Too much Iron in my Diet - Mundy(A) vs KenchiSulla (J)

[Mundy]

This is DBB-C, so the loads should be reduced.
 
I haven't fed much supply per se into Australia, but I supplement the fuel there from time to time.  Pretty infrequently, though.  It only really gets tight, if the USN keeps a big presence there, which it will.
 
Lately, I've been overstocking Pearl to make sure I don't run dry like I let it do before.  I'm near the half-mil mark for fuel and supply right now.
 
Townsville's near max size.  Not sure how Cairns is, though it has expanded quite a bit.

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
Unless you are playing the reduced cargo load mod, you should be able to load up Australia with enough supply that some will flow past Cooktown. Building up the bases south of there will increase the supply flow too. You should not have to send ships to Portland Roads until after you get superiority. Fighters at Coen can help a lot with that. Trouble with all this stuff is you need to get it started six months or more before you need the base!

I've never tried to build up Coen before. I can see it being useful as having an inland base but since its only connection to a port is a dirt road I fear it wouldn't get sufficient supply.

That being said, I think that coastal convoys to Portland Roads and Cooktown are a must. At this point you can't really afford to wait for engineers to make their slow walk to those bases along the dirt road to say nothing of supply. You need those bases built up to high levels if you want to make a move on New Guinea. Luckily the Great Barrier reef makes convoys here pretty safe, especially to Cooktown. LBA can hit it for sure but by now you should be able to provide some LRCAP from Cairns to negate that risk. My suggestion is to build up the bases sequentially utilizing LRCAP to cover the buildup of the other base. If you don't have enough fighters, bring them in from Pearl Harbor and elsewhere. You can't afford to bring CVs or CVEs here for a while so surface fleets (protected by LRCAP) and range 8+ dive bombers and torpedo bombers (escorted by fighters) will need to suffice. That mean lots and lots of fighters of all types for the variety of roles you need them to fill.

[BBfanboy]

Don't know how it works in DBB(C) but in my stock game I am building Cooktown just fine in mid-1942 without sending convoys. No supply problems, but I have not overloaded the base with troops either. I have not built Coen or Portland Roads because I have Port Moresby. Cooktown is close enough to transfer aircraft.

Australia is flush with supply, self generated using fuel from USA and resources from Port Hedland and Tasmania to feed the HI.
I tend to let reinforcements fill out their TOE at a base that has lots of supply (Continental USA, Aden, Bombay) before sending them to Australia. Most of the troops are on islands in SOPAC, so they are not eating Australian beans.

Of course in my game Australia is not threatened by the Japanese and likely never will be. I didn't build forts very much in areas that were unlikely to be attacked, so that saved some supply too.

[Mundy]

I had a very bad experience in a prior game with Australia. I lost all my carriers by Jan 42, and my opponent had a committed anti-commerce campaign going against me. Australia was at starvation levels with zero fuel and supplies plummeting. I've tended to watch that ever since.

04 February 1943

Adak's done.

Ground combat at Adak Island (162,52)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 7321 troops, 132 guns, 79 vehicles, Assault Value = 172

Defending force 3691 troops, 34 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 30

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 1

Allied adjusted assault: 88

Japanese adjusted defense: 15

Allied assault odds: 5 to 1 (fort level 1)

Allied forces CAPTURE Adak Island !!!

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
H6K4 Mavis: 1 destroyed

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

Japanese ground losses:
288 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 23 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 22 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 15 (4 destroyed, 11 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
93 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled

Assaulting units:
87th Mountain Regiment
58th (Sep) Infantry Regiment
4th Marine Raider Battalion
50th Cmbt Engineer Regiment
183rd Field Artillery Battalion
188th Field Artillery Battalion

Defending units:
83rd Naval Guard Unit
7th Base Force
5th JNAF AF Unit

The first batch of base forces are loading from Dutch Harbor. Not everything fit on this shipment, and the other TF will finish them. I've got 19,000 supplies to start with. More of that and fuel are inbound from Seattle. Once things are settled and built up a bit. I'll move the sub base there. I'll probably send an AGP up there too, so that I can get a force of PT boats present.

The air base there is currently 2, with the port at 1. Lots and lots of builders are on the way there.

I took a look at Portland Roads. I must have missed it with my color blindness. I'll be flooding it with Seabees when they arrive.

[Sangeli]

Nicely done in Adak! That's the first successful amphibious invasion of the war for you so far, correct?

Unfortunately the Aleutians are sort of a dead end. Nice to take the archipelago but its a far jump to the Kuriles. Best use of Adak I think is a sub base like you say. It's the closest good base you'll have to Japan in a while. After that you should occupy Shemya Island in the western Aleutians. It's not the closest island to the Kuriles but its the closest one that can be built to a level 7 air base. The distance is such that only B-29s can reach the Kuriles with a full bombload (hence the need for a level 7 base). But a move to the Kuriles isn't going to be possible until at least around the time you start getting B-29s so it works out. But building up that base to a level 3 port and 7 air base will also take a long time (winter slows down base construction) so it will help to get started early. The value of that base is undeniable when the time comes; you have the ability to launch a massive attack without notice with B-29s with full bombloads against nearly every air base in the Kuriles. If Japan doesn't have constant CAP over his air bases you could knock out every fighter base within range of Paramushir (and the base itself) so that only the KB would be able to stop a landing there. And in your game in particular this could be your way of evening the odds; even if you are stuck everywhere else if you manage to get a decisive foothold in the Kuriles it could end up winning the war for you.

[Mundy]

Yep, first one -- in this game anyway.

What's nice is that they serve a quick turnaround for my subs.

I'm not sure what a B-24 can reach from there. Nothing of value, I'm sure.

My main question is whether to hit PM or Noumea before my Sumatra invasion. I have lots of time to think that over. I have a big fuel convoy from Abadan to Perth, with a giant dog-leg on the way. As soon I have room in San Fran, I'll be getting another out from there. I have about 250k of fuel at Suva, so they'll keep for now. about 350k at Pearl. Fuel in inbound to Adak from Seattle.

I have no bombers in the continental US, so my three squadrons at Umnak are all I have there. None of the fighters can make it to Kodiak. I'm guessing his Adak fighters are probably at Amchitka. The Mavises, except for the one I killed could be anywhere.

Once I get settled in, I'll start cleansing the rest of the chain. It'll give me some breathing space up there, at least.

I have a new ARD at Seattle. I'm not sure where to send it right now. Unlike most of them, this one actually has a 4,000 mile range. Usually they can barely cross a bay by themselves. It has an 18,000 ton capacity. Wherever I put it will take forever.

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: Mundy
I'm not sure what a B-24 can reach from there. Nothing of value, I'm sure.

Shemya is 18 hexes from most northern island in the Kuriles. A B-24D can reach it but only at half capacity so that's a paltry 5x500 lb load. And it wouldn't be able to hit the bases further south. A B-29 can put a 20x500 lb load anywhere in the Kuriles from there. So you could probably launch some B-24D raids to see what's up there but I don't think you could get anything more than harassment with them.

ORIGINAL: Mundy
My main question is whether to hit PM or Noumea before my Sumatra invasion. I have lots of time to think that over. I have a big fuel convoy from Abadan to Perth, with a giant dog-leg on the way. As soon I have room in San Fran, I'll be getting another out from there. I have about 250k of fuel at Suva, so they'll keep for now. about 350k at Pearl. Fuel in inbound to Adak from Seattle.

What do you mean by "hit"? Do you mean invasion or some sort of suppression/raid? If you mean invasion I think you're getting way ahead of yourself again.

ORIGINAL: Mundy
Once I get settled in, I'll start cleansing the rest of the chain. It'll give me some breathing space up there, at least.

He has bases behind Adak? I'm a little surprised to hear that since he didn't put up much a fight there. I wouldn't sweat the bases behind it; Japan won't be putting bombers there so he has almost nothing to stop an invasion.

ORIGINAL: Mundy
I have a new ARD at Seattle. I'm not sure where to send it right now. Unlike most of them, this one actually has a 4,000 mile range. Usually they can barely cross a bay by themselves. It has an 18,000 ton capacity. Wherever I put it will take forever.

I think Christmas Island is a great place to put an ARD. It's far enough from the Japanese as to make a raid unlikely. The air base can be built up a well so you can give it some pretty decent fighter coverage if need be. One of the biggest mistakes AFBs make in the CentPac (yourself included) is always falling NE towards Pearl Harbor in open ocean. Christmas Island has islands to the north and west of it making it near impossible for the Japanese to sneak up on you; better to fall back that way to rearm and refuel. In my current game right now I have the KB raiding near there but since I could see this well in advance all my ships got out in time and he's just wasting fuel cruising the Pacific.

[Mundy]

He's controlling Amchitka, Attu, Ulak and Atka. I'm guessing nobody's on Amchitka, since Agattu Island, right next to it, is still in US hands. The "Canoe Brigade" hasn't claimed it yet.

[BBfanboy]

Isn't Shemya Russian? I'm not sure the US can put troops on Russian soil until they activate.

As for any action before hitting Sumatra, you want to draw KB as far away from Sumatra as possible, so a Noumea action gets my vote.

Good points on using Christmas Island, Sangeli. Setting up good search coverage is one of the keys to this game!

Definitely want the ARD somewhere far enough away from the front lines to be relatively safe, but far enough away from PH to be useful for fast turnarounds of ships with small amounts of major damage or emergency repair of some of the damage on ships that are at high risk of progressive flood.

[Mundy]

Yes it is Russian. I did check that one out.

I'm thinking along those lines too regarding a diversion. Maybe hit Baker Island again a few days before to draw him really far away. [:D]

I do have overlapping coverage around Christmas Is with the VP squadrons. I need to check, as I think I have some withdrawals coming up in the area.

I do have another ARD in Suva right now, which has done its job for me nicely there. The last one is in Perth -- a Dutch refugee. I think I lost another trying to get to Darwin earlier. If I go to Xmas with it, I'll have to stock the island up to make it a proper naval base. There's no fuel there, though I sent some tankers there a week ago.

[jwolf]

ORIGINAL: Mundy
None of the fighters can make it to Kodiak.

Do you mean from the US mainland to Kodiak? If so, I was able to do this via Vancouver to Prince Rupert to Skagway to Kodiak with Mohawks. I assume the better fighters could do this as well. Skagway might not start with aviation support but I think I moved the Canadian base force from Whitehorse (?? the one just north of there) to Skagway. If you mean something else, sorry for misunderstanding you. In any case, congratulations on liberating Adak and good luck with what follows!

[Mundy]

Thanks jwolf.

These are the permanent West Coast Command fighters, so I can't hopscotch across Canada. I don't think it matters, as I probably have more than enough for the job.

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
Isn't Shemya Russian? I'm not sure the US can put troops on Russian soil until they activate.

ORIGINAL: Mundy
Yes it is Russian. I did check that one out.

100% American. Just checked Wikipedia and Google maps; it has the largest airfield in the western Aleutians IRL as well. Not sure how you guys have concluded that its Russian.

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
Good points on using Christmas Island, Sangeli. Setting up good search coverage is one of the keys to this game!

I'd argue what's more important is to taking into account those search coverage in decision making. It's not too difficult to set up those search arcs in the right places. But what good is having those planes searching the ocean when you send ships into unscouted ocean anyway?

ORIGINAL: Mundy
I do have another ARD in Suva right now, which has done its job for me nicely there. The last one is in Perth -- a Dutch refugee. I think I lost another trying to get to Darwin earlier. If I go to Xmas with it, I'll have to stock the island up to make it a proper naval base. There's no fuel there, though I sent some tankers there a week ago.

That's a dangerous place to put an ARD. It is well within range of Japanese patrol planes. If you bring a major ship there to repair there is a decent chance that Japan will spot it. And if that happens the KB could attack. You may have gotten away with it so far but who knows whats going to happen in the future. Better off putting it in Pago Pago which is safely to the rear; only subs can get recon on it.

And yes, I definitely recommend building up everything in Xmas island. It's probably my favorite island in the Pacific for support. The only downside is that the port can only be built up to level 4 but that can be remedied with USN base units and the full compliment of support ships; you should be able to rearm and refuel anything.

What do the other support hubs look like in the CentPac for you? If you ever really want to get going offensively there, you're going to need to really get the most out of those atolls for supporting operations. By the start of 43, you shouldn't going back to Pearl Harbor for anything except major repairs. Everything else can and should be handled in the Central Pacific atolls.

[BBfanboy]

My fault about Shemya - I was going from memory (which is like a steel trap - a very rusty, seized up one) and thought Shemya was one of the two next to Kamchatka. Those turned out to be Medny and Bering Islands. Thanks for calling me on it Sangeli.

[Mundy]

I was confusing it with Medny too.  Don't worry, my memory ain't any better.

[Mundy]

06 February 1943

In China, some pests showed up at Nanning, bombarding me for awhile. Drove them off.

Ground combat at Nanning (72,55)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 2184 troops, 6 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 81

Defending force 8738 troops, 57 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 326

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

Assaulting units:
3rd Militia Regiment

Defending units:
31st Chinese Corps
89th Chinese Corps
20th Artillery Regiment

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

Ground combat at Nanning (72,55)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 8738 troops, 57 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 326

Defending force 2178 troops, 6 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 80

Allied adjusted assault: 125

Japanese adjusted defense: 55

Allied assault odds: 2 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
425 casualties reported
Squads: 27 destroyed, 32 disabled
Non Combat: 20 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Units retreated 1

Allied ground losses:
138 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 14 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
31st Chinese Corps
89th Chinese Corps
20th Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
3rd Militia Regiment

Otherwise, my Aleutian bombers are hitting Atka. No real airbase there, but I don't know where his search planes are running from right now. We'll see if it's even inhabited.

[Mundy]

08 February 1943

My guys leaving Katherine have been harassed form Japanese bombers all the way out. I finally got some P-38 to Normanton, which will put a stop to that. Hopefully, I can get one good hit on his bombers.

Atka looks empty. I have a USN Liberator unit I just sent to Umnak. A real bona fide recon unit to see what's occupied. I sent one of the amphib units back to Pearl. The other's grabbing some more support from Dutch Harbor before also heading to Pearl Harbor. My new base doesn't seem to be growing at all, despite lots of engineers and plenty of supply.

Another attack in China. This time Liuchow. That and Wuchang are the only real holdouts at this point.

Ground combat at 74,56 (near Liuchow)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 51668 troops, 432 guns, 74 vehicles, Assault Value = 1560

Defending force 32728 troops, 17 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 547

Japanese adjusted assault: 897

Allied adjusted defense: 469

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
921 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 64 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 9 disabled

Allied ground losses:
2000 casualties reported
Squads: 68 destroyed, 62 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 45 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Assaulting units:
32nd Division
34th Division
13th/A Division
13th/B Division
6th Division
13th/C Division
21st Army

Defending units:
52nd Chinese Corps
33rd Chinese Corps
12th Chinese Corps
81st Chinese Corps
88th Chinese Corps
4th War Area
11th Group Army
41st AA Regiment
18th Chinese Base Force
9th Chinese Base Force
2nd Chinese Base Force
13th Chinese Base Force
7th Chinese Base Force
35th Group Army
9th Group Army
16th Chinese Base Force
20th Chinese Base Force

A PBY unit at Palmyra had to withdraw. I had a spare at Pearl which is there now.

USS Massachusetts is due to arrive in 10 days. Same for HMS Victorious.

I'm setting up some units to go to Portland roads. Once I get established myself there, things will get interesting. I can't believe I never noticed that base.

I've found an Australian brigade and an armored unit with Lees in the Australian heartland. I had them guarding against a southern move from Darwin/Katherine. I'll add them to the Sumatra adventure. 5th AF HQ is relocating from Charter Towers to Cairns, where they can support multiple bases (with torpedoes). That can free up more base units for Portland Roads and/or Cooktown.

My USN carriers are about a week from Sydney. Lex, apparently has some of her air units withdrawing pretty soon. Hopefully new ones spawn right away.

[jwolf]

Construction in Alaska and Siberia is very slow during the 4 winter months November-February. No way around this as far as I know.

[Mundy]

Good to know -- thanks. I wasn't aware of that one.

In my new game as the Japanese, I'm taking it on the chin there, too. On Dec 7, the Zekes on airfield attack got shredded badly.

[Mundy]

12 February 1943

Another maintenance day.

Attu got their first visit today.

Morning Air attack on Attu Island , at 153,49

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 18

No Allied losses

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

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 32

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
9 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 10000 feet
Ground Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb

Also attacking 50th JNAF Coy ...
Also attacking Attu Island ...
Also attacking 82nd Naval Guard Unit ...
Also attacking Attu Island ...
Also attacking 50th JNAF Coy ...

Attu appears to be the only real Japanese presence left in the Aleutians. My PB4Ys have been checking out various islands, last working on Amchitka. All seem uninhabited so far. That should make the final cleansing that much easier. It looks like < 3000 troops on Attu as it is. I have two regiments, plus combat engineers and artillery, dedicating themselves to this. This will kick off in the spring, to avoid any unnecessary drownings.

Near India, I've got two very large tanker convoys enroute to Australia from Abadan, by way of Cape Town. He's had SAGs roaming the west at times, thus the indirect route. Roughly 300k of fuel will be inbound. I'll need it when I kick off the Sumatra thing. Along those lines, when that happens, I'll have two landing sites: Benkoelen, as mentioned and Oosthaven. Oosthaven will be landed on by commando-type troops -- USMC raiders and Australian commandos. They will be departing from Geraldton. Perth's stacking limit is 90,000, so I figure I'll have to do some splitting up. Both landings will have large support and supply convoys right behind them. CVEs will accompany everyone to deal with the Nettie threat.

This is still quite a ways out, but I feel like I have a purpose putting this together, anyway.