Bring me the head of Diego Garcia...and the Mayor of Addu Atoll too!

[Cap Mandrake]

There is CAP again over Koepang. D'oh! Based on recon they might be flying from another base. Dili? Flores?

Morning Air attack on Koepang , at 68,116

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 8
Ki-61-Ia Tony x 5



Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 22


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 7 damaged



Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 20

[Cap Mandrake]

B-24's from Boela attack Palau. I was hoping to catch Kaga getting refueled. No such ruck.

Morning Air attack on Babeldaob , at 90,97

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 23 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes


Allied aircraft
B-24D1 Liberator x 9


Allied aircraft losses
B-24D1 Liberator: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
AR Akashi, Bomb hits 1
xAP Kobe Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire



Port hits 2
Port supply hits 1

Hoping to catch some planes on the ground. No such ruck.

Morning Air attack on Babeldaob , at 90,97

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 33 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights


Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 14


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 2 damaged



Airbase hits 7
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 12

[Cap Mandrake]

A reinforced company of the hard working 503rd takes Jolo! Huzzah! Cotobato had a garrison of 2,000 LYB's so we bypassed it. The guy in charge won't be happy to hear that the AI thinks he is inferior to a generic LYB commander.

Sangi is probably about 5 days out from a level 1 strip. Dadjangas had some port damage so the engineers are fixing that first before buidling the runway. This is more stuff the ENIAC 2000 can't predict. I wonder if we caused the damage at Dadjangas early in the war?

Ground combat at Jolo (74,90)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 220 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 7

Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 0

Allied adjusted assault: 4

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Jolo !!!

Combat modifiers
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-)



Assaulting units:
503rd Parachute Rgt /2

[sprior]

Huzzah!

[Chickenboy]

Geez. No faucitis in that one!

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Geez. No faucitis in that one!

Aren't cats supposed to have teeth as well?


I can't understand why JJ aren't going after Dadjangas from the air. Or Sangi for that matter. If we are lucky there may be some left over suppries at Jolo. In that case, we can fly in a couple of squadrons of P-40's and an Air Force HQ (which are highly air transportable and have 50 aviation support points).

We have most of one US Army infantry Bn aboard APD's at Terante. If we can spot Kaga they can be sent to Jolo to hold the place for a while.

The troops already ashore on Sulawese have started their march on Manado, which will become a key base when captured.

[Cap Mandrake]

I forgot to mention that Jolo is a level 2 airfield so we can also fly in SBD's if there is supply. It is also a long drive from Palau to Jolo so surface attacks will likely be spotted. JJ can base surface combatants at Manila if they have resources there, but it will take them a while to organize it. Jolo is also within air drop reach of Northern Borneo which will allow air recon of the South China Sea. They need to do something. [:)]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I forgot to mention that Jolo is a level 2 airfield so we can also fly in SBD's if there is supply. It is also a long drive from Palau to Jolo so surface attacks will likely be spotted. JJ can base surface combatants at Manila if they have resources there, but it will take them a while to organize it. Jolo is also within air drop reach of Northern Borneo which will allow air recon of the South China Sea. They need to do something. [:)]

Yes, they do. Allowing you access to the myriad base possibilities in the central Philipines and North Borneo will bring about their demise in the Western DEI quickly.

[sprior]

Here's a naughty thought; how about we scrap Yorker and throw everything at the PI?

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: sprior

Here's a naughty thought; how about we scrap Yorker and throw everything at the PI?

The vector of your advance through the DEI and into the Philipines will be as a knife pointed at their vitals. I like North Borneo and Puerto Princessa as near term goals. For longer term goals: what about Hainan island, NE Luzon or some of the other islands SW of Luzon (e.g., Mindoro)?

The initial historical landings in the Northern Philipines were not on Luzon, but on largely undefended Mindoro, immediately south of Luzon near the mouth of Manila bay. We were able to build this airbase quickly and effectively put an air umbrella over Luzon for our landings there.

Question for you AFB lot: Can B-24s and B-17s reach Japan from Luzon bases?

ETA: The closest Luzon base to Kyushu is 26 hexes. Too far for B-24s or B-17s available in mid-1943. Still, you could close off the DEI traffic through the straits of Luzon-no mean feat.

[Chickenboy]

Get a load of the maximum airbase sizes in the Phillipines between Luzon and Northern Borneo.

Palawan: Puerto Princessa max build of 7; Taytay 8
Culion: Max AF 8
Basuanga: Max AF 8. Bonus: You already have a size 3 port here (!)
Calapan: Max AF 8. A little close to Manila (1 hex away), but that would effectively deny him Luzon.

I'd reckon that your opponents haven't garrisoned these islands in much strength.

[Cap Mandrake]

It does seem they are rocked back on their heels...sending Kaga out there by herself like that. Imagine we went up the West coast of Luzon after taking Taytay on Palawan (level 1 airfield). Look what kind of Hell you could let lose from Northern Luzon. Any base on Luzon would likely need a substantial garrison because we dont really know what they have on Luzon already.

[Cap Mandrake]

I think one could predict they would turn lose all the Emperor Brand Kool-aide reserves as well.

[Cap Mandrake]

You find out which one of those 4 airfields on Northern Luzon is ungarrisoned....you land a Marine Raider Bn there by APD...there is no time for prep so you take the 50% disruption but they still take the base...you fly in 100 P-39/40 from Jolo along with aviation support...and the next day you land a division of infantry, AA unit, CD unit by amphibious load.

What could go wrong?[:)] Of course you only start to recon while your ships are already on their way...maybe even one day out.

[sprior]

I think JJ might get very cross with us.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: sprior

I think JJ might get very cross with us.

Do you mean "cross" in a bad way? [:)]

[sprior]

"Cross" as in "angry".

So, do we still want to go for Palembang or do we want to commit to this act of madness instead?

And if so can I still have the RN back for my Burma ops?

[Cap Mandrake]

All those boys headed for Ceylon are transport loaded, I think. To be any use they would have to disemark and reload as amphibious.

Perth maybe? Or they could transit North of Oz and take off from Darwin.

Shutting down the South China Sea is functionally equivalent to taking Palembang...even worse.

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

All those boys headed for Ceylon are transport loaded, I think. To be any use they would have to disemark and reload as amphibious.

Perth maybe? Or they could transit North of Oz and take off from Darwin.

Shutting down the South China Sea is functionally equivalent to taking Palembang...even worse.

I concur with this .. fundamentally you cut off the entire DEI by sealing the South China Sea. Especally owning Puerto Princesa In my latest PBEM I was much more agressive in my Burma campaign so in Sep 1943 I have Southeast Asia undercontrol but Nimitz has lacked the initiaitve and the PI bases have not been seized . yet ..[;)] Anyway I mention this because I have experinced its effectiveness [8D]

[sprior]

Now that PH has fallen they should be able to transit hugging the north coast of Oz to Darwin. We can combat load them there.