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

[Lowpe]

Two of those bases are size 2 airfields, and should be garrisoned with something. However, I would get them all garrisoned.

Landing there unopposed, and having half decent airfields operating relatively quickly would make the defense of the Marianas that much more problematic and might rob you a chance of hitting an invasion fleet with fresh air assets.

Don't give the Americans any free lunches so close to the HI. 30 hexes.

What is holding on to the Aluetians going to do for you other than cost fuel. On the other hand, fighting defensively in the Kuriles can be extremely painful for the Allies. I think it is a mistake for Japan to go after the Aluetians, and also a mistake for the Americans to go after the Kuriles (maybe later in 44-45).

[Spidery]

November 5th 1942

Air Losses: 24 Japanese, 5 Allied, 20 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

An expensive mistake as I redirect search to have a look at the task forces around Tulagi and missed taking a group of Nells off Naval Attack. In the morning 15 Nells commit suicide and then, in the afternoon, another 8 follow them to their deaths[&:].

A small xAK taking supply to Rabaul has been hit by a sub and may not make it to port.

Burma

Quiet

China

Lightnings sweep Kunming. Lucky me, I guessed he would do that and removed the CAP.

Another attack in the mountains fails. I am not going to break through from Chengtu to Tsuyung but may open the route from the other side.

2 days before the next attack at Chungking.

Australia

No Allied attack on Darwin this day. I have an assortment of fast transport task forces trying to deliver supply. I expect some will end up too close and be attacked.

Engineering

Saumlaki to 4, Kienko to 3 (just for VP at this stage). Ponape forts reach 4.

R&D

B6N2 to 2/43

[Spidery]

November 6th 1942

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

Allied air losses include 3 C-47. I still do not know where these are flying. Recon shows 200 auxiliary aircraft at Ledo so it seems likely he is using them to resupply China. However, I have flown LRCAP over most possible targets and not shot any down (I did once catch a Hudson over Tsuyung). Equally, he may be flying supplies into Northern Australia which would explain how he can maintain the level of attacks he achieves. He has lost a total of 150 C-47 (148 to ops and 2 to Air-Air - so I must have missed an intercept message).

Pacific

At Rossel Island 4 MTB try to defend against a CL task force. At night no hits. The CL bombard for minor damage. On the way out they encounter and sink the 4 MTB.

No idea where the Allied CV are and I will be showing my hand near Darwin soon which will probably trigger some sort of operation.

Burma

Quiet

China

Lightning sweep Neikiang but no CAP there either.

Usual attacks, will be attacking at Chungking this turn.

Australia

Darwin is again not attacked nor are there any attacks on the various transport task forces. All units are resupplied and supply at Darwin stands at over 1800. Allied units have moved adjacent and seem to be heading to attack Darwin.

I-26 sinks a 6000 ton xAK, apparently unescorted, about 1000 miles West of Perth.

Engineering

Allies expand Imphal to 5 and Diamond Harbour to 7

R&D

D4Y4 to 6/44

Decision time on the P1Y1 as the first factory is fully repaired, will stick with research on the P1Y1.

17 Ki-44-IIc now in pool so will upgrade the first small unit to this.

[FeurerKrieg]

Looking forward to seeing how your Tojo-C models do when they get into some action.

[Lowpe]

If you fly lrcap over Ledo, might you not shoot some transport planes down without a battle replay...just a line item, and perhaps not even see that if there if speed is high or you are distracted?

You won't be terribly effective at it unless you can throw very large numbers from a close by base.

[Spidery]

Soon I expect to show my carriers near Darwin as they cover a resupply effort and attempt to ambush his bomber armada. This will act as a green light for him to run an operation under cover of his carriers.

I don't know where his carriers are but latest information places them in the Eastern pacific, but there were a couple of hints that he may be sending them to the Indian Ocean.

Things I think he can do:

Marshalls, don't mind if he attacks here.
Solomons, etc. He would be attacking into LBA and hasn't done enough prep. Might pick off Rossel Island and jump forward a bit.
Wake, Marcus Defense on these is reasonable.
Marianas Could be nasty, there are engineers digging in but not much in the way of combat troops.
Raid on Truk Could be costly but at least there is a fair amount of AA there.
Kuriles Winter so I assume not
Home Isles Raid I have better search out and more defensive forces so this could be costly for him.
Palembang Raid Dangerous but I have a lot of search from Cocos and Port Blair and could move the carriers up from Darwin.
North West Australia Attack With the carriers at Darwin would be nice for me.
Sumatra attack Carriers would be quite close, there are some good airbases but not much on the ground except at Benkoelen.
Burma coast With the likelihood of Chungking falling soon this would likely turn out expensive for him in the long run.

[Spidery]

November 7th 1942

Air Losses: 1 Japanese, 7 Allied, 1 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

Quiet

Burma

Quiet

China

A start on the next hex towards Paoshan and Burma

Ground combat at 67,45 (near Tsuyung)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 16737 troops, 308 guns, 376 vehicles, Assault Value = 545

Defending force 22202 troops, 171 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 484

Japanese adjusted assault: 483

Allied adjusted defense: 745

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
271 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 24 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1510 casualties reported
Squads: 14 destroyed, 71 disabled
Non Combat: 8 destroyed, 43 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 12 disabled
Guns lost 24 (7 destroyed, 17 disabled)

At Chungking an excellent attack but will need to pause again to allow recovery and to get some supply in:

Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 172747 troops, 2107 guns, 874 vehicles, Assault Value = 5100

Defending force 179164 troops, 547 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2057

Japanese adjusted assault: 1795

Allied adjusted defense: 1379

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

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 5

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

Japanese ground losses:
11797 casualties reported
Squads: 72 destroyed, 1219 disabled
Non Combat: 6 destroyed, 103 disabled
Engineers: 6 destroyed, 80 disabled
Guns lost 54 (9 destroyed, 45 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
23979 casualties reported
Squads: 356 destroyed, 418 disabled
Non Combat: 503 destroyed, 828 disabled
Engineers: 47 destroyed, 30 disabled
Guns lost 142 (43 destroyed, 99 disabled)
Units destroyed 11

Australia

Darwin is swept by some 200 fighters but there is no CAP there. No bombers attack. 3 xAKL delivering supply are sunk with three more doomed. However, the PB, DD and CL deliver supply so stocks are now 3078. Airfield is now 64 service damage with the runway repaired.

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Quiet

[Spidery]

November 8th 1942

Air Losses: 1 Japanese, 2 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

DD Hagikaze takes a 21 inch torpedoe from S-39. It has 32/90/2 damage and will head for the nearest port, Milne Bay. It is a level 1 port but there is a fair amount of naval support present so not sure how long it will take to fix the system damage, if it makes the 80 miles.

Burma

Quiet

Indian Ocean

Long range recon picked up a single ship heading South from Ceylon a couple of days ago. Apparently, intending to attack my picket PB. Three DD were sent out to intercept it and, in the middle of nowhere,

Day Time Surface Combat, near Sinabang at 29,77, Range 14,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Natsugumo, Shell hits 1
DD Minegumo
DD Harusame

Allied Ships
AMC Chitral, Shell hits 13, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk

Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions: 28,000 yards
Range closes to 14,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 14,000 yards
Japanese launch Long Lance torpedoes at 14,000 yards before allies detect Japanese presence
DD Harusame launches Long Lance Torpedoes at AMC Chitral at 14,000 yards
DD Minegumo launches Long Lance Torpedoes at AMC Chitral at 14,000 yards
Ross O. orders Allied TF to disengage
Range closes to 9,000 yards
DD Harusame engages AMC Chitral at 9,000 yards
DD Minegumo engages AMC Chitral at 9,000 yards
DD Natsugumo engages AMC Chitral at 9,000 yards
Range closes to 5,000 yards
DD Natsugumo engages AMC Chitral at 5,000 yards
DD Harusame engages AMC Chitral at 5,000 yards
AMC Chitral sunk by DD Harusame at 5,000 yards
Combat ends with last Allied ship sunk...

Both surprise attacks scored hits, but one was a dud. The hit on DD Natsugumo was a single 6 inch shell and did 11 points of float damage. That is a nice 31 VP to pick up[:)].

China

Drive the Allies back from NE of Tsuyung[8D]

Ground combat at 68,45 (near Tsuyung)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 14389 troops, 145 guns, 46 vehicles, Assault Value = 428

Defending force 7490 troops, 123 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 84

Japanese adjusted assault: 380

Allied adjusted defense: 151

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
94 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 18 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1080 casualties reported
Squads: 111 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 30 destroyed, 16 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 10 (1 destroyed, 9 disabled)
Units retreated 1

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
9th Tank Regiment
24th Division

Defending units:
66th Chinese Corps

This should allow me to open the road between Chengtu and Tsuyung.

At Chungking bombardment reveals the weakened Chinese force[:)]

Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 10537 troops, 760 guns, 629 vehicles, Assault Value = 4205

Defending force 162952 troops, 503 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1449

Allied ground losses:
667 casualties reported
Squads: 25 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 8 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 4 (2 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Fatigue amongst my infantry remains at 80+ and disruption at 50-70 so no attack for a few days.

Liberators attack the heavy industry at Kunming. The flak is insufficient and they manage to destroy all of it[:(]. That solves the problem that fuel wouldn't flow there[:D].

Bad weather grounds all air attacks against Chungking[:(].

Australia

More sweeps of Darwin and he bombs it but only with the 4E bombers at 20000 feet. 5 more Kasu-D delivering supplies are sunk. Supply now stands at 4400+, putting it into a yellow !. Port/Airfield damage stands at 47/75/41.

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Mitsubishi Ha-44 advances to 9/44.

[sanch]

ORIGINAL: Spidery

Liberators attack the heavy industry at Kunming. The flak is insufficient and they manage to destroy all of it[:(]. That solves the problem that fuel wouldn't flow there[:D].

That's like my siege of Wenchow. As my troops recover, they go over the stacking limit. So, to solve the stacking limit problem, order a DA! Rinse and repeat.

[Spidery]

November 9th 1942

Air Losses: 8 Japanese, 6 Allied, 8 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Something Allied sinks during the turn. VP gain suggests something small.

Pacific

Large concentration of task forces in the Tulagi area including various transport forces. Increase in sub-activity East of Rabaul suggest an attack is coming. No idea whether it will have carrier cover or not.

Burma

Quiet

China

LRCAP from Tsuyung over Paoshan intercepts transports but no hits claimed.

Allies fire bomb Kunming with Wellingtons and Liberators and do some damage to resources.

Australia

Continued attacks on Darwin. 4000+ supply maintained and damage is now 47/94/51. 2 B-24D downed by flak. Some Allied unit has entered the Darwin hex.

Will a bombardment task force set to bombard Darwin do the usual run-in, bombard at night and leave or will it hang around for a day bombardment and be sunk? Still don't understand bombarding own bases.

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Quiet

[Spidery]

November 10th 1942

Air Losses: 13 Japanese, 22 Allied, 3 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

Allies have dropped a sub-laid minefield just SE of Rabaul. The DMS on duty has spotted it and AMc will be sent to assist clearing.

P-38E sweep Rabaul and the defense hold their own[8D]! 3 A6M5, 3 Ki-43-1c, 2 Ki-44-IIa, 1 Ki-43-IIb, 1 Ki-45 KAIa lost (assuming all losses are there) for 10 P-38E shot down. A 1::1 loss ratio with me saving the pilots and him probably losing some experienced pilots.

Allies have started developing Russell Islands.

Hagikaze has made port in Milne Bay with 32/89/2 damage (63 major float). 16 days to fix the system and minor float damage.

Burma

Quiet

China

More strikes set to burn Kunming to the ground, only resource production being lost so far.

Chungking defenses are increasing faster than I can destroy them as units are rebuilt. More VP[;)]

Recce shows 55 fighters flown into Paoshan to protect the airlift into there. That will probably be using 20% or so of what he flys in. I wonder if I can put together some sweeps?

Australia

Continued attacks on Darwin but fast transport task forces are keeping supplied but fuel use is annoying and some ships need repair. Now 10 Allied forces in the Darwin hex. The main resupply convoy is now 5 days from Darwin.

Engineering

Russell Islands port to 1.

R&D

Quiet

Reinforcement

CL Agano (looks like a nice ship

[Spidery]

China and Burma status.

It will probably be February 1943 before I can reinforce Burma. He may take Warazup but I'm not sure how much progress he can make. There are about 8 Chinese units on the Burma road (plus some Burmese, British and American forces). He may be able to evacuate cadres of them to India but the rest of the Chinese army looks like it will be destroyed in place.

[Spidery]

I flew a few Judy Recon into Horn Island and had a look see at Daly Waters.

It confirmed it as the main bomber base and surprised me that it has no fighters there. The fighters seem evenly spread between Fenton and Katherine.

However, there are 278 auxiliaries there. I can't see him having many recce or search there because they would be more effective further forward. So I guess this is transport planes. I just can't see what he has them all there for. For supply purposes they could be flying supply forward to Fenton but I would have thought the bottle neck was getting supply into North Australia. He could be planning an air drop but I think the max range is 10 so that makes Babar (from Fenton) or a dot base the only targets.

Any ideas?

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Spidery

I flew a few Judy Recon into Horn Island and had a look see at Daly Waters.

It confirmed it as the main bomber base and surprised me that it has no fighters there. The fighters seem evenly spread between Fenton and Katherine.

However, there are 278 auxiliaries there. I can't see him having many recce or search there because they would be more effective further forward. So I guess this is transport planes. I just can't see what he has them all there for. For supply purposes they could be flying supply forward to Fenton but I would have thought the bottle neck was getting supply into North Australia. He could be planning an air drop but I think the max range is 10 so that makes Babar (from Fenton) or a dot base the only targets.

Any ideas?

Daly Waters is a size 9 base, so it will have a pretty hefty supply draw, and if Alice Springs is the same size, it might draw enough supply to support operations. Those planes are certainlly transport planes moving supplies further north to the less developed bases?

Have you anything with long enough legs to hit Daly? A big massed night-time raid of Betties or Nells with good moonlight might net you some excellent results.

[FeurerKrieg]

Do you think it is uncapped? A daylight bombing run with Bettys/Nells would be nice.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Feurer Krieg

Do you think it is uncapped? A daylight bombing run with Bettys/Nells would be nice.

It probably was uncapped. There is a good chance he will have noticed that I put recon over it and have moved some fighters in. For that reason a night raid might work out better.

For a daylight raid, I assume it is better to set as Naval/Airbase attack so the attack happens in the afternoon, after the morning raids have returned from Darwin (all subject to the vagaries of weather). Note that only reports 14 guns there so looks like he doesn't have much in the way of Flak.

[Spidery]

Daly Waters is a size 9 base, so it will have a pretty hefty supply draw, and if Alice Springs is the same size, it might draw enough supply to support operations. Those planes are certainlly transport planes moving supplies further north to the less developed bases?

Thank-you, I don't really have a feel for how supply moves around Australia. Katherine is size 8 and Fenton size 6. Alice Springs is 7, which is the max size allowed. Tennant Creek is 6.

If he is regularly flying supply North from Daly Waters that would explain his steady loss of C-47. He has lost over 150 to ops so far.

A C-47 can lift 3 units of supply. So if he is flying half the aircraft (about all that transports seem to be able to sustain) that would be 400+ supply flown North, enough to keep all his fighters and search active. He would need about 800 a day to keep 150 B-17 and 100 B-26 bombing.

Plus maybe 200 for ground units so can he shift 1400-1500 supply a day along the road?

[Spidery]

November 11th 1942

Air Losses: 8 Japanese, 23 Allied, 4 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

A radio intercept at 190, 92 may be worth sending a sub for a look[:-].

Minefield near Rabaul cleared, seems to have been 30 mines.

Burma

Quiet

China

Night strike by Helens at Paoshan breaks apart and does little damage.

LRCAP and sweep over Paoshan downs 11 P-40K for the loss of 1 each A6M5, Ki-44-IIc, Ki-43-Ic[8D].

Nicks CAP Kunming and down 7 Wellingtons[8D] but have been grounded by the time the Liberators arrive and set Kunming on fire. Severe storms put the fires out but not before some damage to LI[:(].

Looks like about another 6 days before the troops will be ready to attack Chungking again.

Australia

Allies change and send Liberators against Saumlaki instead of Darwin. A damaged xAK in port is sunk but otherwise damage seems minor.

Engineering

Etorufu airfield to 1.

R&D

A6M5b to 10/43.

Reinforcement

I-35

[FeurerKrieg]

ORIGINAL: Spidery

ORIGINAL: Feurer Krieg

Do you think it is uncapped? A daylight bombing run with Bettys/Nells would be nice.

It probably was uncapped. There is a good chance he will have noticed that I put recon over it and have moved some fighters in. For that reason a night raid might work out better.

For a daylight raid, I assume it is better to set as Naval/Airbase attack so the attack happens in the afternoon, after the morning raids have returned from Darwin (all subject to the vagaries of weather). Note that only reports 14 guns there so looks like he doesn't have much in the way of Flak.

By setting that way, you can also send some sweeps in during AM and if they do well, the CAP will be much reduced in the PM.

[Spidery]

Liquids to ship back home.

Code: Select all

 Luzon    180,000 fuel 165,000 oil
 Formosa  175,000 fuel  97,000 oil
 Sumatra  140,000 fuel  47,000 oil
 Malaysia  85,000 fuel 170,000 oil
 Java      74,000 fuel  11,000 oil
 Borneo    80,000 fuel  66,000 oil
 Babeldoab              13,000 oil
 Mindanao                9,000 oil

More tankers and xAK to convert to tankers are coming off the slips every month now. I hope to have cleared everything back to Luzon and Formosa by the end of the year and then be able to run convoys in the shallows / under ASW cover to move it from there back to the Home Isles.

Currently, MrKane uses most subs around Truk and Rabaul. It will be interesting to see if he starts targeting the tanker convoys once torpedoes get fixed.

Home Isle stocks are 3,987,000 fuel 1,692,000 oil.