Let The Good Times Roll

[a1981stingray]

Is there any base on the map that is NOT within range of those pesky IJN Mavis Long Range Search Planes?  The last turn RGIJN was sending them on Recon Photo Operations to Lunga, Port Moresby, and Gili-Gili.  I have this gut feeling he is planning some major invasion operation. But where will he land?  Allied Coastwatchers spotted several transports and MSW moving into Tulagi, probably going to reinforce Lunga or capture another base.  Allied Naval Search planes spotted the IJN CV TF approximately 300 miles west of Lunga with a full tank of petrol...
 
HQ - SWPAC and SOPAC have decided to pull back all transports and vital ships and "wait and see".  This will also provide an opportunity to reorganize and split the fleet for the next Allied operations.
 
more intel to follow soon...

[RGIJN]

ORIGINAL: stingray

Is there any base on the map that is NOT within range of those pesky IJN Mavis Long Range Search Planes?  The last turn RGIJN was sending them on Recon Photo Operations to Lunga, Port Moresby, and Gili-Gili.  I have this gut feeling he is planning some major invasion operation. But where will he land?  Allied Coastwatchers spotted several transports and MSW moving into Tulagi, probably going to reinforce Lunga or capture another base. 

Those Kawanishi flying boats are truly marvellous... What a gift from our outstanding engineers and factories. The H6K "Mavis" can cover about half the map, while the H8K "Emily" is even able to recon Brisbane all the way down from Truk...

Of course we´re planning some thrust that will turn alot of the green zone into a red one... adding many allied A/C & ships to the loss list you´ll have to explain to Mr. Roosevelt... [:D]

[a1981stingray]

I hope you bring enough troops into PM so you have at least a 3:1 combat ratio....  The majority of New Guinea Force was just unloaded last turn - approx. xxx+ Assault Value & Fortification level x....
 
If you like Gili-Gili the 7th Aus Division with an approx. xxx+ Assault Value awaits your arrival....
 
You would have to pull every INF from all bases in order to take PM or Gili-Gili....
 
 

[a1981stingray]

Another update from ALLIED HQ....
It is very calm and quiet on the frontlines... An unnatural and creepy feeling of calm...
 
Since the start of the war, 14 days ago, there has always been lots of activity with both sides plotting the Fleets routes and transporting troops and supplies. 
 
Now it has become very quiet. There are only a couple of IJN ships spotted near Tulagi, and the fragment IJA at Buna moved to Dobadura to capture it on May 13th.
 
ALLIED HQ has issued an immediate order to all Task Forces to return to port for an immediate reorganization for any IJN threat this calm in the storm may have.  It also gives us a short break to take a few breaths and feel relieved that our CV TFs are still fully operational.
 
It is speculation that the IJN CV TFs went North to Truk to refuel and then meet up with an Invasion Task Force slowly heading towards PM, Gili-Gili, or Lunga.  ALLIED HQ believes that the IJN/IJA Invasion Operation will severely cripple the amount of IJA reserve troops available to counter any Allied Island Invasion Operations when the 1st Marine Division arrives/deploys in August/September.
 
So the calm before the storm... time will tell the rest of the story...
 

[RGIJN]

as stated by our opponent, all fronts pretty quiet so far at the moment. Last turn another MSW was torpedoed and sunk south of GG on the return trip from minesweeping in the approaches to this port...

We estimate the Allied navy will miss those valuable vessels later on since our MLs are going to be very busy soon... [8D]

[a1981stingray]

here is the current map as of May 16, 1942.
note all Allied Forces have been put in stealth mode for this photo...

[RGIJN]

at the present, there is nothing special to report. Almost too quiet as we think. IJN search planes spotted several enemy TFs consisting mostly of transports & escort craft south of Lunga and in PM harbour. Besides this there is no action worth to mention.

Not even subs bothering shipping lanes.

However, the lull is about to end soon. Even more so as massive reinforcemnts are allocated to the Southern front from the Imperial HQ at Tokyo. Objectives are scheduled to be taken according general war plan N02-5B (revised)

[RGIJN]

Alot of business is denying me to have very much game fun at the present...[:(]

However, this game is running according schedule and more allied lift capacity was destroyed last night:


Another big transport (15p) was also torpedoed before. Both ships were loaden with troops (Base force ENG)...
LCU losses count at a 1:7 ratio (IJA/IJN : Allies).

[a1981stingray]

It has been a long march from Port Moresby, but an INF unit of the New Guinea Force arrived today and captured Buna.
in other news from SOPAC:
Many Tankers arrived in Noumea Port.  They are being filled with fuel for the FLEETS currently out at sea.
Enterprise and Hornet will be arriving in the next few days along with many escort ships.
 
Gili-Gili continues to be supplied, building fortifications and expanding the base airfield and port.
Lunga contiunes to be strong against the IJA. Many little packets of IJA troops arrive by barges.
 
I fear that the IJA/IJN will bring the hammer down hardest on Lunga in the next few days....
 

[RGIJN]

bad weather conditions prevent to much air ops.

In the meantime enemy DMS craft are trying to cope with all those mines laid already. An allied bombardment of Lunga proved futile.


An american submarine attacked a barge convoy this afternoon, but got chased down...

[a1981stingray]

May 28, 1942
 
It appears from the Allied Commanders reports that the IJN/IJA have decided on beachfront property on Guadalcanal by taking Tassafaronga and Taivu.  The IJN supplies lots of barges at Shortland Island so the IJA can send in the small packets of troops over several days.  HQ SOPAC decided swift action needed to be taken and ordered every PG, PC, and SC into Lunga to sink these barges, since the USN Pilots refuse to attack the IJN tin cans on the beach....
 
Unfortunately, the IJN stationed 2 CVs west of Lunga and their pilots got some target practice.  4 SC ships sunk and Captain R. Jones went down with his ship.
 
I can only hope the men on Guadalcanal can endure the IJA piecemeal troops and put up enough resistance to hold that highly valued position.

[RGIJN]

indeed 5th carrier division got some practice shooting at tiny escort vessels. However, the enemy will miss those craft later on...

On the other side of the theatre our bombers decimated another allied convoy. First, G3M Nell and G4M Betty squadrons put some torpedoes into these ships unloading troops at PM. After that, Vals and Kates finished the job. Three more transports lost, along with their crews and a decent number of soldiers....

one of the earlier victims, the juicy 15p "Esperance Bay" sunk last night too...

[RGIJN]

we forgot to mention that the airwar is running fine too. Last engagement over PM ended up at a 4.5:1 ratio (seven own losses against 32 USAAF/RAAF a/c).

Enemy C47 Dakotas keep on falling into the vast Sea too...

[RGIJN]

The enemy tried to reinforce his Lunga garrison, but this attempt run right into the A/C of our most busy 5th carrier division...

three more allied DDs sunk, loaden with precious troops.




deadly fishes...

[RGIJN]

wondering what kind of "presentation" Mr. FDR gets of these news...

[RGIJN]

this afternoon, our victorious troops took Lunga with an all-out attack... and 6k enemy troops still stranded far from home...

[a1981stingray]

Yes Ralf, you are having all the fun, with your IJN/IJA dominating the south pacific.  but the time will come when the things turn around, and then the USN and the Allied Invasion will begin.  It is possible that the Allies can choose to land when and where they want at that time... so you pile up your troops on Guadalcanal and I will skip it and land somewhere else...
 
And if you try to land on Noumea, I have troops in reserve... waiting for you...
 
 

[RGIJN]

We´re looking forward to any allied invasion attempt, wherever & whenever it will take place. Of course the enemy will need some ships for such an enterprise, but one of our lurking submarines caught another allied transport just off Townsville harbour entrance, and delivered some torps along with 5.5" shells into its belly... The enemy vessel sunk right during the attack...





BTW there is no hard "Noumea-plan" yet, but you never know what the top brass at the Imperial GHQ far back in Tokyo is up to...

[a1981stingray]

yes it is a problem with the loss of ships... but since it was set to 180% I should have a few extras available for some operations... I had to take some "risks" in the game or else it would not be any fun trying new tactics and strategies...

[RGIJN]

vital parts of Kido Butai have arrived in the theatre, and they got busy from the start. On their way south in the SoPac area our A/C spotted some surface units heading towards Guadalcanal. Obviously the enemy still tries to rescue some troops from there... only to end up loosing more ships during that brave move.
One heavy cruiser (the INDIANAPOLIS) sunk, along with some DDs.



AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 06/15/42

Weather: Partly Cloudy

Sub attack at 53,66

Japanese Ships
SS I-28

Allied Ships
PG Tui, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 44,51

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4
D3A Val x 27

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A Val x 9 damaged

Allied Ships
DD Henley, Bomb hits 15, on fire, heavy damage
DD Dunlap, Bomb hits 3, on fire
CA San Francisco, Bomb hits 2


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Air attack on TF at 44,51

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 44
A6M3 Zero x 4
D3A Val x 69
B5N Kate x 24

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A Val x 1 damaged
B5N Kate x 2 destroyed
B5N Kate x 5 damaged

Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis, Bomb hits 19, Torpedo hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
DD Fanning, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage


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


escort vessel that ate THREE fishes... too much!