Forlorn Hopes: John III vs. Canoerebel

[NormS3]

It's been a while since I commented, but I feel that you are correct to remind John about the Wotje incident. These things happen. If you redo the turn, you should be able to change settings as well.

I admit I was really looking forward to seeing what was going to happen (I read both ARs but have only commented in yours, don't want to contaminate your fantastic game), it's too bad that nothing flew, almost like Lee waiting for Ewell.

Both of you have fought an exhausting game, it wears me out just following it. I can not imagine what it is doing to you both. [:D]

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

John has asked for a re-do of the turn.  It seems he set his KB bombers at a certain range limit (say five hexes) but his carriers stopped six hexes from Iwo due to an unexpected delay by one TF (I guess the lead TF) to refuel.

I'm surprised John would ask for a re-do as this seems to fall into one of those unexpected things that happen in war that mess up the "best laid plans."  In my reply, I reminded him that during my Wotje invasion back in 1942 I had two carriers that failed to fly CAP that were consequently sunk at extreme range by a few Bettys, but that I had refused a do-over.  Those kinds of things happen.

Then he said he wanted to be able to re-set the range of his aircraft, but that I shouldn't do anything different. 

I've probably irritated John in stating my case, but I just don't think a re-do is warranted.

there´s absolutely no reason to redo that turn... [:-]

there would have been one with your Cap as it´s a bug when you set your fighters on Cap and 0 (none) appear...

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: Norm3

It's been a while since I commented, but I feel that you are correct to remind John about the Wotje incident. These things happen. If you redo the turn, you should be able to change settings as well.

I admit I was really looking forward to seeing what was going to happen (I read both ARs but have only commented in yours, don't want to contaminate your fantastic game), it's too bad that nothing flew, almost like Lee waiting for Ewell.

Both of you have fought an exhausting game, it wears me out just following it. I can not imagine what it is doing to you both. [:D]

Ditto,

I feel that in WITP, trying to co-ordinate too many TF and Airbases into a single action is fraught with danger. It might explain why IRL operations are "overkill", guarantees something will get throuh.

I suppose John is lucky, half his CV might have attacked and got smashed while your counterattack could have sunk 2-3 CV.

As it is, it appears his Op failed but with minimal loss except to nerves.

[Canoerebel]

Iwo Jima 6/22/44 Cont'd
 
On receiving the turn file I learned that the two big LBA strikes against Iwo came from Pagan and Saipan; the strikes from and against Iwo from and against Tokyo didn't get off the ground because Tokyo was socked in by clouds.
 
As stated previously, the KB didn't get off any air strike missions.  I suspect John was hoping to hit my combat ships (mainly BBs South Dakota and Indiana) in preparation for an invasion of Iwo.  There suddenly seems to be scattered merchant shiping south of Iwo, plus the KB west of Saipan.
 
The NoPac carriers were about 420 miles NNE of Iwo and weren't part of the action; but John certainly knows they are coming. 
 
I really hope John calls it off and I think there's a fair chance he will do so because:
 
1)  He knows I'll load up Iwo with high-quality fighters flown by high-experience pilots.  Indeed I have - the island now has 210 fighters - about 150 P-38s (60 of these are P-38Ls that will fly LRCAP over my carriers as they move in toward Iwo), the rest a mixture of Corsairs, Hellcats, and P-47D Thunderbolts.
 
2)  He'll be somewhat apprehensive of LBA from Iwo, though I've only 50 B-24s there now due to stacking limits.
 
3)  He knows my carriers are nearing and I'm hoping he has a very healthy fear of them.
 
To be honest, a full-scale Japanese invasion now would have a fair chance of ripping the Allied fleet to shreds.  So that's why I'm hoping John will back down.  A few more days and the CenPac carriers will arrive and at that point I think the crisis is averted.  In addition to the carriers, I need a little time to bring in those supply ships and enhance the defenses of Tori Shima and Chichi Jima, partly through more minelaying and partly by sending a CD unit to Tori (I have one fully prepped for Tori at Iwo Jima).
 
This is a ticklish situation.  The Allies have a strong force ringed by very strong enemy forces.  If somebody starts shooting, bad things could happen.
 
More about what's going on elsewhere in another post to follow.

[Canoerebel]

6/21/44 and 6/22/44 (Places other than Iwo Jima)
 
The Iwo situation, which may or may not be over yet, has brought home just how powerful the Japanese remain. John can bring an awful lot of force to bear at any one point and pretty much overwhelm the defenses.  My priorities remain the protection of Sikhalin Island (which I don't think he can overwhelm) and Iwo (which needs alot of protection due to its exposed position).  But this means Ponape, Eniwetok, and the beachhead at Wake are gonna be awfully lonely for awhile.
 
NoPac:  With American and Jap forces engaged around Iwo and to the south, I will send an MLE and ML to Toyohara by a roundabout way.  This will allow me to mine this most exposed of my Sikahlin Island ports.  Shikuka is already a level 9 port and an ML has laid 5,000 mines.  An Allied deliberate attack at Amchitka Island came off at 4:1 and dropped forts from 7 to 4.  I think this base changes hands tomorrow.  That will leave Dutch Island and Cold Bay in Jap hands, though both seem weaky defended.  I'll probably detail a divisions and one or two RCT to pick them off.  The other division will probably become a reserve force sent to Paramushiro Jima or perhaps Toyohara. 
 
SoPac:  I've been concealing a major operation in this region for security reasons.  CVs Bennington and Ticonderoga recently arrived at Auckland after a long journey from Panama City.  These are the first American carriers in this region since two were sunk early in 1942.  These carriers are escorting an invasion force to New Caledonia.  I will begin reconning Koumac tomorrow to see if it looks vulnerable.  If not, I'll recon Noumea.  If neither appear vulnerable at this point, I'll back off for now.  I have about 100 B-29s (low-experience pilots though) at Auckland scheduled to strike the Koumac airfield tomorrow.  This operation was on standy until I got confirmation that KB didn't head this way after leaving Saipan.
 
Malaya:  Georgetown is 86% to level seven airfield.  I've moved two large B-29 squadrons there from Rangoon to rest up in preparation for the sustained strategic bombing effort that will soon begin from this base.

[Canoerebel]

6/23/44 and 6/24/44
 
CenPac:  Through a bit of luck and the timely arrival of the cavalry in the form of a carrier TF, the Iwo Jima crisis is at least temporarily averted.  The KB has pulled back toward Palau and the NoPac carriers have taken station one hex north of Iwo, where they'll remain a few days as supply and fuel ships arrive.  The CenPac carriers are refueling west of Midway and north of Marcus.  I'm working on a new plan to allocate carriers.  I think I'll position a large force of CVEs at Iwo, a medium force of CVEs in the Western Aleutians, and the fleet carriers at Midway where they aren't too far from those places nor Wake/Eniwetok.

NoPac:  The Allies have scheduled a big strategic bombing raid on Gumma tonight, with B-24s from Iwo and Toyohara and B-29s from Shikuka set to hit George, Helen, and Jack factories.  The other Shikuka 4EB will hit Akita's resources.  Amchitka Island fell to the Allies on the 24th.

SWPac:  The Bennington/Ticonderoga TF took station just SW of Noumea and found a transport convoy there and put torpedoes into six of them.  I expected John to react by loading up his airfields with Bettys, but I don't think he did.  It would be great if he had decided not to fight for New Caledonia.  My troops are scheduled to land at the dot hex west of Noumea in two days, but I'm reconning Noumea and if it is lightly held may just land there.

Malaya:  Georgetown is 93% to level seven airfield.  The regular bombing of Palembang and Singapore will begin in three or four days.

[Canoerebel]

6/25/44 and 6/26/44
 
Points:  For the first time the spread fell below 1,000.  The Japs have 54,061 to 53,172 for the Allies.  Strategic bombing accounts for 6,372 of these points as of the 25th (and probably a little over 6,400 after a small raid on Akita's resources the night of the 26th).  Barring something "bad" happening points will draw even in the next week or two. 

WitP Game Balance:   In my previous game the Allies drew even in late January 1944.  Alot went right for the Allies then, whereas in this game John had vastly more experience than I did (at the outset, anyhow) and used his careful planning and aggressive nature to push the Allies to the brink of defeat (Jap auto-victory) at the end of 1942.  So, in effect, the difference in a game in which the Japs kick butt and one in which the Allies kick butt amounts to just five months.  Put another way, John has done very well in this game and yet the Allies still have another year to work on the victory total.  Given the overwhelming might of the Allied forces by late '43 through the end of the game I just don't see any way that the Japs have a chance to win in WitP (at least in this Mod) other than to achieve auto-victory. Game balance would be enhanced by making it possible for the Japs to score points more readily later in the game (don't do it earlier in the game, because then auto victory might be too easy). That would address the game's imbalance without affecting game play or historic accuracy.

SWPac:  The Allies are landing at an unoccupied dot hex (La Foa) west of Noumea, splitting the Japanese garrisons at Koumac (5 units) and Noumea (2 units).  No sign of the Jap air force or navy yet, but the KB is probably only a week to ten days away (up around Pagan).  I wonder if John will decide to give battle here or if he has written of most of SWPac and SoPac at this late date in the game?

CenPac:  The first big supply convoy arrived at Iwo with more to come.  Frances bombers from Marcus damaged four TKs on the way to Iwo.  The CenPac carrier group continues to steam west to rendezvous with the NoPac group somewhere north of Iwo (but not too far away).

NoPac:  Allied 4EB hit the factories at Gumma and resources at Akita on the 2th.  The first wave of 38 P-38s and 39 B-24s from Iwo encountered 29 Jacks, 33 George, 34 Tony, and 22 Tojo.  The Allies lost 19 P-38 and 5 B-24 to 4 Tojo, 4 George, 4 Jack, and 5 Tony.   Four hits were scored.  The second wave consisted of 44 B-24s and 11 B-17s unescorted from Toyohara, with the Japs losing 2 fighters, the Allies 7 bombers, and 11 hits scored.  The third wave of 94 unescorted B-29s from Shikuka scored 11 hits with 5 bombers lost.  Up at Akita, 120 bombers scored 52 Resource hits.

Malaya:  Georgetown becomes a level seven airfield tomorrow.  This base is well-supplied (200k) and is home to 96 B-29s, 64 B-25s, and about 70 Liberator IIIs.  These bombers will be supported by P-38s and Thunderbolts from Bankha and Medan.  Regular raids on Palembang and Singapore commence day after tomorrow.

[vettim89]

I need to check the map but it may behoove you to use your 4E's from Iwo to smack Marcus or perhaps ala RL 1943, send the the CV's in to smack the base for a day or two. Don't let John think he has a safe haven anywhere. If this is not a heavily occupied base, you might want to take it out.

At some point you will need to go after KB. You cannot let the whole "Fleet in Being" thing haunt your every move. I know you should be getting the rest of the RN CV's soon. Perhaps you should try to sandwich KB between two large CV fleets.

[Canoerebel]

6/27/44 to 6/29/44
 
Malaya:  I chose Singapore over Palembang as the first targets for the SEAC Superforts based at Georgetown's level seven airfield.  The first strike on the 28th targeted both airfield and port facilities, with lots of escorts and a massive pre-strike sweep by P-38s and Thunderbolt IIs from Sumatran bases.  This was followed by 90 B-29s, 60 B-25s, and 50 Liberator IIIs.  The results were gratifying.  In the sweep, the Allies lost 13 fighters to 108 for the Japs; the bombers destroyed 102 aicraft on the ground and damaged about a dozen ships in port.  The following day the B-29s hit the port again damaging 14 ships including an MLE and an AR.  The sea to the east is full of ships fleeing to Borneo or other distant harbors.  I think this effectively closes down Singapore as a Japanese naval or air base.  My bombers will rest tomorrow and then strike Palembang on July 1.  The troops prepping for Taiping are moving out tomorrow.  John has pulled some of his troops out of Khota Bharu and is sending them further south, perhaps to reinforce Taiping or Malacca.
 
CenPac:  The Allied carriers are stationed north of Iwo (group one) and north of Marcus (group two) in a position to protect the series of transport convoys heading to Iwo Jima.  They will be stationed here another week.  No sign of the KB, but my hunch is that John will commit his carriers to either:  (1) go after Ticonderoga and Bennington at New Caledonia; or (2) to hit Eniwetok.
 
NoPac:  The MLE and ML bound for Toyohara are nearing Paramushiro.  The Allies conducted an all-out raid on Toyohama's resources on the 28th, with 162 B-29s from Shikuka and Changsha and 36 B-24s from Iwo Jima coming in against no fighter opposition.  Total hits scored were 45.  The rest of the 4EB hit Sendai's resources scoring 28 hits.  There wasn't any CAP over Toyohama, so I sent some more bombers there on the 29th, but this time John had fighters up and the Allies lost 19 B-24s and scored just one hit.  Strikes against Akita's resources were more successful, scoring 53 hits.
 
SWPac:  The Allies have landed two Army divisions, a cavalry division, a regiment, and Fiji Brigade at La Foa.  Noumea is weakly held by two units about 6,000 strong.  John sent some bombers to the field, but B-29s from Aukland destroyed about 9 on the ground and none sortied.  Frances bombers all the way from Lunga didn't do any damage.  There has been time for Jap carriers to reach the Coral Sea if John sent them full-speed without delay, so I'm moving my carriers and transports back to Auckland.  The infantry will march on Noumea.
 
Points:   The massive strikes on Singapore and Toyohama on the 28th dropped the point spread from 1000 to just 250.  As of June 28, 1944, the Japanese lead was 54,173 to 53,819 (of that total, 6,730 is strategic points).  By the next day, the spread was down to 150 as the Jap total was 54,179 to 54,031 (6,870 strategic points).  The Allies don't have any big resource raids planned for the 30th, so I don't expect to draw even, but it'll be awfully close. 

[paullus99]

Reading both sides of this AAR (no spoilers), I've developed an image of this game:

The Fencer vs. the Broadsword - ultimately, John knows he can't stand up to you in a stand-up fight, so he's feinting & hitting you where you aren't, trying to buy time to strengthen those areas he feels he can still hold (or make it prohibitively expensive for you.)

He's pricking away at you, jabbing here and there, just enough to annoy and make you react the way he wants you to & trying to avoid the one large stroke of the broadsword that will cut him down completely (i.e. get in with you in a stand-up carrier fight).

I wouldn't expect him to commit his carriers or too many aircraft at any location he doesn't feel compelled to defend. Losing some bases in the South Pacific isn't going to lose the war for him, but blundering into your carriers or massive LBA with the KB certainly will. As soon as he loses his fleet mobility, you've won. Until that time, he will continue to dance around a tight perimeter (in my opinion) and try to whittle you down bit by bit & give you a bloody nose.

My recommendation would be to go multi-dimensional on him - instead of making one big push (like Wake) at a time, you should hit him with multiple offensives, simultaneously. He only has so many ships & so many planes, he can't generate local parity or superiority if faced with multiple threat vectors - he'll either have to compromise & undercommit or fall back completely.

Eventually, he's going to have to come out to fight - don't let it be at a place of his choosing - force him to fight & you'll clean his clock - pressure, pressure, pressure - he'll run out of bodies long before you will (and your bombing campaign is putting a huge dent in his points).

Keep up the good work - just wanted to put in my $0.02.

[Canoerebel]

Paullus, we think along the same lines.  I sent this email to my opponent early this morning:

"John, the Japs remain potent, can strike anywhere, and can bring a great deal of power to bear at any one point, or more than one for that matter.

"The late date in the game and the order of battle have put you in the position of Stonewall Jackson, moving fast, remaining mobile, striking and getting away.  The OOB has put me in the position of Ulysses S. Grant - I have such a tremendous amount of aircraft, ships, and men that I can just sort of blunder along relying on pure power to make of for mistakes.

"By any objective measure you've outplayed me in this game.  I'm not being falsely modest.  In fact, I'm pleased that I overcame the lack of experience to survive in the game.  I'm also pleased with some of the moves I've made.  But the Japs really had the Allies on the ropes.  Dan"

[Canoerebel]

Points Highlights
 
06/12/42:  (J) 21,777 to (A) 5,733 - I'm sweating a 4:1 Jap auto-victory as I look toward 1943.
12/28/42:  (J) 37,059 to (A) 10,988 - Auto-victory avoided, but this is the Jap highwater mark.
10/12/43:  (J) 41,893 to (A) 22,691 - the spread begins to narrow following Allied capture of Iwo Jima.
12/14/43:  (J) 47,097 to (A) 31,083 - immediately following the Allied seizure of Sikhalin Island.
04/01/44:  (J) 52,158 to (A) 43,493 - just before B-29s arrive and Strategic Bombing begins in earnest
06/30/44:  (A) 54,229 to (J) 54,226 - At long last the Allies take the lead!

[paullus99]

In the book, "Shattered Sword - the Untold Story of the Battle of Midway" by Parshall & Tully, they make a great point about Japanese strategic objectives:

There are two types of objectives related to the Kido Butai - those that require the deployment of every available carrier & those objectives to be ignored. If its not worth sending everything they have, they shouldn't have sent any at all.

Of course, historically, the Japanese only started losing carriers when they split them up - Coral Sea & Midway, in particular.

In this game, I believe John will go down fighting, but he's going to make you pay in plenty of blood before that happens. He'll dance & dance & dance until you get him into a corner - perhaps think about creating more "carrier-free" zones - putting enough planes & recon into various outposts to keep you apprised should the KB start making moves anywhere near you - think Recon, Recon, Recon.

How are your subs doing?

[Canoerebel]

The sub game has been very active although I haven't mentioned much about it.  The Allies are regularly hitting transports, devote a few subs to mine-laying, and establish lines as "early warning detectors" of approaching Jap TFs. Here's a summary of the major sub divisions in the game:
 
1)  Sabang:  Subs from this port handle the southern South China Sea, the Java Sea, and the Timor Sea region.  For months John has scoured this area with patrol craft that have damaged  a slew of Allied subs making this a dangerous region in which to operate.
 
2)  Iwo Jima:  Subs from this base handle the northern South China Sea, Philippine Sea, and the area between Iwo and Saipan.  ASW forces and aircraft have made it tough in this area too.  Most Allied minelaying subs operate from this base, targeting Saipan, Palau, Davao, and a few other ports.
 
3)  Shikuka:  This base supports subs used to form a line around northern Japan to warn of raids by the KB or the approach of amphibious TFs.
 
4)  Midway:  Subs from this port handle the area around Midway and south to around Truk.
 
5)  Eniwetok:  Subs from this port handle the area between Eniwetok and the Solomons, plus the Kwajalein area.
 
7)  Auckland/Sydney:  These bases support sub operations around Fiji, New Caledonia, the Coral Sea, and the Solomons.

[racndoc]

Canoerebel....


Ive been following your AAR for some time(and so has my opponent) and even though I havent posted I see many similarities between our games although Im about 6 months behind you....based on your facing some 700 Japanese fighters on CAP we introduced a house rule to limit CV stacking of fighters to a max of 350 in a hex. I faced the same dilemma as you regarding Allied carriers....I have my CVs covering invasions off New Guinea and then KB goes raiding on my convoy routes in the eastern Pacific....if the Allies are truly dedicated to maintaining an offensive posture there is no way they can stop KB raids against backwater convoys. Dont worry about committing CVEs to protect your convoy routes...the more forces you commit to protect your convoys the more you will lose unless you commit something like 15-20 CVEs. I had 2 CVEs and 2 BBs covering my convoys 1000 miles off the California coast and all it did was provide more targets for KB to hit.

I agree with you...you have your B-29 bases in the north Pacifc to hit Japan and you dont need the Marianas....now go ahead and destroy Japan from the air. I am focusing on the Marianas in my game for the B-29s...will take 5-6 months and unbelieveable ship losses from minefield, CD guns etc.....

You are right about the strategic bombing...you have the game and the war basically won....whatever you do DO NOT split up your CVs/CVLs/CVEs into smaller groups and allow Japan to defeat your carrier forces in detail.

Good luck!

[desicat]

Don't sell yourself short, some of the things you have done in this game have been remarkable.  Yes, John got your carriers early in the game and again when they didn't fly cap during the Wotje invasion and he even ALMOST got Australia - but look what you have accomplished!

Destroyed the KB Sea Eagles off Vancouver, took advantage of excess Japanese troops in AU to press IndoChina and Vietnam, stopped him short in AU, successful Iwo invasion, Hokkaido and Sakhalin invasions, mini KB destruction by the RN in the Indian Ocean, and the elimination of most of the Japanese BB's and CA's/CL's.

You have played a great game against an experienced and aggressive opponent, you deserve every point you have scored and definitely should be in the lead at this point.  Take away any of the above listed success and you would not even be close in my humble opinion. 

Thanks for providing the excellent AAR for all of us to enjoy.  

[Canoerebel]

6/30/44 to 7/4/44
 
Malaya:  The Japanese have evactuated Khota Bharu (on the east coast) and are about to get booted out of Taiping (on the west coast).  A deliberate attack (the Allies' first) there on the 3rd came in at 4:1 and dropped forts to six.  More troops have arrived and the Allies will shock attack tomorrow.  If the Allies then move around through Khota Bharu the road leads behind Kuala Lumpur, so I think the Japs will have to abandon that base too.  That will leave John with Malacca, Mersing, Johore Bharu, Kuantan, and Singapore, but I'm not sure yet if he'll fight or not.  He has the troops to do so, but the big Allied airfield at Georgetown plus fighter bases on Sumatra have given the Allies control of the skies. John will be worried both about supplying his army and evacuating them if things become hopeless.

CenPac:  The Allies set up a big raid on Tokyo's airfield and resources for the 4th, but the only bombers that flew were B-24s from Iwo that targeted the airfields.  The B-29s from Shikuka failed to sortie (targets included resources and aircraft factories).  Though much smaller than intended, the raid was a sucess with the Japanese losing 22 aircraft on the ground and something like 55 in the air.  The Allies lost about 12 fighters.  I'm going to try again tomorrow, with Iwo's B-24s, Shikuka's B-29s, and Toyohara's B-24s and B-17s set to hit the airfield and several aircraft factories.  A carrier group will also move within range and I've set all torpedo bombers and most of the dive bombers to sortie.  There is an element of danger here because my carriers will be close to alot of big bases.

Wake/Eniwetok/Ponape:  Lonely Allied troops on these islands wonder whether the Japanese armada that was moving on Iwo has now turned its eyes this way; or has John sent the KB sprinting to SWPac to deal with the U.S. carriers near Noumea?  I'm guessing the latter.

NoPac:  The last Japanese resistance at Amchitka Island caved in on the 3rd.  The Japanese have two small and isolated bases left - Cold Bay and Dutch Harbor.  The MLE and ML will arrive at Toyohara in two or three days.  Everything else up here looks good at the moment.  The bases are well supplied and the convoy route is now pretty secure since the Allies have a chain of big air bases in the Aleutians and at Paramushiro and Onnekotan.  Mines and a secure supply route may well permit the Allies to keep the NoPac carriers on duty in CenPac.

SWPac:  Americal Division has arrived at Noumea and will bombard tomorrow to gauge strength (the garrison seems to be 2 units 6,000 strong, one of those units being an airbase).  More troops will arrive tomorrow and I expect to shock attack in two days.  (I don't think I've mentioned Americal in years of game time - it garrisoned Aukland which became a backwater for most of the game).

Points:  The lead seesawed a bit as the Japs reclaimed the lead by two points on the 1st, but now the Allies are up by 200 to 300 points.  I've also just discovered that the Allies need 1.8x points just to earn a draw!  This is new information to me as I didn't even pay attention to victory conditions.   So the Allies still have alot of work to do.

 

[Canoerebel]

7/5/44 and 7/6/44
 
SWPac:   A weakly defended Noumea fell to a mixed Fiji and American force on July 6, 1944.  It seems odd that the Allies are in a good position in a game in which the Japanese held Noumea into the second half of '44 (not to mention part of Australia well into '44).  Weird game.
 
Malaya:  The Japs began to withdraw from Taiping and a shock attack on the 5th evicts the stragglers.  The main Allied force is advancing down the west road, next stop Kuala Lumpur.  A smaller force will take Khota Bahru tomorrow and then will move south threatening to cut off the Japs at Kuala Lumpur.  Allied bombers are hitting Singapore.  I don't know where the Japs stop - John may even begin a wholesale effort to evacuate his men through Singapore. 
 
Japan:  A big raid of 4EB from Iwo, Toyohara and Shikuka hit Tokyo on the 5th, damaging the Frank, Jack, and Frances factories and the airfield. The Japanese lose 41 aircraft on the ground.  The Allied bombers rested on the 6th but are scheduled to return tomorrow.
 
Points:  Noumea is a big base for the Allies (1800 points).  The Allies now lead 56,953 to 54,484. 
 
 

[vettim89]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

7/5/44 and 7/6/44
 
SWPac:   A weakly defended Noumea fell to a mixed Fiji and American force on July 6, 1944.  It seems odd that the Allies are in a good position in a game in which the Japanese held Noumea into the second half of '44 (not to mention part of Australia well into '44).  Weird game.

Malaya:  The Japs began to withdraw from Taiping and a shock attack on the 5th evicts the stragglers.  The main Allied force is advancing down the west road, next stop Kuala Lumpur.  A smaller force will take Khota Bahru tomorrow and then will move south threatening to cut off the Japs at Kuala Lumpur.  Allied bombers are hitting Singapore.  I don't know where the Japs stop - John may even begin a wholesale effort to evacuate his men through Singapore. 

Japan:  A big raid of 4EB from Iwo, Toyohara and Shikuka hit Tokyo on the 5th, damaging the Frank, Jack, and Frances factories and the airfield. The Japanese lose 41 aircraft on the ground.  The Allied bombers rested on the 6th but are scheduled to return tomorrow.

Points:  Noumea is a big base for the Allies (1800 points).  The Allies now lead 56,953 to 54,484. 

Keep hitting those Frank and Jack factories, Baby. Do not let him amass a substantial pool of the next generation of fighters. Forget the bomber factories - bombers are usless if there aren't any fighters to escort them

[EWGuttag]

Canoerebel,
 
I've been following your action, and you definitely appear to come back from the brink based on the comments of others.  That says quite a bit.  Continue to press forward, good luck, and good hunting.