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

[Erkki]

Hmm... Dont worry about Port Arthur refineries. Japan has so much refining capacity that its not a big deal unless oil gets overstores somewhere and some gets lost to spoilage. Are you moving oil from Fusan to Kuyshu?

[ny59giants]

Moving oil out of Manchuria and Korea will cause the AI to sense the need and pull it out of Urumchi. As far as I know, that is the only way to get it out of this base.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Erkki

Hmm... Dont worry about Port Arthur refineries. Japan has so much refining capacity that its not a big deal unless oil gets overstores somewhere and some gets lost to spoilage. Are you moving oil from Fusan to Kuyshu?

Just 300 at a time in one xAK. I am moving smaller tankers there to increase demand slowly. Very small tankers.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Were/are your Marshalls airfields overstacked? Having either of the numbers for groups or planes in red can lead to failed raids.

There was thunderstorms in the morning over Mili and light cloud in the afternoon.

All are below the stack level. One of the bases was over the group command level by 1.

A lot of the planes just flew in, and I sometimes see a lag to running offensive missions...

But the KB should have struck...oh well. The uncertainty is what really makes the game.

I recently came to believe that exceeding the group command level may count as overstacking. Bullwinkle was getting very good bombing results if my group command level had been exceeded, even if the stacking level was not. Once I got the group command level back "in the white", the bombing results scaled back.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Moving oil out of Manchuria and Korea will cause the AI to sense the need and pull it out of Urumchi. As far as I know, that is the only way to get it out of this base.

I hope so. I am pulling a very little out of Urumchi, it is near its max, but it is much better than nothing.

[Lowpe]

Normally, we can flip 2 turns on a weekend, but doesn't look like that for today. Which is a pity, since I am a little anxious about this turn having the KB in the Marshalls, and also concerned about the attack at Derby...

Anyhow, I noticed that yesterday I destroyed my first Blenheim VD. Why couldn't more Allied bombers be like the Blenheim -- easy to shoot down![:D]

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Anyway you can get Rangoon retaken?

I had amassed over 3000 AV to his 1200 at Rangoon, prior to this attack. Now I have stripped 2000 out to stabilize the front.

I think if he was smart he would break out with the Rangoon troops and retreat until he could take Ramree, but I believe he is going to keep pushing forward.

But, in short, stabilize the front, cut his supply road, knock out the chindits, assess.

Then either look to surround and destroy the allied spearhead or take Rangoon. Or run away![:D]

There is a lot on the way!

While those Chindit strikes are difficult to get to quickly, they look unsupportable in the long term. I think you're right on to take care o them first, then stop his advance, then see where things are and make the next choice. You should still be able to hold in the Arakan and fill in to take Rangoon eventually. Can't be much supply there, right?

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: obvert

While those Chindit strikes are difficult to get to quickly, they look unsupportable in the long term. I think you're right on to take care o them first, then stop his advance, then see where things are and make the next choice. You should still be able to hold in the Arakan and fill in to take Rangoon eventually. Can't be much supply there, right?

Rangoon might have a fair amount of supply...he used to fly 4e in there to raid deep. Hasn't done it lately,but still he should be able to get to Rangoon very easily.

[Lowpe]

Jan 10, 1943

A day where there are no night bombing raids! Repairing his bombers, I guess, I know they will be back shortly and the moon is waxing.


Mili: Most of the raids fly, and there is no Allied air opposition at Mili and Makin. Two squadrons wander into Tarawa and suffer, though.

A nice KB strike goes in against Makin and sinks two ACMs. Not worth it.

But, nothing flies against the KB and they will be safe to exit the area now, and I will have to decide on what course to follow here.

Allied damaged ships flee Mili for Tarawa.

[Lowpe]

Burma:

A very quiet day in Burma, 4 A6M5cs catch some Blenheims, and that is really the only major air action as the Allies repair planes or are grounded due to the weather (most likely).

Unfortunately, Bassein is taken by 3 British Brigades, so Rangoon is not surrounded anymore.
This is the first infantry I have seen on the Allied push in Burma.

The Toungoo relief force is almost out of the clear and into the Jungle adjacent to Toungoo and Chindits. The airfield was pretty heavily damaged in the fighting there, so the Chinditis have not been able to dig in.

[ny59giants]

Do you think it a good idea to try to get a fast bombardment TF lead by 4 CAs or so to hit Akyab?? If you have Ramree, then he has to get massive amount of supplies into this base to flow south towards Rangoon. Maybe have the BB TF be lead by a SC TF or two. Remember....logistics, logistics, logistics. [:D]

[Lowpe]

Australia

During the night 4 heavy cruisers pound the Austalians, who are attempting to move southeast away from Derby. The bombardment is very successful, and this is followed up with 3 squadrons of Helens which execute fairly low level bombing attacks (to no opposition), and finally, in a stroke of pure naval genius (i.e. luck) the battleships move in offshore during the day and delivered a tremendous bombardment. Poor Aussies![:D]

And finally, the 38th and the 21st Division launch deliberate attacks in support of the 3rd and 4th Tank Regiments shock attack at Derby during the afternoon. The battle is very one sided, as the Tanks cut thru the Australian defenses and forts causing a general panic and withdraw by the entire Australian force (sans 1 that is destroyed).

The best news, is thanks to the paratroop drop down south, the Aussies retreat pell mell across the river towards Broome. Couldn't have worked out better.

A general pursuit is ordered.

Everywhere in Australia the Aussies are retreating, Darwin is down to a skeleton force while Katherine is held with 6100 men, with very few guns and afvs. What a boon it was catching the 4th Australian ID at Derby![:)]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Do you think it a good idea to try to get a fast bombardment TF lead by 4 CAs or so to hit Akyab?? If you have Ramree, then he has to get massive amount of supplies into this base to flow south towards Rangoon. Maybe have the BB TF be lead by a SC TF or two. Remember....logistics, logistics, logistics. [:D]

Absolutely do!

Remember the 3 month history of Akyab:

The Allies have lost a lot of ships here as he ran ships in to supply his troops. First I killed them with low level plane attacks until I was forced to retreat from Magwe, then I nailed them with group sub attacks since he was sending cargo ships in unescorted. Then I sent is surface raiders which caught his escorted convoy ships. After that early action, he retreated all his forces back to Akyab and further north and opened up a thread on the general forum asking for supply help!

Tiemanj is back to running in single ships, unescorted, again. There is a good number of smaller patrol craft lurking to eat up ops points. I was thinking three waves of 2 destroyers each sweeping the small craft out of the way for the bombardment group to go in.

I don't think he read any of your advice, otherwise he would have taken Ramree asap![:D]

[Lowpe]

The future of Australia:

Basically my plans is to now finish of the the troops near Broome. I think I may land and take Darwin. Hold with skeleton forces. Not sure about Katherine. There where only 4 units between Katherine and Darwin and none of them look to be combat units (no guns or afvs).

I in general don't like putting a lot of troops in Darwin. Because, if I were the Allies, I would try to bypass Darwin.

However, the Aussies have take a pounding with lots of LCU losses, and I think some recon on Perth is called for. However, it is unlikely...

[ny59giants]

If you haven't had all four of your sub minelayers (I-121 to I-124) sunk, you could mine the coastal hexes north to northeast of Aykab.

Banzai on Derby!! You were not very optimistic on it when you landed there. [:-] But, you had control of both sea and air, so I figured it would fall easily after it got pounded enough.

Get some fighters at Derby and place some on LRCAP over Broome as I would try to evac as much of the 4th Aussie as I could if I was playing the Allies.

Any idea what is at Exmouth?? Get a Glen sub over there to find out. If nothing, then a Fast Transport TF with a BF and Naval guards might cause even more trouble.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants
Any idea what is at Exmouth?? Get a Glen sub over there to find out. If nothing, then a Fast Transport TF with a BF and Naval guards might cause even more trouble.

Exmouth is I believe empty. Nothing built up at all.

Allies have several of those dinky 2 vp AM at Akyab, but mines around there would work, once the ships go in and sink the AM. He seems to have an endless supply of them.[:)]

Engineers are repairing the field now, which got 50 percent trashed in the fight. A full sentai of Oscar IIa (42 planes) are ready to transfer in once the runway repairs some.

I am just going to land at Darwin, there is 2000 men, 1 unit, 2 guns, left there. An ID and the Ichiki detachment started loading yesterday. At 40 prep. The BB will bombard to pave the way. Bathurst might be invaded this turn.

[mind_messing]

I am just going to land at Darwin, there is 2000 men, 1 unit, 2 guns, left there.

Almost certainly the Emery Point Fortress. Quite nasty, some 6-inch guns, plus two 9.2 inch guns. Seeing as it's the only unit in Darwin, I'd send every bomber I can to disrupt that unit as much as possible.

[Lokasenna]

With just one unit of CD there... simple embedding some CAs with one landing force should be plenty. Take the base and land everything else when it's friendly.

[Lowpe]

Thanks, I wasn't going to go in blind.[:D] Bathurst should fall in a day or two. Some float planes for better search, and then some bombing of Darwin to find out exactly what is there. I also plan on sending three akes to Wyndham and run in the surface bombardments at least twice first.

Not that is tells you a huge amount, but the land icon is the darkest green in the area.

[Lowpe]

Turns away and I am pulling out the air force mostly in the Marshalls, except for two bases that will have day and night time cap. The big experiment here is naval strafing of PT boats the KAIb Nicks,and KAI Dinahs. Going to use those 37mm cannons! Readers that are paying attention will have already seen one strafing attack with 37mm on PT boats: 5 Nicks hit once with a gp bomb, and twice with cannon. Each cannon hit had an extra damage report on the combat replay. My hope is that these guns might not be good against planes, but unarmored ships are a different matter!

General pursuit towards Broome. Marching reinforcements to Burma.

I have 5 divisions I can task for something, and I had been generally planning for a Ceylon offensive prior the unpleasantness in Burma -- now not so sure. A major push in Burma is possible or simply defensive posturing and preparation.