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

[Spidery]

April 18th 1943

Air Losses: 2 Japanese, 0 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

Glens detect a convoy out from San Francisco that reports as containing an ARD. Will start moving lots of subs to try and attack this, if it really is an ARD it will be moving slowly.

Marshalls

Quiet

Solomons, etc.

Strong confirmation that an attack on Buka is expected.

4 AMc clear 15 of my mines, then my SCTF arrives and sinks them with excessive overkill, surprising the enemy:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Buka at 109,128, Range 10,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Maya
CA Chokai
CA Mikuma
CA Kako
DD Naganami
DD Michishio
DD Hibiki
DD Yayoi
DD Uzuki
DD Fumizuki

Allied Ships
AMc Cockatoo, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
AMc Redbird, Shell hits 4, and is sunk
AMc Condor, Shell hits 4, and is sunk
AMc Crossbill, Shell hits 2, and is sunk

Improved night sighting under 100% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions and 100% moonlight: 11,000 yards
Range closes to 10,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 10,000 yards
Japanese open fire on surprised Allied ships at 10,000 yards

I have only 180 AV in small forces behind level 4 forts so probably not that good a defense.

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet

Australia & DEI

Quiet

Engineering

Rota forts to 6. Boela airfield to 3.

R&D

Ki-84a to 8/43.

Reinforcements

Quiet

[Spidery]

The quiet before the storm?

And, being MrKane, I expect when it comes it will include the kitchen sink.

Question is just how much will he attack - will he send the carriers to the Solomons - or is there a 2nd thrust, e,g at Kusaie Island and Eniwetok. Will he go all in and attack Rabaul or Port Moresby or is he just heading for Buka and Buna and maybe some small bases?

I have moved some surface forces down to the Rabaul area and are lurking far enough back that I hope he won't spot them.

[Spidery]

April 19th 1943

Air Losses: 5 Japanese, 0 Allied, 2 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Turn 500 is done,

Subs

Quiet

Marshalls

Quiet

Solomons, etc.

Quiet

Burma area

Quiet

Noticed there are 34 units, 94,000 troops and over 1000 each guns and vehicles at Ledo. I wonder if he bought out some of the yellow restricted Chinese after they were mauled and flew them out to Ledo and he is now forming a new Chinese Army?

China

Liberators hit Lanchow at night. Some Ki-44-IIc on CAP, 3 shot down, no hits on ths city. Damaged a few liberators and I had hoped that at extended range they might not make it back, but no such luck.

Australia & DEI

Quiet

Engineering

Allies expand Buin airfield to 5.

R&D

Ki-43-IIIa to 8/43

Reinforcements

Quiet

[FeurerKrieg]

Aerial mining questions for you -

What mines do the Nells carry? And where do you find that out?
What Japanese planes can do aerial mining?
Is there a certain date that this becomes an option?

Thanks!

[Spidery]

April 20th 1943

Air Losses: 29 Japanese, 21 Allied, 9 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

Quiet

Marshalls

Quiet

Solomons, etc.

Lightnings and Corsairs sweep Rabaul. Some of the defenders were resting to recover their morale (those that weren't recovered to morale 99 - nothing beats a good fight). Losses for the day: 16 A6M5, 7 Ki-44-IIc, 4 N1K1-J, 1 A6M2-N (off a CA), versus 18 P-38G, 2 F4U-1. Adequate but not good, next time will see if can have more N1K1-J in the air.

Funny sort of combat:

Raid detected at 42 NM, estimated altitude 39,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2-N Rufe x 2
A6M5 Zero x 45
N1K1-J George x 51
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 21

Allied aircraft
P-38G Lightning x 50

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 8 destroyed
N1K1-J George: 2 destroyed
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 4 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-38G Lightning: 8 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x P-38G Lightning sweeping at 39000 feet

During the replay, it started with 18 Corsairs and 50 Lightnings showing, after a bit the number of Lightnings started increasing. It looks like he had everything else on LRCAP and just a small force swept. So I think he may have more like 100 Lightnings involved.

I've increased N1K1-J production to 150. These A6M5 are the last group of Zeroes in a front line position but it will be May before I can get them upgraded.

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet

Australia & DEI

Quiet

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Quiet

Reinforcements

Quiet

Production

Made some changes, have increased D4Y4 production extensively by converting a large idle factory. To compensate have converted a Ha-34 factory to Ha-33 and I may have underestimated Ha-45 demand so have converted a Ha-34 factory to that as well. This is going to blow most of the supply savings for the month.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Feurer Krieg

Aerial mining questions for you -

What mines do the Nells carry? And where do you find that out?
What Japanese planes can do aerial mining?
Is there a certain date that this becomes an option?

Thanks!

My understanding is:

Type 3 Mine, device ID 1713, not sure anywhere it specifically says that.
Don't know, probably any 2E level bomber. Might be restricted to IJN. Might be allowed from Emily.
The device start date in the scenario I have is 12/42 so only after that do you have any in the pool. I first tried using them in January 43.

However, as I haven't managed to work out how to use them, nothing I say should be believed[:D]

[FeurerKrieg]

Good to know. I was wondering when I might be able to try to get it to work also. I imagine there is something in the editor on the mine devices that indicates whether it can be air dropped or not. I'll check it out tonight.

[Lowpe]

The manual says aerial mining in Jan 1, 1943 fwiw.

[Spidery]

April 21st 1943

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

[>:]

Subs

I haven't seen any Allied subs attacking my convoys for a while. He has a couple operating North of Ambon. He has some in the area between the Bonins and Mariannas. He has some South of Babeldoab. He has lots near Rabaul but mostly S boats. As a consequence, I have grounded some of the ASW planes (just leaving some float planes on naval search to detect if the situation changes) and sent most of the ASW craft back to base. This is helping a lot in saving fuel - last turn I saved 14,000 fuel[:)]

Engineering

Ponape fort to 5.

[Spidery]

April 22nd 1943

Air Losses: 10 Japanese, 1 Allied, 3 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

SS Perch sinks TK Omurasan Maru, a nice 28 VP 11,600 capacity, West of Truk. The task force had just delivered 65,000 tons of fuel to Truk and was heading back. First attack scores 1 hit but then later she attacks again scoring two more hits and sinking the tanker.

Marshalls

Quiet

Solomons, etc.

Allies sweep Gasmata and Kavieng. At Kavieng I had forgotten about some Oscars and they are shot down.

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet

Australia & DEI

Quiet

Engineering

Paramushiro-jima forts to 4.

Allies have built Nauru Island airfield to 5. This puts Ponape in range of 4E bombers.

R&D

Quiet

Reinforcements

Quiet

[Spidery]

April 23rd 1943

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

Subs

SS RO-102 passes close to Roi-Namur and finds some Allied subs. She takes a shot at SS Hoe, scores hit - but it is a dud!

Everywhere

Quiet

I'm moving out forces as they arrive. Gradually buying out units and freeing up divisions in Burma to redeploy. Air-lifting troops from the isolated bases back to strengthen points and otherwise building defenses. I'm just waiting for MrKane to make a move.

Should I be attacking somewhere? I can't think of anywhere that makes sense to do so.

It is so long since I saw MrKane making plans in the Solomons I wonder if the whole thing is a massive distraction and I am about to see an invasion force appear somewhere else, the North, or Sumatra, or Burma.

[Lowpe]

I don't think Burma is likely yet. Not with China gone...

More island hopping I think. Really, I don't think the Allies should be in a hurry yet...any idea when the first Essex shows up?

[FeurerKrieg]

Should be around March for the first one. I think August for the 2nd. But there are a slew of CVE's coming throughout that time frame and they can put up a lot of planes when gathered together.

[Spidery]

I suggested Burma because he has recently been running recce over coastal bases, but it would seem foolish.

The reasons I think he may want to push a bit:

1. He is doing nothing significant against my economy.
2. He knows that divisions are being transferred out from China so defenses are getting stronger.
3. He knows that I have accelerated planes quite a bit, have the D4Y4 already, and he may have looked and seen that the Ki-84a will be available soon.

However, he could well be waiting until he has replaced all the fighters on the carriers by Hellcats.

[Spidery]

April 24th 1943

Air Losses: 2 Japanese, 0 Allied, 1 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

The quiet continues.

Subs

The Allies have a sub at Ponape, I sent SC Ch 27 to deal with it. Unfortunately, the other happened and the sub chaser is sunk[:(].

Elsewhere

Quiet

Economy

I have taken to dropping liquids from Palembang and Brunei/Miri at Hong Kong. It seems to be flowing to Fusan okay now, have 45,000 fuel and 9,000 oil at Fusan now. Port Arthur has 26,000 oil and fuel, oh and 450,000 supply[:D]. At Urumchi only 1 oil well left to fix.

[Spidery]

April 25th 1943

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

The quiet continues.

Subs

I-26 tries to sink an AM off SE Oz and suffers a little, 6/4/0 so I will leave her on patrol.

Marshalls

Quiet

Solomons, etc.

Quiet

Burma area

Latest report of aircraft at Ledo is 17 Fighters, 119 bombers, 65 auxiliary. Looks like he thinks I can't do anything by bombing - he may be right. What does he plan to do with his bombers?

China

Quiet

Australia & DEI

Quiet

Engineering

Myitkyina forts to 4, as much to try and improve supply flow.

R&D

A6M5c to 5/43, will stop here and move the 4 factories to R&D other things (A7M2, Ki-94-II, Ki-83, J7W1). When the month arrives, A6M5 factories will upgrade and, for the moment, A6M5 production is stopped.

Reinforcements

Quiet

[Lowpe]

For you the A6M5c will be restricted to CVs right? For me it became my fighter mainstay...you may want to consider a few extra squadrons of them for bomber defense in low aviation support bases. SR1 comes in handy, and the plane can mangle bombers nicely.

Bombers at Ledo. Let us hope they are Bleheims.[:)] You know what the transports are doing already...supplying Chinese stragglers.

[Spidery]

You know what the transports are doing already...supplying Chinese stragglers.

No, he has stopped that. The Chinese stragglers are collapsing fast and show all the signs of being out of supply. He may be intermittently supplying Warazup but more likely is keeping them there just in case.

I assume the Chindits are unrestricted, so he could have sent them to help out in the Pacific.

Blenheims, Wellingtons, 2E bombers, does he get any? I haven't seen a 2E for so long....

A6M5c as an SR 1 fighter, interesting thought. When I get the Ki-84a and the Ki-43-IV it looks like the IJA will have the better fighters all round so take the main defense. The main thing the IJN can provide is max ceiling for the N1K1-J.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery
Blenheims, Wellingtons, 2E bombers, does he get any? I haven't seen a 2E for so long....

He should be up to the blenheim VD I think....

Those guys should be relegated to search and asw, they really just die in bombing attacks. Maybe used as night bombers and definitely as trainers.

[Spidery]

April 26th 1943

Air Losses: 1 Japanese, 0 Allied, -1 Pilots (someone escaped)
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

The quiet continues.

Subs

I-19 takes damaged (10/3/1) near Pearl Harbour and will head for the barn.

Marshalls

Quiet

Solomons, etc.

Quiet

Burma area

Quiet

China

After months of relentless bombardment, and frequent attacks, the 61st Chinese Corps surrenders on the Chengtu-Tsuyung road[:)]. 8th division, and 6 artillery units, start the long march to Burma. 8th Division's experience is now 90.

There are now 4 Chinese hold-outs:

Near Lanchow, 4000 troops under regular attack and almost completely disabled, collapsing quickly.
Near Kienko, maybe 14000 troops, I have reinforced and will start attacks.
Near Chengtu, 50000 troops, been bombarding this regularly but will be at least a month before I can attack.
Near the Burmese border, 5000 troops, these have some movement still available and are deep in the mountains making it hard to supply my forces but they are disabled, disrupted and generally in a mess.

Unless he air-lifted some troops out, or evacuated them very early, that is all of the remaining Chinese units.

Australia & DEI

Quiet

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Ki-84a to 7/43[:)]. Due about May 14th.

Reinforcements

Quiet