Forlorn Hopes: The Japanese Respond

[John 3rd]

Cancelled.  You are correct though on the 'at least they got built and USED' thoughts.

[John 3rd]

Wow.

Just passed 60,000 hits on the AAR. 

Getting ready to send a turn to Dan.  Will post any excitement that occurs.

 

[John 3rd]

A big fight over Tokyo with the JAPANESE holding the field at the end of the fight!

[MrPlow9]

Great Job! Lets hope this is a small taste of the many victories to come!
Banzai!

[John 3rd]

Thank you for the vote of confidence but ANY victory at this point is glorious for the Empire.  We say this because all Japanese know that their days are numbered.

CV Kasagi and CVL Ibuki ran the gauntlet of American SS to arrive at Palau on the 21st. 

On the ASW Front the battle rages!  About 180 miles North of Soerbaja the SS Taurus is hit by 9 DC in the morning, rises to the surface to put a single Torp into APD-34, and then gets sunk by the counterattacking Japanese PC!  The APD limps for Port with about a 50-50 chance of staying afloat.

[modrow]

Hi John,

great to see you are dealing some blows in the fight against strategic bombing now that Mr. Frank is around. Makes me hope your opponent will decide he has to run a couple of additional invasions.

What is your current estimate on the amount of damage you do to the invaders at Wake ? Will the units Dan uses there be available for anoher fight any time soon, or is that just going to take time ?

And how is the air war in China developing ?

Thanks

Hartwig

[John 3rd]

The Franks have at made it more costly to bombard Japan.  I've watched the Strategic Loss points to this point in the month and he hasn't gained that many.  With the diversion to attacks in Manchuria as well as AF strikes, I have really not sustained too much damage over the last 3 weeks.  It is a positive development but won't last too long.

As to China, I got 12 Daitai/Sentai of Fighters trained up to the minimum of 60-65 EXP and have abandoned the Theatre.  There must be at least 500-700 Fighters in China right now for the Allies.  This is GREAT because that means they are not elsewhere!

As to Wake, I have no clear idea.  The second assault and its attacks cost an estimated 18,000 Casaulties.  Considering that I pounded the troops at Wake for nearly a month with Helens and Jills (at least 200-300 casualties each day), I would imagine that he will need some time to flesh them back out.

My guess (it is ONLY a guess) is that he will either (1) clean out the Marshalls, (2) grab Marcus, or (3) attack Truk.  The Marshalls are pretty much empty so that isn't a big deal to me.  Marcus (as shown on the screenshots earlier) is getting reinforced and would be more bloody then Wake.  Truk has a solid Inf Div and strong base support.  I would be concerned for Truk but it will still put up a good fight.

Considering the Kaigun is at Palau, I would be able to react fairly quickly (if I want to) to either 2 or 3.  Course I could also go raiding with the Kaigun too...
 

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

The Franks have at made it more costly to bombard Japan.  I've watched the Strategic Loss points to this point in the month and he hasn't gained that many.  With the diversion to attacks in Manchuria as well as AF strikes, I have really not sustained too much damage over the last 3 weeks.  It is a positive development but won't last too long.

As to China, I got 12 Daitai/Sentai of Fighters trained up to the minimum of 60-65 EXP and have abandoned the Theatre.  There must be at least 500-700 Fighters in China right now for the Allies.  This is GREAT because that means they are not elsewhere!

As to Wake, I have no clear idea.  The second assault and its attacks cost an estimated 18,000 Casaulties.  Considering that I pounded the troops at Wake for nearly a month with Helens and Jills (at least 200-300 casualties each day), I would imagine that he will need some time to flesh them back out.

My guess (it is ONLY a guess) is that he will either (1) clean out the Marshalls, (2) grab Marcus, or (3) attack Truk.  The Marshalls are pretty much empty so that isn't a big deal to me.  Marcus (as shown on the screenshots earlier) is getting reinforced and would be more bloody then Wake.  Truk has a solid Inf Div and strong base support.  I would be concerned for Truk but it will still put up a good fight.

Considering the Kaigun is at Palau, I would be able to react fairly quickly (if I want to) to either 2 or 3.  Course I could also go raiding with the Kaigun too...

Hi John

I´ve asked before but either I can´t find an answer or I can´t remember reading it! [;)] How do your CAP numbers in the air look like at bases you have radar?

[bigbaba]

you and your opponent are doing a fantastic job, john. to be able to celeberate such defensive victories in this late state of the war like over tokys as the japanese earns respect.[&o]

your samurais are more then a match for the anglo-american aggressors.[;)]

how do you keep their XP so high in august 1944? whats your fighter pilot training method, john?

[John 3rd]

Here is the Fleet right now:

[John 3rd]

Good questions.  As I am headed out to see my Father let me be brief and then I will try to add more when I return:

Castor:  I think the radar IS helping.  There is a larger percentage of Fighters appearing on CAP when a strike comes in and I am not (apparently) getting bounced as much. 

Have also changed my tactics a bit.  Dan always flies a recon mission ahead of his strikes.  I've shifted a portion of my CAP to LR CAP Range:  1 so some CAP from nearby locations moved in for support.  This REALLY appears to work on his multiple wave attacks.

Big Baba:  Thank you Sir.  My training had been frantic in July/August getting my fighter up to a minimum of 60-65 EXP by hitting China (Operation Harukaze).  Once that was done, I am closely watched the EXP as the battles over Japan have gone on.  I am losing only about 1 pilot for every 3-4 airframes and EXP is staying about the same if not climbing some. 

Have new aces appearing left and right.

Should post a screenshot of my leading pilots...

Got to go!

Hope that answers the queries??!!

[veji1]

why would you strike eniwetok with the KB ? It will only tell him precisely where it is... I mean he probably knows it has to be somewhere between eastern DEI and Formosa, but still, better not to hit for no gain except a few exp points... you would probably be better off going for a raid somewhere....

[John 3rd]

Your thoughts are solid.  I keep thinking that Dan has to run his convoys of supplies and fuel between Midway and the Aleutians.  His aerial search is pretty poor.  Perhaps I could slip through the Marcus Gap and move into the shipping lanes with the ability to run for Home if needed.  I've got plenty of fuel to work with but need some more AO Support.

Am going to revamp my CV TF Organization and then will add it to the AAR.

[John 3rd]

August 23, 1944

In the raging battles taking place east and southeast of the Philippines, the spotlight shifts to 120 miles due east of Legaspi. An ASW TF is moving towards Legaspi when it encounters SS Capelin in the morning. Guided by an ASW plane flying from Legaspi several DC are dropped that do some damage to the sub. As the day moves into the afternoon the Captain of the Capelin comes to periscope depth and plants 2 TT into the starboard flank of an older PC.

As the older ship sinks, the 4 modern PCs close for the kill as they then nail the hapless submarine with many depth charges. Regretting his decision to attack, the Captain of the Capelin doesn't get the chance to re-think his choice as the cruel sea lays claim to his command.

The Capelin becomes the 3rd SS sunk by Japanese ASW in 10 days.

 

[veji1]

banzai ! keep the new PCs flowing, they will exact a toll...

[John 3rd]

Weeeeeeeee....

Got to do a 2x2 Turn now.

[Heeward]

What is the experience levels of the units rebuilt from withdrawn fragments versus the original unit?

[John 3rd]

I will look at those armored divisions on the next turn and write it down.  You ask a solid question.

Dan and I got 4 turns in today but I am dead tired so won't do a major update until tomorrow.  Only really important note is that Tori Shima finally went to AF-2 and immediately Osaka got swept by 91 Allied Fighters from there.  It is a sad development.  We'll see how quickly I can counter.  I made mention to Dan the note about there only being 100 planes TOTAL on that AF??!!  Since I was nailed by 91...

He gets cranky when I remind him of HR but Tori Shima could be abused pretty easily...

[tocaff]

A 91 plane, give or take, sweep does reflect keeping to your house rules on basing limitations with the assumption that it's only a fighter base.

The pressure of the constant bombing having any negative effects on pilot morale or is the Allied shifting of targets allowing for it to remain high?

The 2 of you are presenting a very entertaining and interesting picture of your war.  I've picked up lots of interesting tidbits from you both to store away for future consideration in my PBEMs.  Keep up the good work.

[Panther Bait]

It's probably just a fighter base.  At AF-2, it's too small for 4E bombers, and there aren't any 2E bombers, DBs or TBs in the area that I have seen in the AARs.  About the only other thing at a base that small would be recon, right?