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

[Spidery]

I now have a good pile of PP and need to decide what to do with it.

I am gradually replacing the captains of my better DD with the hope that they can better attack subs. Also may up the captains on the escorts that act as flags for tanker convoys. Air groups, subs and major ships all seem to have good commanders, although I occasionally find one I missed.

I can build up a reserve of PP to buy out divisions in China when they start getting trashed from attacks at Chungking.

Or, there are some 1E bomber groups that I can convert to fly Nicks for a massive 250 PP + the cost to derestrict them. Is it worth doing that?

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery

Or, there are some 1E bomber groups that I can convert to fly Nicks for a massive 250 PP + the cost to derestrict them. Is it worth doing that?

75 Points to convert them to 2e bombers seems more reasonable even if they just become asw platforms.

[offenseman]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Spidery

Or, there are some 1E bomber groups that I can convert to fly Nicks for a massive 250 PP + the cost to derestrict them. Is it worth doing that?

75 Points to convert them to 2e bombers seems more reasonable even if they just become asw platforms.

Fully agree. Nick is not worth that cost.

[Spidery]

September 30th 1942

Air Losses: 20 Japanese, 18 Allied, 8 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy: Wyndham, Russell Islands (auto)
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

I-10 finds the Saratoga South of Pearl Harbour and puts a torpedo into it (why did she only launch 2?). Saratoga was already damaged so that is extra nice[8D].

A6M5 and Ki-43-1c based at Buka fly a long way to Tulagi to sweep there. They do well, looks like 13 F4F-4 shot down for 3 Zero and 3 Oscar lost. Pilot and aircraft fatigue though is quite high.

I-121 slips into Rennell Island and drops some mines. DD Nicholas discovers them the hard way[:D] and is, probably, sunk[:)].

Burma

Quiet

China

More of the same.

Nicks encounter flak while attacking low and 4 are lost[:(].

Australia

Heavier night bombing of Darwin and I lose 5 planes on the ground. In the air, 4 Oscars for 1 B-24D and 1 B-26. Allied strikes are now coming in at 9000 feet so flak is less effective. Some Nicks have arrived to add to the night defense (they didn't fly last night).

The 8 men at Wyndham are unable to hold out against the 24th Infantry Division and supporting artillery[X(].

Engineering

Buka to 4.

R&D

H8K2 enters production. A size 30 R&D factory switches to production. The H8K2 is so much better than the H6K4 (armoured, more durable, better range, more weapons, faster) that I will probably switch most groups to using the H8K2 as soon as possible and just leave 1, or 2, to use up the stock of H6K4. There is one group that withdraws in 1943.

D4Y1-C enters production. Will convert a factory to this at about size 15 and make this the IJN recon plane of choice.

The Ta-Chi 3 Radar is available. This doesn't seem much better than the Ta-Chi 2 and is replaced by the Ta-Chi 7 in 1/43 which is a major improvement. So will hold off from doing many upgrades.

[Spidery]

September in review.

A mixed month.

In China, the defense has collapsed. In Burma, Magwe remains under full production, well past when I expected it to have been flattened. In the South Pacific the Allies have taken Guadalcanal area. At sea lost two and a half carriers for one enemy carrier and both sides have damaged carriers.

Code: Select all

 Overall VP:   Japan +2972 Allied +817
 VP for air:   Japan  +631 Allied +661
 VP for land:  Japan  +953 Allied +113
 VP for bases: Japan  +854 Allied -445
 VP for sea:   Japan  +534 Allied +492
 

(Japanese VP for sea calculated from the other values)

[Spidery]

September Economy

A good rise in supplies, probably won't continue for the rest of the year as the Ha-45 will enter production in a few days and will need expanding to cover the eventual demand for N1K, B7A2, and Ki-84.

Also, good fuel stockpiles being made. Oil supplies falling steadily and would run out about 1946 if no Allied action! HI gain is low and will have about 800,000 at the end of the year but this in part reflecting the good stockpiles of armaments, vehicles, and engines and why there is so much fuel.

Code: Select all

 Oil:      -65,966
 Fuel:    +201,102
 Supply:  +188,599
 HI:       +46,886
 Vehicles:  +4,336
 Arm:      +13,084
 

[Spidery]

Engine Production

Will run out of Nakajima Hikari and Kawasaki(early) this month so stop production of B5N1 and Ki-32.

[Spidery]

Plane Production and Pools

A large stockpile of Nates also.

G4M1 pool is exhausted so will be upgrading to the G3M3 but still have large surpluses of G3M2 and G3M3.

B5N1 stock will be kept for use in Kamikaze.

[Spidery]

Situation in China

At A, lots of Chinese, mostly damaged corps, provided I can take the hex North-West from there before the Chinese get there I should be able to trap all these.

At B, in a couple of days I can attack here. If they haven't left by then I should be able to retreat them North East and again into Chungking where they can be destroyed. However, the forces North West from here can probably make it to India. I do have some forces moving onto the minor road to try and force them to take a long way round.

At C, Chinese are weakening and I hope to take this soon. However, Tsuyung, Paoshan and the hex on the Burmese border will all be strong-points so it is likely to take the rest of 1942 before I can reach Burma.

At Chungking he has about 120,000 troops with 650 guns. I think these will prove to be largely intact divisions with supporting artillery (I have eliminated one AT and one ART unit). So I estimate that as about 5,000 AV (probably behind level 7 forts).

[Spidery]

Ship Losses

Japanese ship losses as below. No point in posting Allied losses as it seems completely wrong.

Estimated Allied losses:

CV Wasp, 1 or 2 CA, 2 CL, 2 DD, 1 or 2 AM, 1 ACM, 6-8 xAK or AK.

[Lowpe]

What are some of the cumulative ship losses for both sides? Cut and paste tracker summary top part would be great to see.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

What are some of the cumulative ship losses for both sides? Cut and paste tracker summary top part would be great to see.

Make of this what you will.

[Lowpe]

I just got to chuckle a little...the losses are so light compared to the bloodbath that is my aar'd game.

Did you lose one of the LSDs?[:-] Hopefully not the float plane one.

[Spidery]

Did you lose one of the LSDs? Hopefully not the float plane one.

December 11th 1941 to a Dutch sub. I just put that down as bad luck. I still have one with float planes on it.

[Spidery]

October 1st 1942

Air Losses: 11 Japanese, 9 Allied, 3 Pilots
Japanese occupy: Deboyne Islands(air drop)
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

Allied sub sightings are down. Otherwise quiet.

Burma

Blenheims night strike at Magwe. Lose 3 in air-air and 5 to flak and score no hits.

China

A good result in the plains:

Ground combat at 76,44 (near Chungking)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 14471 troops, 202 guns, 117 vehicles, Assault Value = 432

Defending force 28564 troops, 110 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 674

Japanese adjusted assault: 172

Allied adjusted defense: 77

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: disruption(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
159 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Vehicles lost 7 (1 destroyed, 6 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
9238 casualties reported
Squads: 294 destroyed, 67 disabled
Non Combat: 331 destroyed, 16 disabled
Engineers: 18 destroyed, 6 disabled
Guns lost 18 (16 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Units retreated 4

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
40th Division
8th Armored Car Co
5th Armored Car Co
10th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
12th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
4th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
5th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
11th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
13th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion

Defending units:
68th Chinese Corps
99th Chinese Corps
3rd New Chinese Corps
31st Chinese Corps

Two of these corps still looked good but are now trashed. Note the massive Allied AV adjustment.

On the road to Tsuyun achieve a 1:1 result.

Wellingtons night strike at Chengtu. No losses on either side and no hits.

Australia

4E bomb Darwin. Thunderstorms and they score only 1 hit but the night CAP of Tojo and Nick performs poorly losing 8 aircraft for no Allied losses. Oscars seemed to do better.

Light bombardment of Wyndham using CL.

Engineering

Chengtu to 4.

Allies expand Rennell Island airfield to 1.

R&D

Ki-43-IIIa now 4/44

[Spidery]

October 2nd 1942

Air Losses: 3 Japanese, 6 Allied, 2 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Allied losses report 4 C-47 left to Ops. Must be doing a lot of air transport.

Pacific

S-27 is reported with heavy damage when I-4 takes a shot at it near Milne Bay.

I-157 puts a torpedo into an xAK South of Ndeni. No troop losses, probably a task force that dropped stuff off and is returning to Suva.

India

Launch a night strike at Calcutta port. However, the Nells and Betties from Rangoon fail to fly[:(], due to weather, and only 11 Helens attack. They put a bomb into each of a DD and a CL. No CAP so a bit of a missed opportunity[:(].

Burma

Quiet

China

Wellingtons strike at Chengtu again without result on either side.

A surprising result near Chengtu

Ground combat at 76,40 (near Chengtu)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 5513 troops, 110 guns, 355 vehicles, Assault Value = 278

Defending force 7003 troops, 48 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 125

Japanese adjusted assault: 52

Allied adjusted defense: 238

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 4

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

Japanese ground losses:
132 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

Allied ground losses:
231 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 25 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
1st Tank Division
20th Recon Regiment

Defending units:
24th Chinese/B Corps
3rd Chinese Base Force
12th Chinese Base Force

These are the retreated defenders of Chengtu and I expected them to immediately crumble.

Still pushing near Kunming.

An attack near Kienko achieves a 25:1 result but the Allies fail to retreat (the tank regiments in this are in reserve pursuit mode).

Ground combat at 77,41 (near Kienko)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 12547 troops, 102 guns, 36 vehicles, Assault Value = 486

Defending force 8615 troops, 15 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 259

Japanese adjusted assault: 401

Allied adjusted defense: 16

Japanese assault odds: 25 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), disruption(-), fatigue(-)
experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
260 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 13 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Allied ground losses:
94 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 14 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

Assaulting units:
12th Tank Regiment
8th Tank Regiment
32nd Division

Defending units:
75th Chinese Corps

Australia

I have evacuated Darwin of aircraft. The 4E strike again at night, no permanent damage to the airfields. Will need 2 or 3 days before the air group morale is up and can fly back in.

Light bombardment of Wyndham using CL.

Engineering

Allies expand Fenton to 3. Chittagong port to 6.

R&D

Ki-44-IIc now 1/43 (will be available 11/42).

[Spidery]

October 3rd 1942

Air Losses: 3 Japanese, 4 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

I-29 is damaged near Pearl Harbour (26/41/7).

A DD damages the SS Flying Fish near Truk but not sufficiently to sink it.

My CL force bombards Rennell Island, damages Catalinas there but none are destroyed.

India

Bombard Chittagong and destroy 2 fighters on the ground.

Burma

Quiet

China

Wellingtons strike at Niekiang and get one supply hit.

More attacks that fail to make progress.

Australia

I-26 and I-23 each sink an xAK in a convoy near Perth[:)], apparently carrying fuel.

Engineering

Rossel Island port expanded to 1. Allies expand Lunga port to 2.

R&D

Nakajima Ha-45 advances to 10/42 and enters production. I will need a lot of these so the factories are all ordered to expand.

[Spidery]

October 4th 1942

Air Losses: 4 Japanese, 3 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

I-122 is badly damaged by air attack near Lunga[:(], 52/26/6 so will limp back for repair.

A BB task force of mine lurking near Eniwetok is detected by aircraft despite being 19 hexes from the nearest Allied base. Could he have carriers in the area and, if so, how did they get past my search?[&:]

ASW task forces are hunting my subs near Pearl Harbour.

Burma

Quiet

China

Wellingtons strike at Niekiang.

Drive one of the defenders on the road to Tsuyung out and the other looks like it will collapse[:)].

Australia

Heavy day time raids against Darwin leave the field at 33 runway damage and burn about 500 supplies.

ASW task forces are acting out of Perth.

Engineering

Allies expand Lunga to 6.

R&D

Quiet

[Spidery]

October 5th 1942

Air Losses: 36 Japanese, 26 Allied, 20 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

An AK bringing some AA units to Rabaul is sunk by a Dutch sub.

Sweeps over Tulagi do okay.

Burma

Quiet

China

Chinese continue to hold outside Tsuyung.

A good result near Chungking

Ground combat at 75,46 (near Chungking)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 47674 troops, 517 guns, 58 vehicles, Assault Value = 1299

Defending force 35778 troops, 58 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 592

Japanese adjusted assault: 786

Allied adjusted defense: 307

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
1132 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 134 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled

Allied ground losses:
11660 casualties reported
Squads: 238 destroyed, 59 disabled
Non Combat: 430 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 16 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 14 (14 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 15

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
59th Division
9th Ind.Mixed Brigade
110th Division
116th Division
4th Ind.Mixed Regiment
7th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
21st Medium Field Artillery Battalion
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
28th Mountain Gun Regiment
11th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
57th Chinese Corps
20th Chinese Corps
6th Chinese Corps
Central Reserve
27th Group Army
23rd Group Army
38th Group Army
37th Group Army
303rd Brigade
29th Group Army
26th Group Army
Jingcha War Area
32nd Group Army
25th Group Army
9th Separate Brigade

The Chinese are driven back across the river and will be delayed again before they can escape during this time should be able to defeat them and force them back into Chungking.

Regular bombing of Chungking destroys a P-66 Vanguard, not sure where that came from.

Australia

Fighters are flown into Darwin and there is a big fight. Against the sweeping Lightnings they do badly but against the bombers and LRCAP manage to get through and shoot down some bombers. Allied losses for the day include 5 of the 4E bombers.

Engineering

Amchitka Island forts are now at 4.

R&D

Quiet

[Lowpe]

Did you lose the entire AA unit? AKs are precious, that is bad luck.