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

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: buutsy

The Allies escort with P-51D and air losses are 26 for me and 6 for him.

P-51D in Dec ´42 ? Must be a typo, right? [:D]

Thank-you, oops. P-39D!

[Spidery]

December 28th 1942

Air Losses: 0 Japanese, 2 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy: Paoshan[8D], Chungking[8D][8D]
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

Quiet. Allied naval forces seem to have withdrawn from the Nauru Island area.

Burma area

Quiet

China

Bad weather grounds air support but the IJA just manages to win at Paoshan[8D]:

Ground combat at Paoshan (65,45)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 13202 troops, 413 guns, 1035 vehicles, Assault Value = 521

Defending force 18173 troops, 166 guns, 98 vehicles, Assault Value = 204

Japanese adjusted assault: 404

Allied adjusted defense: 175

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

Japanese forces CAPTURE Paoshan !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
93 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Allied ground losses:
5997 casualties reported
Squads: 128 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 354 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 115 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 118 (118 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 75 (75 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 9

The defenders have retreated into the mountains. The road to Burma is open.

At Chungking, after constant bombardments and repeated attacks the Chinese defense collapses[8D]:

Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 108576 troops, 1409 guns, 590 vehicles, Assault Value = 3120

Defending force 145228 troops, 34 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 845

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0

Japanese adjusted assault: 1907

Allied adjusted defense: 779

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

Japanese forces CAPTURE Chungking !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
1018 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 209 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 23 disabled
Guns lost 30 (2 destroyed, 28 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
159750 casualties reported
Squads: 2753 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 10972 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 45 (45 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 107

The industry takes very little damage (about 5%) beyond that which I had already done to it. 63LI and 126HI captured.

Australia

Quiet

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Mitsubishi Ha-43 to 7/44.

Plans

The armour at Paoshan will head to bolster the defenses at Warazup, will take about 2 weeks to get there.

Infantry will move forward to bolster defenses.

At Chungking, 12 divisions are immediately available. 2 will be tasked with eliminating isolated Chinese groups which will free up garrison units. 1 will stay as a garrison. 2 will be sent to be bought out and sent to the Kuriles. 3 will be sent to be bought out and bolster defenses in the Pacific and DEI. The other 4 will be sent to Burma and should free up a couple of unrestricted divisions to move to Sumatra.

Some of the artillery at Chungking will be sent back to Manchuko, other bits will be distributed among defensive positions in Malaya and Burma.

In Burma, there is the option to launch an attack once the divisions have arrived. I suspect this will get nowhere.

[Spidery]

Current Location of Divisions

Manchuko/Korea: 8 divisions all restricted: 10, 11, 12, 23, 25, 29, 38, 77
Burma: 4 unrestricted and 2 restricted: IGD, 52, 53, 68 and 3, 63
Port Blair: 33th
Cocos Islands: 21st
Rabaul: 58th
En route to Truk: 59th
En route to Tinian: 57th
Hokkaido: 7th (restricted)
Darwin: 16th, 48th
Port Moresby: 5th
Saipan: 54th
Koepang: 4th
Sumatra: 17th
Indochina moving to Malaya: 34th (restricted)
Japan: 61st (restricted)
Moving to Shanghai and needing reinforcement: 3rd Tank
Paoshan area: all restricted: 1st Tank, 2nd Tank, 27th, 104th
Saumlaki and Horn Island: 18th
China garrisons or coping with remaining enemy: 8 all restricted: 15, 22, 24, 32, 36, 40, 60, 69
At Chungking: 12 all restricted: 1, 6, 8, 9, 13, 14, 19, 37, 39, 41, 110, 116

[Lowpe]

Well done! [&o]

[Spidery]

With the capture of the last two Chinese bases I have freed up a lot of IJA bombers.

I have over 350 trained IJA ground bombing pilots in the reserve pool and more being added to it as groups change to an ASW role.

I expect to keep about 5 Helen groups on ground bombing in Burma. Otherwise, most groups are going to be on ASW. I have started training a Lily group in NavB and may give the Lily DB a trial. I have also started some LowN training.

IJA fighter pilot pools are also looking good with 70 pilots with 65+ experience, 70+ air and 65+ defense available.

IJN pools are still in a bit of a mess with fewer experienced pilots available.

[setloz]

wow! Chungking finally fell! [&o]

The industry takes very little damage (about 5%) beyond that which I had already done to it. 63LI and 126HI captured.

how much HI/LI have you captured in China? I'm aware much of the industry was destroyed, still, I'm curious as to the numbers.

[Spidery]

Thanks folks. Great to have Chungking and also to have opened the road to Burma. I reckon there could be as much as 1000 VP of Chinese forces still to be destroyed.

I think I have 743 LI and 226 HI in the conquered areas of China (not including Hong Kong). There was more but some has been lost at Kunming.

In total, Tracker suggests I have 1410 LI and 518 HI in China.

[Spidery]

December 29th 1942

Air Losses: 2 Japanese, 17 Allied, 1 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

Quiet.

3 Allied subs score hits with duds, it is going to get nasty[:(]

Burma area

Allies bomb Warazup, Tojo IIc and Oscar IIb on LRCAP from Katha engage. 1 Tojo lost for 3 Martlet and 10 Blenheim. Nice[8D]

China

Quiet now.

Australia

Allies bomb Darwin. They have 89 P-39D with them so glad I had no CAP up.

Lightnings sweep Horn Island, no defense.

Engineering

Niekiang airfield to 6, don't need this now.

R&D

Quiet

[Lowpe]

There still will be some dud torpedoes - just not as many![:)]

Allied torpedoes in my game seem very binary: if the the first one works, they all work for that day; if the first one duds, they all dud.

Subs I think are manageable...now lets talk Allied destroyers! How to counter those beasties...I have some ideas, but none of them proven.

[SqzMyLemon]

Wow, well done in China. That is going to really help your defences throughout the Empire, not to mention the economic benefit.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Spidery

China

At Chungking, after constant bombardments and repeated attacks the Chinese defense collapses[8D]:

Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 108576 troops, 1409 guns, 590 vehicles, Assault Value = 3120

Defending force 145228 troops, 34 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 845

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0

Japanese adjusted assault: 1907

Allied adjusted defense: 779

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

Japanese forces CAPTURE Chungking !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
1018 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 209 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 23 disabled
Guns lost 30 (2 destroyed, 28 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
159750 casualties reported
Squads: 2753 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 10972 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 45 (45 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 107

Sweet! How much VPs did that net?

[Spidery]

Sweet! How much VPs did that net?

Not as many as I expected. Difficult to say but I gained 1350 Land VP on the turn but also took Paoshan and eliminated the last, isolated, defenders of Wenchow. Paoshan included some American or British base forces. I'm guessing somewhere between 1000 and 1100 VP at Chungking.

Also, 2800 Base VP and the loss of 350 Base VP for the Allies.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: SqzMyLemon

Wow, well done in China. That is going to really help your defences throughout the Empire, not to mention the economic benefit.

Not sure how long the economic benefit will last. Chengtu and Chungking are both in Lightning range from Ledo so I expect him to use Liberators and Lightnings to destroy these. However, it does add to the number of targets he has to hit. And there is the benefit of not needing to use supply to fight the Chinese.

Yes it is really good for defences, with lots of divisions, tons of artillery and aviation support released.

Also, I hope to be able to hold Chengtu and Chungking until the end so that will be 1350 VP even if there is no supply left.

[Spidery]

I've spent the PP to derestrict the 3rd Tank Tank Division. It will take some time to fill out to its TOE.

Suggestions as to where to place it.

Do I put it somewhere defensive that he is unlikely to bypass (e.g. Guam, as the only level 8 capable base in the Marianas. Or, I could put it somewhere I really want to hold and mobility could be useful (e.g., Sumatra or Hokkaido). Putting a cadre on Hokkaido and the bulk on Guam might be another option.

1st and 2nd Tank are going to aid the defense of Burma.

[FeurerKrieg]

Nice job on Chungking!

[Amoral]

ORIGINAL: Spidery

I've spent the PP to derestrict the 3rd Tank Tank Division. It will take some time to fill out to its TOE.

Suggestions as to where to place it.

Do I put it somewhere defensive that he is unlikely to bypass (e.g. Guam, as the only level 8 capable base in the Marianas. Or, I could put it somewhere I really want to hold and mobility could be useful (e.g., Sumatra or Hokkaido). Putting a cadre on Hokkaido and the bulk on Guam might be another option.

1st and 2nd Tank are going to aid the defense of Burma.

I would send 3rd to Burma as well, with the intention of moving it to Sumatra when invasion becomes a possibility.

[Lowpe]

I tend to think that the American front is the most dangerous now...so my vote would be Guam, PI, NORPAC.

[Spidery]

A few thoughts on the battle for Chungking.

There were 6 deliberate attacks launched, only the first failed to reduce forts.

Obviously, I had the advantage of not having to pay PP to cross borders and that meant I had a lot of artillery at Chungking. Another advantage was the relatively long delay while I was attacking his forces retreating from Sian and shelling them as they moved over-stacked through the woods and mountains. The end result being that these forces were not combat effective and the defense of Chungking was weaker than I expected.

The resurrection of troops didn't matter that much. Mostly, it was headquarters, base forces and other small units that were eliminated. These came back with support units only. See the large number of non-combats versus squads at the end, also just 5 engineer units left. The only resurrected corps were from those I killed outside of Chungking; some brigade units were resurrected, destroyed and resurrected again.

If playing 2 day turns this would have been a lot harder. After each attack I had 85 or so disruption and fatigue so if had automatically attacked again would have been slaughtered.

Over-stacking by 25% or so for the attack wasn't an issue. Mostly, units needed to be pulled out of the hex and rested for a couple of days before being sent back. Staying in hex was quite slow to recover.

The Allies expanded the airfield to 7, on the one hand this used supply and has given me a little bonus. However, by allowing balloons to be deployed it does force bombing from 7000 feet. Not sure how important that is.

I don't understand why he didn't build forts and defend at Chengtu. Both bases need to be taken to conquer China so why concentrate everything at Chungking? Chengtu is slightly more defensible being closer to the airbase at Ledo.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I tend to think that the American front is the most dangerous now...so my vote would be Guam, PI, NORPAC.

I think that he will realise that an attack on Burma (even by amphibious operation against Moulmein or Tavoy) will be very hard given the extra forces I can send there and that I have a back-door to retreat via (note to self - garrison the bases on the retreat path well against air assault).

Sumatra worries me but only for a few months then I think it will be secured.

So I also tend to agree with the American or Australian threats being the greatest. Against the Australian attack there are just too many bases so no key defensive spot. For the PI, it feels like he can bypass everywhere except Luzon and, in most games, by the time the Allies reach Luzon they can steamroller any defense.

Just had a thought, I could divide it in thirds and put a third on each of three important bases in the Kuriles.

[mind_messing]

Just had a thought, I could divide it in thirds and put a third on each of three important bases in the Kuriles.

It's a hard choice, you could have moderate defences on three islands or a solid defence on a single island.

What do you have on Paramushiro-jima? A division + the native coastal gun unit + some AA and forts would make Paramushiro-jima a very difficult capture.