Speedy vs Fabertong - time to smack back the Penguin

[crsutton]

Speedy,

Siboret is one of the key bases in the game. Hold it and Fabertong's oil supply is doomed. If he is smart, he should commit all of his resources to take it back. Good luck there.

In Burma, if your campaign does not take Rangoon before the monsoons come (May) then you will start to run out of supply. Two ways to avoid that. Make sure you take lots and lots of engineers with you. You must build up every base you capture to help pull supply. Second, make sure you build up the dot base just below Akyab and fortifiy it strongly with fighters and troops. You can deliver supply to this base and it will flow into Burma even with the monsoon in effect. This is important. If you have not done so. Make sure you move 20 to 30 LSTs to the India theater. (more is better) These come in very handy to resupply both this base and Siberoet. And if you have not done it. Move a lot of American construction units to India as well. British and Indian enginners are not very good and not near enough.

[Speedysteve]

Hi crsutton.

Thanks. Good thoughts here.

I feel pretty comfortable at Siberoet. I doubt Faber would have enough of a Military Navy to be able to attempt to take it back. Intel reports the following are sunk:

CV - 11
CVL - 4
CVE - 1
BB - 6
CA - 8
CL - 6

The main threat is still the IJAF. They've many powerful bases in the region and until I have air superiority I won't feel totally safe here. This is why I'm in the process of loading up troops to take Padang. It will give me a foothold on Sumatra proper and a further level 5 AF to use.

Really good thoughts on Burma. I have made sure I've built up every base in SE India to stockpile supply there and plan to march as many Engineers as I can overland.

I haven't built up the base south of Akyab but now you mention it I will!

Thanks again.

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Speedy,

Siboret is one of the key bases in the game. Hold it and Fabertong's oil supply is doomed. If he is smart, he should commit all of his resources to take it back. Good luck there.

In Burma, if your campaign does not take Rangoon before the monsoons come (May) then you will start to run out of supply. Two ways to avoid that. Make sure you take lots and lots of engineers with you. You must build up every base you capture to help pull supply. Second, make sure you build up the dot base just below Akyab and fortifiy it strongly with fighters and troops. You can deliver supply to this base and it will flow into Burma even with the monsoon in effect. This is important. If you have not done so. Make sure you move 20 to 30 LSTs to the India theater. (more is better) These come in very handy to resupply both this base and Siberoet. And if you have not done it. Move a lot of American construction units to India as well. British and Indian enginners are not very good and not near enough.

isn't that dot South of Akyab an island that shouldn't even be connected to the main land?

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Siberoet:

Well well. A quiet day. The only attack was a small night raid where my Beau's shot down 2 x Sally.

No daytime attacks at all.

Almost up to Level 4 AF on Siberoet now.

3 x CVE's still afloat in port between 56 and 72 FLT damage!

Troops for Padang now embarked at Cocos Islands and embarking at Christmas Islands.

---------------------

CBI:

An ambush by 51st FG P38H's in China shoot down 12 x Sally for no loss.

About 1/2 of the forces for Thunderclap are in place.

As per crsutton's advice 40 x LST and a further 10 x Const. Rgt's are soon to be leaving San Fran for use in Burma.

---------------------

Submarine Warfare:

No dud/missed attacks.

SS Scorpion claimed AK Nichiran Maru heavily damaged by a torpedo south of Shikoku.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: castor troy

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Speedy,

Siboret is one of the key bases in the game. Hold it and Fabertong's oil supply is doomed. If he is smart, he should commit all of his resources to take it back. Good luck there.

In Burma, if your campaign does not take Rangoon before the monsoons come (May) then you will start to run out of supply. Two ways to avoid that. Make sure you take lots and lots of engineers with you. You must build up every base you capture to help pull supply. Second, make sure you build up the dot base just below Akyab and fortifiy it strongly with fighters and troops. You can deliver supply to this base and it will flow into Burma even with the monsoon in effect. This is important. If you have not done so. Make sure you move 20 to 30 LSTs to the India theater. (more is better) These come in very handy to resupply both this base and Siberoet. And if you have not done it. Move a lot of American construction units to India as well. British and Indian enginners are not very good and not near enough.

isn't that dot South of Akyab an island that shouldn't even be connected to the main land?

The name is Ramree Island but it's only a river crossing.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Siberoet area:

Another 'quiet' day around Siberoet. No air attacks on the island.

A couple of IJN Subs tried to interfere with my CV and freighter forces in the area but were thwarted. SS I-33 reported sunk.

Up to level 4 AF at Siberoet now.

Good news that 2 of the damaged CVE's are down to 50 FLT now.

Further south, at Christmas Island, troops were finishing embraking on transports (bound for Padang) when 7 x Frances bombers tried to sneak in to attack them. Unforunately for them over 50 x P40N/P47D2 were on CAP. All 7 were shot down.

----------------------

No submarine contacts.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: castor troy

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Speedy,

Siboret is one of the key bases in the game. Hold it and Fabertong's oil supply is doomed. If he is smart, he should commit all of his resources to take it back. Good luck there.

In Burma, if your campaign does not take Rangoon before the monsoons come (May) then you will start to run out of supply. Two ways to avoid that. Make sure you take lots and lots of engineers with you. You must build up every base you capture to help pull supply. Second, make sure you build up the dot base just below Akyab and fortifiy it strongly with fighters and troops. You can deliver supply to this base and it will flow into Burma even with the monsoon in effect. This is important. If you have not done so. Make sure you move 20 to 30 LSTs to the India theater. (more is better) These come in very handy to resupply both this base and Siberoet. And if you have not done it. Move a lot of American construction units to India as well. British and Indian enginners are not very good and not near enough.

isn't that dot South of Akyab an island that shouldn't even be connected to the main land?

The name is Ramree Island but it's only a river crossing.

Yes, if you look at it on the map it is for all purposes connected to the mainland. But very marshy. The island is famous for it large and dangerous salt water crocodile population. It is estimated that when the island was taken by the Allies in 1945 that a lot of escaping Japanese soldiers were attacked and eaten by the crocs....

"That night [of the 19 February 1945] was the most horrible that any member of the M.L. [motor launch] crews ever experienced. The scattered rifle shots in the pitch black swamp punctured by the screams of wounded men crushed in the jaws of huge reptiles, and the blurred worrying sound of spinning crocodiles made a cacophony of hell that has rarely been duplicated on earth. At dawn the vultures arrived to clean up what the crocodiles had left. . . . Of about one thousand Japanese soldiers that entered the swamps of Ramree, only about twenty were found alive."

[Speedysteve]

Sheesh....sounds like a horror movie!

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

A farily quiet day overall.

Siberoet area:

1 small Betty raid tried to attack freighters off Siberoet but didn't succeed and lost 11 of their number vs 2 CAP.

SS RO-102 was detected by CV escorts and reported sunk with all hands.

Other than that a regular day with 100's of ships either loading men, supplies fuel or transporting them across the oceans to get to the theatre.

------------------------

Submarine Warfare:

A good day with no fewer than 4 ships reported sunk.

SS Silversides blew up E W-23 off Toyohara.

SS Scorpion sank AK Ceylon Maru with 2 torpedoes off Hamamatsu.

Later in the morning SS Pompano reported heavily damaging AK Bengal Maru with a torpedo.

SS Jack broke AK Urato Maru in 2 off Groot Natoena.

SS tarpon tagged the same convoy sinking AK Hoshin Maru with 2 torpedoes.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

A quiet day indeed!

The usual small Fighter Sweeps returned over Siberoet with heavier loss to the Japanese.

Allied losses: 8
Japanese losses: 22 (19 x George)

Other than that all quiet with troops and ships moving to where they need to be.

No Submarine contacts.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Siberoet area:

A couple of small night raids were launched by the Japanese. 3 of the Sallies were shot down by Beau's and the bombs missed their targets.

SS I-124 attacked one of my CV's TF's west of Siberoet. DD Meredith was blown up by a torpedo and quickly sank. Escorts located the scum when she then tried to attack CV Saratoga (luckily her 4 torpedoes missed the mark) and sank her.

Padang invasion forces are now all embarked and on their way to their mark well to the west of Siberoet. I wuld guess it's about 10 days before they are in place and are ready to head in.

------------------------

Submarine Warfare:

Just the one contact today by SS Scorpion claiming AK Africa Maru sunk with 2 torpedoes.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Siberoet Area:

Little happening here right now. Just a small Night time raid that caused no damaged and lost 2 planes to my NF's and AA.

-------------------------

Other stuff:

About 80% of forces are in place in Burma now.

ARD's are also being moved to each theatre of Ops.

Another 400,000 tonnes of supply are about to leave Aden bound for Burma.

-------------------------

Submarine Warfare:

3 x dud/missed attacks.

SS Albacore scored the lone success on the 8th sinking the large AK Toba Maru with 2 torpedoes off Fukue-jima.

The 9th saw more action.

SS Dorado sank AKL Nitian Maru off Kushiro.

SS KIX blew up the tiny CM Saishu off Langsa.

SS Devilfish sank AKL Meiko Maru off Torishima.

On the other side SS Ray was located by an ASW TF off Balikpapan and sunk with all hands.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Siberoet area:

The 10th was a fairly quiet day....the 11th not so.

Recon detected a Jap TF at Palembang. I decided to move my CV's within striking range west of Palembang.

A series of strikes were launched against the Port (TBM's) and the TF (SB2C's). Enemy CAP was pretty strong (50+ Zero/Tony) and performed well. My strikes were piecemeal and the scort got separated from soem of the raids leading to heavier losses.

In total I lost over 100 planes in the raids vs 20 Japanese CAP. In return approximately 10 enemy ships were reported sunk (DD/PB/TK/AK/AO/AV) and 10 heavily damaged.

Time to retire to the Cocos Island to replace men and planes before returning to the Siberoet area for the troops arrival to invade Padang. En route to Cocos they'll head within range of Oosthaven where a Jap convoy was reported.

1/2 million tonnes of supply and oodles of support troops and planes bound for Padang are passing the Panama Canal.

-------------------------

Submarine Warfare:

2 x dud/missed attacks.

SS Seal reported in sinking AK Atlantic Maru with 2 torpedoes off Mindanao.

SS Hake sank AK Kurogane Maru east of Formosa. SS Hake scored a second kill claiming PB Teshio Maru later in the day.

SS Perch claimed AK Toyu Maru off Balikpapan.

On the other side SS RO-101 hit CV Executor with Dud's! DD escorts made her pay claiming her sunk.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Siberoet area:

No Japanese action in the area.

My CV's moved south un opposed and launched 2 air raids that wiped out the empty convoy at Oosthaven. 25 x Tojo were on CAP but they didn't interfere much (losing 18 of their number vs 8 x Hellcat, 6 x Helldiver and 2 x Wildcat). The following ships were reported sunk:

xAP Teia Maru,
xAP Mizuho Maru
xAP Kamo Maru
xAK Kinugawa Maru
xAP Taizan Maru
xAK Aobasan Maru
E Hishu
PB Aso Maru #7

My CV's are heading to Cocos Islands to refuel and re-arm before returning to the Siberoet area.

------------------------

Submarine Warfare:

1 x dud/missed attack.

SS Scamp scored the lone success of the day claiming AK Sansei Maru sunk east of Formosa.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

This will probably be the last update for 3 weeks as Faber is on holiday.

Siberoet area:

Just the usual Jap night raid which lost 2 Sallies to my Beau's.

CV's will be at Cocos Islands tomorrow.

The final offensive forces for Padang will enter from the Cape Town area tomorrow (African Bde). We'll then be good to go (Support forces will follow later).

----------------------

Submarine Warfare:

2 x dud/missed attacks.

SS S-35 sank TK Reikai Maru with 3 torpedoes off Shikuka.

SS Picuda reported sinking AK Risshun Maru with 2 torpedoes off Toboali. In return she was left heavily damaged by DD Shikinami. She should make port if unmolested.

SS Devilfish left AO Naruto heavily damaged by 2 torpedoes south of Shikoku.

Another sub was lost today [:(] SS Barb was sunk off Toboali by an ASW TF.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Faber has managed to crank out a few turns whilst being on holiday. Good old Penguin [;)]

It's been fairly quiet in general what with my men moving to Jump Off points in Burma (Just awaiting the last few Combat units to march to Akyab which are due in the next 4-5 days) and with my ships loitering west of Siberoet awaitign the final combat units bound for Padang.

The Padang forces are now all in place and the TF's have been given orders to set off to Siberoet tomorrow. A sit rep is shown below.

Strangely there's been no Japanese attacks on Siberoet. Recon shows masses of planes have been brought into Singapore and Palembang (abut 600 in total). They're presumably waiting for my TF's to arrive.

Other than that all quiet.

----------------------------------

Submarine Warfare:

1 x dud/missed attack.

SS Devilfish claimed AKL Shoan Maru sunk off Torishima on the 14th.

SS Tang located an ASW TF off Torishima on the 15th and blew up PB Shoei Maru.

On the 17th SS Pargo heavily damaged AK Kirishima Maru with a torpedo south of Shikoku.

SS Tullibee got into the action on the 18th heavily damaging AK Shoho Maru north of Formosa.

SS Gabilan sank a convoy escort (CM Takashima) and then heavily damaged the troop laden AK Kaiko Maru off Okinawa.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Things are starting to heat up again.........

Siberoet area:

No offensive action but my transports and CV's are a couple of days out of Siberoet before loading up more troops and heading to Padang. Faber's clearly tipped off by all of this and is flying in transports from Palembang and Singapore delivering more troops to Padang. There's 5 reported units and 15,000 men stationed there. I hope I can take it.....

I've flown CAP over Padang from Siberoet to intercept the transports and annoyingly, despite saying transports are intercepted, not 1 has been shot down. We've both lost about 20-30 fighters though.

To recap here's the invasion forces for Padang:

2nd British Division
81st (West African) Division
11th (East African) Division
28th (East African) Bde
23rd Chindit Bde
29th British Bde
22nd (East African) Bde
209th Combat Eng Bn

--------------------------------

Burma:

The majority of the first wave forces are in place and orders have been isused to all commands to begin moving south!

I'll summarise the plan in the next post.

--------------------------------

Submarine Warfare:

5 x dud/missed attacks.

SS S-46 heavily damaged the troop laden AK Kaiko Maru with a torpedo south of Okinawa.

SS Amberjack attacked AK Nittai Maru on the surface and claimed her sunk off Ambon on the 19th.

SS Devilfish sank AKL Ryuun Maru with 2 torpedoes off Torishima.

On the 20th SS Cisco claimed AK Hirota Maru sunk south of Nagoya with 3 torpedo hits.

SS KXIII heavily damaged the troop laden AK Seattle Maru with a torpedo off Phuket (probably carrying one of 2 x Bde's SigInt detected bound for Rangoon).

On the other side SS Tally Ho was heavily damaged by E Mikura off Cam Ranh Bay. She suffered catastrophic failures on the 20th and sank.

[Speedysteve]

Burma:

Operation Thunderclap is go!

The operation remains as in post #732.

A current SitRep is attached.

It will comprise of 4 simultaneous thrusts into Burma. These are designed to:

a.) stretch the Japanese defences
b.) cut off any Japanese left to the north
c.) take Rangoon in the next 4 months

The airforce will reolcate over the next few days as for noww my units are under CAP.

Intel indicates few Japanese air assets in the region with 30ish fighters detected at Mandalay,and 55 fighters, 35 bombers and 10 Aux at Rangoon.

------------------------------------

Here's a break down of the 4 offensive thrusts:

Akyab > Prome:

Under the command of 3rd (Special Force) Division, III and IV Indian Corps:

3,000 AV of troops.

5th Indian Div
14th Indian Div
18th British Div
25th Indian Div
26th Indian Div
BFF Bde
16th Indian Bde
45th Indian Bde
72nd British Bde

4 x ARM Rgt's

ART, Engineers and Av. Support for future airbases.

-----------------

Kalemyo > Shwebo:

Under the command of XXXIII Indian Corps:

2,000 AV of troops.

23rd Indian Div
7th/C Indian Div
16th Australian Bde
44th Indian Bde
63rd Indian Bde
3rd Commando Bde

224th Armoured Bde
225th Armoured Bde
50th Tank Bde
Provisional Tank Bde

ART, Engineers and Av. Support for future airbases.

---------------------

Imphal > Katha:

1,000 AV of troops.

19th Indian Div
3rd Indian Bde
46th Indian Bde
48th Gurkha Bde

3 x ARM Rgt

ART, Engineers and Av. Support for future airbases.

---------------------

Ledo > Myitkyina:

Under the command of XV Indian Corps:

1,000 AV of troops.

20th Indian Div
19th Australian Bde
75th Indian Bde

3 x ARM Rgt

ART, Engineers and Av. Support for future airbases.

-----------------------------

You'll note that the most northern and eastern of the 4 thrusts have less AV. This is intentional as the aim is to trap as much as I can up around Katha/Myitkyina with the major thrusts towards Prome (Rangoon) and Shwebo (Mandalay).

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Siberoet Area:

Naval units are a day or so out from Siberoet. There's been no Japanese attacks on my forces here for over 10 days now. I wonder if he'll launch naval raids or wait till I hit Padang.

Jap Transports continue to fly in Troops to Padang. I may even try putting a load of my CV Hellcat's on CAP over Padang tomorrow to see if they can do anything!

I've attahed a screenshot of the Siberoet Area.

-----------------------------

Burma:

My men have marched the first 2-4 miles from all jump off points.

More recon flights will be flown from tomorrow to nail down Japanese force levels.

A lot of planes flew around today to re-base on the front lines.

Here's the current dispositions:

Akyab:

Spit VIII - 44
Wellington GR XIII - 16
Liberator B III - 16
Hurricane II/IV - 60
B24D - 36
B25H - 12
Beaufighter TF X - 20

= 203 planes

Imphal:

Hurricane IIB/C - 48
P51A - 25
Wellington GR VIII - 16
Wellington 1c - 16
Liberator GR III - 16
B25X - 64
Beaufighter TF X - 28

= 213 planes

Ledo:

Spitfire Vc - 32
Spitfire VIII - 12
Hurricane IIb - 16
P38H - 25
Liberator B III - 16
Liberator GR III - 12
Wellington 1c - 16
Wellington B X - 16
Blenheim IV - 48
Beaufighter TF X - 8

= 201 planes

Entering India/Aden over the next month will be a further:

Spit Vc - 16
P40N26 - 32
Hurricane IIc - 16
P40N5 - 100

--------------------------

Submarine Warfare:

2 x dud/missed attacks.

SS Gabilan damages AK Zyunyo Maru with a torpedo hit SW of Formosa.

SS Cisco blows up E W-1 south of Nagoya.

SS Dace damaged AP Manzyu Maru with a torpedo NW of Luzon.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Siberoet area:

Due to the high number of enemy subs detected in the area my CV's and transports had to take several circuituous routes and are 80 miles off Siberoet. My 3 x BB TF's managed to race ahead and are already at Siberoet.

The Japanese reacted heavily today launching a series of anti-shipping raids against my BB's and my CV TF's. My Radar drection and CAP response was fantastic (Between 80 and 170 fighters on CAP throughout the day). A few enemy planes broke through but no hits were sustained. Enemy losses were heavy. Overall tallies were:

Allies: 28 (21 x Hellcat)
Japanese: 138 (70 x Betty, 38 x A6M, 23 x Kate)

All being well all ships should be at Siberoet tomorrow. I've ordered some of my CV Fighters to patrol over Padang to try and intercept the transports and I've ordered my TBM's to attempt to bomb Padang's airfields.

SS I-166 was reported sunk by ASW assets escorting my CV's and transports.

--------------------

Burma:

No offensive action by either side today.

Recon confirms 7 enemy units (22,000 men) at Myitkyina and 2 enemy units in the jungle SE of Akyab (1 x Div and 1 x Tk Div). I've given orders to my bombers at Akyab to attack these 2 units tomorrow and the bombers at Ledo to attack Myitkyina's empty airfields.

---------------------

Submarine Warfare:

2 x dud/missed attacks.

SS Dorado blew up E W-33 off northern Japan.

SS Batfish sank AKL Hokuan Maru with a torpedo north of Truk.