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

[Spidery]

December 1st 1943

Allied minesweepers at Truk clear about half the mines. 8 YMS and 3 Dutch AM are believed sunk by the CD guns and 1 YMS and 1 Dutch AM damaged by the guns are reported sunk by mini-subs. I created 4 mini-subs to see how they worked and managed 1 missed attack on a CA and 2 hits on damaged mine sweepers. Also created some MTB that were useless. Only 1 launched a torpedo and that missed. An Allied DD finds a mine the hard way but is believed still afloat.

RO-144 puts a torpedo into CA Salt Lake City, minor damage inflicted.

A DD puts two Type 2 DC solid hits on SS Truant near the Japanese main islands, it will be a long way back to base for that sub.

Lots of Yugumo class DD are into refit to get radar fitted.

Allied Paras land at Gasmata. The support troops hold out for a day but will probably be lost tomorrow.

Fuel is flowing really easy North from Palembang. I think the key here is that I am pulling from ports to drop them below their fuel demand so the demand is considered important and satisfied quickly. Oil isn't flowing so much but I can turn the refineries on any time enough accumulates at Palembang.

[MrBlizzard]

I believe that Truk could be and was bombarded by an allied fleet without entering in the lagoon.
60km means 32nm; if you want to bombard the center of the lagoon it's just 16nm; even a DD can easily do it.
Mines are often near the shore and intended to prevent landings, not naval bombardments.
CD are often old guns replaced from ships so they're at disvantage against ships. They too are more intended to prevent landings.

[Spidery]

December 2nd 1943

I-8 takes a shot at BB Nevada North-West from the French Frigate Shoal but misses[:@]. Does engage 3 task forces, 1 with 9 DD, 1 with 5 BB and 5 DD, and another with 2 CA and 5 DD. These are more serious forces and a bit North of where they would be expected if striking at Truk - is he heading direct for the Marianas? Or for Marcus?

25/12/1 damage so will head for the yard.

I-165 is damaged near Kavieng and will head for the yard.

Gasmata falls.

[Spidery]

December 3rd 1943

Last Chinese Corps isolated in the mountains is destroyed[:)]. The experienced 32nd Division will head for Korea and then be bought ought and add to the defense of Hokkaido.

Samarinda (5) and Brunei (3) airfields expand to make it a little easier to base night fighters to protect the remaining oil wells.

Allied forces spotted around Kavieng seem only to be ASW task forces, I wonder if there is any way I can get at them?

First unit upgrades to the Ki-84r in Malaya, wonder when it will see action.

Running low on fuel at Fusan, I guess the reduction in fuel production is beginning to show up at the end of the pipeline.

[Lowpe]

Amazing intelligence report...you have done so well with the air war losses.

Do you have anything planned: minor operations to throw against the Allies, or are you totally reactive now?

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Amazing intelligence report...you have done so well with the air war losses.

Do you have anything planned: minor operations to throw against the Allies, or are you totally reactive now?

Not sure I rate the air war losses that good. I would rather have more losses even if the ratio was not as good in my favour. Land losses are excellent, courtesy of China. Sea losses are not so good, mostly down to inexperience of mine and superior play of MrKane.

I will look for minor options to throw a spanner or two and I have some interesting ideas for when the Ki-74-I is available. However, I can't afford to waste fuel and supply. I would send some cruisers out for some fun but most are in the yard having radar fitted at the moment.

[Spidery]

December 4th 1943

Quiet

Large Allied BB force seen passing Wake. CA forces spotted South of Truk heading to bombard.

Ki-74-I to 5/45

The 4th Garrison unit disbands at Cam Ranh Bay.

[Spidery]

December 5th 1943

In the night, a sub fails in an attack on a troop convoy spotted just South of Wake. I then lose sight of it so don't know where it is heading.

The apparent Allied bombardment forces heading for Truk move forward to just normal mission speed range so it looks like he may be getting ready for day bombardments and an invasion. Still no sightings of carriers but I assume they are around here somewhere.

Lay some more mines at Truk, 75 Type 9 and some Type 43. Takes the number of mines back over 300 with 4 fields that are not yet detected. Allied bombardments are having no effect on the Naval fortress so it will be interesting to see how it performs against an invasion. Various torpedo bombers are positioned where they may be able to get long range strikes at forces. I am flying some of the 75mm mountain guns in and some more AT guns into Truk to try and strengthen the defenses.

RO-42 is damaged and RTB.

Allied forces enter the valley near Shwebo. May try some sweeps and ground bombing against them. Allies have expanded Akyab airfield to 5.

Allies land at Port Moresby, there are no defenders left there so it won't be a big battle.

[Spidery]

In the invasion force I spot 1 AGC, 11 APA, 8 AKA, 16 LST

Is that about a third of his invasion capacity at the moment? So he could have two more invasions on the way? It doesn't look like much troop lift capacity, so could he be coming with just the 1 Marine Division and loads of tanks and artillery?

If he is heading for Truk then that has a 25,000 stacking limit (my troops are about 27,000) and I think it unlikely he would go over a stacking limit of *2 so 50,000. 2 Divisions, some naval support, some tanks and guns, some combat engineers is that about typical?

[Lowpe]

Truk usually gets bypassed. It has to be one of the nastiest places for the Allies to invade.

[Spidery]

December 6th 1943

Liberators hit the oilfields at Djambi at night. Some Franks and Irvings engage with no good results. However, only 4 oil wells lost.

Allied CAs and CLs bombard Truk. 3 mini-subs are lost to no effect.

Something Allied sinks[:)], not sure if it was a ship damaged here or a sub previously damaged. This is odd, I am seeing 7 land VP picked up today and no land combat to explain this so, maybe, he had a loading accident or a collision and lost a loaded transport?

RO-35 is lost near Wake Island as spot another CL task force and another BB task force. Air search has lost sight of any task forces heading for Truk, are they heading elsewhere?

Sweep over the Allied troops near Shwebo, no Allied defense, and send 27 Helens in at 10,000 feet. Light flak and score some hits so this is promising for causing some trouble[;)]. Will move more Helens here.

B7A2 enters production at a rate of 90 per month[:)].

The last defenders on Java surrender.

Port Moresby falls.

The mountain guns didn't fly into Truk[:(], I guess the field was too damaged to land transports. Will try again with float transports.

Ki-46-III KAI Dinah to 3/44.

[Spidery]

December 7th 1943

Djambi hit at night again. 14 oil wells lost. Irvings manage to shoot down 4 Liberators in air-air (2 Irvings and 3 Franks lost).

A carrier task force is spotted near Wake Island. Nice to have confirmation that the central Pacific is the next target but still not clear if Truk is really the target or just a distraction. He is positioned on a direct line to Marcus Island so I think that could be the target.

Float planes can fly troops into a devastated airfield. Land planes seem to be able to lift troops out of a devastated airfield but not fly them in. Is this correct?

[Spidery]

December 8th 1943

Djambi hit at night again, just 2 oil wells lost. Irvings are putting up a good show (6 Franks, 2 Irvings for 4 Liberators). 4 Liberators a day sounds like a rate the Allies can't sustain for ever.

Have spot on more task forces than I can count (I hate the display limitation of the game) including 3 air-combat task forces, they have moved a little further South towards Eniwetok - he can't just be heading for Eniwetok?

Another group of bombardment task forces heading North from Kavieng towards Truk. RO-33 is damaged and returning to Babeldoab.

Repairs on Shokaku are complete and she will head to join the rest of the KB.

[Spidery]

December 9th 1943

No strikes in the DEI.

The massed Allied fleets are now 1 hex due West of Eniwetok. If he is heading for Truk seems to be making 5-6 hexes a day so will take 3 more days. I-178 puts a torpedo into a BB (North Carolina or West Virginia) and is now returning to base for repairs. Interestingly, he is not detecting my subs around his air task forces which suggests he isn't running much naval search.

Allied paras take an undefended Madang.

[Spidery]

December 10th 1943

With no reports of bombardment forces approaching Truk I try and sneak I-123 to lay some more mines. Bad guess and I-123 is lost[:(]. I think it laid the mines first.

I-153 is damaged, heads for Truk, disbands and is automatically put into pierside mode[:@] so with 2 days before it can sail is probably lost.

I-185 puts 2 torpedoes into CA Chester near Truk.

Allies find mines at Truk and a DD is damaged.

I-19 puts 2 torpedoes into CV Yorktown, both trigger fuel storage explosions[8D]. She is still afloat and visible as a detached escort task force. The subs in the area will concentrate against her. Also I may try seeing what I can send to Eniwetok or Ponape for a try. I have some Norms at Eniwetok and could fly some Jills over but only with bombs, or I could send the army dive bombers over.

A perfectly managed strike against Djambi sees Hellcats sweeping and clearing the way for the Liberators to come in afterwards and 47 oil wells are knocked out. 32 N1K1-J and 7 Ki-43-IV lost for only 23 F6F-3, not sure why they did so badly.

Allies also close Oosthaven airfield, could they be planning to invade?

[Spidery]

Updated R&D predictions:

Code: Select all

 A7M2     July 1944
 J7W1     December 1944
 N1K5-J   Late August 1944
 Ki-83    Mid July 1944
 Ki-94-II December 1944
 
 Ki-45 KAId    January 1944
 Ki-46-III KAI Late January 1944
 Ki-102c       December 1944
 P1Y2-S        May 1944
 
 Ki-74-I  Mid June 1944
 Ki-115b  October 1944
 M6A1     July 1944
 B6N2a    March 1944
 

[Capt. Harlock]

I-19 puts 2 torpedoes into CV Yorktown, both trigger fuel storage explosions.

I'd say that easily compensates for I-153!

[Lowpe]

Your plane research continues to impress!

What are your thoughts on the air war and on the frames you are flying? You mentioned earlier that you would have liked to inflict more air casualties on the Allies even if it meant trading a higher percentage of your planes.

Is George pretty much your best fighter now...what do you think of the Franks?

Usually my losses are the exact opposite of your recent sweep encounter, where Oscar and Tojo die in large numbers and George hardly touched at all. What were the altitudes you were flying at ....perhaps you had George down low to stop bombers?

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

I-19 puts 2 torpedoes into CV Yorktown, both trigger fuel storage explosions.

I'd say that easily compensates for I-153!

It was nice but I think she got away. Allied damage control is too good and I have not been at all good at hunting down and finishing off damaged carriers.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Your plane research continues to impress!

What are your thoughts on the air war and on the frames you are flying? You mentioned earlier that you would have liked to inflict more air casualties on the Allies even if it meant trading a higher percentage of your planes.

Is George pretty much your best fighter now...what do you think of the Franks?

Usually my losses are the exact opposite of your recent sweep encounter, where Oscar and Tojo die in large numbers and George hardly touched at all. What were the altitudes you were flying at ....perhaps you had George down low to stop bombers?

I think the Ki-84a was a waste of time. The Ki-84r has had only the one fight so far, against Spitfires, and was slaughtered. However, I'm hoping for better things later. I still like the Ki-43-IV. The N1K1-J is my best fighter but I have taken over 1000 in losses.

Do you mean this sweep?

32 N1K1-J and 7 Ki-43-IV lost for only 23 F6F-3,

There were not many Ki-43-IV there (about 20) flying LRCAP from Singapore over Djambi at 5000 feet. The N1K1-J had about 80 present flying 45 of them at 41,000 feet and the rest at 26,000 feet. The big losses occur when a sweep heavily outnumbers the defenders (such as when 125 Thunderbolts arrive in one go). So what seems to have happened is the early sweeps cleared the Ki-43-IV and the later sweeps chewed up smaller numbers of N1K1-J.