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

[Lowpe]

May 1st 1944

Night strikes on Allied baby flatops yields ten destroyed planes for no gain. I have yet to hit anything with a night torpedo run.[:(] But I can't penetrate his 500 fighter CAP.

The Deathstar moves between Formosa and China, after hitting Shanghai yesterday, and sink several SC, a PB, an AKE, and a xak but they lose planes too flying into a Ki100I escorted task force.

Allies bomb everywhere they can, but miss my buzz saws over Honshu. 42 Allied planes downed, including 4 British Liberators in a nice little trap over the 1st Tank Division in the Central Thai Plains. 39 Japanese planes lost for the day (mostly from night bombing and one Spitfire sweep downing 11 Georges).

We are retreating the shattered troops out of Battambang...and it looks the the Allies are going to push onto Vientiane. Allied bombers are simply devastating to any defense even with AA if the forts aren't there.

[Lowpe]

Goofy posts...goofy computer.[:)]

[JocMeister]

Your screens are FUBAR. [:D]

[Lowpe]

That is a potential clash north of Udon Thani, as the 2nd Tank Division, and an Amphibious Brigade some artillery and AA are in relatively decent shape versus an Allied division and two tank units.

I need to decide if I try to hold here our retreat across the river to Vientiane and their forts. Vientiane is held by the 14th Division at around 150+ AV several more artillery and assorted units getting total AV over 400.

My thought,now, is to to get everything across the river and hunker down in the forts, while the shattered divisions move back to Vinh and Hanoi.

I would like to hold so the troops stuck in the jungle to the west can get closer to Vientiane as they are in good shape too, if only regiment or brigade strength, but that is asking a lot of the 2nd Tank.

But once again, it is the Allied bombers that just really savage my defensive positions. He lost 10 AB yesterday (plus other bombers) savaging the 2nd Tank Division and friends...so I think a retreat across the river makes the most sense for now and the troops to the west in the jungle will have to do the best they can.

Plus I would hate for him to cross the river in pursuit mode nullifying the river crossing.

Alfred gave me some really good advice a while back, and that was not to rely upon any of the forward defenders making it back to the next defensive line....that I would need fresh troops to do that. I would be in absolute panic mode if I had to rely upon those forward defenders getting back as they have gotten savaged, but also savaged the Allied juggernaut too. Of course, Japan took the greater losses thru the retreat mechanism, but it is weakening the Allies and buying time.

I have made it to May, and we aren't yet at the Vinh line. I will take that as a success. With a little bit of luck, it may be July before we are there....I believe my troops along the river can stop an armored thrust as they are all artillery heavy. Just need more AA everywhere.

That will make Vinh a fort 6 festung.

[Lowpe]

Got the turn done, slower than normal due to family concerns (all good).

Anyhow, set up a few more Festungs...but running dangerously short of 45 engines.

We will see if any of my traps pay off this day....

[Lowpe]

May 2, 1944

Shocker![X(] The Allies set all B29s on night bombing. They hit the runway at Hiroshima, guarded by 1 sentai of Irvings and some Georges set on night duty to recover. I had moved almost all nightfighters over to either training or deep defense during the daytime, will have to move some more back to night work.

The Irvings are there thru all the waves, but only down one B29 while the B29s do pretty well in destroying some planes but only put 6 points of damage on the runways and 2 on the services. Pretty decent.

Honshu is quiet in the air pretty much...Tokyo bombed, and a dozen Wildcats and SBDs downed over Osaka. Runways at Tokyo are fixed to 21 percent. For the day 24 Allied losses including 6 4e beasties, while Japan loses 21.

No ground attacks in Thailand and the defenses are shaping up. Almost 700 AV at Vientiane, Pakse has 350 with 400 more to arrive shortly, and the bridge west of Vinh has 650 with more on the way. Good armor and artillery present, but short on AA.

Elsewhere, a group of super Es destroys four PT boats in the Japanese Islands and our daily night torpedo bombing misses again with strikes against CV, CVLs, BB, and PT boats but we only lose 2 planes.

[Lowpe]

Thailand...

Just ugly fighting here, the 2nd Division at Battambang is combat ineffective, as is the 55th at Vientiane. Other Divisions down to 100 AV that were on the front lines, in the north most all troops have reached Vientiane or the the bridge west of Vinh.

Battambang is a different story, but he Allies are hurting there too as there was no attack yesterday...many troops should make the next town today.

I pulled off a fairly large two day air evacuation of the 2nd Division from Battambang so a fair amount of those troops will get a chance to recover. I will be able to evacuate another 130+ devices today as there is no Allied recon on Tourane.

[JocMeister]

Have you started preparing your fallback line? I would start digging in around Vinh and just give him the rest of Thailand. This will let your battered troops recover and become combat ready again.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Have you started preparing your fallback line? I would start digging in around Vinh and just give him the rest of Thailand. This will let your battered troops recover and become combat ready again.

Vinh is level 5 fort and should make 6 where I will stop.

I don't want to abandon the river line; I don't want to abandon Saigon and Cam Ranh Bay without some fight. This is all great terrain for Japan to fight in and delay the Allies. Even if the Allies maneuver thru the jungles off road it will gain me time.

Time, time, time.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Have you started preparing your fallback line? I would start digging in around Vinh and just give him the rest of Thailand. This will let your battered troops recover and become combat ready again.

Vinh is level 5 fort and should make 6 where I will stop.

I don't want to abandon the river line; I don't want to abandon Saigon and Cam Ranh Bay without some fight. This is all great terrain for Japan to fight in and delay the Allies. Even if the Allies maneuver thru the jungles off road it will gain me time.

Time, time, time.

Is time really that important now? I mean with the allies already bombing the HI I´m not sure delaying him in Thailand will be that beneficial. Granted I havn´t checked how many VPs are down there.

If not "that much" I think you are better off withdrawing and allowing your troops to get combat effective again. A shorter line will allow you to rest and rotate troops and possibly send some off to more important locations like Luzon. Manila is a HUUUUGE allied VP pool.

I don´t have the full picture obviously but defending the river is a very long line. Hard for you to defend while he can focus in a "schwerpunkt" and cross before you can scramble enough defenders?

[Lowpe]

I feel if I let him concentrate and fall back to Vinh, then Singers will fall and then all of the DEI. For now, holding the river line while the shattered troops make it back to Vinh seems really good.

I like fighting in the jungle, the jungle rough and city terrain where we actually fight. I also like keeping him spread out...even if it means I have to be somewhat spread out too.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I feel if I let him concentrate and fall back to Vinh, then Singers will fall and then all of the DEI. For now, holding the river line while the shattered troops make it back to Vinh seems really good.

I like fighting in the jungle, the jungle rough and city terrain where we actually fight. I also like keeping him spread out...even if it means I have to be somewhat spread out too.

Singapore has already fallen, he just hasn't sent the troops to occupy it yet.

If he wants to push through to China, I think you're doing the right thing in opposing him. Every unit in Thailand/Indochina is one unit that isn't available for the invasion of Honshu.

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Have you started preparing your fallback line? I would start digging in around Vinh and just give him the rest of Thailand. This will let your battered troops recover and become combat ready again.

Vinh is level 5 fort and should make 6 where I will stop.

I don't want to abandon the river line; I don't want to abandon Saigon and Cam Ranh Bay without some fight. This is all great terrain for Japan to fight in and delay the Allies. Even if the Allies maneuver thru the jungles off road it will gain me time.

Time, time, time.

Is time really that important now? I mean with the allies already bombing the HI I´m not sure delaying him in Thailand will be that beneficial. Granted I havn´t checked how many VPs are down there.

If not "that much" I think you are better off withdrawing and allowing your troops to get combat effective again. A shorter line will allow you to rest and rotate troops and possibly send some off to more important locations like Luzon. Manila is a HUUUUGE allied VP pool.

I don´t have the full picture obviously but defending the river is a very long line. Hard for you to defend while he can focus in a "schwerpunkt" and cross before you can scramble enough defenders?

The value of Manila, besides it's worth in VP's, is in giving the Allies a decent forward shipyard for repairs and upgrades. But the Allies have the Hokkaido shipyards now.

[Lowpe]

I don't disagree that Singers has already fallen, but he needs to divert troops there to do it. As long as he is closely engaged in Thailand/Vietnam I don't think he can.

Remember, I am trying to hold out to Jan 1, 1945...so the slower he goes the better off I am.

[Lowpe]

May 3rd, 1944

All my night bombers miss, again. They are good pilots...against big ships.

We drop more Allied planes again...

Deathstar raids Manila, and in an oversight I left all the planes there and I lose many. Plus, 4 tankers that were unloading, I thought they would have finished unloading and moved away, but no joy. Pity I didn't use them in a cap trap. Oh well.

Big news is Singers, I left a small unit outside of Singers, and Allies attack and now thanks to pursuit have a bridgehead into Singers. At least according to the map. We will see what happens here...two Allied divisions will be marching in against about 400 AV. I may have a surprise planned here.

[Lowpe]

Argh, lost my picture of Singers. Sorry guys!

Did the turn, and will be sending more destroyer skirmishers in against the Americans south of Tokyo. I love the destroyer fights, and I hope all the ships make it back to their base for some serious air coverage. With a little luck, I might get some shots in on the baby carriers there.

Have to say losing the bridgehead at Singers has really disappointed me. I was hoping for some carnage there...just didn't think it thru.

In Thailand, the plains have all fallen, the 1st Tank might get cut off, but the river line looks good so far.

Forgot to mention, 3 Es that trashed a whole bunch of Allied PT boats two days ago, got caught by 7 Fletchers and were sent to the bottom. Still, not an unfavorable VP trade.

[Lowpe]

May 4th, 1944

In the dark night, Japanese destroyers prowl...

[Lowpe]

Both sides miss...

[Lowpe]

Three fish launched on the battleship, one hits!

[Lowpe]

Very quiet air day, almost no activity....

meanwhile, somehow the IJA closes the bridgehead at Singers and savages two shock attacking units that were pursuing from yesterday. Banzai....a 1-99 attack with the allies having 0 AV.

[Lowpe]

1st Tank Division is racing across the plains headed for Pakse, can they make it?

Allied Tanks as Ubon looking to force a river crossing...

Battambang falls, most IJA already retreated to Siem Reap. Allies have 5 Divisions and Two tank units at Battambang...

Can Japan slow the juggernaut!