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

[Lowpe]

Thanks Pax. I do have two command hqs in the area, have for about a month or two now.

[Lowpe]

May 5th, 1943

No night bombing. Allies bomb ground troops in Prome.

No other significant actions.

[Lowpe]

I have set 200+ fighters to Toungoo and they should bleed over into Prome and provide some air coverage. I expect I will lose 50 or so, but hopefully the Allies will lose 25.

Madras is being port bombed by Emilies. No expectation here on how effective, or if they even fly.

I have the Nick KAIc model available, but I haven't started production yet as I have fair number of the KAIa and KAIb models. Soon.

The Helen transport arrives, and I haven't any production for it yet either. It is a good looking plane.

[Lowpe]

Betty

I will be getting her this month too. I believe this plane was one that Obvert recommended I r&d way back in the beginning given my starting factories...and I took him up on it.

The big question is can this plane actually shoot down Allied fighters? Well, maybe not a big question, but it has the best chance to I think.

I am too lazy to look and see what Frances bomb payload is, and for that matter I don't know what this version Betty's is either. I hope it carries lots of little bombs which I find quite useful on night strikes.

Ok, so it isn't a great plane but she will work.

[Lowpe]

Next month, probably about half way thru, I will get the Oscar IV.

What can I say, I like this fragile plane. On paper her only advantage against the Tojo is low level maneuverability and distance, but the guns...those dual cannons get my blood going! Accurate, and hard hitting -- 1 point better effectiveness and penetration than the Tojo's 12.7 mg.

This plane is always going to fly low, low, low except when escorting strike missions.

I actually think the Oscar IV will do quite well for a while....she will have to carry quite a burden until the Tony Ki100I comes along later this year

[Lowpe]

The Oscar IV has another advantage, but it is kind of random. She has an insanely high cruise speed, which I hope will will allow her to sweep forward in the escort role. Not sure how you can trigger that, but I have seen it happen and figure the greater the cruise speed the better chance of doing it (maybe leader aggression? or initiative?)...

I will search the forums for answer but don't hold your breath...

[Lowpe]

No luck finding any threads on the sweeping ahead phenomena.

My fighter production is: 278 Tojo IIc.

Factories turned off: Nick KAIc 60; Dinah KAI 30; 318 A6M5c.

I kind of regret having so much Tojo IIc...the plane is nice, but by the time I got her it isn't that great.

I am starting to think that for Army fighters Japan merely needs to r&d Oscar and Tony lines and then the end war uber planers: Ki84, Ki83, Ki94. No need for the Tojo line -- Japan can prosper with just Oscar, Tony and for some heavy lifting Nicks until Ki84 starts to show up. Throw in one factory of 30 Dinah KAI for night fighting protection.

Maybe I am all wet here in my thinking, but I don't think so...

[Lowpe]

May 6, 1943

Getting closer to the Monsoon....

Allies night bomb Pegu, only three waves. No planes there anymore...

Off the coast of China, the hunter becomes the hunted as the Gar turns the tables on a hunter killer group of the IJN.

[Lowpe]

I almost fell out of my chair when I saw this....surprise, surprise.

Good hits on the CA and CL, armor hit on the big boy.

[Lowpe]

Allies bomb heavily Pegu during the day, and sweep it very heavily. Nobody home....

In the Marshalls, Allied planes catch up and knock out 9 Betties on the ground, they were providing naval search. Allies had no detection on the base, but bombed heavily there anyhow...Oh well, the Betties stayed there too long anyhow but boy did they give me some good intel.

Lousy American subs...everywhere I turn they are poking around. I guess I have to break down and assign some more IJA bombers to ASW work....don't want to do it. I already have one squadron of Helens doing naval search in the Kuriles...just doesn't feel right.

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

No luck finding any threads on the sweeping ahead phenomena.

My fighter production is: 278 Tojo IIc.

Factories turned off: Nick KAIc 60; Dinah KAI 30; 318 A6M5c.

I kind of regret having so much Tojo IIc...the plane is nice, but by the time I got her it isn't that great.

I am starting to think that for Army fighters Japan merely needs to r&d Oscar and Tony lines and then the end war uber planers: Ki84, Ki83, Ki94. No need for the Tojo line -- Japan can prosper with just Oscar, Tony and for some heavy lifting Nicks until Ki84 starts to show up. Throw in one factory of 30 Dinah KAI for night fighting protection.

Maybe I am all wet here in my thinking, but I don't think so...

I am following your lead and researching the Oscar IV and Tony 100 for the CL cannon armament. Yes they will suffer at the hands of the modern Allied fighters but those that survive should have a much better chance of bringing down the dreaded 4E. Plus both have the added advantage of being SR1, compared to the Ki-84s SR3. Keep some Tojo production going as they are still potent against all but the best (P47, Spitfire, Corsair).

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Miller
Keep some Tojo production going as they are still potent against all but the best (P47, Spitfire, Corsair).

Probably only the very large factory...all the size 30 will go to r&d some end war fighter.

[Lowpe]

I spot 2 BB and several escorts east of Mili heading southwest...

3 CA spotted at Tarawa...

I have sortied the KB, plus a heavy SAG escort to shepherd in some supplies to Nauru. I will approach for the west side which seems weak or not patrolled by the Allies. With a little bit of luck I can catch a surface bombardment group there...

Fighters in Burma stay undetected at Toungoo, will stay another day and see if they can catch some planes bombing at Prome.

Myojo advances another month 8/44...

[Lowpe]

May 7, 1943

Night bombing of Moulmein. No lasting damage, flak gets a couple of planes.

Allies bomb in the Marshalls...

None of my surface fleet are spotted...

And that is the turn...

Burma: Allies have lots, and lots of units here. The color on the troops is interesting, and I feel good for now about the defense. Still worried about an attack to the south; but feel that Allies really need naval superiority to do it so I should have several more months to build defenses I think.

I have raised the supply markers at the bases in Burma in the hopes they will accumulate some for the upcoming monsoon.

[ny59giants]

IMO, the Allies have probably committed too many American troops to this theater (Burma). The Americans will soon have superior power at sea and thus able to take bases almost at will in the Pacific. However, he needs enough troops to keep them prepping for their next objective to move forward in a steady manner.

Can you list what major American troops he has here??

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

IMO, the Allies have probably committed too many American troops to this theater (Burma). The Americans will soon have superior power at sea and thus able to take bases almost at will in the Pacific. However, he needs enough troops to keep them prepping for their next objective to move forward in a steady manner.

Can you list what major American troops he has here??

I tend to agree with you...

I will get you a list later today...off the top of my head 2 infantry divisions, 1 marine regiment, lots of AA and ENG, TD unit, Airborne...some of those units on the road I have no clue, but they are probably regiment sized.

Don't forget I destroyed an American division or two in Java too, the remnants fled to Perth and I may or may not have sunk them at sea...I sank a big chunk at sea just don't know if they where Aussie or US.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

IMO, the Allies have probably committed too many American troops to this theater (Burma). The Americans will soon have superior power at sea and thus able to take bases almost at will in the Pacific. However, he needs enough troops to keep them prepping for their next objective to move forward in a steady manner.

Can you list what major American troops he has here??

I tend to agree with you...

I will get you a list later today...off the top of my head 2 infantry divisions, 1 marine regiment, lots of AA and ENG, TD unit, Airborne...some of those units on the road I have no clue, but they are probably regiment sized.

Don't forget I destroyed an American division or two in Java too, the remnants fled to Perth and I may or may not have sunk them at sea...I sank a big chunk at sea just don't know if they where Aussie or US.

If he realizes this error in force allocation at some point, look for a strong push towards the Indochina coast so that he can load up and head NE (there was some discussion of this in Jocke's AAR against Obvert, some time back).

[PaxMondo]

Agree with your assessment (too many US troops), which is a good thing for the IJ ... [;)]

[Lowpe]

41st Division -- chewed it up in the Jungle some and is not at Prome anymore. I think I knocked it down to 100 AV last I saw it.
37th ID -- Prome
23 Marine Rgt -- blocking the Magwe push
131st Combat Eng Rgt -- Prome
637 tank destroyer btln -- Prome; not much AV but an interesting unit nonetheless.


32nd ID chewed up on Java, bits evacuated to Perth and then to where?

I am missing several, especially some of the ones I chewed up on Java.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

41st Division -- chewed it up in the Jungle some and is not at Prome anymore. I think I knocked it down to 100 AV last I saw it.
37th ID -- Prome
23 Marine Rgt -- blocking the Magwe push
131st Combat Eng Rgt -- Prome
637 tank destroyer btln -- Prome; not much AV but an interesting unit nonetheless.


32nd ID chewed up on Java, bits evacuated to Perth and then to where?
632nd Tank Destroyer -- chewed up on Java
641 Towed AT - chewed up on Java

58 Inf Rgt and 108th Inf Rgt destroyed in Kuriles.

I am missing several, especially some of the ones I chewed up on Java.

Added a few destroyed American units...

Finished my turn; capitol ships not spotted near Nauru and also in the Bay of Bengal. Would be nice to get a juicy bombardment in at Chittagong....but we are days away from that.

Move the Burma Fighters back to Bangkok, and near bye bases.

Shocked to see an Irving NF factory repair, only 1 point away from being fully repaired now...