Lorks-a-lordy, my Empire is on fire! GBL vs 1EyedJacks - Nemo's mod

[goodboyladdie]

My raid on Rangoon destroyed a Dinah on the ground. I launched 3 raids on IJA 31st Div at Magwe which netted 41/2 casualties. Some of my Chinese squadrons will have to stand down due to morale. Mike has not yet attacked undefended Magwe.

Mike bombed Mandalay, Manila (losing a Mary) and Singapore. He finally went back after the airfields at Singapore after being stung twice. He launched a heavy raid from 6,000 ft that cost him at least 1 Nell, 2 Bettys and 2 Lilys. He destroyed a P-39 on the ground and did 35/64 damage to the air facilities. He followed this up with a 30+ Zeke sweep, so my fighter ambushes obviously got right up his nose, just like they were meant to. Supplies: Manila 27,596; Singapore 76,040.

2 subs have been spotted by RN Walrus aircraft. All available ASW forces have been scrambled (see screenie). HMS Rover, still at Batavia, now has damage 46/7/0.

3,500 tons of supplies from Aden have arrived at Addu Atoll.

[goodboyladdie]

In China Honan and Wuchow were bombed again. My IL-4Cs were out after shipping again, but no hits were scored. The screenie shows the status of this hard working squadron, now resting.

[goodboyladdie]

11/04/42

I have had to try to piece this turn together from the available clues...

Balboa/Panama City airfield is now size 5, as is the port. I will build it up to size 6 to allow me to fly in heavy and super heavy bombers if there is ever a serious attack. Brisbane Port is now size 6.

ML Oglala has loaded mines for Palmyra. The B-24s at PH have stood down from the daily recon missions due to low morale. USS Entreprise has completed repairs and the nucleus of a task force has been formed.

Over on the West Coast, AVD Chincoteague has arrived at Seattle and is sailing for escort duties at San Francisco. Further to the north DD Flusser, newly upgraded, has sailed for Pearl Harbor from Vancouver. 6,400 tons of supplies diverted from Anchorage are unloading at Seward, while another 2,000 tons are unloading at Anchorage.

20,000 tons of oil have arrived at Sydney from CONUS. All the tankers on this run are being routed back to Colon where there is a huge amount of stockpiled fuel. DMS Elliot is ready at Sydney and is sailing to join the Strike Force at Townsville.

Here is the turn summary. There has oviously been some war fighting going on and the next post will reveal the likely causes of the aircraft losses and the jump of 3 in Jap ship losses...

[goodboyladdie]

Brunei airfield is now size 4. Legaspi port is now size 5.

The FAA 815 Sqn remnant arrived at Aden and recombined. Having the units from HMS Indomitable split for one turn with replacements on really screwed up the sizes. The first thing I do in May will be to change the aircraft so that I can get the plane numbers right, even if I do have too many pilots on strength.

Supplies: Manila 26,641; Singapore 75,518, with damage 85/49/27. I think most of Mike's flak losses occurred here. US 70th BS (B-26A) at Kuching has fatigue of 14, while FAA 733 Sqn (Beaufort) and US 8th BS (A-24) at Singkawang have similar fatigue. There is a Jap convoy near Mersing and that is where I think 2 of the Jap ship losses have come from (see screenie).

USN DDs (and possibly one RN DD) have been dropping depth charges near Tjilitjap. I think a Jap sub was the third Jap ship to be lost this turn. When I consider all the turns where nothing really happens, I wonder why our turn without Combat Reaports or animations had to be this one...

HMS Rover now has damage of 45/0/0 and will drop off mines at Medan on her way to Colombo for repairs. The Dutch KVIII is ready at Diamond Harbour and is off to patrol Mersing.

In China Canton airfield is now size 7. 10,000 tons of oil from CONUS has arrived at Petropavlovsk. It will be moved forward to Vladivostock via Okha. 3,000 tons of supplies from Seattle also arrived at Petropavlovsk.

[n01487477]

GBL,
curiosity has got the better of me so I'll bite ... but why do you think the Japanese are holding back in the SRA/DEI region - have you nullified their advance so much or are they being held back for a big push ?  It is already 4/42 right? I'm not being critical of 1eyedJacks here, just curious on your take on what he is planning to do with all those troops he must have in reserve... 

[goodboyladdie]

ORIGINAL: n01487477

GBL,
curiosity has got the better of me so I'll bite ... but why do you think the Japanese are holding back in the SRA/DEI region - have you nullified their advance so much or are they being held back for a big push ?  It is already 4/42 right? I'm not being critical of 1eyedJacks here, just curious on your take on what he is planning to do with all those troops he must have in reserve... 

Hi Damian

When I have pushed Mike on this he said he made some early errors which have been quite costly. I believe that he has been caught out by slow land movement and did not commit enough troops to the objectives of taking Manila and Singapore. He seems to have quite a few Divisions in Burma also. I think I managed to goad him into investing more in China than he should and he now has to move stuff back from there. I think he had in mind some sort of adventure in the Central Pacific, but for whatever reason he was delayed and I think I am now in a position to make such a move costly.

He was very busy at work early on and I think the infrequent nature of his early play meant that he suffered from an unfocussed and confused strategy. We have been playing this game for quite some time now, but I still have no clear idea of what his strategy is. My sub mining campaign was introduced to attack his weakness in transport and I think it has had an effect. He has also had another couple of super busy times at work since and his wife has recently been ill with no warning. I think the only way you'd get the answers you are after is to PM Mike and ask him. All I can do is build up for any eventuality and wait, while doing all I can to frustrate and spoil...

Very best regards

Carl

ps - love the new bits in Tracker [&o]- as you can see from above the upgrade compare came in handy!

[goodboyladdie]

He's lurking in the forum now, so go ask him!

Doh! It was the other Michael I saw...

[goodboyladdie]

Mike's laptop has got a fried embedded graphics card so we are off air for about 10 days. [:(]

[traskott]

damn...what a pity. This AARs is superb.

[goodboyladdie]

ORIGINAL: traskott

damn...what a pity. This AARs is superb.

Thanks mate [:)]

I worry that it is too boring as Mike does not seem to be attacking. He is still waiting for his laptop to be repaired so I am afraid I can't say when we'll be back up and running. I have lost track of Mike's CVs, but some were definitely at Kwajalein a couple of turns back. Who knows, perhaps we'll see Mike making an effort to move on in the DEI and PI while he continues to try to reduce Singapore and Manila. He seems to think that the Allies have been strengthened to a degree that makes it harder for him in this mod. That definitely is not the case if the Jap player focusses his eforts, but if I have managed to give him the wrong impression my plans have succeeded...

The RN is getting stronger in the DEI, but I would be forced to retreat if he turned up with the KB. His stalled Pacific venture has been the biggest diversion and has, I think, cost him the most.

[traskott]

It would be very pleasant see the RN beating the IJN... [;)]

[goodboyladdie]

ORIGINAL: traskott

It would be very pleasant see the RN beating the IJN... [;)]

They already have once, but Jap LBA made the victory more costly than it should have been...

[witpqs]

Go Hermes!

How is the old girl recuperating?

[goodboyladdie]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Go Hermes!

How is the old girl recuperating?

I think she will reach Perth some time in the next couple of turns. Indomitable is repairing at Aden. Illustrious is due shortly and will join Formidable with Force Z as quickly as she can. It's about now that Winnie will want a CV back...

[kfmiller41]

It really is a slow Japanese advance. I can't see how he will keep his industry going without the oil and resources. By the time he does take the SRA, if he does at all it will be to late, just my opinion as a Japanese player[;)] Your doing very well sir.

[n01487477]

Actually in EA, there are plenty of Res and Oil available for about a year. Oil is especially abundant in storage tanks around Japan and so the Japanese player has almost a years supply IIRC. Resources are a bit more problematic, but IIRC there was about half a years supply in Japan and the rich resource regions of Manchuria certainly augmented this. But then the Japanese player certainly has other larger issues to worry about, with a Second World economy but with the potential and need for a First World production line.

Nemo and I have talked about Res&Oil and I think some changes were made in later versions, although you would have to check with the horse.[;)]

Damian

[goodboyladdie]

ORIGINAL: miller41

It really is a slow Japanese advance. I can't see how he will keep his industry going without the oil and resources. By the time he does take the SRA, if he does at all it will be to late, just my opinion as a Japanese player[;)] Your doing very well sir.

It's nothing to do with me, mate. Mike has made a few errors with his strategy and disposition due to work pressure and I have just been able to frustrate and confuse him. Sooner or later he is going to lay a big smack down (I hope)...

[goodboyladdie]

12/04/42

600 tons of supplies arrived at Lahaina from Pearl, while another 2,000 tons arrived at Johnston Island.

SS Pompano disbanded at San Diego with system damage of 13. DMS Wasmuth was ready at Portland and is cruising back to Pearl. 1,575 tons of supplies arrived at Coal Harbor from San Francisco.

10,000 tons of fuel from the South Atlantic arrived at Port Stanley in the Falklands. 2 10,000 ton TKs detached from a large fuel convoy headed for Brisbane and will head for Suva.

The M-139s that arrived at Sydney (see below) moved by rail to Alice Springs. SS O-23 arrived in the South Atlantic with 25 points ofsystem damage. She will head to Perth to keep the big South Atlantic yards clear for BBs. I have another B-24D unit due soon, but replacements will not be available until August 1942.

[goodboyladdie]

A patrolling Martin 139 bombed AK Tonan Maru at Mersing, while a Do-24K also got into the action, bombing Fuyukawa Maru at the same place. AK Tonan Maru then took 2 500 lb and 1 250 lb bombs from 70th BS B-26s out of Kuching. The A-24s from 8th BS from Singkawang then put 2 500 pounders into AK Yamahagi Maru. The lack of attacks at Singapore and this suicidal supply convoy point to Mike having no supplies at Singapore. I will not attack because I think it will cost me too much, but I will mount a maximum air effort against ground troops in Singapore to use up whatever supplies were landed. Singapore was heavily raided by the Japs from 6,000 ft as Mike steps up his efforts against Singapore and Manila. At Singapore he lost a Lily, 3 Sallys and a Helen. At Manila he lost 4 Nells, 1 Betty and 2 Marys. Singapore damage is 27/58/96 with 74,956 tons of supplies on hand. Manila is 0/55/78 with 25,600 tons to hand.

Mike sent a Zeke sweep over Mandalay and bombed Lashio, destroying a Lysander on the ground. My raids on the IJA 31st Div at Magwe caused 71/2 casualties. My crack B-25 unit at Menado (28th BS) raided shipping off Legaspi. AP Shinkoku Maru took 2 bombs, AP Taiho Maru took 1, while AP Shikano Maru was heavily damaged by 3 bombs.

O-19 sailed from Batavia to mine Jolo. BB Royal Sovereign and a DD were withdrawn at Aden. ML Kung Wo had 12 points of system damage so is heading to Colombo for repairs.

The experience levels of my British, Indian, Chinese and Commonwealth troops in Burma are very low, so I really hope my constant air attacks are wearing Mike's troops down...

[goodboyladdie]

In China Mike hit Wuchow and Honan again. I lost 3 SB-2s to Nates and flak, with 6 more damaged over ships at Swatow. I have stood my bombers down to recover, but the task force they were after was reported to contain a CV, but there were no Naval fighters in the CAP. There is only one Jap unit still across the straits at Kiungshan. The screenie also shows the ground reinforcements due in a couple of days.