Castles in the Sand - Spidery(J) vs MrKane(A) no MrKane please

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: offenseman

May I ask what your HI and Supply levels are? Overall.

You can see the detail at the summary at end of each Month.

HI - 616,640 - which is fine, considering how much of the stuff from HI has been saved (engines, armaments, vehicles).

Supply - 2,513,440 according to Tracker. A lot lower than I like but currently saving at a rate of about 5000 a day. It is a constant exercise to send supply out to areas but Burma is the only theatre suffering from shortfalls. However, almost all theatres have occasional problems.

[offenseman]

+5000/dy is good at that point. I'll look more closely at the end of the months... [:)] Thank you

[Spidery]

August 15th 1942

Air Losses: 18 Japanese, 14 Allied, 6 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy: Erromango(auto)
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Sub Wars

Allies manage a dud into a tanker near Formosa.

China

Bombardments and air attacks. 2 Divisions have made an unopposed crossing of the Yangtze between Chungking and Neikiang. Neikiang should fall soon.

Burma

Quiet

Australia

Fur ball in the air over Fenton as we both bomb troops. Allies get through escort/LRCAP and shoot down some Sallies. A B-17 is downed by flak. 4 Hudson attack a transport task force loitering and intending to evacuate air. A ship is damaged and 3 Hudson shot down by some zeroes from Koepang.

Pacific

Quiet

Engineering

Milne Bay port expanded to 1.

R&D

Quiet

[Spidery]

August 16th 1942

Air Losses: 1 Japanese, 4 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy: Epi(auto)
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Sub Wars

Quiet

China

Allied bombers from India launch minor annoyances. Most Japanese planes fail to fly, including the CAP that could have engaged the bombers.

Ground attacks do nothing well. Surprisingly, Chinese forces near Kunming do not suffer a supply(-).

Burma

Quiet

Australia

I have vacated Fenton (not sure this was wise). Allied attacks therefore meet nothing.

Pacific

Quiet

Engineering

Patung airfield to 8. Fortifications at Saipan to 5.

Allies expand Tarawa airfield to 2 and Ledo to 7.

R&D

Quiet

[Lowpe]

What left Fenton. Everything? How about a screen picture of northern Oz?

[Spidery]

Everything left Fenton.

I hadn't planned to hold it and had only moved a division there because I had an opportunity to destroy three armoured regiments.

Screen shot of Australia below, but I don't think it is that helpful!

If he pushes on and sieges Darwin then I am thinking of landing reinforcements in Wyndham and seeing if I can take Katherine or Daly Waters by surprise to isolate and eliminate the attackers at Darwin.

The Allies are taking ops losses from transport planes, 1 or 2 most days. I don't see many transports in Ledo so I think he may be using them to maintain supply for his push in Australia. Presumably, it wouldn't be too hard to fly them from Cloncurry.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery
If he pushes on and sieges Darwin then I am thinking of landing reinforcements in Wyndham and seeing if I can take Katherine or Daly Waters by surprise to isolate and eliminate the attackers at Darwin.

Be careful here...or bring a lot. I don't think that would surprise your opponent.

[Spidery]

August 17th 1942

Air Losses: 22 Japanese, 2 Allied, 4 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy: Fenton
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Sub Wars

Quiet

China

Lots of good air attacks.

Movements have slowed down the Chinese retreat giving a chance to do more damage.

Looks like he may be reinforcing Chengtu.

Burma

Quiet

Australia

Lightnings sweep Darwin and shoot down 10 A6M2 and 8 Ki-44-IIa and one Ki-43-1c for no loss. The A6M5 take no losses.

Pacific

Quiet

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Quiet

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Spidery
If he pushes on and sieges Darwin then I am thinking of landing reinforcements in Wyndham and seeing if I can take Katherine or Daly Waters by surprise to isolate and eliminate the attackers at Darwin.

Be careful here...or bring a lot. I don't think that would surprise your opponent.

I probably won't do it. However, I'm not sure whether it would surprise or not. The real problem is that he would get at least 4 days warning and that would be long enough for his airpower to do a lot of damage.

[Spidery]

August 18th 1942

Air Losses: 50 Japanese[:(], 2 Allied, 15 Pilots
Japanese occupy: Neikiang, Great Nicobar(air drop)
Allies occupy: Vanua Lava(auto)
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Sub Wars

Quiet

China

Tricky Allies have flown Lightnings into Chungking and ambush my bombers for a mass slaughter.

The defenders of Neikiang surrender at the first attack, 30% damage to factories.

Burma

Quiet

Australia

Quiet

Pacific

25 Nells from Rossel Island attack a transport force at Ndeni. Two Nells are lost. They manage a single torpedo hit on one AMC. The pilots have 70+ NavT skill but the long flight must have exhausted them. Not worth the supply spent on torpedoes[:(].

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

A6M5c to 5/44

[Spidery]

August 19th 1942

Air Losses: 28 Japanese, 7 Allied, 19 Pilots
Japanese occupy: Trinkat(air drop)
Allies occupy: Lakatoro(auto)
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Sub Wars

Quiet

China

I try to hit Chungking airfield on the hope that there will be Lightnings still there and damaged. Flak is murderous and I lose 14 bombers to flak and another 7 to ops losses. A few lightnings are damaged and base damage is minor.

Mitchell bombers strike at troops at Neikiang. Some Nicks on LRCAP over Chungking engage but are too high to attack.

Signs of more Chinese withdrawals to the centre.

Burma

Vildebeest escorted by hurricanes sink an xAK unloading supplies at Akyab. Zeroes shoot 2 hurricanes down and get through to the bombers only long enough to get 1 Vildebeest.

Australia

Quiet

Pacific

Quiet

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Quiet



China Status

Next key battle is the battle for Chengtu. Last report is 4 units, 20000 troops, 109 guns there. I have a division, 4 tank regiments and some artillery that can get there before he can reinforce.

One concern I have in China is that Chungking has gone back into supply. It seems supply was stockpiled at a base and just released; that is why he could suddenly support fighters. It means he may have troops with supply around that can counter-attack.

[Spidery]

August 20th 1942

Air Losses: 6 Japanese, 4 Allied, 5 Pilots
Japanese occupy: Car Nicobar(air drop)
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

[>:]

[Spidery]

August 21st 1942

Air Losses: 1 Japanese, 1 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy: Santa Maria(auto)
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Sub Wars

APD Tade attacks SS KXI near Phuket and gets 1 good hit with a Type 95 DC. Enough to send it back for repairs but not to sink it.

China

Lighter air attacks as aircraft rest before supporting the Chengtu attack.

VP suggests that Chungking is out of supply again as a large mass of retreating forces arrive there. Now reports as 96 LCU located at Chungking.

Burma

Quiet

Australia

Australian forces seem to have stopped at Fenton and are not advancing on Darwin.

Pacific

All of the AF Unit at Koumac has been evacuated except for a single searchlight. One of the larger subs is heading over to pick it up. Allies still use the base for practice bombing.

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Ki-43-IV to 11/44.

[Spidery]

August 22nd 1942

Air Losses: 24 Japanese, 9 Allied, 8 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy: Aoba Island(auto)
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Sub Wars

Quiet

China

Signs of troops moving West from Chungking and threatening the river crossing.

In three days I will have two tank divisions to add to the 1 2/3 infantry divisions there. However, he may be able to attack in 2 days. He is moving from Chungking, where he must be over-stacked, but it is likely his forces will have drawn supply so are, probably, over-supplied. He could therefore over-stack in the attack which means he could easily throw 5000 AV at the defense. The best bet is to fall back into Neikiang, fortify, and allow air attacks time to weaken his forces and burn supply. The armour reinforcements should be able to make it through the rough to Neikiang and I can fly some engineers into Neikiang to help.

Losing the river crossing will be a nuisance but he can't hold it for long in the open and if I can capture Chengtu that will be a major result.

Burma

Quiet

Australia

A convoy is sent in with supplies for Darwin, it ends up 1 hex short. Hudsons strike it but Tojos on LRCAP down 4 and only 1 gets through to put 1 bomb into a freighter for marginal damage.

Lightnings sweep Darwin. I had hoped that with only Tojos and A6M5 on CAP they would do better. 13 Tojo and 5 A6M5 lost for 1 P-38E shot down[:(].

Pacific

Quiet

Engineering

Waingapoe to 2, Rossel Island to 4. Allies expand Ledo to 8.

R&D

D4Y4 to 1/45.

[offenseman]

Not sure how high you are flying the CAP, but if you are flying over 25k you may have better luck flying the Tojo and Zero in an altitude band where it outmaneuvers the P38. That is the only advantage you have to play against the 38. If the Opponent wants to get the bounce he will, it is faster, more durable, and better guns. Since you will get the bounced anyway, may as well do it where the Tojo and Zero maneuver better than the 38. Just one opinion of course. [:)]

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: offenseman

Not sure how high you are flying the CAP, but if you are flying over 25k you may have better luck flying the Tojo and Zero in an altitude band where it outmaneuvers the P38. That is the only advantage you have to play against the 38. If the Opponent wants to get the bounce he will, it is faster, more durable, and better guns. Since you will get the bounced anyway, may as well do it where the Tojo and Zero maneuver better than the 38. Just one opinion of course. [:)]

Typically at 18K. However, the planes then seem to try and climb to meet the Lightnings. Looking at the combat animation, he doesn't seem to get much out of the dive and it fairly quickly degenerates to a free for all. The problem is simply, my guns damage his planes but his guns destroy my planes. Typical sort of combat goes like Tojo attacking from behind, Lightning damaged, Lightning attacking from front, Tojo destroyed.

It won't help that by now his pilots must be very skilled and experienced. Mine are averaging about 65 experience, 70 skill and 65 defense. Although, there are some with rather worse defense so I may try moving some pilots around.

The simple answer is to not contest and generally I have been doing that. However, I wanted the cover for a re-supply convoy and that part worked.

[offenseman]

Gotcha, nothing wrong with what you are doing there. I wish I had had a solution for you. [:(] You are using the latest DBB air data right?

[Spidery]

Sub Operations

Any advice on how best to use Japanese subs?

I tried sending out a Glen equipped sub with a group of 3 or 4 other subs along likely shipping lanes. When the Glen spotted a convoy I tried to move the other subs to intercept and use the Glen to track the convoy. However, that hasn't worked well - I suspect he sees the Glen spotting his task force and institutes evasion measures.

I could use the Glens to fill gaps in Naval search and use the other subs on patrols in likely areas. Is it best to run a number of subs in a single area or to spread them around? I run 1 sub per task force.

I have been replacing leaders so the I-boats have 70+ Naval, 70+ Aggression and the RO boats are 65+.

At the moment I am not finding convoys. Any suggestions of likely hunting grounds?

[Spidery]

August 23rd 1942

Air Losses: 0 Japanese, 1 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Sub Wars

Quiet

China

Only two minor air strikes intended to slow movement.

More Chinese troops heading West from Kienko towards Chengtu. However, I have control of the minor road by a couple of tank regiments and should be able to reinforce that hex to block that move.

Latest recce of Chungking shows: 99 units, 403620 troops and 1068 guns. Recce overestimates so that could be only 320000 troops (about 25 divisions worth!). Recce shows another 200,000 troops retreating to Chungking.

Burma

Quiet

Australia

Quiet.

Pacific

Quiet

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

B6N2 to 9/43

[Spidery]

August 24th 1942

Air Losses: 12 Japanese, 9 Allied, 6 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Sub Wars

Quiet

China

Air strikes at Chengtu are disappointing: scoring a total of 16 disablements. Probably indicates quite a high fort level present. Troops have entered the outskirts and I will bombard this turn whilst keeping up the air strikes.

He may have made a mistake; I have a chance to trap 10 units East of the Wei. Will see shortly.

A cut off Chinese unit near Patung seems to have been disbanded. The Allies are taking 9 LCU loss VPs each day despite losing only 40 to 50 devices in combat. Must mean he is losing 60 devices a day from unsupplied units. I have 17 units certainly surrounded.

Chinese advancing from Chungking are moving slowly (could be a feint). I could contest the river hex but Neikiang looks a better defensive position.

Burma

Quiet

Australia

Lightnings sweep Darwin but this time the result is okay. 10 Tojo lost but 7 Lightning shot down. Main difference from before was that I replaced all pilots with less than 65 defense by ones of 68+. Average defense skill is now about 68.

A Glen provides an unconfirmed report of 8 Allied ships hugging the coast near Carnarvon.

Pacific

At Koumac there is only a single searchlight left, all other troops having been evacuated. One searchlight was evacuated on a sub but this one seems not to fit. Every day the Allies bomb the airfield for target practice.

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Ki-43-IIb to 9/42. That will be a useful upgrade next month as it gets armour.