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

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

I suppose the one advantage a slow, massive plane has is stability, so if it actually manages to launch a torpedo, it should be pretty accurate.

Aw, who am I trying to kid? Thats bollocks

Unbelievably unlucky there

Yep. No AA at all. Twenty minutes notice. You could hit those pigs with flung coffee cups.

[erstad]

Over 25 P-40s are damaged and repairing very slowly; I'll disband tomorrow to send them to the pools rather than have them destroyed.

I thought only the undamaged planes would return to pool. Is there a change in one of the betas?

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: erstad

Over 25 P-40s are damaged and repairing very slowly; I'll disband tomorrow to send them to the pools rather than have them destroyed.

I thought only the undamaged planes would return to pool. Is there a change in one of the betas?

You got me. I got the text message that pilots and planes would go to the pools. If not then I wouldn't have done it as I can fly 1-3 per day out to Calcutta as they repair. But he has such a focus on Pt. Blair I didn't want to take the chance.

[Bullwinkle58]

June 14, 1942

Bataan Bashing

Very slow day with lots of small-scale troop bombing, retiring of damaged ships, etc.

1) Lots of ASW activity in the Malaccan Strait, with some Dutch damage. An RO-boat is hit in the small bulge of deep water SW of Chittagong near Cox's. This is a permanent patrol area for the IJN now. A score or more of xAKs are running a seaborne railroad from Calcutta into Chittagong. Burma's lifeline.

2) This one draws blood in the DEI. Possibly a new air unit being moved into Kendari to support whatever push he has been massing for there. My impression is that minesweepers are fairly rare for Japan. If so I like. I plan to use air-dropped mines a lot once they move into the OOB.

ASW attack near Manado at 76,101

Japanese Ships
DMS Taboko, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
AV Sanyo Maru
xAK Canberra Maru
DD Kuretake

Allied Ships
SS Grouper

3) As above, lots of troop bombing at Benkoelen (about 200 more casualties), Dili, in China. Nothing radical.

4) At Prome, now at almost 4000 AV, AF goes to 6. All armor but one repairing is formed and sent north on yellow road to await use during SNAGGLEPUSS. This is a pretty big gaggle of disparate armor types, including Valentines and Stuarts. The stack sitting at Toungoo is in constant, but low, supply now and is strengthening. The Japanese have over 50,000 men sitting on the road between Toungoo and Pegu. A move here may (not sure yet) be part of SNAGGLEPUSS too.

5) Against patterns for months, Japan attacks Bataan on successive days, this time a Shock. Four PI infantry units have a tiny bit of supply, and I think it helps. This amazing base holds once more. It won't again, but man, the damage it has dealt to the Japanese! I am aiming 80% of sub-supplies to Cebu, where there is another thorn that Japan must deal with or pay later.

Ground combat at Bataan (78,77)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 56293 troops, 590 guns, 444 vehicles, Assault Value = 1613

Defending force 43049 troops, 524 guns, 597 vehicles, Assault Value = 944

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0

Japanese adjusted assault: 645

Allied adjusted defense: 355

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), fatigue(-), experience(-)
supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
5942 casualties reported
Squads: 51 destroyed, 301 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 60 disabled
Engineers: 89 destroyed, 53 disabled
Guns lost 36 (5 destroyed, 31 disabled)
Vehicles lost 36 (9 destroyed, 27 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1338 casualties reported
Squads: 30 destroyed, 192 disabled
Non Combat: 8 destroyed, 134 disabled
Engineers: 15 destroyed, 7 disabled
Guns lost 43 (20 destroyed, 23 disabled)
Vehicles lost 49 (10 destroyed, 39 disabled)

[Lokasenna]

The stocks of DMS's are small; each loss does hurt.

However, Japan can convert plenty of AMc's from Tosu- and Kiso-class PBs/xAKLs. Some also show up in the build queue (AMc Wa-20 and something). But those are all slow and short-ranged.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

The stocks of DMS's are small; each loss does hurt.

However, Japan can convert plenty of AMc's from Tosu- and Kiso-class PBs/xAKLs. Some also show up in the build queue (AMc Wa-20 and something). But those are all slow and short-ranged.

Thanks for that info. I've seen the comment made about DMS numbers, but had no details. Down the road my intent is to air mine in the islands more than near the HI. An air-dropped field is as good as a sub stationed there to interdict supply TFs.

[Lokasenna]

I forget how to read the "Summary" page on Tracker (work is frying my brain today), but it shows either 18 or 20 total DMS for the IJN (in Scen 2, I don't know if there is a difference for Scen 1). In my adopted PBEM, I got to watch 8 or 9 of them sink to the CD guns at Bataan on the "inaugural" replay. It was heartbreaking.

I just looked and the AMc's in the queue are Tosu-class. These are speed 10/9 and endurance 2100.

There are also 7 regular AMs in the queue (in Scen 2) that arrive throughout '43. Speed 12/10 and endurance 1500.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

I forget how to read the "Summary" page on Tracker (work is frying my brain today), but it shows either 18 or 20 total DMS for the IJN (in Scen 2, I don't know if there is a difference for Scen 1). In my adopted PBEM, I got to watch 8 or 9 of them sink to the CD guns at Bataan on the "inaugural" replay. It was heartbreaking.

I just looked and the AMc's in the queue are Tosu-class. These are speed 10/9 and endurance 2100.

There are also 7 regular AMs in the queue (in Scen 2) that arrive throughout '43. Speed 12/10 and endurance 1500.

Yep, that's the tab. I never use it. I'll look there and educate myself on a few other classes.

[erstad]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: erstad

Over 25 P-40s are damaged and repairing very slowly; I'll disband tomorrow to send them to the pools rather than have them destroyed.

I thought only the undamaged planes would return to pool. Is there a change in one of the betas?

You got me. I got the text message that pilots and planes would go to the pools. If not then I wouldn't have done it as I can fly 1-3 per day out to Calcutta as they repair. But he has such a focus on Pt. Blair I didn't want to take the chance.

Did you get "all of the pilots and planes" message, or the "All of the pilots and some of the planes" message? (wording is approximated from memory)

BTW, one way to verify one way or the other is check the loss screen, do the disband, then check the loss screen again. At least as of the last official patch, I'm pretty sure the disabled planes are in fact destroyed and will also show up as losses. Although I've been wrong before...

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: erstad

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: erstad



I thought only the undamaged planes would return to pool. Is there a change in one of the betas?

You got me. I got the text message that pilots and planes would go to the pools. If not then I wouldn't have done it as I can fly 1-3 per day out to Calcutta as they repair. But he has such a focus on Pt. Blair I didn't want to take the chance.

Did you get "all of the pilots and planes" message, or the "All of the pilots and some of the planes" message? (wording is approximated from memory)

BTW, one way to verify one way or the other is check the loss screen, do the disband, then check the loss screen again. At least as of the last official patch, I'm pretty sure the disabled planes are in fact destroyed and will also show up as losses. Although I've been wrong before...

Well, you've made me dig. This is an area of the game I have never run into or thought much about.

I've gone a turn past that one, so Tracker detail is overwritten. I don't recall the message exactly. I operate on a negative check: if it DOESN'T say "planes will be destroyed" I click yes. I was not aware there are two messages on the other side of that. I thought if they weren't destroyed they're to the pools.

The VP tab in Tracker says I lost 20 planes that day on the map. In the combat report I can account for four, with three more probable ops losses form combat. My best memory of what I disbanded was 24 P-40Es, all at Pt. Blair. Last turn the P-40e pools had three planes, but I think pool returns have a lag (maybe 7 days?> Not sure.) I looked in the manual and found nothing on this issue.

As best I can tell, with the Tracker 20 panes as key evidence, at least some of what I dumped is destroyed. But the loss numbers from combat don't square with 24 disbands. In Tracker the Allied Air Loss Vp coliumn went up by 20 VPs day-to-day, so all 20 counted as lost for VP purposes.

Bottom-line: I won't do that again. Live and learn.

[Bullwinkle58]

June 15, 1942

A Gift

A lot to feel lousy about today, but at the end, a gift.

1) I've been casually building up Canton and Baker in anticipation of SNAGGLEPUSS and he's left me alone. But the needed recon of the various islands seems to have stuck a sharp stick up Japan's kiester and now they're out hunting. As always, I have nowhere near the air cover I need and he has big Mid-PAC bases and carriers that aren't in upgrade. Before my bombardment TF got clocked, with the loss of New Mexico and the 60+ system damage dealt out to one CA, I had set Canton up as a regional ops base. Now it's something else, but the AKE is still there. I-168 flings fish and misses, but gets a solid deck gun round into AKE Wind Rush.

2) Recon from Wake also spots several TFs unloading at Marcus, which had been empty. Two LCUs seen. USS Grayback has her zone altered to bring her into Marcus I. harbor. Through three phases today she fires nine torpedo salvoes at three different merchants. The last one hits with one fish, and the CO adds two deckgun hits in exchange for taking two himself. Fair chance xAK Toho Maru will sink. Grayback certainly needs to head for the barn.

3) Many Allied subs are coming and going on transport missions out of Soerbaja for the PI; I have been assigning them short patrols on the homeward leg. In the Strait USS Sturgeon attacks the first tanker seen departing Balikpapan in, well, I think ever. One hit into escorted TK Yamazuru Maru leaves her with heavy fires and heavy damage. She sinks.

4) The withdrawl of the CAP at Pt. Blair and several days of empty-sky sweeps causes Japan to shift to the port and today they do find Royal Sovereign.

Morning Air attack on Port Blair , at 46,58

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 35 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 12
G3M3 Nell x 29
G4M1 Betty x 6
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 12

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 2 damaged

Allied Ships
BB Royal Sovereign, Bomb hits 6, heavy damage
AKE West Planter, Bomb hits 2, on fire
ACM Chimo, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Port hits 4
Port fuel hits 4

I expect to find her on fire again and a few flooding points from total. Most likely I will form her and scuttle. The support ships are not viable without CAP. If all this means he's coming for Pt. Blair it will be a fight. The Aussie 6th Division is there, fully filled out and well-led, plus several other offensive LCUs. 45,000 supply and forts 4+.

5) Troops near Rahaeng are bombed for light casualties. They continue to move toward Moulmein. Allies paste Benkoelen again with everything at PBang and Oosthaven. They re-take the dot base at Lahat, on the rail line to Benkoelen. An African unit is in strat mode at Oosthaven, partly prepped for Benkoelen. It will move to Lahat and march. 32nd ID's squads come out of the wormhole and make for DG to pick up extensive escort to run into Sumatra.

6) At Oosthaven itself, where a small group of xAKs has been shuttling fuel to Cocos for several months, Magic Mavis comes to call with more fish. A single Cobra meets them, but they come on and blast the harbor. When the 32nd comes near I will have to CAP Oosthaven better than this.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Oosthaven at 48,96

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
H6K4 Mavis x 9

Allied aircraft
P-400 Airacobra x 1

Japanese aircraft losses
H6K4 Mavis: 1 damaged

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
AMC Cornwallis, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
DD Express
------------------------------

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Oosthaven at 48,96

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
H6K4 Mavis x 13

Allied aircraft
P-400 Airacobra x 1

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
xAP Mount Vernon
xAK West Isleta, Torpedo hits 5, and is sunk
xAK Elmdale, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk

Aircraft Attacking:
13 x H6K4 Mavis launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo




7) Palembang AF goes to 5.

8) And, the gift. Last air raid of the day.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Palembang at 48,91

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 34 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 5
D3A1 Val x 18

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
HDML 1062, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk

Sourced from a red TF icon near Billiton. And attatched to one squadron, the text message: "Akagi-2".

Gotcha.

Roll SNAGGLEPUSS.

[BBfanboy]

You really must find out where your opponent got the anti-AA cloaking device for the Mavis!
At this rate the Nell and Betty drivers will be demanding an upgrade to the big boat!

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

You really must find out where your opponent got the anti-AA cloaking device for the Mavis!
At this rate the Nell and Betty drivers will be demanding an upgrade to the big boat!

Tell me about it. I said something to Mike after New Mexico's loss. He said since they each carry two torpedoes he thought they had underperformed! Gonna be fun peeling Japan like an onion. [8D]

[Bullwinkle58]

June 16, 1942

Whoop A**!

From doldrums to rampage in a week. Will try to summarize.

1) More heavy strikes on Pt. Blair. Royal Sovereign, on Day 1 of three coming off the pier to be scuttled, takes half a dozen more bombs and sinks for full VPs. The last casualty of FUDD. ACM Chimo takes two herself and also sinks. The AKE is ordered to flee for Madras and so far is not seen. The port takes heavy damage, but in the near term it won't matter. Come and get me!

2) Sixty mines are cleared at Sabang. Twenty more are inbound on USS Shark, but fleet DMSes will make short work of them. The RN carriers were moved, for the second time, to within one hex west of Sabang but did not launch again. Probably an air superiority issue. They'll go elsewhere.

3) Off PBang in a suddenly very high traffic area, ACM Obstructor transiting to PBang runs across a TF of three PBs. Anti-sub? Probably, because two IJN BBs are sighed today as well just NE of here. Where there is Mutsu there is more surface power. A transit of the Sunda or a bombardment on Oosthaven? I think the latter, but time will tell.

4) PBang is just smeared today. Given the sighting of Akagi yesterday I pulled everything off land attacks on Benkoelen and onto Naval. A motley crew, but enough 4Es to maybe fight through CAP. Not to be. Not one naval mission launches from PBang, which has virtually no fighters. Instead a huge Zero sweep comes in, then five separate attacks on the air field which destroy 9 planes and damage 44. The base is essentially OOC air-wise. The Allied air OOB was never intended to be defending PBang, Batavia, and Soerbaja in June 1942. And right now it isn't. But like Pt. Blair PBang has to be taken on the ground. And there it has teeth. So far Japan has shown no willingness to kick in doors and eat up troops. If it wants PBang it needs a beachhead and it needs a lot of men.

5) The TF containing Akagi, which so far has only read as a CS, moves east across Java. A dozen Beests from Soerbaja sortie without escort; 2 are lost and no hits. Only Akagi-1 CAP is seen. Next 5 Banshees venture out to attack BB Kirishima and two are shot down for no hits.

Bettys come from up north and launch torpedoes at the only Allied surface forces in the theater, at Soerbaja. CLs Marblehead, just repaired, and Perh dodge and are safe. The CAP, which includes about 75 fighters (20 get into the furball), shoots down a reported 4 Bettys and damages 5 more, but the animation says the loss figure should be more like 10.

Akagi runs right across xAKL Siberoet hauling the last seven squads of Naval Support from the last Allied base in southern Borneo. She is sunk by Vals.

And in a final bit of Allied good luck at Soerbaja, 25 torpedo Kates come in, ignore the two fat cruisers sitting there, and instead attack AMc Cheribon, which is blown into matchsticks.

All of this activity suggests Japan is making a move on southern Sumatra, and perhaps NW Java concurrently. There isn't enough LBA left to need a lot of carriers, and the first upgrade cycle calls the IJN. No landing TFs are seen yet, but the LCU stack at Singers has had time since its fall to heal and prep to middle numbers at least. I have intel of at least one large ID at Singers yesterday. To oppose I have the small naval force at Soerbaja, and a lot of subs. Some naval force is available at Colombo, but a lot is still in upgrade or repair, and one good RN carrier withdraws in 35 days or so. Wasp and North Carolina are a month-and-a-half away.

The only good news is that I know where at least one CV is. I'll do a post on SNAGGLEPUSS soon, but knowing where the KB, or most of it, is located was a go-no go consideration.

6) The Allies stage attacks on Dili as well as troops in the open in China. The 23rd Division is hit west of Chungking for 27 casualties. Chungking has started to slowly build supplies again, passing 13,000 this week. Sian LI is hit for 1 hit.

I see Mike has restarted his AAR in the past two days. This might be meaningful. [:)]

[Bullwinkle58]

I have received electronic communications from the Fox. His labors in Istanbul complete, he has returned to the Den and reassumed his nom de guerre, RockyRoo.

That is all.

[Bullwinkle58]

Scooby sez, "Ruh roh!"

[zuluhour]

Hey you almost have an equal number of smoke stacks [:D]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

Hey you almost have an equal number of smoke stacks [:D]

Ha ha. [:)]

That might have been true when I took the screenshot, but not any more.

[Bullwinkle58]

June 17, 1942

Trouble At Both Ends

The interim Japanese strategy became clearer today--attack Java at both ends and work toward the middle. It's also possible a landing at Oosthaven is in the cards; not sure yet. To accomplish this Japan has invested much of its heavy surface forces (screenshot posted above as well as more near Batavia), but has also taken the somewhat odd tack of including only Akagi in the mix. No idea where the other heavy CVs are; maybe in upgrade or pre-upgrade? Wherever they are they aren't here today. And for Soerbaja a good thing.

1) The first battle doesn't go the Allies' way. From screenshot up-thread. The surface TF from Soerbaja was sortied knowing it was probably dead meat, but with heavy port attacks on Soerbaja a near certainty with a known CV in the straits to the north I figured it was better to go out and hunt for something rather than die for nothing. When I gave that order I didn't believe Akagi was alone. Now I'm pretty sure that's the case. Regardless, the battle did result in Akagi taking 8 hits to hull and flight deck (smoke showing a 10-15 system-damage-type result), as well as Yamato using perhaps 1/3 of its main battery ammo, and most of the TF's Long Lances being used up for no hits. Perth did make it back to Soerbaja by later in the turn.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Kangean at 59,103, Range 23,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CV Akagi, Shell hits 8
CS Nisshin
BB Kirishima, Shell hits 2
BB Yamato, Shell hits 1
CA Maya, Shell hits 1
CA Ashigara, Shell hits 2
DD Kazegumo, Shell hits 2, heavy fires
DD Oshio
DD Inazuma
DD Shirakumo
DD Isonami
DD Shirayuki

Allied Ships
CA Canberra, Shell hits 13, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Perth, Shell hits 4, on fire
CL Marblehead, Shell hits 3
APD Barker
DD Parrott, Shell hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Tenedos, Shell hits 1, on fire

2) This small action shows the composition of the largest TF near Batavia. No landing force is seen, however. Something red went through the Sunda Strait today and kept going. I think this is a relief force for Benkoelen. The African LCU is marching that way, and right now the squads of the 32nd ID are aimed to come ashore here as Oosthaven is "hot." That might need to change. The 32nd TF has heavy surface escort including Oklahoma, and the RN carriers are moving to rendezvous west of the landing hex. All fluid.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Merak at 48,97, Range 22,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Nagato
BB Mutsu
CA Furutaka
CL Kitakami
CL Oi
DD Ayanami
DD Sagiri
DD Yugiri
DD Amagiri
DD Oboro
DD Akebono

Allied Ships
AMc MMS D, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
AMc Digoel, Shell hits 1, and is sunk

3) The East Java landing TF is seen, with Banjo as the target.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Banjoewangi at 57,107, Range 18,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Asanagi
DD Yunagi
DD Hasu
DD Tsuga
TB Kari
xAP Terukuni Maru
xAP Hakone Maru
xAP Kashima Maru
xAP Husimi Maru
xAP Miike Maru

Allied Ships
AMc Djember

4) The AF carnage at PBang yesterday still left a remarkable number of planes operable. Japan hits the AF hard again.

Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 39
A6M2-N Rufe x 9
G4M1 Betty x 38

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 3 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
139WH-3: 3 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 8 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed on ground
P-38E Lightning: 2 damaged
P-38E Lightning: 1 destroyed on ground
SBC-4 Helldiver: 3 damaged

Airbase hits 7
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 29

Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 15

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 2 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 5 damaged
139WH-3: 2 damaged
LB-30 Liberator: 2 damaged

Runway hits 10

Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 12
G4M1 Betty x 25

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 3 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
A-24 Banshee: 7 damaged
A-24 Banshee: 1 destroyed on ground
LB-30 Liberator: 2 damaged
139WH-3: 8 damaged
P-38E Lightning: 2 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 7 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed on ground

Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 36

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 4 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 14 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed on ground
B-25C Mitchell: 4 damaged
SBC-4 Helldiver: 6 damaged
SBC-4 Helldiver: 1 destroyed on ground
139WH-3: 7 damaged
139WH-3: 2 destroyed on ground
A-24 Banshee: 2 damaged

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

Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 9

Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 17

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 1 damaged
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 3 damaged
LB-30 Liberator: 1 damaged

5) Back at Soerbaja, 7 Beests get up and attack Akagi; no hits. Twelve B-17s, all the way from PBang, attack the BBs for no damage at 7000 feet (House Rule advocates please note). One B-17 is downed and five are damaged. Two Banshees escorted by P-38s attack as well, taking down a Zero for a Banshee and no hits.

6) PBang gets more bombing in late morning. Over 30 Nicks bomb from 14,000 and take a Mitchell and 2 Helldivers. 20 more Sallys destroy a Helldiver and damage 13 more planes of various stripes. PBang is really suffering, but this is the Japanese maximum effort and clearly PBang is a worry to them. The Allies will hang at least another day.

7) Akagi shoots its wad by Val-striking Soerbaja. This base has the only decent CAP in the region, and it's fairly isolated from big enemy AFs still. The Akagi air wing suffers greatly. Despite the combat report's figures, the animation showed all Vals soundly destroyed.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Soerabaja at 56,104

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 30 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 5
D3A1 Val x 18

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 3
B-339-23 x 8
P-39D Airacobra x 21
P-40E Warhawk x 21

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
D3A1 Val: 12 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
CL Perth, on fire

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb



8) The Kates go the other way, attacking the surface TF limping back to Soerbaja. It is clocked.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Kangean at 59,103

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 20

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
DD Tenedos, on fire
DD Parrott, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CA Canberra, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage (sinks)

I have been bleeding cruisers. This valuable CA today. Another has 30+ flooding at Soerbaja and is trapped for now. She may have to fight. And, worse, USS Salt Lake City, which took 62 system damage, 13 flooding, and 4 Fires near Baker I. three days ago, has been heading for Johnson to do emergency DC. Fires spread over three days and overwhelm systems today. She also sinks.

9) In other regions:

--Mine clearing continues at Sabang. Submarine heading there (not Shark as I said yesterday) is re-routed down western Sumatra to lay at Oosthaven.

--RO-65 shows up at Wake where many ships are unloading and staging. It puts a shell into xAKL Kanlaon II.

--Light AVG CAP gets up over the Big Stack and shoots down two heavy bombers and damage another. The BS is about 10 miles from the yellow road and freedom to the west. The huge IJA stack sits waiting on the eastern side, I assume to see if the BS leaves Tsuyung alone. Once the BS departs I expect the Japanese to head for Chungking.

--red icons are at Baker I. Four Vindicators from Canton attack BB Hyuga there and are met by Zeros. I assume this is the CVL/CVE(s) that hit the cruisers three days ago. With this nearly all BBs are located. I have three good upgraded CVs at Pearl.

--Pt. Blair is pounded on for supply denial. The armored force out of Prome reaches the intersection to the north and turns south toward Bassein. 7th Aussie Div. is right behind them. Several Chinese heavy corps are moving forward from the Mandalay group for Toungoo.

--at Balikpapan USS Shark does lay mines, then torpedoes and sinks APD Tsuta

--at Marcus I. unloading TF is again attacked. USS Herring sinks xAK Tyoyo Maru

10) IJA 5th ID begins landing at Banjoewangi. (aka Banjo) 281 casualties in first wave. Bad prep?

Interesting day.

I've been reading another AAR where the Allied plane pools are being discussed and I have to say I'm hip. It's a known Allied thing, but in this game it's bugging me. It shouldn't be, but it does get old day after day trying to scrape up 3-4 fighters to meet the hordes. Part of it for me is perception. We've been playing almost a year real time but are still in Allied dark times. I've never spent more than 2-3 real-time months getting to mid-1942. I constantly have to do internal mental health adjustments, keep telling myself this will pass. Today I went through actions most Allied players see in January, not June, so that's better. But man, I want some assets to move!

I have the turn already, as Mike's work schedule has him playing vampire this week. So I'm away. Subs to move.

[BBfanboy]

Bullwinkle58

... I constantly have to do internal mental health adjustments, keep telling myself this will pass. ...

I'm pretty sure some of the hot sauces discussed in Canoerebel's AAR of late will take your mind off the aircraft pools ... [;)]