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

[Lowpe]

Indochina...

I have around 12 fairly battered divisions fighting and or resting here. How in the world did Obvert have around 20 divisions that Jocke managed to cut off here? This is really an interesting fight, and perhaps the most fun I am currently having in the game is struggling it out in the jungle here. Too bad I can't really contest the Allied air power.

I have hopes of holding here to Lang Son until 1945. Not sure what the Honshu will look like, and perhaps I can avoid auto victory till then. Perhaps, but I suspect the strategic victory points will get me sooner or later.

I have to suspend fort building at Vinh at the 5th level...will be moving more troops out of Indochina and back to Lang Son.

Saigon probably isn't long for the Empire, and I need to get the troops out and back.

Cam Ranh Bay looks like a funny place to defend...




Need to give some thoughts about fall back lines here. There is Cam Ranh Bay, the nasty terrain to the west of Cam Ranh Bay, then Tourane, then Vinh. Lots of places to hold...but my troops are still recovering! Well the infantry is, the two tank divisions here are fairly strong, and the artillery is great.

I like Hue and Tourane...the rail lines are great, and might be a nice holding position.

[Lowpe]

Honshu...

Not great, can only defend 1-3 positions in the air each turn.

Allies cross 30,000 strategic victory points today. Ugh.

[Lowpe]

Here is an attempted bomber trap....

Allies spot a large number of ships in port, plus a tanker fleet at dock. I have flown in Zekes and hope to nail some B29s. Also have flown in some kamikazes and might catch some surface ships.

Ships really now is bait, in attempts to trade off their victory points for some Allied points.

I think the Allies focus too much on sinking ships, instead of controlling areas. But what do I know? Especially since I am getting trashed![:)]

[Lowpe]

Ok, that is enough pictures for a while. Been feeling bad about the last couple of weeks of updates to the AAR.

I am getting trashed, but learning a lot. [8D] Funny things you don't really think about, like hiding ships and planes, how to protect supplies, air festungs, force in being, nibbling away at the Allied might, vehicle production and pool management. Little victories.

Anybody have anything to add? I think in a months time the Chinese coastline will be a lot stronger and I will feel a little better. However, the Allies simply use their sigint and wonderful recon to invade where I am the weakest. Not pleasant.

[Lowpe]

One more...the Allies sent three tank units here, and I managed to hold on by the skin of my teeth, slowly adding some 47mm rapidfire AT guns by air, a little bit of the 37th Mixed Brigade by air until I deemed it unsafe to fly transports in.

The 6th South Seas Detachment are the real heroes here, throwing back five deliberate attacks while the 5th Depot Division was down to 2 AV (they retreated from the beaches).

The fresh 280 AV of troops have allowed me to put the 5th into splinters and they have tripled their combat effectiveness in the last two days. I probably have several more days of rest before Allied reinforcements reach here.

Of course there is no place for the troops to retreat too...but there is a large Ha32 factory here still cranking out engines for the J2M3.

[Lowpe]

May 25, 1944

Still fighting the good fight...George and Franks sweep an Allied base...

[Lowpe]

Good losses inflicted...

The Frank squadron went second, and was dived on by some of the defenders since they have such a low ceiling. Still, good work.

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

...I am getting trashed, but learning a lot. [8D] Funny things you don't really think about, like hiding ships and planes, how to protect supplies, air festungs, force in being, nibbling away at the Allied might, vehicle production and pool management. Little victories...

No, you are not "getting trashed".

Firstly, you have to remember the state the Empire was in when you took over. In that state it would not survive past the middle of 1943. Under your stewardship not only has it survived to the middle of 1944, it is still very much capable of inflicting defeats upon the enemy.

Secondly, there remains considerable doubt that the Allies can achieve anything better than a draw. Unless the Allies can achieve an auto victory before the scenario ends, the best they can achieve then is a draw.

Thirdly, it is only in harvesting strategic points that the enemy is progressing towards the auto victory level. Enemy air losses, bearing in mind each downed 4E is worth 2 VPs is well short of the 2:1 ratio. Army and naval loss ratios are not that much more beneficial to the enemy than the air loss ratio.

Fourthly, you are not factoring the ride of the Valkyrie to harvest your own strategic points off Australian industry. Not only is there potential for substantial harvesting there if the enemy rear has been denuded of forces but it may also lead to a reduction of enemy pressure on your frontlines as units are redeployed to meet the Valkyrie.

Fifthly, unlike almost every one who plays Japan, you do not have the unwarranted "American" expectation of achieving decisive military victories. You have the historical Japanese attitude which few properly follow and yet it is the attitude which can deliver a good outcome for the Empire.

Alfred

[Lowpe]

Thanks for the kind words Alfred, but I feel I should be doing so much better. [;)]

I have got a little combined operation going this turn...120 plane strike: 90 kamikazes and 30 Betties striking at 25K with a very heavy escort, LRCAP, and 4 sentai's sweeping.

In addition, my MTBs are swarming in first (4 of them). Hopefully they will eat up ops and ammo points, and you never know, they might make a lucky torpedo strike. Combined ops wherever possible is the way to go. I have some sub laid mines going in too.

I am having a sentai of Jacks sweeping...first time for the J2M3. I wonder how they will do. I really like this plane.

Targets are CVE and Tankers and AP and AKs. Hopefully, something good will come of it.

The KB is being refueled this day, off New Guinea. I have more ships and ammo and fuel headed south. The KB is still filling out their flight decks.

Started the retreat from Saigon, forts got knocked down a level, can't hold that much longer so I am retreating with the hopes of getting away rather than routing away.

[DanSez]

Still rooting for you --

You mentioned the wish to emphasize different plane models thru 1943 would have made your air defense better.

I recall the heavy investment in the Rocket Defense. Instead of that, which models would you now wish to have developed?

On the Jacks--
The 1st and 3rd model have higher Service Level while the 2nd model is a little more forgiving.
Would you have pushed hard to the 2nd Jack model?
Would you have pushed for the Frank-r?

What are your rankings of current fighters by Army and Navy at this point?
Thanks for keeping up the fight.

[Lowpe]

Actually, the rockets was an ok idea, I just lacked building enough fighters to get me there.

When the Jack, George comes along you need to make 500 of them a month.[X(] Jack has earlier arrival dates, so it is far easier to get to the end of the development line with them, but the George is an offensive sweeper that the Jack isn't. George also makes a fine Kamikaze. In my mind you need both.

I should have used George to sweep Allied bases...instead I pretty much ceded the air war for most of 43.

Army fighters. I got the Frank A two months early. You need 4-8 months early and then you need to make 500 a month of them plus other Army fighters like Tony and Oscar.

Ki100I Tony, the best Army bomber killer. You need lots. In a lot of ways on par with George and Jack as a defensive fighter.

I just woefully under built fighters[:(]....but the Frank A coming so late was what really hurt.

Number of planes are an approximation, but you need tons. Tons. The Army AF expands so much in 44...you need roughly 3 Army fighters for each Navy fighter.

I also threw away too many planes striking at the Deathstar. Literally thousands.

Woefully under produced Nicks. You need them for deep defense.

The only thing I did right was night fighters, and it is really a non-issue in this game.

[Lokasenna]

Disagree that you need to make 500 Jacks/Georges per month, at least in 1943 when you begin to get them.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Disagree that you need to make 500 Jacks/Georges per month, at least in 1943 when you begin to get them.

It depends upon what you are planning on doing with them.[:)] I have a definite use for them. Also, once you get them in 43 it takes a long time to get production ramped up.

Not for a pdu off game however.

[Lowpe]

May 26th, 1944

In the deep dark night, south of Honshu...



The Yanks respond by shore bombardment...destroying 3 Franks and damaging a dozen others.

[Lowpe]

A little ambush....that is the name of the game. Little ambushes, a nick here, a nick there. At this dire date, anything with cannons is used against Allied bombers...and works!



The victorious IJN pilots are then shot down by a flight of Lightnings. Oh well, good trade for the Emperor. [:)]

[Lowpe]

A storm front moves in to Honshu, scrubbing our best laid plans...[:(]

[Lowpe]

Saigon. Bloodied. Burnt. Destroyed. The remnants of 3 Divisions plus support troops are performing the trickiest action in combat...the fighting withdrawl. They made 14 miles today, and beat off the 4th consecutive deliberate attack with 1-4 odds. The Allies, tanks and soldiers, were thrown back before the now meager ramparts.

Can they make it across the river and into the IJA troopers best friend -- the jungle? Or better yet the jungle rough terrain around Cam Ranh Bay.

Only time will tell...

Meanwhile, the rest of Indochina holds firm, lock a wall. More than half a dozen AFVs are destroyed in furious artillery bombardments on the jungle roads south of Vinh. Why does the Allied forces stay and take the damage, day after day?

Desperately needed supplies are arriving in Tourane...a small port, but unobserved. The stevedores from the 3rd Fleet stand ready, biceps bulging, to unload.

And far to the north, at Lang Son, remf'ers work over maps, route supplies, rest and train 3 full divisons for the fury that is to come.

And at Vientiane, the 14th Division and 4 regiments return from their long trek thru the jungle to rejoin Japanese lines. Some are flown out immediately to Lang Son for a little r&r, other regiments are put back on the road to Vinh.

[witpqs]

Can they make it across the river and into the IJA troopers best friend -- the jungle?

How far do they have left to go?

[Lowpe]

17 IJ planes lost today, very light for 13 Allied; but 8 were 4E beasties. Die Beast, die!

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Can they make it across the river and into the IJA troopers best friend -- the jungle?

How far do they have left to go?

32 miles.[X(] Sigh. Should have started a day earlier.[:(]

Your brilliant (or lucky) capture of Cam Ranh Bay, and the previous brilliant invasion in Burma, has led you to pocket a lot of Japanese defenders and made your travels thru Indochina rather sunny.

Not the case here...[:)]