EA Damian(J) V Nemo(A) "Renaissance"

[n01487477]

Damn Michael - stop giving the Allies too many big-bad-boy weapons - I'm getting canned as it is!

5 Sept '42
Well by the skin of my teeth and a little sweat on my brow Bangkok was evacuated. As you might remember I moved 180 fighters into Bangkok for the turn, now IF this meant that Nemo changed tactic for a turn and bombed Bangkok instead of all the troops 1 hex to the NE, then I am glad I did, even if it has meant that these units were destroyed and won't return for 390 days.

So allowing my forces to Assault without being beaten into a pulp by the Allied LB and pushing back the Allied forces which had been stopping my retreat from Bangkok and allowing these troops to retreat all in one turn is quite a coup.

Ok I lost 180 fighters, had my AS halved and am now in full retreat -- but it could have been a loss of all.

Now the decision to RUN or STAND... I think I'm going for RUN.
I could reinforce my troops on the ground with the troops freed from Manila, but without an air force (now even more so) to protect these ground forces I believe it is a waste of time & will only result in Nemo having pilots with 99 experience from all the ground missions.

Also with an Allied thrust down Sumatra, everything must be done in quick time.Although I'm dropping in some troops to bolster this a little.

[*]I will evac all I can from Malaysia and hope to keep Palambang for a bit more time.
[*]Withdraw to Borneo and Philippines and then out of range of his fighters I'll be able to compete a bit more -- I hope, still with B-17's doing Naval attacks and HighAlt bombing raids I'll have to be a dispersal king.
[*]Allow time to rebuild my LCU's.
[*]Make a thrust into Indo-China with other forces and hope for the best.
[*]Use winter in the North to utilise my CV's in the South.

[ny59giants]

SINGAPORE OR BUST!!!

You know that will be the new motto for Nemo with his troops in this theater. What plans do you have to defend the Malayan peninsula from him getting into Singapore too soon??

[n01487477]

7 Sept '42

[*]Another day another 90 planes destroyed. Nemo is threading the needle at present and hitting bases at will around SRA. Batavia got hit today - and it is quite laughable in the fact that I have so little left to do much to protect myself with. I'm down to 5 land sqd of zekes, 9 Mike 109's & 6 Tojo's - which are not even at full strength!
[*]Singkawang on Borneo had a para drop which I will respond to next turn, but once again I am two turns away from reinforcing this base and will para's drop next turn.
[*]Out in the Pacific my CVL's are about to rendezvous with 3 CV's to escort them home.
[*]I did a little hit out on Adak with some Betty's but only bagged a TK and SC.
[*]My SS's are hitting AK's near the top of Sumartra.
[*]Nemo thinks if I pull back I can hold off until '43 - I'm not so sure of why he thinks this, but I will keep playing until the end.
[*]To all those AFB's who think that hitting LCU's is a waste of time - you should see how disrupted and destroyed my LCU's are - this is one reason I'm pulling out of Malaya. Without an airforce I am unable to protect anything.
[*]Got my first 3 plane Sqd of Marlina's - want to test them, but will have to fly them to a unprotected area to see what they can do.
For those reading in this mod you need to keep some Nell's to make sure that you can get an upgrade path for the Army bombers
[*]The chase is on to Singapore and trying to withdraw my troops - I hope I can get them out otherwise there is little between there and Tokyo. The few thousand AS I have will maybe hold some of Borneo for a time, but without these Malaysian troops I might as well try for an armistace.

I need a lend lease agreement with the Germans for all the planes, Lcu's and ships they have - Hitler has laughed and hung up on me.[;)]

[n01487477]

8 Sept -

[*]Singkawang - is held by the Allies despite my best efforts to retake it with a Para drop, ground attack from LB and airfield sorties.
I lost 70 LB today in strikes on this one base as the Allies post 50=60 fighters over Borneo. Stupidly I forgot to add recon to my grps and this proved to be fairly ineffective. I doubt there is any support there, but I guess Nemo will rotate the strike this time with fresh units inbound.

This is a base I cannot let the Allies hold - I will throw all I have at this one base, for not being able to retake it will mean the I cannot withdraw my troops from Malaya and the whole of Borneo/Sumatra and Malaya will be a no go zone for my transports.

[*]Meanwhile out in the Pacific CV Lexington and what is reported as 3 BB's sit in the middle of my forces. It is a real pity that KB is not at full strength as I have been upgrading and doing annual maintenance... To strike or not to ... my TF is down on fuel and a long way from port and if there are 3 American CV's there, which could be the case - it could prove costly. On the other hand it could be the victory I need.

All the CVL as in badly need of new pilots and planes unfortunately from my mistake at not pathing the CVTF manually a few turns back. CVL Kanto & chitose are badly damaged but their flooding is undercontrol now. Mizuho/Warabite and Keito are nothing more than targets if they get in the path of the battle.

The 3 CV's were deployed the turn than I got my pathfinding wrong just to protect the CVL's incase the unthinkable happened and the Americans tried to wipe out my expeditionary CVL force. If I had know I would have sent more CV's and while I did have the thought that this might happen - I would have liked to have sandwiched the Americans between two strong forces - not one that need to replenish and refit and the other which is low on fuel and a long way from Dry docks.

[Capt. Harlock]

Meanwhile out in the Pacific CV Lexington and what is reported as 3 BB's sit in the middle of my forces. It is a real pity that KB is not at full strength as I have been upgrading and doing annual maintenance... To strike or not to ... my TF is down on fuel and a long way from port and if there are 3 American CV's there, which could be the case - it could prove costly. On the other hand it could be the victory I need.

Tempting indeed -- Nemo has a bad record of losing BB's.[:D]

[n01487477]

9 Sept '42

[*]The American ACTF moves East and sinks a couple of AO's and an AV. This is regretful, but given that a stand up fight might have nobbled my CVL's, I am willing to take this loss on the chin. I still have the badly damaged CVL Chitose ducking and diving to get out of the way, and I hope she can make enough knots to get out of trouble next turn. Luckily there are thunderstorms all in the North. My main force will wait for fuel and then see what the Americans are doing.
I might try the same tactic again but with the variation of a strong CV force.
[*]Singkawang - got a bit of revenge here today. Sent in a CA bombardment first up which effectively closed the airfield and allowed my bombers in to inflict some pain for the previous days losses. Still Nemo always plays a good round and had a forward base established which resulted in some unfortunate losses with a DD & AK sunk as my small LCU unit hit the beaches. More troops are inbound and should be able to take back this base - but each day Nemo air- ferries in units... I have a small window of opportunity, but this is a base I can ill afford to lose.

[ny59giants]

Singkawang

Can you LRCAP over this base to hit his air transports?? If memory serves me right, this should kill his transports without you actually have a2a battles.

[n01487477]

10 & 11 Sept '42
Yep you are right Micheal and I have been doing that, but it doesn't stop the Allies completely...my lack of fighters is now crippling me.

[*]Should have reported this 3 days ago ... but I think I win the award for most planes destroyed by Sept'42. I'm now at 10,214 planes lost, Nemo trails me by 700.

Hard to report on the last two days...
10 Sept
[*]Cagayan somehow reverts back to Allied even though the Allies are on an Island 1 hex away opening up a storm of trouble for the 11 Sept.
[*]2 SNLF's offload at Sinkawang and are once again hit by LB from all corners of this theatre. APD no.35 will probably sink from 2 hits & DD Hatsukari is sunk by a hail of bombs.

11 Sept
[*]Cagayan is targetted by Angels but they refuse to fly and the Bolo's stationed there take a terrible toll on my shipping. 3 Ap/Ak's are sunk straight away as is APD no33. Many more ships are now in serious trouble.
[*]CVL Chitose is sunk by a 1000lb from the Allied CVTF heading NE. The planes flew even in thunderstorms ... these Americans are wild flyers!
[*]Palembang is hit for the second day in a row from 33,000 by 170 B-17's - the damage is bad, but not enough to halt operations just yet. The losses are enough to swallow anything I can produce and more.
[*]I feel like the situation is crumbling so quickly and totally now that getting anything out of Malaya is going to be suicidal. Putting a line in the sand at Borneo and the Philippines is also mute. I have almost nothing left .. or right for that matter.

The end is near I fear ~ but I shall go down with the burning hole riddled ship [;)]

[n01487477]

12 & 13 Sept '42
This will be my last posting for a few days as I'm off on holiday to koh lanta(thailand) before my return to work in Sth Korea ... guess I will be getting my feet wet on the ground where my troops are currently sprinting back to Singapore.

Two days of shipping losses in the triangle between Borneo, Thailand and the Philippines is driving me to distraction. I hate losing any ships - I have an affinity with the sea and although I'm not a mariner I hate seeing my boats go down. Especially when it takes all the conjuring of a grand master wizard to get the Japanese to target Allied shipping more than 6-7 hexes away and the Allies seem to do it with ease. Although I must say begrudgingly that Nemo does this with such aplomb by setting up forward scouting bases and subs. I've yet to see my Marlina's in action. These are long range 6 engined torpedo bombers. I can only hope that when they do eventually fly that they hit something without a cap.

Great Natuna I is one such place and in the last week I landed a force here, but once again the atoll has gobbled up my force and I had to retrieve them via a fast transport. I'm not sure what goes on with landing at atolls but each time I do it I lose all my troops as they offload.

Singawang is finally recaptured by 2 Divisions brought in from the Philippines and brightens my day as I can now finally move my LB out of range of the B-17s and hopefully rebuild them in the next few weeks - after I recapture Cagayan.

Sovietskya Gaven has suddenly come back to life, even though the damage says 100 - damn recon - I had to face 60 fighters today and lost some fighters bombing as training missions. This is now another priority I face - once again the closing of a major airport near to Japanese shores. I have almost 1000AV heading this way and hope that I can capture the base in the next few weeks (Nemo seems to think winter is already here ... but according to the manual is seems to start later).

I wonder if this new offensive is just to keep me amused or whether there is something else to it... 6 PT's are spotted and 3 are hit getting a little too close to Japan.

Cagayan - the few Allied troops here(or so it seems) have spread revolt to half of the Island. I will be throwing all I have in the next few days to recapture this and all bases in the Philippine Is chain. I can't have bolos and avengers raking havoc on my TF's as they have been doing for the last 3 days. It isn't like I wasn't warned that Nemo likes to jump ahead - but I had no free troops left to cover this area and Cagayan just changing like that is just a complete snafu.

53 Angels tried to take out the airbase yesterday - but the damage was light to the runway, but it did destroy about 30 planes on the ground which was very satisfying seeing the pasting I've been getting at Palembang. I will have 100 Angels in service in a few days and then I'll see about targeting something more substantial.

[n01487477]

14 Sept - Back in the saddle.

Back from my little sojourn in Thailand (partly to review the troops, but also to buoy the moral of this CIC)...

Despite heavy losses today to my AK/AP's ferrying troops into Cagayan & San Jose - a price I hope will be vindicated shortly - overall I feel the day was mine.

The Allies lost 203 planes today V 51 for my forces (10368 V 9906). This may well be a short lived victory but I'm reveling in it for the moment... there are been very small moments of joy in the game for me since Nemo unleashed the hounds.

[*]Sovetskaya Gavan got hit by sweeps and LB and did the job of softening up this target again, after I thought it had been neutralised and my recon showed about 100% damage. The last attack of the day was the coup de grace.

Day Air attack on Sovetskaya Gavan , at 73,30

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zeke x 134
A6M2-N Rufe-FF x 5
G4M1 Betty x 105
Ki-44IIa Tojo x 58
Ki-21-II Sally x 11
Ki-46-II Dinah x 2

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 14
F4F-4 Wildcat x 15
P-38G Lightning x 2
P-40E Warhawk x 26

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zeke: 3 destroyed
A6M2-N Rufe-FF: 2 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed, 4 damaged
Ki-44IIa Tojo: 3 destroyed
Ki-21-II Sally: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 27 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat: 25 destroyed
P-38G Lightning: 3 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 49 destroyed

[*]20 AK/AP's are hit by torpedoes - this is a serious blow. 1 DD is also hit and in serious trouble. I must say that the Allied LB and Torp ability to move and hit is just something I can only drool over. My planes seem to be commanded by lazy, short sighted, unintelligent and unskilled ground huggers. Sarcasm ?? Moi ?

[n01487477]

15 Sept '42
Time rolls on one more day, and one more mistake on my part.

[*]Nemo unleashed another Para drop on Kota Bharu, capturing it as I had somehow moved all my troops out of there a few turns before and my replacements had not moved down the track from Signora.
[*]San Jose in the Philippines is recaptured, but unfortunately Cagayan remains in Allied hands despite my best efforts to retake it with 3 SNLF units. Looks like the Chinese are here too...
[*]Sovietskya Gaven gets another touch up by my forces, but with thunderstorms predicted for tomorrow, I'm not sure this is all in vane. My LCU's are moving slowly into S-G but at this rate won't arrive until next month... a pity.
[*]4 AK's at Cagayan are hit hard and all sink an AP is also hit nearby and will succumb to the waves soon enough too. With Thunderstorms tomorrow I hope I can move another Div into the action in 2 days. If the prediction is false then I'm going to be hit hard again tomorrow and more of my slowly dwindling serviceable AP/AK's will be under the hammer.
[*] Talk about the mother of all mistakes ... I must be dumb! But where the hell are the Allied troops ?

Ground combat at Kota Bharu [Malaya]

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1
Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 0

Allied max assault: 0 - adjusted assault: 2

Japanese max defense: 0 - adjusted defense: 1
Allied assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Kota Bharu [Malaya] base !!!

[*] Allies lose another 86 planes today, but I feel that Nemo can afford to throw them away, while I am losing the battle of attrition that I have little choice but to engage in. Tomorrow he should hit 10K planes lost [X(]
[*]SS Nautilus is sunk today bringing the total of Allied subs sunk to 40!

[n01487477]

16 Sept '42
A quiet day as the Monsoon stops all but a few flights anywhere on the map. Talk about the perfect WITP storm...

Meanwhile near Sabang, my DD's make Swiss cheese out of Van Galen, but almost completely leave the TK's alone ...

Night Time Surface Combat, near Sabang [Sumatra] at 19,41

Japanese Ships
DD Teruzuki
DD Natsushio
DD Asashio, Shell hits 1
DD Michishio
DD Minegumo
DD Kikuzuki
DD Minekaze
DD Hokaze
DD Namikaze
DD Hitachi

Allied Ships
DD Van Galen, Shell hits 39, on fire, heavy damage
TK Empire Viscount
TK Alcides
TK Genota, Shell hits 2, on fire
TK Olivia
TK Djirak
TK Erinna, Shell hits 1, on fire
TK Iris, Shell hits 1
TK Madrono
TK Talang Akar, Shell hits 1

[*]Allies capture Ban Don
[*]Allies para in a unit to Sabang to stop my troops moving toward Kota Bharu ... another effective use of para's.


17 Sept '42
Not really the Bermuda triangle, but between Madagan, Nikolaevsk na Amur, and Petropavlovsk I've been searching for weeks using search planes and LB to detect any movement -- nada, silch, zip ... and today suddenly 15K troops are dumped on Nikolaevsk na Amur by fast transports which disappear into the night. Do I get a sighting report ?? HA! My pilots are still scratching their heads and arse's - and I still have no idea where the Allied fast transport are ... my guess is back safe under the Madagan cap screen.

[*]Nikolaevsk na Amur will be in Allied hands by dawn tomorrow and my plans to take Madagan are now mute.
[*]A Div offloads at Cagayan - rushed in yesterday under darken skies and LR CAP.
[*]152 B-17's hit Legaspi/Sorosgon, but for once I destroy some of these monsters 22 destroyed, 26 damaged.
[*]4 AP/AK's are hit by torpedoes, 2 MSW's and worst of all my 3 TK's, a DD and a PG are hit at maximum range by 56 Avengers. 2 TK's sink and the rest are toast. I'm getting a little sick of the search routines in this game!
[*]Cotabato is captured by the Allies in a new wave of drops.

The pain ...

[n01487477]

18 Sept '42

[*]Nemo continues to keep the pressure on with hordes of troops arriving at Signora and somehow I only got one Div to Kota Bharu - which will not be enough to dislodge the 6 units which have been partially(I suspect) flown in.
[*]I launched some Betty's to hit Cagayan in rainy weather and they were slaughtered. For 7 runway hits 16 G4M1 Betty: 16 destroyed, 3 Ki-32 Mary, 3 Ki-48-I Lily & 4
Ki-48-II Lily's. The Allies lost 11 fighters of various models. Nemo likes to have a combination working and this is in part to make sure that his pilot pools are kept healthy.
[*]I think I've closed Sovetskaya Gavan again, but without keeping the pressure up and now that Nikolaevsk na Amur has been captured (lvl2 a/f) my problems become once again multiplied.
[*]7 AP's are again torpedoed from Cagayan - but I rolling with the punches and this was a small price to pay for the offloading of another Div here.
[*]So I hope to take back Cagayan tomorrow but now that he has Catoboto - then if the planes are moved and the troops retreat here or Butuan then it will take some time to destroy these units.

[n01487477]

19 Sept '42

[*]Trincomalee is attacked by my small KB force, I got 6 bomb hits on CA Soerabaja but suffered 2 Val and 12 Kate losses not due to any fighter CAP but from flak. Sharp shooters these Allies.
[*]The Allies continue their campaign of hitting all my straggling LCU's and eventually apart from gaining experience levels I can only dream of, will destroy these units.
[*]9 AK and 4 AP's sank today near Cagayan - heavy losses indeed and nowhere near enough LR CAP to deter the onslaught. Many more were hit in morning and then afternoon attacks from Cagayan and Indo-China mostly with torpedoes as the Allies never seem to change out their loads. This is fast becoming the new wonder reef for modern scuba divers. And there is no end of this in sight.
[*] Nemo had been complaining of not getting hit transports to fly in troops - I guess that didn't occur today and 47 B-17E Fortress took the steam out of my Div. I'm not surprised at the odds - this seems to becoming an all too common experience.

Ground combat at Cagayan [Mndno]

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 11659 troops, 128 guns, 6 vehicles, Assault Value = 349
Defending force 5979 troops, 20 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 194

Japanese max assault: 262 - adjusted assault: 123
Allied max defense: 157 - adjusted defense: 442

Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese ground losses:
231 casualties reported
Guns lost 5

Allied ground losses:
69 casualties reported

[n01487477]

20 Sept '42
Times are tough and I'm starting to think about throwing the kitchen sink... I get about 120 Zekes back in 5 days from their withdrawal - and although I don't have pilots to fill them - I have enough trained to upgrade/downgrade to really place some pressure in the Philippines again. My focus up till now was to try to storm the citadel and throw the Allies out. This has been an abject failure and I think my only line of recourse is to throw my fighters, 100 Angels, 200 + Betty's etc to hit the airfield at the same time as hitting the beaches again with overwhelming force.

[*]Today I sent two Bombardments - one to Cagayan and one to Nikolaevsk na Amur - neither had the desired effect. And despite the weather report over Nik being Thunderstorms - the weather cleared and BB Kirishima & BB Yamashiro were hit by a bomb apiece (little damage sustained). Unfortunately at Cagayan where there seem to be 400 planes stacked ??? CL Kuma,CA Maya and DD Fubuki were hit hard.
[*]Another TTF was hit again near Cagayan despite 50 planes capping - 8 AP's were it by torpedoes.
[*]CVL Shoho & CA Furutaka are hit by one mine apiece while transiting Mutsu.
[*]Singora is captured by the Allies. TT's near Singapore hit and the evacuation of Malaya gets a little harder. I hope that Cagayan will focus his LB there and I can sneak a few Div's out. My Transport planes are busy at work here too... unfortunately I lost a lot when I was trying to evac Burma earlier and hadn't ramped up production here. This is really a rookie mistake - no longer will I see these units as the bottom of the build list. They are extremely valuable in the blitz warfare style that Nemo has introduced me to ...

[ny59giants]

I think PBYs and the big Coronado patrol planes helped me save Kodiak way back when (I think it was suggested by Nemo). I then was in the process of getting almost 3 Philippine division out to Darwin. Now I look at how many Coronados I get per month and where I can use them to save wear and tear on my subs. Some of the BF and AA units from Luzon are now in China to make your life more misable. [:D]

[n01487477]

Hey Michael,
yeah the Allies have lost a ton of transports but still keep coming - they seem easier to replace in this Mod - but I now know why - Nemo loves using them... they really are a revelation to me and I never thought that the Allies / Japanese could utilise them as efficiently and as effectively as Nemo has here (or in the numbers employed)...

Stage 1 - recon a forward base that isn't held by IJN/A forces via SS's / recon. With airfield.
Stage 2 - Drop some para's
Stage 3 - Use those transports to drop a Div in 2-3 days coupled with aviation support. Build up the airfield quickly (damn allied engineers)
Stage 4 - Sucker me into a war of attrition I can't win ...

repeat ...

of course there are no rules about stacking so this helps somewhat.

Cheers - hope all is good with you

Damian

[n01487477]

21-23 Sep '42

Three days have past over the weekend and the focus still is on Cagayan, but Malaya is folding quickly too. Kuala Lumper is the next base in the chain which will fall in a day or two and Nemo estimates he will be in Singapore in another 12 days. I don't doubt his word. Unlike John's game - Nemo is going for the throat and not slowly bringing in troops. I believe John had a few months to withdraw - I will have had less than a month and I will lose a lot of troops. I am grabbing fragments of all, but time is against me.
Meanwhile Cagayan is killing my transport fleet and the occasional combat ship. It is sucking me in and there is nowhere to go - I thought last night of just breaking off the attack and withdrawing - but like General Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg ordering Longstreet onward to his own destruction of the Confederate Army - my left brain argues with my right.

Action Report:
[*] Cagayan has cost me about 30 AP's and 40 AK's to date and I still have some that haven't sunk yet - for what ?? My shock attack today was a failure as Nemo not only has enough to sink anything that comes close, but also suppress my troops at the same time - while bringing in more Troops everyday.
[*]CA Maya is sunk today after taking 3 Torps - 2 yesterday and 1 today.
[*]90 Angels and 50 Betty's try to hit Saigon in an attack that I hoped would suppress the B-17's there. Nemo thinks I was being too negative in my email about the failure - I probably agree with him, but I guess I've got desperate for a big pay off.
Nemo saw my build up and send the 17's to where my attack was staged...

Day Air attack on Takao [Formosa] , at 47,45

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zeke x 18
Ki-44IIa Tojo x 2
Ki-109E Mike x 1

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 68

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
Ki-109E Mike: 1 destroyed
Ki-48-II Lily: 2 destroyed
L2D2 Tabby: 1 destroyed
Ki-15II Babs: 1 destroyed
Ki-48-I Lily: 1 destroyed


Japanese ground losses:
7 casualties reported

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 8

my riposte ...

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 49
Ki-264 Angel x 88

Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 14
Hurricane I x 10
Hurricane IIc x 1
Kittyhawk I x 7
MiG-3 x 21

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 5 destroyed, 7 damaged
Ki-264 Angel: 11 destroyed, 22 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 6 destroyed, 2 damaged
Hurricane I: 7 destroyed
Hurricane IIc: 3 destroyed
Kittyhawk I: 5 destroyed
MiG-3: 5 destroyed, 10 damaged
PBY-5 Catalina: 3 destroyed
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed


Allied ground losses:
39 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Airbase hits 20

Then on the 23rd another shock attack at Cagayan ...

Ground combat at Cagayan [Mndno]

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 11441 troops, 136 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 608

Defending force 10107 troops, 19 guns, 1 vehicles, Assault Value = 444

Japanese max assault: 566 - adjusted assault: 284

Allied max defense: 405 - adjusted defense: 472

Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 0)


Japanese ground losses:
448 casualties reported
Guns lost 18

Allied ground losses:
155 casualties reported
Guns lost 2

and this has cost me my merchant fleet [:@]

[*]Took back Surigao on the tip of Leyte - and hope to fly in some more troops. But with the terrain and roads as they are it will take some time to travese across to Cagayan.

So what is the new plan ?

Ok I alluded to it before - I have to take back Mindanao (as you remember I lost it because I had no troops stationed here and Nemo didn't even need to para-drop it just changed hands when he started flying in troops to the Island north of it...it isn't even connected!) Anyway get over it Damian ... so I've decided that I can no longer afford this assault on my merchant fleet so I have to close the airfield which houses about 300+ planes. Many of which are fighters flying cap. Unfortunately he also gained Catabota through my neglect where he is stationing another 50+ planes (I guess).

I get 130 + fighter groups in 3 days (they will be low experience and hence in my mind expendible) plus 100 tojo's which I will move and 100 Mikes plus another 200 + Zero's from my CV's to sweep that base. This will be a massive effort 500+ fighters sweeping and then all my Angels and most of my LB force will pound the airfield until I either lose the war or I suppress the attacks. Then I'll move in another 2 Divisions and pray I can take it ... Meanwhile the 7th Div will move on Cotabota and hopefully take that and my other force will take Butuan...

[ny59giants]

Do you know where he is flying in supplies from?? I would think that you need to hit the bases he is flying those transports in with everything you have. I would have to say that means only northern Australia and southern China. He cannot get the usual AKs in there, so that leaves the Coronados with their heavy lift capability and the PBY with their greater range. Time for you to pull up Tracker and see what can get there for transports for the Allies.  

[n01487477]

I thought he was flying in supplies from Saigon, that is why I hit it -- now I think it is from Camranh Bay.

24 Sept '42

Jesselton is captured by a para-drop -- once again I thought I had troops stationed here, but once again either I am losing my mind or the whole Cagayan thing has made me move a TF to another base and I forgot to send another LCU to this base... crap!

Quiet day today - only 11 planes destroyed for either side.

A few TF's are moving North toward Nikolaevsk na Amur - this is the first sightings I've had for some time, but it is too late in the day and my Betty's stay grounded, as do my Marlina's.

Huge evacuation efforts continue at Singapore - it is only a matter of time before these TF's are hit by the Beauforts and Pe-2's.

Tomorrow I get those Zekes and a few days of positioning might give me a chance to get back Cagayan --- and I'll try to hit those transports if possible, but without escort the losses are going to be massive.