I strongly urge that you put a Marine fighter group (18 planes) on Hornet and your other American CVs, if you haven't done so yet. Having 45 fighters helps your survivability per CV. You have a small window if opportunity presents itself in May/June to take on KB with all 6 American CVs if set up this way and throw in a few British CVs. Some Japanese players don't add on extra planes before the July 1st re-sizing.
I usually push the Marine squadrons out to the islands I want to hold, the thinking is I never want to put my CVs anywhere near the same patch of ocean KB is so the odds of a fight would be next to none which would make the VMFs on board the CVs kinda pointless.
That said, in my other PBEM all of my CV losses and kills to date have been through meeting engagements, the battles were almost always unintended, those extra fighters could have made the difference between trading decks and going home with all CVs intact. Unfortunately I can't operate any Brit capital ships in the Pacific till '43 so kinda hobbled there.
I already have 2 VMFs aboard the CVs and will see about placing others on the other 3 decks. The bottleneck is the replacement rates of the fighters. For now at least 2 of those VMFs slated to operate on the CVs will have to make do with Buffaloes, but with the -4 variant of the Wildcat coming online as of March '42 it will help to flesh out the Marine VMFs with Wildcats as the Navy squadrons transition to the -4 leaving the -3 to the VMFs. Thanks for the tips and keep 'em coming, thanks to tunnel vision I usually have a set way of doing things and don't consider alternatives like this.
DEI
Morning finds the 2 IJN CVs still intact after surviving sub attacks on the night pulse, the TF is now due west (true) of Batavia and still on a northwesterly course. Bad weather over the target saw most of the Dutch AF grounded but the few B-10s that did fly were massacred by CAP. Lost a total of 9 B-10s, will stand down the Dutch AF for now.
I've been flying my B-10s low because I want to increase their chances of hitting something should anything survive long enough to see a target, am noticing the Zeroes have all been set to 10k patrol altitude, wonder if he'll vary his patrol altitudes in a CV vs CV engagement. Also, as expected land-based fighter cover augmented the CV airgroups.
So, positive ID of Kaga and Akagi through their CAP and obviously the sub attacks. Assuming the other 4 in the Pacific are the fleet CVs, that leaves the CVLs/CVEs of the IJN unaccounted for.
Morning Air attack on TF, near Buitenzorg at 46,99
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid detected at 32 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 29
Allied aircraft
139WH-3 x 5
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
139WH-3: 3 destroyed
CAP engaged:
Tainan Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (5 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
5 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
Yamada Det S-1 with A6M2 Zero (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
3rd Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (4 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
Akagi-1 with A6M2 Zero (3 airborne, 6 on standby, 0 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 10000 and 12000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 5 minutes
Kaga-1 with A6M2 Zero (3 airborne, 6 on standby, 0 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 4 minutes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Buitenzorg at 46,99
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 34 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 37
Allied aircraft
139WH-3 x 4
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
139WH-3: 2 destroyed
CAP engaged:
Tainan Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (5 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
5 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
Yamada Det S-1 with A6M2 Zero (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
3rd Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (4 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
Akagi-1 with A6M2 Zero (3 airborne, 6 on standby, 8 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 7000 and 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 31 minutes
Kaga-1 with A6M2 Zero (3 airborne, 6 on standby, 0 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 4000 and 32810.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 14 minutes
SWPAC
We usually trade a line or two of banter if something significant happens in the turn, this one came with the turn. "Have you completely emptied the Pacific Ocean of ships?" I'm putting it here for posterity so that when this game wraps he can see the screenshots of what lay just beyond.
KB1 made a slight course correction during the night, it's now 6 hexes west of Penrhyn and headed northeast. Cats out of Canton, Pago Pago and Christmas are all over it and it's intended path. One of my convoys is 8 hexes away from KB, wonder why it didn't get picked up, that convoy will head due east and pray it's still undetected the next turn.
Sub War
For the record, both sets of torpedoes struck their targets just fine, just that they failed to detonate, c'est la vie. Confirmation of Seadragon's kill of Rakuyo Maru
I strongly urge that you put a Marine fighter group (18 planes) on Hornet and your other American CVs, if you haven't done so yet. Having 45 fighters helps your survivability per CV. You have a small window if opportunity presents itself in May/June to take on KB with all 6 American CVs if set up this way and throw in a few British CVs. Some Japanese players don't add on extra planes before the July 1st re-sizing.
I usually push the Marine squadrons out to the islands I want to hold, the thinking is I never want to put my CVs anywhere near the same patch of ocean KB is so the odds of a fight would be next to none which would make the VMFs on board the CVs kinda pointless.
That said, in my other PBEM all of my CV losses and kills to date have been through meeting engagements, the battles were almost always unintended, those extra fighters could have made the difference between trading decks and going home with all CVs intact. Unfortunately I can't operate any Brit capital ships in the Pacific till '43 so kinda hobbled there.
I already have 2 VMFs aboard the CVs and will see about placing others on the other 3 decks. The bottleneck is the replacement rates of the fighters. For now at least 2 of those VMFs slated to operate on the CVs will have to make do with Buffaloes, but with the -4 variant of the Wildcat coming online as of March '42 it will help to flesh out the Marine VMFs with Wildcats as the Navy squadrons transition to the -4 leaving the -3 to the VMFs. Thanks for the tips and keep 'em coming, thanks to tunnel vision I usually have a set way of doing things and don't consider alternatives like this.
Since the game as an Allied player revolves around your carrier strength, keeping them afloat and operational should be a very high priority. I do like you stated and have the Marines keep the F4F-3s while the organic Navy get the newer F4F-4s. Part of me feels more confident having 45 fighters per CV vs just 27. It puts you at almost 2:1 odds in fighter strength until after the July 1st re-sizing. I like the math of 45 x 6 = 270 fighters over 27 x 6 = 162 fighters. [:)]
SIGINT
39th Division is planning for an attack on Changsha.
China
2 very depleted corps just south of Sian are attacked and pushed back into Sian. Going to try and slip them around the IJA front line and attempt to cut the supply lines.
Ground combat at 84,42 (near Sian)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 12381 troops, 98 guns, 36 vehicles, Assault Value = 389
Defending force 1689 troops, 2 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 27
Japanese adjusted assault: 355
Allied adjusted defense: 28
Japanese assault odds: 12 to 1
Defending units:
15th Chinese Corps
5th New Chinese Corps
24th Group Army
The CAF goes into action over Patung, bombing what appears to be a single division there, I can't stop him from building an airfield as my bombers can't airfield attack a dot base so the best I can do for the moment is to bomb the division until my LCUs can leg it up there and pray he doesn't reinforce fast enough in the meantime. Once the airfield opens I'll switch over to bombing it to keep it from getting bigger and to make him burn supplies trying to repair it.
Morning Air attack on 13th Division, at 81,46 (Patung)
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Aircraft Attacking:
5 x SB-III bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb
4 x SB-III bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb
6 x SB-III bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb
6 x SB-III bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb
9 x A-29A Hudson bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 lb GP Bomb
7 x SB-III bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb
7 x SB-III bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb
8 x SB-III bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb
5 x SB-III bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb
4 x SB-III bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb
4 x SB-III bombing from 5000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 100 kg GP Bomb
DEI
KB2 has disappeared, I assume it's still headed northwest, I've got Cats out of Colombo covering the most likely approach route and a Blenheim squadron out of Akyab covering the Indian coast, Colombo has been emptied and everything is headed north for Karachi and if it comes to that, off map to Abadan. If he continues coming north I'll risk assets to get into a surface engagement with it.
Batavia is assaulted and captured.
Ground combat at Batavia (49,98)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 14617 troops, 122 guns, 67 vehicles, Assault Value = 481
Defending force 4065 troops, 16 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 44
Japanese adjusted assault: 414
Allied adjusted defense: 55
Japanese assault odds: 7 to 1 (fort level 1)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Batavia !!!
Defending units:
Roodenburg Battalion
KNI Zeemacht
Batavia KM Base Force
SWPAC
KB1 catches the nearest convoy to it and sinks an xAK, the other xAK is a lame duck and is headed due north to try and put some distance between it and KB1, they were both carrying slivers of an AA unit and something else I can't remember. There is another 2 ship convoy that will be within range of KB1's anticipated position on the next turn and I'm writing those 2 off too. The one I'm concerned about is the tanker fleet shown in the screenshot, as far as I can see it hasn't been detected so I'm taking a risk and moving it northwest in the hopes that it will still be out of range and/or undetected of KB1 on the next turn. I was tempted to detach the screen to try and make a night attack on KB1 to slow it down or something but decided not to as I'll probably lose them for no gain. I do however have a fresh CA force coming down from Pearl, I have sufficient Cat coverage to shadow KB1 quite comfortably and if there's a chance I'm sending in the CAs.
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Malden Island at 174,151
Weather in hex: Heavy rain
Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 17
D3A1 Val x 8
Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 3 damaged
Allied Ships
xAP Limerick, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
xAP Montoro, Bomb hits 2, on fire
Allied ground losses:
Vehicles lost 4 (3 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAP Limerick
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAP Montoro
One of the supply convoys on the Perth-Darwin run is caught by Betties this turn and bombed, losing 1 of 2 xAKs, the other one should be able to make port.
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Truscott at 72,124
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 13
No Japanese losses
Allied Ships
PC Kybra
xAK Anshun, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Lowana
PC Yandra
Aircraft Attacking:
13 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 10000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Truscott at 72,124
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Japanese aircraft
G3M2 Nell x 13
No Japanese losses
Allied Ships
xAK Talune
xAK Lowana, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Anshun, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
PC Yandra
Aircraft Attacking:
13 x G3M2 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
Sub War
My only 2 Brit subs are camping the Straits of Malacca and a convoy of AKs tripped over both of them as it came south. If he's resupplying Burma via sea then it might be worth sending a Brit sub or two to camp the hex off Rangoon.
CENPAC
KB1 is now southeast of Christmas Island on a northwesterly course, a damaged freighter sinks during the night pulse and come daybreak KB's pilots catch another lone freighter and put her down as well. That brings KB1's tally to a grand total of 3 xAKs thus far. I have a 6 cruiser TF from PH bearing down on it from the north and am mulling over whether I should gamble a goodly portion of my CV TF heavy screen in exchange for what I reckon to be a less than 50:50 successful shot at sinking a couple of IJN CVs.
Sub War Snapper uses up the quota of working Allied torps for the month when she sinks an APD and a DD in quick succession off Kendari. I took a look at her experience levels and thought this might make for interesting reading. She started the war at 53/55 which quickly got up to 55/55 in the course of just cruising around. On her first attack on 18 Dec, she attacks a convoy for no hits and goes up to 55/56, she holds at this xp level till 20 Feb when she shoots her entire loadout at a freighter but either duds or misses and then surfaces to get some gunnery practice in, this brings her xp levels up to 61/56 which she holds till this turn, her successful attack and sinking of 2 targets brings her xp up to 62/56. Is it me or is the point spread a little off?
Do you know which CVs are in that TF?
Akagi and Kaga started out as battlecruisers and retained their armour - you will not get any shells penetrating their hull with 8" shells. Heck, they even keep out 14" shells somewhere beyond 10,000 yards.
Shokaku and Zuikaku are armoured on the scale of a heavy cruiser. At 10,000 yard and more your shells will not penetrate the belt armour, but at very long range an 8" shell landing on deck might penetrate below and cause some damage.
Hiryu and Soryu have a little armour - I'm guessing about equal to a light cruiser - so most of your cruiser shells will penetrate the belt but the 5" likely will not.
The need to get belt armour penetration is very important - without it you get some superstructure hits and fires, maybe a tower armour penetration that affects fire control or electrical [all sys damage] and a few deck hits which are easily repaired. With belt penetration you get much more serious damage including bigger fire levels, possible engine damage, fuel or ammo storage explosions and always some flooding. Ships dealing with both fires hand flooding will often have their damage control overwhelmed, while just heavy fires can usually be brought under control.
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
China
There is a stack of IJA LCUs just outside Lanchow, I don't think I have the combat power to stop him if he makes a determined attempt for Chungking or if he's looking to isolate Sian before taking it.
CENPAC
That TK/AO fleet that I thought I had gotten away didn't.
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Fanning Island at 174,134
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 33
B5N2 Kate x 35
D3A1 Val x 19
Allied Ships
DMS Lamberton
AO Kanawha, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DMS Hopkins
AO Brazos, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
AO Tippecanoe, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
AO Cuyama, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
TK Gulfland, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Rathburne, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
AO Patoka, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
AO Neches
Aircraft Attacking:
7 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
18 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
1 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
17 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
11 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AO Patoka
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AO Kanawha
Sub War
It's the IJN's turn to shine this turn as an I boats sink an xAP and heavily damage an AMC just outside Sydney. I don't know if the AMC can make port, if she does she'll be in the shop for months
Do you know which CVs are in that TF?
Akagi and Kaga started out as battlecruisers and retained their armour - you will not get any shells penetrating their hull with 8" shells. Heck, they even keep out 14" shells somewhere beyond 10,000 yards.
Shokaku and Zuikaku are armoured on the scale of a heavy cruiser. At 10,000 yard and more your shells will not penetrate the belt armour, but at very long range an 8" shell landing on deck might penetrate below and cause some damage.
Hiryu and Soryu have a little armour - I'm guessing about equal to a light cruiser - so most of your cruiser shells will penetrate the belt but the 5" likely will not.
The need to get belt armour penetration is very important - without it you get some superstructure hits and fires, maybe a tower armour penetration that affects fire control or electrical [all sys damage] and a few deck hits which are easily repaired. With belt penetration you get much more serious damage including bigger fire levels, possible engine damage, fuel or ammo storage explosions and always some flooding. Ships dealing with both fires hand flooding will often have their damage control overwhelmed, while just heavy fires can usually be brought under control.
Akagi and Kaga were last spotted in the DEI. It's probably the other 4 I'm facing but for the time being I've decided to just stay a little ahead of KB1 to see if comes further north.
Re: the tankers and AOs - OUCH!
However, that last strike appears about the right size for only 2 carriers. That would make a strike by your cruisers much more likely to succeed, including the getaway part, IMO. However, you have tried to strike a carrier force before and you know how slippery they can be!
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
CENPAC Rathburne, a DD escorting the ill-fated AO convoy that KB1 smashed is herself sunk this turn by KB1 flyers. KB1 has slipped through my Cats as of 17 March. This is a little annoying because I had overlapping search arcs over the entire area, it's of concern because I have shipping fleeing towards PH to the north, shipping trying to make it's way to SOPAC in the south and I just managed to push everything that evacuated Sydney back into it, to say nothing of the fact that the Yorktowns are heading towards Luganville to watch for any attempts to strike further south of Rabaul on the cheap. I need to know where KB1 is.
KB2, Akagi and Kaga are suspected to be heading towards Colombo on a deep strike of some sort. at least that's what their last known direction seems to indicate. The Brit CVs and other combatant vessels are making for Karachi or Cape Town. What little merchant traffic is moving offmap back to Abadan or Aden. The use of the IJN CVs in such a manner is a little confounding, there's got to be something that KB can do that's more important than commerce raiding innit?
Sub War
Kendari remains a nexus for CTG when it comes to ship traffic, the subs parked just outside the port get a lot of contacts but only K XVII manages to connect with her torpedoes, sinking CM Itsukushima
Shanghai remains a busy port as well, 2 Dutch subs have been dispatched to partner the pair of USN subs I have keeping station outside the port. Would that be a violation of the HR regarding use of Dutch subs?
Allied Sub killboard
Seadragon - xAP Rakuyo Maru (7,470t), xAKL Kanjo Maru (1,650t), xAKL Tamaki Maru (1,650t)
K XIV - AK Sakura Maru (6,840t)
O 20 - xAP Taizan Maru (3,380t), PB Hirota Maru (2,780t)
O 23 - xAP Manzyu Maru (5,830t)
S-38 - xAK Gyoun Maru (1,900t), xAK Kikuryu Maru (1,900t)
K XV - xAK Nojima Maru (3,425t)
Sargo - xAK Gosei Maru (3,425t)
Swordfish - xAKL Yamatsuru Maru (1,650t), xAKL Muko Maru (1,650t)
Snapper - DD Hatsuyuki (2,090t), APD Hagi (935t)
O 21 - DD Urakaze (2,553t)
K XVII - CM Itsukushima (2,400t)
Perch - DD Sazanami (2,090t)
S-34 - xAKL Kanaiyama Maru (1,650t)
Tarpon - TB Manazuru (775t)
Probable
xAK Kogyo Maru (torp hits 2, hvy fires/dmg, 07/12/41-Kota Bahru 53,74) - K XI
xAK Tamon Maru (torp hit 1, on fire, 12/12/41-Laoag 80,72) - S-38
xAK Kano Maru (torp hit 1, hvy fires/dmg, 06/02/42-Oosthaven 49,96) - S-38
xAK Kinugasa Maru (torp hit 1, hvy fires/dmg, 11/02/42-Oosthaven 49,96) - K XI
xAK Azuma Maru (torp hit 1, hvy fires, 11/02/42-Pontianak 54,90) - K X
Re: the tankers and AOs - OUCH!
However, that last strike appears about the right size for only 2 carriers. That would make a strike by your cruisers much more likely to succeed, including the getaway part, IMO. However, you have tried to strike a carrier force before and you know how slippery they can be!
I gave up on trying to hit at the CVs, probably a good thing since I seem to have lost them this turn.
I gave up on trying to hit at the CVs, probably a good thing since I seem to have lost them this turn.
I concur - if this were early 1943 with new cruisers arriving every month, I would risk those six for a crack at part of KB. In 1942 though, you need them for other work.
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
18 Mar 1942
Another quiet turn, this month is shaping up to be a non-event, hope it stays that way, amphib bonus ends at the end of this month doesn't it? Going to do a mini wrap up of the theaters.
China
SIGINT has reported units prepping for Sian and Changsha and I have the enemy at the gates of Lanchow and a dot base behind my MLR at Putang. The MLR along the rail line I'm not too worried about, it's the Lanchow/Sian axis that worries me, Sian itself is below the minimum supply needed and while Lanchow is in a better state supply wise it can barely scrape together 700 AV. The internal LOC worries me as well as CTG has shown he's not adverse to sidestepping the front lines and sneaking in a unit behind me if the opportunity presents itself, I've taken off an army group from Sian and am moving it together with various understrength corps to shore up the defences in the Chungking/Kienko area. I do hope to hold Lanchow/Sian for as long as I can but will ultimately lose it if CTG brings enough AV to bear, I do intend to do a fighting retreat all the way back to Kienko if it comes to that, stacking limits will make this a real b**** to juggle.
Burma
CTG seems content to hold in Burma just north of Magwe, he's moving on Mandalay at the moment but there doesn't seem to be any urgency on his part to take the whole of Burma and I think it's because he's got the oil and cut off the supply to China from supplies via sea from Rangoon and any further gains from this side of China are marginal at best? With the prepping for Changsha and Sian, it leads me to believe that he's going to make a real attempt to knock China out of the war by eventually moving up to Lashio and the Burma-Chinese border and using what units he has in country to act as the anvil to the hammer that will roll up China from the other side.
DEI
Nothing really much to report, Java is being reduced ever so slowly while shipping activity seems to have dropped off, will take advantage of holding Soerabaja for as long as I can by having active sub patrols in the area, once Soerabaja falls, will send the shorter legged subs off to cover the approaches to Darwin while putting the longer ranged subs to cover Palembang, Singapore, Shanghai and maybe a couple of chokepoints near Formosa.
CENPAC
Reacquired KB1, it's northeast of Baker, steaming due west and looks to be heading for the Marshalls and perhaps Rabaul after. Life is returning to normal for the supply/reinforcement convoys but the Cat squadrons are working overtime shadowing KB1 to ensure no more nasty surprises till it's out of search range. A couple more squadrons of Cats are waiting at PH to fill out to full strength, will feel a little better once I get more eyeballs forward.
SWPAC and SOPAC
As mentioned before, this little jaunt of KB has seriously pushed back my reinforcement/resupply schedule for SOPAC and SWPAC, I was toying with the idea of strengthening Tulagi and Guadalcanal but have abandoned it as I haven't built up the infrastructure to support any significant Allied presence north of Ndeni. The Shortlands has been occupied and the entire Solomons should be covered by at least naval search so there's no way I can sneak up without a response with Truk and KB close by.
SIGINT
6th Division is planning for an attack on Changsha.
Thus far according to SIGINT,
Changsha has 2 FA regiments, 1 mortar bn, 1 mountain gun bn, an engineer regiment, the 51st Inf Bde and the 39th and 6th Divisions assigned to attack it.
Sian has the 41st Division and the 4th and 9th Independent Mixed Bdes assigned.
Lanchow has the 11th, 12th and 13th Independent Infantry Regiments assigned
China
Aircraft sighted over Changsha, Nanning and the hexes around Lanchow.
The first Allied ace of the war is minted as the AVG goes into action over Patung tangling with Oscars flying LRCAP from goodness knows where. Over the course of 2 days the AVG trades 5 Warhawks for 17 Oscars, 11-0 in favour of the Flying Tigers on the second day alone. I've had few good days at the office so far, this was definitely one of them.
And over at Pucheng, a dot base, 2 Chinese corps are pushed out by 2 divisions(+). Am trying to get them back to my lines but they're out on a limb and getting run down by the pursuers.
DEI
Aircraft sighted over Bandoeng.
Bandoeng is bombed in earnest for the first time this go around, Zeroes sweep before unescorted bombers come in, I lose 6 B-10s and one of my precious Dutch P-40s on the gorund as I had no CAP up. I've shifted the bombers to Tjilatap as he doesn't seem to have noticed I've got some LCUs and aircraft there. CAP from Bandoeng and LRCAP from Tjliatap will be up the next turn if he comes around again.
SWPAC
Aircraft sighted over Derby and Darwin.
The remmants of the defenders of Port Moresby are ejected from the Kokoda Trail and retreat eastwards to another dot base whose name I cannot recall at the moment.
KB1 should move into the Gilberts and out of range of the Cats by the next turn. Base Groups and construction bns have begun loading at SF, they'll move to Baker and Funafuti to act as tripwires/seaplane bases to watch over the Gilberts and provide early warning of IJN movements
Intel
51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion is planning for an attack on Changsha.
Aircraft sighted over Broome, Darwin, Mandalay, Changsha, Nanning and Lanchow.
DEI
All the action is in the air today, in the skies over Bandoeng, the Dutch AF rises to meet sweeping Zeroes and comes away with Tracker reporting 6 A2A kills for 13 B-339s, 3 P-40s and 2 Hurricanes in addition to 4 B-339s written off, given the circumstances I guess a ratio of 1:3.5 ratio isn't too shabby.
In other news
Since it's abnother quiet turn I'll do some random updates. The Lexingtons are in port undergoing their March upgrades, Hornet is about 3 days out from PH and her sisters are about to make their way home from Suva to prep for their April upgrades, it will be the first time since the war started that Enterprise and Yorktown will have docked in home waters. The March/April upgrades are substantial for the CVs, in particular the AA ratings of the Lexingtons get a major bump, the cruisers and destroyers of PACFLT also get some major love with upgrades to ASW ratings and installation of radar sets so it's going to be a busy couple of months for the yards.
I currently have enough F4F-4s to upgrade a single VF, the hope is that by the time all 5 CVs and their escorts are done with their upgrades I'll have at least 2 dash 4 equipped VFs and only 1 VMF equipped with F2As with the rest equipped with dash 3s.
The Brit CVs are currently offmap, 1 in CT, the other in Abadan, they withdraw in about 3 months so their use is going to be limited. Assuming the Indian Ocean remains quiet, I'll probably probe the defences of the DEI just before they have to withdraw just to see if CTG is keeping it honest.
I've covered SWPAC and CENPAC every other turn so I'm just going to make a mention of the northern defences of Oz. Darwin, Broome and Derby will be fortified and every other base in the area will have at least an LCU to defend against airborne invasion. Apart form Darwin, the other bases are basically still holding what they started the war with. The Australian 8th Division has regenerated at Darwin by default since the 2 surviving elements of the Division were based there. It's only up to about a third of it's TOE, the mainstay of the defences will be the Australian I Corps, the 6th Division is just past Alice Springs having detrained there from Perth, the 7th will disembark in about 4 days time. I should mention here that the convoy carrying the 7th had 2 escorting DDs that ran their bunkers dry 25 hexes out of Perth, system damage is in the teens and I'm trying to get a cruiser to their location to see if it can refuel the DDs as the freighters in the convoy can't refuel them. Apart from I Corps, I can count on perhaps another motorised Bde as mobile reserve, the other parts of Oz, especially the east coast are pretty bare with the militia divisions taking up most of the defensive duties together with a handful of armored regiments (bn strength). The US will send at least a pair of divisions to shore up the east coast and act as strategic reserve once I unjam my supply trains.
In NORPAC, Adak Island is building up nicely with a RCT as the centrepiece of the defences there, a naval construction regiment has just landed on Amchitka and the intention is to eventually get to and build up Attu and Shemya Islands. No enemy activity has been spotted in this theater since the start of the war.
What's he up to?
Areas of concern remain the same. In China, I'm really worried that CTG will make a major effort here and try and take out China. Elsewhere, Australia is a cause for concern but I'm quietly confident I can hold him if he hits the north coast, anywhere else and things will get a little iffy until I get more US LCUs on the ground. India is pretty safe I think, he hasn't shown any intention of going for it but the buildup of forts carries on regardless. In the Pacific, with the exception of PM I'm quietly confident of holding the historical line, although more supplies at the bases would make me feel a little more secure of my position.
Mod Corner
The war has slowed dramatically in March, I can't speak for CTG but I have to say the reduced cargo capacities are making me work every single freighter I've got, due to KB's antics the SOPAC area is running low on supplies but isn't at a critical level as yet, the supply convoys will dock in Suva, Noumea and Sydney over the next 3-10 days and hopefully things will get a little more comfy in terms of supplies and fuel levels.
SWPAC and SOPAC
As mentioned before, this little jaunt of KB has seriously pushed back my reinforcement/resupply schedule for SOPAC and SWPAC, I was toying with the idea of strengthening Tulagi and Guadalcanal but have abandoned it as I haven't built up the infrastructure to support any significant Allied presence north of Ndeni.
I don't think holding Tulagi and Guadalcanal is important at all for the allied player. Sure, he can build it up into a torpedo base but it is just a detour of a few miles for the allied player (taking into account the escorting range of the A6M3a of 15 hexes). Losing Noumea is a bit more annoying but again not critical at all.
If he puts out a strong garrison that far south you even get a decent chance of isolating many Japanese ground troops south of Rabaul if you take out the Marshalls and somehow manage to Neutralise Truk.
AKA Cannonfodder
"It happened, therefore it can happen again: this is the core of what we have to say. It can happen, and it can happen everywhere.”
¯ Primo Levi, writer, holocaust survivor
22-25 Mar 1942
Some pretty quiet turns. I didn't record any details of the daily turns and Tracker overwrites the daily losses so excuse the rather brief summaries, it seemed trivial to update the AAR with just a line or two.
China
Pakhoi is captured. The entire Chinese coast is now Japanese controlled.
DEI
Sweeping Zeroes pretty much make short work of the B-339s while suffering a couple of losses whenever they came up against the Hurricane and/or Warhawk squadron but even then the sheer weight of numbers has taken it's toll. I now have a total of 6 Hurricanes, 8 Warhawks and 21 B-339s left. All reserves have been used up. The Hurricane squadron has done exceptionally well, claiming 8 kills over the past 4 turns according to Tracker.
The IJA 5th Division has moved into Bandoeng together with an engineer regiment and the reduction of the redoubt is ongoing aided by daily aerial and land bombardment.
Sub War Swordfish, on duty off Lingga just south of Singapore, spots a large convoy heading south, I hope it's a resupply/reinforcement convoy heading for Kali or Oz will soon be in a world of hurt.
Operation Lightbulb
The thought came out of the blue and it seems like a fun thing to do, it's not without historical precedent and I'm pretty sure the game engine ought to model it pretty well although I'm also pretty sure most Allied players don't bother with it because in the great scheme of things doing it is a waste of time, plus if it works it might make CTG do stuff which would make my life difficult in the later part of the game but now that the thought has entered my mind I just have to do it, if nothing but for the shits and giggles.
Burma
Akyab has been swept by Oscars the past 2 days, wonder if he's going to try and make a landing there. I only have a base force and a coastal artillery unit there at the moment, can't let him have an operational airfield on my flank like that so I'll be sending reinforcing Chittagong down thru Cox's Bazar and Akyab.
DEI
Bandoeng bombed and swept, most of the units there have been set to reserve to try and shield them from the worst of the daily bombing and bombardments. Am consuming about 700 supply daily with about 45k supply in the bank, fort level is 4.
I sent out a couple of B-10s to Balikpapan and Bandjermasin in a bid to ease the overcrowding at Tjliatap's airfields as well as cover Balikpapan proper from naval invasion as it has not fallen yet, the B-10s have been set to naval attack and this turn they take a shot at Furutaka and Fuso as a heavy TF passes by to the south of Bandjermasin, I'm assuming this is the bombardment force that's been tasked to the invasion of Australia.
SIGINT
65th Brigade is loaded on a Japanese xAK moving to Kendari. (planning for Derby)
13/2nd Tank Regiment is planning for an attack on Darwin.
13/16th Division is planning for an attack on Darwin.
10/65th Brigade is loaded on a Japanese xAK moving to Kendari.
3/4th Tank Regiment is planning for an attack on Darwin.
5/14th Army is planning for an attack on Darwin.
Fragments, which means they're aboard ships. We cannot get out. Drums. Drums in the deep. They are coming...
The defence of Australia
It looks like the 14th Army has been tasked to the invasion of Oz, I expect all or most of this Army's units to participate together with reinforcements from the 25th Army as a second wave? That would mean I will be facing 3-4 divisions with support arms (tank/engineer/artillery regiments, figure about 3-4 each?) in the initial landings, Derby and Darwin have been identified as targets. I figure he's going to hit the beaches in about a week's time give or take a day. Most of my strength on the north coast of Oz is concentrated in and around Darwin. I definitely will not be able to hold Derby as I do not have enough combat power to reach it before the IJA comes ashore.
So I'm looking at holding Darwin with maybe a fighting retreat from Broome/Derby towards Daly Waters and then collapsing back on Normanton/Cloncurry/Alice Springs as the situation dictates. I suppose there's lots of scope for flanking maneuvers in the open desert so I'll have to watch out for that as well.
The only thing I'm thinking of now is how to turn his focus on Oz to my advantage. How do make his holding north Oz irrelevant? Is it just north Oz only to add another layer of defences between me and the oil or will it be a determined effort to knock Australia out of the war. It's too early to tell with too many questions I cannot yet answer so I'll have to wait to see what I'm facing and how aggressive he is in taking territory before I can begin to think about countering this move. Our game has HRs compelling me to divert resources to the defence of Australia so I'll have to balance between playing by the book and looking for opportunity. Looking forward to the fight.
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