Castles in the Sand - Spidery(J) vs MrKane(A) no MrKane please

[Spidery]

September 7th

Allies sweep Magwe: 13 N1K1-J lost for 13 F4U-1, 10 P-40K. However, there is a shortage of supply available to replace losses.

A group of DD doing a pick up from Rabaul decide to stop 1 hex from it. Luckily they escape with just 2 lightly damaged but will he try and finish them tomorrow?

Soerabaja falls at the first Allied attack. Not much supply left there but over 20,000 fuel lost[:(]. An Allied regiment had moved into Banjoewangi by itself and is driven back with heavy losses[:)].

Allied CVs are spotted in force off the North West Cape heading for Perth. Is this for much needed repair, or to support the next invasion?

B7A2 to 6/44.

[Spidery]

Burma Situation

Situation in Burma. The numbers are the rough number of brigade (or division third) equivalents at each hex. Other bases are held in about regimental force. So that is about 15 divisions still committed to the theatre. I reckon I will need about 7 or so to hold the mountain road into China. So that is 8 Divisions that would be useful in China that are still in Burma. I doubt there will be any problem evacuating from Burma as I can fall back through the mountain road but that is 2-3 months walking before they can get anywhere useful.

The only reason to still hold Burma is the oil from Magwe - but that is a very good reason in the current circumstances. I think I have pulled about as much as I can without hopelessly weakening the defense so the next step will be a mass evacuation - what should be the trigger for that?

[Spidery]

September 8th

Nothing much happens

An SC is lost in a CAP trap near Billiton, in heavy rain the incoming strike is only seen when 2 nautical miles away and the Franks on LRCAP fail to engage.

Ki-84r to 7/44

[Spidery]

September 9th

I-40 takes two shots at AK Serpens near Pearl and puts one torpedo into her. However, the counter-attack does 50% float damage and it is a long way to go for repairs. Night-bombing at Balikpapan, some N1K1-J on CAP do well and the Allies lose: 13 B-24D1, 7 B-17F, 3 B-24D (8 of them to air, 7 to flak) and not that many N1K1-J are lost. I think the N1K1-J did well because the B-17s were flying at extended range.

However at Billiton, Thunderbolts massacre the N1K1-J.

[Amoral]

I find that when I ask myself "when should I cut and run from this failing theatre" the answer is always "a few weeks ago".

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Amoral

I find that when I ask myself "when should I cut and run from this failing theatre" the answer is always "a few weeks ago".

Agreed, that was what happened at Noumea. I was just about to leave when it became a moot point.

However, this is an awkward case because it is a successful theatre that some time will become a problem.

[Spidery]

September 10th

Night bombing at Lanchow, some Nicks meet the Liberators: 9 Nicks for 5 Liberators. Small fires started, no damage so far.

Something Allied sinks (probably AK Serpens damaged the day before).

RO-108 is rapidly sinking (30/83/3) as it limps home. It will divert to Oosthaven and see if can make it there and fix some of the worst of the flooding. Unfortunately, an Allied sub sits in the way.

Allies try a bombardment at Warazup to see if I have weakened the defense enough to be worth an attack. Will see what happens tomorrow. I have a third of a division moving in that I intend to use to free the 2nd Tank for redeployment. I assume the monsoon ends soon.

Ground combat at Warazup (63,41)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 17868 troops, 397 guns, 168 vehicles, Assault Value = 575

Defending force 24350 troops, 290 guns, 615 vehicles, Assault Value = 794

Japanese ground losses:
22 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
79 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
3rd Carabiniers Regiment
18th British Division
3rd Cavalry Regiment
20th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
24th Indian Engineer Battalion
222 Group Base Force
12th Indian Engineer Battalion
112th RN Base Force
2/2 AIF Pioneer Battalion
13th Indian Light AA Regiment
26th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
IV Indian Corps
1st Bombay Construction Battalion
119th RAF Base Force
28th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
24th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
23rd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
23rd AA Bde
77th Heavy AA Regiment
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment

Defending units:
14th Division
2nd Tank Division
4th RF Gun Battalion
3rd Army
12th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
11th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
13th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion

[FeurerKrieg]

Night bombing at Lanchow, some Nicks meet the Liberators: 9 Nicks for 5 Liberators. Small fires started, no damage so far.

Nick c or d? I think you had said bad dice on the D research so I'm guessing C?

[Lowpe]

Burma: I am not a huge fan of the main line of resistance style defense you are using. I dislike the troops that are not in road hexes, and really, really dislike those that are two hexes away from a road especially in that horrendous terrain. Still, you have to protect the Magwe plains somehow...

I know I would like to get something in those rear area bases like Chiang Mai as it is a great air base with rail connections to Bangkok.

[Spidery]

Nick c or d? I think you had said bad dice on the D research so I'm guessing C?

"A", I overbuilt them early thinking they would be more effective than they have proven. I'm sure they are a good stop gap against bombers early - but he never used bombers without major sweeps first.

They have proven nice in the ground attack role against Chinese or isolated armour but are now consigned to protecting rear area bases.

[Spidery]

September 11th

I-157 is lost to Allied ASW forces operating around Kavieng.

I-25 is damaged in the same area.

Allied carrier forces are spotted moving South from Perth, but slowly, are these covering damaged ships?

Samarinda and Lanchow are night-bombed, in neither case does the defense do well. 46 oil lost at Samarinda.

More bombardments at Warazup.

All the damaged ships from Mindanao gather together and set sail for the yards.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Burma: I am not a huge fan of the main line of resistance style defense you are using. I dislike the troops that are not in road hexes, and really, really dislike those that are two hexes away from a road especially in that horrendous terrain. Still, you have to protect the Magwe plains somehow...

I know I would like to get something in those rear area bases like Chiang Mai as it is a great air base with rail connections to Bangkok.

Wouldn't work without stacking limits. There is no way I can attack him in the Jungle so if I leave gaps he will infiltrate and force me back. If I build a defense in the plains he can bomb it to shreds or sweep my fighters to death. The most vulnerable spot is the river line between Katha and Kalemyo. He can shock attack out of Kalemyo and then try and get to the road quickly.

I think I will be able to pull back fast enough if I need to.

Chiang Mai was developed when I was attacking Burma so some of the forces being pulled back are slated to garrison it. May also be worth developing Uttaradit a bit.

[Lowpe]

I find Uttaradit and Pisanuloke very useful as large airbases.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I find Uttaradit and Pisanuloke very useful as large airbases.

Seconded. It may be worth developing some of the bases along the Bangkok-Singapore railway as well - being able to shift battered airgroups around to avoid the Allied 4E mega-strike closing your airbases down will be a big boost to your defence.

Good examples would be Kota Bharu and that base adjacent to Victoria Point - both can be big airbases, they've got a rail link and it's impossible for the Allies to mount Fletcher/Cleveland high-speed bombardment runs.

[Spidery]

September 12th

Night strikes at Djambi, Samarinda and Balikpapan: 19 N1K1-J and 6 Ki-44-IIa lost for 5 B-24D1 but the wells are completely protected taking no damage.

9 Allied DD raid the fast transports at Mataram; a PB is lost but a group of 2 DD trades hits equally and manages to escape. I-2 intercepts them on the way in and takes light damage (8/4/0).

A6M5d-S to 2/44. B6N2a to 5/44.

HI at Batavia ran out of resources. Pity that, I was hoping to use up the fuel in production.

Allied probe at Benkoelen but find I am still present in strength.

SS RO-42 arrives.

[Spidery]

Good examples would be Kota Bharu and that base adjacent to Victoria Point - both can be big airbases, they've got a rail link and it's impossible for the Allies to mount Fletcher/Cleveland high-speed bombardment runs.

Chumphon is a level 8 already, as you say it is an excellent base being on the East side. Also Taiping.

I'm a bit reluctant to spend more supply over here given that the most likely threat direction is from the East, a landing in Indo-China or even Southern China after he has either taken the South-West of Borneo or pushed along the East coast of Borneo and around the top.

[Spidery]

Southern PI defenses

Orange blobs are major bases (something that would be a major amphibious assault). Yellow blobs are just small defenses. The routes (1) to (4) show possible lines of advance from Soerabaja, there are also possible routes of advance from Darwin, the pacific, North Java, India etc.

Route (1) is my biggest concern as it cuts Palembang off and threatens Indo-China. The main defense is making Singapore a big base.

Route (2), (3) and (4) I can't do much about.

(2) quickly threatens Miri and Tarakan with 4E bombers and puts Balikpapan in range of sweeps. However, Bandjermasin can only be developed to a level 6 airbase so I am not sure he will be able to use it to target the oil, cover land-troops moving on Balikpapan, target ships heading for Balikpapan, and sweep Balikpapan.

(3) seems the easiest route. Madjene can be developed to a level 9 airbase and is just effective at closing Balikpapan and Tarakan and almost as good against Miri. - On this basis I think I need to see if I can reinforce Madjene.

(4) is a bit longer and I am not too worried about it.

Edit: Missed off Cagayan in Northern Mindanao as an orange blob.

[Spidery]

September 13th 1943

Quiet night.

DD Arashi commits suicide by messing up a fast transport pick-up from Batavia.

A PB is damaged near Dadjangas by a sub attack but should have no difficulty making port.

RO-37 is badly damaged off Exmouth (53/87/4).

Iwo-Jima and Chichi-Jima forts to 6, I guess they could do with being more. Oops, looks like that is as big as they are allowed to increase to[:(].

More Allied bombardments at Benkoelen.

[Spidery]

September 14th

7 Chinese Corps have been isolated in the mountains since March. 70 Heavy guns have bombarded them every day and they have been subject to attacks 2 out of 3 days for a couple of months. At last, 2 Corps surrender[:)]. Indications that there are nothing left except support squads. He may have been flying some supply in but with over-stacking and all that should only cover one or two Corps and I have put some fighters over them on occasions.

At Madioen, the 48th Division has been driven out of the base but the Allies are intent upon destroying it. Bombing and regular attacks are weakening the defense but they are still managing to destroy a few Allied devices each time. This is one division I didn't withdraw a cadre for so when it is destroyed I will buy it back and send it to Hokkaido to rebuild. It makes more sense for him to isolate it and then leave a token force to keep it busy. I may order a shock attack to hasten the demise while they still have some active squads.

[Spidery]

September 15th

Night strike at Balikpapan is costly for the defense; 14 Ki-43-IIb, 13 Ki-84a, 1 N1K1-J for 3 B-24D1 but only 2 points of oil production lost.

Ro-106 encounters a mine-sweeper force just North of Banjoewangi heading for Soerabaja, damage is minor.

Oil pool to Fusan is beginning to work well and Urumchi is emptying again, still can't move fuel from there. Big oil stickage at the moment is Burma, there is a 200 per day oil shortfall in Burma but over 58000 oil lurking between Magwe and Rangoon. I think Rangoon must drag oil over from Malaya and that leaves the oil at Magwe nowhere to go to. I'm going to see what happens if I turn off the refinery at Rangoon (turns out it flows to Saigon).

Search out of Pearl seems to have been increased, subs at 11 hexes from Pearl are being 10/10 spotted.

Otherwise a quiet day.