Rookie AAR

[Leandros]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ORIGINAL: wdolson

I believe A-24s and SBDs should be able to be transferred via land bases. Send them up to Alice Springs, then to Darwin. I'm know some planes can make the Alice
Springs to Darwin hop, I can't remember if the SBD-3/A-24 is one of them. I'm pretty sure the SBD-5 can make it, but that doesn't help you now.

Transferring planes via land hops is much safer than putting carriers at risk in sub infested waters.

Bill

Even if they can't almost any plane can make the transfer by adding a stop at Katherine.

I have sent some planes through that route but, as in RL, there are much delays and many fall-outs. So in this game, too. 3 B-17E's got stuck in Katherine, had to
move them on surface to Darwin to finally get them out of there. Very Little supplies on these stations which is the same as little fuel, too...? Haven't figured
out how to get more supplies into these airfields except from setting their supply demands to "on". Even tried to fly fuel (supplies) into Katherine by C-47's.
Didn't help.

A real problem in RL was the wear and tear operating through these primitive airfields (with many inexperienced pilots) and it took several days. The advantage of
using the carriers is, of course, to save on this and at the same time get some TLC from the naval a/c specialists onboard the carriers.

As for Japanese submarine threat, in RL that was non-existent in this area. The closest to Japanese submarine activity was one boat lost outside Darwin on January
20th 1942. Not so in the game. This is something I shall have to do something with when I start in earnest. While it is reasonable to expect the Japanese to react
to the increased US activity in the Moluccans and Australia it would take time to analyze, and to transfer forces from other areas. As in most countries' military
establishments there is also the internal rivalries and resource dispositions to consider. The Japanese command system was as clumsy, slow-reacting and ridden by
this problem as any.

Fred

[HansBolter]

Getting supply up the rail to NW OZ is a challenge.

Best ways stated by many players is to increase levels of facilities, including Port Augusta at the source end, sending a load of troops there and or a Command HQ.

Try railing one of the sevral command HQs at Sydney that really aren't doing anything to Alice Springs to see if it's presence can increase the flow.

[BBfanboy]

Leandros: SS I-19 is reported hit by a Catalina flying out of Port Moresby.

Playing both sides in my sandbox games, I have noted that 90% of hits on subs claimed by aircraft in 1941-42 cause no damage at all. When the aircrew get more experience ( over 60) in ASW they begin to improve their hit rate, but still report way more sub hits than actually achieved.

[Leandros]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Leandros: SS I-19 is reported hit by a Catalina flying out of Port Moresby.

Playing both sides in my sandbox games, I have noted that 90% of hits on subs claimed by aircraft in 1941-42 cause no damage at all. When the aircrew get more experience ( over 60) in ASW they begin to improve their hit rate, but still report way more sub hits than actually achieved.

Thank you, I've grabbed that now. That is why I write "report".....[:)]...

Fred

[Buckrock]

ORIGINAL: Leandros
As for Japanese submarine threat, in RL that was non-existent in this area. The closest to Japanese submarine activity was one boat lost outside Darwin on January 20th 1942. Not so in the game. This is something I shall have to do something with when I start in earnest. While it is reasonable to expect the Japanese to react to the increased US activity in the Moluccans and Australia it would take time to analyze, and to transfer forces from other areas. As in most countries' military establishments there is also the internal rivalries and resource dispositions to consider. The Japanese command system was as clumsy, slow-reacting and ridden by this problem as any.

By mid-January the Japanese had four submarines tasked with laying mines around Darwin and in the western approaches of the Torres Strait, as well as patrolling the main sea communication routes out of Darwin. At this time also another six IJN submarines were sweeping south through the area before heading out into the Indian Ocean.

Historically, Japanese submarines were often used in support of major offensives. In your game the Japanese appear to have begun their DEI offensive early so it shouldn't be surprising their submarines are appearing early there too.

Ships operating in those restricted waters were considered highly vulnerable to submarine attack due to numerous "choke points". There was a good reason why the Australians based a sizeable contingent of their ASW and MSW assets out of Darwin and why many of the over-worked Asiatic destroyers still had to pull escort duty in the area at this time. If it worked for them, it's probably worth doing in your game.

[Leandros]

January 15th 1942

AK’s J. L. Luckenbach and William Luckenbach encounter BB Yamashiro TF. Barely evades.

CA’s Northampton and Chester ambush landing convoy near Namlea. PB Saiko Maru and AK Tatutaki Mari sunk. 458 casualties. Like I said, a “Hornet’s Nest”.

BB Yamashiro catches up with the 2 AK’s carrying 1st Marines Raider Bn. 1.062 casualties.

SS Seawolf reports hit on AK La Plata Maru.

SS Sealion reports hit on AK Omi Maru.

Minneapolis TF bombards the invasion force near Cotabato, 146th IR.

AK Centaur is hit by 3 torpedoes from SS I-164 near Portland Roads. Sinks.

11 B-17D’s attack the invasion force near Cotabato. 146 casualties.

CV Saratoga is taking on one squadron each of A-24 and P-39’s for delivery to Ambon.


January 16th 1942

AK Steel Worker meets BB Yamashiro TF just south of Port Moresby. Gets away. Interesting.

12 B-17D’s flying out of Cagayan bomb the Cotabato invasion force. 81 casualties.

A CV TF north of Dili launch 7 Vals, 2 Kates and 5 Zeros against own vessels near Ambon. No damage.

A CV TF NW Zamboanga launch 39 Kates, 42 Vals and 19 Zeros to attack shipping in Zamboanga. 4 P-36 and 3 P-40E intercept. 6 ships suffer bomb hits. AK Admiral Halstead sinks.

Another bombing raid against Zamboanga, 12 Kates, 9 Vals, 12 Zeros. Bomb hits on CL Raleigh. AK Montgomery City sinks.

14 Kates, 7 Zeros attack Cotabato harbor. AK Liran sinks.

CV Saratoga, north of Torres Strait has flown off P-39’s and A-24’s to Ambon.

Fred

[wdolson]

In the early going I usually strip the small base fragments from Western Australian ports and move them to Darwin where I combine the fragments. Then I move a fair amount of supply and a good chunk of the DEI fuel I can get out ahead of the Japanese to Darwin. This turns Darwin into a major hub for early operations. It's less vulnerable and easier to defend than Ambon.

The Japanese AI is more aggressive with subs than they were in real life. The Japanese never put a high value on commerce raiding and only did a few limited long range patrols to heavy commerce hubs early in the war. They were much more interested in sinking warships ahead of the decisive battle. The AI and most human players use Japanese subs the way they could have been used, focusing on ports the Allies are likely to use for commerce and choke points like the Torres Straits.

Bill

[Buckrock]

ORIGINAL: wdolson
The Japanese AI is more aggressive with subs than they were in real life. The Japanese never put a high value on commerce raiding and only did a few limited long range patrols to heavy commerce hubs early in the war. They were much more interested in sinking warships ahead of the decisive battle. The AI and most human players use Japanese subs the way they could have been used, focusing on ports the Allies are likely to use for commerce and choke points like the Torres Straits.

No disagreement there but the seemingly high volume of traffic through the Torres Strait may also be contributing to the worse than normal game results for Leandros. When the Japanese did have submarines dedicated to this area in January, the historical volume of Allied shipping using the strait was rather small and tended to be always escorted. IIRC, from late Dec '41 to late Jan '42, only about a dozen non-warships transited through the straits. There was also air and surface patrols allocated to covering the area from Darwin to the Torres Islands.

It's not clear in the AAR but I didn't get the impression that many air assets had been dedicated in the game to performing search missions for the area to put the IJN subs under pressure.

[Leandros]

January 16th 1942

AK Steel Worker meets BB Yamashiro TF just south of Port Moresby. Gets away. Interesting.

12 B-17D’s flying out of Cagayan bomb the Cotabato invasion force. 81 casualties.

A CV TF north of Dili launch 7 Vals, 2 Kates and 5 Zeros against own vessels near Ambon. No damage.

A CV TF NW Zamboanga launch 39 Kates, 42 Vals and 19 Zeros to attack shipping in Zamboanga. 4 P-36 and 3 P-40E intercept. 6 ships suffer bomb hits. AK Admiral
Halstead sinks.

Another bombing raid against Zamboanga, 12 Kates, 9 Vals, 12 Zeros. Bomb hits on CL Raleigh. AK Montgomery City sinks.

14 Kates, 7 Zeros attack Cotabato harbor. AK Liran sinks.

CV Saratoga, north of Torres Strait, has flown off P-39’s and A-24’s to Ambon.


January 17th 1942

BB Yamashiro TF, pre-invasion bombardment of Port Moresby. AK Ruth Alexander on fire.

SS Sealion misses AP Ussuri Mari with 4 torpedoes near Davao. Receive 3 shell hits from escort Choko Maru no. 2.

The nightly bombardments of the enemy invasion forces on Namlea have started.

Still stubborn defense of Tarakan. AK London Maru, 7 shell hits by CD batteries. On fire. AK AK Akiwa Maru, 21 shell hits. 27 casualties.

4 damaged allied vessels, cruisers Minneapolis, Adelaide and Raleigh, and DD Bagley, trapped in Zamboanga, try to escape south.

9 B-26’s flying from Ambon bomb the Namlea invasion force. 39 casualties on ground.

A second and third raid by 23 B-26’s yields 86 Japanese casualties.

A bombing raid from a CV TF SW Menado by 6 Vals, 2 Kates and 5 Zeros achieve little except 5 intercepting P-36’s lost and 1 bomb hit on CL Hobart. Bad enough.

7 B-17D’s bomb the Cotabato invasion force. 33 casualties.

The Aussie defense of Kavieng is still holding up.

A second attack from the CV TF SW Menado, this time on Ambon. 2 Kates, 5 Zeros. Intercepted by 3 P-36. 1 Kate, 1 P-36 destroyed. No damage on target – CA Chester.
Seems they are running out of bombers now.

CL Raleigh sinks on its way south from Zamboanga.

The Japanese are landing at Nauru.

Shock attack by the US forces on Namlea. The Japanese landing force, 542 men strong, defend against the US force of 3.100 troops.

It seems the Bataan withdrawal didn’t go too well. Bataan is already out of supplies with approx. 50.000 troops closed in on the peninsula.

Enemy troops are moving inland from Davao. Zamboanga shall obviously be the pivotal point. It’s well supplied at the moment but need more reinforcements.

Fred

[Leandros]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

In the early going I usually strip the small base fragments from Western Australian ports and move them to Darwin where I combine the fragments. Then I move a fair
amount of supply and a good chunk of the DEI fuel I can get out ahead of the Japanese to Darwin. This turns Darwin into a major hub for early operations. It's
less vulnerable and easier to defend than Ambon.

Good Point but I do not want them to be too efficient...[;)]

The Japanese AI is more aggressive with subs than they were in real life. The Japanese never put a high value on commerce raiding and only did a few
limited long range patrols to heavy commerce hubs early in the war. They were much more interested in sinking warships ahead of the decisive battle. The AI
and most human players use Japanese subs the way they could have been used, focusing on ports the Allies are likely to use for commerce and choke points like
the Torres Straits.

Bill

Thank you, Bill - I had prepared the posting below - but you got ahead of me:

Buckrock wrote: By mid-January the Japanese had four submarines tasked with laying mines around Darwin and in the western approaches of the Torres Strait,
as well as patrolling the main sea communication routes out of Darwin. At this time also another six IJN submarines were sweeping south through the area Before
heading out into the Indian Ocean.

I suppose none of these were in the vicinity of the Torres Strait?

Historically, Japanese submarines were often used in support of major offensives. In your game the Japanese appear to have begun their DEI offensive early
so it shouldn't be surprising their submarines are appearing early there too.

Actually, they are right on schedule but were beaten to it in Menado (in the game) and withdrew from Davao - but returned. RL, they invaded Ambon in the end of
January. Their submarines haven’t bothered me at all in the Moluccans or around the Philippines. Maybe a couple of encounters. As you may know, “strategic” in
the Japanese term at this time, would be against warships, not transports.

Ships operating in those restricted waters were considered highly vulnerable to submarine attack due to numerous "choke points". There was a good reason
why the Australians based a sizeable contingent of their ASW and MSW assets out of Darwin and why many of the over-worked Asiatic destroyers still had to pull
escort duty in the area at this time. If it worked for them, it's probably worth doing in your game.

The Allies may have been busy at countering this perceived threat but it was only that – a perceived threat. There were no Japanese boats patrolling the Torres Strait
regularly at that time. Not until June 1942 were any sinkings by Japanese submarines confirmed in the area and that was “south of Sydney” (Hashimoto). Sinkings
“North of Sydney”, which could include the Torres Strait, is first registered in July 1942.

In my game I’ve had half a dozen ships sunk, and several more damaged, in January only. This in spite of almost a dozen ships working ASW missions. No complaints,
it only makes the game more interesting but this is something I shall have to consider if my project shall proceed with reference to a Japanese RL. It should take
months for them to react to the increased US efforts south of The Philippines. It did on Luzon and it did in the Visayas.

Just my opinion...[:)]

Fred

[Leandros]

ORIGINAL: Buckrock
It's not clear in the AAR but I didn't get the impression that many air assets had been dedicated in the game to performing search missions for the area to put the
IJN subs under pressure.

Thank you, Buck. I may not have been clear on this but actually I have ASW patrols flying out of both Horn Island and Port Moresby. Brisbane, too. No doubt the game
is overplaying the IJN subs but, after all, that it what it should do...[&:]

I shall have to make adjustments on this when adapting the game to the Project. Not sure how, but....

Fred

[Leandros]

January 18th 1942

SS Sealion reports hits on AK Alaska Maru near Jolo.

New attack by the BB Yamashiro TF against Port Moresby. Planes from CV Saratoga are looking for her during the day. No luck!

SS I-17 is at it again! 1 torpedo hit on Matthew Luckenbach near Horn Island. It sinks!

Morning raids on enemy force near Namlea by A-24’s and B-26’s.

161st IR attacks the Namlea invasion force. Still no decision.

No US planes lost today. 2 transports, though.

AP Chaumont, quite damaged, CL Perth and DD’s Peary and Thracian are the only ships left in Zamboanga now. In Cagayan are AP Rochambeau, AKL Magellan and
AS Canopus. Canopus has some damage. Tries to evade tonight. In Butuan is CA Australia more or less immobile. CL Leander in Cotabato is also damaged.

Fred


January 19th 1942

DD’s Patterson, Scout and Jarvis withdrawing from Mindanao meet an enemy convoy in the Celebes Sea escorted by 3 auxiliaries. Both parties evade.

The usual nightly bombardment of the enemy on Namlea has started. They have been completely cut off for some days now.

Bad luck! 3 AK’s escaping south from Butuan stumbles into an enemy CV TF west of Davao, CV Soryu with 2 cruisers and 3 DD’s. Turns back.

An enemy BB TF – 2 BB’s, 2 CA’s and 4 DD’s have snuck in behind Flores. Discovered by a 4-AP Dutch convoy on its way back to Soerebaja. All AP’s are sunk by
gunfire and torpedoes.

SS Stingray report hit on AK Syoryo Maru near Laoag.

Morning raids on Namlea invasion force by in all 29 B-26 and 30 A-24.

Cotabato morning B-17 raids yield some 160 enemy casualties.

PT’s Q 111 and 112 and PT-35 are attacked by 11 Sallys near Masbate. No damage.

Cotabato is captured. The enemy has been able to land some 9.000 troops. 8 grounded P-40’s were destroyed on the airfield.

Again a frontal attack by the 161st IR and support units on the Namlea invasion force beachhead. Enemy losses: 146. Own losses: 3. When shall they break?

Talk about the devil – information just in that that the 3rd Yokosuka SNLF on Namlea has been annihilated. Have used too much naval ammunition and bombs on them.
Which I suppose was the enemy intention.

The BB TF that attacked Port Moresby seems to have left the area.

Apart from the P-40’s lost on the ground in Cotabato a quite pleasant day. Time to start pestering the enemy in Ternate again.

Nice thing is: No losses in 2 days for the newly-arrived A-24 and B-26 units on Ambon.

New Base Force units are getting available in the States every day now.

The first 3 Brigades of the AIF 1 Australian Corps are embarking in Aden, destination Timor. Afraid the troops don’t know that yet.

In the meantime the Aussie leadership has released the 9th in Sydney as an intermediate solution to defend Timor. It shall leave Sydney in a few days.

Fred

[Buckrock]

ORIGINAL: Leandros
I suppose none of these were in the vicinity of the Torres Strait?

One was until the 16th Jan. In the few days she was there, the only merchant traffic sighted was a Hospital ship. The submarine left after two Australian corvettes arrived to sweep the area. She then joined three other submarines covering the approaches to the port of Darwin as that was where the main volume of traffic for the area was concentrated. Had it been somewhere else, likely the submarines would have followed.

Actually, they are right on schedule but were beaten to it in Menado (in the game) and withdrew from Davao - but returned.

I thought the AI had already gone after Tarakan in Dec. In RL, that move was part of the Japanese drive into the DEI.

RL, they invaded Ambon in the end of January. Their submarines haven’t bothered me at all in the Moluccans or around the Philippines. Maybe a couple of encounters. As you may know, “strategic” in
the Japanese term at this time, would be against warships, not transports.

Actually that's not completely accurate. The Japanese submarines operating off Darwin and the group despatched in January to operate south of Java and into the Indian Ocean were tasked with cutting the sea lanes for both warships and merchant traffic. IIRC, they targeted more merchants than warships. Not that they were good at it but they did at least try.

In my game I’ve had half a dozen ships sunk, and several more damaged, in January only. This in spite of almost a dozen ships working ASW missions. No complaints, it only makes the game more interesting but this is something I shall have to consider if my project shall proceed with reference to a Japanese RL.

It may have been only a "perceived" threat in RL at the time but having in place an equivalent ASW effort early in your games against the AI might allow you to get the desired volume of traffic through the straits without taking what would be unRL losses from the submarines for this period in the war.

It should take months for them to react to the increased US efforts south of The Philippines. It did on Luzon and it did in the Visayas.

Just my opinion...[:)]

Perhaps the Japanese saw little threat to their plans from the historical Allied efforts at sea around Luzon and the Visayas. On the other hand, the Japanese did recognise in late December the fact that Darwin had become the major base for Allied operations in support of the DEI. Within two weeks, submarines had gathered in Davao and then begun their move south to cover Darwin. That doesn't suggest it would take the Japanese months to recognise and respond to some large volume of Allied shipping activity between Northern Australia and say, the Moluccas.

[Buckrock]

ORIGINAL: Leandros

ORIGINAL: Buckrock
It's not clear in the AAR but I didn't get the impression that many air assets had been dedicated in the game to performing search missions for the area to put the
IJN subs under pressure.

Thank you, Buck. I may not have been clear on this but actually I have ASW patrols flying out of both Horn Island and Port Moresby. Brisbane, too. No doubt the game
is overplaying the IJN subs but, after all, that it what it should do...[&:]

I shall have to make adjustments on this when adapting the game to the Project. Not sure how, but....

Fred

If you're not too concerned about what happens outside your chosen area of operations for your project, you should be able to strip enough squadrons from other areas to make things fairly uncomfortable for IJN submarine ops along your reinforcement routes either side of Torres Strait. Even airgroups on Naval Search can help. You might end up with an unhistorical number on searches but as the detection level (DL) on the subs rise through being spotted, they should become less effective in their attacks (excuse the simplistic explanation).

[Leandros]

January 20th 1942

The Japanese are landing in Lae, New Guinea.

The enemy are mind-readers. No sign of a CV TF but suddenly it’s in the middle of the path of a ship transporting the 808th EAB to Kendari, quite close to the port.
Shall AK American Leader get away with it? CV Soryu is accompanied by 2 CA’s and 3 DD’s.

First bombing attack on Samarinda. No results.

SS Saury, operating on the surface, reports shell and torpedo hits on AK Konzan Maru near Morotai.

RN DD’s Iris and Electra bombard Singkawang.

CL de Ruyter and 2 DD’s meet 2 PB’s escorting 7 AK’s near Morotai. Both parties evade.

SS Searaven report torpedo hit on on AP Teikyo near Davao.

Tarakan is captured!

AK American Leader got away!

A relatively quiet day. What is he planning for?

I’m saving resources for a counter-attack. Some amphibious vessels have been assembled in Darwin and I’m routing some newly-arriving transports with army troops
there. So far, only the 193rd Tank Bn has arrived.

In a week there shall be more fighter groups in place. I need that to assemble landing convoys farther forward. They are obviously dependent on air coverage. Only
a few ports can handle reloads without excessive delays. As important is to place ground units on central points for reinforcement those already in position,
being they Dutch, Aussie or Philippine.

Can Zamboanga hold off an attack? The local units are under-manned regiments each of the 61st and 81st PA divisions. They have been reinforced by 2 small US Army
FA Bn’s, 131st and 148th, and 3 Base Forces. All in all 4.300 troops with quite a lot of artillery.

In Menado is a full Combat Engineer Regiment with 3 AK’s finishing unloading of supplies. Should I use these ships to try retake Ternate? Otherwise, Menado isn’t
too well defended – 2 Aussie Bn groups, parts of 2nd Marine Def. Bn (more of it is on its way). Finally, the local Menado Garrison Bn and Base Force.

Fred


January 21st 1942

CL TF de Ruyter finds 3 large transports, escorted by 2 DD’s, unloading on Morotai. Both parties evade.

MTB 7 sunk by a CA TF near Dadjangas.

CL’s Hobart and Colombo find an enemy CV TF outside Macassar. Both parties evade.

The Japanese are landing near Port Moresby! Suspected that with the BB force hovering around the area. CD artillery hit AP Kashima Maru, 63 casualties. I suppose
they didn’t know that PM has been reinforced.

Surfaced SS Snapper is hit by 4 shells from a PB near Kagi.

AK Hamburg Maru escapes CL TF near Morotai. AK Zuiko, too.

TK Erling Brövig reports a small enemy landing force outside Port Hedland, Western Australia, evades. A matter of misidentification?

Dutch SS O21 hits enemy subchaser near Davao. Heavy damage.

5 B-17D’s flying from Cagayan bomb 146th IR in Cotabato. 124 casualties.

Port of Batavia attacked by 13 Kates, 10 Zeros. 17 hits on 3 AK’s.

A bombing attack by carrier planes is reported on an AK east of Macassar. 1 bomb hit.

A PA battalion surrenders west of Davao.

3rd Constabulary Regiment surrenders near Cotabato.

The Japanese already have 1.300 troops ashore near Port Moresby.

Fred

[Leandros]

ORIGINAL: Buckrock
If you're not too concerned about what happens outside your chosen area of operations for your project, you should be able to strip enough squadrons from other
areas to make things fairly uncomfortable for IJN submarine ops along your reinforcement routes either side of Torres Strait. Even airgroups on Naval Search can help. You might end up with an unhistorical number on searches but as the detection level (DL) on the subs rise through being spotted, they should become less effective in their attacks (excuse the simplistic explanation).

Thank you for useful inputs. In the end I suppose the only way is to play both sides intermittently. Don't know what that does to the AI. If at all possible to
alternate. I have Hashimoto's table of the whereabouts of the IJN submarines. Suppose there are some which are more detailed.

Fred

[Buckrock]

ORIGINAL: Leandros
Thank you for useful inputs. In the end I suppose the only way is to play both sides intermittently. Don't know what that does to the AI. If at all possible to alternate. I have Hashimoto's table of the whereabouts of the IJN submarines. Suppose there are some which are more detailed.

Fred

Intermittent play then handing back to the AI did appear to have an impact when I tried it. The AI often cancelled missions already in progress and created new ones. Not a big problem for air operations or land but for naval, it could disrupt an AI offensive mid invasion.

My advice would be to learn to play from both sides so you can create the strategic and operational situations needed for your project. And since you probably only need to play though perhaps 3-4 months, you can ignore much of the economic side of the game.

Hashimoto - haven't used it. I tend to refer back to Boyd and Yoshida while keeping Japanese Monograph 102 (Sub Ops, Dec '41 to April '42) handy. And if you know the submarine id, just go straight to the submarine TROMs at CombinedFleet.Com.

[Leandros]

January 22nd 1942

Port Moresby CD batteries are defending against the landing forces with Bofors and 18-pounders.

DD’s Ellet, Smith and Preston bumps into BB Haruna accompanied by 1 CL and 2 DD’s. Preston is hit by torpedo and sinks.

AKL Prusa is hit by 2 torpedoes from SS I-18 near Newcastle.

Another encounter with the Haruna TF. DD Smith on fire after shell hits.

SS I-18 shells AKL Morazan near Newcastle. 34 hits. Sinks.

SS I-18 attacks a third ship with gunfire near Newcastle. It escapes.

AG Argonne hit by a torpedo from SS I-19 near Nadi. Sinks.

Dutch SS O21 reports torpedo hit on AK Yamakisan near Davao.

13 B-17D’s bomb 16th IR in Cotabato. 97 casualties reported.

A second attack by 3 B-17’s yields 37 casualties.

12 B-26 attack CV Soryu south of Macassar. Turns back when intercepted by 13 Zeros, they have no escort. 3 B-26 lost, 2 damaged.

8 Vals and 5 Zeros from CV Soryu attack CA Salt Lake City TF SE Macassar. No damage. 1 Val destroyed, 4 damaged. Air attacks against Palembang and Batavia from a
CV TF in Sunda Strait.

In a second attack against CV Soryu 1 B-26 is lost to the 11-Zero CAP, 1 by flak.

4 Vals and 4 Zeros attack CL Hobart SW Macassar. No damage on Hobart. 2 Vals damaged.

The Japanese are landing more forces in PM. With the BB force constantly intervening it’s difficult to avoid. The Aussie brigade originally planned for Timor is
disembarking in Sydney. Their transport need to be prepared for amphibious landings. It shall take some days before they can leave Sydney. In the meantime a 2-CV
force of ours is approaching from Hawaii, 2 days out of PM. They shall probably swing by PM to give the enemy a couple of blows.



January 23rd 1942

DD’s Ellet and Smith encounters the Haruna TF east of Morotai. Smith is hit 13 times. Sinks.

5 Vals and 6 Zeros from CV in the south bomb Kendari. 4 Vals damaged by CA Chester flak.

Quiet before the storm? The enemy’s main action at the time seems to be to improve upon the Ternate and Morotai bases. Not long until he starts flying bombing
missions from those, I suppose.

The Japanese landing in Port Moresby is worrying. The more so as there has been problems with organizing an Aussie counter-attack force in Sydney. I hope to slow
down his progress by stationing some of the fighting ships escorting Lexington and Yorktown outside PM.

Something is brewing west of the Banda Sea, too. I won’t use resources on that but rather reinforce Timor and Kendari. “Time is of the Essence”!

As our bombers have shown to be somewhat impotent against enemy ships, more naval forces are needed. There is still hope to keep Mindanao in the fight but Bataan
is already down to zero supplies. I’m afraid to move planes into the airfield in case it suddenly falls.

There are four resistance pockets on Mindanao: Zamboanga being the strongest. The airfield there is expanding very slowly so I need to have Cagayan operational
now that I have lost Cotabato and Davao. No more shipping afloat to move more forces from the other islands.

What happens if PM falls? Cairns shall be the nearest “offensive” airfield. I’m redirecting the 101st USN Base Force to Horn Island. It is 2 days south.

Unfortunate if I have to use the two carriers against PM as 4 fighter squadrons are just now disembarking in Brisbane. Maybe I shall just dispatch a cruiser/DD
force against PM and let the carriers call on Brisbane directly. I can fly off a squadron from each to make space for the army fighters and pick up the carrier planes again after the army planes have been flown off north of the Torres Strait.

Too bad the carriers have already passed Brisbane on their way north. They need to be turned back. They are short of fuel, anyway. Intricate operation.

Fred

[Leandros]

ORIGINAL: Buckrock

My advice would be to learn to play from both sides so you can create the strategic and operational situations needed for your project. And since you probably only
need to play though perhaps 3-4 months, you can ignore much of the economic side of the game.

That was my original intention so that's probably what I shall do. Intend to try the other solution first, though. Just to have done it.

Thank you again.

Fred

[Leandros]

January 24th 1942

The enemy is trying to increase his control of the Celebes Sea by landing in Tandjoengselor, close to Tarakan, too.

The concentration of USN submarines are continuing to damage the enemy near Davao and Dadjangas.

A 2-CA allied force meets the Soryu TF, 2 CA’s and 3 DD’s, SE of Kendari. DD Scout sunk by enemy torpedo, CA Chester hit by torpedo. CA Aoba and DD Yukikaze on
fire after shell hits.

AK Corrales is hit by 3 torps from SS I-173 near Portland Roads. Sinks.

SS I-17 is reported hit twice by DD Phelps near Horn Island.

6 Vals, 7 Zeros from a CV force in NE attack CA Astoria near Bara. 3 Vals damaged.

Constant bombings of Bataan through the day. 32 Nates bombing from 15.000’. Quiet on the ground. Actually, the enemy has been quite passive for some time as if
he has decided to starve out the garrison rather than break it.

Costly Japanese bombing attack on Singapore. Of 16 Vals and 5 Zeros, 2 Vals destroyed by CAP, 7 by flak. 3 damaged.

5th enemy Tank Regiment is ashore in Davao. Bombed by B-17’s from Cagayan. No damage.

DD Phelps is after I-17 again! 1 shell is reported.

Tandjoengselor is captured.

Another relatively quiet day. DD Scout and AK Corrales sunk.

The British lost 4 Buffalos defending Singapore but the enemy lost 21 Vals and a dozen others for various reasons.

New army transports are being readied in the States every day.

SS Pollack shall take up position outside PM tomorrow. 4 cruisers and 7 DD’s are 1 day out before starting the blockade.

The Buffalo and Wildcat squadrons of Lexington and Yorktown have been flown off to PM to cover the upcoming naval blockade.


Fred