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

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

9 Divisions. Gee, I wonder where all those troops could possibly come from?[:D]

Seriously, land strength won't win this battle. It will be your air and navy. There are so many bases for the Allies to potentially grab, and develop, and they will simply isolate the divisions.

Of course that will all take time...it will be very interesting to see how this all plays out.

Land strength won't win but it should (a) force the Allies to spend more time in areas where air and naval forces can attack them, (b) reduce the opportunities for cheap invasions, (c) give units available for counter-attacks.

[Spidery]

February 22nd 1943

Air Losses: 3 Japanese, 1 Allied, 1 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

A sub-layed minefield near Sydney sinks AM Robin and is cleared by the Allies.

Elsewhere

Quiet

SigInt

3 Heavy volume of radio traffic messages reported from San Francisco.

[Spidery]

I have 130 of the Type 3, air-dropped, mine available.

Any suggestions on how to use them effectively? Dropping on established bases means likely to only damage ships. Dropping on newly captured bases and he probably has mine sweeping assets to clear instantly. Drop in small parcels or big bundles? Keep them for the confined waters of the DEI?

One thought is to hold them back until the Ki-74-I is available and try some mining of distant ports.

[setloz]

Doesn't it show in the combat report for both sides when the mines are deployed by air?

[Spidery]

February 23rd 1943

Air Losses: 16 Japanese, 11 Allied, 5 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy: Darwin [:(]
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

RO-100 misses a sub on sub attack against S-33 in the Solomons[:(].

I-16 takes a shot at the Yorktown and scores 1 hit with an "AMMO STORAGE EXPLOSION". Not enough to sink her but should force her back to the yards. Search suggests a splinter task force of 2 ships 1 CV and 1 DD so could well have detached into an escort task force.[8D]

Marshalls

Allied forces are spotted East of Taongi. Could be heading for Eniwetok or Wake. Movement is reported as Eastwards so could be pulling back to Pearl or could be heading for the NORPAC at the end of winter.

Solomons, etc.

Lightnings sweep Milne Bay and have the first encounter with the N1K1-J. 5 P-38G for 6 N1K1-J, 5 A6M5, 3 Ki-44-IIc. Still not a good loss ratio but it is enough that it may attrit the Lightning force.

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet

Australia

Darwin falls[:(]. The base falls but most of the defenders are still in hex. What should I do with them?

Engineering

Ambon forts to 5.

R&D

P1Y1 to 4/43

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: setloz

Doesn't it show in the combat report for both sides when the mines are deployed by air?

So I understand, so mines can't you be used as a lasting surprise. Only to get immediate results or to restrict options for a few days.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery

Darwin falls[:(]. The base falls but most of the defenders are still in hex. What should I do with them?

Well, for you historical gamers, you might fix bayonets and charge. Conquer or die trying! Shock attack.[X(]

The mores sane among us would fly them out, saving the PP from those very expensive units you have there. Send the remnant to Java and they will rebuild quickly.

Where did you nail the carrier?

Watch out for Wake....he will want it prior to taking Marcus. Marcus for good search on the Marianas and the Bonins. Both Islands would be good potentials for counter attacks. Even prepping a division for each might delay his attack...

[Spidery]

Thought about an attack at Darwin as I have a command HQ still prepped and he would lose his command HQ bonus but disruption is 85+ in the 2 divisions.

I assumed I wouldn't be able to evacuate as I don't control the base.

Already extracted cadres for both divisions and most of the engineering assets. The AA don't but that just redeploys them back to the home isles.

Picture of where the Allied CVs are spotted. As only some longish ranged search over area this may be an incomplete picture.

[Lowpe]

That doesn't look good.[X(] Maybe he will pull back with a fish in the belly of the Yorktown. Then again, Mr. Kane seems fairly aggressive in a focused kind of way.

No reason for them to be there, but for Wake.

Taongi is a good place to slap some Jakes for search...

[Spidery]

They are on the direct path from Roi-Namur to Pearl. I have already picked up an amph TF with 4 BB returning that way so they may just be forces returning to Pearl.

Lost sight of some of his forces next turn but the CV's headed 9 hexes ESE. Lots of forces reported at Roi-Namur and Kwajalein Island.

[Spidery]

February 24th 1943

Air Losses: 5 Japanese, 5 Allied, 3 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

An xAP returning from the Marianas is damaged (9/30/16) by SS Thresher and will join other damaged ships at Chichi-Jima.

Marshalls

Quiet

Solomons, etc.

Quiet

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet

Australia

Allied 4E use the troops at Darwin for target practice and Allied artillery bombards.

Engineering

Allies expand Mombasa to 9 (that will be critical[:D]).

Haha-Jima forts to 4.

R&D

D4Y4 to 7/43 [on target for 1st April]
A6M5c to 9/43 [about June or July]
B6N2a to 9/44 [just to get it before the radar is developed]

All Kates on the KB have been replaced by B6N2 but only 2 units of Vals by D4Y1 so far.

Reinforcements

TK Ryuei Maru, SS 1-178

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery

They are on the direct path from Roi-Namur to Pearl. I have already picked up an amph TF with 4 BB returning that way so they may just be forces returning to Pearl.

Lost sight of some of his forces next turn but the CV's headed 9 hexes ESE. Lots of forces reported at Roi-Namur and Kwajalein Island.

My AI doesn't get east of Taongi for 6 hexes on the Roi to Pearl run.

[Spidery]

February 25th 1943

Air Losses: 5 Japanese, 7 Allied, 1 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Allied air losses are mostly ops losses from TBF-1 and SBD-3. His carrier aircraft must be working hard.

Subs

I-4 is damaged near Sydney and will try and make it to Rabaul.

I-176 is subject to heavy attack by CV planes about 300 nautical miles NW from Johnson Island. Suggests his carriers are retiring to Pearl.

Marshalls

Quiet

Solomons, etc.

Quiet

Burma area

Try sweeps of Warazup but no CAP to engage.

China

Quiet

Australia

Quiet

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Quiet

Reinforcements

CL Oyodo.

A Std-A xAK.

[Spidery]

February 26th 1943

Air Losses: 1 Japanese, 3 Allied, 1 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

Quiet

Marshalls

Lost sight of the Allied CV.

Solomons, etc.

Quiet

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet

Tried to load some 30cm Howitzers onto an Amphibious task force at Hong Kong but they are refusing to load. The rest of the units' devices have loaded so I assume this is some problem with devices with such large load costs. Will unload and try again as a transport task force.

Australia

Allies bomb and deliberate attack at Darwin that disrupts many of the remaining troops.

Engineering

Rota forts to 5.

R&D

Mitsubishi Ha-43 to 4/44

Reinforcements

SC Ch 35, CM Nuwashima (will upgrade to an E)

[FeurerKrieg]

Tried to load some 30cm Howitzers onto an Amphibious task force at Hong Kong but they are refusing to load. The rest of the units' devices have loaded so I assume this is some problem with devices with such large load costs. Will unload and try again as a transport task force.

I had that problem once. I brought some bigger ships and they loaded.

[Lowpe]

Use AK. I, too, have had that problem.

[Mike McCreery]

Could it be port size and/or if they are docked?

Port size gets me on those darn radars all the time.

[Spidery]

February 27th 1943

Air Losses: 1 Japanese, 1 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

I-173 sinks ACM Obstructor and ACM YP-197 near Roi-Namur.

SS SWordfish is damaged near Nagasaki/Sasebo.

Marshalls

Quiet

Solomons, etc.

First sighting of the F4U-1 as Allies sweep Buka, Rossel Island, and Lightntings sweep Kavieng. In no case is there any combat.

Burma area

I moved the two tank divisions, some tank regiments, and a bunch of artillery into Warazup and tried a bombardment attack. Not a good result.

China

Chinese hold out forces are holding on for a long time even at 14::1 or better odds.

Repaired all the damaged oil at Lanchow and managed to get the supply to repair one point at Urumchi.

Australia

Allies bomb forces at Darwin.

Engineering

Singapore forts to 4.

R&D

Quiet

Reinforcements

DMS W-23

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Use AK. I, too, have had that problem.

Some AK are en route.

Wargmr: Hong Kong is size 8, fully repaired, and ships are docked, so I don't think port size matters.
Feurer Kreig: They are big ships but xAK not AK.

[Lowpe]

Those 30cm guns have 20 times the load weight as a 75mm. Roughly. I think they are the biggest load weight of any artillery.

Naval support squads help too.