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

[GreyJoy]

The Ki-45a is faster than the A6M2 (340 vs 336 mhp), armoured and has a CL 20mm cannon (the army one, not the crappy navy one).
Has a DUR of 36 against the 22 of the A6M2... possibly my best plane untill the KI-44 comes online and for sure the best one to counter the 4E.
Need to use them wisely

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

The Ki-45a is faster than the A6M2 (340 vs 336 mhp), armoured and has a CL 20mm cannon (the army one, not the crappy navy one).
Has a DUR of 36 against the 22 of the A6M2... possibly my best plane untill the KI-44 comes online and for sure the best one to counter the 4E.
Need to use them wisely

I really love this plane. It comes just before you really need it, but unfortunately not a lot of groups get to use it so you don't get to produce too many of them.

I'm torn on the later models, but the first one is great. Good to keep them around for army bombing units, too.

[Cribtop]

I too had fantastic luck with the Nick. Great early bomber killer if you can keep Allied fighters off it. Effectively ups the risk of unescorted 4E raids into the red zone.

[GreyJoy]

Feb 27, 1942

Feb is moving along way too fast than what I hoped. I made a mess in Mindanao with transport planes moving fragments of the 26th ID all around the bases...damn! at least a week lost for my idiocy!

However, nothing much happened today.

We rested at Colombo and Batavia. Tomorrow two more deliberate attacks there. the 6th Guards ID is unloading at Trico...just in case the 25th Army won't be able to do the job at Colombo all alone.

The Diego Garcia invasion TF is loading at Singa.

More SNLF units are massing at Rabaul.

CVL Soho, along with 2 BBs and 4 CLs are grouping at Bab, ready to move to Darwin.

The invasion of northern OZ is taking shape in my mind. 8 units at Darwin with 20,000 men.

The 26th and the 4th IDs will lead the invasion. Tanks and Paras will follow up, along with 4 artillery units and 5 AA units.

SNLF units will take care of Whyndam, Derby, Port Hedland and Broome. Base forces are arriving from Japan, along with 150 fighters and 100 bombers and 4 recce units.

Netties are already based at Koepang with an Air HQ. AA units and engineers are moving to Horn Island



The Imperial and the 56th will be kept in reserve

[GreyJoy]

In 2 days two garrison units (Brigade strong - 120 AVs) will arrive. Need to think where to send them. SOPAC? NOPAC? Or India for garrisoning?... hard choices...

The American CVs are nowhere to be seen. I'm pretty sure one was escorting Yorktown back to PH, so probably she's still there. But where are the other 2?

I have glen-equipped subs in the Aleutinas, West Coast and near the Panama Channel... but the enemy's activities seem to be very very slow... not a single major ship has been spotted so far. I'd expect a lot of convoys by now...[&:]


Enemy subs started to operate near Hokkaido (sinking a YO - fuel barge). Need to divert some ASW assets up there...

The first 30 pilots trained in ASW role are finally ready. Just equipped a 27planes sentai at Tricomale...lots of subs around Ceylon lately...let's see if I can send them back licking their wounds[;)]

[GreyJoy]

Ok, let's recap:

These are my free major units so far

INDIA:

25th, 15th, 21st Army HQs

5th
55th
18th
2nd
21st
33rd
38th
5th Guards
6th Guards

-------------
Northern OZ:

16th Army HQ

4th
56th
26th
Imperial

-----------

LUZON:

14th Army HQ

16th
48th
65th Mix Bde

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

SRA:

4th Mix Bde
4th Mix Rgt
2 regiments of the 30th and 31st Divisions

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

CHINA:

41st (rebuilding)

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

SOPAC (Rabaul):

Guards Mixed bde
6 SNFL units





Have to understand how far I wanna go in India... already have in mind something, but it's not clear yet...

[veji1]

What about western OZ ? Depending on what you want to do in India, you might want to downgrade you forces there and use some to grab western OZ and hopefully destroy a few aussies in the process as well.

What is facing the americans. If he wanted to start biting at your heels without exposing himself to much, where would he go in your mind ? A coup de main on some spots in the southern salomons, or in the Gilberts or the islands of centpac ?

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: veji1

What about western OZ ? Depending on what you want to do in India, you might want to downgrade you forces there and use some to grab western OZ and hopefully destroy a few aussies in the process as well.

What is facing the americans. If he wanted to start biting at your heels without exposing himself to much, where would he go in your mind ? A coup de main on some spots in the southern salomons, or in the Gilberts or the islands of centpac ?

Western Oz is in my thoughts my friend.
I have several IDs prepping for it, but it all depends on how fast we can go in the next two weeks. Darwin should be an easy prey seeing what he has there (20,000 men at max). The rest of northern Oz seems pretty much empty.
The point is that I need to stabilize the situation in India before bringing back my crack divisions.
I may be able to move out 3 of them pretty easily, bringing the OZ contingent up to 7... which isn't that much if he has a couple of US IDs already there.
We'll see...

The americans?

Sure the Solomons... or the Gilberts... but are they really strategically worth? Whatever he brings now, whatever he grabs, I may take it back in 1942 if I want to. I have that fast reaction force at Rabaul (around 500 AVs). The Kb can be there pretty fast... and, if needed, I can bring with me a couple of divisions. Would love to have Lunga invaded by an US ID by now... imagine that: he grabs it and starts building... I have 10 AKEs at Truk and 400k fuel between Truk and Rabaul. I could bring down the KB and the BBs and start bombing the hell out of it. Once a couple of divisions get 100% prepped I'd counter invade. Don't see what he could do to stop this process in mid 1942.

However I don't wanna go overconfident. i'll remain prudent and vigilant. Mavis and Nells are looking around in SOPAC and in CENTPAC. hopefully I won't get caught with pants down

[GreyJoy]

Feb 28, March 3, 1942

Days are moving too fast now.

At Colombo we're pretty much stuck for another week or so (until the 6th Guards ID arrives - now at Dambhullah).
At Batavia we're making progresses, but very slowly. I hope the next attack will solve the problem but I'm not that confident. Will probably need two more DAs to get rid of that pesky city.
At Ledo the 21st ID and the 5th Guards ID are closing to the city, while the 17th ind. rgt and a Thai ID make their first attack at Mitikyna, getting the forts down to 2. Losses are high however and supplies low...we'll need to wait a little more here.

In India it has been very quiet in the last days. My units are all breathing and I am trying to consolidate my perimeter.

The two Garrison units just arrived in Japan. Decided to send them to India.

The invasion of Northern Oz is taking shape. Ships and men are gathering to Sosarbaja and Kendari. The "Darwin invasion" will be composed of the 26th ID, the 4th ID (once Batavia falls), the 5th Amphib Bde, 3 artillery units, 3 AA units, 2 base forces. Paras and tanks are arriving now at Singapore. Will be used for follow up the attack.
4 Oscars Sentais and 130 Sallies will be moving to Ambon in these days.
4 BBs will be in close support, along with minesweepers and 6 CVs+1 CVL (basically a reinforced KB).
Derby, Broome and Whyndam will be left to the SNLF units with some DDs for close support.
The Imperail ID and the 56th ID will be kept in reserve and possibly used against Port Hedland and Exmouth.

[GreyJoy]

In the next 10 days 3 Naval garrison units will arrive, along with 3 base forces and some Eng rgts. They all will be sent to the Kuriles.

[Cribtop]

Clearly Obvert has chosen the fall back on Karachi and/or Bombay strategy in India. What are your long term plans for this theater? How does the lack of fuel captures impact those plans?

If he falls all the way back, I would push minor forces up to his red lines to deny him industry and gain a buffer, but only defend Ceylon and Calcutta, and even there more in a rear guard manner than a to the last man affair. A minimialist occupation, if you will.

[leehunt27@bloomberg.net]

hey Greyjoy, nice work so far. Catching up again on your new PBEM war after the last exciting one with you as Japan.


Is this a bid for auto victory, taking India and maybe Pakistan and parts of Oz? Have the Americans been making noises in the eastern Pacific at all?

As usual, love to see lots of maps!

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Clearly Obvert has chosen the fall back on Karachi and/or Bombay strategy in India. What are your long term plans for this theater? How does the lack of fuel captures impact those plans?

If he falls all the way back, I would push minor forces up to his red lines to deny him industry and gain a buffer, but only defend Ceylon and Calcutta, and even there more in a rear guard manner than a to the last man affair. A minimialist occupation, if you will.

Sure Crib.
In fact I've never planned to go till Bombay/Karachi. My general idea was to get Assam and Ceylon, in order to grab many resources/fuel/supplies and delay, strategically, as much as possible his potential advance in Burma towards the DEI.
The fact that he's turtling back gives me a free shot to gain lots of cities for no cost at all. And even if those cities are empty (no fuel/supply so far taken, except some 1000/2000 fuel in port bases), many of those have LI which produce something... better than nothing.
The plan is to remain in Assam, Madras and Ceylon until mid 1943, thus getting the time to build up Burma and Sumatra/Adamans as I want. Then let behind some expendable units in good terrain (wanna have Calcutta with 6/7 forts and leave there a decent garrison...) so to make him spend time reducing those redoubts

Ceylon can be a beast to conquer back for the allies. He will need lots of resources to get it back...assets not used anywhere else.

With Ceylon-Diego-Attu in my hands, the IO will be secure for quite some time

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: leehunt27@bloomberg.net

hey Greyjoy, nice work so far. Catching up again on your new PBEM war after the last exciting one with you as Japan.


Is this a bid for auto victory, taking India and maybe Pakistan and parts of Oz? Have the Americans been making noises in the eastern Pacific at all?

As usual, love to see lots of maps!

Thanks mate!

No, I'm not aiming at AV. The only reason for the indian adventure is strategical. The goal is to last as long as possible, remaining competitive as long as possible.

[GreyJoy]

Mar 04, 42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Batavia (49,98)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 39601 troops, 389 guns, 138 vehicles, Assault Value = 1094

Defending force 18600 troops, 171 guns, 78 vehicles, Assault Value = 266

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0

Japanese adjusted assault: 1069

Allied adjusted defense: 363

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

Japanese forces CAPTURE Batavia !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
1255 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 110 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled

Allied ground losses:
6582 casualties reported
Squads: 82 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 280 destroyed, 59 disabled
Engineers: 13 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 94 (94 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 74 (74 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 12
Units destroyed 2

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
4th Division
Imperial Guards Division
56th Division
10th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
20th Ind. Mtn Gun Battalion
16th Army
5th Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
1st KNIL Landstorm Battalion
2nd KNIL Regiment
1st KNIL Regiment
1st Regt Cavalerie
4th KNIL Landstorm Battalion
Batavia Defenses
Teloekbetoeng Base Force
ABDA
KNI Zeemacht
KNI Leger
ML-KNIL
1st KNIL AA Battalion
Batavia KM Base Force
6th Avn Sup Afd


Batavia finally falls. The industry is intact. Thanks God!
The enemy's army retreated to the clear hex east of Batavia. Will be now surrounded and easily eliminated.
Java campaign is over. Only a couple of minor places remain in allied hands, but I am not hurried to get them now.
The 16th army should be ready to move to Northern Oz in less than 10 days.

In the meanwhile, the Diego Garcia invasion is assembling in the IO.

The 6th Guards ID is getting close to Colombo. We should get there in a couple of days.

[GreyJoy]

Here's the map of the present perimeter, the enemy resistance circles and the planned expansions

[veji1]

What about China ? You want to make sure you push him back to a well controlable perimeter.. Nothing worse than China becoming a pain in the ass in late 43/early 44 just when you are feeling the pression big time everywhere else.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: veji1

What about China ? You want to make sure you push him back to a well controlable perimeter.. Nothing worse than China becoming a pain in the ass in late 43/early 44 just when you are feeling the pression big time everywhere else.

For sure. The first goal for china (after the defeats suffered early on) has been to cut it off from any re-supply source from India. No air bridge will be possible until Assam is in my hands.
Then, starting from second half of 1942, when my air force will be better, I should be able to start a bombing campaign and so to advance. Limited goals, mind you. Changsha area and Sian area. I think it will be doable once we'll gain the control of the skies.
Won't be easy, mind you, but doable yes.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

ORIGINAL: veji1

What about China ? You want to make sure you push him back to a well controlable perimeter.. Nothing worse than China becoming a pain in the ass in late 43/early 44 just when you are feeling the pression big time everywhere else.

For sure. The first goal for china (after the defeats suffered early on) has been to cut it off from any re-supply source from India. No air bridge will be possible until Assam is in my hands.
Then, starting from second half of 1942, when my air force will be better, I should be able to start a bombing campaign and so to advance. Limited goals, mind you. Changsha area and Sian area. I think it will be doable once we'll gain the control of the skies.
Won't be easy, mind you, but doable yes.

Also, by mid'42 you will have the 1st and 2nd Tank and there seems little the Chinese can do to stop them making steady progress.

[castor troy]

as long as China is not getting supplies via Burma you should be safe, even with your setback earlier. If China wouldn't run out of supplies and would get more of it in late 42 you would face 30,000 Chinese av in mid/late 43. But that won't happen with your succesful drive into India.