Payback - jzanes (A) vs. Rader (J). A Rader-free zone.

[Jzanes]

Solomons:

Supported by the carrier fleet, the US Army has captured the citadels of Normandy Island and Rossel Island without too much trouble. Allied airforces have used the airbases from Milne Bay to Rossel Island to support the Navy/Marine air offensive vs. the Lunga base complex. Over the last few weeks, 1,000s of sorties of marine corsairs, navy bombers, and army heavy bombers have worked over the Lunga complex. Rader has committed massive #s of fighters to defend this region and losses have been heavy and about equal on both sides. The battle is still in doubt but I think I’m starting to overwhelm Rader’s forces as one by one his bases are beaten into dust by 200+ heavy/medium bomber raids.

The US fleet is replenishing at Noumea and is just about ready to embark for the invasion of the Lunga area. I plan to hit each of the 4 key bases (Lunga, Tulagi, Thousand Ships Bay, and Tassafaronga) with multiple divisions on D-day. Lunga and Tulagi will be hit especially hard. Airborne forces and minor amphibious forces will also hit Kirakira, Rennel Island, and Russel Island on D-day or soon thereafter.

[Jzanes]

9/10/44

Russia:

The russians got a 1:3 result on their second try to break out. I'm not really looking to trash my army at this point and will pull them back to Chita, regroup/rebuild, and plot round 2.

Burma:

Next turn my bombers are hitting the Victoria Point and Chumpion airfields. It's probably going to be impossible to shutdown all the bases in range of Port Blair but I'm going to at least make it tough for Rader to counter my invasion which is about a week away at this point. I'm going to flood Malaya/Sumatra with air search next turn to see if Rader sorties the KB to counter any British friskiness.

Solomons:

Looks like Rader has conceded the air over the Lunga base complex. My latest raid was unopposed and trashed the Thousand Ships Bay airfield. Next turn, I hit Tulagi and Ontong Java. It took me about 3 hours, but I formed up the US fleet at Noumea and they are due to land at Lunga, Tulagi, Thousand Ships, Rennel Island, and Russel Island in about a week.

Similarly to Burma, I'll be flooding the area with air search to hopefully spot the KB if they show up. As an aside, I usually keep my air search limited to a range just short of any japanese CAP. In my experience, flying air search over a capped base leads to fairly heavy losses and can't be sustained for very long. When I "flood" an area, I switch my air search over to max range for a short time in support of an operation.

[obvert]

About CAP this seems smart. I've noticed similar results near enemy CAP. I usually have some 4Es though on long range, just because they can take the hit and come back.

This all seems right, and you've found the sweet spot in terms of pacing the invasions. I think having new Guinea bases will make the Solomons that much easier, and you'll be able to hit the big bases behind lines like Rabaul, which will hamper his defense.

As for Russia, have you mounted any air campaigns against his troops yet? A concerted effort here will certainly begin to drain his pilots and airframes, as well as weakening his troops for the next push.

[Jzanes]

ORIGINAL: obvert

About CAP this seems smart. I've noticed similar results near enemy CAP. I usually have some 4Es though on long range, just because they can take the hit and come back.

This all seems right, and you've found the sweet spot in terms of pacing the invasions. I think having new Guinea bases will make the Solomons that much easier, and you'll be able to hit the big bases behind lines like Rabaul, which will hamper his defense.

As for Russia, have you mounted any air campaigns against his troops yet? A concerted effort here will certainly begin to drain his pilots and airframes, as well as weakening his troops for the next push.

thanks for the comments Obvert.

Yes, heavy bombers would probably be more survivable in the long range naval search role but at this point I use them exclusively for base bombing.

Rader has signficant airpower at Rabaul but the rest of the Solomons is pretty much ready for conquest. Rader has pulled his air out of the southern Solomons and all his airfields are heavily damaged/shut down. I haven't seen anything bigger than a patrol boat in the Solomons since I landed at Port Moresby.

I used the russian airforce during my short campaign but they've only got about 300 sturmovik light bombers and 200 obsolete fighters with no real replacements (46 sturmoviks and 32 fighters per month). I pulled them back at the same time as I pulled my army back. The russians start to get some significant air power in December 1944.

[Jzanes]

September 22, 1944

Allied forces have invaded Port Blair in the Andamans Islands and the Lunga base complex in the Solomons. This has led to lots of action.

Burma/Andamans Islands:

The british fleet successfully approached Port Blair without being spotted. The british are using AKs and regular APs and had to hang around the island for 4 days in order to get all the troops on the ground. The japanese sent in wave after wave of land based bombers on day 3 and 4. The british fighters ripped apart most of these attacks but CV Illustrious, CVL Hermes, and CVE Shah were all hit and moderately damaged.

Over the course of these 4 days, allied subs around the Caroline Islands spotted and attacked several japanese CV TFs. CV Shinano was hit by 4 torpedoes and CV Taiho was hit by one torpedo. No confirmed sinkings of any carriers but it was nice to see allied subs doing some good work.

These sightings and lack of japanese CV activity in the Solomons, suggested the KB was moving to engage the british. On day 5 of the Port Blair landing, my fleet bugged out hoping to get away before being overwhelmed by LBA or carrier air. The heavy units (including damaged Illustrious) steamed at high speed towards Colombo while the slower transports and escorts (including stricken CVL Hermes and CVE Shah) headed towards Rangoon or Calcutta at fastest speed.

I got lucky with my timing as morning found the KB and large #s of japanese subs charging into the Andamans. CVE Shah was finished off by a japanese sub and the KB sank 20 some slower transports but everyone else got away. My lurking subs hit the CV Shokaku with 2 torpedoes and CV Akagi with 1 fish.

Allied bombers have hit Port Blair and Little Andaman airfields and destroyed several hundred japanese planes. These bases are proving tough to keep closed though so I’ll have to keep hitting them. Rader’s CVs are hanging around providing fighter cover for the bases. I’ve lost quite a few bombers but KB fighter losses have also been heavy. The KB strike aircraft are sinking a sub or two each turn but I’ll persist in trying to penetrate his escort screen and get at the carriers again. I’ve also moved 200 british land based torpedo planes and about 100 long range fighters to Tavoy. I’ve got them set to 9 hexes and next turn they will try to hit anything found between the coast and Port Blair.

The british have 60,000 troops, sufficient supply, and 1500 AV on the ground at Port Blair. Their first attack came off at 1:3 but reduced the fort to 7. They have rested since and will try again next turn. I anticipate a long fight requiring very dangerous resupply and reinforcement runs. Rader can probably keep me from taking Port Blair but only if he continues to commit the KB to the fight. This will allow the Americans to continue to pour it on….

[Jzanes]

September 22, 1944

Solomons:

The turn after the british arrived at Port Blair, the US Navy arrived off the Lunga base complex. Landings on Lunga, Tulagi, Thousands Islands Bay, and Russel Island went smoothly with the loss of only a handful of transports and landing ships to CD fire or mishaps. No japanese air or sea opposition at all. Airborne forces captured the small dot bases around Lunga (Kirikira, Stewart, and Rennel Island).

All bases were captured quickly with Tulagi and Thousands ships bay holding out for 4 days and Lunga for 5 days. Upwards of 80,000 japanese troops are either dead, surrounded (Tulagi), or routed away (Thousand ships and Lunga). The biggest concentration of remaining troops (40,000 or so is my guess) is at Tassafaronga. The 5 US Army divisions used to capture Lunga are marching on Tassafaronga. Marine corsairs and dive bombers have the skies completely secured and USN and ANZAC cruisers and destroyers prowl the waters around Guadalcanal. There will be no escape for these cutoff japanese troops.

Knowing that the KB is far away, the US carrier fleet has pulled back to Noumea for a brief rest and repair. Within the week they will head back out in support of stage 1 operations vs. Munda, Ontong Java, and Bougainville. Once these bases are secure, it will be time to take Rabaul.

Rabaul and the surrounding bases are loaded up with aircraft but seem to have modest garrisons. Rabaul itself appears to have “only” 30,000 troops and the surrounding bases much less. American CV fighters, army P38s, and marine corsairs will be used to sweep away the fighters and make way for massive heavy bomber airfield attacks. This is the technique I used to break japanese airpower at Lunga and hopefully it’ll work again.

My best guess is stage 1 goals achieved in two weeks (October 6 or so) and stage two goals achieved by the end of October.

Rader is going to be busy over the next week and I’m going on vacation for two weeks so no updates for some time I’m afraid.

[Jzanes]

October 20, 1944

Here’s a screenshot illustrating what allied players have to look forward to in 1944. Rader swept Finschhafen (next to Lae on New Guinea) with around 1000 fighters of all types. As usual, the sweeps came in one uber raid and a bunch of much smaller dribs and drabs. His fighters ran into the Australian fighters (about 160 spitfire VIIIs and 24 Kittyhawks) guarding the Lae/Finschafen area. The heavily outnumbered but highly trained Australians absolutely slaughtered the Japanese. P38s based at Milne Bay and Buna killed most of the Jills and Judys but the Aussies accounted for almost all of the fighter kills. Game wide the A2A tally for the day is 362 kills for 23 losses (over 15:1).

[Jzanes]

(October 20, 1944 con’t)

Victory in this air battle has given me the opening I’ve been waiting for.

I’ve been grabbing minor bases (Ontong Java, Munda, etc.), building up my bases, and reorganizing my forces over the last month in preparation for the assault on Shortlands/Torokina and the Rabaul base complex.

With Rabaul temporarily down 400 some planes, I decide to move up my timetable and make my move. The American CV armada leaves Rossel and moves towards Shortlands. Most of the marine fighter planes leave the Lunga area and fly to Woodlark/Kiriwina in sweep range of Rabaul. As the screenshot shows, several thousand fighters will sweep Rabaul next turn. If everything goes right, they’ll be followed by over 450 heavy bombers on airfield attack.

If Rabaul is shutdown, I will then follow up with raids on the other japanese airfields surrounding Rabaul. At the same time, I’ll commence the amphibious invasion of Shortlands coordinated with parachute attacks on Green Island and Buka and amphibious invasions of the lightly garrisoned “dot” bases of the central Solomons.

If everything goes smoothly, I will try to quickly follow up these invasions with amphibious invasions of Rabaul and the surrounding islands.

Everything depends on gaining and keeping air superiority in the region.

[Jzanes]

October 22, 1944

The assault on Rabaul goes off without any major disasters. The fighter sweeps clear out most of the fighters and the bombers close down Rabaul airfield. Next turn, the Shortlands invasion force will begin it’s landing covered by the American CV armada. American parachute troops will drop on Green Island and the Australian parachute units will drop on Buka Island. I will also continue the sweeps and airfield attacks on Rabaul while adding the Rabaul support airfields of Feni Island and Namatani to the target list.

Here’s the air losses for October 20/21. A2A losses were about equal but the heavies earn big points in destroying over 400 airframes on the ground;

[Jzanes]

(October 22, 1944 con’t)

Carrier based F6F-5 Hellcats achieved 20:1 kill to losses ratios in the assault on Rabaul.

[Jzanes]

November 11, 1944

Burma:

This front remains static with an increasing number of small actions revolving around japanese attempts to resupply Port Blair.

Allied subs, naval bombers, ASW ships, and DDs have been sparring with japanese LSTs, subs, and naval bombers. Allied medium and heavy bombers have been doing their best to wear down the troops at Port Blair and keep the Andamans airfields closed down. The soviet long range IL-4 torpedo bomber squadron has proven very useful with it’s ability to use torpedoes out to 11 hexes. So far it’s been an attritional campaign but I’m nearly ready to ship in 4 more divisions and see if I can overwhelm the japanese defenders.

When I land my troops, I will get in and out of the combat zone very quickly. I imagine Rader has the KB lurking in the DEI waiting for a 2nd chance at the british fleet.

The mainland has been quiet for months. The only real action right now is an advance by 4 brigades thru the jungle to threaten the supply line between Northern Thailand and Bangkok. Rader sees the movement and is marching up reinforcements. It is unlikely that I’ll be able to break thru here but I will continue to hit these troops with light and medium bombers combined with fighter sweeps. Maybe I can tempt Rader to commit some planes which my P47s, Spitfires, and P51s can rough up.

[Jzanes]

(November 11, 1944 con’t)

Last turn, LR CAP P47s shot up some judy dive bombers that attacked some dutch ships near Port Blair. My top ace, Erik Shilling, shot down 5 of them to give him 26 kills total. Historically, Shilling was a member of the AVG, flew mostly recon missions, and shot down only 1 japanese plane.

[Jzanes]

(November 11, 1944 con’t)

This overview map shows the location of recent japanese raids on my shipping lanes and the DD patrols I’ve set up to defend against these raids. The Mogami sank about 10 AKs heading towards Melbourne from Capetown and several japanese DDs have sunk about 6 AKs heading towards the south seas from SanFran. At least 3 japanese DDs have been sunk by DD patrols and I think I’ve setup a fairly decent screen of DDs to protect my shipping from any further raids.

[Jzanes]

(November 11, 1944 con’t)

Solomons/Bismarcks:

Since last update, the US has steadily gained ground in this area. Rader pulled out his airforce and has only sporadically contested my operations.

US, USN, and Australian heavy bombers based at Port Moresby and Buna continue to pound away at the Bismarck airbases and keep them suppressed and unable to build up any forts.

A 7 division force just landed at Rabaul and is deliberate attacking next turn. Depending on forts, the base may fall quickly or may hold out for a week or so (max). Army medium bombers based at Woodlark Island are flying ground attacks vs. his Rabaul garrison every turn.

A couple divisions have marched from Shortlands to Torokina and got 1:2 odds on their 1st attack. Marine dive, torpedo, and medium bombers will pound away at his cutoff troops and we’ll try another attack in a turn or two. About a week ago, Rader surprised me by moving in naval bombers to Torokina for one turn and used them to hit my fleet during the night. Luckily, my major ships were unspotted and the naval bombers only managed to put a torpedo into an AGC. The command ship survived and is being repaired at the main regional port of Milne Bay. I have only one night fighter squadron in the theatre but a couple night fighter groups are being shipped in from Capetown. I anticipate I’ll be seeing more and more night bomber attacks in the remainder of the war as allied airpower becomes more and more dominant.

Several divisions have just landed at Namatani and will wait for another division to arrive in the next few days before attacking.

Allied minesweepers have done a good job immediately cleaning up the sub laid mines we’ve found at several bases. At least one of these minelayers has been sunk by allied ASW ships.

BBs, CAs, and the gun and rocket equipped landing craft have done a good job suppressing any CD guns and I haven’t lost any ships to coastal guns for a long while now.

11th airborne forces recently captured Manus in the Admiralty Islands. I’ve quickly built it into a working port and airfield and for now, it’ll be my forward base while I clean out the rest of the Bismarks. Rader sent in a 2 CL/3 DD task force but it was chased away by the DD screen without doing any damage. I think I sank at least one of the DDs and at least lightly damaged all the other ships. 1 american DD was lightly damaged.

I anticipate it’ll take another 2 weeks to clear out the Bismarcks and then it’ll be time for my next major operation…..

[FatR]

The speed of the Allied steamroller is surprising and impressive. Do you have enough troops to be preparing a force for the next wave of invasions already?

[Jzanes]

IIRC I have 6 US Army divisions, several Australian brigades, the parachute force (11th airborne division and a brigade equivalent of smaller units), and 2 marine divisions already prepping for the next operation. As the Bismarcks are cleaned up, another 6 army divisions, 4 australian divisions, and 3 marine divisions will commence prepping for 2nd wave targets in the next operation.

I'm slowly buying out the new zealand brigades to act as garrisons for key points in the Solomons (Ndeni, Ontong Java, Tulagi, Lunga, Munda, and Shortlands/Torokina). At least a corps worth of US Army troops will stay in the Bismarcks to garrison the Rabaul area, garrison the Admiralty Islands, and capture lightly held japanese bases on the north coast of New Guinea.

[obvert]

Curious about the long lines across the full map above that look like ships. Are those subs? One line is from Japan down, another from Australia out into the Indian Ocean, etc.

[Jzanes]

ORIGINAL: obvert

Curious about the long lines across the full map above that look like ships. Are those subs? One line is from Japan down, another from Australia out into the Indian Ocean, etc.

Yes, that is my sub screen. Rader's ASW aircraft make anywhere near a japanese base too dangerous so I deploy my subs at least 6 hexes away from any japanese airbase.

[Jzanes]

November 17, 1944

Rabaul has been captured after 3 days of deliberate attacks. I will continue to clean up the Bismarcks and begin leapfrogging up the north coast of New Guinea while finishing the prep for the next operation. The CVs are pulling back for some R&R after an uneventful week off Rabaul guarding my amphibious operations.

[Jzanes]

(November 17,1944 con’t)

Burma:

Good news and bad news in this theatre.

Good news is that my advance thru the jungle has brought out the japanese airforce. In various operations, my fighters have shredded the japanese fighters. The one exception to this pattern of allied air supremacy was in my raid on the Victoria Point port. In this battle, the japanese fighters shot down about 30 P47D2’s and lost only about ½ as many fighters. However, my B-29s, wiped out the two dozen or so barges in the port. This illustrates that while CAP is now about equal to the sweep, escort fighters are still easy kills.

Bad news is that my infiltrating brigades are not going to be strong enough to overwhelm Rader’s ground forces. In fact, there’s a good chance that his reinforcements will rout my infiltrators. Clearly, Rader has a massive ground presence in Burma. Several divisions have moved to block my infiltration with no apparent weakening of any of the other blocking forces. Next turn, I will continue my ground bombing of his blocking forces and also hit the currently occupied airfields of Bangkok and Ayuthia with heavy bombers.