Wait, I can't read Cuttlefish's new AAR? - Cribtop (J) vs CF (A)

[Cribtop]

January 3, 1942

Subs

CF wondered when he gets to see his cool new torpedoes. The sea lanes are temporarily empty except for short haul stuff to dodge the expected sub surge.

Gar duds on an xAK near Toyohara, perhaps the root of CF's comment.

SE Fleet

Tulagi is hit hard by IJAAF and IJNAF bombers. DA tomorrow.

Southern Army

Two big TFs, one mostly CAs, the other a mix of CV, CVL and TKs, are spotted by Glens moving West out of Perth. This sort of configuration is common for CF's big carrier forces. What are they up to? We will keep a close eye out while trying for a sub intercept.

Cribtop Intel wonders whether the enemy is trying to re-boot what looked like a Port Hedland invasion from a few weeks back, or if CF's big plan is to invade somewhere near Java. Only time and recon will tell. If needed MKB, Indes Fleet and Timor Sea Squadron (4CAs and DDs) would be available to counter this, along with LBA.

Burma

Recon bombing of Akyab shows that 45th Indian Brigade is the largest LCU present. Not enough to stop us if we go to Whirlwind Plan B. Speaking of that, one concern we have is the small forces in Imphal, Dacca and Ledo. We can defeat them, but worry about guerilla re-occupations of bases after the bulk of our forces move on. We can't afford to squat on the Assam bases once the LoC is cut.

The big fun today is a sweep then bomb effort against the Allied main army on the plains. CF puts up a big effort with both Hurri IIb and IIc models. 11th Sentai, a crack Tojo group with 77 average EXP, tears the enemy apart. Confirmed by Tracker, the final tally is 27:2(!). A Turkey Shoot! The bombers then go in against no opposition and do well. Banzai! [&o]

China

For the second day, there are no flak bursts over Kweiyang. Only Chungking and Tsuyung have flak anymore. China must be starving.

R&D

Great info on the plane types, folks. We are pushing pretty hard on Frank, George and the Tojo IIc model.

[Capt. Harlock]

But I don´t see anything spectacular. Pretty low speed, low range for a IJ aircraft, armour and good guns. Are the figures misleading? My experience so far has been that the only thing that really matter is speed and 360 something speed is not very good.

Unlike the Allies, the Japanese badly need a 4E killer. For this task, armor and guns are all-important, and speed counts for little.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

But I don´t see anything spectacular. Pretty low speed, low range for a IJ aircraft, armour and good guns. Are the figures misleading? My experience so far has been that the only thing that really matter is speed and 360 something speed is not very good.

Unlike the Allies, the Japanese badly need a 4E killer. For this task, armor and guns are all-important, and speed counts for little.

+1

[JocMeister]

Ah, yes I can see how it would do well against unprotected bombers!

[ny59giants]

I'm at the end of 43 finally and the George with her 4x 20mm cannons is the best B-24 killer I have. [&o] If your playing a game without any restrictions on altitude like I am, her ability to get above 40k helps.

[Cribtop]

January 4, 1943

Searaven torpedoes DD Wakatake in the South China Sea. The DD will try to make Cam Ranh Bay but it will be tough. We are worried that functional torpedoes will sink too many of our second line DDs, which are used to escort "Galleon" style TFs like this.

I-157 spots another supply convoy approaching its position near Viz but chooses today to get to bingo fuel and withdraws to Georgetown. Rats. Still, the sudden employment of these supply runs to Chittagong tells Cribtop Intel that all is not peaches and ice cream machines as far as the supply situation for CF's Burma invasion.

We hear unexplained Allied sub sinking sounds today. Best guess is that our ASW pilots out of Palembang really did hit a sub near Singers recently and she went down on the way home.

SE Fleet

We again go with a max air effort at Tulagi and then DA, obtaining odds of 43:1, casualties 195(4) vs 63(0). With those odds we will continue to attack with the 20th Division and a tank company but allow the rest of the small SNLFs making up the normal garrison to sit it out to avoid unnecessary casualties. The Marines here are doomed.

Airfields galore: Tulagi to 2, Manus to 4, Torokina to 2.

Southern Army

The last Whirlwind convoy will arrive at Singapore and unload tomorrow. The countdown continues. MKB is at full readiness, just 1 or 2 more SYS points to clear off of Soryu and a BB.

Burma

More recon bombing at Akyab shows 17th Indian Division (another division accounted for), 45th Indian Bde and 108th RN base force.

Search planes report two APs at Chittagong. We bet these are actually yet more xAKs dropping supply, as the number of LCUs at Chittagong did not increase.

[princep01]

Small thing, but might confuse a new reader....the heading immediately above should be January 4, 1943, right?

[Cribtop]

Yep and fixed, Princep. We're so used to writing 1942 it was inevitable this typo would pop up! [:D]

[zuluhour]

Nice AAR Crib. I spent a couple of days catching up and as Mike S seems to be awol, switched subscriptions. very exciting right now BTW.

[Cribtop]

Thanks, Zuluhour! This is indeed one of those periods of the war when things are coming to a head! One way or the other it seems a few first person accounts are in the near future.

[Cribtop]

January 5, 1943

Subs

An SSX on "monitor duty" suffers a battery explosion at TB and will be scuttled.

A Glen from I-17 detects three TFs in the same hex as its parent sub near Perth before being shot down by CV CAP. We find a CVTF with Oilers, a CA TF, and a TF with DDs and APDs reported. Armed with this report, I-17 vectors in and puts two TTs into the big AO Sabine, sinking her. What is CF doing loitering off Perth under observation? We must begin to assume something is up in the Southern Army AO.

Near Noumea, another Glen reports a big TF with DDs, TKs and a CVE. Looks like a fuel convoy, but we can't discount a Tulagi rescue attempt.

Escorts harass Snapper near Kendari. A Sally reports a hit on an S-boat near Formosa.

SE Fleet

B-24s attack the port at Milne Bay, doing minimal damage except for the obliteration of an AMC on mine tending duty.

DA Tulagi obtains 48:1 odds, casualties 123(3) vs 23(1). We will grind them down.

Truk forts go to 6, Madang goes to airfield 2.

Burma

90% of the last Whirlwind convoy unloads at Singers. We'll finish tomorrow. Then a few days to sort out ship related DIS and switch to combat mode. Then we board for the invasion!

We hit the main enemy army near Mandalay with the IJAAF. No enemy resistance in the air.

[obvert]

Searaven torpedoes DD Wakatake in the South China Sea. The DD will try to make Cam Ranh Bay but it will be tough. We are worried that functional torpedoes will sink too many of our second line DDs, which are used to escort "Galleon" style TFs like this.

Are you making use of your AVs in any of these TFs? So far I've made several large TFs that I designed with the idea they could traverse even the most difficult sub zones in open ocean.

They have an AV with Jakes flying 40% ASW 20% search at 6-8 hexes, an equal number of escorts to cargo ships (mostly Es, an SC or two, but commanded by at least one DD with Type 2 DCs), and usually have about 5-7 big fast TK. None of these TFs (spits over left shoulder three times) has had a ship hit yet.

[Cribtop]

Obvert, that's a good idea. I've been using AVs mostly to man dot base seaplane havens, but putting a few on Galleon duty would add more protection. I also have to get some ASW LBA deployed near Saigon and route convoys closer to the coast.

[Cribtop]

January 6, 1943

Subs

An Allied DD harasses I-32 near Noumea.

No sign of the Allied CVs off SW Oz, except for a SigInt signal from Perth. Did CF move back to port? We are still watching.

5th Fleet

Shikuka goes to port 5.

SE Fleet

A large force of 48 B-24s hits our seaplane base at Woodlark Island, lightly damaging the AV Kiyokawa Maru. The AV will fall back on Rabaul for repairs and then move to one of the islands south of Woodlark. The Jake group on nav search at Woodlark will lay low a day or two and then move to the new base. This is part of a long term plan to start north and move south just as CF starts getting interested in this region. At Rabaul, a G3M3 group takes over the nav search duties.

DA Tulagi nets 195:1 odds, casualties 455(23) vs 5(0). It appears the enemy is about to collapse here.

Burma

All Whirlwind forces are unloaded at Singers and switching to combat mode. All IJN combat ships detailed for the Op are at 0% SYS and ready to go. All air groups are fully stocked with planes and pilots. A big supply convoy arrives from the Home Islands with 120K supply.

China

We bomb Chikiang to confirm supply problems and are gratified that there are no flak bursts. An armored car unit reaches the key road junction west of Kweiyang to minimize supply flow from Kunming to Chungking.

[obvert]

Its hard to put AVs close to 4E range, as it draws a lot of attention, like above at Woodlark. Those little AF Coy units work as my forward seaplane support units, and there are enough to fill bases in both the So Pac and SRA areas.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: obvert

Its hard to put AVs close to 4E range, as it draws a lot of attention, like above at Woodlark. Those little AF Coy units work as my forward seaplane support units, and there are enough to fill bases in both the So Pac and SRA areas.

+1
Learned that from you and it does work. Might also try some 4E traps using AV + Rufe's. Rufe has decent range for Search (so you don't lose your picket completely and the disguise is in place) and enough firepower to take down a 4E or two. He can't afford too many losses like that until '44.

[zuluhour]

deleted due to lack of content

[Cribtop]

Yeah, I've used my AVs like this primarily because so far CF has let me get away with it, probably time to change up.

[ny59giants]

23 - 0....OUCH!!

Its still early in the 2nd, but .....

[zuluhour]

Look out ny59 things are a changin...