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

[Lowpe]

Tanaka races in for some Long Lance goodness...not to be.

[Lowpe]

I like to bring different assets to the fight, and here is an RO sub blitzing into Guam.

Alabama got lucky, or is good, today.[:D]

[Lowpe]

Oscar IVs simply can't bring down 4E beasties....I ended up getting 5 (4 in A2A, 1 Ops).

[Lowpe]

Moulmein falls to a shock attack...not unexpected. However, Chiang Mai holds again, this time against 2 divisions and 1 tank regiment. The more troops he sends into Chiang Mai, the happier I am.

I am thinking about retreating most troops back to Uttaradit from the position 1 hex to the north...this would enable a faster retreat back to Bangkok or Udon or is Ubon?

Tavoy will fall this month, unless he decide to try and go straight to Bangkok, Raheng...but I will be happy if I can still be shipping oil from the SRA in January, 1944...

The line in yellow is simply not defendable...so it will be the Vinh line.

[ny59giants]

Once the Allies break through those tri-bases, its just a race down to Bangkok. The question for you is if you can afford to leave troops behind at Bangkok as it will be surrounded and cut off from any land based retreat??

Before my game ended in August 44, I had broken into the clear terrain in Thailand and was given Bangkok, heading down to Saigon, and closing in on Cam Rahn Bay. Your opponent may try to do this and then take part of the Philippines archipelago to effectively cut off almost all your oil. You know those B-25 attack bombers have the range to cut the South China Sea in half. This may happen in the next 6 months.

[DanSez]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Jeesh, it was funny but you don't have to keep repeating the picture.[:D] If you saw what they ask for this model!

short diversion note:
Not for sure if you are interested in plastic models but HobbyLink Japan has a sale which includes a 1/72 scale Nate for under $11.
http://hlj.com/product/HSG02038/Air

They also offered a Claude for something like $9.00 but those sold out after I bought one.
now, back to the war:

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Once the Allies break through those tri-bases, its just a race down to Bangkok. The question for you is if you can afford to leave troops behind at Bangkok as it will be surrounded and cut off from any land based retreat??

Before my game ended in August 44, I had broken into the clear terrain in Thailand and was given Bangkok, heading down to Saigon, and closing in on Cam Rahn Bay. Your opponent may try to do this and then take part of the Philippines archipelago to effectively cut off almost all your oil. You know those B-25 attack bombers have the range to cut the South China Sea in half. This may happen in the next 6 months.

If it takes him 6 months to do it -- I will be very happy.[:D]

[Lowpe]

Dec 6th, 1943

No night bombing.

Some failed sub attacks on both sides...

Chiang Mai holds, and now there are even more Allied troops marching there.

Other than that fairly quiet, normal bombing etc.

Above Saigon and Camh Ran Bay the Allies have suspiciously high DL?[&:] I am so paranoid of those 100AV paratroops or even less, I will send 30 or so AV to these bases to hold them. Can't figure out why else he would DL those two bases, it is not like he is systematically looking at every base in the area.

In the good news front the Toko rocket advances another month; Irving Sa starts production, and this was the primary nightfighter Obvert used against Joc, and I will have plenty of them stockpiled, but really I am hoping to have the Frances as my primary NF for when the B29s show up.

A while back I upped my production of Jacks to 40 a month; and the next model will come on stream about the time of the B29, so I will upgrade to that and use the Jacks as anti B29 fighter force, along with whatever fighter bombers I have after their conversion to night fighters. This model sports 4 cannons...perfect for B29 fighting - normally available 4/44 I will have no research into it, just one factory cranking out 40 a month. Gotta watch that supply.[:)]

[Lowpe]

I don't think a lot of Allied players realize how weak Japan is if the Allies get ahead of schedule...I am in the midst of getting a fair amount of land reinforcements, but it is nowhere close enough for all the islands I have to get something on. Not to mention Indochina.

Allies have 10K AV in Indochina versus my 3K. Maybe I have 4AV.

I have close to 600 AV in two of three of the Bonins, one ID at Port Moresby, Ponape, Kusaie and Truk, which are all being evacuated back to the Mindanao and Luzon.

There is another ID at Guam and Saipan.

That is is. A few regiments and brigades scattered around....but if the Allies wished to they could do some long range recon and grab islands on the very cheap right now, boy would it be ugly for Japan.

The Allies have two Marine divisions, 2 Army divisions and plenty of tanks and artillery to the Marianas. I have yet to see any Australians since they got trashed in 42...plus lots of brigades and regiments.

I guess what slows down the Allies is the perception you need to get 100% prepped for invasions...not needed if the opposition is very weak imho. Speed and daring can really win the day.

On the otherhand, Japan can usually react fairly quickly to changing situations, so the opportunity window is pretty narrow.

[Mike Solli]

Lowpe, I agree with you. In my opinion, that's all the more reason to try and keep the IJN as intact as possible. That threat is always out there and helps keep the Allied player cautious. I would be, if I were playing the Allied side. As the Allied player closes in on Japan, the Japanese lines of communication contract, allowing for a quicker Japanese response. Get a few Japanese capital ships among a large invasion fleet and that could set the Allies back months. Yeah, the Allied combat fleet becomes overwhelming in 44+, but if you take out enough APAs, the Allied player can have problems taking all that territory they need to take.

I still believe that KB should try to hit Allied carriers early in the war (if the Allied player decides to come out and play), but later in the war hitting that massive carrier force is meaningless. Even trading carriers does nothing to slow the Allied player down. Later in the war, KB should focus on invasion fleets. If they can hit an invasion fleet while outside of the Allied carrier range, they can slow the Allies much better than going head to head with the Allied carriers.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

Lowpe, I agree with you. In my opinion, that's all the more reason to try and keep the IJN as intact as possible. That threat is always out there and helps keep the Allied player cautious. I would be, if I were playing the Allied side. As the Allied player closes in on Japan, the Japanese lines of communication contract, allowing for a quicker Japanese response. Get a few Japanese capital ships among a large invasion fleet and that could set the Allies back months. Yeah, the Allied combat fleet becomes overwhelming in 44+, but if you take out enough APAs, the Allied player can have problems taking all that territory they need to take.

I still believe that KB should try to hit Allied carriers early in the war (if the Allied player decides to come out and play), but later in the war hitting that massive carrier force is meaningless. Even trading carriers does nothing to slow the Allied player down. Later in the war, KB should focus on invasion fleets. If they can hit an invasion fleet while outside of the Allied carrier range, they can slow the Allies much better than going head to head with the Allied carriers.

Mike, Well, do I remember your advice, or comment, several hours after I committed the KB to destruction in this AAR. But you are quite correct...even if the KB sinks nothing in 43, early 44, its presence is a brake on the Allied Juggernaut.

I am my worst enemy.[:D]

[Mike Solli]

On the other hand, if you see an opportunity, you have to take it. You'll lose whether or not KB survives. [:(]

[Lowpe]

Dec 8th, 1943

No night bombing.

Chiang Mai falls to the Allies, all troops head south into the jungle, 1 hex to Uttardit or Raheng. Maybe they will make it.

Flak does well guarding the troops retreating from Moulmein...downing 4 Mitchells and now the Allies are using divebombers (SBDs) and we nail several of those.

The 55th Division is finally reformed...should be formed in the first few weeks of the war if I recall correctly.[X(]

Two xAPs, and two xaks are spotted at Ponape, do I dare leave them for a day to load up...10/10DL and the Allies are so close. Argh...

Irving Sa rolls off the production line. The first squadron gets the Myojo -- a trainer squadron in the Home Islands.

Moving, and moving, and moving troops and working on pilots....

[Lowpe]

It was kind of a nice day, bar one exception:

Another 20+VP SST got nailed by an American Sub. Absolutely worthless ships.

The Ki202 r&d is really taking off, 1 point a day, the largest factory just tied the Sam J leader at 18. Egads, do I need those two planes.

All factories r&d the Nick D are done...that plane will be here shortly, and I am already rounding up the sentai's that can convert to it.

I got three land combat units today...and I need them to. No sooner do they show up than they are on ships heading out.

I had been using Badelboab as an oil dump, and had built up 110K there, now I have it down to 50K. All the shipping from Yap to the west up from the Solomons would be very easily shut down by the Allies, but they are content to let it happen. Not much search in that area. Missed opportunity by the Allies, but I am sure they have their plans.

I got a CVE today, and a tanker. I have every tanker for the next three months accelerated. Back at the beginning of the year, the Allied sub doctrine was nailing my tankers left and right, and I was very scared. But then he changed and went after my warships instead giving me a much needed breather. I think he should have stayed at targeting the tankers...

[Lowpe]

Dec 9, 1943

No night bombing.

Lost 2xk, 2xap, pb four hexes west of Ponape, caught by Fletchers during the daytime. No troops lost.[:(]

Great evacuation back to PI continues, out of Moulmein and Chiang Mai. If I can hold the current lines in Indochina for 20 days, I will be able to get all the defenders back from Chiang Mai to the railroads at Pisanuloke (33rd div, several ART, ENG, and two 2 Tank Rgts.).

I think north of Uttaradit can hold. Lots of heavy artillery west of Raheng, so the weakest spot is north of Tavoy, so I might send some reserves to bolster that spot.

Got another tanker today, 8k capacity. Put on the milk run from Fusan to Shimoneski to build experience.

I think I am making great strides at get the Islands around the HI built up, but nothing really will stop the Allies only delay them. Naha, Tsushima, and Kunashiri are the best potential airfields, while Naha has the best port of those three.

Guam deliberately attacked, forts drop 1.

Sending the troops back into Chungking for another deliberate attack...hope to get the forts to 2 with this attack. I am starting to think I can get Chungking...knock on wood.[:D]

[Lowpe]

Dec 10, 1943

No night bombing.

Japanese subs continue to miss...here is a juicy target in the middle of nowhere. Shame.[:(]

[Lowpe]

Yesterday, High Command ordered all search (naval and ground and Iboat) to take today off, with the exception of a narrow band from Ramree to Akyab.

Air search had confirmed a paucity of Allied fighters in the area.

Air search had confirmed a very large convoy.

The Army Air Force donated 3 Sentai of Oscars and one Sentai of Lilly IIc.

The Navy allocated their largest Sentai of Betties (3a version).

And today the trap bore fruit, flying from Pisanuloke in the afternoon the Army brushes aside the pitiful CAP and the Betties go in against very little AA. But the question is what will they find?

[Lowpe]

The tanker report was always dubious. But cargo ships, why now that makes sense.

[Lowpe]

A bigun!

[Lowpe]

The cloaked figure reads the report at High Command, and then disappears into the night. A mystery man.

"Who is that strange advisor?" One aide, a Captain, inquires of the Admiral.

The Admiral gives no reply.