Forlorn Hopes: The Japanese Respond

[ny59giants]

Great stuff Damian. [&o]
I need to "finish" my morning coffee and make sure I'm fully awake before I re-read all this analysis. Right now it's too much without enough caffeine in the system. [:D]

[John 3rd]

Thank you guys!

I've been busy getting ready for the Final Act of my Legal Drama and haven't had time to update.  Will do so tonight in detail.  I did most of what Damian and Michael recommended for the Economy.  Should see results within the next week of turns.

[John 3rd]

The Allies finally make an attack that causes trouble for the defense.

We have been moving slowly the last week and are at the August 10, 1944 turn.

Major Developments:
1. American Fleet approaching Wake. It will be UGLY. My AS has climbed to nearly 1,000 and my supplies are over 10,000. He will Shock attack to land and it should be fun to watch. In the last 3 weeks there I have trained 2 Bomber Sentai and 125 Torpedo Planes from about 50 Experience to 70! That helps some...

2. At the same time as this occurs, the Kaigun ends its 5 week vacation of rest, refit, and repairs at Soerabaja. The Fleet begins to organize itself into TF that number 4 CTF and 1 STF. A 5th CTF will join the Fleet from Japan. Once everything is ready the Japanese will sail from Palau for its final battle.

[John 3rd]

Area Notes:

[John 3rd]

The weird and highly strange battle for Wake will undoubtably enter its final ugly, horrific climax in the next few days.

[John 3rd]

Dan will probably think this is disinformation so I will use it as fact.

The freshly repaired and revamped Kaigun finished its time at Soerabaja on August 11th.  The entire Fleet of 7 CV, 5 CVL, 2 BB, cruisers, and tincans leave for Palau.  While they refuel and finish augmenting their plane complements, they will meet-up with brand new warships (CV, CVL, CL, and 6 DD) scheduled to leave Tokyo on the 13th.  Figure the entire force shall be ready for operational orders about August 20th.

In a nice development, I find that I have too many naval aircraft to load onto the CVs.  I've managed to train my Fighter pilots to a somewhat tolerable level of experience (60-75) while my Dive Bombers and Grace Torpedo Bombers are in fantastic shape (EXP: 70-88).  Will tinker with the carrier complements while they wait at Palau.

The Carriers leaving Soerabaja currently carry 378 Zero, 128 Judy, and 175 Grace.  There is still room for about 100 more planes.  The new reinforcements of CV Kasagi and CVL Ibuki will add another 100 planes to available space. 

[USSAmerica]

This looks like it could get very fun soon.  Good luck, John!

[John 3rd]

Always good to see the popcorn box!

[veji1]

Do you have CVEs left ? If you want to attack the US fleet while it hovers around Wake, the only chance you have is to use the CVE decoy AirCombat TF trick where you try to provoke a reaction from some of the USN CVtfs, hoping they split and can therefore be hurt... 

[Mike Solli]

John, think of how many Allied units the Wake garrison is going to chew up.  That'll set back the Allied offensive for a time.
 
What's the fort level at Wake?

[John 3rd]

My CVEs are currently 'prowling' SE of Wake.

Mike--the Forts are STILL at NINE Baby!  Even with supplies dwndling those boys are going to exact a horrific price for that territory...

[Mike Solli]

Can't wait!

[John 3rd]

A nice day of work for my fighters over Japan:





This is what I get for not proffing my work. It was an AMERICAN attack--not Japanese.

[John 3rd]

Here comes the last major reinforcements for the Fleet...

[USSAmerica]

John, I'll bet that very few Japanese players ever see these ships when they can still make a useful addition to the fleet.  Congratulations!  [:)]

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: USS America

John, I'll bet that very few Japanese players ever see these ships when they can still make a useful addition to the fleet.  Congratulations!  [:)]

Thanks again.

In less then a month I will gain CV Aso, a CVE, 6 DD, and 4 SS. These additions won't substantially change the balance of power but they will HELP! If I can avoid a crushing defeat with the Fleet anytime soon, I will see the final wartime peak of the Kaigun at 10 CV, 6 CVL, and 7 CVE.

The moment I lose the Fleet, I will probably capitulate. This, of course, assumes I am not locked up within the next 2 weeks of time so we shall see...

[castor troy]

sry wrong post

[John 3rd]

Look at the 'realistic' combat occurring on Wake! Wasn't this the scale of one of the Kyushu Landing set for November 1945? Cannot wait for AE...

[John 3rd]

Had a little panic set in on the turn above.  My new, shiny CVs were attacked at Nagasaki by 12 P-38 and 3 Liberators.  The CAP did the job but it made me nervous.  TF headed for Palau ASAP!

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Look at the 'realistic' combat occurring on Wake! Wasn't this the scale of one of the Kyushu Landing set for November 1945? Cannot wait for AE...

if you look at your garrison then there´s no need to cry about your opponent´s invasion. No chance to fit all those troops on Wake, not even your baseforces alone would have fit on that atoll I guess. Doesn´t mean I´m doing it differently in my WITP games but when you say you can´t wait for AE then it has to be because of both sides, insane number of Japanese troops as the defender (with an even more insane fort level) and an insane number of Allied troops as the attacker.