At dawn we slept...in the cab on the way back from Olongapo

[Squamry]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

The greatest risks to the BB's are aerial torpedoes from Kates or Bettys, both of which need a level 3 field plus an air unit....and from Vals with the ship-killers at short range.

Bihoro is level 4 and has aviation support at the start of the scenario but has no Air HQ unless one has already been shipped in. Bihoro is unmined at the start and has no aircraft at the start...but...of course..we have been at war for 3 weeks.

Sapporo is unmined at the start adn has no CD guns.

Tragically, we know where the great bulk of the Jap carriers are. I know I said that once ..but this time I am probably right.

But there are some nells/bettys on main island and these may be torp armed from Tokyo or nearby.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

The greatest risks to the BB's are aerial torpedoes from Kates or Bettys, both of which need a level 3 field plus an air unit....and from Vals with the ship-killers at short range.

You are either in range already or will be in range next turn of Honshu-based Betties. Vals don't carry 800kg bombs, Mandrake-san. All they'll have will be the 250kg version.

While a raid on the Eastern front of Hokkaido has its merits, I think "wrapping around" Hokkaido to the Northern or the Western side is an unnecessary risk. Once you get back there, it will be difficult for you to extricate them at a best speed of 18 knots.

I would venture that the Wakkanai strait (between Hokkaido and Sakhalin) is mined at Wakkanai at least-you may want to ensure that your BBs don't short cut through that hex.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Squamry

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

The greatest risks to the BB's are aerial torpedoes from Kates or Bettys, both of which need a level 3 field plus an air unit....and from Vals with the ship-killers at short range.

Bihoro is level 4 and has aviation support at the start of the scenario but has no Air HQ unless one has already been shipped in. Bihoro is unmined at the start and has no aircraft at the start...but...of course..we have been at war for 3 weeks.

Sapporo is unmined at the start adn has no CD guns.

Tragically, we know where the great bulk of the Jap carriers are. I know I said that once ..but this time I am probably right.

But there are some nells/bettys on main island and these may be torp armed from Tokyo or nearby.

Absolutely. Tomorrow will be dangerous. If they have taken a move to put Netties on Eastern Honshu WITH an air HQ it will be very dangerous.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: Squamry

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

The greatest risks to the BB's are aerial torpedoes from Kates or Bettys, both of which need a level 3 field plus an air unit....and from Vals with the ship-killers at short range.

Bihoro is level 4 and has aviation support at the start of the scenario but has no Air HQ unless one has already been shipped in. Bihoro is unmined at the start and has no aircraft at the start...but...of course..we have been at war for 3 weeks.

Sapporo is unmined at the start adn has no CD guns.

Tragically, we know where the great bulk of the Jap carriers are. I know I said that once ..but this time I am probably right.

But there are some nells/bettys on main island and these may be torp armed from Tokyo or nearby.

Absolutely. Tomorrow will be dangerous. If they have taken a move to put Netties on Eastern Honshu WITH an air HQ it will be very dangerous.

There are several restricted AirHQs on Honshu, complete with torpedo device. JJs have these scattered at some of the larger Airfields for training and replenishment purposes. It is very unlikely that your opponent would have bought all these out at this early date in the war. I'd plan on seeing Betty/Nell/B5/B4 naval attack training group torpedo sorties, if nothing else.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

The greatest risks to the BB's are aerial torpedoes from Kates or Bettys, both of which need a level 3 field plus an air unit....and from Vals with the ship-killers at short range.

You are either in range already or will be in range next turn of Honshu-based Betties. Vals don't carry 800kg bombs, Mandrake-san. All they'll have will be the 250kg version.

While a raid on the Eastern front of Hokkaido has its merits, I think "wrapping around" Hokkaido to the Northern or the Western side is an unnecessary risk. Once you get back there, it will be difficult for you to extricate them at a best speed of 18 knots.

I would venture that the Wakkanai strait (between Hokkaido and Sakhalin) is mined at Wakkanai at least-you may want to ensure that your BBs don't short cut through that hex.

Right. If JJ has their defenses up today we abort and attack the oil fields on Sakhalin instead.

[Chickenboy]

It's amazing to me that you're yet unspotted. A real hole in naval search coverage!

ETA: You got any land-lubbers that you're putting ashore, or is this strictly a bombardment / carrier air affair?

[Naskra]

Japs don't go to Pearl so you bring Pearl to them. Very .....sporting.

[Chickenboy]

Werr?

[Cap Mandrake]

ALSP just posted his finalized moves 9 minutes ago on dropbox. He was toying with the readers. [:)]

[Cap Mandrake]

By ra way, would a naval bombardment damage resources?

Imperial Japan has the turn...shouldn't be long.[:)]

[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

By ra way, would a naval bombardment damage resources?

Imperial Japan has the turn...shouldn't be long.[:)]

I believe a naval bombardment could damage resources just as it can damage industry.

Also, fires from a naval bombardment could cause secondary damage to resources for sure.

[Cap Mandrake]

***************December 30, 1941(e)**********

Bihoro: Pretty effective suppression bombardment by a small force.
However, we discover JJ has naval bombers at Bihoro.

Night Naval bombardment of Bihoro at 123,51

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 5 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 9 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 damaged

Allied Ships
CL Detroit
DD Litchfield
DD Farragut

Japanese ground losses:
73 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 14 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Airbase hits 7
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 22
Port hits 1
Port fuel hits 1
Port supply hits 4

[Cap Mandrake]

Somebody stopped to look at meteors...the Minesweeper group only makes it to the heel of the Sakhalin boot. We run over the Sakhalin resource shuttle.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Toyohara at 125,48, Range 15,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
PB Fuji Maru #3, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Fusemi Maru, Shell hits 11, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Hukuyo Maru, Shell hits 8, on fire
xAK Iwashiro Maru, Shell hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Jusan Maru, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Kyokusei Maru, Shell hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Nissen Maru, Shell hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Ryoyo Maru, Shell hits 3

Allied Ships
DMS Boggs
DMS Lamberton
DMS Dorsey
DMS Perry
DMS Chandler
DMS Elliot
DMS Southard

[Cap Mandrake]

80 miles astern, a BB group wastes ammo and announces itself.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Toyohara at 127,48, Range 18,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
PB Karimo Maru, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
PB Ichiyu Maru, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
xAK Hoshi Maru, Shell hits 11, and is sunk

Allied Ships
BB Nevada
BB Oklahoma
BB Arizona
DD Downes
DD Cassin

[Cap Mandrake]

The minesweeper group plows ahead.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Wakkanai at 123,48, Range 16,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
xAK Ryoyo Maru, Shell hits 39, and is sunk

Allied Ships
DMS Boggs
DMS Lamberton
DMS Dorsey
DMS Perry
DMS Chandler
DMS Elliot
DMS Southard, Shell hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

A flock of Seagulls. [:D]

Morning Air attack on Bihoro , at 123,51

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 37 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 1

Allied aircraft
SOC-1 Seagull x 5

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Runway hits 2

[Cap Mandrake]

Ut-oh. Somebody brought torps. And B5N2's. Lots of Zeroes too. Might be a carrier somewhere...although they don't seem to be the A-team.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Wakkanai at 122,47

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 3,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 15
B5N2 Kate x 26

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 2 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied Ships
CL Trenton
CL Honolulu
DD Selfridge

Aircraft Attacking:
25 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp

[Cap Mandrake]

Hmmm

Morning Air attack on TF, near Wakkanai at 122,47

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 13
D3A1 Val x 15

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 3 damaged

Allied Ships
DD Selfridge
CL Honolulu
DD Phelps, Bomb hits 1
CL Trenton

[Cap Mandrake]

Looks like Lamberton will be left behind as a rear guard.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Wakkanai at 122,47

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 4 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 1 minutes

Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 7

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
DMS Southard
DMS Lamberton, Bomb hits 1, on fire

[Cap Mandrake]

Data points:

1) Torp-equipped B5N2 attack from SW axis. Level 3 plus airfield SW of Wakkani..Hachinohe, 8 hexes distant, eastern Honshu or a carrier.

2) Vals attacking from SW axis had 250 kg bombload, which they couldn't do from 8 hexes, right? So either the Vals are coming from a closer level 2 base or there is a carrier South of Hokkaido.

3) If Hachinohe had torps and they knew we were coming then why didn't they have Bettys?...again, it seems like a carrier.