Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, Docup(A)-Koniu(J)

[koniu]

Oh i will trow everything. If this is real Hokkaido invasion i will use all my forces.

Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant

[koniu]

Newest map
I believe Docup is moving toward Kurile Islands.
He today send B-24 and B-29 trying to close AF i have in Kuriles.
29 4E shot down. AF open but damaged

If he for sure moving for Kuriles and not Hokkaido i am not sure how much help i will have from LBA. It looks KB will fight it almost alone

KB still undetected

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: koniu
29 4E shot down. AF open but damaged

29 4E shot down over a measly AF [X(] That's too high a price

Well you're off to a good start then if you managed to keep the AF open while shooting down 29 beasts.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

ORIGINAL: koniu
29 4E shot down. AF open but damaged

29 4E shot down over a measly AF [X(] That's too high a price

Well you're off to a good start then if you managed to keep the AF open while shooting down 29 beasts.

+1.

Lets start a pool: what bases will he invade, or try for?

I am going to guess Hokkaido. Figure he has decent sigint, and it seems Kunashiri and Shikotan might be very easy to get to support an invasion on Bihoro.

Just a wild guess, I have no clue.

What is your guess?

[koniu]

I am preparing for worst (Hokkaido) but my bet will go for Shimushiri-jima and bases East of it. Capturing them in short time can give him 3 AF size 7, it almost removing Jap LBA during defense and when captured Hokkaido will be in range of P-51D and P-47N

[KenchiSulla]

Why did he let himself be detected so early? That is a bit strange....

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: Cannonfodder

Why did he let himself be detected so early? That is a bit strange....

Docup know that south of Aleutian Islands i have lot of subs with search planes. There was almost impassible to move major force there so he probably try to sneak more south. Unlucky he find one of ships i had there and his bombers attack it reviling presence of his forces. After that i focus more with search planes on that area.

Of course this all is true if this is not bait. And it still can be. Specially when we see how slow he is moving. 3 hexes at day is something strange here also.
One is sure CAP is rather strong my search planes dying like flays.
I am not able to get decent intel.

Last turn i saw 4 Cleveland class CLs. It cost me sub. Those are good ships. So it can suggest that this is true invasion.



ASW attack near Shimushiri-jima at 140,66

Japanese Ships
SS I-402, hits 6, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CL Pasadena
CL Miami
CL Biloxi
CL Santa Fe
DD Owen
DD McKee
DD Izard
DD Robinson
DD Ringgold
DD Remey

[zuluhour]

Now this is EXCITING!

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Cannonfodder

Why did he let himself be detected so early? That is a bit strange....

+1

He killed a boat that might never have seen him ... but the forces look big enough that even if it is a faint, killing the forces will hurt.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe


Lets start a pool: what bases will he invade, or try for?

I'm also still thinking Hokkaido based upon last image posted. Good news is that the troops have been on board a LONG time. They won't be in the best shape at landing. Helps the defense a lot.

[PaxMondo]

I wouldn't expose the KB until you have confirmed landing ships .... until then, try to use LBA only ...

Sorry to hear about the patrol losses. Try some night Patrols .... high exp pilots will fly ...

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

I wouldn't expose the KB until you have confirmed landing ships .... until then, try to use LBA only ...

I agree with You. KB will stay in shadows until i will be able to confirm tastiness of target. I want steak not fuel station hot dog.

Tomorrow will be first day with chance of combat. It will be passable to end in combat range if Docup move more than 11 hexes toward Hokkaido.
First time during this operation KB will send in air 60-70% CAP(earlier i have 20%) and bombers are set in 8 hex attack mode. Proper escort assigned. KB will take position in SE corner of Hokkaido.

KB have:
560 A7M2 Sam fighters (worst pilot have XP 77[:D]. 75% have XP above 80)
730 D4Y4/B7A2 bombers (mix of 70,60,50 XP pilots)

It looks that Docup is moving more subs there (as You can see KB is right in the middle between 4 of them. If i will be lucky i will pass trough them undetected. That should give me some advantage. I believe Docup is counting to detect KB withs subs somewhere south of Tokyo to have time to react.

[koniu]

I look at troops i have in Hokkaido. I have there few IDs, but those are week reinforcement units that lack of heavy equipment. I had there better units but i move them to Marianas and Philippines and i forgot to replace them with good units.

Let hope Docup will land on Kuriles and not Hokkaido.
I am moving all transport ships and planes and if i will have two weeks Hokkaido will be fortress.
s
I believe my lack of preparations in Hokkaido is because of Victory Sickens. I won so many battles that I start to believe i am invincible.

[koniu]

It looks it is Shimushiri-jima

Unlucky Taiho eat TT. Damages are 4/28(major)/5/0
Ship is capable of 3 hexes/phase at cruise and 6 at full max (time to decision to retreat it or keep with KB for one more day.

100 B-29 attack Shimushiri-jima AF. 37 will newer back home. Sadly AF is closed.

Detection of KB is bad news. Lucky during day Docup don`t detect KB. So he know that i am but not know where.

Enemy TFs emerge 5 hexes south of Shimushiri-jima. CAP was so strong that i don`t manage to get decent info about forces. I lost 33 search planes[X(]

One of my subs saw enemy ship but it was xAK[&:]

[veji1]

poor Docup, I fear another slaughter...

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: veji1

poor Docup, I fear another slaughter...

Not so sure. He can have there 3000 planes.
His CAP is strong. In 3 days i lost over him 60 search planes and i was not able to get any info about enemy fleet. It could be last KB battle

[Sangeli]

Looks to me that Docup is aiming to establish a foothold in the Kuriles (obviously). The real question is how far south will his landings go? Looks to me that Shimushshiri is probably the first target. But will he try to land in Uruppu? I think this is a case where being patient will pay off more than being aggressive. Keep your AFs in Hokkaido well protected and keep the KB and LBA in a position to only strike against a landing that drifts too far south (which seems to be what you're doing anyway). I believe that Docup will likely bite off too much at some point in this operation leaving him vulnerable to a well timed Japanese counterattack. And if not then Docup's foothold will be so small as to be vulnerable to being suppressed by Japanese LBA. While the Allies have a lot of planes right now, you have a lot more replacements and I believe your pilot situation is really excellent as well. An attritional campaign here could favor you despite the date.

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: koniu
It could be last KB battle

March 1945 and still KB is there available for the massive CV clash. What can be more spectacular?!

[Lowpe]

I agree, not that it is worth that much[;)], that you should not risk a carrier engagement over the northern Kuriles. One bad luck encounter, and the weather there is really poor, can destroy all the great work you have done in this AAR.

On another note, when Japan is faced by this kind of invasion, Mr. Kane gave me a nice tip on using a high altitude strike well escorted by good fighters can reveal a lot of information, plus get the Allied CAP working, and perhaps even degraded a bit.

[GetAssista]

I wonder do Myrts and other high speed high altitude recons Japan has at this time (Ki-95?) also suffer from deathstar CAP to the point of not being able to see anything?