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

[Lowpe]

Where could he be moving the bombers to from the Darwin theater?

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Where could he be moving the bombers to from the Darwin theater?

Option (1): India to finish Magwe, Lanchow, Sian, etc.
Option (2): Solomons to close the airfields at Rabaul etc.
Option (3): For the Gilberts - but I don't think he could use or need all that many.
Option (4): India to support an attack on Port Blair or a landing on the Burma coast
Option (5): To have them ready, following a surprise landing in Sumatra, to strike Palembang
Option (6): The unknown unknown[:D]

I think option (1) is most likely. It will be 100% moon in a few days and I expect to see mass night strikes followed by mass sweeps by Lightnings.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery

It will be 100% moon in a few days and I expect to see mass night strikes followed by mass sweeps by Lightnings.

What joy!

[Spidery]

December 17th 1942

Air Losses: 10 Japanese, 3 Allied, 7 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

Another attempted night strike by Nells. This time they went for CL; 22 of them but all missed[:(].

Burma area

Ledo reports as 176 fighters, 206 bombers, 282 auxiliary present. May move and try a 100 bomber night strike at the full moon.

China

Paoshan subject to air attack and the ground attack reduces forts to 1 but does little damage:

Ground combat at Paoshan (65,45)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 18181 troops, 523 guns, 1016 vehicles, Assault Value = 678

Defending force 22479 troops, 213 guns, 97 vehicles, Assault Value = 346

Japanese adjusted assault: 1299

Allied adjusted defense: 649

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

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
488 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 21 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 11 disabled
Vehicles lost 8 (3 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
989 casualties reported
Squads: 14 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 31 disabled
Engineers: 18 destroyed, 6 disabled
Guns lost 13 (8 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Getting some supply problems in China. 100,000 supply has gone to Port Arthur[:(].

Australia

Sent some Judy to recce Daly Waters but they didn't get enough of a result to confirm whether bombers have left.

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Quiet

Reinforcements

Another TK. Cutting back on merchant yard points.

[Lowpe]

Have you ever had a successful night strike? I have seen Emilies deliver torpedoes with good success at night...

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Have you ever had a successful night strike? I have seen Emilies deliver torpedoes with good success at night...

Can't remember one. But then my Nells and Betties don't seem to be able to score hits during the day either.

May give some Mavis a try but don't want to use Emilies until have all groups upgraded (apart from the one that withdraws in Apr 1943 - so could use that one for night strikes, I have about 56 Mavis available that are now obsolete).

[Spidery]

December 18th 1942

Air Losses: 3 Japanese, 1 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

DD Hagikaze had limped into Rabaul with 63 major float damage. Trying to get to the ARD at Truk that can fix it. Immediately gained another 9 flotation damage and has stopped at Kavieng for 2 days of repairs.

Burma area

Quiet

China

Some harassing air attacks by me.

Ordered a shock attack at Paoshan (not sure how well that will do).
Ordered a deliberate attack at Chungking.

Australia

Recce over Katherine shows 102 fighters and 13 bombers.

Allied forces are approaching Derby.

Engineering

Sapporo airfield to 7, worth growing to 8.

R&D

Quiet

[Spidery]

December 19th 1942

Air Losses: 30 Japanese, 0 Allied, 2 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

Quiet

Burma area

Try a night airfield attack against Ledo with 100 Helens. Due to weather and other causes, only 6 arrive. A light CAP of 16 hurricanes plus flak down 2 for no damage.

China

Paoshan attack reduces forts to 0:

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 19472 troops, 523 guns, 1024 vehicles, Assault Value = 630

Defending force 22315 troops, 209 guns, 96 vehicles, Assault Value = 346

Japanese adjusted assault: 1252

Allied adjusted defense: 1075

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

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0

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

Japanese ground losses:
1693 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 17 disabled
Non Combat: 13 destroyed, 30 disabled
Engineers: 31 destroyed, 19 disabled
Guns lost 8 (1 destroyed, 7 disabled)
Vehicles lost 15 (4 destroyed, 11 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
653 casualties reported
Squads: 19 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 21 disabled
Engineers: 6 destroyed, 8 disabled
Guns lost 18 (17 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Assaulting units:
9th Ind Engineer Regiment
21st Ind Engineer Regiment
1st Tank Division
27th Ind Engineer Regiment
2nd Tank Division
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
10th Mortar Battalion
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
26th Field Artillery Regiment
11th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
12th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
5th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
20th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
4th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
12th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
21st Ind.Mixed Bde /1

Defending units:
54th Chinese Corps
14th Chinese Corps
1st Chinese Corps
5th Chinese Corps
33rd Base Group
China Air TaskForce
102nd RAF Base Force
104th RAF Base Force
16th Chinese Base Force

Disruption and fatigue amongst the 2 tank divisions is about 35, the engineers are wasted, do I attack again?

At Chungking, bad weather ground all air strikes. The attack reduces forts to 1 but disruption is still too high to attack at once:

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 169049 troops, 1866 guns, 632 vehicles, Assault Value = 5092

Defending force 162486 troops, 87 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1228

Japanese adjusted assault: 1876

Allied adjusted defense: 767

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

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
2424 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 472 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 44 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 35 disabled

Allied ground losses:
27976 casualties reported
Squads: 629 destroyed, 358 disabled
Non Combat: 515 destroyed, 1306 disabled
Engineers: 22 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 54 (48 destroyed, 6 disabled)
Units destroyed 15

Allied bombers hit Kunming airfield. The planes there had failed to fly at night due to weather but it doesn't stop the Allies destroying 25! planes on the ground. There are about 55 Helens at a level 4 airfield so it is not overstacked but the devestation is severe:

Afternoon Air attack on Kunming , at 69,48

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 32 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 21
B-25C Mitchell x 24

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 10 destroyed on ground

No Allied losses

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

Airbase hits 36
Airbase supply hits 19
Runway hits 104

Aircraft Attacking:
12 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 6000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
12 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 6000 feet
Airfield Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb
12 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 6000 feet
Airfield Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb
9 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 6000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Kunming , at 69,48

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 37 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 24

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed on ground

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 16

Aircraft Attacking:
12 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 6000 feet
Airfield Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb
12 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 6000 feet
Airfield Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Kunming , at 69,48

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 2 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 0 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 9

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed on ground

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 3
Runway hits 6

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 6000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb

Australia

Allied forces approaching Derby seem to be a Division.

Engineering

Ramiree Island forts to 5, will probably stop there.

R&D

Quiet

[Lowpe]

No AA at Kunming? I have found it of critical importance in disrupting night attacks...by far the best preventive medicine. Don't have airfields with planes without AA unless you are flying night CAP, and even then, as we see here night CAP is not always reliable.[:(] So back to having AA at every airbase with planes.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

No AA at Kunming? I have found it of critical importance in disrupting night attacks...by far the best preventive medicine. Don't have airfields with planes without AA unless you are flying night CAP, and even then, as we see here night CAP is not always reliable.[:(] So back to having AA at every airbase with planes.

18 8cm AA guns there. It was a day strike he launched not a night strike. Yesterday there were 40 fighters on day CAP and 30 on night CAP but they had been sent to cover the, aborted, strike at Chungking. It is all a bit of a guessing game between will he night or day bomb or sweep with lightnings. MrKane is better at it than me!

I think I need to develop Katha into a better airfield with AA etc. so I have a reasonably secure base to hit Ledo and cover North Burma.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery
Can't remember one. But then my Nells and Betties don't seem to be able to score hits during the day either.

What is the torpedo skill and experience of the pilots?

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery


18 8cm AA guns there. It was a day strike he launched not a night strike. Yesterday there were 40 fighters on day CAP and 30 on night CAP but they had been sent to cover the, aborted, strike at Chungking. It is all a bit of a guessing game between will he night or day bomb or sweep with lightnings. MrKane is better at it than me!

You didn't damage any of his planes?[:(]

Change the leadership in those AA units...

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Spidery
Can't remember one. But then my Nells and Betties don't seem to be able to score hits during the day either.

What is the torpedo skill and experience of the pilots?

It varies, at least once I messed up and sent a bunch of pilots with ASW skill and not NavT.

Typical group at the moment: average Exp 61, average NavT 69, average NavS 59, average defense 66.
Leader leadership 61, inspiration 81, naval 11, land 26, air 44, admin 68, aggression 32.

I still haven't worked out a good way to manage navy bomber pilots. There are so many different demands from the pool.

DB pilots have no use for NavT, LBA has little use for NavB as torpedoes will usually be available but TB pilots on carriers need NavB or LowN for when the torpedoes run out. LB need NavS and ASW whereas other planes can use them but don't need great values. LB can do with good experience and GndB so they can be used for night raids. Planes on carriers need good experience, etc.

IJA bombers are easy. They either need GndB or ASW.

[Spidery]

December 20th 1942

Air Losses: 14 Japanese, 7 Allied, 8 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

An Allied SS sinks an xAKL picket by gunfire 400 miles east of Japan.
Two Allied SS sub forces are spotted near Marcus Island.
It appears that the Allied subs are being unleashed.

Burma area

Try a sweep over Kalemyo, goes badly with 8 Tojo-IIc lost to 2 hurricanes.

China

Night strike by a few liberators hits Lanchow. 4 Tojo-IIa lost for no liberators but they prevent damage to the oil wells.

Wellingtons set fire to Kunming.

Day air attack on Kweiyang destroys 1 Babs on the ground.

Chungking defenders have been reduced to 737 AV and 44 guns left.

Australia

Allies back to bombing Darwin and lose 3 4E to flak.

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

N1K1-J to 5/43

[Spidery]

Supply is pooling in Port Arthur despite there being demand for it in China.

Any suggestions why? Seems to have started about late October.

[Spidery]

Latest recon over Lunga showed a level 4 port with 100 ships in it. The ship types reported (why does it only report 10?) are LCM, DM and DMS. So, probably, only small stuff.

Land forces are reported as 36 units, 50000 troops, 274 guns, 461 AFV so probably some but not mega levels of heavy AA. Aircraft reported as 119 fighters, 72 bombers, 41 auxiliary at a level 8 airbase.

Moonlight is 100%.

Chances are he has some good Night CAP up (and this is the obvious place to put any night fighters). Is it worth a night raid on the port?

I could send a 100 Nells/Betties from Rabaul and/or 50 Helens from Buka.
Pros: might sink some ships, might find some larger ships in port and damage them. Might find some AR or ARD which could be nice to sink.

Cons: would probably lose quite a few aircraft and pilots to CAP and AA. The navy aircraft would, mostly, be obsolete models, the army ones would be the latest. In neither case is there a shortage of aircraft. For the Navy, I don't have many ground bombardment trained pilots that aren't elite pilots. For the Army, I can find ground attack pilots with the requisite experience that are not over trained.

The ships sunk are likely to be stuff the Allies have enough of so this is only really of value for VP.

With so many ships, damage is likely to be spread around so anything big is unlikely to sink (although some of the Nells/Betties could take 800kg bombs).

[Lowpe]

You don't say how good your detection level is? With the report you outline, probably pretty decent. Did you lose any scout planes to CAP there?

My inclination would be not to...

Can you post up the Allies 4e plane losses so far? I am curious to see how many Mr. Kane has lost so far...

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

You don't say how good your detection level is? With the report you outline, probably pretty decent. Did you lose any scout planes to CAP there?

My inclination would be not to...

Can you post up the Allies 4e plane losses so far? I am curious to see how many Mr. Kane has lost so far...

9/10 DL. I have lost scouts and naval searchers before but not so much these last few days. Not sure about on this case.

99 B-17E, 53 B-24D, 46 B-17F, 10 Liberator II, 2 B-17D (he doesn't seem to use these despite their range), 2 LB-30

[mind_messing]

Any chance of a view of your supply/resource/oil/fuel levels in the Home Islands? I'd like to compare, if you could be so kind.

[Spidery]

December 21st 1942

Air Losses: 5 Japanese, 4 Allied, 2 Pilots
Japanese occupy: Timoeka (air drop)
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

Undeterred by repeated failure, 70 Nells try night torpedo attacks mostly against the CL Raleigh and CL Concord. In the bright full moon with no CAP to disturb their aim, all miss[:@]. Fortunately only suffer a single Ops loss.

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet

Australia

Quiet

Engineering

Iwo-Jima airfield to 1, makes it easier to fly troops in.

Magwe forts to 4. I think will stop there.

Allies expand Fenton to 7.

R&D

P1Y1 to 7/43.