Clear-Cutting AE (No Treespider)

[InHarmsWay]

Yes, I think Witpqs is making a habit of catching the Mini KB. Looking over the "Aleutian Ambush" it was remarkably similar to the little fiasco that Admiral Wa and I suffered at the hands of you both a while back! Losing or at least crippling the Mini KB early really can dent Japanese expansion plans or at least allow the Allies to be more aggressive.

[witpqs]

Little Bug

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1942-03-07

Lahat, Semarang, Vanimo, Huai Yan, and Sawahloento fell today. What I thought was me messing up orders is really some kind of movement bug, so I'll report that. Meanwhile, because of that two base forces have been caught at Magwe and will likely be mauled. A minor issue.

SigInt shows the 21st Ind.Mixed Brigade planning for an attack on Katherine. Heavy Volume of Radio transmissions indicate that KB might be at Truk. I have a Hudson group at Cairns ordered to reconnoiter Normanton. They're simultaneously training in Recon as there are no trained recon groups currently in Australia. So far, in all these days they have managed the feat once, and not recently. Guderian's panzers could be there for all I know.

Palembang "should be" over 800 AV by now with repairs and replacements, but bombing has it down to 755. Very effective. I figured with swamp terrain (x3) that bombing would be less deadly. Forts are only level 1. Java is being rolled up.

[witpqs]

The Mouse That Roared

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1942-03-08

Boeton, Huang-chuan fell today. Magwe held, but more Imperial forces arrived and the two base forces have too far to go. They will be mauled tomorrow. The movement glitch was not what I thought. I researched old saves and I did neglect to give the order on prior turns. I did, however give orders for them to move on the same turn that enemy units entered the hex. As movement is simultaneous, I think they should have moved. Of course, it might be too much for the game engine to handle, so this might just be the way it works. I've sent a report to Michael in case he decides something should be done (which will not affect the present situation, BTW).

Some airfields on Java are operational but out of range of targets. Palembang airfield repaired just enough, even with sustained bombings, to launch offensive missions. The most experienced Falcon squadron flew in from Java yesterday, but did not fly. Today they did and found unprotected prey.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Singkep at 49,87

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 29 NM, estimated altitude 2,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Allied aircraft
CW-22 Falcon x 6

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
xAKL Hakka Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAKL Kiko Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x CW-22 Falcon bombing from 1000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 50 kg GP Bomb

Small Bombs + Small Ships = Big Damage!

Near Nanyang an IJA army attacked a much larger Chinese force. Perhaps this was owing to FOW in scouting, but whatever the cause it worked in the Allies' favor.

Ground combat at Tang-ho (86,46)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 55567 troops, 426 guns, 301 vehicles, Assault Value = 1819

Defending force 150203 troops, 652 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 3934

Japanese adjusted assault: 743

Allied adjusted defense: 2085

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

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

Japanese ground losses:
4218 casualties reported
Squads: 11 destroyed, 164 disabled
Non Combat: 34 destroyed, 295 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 26 disabled
Vehicles lost 73 (14 destroyed, 59 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
2769 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 236 disabled
Non Combat: 14 destroyed, 181 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled

Assaulting units:
116th Division
15th Tank Regiment
15th Division
13th Tank Regiment
12th Tank Regiment
8th Ind Engineer Regiment
110th Division
32nd Division

Defending units:
12th Chinese Corps
93rd Chinese Corps
92nd Chinese Corps
80th Chinese Corps
13th Chinese Corps
7th Chinese Corps
68th Chinese Corps
90th Chinese Corps
59th Chinese Corps
48th Chinese Corps
29th Chinese Corps
85th Chinese Corps
36th Chinese Corps
40th Chinese Corps
84th Chinese Corps
O-Y-W Pol. Sect.
3rd Group Army
1st War Area
14th Group Army
21st Group Army
2nd Group Army
31st Group Army
Jingcha War Area
24th Group Army
36th Group Army

The Imperial army is withdrawing. So, taking a risk, the Chinese will shock attack tomorrow in conjunction with all Chinese Air Force bombers attacking. Cross your fingers...

[Mac Linehan]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Nah. She couldn't fly any off and was sunk outright by the two additional torpedoes before reaching Koepang.

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1941-01-14

Kuantan and Sandakan fell today. IJN carriers are nowhere to be seen. Either that sighting yesterday was a false alarm, or search missed them in the scattered rain and overcast throughout the Banda Sea and surrounding areas.

The wounded ships are doing OK, although I suppose Enterprise took on more systems damage, signified by this gruesome report.

Damage Control parties trapped in flooded compartment aboard CL Enterprise ...

Kendari held against another attack, but I believe that only 1 or 2 of the 5 units now present participated as the others must have arrived this turn, and could not have received orders to attack.

Ground combat at Kendari (70,106)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 3278 troops, 28 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 188

Defending force 1282 troops, 14 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 37

Japanese adjusted assault: 39

Allied adjusted defense: 23

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0

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

Japanese ground losses:
136 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 15 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
214 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
Yokosuka 1st SNLF
1st Raiding Regiment
Sasebo 2nd SNLF
Sasebo 1st SNLF
Yokosuka 3rd SNLF

Defending units:
Kendari Garrison Battalion
2/2nd Ind Coy
Kendari Base Force

With no minuses for the attackers the entire force would not have been reduced to less than 25% AV. The next attack will take the base. Aircraft will leave and the Australian commando company will be flown out.

Imperial fighter sweeps over Moulmein were annoyingly effective, and enemy ships are seen SW of Lae. Bombing of Singkawang is pausing to rest the air crews. The Empire now has strike aircraft at Jahore Bahru, so bombing Singkawang will have less effect than before. B-17s will be relocated to Soerabaja and Koepang to commence bombing of Kendari once it falls.

witpqs -

Would you please explain the comment in bold; I think that I may have missed something.

Very good work - your PH area surface combat Fur Ball really inspired me to leave timidity behind and hit hard in my pbem.

Well done, Sir!

Mac

[witpqs]

Northern China Victory - Dragons Change Sides Anyway

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1942-03-09

Komodo and Magwe fell today. Donggala was invaded. The two base forces caught at Magwe were retreated with losses but they both survive, the trick now being to avoid getting hit again at Meiktila. Lautem held off the enemy again, giving worse than received. The attackers have such weight of numbers that such performance can't be repeated much longer.

While USN Finback had to struggle getting one torpedo to explode on xAKL Kosin Maru #2 and had to follow up with the deck gun, IJN I-10 easily torpedoed both ships in a fast Allied convoy. A 17 knot AKV and a 17 knot AP were both sunk on their way from Adelaide back to Cape Town. The free run is over, and all future convoys will be escorted. Those en route will be reinforced.

After yesterday's bombing runs I expected the heavens to open up and rain bombs on Palembang, but it didn't happen. Even Batavia made medium bomber strikes against shipping today, but they were repelled by Zero CAP from an unknown location.

The calculated risk taken in shock attacking near Nanyang after the Imperial troops' failed attack weakened them paid off.

Ground combat at Tang-ho (86,46)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 135160 troops, 652 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 3772

Defending force 50721 troops, 426 guns, 282 vehicles, Assault Value = 1525

Allied adjusted assault: 2093

Japanese adjusted defense: 431

Allied assault odds: 4 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
8796 casualties reported
Squads: 151 destroyed, 95 disabled
Non Combat: 428 destroyed, 106 disabled
Engineers: 18 destroyed, 26 disabled
Guns lost 44 (29 destroyed, 15 disabled)
Vehicles lost 151 (130 destroyed, 21 disabled)
Units retreated 7
Units destroyed 1

Allied ground losses:
4221 casualties reported
Squads: 19 destroyed, 212 disabled
Non Combat: 18 destroyed, 270 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 21 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
90th Chinese Corps
92nd Chinese Corps
85th Chinese Corps
12th Chinese Corps
29th Chinese Corps
36th Chinese Corps
59th Chinese Corps
40th Chinese Corps
68th Chinese Corps
48th Chinese Corps
84th Chinese Corps
80th Chinese Corps
93rd Chinese Corps
13th Chinese Corps
7th Chinese Corps
O-Y-W Pol. Sect.
24th Group Army
21st Group Army
1st War Area
14th Group Army
2nd Group Army
Jingcha War Area
31st Group Army
3rd Group Army
36th Group Army

Defending units:
116th Division
12th Tank Regiment
13th Tank Regiment
110th Division
15th Division
15th Tank Regiment
8th Ind Engineer Regiment
32nd Division

One IJA unit was even destroyed, but I don't know which one. Considering the situation and the odds attained, the Empire got off fairly cheaply. Losses of squads, etc. could have been much more severe.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Mac Linehan

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Nah. She couldn't fly any off and was sunk outright by the two additional torpedoes before reaching Koepang.

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1941-01-14

Kuantan and Sandakan fell today. IJN carriers are nowhere to be seen. Either that sighting yesterday was a false alarm, or search missed them in the scattered rain and overcast throughout the Banda Sea and surrounding areas.

The wounded ships are doing OK, although I suppose Enterprise took on more systems damage, signified by this gruesome report.

Damage Control parties trapped in flooded compartment aboard CL Enterprise ...

Kendari held against another attack, but I believe that only 1 or 2 of the 5 units now present participated as the others must have arrived this turn, and could not have received orders to attack.

Ground combat at Kendari (70,106)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 3278 troops, 28 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 188

Defending force 1282 troops, 14 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 37

Japanese adjusted assault: 39

Allied adjusted defense: 23

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0

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

Japanese ground losses:
136 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 15 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
214 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
Yokosuka 1st SNLF
1st Raiding Regiment
Sasebo 2nd SNLF
Sasebo 1st SNLF
Yokosuka 3rd SNLF

Defending units:
Kendari Garrison Battalion
2/2nd Ind Coy
Kendari Base Force

With no minuses for the attackers the entire force would not have been reduced to less than 25% AV. The next attack will take the base. Aircraft will leave and the Australian commando company will be flown out.

Imperial fighter sweeps over Moulmein were annoyingly effective, and enemy ships are seen SW of Lae. Bombing of Singkawang is pausing to rest the air crews. The Empire now has strike aircraft at Jahore Bahru, so bombing Singkawang will have less effect than before. B-17s will be relocated to Soerabaja and Koepang to commence bombing of Kendari once it falls.

witpqs -

Would you please explain the comment in bold; I think that I may have missed something.

Very good work - your PH area surface combat Fur Ball really inspired me to leave timidity behind and hit hard in my pbem.

Well done, Sir!

Mac

Wow - that was so long ago I really had to think about it! OK, looking at that Kendari attack, the combat modifiers were:

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

You see that the attackers had no modifiers at all, no pluses and no minuses.

Even so, the attackers saw their AV reduced from an unadjusted 188 to an adjusted 39. So they were cut down to less than 25% - but was that a real reduction? Sometimes you see attackers and/or defenders with their AV getting adjusted by large amounts. But in this case I believe something else happened, and I was in tune with it because I was watching the enemy units marching along turn after turn on their way to Kendari. I believe that there were only 1 or 2 enemy units in the Kendari hex when Treespider issued his attack orders during the orders phase. The other 3 (or 4) were still moving, still outside the Kendari hex.

Because movement happens before combat during turn resolution, those 3 (or 4) units finished their movement and made it into the Kendari hex, then combat was resolved. The way the game engine does things, it shows you the AV of all the units present when it shows the unadjusted AV. That "188" was the AV of all the units present, including the ones that just marched in that very turn. The adjusted AV of 39 was for the 1 or 2 units that Treespider had ordered to attack (because they were the only ones in the hex when he gave his orders). Of course the "39" was after being adjusted by all the random die rolls that the game uses.

Make sense? If not, I'll take another whack at it.

Glad your enjoying the show!

[witpqs]

CV Hornet Arrives

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1942-03-10

Donggala, Kuei-Chi, and Madjene fell today. Lautem held again.

The withdrawal under close pressure continues in Burma. Unfortunately the enemy will capture some supply dumps as goods simply move slower than the Empire's rate of advance owing to the daily supply limits in place. Tiny electronic trucks are streaming into China and the jungles of Northern Burma but there are simply too few of them.

It looks as though luck was with us at Magwe. The facilities look badly damaged.

[witpqs]

Timor Gone

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1942-03-11

Batjan, Lautem, and Praboemoelih fell today. Endeh and Luganville were invaded. Ch'i-hsien was liberated. Meiktila withstood a shock attack, but it must have been a small units attacking ahead of the main body. The number of Imperial troops in Meiktila would have routed the entirety of the Allied forces in Burma. There are still Allied forces on Timor, but they now lack bases.

[witpqs]

Burma Boogie

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1942-03-12

Endeh and Meiktila fell today. Hsing-Tai was liberated. The boys made it out of Meiktila today, much to my surprise. Let's see if they can stay ahead of the pursuit!

[witpqs]

Pacific in Peril

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1942-03-13

Salajar, Luganville, and Fuchow fell today. How far into the Pacific will the Empire conquer?

SS Trusty elected not to fire torpedoes at YO J-3998. Yard Oilers are worthy targets, so I'll have a talk with the captain. SS Truant did put a torpedo into xAK Wakatu Maru near Phuket and was rewarded with seeing a few guns fall out through the hole. There are multiple subs around Pearl Harbor, as it seems that EHQ really wants to nail one of our carriers on its return to base. Too late, they arrived back today, only getting home that late due to routing around sub contacts. I-169 was attacked twice today, others in the past couple of days. Vigilance will be maintained, as Hornet is en route from the Canal Zone.

Aside from the usual Imperial aerial bombardments, the Dutch engaged in several unsuccessful attacks on ships around Southern Java. BTW, Imperial bombers are still notably absent in Burma.

Java is being methodically rolled up.

[witpqs]

Probing Pearl

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1942-03-14

Wetar and Ch'i-hsien fell today. Palopo was invaded. Waingapoe likely would have been invaded had the Imperial transport convoy (a Fast Transport TF?) not run into PT boats making the grinding trip to Australia.

Two Glens went down to ops losses, which I take it to mean they encountered the strong CAP over Pearl Harbor. Lexington, Saratoga, and several destroyers just began upgrades there.

[Capt. Harlock]

Waingapoe likely would have been invaded had the Imperial transport convoy (a Fast Transport TF?) run into PT boats making the grinding trip to Australia.

Did you actually mean, "had not the Imperial convoy run into PT boats"? was there a skirmish?

[witpqs]

Yes - I meant "not".

I think that a single bullet was exchanged! [:D]

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A Run on Bases

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1942-03-15

Pamekasan, Hsing-Tai, Hua-fou, Cheribon, Tsao-hsien, Palopo fell today. Gorontalo was invaded. Terapo was liberated.

A very quite Day aside from bases that changed hands. Here is an overview.

[witpqs]

P-40B Beats Zero

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1942-03-16

Gorontalo, Tjilatjap, and Makin fell today. Huai Yan was liberated. No real indication of the KB's whereabouts.

The Empire sent an 18-Zero strong sweep against Darwin, probably from Koepang. The full P-40B squadron there had been rotated to all Air skill 70+ trained pilots. Losses were 6 x Zeros to 2 x P-40B, or 7 x Zeros if an ops loss was from that battle. Neither USA pilot was injured. With any luck several decent IJN pilots were smoked.

This gets back to the performance of Allied fighters in Burma, including the P-39D. I did everything I reasonably could to stack the deck and put the odds in the Allies favor. For now we have that luxury. Later, when we start an offensive without adequate numbers of newer, superior fighters, arranging things in our favor will be more difficult.

[witpqs]

Mandalay Falls

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1942-03-17

Mandalay fell today. One pilot was wounded at Darwin, but otherwise the ratio was about the same. In Burma only those two tardy base forces plus two Inf Bn warding them are still on the open plains. They are at Shwebo pounding up the road toward the northern jungles. Mercifully, the skies have been absent of Imperial bombers ever since that last, big, slaughter.

Meanwhile, Java is also being slowly squeezed from the south.

[witpqs]

Normanton Infested

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1942-03-18

Roti, Nankung, and Kwangsin fell today. Nothing firm on KB, but very heavy radio traffic from Kwajalein.

Finally got a bombing run to go in against the Imperial outpost at Normanton, and the ground placards indicate that the 4th Ind Mixed Rgt is in residence. The USA 754 Tank Bn and the 2nd Aus Cav Bde just arrived so they are likely over matched in terms of being able to push the invaders out of the x3 swamp terrain. They should be able to hold their own while on defense an aerial assault begins. The 48th Australian Bn is already on the way from Cloncurry. In a couple of days B-17s will begin bombing from Alice Springs and Charters Towers.

[aprezto]

Which hex side did you flip moving in? They may just move out via the other and look to flank you. I suppose doing that and leaving an enemy behind them would not be so clever, but doing so, with enough to hold, may force you to retreat, rather than battling you out in turn.
I suppose what I'm saying is because the swamp's defence bonus could work both ways that they may just try and outmanoeuver you, and you can't really stop them due to them holding all hex sides in Normanton. You have nothing else following up (in near range).
 
Hmmm, just musing further, were they to attempt to use a flank manoeuver they may feel they denude themselves of Normanton defense too much, and hence may look to reinforce first. Maybe look for flanking and then setup a trap to hit potential reinforcements?

[witpqs]

Our guys came up the road from the Townsville area, so that hex side flipped. As far as I can tell there is only the one unit, but with the dearth of aerial recon assets in Australia right now I do wonder if there is anything that went northeast. Cairns, Townsville, and Charters Towers have good garrisons, but Cooktown still has none. So, with only the one unit I'm not worried about getting trapped, but I am wary. The Bn coming down from Cloncurry will flip another hex side.

I have wondered if this is a diversion to pull enough forces to evict them far away from the coast; a toe hold for later use against the east coast; a port of entry for armor or other forces to act against the flank of a Northwestern Australia defense; or what? Although I have yet to get a strength reading, the independent mixed Bdes/Rgts tend to be really strong. So, I figure they mean to stay, whatever their larger purpose might be. I'll let them train my B-17 force.

[witpqs]

Will They Make It?

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1942-03-19

Kalidjati fell today as the noose tightens hard on northern Java.

USN sub Pickerel was attacked by escorts from what appears to be a surface combat force in the Indian Ocean SW of Bali. Are they going somewhere or just on patrol?

In Burma the forces withdrawing from Shwebo are running as fast as they can...

[Andav]

I looked at that screen shot of Normanton and started to twitch slightly. A painful memory I should document in my AAR since the commander of those units nicely hemmed in my tourist. Purging is good for the soul right? I really need to catch up on my AAR. I was suppose to have time for that!

Wa