Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, Docup(A)-Koniu(J)

[koniu]

I just read Wikipedia to find out how in RL war between Japan and Soviets in `45 looks.

And i found that formally Russia and Japan are still in war because Japan newer sing Peace Treaty. Japan is claiming that Kuriles are part of Japan and they are under Russia occupation.

[koniu]

11 March 43

Burma
Quiet. From tree days i try to force my bombers to attack Shwebo AF. Extreme overcast everywhere.AA guns end unloading process. Time to send them to Magwe, Mandalay and Rangoon.

Another ID will land in Rangoon in 4 days, Tomorrow 40k supplies will start unloading process.I have 2 SAGs protecting waters around Rangoon. In total i have 4 BB, 4CL and 8 DD in area. I have plans to naval bombard Akyab. Docup have there 200 planes.

Java/Sumatra
Christmas IO AF is open. Right now lvl 1 But arledy 27 Ki-45 is flying CAP.
Palembang have now fort 6 and i will now expend AF from 6 to 7

All extra supplies i building in Sumatra is transported to Burma right from now.
Java supplies and Borneo supplies are transported to South DEI.

Java fuel reserve low. After refueling all ships reserve is 12k

Marshals
Search planes detect enemy SAG approaching Mili. I have there few cargo ships with DL 4. Look like DDs or CL maybe. I have CA SAG on range. They will wait for them in mili hex tommarow.

KB is close but i hope Docup will not detect it.

Salomons
I have undetected Bombardment SAG (BB, CA, 2xDD) 7 hexes from Tagula but orders are changed.
Big Cargo TF detected in MB hex(10-12 ships). No enemy SAG only PT TF. Tagula need wait. SAG will strike with full power tomorrow morning. 45 A6M will give air cower.

Truk
I hope Taiho in Truk anchor is looking like entire KB.
13 DDs arrive to truk today. They have refuel using last Fuel. Tommarow few of them with 2 BB and two CA will sail toward Rabaul to replace ships damaged in last days.

72k tons of fuel is sailing to Truk. But this will be barely enough to keep fleet on sea. Reserve will be minimal

China
I have shock and force enemy troop to retreat behind river.
6000 KIA and almost 500 squads destroyed on Chinese side. Japan take almost no damage.


R&D
N1K1 George will be in production in 20 days. I will build 150/month and when N2 version enter production in July much more. Maybe 250 or more. George will be main navy LBA fighter for next 2 years.

N1K2 is advancing fast. I am able to advance it 420 points/month with engine bonus.

Ki-84a Frank still long before i will have single repaired factory but almost every day 2-3 of them are repaired so i think 12/43 is highly passable. Half of factories need to repair only 5 or six points so i am very optimistic.

Ki-84b factories repairing very very slow

D4Y2 advance to 12/43 all factories moved to research D4Y3. I hope to have it in 12/43

[koniu]

12 March 43

MB
Japanese ships try to destroy enemy cargo ships in hex. Again enemy SAG manage to stop me.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Milne Bay at 101,133, Range 17,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Nagato, Shell hits 5
CA Mogami, Shell hits 5
DD Yayoi, Shell hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Minazuki
DD Mochizuki, Shell hits 2, heavy fires

Allied Ships
CL Cleveland, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Jarvis
DD Dunlap, Shell hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Drayton

CA Mogami collides with DD Mochizuki at 101 , 133

Battle not go as planed, not only DD Yayoi will sunk tomorrow from heavy fires, but also DD Mochizuki is heavily damage after collision during battle (i see that first time) and is able to move only 6 knots. CA and BB will return to Rabaul to rearm but destroyers are alone

DD Dunlap sunk just after battle

I am losing to many DDs, For now I will think twice before DD will be send in range of enemy forces.

[obvert]

Intersting. Another mid-43 battle that looks pretty good for the IJN on paper, but doesn't go well. I guess the daytime hurt, but it still seems a BB and CA should be able to take care of that TF with only one good CL. I agree, it's starting to look difficult to do anything offensive unless I want to keep bleeding DDs profusely.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: obvert

Intersting. Another mid-43 battle that looks pretty good for the IJN on paper, but doesn't go well. I guess the daytime hurt, but it still seems a BB and CA should be able to take care of that TF with only one good CL. I agree, it's starting to look difficult to do anything offensive unless I want to keep bleeding DDs profusely.

Allied TF detect my forces at 23k(radar). Both TFs start to see each other at 17k.
As i can understand advantage of allied side in early part of battle. They cross "T" as they more time to move to batter combat position.
But after battle move to distance below 10k impact of radar should not be so big.

Battle go well. DD Dunlap eat 40cm shell and Cleveland 20cm hit. Most of enemy hits bounce from CA and BB armor.
Bad things start when CA Mogami collides with DD Mochizuki after that Cleveland have incredible accuracy. I was save when Nagato place 40cm shell in Cleveland and allied commander decide to disengage

[koniu]

Salomon`s situation

Things start to be more serous everyday.
Tagula and MB are AF lv 2 now and Terapo lvl 4.
PM i cut of and low on supplies.Fast transport TF is prepared but for that i need clean passage trough MB area.

I am sending 3BB(after 4 months in dry dock BB Haruna is back), 3CA and 3CL to Rabaul and maybe we will manage to clean waters from enemy SAGs and resupply PM and bomb MB and Tagula.

So for attepts to close airlifts from air and sea where unsuccessful costing me 120 planes (70 pilots) and tree DDs on sea and few damaged ships including damaged BB.

As I think air approach is not good chose here i will concentrate on sea.

Using KB is not option also i will not waste my best pilots to sunk few cargo ships. Enemy LBA CAP is just to strong. SO far i count 250 enemy figters in those tree bases.

On other hand Docup chose to start offensive in Salomon's is best option for me.It is most difficult road to Tokyo and defenely longest. An even losing Salomon's is not little close to danger of fighting against allies in DEI

Empire right now will focus on forcing allies to concentrate his resources at Salomon's and build up DEI and Pacific defenses. I need also start building Philipines, Borno.

koniu

[Swenslim]

You can send supplies to Buna and Lae, they will automaticaly move to PM.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: Swenslim

You can send supplies to Buna and Lae, they will automaticaly move to PM.

I doing that but they move slow trough jungle, and Buna and Lae are under constant air bombard so i losing more supplies that i am able to unload. That why i want at lest transport few hundred tones directly to PM

[koniu]

14 March 43

Burma
Another disappointing naval battle for Imperial Japanese Navy
On paper it was already won battle. but battles are not fight on paper.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Akyab at 54,45, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Hiei, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 1
BB Kirishima
BB Yamato, Shell hits 7
DD Susuzuki, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Yukikaze, Shell hits 1
DD Amatsukaze

Allied Ships
CA Pensacola, Shell hits 3, on fire
CL Birmingham, Shell hits 1
DE Isis
DD Napier, Shell hits 1
DD Nestor
DD Nizam
DD Norman, Shell hits 1

Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions and 57% moonlight: 8,000 yards

I am no blaming game or anybody else. Weather was major factor here.
Visibility was only 8k yards and most of battle was fight between 10-13k so radar play major role here. All ships are safe. My experience is telling me that BB Hiei will need spend in dry dock 2 months.

Tanaka aggressiveness allow him after battle to bombard akyab so at lest mission is not total failure even i destroy only 5 planes on ground.

Night Naval bombardment of Akyab at 54,45

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIc Trop: 22 damaged
Hurricane IIc Trop: 2 destroyed on ground
P-39D Airacobra: 11 damaged
Sea Hurricane Ib: 14 damaged
P-40K Warhawk: 10 damaged
P-40K Warhawk: 1 destroyed on ground
Mohawk IV: 5 damaged
139WH-3: 7 damaged
Hurricane I Trop: 3 damaged
Catalina I: 4 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Yamato
BB Kirishima

Allied ground losses:
63 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled

Manpower hits 1
Fires 1841
Airbase hits 24
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 58
Port hits 6
Port fuel hits 1
Port supply hits 1

R&D
Aircraft N1K2-J George advances R&D to 9/44

[koniu]

15 March 43

Burma
Battleships on safe waters. Yamato and Hiei need return to Singapore. First to rearm second for repairs.

Singapore
20 TK is anchored in Singer Port. Right now there is not enough fuel and oil to them.

Salmonons
I em sending another BB TF south. This time 3xBB and 4xDD. I will have them close to Tagula and MB. If something worh of burnig fuel will be detected i will strike.

Marshals.
KB still undetected north of Makin. I send some cargo ships and small CA SAG as bait. Maybe Docup will send SAG or better CV TF to intercept.

Truk
BB Nagato and CA Mogami need to sail to Japan for repairs after MB naval engagement. I will use that occasion to send Mogami to April refit

Nagato can be repaired in Truk(no major damage) but it will take 70 days so better to send it to Japan and make that time shorter by half in shipyard and alow Truk port to spend rapair point on smaller ships.

70k fuel tree days from port. 40k will go to Truk, 30k to Rabaul.

[koniu]

16 March 43

Timor/Ceram
First time during war enemy bombers mined ports from air.
How many mine cans B25 Mitchell drop? I am sending mine sweepers to area. Nearest are in Singer so it will take we days before they clean ports.

Morning Air attack on Boela , at 80,110

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 12

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
12 x B-25C Mitchell laying Mk 13 Mine from 7000 feet *

and

Morning Air attack on Koepang , at 68,116

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 67 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 19 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 15

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
15 x B-25C Mitchell laying Mk 13 Mine from 7000 feet




Salomon's
I lost AO from TT hit north of Rabaul.
It is second AO lost during war so without panic.

Sub attack near Emirau Island at 103,121

Japanese Ships
AO Shinkoku Maru, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires
E Hatsukari

Allied Ships
SS Tautog, hits 1

Ki-49 attack MB at night. Night CAP intercept but my bombers manage to get to targets damaging few enemy fighters in process

Night Air attack on Milne Bay , at 101,133

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 92 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 29 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 8

Allied aircraft
P-70 Havoc x 8

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
8 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 12000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb

Some CAP have air radar

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: koniu
First time during war enemy bombers mined ports from air.
How many mine cans B25 Mitchell drop? I am sending mine sweepers to area. Nearest are in Singer so it will take we days before they clean ports.

Get ready, this is a common allied tactic. Wait until the B-29 arrives with its range. You will need to have AMc's deployed at most ports and then groups of AM's ready to clear choke points. The allies get a fair number of air mines and they have great platforms to deploy them.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: koniu
First time during war enemy bombers mined ports from air.
How many mine cans B25 Mitchell drop? I am sending mine sweepers to area. Nearest are in Singer so it will take we days before they clean ports.

Get ready, this is a common allied tactic. Wait until the B-29 arrives with its range. You will need to have AMc's deployed at most ports and then groups of AM's ready to clear choke points. The allies get a fair number of air mines and they have great platforms to deploy them.

I early months of game i convert many minesweepers to AMC and different classes. I will have to reconvert some ships back to minesweepers. Lucky most of them can be reconverted.

Good side of air mining is that You will always know about that so no surprise mine hits. Also minefields after that kind of mining are detected from beginning and i notice that detected minefields are less effective from non detected minefields.

What mines are air mines. Mk 13 Mine for sure, but others?

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: koniu
I early months of game i convert many minesweepers to AMC and different classes. I will have to reconvert some ships back to minesweepers. Lucky most of them can be reconverted.

We all do the same thing! Convert. Back convert. [:D]

[koniu]

17-21 March 43

Quiet days. No major operation. Usual things. Bombards, ASW actions.

Burma
No movement of LCUs. I think allies have troubles suppling central Burma. My fighters start intercepting enemy transports above Shwebo. Troop numbers aren't grooving so i think he transporting supplies. I keeping pressure on Shwebo and other base in Burma wit bombers. I am losing many planes so i will fly high now. I only want to keep his flak shotting and using supplies.
In few day i will garrison Ramree Island. That will secure rears for troop south of Akyab

Sumatra/Java
Quiet. Area for now is secure. At lest until allies get new toys.
Sumatra is almost dry for oil and fuel. I am able to transport almost all to singer wher i load everything on Big tankers. Today 70k fuel and 30k oil will sail from Singer to Japan. I slowly changing tactic. I will stop using small convoys from now only big with decent ASW.

Cocoss island in now LVL 4 AF[:(]

Timor
Also Qiuet. Biggest action in last few days was mine sweeping of Koepang.

Salomons.
Another Qouiet area. I have mined few bases where i expecting enemy subs have to cross to arrive to patrol areas north of New Britain.

Pacific
I end reinforcing Pacific Islands (for now). All major island of first defense line have at lest 200AV garrison behind fort 6. Later i will send few tank units to give them some hard support. But first i need to find PP to buy them.

China
We cut of Sian again. I will engage enemy troops on rough terrain soon. I have 1700AV against 1400AV on Chinese side. I think i will be ok. I have 3th Tank Div so they should get trough enemy lines i only waiting to supplies change to white.

In north china i sooted enemy troop trying to cut of my units from supply lines. I sending cavalry to deal with them.

KB
Anchored in ************. Ships fuel refueled and waiting to engage enemy.
Currently KB is build from 6 CV and one CVL.
3 CV and CVL are in Japan repairing and waiting for April refits. MKB in Singer(4xCVE+CVL) all will go to April refit.

In 30 days two Unryu`s will join fleet. I hope that on 1 May KB will have 10 CV and CVL. With one CV rotating to finish refits.

Ship repairs
I have 3 BB is shipyards. Two will require 100 days of repairs third 200 days[:(].
Also 4 CA and 10 DD is repairing in Japan but they will be in service in `10-20 days

Future
I am preparing to defend in Salomon's and Timor area. It look like Docup is hold his big moves until he will get F6F and Essex`s[&:].
I cant have anything better from A6M5 in CV but i hope that all DB and half of TB will be upgraded to D4Y1 and B6N1 by end of April.

For LBA i hope to have at lest 100 operational N1K1`s they will go first to Burma and Rabaul.

R&D
N1K1 will start to be produced in 10 days
N1K2 advance to 8/44 (building 14 points/day)
B6N2 advance to 5/43

[obvert]

For your N1K1 make sure you have a few really big bases with lots of support built. Those planes are good but after one day of big battles half of a group with be on the ground.

Also, I'd worry more now about your second line of defense near new Britain and NE New GUinea rather than any more on atolls in the Marshalls. 200 AV is enough to make him take time, which is what you want. If he wants those islands another tank rgt. won't stop him. But areas in the condensed space of So Pac and SW Pac will need some bases that can hold for a bit. More like 300-400 AV. Once the Allies get rolling in late 43-early 44, it's tough to slow things down.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: obvert

For your N1K1 make sure you have a few really big bases with lots of support built. Those planes are good but after one day of big battles half of a group with be on the ground.

I planing to have

* ~50 Georges in Burma. Most of fight will be made by IJA there.
* ~50 will Protect Palembang area together with 60 Ki-45KAIa)
* ~50 Georges together with 50 Ki-45KAIa will protect Soerabaja and Balikpapan (not sure that i will have enough units)
* ~50 will base in Koepang together with many Ki-44IIc
* ~70 Georges and mix of A6M5 and Ki-44IIc will fight on Salomon`s

Main job for most of N1K will be to protect oil fields and Industry already in allied bomber range. (in 10 days strategic bombing will be allowed)

In three months it should be easier to maintain George in sarvice becouse i planing N1K2 entering production in July

[obvert]

Wow, that's soon for the N1K2. I'm just getting it in 2/44! [:)]

Sounds like a plan. Against unescorted bombers the George can do very well.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: obvert

Wow, that's soon for the N1K2. I'm just getting it in 2/44! [:)]

Fast but expensive it will cost 16k extra HI but I think it is best plane Japanese Navy can have until A7M or Shinden arrive
I am building 14 points daily from 7 factories(engine bonus). He advancing one month every 7 days. Having K2 so early will mean i will be able to use it from small/medium AF. With XP i have with Ki-45 a can tell SR 2 i manageable even with minimal AV support.

[koniu]

22 March 43

Burma
Mandalay is AF lvl 5. Good it will help during monsoon season.

Cocos Island
Japanese sub heavily damage enemy xAK unloading supplies but in process find mine. Sub will survive.

Truk
USN sub attack ecort covoy north of Base. After few DC hits sub was forces to surface but my Es not manage to hit her even once[&:]. she was left with fires and heavy damaged

China
My troops are ready to attack north of Sian. Supplies white, no fatigue and disruption.
100 bombers will support that attack. It will be bloody