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

[Lowpe]

Rangoon's fighters get shelled again (3 P38 are destroyed on the ground on the plane loss screen) with 30 or so damaged plus good hits on the runway.

The shelling has an effect as Allied sweeps are getting weaker.

[Erkki]

I just realized its already Jan -43 in your game... And you have Ki-43-Ic fighting P-38Gs. Where are your much faster Ki-43-IIs, do you build them at all?

[Lowpe]

Allied forces are bombed in the open in Burma against no fighter coverage, while Chinese units are bombed in China, and an Army sized attack is launched across dug in Chinese south of Ichang.

The Chinese have almost every malus possible and a 36-1 attack savages the Chinese.[:)]

[Lowpe]

IJA take another important road junction, cutting off 7 more units from road supply.

The pocket is looking really good...

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Erkki

I just realized its already Jan -43 in your game... And you have Ki-43-Ic fighting P-38Gs. Where are your much faster Ki-43-IIs, do you build them at all?

I have one sentai of Ki-43 IIa, and they are in northern Oz. Another splinter is in Rabaul/Marshalls. Only build 30.

Those Ic's were providing LRCAP to the bombardment forces and kind of wandered in. What can I say, they have the warrior spirit.[:)]

[Lowpe]

I have a about 40 cargo and tankers pulling from Fusan, about 15,000 fuel, 4,000 oil and the rest resources. The Fuel drain is too great, HI in Manchuria can't keep supplied and two factories shut down this turn, Port Arthur's refineries only can run 3 out of 4 days, and the stockplile at Fusan is shrinking very quickly with resources falling below 100,000.

I will have to scale back a little on the fuel draw first, then maybe oil.[:)] Least efficient ships get mothballed first at Fusan.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: mind_messing


- Move in another infantry unit - Naval Guard or SNLF, doesn't really matter which. The "South Seas Garrison" units are also good candidates. The point is to have two units, so the Allied bombardment divides its fire between two units.

Just throwing out ideas here:

Have you tried multiple COY size units? That would divide the bombardment the most, and perhaps one would get overlooked and provide a slight surprise?

They are about 400 men each and you could focus them instead of spreading them apart to cover lots of bases with 15 AV each...just a thought.

On the other hand, they're apt to just straight up die in the initial shock attack...

Lack of arty tubes also leaves you really vulnerable to tanks, and the USN gets LSTs aplenty even if they don't have AKAs available.

I've not tested it, but I assume that you'd need to use AT guns instead of big artillery tubes. I think the big guns would try to shoot at the amphibs and get a smack down from the embedded capital ships in support.

But even with artillery tubes, you'll still have a bad time with Allied tanks.

[Lowpe]

I had loaded up the marshall's airports with bombers attempting a night strike at Tarawa at all the juicy shipping there, and the two units that flew strayed. I will try again, and have put my fighters on a CAP to protect the bases...but Allies are just as likely to punish one base with massed night bombing raids of their own. But maybe they aren't paying too much attention here...

In Burma, I have sent the Betty hordes forward and will attempt some good low level torpedo bombing attacks, covered by 24000 foot sweeps. We will see if I catch anything or simply suffer massive bomber losses. I am hoping his CAP is a little thin...

Other than that, just moving forward slowly...5 days till I attack at Tuang Gyi.

[ny59giants]

Not enough DDs with your 2 CAs off Cox's Bazar. Unless your facing Fletcher's, you still have an edge if you use them in numbers, IMO.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Not enough DDs with your 2 CAs off Cox's Bazar. Unless your facing Fletcher's, you still have an edge if you use them in numbers, IMO.

I think you are right, too. I sent them in with misgivings. I formed up my other task forces in the area, more than a match for these cruisers I think. Which means I can expect battleships shortly. I keep expecting an Allied raid down Moulmein-Tavoy way, and I will take steps to protect those bases.

I spotted a lot of shipping a Chittagong at night, and I will try to redeem the loss with a large low level betty strike, escorted, along with Zero sweeps.

I have really upped the air war in Burma, and feel it is actually swinging my way. What a change.[:)] The air war will have shifted when the Allies return to massed night bombings and no sweeps.

[Lowpe]

Jan 22, 1943

Quiet day. Night bombing of Allied base at Tarawa, severe thunderstorms, not a single hit. Withdrawing bombers, leaving fighters in area.

Quiet air war day in Burma...Allies resting. Allies move planes back into Akyab, along with 4 taskforces: some cargo, other CL. IJN sweeps Chit but no Allied air presence.

IJN bombard Darwin, Rangoon.

Lost an xakl to a submarine, punished a few Allied submarines, and that was the day.

[Lowpe]

Jan 22, 1943

Allies return to mass night bombing at Magwe...

Night search spots Allied TF (1CA,2CL,DD) bombarding Nauru. They miss the minefields, the Betties on night attack miss, the Allies bombard, and then Task force Nagato can't close with the raiders. Sigh.[:(] The Lightning sweeps come in during the day.

[Lowpe]

Back to Burma and the Betties fly at a xak task force near Akyab, and get chewed up by the CAP (the escorts primarily). No hits.

So, a tough day for Japanese fighter pilots...losing 35 Zeroes for the day.[X(]

But, then, the Allies partially redeem the day by deliberately attacking Rangoon, without heavy bombing first (his troops where bombarded again by 4 CA) and get a little shock, I hope this doesn't mean he will withdraw:

[Lowpe]

Allied forces at Rangoon, and as of yesterday there are still more marching there!

I have 4 heavy ART units moving into Rangoon, and that should make the base more than secure, and I can focus on attacking thru Prome...

[ny59giants]

Heavily mine the river hex SW of Rangoon so nothing of his can get in or out.

The siege of Rangoon will take some time, so mental get ready for it. The key will be the disruption your BB (bombardment) TF can cause his troops there. Its hard to defend any base that is subject to repeated bombardment attacks.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants
Heavily mine the river hex SW of Rangoon so nothing of his can get in or out.

I am not sure. When I have dropped mines in non-base hexes that my ships sail into and out of I have the disturbing tendency to run into them! I have lost 3 ships that way, and damaged at least one more.

I just dropped some mines north of Akyab with the submarine minelayers though.

[Lowpe]

I wonder if I would have had a cruiser or two with the Nagato if the Americans would have been able to evade?

Anyhow, here is what Rangoon looks like. I have massive amounts of troops headed towards Moulmein, which only gets reconned by the Brits off and on.

From Moulmein, where should I stage my troops for the overwhelmingly nasty attack on Prome I have planned? Is it better to go to Toungoo and slug thru the jungle there, or to Pegu and head even slug thru the jungle there and then on the road north? leaning towards Toungoo now.

I can take Bassein with 3 regiments of Paratroops now...but they could never hold...however is it worth it to take it now with 1 unit simply to mess with his supply? I am leaning yes, and I have 7/10 detection on Bassein now. But I have reservations, in that maybe the Allies would then retreat before I am ready to strike at Prome.

Any thoughts/comments would be highly appreciated!

[Lowpe]

And finally, with refineries shut off, the fuel is shipping out of Urumchi.

[ny59giants]

Where is Southern Command HQ and what base is she prepping for?? I hope its Prome or Rangoon.

I would have troops moving due west from both Toungoo (why is the supply situation there so bad??) and the hex SW of it. That way you can have two stacks heading into Prome with one option being going into the clear hex between Prome and Bassien and threaten to move up the western side of Prome and complete the isolation of Rangoon. Options and logistics!! [;)]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Where is Southern Command HQ and what base is she prepping for?? I hope its Prome or Rangoon.

I would have troops moving due west from both Toungoo (why is the supply situation there so bad??) and the hex SW of it. That way you can have two stacks heading into Prome with one option being going into the clear hex between Prome and Bassien and threaten to move up the western side of Prome and complete the isolation of Rangoon. Options and logistics!! [;)]

Supply is bad because a fresh division just moved in.

Southern Army is on Rangoon, and is headed to Bangkok. 2nd Area Army is 1 hex away from being within 5 hexes of Rangoon, and is also on Rangoon. A corp army is already at Rangoon at 100 percent.

I have 750 AV already SW of Prome, 300 due east. All infantry so far.

Allied forces are light at Prome, and I don't want to prep a ton on units for it.