Tales from the First Time -DanSez (J) vs Przemcio231 (A) - no Przemcio231 please

[DanSez]

I posted this issue in the Tech Support area. No reply so far. Not quiet sure what to make of that.

Anyway....

I had a single ship task force docked and loading resources in Balikpapan, which was a level 4 port.

I have pretty active ASW based at Balikpapan
3 ASW TFs swarming the approaches.
4 Air Units performing ASW.

[Lowpe]

Chinese AA usually kicks in between 2K and 3K, i.e. machine guns. There are some dedicated AA units but they are few and far between. Send a Sentai of dive bombers...

Wenchow has its own organic supply...I believe.

Usually, battleship bombardments help.

The troops there are usually elite. Well, for China.[:D]

[DanSez]

Nissan Maru was docked, no destination set, should not have left the dock area. As far as I knew this was a pretty well protected little ship.

I was planning on cycling single ships thru this task force/ adding an empty and disbanding the loaded one. I was doing it this way to save Dock Space as I expected CarDiv2's arrival and leaving room for the other ASW TFs to come to port and replenish if needed.

[DanSez]

Well...

This is the combat report from Mar 02, 1942
Submarine attack near Balikpapan at 64,97

Japanese Ships
xAK Nissan Maru, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS S-39

xAK Nissan Maru is sighted by SS S-39
SS S-39 attacking on the surface

What gets me is that there were other task forces, not docked in the same square. How this sub was able to attack a docked ship, actually surface and shell the ship...

Is this 'just the way it is'? If so, then I must assume that any CV docked in a size 4 port could possibly be torpedoed by regular subs. I thought only midget subs could penetrate larger ports.

I wish I could get a response in the Tech Form.

[DanSez]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Chinese AA usually kicks in between 2K and 3K, i.e. machine guns. There are some dedicated AA units but they are few and far between. Send a Sentai of dive bombers...

Wenchow has its own organic supply...I believe.

Usually, battleship bombardments help.

The troops there are usually elite. Well, for China.[:D]

A Sentai of Ida bombing Wenchow at the moment.
I am getting some flak damage bombing Changsha.

thanks

[DanSez]

Mar 02, 1942

Best News of the Day
Special Announcement by Orphan Annie
Japanese forces CAPTURE Rangoon !!!

Also worth noting:
Aircraft Ki-43-IIb Oscar advances R&D (12/42)

Forces almost ready to cross over into Singapore
Already formed Divisions:
Imperial Guards Div
5th Div
18th Div
56th Div

Remaining Division to reform:
2nd Division

Southern Army and 25th Army now 100% Prepped

Cleaning up the Eastern DEI
Immediate Plans to clear all the bases in the Southern Celebes

[jwolf]

What is the Allied strength at Singapore, as far as you know?

[DanSez]

ORIGINAL: jwolf

What is the Allied strength at Singapore, as far as you know?

Continual recon, I've seen the numbers drift up and down.
Current DL 9/10
92,760 troops
599 guns
349 AFVs
3 bombers still on the ground

I have been bombing the airfield with 4 Sentai every day since mid December.

Rough numbers of what I have assembled (still forming up the 2nd Div as an element unpacks)
(not exactly sure what all these numbers mean after Total)

Total: A 2570 G528 F152 E504 S3068

CompStrengh Inf:43642 Gun:2998 AFV:624

[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: DanSez

ORIGINAL: jwolf

What is the Allied strength at Singapore, as far as you know?

Continual recon, I've seen the numbers drift up and down.
Current DL 9/10
92,760 troops
599 guns
349 AFVs
3 bombers still on the ground

I have been bombing the airfield with 4 Sentai every day since mid December.

Rough numbers of what I have assembled (still forming up the 2nd Div as an element unpacks)
(not exactly sure what all these numbers mean after Total)

Total: A 2570 G528 F152 E504 S3068

CompStrengh Inf:43642 Gun:2998 AFV:624

A is your AV strength = 2570
G = #of Guns 528
F = #of Flak 152
E = #of Engineers 504
S = # of Support 3068

Compstrength is something I need to start looking at. Basically it weighs the quality of your units and gives you an overall measure. A chineese division is not the same strength as an USMC division even if they are the same AV.

[ny59giants]

Makassar, Celebes - I capture the two bases above it and then march down to capture base. This leaves him no retreat path and the units are destroyed. Saves you from having to chase him through the country side.

[DanSez]

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

ORIGINAL: DanSez

ORIGINAL: jwolf

What is the Allied strength at Singapore, as far as you know?

Continual recon, I've seen the numbers drift up and down.
Current DL 9/10
92,760 troops
599 guns
349 AFVs
3 bombers still on the ground

I have been bombing the airfield with 4 Sentai every day since mid December.

Rough numbers of what I have assembled (still forming up the 2nd Div as an element unpacks)
(not exactly sure what all these numbers mean after Total)

Total: A 2570 G528 F152 E504 S3068

CompStrengh Inf:43642 Gun:2998 AFV:624

A is your AV strength = 2570
G = #of Guns 528
F = #of Flak 152
E = #of Engineers 504
S = # of Support 3068

Compstrength is something I need to start looking at. Basically it weighs the quality of your units and gives you an overall measure. A chineese division is not the same strength as an USMC division even if they are the same AV.

Thank you for the explanation

As I am looking at the recon, I only have rough numbers of what is there, and somethings those drift up or down a few counts.

I have sent a couple of armor units North toward Burma, but everything else in Malaysia is just about ready to jump the canal at Singapore. 2 HQs prepped 100%. Wish me luck.

[DanSez]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Makassar, Celebes - I capture the two bases above it and then march down to capture base. This leaves him no retreat path and the units are destroyed. Saves you from having to chase him through the country side.

Yes, that is similar to what I have in motion.

Do those pesky Allied remnants eventually run out of supply and die in the jungle or do I have to march in and physically shoot them down?
example: Allied Balikapapan Base Force. After initial attacks, what is left of it has retreated to the 63,96 in the off road jungle to the West.

Back up to the East of Brunei/Beaufort, an Allied unit has been living in the jungle at 67,87 since early December. Maybe they have been supplied by air from Tarakan.

[jwolf]

If out of supply long enough I believe they will disperse, that is, be destroyed. I've had several small remnants suffer that fate. But I don't know if this rule applies across the board.

[Encircled]

They should eventually disperse, but it will take time

[DanSez]

Thanks guys.
I have been watching the one outside Beaufort and it seems to be able to subsist on bark and roots. After Tarakan falls, it may dissipate.

The element East of Balikpapan was being used for bomber practice. I have a small group of Vals that need experience.

[Lowpe]

I find compstrength pretty important to look at -- helps you judge relative defensive or offensive positions when you have diverse unit TOEs.

Helps me sleep at night![:D]

[DanSez]

Mar 03, 1942

Lots of the usual combat results:
Bombing Changsha, Bataan, Singapore, Palembang, Nanyang (attacks at Wenchow scrubbed due to weather...)

Sub Wars
I have noticed Allied High Command start to shift more subs into the Home Island waters.

A few dents for their efforts from my Air ASW efforts:
G4M1 Betty from Takao Ku K-1 attacking SS Nautilus at 112,109
SS Nautilus is reported HIT

G4M1 Betty from Takao Ku K-1 attacking a Perch class SS at 113,108
a O16 Class class SS is reported HIT

G4M1 Betty from Takao Ku K-1 attacking a Porpoise class SS at 113,108
an Allied SS is reported HIT

And this grungy pieces of doggerel was fouling the waters off of coast of Japan:
ASW attack near Kobe at 108,60

Japanese Ships
SC CHa-28
SC CHa-23

Allied Ships
SS Grampus, hits 5


Solomons
After the disastrous response to the CVL raid a few weeks back, I have been shifting submarines into this area. The CVEs of CarDiv3 have snuck close in as well. I am hoping that Allied High Command attempts another mini-carrier raid so I can catch him with a couple of surface task forces, CarDiv3 and properly fueled this time.

It is a bit worrisome the lack of long range recon I have here. I am marshaling some base forces and supplies to setup Ocean and Nauru Islands with Mavis to plug a gap in recon.

[ny59giants]

Use your Nell and Betty for NavS. You will need to get them trained up in this skill eventually.

[DanSez]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Use your Nell and Betty for NavS. You will need to get them trained up in this skill eventually.

At this point, I have no spare support troops to build up those bases at Ocean/Nauru Islands to put Nells or Bettys at.
I can move a Mavis search group to Ocean Island which has an AV and supply waiting.

Too many other demands in the DEI, Malaysia, Philippines and the push into Burma -- but I have recently arrived support troops sitting in Tokyo. No xAPs, only slow xAKLs (14 speed or less) and NO spare escorts. I am routing back transports and escorts to start moving more forces into this area.

Maintaining the pace of ops... this needs more attention and planning on my part. One thing I need to do is to forecast the reinforcements coming in the next 30-45 days and think about where they should go and getting transports/escorts moving in the right direction before they arrive.

[DanSez]

Mar 04, 1942

Best News of the Day
Aircraft A6M5c Zero advances R&D 8/44

Japanese forces CAPTURE Soerakarta !!!


and a snapshot of the forces piling up in the Home Islands waiting for General Confusion to route ships back to pick them up.