Howlin' At The Moon - DBB Vettim(A) vs Greasylake (J)

[vettim89]

19 April 1942

So the TF near Ceylon is indeed a CVTF. The IJN sank 3 AMc, a couple HDML, and a ML - big whoop. Minimal damage done to the Port. I moved two more Hurricane Sq into Colombo; so if they come back next turn, they will find a warmer welcome. The raid composition is odd. Nearly a 2:1 ration of Kates to Vals. Hmm, did Larry resize his air groups leaning on TB? If so they will be one hit wonders if they ever meet the US carriers. Or is this a TF made up of several CVL/CVE. Cursor intel is useless as it still says BBx5. Replay didn't help much.

I sent Saratoga back to SF. Hornet is good to go but her escorts will need three more turns before ready. Also waiting on CLAA Atlanta to arrive from the Canal Zone. I figure the two TFs will pass each other when Hornet is deployed. That leaves only Yorktown in the SoPac. I may send her home next turn as well considering one CV is not worth much if faced with anything but a surface raid by the IJN.

Being as Larry is tarrying in Burma, I have set some units in motion to occupy Ramree Island. I used this base as a real stick in Larry's side during out WitP game. Figure this would be a good thing to repeat.

[vettim89]

20 April 1942

Okies. Now we have the rest of the IJN carriers off NE Australia (There everywhere). Again an odd strike package. I think Larry must have offloaded some Vals and loaded up more Kates on at least some of his CVs. There's no other explanation. Very little damage by this raid also

The BoB carrier force disappears from sight. SS Trusty did sink a PB off Moulmein. My limited strike a/c are moved south. Problem is the airfields in Burma have like a 70% chance of being socked in at any one time. Have to see what the next turn brings

Wenchow fell this turn. Now I will have to wait to see if the IJA pursues of loads back up for points elsewhere. Benkoelen also falls and the retreating Allied troops run south towards Oosthaven. Hmm, thought they would run north towards Padang.

Still no sight of a Java invasion force. I dropped a small hint to Larry with this turn's return e-mail. Is he ever coming for Java? The world wonders

[vettim89]

21 April 1942

Very little action. All IJN CVTF are unspotted this turn. The only action of note is that an IJA stack of an Inf Div, an Inf BGD, and a Tank RGT destroyed the weak unit I had blocking two hexes east of Sian. The road is now reopened for the IJA to push forward or retreat.

[vettim89]

22 April 1942

To the east:

S-37 misses Shoho. Later in the turn she fires dud torpedoes at a DD.

KB East bombs Rockhampton and sinks an AG that had been there since the War's start.

WIll they drift south to Brisbane? I have an entire USAAF PG stationed there. They are P-39D equipped; so, a slaughter will likley ensue but some loss form the IJN air crews is inevitable. Here's hoping

[vettim89]

To the West

Large air battle over Moulmein. The first strike was by Fulmars with when in unescorted. Zero cap shot down a third of the raid, but.......

Allied aircraft losses
Fulmar II: 3 destroyed

Japanese Ships
APD Kuri
xAK Hakonesan Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
xAK Yosida Maru #1
xAP Hikawa Maru, Bomb hits 1
xAK Tomitu Maru

Japanese ground losses:
38 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Some one commented in the main Forum about Fulmars being useless. Not if you train them up in LowNav attack and send them in at 100 ft. All the bomb hits were 250 lb variety.

Then the Torpedo Bombers went in well escorted.

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 10
Swordfish I x 7
Vildebeest III x 6
P-40E Warhawk x 32


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Swordfish I: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAK Yasukawa Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
APD Tade, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Somedono Maru
xAK Gosei Maru, Torpedo hits 2, heavy damage

Japanese ground losses:
Guns lost 9 (1 destroyed, 8 disabled)

I figure there is a good chance that two or three xAK will sink soon. Disappointed that I did not see more ground losses.

[vettim89]

23 April 1942

The IJN Carriers beat a hasty retreat and are now in the hex just west of Woodlark Is. SS Gar just south of Nagoya shoots dud TT at two separate DDs. Just seven more months before the initial improvement in that department.

The IJA has significantly reinforced Burma. The attached images shows the unit counts. With this much AS commited I have decided to wait until the IJA is across the river then beat a hasty retreat. I thought about holding Rangoon but now am thinking the units have done there job by holding until nearly May. Then again Monsson starts son and perhaps that alone will bog the IJA. Have some turns to mull this over.

[vettim89]

24 April 1942

Well, any hesitancy about evacuating Burma ended this turn. The IJAF ripped the fighters apart over Pegu with me losing 24 a/c to 14 to the Japanese. I was about to put a few more bombs and TT into shipping off Moulmein. That said, I am not in the position to grind my small air force to bits at this forward of a position. I will leave some blockign forces in place but otherwise I will pull out once the IJA crosses the river NE of Pegu.

A S-boat sub did put a TT into a TK north of the Makassar Strait this turn. Small victories

[vettim89]

25-27 April 1942

The war falls into a lull. The IJN tries yet another Midget Sub run into Sydney. No hits acoomplished this time. Larry has been quite aggressive with these little bastards. I have seen three attaempts at Sydney plus one successful attempt at LA.

My ASW forces do a better job over these three turns and rough up three subs: one off Hiva Oa, one off Auckland, and one off Cochin. The last one had shot and missed CA Cornwall. SHe suffered one penetrating hit pending FOW. She is a long way away from home

Larry has landed two additional Inf RGT at Cagayan and now has a 500 to 300 base AV advantage. For now, he has pulled all his units back from Sian.

I discover there were two RAF sq at Rangoon not set to Escort mode. They had been set to "training" after transfering in from Calcuta. Just a further example to point out the vastness of the AE map that can lead to llittle errors like this. Once again, Larry pulled back with his air assualt in Burma giving me a much needed breather.

[vettim89]

28 April 1942

Attacks at Padang and Cagayan that both come off 1 to 1 and inflict greater casualties on the Allied defenders than the Japanese. The stack crosses the river NE of Pegu and obliterates Glocester BTN. Did not expect that.

ANother RNN sub torpedoes a TK off Tarakan. About the only good news I had today.

AMPH TF arrives at Ramree Island and starts unload of a RAF BF

[vettim89]

29 April 1942

Cagayan falls and all six units are eliminated. Supplies were about out so this was inevitable. A RNN sub sinks a DMW in the Makassar Strait.

Larry hit Rangoon hard with the pictured raid. Runway damage is 34 and service is 42. About time to run away here. While part of me hates to give up on this vital area, the more logical part of me knows that supplies will not flow in via sea at this point. No sense holding for the sake of saying I had done it. Best to retain some strength here for a counter offensive.

[vettim89]

30 April 1942

Air battle evens out today with larry losing ten Sally and 3 Oscar offset by the loss of just one Hurricane. Still the damage is rising at Rangoon and if I don't get a respite soon, it may become untenable for a/c. If that happens, I will have no choice but to run for it.

CV Enterprise has sortied for the SoPac. Lexington is only about a week away. Saratoga is fast approaching the Bay area.

[vettim89]

1-2 May 1942

I get the breather I wanted at Rangoon. Runway 43, Service 34. Its still a razor's edge here but if I get a couple more days of respite, it may be ok. IJA has landed at Surigao and suffers horrible disablements - the invasion bonus is indeed long gone. The 6th marine RGT (with Brett Castlebury) has sailed for Hilo to unite the 2nd Marine Division. The 27th ID and 164th Inf RGT plues four BF and a Air HQ are loading at San Diego for eventually Noumea.

CV Enterprise in on her way back to the SoPac as is CV Hornet. CV Saratoga arrived SF on the 2nd and will go to Alameda for upgrade. CV Lexington will be ready in nine days. CV Yorktown is three days out of San Diego for her refit. So in rough three weeks I will have all five carriers upgraded and ready for action. Oh, and TBFs are now being produced; so one of the two CV's just arriving at WCUSA will likely take new TB back with her (perhaps both)

With all this action, I hope to be in a place by 1 June to start minor offensive actions

[vettim89]

3 May 1942

Larry opts for sweeps over Rangoon today and achieves a 2:1 loss ratio in his favor. There are now five IJA units at Pegu, so I pulled the a/c out. Weakening Rangoon a bit also as far as AS strength. There are at least 22 IJA units approaching from the East. No sense in letting units die in place for no real gain. I sent a BF to Prome which should help me get the damaged FS out of Rangoon when the time comes.

There were five dud TT attacks today by USN Fleet subs. The last one was the hardest. Still nice to know where Sho is at the moment. I suspect this is a precursor to a Java invasion.

[vettim89]

4 May 1942

Again, another turn with lots of dud TT. My one working torpedo was fired by my old friend Trusty. One fewere I-Boat to worry about.

IJA does a BOMB Attack at Pegu and has a base AS advatage of 1100 to 330. Heres hoping that supplies will need a few days to trickle in. I just need Pegu to hold for two days while I evacuate Rangoon. As bad as that AS advantage is, there are no fewer than 15 additional units inbound to Pegu. Larry brought the house in Burma it appears. Come on Monsoon, don't fail me now.

[witpqs]

Remember that even if they block the rail line east of Rangoon, units can rail to Prome. From there British units can strat-road move up to the next rail station, while the commonwealth units will have to change to move mode and go on foot.

[vettim89]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Remember that even if they block the rail line east of Rangoon, units can rail to Prome. From there British units can strat-road move up to the next rail station, while the commonwealth units will have to change to move mode and go on foot.

That is exactly what I am doing. I am railing three BF and the two BGDs that recombine into a full ID to Prome. From there they will move by road to Magwe where they will hopefull be air lifted out to the Bengal Region. All that is dependent on how fast the IJA pushes past Pegu and Rangoon proper. I am not sure. I am really surprised how many units Larry brought here considering all of the DEI west of Sumatra and south of Kendari is still mine.

If he tarries much longer, I may reinforce Timor. Problem with that is that there are Netties at Kendari.

[vettim89]

5 May 1942

The first attack at Pegu comes off 1 to 1. I suffer 600 casualties to Larry's 400. A dispropotionate number of my losses were destroyed squads. The BF has arrived at Prome. I now have a way to get any damage Aa/c at Rangoon out.

More dud TT attacks this turn. At least I can say my subs are in the right locales.

I forget to mention, Larry invaded/occupied Lae about a week ago. The rest of the PNG bases have been occupied since then.

[vettim89]

6 May 1942

A slow turn. Only action of note is another Deliberate attack at Pegu which again came off 1 to 1. Unfortunately I suffered 2300 casualties to Larrys 200. The base should fall next turn. One BGD is free of Rangoon. A second will depart next turn. Once those two units are safe up north (if that happens), I will begin the mad rush with everybody else. Also Larry broke one unit off and moved it to Toungoo. I have a small BTN of troops there. If they get routed. All of Burma will collapse.

CV Yorktown began her upgrade this turn. She is my last carrier to enter her April upgrade

[vettim89]

7 May 1942

Pegu falls and the Burma Div is creamed. I have two BGDs and two BF at Prome. The RAF is pulled out. I left two sq of AVG in place as their withdraw date is approaching. Prolly pull them as soon as the IJA arrives. Toungoo held against an ARM RGT (barely) Two more units are approaching. I fear this is about to turn into a rout. I have four sq of transports moved up to Chittagong. As soon as the units start arriving at Magwe, they will begin the evacuation

This operation is the best organized Larry has pulled off thus far. He not only brought enough but brought enough to overwhelm the defense. Cudos to my opponent on this one.

Last little bit of troops just don't want to unload at Ramree Island. I have a BF only there right now and want to get some infantry in there ASAP. ENG unloading at Exmouth. This base will begin the process og being fully developed as soon as every one is ashore.

[vettim89]

8 May 1942

A bad day. Toungoo fell to a two ARM RGT Assault. Larry put another armor unit between Rangoon and Prome so no more STRAT move out of Rangoon. I ordered all a/c out of Burma. The roofs caving in and I don't want anybody getting caught under it when it finally collapses.

I had sortied the last two RNN CLs to Balikpapan two turns ago. The only ran afoul of a few MTB and only hit one. The Netties found them this turn adn they are both sunk.

Like I said, a bad day