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

[Spidery]

If all the relevant hexes are jungle not jungle rough and your troops are well rested I would start them all moving now. It will take about 8 days to get infantry from Moulmein to the hex NW of Pegu if you order that as a move. It will take about the same time to go from that hex to Bassein and about 10 days from Toungoo West one hex.

So I'ld order the forces from Moulmein to the road NW of Pegu, the forces in that hex to Bassein and the forces in Toungoo to the West. Also start a movement arrow to the hex SW of Prome but expect to cancel that. Drop on Bassein in a couple of days and in the day after that bomb the hex between it and Prome. Depending what you have, you may be able to hold the river crossings at Bassein.

Do you have stacking limits? If you do, note that the hex between Toungoo and Prome has a lower limit than the road from Rangoon to Prome.

It looks very good for you trapping all those forces at Rangoon!

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery
Do you have stacking limits? If you do, note that the hex between Toungoo and Prome has a lower limit than the road from Rangoon to Prome.

No stacking limits.

I purposefully didn't bombard Rangoon today...I don't want him fleeing Rangoon now. Switched back all air forces to defensive posture.

I think he is going to reinforce Rangoon more...so I will not start any troop movements on Prome or paradrop Bassein yet. Let us see what how he reacts to the loss at Rangoon...which I think it will be to reinforce...I hope.

My troops one hex away from Prome lack AT weapons, ART and Tanks. I am guessing in 10 days that will be very different, and if in the meantime he reinforces Rangoon, so much he better. IF he starts a retreat, I will launch the counter attack with what forces are on hand.

I will also move out of Ramree looking to cut the sheep trail ne and se of Ramree.[:)]

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

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

Are you sure of that? Unless you have expanded the airfield, the fuel limit at Urumchi is 19000 and you may be just seeing spoilage. It seems unlikely you would get a daily flow from Urumchi. I am getting fuel to flow twice a week only and that is about 100 units per week (oil seems to move easily).

[setloz]

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!

o
It depends on what forces you have available. I was able to take a base with paratroopers and the in the space of 4 turns move there 200 AV from a division by air. I would do it, considering Prome has rivers around it.

You could also use a para fragment to move into the Rangoon hex to close that hex side. Even if it gets trashed in the shock attack, it should close the hex side and prevent movement out of there.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery
Are you sure of that? Unless you have expanded the airfield, the fuel limit at Urumchi is 19000 and you may be just seeing spoilage. It seems unlikely you would get a daily flow from Urumchi. I am getting fuel to flow twice a week only and that is about 100 units per week (oil seems to move easily).

You are right, spoilage.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: setloz

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!

o
It depends on what forces you have available. I was able to take a base with paratroopers and the in the space of 4 turns move there 200 AV from a division by air. I would do it, considering Prome has rivers around it.

You could also use a para fragment to move into the Rangoon hex to close that hex side. Even if it gets trashed in the shock attack, it should close the hex side and prevent movement out of there.

I worry about all his tanks. For now, I will hold off, but it is definitely in the book of options to potentially use. Same with the paradrop on Rangoon, perhaps timed with a deliberate assault...

[Lowpe]

I look at this map and think the Allies will bypass the entire area...going thru the Marshall Islands, Wake and Marcus to the PI and Marianas.

I could easily take Ndeni, but to what point? It would take a fair amount of shipping to build up to where it could be a possible threat or stumbling block. I just don't see the point at this stage of the War to expend fuel and supplies in taking the area.

Am I wrong?

[JocMeister]

Nope, I think you are right. [:)] Why slowly hop up in the Solomons when you can just as easily get there in a single hop (OZ-PM).

[Lowpe]

Thanks, Joc.

Once again, I am trying to sneak some ships into the Allied backfield, and this time I am real close to doing it. Their target a large tanker convoy.

[Aurorus]

In my humble opinion, a paradrop in Bassein would depend upon how much is available to transport in by air after the drop and how quickly (i.e. how many transports and troops are available). It would also depend upon if the allied stacks moving there contain much armor. I would not simply sacrifice a unit, especially a paratrooper, to cut off supply for a couple days. I find the paratroopers to be very useful in counterattacking atolls in CentPac or SouPac (which is my preferred strategy as it seems to be yours. Also the transport planes are very helpful for emergency evacuations in CentPac and SoPac). Rather than building up significant defensive positions on forward atolls, I like to just leave a SNLF or 2 on the forward bases and maintain a mobile counterattacking force at 2nd or 3rd line bases to repel any advance that is not sustained and continuously covered by substantial air and naval assets.

As such, I think a move on Ndeni is ok, but not if it requires many assets, and only if you can secure Port Moresby. As you point out, without Moresby in Japanese hands, all of CentPac and most of SouPac can be bypassed by the allies. However, the more forward your position in CentPac and SoPac, the more opportunities you will have to counterattack stretched out allied forces, and the more secure your 2nd and 3rd line bases will be (where you will have many of your naval and air assets). For this reason, I tend to prefer "overextending" a bit as Japan into Centpac and SoPac, if it can be done on the cheap.

If you can cut off supply from a move out a Ramree and fly in a few additional units, this may be preferable. I would also expect an allied amphibious assault on Ramree in the very near future, so try not to weaken Ramree much by moving large units out onto the roadway to the the east. If possible, I think, at this point, it may be wise to try to cover Ramree with some anti-naval surface and air assets. I would be very surprised if the allies do make a major move against Ramree in the next week, whether he decides to withdraw from Rangoon or not.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Aurorus
I would also expect an allied amphibious assault on Ramree in the very near future

Hmm, I would think he would simply march in and not risk an amphibious landing...

We are having a difficult time swapping turns right now due to a new job,moving, etc. Hopefully it clears up shortly.

[Lowpe]

Jan 24, 1943

Japan loses 30 planes, most on the ground at either Magwe or Lae to night bombing, while Allies lose 7 only one of which is a night bomber and a Blenheim at that. IJN torpedo planes fly at night and attack....ready....pt boats.[:D]

In China, IJA takes an important road junction, and now we can now threaten all Chinese troops at Kweiyang by taking the roads south of Chungking.

An Iboat sinks a 20 vp British tanker.[:)]

[Lowpe]

Some other quick notes:

Allies still reinforcing Rangoon[:)]....A IJN CA hits a mine near Rangoon, DD clear about 10 and the CA clears one the hard way. If there is a minefield I can hit it reliably.

At Darwin, an IJN Bombardment fleet gets a little too close and the shore batteries hit the Agano doing 20 percent system damage.

Even with the lop sided air losses, thank you night bombing, Japan picks up over 20 vp for the day thanks to sub action, lcu loss, and base expansion - Lautem now a size 4 giving a second torpedo capable air base in the south DEI.

I have really drawn down Fusan's resources (now 40K, once almost 400K), oil now around 800, fuel to 7000 and draining Manchuko dry. Hmm...

[Lowpe]

General plane notes:

I should be upgrading my first three CV squadrons to A6M5c very shortly.

I now have 3 squadrons of Army Dive bombers, with one active at Buna hunting for cargo ships that may try to resupply Port Moresby. 10% naval search, 90 strike with a hefty Zero escort. So far the Allies haven't detected the air buildup at Buna, but if they do then I guess the base will get pounded by night time 4e bombing runs.

The Endo Det is at Roi, staffed with elite pilots, but so far is untested.

I used 40 Oscar IIa to strafe the remnants of the 4th Aus ID in northern Oz yesterday, and they caused 170 casualties and destroyed 5 squads for no loss. Not shabby at all.

I was reading Saki's book Samurai, and in it he details a night strike at Ternate by one (1) B17 in Jan 42. Never spotted, hit the construction billets and killed over 100. Saki flew night CAP the following night, and was scared. He had no clue what to do if they did spot another B17, Zero very poor for night operations, and they had no real strategy for engaging B17s at that point.

I keep thinking I need to increase R&D on the KAId Nick...substantially. Allied night bombing is really a force multiplier for them with no answer until NF come along. Even then, I suspect there are never enough and too many bases for the Allies to hit.

[Lowpe]

Jan 25, 1943

I hear mine explode, and it wasn't an IJN ship! Must be the sub dropped mines north of Akyab. Thanks, NY59Giants![&o]

Allies night bomb en mass at Magwe, where some Zeroes tangle with them blindly, and at Lae.

A nice 100 bomber raid on a Chinese unit in the open west of Changsha does a fair amount of damage, and sweeping Oscars find the remnants of the 4th Aus ID again in Oz!

Lots of sweeps in the Marshalls, and despite a heavy CAP Japanese fighter losses are nasty, once again. Allies have moved ships into Mili, and the mini subs don't do much, but at least they don't die.[:)]

[Lowpe]

Ugly plane losses again...mostly in the Marshalls.

Night bombing much less effective...his bombers are tired flying day after day I think.

[Lowpe]

Some more destroyed Chinese units in the Changsha pocket. What will happen to the lonely 5th Armored Car?

[Lowpe]

Somewhere between Pearl and the West Coast:

[Lowpe]

Not that it is earth shaking news, but Fusan saw a huge delivery of Resources today, bringing the stocking levels up to 300,000.

[Lowpe]

Jan 26, 1942

Allied night bombing of Lae continues, weakest effort probably due to flying every single day, although the weather was nasty -- severe thunderstorms.

In Burma, sweeps come first then bombers hit Shwebo allowing two weak Chinese divisions to take the town....IJA troops 100% disrupted prior to ground combat.

I tried to contest the air, again, in Burma. I can actually win until the Allies revert to several night bombing runs followed up by sweeps. Can't compete against that strategy. I have probably lost 200 planes over the last couple of days to this tactic. Without the night bombing runs, I can fight his sweeps...but not both.

I have one more tactic to try, and that is a high altitude night CAP, with the theory that the fighters merely being present can reduce the effectiveness of the night bombing raid (hopefully the fighters don't engage).

My heavy cruisers are one hex away from a very nice looking Allied task force on the Pearl to west coast run....