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

[Lowpe]

Good to see you back and active again.

[Spidery]

October 24th 1942

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

Pacific

I-18 sinks a 5000 ton xAK near Pearl Harbour.

An Allied sub puts a working torpedo into a Daigen class xAKL near Chichi-Jima, surprisingly it is still afloat with 29/42/3/34 damage. Was returning empty from resupply to Marcus Island.

Akagi and Junyo are now fully repaired and can sail to join the rest of the KB. No indications where Allied carriers are.

Burma

Recce detects a division strength attack starting in the North as well. This is a worry as it could break through and reach Lashio before I can clear Tsuyung and Paoshan.

China

A Chinese group cut off near Chihkiang is eliminated, the division that has been chasing them around the woods will be derestricted and sent somewhere useful (possibly Burma by sea).

Bombardment attack planned for Chungking.

Australia

No attack this turn. Runway damage at Darwin has been repaired and work started on repairing service damage.

Engineering

Mengtze airfield to 2, Kienko to 2, Sapporo to 5. Allies expand Tassaforanga to 3, Tarawa to 4.

Shanghai forts are now 5, should I stop?

Allies expand Ndeni port to 3 and Noumea to 6.

R&D

Quiet

[Spidery]

October 25th 1942

Air Losses: 16 Japanese, 7 Allied, 14 Pilots
Japanese occupy: cape Gloucester
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

I-166 sinks an ACM near Ndeni and is damaged by the counter-attack to the tune of 19/36/0.

RO-33 is damaged near Pearl Harbour to the tune of 24/49/2 and it is a long way back to port.

DD Kazegumo, in an ASW force, takes a working torpedo near Truk and needs to limp back for repairs, 19/48/26.

A night strike at Lunga port by Nells and Betties becomes fragmented, 1 Nell is lost to night CAP but quite a few planes try a port attack but all miss.

Some Catalinas attack at night against Russel Island task force, no hits or losses.

Burma

Try a night strike by Helens at Kalamayo. Some get there but no effect.

China

At Tsuyung, only forces from Kunming attack. Still the sweep goes in after the bombers. Fortunately, only Mary and Anns are involved and lost. The Oscar 1c swap 4 for 4 against the P-38F in air-air.

At Chungking the defense is much weaker than I expected:

Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 7614 troops, 509 guns, 496 vehicles, Assault Value = 5142

Defending force 202529 troops, 703 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 3120

Allied ground losses:
1790 casualties reported
Squads: 84 destroyed, 25 disabled
Non Combat: 24 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 6 (5 destroyed, 1 disabled)

No counter-battery fire. Given recce reports 327000 troops and 753 guns I expect he has some forces held in reserve.

Fingers crossed, as will order a deliberate attack with 12 divisions.

Australia

More strikes at Darwin. I need to get some supply in here, any advice on running fast transports in?

Engineering

Gasmata to 4. Allies expand Tulagi to 2.

R&D

Quiet

[Spidery]

October 26th 1942

Air Losses: 5 Japanese, 6 Allied, 1 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

I-123 takes damage near Tulagi, 29/50/3, and will retire for repairs[:(].

Catalinas again attack Rossel Island TF at night for no result.

Lots of Betties and Mavis lost to CAP over Tulagi area. Reports of many task forces there, including consistent reports of CV present but no aircraft on them. Don't understand this.

Burma

Quiet

China

Mixed results from attacks.

At Chungking fail to destroy forts but get close to a 1::1 result. Will take a few weeks to get enough
divisions back in a combat ready stance. Unfortunately, resurrected Chinese will add to the defense.

Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 172722 troops, 1854 guns, 801 vehicles, Assault Value = 5141

Defending force 199300 troops, 694 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2959

Japanese adjusted assault: 1205

Allied adjusted defense: 1419

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 6)

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

Japanese ground losses:
21067 casualties reported
Squads: 43 destroyed, 1102 disabled
Non Combat: 80 destroyed, 185 disabled
Engineers: 104 destroyed, 169 disabled
Guns lost 182 (18 destroyed, 164 disabled)
Vehicles lost 95 (18 destroyed, 77 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
22228 casualties reported
Squads: 407 destroyed, 678 disabled
Non Combat: 407 destroyed, 327 disabled
Engineers: 25 destroyed, 61 disabled
Guns lost 171 (31 destroyed, 140 disabled)
Units destroyed 7

At Tsuyung good attack and will attack again soon.

Ground combat at Tsuyung (68,46)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 19044 troops, 379 guns, 470 vehicles, Assault Value = 589

Defending force 16354 troops, 117 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 360

Japanese adjusted assault: 538

Allied adjusted defense: 613

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

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

Japanese ground losses:
43 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 12 (1 destroyed, 11 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
492 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 80 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 23 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 9 (1 destroyed, 8 disabled)

On the road from Chengtu to Tsuyung the armour does really badly;

Ground combat at 70,45 (near Kunming)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 7515 troops, 113 guns, 578 vehicles, Assault Value = 402

Defending force 14852 troops, 120 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 573

Japanese adjusted assault: 187

Allied adjusted defense: 3241

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 17

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
236 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 28 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 24 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 57 (2 destroyed, 55 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
175 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 25 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

Assaulting units:
8th Tank Regiment
12th Tank Regiment
2nd Tank Division

Defending units:
61st Chinese Corps

This could be bad and allow a mass of Chinese to cross the road and head for India.

Australia

Heavy strikes at Darwin including some minor targeting of ground units. 2 B-24D and a B-17F are downed by flak.

Engineering

Chengtu to 5, Allies expand Lunga to 7.

R&D

B6N2 3/43, Ki-43-IIIa 3/44, Ki-43-IV 7/44.

[Spidery]

October 27th 1942

Air Losses: 3 Japanese, 4 Allied, 1 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy: Wyndham
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

A couple of small task forces spotted further North, near Munda, they seem too far from bases to be working as CAP traps so not sure what these are about.

Near Tulagi, I-154 is attacked twice by Ansons. No reported hits but it now has 27 system damage and needs to head back for repairs.

Burma

Quiet

China

Still pushing at Tsuyung.

Bombardment of Chungking shows the forces there are collapsing. Analysis of the combat report shows the seven units destroyed yesterday are: 13th Construction Regiment, 16th Construction Regiment, 18th Artillery Regiment, 1st Artllery Regiment, 1st Construction Regiment, 6th Construction Regiment, and 6th Chinese Corps. So that is only one of the seven a unit that will resurrect itself. Destruction of the two artillery units is particularly nice.

Australia

100 Allied bombers hit the 16 men at Wyndham hard and kill all of them so there is no defense against the Australian Battalion that attacks.

I have a fast transport of 4 PB carrying 1000 supply each trying to deliver supply to Darwin, I want to see what happens. Ideally, they will run in and drop supplies at night then head back 4 hexes and be under air cover from Saumlaki during the day. Most likely, they will arrive at Darwin, fail to unload and be sunk!

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

D4Y4 to 7/44.

Oops

Suddenly discover Soerabaja is short of supplies. Turns out that a task force supposed to be loading resources accidently was ordered to load supply. The sudden drop in VP is going to look confusing!

[Spidery]

October 28th 1942

Air Losses: 6 Japanese, 7 Allied, 2 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

Quiet

Burma

Launch a small raid at Kalemyo.

China

At Tsuyung achieve a 1::1 result and the attacking forces are still good for another attack:

Ground combat at Tsuyung (68,46)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 18543 troops, 379 guns, 398 vehicles, Assault Value = 535

Defending force 15123 troops, 120 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 266

Japanese adjusted assault: 317

Allied adjusted defense: 268

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

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0

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

Japanese ground losses:
384 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 19 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Vehicles lost 27 (2 destroyed, 25 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
471 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 35 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 22 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled

Have managed to get ahead of the Chinese in the mountains, cutting their route to India.

Australia

The resupply convoy reaches Darwin, is not attacked, but only unloads 1600 supply (400 per ship), which is enough for two or three days at most. Some zeroes on LRCAP intended to cover it on the way out instead are downed by sweeping Lightnings.

Does this mean that if I send in a task force of DD and CL, each carrying no more than 200 supply, they will be able to unload it all in a night? At least until he destroys the port.

Even more massive strike against Darwin. Looks like 210 bombers hit Darwin, about two-thirds are 4E. At least flak and ops losses take out a few each day.

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Quiet

[Spidery]

China and Burma

[Lowpe]

How many troops are left at Darwin?

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

How many troops are left at Darwin?

Lots[8|]. 2 Divisions, a corps HQ, 7 AA, 2 ART, 6 AF, some engineers, 2 recon. About 49000 troop limit.

Level 5 forts. Southern Army HQ is at Koepang and prepped for it (not sure if this helps in defense). So it could be a tough defense even out of supply.

He is using about 800 supply a day to feed his air armada, apparently based at Daly Waters and Katherine. Surprises me that he can move that much along the roads. Or he may be flying some in which would explain the steady losses of C-47.

Saumlaki is a level 3 airfield so, once it is level 4, I may try doing a mass raid from there against Katherine. Possibly co-ordinated with carriers covering either a mass evacuation or a mass resupply effort.

[Spidery]

Some Thoughts on a Timeline

I have engineers building defenses in the DEI and the Marianas but little in the way of garrisons. My plan is to get those garrisons by buying out units from China and sending restricted units from China to replace unrestricted units in Burma.

It will probably take 2 months to take Chungking and about the same to clear the road to Burma. It is about 2 months to walk from Chungking to a front line in the Burmese jungle. So in about 4 months I should be able to redeploy to the defensive line.

During that time I would like MrKane to concentrate on taking the Marshalls and Gilberts, Darwin, and advancing in the Solomons. Winter will protect the Aleutians and Kuriles for that month. So, I could do with holding Darwin for another 4 months. Which means I need to get another 70,000 supply or so into it.

Once winter bites, I don't need the carriers to oppose him in the North, so could afford to use them to cover a resupply effort.

[GreyJoy]

To be honest, being still 1942, I'd move my CVs and provide some heavy CAP over Darwin, escorting a huge re-supply convoy.
Northern Oz is a trap for the allies in 1942. he won't have the strength to push you out, but, if you manage to re-gain the parity in the skies, he could be in deep trouble.
Don't desperate there. It can be an opportunity imho. Just defend your flanks and keep it up. Bring in more AA...lots more... and simply overwhelm him with numbers

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery
Lots[8|]. 2 Divisions, a corps HQ, 7 AA, 2 ART, 6 AF, some engineers, 2 recon. About 49000 troop limit.

Oh, boy.

Resupply will probably only get tougher the longer you wait.

If I were the Allies, I would be in no hurry fighting here.

Launching offensives thru Darwin is simply tough, I would use my air force to keep your troops isolated as much as possible, revisit Darwin in mid 43.

It would be a great place to get bomber pilots experience.

[Spidery]

Thanks for the advice guys. If you all reckon that if I resupply he won't be able to take Darwin before mid'43 then that is excellent. Just what I want to finish the defeat of China, build defenses and establish theatre reserves.

Not sure how much experience he will be getting. He is losing 2 or 3 planes to flak and 1 or 2 to ops on average. The flak losses probably also lose the pilot as will some of the ops losses. So he is probably losing about 1 in 70 of the pilots flying.

Also, he is giving away a few VP each day and only very rarely getting any back so that is all to the good. Plus, it keeps a lot of his 4E bombers tied up where they could be doing nasty things elsewhere.

[Spidery]

October 29th 1942

Air Losses: 4 Japanese, 2 Allied, 3 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

A transport like task force is spotted at Dutch Harbour.

I-19 puts a torpedo into an xAK East of Fiji but no sinking sounds.

A DD gets two hits with Type 2 DC on the SS Growler near Truk, internal explosion and a damage to engines but no sinking sounds.

Many task forces spotted moving South West from Tulagi. 9 Vals make an attempt on the BB New Mexico and BB Mississipi but score no hits.

Burma

Quiet

China

Tsuyung attack will have to stop briefly to recover from disruption. Will keep bombarding.

Australia

No attack today.

Engineering

Niekiang to 3.

R&D

Quiet

[FeurerKrieg]

Hi Spidery -

Nice AAR - subscribed. A little late, but I'd go for the P1Y1 as well.

I hope to catch up and read more of this AAR one of these days, but what's the situation in the Pacific?

[Spidery]

October 30th 1942

Air Losses: 29 Japanese, 3 Allied, 17 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

A series of surface actions around Rossel Island show the poor standard of Japanese gunnery[:(] with only few hits being scored on the attacking DD and CL. Also, Allied forces pass over subs on the way in and out and are not engaged.

Lost 4 APD[:@]. Also have two damaged DD that are doomed (DD Tanikaze at 65/23/19/77) and DD Yuzuki at (79/25/26/62)[:@]. A few LBA planes manage to fly and claim 2 60Kg bomb hits on BB West Virginia (that must be massive damage[:D]) and two torpedo hits on each of BB Mississippi and BB Warspite[:)]. Wild claims are made that the Warspite has been sunk but wiser heads do not believe this.

Lightnings sweep Rossel Island and shoot down 11 Ki-43-IIb for the loss of 2 of their number[:@].

Most of the Allied bombardments are aborted by surface combat and damage is minor but I am guessing his BB will attack tonight.

There is an Allied task force spotted 80 nautical miles South of Rossel Island and reported as 10 ships with 6 BB and 2 CV. This is the one with the damaged Warspite and Mississippi. With no aircraft present the CV must be a mistake so this could be a large invasion force or a bombardment force.

Allied task force in the North Pacific has vanished.

Burma

Quiet

China

Continues, 10 more artillery units have arrived at Chungking.

Australia

No attack today.

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Quiet

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Feurer Krieg

Hi Spidery -

Nice AAR - subscribed. A little late, but I'd go for the P1Y1 as well.

I hope to catch up and read more of this AAR one of these days, but what's the situation in the Pacific?

Welcome on board and thank-you. I'll give a run down at the end of the month (not far away!)

The P1Y1 factory has been stopped at 1 to repair for ages so not needed to make a final decision yet but I am thinking to go for the P1Y1 as well.

[Spidery]

Something odd while I was watching the battle. An APD (later sunk) had its Type 13 Radar destroyed by a shell. However, that Radar device isn't available until 3/43.

So, did it have a non-working Radar fitted or is the Radar present and working?

[Lowpe]

No clue on the radar, my guess it is there physically but doesn't work yet.

Sounds like Darwin has quieted down a bit. The allied bombers will gain lots of experience if you let the troops run out of supplies...I take it the fast transport PBs made a good escape? I don't think most Allied players really focus on training up the huge number of bomber pilots they need for the endgame, but I suspect your opponent is different, unfortunately.

I take it those were fast APDs and not the slow 18 knot ones? Where they fast transporting or surface combat? Just curious.

Have you converted many DDs to APD?

I hate days like that in the air...

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Sounds like Darwin has quieted down a bit. The allied bombers will gain lots of experience if you let the troops run out of supplies...I take it the fast transport PBs made a good escape? I don't think most Allied players really focus on training up the huge number of bomber pilots they need for the endgame, but I suspect your opponent is different, unfortunately.

Are yes, hadn't considered what would happen if I ran out of supply. I don't think MrKane will skip a chance to gain experience for his pilots. He delayed taking Koumac, when it was defended by just a single searchlight, to use it as target practice.

Don't think Darwin has quietened down, just a stop either to repair air frames or get supply in. Or he could be redeploying a bit for a landing on Rossel Island.

I take it those were fast APDs and not the slow 18 knot ones? Where they fast transporting or surface combat? Just curious.

Have you converted many DDs to APD?

Converted Minekaze class so 29 knot ones. I have converted most of the Minekaze class and will probably now convert some Wakatake class.

I hate days like that in the air...

Didn't mind the air that much. Being hit by Lightnings is just one of those things that can't be avoided and trading Kates/Nells for hits on battleships is okay by me.