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

[Lowpe]

Of course, then there is the follow up sweep. Plane losses show 10 Zeroes shot down for the day...

[Lowpe]

Should I go in, or wait another day?

[Lowpe]

Other interesting news:

The 1st fully repaired size 30 Tony Ki100 II factory goes online. Hurrah!

Allied bombers hit Mandalay and he gets 9/10 detection on my secret fighter base in the area. They are all moving back, lest they get wiped out.

Allied submarines had about 10 attacks, or my escorts attacked them, all for no losses. Allied submarines are starting to gather in the PI.

And I guess this is two CVEs, five ships all told.

Deep behind Allied lines there is no naval search. Ask me how I know?[:D]

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Should I go in, or wait another day?

I think there's a good chance you could catch something crucial unloading, if this is the first day the TF has been there. Whether it's equipment or supplies or both.

[Bif1961]

Usually Base Forces and Engineer units arrive a day or two after an invasion so they aren't damaged in the original landing so you may catch his support units arriving and unlaoding. GO FOR IT!

[Lowpe]

You guys are blood thirsty.[:)]

He landed construction units with the invasion, there wasn't much in the way of defenders.

He had so many ships there for the invasion, it is hard to believe he is landing supplies. Maybe taking something away, but I doubt that.

I think it may be a trap of some flavor. Likely a CAP trap, as I don't see any naval assets to worry about.

I am going to wait another day for a little better intel, but I will move up into position for the attack and rest the zero sweeps so that they will be fresh.

Interestingly, Namorik, a dot base west of Jaluit got surveillance yesterday. I have nothing there, and if he decides to invade there it is well within range of the beefed up mini KB.

[Lowpe]

Here is my counterstrike at Makin. Definitely, the Americans were dealt a nasty blow for Makin, and I can't think he would send decent ships back in so soon. However, Tiemanj has always surprised me with his aggressiveness.

I think my planes would be flying into a hoard of American fighters...but if I get better intel, AP, AK, capital ships, etc., they will fly on the morrow well rested with three 20 plane sweeps from the carrier force and Wotje.

A day delay will mean that his LRCAP from Tarawa will be that much more fatigued, I hope.

[Lokasenna]

I like being bloodthirsty! Looks like it worked out for you, too.

[Lowpe]

Nov 12, 1942

No strike at Makin, and I am glad I didn't go in. Just worthless patrol type craft there, no hint of anything bigger.

Allied bombers hit my secret fighter base as expected in Burma, but the planes had left for Bangkok so no damage done. 8 allied planes lost for the day compared to 4 Japanese. His bombers visited a few other bases in the area but left Magwe alone. Perhaps the 10 AA units there are a little more painful than appears to me?

Finalizing some late game plane research, and I don't think I will go after any fantasy planes but will make an effort for the Sam J model. I am pushing hard the night fighters, Irving with three 30 factories, Nick d with one 30 factory, Peggy with one 30 factory, the Dinah III Kai with one 30 factory, the Francis with one maybe two 30 factories. Francis seems best to me, superior to the Irving but harder to get earlier.

I am almost finished capturing all the empty bases in the DEI and the stragglers in the PI....still leaves me with Ambon, Tjilatjap, Batavia, and Rangoon.

An American sub let loose with 6 torpedoes on the Fuso in the Kuriles shortly before she pounded their base and luckily they all missed. I have plenty of minefields in the Kuriles, all along the island chains, but seem unable to get any hits on his submarines.

Ominato can now rearm the Yamoto.

[Lowpe]

The artillery shells come down, and down, down and down, all day long!

The troops recovered mostly at Batavia; a dawn attack is scheduled by the IJA. A light cruiser bombarded in the night, shelling the airfield,while several more tank units, freshly arrived, will lead the assault.

The defenders of Batavia cower behind their level 3 forts, outnumbered almost 10-1 in raw AV, are doomed...and then off to Tjilatjap and the real prize American and Australian divisions.

[Lowpe]

Nov 13, 1942

Quiet day, allies mostly rest their bombers. 5 Japanese planes lost to 9 allied.

Allied CVEs are still hanging around Karachi...

Iboat sinks a 6 vp xak off Rangiroa, the CL Raleigh shows up sunk in actions back during the Kuriles engagement.

Allied sub plants a torpedo in a 6000 ton tanker near Miri. She was empty and should make port, where here Captain, 19 naval, will get the boot.[:)]

Still fiddling with my final r&d factories, I tend to move slow here. The A6M5c and Oscar IV move up another month. I hope to have the Zero operational in Jan/Feb time frame. I am debating stopping all A6M3 production, one size 30 factory left, and using that to accelerate the A6M5c even more, plus I have a size 30 Rufe factory that could go over too. The Ib Jake, and Myojo will both advance tomorrow. Pretty pleased with research, I wish my predecessor had done just a little here.

Two heavy cruisers are in the shipping lanes far off Perth. Two Iboats, both low on torps, will stick around to help spot for the raiders.

In a bold move another heavy cruiser task force is above Diego Garcia unspotted, they will attempt to head north and east stealthily and move into position to strike those two CVEs at night. This may perhaps be too bold...they were originally dispatched to hit his tankers in the area. It will make for an interesting escape.[:D] I kind of hope they get spotted so the Allies assign assets to the rear areas, which i have left untouched from game start.

Deliberate attack at Batavia today, and 5 days away from a deliberate attack in the Kuriles (will coincide with a bombardment from the Yamoto and 100 prep for all troops).

[Lowpe]

Some observations of fighting in the Kuriles during winter. My troops besieging the Americans are able to gain strength, reinforce a little (most are full strength), reduce disablements each day. Fatigue seems to hover at 3. The pace of attacks is slow...it simply takes longer to recover the disrupted elements (an Army HQ would have speeded things up a bit).

I can see no reason for hectic attacks, however. The enemy base is pulverized.

American forces are shore bombarded each day from a port with ships from two hexes away. This seems to keep the winter wear and tear down on the ships, and they can keep up a good pace of bombardments (the tough part is keeping the AKEs loaded). Each bombardment kills off units, especially support squads. I suspect he is sitting on a ton of supplies, and could even have repairs on for his troops.

For the Americans to send ships from Attu here to would be to generate probably in the neighborhood of 10-20 damage, perhaps more given speed settings. Perhaps even more, as those ships need to get to Attu first.

Submarines operate normally, they are not accumulating any extra damage and are tough to counter exposing ships to winter wear and tear and needing lots of airplanes to fly search patrols.

Planes hardly ever fly from bases. They fly better from carriers, but do you really want to incur the ship damage from operating here in Winter? Plane fatigue seems very high even when set to 50% rest. Nasty conditions for the flyers.[:)]

I plan on having another deliberate attack here in 5 days or so when prep is 100% for all the units assigned to attack. I suspect it will take at least 3 deliberate attacks to destroy the Americans so not a fast proposal.

What I have no clue about is how dangerous doing a landing here in the winter would be. The manual says x4 losses. Does this make each disabled squad then transition to destroyed, or simply disable x4 times as many with a normal chance of elements getting destroyed? No idea, and I don't want to find out![:D]

[Lowpe]

Nov 14, 1942

About 200 allied squads destroyed and forts dropped another level at Batavia.

Allied bombers hit Pegu in Burma. No opposition.

Beefed up mini KB & Zeroes from Nauru set to strike next turn...

[Lowpe]

Nov 15, 1942

Near Tabiteuea an Iboat nails an AD and their not whistling Dixie anymore.

Beefed up miniKB in position.

Allied 4e bombers hit Moulmein, no opposition. Magwe still pulling oil from the ground. Probably defensive bombing prior to re-supply of Rangoon which has 100 fighters.[:(]

MiniKB in position near Tabieteua...

Over 500 casualties in the American Base in the Kuriles. Over 300 casualties for the Allies in Batavia from ART bombardment.

[Lowpe]

I really curtailed search in this area last turn, now it is back on strong and I hope to bag something really nice.[&o]

The beefed up mini kb will be 8 hexes away from Tabiteuea, if everything goes according to plan, and I hope not to attack there but ships at sea...

Zeroes will sweep from Nauru Tabiteuea, and I expect some losses...

I really would have like to sweep from the MiniKB too, but decided to put an extra full squadron on local CAP instead...

Wish me luck!

[Lowpe]

Nov 16, 1942

Tabiteuea: an incredibly target rich environment. AK, AP, just what I am looking for. The beefed up Mini KB moves one hex closer to the target...

[Lowpe]

Heavy clouds sock in Tabitueua, and in a severely broken assault, where the strike force planes get separated and go in in 5 different groups to face ever increasing radar alerted fighter planes from Tabiteuea...

The fighter sweeps from Nauru get scrubbed for bad weather...

and to top it off Allied 4es attack from 40,000 the mini KB, and all miss. I wonder what their chances to hit were?

[Lowpe]

We manage to lose many planes for one 60 kg bomb hit....I should have gone in the day before.[:(]

Not what I wanted to do. But, tomorrow is another day.[:)]

[Lowpe]

Elsewhere: A deliberate attack knocks the forts down to 1 in the American base in the Kuriles, while there is only one half strength Yankee regiment with any AV left. The next attack might recapture the base, and if not that attack the following will. Thus bringing a close the Kurile front...[:)]

Bombardment in Batavia, to be followed by a general attack today. Batavia might fall.

Allied 4es hit Moulmein again. No opposition. Cap trap in the area and Oscars shoot down 4 unescorted Swordfish. A rare Army win in the air.[:)]

Much progress is being made on fortifying the Bonins.

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