Tavoy, these bombers are mainly hitting Japanese troops at Raeheng and near Tavoy, plus occasional airfield strikes vs. Bangkok. The squadrons have been effective and are being heavily employed.
 
B-25s:  About the only squadrons within range of the enemy are based in China and are hitting the small coastal-type Japanese shipping employed by John to evacuate his beleagured army at Haiphong.  There is another squadron newly based at Toyohara that just hit the airfield at Wakkanai.  Most of my other bases in NoPac, CenPac, SoPac, etc. aren't within B-25 range of any enemy targets.
 
B-26s and every other medium bomber:  None are based within range of enemy bases at the moment.
 
Summary:  Except for Siam/Malaya and China, the Allies aren't using medium bombers right now.  Everything's being done with 4EB.
 
Operation Phantom Wind:  I saw John made a post titled "Operation Phantom Wind."  I think he's bluffing or essentially bluffing, hence the title of this post.  But I am also bearing in mind that the Japs are still capable of striking, especially in Malaya/Sumatra and China.  I'm not very concerned about Sikhalin Island at the moment since the KB isn't in the area.
 
D-Day Georgetown:  The British troops will storm the beaches at Georgetown on 3/27/44.  The 26th passed quiety all over the map, and the Georgetown-bound TFs finished the day two hexes from the target. 

[Canoerebel]

3/27/44 and 3/28/44
 
Georgetown, Malaya:  The British landings at Georgetown are going well.  The first troops came ashore on the 27th, but for some reason two big TFs failed to unload, so I ordered my troops to bombard on the 28th.  By then, more than 1000 AV was ashore and most of them are 100% prepped for the target.  On the 27th, the defenses consisted of a single Jap mixed brigade and some base force personnel.  By the 28th, a second mixed brigade had arrived.  My troops will shock attack tomorrow.  I am not confident of success, but there is certainly a chance.  The combination of preparation and frequent bombardments by the nearby RN battleship TFs should help.

Strung Out:  The British are now strung out all over Sumatra, Malaya, and Siam in a situation that reminds me of Operation Market Garden.  I have strong pockets of troops that John has met and stymied well.  Some readers might shake a finger at me for dispersing my troops in such a fashion rather than concentrating, but I'm still satisfied with situation for two reasons:  First, I think the Allies will eventually break through.  Second, and more importantly, this theater of operations has had John's full attention for several months now, leaving most of the Pacific largely unprotected.

NoPac:  It has taken the Allies a long time to get men and ships where they need to be following the invasion of Iwo followed closely by even larger invasions of Hokkaido and Sikhalin Island.  But the shuffling and arranging is largely complete now, and the Allies are ready to resume the offensive.  The Aleutians invasion TFs have just departed Kodiak and will make for one of the Japanese held islands. I don't anticipate stiff resistance.  As soon as the target falls, these troops will begin prepping for the next target.  While that happens, the ships will pick up other troops prepped for Paramushiro Jima and hit that target, which is strongly fortified.  But the Allies have a massive number of troops and can pummel the defenses by air and by sea.  Paramushiro is now isolated, so it should be tough for the Japs to bring ships or aircraft to bear in its defense.  Timetable:  I expect the Allies to take one of the four remaining Jap Aluetians bases within ten days.  I expect the invasion of Paramushiro to take place within the month.  In the meantime, 4EBs from the Sikhalin bases will continue to raid Japan every other day or so.

CenPac:  Additional CVEs will soon arrive at Pearl Harbor, giving the Allies a large concentration of these light-duty carriers.  Troops are prepping for various targets, but I probably won't undertake any operation until Paramushiro falls.

SoPac/SWPac:  Nothing happening here for the Allies for awhile.

Australia:  The Allies will reclaim Katherine tomorrow.  The Japanese continue to evacuate from Darwin, but Liberator IIIs from Daly Waters have sunk or damaged quite a few APs.  The Allies will probably take Darwin in less than ten days.

Vietnam:  One Chinese army remains at Hue prepping for Camranh Bay; the second is beginning to make progress in eliminating the remnants of the Japanese army at Haiphong (in part because the Japs have successfully employed barges to pull a Dunkirk there).

Operation Phantom Wind:  I've continued to mull over possible Japanese threats.  In most regions of the map I consider the Allies safe, either because of overwhelming numbers or extent of defenses (Haiphong, Iwo Jima and Sikhalin Island fall into these categories) or remoteness (a surprise Jap invasion of eastern Australia or India would be a waste of time and resources and doomed to eventual failure, I believe).  The only place that really worries me, at the moment, would be a strike at Sabang on the western tip of Sumatra, which has been lightly garrisoned.  So I've sent reinforcements.  John could also strike at Padang, on the southern coast, but that's an outpost that's relatively unimportant and would take a big commitment by the Japs (the Allied AV there exceeds 400 and is fully prepped).  Overall, as we enter Spring 1944, I believe the Allies have a strong perimeter and are in good shape to ramp up the strategic bombing of Japan as soons as the B-29s arrive.

Points:  Barring some calamity, the spread should fall below 10,000 in the next day or so.

[Canoerebel]

3/29/44
 
Georgetown, Malaya:  Following a shore bombardment, bombing strikes by Liberators, and additional landings, the Allies tried a shock attack at this key base on the Malay Peninsula.  The attack came in at 3:1, reduced forts from 4 to 2, and cost the Japs 1,729/14 to 2,207/55/23 for the Allies.  The Allied troops are still in pretty good shape, so they'll attack tomorrow.  I would think the city would fall unless reinforcements arrive, which is likely since Georgetown is tucked between several Jap bases each served by good roads. 
 
Elsewhere on Malaya:  There are two contested hexes at Malaya's northern neck, and the Allies will try a deliberate attack in one tomorrow.  Far to the south, the Allied beachhead at Malacca remains strong, with the Allied troops outnumbering the Japs; and the very, very tenuous Allied beachhold at Johore Bahru still stands, but won't much longer.
 
Vietnam:  Another Chinese attack at Haiphong seriously depleted the remnant Japanese army causing 16,000 casualties.  The rest should be extinquished tomorrow or the following day.  John managed to Dunkirk a sizeable portion of his troops out of this hex, but his losses were pretty high nonetheless.
 
NoPac:  48 P-38Js, 77 B-17s, qand 47 PBY Liberators from Shikuka hit Sendai's resources, destroying 43 points.  But the CAP did a decent job, shooting down 20 or 30 aircraft.  The Aleutians invasion TFs rendezvoued south of Kodiak Island and will proceed west to one of the remaining Jap-held bases.  D-Day is about three or four days away.
 
Australia:  The Aussie's reclaimed a vacant Katherine and bombers from Daly Waters damaged a handful of Jap APs at Darwin.  The Japs have just a small contingent there, now.  Most of the Japs have pulled out and I think all the bases on the coast south of Darwin are vacant.
 
Points:  Japs, 52,008; Allies, 42,501.  The spread fell below 10,000 for the first time since the beginning of the game.  To give an idea of how quickly the spread is narrowing, the Jap lead on March 4 was 11,800; on February 10 it was 13,900.  This is rather remarkable, because the Allies haven't really done alot over the past two months as they have been regrouping and preparing for the next attacks.  I expect the pace to increase as strategic bombing ramps up.  To this point, the Allies have 1,500 points for strategic bombing.

[Canoerebel]

3/30/44
 
Georgetown, Malaya:  Following another bombardment run from the Queen Elibabeth TF and bombing raids by Sabang-based Liberator IIIs, the British troops tried another shock attack out of the beachhead.  This attack came off at 11:1, overcame two forts, and took the base.  The Japs lost 1473/11 to 407/16/4 for the Allies.  The defenders withdrew towards Alor Star.  The Allies now have a level four airbase in proximity to Singapore.  This is the culmination of a complicated British campaign launched out of Rangoon months ago.  The ultimate objective was to take Georgetown by making the Japs draw down the garrison to defend other hotspots.  So the British invaded Sumatra (with much more success than I had envisioned) and Malacca.  These "diversions" took so long and cost so much that it imperiled the chances of success against Georgetown.  So this is a Red Letter day for the British and the Allies.
 
Malaya:  Elsewhere on the Malay Peninsula, the tattered remnants of the British/Chinese army at Johore Bahru are expected to surrender tomorrow.  The Allied beachhead at Malacca remains strong, and the fall of Georgetown should make it much more difficult for the Japanese to focus all their attention and assets at Malacca.
 
Vietnam:  Another 20,000 Jap casulties at Haiphong, with the remnant likely to surrender tomorrow.
 
NoPac:  D-Day for the Allied invasion of Umnak Island (between Adak and Dutch Harbor) is April 1.  The Allies expect light resistance.
 
CenPac/US Carriers:  The Allies have ten CVEs based in Hawaii and at Midway.  A few other CVEs are helping out with the Umnak invasion.  CV Wasp is enroute to Hawaii from Panama City.  The remainder of the U.S. carriers are in port at Shikuka.
 
Iwo Jima:  130 B-24s and B-17s hit the port at Tokyo, damaging four submarines, one CL, one AK, one AP, and an MSW.
 
Australia:  Aussie Liberator IIIs continue to hit Japanese shipping in the harbor at Darwin.  The first Aussie troops will arrive here in two days.  Few if any Japanese troops will remain by then.  John was able to withdraw essentially his entire Australian Expeditionary Army.  It would have been nice to trap a sizeable contingent, but the Allies just didn't have the ability to do so.  I'm just happy to wave goodbye to the enemy.

[wneumann]

My first look at this AAR. Up to now I haven't seen anyone playing in late '43 - early '44. What scenario are you guys using?

Hopefully I'll be doing this well when I get to where you are.

[Canoerebel]

I don't recall which scenario number we're playing - we're using the Big B mod on extended map; the scenario is the full game including Pearl Harbor, with the Japs having the ability to modify their attack.  We have the usual house rules in place.
 
If you think I'm doing well, you need to glance over the full AAR.  John (the Japs) is still in Australia, still holds New Caledonia, the Marshalls, the Societies, the Solomons, New Guinea, and a bunch of the Aleutians.  He really clobbered me well into 1943 and still has a point lead of about 9,200, and it's nearly April 1944! 
 
The saving graces for the Allies:  (1)  The orderly retreat in Australia that allowed the Aussies to hold Melbourne and Sydney (that was a nail-biting seige, though, and the Japs drew perilously close to an auto-victory); (2) The successful mid-1943 Allied invasions of Midway and Iwo Jima - especially the latter - that put a big bulge in the Japanese line of defense and I think prompted John into a frenzy of rearranging; (3) the back-from-the-brink-of-a-game-ending-disater successful invasion of Hokkaido (even though I lost the island eventually) that allowed the U.S. to take and hold the two big bases on Sikhalin Island (and thus gives the Allies big airbases from which to bomb the Home Islands); and (4) the British/Chinese moves into Burma (taking Rangoon/Moulmein/Tavoy) in '43 that put the Allies in a position to invade Sumatra and Malaya in early '44, creating a "second front" that drew John's full attention while the real and decisive contest (in my opinion) should have been over the Allied hold on Sikhalin Island.
 
I'm still way behind as we near mid-1944, but I think the Allies will win.

[Q-Ball]

You're not that far behind. I am playing Big B as well, as Japan; it's 5/21/44, and I'm down to only a 3500 point lead. The gap in VP's on planes is over 10K. But my opponent is nowhere near bombing Japan. You have the opportunity to close the gap quickly with that, and also by capturing bases in Vietnam, or even Singapore. Singapore is worth tons of points. You're fine!