Falls. Sealanes to Rangoon are open now. That makes the IJ player life easier. He can now move in support troops by sea, instead of walking the jungle.
Burma
No real succes in ground combat. Most of the area is to open to make a real stand vs three full divisions. The sky is dominated by the allies. No airbases or fighters sighted yet. It is all infantry. With sealanes now open we might see an increase in activity..
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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
Taking a pounding. This probably wont last long although the japanese are taking casualties as well.... Dennis must be in a hurry now.
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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
Allied carriers are upgraded or upgrading. Hornet is sailing for Pearl Harbour, uniting all 5 USN carriers. Enough airpower to force Dennis to cover his landings, slowing down any further progress!
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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
I always post dates in the subject area of the message.
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
Canton island falls. A small troop detachment supported by KB invaded and captured the island. There was just a basegroup there (supporting search planes). It will be rebuild.
Java
The three brit carriers attempt to attack a Japanese resupply convoy unloading. Unfortunately the convoy leaves one day to soon and just the small taskforce guarding it remains. British bombers run into a prepared CAP and take heavy losses for just one torpedo hit on a CL.
Morning Air attack on TF, near Kalidjati at 50,99
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3
Ki-43-Ia Oscar x 6
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 18
Allied aircraft
Albacore I x 22
Fulmar II x 9
Martlet II x 16
Swordfish I x 11
Batavia is now ready to fall. Japanese push to Soerabaja in the east. I am still using Soerabaja to rearm and refuel submarines operating in the area.
Near Singapore
A few days after the failed carrier raid, British battleships succeed in sneaking into the Malacca strait. By chance (sigint) I receive intel that the Japanese are going to land troops at Tandjoengbalai. Dutch patrol planes still operating from Sumatra pick up a convoy and the Royal Navy intercepts... No escorts are protecting the poor troop ships (false sense of security) and many Japanese soldiers go down with buring ships. British submarines manage to pick of two additional undamaged ships and two damaged ones.
Nice tactical victory! Now I just need to disengage. No serious op losses on aircraft for the Japanese this turn. I am assuming for now that most of the Air HQs are deployed elsewhere. Nothing at Saigon and no aviation support at Singapore yet. We'll find out soon. The british battleships are detached and running full speed for Colombo. The supporting destroyers and cruisers try another intercept and then will speed for Colombo as well. Destroyers and cruisers are much harder to hit with torpedoes!
KB is in the Pacific and miniKB was sighed far to the east of Java a few days ago and not expected to be in range.
Note that this is another reason to capture Port Blair as soon as possible!
Night Time Surface Combat, near Tandjoengbalai at 47,78, Range 8,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
xAK Kano Maru
xAK Kyusyu Maru
AMC Saigon Maru, Shell hits 5, and is sunk
xAK Natisan Maru
xAK Hakonesan Maru, Shell hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Hakubasan Maru, Shell hits 17, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Kotohira Maru
xAK Ryuyo Maru
xAK Yamabuki Maru
xAK Achou Maru
xAK Ayato Maru
xAK Chihaya Maru
xAK Enju Maru, Shell hits 1
xAK Gosei Maru
xAK Hokuriku Maru, Shell hits 2, on fire
xAK Kisogawa Maru, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Kuroshio Maru, Shell hits 1, on fire
xAK Meiten Maru, Shell hits 5, on fire
xAK Meiko Maru, Shell hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Nihonka Maru, Shell hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Nojima Maru, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
xAK Reiyo Maru, Shell hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAKL Hakozake Maru
xAKL Hakka Maru
xAKL Heiku Maru
xAKL Kashi Maru
xAKL Jokuja Maru
xAKL Kasui Maru
xAKL Kaisho Maru
xAKL Tatibana Maru
xAKL Tatebu Maru
xAKL Kyuei Maru
xAKL Bokuei Maru
xAKL Chosen Maru
xAKL Matsutan Maru
xAKL Kokuei Maru
xAK Nittatsu Maru
xAP Brazil Maru, Shell hits 12, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAP Koan Maru, Shell hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAKL P-5
xAKL Hokuzan Maru
Japanese ground losses:
6643 casualties reported
Squads: 127 destroyed, 176 disabled
Non Combat: 96 destroyed, 114 disabled
Engineers: 43 destroyed, 33 disabled
Guns lost 104 (81 destroyed, 23 disabled)
Vehicles lost 23 (11 destroyed, 12 disabled)
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
Apparantly there were torpedo bombers nearby. They just didn't detect my taskforce due to command issues (no search set according to Dennis).
Hobart and Enterprise with DD escorts made another attack run, sinking several AKs before withdrawing. During the combat Express and Encounter collided.. Express subsequently took a torpedo fired by a submarine and sank. Encounter, detached as well got mauled badly by G4Ms and Hobart also ate a torpedo, putting her at 81 float (60 major) within Betty and Nell range. She is a writeoff....
The RN battlewagons were detached after first contact and are on the way to Colombo, for now undetected. They should be able to make it.
I would have just lost Hobart if not for the collision..
Night Time Surface Combat, near Malacca at 48,81, Range 12,000 Yards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Malacca at 48,81, Range 11,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
xAK Kotohira Maru, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Ayato Maru, Shell hits 10, and is sunk
xAKL Kaisho Maru, Shell hits 6, and is sunk
Japanese ground losses:
64 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 4 (4 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 3 (2 destroyed, 1 disabled)
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
Stable for now. Supply is a big issue ofcourse....
Burma
Shwebo, Mandalay in Japanese hands. Blenheims have been bombing troops for weeks now, disabling a lot of squads. No significant IJN/A airgroups spotted to counter this tactic.. IJA is staying in the clear hexes, not advancing into Jungle.
Java
Not much longer.. Batavia almost done, Soerabaja under siege. Damaged a lot of IJ divisions. Those will need recovering
Sumatra
Palembang holding out. SIGINT showing reinforcements moving on Oosthaven (at least two divisions, probably more). That should enable Dennis to take Palembang and free up those forces (july somewhere)
Timor
Japanese landings in east and west area. I have got two battalions at Koepang and the last P40E´s of the dutch airforce are stationed there..
SW Pacific
Bad judgement let to the loss of several cruisers at Prt. Moresby
I did manage to get the better part of what I believe was a division moving on the base... That will delay the Japanese and advance and will probably give me another month of preparing for a Japanese move on perhaps Suva, Pago Pago or the West coast of Australia?
Allied ship losses
I could have prevented the sinking of Houston and Leander. Louisville and Pensacola got hit by torpedo bombers because they didn't retire when they were ordered to (still can't explain it, the carriers retired and they had the same orders). The rest of the capital ships were lost in heavy combat with the IJN. The IJN losses are much lighter (two BBs, CVE, several CLs and DDs).
Up to now my surface ships attacked troop convoys whenever possible. With the game now in may and the bases that I want to defend build up quite well I will change strategy from slowing down the rising sun.
New goal: Attrition warfare.. not the planes, not the troops.. those can be replaced. The allied airforce will be used to create local air superiority
Carriers, battleships, cruisers, destroyers... these can't be replaced...
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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
As the last remnants of the KNIL and the dutch airforce are being destroyed, thought I post a salute.. Not bad...
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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
I always post the game date in the post header. It is now may 14th.
The Japanese are behind. He lost a lot of groundtroops in raids I conducted. The allies have lost quite a few surface ships but it was worth it. We are talking around 700-800 squads disabled/destroyed in sea battles and air strikes (reducing for example the 21st division in Sumatra to around 150 AV. That really hurts the early expansion as Japan is always short on good offensive units.
The Japanese player could have done a lot better with proper surface and air cover, no doubt...
Dennis will have to take Palembang as soon as possible. He is committing at least two more divisions to Sumatra (making the total 4). It will take him the better part of the month june due to ground he has to cover and the well entrenched, well supplied 600 AV I have got there.
After that he will have his hands free (read the ground forces) to move on northern Australia, Ceylon, South Pacific, expand in Burma (he just holds the clear hexes, not a position I would like to find myself as the Japanese player during a counter offensive). but it will be june/july...
I am starting to plan small offensive action of my own so it could get interesting soon...
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
Palembang has lost half its AV after a series of assaults. It is expected to fall soon.
Will the Japanese keep expanding or will they start to dig in for the coming storm?
Game is slow paced atm due to various other commitments of my opponent. Expect it to pick up again second half of december.
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
