The Elephant Vanishes : obvert (J) vs Historiker_SqzMyLemon_Canoerebel (A)

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]July 24, 1943[/font]

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[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]BURMA: [/font] As predicted, the Allies go big along the Arakan and strike with a DA on the 24th of July. It doesn't go badly, but with these numbers and against the Thais you'd think even the Chinese could push through. Goes to show firepower and good forts will go a long way in places with good terrain.

The Thai units took all of the damage while the one good IJA division here (with almost 90 exp and 2 forts) takes a few squads disabled. It's precarious though, and I'm sending a tank division in here. The Chinese don't like tanks, especially in stock games. [;)]

Interesting that the IJA division has been here the same length of time as the Thai units but has only managed two forts. In fact i've never had an IJA division dig more than two forts. It seems there is a limit, as tho has been a good many months and no joy.

The Allies sent big raids over to hit troops as well, but luckily this was the same day we'd planned a big raid of Ramree and the troops here to see exactly what had moved in. Serendipity led to some Allied bombers hit and not much damage to the troops as well as lots of good info. [:)]

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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR July 24, 43
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Morning Air attack on 11th Air Defense AA Battalion, at 55,48 , near Ramree Island

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 22 NM, estimated altitude 34,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 11
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 8
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 16

Allied aircraft
P-38G Lightning x 16

Japanese aircraft losses
N1K1-J George: 1 destroyed
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-38G Lightning: 3 destroyed

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Ground combat at 55,48 (near Ramree Island)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 92275 troops, 779 guns, 544 vehicles, Assault Value = 3860

Defending force 28551 troops, 269 guns, 67 vehicles, Assault Value = 1219

Allied adjusted assault: 2567

Japanese adjusted defense: 3499

Allied assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
2927 casualties reported
Squads: 9 destroyed, 353 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 26 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Guns lost 81 (7 destroyed, 74 disabled)
Vehicles lost 10 (2 destroyed, 8 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
1856 casualties reported
Squads: 83 destroyed, 352 disabled
Non Combat: 49 destroyed, 42 disabled
Engineers: 16 destroyed, 85 disabled
Guns lost 78 (47 destroyed, 31 disabled)
Vehicles lost 103 (51 destroyed, 52 disabled)
Units destroyed 1


Assaulting units:
641st Towed Tank Destroyer Battalion
84th Indian Brigade
102nd Combat Engineer Regiment
6th Chinese Corps
26th Indian/A Division
26th Indian/B Division
5th Chinese Corps
147th(Sep) Infantry Regiment
7th New Chinese Corps
8th New Chinese Corps
3rd New Chinese Corps
Gardner's Horse Regiment
1st USMC Corps Tank Battalion
26th Indian/C Division
X' Force
44th Cavalry Engineer Regiment

Defending units:
2nd RTA Division
3rd RTA Division
18th Division
6th RTA Division
44th Ind.AA Gun Co
11th Air Defense AA Battalion
53rd Field AA Battalion

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[Lowpe]

I have an infantry brigade at 5 forts...

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I have an infantry brigade at 5 forts...

I have had brigades and smaller units build higher than 2 forts as well. Just not IJA divisions.

[Lowpe]

I didn't read carefully enough...you are quite correct. Maybe a full division dug in at 5 is too strong?

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I didn't read carefully enough...you are quite correct. Maybe a full division dug in at 5 is too strong?

Chinese Corps have had more than 2 forts, but I've not yet noticed if any Allied divisions have in the time I've played. Maybe I'll do a test in CONUS to find out! [:)]

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]UPDATE: SEPT 17, 1943[/font]

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This game is still going! In spite of the turn 2 loss of three IJN CVs, the game has been really fun and competitive. Torsten took a bit of time off recently but we're back to just more than a turn a day. I'll throw some updates together since I have a bit of time right now, and just give some context since this is another Scen 1 game and I might need some help since I'm not using tracker for this one!

The air war has been a bit bloody, and that should favor the Japanese. He's just getting the P-47 into the fray though, and that will change things of course. I'll update R n D soon.

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]MAP[/font]

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Here is the scene. The Allies went for Marcus recently, but had a bit of a disaster on the beaches. I've got two SNLFs there and some arty, and had level 5 forts at the time. I'll post some details later.

Currently they're pushing in the SW PAC area, having just grabbed Lae with an Aussie division. I've got a weak delaying defense near there and will try to hold with more strength near the white lines here.

The Central bit of Burma has been abandoned, and I'll hold at Toungoo, Taung Gyi, and Prome. He has Ramree but I've closed it for now, as well as crushed Mandalay once it was captured. Just trying to delay.

The Japanese hold all of China other than Paoshan. [:)]

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]Economy[/font]

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It's odd to now be almost caught up with this game on the other side playing the Allies! To look at both really makes me think about what is behind the veil on either side.

Here is a bit of economic information. I'll pot some other stuff soon, but I'm not using tracker so can't give a really thorough breakdown. I've tried to be much more conscious of supply, and I think I'm conserving pretty well so far. It helps that the Allies have focused only in two areas, and then very sporadically. Also I'm now getting a lot of industrial help in China, feeding the armies and building forts from internal supply. That is a huge bonus, and the extra HI will help as I haven't focused on saving that as much.

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]Ship Losses[/font]

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Here's the bad news. Not only did I lose the three CVs on turn 2, but also a few more around the Andamans. The VPs for the BBs bagged around the same area is nice, but the lack of them won't really hurt the Allies much.

[Lowpe]

Having a fall back game is really nice for when one inevitably slows down to rl concerns.[:)]

I am glad to see this one chugging along; as there are lessons here in suffering setbacks and still doing well. I am so envious that you got to Major Victory, I never saw that, despite sinking 3x the Allied shipping; but then I have lost twice the number of Japanese ships (and some big ones too.[:(]).

Great job here Obvert!

Your airwar isn't bloody, I am at Dec with 18K Japanese losses and the Allies close to 13K. And still the game will heat up since I think you lost almost 50K planes versus Joc! I have been looking and can't find another AAR where the plane losses are as heavy as they are in my game. I think I have my numbers right...going from memory here.[;)]

Have fun.

[witpqs]

Nice to see this still going on!

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Having a fall back game is really nice for when one inevitably slows down to rl concerns.[:)]

I am glad to see this one chugging along; as there are lessons here in suffering setbacks and still doing well. I am so envious that you got to Major Victory, I never saw that, despite sinking 3x the Allied shipping; but then I have lost twice the number of Japanese ships (and some big ones too.[:(]).

Great job here Obvert!

Your airwar isn't bloody, I am at Dec with 18K Japanese losses and the Allies close to 13K. And still the game will heat up since I think you lost almost 50K planes versus Joc! I have been looking and can't find another AAR where the plane losses are as heavy as they are in my game. I think I have my numbers right...going from memory here.[;)]

Have fun

It feels bloody! Maybe it's not so much. Torsten has a tendency to go all-in for whatever he does, so when things happen they realy happen. I have a feeling Burma will really light up soon. I fear there is another invasion to the heart of the Empire coming, and I'm trying to decide where to post the KB. I've had it at Babs, but might move to the Sorong area after making sure the threat at Marcus is finished. He will have parity already, but I've just gotten the D4Y3 and the A6M5b, and the pilots are about half golden throughout the KB, so we could still compete.

A bunch of brigades arrive in the next 2-3 months. I need them badly to fill holes. Too many base forces sitting around in key areas unsupported, especially in the tier two defenses. I know from before that these are critical.

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]Rn D and Airframe Production[/font]

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This should give an idea where I am with airframes at the moment. Fun to actually get involved in this side again. The Frank should come soon, which is much needed.

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[font="Times New Roman"]Pools[/font]

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Here are some fighter pools and also future production numbers from R n D. I'll most likely switch some factories from the Tojo and A6M lines to both research and make more Shindens, put some into the Ki-94 if the game seems to be still playable into the late stages. I'll also switch some over into the NF that I've not researched but will use.

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]NF pools[/font]

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For NF I'm not researching a lot as the groups arrive so late. I'll make the A6M5-S, P1Y2-S, Ki-44 KAId, and the C6N1-S in addition to the J1N1-S and Sa, Ki-46 KAI and the Ki-102c that I'm researching.

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]DB pools[/font]

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Looking forward to the Grace, but at least the IJN can make a full 8 hex strike now.

I continue to enjoy the Lily DB. The bombs are tiny and few, but it's still effective.

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]MB Pools[/font]

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Pretty standard here. I've turned off the Bettys and Nells, but haven't decided whether to keep or change the factories. I'm leaning toward just letting them remain to be used as needed.

Interested to try the Patsy with the numerous experienced bomber crews later in game.

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]Burma[/font]

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The IJA has retreated to the red line for the most part. I've got big forts built near Ramree so I'll stay forward until I get flanked or have to move back.

On the other side a massive tank army is heading for the tang Gyi area. His main air force is over here and it's getting stronger, but we're still winning most defensive engagements, just slightly.

About 80-90% of the Chinese army is recovering and trying to get supply around the Paoshan area. I like that!

[Lowpe]

You have to explain that map a little more! Please. How did he get Mandalay and Lashio while you have nothing anywhere around?

You better get some forces on the long dirt road to Chiang Mai...if he forces you to retreat out of the crossroads, all your troops will go to Tuang Gyi leaving the road open...of course you know this and will pull off a much better defence in this area than I did; but on the off chance you overlooked it.

[obvert]

So. He moved from both Ledo and Kalemyo to Myitkyina and Katha. The Katha team went cross country (as at that time I had major troops in the valley entrenched at Mandalay and supported by 500+ fighters) and moved on Lashio while the other moved down the yellow mountain road to break the blockade into China.

I stalled, then once the bulk of the troops moving from Katha were in the jungle I abandoned Mandalay, Magwe (the oil was already knocked out) and moved to the current line. It took a while to extricate those armies from the jungles and get them headed toward my lines.

I am now moving some troops up to Taung Gyi and once they're in range I'll move some through to the river crossing x3 hex on the yellow road in question. I don't want a thousand tanks on that road right now, no! [:-]

The Arakan has been steady for a bit, and even though he's got three times our numbers there, about half are Chinese, not good for attacking when the Thai divisions have built 5 forts! [8D]

I've also replaced the Thai leaders with good ones and the divisions each have 58-60 exp now and good morale. Since IJA divisions can't build forts this high apparently (the one that's been here the entire time with them, a crack division with about 85exp, only has two forts still), this made sense. If I get flanked I'll leave the Thais and move back the IJA.

So I'm now waiting to see what he's bringing near Taung Gyi, but it should be a lot of good stuff. I'll have about 1,500AV of solid divisions well supported by tanks and arty there in the x3 and they have 2 forts already. He's been working to close the Taung Gyi airfields but the Georges, Jacks and Tojo IIc there are doing a great job of thwarting the sweeps, even against the best P-47s. He's only been testing so far though and hasn't sent the whole air force. When he doses it'll get nailed, but I think at a cost.