Turnaround? Lowpe (J) vs Tiemanj (A) Stock

[Lowpe]

In the North Pacific Allied Light Cruisers desperately seek the Japanese Carrier forces, but run into a screening force of two destroyers.

[Lowpe]

The Allied Cruisers weren't done yet, using radar (I guess) they duck between Task Force Hirata (5 destroyers) and the heavy cruiser force Atago to once again close with a IJN Fleet Carrier...

[Lowpe]

And then during the day either weather or range precludes a follow up air strike. So disappointing fireworks in the North. However, across the Empire there is a different story to tell:

Several days ago I mentioned that a Glen pilot was tracking a suspected battleship group heading south and west of Ceylon. Blockade ships were sent to the area between Sabang and Diego Garcia to investigate.

A second spotting of the ships and the Glen pilot reported back carriers...uh oh.

But during the day the Light Cruiser Naka and destroyers found the enemy and closed in a long running fight...that Glen pilot needs glasses. [:D]

[Lowpe]

Burma

Allies are trying to sneak single cargo ships in to replenish supplies at either Rangoon or Port Blair. Yesterday, destroyers caught one group and sank it, but a few slipped past.

Other than getting a strong fighter presence at Magwe, Burma has pretty much been low priority for me. That is starting to change as forces are arriving that are no longer need in Java: plenty of AA, more fighters, and engineering squads.

Short term plans include buildup, bombarding his bomber bases with ships, and a stronger blockade.

[Lowpe]

The North. I still think this is just an elaborate distraction. I have been sparse in my response, with the exception of Betty groups -- as I think he is going to strike again in the Central Pacific instead.

The mini KB has been dark for a week now, and the KB was not detected yesterday and will hopefully remain dark for the future unless there is some reason to sortie her.

The Shokaku was stalking Long Island, but now that she is dead or heavily damaged, will return to the Truk area and join up with mini KB. In fact, I think all the carriers will be heading there very shortly -- where I can get them organized for future operations. Some of the carriers are due for upgrades, and I will think on that too.

[Lowpe]

I am looking at future near term plane builds and have come across the fighter Dinah. Her gun is woefully inaccurate, she lacks armor, but is fast.

Has anyone built her and what was your experience? I am thinking of building her for defense against bombers. Not a lot, but enough for a squadron or two. My thinking is that experience with her in the short term will let me better understand her use as a night fighter for the future and especially the Peggy night fighter with her equally inaccurate main gun.

In my mind, I am sold on the armored planes being a requirement for stopping (hindering) the Allied bombers with regular fighters mixed in. However, I am willing to experiment.

[Lowpe]

Relatively quiet day marked by the last Yankee troops surrendering in the PI, taking dot bases that I didn't get automatically.

Air Front: A6M5c moved up a month! This marks, as far as I can tell, the first r&d advance in the whole game for the Japanese. Quite the accomplishment for r&d off and pdu on. [:D]

Switched 5 size 30 factories to the Tojo IIc, and managed to fly in 50 A6M2s to Magwe to bolster the defense there.

Two squadrons of Nicks have been switched to 100 foot strafing naval runs against his cargo ships trying to resupply in the Burma area. Never did this before -- will there be balloons over the port?

Heavy volume of radio traffic at Pearl.

All ships missed in the north, will try again this turn. SAG group Atago redeems itself by bombarding the Yankees...might be a nice naval engagement or two in the Indian Ocean.

[Lowpe]

The Nick experiment failed, they got spotted by radar at 8000 feet and hit by Allied fighters. Perhaps if I had set them to 1000 feet instead they might have flew under his CAP. Oh well, 1 xAK and 1xAKL were sunk by the Kiso and destroyers in the Burma theater instead.



The ever victorious IJA captured Koepang today and invest Soerabaja. On Soerabaja only some troops, about 500 AV is there, but moving in is another 1000 with the artillery stack of doom (they are one mile away). I am hoping the Allied forces launch an attack...I think they will as they are quite aggressive.

So, Ambon, Soerabaja, Tjilatjap and Batavia are left for conquests in DEI.

Quiet in the North Pacific.

[Lowpe]

In the Indian Ocean I have been playing cat and mouse with the damaged CL Ceres. I spot her, react, but haven't been able to close with her. Frustrating. I will give it one more day and then head back to DEI for some other work.

I also have been watching enemy ships at Broome and I am sending in some destroyers to wake them up. Hopefully they can be in and out before his land based air has a chance to react.

In the North Pacific there will be rolling bombardments of his landings being careful to stay away from his coastal guns.

I have started upgrading some ships recently, so I guess I am starting to feel a little more comfortable. I think the Allies will push in the Central Pacific area and need to really start figuring out my defense across the Empire.

[Lowpe]

Quiet on the bombing front -- Allies resting their planes after their recent efforts.

Here are the recent ship losses:

[Lowpe]

Off topic: So I open my email looking for my turn, always labelled PBEM and find two messages so labelled: The first from Tiemanj, and the second from my oldest boy, er young man.

He is in his final year at West Point, a certified land lubber, a firstie in their parlance, and he declines the chance to play WITP AE as it is too complicated [:D], but here btw is the first turn of WITE. In which he, as the Germans, have cut off Riga, and made a fairly large pocket in the South, and shot down a respectable 2000+ planes and other pockets.

Now this kid cut his teeth on wargames...played ASL since he was 10, and all the great AH Classics -- so how he can feel that WITP AE is more complicated than WITE is beyond me...but it looks like I will be picking up the mantle of the Stalin and slugging it out across Russia.

Good times.[:D]

[Lowpe]

I think the Allies will strike here in the Marshalls again. The islands are lightly held, and inviting. He had success here previously, and will look to duplicate it.

Soon, the entire carrier arm of the IJN will be in port near Truk...while I hope the Allies think they are in either the North or DEI theaters...but given the Allied sigint that is a fragile hope.

[Lowpe]

Allies continue to come at the Kuriles....

[Lowpe]

This torpedo hit on the Colorado was a critical hit...if that means anything with FOW on.

[Lokasenna]

It might mean she's got 30-some flooding instead of 10-15. Enough to send her to the yards for a couple months.

[Lowpe]

Hm, yard time eh? I rather hope he strays within Betty range. Surely they were looking for a surface engagement or a bombard mission. He will have his chance since Task Force Atago is back to bombarding his forces, while the CLs & Destroyers will be protecting Paramushiro. I believe my commanding officers are high naval medium aggressiveness....or at least I hope they are. Fuso and Ise are a day away and should be in position tomorrow to help either bombard or engage as well as Shokaku who never got a chance to head back to Truk after replenishing at Kushiro.

The Helens on Paramushiro are set to Naval attack with A6M3 escorts, but it is really a nuisance attack because their naval skills are very low. I set the attack altitude high.

Here are the air losses for the day. I am winning the air war by being absent. [:)] Basically, I am trying to avoid his planes except for bases I absolutely have to protect where I have massed my fighters, or what is left of them.

I still don't produce many planes and have several sentais of only a handful of planes...just not willing to spend the HI on bad air frames even for training purposes.

My R&D is starting to bear fruit with advances, hard not to with a cumulative size 380 A6M5c factory and 290 Oscar IV![X(]

[Lowpe]

The Siege of Soerabaja has begun. You can hear the guns in Tokyo!

[Lowpe]

Allies retreat in the North and a CV shows up...

Quiet elsewhere -- except for IJN subs that sink another xakl near Rangoon, and hit two cargo ships in Northern Oz.

Dili Captured.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Allies retreat in the North and a CV shows up...

Quiet elsewhere -- except for IJN subs that sink another xakl near Rangoon, and hit two cargo ships in Northern Oz.

Dili Captured.

I was going to say "Are you sure it's a CV with those sighted plane numbers?", because it looks more like 2x CVE to me...and then I remembered that his SBD-3 pools are probably really hurting.

[Lowpe]

It it tempting to send the KB up north and try to bag a carrier or two, especially with his depleted bombers...

New submarine tactics are starting to pay off. The Allies have some really well trained air groups at ASW -- so loitering is a death sentence. But running into and out of his ports are getting results so far. I was hoping to bag a tanker there in Broome.

I have had to downgrade some of my float planes on subs since the previous ruler had upgraded them to Jakes.