Making Allied Lemonade-Chickenboy (IJ) vs. SqzMyLemon (AD)

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: sprior

Nice to see caution blown to the wind. Still not convinced of the efficacy of the Manila port attack as those boats are virtually useless for the first 18 months anyway.

Good luck and I shall watch with interest.

Danke.

[John 3rd]

I concur about the better utility of hitting Manila. Always take a good swipe there and KILL some submariners.

Those old Americans sank Fuso and Yamashiro but they sure were useful with all those landings. Perhaps you can sink them in 15,000Ft of water instead of 40Ft.

Good LUCK and BANZAI!

[pws1225]

This is going to be fun to watch. Gonna be taking some notes too ...

[Grollub]

BWAAAK!

... guess I'll have to follow this one ... [;)][:D]

Good luck CB! [:)]

[Lecivius]

I'm in both, so I'm watching from the sidelines

[Chickenboy]

December 8, 1941:

South China Sea:

During the night DDs Scout, Thanet and Thracian are repeatedly engaged by small Imperial Japanese navy surface TFs. The purpose is to deflect them from large amphibious TFs loading near the Samah region of Tainan island.

Singleton HIJMS MTB, TB boats engage the British first. Both sides shoot a lot and miss. Two Japanese DDs, Isonami and Uronami follow. Again, after lots of fire is exchanged (all missing), both TFs move their respective directions. No amphibious TFs are threatened.

Late night engagements find CA Chokai and DD Sagiri waiting further south. A series of engagements (culminating in a daytime engagement) sets Scout afire. She limps away escorted by Thanet east into the center of the South China Sea.

Thracian is found alone and sinks under a hail of 20cm shells. Chokai draws first blood at sea.

Philippines / Luzon:

Large Japanese amphibious TFs approach N. Luzon. Sizeable landings occur tomorrow at Vigan.

Allied land units are noted to be on the march from San Fernando, 1 hex South of Vigan. They won't make it in time to deflect the landing. Just in case, IJAAF bombers, operating from Formosa, will ground attack this unit in the morning-hoping to disrupt its motion and slow its progress.

Long range IJNAF bombers are ordered to strike Phillipines units road marching towards
Mauban. One group of Betties is left on naval attack in case the units bottled up in Hong Kong (or the battered Brit DDs) stray too close.

The body of amphibious TFs bound for Mauban are 2, 3 and 6 days out, respectively.

Movement arrows on Allied troops indicate an early march towards Clark Field.

[Chickenboy]

Malay Peninsula:

Some troops will be delayed in landing by 2-3 days due to the side trip leaving Samah.

Kota Bharu falls to shock attack. Naval bombardment, combined with heavy IJAAF ground strikes helped ensure a relatively early fall. The airfield and port are trashed. Still I order the combat engineer unit present to start cleaning up its mess. Several engineer and BF units will strat move in to the hex within the next two turns.

Kota Bharu is really nice to get in the first 2-3 days. Its size 4 AF can serve as a source for IJAAF fighter aircraft and bombers to harry the Allied retreat. I intend to commence daily sweeps of Singapore and start to work on its airfield (prevent further entrenchment building) immediately after getting the airfield in order.

Ground combat at Kota Bharu (51,75)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 4981 troops, 41 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 174

Defending force 3379 troops, 40 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 114

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1

Japanese adjusted assault: 191

Allied adjusted defense: 9

Japanese assault odds: 21 to 1 (fort level 1)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Kota Bharu !!!

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
Hudson I: 9 destroyed
Buffalo I: 1 destroyed

Combat modifiers
Defender: leaders(+), leaders(-), disruption(-), preparation(-)
fatigue(-), morale(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
537 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 40 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled


Allied ground losses:
1598 casualties reported
Squads: 74 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 51 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 26 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 26 (26 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 2
Units destroyed 1


Assaulting units:
56th Infantry Regiment
12th Engineer Regiment
5th JAAF AF Coy

Defending units:
FMSV Brigade
8th Indian Brigade
3rd ISF Base Force


Elsewhere, armored units continue their travel from Singora by road across the peninsula. They may be able to cross the peninsula tomorrow. I'll stop them astride the railway and they will sit there as a holding force. Alor Star, and its 10,000+ defenders will be cut off. Georgetown will have to conduct a fighting withdrawal at that point as well-an unlikely act for their 2500+ defenders.

[Chickenboy]

December 8: Celebes and Sulu Sea:

A series of naval engagements sequentially match CA Myoko and Haguro against singleton TFs of Houston and Boise. Houston is hit once by Haguro, and vice versa. Boise is hit once by a 20cm shell and, in turn, delivers one against Haguro.

Surprisingly, all TFs break off after a desultory exchange of fire.

Meanwhile, in the central Phillipines, CL Nagara and 4 DDs put under two xAKLs with gunfire. Another DD TF prowls the area, trying to pick up singleton stragglers trying to sneak out.

Morning finds KB continuing down the eastern Phillipines moving due South. Air groups dispatch 4 xAKL fleeing the scene.

A flight of B5N1 torpedo bombers from CVL Ryujo sinks a TK in the Makassar straits. Tomorrow, Ryujo will move to within 7 hexes of Balikpapan-on the eastern side of Celebes-and search for naval targets. Her escorts will deploy to guard her rear.

A somewhat more disconcerting sight reaches the eyes of CVE Hosho in the morning. CL Boise is just one hex North! Aack! Too close for comfort. A flight of B5N1s manages to put a bomb in her. Tomorrow, 2 DDs will attempt to hold her off while CVE Hosho +1 DD takes a circuitous route back to Babeldoab. Fingers crossed. I'd hate to have a CVE caught on the surface against CL Boise, even if she is afire and moderately damaged.

[PaxMondo]

[Chickenboy]

December 10-11, 1941:

Celebes Sea and surrounds:

CVL Ryujo and CVE Taiho sidestep any Allied efforts at interdiction and return to Babeldoap. There, Ryujo will meet with another CVL inbound from the mainland. Kaga has been detached from KB. The two CVLs and Kaga will form a credible threat to the DEI and help cover landings on Southern Borneo, The Celebes, Ambon and-possibly-an early Timor.

CA Haguro, returning to CRB for minor repairs, dispatches AO Tan and a PC escort just south of Tarakan. Another CA TF visits Balikpapan, but finds no quarry.

Morotai falls to amphibious assault. An air company will provide support for floatplane surveillance of the area.

Java Sea:

Numerous IJ submarines have taken position astride likely egress routes from Palembang and Singapore. Over these two days, 4 tankers are torpedoed in this area. I-122 lays mines near Oosthaven, but falls prey to a Dutch mine herself. I-164 lays in wait for SS KXII, torpedoing it east of Palembang.

Northern Philippines:

Vigan heavily reinforced. Aparri landings heavily reinforced. Batan island taken by fast transport troop delivery.

Mauban reinforcements will arrive in two days. The Allies have moved a Philippine ID into the hex, so it will likely fall before it can be reinforced. I tried to slow this counterattack down, but was unsuccessful.

At sea, CL Isuzu tracked down DD Scout and destroyed it with gunfire in the South China Sea. Damaged Thanet ran for Manila, but struck sub-laid mines outside the harbor. It's listed in the 'ships sunk' ledger. Heavy Japanese surface elements have returned to CRB for replenishment.

Borneo: Miri invasion unloads. It will fall tomorrow. Heavy IJ surface forces stand off of Kuching. Landings unload tomorrow. An Air HQ has been tasked for the area and is loading now at Formosa.

Malay: Two recon armored units arrive east of Georgetown. One will move SW to Taiping. Additional infantry regiments are en route west.

To the north, additional infantry and support regiments make slower progress on the rail line from Singora to Alor Star. It's my hope to cut off the 20,000 troops (total for Georgetown, Alor Star and Taiping) here so they cannot join the defense at Singapore. Similarly, the troops from Kota Baru will be roughly handled as they fall back to the south in an effort to diminish their fighting ability should they be able to retire to Singapore.

Greater Pacific:

Small SNLF units or fragments of SNLF units take Manus, Ocean, Tarawa, Makin and Nauru islands. The New Zealand Heron and Wren detachments there surrender. The SNLF units have been reloaded and redirected to the next objectives: Canton island, Baker island and, hopefully, Christmas island.

Invasion TF inbound for Shortlands should land an SNLF unit there tomorrow.

Two "training cruisers" have taken station south of Rabaul. I'm attempting to limit seaborne extraction from the base until heavy forces arrive with the elements for liberation.

Most of the combined fleet will be en route to Truk, including KB (- Kaga). The infantry regiment planned for Guam will be redirected South to land at Rabaul for now. Guam and Wake can wait for a bit.

China:

A real dog's breakfast. Confused melees abound. Both sides jockeying for position while short nasty fights are sparked over the LOS.

The Chinese are in total 'bugout' mode and are scrambling for the exits. I want to cause as many casualties as possible and delay their arrival in good defensive terrain as long as possible.

Major Japanese reinforcements are arriving by rail from the Chinese North. It appears as though he is abandoning the cities of the central plains, which is a pity. My first major goal here is Sian-that's my proximate (before the end of February) goal for China.

Four IJ Divisions and support are enroute to Changsa. The city "only" has 5 units and "6000" troops. Both of which I suspect are lies. But wouldn't it be nice to steal a march on the Chinese and unhinge their southern lines so early? It's worth a look.

Hong Kong:

Japanese assault troops arrive. After 4 days of ground bombardment by local IJAAF aircraft, they will deliberate attack tomorrow. I'll be happy if Hong Kong falls by the 20th.

[AW1Steve]

Take Christmas Island (P) 1st. HEAVILY reinforce it. You can cut his USA to Oz supply line. You can land an unlimited number of troops , and it's a great base to raid from.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

Take Christmas Island (P) 1st. HEAVILY reinforce it. You can cut his USA to Oz supply line. You can land an unlimited number of troops , and it's a great base to raid from.

Does that cut it or just reroute it to run from EC to Capetown to Perth?

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

Take Christmas Island (P) 1st. HEAVILY reinforce it. You can cut his USA to Oz supply line. You can land an unlimited number of troops , and it's a great base to raid from.

Does that cut it or just reroute it to run from EC to Capetown to Perth?

It makes CONUS or Panama to Australia very, very inconvenient if you have to route 20+ hexes away from Christmas Island. That would eliminate the ability of some of the medium-range xAKs from being able to make the trip, actually. And it makes it really annoying to send from Hawaii.

[AW1Steve]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

Take Christmas Island (P) 1st. HEAVILY reinforce it. You can cut his USA to Oz supply line. You can land an unlimited number of troops , and it's a great base to raid from.

Does that cut it or just reroute it to run from EC to Capetown to Perth?

It makes CONUS or Panama to Australia very, very inconvenient if you have to route 20+ hexes away from Christmas Island. That would eliminate the ability of some of the medium-range xAKs from being able to make the trip, actually. And it makes it really annoying to send from Hawaii.

Then of course if you REALLY want to drive him nuts , take Diego Garcia as well. [:D]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

Take Christmas Island (P) 1st. HEAVILY reinforce it. You can cut his USA to Oz supply line. You can land an unlimited number of troops , and it's a great base to raid from.

I've underestimated how cool this base is for my last two games. Won't do that again. Of course, it will likely be a bloody mess when he decides to take it in force. But that may take a few months.

[zuluhour]

How important is Diego? I lost it this game to IJ but aside from forcing me to reposition flying boats, I don't feel the impact (stock map). While Paul gets spots on TFs entering the map, the range is long, no attacks yet, and a simple course correction puts the TFs into the "void". 

[AW1Steve]

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

How important is Diego? I lost it this game to IJ but aside from forcing me to reposition flying boats, I don't feel the impact (stock map). While Paul gets spots on TFs entering the map, the range is long, no attacks yet, and a simple course correction puts the TFs into the "void". 

If you are Japan , you can base a surface striking group, a sub tender and subs , and of course flying boats to spot for them. You'll force him to retake it. Or allow you to interdict any shipping in the IO.

For the allies , its also a great flying boat base , and a good area to base ASW groups , escort ships , and repair ships. It's incredibly useful to either side. [:)]

[zuluhour]

Sorry for hijack Mr. Chicken, I will see if I can find something to fly over the place with and see whats what there.

[Grollub]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

Take Christmas Island (P) 1st. HEAVILY reinforce it. You can cut his USA to Oz supply line. You can land an unlimited number of troops , and it's a great base to raid from.

I've underestimated how cool this base is for my last two games. Won't do that again. Of course, it will likely be a bloody mess when he decides to take it in force. But that may take a few months.

In my last game my opponent managed to take ChrI (P) from me. I actually welcomed it. It tied up quite a lot of his fleet trying to keep the SLOC open under constant raid threat from both PH and the Pago Pago direction. He never caught any WC-AUS convoys either. Could be because I sent most of my convoys to SD-Balboa-Auckland-Aus as a response. Ok, that added ~10 days to the trip, but with the huge amount of shipping available that's no problem <shrug> [:'(]

The only thing I felt was annoying with the move was that it stretched the few available PBY units even more than usual to keep an eye on his shipping.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

How important is Diego? I lost it this game to IJ but aside from forcing me to reposition flying boats, I don't feel the impact (stock map). While Paul gets spots on TFs entering the map, the range is long, no attacks yet, and a simple course correction puts the TFs into the "void". 

If you are Japan , you can base a surface striking group, a sub tender and subs , and of course flying boats to spot for them. You'll force him to retake it. Or allow you to interdict any shipping in the IO.

For the allies , its also a great flying boat base , and a good area to base ASW groups , escort ships , and repair ships. It's incredibly useful to either side. [:)]

But only one side has a wormhole a couple of hexes away. Any and all horrors can come from that wormhole, unseen, and hit DG in a day. Then disappear again. If I were Japan sitting there I'd have my will executed.