The Bitter End - Topeverest (A) vs Admiral Kamikaze (E)

[topeverest]

Oz getting much closer to complete

[topeverest]

As planned, getting ready to launch campaign to cut across Solomons and open up access to Marainas. first up Milne bay / PM.

[topeverest]

What a non-combat. Don't really know why as I had a good commander. But empire TF manages to escape combat

Night Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 97,131, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Akishimo
DD Benigumo, Shell hits 1
DD Fuyugumo
DD Pigwa #2
DD Chugao #2
DD Karuyuki #1
DD Araku #1
DD Yumi #1
DD Yamashita #1, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Asuka #1, Shell hits 1
DD Tenrai #1
DD Meimei #1
DD Kei #1

Allied Ships
CL Phoenix
CL Wilkes-Barre, Shell hits 1
DD Hailey
DD Hale
DD Halford
DD Hall
DD Halligan
DD Paul Hamilton
DD Haraden
DD Hazelwood
DD John Henley
DD Hopewell
DD Hudson
DD Hunt
DD Irwin
DD Isherwood
DD Izard
DD Jenkins
DD Johnston, Shell hits 3
DD Killen, Shell hits 1
DD Knapp
DD LaVallette
DD Richard P. Leary
DD Leutze

Improved night sighting under 92% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions and 92% moonlight: 8,000 yards
Range closes to 28,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 28,000 yards
CONTACT: Japanese radar detects Allied task force at 28,000 yards
Range closes to 26,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 26,000 yards
CONTACT: Japanese radar detects Allied task force at 26,000 yards
Range closes to 24,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 24,000 yards
CONTACT: Japanese radar detects Allied task force at 24,000 yards
Range closes to 22,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese radar detects Allied task force at 22,000 yards
Range closes to 20,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 20,000 yards
CONTACT: Japanese radar detects Allied task force at 20,000 yards
Range closes to 18,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese radar detects Allied task force at 18,000 yards
Range closes to 16,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 16,000 yards
Range closes to 14,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 14,000 yards
CONTACT: Japanese radar detects Allied task force at 14,000 yards
Range closes to 12,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 12,000 yards
CONTACT: Japanese radar detects Allied task force at 12,000 yards
Range closes to 11,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 11,000 yards
CL Phoenix engages DD Kei #1 at 11,000 yards
DD Kei #1 engages DD Leutze at 11,000 yards
DD Yamashita #1 engages DD Leutze at 11,000 yards
DD Yumi #1 engages DD Leutze at 11,000 yards
DD Kei #1 engages DD Killen at 11,000 yards
DD Yamashita #1 engages DD Johnston at 11,000 yards
DD Yumi #1 engages DD Jenkins at 11,000 yards
DD Izard engages DD Fuyugumo at 11,000 yards
DD Isherwood engages DD Benigumo at 11,000 yards
DD Haraden engages DD Yumi #1 at 11,000 yards
DD Fuyugumo engages DD Paul Hamilton at 11,000 yards
DD Yamashita #1 engages DD Hall at 11,000 yards
Range increases to 13,000 yards
DD Kei #1 engages CL Wilkes-Barre at 13,000 yards
DD Meimei #1 engages DD Leutze at 13,000 yards
DD Benigumo engages DD Leutze at 13,000 yards
DD Asuka #1 engages DD Killen at 13,000 yards
DD Paul Hamilton engages DD Yumi #1 at 13,000 yards
DD Benigumo engages DD Killen at 13,000 yards
DD Kei #1 engages DD Johnston at 13,000 yards
DD Chugao #2 engages DD Jenkins at 13,000 yards
DD Pigwa #2 engages DD Izard at 13,000 yards
DD Fuyugumo engages DD Hall at 13,000 yards
DD Haraden engages DD Benigumo at 13,000 yards
DD Asuka #1 engages DD Hunt at 13,000 yards
DD Kei #1 engages DD Hopewell at 13,000 yards
DD Kei #1 engages DD Hazelwood at 13,000 yards
DD Hall engages DD Fuyugumo at 13,000 yards
DD Kei #1 engages DD Jenkins at 13,000 yards
DD Meimei #1 engages DD Paul Hamilton at 13,000 yards
DD Pigwa #2 engages DD Leutze at 13,000 yards
DD Richard P. Leary engages DD Fuyugumo at 13,000 yards
DD Yamashita #1 engages DD Johnston at 13,000 yards
DD Yumi #1 engages DD Killen at 13,000 yards
DD Kei #1 engages DD Killen at 13,000 yards
DD Paul Hamilton engages DD Karuyuki #1 at 13,000 yards
DD Jenkins engages DD Asuka #1 at 13,000 yards
DD Pigwa #2 engages DD Johnston at 13,000 yards
DD Hale engages DD Fuyugumo at 13,000 yards
DD Benigumo engages DD Irwin at 13,000 yards
DD Hunt engages DD Karuyuki #1 at 13,000 yards
DD Fuyugumo engages DD Halligan at 13,000 yards
DD Hale engages DD Yamashita #1 at 13,000 yards
DD Fuyugumo engages DD Hailey at 13,000 yards
Range closes to 12,000 yards
DD Asuka #1 engages CL Wilkes-Barre at 12,000 yards
CL Phoenix engages DD Kei #1 at 12,000 yards
DD Leutze engages DD Benigumo at 12,000 yards
DD Karuyuki #1 engages DD Richard P. Leary at 12,000 yards
DD Yamashita #1 engages DD LaVallette at 12,000 yards
DD Izard engages DD Yumi #1 at 12,000 yards
DD Pigwa #2 engages DD Killen at 12,000 yards
DD Johnston engages DD Fuyugumo at 12,000 yards
DD Leutze engages DD Chugao #2 at 12,000 yards
DD Pigwa #2 engages DD Johnston at 12,000 yards
DD Isherwood engages DD Pigwa #2 at 12,000 yards
DD Benigumo engages DD Hall at 12,000 yards
DD Asuka #1 engages DD Hunt at 12,000 yards
DD Yamashita #1 engages DD Hazelwood at 12,000 yards
DD Yamashita #1 engages DD Paul Hamilton at 12,000 yards
DD Halligan engages DD Kei #1 at 12,000 yards
DD Yamashita #1 engages DD Hailey at 12,000 yards
Range closes to 11,000 yards
CL Wilkes-Barre engages DD Kei #1 at 11,000 yards
DD Meimei #1 engages DD Izard at 11,000 yards
DD Pigwa #2 engages DD Leutze at 11,000 yards
DD Asuka #1 engages DD Leutze at 11,000 yards
DD Yamashita #1 engages DD Johnston at 11,000 yards
DD Yamashita #1 engages DD Knapp at 11,000 yards
DD Fuyugumo engages DD Killen at 11,000 yards
Japanese Task Force Manages to Escape
Task forces break off...

[topeverest]

oh and I told the empire I am coming, so there isn't any surprise. We will see if he tries to counterpulse.

[BBfanboy]

I think your SCTF was too big to maneuver effectively. Most players keep their SCTFs at 6-8 ships, and sometimes go to 10 but not more. It is better to intercept with two or three size 8 TFs than one size 24. I bet a lot of your ships never got to fire a shot.

I think there is also a dice roll chance that the fleeing TF will manage to duck into a rain squall or lay smoke to make their escape, especially at night. I have often had my SCTF closing the range down to effective hitting range when suddenly I get the TFs break off message or the Japanese TF escapes one.

I see the Japanese had radar in this combat too, so they were not surprised.

[topeverest]

I never heard that TF size affect maneuverability in surface combat. Only that individual ship speed and maneuverability does. But what do I know. will try it with smaller TF

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

I think your SCTF was too big to maneuver effectively. Most players keep their SCTFs at 6-8 ships, and sometimes go to 10 but not more. It is better to intercept with two or three size 8 TFs than one size 24. I bet a lot of your ships never got to fire a shot.

I think there is also a dice roll chance that the fleeing TF will manage to duck into a rain squall or lay smoke to make their escape, especially at night. I have often had my SCTF closing the range down to effective hitting range when suddenly I get the TFs break off message or the Japanese TF escapes one.

I see the Japanese had radar in this combat too, so they were not surprised.

[topeverest]

First some admin. Monthly road and rail production...each side can have 2 hexes per month. nothing to minor road or rail and minor to major. following are the builds

allied minor rail 78-50 (1/2 hex) china
allied minor road 58-50 to 58-51 (1.5 hexes) burma

empire
80-90 west to cotabata in Philippines

I think this reflects the allied overland Thailand campaign getting underway. The need to build rail out to Changsha for future supply needs for a material china offensive. The empire also must be planning major defenses on the island of Mindanau.

[topeverest]

Port Blair - sortied locan British CV force to stop the reinforcement of Port blair. Hit the island with LBA attack that materially diminished the base capabilities, but the empire has two more bases there.
Diego Garcia - only garrison left. Fleet on way back to Cochin to load for Port Blair invasion.
Rangoon area - moved up 4e from mandalay for Thailand and port blair campaign.
Thailand - pushing forward towards Chiang Mai. Strategic objective to hold large forces in Thailand and invade in Malaya, cutting off force. more on that later
New Guinea - allied forces getting closer to step off from Townsville. Will be at least 7 more game days before an invasion can ship out. Sending air armada to PM today in ongoing effort to knock down the base.
Oz - mop up continues - in Perth area and have Darwin. moving forces there to build base for potential future push on western New Guinea and eastern DEI.

[topeverest]

This will be interesting, he has three sizable bases, and I bet there are quite a few naval attack planes. Still I have CV's to burn, even if I don't have them all in the port blair area.

This CV sortie is one I probably wouldn't do earlier in the game, when the empire was very strong navally. We will see how it turns out. Put cap 100% all fighters except one squadron.

[topeverest]

As discussed, moving into the jungles towards Chaing Mai is a way to occupy the main enemy force, as the naval invasions take the adamans. Thereafter the goal is to push to DEI or Malaya. Final decisions on that will be a couple of months.

For now, things are progressing pretty well. Main enemy force is moving back towards Moulmein, and he appears to be ceding Chaing Mai

[topeverest]

as you can see, there still is quite a bit of aggregating to do prior to step off against Milne bay and PM.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: topeverest

I never heard that TF size affect maneuverability in surface combat. Only that individual ship speed and maneuverability does. But what do I know. will try it with smaller TF

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

I think your SCTF was too big to maneuver effectively. Most players keep their SCTFs at 6-8 ships, and sometimes go to 10 but not more. It is better to intercept with two or three size 8 TFs than one size 24. I bet a lot of your ships never got to fire a shot.

I think there is also a dice roll chance that the fleeing TF will manage to duck into a rain squall or lay smoke to make their escape, especially at night. I have often had my SCTF closing the range down to effective hitting range when suddenly I get the TFs break off message or the Japanese TF escapes one.

I see the Japanese had radar in this combat too, so they were not surprised.

Yes, in calculating actual ship-to-ship engagements I think the AI uses the ship maneuverability. But moving a long line of ships is difficult at night and often many of them never reach firing position.
Even worse, the odds of collision go up dramatically after about 10 ships in the TF.

Recently Mr. Kane had a massive battle in which his SCTFs met virtually the whole IJN SC ships and massacred them. His TFs were not more than 8 ships each, and he matched them by speed and gun size - BB/DD, CA/DD, CL/DD. His opponent was using larger TFs.

[topeverest]

The theaters are continuing to heat up.

subs - bagged one of the 12K capacity TK's
Bangkok - large sweep activity
PM - large sweep and air attack with 4E and 29's
Port Blair - CV strike succeeds. A dozen AKL's bagged.

[topeverest]

Port Blair went pretty well

Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Blair at 46,58

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 29 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Allied aircraft
Avenger II x 55
Hellcat F.II x 19

Allied aircraft losses
Avenger II: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
PB Nanpo Maru
AK Hong Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
xAKL Kakyu Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAKL Tatibana Maru
xAKL Korei Maru

Aircraft Attacking:
32 x Avenger II bombing from 14000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb
12 x Avenger II launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Mk XII Torpedo
11 x Avenger II bombing from 14000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAKL Kakyu Maru

---------------------------------------

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Port Blair at 46,58

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 78 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 34 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 2
Ki-61-II KAI Tony x 1

Allied aircraft
Avenger II x 55
Hellcat F.II x 19

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Avenger II: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAKL Jokuja Maru, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
AKL Kokuei Maru, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAKL Kakyu Maru, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAKL Korei Maru, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
SC Ch 23
xAKL Tatibana Maru, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
AK Hong Maru, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
DD Uzuki, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
PB Kyo Maru #2, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

[topeverest]

Pretty good empire results here for this point in the war.

[topeverest]

My CV's are hanging around Port Blair, as I have not destroyed the entire supply task force. I did move as far away from his bases as possible, so he has one base in prime location, and another at extended range. I should expect a large air attack on the force. It will be interesting to see what happens

[topeverest]

Enemy has not been active

Port blair - no further action. His supply TF retreated. he did not attempt a naval air attack with LBA, which is very curious. My fleet from Diego is arriving in Cochin and will do as fast a turn as possible to invade Port Blair. Prob 2-3 game weeks.
Subs - only 1 enemy ship sunk, and no allied sub losses. Pickens are getting much thinner. Pretty sure there isn't too terribly much to go after anymore.
new Guinea attack - I will begin loading troops next turn. More later on that attack, but it will be a general invasion / main allied attack, with the goal of getting an open vein past Rabaul as fast as possible.
Oz - posted is an updated control view. He has completely abandoned the continent, except on Tasmania, where I am still fighting a division at Hobart. that combat has been going on for 2 game weeks, but the enemy fort is down to level 3. I except to take the base within another week, and mop up the remaining garrison a week there after.
Thailand - I had one of the most curious combat results I have ever had in a land combat. Posted hereafter

[topeverest]

Here is the world map highlighting main operations pending and active.

[topeverest]

The ground attack near toungoo. really unsure what could have caused this result. Allies had supply, enemy was retreating. enemy was bombed. allied commanders were good. morales were excellent and disruption was low.

Just scratching the ole noggin on this result.

------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at 57,52 (near Toungoo)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 277860 troops, 5309 guns, 3806 vehicles, Assault Value = 10270

Defending force 87618 troops, 836 guns, 175 vehicles, Assault Value = 3069

Allied adjusted assault: 154

Japanese adjusted defense: 5128

Allied assault odds: 1 to 33

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

Japanese ground losses:
504 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 45 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 6 (1 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
3419 casualties reported
Squads: 21 destroyed, 450 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 61 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 92 disabled
Guns lost 213 (13 destroyed, 200 disabled)
Vehicles lost 13 (1 destroyed, 12 disabled)

Assaulting units:
25th Indian Division
7th Indian Division
22nd (East African) Brigade
17th Motorised Division
11th (East African) Division
1st Australian Division
16th Chindit Brigade
26th Indian Division
20th Indian Division
9th Indian Division
12th Australian Brigade
70th British Division
23rd Indian Division
2nd NZ Division
46th Indian Brigade
39th Indian Division
8th Australian Division
81st (West African) Division
44th British Division
6th Australian Division
14th Chindit Brigade
23rd Chindit Brigade
99th Indian Brigade
6th Indian Division
8th Indian Division
475th USA Regiment
7th Australian Division
45th Indian Brigade
13th Australian Brigade
Waziristan Division
19th Motorised Division
27th Rhodesian Brigade
31st Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
44th Aviation Base Force
33rd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
24th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
30th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
29th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
6th Medium Regiment
III Indian Corps
2/13th Field Regiment
IV Indian Corps
6th Mixed A/T Mtr Regiment
21st Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
III Australian Corps
8th Medium Regiment
Malaya Army
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
26th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
2/11th Field Regiment
3rd (Special Force) Division
28th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
14th Army
XXXIII Indian Corps
18th SP Field Artillery Regiment
X' Force
XV Indian Corps
XXI Indian Corps

Defending units:
3rd Guards Division
301st Division
1st Guards Division
29th Ind.Mixed Brigade
6th Guards Division
80th Division
55th Division
3rd RTA/B Division
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: topeverest

Pretty good empire results here for this point in the war.

Not shabby is ship losses comparison, either![&o]