Where'd I put that sword again? Erkki(evil IJ) vs Iroquois(A) no Iroquois

[Erkki]

Yeah. However I admit I think I have gotten a lot of attacks on warships, though, and haven't still lost a submarine. In my previous PBEM I managed to sink CV Yorktown, BB Royal Sovereign and I believe 4 CLs and CAs by submarines only, so the trend is similar. I pay a lot of attention to the subs.

I hope my opponent will stay predictable and keep moving his TFs in sub-infested areas without adequate escorts, air search cover, dedicated ASW TFs(he has some at Pearl, SF, LA and Sydney at least). Maybe I can use his aggressiveness to manufacture a CV battle at some point.

Notice that this was another day, I think its the 4th time already, when KB would have been able to force a carrier battle and almost surely win it, easily, had it only sailed in the approximate direction of exposed friendly units(this time at Luganville), which would have made sense in many ways, and not towards Guadalcanal because I want to refuel it.



Red X marks the location of I-10's successful attack:

[Erkki]

March 15, 1942
Turn 100


Submarines: IJN submarines are back to their usual which is failing. Numerous attacks against enemy ASW TFs(!) of course fail, as does attack on CL Tromp near Sydney. 1 sub received minor damage in a depth charge attack by Dutch DDs.

CVL Charlotte: still afloat, made only 1 hex from where she was yesterday, towards Brisbane(NW). Sending the subs now that way.

China: IJA attack on Ankang road achieves only 1:2 odds but casualties slightly favor the Japanese(in destroyed squads). The lone KMT Corps in the North is nearly destroyed on the road to Lanchow. 2 IJA Cavalry units flank and today cut off what is probably 2 KMT Corps on the Mongolian border while a 3rd unit ties the Chinese that probably have no idea how little force they are actually facing.

Ground combat at 82,43 (near Ankang)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 28911 troops, 242 guns, 265 vehicles, Assault Value = 980

Defending force 23794 troops, 174 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 584

Japanese adjusted assault: 385

Allied adjusted defense: 625

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1560 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 143 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 23 disabled
Guns lost 20 (1 destroyed, 19 disabled)
Vehicles lost 32 (1 destroyed, 31 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
891 casualties reported
Squads: 15 destroyed, 27 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 27 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled
Guns lost 13 (10 destroyed, 3 disabled)

Assaulting units:
15th Ind.Mixed Brigade
36th Division
116th Division
15th Tank Regiment
12th Tank Regiment
58th Infantry Regiment

Defending units:
55th Chinese Corps
41st Chinese Corps
75th Chinese Corps
59th Chinese Corps
45th Chinese Corps
77th Chinese Corps
1st Artillery Regiment
7th Artillery Regiment

Ground combat at 85,33 (near Ningsia)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 3480 troops, 26 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 127

Defending force 657 troops, 22 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 7

Japanese adjusted assault: 59

Allied adjusted defense: 5

Japanese assault odds: 11 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), morale(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker: leaders(-)

Allied ground losses:
269 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 11 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 13 (5 destroyed, 8 disabled)

Assaulting units:
11th Indpt Infantry Regiment

Defending units:
81st Chinese Corps


Burma: IJAAF keeps bombing 1st Burma Div. while Imperial Guards is in pursuit. The chase will take a while.

Andaman Sea: Imperial forces organizing for an attack.

DEI: IJN battleships cross Java Sea without an interruption: the Dutch are contempt to only tracking the fleet with search aircraft. IJNAF hits Soerabaja and scores a 60 kg bomb hit on a submarine! A small mine ship is sunk.

PI: Iba on Luzon falls!

Ground combat at Iba (78,75)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 10845 troops, 74 guns, 279 vehicles, Assault Value = 440

Defending force 4825 troops, 82 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 124

Japanese adjusted assault: 186

Allied adjusted defense: 82

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Iba !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(-), preparation(-), fatigue(-)
morale(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
288 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 23 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
3137 casualties reported
Squads: 333 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 361 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 10 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 100 (100 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 3

Assaulting units:
1st Formosa Inf. Regiment
16th Recon Regiment
48th Recon Regiment
4th Tank Regiment
9th Infantry Regiment
2nd Tank Regiment

Defending units:
31st PA Infantry Division
Subic Bay Defenses
1st PI Base Force

This force is now freed to advance to Bataan peninsula.


South Pacific: 8 B-17s strike Port Moresby and score a runway hit. Enemy carriers in the New Hebrides disappear. Santa Maria(island near Espiritu Santo) occupied by the Japanese.

[Erkki]

March 16, 1942


China: IJA starts its flanking maneuver near Sian. A division is moving to block the Sian-Yenan road in rough terrain and cut off the commies. More force moving down the road the Chinese probably have no idea of.

Ground combat at 85,33 (near Ningsia)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 3480 troops, 26 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 127

Defending force 413 troops, 17 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1

Japanese adjusted assault: 120

Allied adjusted defense: 3

Japanese assault odds: 40 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), fatigue(-), morale(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
12 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
201 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 17 (17 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 1

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
11th Indpt Infantry Regiment

Defending units:
81st Chinese Corps

Not much left of that Corps...

Burma: IJAAF bombs the retreating British, and today Hurricanes fly CAP. Ki-43s shoot down 3 of them and lose 2 of their own(1 pilot) and the British fighters again waltz through the escorts and shoot down 7 single-engine bombers. I'm moving out all the good aircrew from those units and will start using replacements pilots instead... They're only supposed to slow down the withdrawing British units, so hitting isnt necessary. Not that 30kg bombs do much damage any way.

DEI: G3M bombers with Zero escorts hit Soerabaja's port and destroy lots of small ships and a submarine! Recon reports another sub in the port so one more bombing is ordered. If that sub was in anything but readiness repairs it'll take 3 days to get it going again.

Morning Air attack on Soerabaja , at 56,104

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 31 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 15
G3M2 Nell x 41

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M2 Nell: 2 damaged

Allied Ships
AMc Ardjoeno, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
SS KXV, Bomb hits 7, and is sunk
xAKL Benkalis, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
HDML P 22, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
AMc Lawoe, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
HDML P 21, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
AMc Enggano, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
HDML P 7, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
AMc Merbabo, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
HDML P 17, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
ARD Soerabaja KM, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
HDML P 19, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
AMc Kawi, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk

Port hits 8
Port fuel hits 1
Port supply hits 1

South Pacific: Kido Butai finds a small 4-ship ASW TF at Suva, Fiji, not enough to launch a strike. Amphibious rescue TF evacuates SNLF 2nd China Assault Division from Efate - next stop Horn Island.

Submarines: IJN subs near Sydney skirmish with ASW TFs. CVL Charlotte still afloat. Intel reports her sunk for the 3rd time already.

[Erkki]

March 17, 1942


China: Good news! A large enemy formation is leaving Hengyang towards Japanese-held Kukong. If I can abuse the IJ tactical awareness a bit I may be able to cut off this enemy force at some point in the coming weeks. Chinese fighters flew their first offensive sorties of the war when 5 Hawk 75Ms appeared over Kukong, that was today expanded enough to operate 2E bombers. I really hope that the Chinese will attempt to retake it.

Burma: Cruisers Mogami and Mikuma visit Akyab and sink the 4 ships found. 2 xAKs and 2 escorts.

Japanese Ships
CA Mogami
CA Mikuma
DD Matsukaze
DD Hakaze

Allied Ships
PC Yarra, Shell hits 5, and is sunk
KV Cyclamen, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Mundra, Shell hits 21, and is sunk
xAK Nils Moller, Shell hits 24, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

RAF Blenheim bombers reappeared today as a squadron or so of them bombed Imperial Guards. 2 were shot down by the lone A6M3 in CAP.

IJA recon regiment reached and occupied Bhamo today. China is now on its own.

DEI: Bad weather again grounded attacks on Darwin. Didnt stop the Allied Catalinas and medium bombers from flying naval air search from there. Attack at Tarakan fails again...

PI: -

South Pacific: Quiet. Amphibious TF carrying and SNLF Assault Division makes it to open sea. DD Suzukaze collides with an AMC and becomes badly damaged... Just what was needed.

Submarines: IJN sub force doesnt find anything to attack bu ASW TFs. So 3 of the war's largest submarine torpedoes hit CVL Charlotte, that has a light cruiser's durability, out in the open sea, and failed to sink her. Torpedo hit and 8 bombs failed to sink CL Honolulu. 3 torpedoes failed to sink BB Ramillies. 4 bomb hits failed to sink a DD. IJN lost a CA of its own to 2 penetrating bomb hits. I cant wait to fight larger ships...




Meanwhile in Europe: Vladimir Putin's Russia seems to be wanting to live in a reality all of their own. Pity.

[Erkki]

March 18, 1942


CVL Charlotte confirmed sunk today!!

North Pacific: Catalinas have been flying over Paramushiro-Jima for days now. I doubt that Kuriles will be invaded this early. But if yes, Japan is already prepared and has some naval and lots of air assets in reserves nearby.

China: Chinese army keeps advancing from Hengyang. Excellent news. Chinese air force sorties to attack IJA troops nearby.

Burma: RAF doesn't fly.

Bay of Bengal: Invasion force advances... And what is probably a picket AMC is sighted in an adjacent hex!! Luckily carrier planes did not sortie and the Japanese are still hopefully unknown to the enemy.

DEI: Soerabaja bombed for the last time. Subs have been moved out, but 2 last small ships are hit and sunk.

South Pacific: Kido Butai disappears from the enemy.

Submarines: IJN subs attack enemy an TF with CA Pensacola and 2 Dutch light cruisers several times near Brisbane, but fail to get through the escorts. Many enemy DDs are out of depth charges. On the northern coast of Australia, an enemy xAK is hit and sunk. Probably a suicide supply runner to Darwin or Broome.

[Erkki]

The rate of turns has went down considerably during the last 3 weeks and all but halted - has it been just 1 turn in 8 days? [&:] I really am not sure about what is going on. I'll be leaving to vacation trip tomorrow so the game and AAR will be on a halt until 24th or 25th.

[Erkki]

Unfortunately it seems that this game will not continue. [:(]

[witpqs]

[:(]