Greyjoy(J) vs. Obvert(A) - The air war in China- DBB, SLs, PDU OFF

[GreyJoy]

May 27, 1943

an important day.

While Ledo is invested and falls to the allied tank Army, the defenders of Paoshan finally gave up. The base is ours. China is connected with Burma!

And while at Lae the unloading process of the allies continues, the japanese armies advance towards Chunking. After months of hard fightings, the hex is captured. Now only 1 hex before Chungking is finally encircled.

Banzai!

Ground combat at 75,47 (near Kweiyang)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 18987 troops, 375 guns, 1669 vehicles, Assault Value = 790

Defending force 32918 troops, 131 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 620

Japanese adjusted assault: 432

Allied adjusted defense: 181

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
27 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Vehicles lost 32 (4 destroyed, 28 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
6400 casualties reported
Squads: 179 destroyed, 54 disabled
Non Combat: 221 destroyed, 76 disabled
Engineers: 10 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 16 (10 destroyed, 6 disabled)
Units retreated 3

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
23rd Tank Regiment
3rd Tank Regiment
19th Tank Regiment
9th Tank Regiment
18th Tank Regiment
4th Tank Regiment
2nd Tank Division
1st Tank Division
7th Ind.Tank Brigade
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
12th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
12th Army
6th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
11th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
5th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
37th Chinese Corps
99th Chinese Corps
1st New Chinese Corps


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Ground combat at Paoshan (65,45)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 14801 troops, 225 guns, 844 vehicles, Assault Value = 679

Defending force 15947 troops, 71 guns, 95 vehicles, Assault Value = 181

Japanese adjusted assault: 294

Allied adjusted defense: 115

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Paoshan !!!

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1 Corsair: 1 destroyed
F6F-3 Hellcat: 2 destroyed

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

Japanese ground losses:
101 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

Allied ground losses:
16134 casualties reported
Squads: 418 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1211 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 45 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 103 (103 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 109 (109 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 16

Assaulting units:
3rd Tank Division
Guards Tank Division

Defending units:
39th Indian Division
16th Indian Bde /1
13th Chinese Base Force
72nd Chinese Corps
56th Chinese Corps
11th Group Army
62nd Chinese Corps
32nd Chinese Corps
1st Burma Auxiliary AA Regiment
10th Chinese Corps
34th Chinese Corps
3rd Chinese Cavalry Corps
33rd Base Group /1
80th Chinese Corps
Fourteenth USAAF
103rd RN Base Force /1


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Ground combat at Ledo (65,38)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 5047 troops, 21 guns, 632 vehicles, Assault Value = 437

Defending force 1019 troops, 1 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 16

Allied adjusted assault: 691

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 691 to 1 (fort level 3)

Allied forces CAPTURE Ledo !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), leaders(+), fatigue(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
1283 casualties reported
Squads: 22 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 78 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Allied ground losses:
30 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
3rd Carabiniers Regiment
255th Armoured Brigade
150th RAC Regiment
627th Tank Destroyer Battalion
Gardner's Horse Regiment

Defending units:
67th Naval Guard Unit

[Sangeli]

Nicely done! I knew that you'd get Paoshan before the Allies could get to Burma. Going to be nice to relieve the IJA in China and get them into action against the western Allies.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

Nicely done! I knew that you'd get Paoshan before the Allies could get to Burma. Going to be nice to relieve the IJA in China and get them into action against the western Allies.

Thanks mate...well, it was just in time... the same day Ledo falls Paoshan follows the same fate... sometimes destiny is really weird

Well, now the job isn't over in China, not at all. We still need to get on Wenchow and Sian and, above all, force Chungking into submission.
But at least that torn in my side which was the Paoshan-Kunming salient has been annihilated and we can now shift some forces back to more interesting strategical objectives.
Now I need to retreat from Burma in good order, under a rain of allied bombs...not easy!

[GreyJoy]

May 28, 1943

The allied tanks are now pushing from Ledo to Dimampur, while our 55th ID is bombed to dust at Johrat, trying to get back to Dimampur and join the rest of the army marching back to Kalemyo. I am confident, however, that we can do it: getting back to Burma in one piece and be able to fight again another day.

In the meanwhile, our 12th Army has reached the hex south of Chungking, just on the rivercrossing. Erik is sending is very best units from Chungking itself... it will be another slow slog but, again, I am confident (call me crazy).

[MrBlizzard]

Well done GJ!
Your strategy "China later" is working fine [:)]

[veji1]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

May 28, 1943

The allied tanks are now pushing from Ledo to Dimampur, while our 55th ID is bombed to dust at Johrat, trying to get back to Dimampur and join the rest of the army marching back to Kalemyo. I am confident, however, that we can do it: getting back to Burma in one piece and be able to fight again another day.

In the meanwhile, our 12th Army has reached the hex south of Chungking, just on the rivercrossing. Erik is sending is very best units from Chungking itself... it will be another slow slog but, again, I am confident (call me crazy).

Well at least that was the positive of your Indian adventure is that he didn't start touching Burma till mid43. That's that.

[Barb]

This is a quote from Wiki, but it will do:

Ki-61-I-Hei
800 German-made 20 mm Mauser MG 151/20 cannons and ammunition supplies were imported to Japan by submarine. The Hei was built in conjunction with the Otsu variant on the Kawasaki production lines but some "conversion kits" were directly sent to New Guinea. In this variant, the wing machine guns were replaced by Mauser cannons. Trial fittings found that these could be placed into the existing wing if the gun was laid on its side and a fairing was provided on the underside of the wing for clearance of the breech mechanism. 388 Ki-61s were so modified; the first of these was completed in September 1943 or January 1944. The last was completed in July 1944.

Ki-61-I-Tei
This machine featured two 12.7 mm (.50 in) Ho-103s in the modified (stronger) wings, provisions of external storage using fixed underwing pylons, and a non-retractable tail wheel. The forward fuselage was elongated by 190 mm (7.5 in) just after the exhaust line and forward of the windscreen to make room for the installation of Japanese 20 mm Ho-5 cannon in the fuselage decking. The continued supply of MG 151's via submarine was not able to be guaranteed and the Ho-5 was ready. Several internal changes were also made. These included the simplification of several systems for increased dependability and ease of maintenance. The rear section of the fuselage was also made to be easily removable to further facilitate the ease of repair work.

I suppose the Japs were intrested in getting cannons on their army fighters asap, so they looked for Germany to provide some until their own Ho-5 was ready...

[GreyJoy]

Thanks Veji and Blizz! And thanks Barb...very informative!


May 30, 1943

The allies decide to strike Buin.
4 Different STRONG Bombardment TFs (Cruisers, Battleships and tons of DDs), supported by several PT TFs (hate them), attack. I had my best BB TF moving back from Buin to Torokina this turn...missed them by MINUTES!
We encounter the usual PT TF that makes us expend some valuable ammos... really hate these pesky bastards.
Buin is in ruin now. Pretty sure he'll come here in the next days.

Another BIG naval operation is taking shape at Milne Bay. I can see dozens of cruisers and DDs there, along with landing ships... Lae I guess.

Enemy SAGs are also moving from Mili to Roi Namur... a bombardment TF? Probably.

Hard to fight in these conditions. But I need to look at the big pictures now. These are all delaying theatres. I need to hold them there as long as possible, losing as few as possible ships and assets. The real battle will come when he'll reach the inner perimeter

[crsutton]

Nice work in India GJ. Very well timed exit.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy
Hard to fight in these conditions. But I need to look at the big pictures now. These are all delaying theatres. I need to hold them there as long as possible, losing as few as possible ships and assets.

What if the Allies don't view it as delaying areas?[X(]

It seems to me one of the worries of any tactic other than one that trashes American forces as ultimately futile. And even that strategy is ultimately futile if you misjudge the economy.

You have done a good job in securing China, and Burma oil but overall Allied forces aren't seriously degraded, are they? Plane losses aren't staggering, on the naval front losses are very light. You did just destroy one Indian Division.[:)]

In fact the early bases in the CentPac are falling now, well ahead of schedule.

You need to put some fear in the Allied naval operations, but their Navy is getting big, scary big. But you still have a very big hammer to knock it down some.

So very interesting watching this game develop![&o]

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy
Hard to fight in these conditions. But I need to look at the big pictures now. These are all delaying theatres. I need to hold them there as long as possible, losing as few as possible ships and assets.

What if the Allies don't view it as delaying areas?[X(]

It seems to me one of the worries of any tactic other than one that trashes American forces as ultimately futile. And even that strategy is ultimately futile if you misjudge the economy.

You have done a good job in securing China, and Burma oil but overall Allied forces aren't seriously degraded, are they? Plane losses aren't staggering, on the naval front losses are very light. You did just destroy one Indian Division.[:)]

In fact the early bases in the CentPac are falling now, well ahead of schedule.

You need to put some fear in the Allied naval operations, but their Navy is getting big, scary big. But you still have a very big hammer to knock it down some.

So very interesting watching this game develop![&o]

I understand your concerns.

The fact is that I've already seen in my game vs QBall what happens when you lose too much fighting too forward...

SOPAC/SWPAC is the best place for the allies to fight: no need to use their precious CVs, plently of LBA bases etc.
To me, a war fought down there is a war already lost for Japan.
As you may remember, my strategy wasn't to fight there..., forcing the allies to take the CENTPAC vector... so far it is working.

Maybe i could send the KB in the pacific for some time as soon as Roi-Namur gets threatened... We'll see. I don't sweat in losing the Marshalls untill i hold strong Ponape.


May 31, 1943

The allies invade and conquers Jaluit in a single day...ouch...

The retreat under a rain of bombs continue from Dimampur...

50 Hellcats and 25 P-38s sweep Torokina, our last operating japanese outpost at Bouganville... we traded decently, losing only 2 planes for every allied fighter...not that bad.

30 4Es arrive over Roi-Namur, met by 27 A6M8s... we shot down 20 of them! [:D]

Heavy recon over Mandalay... but we're ready to meet them if they want to come, by day or by night.

8 Frank "a" are coming online every day... soon we'll have a decent air force ready to meet him.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

As you may remember, my strategy wasn't to fight there..., forcing the allies to take the CENTPAC vector... so far it is working.

Not advocating fighting down there or a change in your strategy which I find very good -- not that you need my approval.[:D]

I guess my main point is that the Americans aren't weakened significantly, when the disparity of forces was in your favor. A couple of Cruisers I seem to remember getting sunk in Palembang.

Just concerned that you didn't damage the Allies enough and now they are moving forward at an ever increasing pace and will threaten either the PI or Marianas too quickly.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

As you may remember, my strategy wasn't to fight there..., forcing the allies to take the CENTPAC vector... so far it is working.

Not advocating fighting down there or a change in your strategy which I find very good -- not that you need my approval.[:D]

I guess my main point is that the Americans aren't weakened significantly, when the disparity of forces was in your favor. A couple of Cruisers I seem to remember getting sunk in Palembang.

Just concerned that you didn't damage the Allies enough and now they are moving forward at an ever increasing pace and will threaten either the PI or Marianas too quickly.

I know, but i didn't that on pourpose. Erik was very good in avoiding my main attacks and i didn't see any good reason to chase him down till the end of the world just to put my precious ships at risk.

That's a problem, i know. I will have to find some solutions...that's for sure

[MrKane]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

As you may remember, my strategy wasn't to fight there..., forcing the allies to take the CENTPAC vector... so far it is working.

Not advocating fighting down there or a change in your strategy which I find very good -- not that you need my approval.[:D]

I guess my main point is that the Americans aren't weakened significantly, when the disparity of forces was in your favor. A couple of Cruisers I seem to remember getting sunk in Palembang.

Just concerned that you didn't damage the Allies enough and now they are moving forward at an ever increasing pace and will threaten either the PI or Marianas too quickly.

You will never damage Allied enough. They have to many ships and land units. Japan player can only challenge allied player in air. It is impossible to defend those small islands and atolls in south pacific without full commitment 2/3 of Japanese fleet and it is very risky. Additionally most of them can be easily pass and isolated.

[ny59giants]

Lae - not an important base in itself, but it is key to the inland base (at work and don't remember name) the is due north on the trail that has a potential AF9. 16 to 20 hexes in all directions would mean massive B-24s strikes shuting down any of your AFs.

As Alllies, I look for potential 8 or 9 AFs first and for a few ports that can be size 5 or larger as potential invasion sites. On New Guinea, there are not many that fill those parameters.

[HansBolter]

Nadzab IIRC.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Lae - not an important base in itself, but it is key to the inland base (at work and don't remember name) the is due north on the trail that has a potential AF9. 16 to 20 hexes in all directions would mean massive B-24s strikes shuting down any of your AFs.

As Alllies, I look for potential 8 or 9 AFs first and for a few ports that can be size 5 or larger as potential invasion sites. On New Guinea, there are not many that fill those parameters.

Yep, it is all about the level 9 AF and level 7 ports. Rabual, Nazdab, Manus, Hansa Bay. This won't stop the Allies forever but they are important bases. The three major shipyards are critical as well-Manila, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The Allied player pretty much has to have one of them sooner or later.

GJ has directed the Allied advances away from his oil centers. In the long run this is how an Allied player defeats Japan. You need to put pressure on them. However, Obvert has done a great job. As I have said before, if the Allied player reaches this point with his carriers intact then most other things do not matter.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Lae - not an important base in itself, but it is key to the inland base (at work and don't remember name) the is due north on the trail that has a potential AF9. 16 to 20 hexes in all directions would mean massive B-24s strikes shuting down any of your AFs.

As Alllies, I look for potential 8 or 9 AFs first and for a few ports that can be size 5 or larger as potential invasion sites. On New Guinea, there are not many that fill those parameters.

Yep, it is all about the level 9 AF and level 7 ports. Rabual, Nazdab, Manus, Hansa Bay. This won't stop the Allies forever but they are important bases. The three major shipyards are critical as well-Manila, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The Allied player pretty much has to have one of them sooner or later.

GJ has directed the Allied advances away from his oil centers. In the long run this is how an Allied player defeats Japan. You need to put pressure on them. However, Obvert has done a great job. As I have said before, if the Allied player reaches this point with his carriers intact then most other things do not matter.

He already has Port Moresby and Buna as potential level 9 AF. Nazdab won't change much.
The fact is that the Solomons and NG are two places where Japan cannot really fight on equal terms. Too many bases to defend, too any potential good AFs to protect. Where you defend in force he can bypass.
As i said, i've chosen to defend only the chokepoints: Rabaul-Kavieng and Umboi Island-Finshhafen. He can have the rest, unfortunately.

One thing i've learned during the Indian campaign is that it's not the single level 9 AF that scares me, but the combination of several big bases close togheder, from where he can launch several coordinated strikes:that's where Japan will always lose.

[GreyJoy]

May 31, 1943

Another day of sweeps over Torokina. We've moved back to Rabaul the sentais that fought yesterday and moved in som fresh ones. The allies used the same 3 airgroups that fought yesterday and the fatigue must have made a differene: 14 to 10 in our favour[:D]

Morning Air attack on Torokina , at 109,130

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 24 NM, estimated altitude 26,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 10
A6M8 Zero x 13
N1K1-J George x 18
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 27
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 11

Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 18

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

Allied aircraft losses
F6F-3 Hellcat: 3 destroyed


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Morning Air attack on Torokina , at 109,130

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 12 NM, estimated altitude 28,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 10
A6M8 Zero x 10
N1K1-J George x 15
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 25
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 11

Allied aircraft
P-38G Lightning x 12

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-38G Lightning: 2 destroyed



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Morning Air attack on Torokina , at 109,130

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 29,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 29 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 9
A6M8 Zero x 8
N1K1-J George x 12
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 20
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 10

Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 23

Japanese aircraft losses
N1K1-J George: 1 destroyed
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar: 1 destroyed
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F6F-3 Hellcat: 2 destroyed


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

Near Horn Island i tried to clear the damned PTs that are stationing there, using 4 old DDs... one DD ate a fish and sunk, in exchange of just 1 PT...[:-]


In front of Chungking he erected another wall of men, moving in 1700 AVs[X(] in a 50,000 SL hex

[GreyJoy]

Eric starts to recon Exmouth. I expect his 4Es will arrive over here anytime soon...

i am building up the defences in the "inner perimeter". Troops are moving down to Truk, Sawatal, Yap, Guam, Tinian etc.
Once Rabaul will be isolated, the next step will be Sarmi-Biak complex. There i will stand and fight.


In India Joharat is finally abbandoned and the 15th Army is now marching out of Dimampur towards Kohima and Imphal.