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

[Lowpe]

Burma, May 10th, 1943

Feel pretty good here, troops are mostly in position, moving in more AA and some ENG, reserves are strong, no sight of Allied shipping to worry about, supply good prior to the Monsoon, the only worry is his hitting the air bases one after the other but Magwe is almost fully repaired.

I may sortie some cruisers up to bombard Rangoon.

[Lowpe]

Solomon Seas

Pretty quiet. I have a ring of nice air bases, Allied detection on bases is very low to non-existant, naval search a little better.

Will launch a bombing run on Brisbane in a couple of days with 48 Emilies. At the same time I might hit further north with Betties from Port Moresby -- still pondering that move.

Umboi is a nice CD festung, will get some mines and more ground troops there shortly, but it will preclude moving ships up along NG.

I am watching Rabual simply get pounded by the Allied air in Spidery's game; this area is just hard to defend....my thought was to use multiple air bases to extract some kind of toll on the Americans especially with Lilly DB. Plenty of air in the area, but I need more air support (I need that everywhere).

However, I think the Allies simply aren't interested in this area at all. They can bypass it to the north with no problems I guess.

[Lowpe]

Marianas

Digging. And more digging.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

However, I think the Allies simply aren't interested in this area at all. They can bypass it to the north with no problems I guess.

Which is why it is dangerous to fortify here ...

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

PM Garrison

I would leave them. It might be inhibiting the allies from rebuilding that unit. ... just keep a few AV worth of troops in Milne and you are fine ...

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

PM Garrison

I would leave them. It might be inhibiting the allies from rebuilding that unit. ... just keep a few AV worth of troops in Milne and you are fine ...

Thanks, i will then.[&o] I fly CAP over them every now and then but don't catch anything.

[Lowpe]

I did my turn and think I made a mistake, I bombed the airfield and Kunming last turn, with escorts and sweeps (I got a few planes) and then I forgot to take them off...not a major mistake I hope.

The KB and surface groups are moving back to Kavieng to refuel; they were spotted last turn with dl better than 1. I may take the time now to send them back all the way to the HI for upgrades. I have the mini KB heading back for upgrades. Not sure.

Just moving troops and supplies....I did send a very small strike group of planes to Nauru 4 Kates and 3 Zeroes set to a 5 strike bombing run very low. I hope they may get a shot at some of the dinky 2 ships screening task forces the Americans like to use. Their loss would be nothing spectacular, they are just fractional squadrons trained for this use.

I think the lesson here, at least for me, is don't commit the KB on this perimeter....hence my thinking of sending it back for upgrades so I am not tempted to do something rash. Soon the Allies will be attacking all over the place, and I can have the KB act with much better knowledge of enemy dispositions. That is purely wishful thinking on my part.[:)]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

However, I think the Allies simply aren't interested in this area at all. They can bypass it to the north with no problems I guess.

Which is why it is dangerous to fortify here ...

Once again your advice is very timely, I have a division down there I think I will pull out now, while I can. [&o]

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
... the fact the KB is a one shot weapon now...the losses are appalling. I think the lesson here, at least for me, is don't commit the KB....

I don't know about not commit, I think you have to at some point, but I definitely pick my spot(s) carefully. AFter mid-43 I know that the best outcome is that my air groups will be demolished and need to be almost completely rebuilt. On the downside, I may lose a lot of CV's as Spidery. Either way, it is pricey.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

I don't know about not commit, I think you have to at some point,

I didn't explain myself well enough, but in essence not commit on this perimeter. Which agrees with you point about picking spots.

The KB needs to live long enough to save the Japanese industry for as long as possible...or that is my operating philosophy for this game. My perimeter is much better than I ever would have thought back in Aug 42...no reason to get victory disease.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

I don't know about not commit, I think you have to at some point,

I didn't explain myself well enough, but in essence not commit on this perimeter. Which agrees with you point about picking spots.

The KB needs to live long enough to save the Japanese industry for as long as possible...or that is my operating philosophy for this game. My perimeter is much better than I ever would have thought back in Aug 42...no reason to get victory disease.

Agreed. I only commit the KB when the future of the empire is in peril OR when I have been able to create a circumstance where the odds are in my favor (ie a trap set and the allies have walked in [;)])

[Lowpe]

May 11th, 1943

Allied Night bombing of Raheng in Indochina. No damage.

Several IJN submarine attacks near Nauru, but the submarines cannot penetrate the screens...a pity as there are some choice targets here.

The Allies heavily bomb Prome, the ground troops there, and the AA puts up a great fight having rested for several days. It would have been a good day to CAP over Prome since his fighter coverage was light.

Leaving my air raid on Kunming costs me 7 Oscars, but no Betties, as the sweeping Nicks arrive late to the party...violated my guerilla air force strategy here by oversight. My bad![:-] Sometimes I feel the better player is the one that keeps the best notes.

[Lowpe]

Here are the better targets the subs were trying to get to....

I had a squadron of 20 Jakes at Ocean set for night naval bombing but they don't fly. Probably would have missed and simply been shot down by heavy flak anyhow.

My 4 plane Kate strike force and their 3 Zero escorts are overmatched, just slightly, and they cower in their bunkers at Nauru. Pretty good choice not to fly.[8D]

All those 1, 2, and 3 ship screens are a pain.

I think I tried to trap the Americans, and in return, the Americans tried to trap me with both sides really 1 day late...although I was not nearly as aggressive as the Americans.

[Lowpe]

Burma

Looks like the Allies might have had a fair number of fighters flying long range CAP over those destroyers, weakening their escort on the Prome strike.

4 days till the monsoon...

[Lowpe]

I think my response the American carriers near Nauru is simply going to be subs, I can have about 10 vector in...it is hard to believe that my sake drinking naval search pilots spotted a convoy of 5 CVEs and no other ships, but CVEs are great submarine targets...

I am sending ships to start the withdrawl of the experienced 56th Division from Lunga leaving a Naval Guard unit in their place.

Not sure what to do in Burma...I think perhaps nothing. I am curious to see what plans he has in store for those 9 destroyers.

I guess the quiet period of my game is over, it lasted what a month? Less.

[Lowpe]

Hard to attack submarines...

Despite day and night aerial searches; 4 surface groups, I cannot get rid of these submarines. I worry that they will lay a minefield there and have a precious minesweeper close by of which I have very few left.

There is always tomorrow.[:)]

Speaking of minefields, I left a sub minefield at Madras two days ago, but no joy.

[topeverest]

While I don't really know your opponent, his actions in the pacific and Burma indicate a fairly sophisticated approach to allied progression. I continue to watch your Burma deployments with great interest, and not a small amount of worry.

Can you post a current world map again?

[ny59giants]

Nauru Island - Allows Allied PB4Y-1P Recon (ranges 25 & 31) to spy on Truk!! [8D]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Nauru Island - Allows Allied PB4Y-1P Recon (ranges 25 & 31) to spy on Truk!! [8D]

You are behind the curve for once.[:D]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: topeverest

While I don't really know your opponent, his actions in the pacific and Burma indicate a fairly sophisticated approach to allied progression. I continue to watch your Burma deployments with great interest, and not a small amount of worry.

Can you post a current world map again?

I am truly blessed with a gracious and vigorous opponent.

I worry about Burma too, but will I continue to hold to my 4 operating principles here. In a way, if all those American carriers would have shown up in the Bay of Bengal all the troops would be embarking on railroad cars.