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

[Lowpe]

I wouldn't break it up.

And I would choose the Kuriles last of all (not to say that the Kuriles aren't important). Guam or Saipan then, full strength.

[FeurerKrieg]

Keep it mobile. Burma or Luzon for the 3rd Tank Div. Find some infantry units (and Artillery) to drop on the Pacific Islands.

My 2 cents.

On that note - does anyone know if there are any artillery units for Japan that have DP guns in them? With the lack of CD guns units for Japan, I'm wondering if there are any artillery units that will fire at ships.

[Spidery]

December 30th 1942

Air Losses: 12 Japanese, 5 Allied, 4 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

Many subs spotted at night near Takao. 2 exploding hits on AK carrying most of an artillery unit to Guam sinks her.

A sub scores a dud on a Tanker near Balikpapan.

I-16 spots an xAP carrying troops near Pearl Harbour and elects to launch only 2 torpedoes. 1 hits but not enough damage to sink it.

A Sally claims a hit on the SS Spearfish near Wakkanai.

Pacific

Night strike by 19 B-24D and 6 B-17F at Rabaul port. Over 40 Ki-45 KA1a and 6 KA1b meet it. 9 Planes lost for no enemy planes. No hits on port or the 2 ACM in port.

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet.

Australia

Allies bomb Darwin.

Engineering

Fort building

R&D

Quiet


Subs:

[Spidery]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Still a few weeks before I need to make a decision on the 3rd Tank so I'll sleep on it.

On DP guns, apart from those in static fortresses, I think the only ones are in Special Base Forces, the Combined 8th SNLF, and the Wake coastal gun battalion. This in DBB, will differ in other scenarios.

However, there are some army weapons with good effect and penetration values but rather poor accuracy. These may fire and could even hit occasionally.

[Spidery]

It looks like the cost to buy out an artillery unit is 10 per tube plus a bit more for the other devices.

So the most cost-effective devices to buy out are the 30cm howitzers. However, these have an end date of 1/42 so, I assume, can't be replaced (incidentally, they start with a pool and have been recycled to armament points - this is really annoying).

The best guns that, can be replaced, are probably the 15cm T89 guns with a range of 20, accuracy of 6, penetration of 180, effect of 89. These are in the 11th, 12th and 13th Independent Heavy Artillery Battalions that are located at Paoshan. The 10cm T92 Gun in 7th, 8th, 18th and 22nd Medium Field Artillery regiments are probably the next best option.

[FeurerKrieg]

Those guns (15cm T89 and 10cm T92) will only fire on land units right?

I didn't realize the SBF units had DP guns, so I'll check those out and make sure they are in the right places. I'm in DBB too, so no worries there.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Feurer Krieg

Those guns (15cm T89 and 10cm T92) will only fire on land units right?

I didn't realize the SBF units had DP guns, so I'll check those out and make sure they are in the right places. I'm in DBB too, so no worries there.

I'm fairly sure that army guns do fire on ships.

[Lowpe]

Normally, they don't have the range...unless it is an amphib attack.

Probably don't have sights to fire in that method either. Or training.

[FeurerKrieg]

Yea, I know they won't shoot at passing ships, but I was thinking about amphib landings.

[Spidery]

December 31st 1942

Air Losses: 20 Japanese, 8 Allied, 5 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

Sinking sounds during turn suggest the xAP hit yesterday may have sunk[:)]. I wonder if he had time to offload the troops?

A PB empties its DC racks onto a sub in the shallow waters North of Luzon and scores two near misses.

A Sally claims another hit on SS Spearfish near Wakkanai.

Pacific

A small group of 4E miss Rabaul at night from 25000 feet. Various fighters engage for the loss of 17 fighters for 3 B-24D[:(].

A small group of Catalinas tries to attack some forces at Buka and 2 are shot down by some Tojo IIa on LRCAP. None get passed CAP[:)].

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet

Australia

Allies bomb Darwin from 15000 feet.

Engineering

Truk forts to 6 - is there any point in spending the supply to carry on beyond?

Katha airfield to 5.

Allies have built an airstrip at Munda.

R&D

A6M5b to 8/43.

Developments

American torpedoes have fewer duds
My ASW by ships improves

D4Y1 becomes available; R&D of the D4Y4 has gone slower than hoped so will produce some of these in the interim, 30 factories will produce about 75 before the D4Y4 is available.

Ki-46-III becomes available; a major upgrade in range for the IJA recce and also more speed that should reduce recce losses. Normal range of 18 also is a nice for naval search or to go with long range strikes by G3M3.

Ki-48-IIb becomes available; I'm not sure about this but will give it a try but only produce about 15 per month.

Ki-54c available; Yawn.

6000 IJA Hvy Infantry Squads and 150 IJA Combat engineer squads get a useful upgrade to their anti-armour rating.

The "Type 2 Amph Tank" becomes available, not sure what uses that.

The "Ta-Chi 4" and "Ta-Chi 7" radars become available (is it a data error that the Ta-Chi 7 is available at the same time as its predecessor?). There are about 80 radars that upgrade to this. This is a very useful upgrade as the Ta-Chi 7 has a range of 145 and better accuracy and effect.

The 1st and 2nd Tank can upgrade to a new TOE. This replaces 12 light tanks by 45 CS tanks and adds support and motorised support. Although the CS tank has an availability from 12/43 the 3rd Tank seems to be drawing them and filling out.

[Lowpe]

Happy new year!

Truk level 6 seems good to me...now some other bases in the Pacific go to the moon with.

How heavily are you going to supply and defend Truk? Do you have any plans for it if it gets bypassed?

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Happy new year!

Truk level 6 seems good to me...now some other bases in the Pacific go to the moon with.

How heavily are you going to supply and defend Truk? Do you have any plans for it if it gets bypassed?

Thank-you. I will put a division there and some 100,000 supplies. If he bypasses, and the supply is not destroyed, it will be a useful sub base and I can use it for the occasional Naval attack with a chance to avoid CAP. It could be a nice place to base Ki-74-I out of eventually. Unfortunately, the airfield being limited to 5 is restrictive.

[Spidery]

December in Review

Nauru Island was lost and the Allies crept forward at Munda. A small bloody nose was given at Munda. The air war continues to go badly. My "ambush" at Darwin turned out to be a disaster and 4E are proving a menace.

Big news was the fall of China.

Code: Select all

             Japan   Allies
 Overall VP: +5309    +225
 Air:         +199    +303
 Land:       +1964     +66
 Sea:         +130     +32
 Base:       +3016    -175
 

[Spidery]

Economy

Oil falls and will continue to fall but good gains otherwise.

Arms are now sufficient to cover all future reinforcements so just need to build a buffer for replacements and buying back. Could well have a sufficient buffer by the end of 1943, however, no point dialing back production before then.

Vehicles may not be enough.

Merchant yards are being cut.

Fuel gained well because most of the fleet was resting all month. Also, the change to the fuel usage by ACM was taken with the latest Beta and that could be saving 25,000 fuel a month.

No damage to oil wells this month and 1 point, at Urumchi, repaired.

Mostly, everything is where it needs to be. So all-in-all economy is looking good.

Code: Select all

 Oil:        -14,375
 Fuel:      +122,238
 Supply:    +123,659
 HI:         +49,832
 Vehicles:    +5,268
 Armaments:  +10,644
 

[Spidery]

Engines

Will expand Ha-43 production once it is online but otherwise I think the production is enough for the rest of the war.

[Spidery]

January 1st 1943

Air Losses: 12 Japanese, 8 Allied, 3 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

The new year starts with a bang.

South of Tarawa this happens:

ASW attack near Nikunau at 141,134

Japanese Ships
SS I-20, hits 7, heavy damage

Allied Ships
BB Colorado, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
SC-704
SC-647
AP Barnett
AP W.A. Holbrook
xAP Shooting Star
xAP Tawali
xAP Cap St Jacques
xAP Katoomba
xAP Tairea
xAP President Tyler
xAP Etolin
SC-742
SC-741
SC-738
SC-709

Magazine explodes on BB Colorado
SS I-20 launches 8 torpedoes at BB Colorado
SC-742 fails to find sub and abandons search
SC-741 fails to find sub, continues to search...
SC-738 attacking submerged sub ....
SC-709 fails to find sub, continues to search...
SC-741 fails to find sub and abandons search
SC-738 fails to find sub, continues to search...
SC-709 fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub

Sinking noises and loss of 2 Kingfisher on the ground confirm the BB Colorado as sunk[8D]. I-20 has over 50 float damage and a long crawl back for repairs.

Pacific

More 4E hit Rabaul at night from 25000 feet and down planes. Not sure how to respond to this threat[:(].

Allied sweeps of Buka find nothing.

Some Nells miss at night.

Bombard Munda for light damage.

A reinforcement convoy for Ponape is bombed by Catalinas and an xAP is damaged and will sink[:@]. Will try and offload as much as possible before then. The rest of the reinforcements will be aborted.

Burma area

Quiet

China

Liberators miss Chungking bombing at night from 20000 feet.

Australia

Allies bomb Darwin.

Engineering

Kushiro airfield to 4, building Northern defenses.

OOsthaven airfield to 4.

R&D

Ki-43-IV to 3/44. N1K1-J to 4/43.

Lots of DD start upgrades, getting better DC and, in some cases, radar. Most of the DMS will not be upgraded. The exception being the W-7 class as they can convert back to DMS in 1944.

[Spidery]

State in CBI as round-up defenses

Some over-stacking issues as move through the mountains around Paoshan.

[FeurerKrieg]

Wow! Give I-20 a medal for sure!!

[Spidery]

Air production

Air combat remains low intensity so over producing some things.

Lots of Nells but one attack against Allied carriers could need a lot of replacements and the G3M3 is useful throughout 1943.

Helen IIa stocks are growing, with the IJA LB mostly training or being used on ASW there is little demand for these. However, they remain valuable for ever so no problem over stocking.

IJA Fighters are over producing and have, mostly, upgraded the front line units to the best models. Once Katha has expanded I may start some more active use in North Burma. I've stopped building Nicks as I have a good stock and haven't been impressed by this aircraft.

Lots of the older FP but a shortage of Jakes. Lots of FP are on training so slowly releasing new Jake groups for night search against subs. Engines for the Glen are running out but have enough produced to last the war.

Shortage of IJN fighters and there are about 600 aircraft worth of new groups arriving for the IJN in 1943. However, the N1K1-J should be available in 2/43 and will be used for many purposes.

Vals are changing to Judys and there is a shortage of aircraft. Kates are slowly being replaced by Jills on the KB and the excess Kates will be stored for use in Kamikaze role.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Feurer Krieg

Wow! Give I-20 a medal for sure!!

Yep!. If they can make it back to safety. They have 22 system and 58 float damage are making 6 knots and will take 7 days to reach Kwajalein Island which is itself in danger of being bombed.