Greyjoy(J) vs. Obvert(A) - The air war in China- DBB, SLs, PDU OFF

[GreyJoy]

May 13-25

Manila Falls!

After only 2 deliberate attacks, The 2900 AVs we brought easily overcome the 3 fort and the 800 AVs the defenders were left with.
35,000 allies surrendered and now only Clark Fields remains in Erik's hands. Hopefully, without supplies and with a huge inferiority, the base will fall within the next week or so. We will then have 3700 AVs worth of troops to be used elsewhere...[:'(]

China: at Psingiang we're almost ready to open our first front.

SOPAC: The allies are on the move here. They invaded Efate and Lungaville, conquering both easily (they were empty). Mavis from Lunga spotted several TFs moving up and down from Noumea to Lungaville. KB1 and Tanaka's striking force are moving to Rabaul, while a contingent of troops is landing at Lunga.
Kusiae Is and Ponape are getting substantial garrisons.
Allied recon missions over Tarawa and Tabiutea...

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: MrBlizzard

I wonder too if it makes sense fortify Horn island. Is flat terrein so very exposed to naval and air bombardments.
Could't be better building a stronghold in NE point of Australia in a jungle hex not on the main road (e.g. Cooktown). When I built it till level 6 forts , the garrison was immune both at air and naval bombardments. The only issue was keeping it supplied.

Horn Island is an atoll. My bet is that, with enough forts, AA and CD guns and with a Mereuake good airbase protecting it, it can be a PITA for the allies to overcome, maybe forcing them to chose another route (Eastern NG)

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: pontiouspilot

I will watch your IO plan with great interest. I really wonder about investing so much in Diego G at the end of such a long supply line. Unless you know you have KB able to assist it will become untenable eventually. KB will soon be needed elsewhere, likely unable to return given the distance. Additionally the heavy investment may almost by default lead to an overcommitment of KB to the IO when it should be used elsewhere.

Banzaii!!

You are right aboutthe KB. MY point is to make Diego auto sufficient, so it can defend itself without the presence of KB.
I imagine the following scenario:

40K men, behind 6 forts, on an atoll, with CD guns, heavy AA and a good division.
Air HQ providing torps.
45 Kates, 45 Vals, 200 Fighters and several 2E bomber groups (providing ASW, NavSearch and eventually torpedo attacks).
He would need a whole 1943/44 invasion fleet to get on it without the help of the LBA... A fleet that won't be used against the DEI or the Mariannas...

[GreyJoy]

May 27, 1942


Sorry for the lack of updates guys. It's a tough period. RL is kicking in and i barely have the time to do the turns...

However the game goes on!

The allies seem to want to make it serious in CENTPAC and SOPAC

After the conquest of Lungavilla and Efate, they move and capture an empty Baker Is. Are now reconning Tabiutea, Tarawa and Ndeni...
In India they are moving too. Indore is caputured and Cochin is reinforced. I attempted to conquer it with Paras but i fear their time is now over... the enemy held the line and my guys were unable to do anything.

Japan is responding to this threats by keeping its plans on scheldue. Clark Fields finally fell and now only Bataan with 44K men is holding in Luzon. Few more days and we'll be free to move out of the PI.

KB1 is waiting in CENTPAC for a move of the enemy. So far unseen.
KB2 is waiting at Singapore, while Diego is reinforced.

In India we're waiting for a move from him. Enemy fighters spotted at Poona and Surat. Not at Dehli tough...mmmm....

In China we're waiting at Psigiang for the end of the Luzon campaign and the arrival of the air force
In Western China the 5th Guards ID is now ready to fight for the mountain road that leads to Paoshan.

[GreyJoy]

May 28, 1942

Enemy subs keep on delivering mines at Diego. One AMC is hit but for the rest I was able to unload the regiment, the AAs and the Air HQ without problems (along with 40,000 supplies).

In India the allies are defenetly on the move. Troops are moving down from Poona towards the SW coast, while 2 new units are present at Cochin (probably brought there by sea).
Today our Betties found the CM Abidel at cochin... more than 40 betties in two rounds attacked... only a single torp hit and 2 duds...[:@]
Yesterday we also spotted 12 fighters at Cochin... it's clear enough that Erik is advancing and wants to use Cochin as a first step towards Ceylon....

B17s arrived over Madras harbour... we had zeros on CAP (40%) but too high... and those bastards hit my ships in port...not a single zero was able to engage them[:@]

Morning Air attack on Madras , at 35,40

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 34 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes (have 2 radars there...don't know why the timing is so pitfull[8|])

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 14

Allied aircraft
B-17D Fortress x 8

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-17D Fortress: 2 damaged
B-17D Fortress: 1 destroyed by flak

Japanese Ships
xAK Syoka Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Asuka Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
xAK Heito Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Matsue Maru, Bomb hits 1
PB Teibo Maru #2, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Kinsyo Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
xAK Chicago Maru, Bomb hits 1
xAK Shinko Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAK Toba Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Mito Maru, Bomb hits 1
xAK Mikage Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire

Port hits 1
Port fuel hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
8 x B-17D Fortress bombing from 8000 feet
Port Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
15th Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (4 airborne, 10 on standby, 0 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 20000 , scrambling fighters between 1000 and 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 8 minutes

Near Paoshan our army arrived next to the enemy's position... the enemy is damned strong !!!! even if is much less overstacked than me (20K SL in that hex)...


Ground combat at 63,45 (near Bhamo)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 804 troops, 31 guns, 103 vehicles, Assault Value = 613

Defending force 18741 troops, 78 guns, 35 vehicles, Assault Value = 695

Allied ground losses:
22 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
RTA Cavalry Division
9th Ind Engineer Regiment
5th Guards Division
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion

Defending units:
96th Chinese Division
1st Burma Division
9th Burma Rifles Battalion
22nd New Chinese Division
200th Chinese Division
2nd Reserve Division
1st Burma Auxiliary AA Regiment

Tomorrow we'll attack Bataan... then the resistance in Luzon will finally be over...

Ground combat at Bataan (78,77)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 1788 troops, 173 guns, 157 vehicles, Assault Value = 890

Defending force 20188 troops, 280 guns, 99 vehicles, Assault Value = 378

Allied ground losses:
67 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Assaulting units:
4th Tank Regiment
2nd Division
6th Tank Regiment
Guards Tank Division
15th Army
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
5th RF Gun Battalion
21st Medium Field Artillery Battalion
9th RF Gun Battalion

Defending units:
1st PA Infantry Division
45th PS Infantry Regimental Combat Team
31st PA Infantry Division
4th Marine Regiment
192nd Tank Battalion
2nd PA Constabulary Division
Clark Field AAF Base Force
1st PI Base Force
88th PS Field Artillery Regiment
194th Tank Battalion
21st PA Infantry Division
Far East USAAF
301st Construction Battalion
202nd PA Construction Battalion
200th & 515th Coast AA Regiment
Manila Bay Defenses
26th PS Cavalry Regiment
14th PS Engineer Regiment
I Philippine Corps
201st PA Construction Battalion
Bataan USN Base Force
803rd Aviation Engineer Battalion
Provisional GMC Grp



)

[Lowpe]

I am getting 14 minutes warning with better radar.

[Cribtop]

Is Cochin still isolated from the main Allied LoC in India? If so, is there an opportunity here for aerial attrition in your favor?

PS - Wild hair here, but could you have the Singapore KB element waiting on the NE side of the reef between mainland India and Ceylon to pounce on an Allied invasion of the southern base? Might be fun.

PPS - Then again, Allies may feel they need Diego first, which of course plays into your plan.

[GreyJoy]

May 29, 1942

The Empire tried today to get a feeling about the allied air situation in India.
A general "hunting" mission is ordered over Poona.
Thunderstorms surely doesn't help us, but hey: the allies, even with inferior planes, managed to hold their own and inflicted several casualities to the mighty IJNAF... that's not good!
The sweeps were not well coordinated and the smaller attacks suffered badly.
At the end of the day we had lost 17 zeros for 14 P-400, 13 P40Es and 6 Lancers... not well!
Also lost 12 good pilots.
Now we are waiting for the allied counterattack...

The first DA is launched against Bataan. 2-1 and forts down to 1. Should be close.

Chinese units are moving out of Psigiang! What does that mean?




@Crib: KB2 will be moved to Sebang and will wait here. Wanna be able to cover Diego until it is self sufficient...

[MrBlizzard]

The problem with radar timing is that early japan radars Ta-chi1 are poor and have a range too short (45miles), if you add the low efficiency you can consider yourself lucky [8|] to have discovered the planes at 34 nm from the target.
The B17D flies at a cruising speed of 227mph so it takes only 9 minutes to be on the target when it's 34miles far.
You should steal some Allied radars [:D]
in Jan 43 there is another kind of the surface radar (Ta-chi4) with increased range to 78 miles.

Edit: correct values after check

[GreyJoy]

May 29-June 02, 1942

Bataan falls to the second attempt. Good! Luzon is mine and the whole PI are under japanese flag
Now 3000 AVs are free to move elsewhere.

The allies are moving in India.
50,000 men are approaching Ademabad (NE of Madras), while more troops are marching south, conquering empty bases, between Dehli and Ademabad...mmmm
Also the allies finally senttheir 4Es against Madras. 50 Es arrived. 36 Zeros met them. more than 20 monsters never come back (A2A, AA and Ops), while i lost 7 zeros and 3 pilots. Not bad!!!
More planes are getting to India.
The first Chutai of Tojos is now in place, while the brand new KI-43 IIa entered into production with June.
36 more Nicks are getting to India, while i'm thinking about moving those 3,000 AVs to India...but don't really know if with that move i'm playing into his play or not...mmmm....[&:]
The perimeter is already shrinking... more islands are lost in SOPAC... that's not good for the Empire. But that's what happens when you overextend too much!
Lots of subs all around the pacific, near Diego and near Balikapan (2 TKs lost lately here due to subs and poorly protected TFs).
Next months will be decisive

[GreyJoy]

June 1942

So, june has arrived.
Nearly 6 moths of war are now passed.
The Empire has reached all its strategic goals for the 1st and 2nd phase of expansion.
However, we failed to destroy the american or british Navy and the power of the western contries has remained intact.
Actually, the Americans in SOPAC and the Brits in India are already moving forward. Much earlier than what i had hoped.
We succesfully isolated China, but failed to advance any further and got a serious bloody nose at Sian that stopped any hope of a fast advance in the North.
Now that the PI campaign is over we can move out our assets stuck there. Most of the bomber sentais that pounded Clark and Manila are already in China, ready to launch the operation against the Central Chinese Front near Changsha.
Now that India is threatened, i am called to make a tough decision: what to do with the 7 Divisions that conquered Luzon? Move them to China (as initially planned) or to India where they will be badly needed?
The Western Oz campaign should give me some more time to build the DEI, but all these overextensions need to be watched closely... if he lands on my back i may find myself in deep doo-doo...
Can't stay in India and Western Oz forever. The plan is to hold untill 1st Jan 1943, but i may have to reconsider my plans.
The economy is running at full strenght, with the help of India (which produces 1200 supplies and an excess of 82 fuel every turn). However overall supply stocks do not look good.
I am left with not more than 3,000,000 supplies in the Whole Empire and i can't hope to hold much long if i keep on expending supplies at this bloody rate!
PDU OFF means Japanese air supremacy is more or less gone. The allies can contest the air space now.
By the end of June i will be able to field 80 KI-44 IIa in India and possibly 150 KI-43 IIa, along with some 45 A6M3s... that's the best Japan can do (limited numbers of sentais that can upgrade to decent A/C models).
The only positive thing is that i have to be more carefull in managing my squarons, and so i am having a better than usual pilots training program.
The defensive "fortresses" i have planned are building nicely tough: Horn Island, Ponape, Kusiae, Cocos, Diego and Ceylon keep on building defences and they can be a torn in Erik's side once he will start to bypass them.
Now the next strategic goal is to conquer the Changsha basin and to estabilish a new decent perimeter in China. To do that i will need some time and lots of efforts (and supplies!). The point is: can i efford to tie those 7 IDs to China now that India is threatened?

[KenchiSulla]

My humble suggestion for India, defend what is important - Calcutta, Madras and Ceylon. This is a lessons learned from my previous opponent, Quixote. Ship the majority of your troops to China and hold on to what is marked on the screenshot (took it from my previous game so it is untidy). If you overextend in India you'll be in trouble...



The big advantage of this setup is that you can support your troops from the sea, the allies not! A well timed bombardment run ruins an attack!

[Cribtop]

Agreed. IMHO you will get better and longer-lasting strategic benefits from sending the troops to China.

[GreyJoy]

June 3-6, 1942

Made a couple of stupid mistakes.
Must have used a wrong mid-save turn... sent the turn back to Erik without giving orders...and 30 bombers got slaughtered...[:@]
Started to load 4 divisions at Bataan, forgetting that the amphib bonus was gone...was taking forever to load them up. Sent them back to Manila (half by road, half by ships), screwing everything up. Lost at least a whole week in the process...GRRR!!!!
Then screwed all up again, messing up the ships needed to load the whole PI army... need to send there more ships...more days lost...GRRRR

However, the good news is that Pingsiang finally fell. 3 deliberate attacks made the job. The city is conquered and 30,000 chinese are killed.
More importantly, the whole front is now moving again. The chinese are retreating back to Chikkiang: Changsha basin is fallin into my hands!
Now am sending my whole central front to fill the gap! My bombers are doing their job, despite the losses taken by the AVG (constant ambushes).
Let's see what we can do...

Not so well in the west of China. The first attack west of Paoshan ended up with a crushing defeat. The Thai Cav Division is destroyed, along with an Engineer regiment...4000 men lost for no apparent damage to the enemy...ouch!

In India the allies are really advancing fast. Big troops concentration NE and NW of Ahdemabad... badly need totake a decision...and fast!

The first KI-44IIa Chutai is active in Madras.. 12 planes[:D]

Ndeni is invaded in SOPAC... am trying to react now...but am always too short/too late...

More units being sent to Rabaul and the Solomons. Supplies and Engineers to Northern Marshalls

[GreyJoy]

I've decided to follow your advices guys. Will hold Hyderabad as long as possible, then turtle to Madras and Ceylon and will form a line around Calcutta in defence of Assam and Burma.

Will try to bleed him tough and gain time. Have a couple of ideas...

[ny59giants]

Started to load 4 divisions at Bataan, forgetting that the amphib bonus was gone...was taking forever to load them up. Sent them back to Manila (half by road, half by ships), screwing everything up. Lost at least a whole week in the process...GRRR!!!!
Then screwed all up again, messing up the ships needed to load the whole PI army... need to send there more ships...more days lost...GRRRR

Somebody needs to learn to be more sober when giving orders. I know that since you are Italian you think you can hold your liquor, but you may have had one too many here.

[Lowpe]

What do you think of his retreat from the Changsha basin (since it has fallen in your hands)? Could he have held there longer or would you simply have sliced, diced and really bombed him now that Pingsiang fell?

I am not explaining myself too well, but if he held in the terrain west and northeast of Pingsiang?

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

What do you think of his retreat from the Changsha basin (since it has fallen in your hands)? Could he have held there longer or would you simply have sliced, diced and really bombed him now that Pingsiang fell?

I am not explaining myself too well, but if he held in the terrain west and northeast of Pingsiang?

Don't really know. I had done the same in my last allied game: once Pingsiang falls, the whole area becomes unstable.
As you can see from the map, now he's moving back, abbandoning all his perimeter. What if he is not retreating from the flanking positions at Pingsiang? Well, i think the become irrilevant once the center falls. The japanese could simply move forward, pinning them down on the flanks and cutting thesupply routes. Once the game is played on the plains, the Chinese suffer due to the air superiority of Japan...
I think retreating now is the right solution. The allied player needs to defend on good terrain.I think he' now moving to the wooden hills towards Chikkiang.

My plan now is not to stop. Push forward and aim directly at Chikkiang, not caring for the flanks. The 1st Tank Division will be formed soon and that one will take care of any attempt of him to threaten my flanks

[img]https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/upfi ... 872C71574A

[Lowpe]

Thanks for the nice answer. Do you think he will try to hold Changsha? Once you are across the river, it seems you can isolate Changsha fairly easily. Well, maybe not if he can rotate fresh units in and out...but still you will win if you want it.

It is fun watching you two guys slug it out here, especially with all the comments from dual AARs. Much appreciated.

[GreyJoy]

June 8-10, 1942

Sorry guys for the lack of updates. Work is really pressing hard in these weeks... hard to play and find enough time and concentration to write the AAR.

In China he seems to be abbandoning everything but Changsha in the Changsha basin. I won't lose my heart on the city. Will press on for Chikkiang!

The AVG is kept aside by 100 zeros sweeping the skies. A brand new A6M3 chutai tangled with 5 AVG planes on the 9th, downing 2 of them of 1 zero. Every bit helps!

The first 4 divisions are unloading in southern China. Will press on with the original plan.

In India the allies are really getting serious.Will have to turtle soon to the planned defensive line... a bit earlier than what i had hoped...

In the SOPAC, the allied dogs are launching a general invasion of the Marshalls. Tabiutea is invested by 6 cruisers and several DDs, while a marine raider bn conquers the base... Have the KB nearby and will scout...
I am a bit scared of leaving the southern Marshalls and the Solomons so undefended, but that's theprice to pay to have conquered India and North and Western Oz... all in all that's what i wanted at the beginning: make him chose the pacific vector for his main advance, so i cannot really complain... however, it hurts to be unable to react

Manila is becomingy major hub for fuel. From Borneo and Singapore everything is going there. Hope to beging to move the fuel back to Japan asap.

Supplies... i'm spending too much everywhere and China is really suffering... below 3,000,000 total in June...really too few... spent too much on the RnD i guess.... will try to save as much as possible from now on.

just upgraded the first IJAAF sentai to the KI-43 IIa... let's see how it does in India