Greyjoy(J) vs. Obvert(A) - The air war in China- DBB, SLs, PDU OFF

[ny59giants]

Rabaul - I usually focus on getting the AF to size 7 to enable airframe upgrades, but with PDU "Off" that may not be a priority. Hate having to base hop all the way back to Formosa or Japan otherwise.

Singapore - What are the HQ prep levels here?? 25th Army and Southern Command??

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Rabaul - I usually focus on getting the AF to size 7 to enable airframe upgrades, but with PDU "Off" that may not be a priority. Hate having to base hop all the way back to Formosa or Japan otherwise.

Singapore - What are the HQ prep levels here?? 25th Army and Southern Command??

I know. Already working on this. But it will take some time...very few eng available in sopac right now.

Snga? Levels of prep are low, below 50%.. That's the price to pay for being fast. I think it won't matter much anyway here. 1600 experienced AVs against 350 with 1 fort and +2 terrain...should get there

[Cribtop]

Hey, you spelled "Dutch" correctly! Banzai! [:D]

Don't sweat using KB for PM - as you say there really isn't a choice if you want to grab it quickly. You can make them disappear in one of several directions from there. Other than NOPAC (cough, told you so, cough [:D]) any hints as to overall enemy war plans yet?

I share your Cocos fears and would recon as soon as you're in range. Could be bad but again could present an opportunity to force an early CV battle.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Other than NOPAC (cough, told you so, cough [:D]) any hints as to overall enemy war plans yet?

I share your Cocos fears and would recon as soon as you're in range. Could be bad but again could present an opportunity to force an early CV battle.

Not at all. The only detected enemy activity is in the Aleutians. Not a single ship spotted between Oz and US or between US and PH. Some ships are at Perth but i'm sure those who escaped from the DEI. Nothing big.
All my subs are in place so i guess we'll soon discover where his CVs went. If i won't see them in the next month it might mean they took the off-map road to CT and then to Perth or India.
We'll soon see.
I am not looking for an early CV battle. If they arrive now, the better, but i won't force it and Erik is too smart to fall into that trap.
I'll recon Cocos ASAP. If i see anything more than 5,000 men, i'll send a full division. BANZAI!!!!
Now i really need Singa. With singa in my dirty hands, i will have a full operational base right in the middle of the fight, able to reload torps, to repair sys and flt damage and to start mininng the straits. ACMs are already on the way, along with several CMs.

[GreyJoy]

Dec 30, 1941

SINGAPORE FALLS!!!!![:D][:D][:D]

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

Ground combat at Singapore (50,84)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 53360 troops, 520 guns, 234 vehicles, Assault Value = 1954

Defending force 30236 troops, 367 guns, 241 vehicles, Assault Value = 353

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0

Japanese adjusted assault: 1274

Allied adjusted defense: 499

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Singapore !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1625 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 112 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Guns lost 11 (1 destroyed, 10 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
22072 casualties reported
Squads: 541 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2630 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 90 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 400 (400 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 296 (296 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 25

Assaulting units:
21st Division
38th/A Division
1st Tank Regiment
15th Ind Engineer Regiment
33rd Division
38th/B Division
18th Division
5th Division
38th/C Division
25th Army
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
34th Field AA Battalion
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
36th Field AA Battalion

Defending units:
2nd Loyal Battalion
2nd Gordons Battalion
22nd Australian Brigade
SSVF Brigade
2/17 Dogra Battalion
1st Malay Battalion
1st Manchester Battalion
3rd Cavalry Regiment
27th Australian Brigade
1st HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
III Indian Corps
113th RAF Adv Base Force
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
1st Indian Heavy AA Regiment
Singapore Base Force
AHQ Far East
Malaya Army
3rd Heavy AA Regiment
Singapore Fortress
112th RAF Adv Base Force
111th RAF Adv Base Force
2nd HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
Malayan Air Wing
24th NZ Pioneer Coy
5th Field Regiment


Losses are light. In 4 days we'll be able to sail again!!!
On the 31st 10 minesweepers are already working at Singapore Harbour, while a mighty fleet is waiting just outside it.

Port Moresby falls too on the 30th. The KB did its wonder and my two tiny units put an end to the australian defence of NG. On Jan 1st we'll be moving again!

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

Ground combat at Port Moresby (98,130)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 6297 troops, 60 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 173

Defending force 4331 troops, 52 guns, 51 vehicles, Assault Value = 78

Japanese adjusted assault: 104

Allied adjusted defense: 17

Japanese assault odds: 6 to 1 (fort level 1)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Port Moresby !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
259 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 27 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1648 casualties reported
Squads: 28 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 104 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 16 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 35 (26 destroyed, 9 disabled)
Vehicles lost 38 (38 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 7

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
144th Infantry Regiment
Maizuru 1st SNLF

Defending units:
Lark Battalion
49th Australian Battalion
Papuan Inf Battalion
15th RAN Base Force
13th Field Regiment
Rabaul Base Force
A Coy/NG Rifles /


In China two days of heavy fightings in northern China
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at 87,41 (near Tsiaotso)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 37484 troops, 402 guns, 422 vehicles, Assault Value = 1138

Defending force 28223 troops, 166 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 409

Japanese adjusted assault: 824

Allied adjusted defense: 442

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
588 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 83 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 20 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1326 casualties reported
Squads: 11 destroyed, 212 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 54 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 11 disabled
Guns lost 16 (2 destroyed, 14 disabled)

Assaulting units:
41st Division
15th Tank Regiment
37th Division
5th Tank Regiment
9th Tank Regiment
3rd Tank Regiment
12th Tank Regiment
110th Division
5th Armored Car Co
12th Army
Botanko Hvy Gun Regiment
15th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Army
11th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
1st Chinese Corps
33rd Chinese Corps
61st Chinese Corps
98th Chinese Corps
5th New Chinese Corps
7th Group Army
8th Group Army


Medan falls. Pegu falls. We're moving!



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TF 200 encounters mine field at Singapore (50,84)

Japanese Ships
DMS W-20
DMS W-18
DMS W-17
DMS W-16
DMS W-15
DMS W-14
DMS W-13
DMS W-12
DMS W-3
DMS W-2

264 mines cleared

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

Ground combat at 87,41 (near Tsiaotso)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 36699 troops, 402 guns, 422 vehicles, Assault Value = 1046

Defending force 26519 troops, 164 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 235

Japanese adjusted assault: 588

Allied adjusted defense: 424

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
153 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 36 (2 destroyed, 34 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1701 casualties reported
Squads: 123 destroyed, 103 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 35 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Guns lost 26 (3 destroyed, 23 disabled)

Assaulting units:
9th Tank Regiment
5th Tank Regiment
12th Tank Regiment
41st Division
110th Division
3rd Tank Regiment
37th Division
5th Armored Car Co
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
15th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Army
12th Army
Botanko Hvy Gun Regiment
11th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
61st Chinese Corps
33rd Chinese Corps
98th Chinese Corps
1st Chinese Corps
5th New Chinese Corps
7th Group Army
8th Group Army


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

Ground combat at Medan (46,76)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 3141 troops, 10 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 89

Defending force 2970 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 95

Japanese adjusted assault: 23

Allied adjusted defense: 5

Japanese assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 1)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Medan !!!

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
DC-2: 1 destroyed

Combat modifiers
Defender: leaders(-), disruption(-), preparation(-), fatigue(-)
experience(-)
Attacker: op mode(-), leaders(-)

Japanese ground losses:
28 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1021 casualties reported
Squads: 40 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 26 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Units retreated 2

Assaulting units:
41st Infantry Regiment

Defending units:
NS KNIL Territory Regiment
8th Indian Bde /1




Tawi Tawi is conquered on the 31st, along with Rossel Island (Solomons).

Still no sign of allied CVs...

...and now, Java!

[GreyJoy]

Took a look at what i did against QBall in Malaya: in that game Singapore fell on Feb 14... not bad to have done it on Dec 30!
I gotta give all credits to Micheal (NY59Giants) for this. He was the one who pointed me out how to do it!

Thanks!!![&o][&o][&o]

[Cribtop]

Very well done and it opens many options. Will you need to dedicate any troops from Singapore to finish the enemy trapped at Kuala Lumpur? If not you can power through Java, Timor and NW Oz very quickly.

[Lowpe]

How come I couldn't have inherited your game? I am stuck in Java in Oct 1942, Manila fell in Aug 42, and Allies still have Rangoon.

Leadership counts! Well done.

[witpqs]

Very early - good show!

[ny59giants]

Thanks Nic!![:)]

I did it on 31st, so you beat me by one day. [&o] The question will now be what can an Allied player do to prevent this from happening in their next game?? IMO, not much. I was able to get elements of the 11th Indian Division at Alor Star recombined at Taiping. Then, I was able to recapture Port Dickson from the para as Big Bad Wolf (BBW) did not reinforce it quickly enough. Thus, i was able to get the whole division into Singapore before the march from Mersing cut them off. Thankfully, I had talked with John 3rd about this before (he did similar in his current game of RA) multiple emails with Nic. John 3rd did a few things different that I saw was correctable with Nic. The multiple invasions at Kota Bharu and Kauntan put Japan within easy range of Singapore and lower the need for CVs to cover Mersing in a few days.

Now, for the next part of GJ's evil plan I am part of......

[Cribtop]

We have noticed he's holding out on that next phase of the Evil Plan. Looking forward to it. [:D]

[GreyJoy]

Jan 1, 1942

The new year has come.
Singapore is now a mine-free port. Tomorrow hundreds of thousands of supplies will start unloading, along with several support units, two fleet HQs, a Command HQ, AA units, base forces etc etc...a Whole army.

In China we've made some progresses on the road to Sian


Ground combat at 87,41 (near Tsiaotso)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 36550 troops, 403 guns, 423 vehicles, Assault Value = 1018

Defending force 20024 troops, 122 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 140

Japanese adjusted assault: 585

Allied adjusted defense: 178

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), morale(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
120 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 17 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

Allied ground losses:
9315 casualties reported
Squads: 224 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 262 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 11 destroyed, 6 disabled
Guns lost 22 (20 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Units retreated 5

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
110th Division
12th Tank Regiment
5th Tank Regiment
9th Tank Regiment
37th Division
41st Division
3rd Tank Regiment
5th Armored Car Co
Botanko Hvy Gun Regiment
12th Army
15th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Army
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
11th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
1st Chinese Corps
33rd Chinese Corps
98th Chinese Corps
7th Group Army
8th Group Army


in the South, the invasion of Horn Island is scheldued in two days. The Guards Mixed bde will unload at Rabaul Tomorrow.
In Burma the allies in full retreat mode. my Thai Divisions are moving towards Mandalay easily... strange!
Allied Subs are everywhere near Indochina coast... no Attacks lately.
Always short on zeros... forced to place 27 Claudes on the KB
Zuiho&friends are approaching Java...sweeping through the seas undisturbed.
Batavia is being reconned. 36,000 men... not much. Should be not that difficult.
In few days we'll start to move.
Moving more base forces to Palembang in order to be moved to Oosthaven as soon as it's conquered.
The air war is really slow. The allies are avoiding the fight everywhere. good because i couldn't efford to lose any front line fighter at the moment (Zero and Oscar productions are way behind)

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Very well done and it opens many options. Will you need to dedicate any troops from Singapore to finish the enemy trapped at Kuala Lumpur? If not you can power through Java, Timor and NW Oz very quickly.

Hopefully the Imperial Guards Division (which is moving down from Alor Star)can be enough to conquer Kuala and to set free the RR line.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

How come I couldn't have inherited your game? I am stuck in Java in Oct 1942, Manila fell in Aug 42, and Allies still have Rangoon.

Leadership counts! Well done.

Well, i don't plan to conquer Manila anytime soon. Just want to get done with Clark and then i'll move one ID (the 16th) out and wait untill they have finished their supplies.
I've wasted too much time being over conservative in my previous game. Won't do that mistake again!

[GreyJoy]

Jan 2-3, 1942

At Padang recon shows 40 aux planes and 8 units for 3000 men. Probably he's Flying out some units from somewhere.
The Zuiho&friends are joining the Kaga&Ryuho at Singa, then they will sail towards Batavia. The latter has only 30 fighters. None of them took off to face my 30 zero sweeping from Palembang.
Sending 4 more SNLF units to Rabaul, along with a SAG composed of 2 CAs, 2 CLs and 8 DDs. Will try to raid a bit the ocean.
Still no sign of any allied ship in CENTPAC... i'm leaning towards the idea that he is using OFF-MAP routes
Quite days for the rest

[GreyJoy]

A mixed Bde and mix Rgt are already moving towards Medan, in order to proceed fast to put an end on any resistance in Northern Sumatra. The same TF will then load 2 SNLF units at GeorgeTown and will head for Cocos Is.
The 56th ID is loading, heading for Merak, along with the 21st ID.
2 more Rgts are already operating in Sumatra, closing on Bankoleng and Oosthaven.
The 4th ID won't be needed for Horn Island (only 2 small units detected there). Will be used against Ambon, along with 2 BBs in support. Then it will move to Koepang and finally to Northern Oz.

[veji1]

Although the games are very different and with PDU off as a consequence of your experience in that other game, I have a question to ask as to the lessons you have learnt against MrKane and how you intend to apply them in your current game. How does the beating you suffered influence the way you will play as the japanese player ?

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: veji1

Although the games are very different and with PDU off as a consequence of your experience in that other game, I have a question to ask as to the lessons you have learnt against MrKane and how you intend to apply them in your current game. How does the beating you suffered influence the way you will play as the japanese player ?

Good question!

These are my observations:

1) Allied superior firepower with their LCUs late in the game is way overrated. If not backed up by naval bombing and heavy ground bombing (both needing the total conquest of air and naval space), can be easily countered by Japan with the use of forts.
2) There's no need to defend everything. Strategic strongpoints cannot be simply bypassed and are very difficult to overcome.
3) Mines and CD guns. If used correctly can really create un-attackable fortesses.
4) Japan can keep on attacking even when the amphib bonus expires. You just need some preparation, but if the KB remains strong, the IJA army is a great tool even in 1943
PDU OFF will clearly mean that i won't be able to obtain that controll of the airspace mr.Kane managed to achieve against me, but i am quite positive that, focusing the RnD on very few models, i can contest the airspace till 1944 (not everywhere, mind you, but in given spots).

[GreyJoy]

Just watched what happened on Lokaseanna's match where he raided Sapporo in April 1942...[X(][X(][X(][X(]
Immediately ordered AA and base forces to move to Hokkaido, along with engineers to build a couple of bases. 50 betties and 60 Kates (all higly trained) are transferred to Ominato, along with 80 Nates and 30 Claudes. Hope to be able to upgrade at least the Claudes by the end of Jan 42.
More picket TFs are ordered and a little sub flotilla will be assembled in Northern Onshu.
2 Sentais of Mavis are moved to Hokkaido and Tokyo, while Jakes are being shipped to Marcus and Paramushiro.

A naval base force and some engineers are being transferred to Guam. Wanna start the engineering works in the Mariannas ASAP

[GreyJoy]

Jan 03, 42

Padang is plastered. Enemy aux planes no longer there unfortunately.
Conquered Horn Island easily. Next stop: Ambon.
Gasmata and Milne Bay are conquered. Next stop Gasmata.
Fightings at Pingsiang. Forts reduced. heavy losses.
landings at Tandjoengbalai. Next stop Sebang, then Padang.
In 2 days we'll reach Oosthaven. 4 base forces unloaded at Palembang, ready to rail down and give cover to the Merak landings.
56th Div almost loaded. 200K supplies unloading at Singapore.
Mini KB re-united at Singapore. Kaga+Ryuho+Zuiho+Hosho.
First minefields placed in the straits. Enemy subs won't have anymore an easy access to the DEI. Mare Nostrum.



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

Ground combat at Pingsiang (82,54)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 38551 troops, 390 guns, 102 vehicles, Assault Value = 1153

Defending force 32070 troops, 221 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 911

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 668

Allied adjusted defense: 1023

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 2)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1581 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 127 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 11 destroyed, 22 disabled
Guns lost 13 (1 destroyed, 12 disabled)
Vehicles lost 6 (1 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
417 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 97 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled

Assaulting units:
2nd Ind Engineer Regiment
39th Division
116th Division
22nd Division
8th Armored Car Co
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
13th Army
4th Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
72nd Chinese Corps
63rd Chinese Corps
9th Prov Chinese Corps
26th Chinese Corps
3rd New Chinese Corps

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

Ground combat at Horn Island (91,128)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 1721 troops, 19 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 48

Defending force 948 troops, 4 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 18

Japanese adjusted assault: 54

Allied adjusted defense: 5

Japanese assault odds: 10 to 1 (fort level 1)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Horn Island !!!

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
S.23 Empire: 1 destroyed

Combat modifiers
Defender: preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
32 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1238 casualties reported
Squads: 18 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 39 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 4 (4 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 2

Assaulting units:
Maizuru 1st SNLF

Defending units:
Torres Strait Battalion
Horn Isl Base Force


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

Ground combat at Tandjoengbalai (47,78)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 300 troops, 7 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 75

Defending force 8886 troops, 80 guns, 11 vehicles, Assault Value = 253

Assaulting units:
NS KNIL Territory Regiment
6th Indian Bde /1
8th Indian Bde /1
109th RAF Adv Base Force

mmm...looks like he tried to airlift out some units trapped in Malaya. Good

Defending units:
Yokosuka 3rd SNLF
4th Ind.Mixed Regiment
21st Ind.Mixed Bde /1