俳句 : グロティウス v. マィかラヌ&#12483

[Grotius]

1941年12月27日

The Rabid Owl falls;
only a sea of coral
shields the kangaroo.

[Chickenboy]

For Port Moresby
Must move towards New Guinea
Before the New Year

----------------

I recommend you focus your next offensive on PM-quickly. You should be prepping a sizeable force for PM now, with a move no later than the lunar new year. The Gregorian calendar new year would be better yet.

What do you have on hand to effect this move?

[Grotius]

*bows to Chickenboy-san*

I do indeed plan to take Port Moresby next, and to jump off within the coming week. Ideally I'd like to have an operating airfield at Rabaul first, to provide additional air cover, but maybe that's not essential, as KB will escort the invasion. I have the 4th Division and 90th Regiment at Truk, prepping for Port Moresby (about 24 turns of prep so far). Also, the 144th Regiment (now at Rabaul) is now prepping for Moresby as well. So I have something less than two divisions. Do you think that will be enough?

[Chickenboy]

I think that should be sufficient, yes. Sounds like you're on track Grotius-san.

[CapAndGown]

I took PM with one inf regiment and one tank regiment. And this was against everything he had in the NG area, including all of the Rabaul troops, plus the Kavieng detachment, and companies from Lae and Horn Island. I would recommend using the division against PM and holding the other forces in reserve. You can use the regiment against Horn Island. Indeed, I would make the capture of Horn Island a subsidiary objective of this operation. No sense in having to go back for it later.

[Grotius]

*bows to Cap-san*

I had indeed been thinking of taking Horn Island at the same time, as well as Terapo and Buna. In fact, I wonder: is there any way to force a surrender of the garrison at Port Moresby, by first taking bases like Terapo, Gili Gili, Wau, Salamaua, Buna? Or shall I content myself with bombing their remnants as they wander across the jungle of New Guinea?

I also have a question about air-dropping on Port Blair. Right now I just see one unit and 200 troops there -- probably a base force -- along with 10 bombers. I guess I should fighter-sweep it before air-dropping, though I hate telegraphing the move. But my main question is about how many air transports I need. My raiders are now in Bangkok, and I just realized that it's 12 hexes from there to Blair -- outside normal range of all transports except the Thalia and Tina. (The manual says I won't be able to use air-transports outside their normal range.) So I have limited numbers of transports available for the operation. How many do I need to move the entire batallion of paratroopers all at once? Should I be jumping off from Victoria Point instead, so as to increase the number of transport aircraft available for the operation?

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: cap_and_gown

I took PM with one inf regiment and one tank regiment. And this was against everything he had in the NG area, including all of the Rabaul troops, plus the Kavieng detachment, and companies from Lae and Horn Island. I would recommend using the division against PM and holding the other forces in reserve. You can use the regiment against Horn Island. Indeed, I would make the capture of Horn Island a subsidiary objective of this operation. No sense in having to go back for it later.

No Horn Island guys were moved from the island (until you evicted them into the surf!), but everything else was there. Bloody waste of time it was getting them all there, too!

The point is, if you get there fast enough there is no way the Allies can bring enough to stop you. If they get forces in from the Australian mainland, just go ahead and smash them too. As you can control the sea in that area, the worst that will happen is you go in with too little (given whatever he sneaks in), and you decide to hold off attacking until you bring in more...

[Canoerebel]

Very hard to corral
Aussies walking in jungle
Don't bother trying

[CapAndGown]

ORIGINAL: Grotius

I also have a question about air-dropping on Port Blair. Right now I just see one unit and 200 troops there -- probably a base force -- along with 10 bombers. I guess I should fighter-sweep it before air-dropping, though I hate telegraphing the move. But my main question is about how many air transports I need. My raiders are now in Bangkok, and I just realized that it's 12 hexes from there to Blair -- outside normal range of all transports except the Thalia and Tina. (The manual says I won't be able to use air-transports outside their normal range.) So I have limited numbers of transports available for the operation. How many do I need to move the entire batallion of paratroopers all at once? Should I be jumping off from Victoria Point instead, so as to increase the number of transport aircraft available for the operation?

You have 2 27 plane transport Sentai, AFIAK. Even if you use both, you won't have enough to get the whole regiment over there in one drop. You may want to use some of the 9 and 12 plane Chutai's as well.

I would drop from Victoria Point. Indeed, I would move an air HQ by rail over to Victoria point ASAP. Not only should you drop form Victoria, you should base some Netties there to interdict shipping going to/from Rangoon/Malaysia.

Before dropping on Victoria, ground bomb the place as well. If you have your bombers at Bangkok, however, you may run into a problem where the weather shuts down Bangkok, but not Victoria Point, in which case the defenders will not be disrupted. This is what happened to me and I failed to take the place after the first drop. I had to drop an SNLF unit there as well a couple of turns later to finally capture it.

Also bring one of those tiny JNAF base forces to Victoria Point. One of those guys with 8 AV support. After you capture Port Blair, fly the base force over there and then rebase some search AC there. Your Babs make good search AC. I hope you have your recon units training on naval search, yes?

[Grotius]

Before dropping on Victoria, ground bomb the place as well. If you have your bombers at Bangkok, however, you may run into a problem where the weather shuts down Bangkok, but not Victoria Point, in which case the defenders will not be disrupted. This is what happened to me and I failed to take the place after the first drop.

*bows to Cap-san* I suppose one could get around this by bombing one turn before the airdrop? But that would, of course, tip one's hand. Maybe that wouldn't be the end of the world. I imagine he couldn't do much about an impending paradrop in one turn -- other than getting a few aircraft out.

I had to drop an SNLF unit there as well a couple of turns later to finally capture it.

I didn't realize we could air-drop SNLFs. Good to know.

I hope you have your recon units training on naval search, yes?

Yes, training or actually performing naval search. I sure use more recon groups, though. Also, the Empire seems very stingy with float planes. But who am I to criticize the Emperor?

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Grotius

Before dropping on Victoria, ground bomb the place as well. If you have your bombers at Bangkok, however, you may run into a problem where the weather shuts down Bangkok, but not Victoria Point, in which case the defenders will not be disrupted. This is what happened to me and I failed to take the place after the first drop.

*bows to Cap-san* I suppose one could get around this by bombing one turn before the airdrop? But that would, of course, tip one's hand. Maybe that wouldn't be the end of the world. I imagine he couldn't do much about an impending paradrop in one turn -- other than getting a few aircraft out.

I had to drop an SNLF unit there as well a couple of turns later to finally capture it.

I didn't realize we could air-drop SNLFs. Good to know.

I hope you have your recon units training on naval search, yes?

Yes, training or actually performing naval search. I sure use more recon groups, though. Also, the Empire seems very stingy with float planes. But who am I to criticize the Emperor?

Not all SNLFs can be air dropped. IIRC there's two or three that start on Formosa in addition to the two raiding regiments that start out in the home islands.

A defense he may elect on your airdrop (if you don't take the airfield on turn one) is to run some CAP or LRCAP over the base. You will lose transports attempting to drop off more men or supplies to same.

Have you 'expanded' your float plane units by transferring them to AVs with orders to "expand to fit ship"? By doing this, you can enlarge the number of pilots training for float plane recon. If you like, you can turn off 'replacements', thus keeping your scarce production for front lines. You may wish to also do this for your HI Claude, Val and Kate units in turn.

[Grotius]

Have you 'expanded' your float plane units by transferring them to AVs with orders to "expand to fit ship"? By doing this, you can enlarge the number of pilots training for float plane recon. If you like, you can turn off 'replacements', thus keeping your scarce production for front lines. You may wish to also do this for your HI Claude, Val and Kate units in turn.

*bows to 鳥少年さん * I have done this with my Claude, Val and Kate squadrons, loading them onto CVLs and growing them into big training units. (In fact, I just finished doing that with the 3-Val squadron that starts around Pescadores.) But I didn't realize we could do this with floatplanes on AVs. That sounds like a good idea. Optimally I'd like more floatplane groups, but I can't do much about that other than to buy some from Manchukuo.

A defense he may elect on your airdrop (if you don't take the airfield on turn one) is to run some CAP or LRCAP over the base.

Yes, I worry about him using fighters to disrupt an airdrop, especially as he's been moving the AVG in and out of the theater to disrupt my air operations. That danger does argue for using Victoria Point (rather than the more distant Bangkok) so that I can use my shorter-legged transports, thus dropping as many paratroopers as possible on D-Day. I'm still not sure whether to sweep/bomb a day or two before the drop itself, which would tip him off, or instead to take my chances and sweep/bomb on D-Day itself.

Hmm, it also sounds like I should get one of those SNLF units you mentioned to Victoria Point or Bangkok. My other Raider LCU arrives in Japan in about a week.

For now, I guess I have to concentrate on moving the Raiders from Bangkok to Victoria. I might do this via air-transport, as a "dress rehearsal" for the real thing, and to avoid the slow slog across the peninsula to Victoria -- as I recall, the railroad doesn't go all the way to Victoria Point.

[Grotius]

1941年12月28日

Birds soar through Luzon
sweeping aside warlike Hawks
and wrecking their nests

[Grotius]

1941年12月29日

Birds search the Dutch seas
for steel whales near Manado,
while sumarai load.

[Grotius]

1941年12月31日

Floating steel dragons
spit fire at the enemy
melting coastal guns

[CapAndGown]

Damn, wish my bombardments were that good.

[Grotius]

1941年12月31日

Sharks carrying birds
approach from the far northwest,
mystifying all

[Grotius]

Reviewing my operations reports for the past few days, I realize that my adversary has been flying recon over Miri every day, and the detection level of the base is quite high. I'm increasingly inclined to think he's conducting a counter-invasion of Miri, as the only ship I've spotted is an xAP, and I also saw several enemy aircraft over Miri yesterday. And foolish me -- I have not yet taken Brunei, so if I lose Miri, my troops have nowhere to which to retreat. It wouldn't be a huge loss, but it certainly would be a setback. I have about 70-80 AV at Miri -- part of a base force (being flown in), and part of an infantry unit.

I'm not sure what to do. My bombardment group at Manado is too low on ammo to intervene at Miri. Mini-KB is too far away to prevent a landing. I have surface ships in Indochina, including a BB, but they'd need a day to form up, as some are in Cam Ranh Bay and some in Saigon. There may not be much I can do in the short term if he invades Miri tomorrow. I suppose I could try a quick invasion of Brunei, to give myself a retreat base? Maybe by fast transport, but I dunno. Any samurai have any thoughts?

In the long term, I would expect to recapture Miri, but he might force my surrender and extract his troops before I can capture his troops in return. All in all, it might be a very good move by him, and a very stupid move by me not to take Brunei sooner.

Or I may be all wrong, and he may be moving toward Manado. But why the northern route, along the north coast of Borneo, rather than the southern route away from my land-based air? The more I think on it, the more I think he's about to retake Miri. Gah!

[witpqs]

Even if you re-take it, two more captures is two more chances for Oil damage. Or should I say:

Capture it again will he
then to your cause
twice the damage again

[Xxzard]

If opponent strikes,
Miri oil fields burn bright,
loss made worthwhile

So, I believe Miri has a good bit of oil, correct? If this is the case, I would see this invasion as a move to strike at that oil, not as any attempt to capture and hold the base. Capturing some of your troops might just be ancillary to that goal. Repeated heavy fights for a base tends to inflict damage to industry. Of course, that doesn't help your situation a lot, now does it? My best advice would be to prepare what forces you deem fit for a strike on day two. Given that his transports are xAPs or xAKs, and they are allied, not even early war Japanese, they won't be offloading very quickly. Unless he has brought a lot of troops and transports, the amphib tf won't be able to unload enough troops in the first day to capture the base. So, the tf will probably stick around for a second day at least. I don't know the exact specifics on your mini KB, but do keep in mind that the Brit CV's probably don't even hold as many planes as your ships, and also keep in mind that if your CAP were to get to their biplane torp bombers, they would be done for. Their CV's would be immune to your DB's, but not your TB's, which I'm guessing are all if not the majority of planes on the mini-KB ships. So, if you do chose to strike here, I think you will have the advantage, and if you choose not, you will retake the base in the end.