Wild Sheep Chase - obvert (J) vs JocMeister (A)

[SqzMyLemon]

ORIGINAL: obvert

I don't care about the air war except what it means to control of ground bases and areas of ocean. The beta is preferable to sinking the entire Allied fleet in a silly 1,000 plane coordinated strike, but maybe there is a middle ground not yet discovered. I do think it is important to wait until the Allies get much closer, but I really wanted to try to do something now, if only to prove to myself that I should be doing nothing but stalling by using the LBA as a deterrent force.

I would tend to think that in the late war the chances of having a fleet in being is remote for Japan. The difference in LCU firepower is substantial at this stage so thinking your LCU's will hold seems optimistic. That leaves the brunt of defence to your LBA. If LBA performs like this what chance do you have to inflict any meaningful damage? Wait until the Allies get closer? I recall they only went as far as Okinawa historically so if you can't get to the fleet now, you most likely never will. What if Jocke doesn't play ball? You seem to be counting on an invasion of the Home islands so you can get a mass attack in, but if he doesn't what's your recourse? More raids like the last one? Pax's comment about hundreds/thousands of aircraft may have been the answer pre-beta, but as you point out the chances of getting that kind of strike now are rare. I completely agree that what occurred is better than sinking the entire Allied navy, but once again it's just another extreme replaced by another extreme. Middle ground is the answer, but that's so rare in this game the way it's designed. It's the extreme results that are wrecking this game, for me at least. It's still all or nothing and that's too bad.

[Barb]

Hi,
I am reading Allied side of this AAR too, so I wont do much in terms of comments. But keep going - I can be in similar position as you are now in several years in my Pbem... [;)]

Barb

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: SqzMyLemon

ORIGINAL: obvert

I don't care about the air war except what it means to control of ground bases and areas of ocean. The beta is preferable to sinking the entire Allied fleet in a silly 1,000 plane coordinated strike, but maybe there is a middle ground not yet discovered. I do think it is important to wait until the Allies get much closer, but I really wanted to try to do something now, if only to prove to myself that I should be doing nothing but stalling by using the LBA as a deterrent force.

I would tend to think that in the late war the chances of having a fleet in being is remote for Japan. The difference in LCU firepower is substantial at this stage so thinking your LCU's will hold seems optimistic. That leaves the brunt of defence to your LBA. If LBA performs like this what chance do you have to inflict any meaningful damage? Wait until the Allies get closer? I recall they only went as far as Okinawa historically so if you can't get to the fleet now, you most likely never will. What if Jocke doesn't play ball? You seem to be counting on an invasion of the Home islands so you can get a mass attack in, but if he doesn't what's your recourse? More raids like the last one? Pax's comment about hundreds/thousands of aircraft may have been the answer pre-beta, but as you point out the chances of getting that kind of strike now are rare. I completely agree that what occurred is better than sinking the entire Allied navy, but once again it's just another extreme replaced by another extreme. Middle ground is the answer, but that's so rare in this game the way it's designed. It's the extreme results that are wrecking this game, for me at least. It's still all or nothing and that's too bad.

Yeah, I hear you. It is tough to know what will work, and the all or nothing format can get you down. But it is April 45 and Scenario 1, so I count myself lucky to still be fighting at all. [:)]

Stacking Limits will change the ground game for you though. It just can't for me. That is the single most important change in the game. I've just had 3 divisions, a brigade and an HQ hold after 2 months of 4E pounding and a shock by completely fresh Indian divisions. Our position just held again in the next DA, getting another 1:2. It won't last, but these are the kinds of results that give me hope that with stacking limits will be better, where the crazy armies I've been forced to assemble to match Allied stacks twice their size and three times their strength simply won't be possible. Landing 5k AV of 10-12 divisions in one invasion on one hex wil not be possible.

I'm also optimistic some of the work JWE did with airframe stats will change the air game a bit more too.

I'm not counting on an invasion of the HI at all. He doesn't have to get closer, you're right. However my experience with Jocke is that he always wants more and while that has served him well in moving the Allied forces forward quickly over the last few years, it can also lead to a risk too far at some point. It has happened a few times, and several times it led to very important IJ victories in the early game, once to a game changing KB sputter, and several times it's given him a great advance foothold, like at Okinawa.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Barb

Hi,
I am reading Allied side of this AAR too, so I wont do much in terms of comments. But keep going - I can be in similar position as you are now in several years in my Pbem... [;)]

Barb

Thanks. It's a tough road, but as they say, curiosity killed the cat. i can't stop wondering what will happen next. [;)]

[SqzMyLemon]

ORIGINAL: obvert

Stacking Limits will change the ground game for you though. It just can't for me. That is the single most important change in the game.

I'm not as sold on stacking limits yet. I think the Allies will be able to over stack during the late game and have the supply to compensate for the increased expenditure. Time will tell, but I'll be the first to admit my error if they do make a difference. With what I know of the game engine they will not if one side can pay the extra supply expenditure.

Oh, I definitely give you a tip of the hat for Scenario 1, you've played a brilliant game. From my perspective, it's just extremely disappointing to see so much effort getting Japan to the end game and having your LBA perform like this. Perhaps I'm under the wrong impression that a Japanese player that prepares for the end game and puts his best aircraft and pilots in play would have a chance, not simply get massacred. That just doesn't sit well. It just reinforces my belief that you might as well go all out in the first 2 years, because even if you are in good shape in 45, the Allied juggernaut is indestructible. I was really hoping to see the Kamikaze threat a real one and would add an element of excitement and danger moving forward. It seems the beta has nerfed that. I'll know more when I experience things first hand, but watching the results in your game lately shows that Japan may not be able to replicate anything close to the real threat Kamikaze strikes were.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: SqzMyLemon

ORIGINAL: obvert

Stacking Limits will change the ground game for you though. It just can't for me. That is the single most important change in the game.

I'm not as sold on stacking limits yet. I think the Allies will be able to over stack during the late game and have the supply to compensate for the increased expenditure. Time will tell, but I'll be the first to admit my error if they do make a difference. With what I know of the game engine they will not if one side can pay the extra supply expenditure.

Oh, I definitely give you a tip of the hat for Scenario 1, you've played a brilliant game. From my perspective, it's just extremely disappointing to see so much effort getting Japan to the end game and having your LBA perform like this. Perhaps I'm under the wrong impression that a Japanese player that prepares for the end game and puts his best aircraft and pilots in play would have a chance, not simply get massacred. That just doesn't sit well. It just reinforces my belief that you might as well go all out in the first 2 years, because even if you are in good shape in 45, the Allied juggernaut is indestructible. I was really hoping to see the Kamikaze threat a real one and would add an element of excitement and danger moving forward. It seems the beta has nerfed that. I'll know more when I experience things first hand, but watching the results in your game lately shows that Japan may not be able to replicate anything close to the real threat Kamikaze strikes were.

It'll be tough on islands. They can't just land and take the base, they have to stay there for weeks to months. Not even the Allies have that much supply. I guess they could gamble by landing, then landing again right before a DA, but if they don't get it, supply goes poof and you're back to square one with an overstacked base and constant need for more supply to both repair casualties and attack again. Not something I would try.

On the continent, sure they can overstack, but supply movement in the places they would need to, like Burma, is not great.

As for this game I think I played naively well at first. Did a lot I wouldn't do now but got away with it tactically. Now though it's biting me strategically. I'll do a recap as we get toward the end that really gets to what I was hoping then vs what actually happened and why. Some things I just couldn't have foreseen and due to no AARs of the late game it was tough to find info about.

Losing the Burma Army was inexcusable, and I don't feel I've been as sharp in 45 as I should be. The whole Manila thing got me down where I had enough to make it a long struggle and instead of maneuver, another landing, diversion somewhere else, due to no SL the Allies just dumped on more. Kind of took the wind out and gave me little to fight for. That is really what set me back psychologically until just recently. I've gotten to the later stages of grief now, and the acceptance is feeling pretty good. [;)]

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

Well, he had +1250 fighters up in CAP ... you can't sweep TF's, so that means all you can do is attack. But given the minus for escort against CAP, you would need to have sent ~1750 fighters on escort just to even up the odds ... +2000 to be able to tip them in your favor. THEN you add in bombers.

The only way I know how to do this is 2 days ... first day +2000 fighters escorting minimal bombers ... just enough bombers to get all of the escorts to fly. Your goal is to seriously diminish his fighter CAP. 2nd day, which requires him NOT to have withdrawn out of your LBA range (some luck required here ...), you then go back in with +2000 fighters, but this time full bomber/kami.

Even if you don't get a 2nd day, if you can cost him +500 fighters, you delay him a month while he replenishes AG's.

Main thing is the +2000 fighters though on your escort ... and I would want ~3000 fighters against his 1250 on CAP. VERY hard to pull that many AV Engr LCU's together on enough closely spaced AF's to accomplish this though.

Just my $0.02 ...

In the official patch, yes. In the beta, it will not work this way. Of the maybe 500-600 at Taihoku 165 came with the first package of 13 Frances, then 58 with 34 Grace and it just keeps going like that. With more planes one package, maybe two might be large, but there is no guarantee they would dent the CAP, as the kills in the biggest strike of the day (for escorts) lost about half the planes, probably around 80-90 of them, for around 10 Allied losses.

I sent about 500 fighters sweeping and those actually did well, but didn't get the bleed hoped for. Only the LBA bled to Nago, just one hex away, probably due to only infantry being present now. Later, when radar sets are being used there, much of the fleet and LBA CAP might bleed over against sweeps and get whittled that way. Even knocking them out of position by one or two hexes should improve strike results.

In beta if I run a 'flying circus' the fighters will go piecemeal, even single air groups will be split for strike groups, and the result will be even more fighters lost. It's much harder to use these techniques now in beta, even though there is a sound historical precedent. Interestingly the Germans didn't always fall for the tactic either. [;)]

The LBA strikes that got through were unescorted (or very lightly escorted) Oscars!! There were around 34 at 20k and 3 got through in the first instance with one hit on CVL Cabot. In the second it was around the same number and 12 got through with no hits. So it is possible and moving the CAP somewhere (up, down, out a few hexes) as well as making sure they have something to hit that turn (which sends away portions of groups as escort potentially, not allowing them to be there to scramble) might be keys. Time to target will likely decrease with proximity of striking bases as well.

Understood, but it shouldn't matter. With the smaller packages going in, it means you lose more initially. But as his planes run out of ammo, increase fatigue, and accumulate damage you will get better results.

It still comes back to you need to get >1750 fighters to hit his CAP. You had a lot less than that. Irrespective of how they come in, if you send 700 fighters against 1250 you are going to suffer a LOT of losses. You have to put up more than he has. Simple numbers game.

Now, how to get >1750 fighters to launch ... I will freely admit that isn't so easy to coordinate, but it does need to be your goal.

[Olorin]

I stopped reading Jock's AAR, as the rantings there are just unbearable. Who needs strategy when you can win by simply stacking as much 'stuff' as you can possibly can? There is no respect for Japan players who manage to reach the end game. Sorry if I seem bothered by reading that B-29s are underpowered, when they have all but destroyed Japanese industry in a matter of months.

[koniu]

After certain point game is striped from strategy.
Only thing Allied player need to do to use 10xFletcher TFs, 1700figter CAPs and 6000AV LCU to capture places he want. An remember to keep supplies moving toward front units. Nothing we can call strategy. Only pure power.

I think most games that survive that long become like that earlier or later in 1944.
All JFB can only watch that and kill pain with vodka or whoever work for him[:D]
And if he lucky he can score single kami hit to CVL like we see in last battle and call that moral victory.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: koniu

After certain point game is striped from strategy.
Only thing Allied player need to do to use 10xFletcher TFs, 1700figter CAPs and 6000AV LCU to capture places he want. An remember to keep supplies moving toward front units. Nothing we can call strategy. Only pure power.

I think most games that survive that long become like that earlier or later in 1944.
All JFB can only watch that and kill pain with vodka or whoever work for him[:D]
And if he lucky he can score single kami hit to CVL like we see in last battle and call that moral victory.

Oh, this isn't bad yet. Wait until 9/45 ... then it gets really bad. Seriously. After VE occurs the allies get "tons" of goodies AND the SOV activates. Unless you have played Downfall/Armegeddon a few times, you just can't imagine how bad it gets. The SOV armor is all but unstoppable. You have to really prepare to keep them out of Korea. And of course you cannot give up Okinawa/Bonins/Formosa/Hokkaido either. As bad as the B29's are, you cannot let the allies into B17 range. +250/mo replacements! ... this is when your +4M HI stockpile just shrinks so fast ... you expend +50K ARM/VEH per month (300K HI equivalent) and wish you had more ... and of course you are churning out +2500 AC/month ...

[Olorin]

These numbers worry me greatly. [:(]

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Olorin

I stopped reading Jock's AAR, as the rantings there are just unbearable. Who needs strategy when you can win by simply stacking as much 'stuff' as you can possibly can? There is no respect for Japan players who manage to reach the end game. Sorry if I seem bothered by reading that B-29s are underpowered, when they have all but destroyed Japanese industry in a matter of months.

I'll be interested to read it later. I'm sure I've heard some of it already in other communications. [;)]

I do agree it's hard to maintain one's sense of confidence when for a several years in game and a year in life you're playing a losing position! Gets to you without some support, so I thank you guys for posting and keeping the morale up.

It's hard on both sides to understand the benefit of extreme losses in light of extreme destruction or progress toward one's goals. In the late game for Japan it just gets hard to know when to use what will surely be lost if put into battle, and once you make a choice you hope to at least take something out with your own stuff.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: koniu

After certain point game is striped from strategy.
Only thing Allied player need to do to use 10xFletcher TFs, 1700figter CAPs and 6000AV LCU to capture places he want. An remember to keep supplies moving toward front units. Nothing we can call strategy. Only pure power.

I think most games that survive that long become like that earlier or later in 1944.
All JFB can only watch that and kill pain with vodka or whoever work for him[:D]
And if he lucky he can score single kami hit to CVL like we see in last battle and call that moral victory.

Jocke is very good with his timing. He pushes hard, goes at appropriate moments, and in a sense this is strategic. I think there is still a lot of skill involved, but you're right, even if there was not, it might not end up any differently. [:D]

There is a lot to exploit in a Japanese position in 45 when th eAllied fleet is literally five times the size of the Japanese, the Allied air forces can dominate any of several areas at will, and Allied ground troops are better quality and come in higher numbers! You don't really understand until you'er in it, or at least I didn't. It's impressive.

Scotch for me! I've been trying some of the Japanese ones actually. Pretty good stuff. I've got a Nikka going right now. [8D]

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: koniu

After certain point game is striped from strategy.
Only thing Allied player need to do to use 10xFletcher TFs, 1700figter CAPs and 6000AV LCU to capture places he want. An remember to keep supplies moving toward front units. Nothing we can call strategy. Only pure power.

I think most games that survive that long become like that earlier or later in 1944.
All JFB can only watch that and kill pain with vodka or whoever work for him[:D]
And if he lucky he can score single kami hit to CVL like we see in last battle and call that moral victory.

Oh, this isn't bad yet. Wait until 9/45 ... then it gets really bad. Seriously. After VE occurs the allies get "tons" of goodies AND the SOV activates. Unless you have played Downfall/Armegeddon a few times, you just can't imagine how bad it gets. The SOV armor is all but unstoppable. You have to really prepare to keep them out of Korea. And of course you cannot give up Okinawa/Bonins/Formosa/Hokkaido either. As bad as the B29's are, you cannot let the allies into B17 range. +250/mo replacements! ... this is when your +4M HI stockpile just shrinks so fast ... you expend +50K ARM/VEH per month (300K HI equivalent) and wish you had more ... and of course you are churning out +2500 AC/month ...

Too late! [:D]

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: koniu

After certain point game is striped from strategy.
Only thing Allied player need to do to use 10xFletcher TFs, 1700figter CAPs and 6000AV LCU to capture places he want. An remember to keep supplies moving toward front units. Nothing we can call strategy. Only pure power.

I think most games that survive that long become like that earlier or later in 1944.
All JFB can only watch that and kill pain with vodka or whoever work for him[:D]
And if he lucky he can score single kami hit to CVL like we see in last battle and call that moral victory.

Oh, this isn't bad yet. Wait until 9/45 ... then it gets really bad. Seriously. After VE occurs the allies get "tons" of goodies AND the SOV activates. Unless you have played Downfall/Armegeddon a few times, you just can't imagine how bad it gets. The SOV armor is all but unstoppable. You have to really prepare to keep them out of Korea. And of course you cannot give up Okinawa/Bonins/Formosa/Hokkaido either. As bad as the B29's are, you cannot let the allies into B17 range. +250/mo replacements! ... this is when your +4M HI stockpile just shrinks so fast ... you expend +50K ARM/VEH per month (300K HI equivalent) and wish you had more ... and of course you are churning out +2500 AC/month ...

Too late! [:D]

I know. Go and read Nemo's Armageddon AAR. He re-takes Okinawa. He thought it was too early to lose it on 9/1/45 ...

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Olorin

These numbers worry me greatly. [:(]

They should, but then knowing what is coming is a huge advantage. You can plan for it. When Mike S says you need 4M HI stockpiled minimum by the time you lose the DEI, this is why. You've got to be able to run a war time economy on whatever you have stockpiled.

Me? I'm a skeered chicken ... I target a lot more in my stockpiles. I know I will lose the DEI and whatever else I have taken. I want to keep the allies out of B17 range ... I can prevent a successful landing on the HI (excepting Hokkaido) as long as they do not have B17 support. Therefore I look at everything in B17 range of the HI as imperative to control. I will invest everything to keep that area in control.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo



Oh, this isn't bad yet. Wait until 9/45 ... then it gets really bad. Seriously. After VE occurs the allies get "tons" of goodies AND the SOV activates. Unless you have played Downfall/Armegeddon a few times, you just can't imagine how bad it gets. The SOV armor is all but unstoppable. You have to really prepare to keep them out of Korea. And of course you cannot give up Okinawa/Bonins/Formosa/Hokkaido either. As bad as the B29's are, you cannot let the allies into B17 range. +250/mo replacements! ... this is when your +4M HI stockpile just shrinks so fast ... you expend +50K ARM/VEH per month (300K HI equivalent) and wish you had more ... and of course you are churning out +2500 AC/month ...

Too late! [:D]

I know. Go and read Nemo's Armageddon AAR. He re-takes Okinawa. He thought it was too early to lose it on 9/1/45 ...

I remember reading some of that as it went. Was it Ishigaki he re-took? I'll have to check. I simply don't have the free troops but even if I did Okinawa is too far to support with LBA using the beta. The Allied fleet would simply massacre an entire army on their amphibs and I couldn't strike back effectively enough to make it worth it.

I'm not sure Nemo's opponent landed 10+ divisions on whichever base that was either! I think it was quite a bit less. He is obviously an incredibly good player, but the Allies would have to be challenged by waves of kamis (and if I remember that is where he showed the use of high/low massed waves of them to good effect) and in the beta it simply won't happen at that distance. Most of my kami planes wouldn't even reach the area around Okinawa from Kyushu or Formosa. I have 2000 Oscars in the pools, 500 D4Y4, and a bunch of other stuff, but none of those go past 8 hexes. Oscars are really only good to 6 hexes.

This first time through I'm learning a lot.

[PaxMondo]

Now you know why I prefer to use Kate/Jill/Grace for my kami's*. 9/10 range is imperative as I know I have to be able to cover Okinawa.

Nemo took Okinawa back. Don't remember if he went into Naha or Nago first. If you look at those 2 scenarios, there are several ID's on Okinawa ... can't remember how many now. You know Nemo, he through everything there. Didn't care about losses, and he had a lot. Succeeded. Wish the game had lasted longer because would have been interesting to see how/if the allies recovered.


*And of course the Frank "b" model and George. Both are needed for range for escort. The Ki-83 is also a choice here, but not one that I often make ... I'm too frugal ... [;)]

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]31 March - 5 April 1945[/font]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Couldn't bear to split this up so forgive the massive update.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]STRATEGIC SITUATION: [/font] Well, in some ways this is playing out just as I predicted. Fuel is about to run out in April 45. I had forecasted this would happen, and already a few industry centers in the Home Islands wear the red X. This is bad timing as quite a few divisions and other late arriving units still need to be fleshed out. I've got most of them either in Ominato or Tokyo, but some are in situ where they arrived and thus take longer.

The Allied foothold in range of the HI is expanding quickly as landing ships unload small forces all over the islands surrounding Okinawa. Soon there will be a bunch of islands with maxed airfields here. It's a bit sad I don't feel I can do more here. I'm not saving the fleet for anything specific, but I don't just want to send it to it's sure destruction without something to try for either. I'll keep waiting, making sure they're in position and ready.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]DEI:[/font] Well, Singers at least is swimming in supply and fuel!

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]STRAT BOMBING:[/font] Hong Kong is finished off. No fuel here anyway, so it's nice that a few B-29 are shot down for the mission. [;)]

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]NAVAL SEARCH: [/font] The game doesn't do well with this late. All kinds of planes from all over the HI seem magnetized to the Allied fleet, no matter what distance they're flying from, and if turned on I'll lose 20 planes a day. They're not on random vectors, obviously. This really affects what we're able to go for non the area. Firstly I can only occasionally see if the Allies have the whole fleet or a partial fleet of CVs. Second, due to the odd limitation of search that never lists more than 10 ships in a TF I can't tell whether something moving is 10 LSTs, 50 LSTs, 25 xAKs, or 50-70 APA/AKA with escorts. That is a problem, and it really seems strange that this would be limited. Not too hard to tell a massed invasion fleet from a few supply ships from 6-10k, but the game treats them the same. Even coast watcher sightings seem to be limited to under ten ships per sighting.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]CHINA: [/font] The troops near Paoshan continue to hold. They are fortified to level 2, so it will take a 3:1 to move them. All kinds of attention from the air continues to weaken the units, increase disruption and bring down morale.

In the center the Allies go for Wuchow on the small roads. I let them pass and then move a tank regiment behind to cut supply. That lasted a day before 500+ bombers vaporized the unit in the wooded hex. Literally gone. [:(]

That of course highlights why I have only a small infantry garrison at Wuchow; it is a clear hex.

No hope of defending there, so I've moved some units to block the yellow road to Kukong. At least a division and a brigade will get in before the Allies arrive, so we'll own the hex. More is railing to Kukong. The Allies seem to be moving the large 58 unit stack up the yellow road. Again this will force me to make a large grouping of units on the river crossing near Liuchow this time. I don't think I could hold this one, but it will put some doubt in Jocke's mind. Is it 2k AV, or 3k AV?

Have to cross to find out. [;)]

All support units including most base forces and Air HQs are retreating to the HI. Many units are leaving HK and Canton to rail from Kukong. About 1500 AV and a ton of arty will be in Canton, while 2k AV will be in HK. If he commits the entire army to either perhaps I'll move some to add defense if it seems like there's a chance to hold. If these are by-passed it's all about guerrilla movements cutting LOC.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]HOME ISLANDS: [/font] Yuck. Can I please have the 15k supply on Kweijalen in Nagasaki now?

I saw a TF heading NE near Okinawa and sent in a few DDs. I contemplated a bigger move and wish I would have sent them. What search saw as a small invasion force of 10 ships with LST and AK turns into several massive TFs including one with ~25 APA/AK escorted by 10 combat ships. We got a few hits and some collisions at least. I'll send the big guns tomorrow, but my feeling is this TF will be long gone and about 40 Fletchers will be there instead. We'll see.

[font="Trebuchet MS"]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR March 31, 45
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Night Air attack on Hong Kong , at 77,61

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-29-25 Superfort x 12

Allied aircraft losses
B-29-25 Superfort: 2 damaged

Heavy Industry hits 5

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-29-25 Superfort bombing from 9000 feet
City Attack: 20 x 500 lb GP Bomb

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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR April 1, 45
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Pre-Invasion action off Kume-jima (94,65)

Allied Ships
CL Ceylon
CL Hobart
DD Aylwin
DD Dale
DD Dewey
DD Perkins
LCI(G)-450
LCI(G)-449
LCI(G)-442
LCI(G)-441
LCI(G)-440
LCI(G)-438
LCI(G)-437
LCI(G)-408
LCI(G)-407
LCI(G)-406
LCI(G)-405
LCI(G)-404
LCI(G)-403
LCI(G)-401
LCI(G)-398
LSM(R)-199
LSM(R)-198
LSM(R)-197
LSM(R)-196
LSM(R)-195
LSM(R)-194
LSM(R)-193
LSM(R)-192
APA St. Mary's

Japanese ground losses:
2307 casualties reported
Squads: 40 destroyed, 90 disabled
Non Combat: 30 destroyed, 88 disabled
Engineers: 29 destroyed, 25 disabled
Guns lost 55 (20 destroyed, 35 disabled)
Vehicles lost 4 (2 destroyed, 2 disabled) WOW!!!

CL Ceylon firing at 10th Ind.Mixed Regiment
CL Hobart firing at 10th Ind.Mixed Regiment

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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR April 2, 45
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morning Air attack on 17th JAAF AF Bn , at 76,57 (Wuchow)

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-24J Liberator x 11
B-24J Liberator x 97
B-25G Mitchell x 15
B-25H Mitchell x 8
B-25J1 Mitchell x 51
B-25J11 Mitchell x 82
P-38J Lightning x 11
P-38L Lightning x 27
PBJ-1D Mitchell x 14
PBJ-1H Mitchell x 15
PBJ-1J Mitchell x 15

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
1607 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 50 disabled
Non Combat: 18 destroyed, 137 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 23 disabled

About 3-4k troops lost here from one day of bombings. It would take a few days to render an entire division useless even with level 4 forts in the clear hex.

Aircraft Attacking:
14 x PBJ-1D Mitchell bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb

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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR April 5, 45
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night Time Surface Combat, near Amami Oshima at 98,64, Range 12,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Tachibana, Shell hits 1
DD Tsuta, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Kaki, Shell hits 3, on fire

Allied Ships
CA Chester
CA Chicago, Shell hits 2
DD Satterlee
DD Baldwin
DD Carmick
DD Shubrick
DD Sampson
DD Sims
DD Hammann
DD Russell
DD O'Brien
DD Henley
DMS Boggs
DMS Long
APA Wharton
APA Harris
APA Henry T. Allen
APA J. Franklin Bell
APA W.A. Holbrook
APA Leonard Wood
APA American Legion
APA Fuller
APA Harry Lee
APA U.S. Grant
APA Barnett
APA President Adams
APA President Polk
APA Thomas Jefferson
APA Charles Carroll
APA Arthur Middleton
APA Henrico
APA Lamar
AKA Hydrus
AKA Caswell
AKA Devosa
AKA Circe
AKA Andromeda
AKA Cepheus
AKA Procyon
AKA Lycoming
LCI(M)-803
LCI(M)-804
LCI(R)-72
LCI(R)-73
LCI(R)-74
LCI(R)-224
LCI(R)-225
LCI(R)-226
LCI(R)-230
LCI(R)-337
LCI(R)-338
LCI(R)-339


Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions and 39% moonlight: 11,000 yards
Range closes to 27,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 27,000 yards
Allied ships attempt to get underway
Range closes to 24,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese radar detects Allied task force at 24,000 yards
Range closes to 21,000 yards...
LCI(M)-803 collides with APA American Legion at 98 , 64
DD Henley collides with APA Leonard Wood at 98 , 64
CA Chester engages DD Kaki at 4,000 yards
Allied Task Force Manages to Escape
Task forces break off...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Amami Oshima at 98,64, Range 12,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Ikazuchi
DD Isonami, Shell hits 2
DD Ayanami, Shell hits 15, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CA Chester
CA Chicago, Shell hits 5, on fire
DD Satterlee
DD Baldwin
DD Carmick
DD Shubrick
DD Sampson
DD Sims
DD Hammann
DD Russell
DD O'Brien
DD Henley, Shell hits 13, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DMS Boggs
DMS Long
APA Wharton
APA Harris
APA Henry T. Allen
APA J. Franklin Bell
APA W.A. Holbrook, Torpedo hits 1
APA Leonard Wood
APA American Legion
APA Fuller
APA Harry Lee, Shell hits 18, heavy fires, heavy damage
APA U.S. Grant
APA Barnett
APA President Adams
APA President Polk
APA Thomas Jefferson
APA Charles Carroll
APA Arthur Middleton
APA Henrico
APA Lamar, Shell hits 1, on fire
AKA Hydrus
AKA Caswell
AKA Devosa
AKA Circe
AKA Andromeda
AKA Cepheus
AKA Procyon
AKA Lycoming
LCI(M)-803
LCI(M)-804
LCI(R)-72
LCI(R)-73
LCI(R)-74
LCI(R)-224
LCI(R)-225
LCI(R)-226
LCI(R)-230
LCI(R)-337
LCI(R)-338
LCI(R)-339

Allied ground losses:
14 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 17 destroyed, 17 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 36 (16 destroyed, 20 disabled)

CONTACT: Japanese radar detects Allied task force at 12,000 yards
DD Ayanami engages DD Sampson at 12,000 yards
Range closes to 2,000 yards
DD Ayanami engages APA Harry Lee at 2,000 yards
DD Sampson engages DD Isonami at 2,000 yards
DD Ayanami engages DD Henley at 2,000 yards
DD Sims collides with APA Leonard Wood at 98 , 64
DD Satterlee engages DD Ikazuchi at 15,000 yards
Allied Task Force Manages to Escape
Task forces break off...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 8th Tank Regiment, at 73,57 , near Pakhoi

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Allied aircraft
Thunderbolt I x 37
B-24J Liberator x 12
B-24J Liberator x 149
B-25D1 Mitchell x 9
B-25G Mitchell x 15
B-25H Mitchell x 33
B-25J1 Mitchell x 70
B-25J11 Mitchell x 39
P-38J Lightning x 24
P-38L Lightning x 39
PB4Y-1 Liberator x 17
PBJ-1D Mitchell x 16
PBJ-1H Mitchell x 3
PBJ-1J Mitchell x 14
PV-1 Ventura x 12

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
Vehicles lost 230 (82 destroyed, 148 disabled)

A bunch more arrive and eventually, no more tanks.

Aircraft Attacking:
13 x PBJ-1D Mitchell bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Amami Oshima (98,64)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 6995 troops, 102 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 253

Defending force 23105 troops, 434 guns, 803 vehicles, Assault Value = 958

Japanese ground losses:
37 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Assaulting units:
Oshima Naval Guard Unit
70th Ind.Mixed Brigade
Amami Oshima Fortress
34th Const Co
189th JAAF AF Bn

Defending units:
754th Tank Battalion
3rd USMC Tank Battalion
6th Infantry Division
25th Infantry Division
5th USMC Tank Battalion

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Wuchow (76,57)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 33508 troops, 524 guns, 1851 vehicles, Assault Value = 1743

Defending force 540 troops, 5 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 5

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Allied adjusted assault: 1337

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 1337 to 1 (fort level 2)

Allied forces CAPTURE Wuchow !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender:
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
739 casualties reported
Squads: 19 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 46 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 41 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 5 (5 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 3

Assaulting units:
11th PAVO Regiment
18th Cavalry Regiment
Provisionl Tank Brigade
Guides Cavalry Regiment
3rd Cavalry Regiment
50th Tank Brigade
255th Indian Tank Brigade
19th Motorised Division
Gardner's Horse Regiment
254th Armoured Brigade
17th Motorised Division

Defending units:
68th Ind.Infantry Battalion
60th Construction Battalion
32nd JAAF AF Coy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/font]

Reinforcements:

[font="Trebuchet MS"]Yokosuka Ku T-1 arrives at Nagasaki/Sasebo
1006 Ku U-1/B arrives at Nagasaki/Sasebo
76th Shinbu-tai arrives at Oita
78th Shinbu-tai arrives at Utsonomiya
79th Shinbu-tai arrives at Iwaki
80th Shinbu-tai arrives at Iwaki
81st Shinbu-tai arrives at Iwaki
82nd Shinbu-tai arrives at Oita
83rd Shinbu-tai arrives at Oita
84th Shinbu-tai arrives at Oita
85th Shinbu-tai arrives at Tokyo
86th Shinbu-tai arrives at Oita
87th Shinbu-tai arrives at Chiba
88th Shinbu-tai arrives at Chiba
89th Shinbu-tai arrives at Chiba
90th Shinbu-tai arrives at Osaka/Kyoto
52nd Road Const Co arrives at Tokyo
30th Special Base Force arrives at Tokyo
74th JAAF AF Bn arrives at Tokyo
187th JAAF AF Bn arrives at Tokyo
205th Division arrives at Kochi
209th Division arrives at Kanazawa
206th Division arrives at Kumamoto
212th Division arrives at Kumamoto
216th Division arrives at Osaka/Kyoto
25th Ind. Engineer Regiment arrives at Tokyo
202nd Division arrives at Sendai
40th JAAF AF Bn arrives at Tokyo
85th Field AA Battalion arrives at Tokyo
175th JAAF AF Bn arrives at Tokyo
148th JAAF AF Bn arrives at Tokyo
76th Shinbu-tai arrives at Oita
78th Shinbu-tai arrives at Utsonomiya
79th Shinbu-tai arrives at Iwaki
80th Shinbu-tai arrives at Iwaki
81st Shinbu-tai arrives at Iwaki
82nd Shinbu-tai arrives at Oita
83rd Shinbu-tai arrives at Oita
84th Shinbu-tai arrives at Oita
85th Shinbu-tai arrives at Tokyo
86th Shinbu-tai arrives at Oita
87th Shinbu-tai arrives at Chiba
88th Shinbu-tai arrives at Chiba
89th Shinbu-tai arrives at Chiba
90th Shinbu-tai arrives at Osaka/Kyoto
52nd Road Const Co arrives at Tokyo
30th Special Base Force arrives at Tokyo
74th JAAF AF Bn arrives at Tokyo
65th Sentai arrives at Fusan
47th I.F.Chutai arrives at Fusan
26th Air Flotilla arrives at Tokyo
Maizuru 1st SNLF arrives at Tokyo
51st Base Force arrives at Tokyo
27th JAAF AF Bn arrives at Tokyo
180th JAAF AF Bn arrives at Tokyo
102nd Shinbu-tai arrives at Harbin
103rd Shinbu-tai arrives at Harbin
104th Shinbu-tai arrives at Harbin
105th Shinbu-tai arrives at Maebashi
106th Shinbu-tai arrives at Kiamusze
107th Shinbu-tai arrives at Maebashi
108th Shinbu-tai arrives at Maebashi
109th Shinbu-tai arrives at Tsitsihar
45th Tank Regiment arrives at Takamatsu
47th Tank Regiment arrives at Kochi
46th Tank Regiment arrives at Fukuoka
48th Tank Regiment arrives at Chiba
44th Tank Regiment arrives at Sendai
57th Field AA Battalion arrives at Tokyo
88th Field AA Battalion arrives at Tokyo
77th Field AA Battalion arrives at Tokyo
41st Tank Regiment arrives at Chiba
31st Tank Battalion arrives at Asahikawa
16th Naval Guard Unit arrives at Tokyo
49th Tank Battalion arrives at Singapore
28th JNAF AF Unit arrives at Tokyo
22nd Tank Regiment arrives at Tokyo
52nd Construction Battalion arrives at Tokyo
62nd JAAF AF Bn arrives at Tokyo
91st JAAF AF Bn arrives at Tokyo
248th JAAF AF Bn arrives at Tokyo

Aircraft J7W1 Shinden advances R&D 7/45[/font]

Losses:

[font="Trebuchet MS"]Loss of ML G-322 on Apr 02, 1945 is admitted
Loss of ML G-427 on Apr 02, 1945 is admitted
Loss of ML G-429 on Apr 02, 1945 is admitted
Loss of MTB G-463 on Apr 02, 1945 is admitted
Loss of PB Toko Maru on Apr 02, 1945 is admitted
Loss of PB Tomitu Maru on Apr 02, 1945 is admitted
Loss of PB Toko Maru #4 on Apr 02, 1945 is admitted[/font]

Ships Sunk:

[font="Trebuchet MS"]AM Constant is reported to have been sunk near Manila on Jan 26, 1945
SS Seadragon is reported to have been sunk near Fukuoka on Feb 04, 1945
SS Thorough is reported to have been sunk near Tioman Island on Jan 05, 1945
SS Besugo is reported to have been sunk near Hong Kong on Nov 10, 1944
AKA Electra is reported to have been sunk near Cotabato on Aug 19, 1944
PT-355 is reported to have been sunk near Bataan on Jan 13, 1945
DD Henley is reported to have been sunk near Amami Oshima on Apr 05, 1945
Loss of DD Kiri on Mar 22, 1945 is admitted
Loss of DD Tsuta on Apr 05, 1945 is admitted
Loss of E No.60 on Apr 05, 1945 is admitted
Loss of E No.72 on Apr 05, 1945 is admitted[/font]
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[font="Trebuchet MS"]Nice to see some ships battling. Allied escorts did well screening in the first battle but some IJN shots got through in the second. This one got to 2k so I was hoping for more than just 1 TT hit. [/font]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[PaxMondo]

How much did your ARM pool drop? Lots arrived!