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

[Lowpe]

This engagement finished, the poor Kirishima encounters the Prince of Wales. Outclassed, outgunned and low on ammo. Only the Kuma survives the encounter.[:(]

A dark day for the IJN...in the Kuriles an AMC sinks from heavy fires from his shore batteries...

Quite a few Allied ships sink...and the Allies gain 100 victory points, but still I am losing ships too fast -- if this keeps up I won't have a navy soon. Task Force Nagato is going in at Makin on the morrow and that could get ugly too....a complicated assault plan where advanced weather will probably play a decisive role.

I really wish I had my Lilly dive bombers right now, but not till next month.

[Lowpe]

China:

An infantry division and some tank units make the road and are into the planes of China.

I don't think there is much interest in the China theater, but I am making steady, slogging progress without suffering losses.

More land reinforcements are marching to Luchow to help seal off the Changsha triangle.

I will move some search planes up for the central plains...

[Lowpe]

Java:

I just don't understand my opponent, being aggressive is one thing, but does he seriously think he can stand up against me here, now? He is reinforcing Tjilatjap. 29 units now there. He has control of two hexsides into bad terrain so I will have to watch breakout moves.

In two days I will be able to start the destruction of Batavia as the artillery arrives, followed by 4 divisions so the first deliberate attack in 1 week or less. Even with forts level 6, I don't see how 500AV can stand up to 8 divisions, tons of artillery, engineers and tanks....then onto Tjilatjap.

There are 20 units defending Batavia with an estimate 500 AV -- so many small units that lack any kind of staying ability.

With Soerabaja captured, the AKEs are reloading, I will probably have to send the mini KB back to this theater to help in isolating tjilatjap. Xmas Island IO is almost ready to host Vals and that will help too.

[Lowpe]

Cross your fingers for this next turn as the Makin forces go in & I am throwing at him the kitchen sink in the area. Carriers, Battleships, Betties, Sweeps, subs, etc., -- as best I can tell his transport fleet is guarded by only two cruisers.

Up in the Kuriles still bombarding and recovering from the landings there. I put the KB into port to avoid wear and tear from the now hostile seas. Shore bombardments are still going thru, plus lots of hunter killer groups for small task forces and submarines.

Should be an exciting day! Clear for battle...

I am still stunned that he is reinforcing Tjilatjap. Stunned, I tell you.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Cross your fingers for this next turn as the Makin forces go in & I am throwing at him the kitchen sink in the area. Carriers, Battleships, Betties, Sweeps, subs, etc., -- as best I can tell his transport fleet is guarded by only two cruisers.

Up in the Kuriles still bombarding and recovering from the landings there. I put the KB into port to avoid wear and tear from the now hostile seas. Shore bombardments are still going thru, plus lots of hunter killer groups for small task forces and submarines.

Should be an exciting day! Clear for battle...

I am still stunned that he is reinforcing Tjilatjap. Stunned, I tell you.

Never interupt your opponent when he's making a mistake.

I must admit, your picture showing the Marshalls/Gilberts just makes me happy. It looks like you've a good solid defence there.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing
Never interupt your opponent when he's making a mistake.

I must admit, your picture showing the Marshalls/Gilberts just makes me happy. It looks like you've a good solid defence there.

Other than Jaluit, there really was nothing here 2 months ago. Allies could have taken it all bypassing Jaluit, and I would have been unable to do anything. Good recon is so important a lesson the Allies haven't learned as my entire strike force is not detected.[:D] Plus, sticking around 3 days after an invasion is just asking for it.

If I wouldn't have lost Tarawa on day 1 of my reign, I would have liked to build Makin up to a bigger hurdle as it was there was only a very small coy there...

But as the graphic shows, Makin can be hit at very hard from several bases and the Allies have to fly LRCAP to protect it for at least a few more days. Oh, I wish I had the Lilly DB stationed here as the greater range would really add some punch even Oscar IIas used as low naval attack/strafe & and the targets are juicy all those AK and AP that can convert...please be there tonight.

My original defense I was looking at using the KB here, not just Carrier Division 2 and the mini KB (which isn't full strength having had losses prior). Still, I am mustering over 250 plane strike which isn't anything to sneeze about...and to think that is almost 10% of the entire Japanese airforce which numbers only 2800 planes. In hindsight, I should have flown more Betties in from the Kuriles where they are rapidly becoming useless due to the weather, but I wanted a shot at a CA force loitering there.

Fighting on three distinct fronts is really tough for Japan given my extremely weak position in the air and my navy is suffering because of it....that will change in a few short months and it does make for very interesting turns.

I have decided to be weak in the air so no complaints (I make 5 Tojo IIa, 4 Helen IIa, and 1 Nick, 1 Oscar, 2 Betty, 1 Val, 1 Kate & 2 Jake a turn the rest is all research or off)...but I salivate at what I could accomplish if I had a more normal 4500 planes with decent pilots and frames that were researched just a little bit.

[Lowpe]

Nov 1, 1942

In the partial moonlight, IJN surface raiders catch more Allied ships...these were fleeing Tjilatjap...until they ran into some Long Lances.

Sure, they are small oilers, but hey, I have sunk the bigger ones already!

[Lowpe]

Then, all the way over, at Makin, Force Nagato closes with Allied Heavy Cruisers...

Heavy thunderstorms allow the ships to fight at close range, but will it clear for the planned air strikes come dawn?

Mutsu really dials in on the New Orleans and hits with some very large caliber rounds, until she is dead in the water, a burning lifeless hulk.

But, where are the Transports? Damn, this weather...the lookouts can't find them.

[Lowpe]

Lookouts spot a light to the port side...the task force changes course and spots them!

Allied radar gives the enemy time to sortie, a short fight ensues and the Nagato doesn't even fire a shell...but still the Mutsu leads the way and her big guns strike home!

Their mission accomplished, Task Force Nagato heads for fighter protection, lest the skies clear and they find themselves within reach of American bombers.

They are only lightly damaged, and will be able to sortie again after re-arming, if needed.

[Lowpe]

Meanwhile, in a series of engagements near the Kuriles in the cold norther waters, the IJN hunts down and sinks several small task forces of subchasers ([&:] and yard patrol type ships. Hardly worth the ammunition expended, but it is good training!

[Lowpe]

With dawn, comes clearing skies, and in the Marshalls the planes sortie from air bases and carriers as all ships make their designated launch points and turn into the wind.

Zero sweeps fly in first and the American fighters are much less than expected. Were they resting? Was there bad weather over Tarawa? Who knows, who cares...the IJN pilots brush aside the feeble CAP.

Carrier Division 2 (Hiryu & Soryu) are first over the target...the cream of the Japanese pilots, experienced and deadly.

They had made the long trip from the Kuriles, after sinking the Lexington, and looked to add more ships to their planes!

[Lowpe]

Commander Kobayashi in his trusty Val leads the attack, shows the angle, and flies into a wall of heavy flak, but he is determined and a veteran. He will not be denied...Banzai!

The bad weather during take off reduces the number of planes that fly...will it clear in the afternoon?

[Lowpe]

Yes, the weather clears! The morning strike force is refueled and rearmed, the enemy ships located and the recently arrived light carriers add their planes and pilots (less experienced than Carrier Division 2's) to the strike...

Betties go in first with Zero escorts but they foolishly attack destroyers with torpedoes, but the veterans of Carrier Division 2 know better and push past the enemy CAP in excellent formation...

[Lowpe]

Banzai! The enemy transports are sighted, attacked, and savaged. [X(]

[Lowpe]

A squadron of Kates got separated, but there is no American fighters left to harass the slow, lumbering torpedo bombers and they attack unescorted.

[Lowpe]

So, if you are an AFB reading this, don't hang around for days after an invasion in 1942 without bringing a whole lot to the party. Even the lamest Japanese player can strike back, and in a normal game you would have been hit by 200 to 400 more planes.

My airforce is beyond pitiful...but this performance by the Allies is just plain asking for it. Suicidal.[:-]

Japanese losses: 5 zeroes, 2 vals, 4 kates.

[Lowpe]

To add insult to injury, Betties fly and give the DeRuyter some love over near Java.

[Lowpe]

Task force Nagato is really only lightly hurt. The destroyers are sent back to Truk, but both the Mutsu and Nagato are in good shape with the Nagato having a full magazine of ammunition not having fired a shot in the previous nights engagements.

They will meet up with fresh destroyers and visit Makin again tonight.

[Lowpe]

Kuriles: Long range naval search spots a carrier.[&:] No, they must be mistaken.

The Allies are approaching 600 ships sunk and close to 100 destroyers gone, but still would they be so foolish as to throw another CV into the Kuriles with only a cruiser and already having lost the Lexington and the Long Island there?

It simply has to be a cruiser.

[Lowpe]

New month, 2 new planes. I have already talked about the latest Oscar, but I inherited a small size 7 factory for the Irving recon.

I normally never build this plane against the AI...I never need the distance for recon against the AI. But now, I definitely want the plane in service even though it uses the popular Ha-35 engine.

I am thinking of doubling the factory to 14, and slowly converting over the Bab units below to the Irving. I am looking forward to using her.

In other air news, I turned on my last A6m2 factory (size 150) and both my Kate factories to replace recent air losses, but this will probably come close to knocking my engine pool to very close to 500...so probably only for a day.

The A6M5c advanced and will now enter production 12/43....none of my Tony factories are fully repaired yet, and the Lilly dive bomber needs to repair only one point to start r&d advances.

There are now 491 Ha-33 in the pool, and getting this engine will really accelerate the Myojo and eventually the Judy and Tony ki-100.