Rise of the Sheep! JocMeister(A) vs. Obvert(J)

[ny59giants]

Move them back to be 6 hexes away and have their secondary mission be to hit the troops. As long as you have enough supply on Jolo, why keep them that close?

[JocMeister]

To stop Erik flying in more troops. He has done so on virtually every base I invaded so far.

[BBfanboy]

You destroyed or disabled 57 of his 88 AV and reduced fort to 2. Unless troop fatigue is in the fifties, one more DA should do it. I doubt he will be able to fly in enough to make up the losses with forts only two.

You can bet subs are moving to your carrier location. I would move them somewhere at least three hexes from current location.

[JocMeister]

Yeah, I kind of made up my mind to retire when thinking about it. Erik is a very smart guy. He knows I know he usually fly troops in. So he knows I´ll have a LRCAP up over the base weakening the CAP over my CVs. Perfect opportunity to strike at my already weakened CV CAP. Just took a quick peek at the turn file. Guess what's no longer at Manilla...KB!

Or does he count on me thinking like this and infact use the opportunity to really fly troops in? God I hate this game sometimes! [:D] But whatever he is doing I´m not going to risk staying around.

He has 125 transports at Manilla. Don´t know how many troops he can fly in over a turn with that? My troops are in better shape than expected. Disruption around 5 and fatigue between 25 and 30. Looking at his modifiers his troops must be almost done for. I´m thinking I´ll go middle ground here. I´ll withdraw 2 hexes SE with LRCAP still up over Jolo and then put up a massive LRCAP over the CVs from Sangi only 4 hexes away. If Erik strikes with the KB I bet he doesn´t want to get in close. So he will try for the 8 hex crap again meaning I should end up 10 hexes from his Carriers.

Thoughts?

[JocMeister]

23rd-24th August -44

Celebes sea

The second assault on Jolo also fails to capture the base. Just as predicted Erik flew in more troops.

Ground combat at Jolo (74,90)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 8984 troops, 181 guns, 173 vehicles, Assault Value = 305

Defending force 4359 troops, 55 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 122

Allied adjusted assault: 152

Japanese adjusted defense: 75

Allied assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 2)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
468 casualties reported
Squads: 24 destroyed, 29 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 26 (13 destroyed, 13 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
274 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 19 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Guns lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Assaulting units:
147th(Sep) Infantry Regiment
112th Cavalry Regiment
131st Combat Engineer Regiment
30th Australian Brigade
131st Field Artillery Battalion
109th Tank Attack Regiment

Defending units:
4th Bde /3
7th Garrison Unit /1
25th Ind.Mixed Regiment
25th Ind.Mixed Rgt /1
48th JAAF AF Bn

Basically he flew in around 50ish AV last turn. I can make one last desperate attack tomorrow but he will have flown in enough to stop me by then. I have to retire my CVs now. Erik put up a LRCAP that chewed up a good portion of my own CV LRCAP when the strikes went in. 37 Hellcats are lost. With KB missing and the general tear of my forces staying even for one more turn is no option. Positive thing here is that I managed to lower the forts to one. This means that his troops will be vulnerable from both naval and aerial bombardments. After the attack tomorrow I´ll let the troops rest, invade the other 3 islands and then start pounding Jolo.

Manado
This will soon be wrapped up. Sidate is about to receive some reinforcements that will quite easily overcome what Erik has at Manado. With Cotabato secured this base has lost some of its significance but it will secure my left flank.

Mindanao
I´m pouring in reinforcements. Airfield at Cotabato will reach 4 next turn. I have 400 Engineers and 80 engineer vehicles already at the base. Combat troops are starting to arrive to help secure Cayugan including a USMC Division and some tanks. This time I will have to consolidate a bit before moving on. Without CV cover I will need good LBA bases to operate from. And most importantly my troops need rest and prepp. I will use Mindanao as a staging point for the Assault on Luzon itself. I´m quite confident of success. While Erik has started moving troops to the area I feel that with 12 divisions there isn´t much he can do to stop this. Next wave of assaults should be within a months depending on troop recovery. I will move both Command HQs to Cotabato to help speed things up.

Burma
Movement indication from both of his main stacks. Is he pulling out? [X(]

OZ/DEI
Shipping has started to depart for Darwin. Looks like Erik has pulled out from the fringes of the DEI. [&:]

Reinforcements
Convoy is now between Truk and Ponape. I forgot to lower the range on the strike planes and some got chewed up over Truk. Sarmi with its level 4 port will be used for staging and redistribution. Marianas troops will unload here and rest. Other troops will head straight for Mindanao. Hancock, Ticonderoga and Yggdrasil will depart PH in about 3 weeks together with 14 CVEs. First CVEs and a CVL is now fully repaired at Sarmi.

[BBfanboy]

So close on taking Jolo ... darn!

You are just about to get a lodgement on the South China Sea from which your bombers can threaten every tanker convoy going toward Japan from DEI/Malaya/Borneo. That is why he is pulling out from everywhere else - to reinforce the Philippines, Formosa, Okinawa and the string of islands that lead to Japan.

If he is left alone to sealift all those troops, Luzon may be a bloodbath. You must see what you can do to sink some of them at sea.

[ny59giants]

Attack Bombers - How many groups of these do you have trained and are using LowN skills?? Your B-25s and some A-20s along with some FBs are great at hitting his shipping. As you move further into the Sula Sea area, they can range out over 11 hexes at 1000' to hit his shipping. Force Erik to keep significant CAP at 10k or below. Like I mentioned before, force his TKs to hug the coast of Vietnam to get to Japan. Pulling up the game, I see that there are two size 9 potential AFs on the NE corner of Borneo - Jesselton and Kudat. From these two base, it is 14 hexes to Cam Ranh Bay. The extended range of your B-25s and also within range of your P-38s.

B-29s - I would look at hitting the bases (both AF and Port) at Saigon and Cam Ranh Bay. Those will be key bases for him to keep the two pincers from cutting of the flow of Oil back to Japan.

IMO, I would be strongly considering a move to this area once the greater Jolo area is secure. As those two bases and others are built up, you can base some Fletcher DD TFs with their great speed to make full speed (11 hexes) runs in and out of the Cam Ranh Bay. Just LRCAP them about 5 to 6 hexes north of NE Borneo and make Erik's life even more difficult. [:D]

[JocMeister]

Sorry for the lack of updates and replies lately. Pretty swamped with Idas room. Game will slow down considerable for a few weeks. I have the last week of work coming up and then we have 3 weeks of vacation! [&o] Then I´ll be a stay home dad for 6 months! [&o]

BB, He flew in 200 AV to Jolo last turn. Well. at least my 200 Fighters on LRCAP last turn managed to shoot down 2 transport from 1 hex range. 3 if you count OPS losses. Fantastic... [8|]

Michael,
I can have 10 squadrons ready with NavB tomorrow and 2-3 with LowNav probably. He won´t be getting anything of Mindanao at least. Except by plane. So in reality (game terms) that kind of means he will get everything out except the heaviest equipment. [8|]

I´ll start prepping for 1-2 bases on Northern Borneo shortly. Once Manado is secure I´ll have 2 IDs to spare for the task!

[RogerJNeilson]

JocMeister

I have just spent several days on and off reading this. So so interesting and so much in there to take note of. Thank you for all the effort.

One of my games is now in 1944 so very interesting to see a very different siutuation between the two with regard to strategic advance lanes.

Roger

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Roger Neilson 3

JocMeister

I have just spent several days on and off reading this. So so interesting and so much in there to take note of. Thank you for all the effort.

One of my games is now in 1944 so very interesting to see a very different siutuation between the two with regard to strategic advance lanes.

Roger

Hey Roger. [:)]

Glad you find it useful! Which route did you pick? I was more or less forced by the lack of CVs to go NG/Burma. Probable not the route I would have chosen given a free pick! Well, at least not Burma! [:D]

[RogerJNeilson]

Its late Feb 1944, I have taken Balikpapan through Flores/Celebes, have Bangkok surrounded and have most of Solomons, New Britain, PNG cut off. Burma is pretty much stalemated but I hold only Chungking in China.

Reasonably happy at the moment.

Roger

[JocMeister]

26th August -44

Mostly consolidating Mindanao and shifting forces around.

Mindanao
2nd Marines has landed and was immediately sent after the other troops towards Cagayan. With 4 divisions I hope it will be quick work despite the rough terrain and the 23 units there. Ordered a bombardment next turn to check the opposition. If push comes to show I have 3 IDs in reserve. They will move to Mindanao anyway but I would prefer to wait since I have higher priorities for the shipping. I´m moving so much troops around its insane. I have 140.000 troops onboard ships around NG/Moluccas/Mindanao alone. The extra shipping coming with the reinforcement convoy will help a lot. Right now its a real bottleneck. The previous "main bases" in the Moluccas are already turning into rear area bases. I need more ships!

Manado/Sidate
Reinforcements have landed on Sidate. They took a beating but I decided to give it a try anyway. If it fails we will pound it from the sea while disruption and fatigue recovers.

Ground combat at Sidate (75,100)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 6182 troops, 50 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 202

Defending force 12077 troops, 166 guns, 599 vehicles, Assault Value = 517

Japanese ground losses:
84 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
2nd South Seas Det.
74th Infantry Regiment
56th Naval Guard Unit
3rd FF Const Unit

Defending units:
711th Tank Battalion
2nd USMC Amphb Tank Battalion
632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion
706th Tank Battalion
1st Marine Division

Jolo
This might not turn out so badly after all. Erik now has 17k troops on the island. Cotabato will reach level 6 next turn. Guess what Jolo with level 1 forts will look like once I get a level 9 AF in range? [:D] (Free kills).

Burma
Lots of movement here. Don´t know what he is doing. Might be pulling out?

DEI
Erik is definitively pulling out here. I´m happy to let him for now. I rather take them out on Java then take each little island one by one.

CV Fleet
Moving for Sarmi to pick up the repaired CVLs/CVEs and the 3 CVs and 12 CVEs from the Reinforcement convoy. Then we should have more than enough to smack the KB real good.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Roger Neilson 3

Its late Feb 1944, I have taken Balikpapan through Flores/Celebes, have Bangkok surrounded and have most of Solomons, New Britain, PNG cut off. Burma is pretty much stalemated but I hold only Chungking in China.

Reasonably happy at the moment.

Roger

Sounds like you are in a very good position indeed! Congrats! [:)]

[RogerJNeilson]

It helps if the enemy Navy is eviscerated....




Roger

[DOCUP]

Joc: sorry I haven't been posting But good job the last few days. Stay at home dad for 6 months your going to go crazy.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: DOCUP

Joc: sorry I haven't been posting But good job the last few days. Stay at home dad for 6 months your going to go crazy.

Welcome back! [:D]

Its a very good chance I will go crazy yes. [:D] But I can´t pass up the opportunity to spend 6 month with my daughter. I think it will be a very good chance to bond and really get to know each other. Up to now I only see her 2-3 hours per day after work and on the weekends. I miss a lot of stuff happening while working. Besides my sister lives only a 20 minute drive from here and she is home with her daughter too. So I can at least get some company! [:)]

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: DOCUP

Joc: sorry I haven't been posting But good job the last few days. Stay at home dad for 6 months your going to go crazy.

Welcome back! [:D]

Its a very good chance I will go crazy yes. [:D] But I can´t pass up the opportunity to spend 6 month with my daughter. I think it will be a very good chance to bond and really get to know each other. Up to now I only see her 2-3 hours per day after work and on the weekends. I miss a lot of stuff happening while working. Besides my sister lives only a 20 minute drive from here and she is home with her daughter too. So I can at least get some company! [:)]

Oh, tell us the real plan! I bet when you get the obsession to do some WITP-AE, you get your sister to babysit while you "do some chores"!

[Schlemiel]

I thought that was a given.

[JocMeister]

I would never do such a thing...! [;)]

[JocMeister]

I don´t want to brag or anything...But guess who just got hold of a ticket to Iron Maiden next Saturday...!!! [&o]

EDIT: Spelling is hard after a few beers!