Aussies vs Amis - World Defence(no Joe or Nik)

[jrcar]

LOL well we did our best to stop them laying track, and pulled up what we could!

We still own a few bases in the Phillipines, hang on guys we are coming!

Cheers
Rob

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Thanks!

My goodness, it's like the IJ train went off the tracks.

[jrcar]

[center]Friendly Intentions[/center]

SEAsia
Neutralise and seize BANGKOK in order to:
Draw Japanese strategic reserve.
Take a central position and split Japanese forces to reduce their ability to mutually support.

Subsequently land on SUMATRA in order to deny access to the main resource areas.


SWPAC
Seize the northen tip of PNG and the southern Phillipines in order to isolate forces in Borneo and Java from Japan, and cut off access to resources from the south.

CENTPAC
Close with and identify the main line of resistance. Maintain presure and force the enemy to commit forces.

NORPAC
Using sub warfare and possible CV raids limit access to the northern resource area.

The strategic endstate is that the Japanese economy will be denined all but limited access to resources in order to reduce their ability to conduct effective warfare.

At some point in 1943 the main line will be cracked with overwhelming force with a subsequent pursuit to the Home Islands.

[jrcar]

[center]SWPAC Orders[/center]

Campaign objective is SORONG. From here 4E aircraft can dominate the "gap" to The PHILLIPINES limiting access to resources. SORONG will also act as a "Shield" to enable raiding forces to operate as far as the Phillipines.

The subsequent campaign will be seizeing and maintaining bases in the PHILLIPINES.

Plan
BOELA will be secured with a two divisional assault using US forces. Forces assigned to AMBON will be reassigned to BOELA. Forces will begin loading immediately.

AMBON will be neutralised from the air.

SORONG will be seized using the 8th Australian division supported by US forces.

Issues:
Combat engineers, need to assmble and prepare them for both BOELA and SORONG.
Need more shipping for follow-on forces. More shipping is located at RABAUL and SYDNEY and will move to TOWNSVILLE.
Fighter cover from KAIMANA. Need to concentrate the P-38 capability.
Possible raid on KENDARI with surface forces?

Cheers

Rob

[Cribtop]

You're squeezing them like a Borneo Python!

[CaptBeefheart]

Operation Olympic by July '43? I think you guys can do it. I hope your opponents stick it out.

Cheers,
CC

[jrcar]

Operation Olympic probably won't happen in this game... the enemy will sue for peace before that I suspect!

19-20 Nov 1942

Subs
Off Geoargetown we detect some DD's probably FT forces out of Port Blair.
Off Dadjangas SS Pollack is hit hard, she has 30 Sys, 30 Float and is limping home.
Off Singkawang we put 2 torps into an xAK, she is reported sunk
Off Ambon we put a torp into an xAKL, she is also reported sunk

SE Asia
We capture Uttaradit and Tavoy:
Ground combat at Uttaradit (59,56)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 57150 troops, 749 guns, 805 vehicles, Assault Value = 1761

Defending force 5720 troops, 118 guns, 28 vehicles, Assault Value = 99

Allied adjusted assault: 928

Japanese adjusted defense: 39

Allied assault odds: 23 to 1 (fort level 3)

Allied forces CAPTURE Uttaradit !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), preparation(-), fatigue(-), morale(-)
experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
2458 casualties reported
Squads: 68 destroyed, 13 disabled
Non Combat: 82 destroyed, 25 disabled
Engineers: 12 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 40 (35 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Vehicles lost 30 (30 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 5


Allied ground losses:
101 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 18 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Vehicles lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)


Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
18th Australian Brigade
3rd Cavalry Regiment
3rd Carbiniers Regiment
21st Australian Brigade
16th Australian Brigade
42nd Cavalry Regiment
13th Indian Brigade
2nd Recce Regiment
17th Australian Brigade
25th Australian Brigade
2nd Royal Tank Regiment
41st Infantry Division
19th Australian Brigade
1st Burma Brigade
IV Indian Corps
XXXIII Indian Corps
21st Indian Mountain Gun Regiment

Defending units:
5th Division
RTA Cavalry Division
21st Fld AA Gun Co
35th Fld AA Gun Co
94th JAAF AF Bn

Ground combat at Tavoy (54,60)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 18929 troops, 189 guns, 112 vehicles, Assault Value = 578

Defending force 3169 troops, 38 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 77

Allied adjusted assault: 351

Japanese adjusted defense: 190

Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 1)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 0

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), morale(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
346 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 19 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
364 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 45 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 26 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Assaulting units:
46th Indian Brigade
22nd (East African) Brigade
16th British Brigade
28th New Chinese Division
Burma Corps

Defending units:
112th Infantry Regiment
36th Field AA Battalion
Ground combat at Tavoy (54,60)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 18609 troops, 189 guns, 112 vehicles, Assault Value = 1254

Defending force 2948 troops, 37 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 59

Allied adjusted assault: 379

Japanese adjusted defense: 112

Allied assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Tavoy !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), morale(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1164 casualties reported
Squads: 40 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 37 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 21 (21 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 2


Allied ground losses:
176 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 15 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled


Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
46th Indian Brigade
16th British Brigade
22nd (East African) Brigade
5th Chinese Corps
28th New Chinese Division
Burma Corps

Defending units:
112th Infantry Regiment
36th Field AA Battalion

The forces from Uttaradit have now escaped our cordon, but the 5th Div is so trashed it doesn't really matter.

At Tavoy it shows what a Japanese Regiment can do (or how poor Allied forces can be on attack). They have held us there for several weeks. Now though we have a fighter base close to Bangkok and can move up P-40 (of which we have about 160 spare airframes and plenty of units) instead of the P-38 sweeps from Raheng.

The Imperail guards are escaping East to Vietnam over trails. We will probably let it go, by the tie it pops out the war will be over


SWPAC
For the last several turns I have been reconing Manokwari. A month ago their were a few units there, but recon and a few bombing rus hadn't detected anything. So I sent in a para bn on the assumption they had pulled out... big mistake. The Bn has been basically wiped out. I do have a fragment to rebuild from, and about 100 para squads in the pool, but it will take time. Fortunately a second para bn has just arrived in the theatre, so hopefully they think we now lack a para capability...

Otherwise apart from the sub attacks on convoys areond Ambon things are quiet. I'm resting the B-24 group, it is now almost up to full strength of around 60 B-24. Next turn the B-17 group is hitting Sorong Port to see what we can see.

Forces have begun loading at Townsville, it will take time to fully load. I also "found" another 3 CA and 2 CL to add to the surface cover force.

I'm going to logistically support the action from Merauke. There is an AE there, 2 AKE are moving up, we have around 80k in fuel. An AO tf is also moving forward, and I'll move up some AR's.

Unfortunately I only have enough assault lift for Boela (2 Div, 3 Tk Bn, 2 Arty Bn). So there will be a gap between Boela and Sorong. The good news is around 7 SEEBEE units just arrived in Australia, and four are allocated to these operations. I also have about 3-4 engineer units already deployed forward which can be committed in the second lift.

The B-17F in the area are now fairly tired, they will be used to kepp up the "ops as normal". Then they will be replaced with the B-24 Group and a B-17 Group from the Rabaul area to hit bases hard prior to the assault going in.

In the Phillipines Zamboanga still holds... but probably not much longer. Cebu is not under threat yet, and we can almost start flying forces in...

SOPAC
Shipping and air is being diverted to support SWPAC. Some assualt shipping was sent to CENTPAC. The area is veryt secure, but a lack of B-24 limits offensive options. The only "nuts" are TRUK aned PONAPE. Ground forces are preparing for the later when shipping and air support becomes available.

CENTPAC
The CV TF are now where they need to be and troops have begun to load. 5 CV, 3 CVE, 4BB, 16 CA/CLAA/CL lots DD. This should be at least as strong as the part KB that is in the area...

Once secure on the next objective the Marshalls can be easily mopped up.

NORPAC
The weather is really damaging the escort vessels. I've had to send the ASW groups to port to repair. It is also impacting on the SS as well. The air force is on 10% CAP. All is quiet. Adak is almost a level 8 port now. A submarine offensive is the only action from here and I'm slowly pulling forces out.

China
We loose Wuchow:
Ground combat at Wuchow (76,57)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 46469 troops, 332 guns, 126 vehicles, Assault Value = 1392

Defending force 16555 troops, 98 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 530

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 3

Japanese adjusted assault: 1068

Allied adjusted defense: 252

Japanese assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 3)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 3

Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), leaders(+), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
849 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 51 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 49 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled


Allied ground losses:
2586 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 151 disabled
Non Combat: 7 destroyed, 132 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled


Assaulting units:
34th Division
104th Division
10th Division
23rd Army

Defending units:
62nd Chinese Corps
2nd Prov Chinese Corps
16th Group Army
13th Chinese Base Force
Ground combat at Wuchow (76,57)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 45657 troops, 332 guns, 126 vehicles, Assault Value = 1343

Defending force 14276 troops, 98 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 369

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 1200

Allied adjusted defense: 73

Japanese assault odds: 16 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Wuchow !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: disruption(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
705 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 45 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 29 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled


Allied ground losses:
7595 casualties reported
Squads: 188 destroyed, 39 disabled
Non Combat: 202 destroyed, 73 disabled
Engineers: 64 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 13 (13 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 4


Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
104th Division
34th Division
10th Division
23rd Army

Defending units:
62nd Chinese Corps
2nd Prov Chinese Corps
16th Group Army
13th Chinese Base Force

The Loss of Wucow is a blow, but importantly Kukong is well and truely ours and secure. Supply is flowing now. Our forces are building, and they are probably pulling stuff out, so the balance is shifting a bit.

Cheers

Rob

[jrcar]

21-22 Nov 1942

Subs
No action... none.

SE Asia
We through back the remanants of the 55th Cav, they loose 17 more vehicles.

We sweep and finally bomb the airfields at Bangkok causing light damage. They loose 5 Oscars.

KB is now off Port Blair and a CL/DD Tf is detected at Port Blair, looks like the evacuation is continuing.

A convoy will arrive in Rangoon with another 60k is supply, another convoy with another 40k is a turn away.


Phillipines
At Zamboanga they land another Naval Guard unit... not long now.

SWPAC
We port bomb Sorong against no opposition. Nothing is detected, damage is light.

The troops at Townsville are 70% loaded. It will take 4-5 turns to get to position.

CENTPAC
unloading and rearanging forces for the next attack.

Otherwise all is quiet!

Cheers

Rob

[jrcar]

H'mm looks like I lost a post...

23-24 Nov 1942.

Subs
off Naha we hit an xAKL

SE Asia
We bomb the troop sin the Jungle...

Over Bangkok B-17 and B-24 do light damage in return for light damage against a light CAP.

Phillipines
Zamboanga falls, freeing up almost a divisions worth of troops just as my invasion begins in the area...


Ground combat at Zamboanga (75,89)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 9247 troops, 77 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 297

Defending force 1487 troops, 29 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 70

Japanese adjusted assault: 159

Allied adjusted defense: 13

Japanese assault odds: 12 to 1 (fort level 3)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Zamboanga !!!

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
No Allied losses

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), leaders(-), disruption(-), fatigue(-)
experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
349 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 19 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 18 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Allied ground losses:
2126 casualties reported
Squads: 176 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 50 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 10 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 31 (31 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 3


Assaulting units:
87th Naval Guard Unit
18th Naval Guard Unit
89th Naval Guard Unit
83rd Naval Guard Unit
85th Naval Guard Unit
23rd Nav Gd Unit

Defending units:
73rd PA Infantry Regiment
101st PA Infantry Division
4th PI Base Force



SWPAC
PT boats sweep Boela... looks like these DD's reacted in?

Day Time Surface Combat, near Boela at 80,110, Range 14,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Natsugumo
DD Arare
DD Akikaze
DD Kuri

Allied Ships
PT-115
PT-116, Shell hits 1
PT-117, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
PT-118
PT-119
PT-120
PT-121, Shell hits 1
PT-122, Shell hits 1, and is sunk

Off Lautem B-24 on Naval strike do some good...

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Lautem at 72,115

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 44 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes


Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 18


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
DD Kazegumo, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
DD Umikaze, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Kawakaze

Japanese ground losses:
205 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 11 destroyed, 25 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Over Sorong Rufe Rise to take on B-17F... and do good. I loose 2 B-17, they loose 2 Rufe.

The invasion force has left Townsville.

CENTPAC
the Invasion force is loaded and is about to leave.

Otherwise pretty quiet.

[jrcar]

25-26 Nov 1942

Subs
Tony does good vectoring subs to the vicinity of KB. After a series of attacks we identify a Bb and 2 CA, and hit an AO It has heavy fires heavy damage.

Off Zamboanga we attack but get depth charged, light damage.

SEASIA
The weather clears and lots of attacks go in against Bangkok. CAP is heavy with around 30 Tojo and 20 Oscar.Summary is:

We loose 21 Blenheim, 5 B-25C, 5 B17E and 3 B24.
They loose 4 Tojo and 1 Oscar.

Runway Hits 197, Airbase 31, Airbase Supply 3.

Phillipines
Cebu is invaded with 88th Naval Guard and 1st Formose Inf Regt.

SWPAC
We sweep Sorong and get 8 Rufe for the loss of 2 F4F3P. A lot of P-38 are damaged and I need to rest a unit.

Off Namela we attack a convoy that is caped from Ambon with Tojo and Zero. We get two aircraft, suffer no loss (but have a lot of damaged B-17 and they need to rest), and don't do any bombing runs.

Cheers

Rob

[jrcar]

Boela Invasion update

The CVE support TF is now off Merauke. The invasion TF will go round the Cape York next turn. I am about 6 days(3 turns from landing).

The engineers and BF units are loading now.

I'm sending in PT boats and a CA TF to Boela to sweep away the DD's.

3 more light CA/CL tf are in the area in support.

Aru will be the main support, it has about 10k in fuel, level 3 port and 244 Naval support. There will soon be an AE and 2 AKE there, and two 50k Replenishment TF are on the was as well.


CENTPAC Invasion
These forces should land next turn or the turn after. Hopefully that will draw their reserves just as I land in the SWPAC.

Cheers

Rob

[jrcar]

27-28 Nov 1942

Subs
A few attacks, no results.

SEAsia
Only air attacks. There are no attacks on Bankok.

Phillipines
They again bring a spoon to a gunfight at Cebu... I guess I know where the forces from Zamboaga will head! Hang on guys we are getting closer!

Ground combat at Cebu (80,86)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 5895 troops, 38 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 186

Defending force 4434 troops, 43 guns, 54 vehicles, Assault Value = 128

Japanese adjusted assault: 130

Allied adjusted defense: 303

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 3)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), op mode(-), fatigue(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
429 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 28 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 19 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Allied ground losses:
120 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 18 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Assaulting units:
1st Formosa Inf. Regiment
88th Naval Guard Unit

Defending units:
81st PA Infantry Division
Cebu USN Base Force

SWPAC
Ground based Avengers from Kaimana attack a DD TF off Sorong, but the fast moving DD's defeat the inexperianced fliers and no torps find a target

The CAP over Sorong is now gone

The rest of the map is very quiet.

Cheers

Rob

[erstad]

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), op mode(-), fatigue(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Any reason you're not in combat mode?

[jrcar]

Yes the Cebu Baseforce has been slowly evacing via sub (SST), and needs to be in strat mode for that.

Cheers
Rob

ORIGINAL: erstad

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), op mode(-), fatigue(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Any reason you're not in combat mode?

[jrcar]

Well I'm about to face a tactical dilema...

As the invasion force for Boela goes in I will have to run the gauntlet of the Ambon and Kendari defences.

I have 60 B-24 and about 30 B-17F, 50 P38E and lots of F4, P40.

Ambon is a forward fighter base with around 60-90 fighters, Zero and Tojo.

Kendari has 2-3 Daitai of Netties.

I can:

a. Just CAP the TF. It is a long way from Kendari, it is long range from Ambon, and my airbases are closer. He is mostly fighteing over my ground, but I run the risk of loosing some shipping...

b. Sweep then bomb Ambon. I can sweep with about 50 long range fighters, and bomb with around 60 4E bombers... but I'll be fighting over their territory, and medium to long range, against fresh and trained aircraft... But I should be able to hit it fairly hard.

c. CAP then attack. Try to tire his aircraft out, take some risk, and if it doens't go well then hit his airfieds.


I'm leaning towards c. We are trying to preserve our bombers, we don't have that many, we have lots of fighters (less P-38) and we can afford to loose some shipping now, as more is about to arrive.

Thoughts? Need to issue orders soon...

Cheers
Rob

[Cribtop]

I like c. However, if you really have a LOT of fighters to spare, how about adding in a sweep or two for good measure? Weakens their fighter defense in case you later have to bomb Ambon.

[jrcar]

The Sweep needs to be done by P-38 and Beufighters... both are in very short supply. P40E and K we have oodles.

Maybe the K will reach.

Cheers

Rob

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

I like c. However, if you really have a LOT of fighters to spare, how about adding in a sweep or two for good measure? Weakens his fighter defense in case you later have to bomb Ambon.

[jrcar]

Ok have just done my part of the turn, situation map below.

You can see Aru and Kaimana are my main support bases for the operation.

My CVE TF shows that it has been detected, but the invasion one isn't. I expect they both will be fully detected next turn, it can't be helped... but I can attempt to confuse the issue...

The plan is to advance this turn to the RV hex. This puts me in striking distance of both Ambon and Boela, and should divide their forces...

A CA tf will sweep Boela again this turn, as will PT's. When the invasion TF arrives I'll also move over a PT sqn from Kaimana, they can reful from the transports.

It looks like they are reinforcing Ambon with troops, their is an AP amphib TF offshore, but the unit count hasn't changed...

There are currently severe storms over the AO... I hope it lasts another turn or even better two!

In related news I have an Airbourne Rgt and an Airbourne Bn preping for Morotai... a deep strike when they commit forward should help. I did think of dropping them with the invasion TF... but I'm not sure if that is gamey OR an intended design of the game engine...

[Cribtop]

Can't see how using paras as part of an amphib invasion could be considered gamey, personally. It certainly was done historically in both major theaters of war. If you mean it's gamey because you get a shock attack on the turn of the invasion, even that seems justifiable as the paras would force the issue for both sides. For the attacker, you have to link up before the paras are overrun, for the defender, paras behind the lines creates the danger of being cut off and annihilated.

[witpqs]

I think it is intended in game design and not gamey. It would be gamey if you just drop a few para squads to trigger the effect in the game engine, but using a whole unit (or as much as you can lift it it's a large unit) is fine IMO.

[Nemo121]

Aye, a few squads might be an issue but a full unit ( or a good faith effort to lift most of a full unit ) would be perfectly fine IMO.