Headhunter - Lokasenna (A) vs. mind_messing (J) - No MM yet

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: obvert

Think of using the DD pickets a few hexes in front of the fleet to serve as sponges for strikes. Good radar and hard to hit, in range of bleeding CAP. He'll have good shots with kamis, but if you're taking strategic targets, that's fine. Jocke against me is a good example. How many CV/CVL/CVE were lost landing in Korea? Yet that effectively ended the game.

Hrm, perhaps.

I had a thought while doing dishes ([:'(]) that I should probably use TF dispersion, or at least many smaller TFs in one hex rather than lazying about with one TF. Harder to detect, even if it is effectively a giant fleet, and harder to do catastrophic damage. The only risk factor I can think of is against surface fleets, but I'm OK with using larger SCTFs as protection because those seem to be the least vulnerable ships to kami attacks, yeah? I mean they're going to hit BBs OK because they're bigger/slower, and probably even cruisers, but Fletchers... enough should live to still be able to provide that surface protection.

I thikn for strike purposes they will treat anything in that hex as one target. So i doesn't matter how many TFs there are. now, if you would put things in multiple hexes that's a different story, but then you lose the combined AA of those ships also.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I am about to invade Japan against Mind-Messing in our Downfall game. Within the next two turns. Well maybe four depending how I want to set up an ablative shield for the first kamikazes.

I figure there will be a 2000 plane strike against me...I thought for the first days to cycle in DD task forces to set up pickets against his shipping, attract the shorter range cap as I move the landing ships into position hopefully drawing the longer ranged CAP.

So far his kamikazes have been less than effective, but pilot training starts off poor in Downfall and now I will be facing pilots trained for a month and half.

It will be interesting.[:)]

3 Nick kamikazes can put down a Fletcher...usually.

Well, on the plus side... I've shot down a whole crapload of his planes. He'll be feeling the pilot skill crunch somewhere, sometime. Either in trained attack pilots, or in kamikaze pilots. I don't think he has the capacity to train both at the rate he's got to be losing them. I mean some days I shoot down an entire Sentai for no gain on his part.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
Well, on the plus side... I've shot down a whole crapload of his planes. He'll be feeling the pilot skill crunch somewhere, sometime. Either in trained attack pilots, or in kamikaze pilots. I don't think he has the capacity to train both at the rate he's got to be losing them. I mean some days I shoot down an entire Sentai for no gain on his part.

Doubtful.[:-]

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
Well, on the plus side... I've shot down a whole crapload of his planes. He'll be feeling the pilot skill crunch somewhere, sometime. Either in trained attack pilots, or in kamikaze pilots. I don't think he has the capacity to train both at the rate he's got to be losing them. I mean some days I shoot down an entire Sentai for no gain on his part.

Doubtful.[:-]

I've already noticed that his IJN LBA strike craft have poor pilots. The ones that make it through to drop don't hit much, so long as there was CAP to contest their attack. I know I posted my air losses screen, but I think it was in your AAR...

I've shot down >800 IJN 2Es (and then there are his ops losses). Have shot down >500 Jills/Kates, plus ground/ops losses. This seems high to me? I know it's really intangible, but I'm noticing a difference. I didn't go all-out on my pilot training in my game, with resizing squadrons for use as trainers, but I did do a few. I know that if I suffered losses of that magnitude, I'd really be hurting on strike pilots. This is to say nothing of his fighter pilots, which have been suffering even more. I think I have a tremendous pilot XP advantage. Hard to tell.

I mean, maybe he's been training for kamis forever instead of replacing his strike pilots. It's entirely possible that I'll face hordes of Exp 55+/LowNav 70+ guys in whatever airframe he's researching.

On that note, I'm having a lot of trouble determining his air production designs... which is because Tracker doesn't update the database on my side, even though I can see it in-game. Just noticed that the Peggy-t is advanced by 2 months to 7/44. Will check others later.

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: obvert

Think of using the DD pickets a few hexes in front of the fleet to serve as sponges for strikes. Good radar and hard to hit, in range of bleeding CAP. He'll have good shots with kamis, but if you're taking strategic targets, that's fine. Jocke against me is a good example. How many CV/CVL/CVE were lost landing in Korea? Yet that effectively ended the game.

Hrm, perhaps.

I had a thought while doing dishes ([:'(]) that I should probably use TF dispersion, or at least many smaller TFs in one hex rather than lazying about with one TF. Harder to detect, even if it is effectively a giant fleet, and harder to do catastrophic damage. The only risk factor I can think of is against surface fleets, but I'm OK with using larger SCTFs as protection because those seem to be the least vulnerable ships to kami attacks, yeah? I mean they're going to hit BBs OK because they're bigger/slower, and probably even cruisers, but Fletchers... enough should live to still be able to provide that surface protection.

I thikn for strike purposes they will treat anything in that hex as one target. So i doesn't matter how many TFs there are. now, if you would put things in multiple hexes that's a different story, but then you lose the combined AA of those ships also.

Unsure how I missed your posts. Must've been just after I loaded the thread but before responding last night.

Yeah... Helen/Peggy kamis concern me. Nicks a little bit. The single engines don't worry me as much, because they're easier for CAP/flak to destroy. But the others could take a hit and keep on coming.

I'm not sure about the multiple TFs in a single strike thing. I know it can happen, and I've seen it happen, but I think it's drastically reduced. Also, a couple of large TFs might have DL 10/10 whereas smaller TFs of say 6-10 ships might only be DL 5/6, DL 7/8, or some such. This could play games with the strike algorithms.

I have identified another VF unit that can resize right now, as well as divide, which is important - a few of the VF units that can be resized at this stage can't be divided. I am seriously considering resizing to 90 and breaking it into thirds, which would be much more useful than a single 90-plane unit in terms of CAP. Mostly because I could vary the altitudes, and also put some LRCAP over those leading Fletchers or some such.

[Lokasenna]

OK, back to the war reporting for a short time...

December 10, 1943

Subs
I-156 sinks APD Dickerson outside Vella Lavella. Hate when subs sink fast, maneuverable ships.

The Great Frozen North
I'd sent 3 DDs to try to bombard Paramushiro. One of them hit a Type 4 mine on the way in and was being escorted out by another, so only 1 DD bombarded. I don't get any base hits, but it does let me know that the 26th Division is there.

Burma
More mines dropped at Rangoon...

The Ki-84a appears and sweeps Comilla, which is empty. I do have some bombers here. I'll just transfer them to Chittagong.

Timor Sea & surrounding area
IJN BBs Fuso, Mutsu, and Nagato bombard Ambon with CL Oi and 2 DDs. This is part of an amphibious landing - seems like maybe he noticed Ambon was a vulnerable spot before I sent my SSTs there.

A few of my CAs bombard Saumlaki, but only cause about 60 casualties with a smattering of base hits.

My aerial bombing runs get Jakes on the ground at Lautem, which is shut down, and I also venture over to Hollandia to get a few Helens. Skies over the targets are empty.




...a turn to do in the next 20 minutes, so rather than post a picture, I'm gonna do that! [:'(]

[Lokasenna]

Have fallen a month behind in the reporting again. Shame on me.

December 11-12, 1943

Subs
Whale sights DD Sazanami on December 11 outside Babeldaob, which I think is a KB or MKB escort. I think I've seen her in action reports before... lo and behold, at the beginning of the next day, there is some kind of KB/MKB outside of Sorong. Unknown if same TF.

Steelhead sinks an SC outside Iba, Luzon.

Snook misses a golden opportunity on a big AO outside Donggala.


RO-102 sinks an LCT outside Tarawa and gets hit once for her troubles.

Timor Sea
Due to the detection on IJN CVs on the 11th, the landing at Kai-eilanden on the 12th is scrubbed. Don't feel like a scrum right now. It could turn bad. Am going to do a move elsewhere, and soon.

He's landing more at Ambon... I will probably have to pull back here since I'm stalled at Saumlaki and Kai-eilanden.

On the 11th, some of my CAs bombard Lautem. The 56th ID is present. On the way back, 6 Bettys from somewhere catch the CA Northampton 1 hex outside of Darwin and manage to get 2 hits. Hurray. [8|] Down she goes. Unlucky rolls, I think. Rare is the outright sinking of a CA in the combat report from just 2 torpedoes.

On the 12th, we risk a DA at Saumlaki. Maybe he was low on supplies, after all. Nope! The attack gets 1:27 odds, forts are at 5. Just 32 IJA casualties reported against 1133 Allied casualties. So it's going to be a long slog.

Australia
Nells sink 1 xAK and cripple 2 others at Broome on the 11th. Forgot to re-set the CAP now that I am dropping supplies here.

Gilberts
Same deal at Kuria on the 12th - 12 Frances come in and hit 2 xAPs unloading there.

Ground bombing gets a few hundred IJA casualties at Makin/Abemama.

Elsewhere
Bases continue to expand in the Solomons, and more slowly in the Gilberts.

[BBfanboy]

I have often seen those old swayback US CAs go down from just 2 torpedo hits, but usually earlier in the war. I don't know if Allied damage control gets better dice odds as the game progresses (to reflect DC experience of the Allies overall) or if it is just based on crew experience and captain's naval skill. I think the RL Northampton went down to two torps at Tassafaronga thanks to large adjoining engine/boiler spaces being flooded by a single hit - i.e. no buffer space between them.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

I have often seen those old swayback US CAs go down from just 2 torpedo hits, but usually earlier in the war. I don't know if Allied damage control gets better dice odds as the game progresses (to reflect DC experience of the Allies overall) or if it is just based on crew experience and captain's naval skill. I think the RL Northampton went down to two torps at Tassafaronga thanks to large adjoining engine/boiler spaces being flooded by a single hit - i.e. no buffer space between them.

True enough. The game is all about numbers (durability, weapon effect, etc.) though. Oh well. She was an older one.

In Detroit for the week. Going to try to do updates from my tablet, but no pictures.

[Lokasenna]

There must be good surfing in hex 102,134 - I just dropped the entire 1st Australian Division there, which had been destined for somewhere else (Lae, I think). Oops. Who knew there was even an island there? Rub my eyes, look at the map again, and yep.

Game is at January 17. We're about to have a long hiatus (~3 months) where there will be few or no turns, so I'm not terribly concerned with not having time to get the thread caught up because I'm doing turns instead [:D].

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

There must be good surfing in hex 102,134 - I just dropped the entire 1st Australian Division there, which had been destined for somewhere else (Lae, I think). Oops. Who knew there was even an island there? Rub my eyes, look at the map again, and yep.

Game is at January 17. We're about to have a long hiatus (~3 months) where there will be few or no turns, so I'm not terribly concerned with not having time to get the thread caught up because I'm doing turns instead [:D].

Ouch! How bad was the disablements? I did something similar in one of my games (although it was the 6th OZ ID) and I had almost the entire ID disabled.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

There must be good surfing in hex 102,134 - I just dropped the entire 1st Australian Division there, which had been destined for somewhere else (Lae, I think). Oops. Who knew there was even an island there? Rub my eyes, look at the map again, and yep.

Game is at January 17. We're about to have a long hiatus (~3 months) where there will be few or no turns, so I'm not terribly concerned with not having time to get the thread caught up because I'm doing turns instead [:D].

Ouch! How bad was the disablements? I did something similar in one of my games (although it was the 6th OZ ID) and I had almost the entire ID disabled.

About half [:D]. So, a month to recover maybe. I'll probably use them in the invasion anyway.

Turns out they were prepped for Umboi. I have lots of other stuff prepped for there. I'm beginning to have more units than I know what to do with in this theater. I'm prepping far in advance now, but am still waiting for the next "batch" to finish prepping. I may actually invade a few without 100%.

I know he has a small fortress at Umboi, but I'm going to take it anyway. I have the LCUs and such, and I can't conduct multiple ops right now due to a shipping bottleneck. I can do these small time landings with just a few of the assault ships and the rest APs/AKs/xAPs/xAKs and lots of barges, etc. Right now most of my APAs are being used for something near Darwin, with about a dozen available in the Solomons - enough for about 1.5 USA IDs, or 1 USMC ID, or 2 Oz IDs.


Kavieng is invested at this point, and should fall relatively soon. Within the month for sure. And then it's onward...

[JocMeister]

Set up "prepp teams". It makes the process a lot easier. A typical prepp team for me in 44.

1 command HQ
1 Corps HQ
2-6 IDs (depending on what and how many targets)
Combat engineers
Armor
Arty
BFs

I think I had 3 such teams doing the NG campaign. Gives you the ability to move really fast. When Northern Guinea was secured I already had enough prepp to land almost immediately at the Moluccas and then Mindanao a few weeks later.

Also eliminates the problem with "double prepping". [:)]

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Set up "prepp teams". It makes the process a lot easier. A typical prepp team for me in 44.

1 command HQ
1 Corps HQ
2-6 IDs (depending on what and how many targets)
Combat engineers
Armor
Arty
BFs

I think I had 3 such teams doing the NG campaign. Gives you the ability to move really fast. When Northern Guinea was secured I already had enough prepp to land almost immediately at the Moluccas and then Mindanao a few weeks later.

Also eliminates the problem with "double prepping". [:)]

I typically use Tracker to sort by location/prep target amongst active units. I also filter by "prep for enemy base", and I set targets for units as they arrive to eliminate missing any.

The trouble with your list is that I don't have that many HQs or Arty units. I have tons of BFs, and in one instance I have tons of extra IDs, but that's because I have a reasonable idea of what's at the targets. I've never, ever seen the HQ bonus from having HQs present, so I'm less concerned with "proper" prep of Command HQs. I'll send the Corps/Army HQs along because I actually do have extras of those, but even then I'm doing so more to have enough Support devices than to maybe get the bonus one time.

I would trade all of my non-USMC divisions for USMC divisions at a 2:1, or maybe even 3:1, exchange rate. The Marines are golden. The rest are underwhelming.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Set up "prepp teams". It makes the process a lot easier. A typical prepp team for me in 44.

1 command HQ
1 Corps HQ
2-6 IDs (depending on what and how many targets)
Combat engineers
Armor
Arty
BFs

I think I had 3 such teams doing the NG campaign. Gives you the ability to move really fast. When Northern Guinea was secured I already had enough prepp to land almost immediately at the Moluccas and then Mindanao a few weeks later.

Also eliminates the problem with "double prepping". [:)]

I typically use Tracker to sort by location/prep target amongst active units. I also filter by "prep for enemy base", and I set targets for units as they arrive to eliminate missing any.

The trouble with your list is that I don't have that many HQs or Arty units. I have tons of BFs, and in one instance I have tons of extra IDs, but that's because I have a reasonable idea of what's at the targets. I've never, ever seen the HQ bonus from having HQs present, so I'm less concerned with "proper" prep of Command HQs. I'll send the Corps/Army HQs along because I actually do have extras of those, but even then I'm doing so more to have enough Support devices than to maybe get the bonus one time.

I would trade all of my non-USMC divisions for USMC divisions at a 2:1, or maybe even 3:1, exchange rate. The Marines are golden. The rest are underwhelming.

You can sort by target in game too. But I guess you already know that. [:)]

The HQ bonus does work. I know it did in vanilla at least. It made a huge difference at some locations like PM and the Marianas.

Yeah, the Marines are quite something. Wait until you see their late war TOE. The OZ IDs are very solid too. Mostly due to their high EXP. The USA IDs do get better once they get some integrated armor and more artillery. Don´t remember when that happens though. Could be very late.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Set up "prepp teams". It makes the process a lot easier. A typical prepp team for me in 44.

1 command HQ
1 Corps HQ
2-6 IDs (depending on what and how many targets)
Combat engineers
Armor
Arty
BFs

I think I had 3 such teams doing the NG campaign. Gives you the ability to move really fast. When Northern Guinea was secured I already had enough prepp to land almost immediately at the Moluccas and then Mindanao a few weeks later.

Also eliminates the problem with "double prepping". [:)]

I typically use Tracker to sort by location/prep target amongst active units. I also filter by "prep for enemy base", and I set targets for units as they arrive to eliminate missing any.

The trouble with your list is that I don't have that many HQs or Arty units. I have tons of BFs, and in one instance I have tons of extra IDs, but that's because I have a reasonable idea of what's at the targets. I've never, ever seen the HQ bonus from having HQs present, so I'm less concerned with "proper" prep of Command HQs. I'll send the Corps/Army HQs along because I actually do have extras of those, but even then I'm doing so more to have enough Support devices than to maybe get the bonus one time.

I would trade all of my non-USMC divisions for USMC divisions at a 2:1, or maybe even 3:1, exchange rate. The Marines are golden. The rest are underwhelming.

You can sort by target in game too. But I guess you already know that. [:)]

The HQ bonus does work. I know it did in vanilla at least. It made a huge difference at some locations like PM and the Marianas.

Yeah, the Marines are quite something. Wait until you see their late war TOE. The OZ IDs are very solid too. Mostly due to their high EXP. The USA IDs do get better once they get some integrated armor and more artillery. Don´t remember when that happens though. Could be very late.

Biggest difference I see in the USMC TOE is that in 1945 they get 12 Rocket Arty devices, and in 1943 they get M7 Priests. Otherwise it's mostly the same level of organic artillery and such. It's their experience and squad device values that really matter.

The Aussies aren't bad in 1943 and on, with decent XP and good squad values, but their organic artillery sucks. However, they get 78 combat engineers, so that's something at least. USA IDs only get 27.


If the HQ bonus has ever worked for me, it's been "silent" - not shown in the combat report. I send them along if I have them and if I can, but otherwise don't worry about them. More shooters on the ground is probably better.

Have some downtime. Going to do some updates!

[Lokasenna]

December 13, 1943

Subs
Pogy cripples, and probably sinks, AO Notoro outside of Manado/Ternate.


I-179 sinks the xAK Troja outside of Port Hedland, which was previously crippled.

CENTPAC
4 Liberators bomb Kwajalein at night and shoot down some Tojos, but that's it.

Garrisons on Makin and Abemama are bombed. A few hundred casualties. Grinding away...

Kuria's airfield goes to 2, Onotoa airfield to 1.

Solomons/Coral Sea
13 Liberators coordinate against Rabaul during the night but 1 is shot down and 4+ are lost to flak. Ouch. Just 1 Ki-45 Nick destroyed on the ground.

B-25s and TBFs bomb at Kiriwina. At first, the TBFs are ambushed by LRCAP or something. A few a lost, but 2 of his xAKs are hit.

P-47s from Moresby shoot down some of the CAP at Umboi. Destroying planes at a highly favorable ratio is the name of my game.

Burma
Night bombing of Magwe gets a few fighters - Franks and Tojos. Some more B-24s lost to flak.

I moved some fighters to Akyab to cover my dozens of unloading xAKLs. He sweeps with A6M2's, Tojo-b's, and Ki-100 Tonys. Mixture of sweep and LRCAP, actually. They barely win against my CAP of P-40Ks, P-40Ns, and Hurricane-c's. After that, Jacks come in and clean up. Oh well.

I have a couple of P-47 groups at Chittagong, though, and we sweep Meiktila for our part. We shoot down the 13 planes on CAP there. The pleasure is short-lived as a bunch of IJAAF 2Es bomb the airfield at Akyab, getting some of my planes on the ground and damaging the field somewhat. The last sweep of his, Tojos, finds empty skies.

Timor/Banda Sea
Two IJN BB groups bombard Ambon today. The Ise/Hyuga with CL Naka and DDs go first, followed by 3 Kongos and 5 DDs second. A big commitment here on his part, and he is achieving the objective of stalling me out. That's fine. The more I make him sail around to do this, the more fuel and supplies he burns up. And eventually, my subs will put something down. I should've done a better job of prepping for sub ops in this area - I don't have enough present.

Corsairs and P-38s clear the skies over Koepang, only about 10 IJ planes.

21x B-24s hit Saumlaki, but only get a few hits. Moderately annoying. Must've had bad rolls, maybe the weather.

KB shows up outside Ambon and bombs the troops there. Alright then! See point 1 above about fuel/supplies.

At the end of the day, the IJA at Ambon attacks:

Ground combat at Ambon (76,109)

Japanese Deliberate Attack

Attacking force 3299 troops, 32 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 73

Defending force 1657 troops, 13 guns, o vehicles, Assault Value = 60

Japanese adjusted assault: 30

Allied adjusted defense: 19

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese assault reduces fortifications to 0

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

Japanese ground losses:
262 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 15 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled

Allied ground losses:
26 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Assaulting units:
1st Ind.Mixed Regiment
8th JNAF Coy

Defending units:
3rd Australian Bde/2

[Lokasenna]

December 14-15, 1943

The IJN Cruiser Corps has a bad day [8D].

Subs
Haddock gets intel on AKs/xAKs outside of Babeldaob, but doesn't attack.

Snook damages the big xAP Baikal Maru outside Donggala. More troop movements from the Timor Sea operations, looks like. Snook then proceeds to waste 2 torpedoes shooting at E Otori.

Cisco damages a big xAK outside of Ponape.

Templar, an RN boat, sinks a small TK outside Palembang.

Darter cripples an xAK outside Dadjangas and sights other xAKs/AKs. Unfortunately nothing appears to be on board.

Ray cripples an xAK outside Mili. Something does sink at dusk on the 15th, could've been either of these last 2 xAKs.


We sight the I-19 along the Australian coast outside Rockhampton, hunting cripples no doubt.

Burma
On the night of the 14th... the Royal Navy returns! Wrecking everything in its path, including its own cruisers! I sent these guys to Rangoon on a bombardment mission. They didn't make it to the airfield, but they did this instead. Our composition (some Fletchers!):

Allied Ships
CA Canberra
CA Sussex
CA Suffolk
CA Frobisher
CL Emerald
DD Charles Ausburne
DD Braine
DD Dyson
DD Fullam
DD Relentless

Night Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,53, Range 3,000 Yards

Japanese aircraft losses
E13A1 Jake: 1 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CA Aoba, Shell hits 22, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CL Isuzu, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Hakaze, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Shiokaze, Shell hits 1
DD Yakaze, Shell hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Yukaze

Allies open fire on surprised Japanese ships at 3,000 yards
CA Frobisher launches Torpedoes at CA Aoba at 3,000 yards
CA Suffolk fires at CA Aoba at 3,000 yards
CA Sussex launches Torpedoes at CA Aoba at 3,000 yards
CA Frobisher launches Torpedoes at DD Yakaze at 3,000 yards - Frobisher is the winner for now

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,53, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Isuzu, Shell hits 23, and is sunk
DD Hakaze
DD Shiokaze, Shell hits 1
DD Yukaze, Shell hits 8, and is sunk

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,53, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Hakaze
DD Shiokaze, Shell hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,53, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
E Shimakaze
E Nadakaze, Shell hits 2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,53, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
E Shimakaze
E Nadakaze, Shell hits 1, on fire

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,54, Range 5,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
E Shimakaze, Shell hits 12, and is sunk
E Nadakaze, Shell hits 4, and is sunk

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,54, Range 6,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Hakaze, Shell hits 1 - the lone survivor, who shall go forth and tell the tale!

Oh yeah - I forgot, but CL Emerald decided it wanted to hug Frobisher during this last combat for sinking the Aoba, and the Frobisher wasn't having any of it:
CA Frobisher collides with CL Emerald at 54 , 54



Not a bad day of fishing. I was concerned that they would be left with their pants down having not made it to bombard the airfield, but we got lucky the 61 reported bombers at Rangoon did not have good naval search up. Only DD Relentless and an escorting DD are detecting, DL 3/6, to the west of Rangoon. The rest of the task force made Ramree Island and are proceeding north undetected, but low on fuel.

In the air, Spitfires (VIII's), Thunderbolts, and Lightnings clear out Magwe. Only 6 Jacks and 8 Franks survive to sweep Akyab for almost no gain.


Solomons/Coral Sea
3 AMs sunk at Rabaul by my bombardment force on the 14th. Then an MTB wastes a bunch of my ammo, and doesn't even have the dignity to sink. What an arse. However, the bombardment goes in and should shut down the airfield for a day or so:

Night Naval bombardment of Rabaul at 106,125

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
J1N1-S Irving: 34 damaged
J1N1-S Irving: 3 destroyed on ground
Ki-45 KAIc Nick: 44 damaged
Ki-45 KAIc Nick: 6 destroyed on ground
Ki-44-IIb Tojo: 20 damaged
Ki-44-IIb Tojo: 4 destroyed on ground
J2M2 Jack: 40 damaged
J2M2 Jack: 5 destroyed on ground
B6N2 Jill: 29 damaged
B6N2 Jill: 5 destroyed on ground
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 8 damaged
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed on ground
D4Y1 Judy: 10 damaged
D4Y1 Judy: 2 destroyed on ground
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 4 damaged
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed on ground
N1K1-J George: 9 damaged
N1K1-J George: 3 destroyed on ground
Ki-46-II Dinah: 23 damaged
Ki-46-II Dinah: 1 destroyed on ground
H6K4-L Mavis: 1 damaged

Allied Ships
CA Salt Lake City
CL St. Louis
DD Fanning
DD Carmick
DD Satterlee
DD Thompson
DD Gansevoort
DD Frazier
DD Waller
DD Stanly
DD Bennett

Japanese ground losses:
349 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 38 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 12 (3 destroyed, 9 disabled)
Vehicles lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled) - These results make me wonder if forts are LOW here... as in forts 2 or less.

Airbase hits 45
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 60

In the afternoon of the 14th, TBFs sink an xAK and E between Kiriwina Island and Rabaul.

Shortlands AF to 6, Buka forts to 2. Will build the base there soon.

CENTPAC

I said the IJN cruisers had a bad day, right?

Afternoon Air attack on Kwajalein Island , at 132,115

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Allied aircraft
PB4Y-1 Liberator x 9

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
SS I-24, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
CA Atago, Bomb hits 9, on fire
ACM Kaito Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
AKE Mamiya, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Port hits 7

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x PB4Y-1 Liberator bombing from 7000 feet
Port Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Kwajalein Island , at 132,115

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-24D1 Liberator x 6

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D1 Liberator: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Atago, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires
SS I-24, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
DD Shimozuki, Bomb hits 1, on fire
PB Chokai Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
AKE Mamiya, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x B-24D1 Liberator bombing from 7000 feet
Port Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Kwajalein Island , at 132,115 (12/15 - Atago and Shimozuki gone)

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 62 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 21 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-24D1 Liberator x 9
PB4Y-1 Liberator x 12

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D1 Liberator: 1 damaged
PB4Y-1 Liberator: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
AKE Mamiya, Bomb hits 6, and is sunk
SS I-24, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
PB Chokai Maru, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk

Port hits 13
Port fuel hits 2

We also bomb the troops and airfield at Makin. Still wearing them down in preparation for the invasion. I can be as patient as I want here.

Timor/Banda Seas
This time, all 4 Kongos bombard Ambon. They get a few base hits but that's all. He also sends various bombing sentais against the troops there and only gets a couple of them.

IJN forces are spotted at Kai-eilanden, but we bomb the airfield instead, trying to keep it shut down or at least damaged.

[Lokasenna]

December 16 - 18, 1943

A few mostly quiet days. I'm changing the order of theater reporting as the Coral Sea area is strategically linked to the Timor area.

Subs
Tunny hits the bigger xAP Argentina Maru outside of Pagan, but she's empty and will survive.

Snook hits an xAK outside Gorontalo, but she lives.

I-176 is hit once outside of Gove.

Burma
We bite the bullet and decide to sweep Magwe on the 16th. We do reasonably well. The first sweep is 24x P-47s and they are met by a 57-plane CAP. We win big, but still lose a few. The second sweep of 25x P-47s is met by only 18 planes on CAP, and P-38s finish up later on.

We sweep again on the 18th, with similar results. Initial sweeps (of Spits this time) come out slightly ahead, and later sweeps clean up.

Solomons/Coral Sea
A bombardment of Rabaul gets even more planes, base hits, and over 400 reported casualties. I really do think forts here are low. Followup sweeps during the day on the 16th dominate the skies. The first sweep, 32 Corsairs, was met by only 18 Tojos and 8 Jacks. Further sweeps are 80 Hellcats, and then a triple-coordinated sweep of 70 P-47s, all of which find empty skies. Brava!

On the 17th, only 11 planes make it up for CAP at Rabaul, and the P-38s swat them aside. This is probably the end for Rabaul, although we lose some Navy Liberators trying to bomb the place in daylight.

I also send DDs to bombard Namatanai on the 16th, which gets Jakes and Topsys on the ground and some base hits, and causes a few casualties amongst the troops/builders.

About 3 weeks until my AGC's arrive with one of my HQm's.

Kiriwina is bombed daily to keep IJ supply in the toilet.

Timor/Banda Seas
3 of my CAs bombard Kai-eilanden on the 16th. I had been hoping to get ships sighted here, presumably unloading reinforcements and/or supplies, but no joy. Still, we destroy Jack/George/Oscar/Zero models on the ground and get some runway hits. Daylight bombing meets a light CAP here, but we still get a few more hits.

About 18 Nells are shot down trying to strike ships unloading at Broome. I have CAP there, now.

Ambon goes back to Japanese control at the end of the 17th. We evacuated almost all of the brigade. The scale of his response was not my intended effect, but it'll do. I think he really overreacted, because if I want to I can just take the place anyway. It's not like I won't need any fewer flight decks to take Timor and Boela, whether Ambon is in his hands or mine. Still, this diversion may have focused his power away from Darwin and Taberfane/Dobo while I needed to consolidate my landings. Taberfane/Dobo are by no means safe and secure, but he isn't taking them back at least. We can worry about selling beach resorts there a year from now, it's not important right now.

Behind Enemy Lines!
We put recon over Babeldaob on the 16th, and on the 17th we see a few CVEs reported in the port with only 28 fighters at the base. We're going to try bombing the place with B-24s from Taberfane. Unfortunately, they don't fly until the 18th (presumably failed weather or fatigue checks?). By that time, the hunting prospects are not as good. We blow up 2 ACM's and cripple 1 AD, 1 AG, and 2 xAK. Stuff sinks at dusk, presumably we got a couple of those cripples. No CVEs or even AVs. We end up losing a couple of the planes that were damaged and left behind at Taberfane to afternoon airfield bombing on the 18th.

Other Stuff
Still expanding bases in the Gilberts. VP farming for the most part, but having lots of size 4 ports/size 5 AFs might come in handy later, if I decide I want the Marshalls for some reason.

Also building up the Solomons since I have engineers just sitting around, waiting for the next invasions to happen. LCT/Barge TFs are cool.

[Lokasenna]

December 19 - 21, 1943

Subs
Albacore cripples an xAK near Kendari. Albacore then gets crippled on the 20th and will heave to head for the barn.

Ray damages another big xAK near Jesselton.

Scamp sinks a TK just to the east of Amami Oshima. I love Scamp.

Lapon cripples and then sinks an xAK carrying Oil outside of Pescadores. Probably a Yusen. Nice ships.

Haddo gets a sighting of 2 LSDs, 1 AK, 1 xAP, and 1 E outside of Kochi. If only she had launched some torpedoes. Later in the day on the 21st, she cripples the AK and there are troops on board.


RO-60 sinks an xAP outside of Moresby.


Burma
We start bombing the Oil at Magwe before it becomes obvious to us in some weeks that we really didn't need to, because he's about to bug out. Although this may have been part of his decision process. 8+ reported hits on the 19th. Magwe is empty on sweeps this day as well. More hits on the 20th. By the time I stop bombing here, it will be hanging around 100-102 capacity remaining, with the Refinary intact at 100.

We begin doing Bombing Recon outside Akyab. We notice the 110th and 6th Divisions on the 19th.

2 DDs bombard Rangoon on the 21st, getting about 30 hits on the base and a few Tonys/Oscars destroyed on the ground. On the way in, they sunk 1 AM, 2 SCs, 1 PB, and 2 MTBs.

China
Bombing industry at Wuchow...

Kashgar's AF expands to 6, and Wasu's AF to 4. Still a sideshow up here, but he's moving a division and armor up to contest. Interesting, since the area doesn't really matter as I can't fly the Chinese in up here, but maybe he doesn't know that. I was just trying to take Urumchi on the cheap for fun and maybe a bomber base later on. As it is, the Chindits at Wasu withdraw in about a year and I will need to replace them.

On the 21st, the long range British Liberators bomb the RepSY at Hong Kong and get a reported 5 hits. A few are damaged by balloons.

CENTPAC
Still bombing Abemama and Makin, and building the islands I control.

On the 21st, the invasion of Makin goes in. A semi-cursed affair, the AKA Mercury runs aground and sinks mid-day. 18 Bettys come by to bomb and miss, and then 22 Frances arrive to sink 1 AK and cripples another. My LRCAP didn't come with me. Oh well. The resulting shock attack gets 1:1 odds and drops forts to 3. 1083 IJA casualties reported against just 243 Allies plus 59 vehicles.

Solomons/Coral Sea
Moresby's AF goes to 8, doubling our air support. Now we just need it to hit 9 and we can dominate the entire SE portion of PNG.

We bombard Rabaul again on the 21st, causing a few hundred casualties and damage to the base. A few MTBs also sunk.

Timor/Banda Seas
Darwin's AF reaches 8 on the same day as Moresby's. It's like Christmas come 5 days early!

Destroying Jakes on the ground at Saumlaki with aerial bombing, while the IJN begins to send CAs and the like to bombard our troops on the island. It's still going to be a slog. The next day, the same CAs decide to bombard Taberfane. I guess they only expended about half their ammo on day 1. Wishing I had sent in some SCTFs to take advantage, but I didn't care to die to a swarm of angry Nells.

We tried to bomb the AF at Sorong on the 21st, but he moved CAP in and a handful of B-24J's are lost.

Ise/Hyuga/Mutsu/Nagato team up and bombard Dobo on the 20th. 305 casualties amongst the meager forces I have present, and lots of base hits. Oh well - no chance he's taking this back.

Surprise!!! On the 20th, my 2x B-25D1 groups at Gove detect and bomb/strafe a bombardment TF still at Taberfane. It's the Yamatos! I hadn't seen them, and given how many submarines and CLs that he accelerated, and presumably the CVs as well... he must have really spent on the Naval Shipyards. I had assumed that he didn't build the Yamatos in order to do all of the SS's and CL's so quickly. In any case, lots of .50-cal hits on the TB-turned-E escort vessels, and the Yamato takes 3x 500-lb bombs on her deck armor which destroy 1 AA mount. The Musashi also takes a hit on the armor. After that, they bombard Taberfane and cause a reported 862 casualties and wreck the base.

By the end of the day on the 21st, there's lots of IJN sightings in the Banda Sea between Ambon and Timor.

Other Stuff
We put LCDR Dick O'Kane in charge of the DD Jenkins. He will be the last DD added to some Fletcher TF from time to time and run around as O'Kane's Navy, striking fear into the hearts of all IJN COs. Until he eventually goes down with his ship, I'm sure.

[JocMeister]

Nice work with the RN. I like their CAs better then the US ones. [:)]