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

[Crackaces]

Just a thought .. the best place for the Allies to engage the IJ is Northern Australia. There is this Myth that the Allies cannot supply an Army in those parts. Take a look at my ol' AAR and US/Aussies have a field day overrunning IJA units and bombing them while they cannot take cover ... Now your opponent might not realize this and be cautious ..but I can say it is a wonderful place to slaughter the LYB's ... [8D]

[Cribtop]

No doubt, but we are certain CF's land based army near Daly is out of supply (no flak bursts). Now, a big army operating out of Broome with seaborne supply in quantity? Time to run. However, we are intrigued that it appears CF hasn't landed a big army, which is the crux of the opportunity.

[Alfred]

My initial view is that you are trying to construct a too elaborate operation without the fundamental prerequisites in place to justify it.

1. The really important campaign for the foreseable future is the Assam counter operation. Because of the scale of forces involved it has the potential to deliver a crippling blow to Allied capabilities and create significant flow through benefits elsewhere.

2. The Allied forces involved in the Broome are insufficient to lift that theatre above being a sideshow. Hence even a successful destruction of the Allied expeditionary force amounts to nothing but potentially could sidetrack Imperial forces away from more important tasks.

3. The Broome landing does not amount to a flanking opperation. Your basic defensive posture in the Northern Territory is not compromised any further by the potential appearance of the Allied expeditionary force at the lines of 2nd Army around Daly Waters.

4. The Allied expeditionary force cannot live off the land. It must continuously import supply as it is already in a terrain blockade even without the presence of any IJN assets.

5. Do not get sucked into a major land campaign in the Northern Territory. That means that stripping land reserves from elsewhere is dubious. You will have plenty of reserves available after the conclusion of the Assam campaign.



A much simpler plan will suffice.

A. Do not be concerned about the loss of Broome. The more Allied forces are deposited there, the greater the demand on their SLOC and the fewer assets left for operations into more dangerous areas for the Empire. The real long term danger from an enemy held Broome is the development of its airfield to accommodate 4Es. In the short term there are cheaper ways of addressing that long term threat than what you are currently proposing.

B. Don't waste time attempting to create a cordon sanitaire using subs and holding back the KB. Just send in the KB immediately. You should be able to position it astride the retreat path of whatever Allied ships are involved in this operation.


Essentially this will be only a naval operation, with limited LBA assistance. Northern Australia is only a delaying operation for you. Assam is where the big prize lies.

Alfred

[Lecivius]

"but the size of the invasion TF (9 ships) would make this seem improbable"

I know you realize this, but 9 ships is not enough for that division...

[Cribtop]

Good point, Alfred. Perhaps we should leave 48th Div in place. I certainly agree that a big land campaign in NW Oz is a sideshow, I was just trying to scrape something up to eventually re-take Broome if CF leaves it weakly defended, but one of the available 170ish garrison units can probably accomplish the task just as handily.

Levicius - True, but my assumption is that my pilots are slightly underreporting the actual TF size, so a few more ships may make it "just enough" for the division. However, I doubt the TF is "bigger enough" that a second or third LCU is present. Then again, he could have a second wave in the offing.

[adm]

I suspect an invasion attempt may make this your Midway. Clubbing the CVs should be a good move, just don't over commit with a scratch force and lose far more than you gain.

[Cribtop]

Thanks for the input, all! I believe we will follow the consensus and simply go get the enemy Navy!

[alaviner]

bump

[temagic]

Happy New Year! *bumb*

[Cribtop]

Thanks for the bumps, all! The game slowed over the holidays as both CF and I spent time with family. However, we have run three turns recently and I'll update soon. Not too much happening yet - armies of both sides on the march in India and Burma. We calculate that KB will arrive off Exmouth four days after the last turn we ran. It appears likely this arrival will coincide with the withdrawing Allied fleets. Cribtop Intel puts the odds of a major naval battle occurring at 70%. Stay tuned!

[ny59giants]

Criptop and I have agreed NOT to talk about pro football for many many months to come. [:@]

[;)]

[SqzMyLemon]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Criptop and I have agreed NOT to talk about pro football for many many months to come. [:@]

[;)]

Patriots are in, of course. Just think what they might do without Eli in the picture.

[Cribtop]

Football has forsaken me. Except for the Gamecocks! Longhorns won, too, but the program in Austin is in grave danger of going into "Florida State mode" - a long decline b/c your head coach is allowed to stay too long. At least this version of the Cowboys played hard before missing the playoffs, but Romo pulled another Romo. There's really no excuse for the Pats to mess up a Super Bowl run this year, but the NFL parity means anyone can win.

Meanwhile, I'm reduced to figuring out who to pull for as A&M plays OU on Friday. Ugh.

[yamo1]

As a life long Cowboy fan I feel entitled to dump on Romo. He finds ways to lose games much the same as Staubach found ways to win them. He is the Anti-Staubach. He is Joe Pisarcik. [:(]

[Cribtop]

January 28, 1943

Back from a vacation and football watching induced delay at last

Subs

Both I-153 and I-17 are DC'd by escorts of the enemy CVTF near Broome. We guessed right and got 7 subs in the hex with enemy carriers but this is the sum total of the action. Sigh.

5th Fleet

Etorofu goes to forts 4. Can't forget the Kuriles!

Southern Army

Lots of action near Broome. Our night torpedo attacks go after the transport shipping and SCTF escorts in the Broome hex with singularly disappointing results. 27 Bettys, 27 Nells and 13 Emilys make runs but no hits. We got the bomb drop animation instead of torpedoes, but all planes were within range and torps were expended by the HQs. What gives?

We spot what appears to be a second wave TF approaching Broome. The base hex at Broome is occupied by the rowboat corps.

Burma

Our paradrop at Myitkyina fails! A British Brigade was in the hex all along per CF, and they wipe out part of the 2nd Raiding Regiment. Ugh. I got the DL up to 8 or 9, in my experience with that DL the hex won't appear empty, but this one did. An annoying but not fatal setback, except for the commander of the local Dinah group - it was fatal for that guy.

Tuang Gyi forts go to four, which is timely. Recon shows enemy LCUs at Schwebo and Mandalay marching toward Meiktila.

Imphal goes to airfield 8.

Whirlwind

Today the RAF makes a big push at Cox's Bazaar and gets smacked. A series of sweeps by Hurricanes runs into a crack Tojo group and a few Rufes from a CS with the invasion fleet flying low. The Hurris pounce on the Rufes and give up the bounce to Mr. Tojo. Although the later sweeps find our CAP getting tired and losses get closer to even as the day goes on, the total A2A is 30:16 in our favor. No bombers go for the invasion fleet.

Unloading is 90% complete, and the main body of 17th Army moves out. Banzai!

Other

George advances R&D. Nice.

[obvert]

Southern Army

Lots of action near Broome. Our night torpedo attacks go after the transport shipping and SCTF escorts in the Broome hex with singularly disappointing results. 27 Bettys, 27 Nells and 13 Emilys make runs but no hits. We got the bomb drop animation instead of torpedoes, but all planes were within range and torps were expended by the HQs. What gives?

I've had the happen a lot recently as well, for undetermined reasons. There has been plenty of supply, the bombers were actually flying from the HQa base, they were set to TT, at between 2k-7k, good flight commanders and pilots, and they had escorts. Once I thought it was because the intended target was LCTs, which are fairly shallow draft, but at other points I've had Netties go for PTs with TT and launch.

Does anyone have insight to why the switch is happening from what is set to the actual ordnance used?

[Cribtop]

Especially given that it appears bombs are dropped but then that the relevant Air HQs have expended torpedoes!? That really threw me for a loop.

PS - now about three days behind the game, but plan to catch up now that college football is over with.

[Cribtop]

January 29, 1943

Playing catchup today as it appears a carrier battle off the coast of Oz is imminent. If we win that battle, the entire UK battle line and some very large invasion convoys will be destroyed shortly thereafter. Oh, my!

Subs

The cat and mouse with the enemy fleet near Port Hedland and Broome continues. I-35 misses a DD in a big SCTF near Broome. Escorts of an obvious second wave invasion TF harass I-9 near Broome. Over by Ceylon, I-166 misses a DD in a cruiser TF and takes a penetrating hit in return. Is this a sortie by the Royal Navy in the Bay of Bengal? If so, it's too late to interfere with Whirlwind.

A Sally claims a hit on Sawfish near Taihoku. There's a definite uptick in enemy sub ops in the East China Sea lately.

5th Fleet

Anchorage goes to airfield 7.

SE Fleet

Torokina goes to airfield 3. We have airlifted all of 20th Division that can fit on a plane back to Shortlands. Transport ships will pull this element back to Truk. The rest of the unit, still on Tulagi, will be picked up by small, expendable ships.

Southern Army

No night torpedo attacks today at Broome. A shame as the moon is now waning and this was probably the last real chance.

We sweep Broome from Koepang with 90 Zeros to test the enemy's defenses. We are surprised that only a few P-40Ns rise to meet us, there is no CV LRCAP or CVE CAP. Although the A2A results are a lopsided 8:3, Ops losses on the long way home even the score at 8 apiece per Tracker. Few pilots are lost, but with these crack pilots this is one attritional battle we plan to avoid until it is time to unleash LBA in conjunction with KB.

Combined Fleet

KB is now a few days out from the NW tip of Oz and has re-fueled from the Fleet Oilers. If CF lets us cut him off, the Decisive Battle could be in the offing.

Whirlwind

Today an Allied brigade SAs Tezpur and destroys the element of 1st Raiding Regt present there. The rail line is now open. We will see how much force CF can bring in to the Chittagong region toward which 17th Army is currently marching. If he can bring too much, we will go with plan B and seize Akyab.

As expected, the enemy ceases air attacks at Cox's Bazaar - Japanese air superiority in Burma and India is unchallenged for now.

China

Ichang makes airfield 6. Daily bombings of Chungking rarely hit supplies now, but it is about the only Chinese base with flak bursts. Cribtop Intel interprets this to mean supplies in China are gone except for the daily allotment at the Capital. The objective of Operation Red Tail, the air offensive here, is thus achieved.

[Cribtop]

January 30, 1943

Subs

I-1 misses a DD in the enemy CVTF, which moved closer to Broome to protect the second wave there. I-153 and I-9 are chased off by escorts of the same TF. Frustrating we can't get at the carriers! Both I-1 and I-9 are hit by DCs and must withdraw. The only good news is that several enemy DDs are running out of ASW ammo.

IJN convoy escorts harass Drum near Sasebo.

Southern Army

As mentioned, the enemy CVTF takes a relatively exposed position NNW of Broome to cover unloading of the second wave. We consider an LBA sortie but decide CF is likely to move the CVs back tomorrow, leaving us coming for the invasion TFs at Broome. While CF didn't LRCAP this base yesterday, we can't assume he'll leave it open tomorrow, and we want to be ready with everything for the coming carrier battle.

Burma

The enemy stack marching on Prome (2 Indian Divisions and a recon unit) shifts directions under heavy air attack. They now show move arrows to both the SE and E, in the general direction of Toungoo. We can block this move easily using reserves at Prome. We would welcome him crossing a river into the 1st IJA Armored Division at those odds.

In a hilarious move no doubt exploited by Tokyo Rose, Mandalay is occupied by pro-Japanese partisans today. Short-lived fun!

Whirlwind

All TFs finish unloading and the last echelons hurry to re-join the already marching 17th Army. All remaining IJN TFs will begin withdrawing to Singapore tomorrow. That's one headache over with. We are pleased that all supplies were also unloaded, leaving healthy stocks at CB for use by the army.

[Cribtop]

January 31, 1943

Subs

I-156 is chased off by escorts of a troop convoy near Broome.

Sunfish torpedoes and sinks an xAK near Sasebo. Drum obliterates a shiny new ASW SC with good DCs sent to attack her. Time for more ASW air here.

SE Fleet

A small TF of kamikaze xAKs loads the elements of 20th Division left behind by the air transports at Tulagi.

Southern Army

There are now two enemy LCUs showing at Broome as the second wave unloads. Enemy CVs move back to a hex just off Port Hedland as predicted. A Japanese Air HQ approaches Koepang. Lomblen forts go to level 4.

Combined Fleet

KB is just south of a line between Christmas IO and Cocos. The enemy's only escape route to Perth will close soon. Today Cribtop HQ orders the Yamato/Mushashi TF and the Timor Sea Squadron (4 Mogamis and DDs) to come under the operational command of Combined Fleet for the duration of Operation Katana - the naval battle off NW Oz. Together with another 4 CA SCTF traveling with KB and the Fleet Oilers, a large percentage of the IJN is ready for the coming battle. The Yamato TF is close by Denpasar, Timor Sea Squadron is near Waingapoe. Intention is for the three SCTFs to swoop in to feast if KB is victorious against the Allied CVs.

Burma

The Allies re-occupy rebel controlled Mandalay today, but the propaganda victory is already won by Japan.

Whirlwind

All TFs successfully withdraw without incident today. This marks the end of the amphibious portion of Operation Whirlwind. 17th Army actions in Burma and India will now be reported as part of the Burma AO.

China

Troops for Operation Scalpel move out today. We will test the enemy's defenses on the Kweiyang axis of approach. If they are starving we may break through. If not, this probe will withdraw.

Changsha makes level 6 forts in record time today. It will be some time before the KMT is ready to re-take the city.