Turnaround? Lowpe (J) vs Tiemanj (A) Stock

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Malagant

If supply can get there, it will be a little festung.

How is supply going to get there? You flying it in?

Flying it in is obviously the best way, and a fair amount go there before the rail was cut too. Some small amount might trickle once a week.

[Sangeli]

To be perfectly honest, I don't see you taking Chungking. Even if you manage to bring down the forts the Chinese still have an enormous quantity of units you need to defeat and the Allies already have control of Burma. Luckily it will take some time before the Allies can relieve it. But I would still think about some plans to disengage from Chungking to meet the Allied army marching into China from Burma. Perhaps it would be worth buying out some of the most depleted units from the assault and sending them to defensive positions in the Pacific.

It looks like your line has stabilized a bit at the Moulmein line as I had hoped it could. But I think your idea to turn Chiang Mai into a festung is flawed. I don't really see any problem with the Allies simply bypassing the base; it sits astride the main supply route and the air base is of little value. The Allies could keep you hemmed in there easily as you have to cross a river into jungle to escape. If the Allies are really stopped at Moulmein, he could also send a stack east towards Chiang Mai to approach the base from the west and have to deal with a river crossing (and likely have better supply I might add). Only a direct over the river from the SE would vindicate the Festung plans I think; that attack would incur heavy casualties and prevent the stack from advancing SE. Lets see if your opponent will make such a mistake...

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

To be perfectly honest, I don't see you taking Chungking. Even if you manage to bring down the forts the Chinese still have an enormous quantity of units you need to defeat and the Allies already have control of Burma. Luckily it will take some time before the Allies can relieve it. But I would still think about some plans to disengage from Chungking to meet the Allied army marching into China from Burma. Perhaps it would be worth buying out some of the most depleted units from the assault and sending them to defensive positions in the Pacific.

It looks like your line has stabilized a bit at the Moulmein line as I had hoped it could. But I think your idea to turn Chiang Mai into a festung is flawed. I don't really see any problem with the Allies simply bypassing the base; it sits astride the main supply route and the air base is of little value. The Allies could keep you hemmed in there easily as you have to cross a river into jungle to escape. If the Allies are really stopped at Moulmein, he could also send a stack east towards Chiang Mai to approach the base from the west and have to deal with a river crossing (and likely have better supply I might add). Only a direct over the river from the SE would vindicate the Festung plans I think; that attack would incur heavy casualties and prevent the stack from advancing SE. Lets see if your opponent will make such a mistake...

I agree, mostly.

I would still try a few attacks at Chungking to see how it goes. How is your position near Kunming and Kweiyang? At Chungking, at worst you will be able to buy out a few units to send to places like the Bonins, Okinawa, and Luzon. But the upside is tremendous if you can break through his forts. He has little enough in place in terms of units...

However, if he only has 3K AV at Chungking - where's the rest of the Chinese army?

[Lowpe]

The Chiang Mai festung was meant tongue in cheek![:D] As I really can't get any of the heavy artillery or tanks out of there. It is going to get bypassed...

I am going to give it the college try at Chungking I think...I have a month maybe.

I have about 50 units cutoff, and unfortunately about 20 units just headed west to Kunming.

I am building up the defences there...

I doubt Moulmein holds, I can't for the life of me see why he hasn't crossed.

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
I would still try a few attacks at Chungking to see how it goes. How is your position near Kunming and Kweiyang? At Chungking, at worst you will be able to buy out a few units to send to places like the Bonins, Okinawa, and Luzon. But the upside is tremendous if you can break through his forts. He has little enough in place in terms of units...

I think we are in agreement here; I never said call off the attacks. A couple of good dice rolls could get the base.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
I doubt Moulmein holds, I can't for the life of me see why he hasn't crossed.

A shock attack across the river could result in a divisions worth of destroyed squads. Given the very limited rifle squad pools, I probably wouldn't cross either. But Port Blair is Allied and there is fighting in the Nicobar islands; The Allies have you outflanked and are working to increase that leverage. Allies have tons of CVEs coming online at this time as well to cover a landing at Tavoy or Victoria point. A landing at Tavoy is especially problematic because he can march on Bangkok and cut off everything near Moulmein. But that's a hard move to counter and you shouldn't outright pull back from Moumein.

[Lowpe]

Nov 24, 1943

Very quiet day, normal Allied bombing, etc. Stepping up the bombing of Chungking. I will attack again in a day or two more.

Just moving troops heavily. I did start up a Thalia factory for a little longer legged Army transports.

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Nov 24, 1943

Very quiet day, normal Allied bombing, etc. Stepping up the bombing of Chungking. I will attack again in a day or two more.

Just moving troops heavily. I did start up a Thalia factory for a little longer legged Army transports.

Wow, your AAR update is almost identical to mine today. And you're exactly a year ahead of me:

November 24th 1942

Very quiet day. IJN planes hit Nanumea in the CentPac, IJA planes hit Cox's Bazaar in Burma, and USAAF 4E bombers hit Buna in New Guinea. No air to air battles at all.

I know its completely OT but c'mon what are the chances?

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Nov 24, 1943

Very quiet day, normal Allied bombing, etc. Stepping up the bombing of Chungking. I will attack again in a day or two more.

Just moving troops heavily. I did start up a Thalia factory for a little longer legged Army transports.

Wow, your AAR update is almost identical to mine today. And you're exactly a year ahead of me:

November 24th 1942

Very quiet day. IJN planes hit Nanumea in the CentPac, IJA planes hit Cox's Bazaar in Burma, and USAAF 4E bombers hit Buna in New Guinea. No air to air battles at all.

I know its completely OT but c'mon what are the chances?

A quiet Nov 42 is easier to understand than a quiet Nov 43.[:D]

[Lowpe]

Nov 25, 1943

No night air attacks.

A Yank sub of Manila nails an xak carrying a fragment of a Naval guard unit. Escorts pick up the swimmers. There are about 7 subs plying the waters there about, another 7 along the Chinese coast, and several everywhere else.[:D]

Relatively quiet day for Allies bombing, the Allies lose 6 skytrains to op losses, but they cross the river east of Moulmein with 4 Divisions and 1 Corp booting out the Japanese defenders there. Time to fall back to the JR road paths.

In good news we continue to evacuate, but not really fast enough. The KI-202 repairs 7 factories in 4 days...which is solid. However, I am doubting my ability to protect those r&d factories.

[obvert]

So the stand at Moulmein has bought some time. That's good.

Which direction are his troops showing movement now? Since he didn't bring the whole army you have some interesting options. One is to start something moving to the same hex he's in from Moulmein. That could mean he'd have to move to shore the hex up from the rear, taking more time. I'm guessing he assumed you'd move out once he'd gained this hex, but if you don't it presents him problems.

You could also start more unit toward the river-crossed hex to see if you can beat him through the hexside. Make him wait, attack, and have to start over again later.

[Lowpe]

Nov 27, 1943

No night bombing. Allies bombard Guam, Japan's bombardment of Great Nicobar doesn't go off, but the CL/DD screening force sinks a couple of PT boats.

Allies bomb all over the place, including an attempt at ships at Georgetown...nobody home there. Japan bombs Chungking. Deliberate attack one day away with the formation of the 3rd Tank Division there.

I will hold Moulmein with something, at least 3 divisions to the southeast jungle road to hold the line of retreat open, and build up the jungle ridge dirt road hexes leading to Raheng and Bangkok.

The Tank Rgts and some other heavy units will attempt a harsh retreat from Chiang Mai...

An RTA third will attempt to cut the Allied supply line...

Buying time here, buying time.



In two more days I will have 4 MTBs than can spawn at Moulmein for a run into Rangoon. Currently, it is getting darker, but will the base still be mine and will the convoy still be unloading?

[Lowpe]

Another attempted midget sub penetrate fails to penetrate the port (level 1).

Ki202 repairs another factory, they are on fire the last 7 days with 9 points repaired. If only they can keep it up or even accelerate it.

New December planes for Japan will be the Myojo divebomber and the Irving-Sa with 3 20mm cannons. Next up will the Nick D at the end of the month or first day of Jan, 44.

[Lowpe]

Well, I am working hard at retreating everything out and back, but I despair of even getting the most important units back before the next shoe drops.

Making solid progress on getting engineers and troops to some of the islands around the HI.

Today, I am dropping of the Wake CD unit (minus the 20cm guns) at an island between Mindanao and Leyte on the off chance it can fire at ships trying to bypass to the interior PI.

Starting to withdraw the heavy infantry division from Trinkat...need them for the fight down the Malaya neck.

[castor troy]

CD guns only fire at ships passing by when they are placed in straits

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: castor troy

CD guns only fire at ships passing by when they are placed in straits

Or minefields, and even then seemingly not always.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: castor troy

CD guns only fire at ships passing by when they are placed in straits

More likely, there is a chance they fire. Also, who is to know it might be a wide strait, making it even more likely. Aren't only narrow straits listed in the manual.

[Lowpe]

Nov 28th & 29th, 1943

Relatively quiet, no night bombing.

I1 nails an xak off San Diego for no damage in return.

Moulmein: The Allies are crossing the river into Moulmein; also the 5 Division unit east of Moulmein is heading west into Moulmein and also south to cut the road.

In a perhaps foolhardy move, I have slowed my retreat out of Moulmein hoping to fight all his troops shock attacking across the river. Gadzoooks, it will be ugly.

They have been being bombed, so I have 400 Tonies, Georges, Oscars, Zeroes, and Jacks flying LRCAP, oh my! This could turn out spectacularly bad or good or somewhere between depending upon where all the fighters end up. Allies are sweeping the area with 2-3 Jugs squadrons, but if they can get past them...a

Evacuated troops from Truk, Umboi, Kavieng, Manus and Rabaul. 1/3rd of the heavy div is evacuated from Trinkat...it needs to get back to Alor Star and up to fight the barbarians at the gates of Bangkok.

Oh, also another deliberate attack at Chungking, need a good roll here!

[Lowpe]

Nov 29, 1943

No night bombing.

Over Moulmein we trade 1-1 with 40 planes lost on both sides...Allied Jugs sweep came first and chewed into the LRCAP pretty well, but then we got revenge on the Allied escorting fighters and Mitchells.

Today I will be sweeping Car Nicobar with Tony and George, and I have a specially trained Helen unit set to strike some juicy transports I hope.

The deliberate attack at Chungking knocks the forts down to 3 (half way there). Despite malus for supply, Allied defence is tripled from their raw AV, and Japanese is reduced by 1/3 despite prep, supply, HQs, etc. One day soon I will get a good roll, if I have enough time. Back to bombarding and bombing.

The great evacuation continues, and there may well be a huge land battle at Moulmein where I definitely need a good roll. Corp, Army, and Command HQs fully prepped...level 4 forts only, almost got to five before the daily bombing began.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Nov 29, 1943

No night bombing.

Over Moulmein we trade 1-1 with 40 planes lost on both sides...Allied Jugs sweep came first and chewed into the LRCAP pretty well, but then we got revenge on the Allied escorting fighters and Mitchells.

Today I will be sweeping Car Nicobar with Tony and George, and I have a specially trained Helen unit set to strike some juicy transports I hope.

The deliberate attack at Chungking knocks the forts down to 3 (half way there). Despite malus for supply, Allied defence is tripled from their raw AV, and Japanese is reduced by 1/3 despite prep, supply, HQs, etc. One day soon I will get a good roll, if I have enough time. Back to bombarding and bombing.

The great evacuation continues, and there may well be a huge land battle at Moulmein where I definitely need a good roll. Corp, Army, and Command HQs fully prepped...level 4 forts only, almost got to five before the daily bombing began.

Just dropping the forts is a good roll. Once forts are down to 1 or 2, you'll start to see heavy Chinese casualties.

Just be wary of allowing him to build the forts again...

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Just dropping the forts is a good roll. Once forts are down to 1 or 2, you'll start to see heavy Chinese casualties.

Just be wary of allowing him to build the forts again...

Yep, keeping the runway/airfield service damage at 100.[:)]

I actually destroyed more combat squads than I lost so I take that is a good sign.