Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58
Annotation was easier than I thought once I figured out you don't have to write with the "pencil" cursor. [:)]

[:D]

Edit:

Paint.net is really nice. You can do really cool looking maps with bending arrows and stuff like you see in the "Battlefield" TV series. But as it is more advanced it takes a little bit longer to fiddle with.

[Bullwinkle58]

April 8, 1942

Workmanlike

Now that FUDD is out of the bag and progressing, much of each turn is spent watching progress toward launch points, tweaking replacement settings and op modes, and counting assets versus jobs. The rest of the day was low-key.

1) A fair bit of air activity in China. Continuous bombing of the mountain stack, which has to be costing more in ops losses than it's costing China. The Tsuyung Japan stack has not moved even as the former defenders' retreat to Paoshan continues. Turning off fort-building there did result in very moderate supply growth inside the garrison LCUs, but only about 40 supply per day is accruing. The transports for Ledo are in the Aden wormhole bound for Karachi.

2) Near Chungking the road-recon has now picked up three LCUs in two locations. Each is bombed and strafed. No losses, just harassment.

3) In Burma, the Chinese corps looking to merge for the attack on Prome have been seen and the cross-river one is bombed again in the open. Losses are light, but they'll be happy to get across the river.

4) Singers gets very light sweeps and bombing. No CAP is present. Forts build on from 3.

5) The recon unit approaching Ponianak is twice bombed by 4Es, recording 3 squads of disabled. Samarinda, on the other side of Borneo, is hit by B-17s at 1000 feet, which seems to handcuff the CAP severely. 3 Oil hits and no damage on the Forts at all.

6) Bataan gets a large amount of bombing. As an experiment and to keep Japan on its heels, the Allies launch a lone xAK with supply from Palembang toward Bataan at Full speed. I give it 10% odds at best, but 1200 supply would keep Bombardment as an Allied option.

7) USS Arizona finishes repairs at EC. Probably destined for Colombo.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58
Annotation was easier than I thought once I figured out you don't have to write with the "pencil" cursor. [:)]

[:D]

Edit:

Paint.net is really nice. You can do really cool looking maps with bending arrows and stuff like you see in the "Battlefield" TV series. But as it is more advanced it takes a little bit longer to fiddle with.

Yep. I did look and I will d/l it today. It does look like it has a learning curve. But Paint's Undo set-up makes me want to scream. I need a lot of Undoing . . .

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58
Annotation was easier than I thought once I figured out you don't have to write with the "pencil" cursor. [:)]

[:D]

Edit:

Paint.net is really nice. You can do really cool looking maps with bending arrows and stuff like you see in the "Battlefield" TV series. But as it is more advanced it takes a little bit longer to fiddle with.

Yep. I did look and I will d/l it today. It does look like it has a learning curve. But Paint's Undo set-up makes me want to scream. I need a lot of Undoing . . .

Paint.net has a fairly small learning curve (for steep try some like GIMP). Here is one hint that will save you massive amounts of time. Work with different layers. So you take a screen pic, say in a jpg file. Edit it with Paint.net. If all you want to do is annotate/add stuff (as opposed to changing colors or other fancy stuff!), you should immediately create a second layer. Then you put your arrows, etc. in that second layer. Move them around as you want to without destroying the pic underneath!

The trick is that nothing you do in a layer affects other layers. Just remember that higher layers over-write what is underneath them. When you are satisfied that you have everything the way you want it, you 'merge down' that layer onto the original layer (that action combines the layers). Then you save the file (jpg files can only have one layer so you have to merge them down together before you can save to jpg file type).

A mini-moose tutorial:
Some times you want to write text and put it in a box with a solid background so it is more readable. Use multiple layers, like so.

Layer 4 (highest layer) = text
Layer 3 = boxes around text
Layer 2 = arrows and such
Layer 1 (lowest layer) = original screen pic

Edit the file. Immediately click on 'create new layer 3 times to make three new layers. Select Layer 2 and put in your arrows, etc. Select Layer 4 and add text where you want it. Select Layer 3 and (using the rectangle tool) make boxes around the text. Then use the paint can tool to fill the boxes with the color you want behind the text. When down, select Layer 4 and click on 'merge layer down', then do it again, then do it again. Now you are back to one layer, so save the file. Done!

[witpqs]

Double post - I had an Internet hiccup at this end!

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Double post - I had an Internet hiccup at this end!

That's OK. My head is spinning from the first one. [:)]

I'm a hands-on learner when it comes to software. Ill poke around.

[Bullwinkle58]

April 9, 1942

'Round And 'Round It Goes, Where It Stops Nobody Knows

Right on cue with the thread in the main forum on PBEM cover messages sent with moves I got the mail for 4/9 with the title "Sucky Movie." I knew I had not done anything which could have resulted in this (soon I hope!), so I assumed I had sunk a carrier or something. Instead, the Singapore Rope-a-Dope continues. I need a strutting Ring Girl to tell me which round this is. Anybody got some poster board and bangles?

1) Singers. Intense day. Saturation bombing with just massive Japanese losses and damage to heavy bombers. One raid with 17 damaged and one lost did no damage or injury to the Allies at all. Zip. Oscars spend over 50 sorties attacking two MLs and sink one, for a lone VP and one probable ops loss. Then the attack. Once again (Ring Girl?) it is a Deliberate attack with no different OOB than last time, except, probably, a lot of un-recovered engineers. I don't understand the division of labor in the Japanese land forces between Singers, China's 109,000-man stack sitting in the mountains, and premium forces refusing to finish off Bataan.

Here it is:

Ground combat at Singapore (50,84)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 17398 troops, 485 guns, 247 vehicles, Assault Value = 3347

Defending force 41014 troops, 565 guns, 366 vehicles, Assault Value = 888

Japanese adjusted assault: 175

Allied adjusted defense: 5423

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 30 (fort level 3)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), leaders(+), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
2726 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 208 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 23 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 19 disabled
Guns lost 41 (1 destroyed, 40 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
277 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 27 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 10 disabled
Guns lost 5 (2 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Vehicles lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Assaulting units:
2nd Tank Regiment
Karafuto Mixed Brigade
55th Infantry Regiment
41st Infantry Regiment
5th Division
113th Infantry Regiment
12th Engineer Regiment
24th Infantry Regiment
114th Infantry Regiment
15th Ind. Engineer Regiment
Imperial Guards Division
56th Recon Regiment
16th Infantry Regiment
148th Infantry Regiment
21st Division
4th Division
53rd Division
56th Infantry Regiment
56th Engineer Regiment
4th Guards Division
3rd Mortar Battalion
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
23rd Ind. Engineer Regiment
18th Mountain Gun Regiment
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
25th Army
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
4th Ind. Engineer Regiment
1st RF Gun Battalion
2nd Mortar Battalion
20th AA Regiment
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
20th Ind. Mtn Gun Battalion
56th Field Artillery Regiment
10th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
5th Mortar Battalion
34th Field AA Battalion

Defending units:
2nd Loyal Battalion
2/17 Dogra Battalion
3rd Cavalry Regiment
27th Australian Brigade
3rd SSVF Battalion
11th Indian Division
1st Hyderabad Battalion
22nd Australian Brigade
SSVF Brigade
9th Indian Division
110th RAF Base Force
Singapore Fortress
3rd HK&S Light AA Regiment
Singapore Base Force
3rd Heavy AA Regiment
FMSV Brigade
Malaya Army
Malayan Air Wing
1st ISF Base Force
3rd ISF Base Force
2nd HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
24th NZ Pioneer Coy
2nd ISF Base Force
III Indian Corps
111th RAF Base Force
109th RAF Base Force
1st Manchester Battalion
112th RAF Base Force
1st Indian Heavy AA Regiment
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
1st HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
109th RN Base Force

Casualties this time are overwhelmingly Japanese. Forts are not reduced. (They were 3 + 1%) Prior to the attack the Allied units in the base had done a good job with what they have to work with. The Aussie 6th had recovered AV from 6 to 18 due, I think, to lavish supply available to use for disabled squads. Anyway, status quo here, and more time for FUDD to kick off.

2) At sea, the sub war picks up near the PI. The first evidence seen that tankers are indeed calling on northern Borneo. No sign of them around Balikpapan, but an RN sub sniffs one out today, headed north.

Sub attack near Kanoya at 106,66

Japanese Ships
xAK Asakaze Maru, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires (sunk sound heard)
xAK Onoe Maru
xAK Toa Maru
PB Shinko Maru #2

Allied Ships
SS Pollack

Sub attack near San Fernando at 79,73

Japanese Ships
xAK Toyu Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage (confirmed sunk in Ops Report)
xAK Yamahagi Maru
PB Fuji Maru #3

Allied Ships
SS Trusty

ASW attack near Hengchun at 81,68

Japanese Ships
DD Asagiri
TK Kyoko Maru

Allied Ships
SS Truant

SS Truant launches 6 torpedoes at DD Asagiri (No!)

Listed only because this kind of follow-up by a different boat is so rare:

Sub attack near Laoag at 80,72

Japanese Ships
xAK Toyu Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
PB Shonon Maru #10

Allied Ships
SS KXI

3) Bataan is bombed, but not attacked.

High levels of China bombing, mostly Sallys. A rag-end marching north for months is finally killed off near Sian by about 40 Sally sorties. This unit consumed, probably, 800 sorties for a one-third A/ fragment of a 30% TOE unit beginning in January and continuing roughly daily.

4) The hovering stack NE of Tsuyung is bombed again. The other two stacks on the yellow road are nearing merge with it. Down NW of Chungking, the tank unit seen and strafed the last two days looks like it is trying to reverse stopper the yellow road to prevent supply from flowing up the yellow road through the mountains. Right now there is still a clean route, but it might be closed soon. If it is I may have to sally forth, or attack Tsuyung, mega-stack to mega-stack. For now, the clock runs. Paoshan gets stronger.

5) Forts re-hit Samarinda at 1000 feet, and do 9 Oil hits. Interesting no CAP has been shifted here. Balikpapan has a stong one, and recon shows no Oil damage, or perhaps what was done has been repaired. But Japan seems willing to lose pieces of any Oil base except Big B.

6) The BB TF seen last week is re-spotted hovering near Kendari. Don't know why.

7) The three incoming USN carriers are near Pearl. Yorktown takes DB replacements in-port Pearl. The ships are ready at Pearl, the landing forces are there as well. As soon as the carriers come in Operation RIFF-RAFF, the assault on Johnson Island, will load and weigh anchor.

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

...Anybody got some poster board and bangles?

Do you mean "pasties"?

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

...Anybody got some poster board and bangles?

Do you mean "pasties"?

Up here that's a meat pie! [:)]

I was trying to keep it G-rated. [8|]

I assume you are far too young to recognize the cartoon character?

[Bullwinkle58]

April 10, 1942

Fortress Palembang

1) Today I am prepared to begin calling it by this name. After months of sweat in the sun and snakes the Dutch and British engineers go over Level 4. Each man is issued a cookie (OK, a "biscuit"), and sent back to work on Level 5. Supplies are near 130,000 and growing daily. Fuel is well over 300,000, but the Allies are pulling that out for use in Oz as fast as it will load.

2) Based on the last attack Japan knows Singers got back to Forts 3 in record time. Air assaults on the air field step up again with over 130 heavy bombers overhead, and circa 60 Oscars hitting the ML tooling around the harbor. The former do easily-handled amounts of damage and the latter do sink the ML for a 1-VP bag. Three Oscars leave with damage. The battle at Singers left the base with about 42,000 supply. More can be sent in if needed.

3) The lone xAK sent arrowing toward Bataan with a load of 2400 supply retreats from surface forces north of Singkawang. I don't see the TF, but then again I also forgot to put the ship on Absolute routing. No attacks on Bataan today except some light bombing. There might be time to get the supplies in.

4) In China the daily bombing of the NE Tsuyung stack continues with light casualties. About half of the incoming LCUs have joined this stack now and it is becoming quite substantial. Down NW of Chungking Chinese fighters strafe the tank regiment threatening to close the yellow road through the mountains and find two tank regiments now, 5th and 12th. This is a very good chess move by Japan if the supply stopper is put in place. It leaves a very large Chinese force between two Japanese-held endpoints, one near Chungking and one at Tsuyung. The internal supply levels in the stack are poor. But as a force in being it is holding the Tsuyung 110,000 men in place. Tanks coming through the mountains are no danger to the Chinese by themselves. If the tanks do penetrate up the yellow road China will consider re-stoppering the road behind THEM. But that decision is weeks away.

5) Re FUDD, key minesweepers are about four days from coming out of upgrade at Colombo. As well, Allied HQ blew it by not buying-out the core 100% prepped assault division for Rangoon, sitting at Madras. Need about 5-6 days of PPs to get that done. FUDD has a lot of moving parts and I'm getting some light intel and recon hints Japan's spidey senses are tingling. Hitting Prome will be possible before the landings, so the phasing might be shuffled.

Good news at Toungoo though. The Japanese stack there seems to have grown and shows no movement dots. I have sent some Chinese units forward from the Mandalay group which will eventually invest that base, but for now only to wave their arms and jump up and down. I have seen no air or naval clues that Japan knows a move on Rangoon is imminent. I am sending enough that a stand-up fight will be a good risk for the Allies, especialy in the area of heavy armor from India. The first Chinese garrison-relief corps are on trains and well on their way to Bombay and Hyderabad.

6) RIFF-RAFF escorts need a couple of days pierside and they're ready. The carriers from CONUS should make Pearl tomorrow. Will detail the landing force when they load. Intel today shows "10th JAAF Base Force is located at Johnston Island(164,112)." Recon says there are two LCUs at Johnson. I'm sending enough that even a full regiment should be possible to handle. And I suspect the other is more a Naval Guard than a regiment.

[GreyJoy]

April 10 and he still hasn't conquered Palembang... that's really a problem for Japan.
 
Nice job there mate!

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

April 10 and he still hasn't conquered Palembang... that's really a problem for Japan.

Nice job there mate!

Thank you. [:'(]

Palembang is really pretty lightily held troops-wise. Just one of the smaller Brit divisions and a lot of Dutch scraps. I am really leaning on forts to do the job. Now if I can just get Burma underway I can put him to the test of choosing between Palembang's oil or losing Burma.

[Bullwinkle58]

April 11, 1942

Air Power

Both sides get their licks in.

1) It looks like the importance of Forts has sunk in at Singers. Today a large sweep, then 171 heavy bombers in seven raids pouind the air field. For sure no building will happen today. It's unlikely this level of effort can be kept up. Losses to the IJA air force are heavy.

2) AVG 1st Sqdr, still flying H81-A3s, sneak over to Paoshan and fly LRCAP over the Chinese stack in the mountains. A rude surprise for the unescorted bombing missions. Lillys: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged; Sallys: 1 and 1. Both raids disrupted; ground casualties are light.

3) Another Chinese scrap, marching overland for months near Sian, is eliminated by air. There are still two larger scraps moving toward Lanchow very slowly. Up north, the stand-off at Urmachi where Japan has had a small LCU parked outside the base where a very small Chinese defender, without even any arty at all, has been fort building with organic supplies for about two months. Another LCU is approaching from the south. Reports I have read in other AARs say the little bit of fuel at Urmachi does not flow down into China proper. Forts there are 2.5ish.

4) Palembang is swept twice, but left alone otherwise. Fuel haulers for OZ continue to work. The supply ship for Bataan is still unmolested and moving NE again. Intel picks up radio chatter at Bataan, so there may be an attack tomorrow.

5) Chinese fighters strafe the small stack, now 4 LCUs, heading to the road entrance through the high mountains NW of Chungking. A Chinese cavalry unit is sent to sit at the road junction behind this stack, which should cut its supply.

6) Landing ships for RIFF-RAFF are loading at Pearl.

Fancy foot-work with early air withdrawels buys over a day's worth of PPs. The Indian division at Madras 100% prepped for Rangoon needs two more days before it can be bought out.

[Bullwinkle58]

April 12, 1942

Operation RIFF-RAFF, Away!





1) Invasion of Johnson Island is underway. It's been months real-time since I organized anything like this, so we shall see.

Pretty pedestrian organization. All four USN CVs in one TF, with BBs, CAs, and DDs. Strike planes all on Naval plus secondary target. About half on air field, most of rest on port, one DB on ground. CAP about 40%, with one complete Wildcat squadron on 80/20 at 25,000 feet on overwatch. ASW mostly being handled by the DDs. BB recon on both day and night with multiple units flying.

Bombardment group on 7000 yd. stand-off.

Two assault waves. 7th Marines primary, with combat engineers and arty. Trailing, if needed, is US Army Ind. Reg. Third wave will stand offshore with Fighter HQ and base forces. Fourth wave is all supply.

Four DMSes lead everything. I don't know if there are mines there, but suspect yes since recon has shown an ACM there most days.

Location of KB is unknown, but I suspect either Kwajalein or Truk. If Japanese LCUs are what I think the fighting should be short and brutal, and the USN CVs can move off to overwatch. If not it could be interesting.

2) Singers bombed with nearly the intensity of yesterday. Fort building was halted yesterday. Singers begins next turn with AF damage at 6. Selectively resting engineers at Singers using Reserve. Some have morale less than 50. They're been working without a break since mid-December. Japanese lose a half-dozen bombers and incur a lot of damage.

Palembang swept but nothing else.

3) This combat encounter

ASW attack near Peleliu at 92,102

Japanese Ships
DD Yugao

Allied Ships
SS O23

is a large TF of some kind, out in open water in "odd" place. Might be landing force for Rabaul or NG bases such as Lae or Buna.

4) China bombing NE of Tsuyung continues with minor losses. Tanks continue toward stopper position on the eastern side of mountain yellow road and are strafed again. Chengtu, the anchor base for this road, goes to Forts 4.

5) Bataan bombed. Supply ship about half-way there, still not attacked.

Overall, just a day of air activity. Some adjustments to FUDD, but everything waiting on PPs to buy out one division. Then the whole thing swings into motion over two days.

[Bullwinkle58]

April 13, 1942

I Hate Zeroes

Movie email came with note: "Wow!" Given many of our turns are a bit, umm, dusty, this one was rockem-sockem. It promises to kick off a period of intense action in this game, in mid-Pac and Burma.

1) Operation RIFF-RAFF enters the shooting phase at Johnson Island.

a) Yesterday I re-thought the problem of mines, variant TF speeds, bombardments, etc. and ordered all TFs except minesweepers to approach and stop on the "h" in "Johnson Island" on the map. I ordered the air wings to attack from 6 hexes (a mistake in retrospect) with an assumption from lots of recon that the island had Zeroes, but no bombers.

b) The four minesweeper DMSes go in and immediataely find mini-subs. I had seen sub icons for a long tiome, but assumed the base was still being used as a transit fueling stop for I-boats as it was before Operation NEUMAN. The minesweepers shift to ASW mode and attack one mini, SSX Ha-8, for 2 hits. No minesweeping is noted. I don't know from experience if this means there are no mines, or if the ops points are eaten by the ASW and there could be mines. Great. (Later I find and attack a tender, which makes me think there are some. (ACM Choan Maru #2, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires)

c) Approaching in company with the first wave landing force and the bombardment group, the air wing launches at 6 hexes. Unfortunately, Japan has embellished the CAP at Johnson from 20 Zeroes to 45, and the range gives ample warning. The screenshot below might be the source of the "Wow." It's a first for Japan's eyes, but not a last by any means.





The Zeroes take on friends over many pulses, eating through the Wildcats and eventually to the strike planes.

Afternoon Air attack on Johnston Island , at 164,112

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 38 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 45

Allied aircraft
F4F-3A Wildcat x 7
F4F-3 Wildcat x 29
F4F-4 Wildcat x 4
SBD-2 Dauntless x 30
SBD-3 Dauntless x 75
TBD-1 Devastator x 60

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3A Wildcat: 2 destroyed
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
SBD-2 Dauntless: 1 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 3 destroyed, 7 damaged
TBD-1 Devastator: 4 destroyed, 3 damaged

Japanese Ships
ACM Choan Maru #2, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires

Japanese ground losses:
28 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 12
Port hits 4
Port supply hits 2

CAP engaged:
3rd Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (5 airborne, 11 on standby, 29 scrambling)
5 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters to 12000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 32 minutes

Also attacking 6th Base Force ...
Also attacking Johnston Island ...
Also attacking 10th JAAF Base Force ...
Also attacking Johnston Island ...
Also attacking 10th JAAF Base Force ...
Also attacking Johnston Island ...
Also attacking 6th Base Force ...
Also attacking Johnston Island ...
Also attacking 10th JAAF Base Force ...
Also attacking Johnston Island ...

Pretty poor results for 4 CVs worth of planes, with pre-war pilots. The AF is not taken out; the BBs might help there. There does not seem to be any bombers, but that might change tomorrow. The attack does confirm that the two LCUs the Allies have detected are support units. The 7th Marines should be OK with the supporting units along.

d) A follow-on naked DB raid finds Zeroes. Some turn back, the rest are slaughtered.

Afternoon Air attack on Johnston Island , at 164,112

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 29 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 28

Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 18

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 8 destroyed, 1 damaged

e) Tomorrow I have a dilemma. Minesweeping would eat up another day, and it's likely the KB is racing to the scene, maybe from Kwajalein or even closer if it was on patrol. I could push in the bombardment and first wave and risk it with Pearl so close, hoping to grab the base in the Shock attack and get some P-40s over to LBA as quickly as possible. The minesweepers could still clean up for the HQ/base force TF and the supply ships. Whatever I do I think the air wings will go to 100% Naval on short range, and CAP will be jacked to at least 60%. The carriers will split to two TFs (the naked DBs might have been self-inflicted coordination hits due to the four CVs), and stand back to the east a bit, LRCAPing the landing force.

2) A cruiser force bombards Baker Island. No DDs when he should know the S-boats are largely east of Kwajalein is interesting. I have a sub headed to Baker and one to Canton to sit in the harbor, but they are a couple days away. (I have a garrison coming into Canton to adopt Forts 2+ already built by the pre-war civilian engineers about to withdraw.) Taking Baker would continue a pretty normal defensive perimeter strategy, just a few months later than normal. (Although I still have Wake, now working on Forts 6.) Baker has no garrison; he blew up some oil drums.

Night Naval bombardment of Baker Island at 149,136

Japanese Ships
CA Maya
CL Oi
CL Kitakami

Runway hits 6
Port hits 4
Port supply hits 2

3) Palembang swept by 40+ fighters; nothing is in the air. Fort work continues unmolested.

4) Singers gets perhaps the heaviest bombing of the war. Raid after raid. 152 bombers and at least 80 fighters. 3 bombers destroyed, 50 damaged. This strategy is keeping fort building to zero, but can it be sustained? Re-started running in light Fast Transport missions, but supply is still north of 40,000.

5) Bataan gets about 30 bombers. The supply ship plows on.

6) An AVG CAP trap is set again over the mountain stack NE of Tsuyung. 3 Sallys downed, 4 damaged.

7) Chengtu gets about 45 bombers which do light damage. The tank regiments are near to plugging the supply roiad, while the Chinese cavalry unit sent to plug THEM is still in its home hex. The tanks are strafed for no damage, but some good Chinese training. No movement dots seen at Tsuyung. That may change when FUDD kicks off.

8) Anchor symbol seen at Balikpapan. Thinking tankers at last the Allies send a heavy raid at 3000 feet on Port strike. They find heavy CAP and an xAKL. Probably region resupply? Anyway, no tankers.

Morning Air attack on Balikpapan , at 64,97

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 17
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 7
Ki-44 Tojo x 5

Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 14
B-17E Fortress x 8

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-25C Mitchell: 2 destroyed, 10 damaged
B-25C Mitchell: 1 destroyed by flak
B-17E Fortress: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAKL Tamaki Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires

Port hits 1

9) Very large movements for FUDD begun. Two days of PPs needed to load Rangoon primary division. The RN shoves off from Colombo to gather near Pt. Blair. Many TFs begin loading at Madras, Calcutta, Chittagong, and Akyab. Japan re-bombs the Chinese corps trying to cross the river north of Prome, but a corps and an armor unit are already on the grey road due east and will go alone if necessary to pin Prome's RTA division. The Chinese corps for Ramree is about 20 miles away, but an Aussie division may amphib assault before they get there, then pass in the swamp as the Aussies head for Bassein, and Rangoon if needed.

It would be nice if there were better ports built in several places, and some heavy gear might be left behind, but a lot of combat power is about to sweep into Rangoon. With Singers still Allied the IJN may shoot the strait north. If so, there will be subs and mines in their way. Not many mines, but those little dots are powerful when their number are unknown.

[JocMeister]

Ouchi on the strike. [:(]

Perhaps it would have been prudent to set one or two of the Wildcat squadrons to sweep instead of escort? I only escort with things I´m prepared to loose as everything on escort is turned into a flying barn with a hen for a pilot! I have found that the P40 is excellent to use for escort! [:D]

I wouldn´t hold back another day to sweep for mines. Even big minefields seems to be almost ineffectual in the game. As you say the KB is probably on its way. The sooner you can get in and out the better.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow! [:)]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Ouchi on the strike. [:(]

Perhaps it would have been prudent to set one or two of the Wildcat squadrons to sweep instead of escort? I only escort with things I´m prepared to loose as everything on escort is turned into a flying barn with a hen for a pilot! I have found that the P40 is excellent to use for escort! [:D]

I wouldn´t hold back another day to sweep for mines. Even big minefields seems to be almost ineffectual in the game. As you say the KB is probably on its way. The sooner you can get in and out the better.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow! [:)]

Carrier air in the very old days couldn't sweep from my recollection. I never got in the habit of doing it. It probably would have helped, yes. I also held back 40% on CAP as I just didn't believe there were no bombers snuck in after the last raid showed only Zeroes. Instead he snuck in a lot more fighters.

For tomorrow I don't really care about the Zeroes. If I take the base they're toast and the VPs are mine. If they can fly out then OK too, as they're gone and their eyes with them.

I'm 90% sure the landings will go in. The landing ships are all xAKs and xAPs, not AKs and APs. The escorts are mostly CLs which should survive one mine hit with Pearl close. If a BB gets it the damage can vary a lot, but I have BBs in the yards already, so they'll just join their friends. I think the minelaying TF from a month ago mostly went to Palmyra, and I already swept about 65 of those, although the base still shows a red dot under Christmas I. recon.

If the KB shows up I won't like it, but I'll know it's not going to fusk with the RN in the B. of B.

[JocMeister]

Isn´t Johnson an Atoll?? Unloading on an Atoll with xAKs and xAPs sounds like bad mojo? Or do you have A LOT of them so you will be able to unload completely before the shock attack?

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Isn´t Johnson an Atoll?? Unloading on an Atoll with xAKs and xAPs sounds like bad mojo? Or do you have A LOT of them so you will be able to unload completely before the shock attack?

Yes and yes. [:)] If I had thought there was a combat unit there I would have waited and brought the APs from San Diego. Time versus risk. The landing force is Marines too, not Army. Still, it could go badly. I really don't like early-war amphib, but I want Johnson back for a buffer. I gave him ample warning of this and he got ready. Whatever it costs, I'm taking Johnson back.

[JocMeister]

I´ll certainly keep my fingers crossed! [:D]