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

[Lowpe]

The battle reports that Watanabe sends to Tokyo. The long lances were particularly effective again, as well as the innovative use of the 25mm AA guns at close range.

[Lowpe]

Minefield in the Kuriles:

I sent in a task force of 4 Tosu local minesweepers and they got savaged by the coastal batteries, 2 sunk that day, I scuttled a third, and the fourth is struggling to make port and put out fires. Poor little ships can't stand up to 155mm shells.[:(]

However, they did sweep a lot of mines, even while on fire. How is that for mission focused![:)]

Their presence probably saved the life of one of the few remaining DMS I have that was with the landing forces and didn't even sweep any mines and so was not engaged by those nasty 155mm shore batteries.

The main amphibious unit landed without encountering the minefield, and only one destroyer hit a mine, and she might actually live.

So the casualty report is three 1 vp AMcs, 1 1vp xAKL.

The invasion fleet (35 ships strong) landed 85% of their TOE, and suffered only 4 squads destroyed. I rotated in fresh warships to provide covering fire, and they will stay to unload a second day to get off the support and more supplies.

The brigade (95 prep) landed and is combat ready with 2% disruption, while the infantry division (77 prep) is at 13%. The armored unit (69 prep) is at 30% disruption but managed to offload almost all their tanks with no loss and is up to half its original assault value.

A followup Brigade probably won't be needed, but they are still steaming to the island just in case.

My troops will recover for a day before launching their first deliberate attack. I expect forts to be 4 and hopefully their supply levels aren't insanely high.

[Lokasenna]

Great raid on Tabit. What's the damage look like on your end? Looks like Chokai might have taken a few hits.

He would have done better to split the CAs off and have them as a screening SCTF. Even if you'd engaged the transports first, a second engagement of 3 CA/3 DD would have been to his advantage, IMO.

[Lowpe]

Chokai 7 system damage, there is a picture in post 639. The Chokai's armor bounced three hits, so really there was only two damaging shots from the Americans.

Yep, another less than optimal task force arrangement by the Allies...I am not complaining!

The second smaller cargo fleet saved a lot of allied ships, because otherwise Watanabe would have engaged the second time round the main AK/AP fleet.

[Lowpe]

K Day +1, Oct 27, 1942

Kuriles: IJN juggles surface fleets to provide counter battery fire, and three damaged American destroyers make a run for it sinking an E and a SC, dodging 100 torpedoes, and avoiding other attacks despite being in the thick of things. They haven't gone far so hopefully the IJN will put them down without wasting to many more torpedoes.

A second wave of troops land, the coastal battery sink a 7 vp xak, and perhaps 3 squads are destroyed, but now significant forces and supplies are on the beach, and a deliberate attack is ordered. The Allied regiments are estimated to be reduced by at least 30 percent. Bombardments will keep pace providing the IJA with artillery.

All invasion forces are breaking off to rearm.

Tabiteuea: Lightnings sweep Nauru, shooting down a handful of Zeroes, and I expect Nauru, now empty except for search planes, will get pounded by his 4es in the area. Allied ships return to Tabiteuea, but now there seems to be a dedicated surface action group.

Java: The Allies have managed to send in several task forces to Tjilatjap. They lost a few ships to Betties previously, and night time engagement there failed when my ships scoured the empty port and left only to have the Allied ships limp in the morning.

Bad luck, but a stronger force is going in tonight, they are not spotted and several others are vectoring in. He has got to be trying to rescue the americans there, and sinking loaded transports will be much nicer than a month long siege.

Lots of Allied submarine activities with one xak hit.

Soerabaja is protected only by 17 A6M3s, and three flak units, so I hope he doesn't bomb me there. Instead, his bombers flew at an empty airfield in Java.

9 4es shoot down 3 Tojo IIa, and three A6M2 at night over Magwe. I wonder how many bomber aces he has right now? [8|] I damaged 3 of the nine planes.

[Lowpe]

Night attack: I have 60 betties on night attack in Java, they didn't fly yesterday, let us see if they fly today!

There should be a pretty big naval fight at Tjilatjap, so perhaps the planes will be able to vector in.

At Tabiteuea and now Tjilatajap the Allies seem to have dedicated surface action groups of cruisers. He is short destroyers, I have sunk over 80, so perhaps some night work with long lances will do well.

[Lowpe]

Oct 28th 1942

A deliberate attack in the Kuriles drop American forts to 2, but don't make any headway. American's have minus for experience and disruption. Landing more supplies and troops there today before the onset of winter...

In a small engagement the American destroyer O'bannon is sunk, the Nicholas escapes, but is then hit with a 250 SAP bomb from a Kate.

A fair number of sub attacks, for no effect in the Kuriles, as a flight group upgrades to Helen II's.

In Java, the Allies have three fleets, and intelligence identifies them as one BB, and the rest are either CA or CLs. However, some Betties attack at night, in severe storms, and they miss on a destroyer. Go figure. [8|] An RO submarine sinks an empty xAP.

The ART stack of doom will be in Batavia shortly and its reduction will begin.

China sees two deliberate attacks in the mountains, no real gain or loss, except consuming supplies. A bombardment is scheduled for Changsha now that the AV there is over 2000. Not expecting anything, other than eating up Chinese supplies.

Other than that quiet. American shipping is gone from Tabiteuea...and plenty of ships sail into Soerabaja now that the mines are gone. Dogfights over Soerabaja and a Lightning is shot down....

[Lowpe]

Oct 29, 1942

Two naval engagements off Tjilatjap and Christmas Island IO.

[Lowpe]

Caught the Hermes,but the long lances miss. Flight deck penetrated however.

[Lowpe]

Elsewhere, 2 Marine regiments invade and take Makin which was held by a SNLF Coy and was never built up which will now change as the Americans will develop the base. The Americans bombarded with 2 cruisers only...

A night time bombing raid on Magwe by 8 4es shoot down 1 Zero and 2 Nicks for 3 damaged Liberators. No losses other than the planes.

[Lowpe]

At Tjilatjap, Allied ships brought supplies in. I was hoping they were trying to evacuate troops and have the vast majority of my Navy in blocking positions north and south of Xmas Island IO.

I don't have plans for taking Tjilatjap until Batavia falls. I will have a much larger force attacking at Batavia, and he has about half the troops he had at Soerabaja so despite the terrain I hope Batavia falls a little quicker.

There are 6 xaks in port at Tjilatjap, 1 CA, and the another damaged CA left there plus 100 fighters and bombardments will hopefully catch some of those fighters.

Soryu and Hiryu are two days from the Marshalls, and I will sortie some other ships to see if I can catch something at Makin...we shall see.

And finally, a BB hits a mine in the Kuriles while bombarding....

[Lowpe]

About the last day to land troops here in the Kuriles without suffering the x4 modifier for winter weather.

Enough troops have landed, now I need to keep the bombardments up, prevent resupply (but somehow I figure he has tons) reduce the fort two more levels and take the base.

Hopefully he recklessly throws more surface ships into the fray up here...

[Lowpe]

The situation at Makin end of October, 1942.

I knew he was coming here somewhere...and if he hangs around one more day the Mini KB, Carrier Division 2 and task force Nagato will hit his landings in a coordinated action. If only I had cut loose CarrDiv 2 earlier from the Kuriles, like right after sinking the Lexington. I always seem to be a day late with my dispositions.

Probably too late.

Makin was held by a handful of infantry, and I really never had the chance to develop it given his strength nearby and my absolute lack of strength in this theater...instead I chose to put troops on Ocean, Eniwetok,Ponape, Kursaie, and Nauru first and then put some on Ailinglaplap recently instead.

At least the raid on Tabiteuea made this operation somewhat costly.

[Lowpe]

At sea, west of Java, I am chasing the Hermes as priority one. She could head either to Perth or Capetown. I have Perth pretty well covered, but Capetown would be an absolute race...I am hoping my superior float plane search, plus Betties from Cocos can keep her detected and let the surface groups close with her again.

I also have lots of forces looking to engage the Prince of Wales again as a secondary goal. She would be low on ammo, and there is plenty of fresh surface units with lots of naval search (night and day) going on to catch her. It would be nice if the Betties flew, too.

And finally, Walrus destruction in the air loss page confirm the sinking of the Exeter. If I can catch his surface fleets the loss of the Kako can be avenged.

[Lowpe]

Oct 31,1942

Last day of Oct, a rather disappointing day. Forgot two things, to switch off a Tojo sweep in Burma, they flew and got butchered. The second item was reducing the range of Betties in the the Marshalls, where they flew into CAP unescorted not once but twice.

The IJN was unable to find the Hermes or the POW, disappointing. Will continue for one more day. Submarines will blockade Perth and Ceylon.

A couple of new planes for tomorrow and that is always interesting.

In the Marshalls, the Nagato task force is undetected...[;)]

In the Kuriles, landings are not opposed by his coastal guns so the disruption in climbing there. I might deliberate attack there to reduce forts again.

In Java, the Artillery stack of doom in 2 days away from Batavia.

Allied 4es bomb Magwe at night again, no loss and other 4es bomb Nauru during the day unopposed after a large lightning sweep.

The Myojo advances another month, to 8/45.

[Lowpe]

Oct 31, 1942

Economy. I have drained all the pools in the naval and merchant ship building pools. I expanded Tokyo's shipyard for the CS conversions, and built up the vehicle production to 190.

Given the aggressive pace of this game and my use of tanks against forts, I am thinking about adding some more vehicle production, maybe to 210.

Salting away the HI at a nice clip, and taking Soerabaja has helped with oil. I need the rest of Java and Rangoon.

Anybody notice anything out of kilter? Aircraft and engines...most of the daily production of aircraft is r&d...

[Lokasenna]

I would look at the LCU production chart for vehicles. If your long term trend is well above the need curve, then I would not look at expanding production so much as stopping replacements in many places.

[Lowpe]

Thanks, I was worried that I haven't been pooling any vehicles, but since my original starting production was so very low I am just behind the curve so to speak.

I really didn't want to spend the supply...

[Lowpe]

Nov 1, 2014

Two bombardments hit Tjilatjap, but a small Allied task force with two small dutch AOs, a damaged CL, an xak (later sunk by submarine) manage to evade at night.

I have not written down the amount of troops, but it sure seems like he hasn't evacuated anyone here from my recon and my memory.

[Lowpe]

I actually think he is reinforcing Tjilatjap. I know there is plenty of supply for him there, and the bombardment is really effective, like it is hitting troops not yet dug in.

Meanwhile, somewhere north of Oz and south west of Xmas Island IO, the Kirishima group is hunting the Hermes, and runs into this force! Oh my!

My goodness...where are these troops heading towards?