Tale of the Sheep! - JocMeister (A) vs. Lowpe (J)

[obvert]

Hey Jocke!

Looks like you have a good one going here. I'll have to catch up a bit and see how you got to this whole West Coast thing. Chat soon.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: obvert

Hey Jocke!

Looks like you have a good one going here. I'll have to catch up a bit and see how you got to this whole West Coast thing. Chat soon.

Hi Erik,

Good to see you are still around! [&o]

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]June 1st-2nd 1942[/font]
______________________________________________________________________________

Almost...almost...

------------------------
NORPAC/WC
------------------------
Turns out the airfield at Coal Harbor is still open. But by some miracle only a single B17 is lost to flak! [&o] Have to stand them down now. Not going to push my luck and they are quite fatigued.

Jeff has now gained no less then 1000(!) VPs in just 4 days solely by the KB strikes. On the 2nd he swept SW with two Zero squadrons. My CAP was down low (11k) and on range 3 setting so given the circumstances I´m very happy with how they did.

Morning Air attack on San Francisco , at 218,70

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 44 NM, estimated altitude 22,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 24

Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 24
P-40B Warhawk x 13
P-40E Warhawk x 84
P-43 Lancer x 11
F2A-3 Buffalo x 26

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 5 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 2 destroyed
P-43 Lancer: 2 destroyed
F2A-3 Buffalo: 1 destroyed

Morning Air attack on San Francisco , at 218,70

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 43 NM, estimated altitude 21,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18

Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 21
P-40B Warhawk x 13
P-40E Warhawk x 72
P-43 Lancer x 8
F2A-3 Buffalo x 24

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 5 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 2 destroyed
P-40B Warhawk: 1 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 3 destroyed

While these are "KB pilots" I don´t think they are real good ones. Still a decent results. At least I think I gave Jeff a real scare here when the Tina duds on Shokaku.

KB strike wings hits Bakerfield again for some 200 more VPs. [:(] I´m trying not to let this get to my morale...but its frustrating with this huge numbers per strike. Its not much consolation to know the tables will be turned in 3 years.

Sub attack near San Luis Obispo at 217,75

Japanese Ships
CV Shokaku
BB Yamashiro
CA Chokai
CL Tatsuta
CS Chiyoda
CS Mizuho
DD Makigumo
DD Nenohi
DD Yudachi

Allied Ships
SS Tuna, hits 1

More subs are racing down from the North. I can´t really cover everything so I´m down a bit to luck here. I´ve divided my Fighters into two "blobs" of about equal strength.

------------------------
India
------------------------
No luck with the subs here either. My favorite sub Trusty launches 4 TTs at CA Ashigara but misses. I think Jeff were striking out at my CL force. They safely disbanded in Calcutta and will now head out towards Madras. I have another CL force further south on the coast looking for targets. A 3rd CL force is waiting at Colombo but lack of DDs are keeping them in port for now. I have some Porters coming from the US in a couple of days.

Jeff is really thin here with only a CA/CL TF guarding the whole cost. LBA can help with that but its not a substitute.

Several sweeps hit empty air over Calcutta. My fighters will pull back to Madras.

------------------------
SOPAC
------------------------
I´ve decided on course of action here. I´ll try to get maps up later today. It won´t be anything too ambitious. My main focus when it comes to a 42 offensive is still the same as it was on T1. I´ll tell more about that when I know if we will go ahead with it or not. Right now I don´t have enough troops for it as much is tied down in India.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]June 3rd 1942[/font]
______________________________________________________________________________

Not much.

------------------------
NORPAC/WC
------------------------
A small KB strike tries to hit my minesweepers at SF. We down a couple of Vals and Zeroes for equal losses. KB is now almost due west of SF. My subs have started arriving but no luck today.

------------------------
India
------------------------
A big Zero sweep over Calcutta. I´ve moved my fighters back to Madras. Jeff continues his advance West. My offensive stack switched to the next hex. One more and he will see me. Will be interesting to see his reaction. Pull back or come fighting? My smaller stack is awaiting the 9th Indian IDs support which was left on board the ships. Doh!

------------------------
China
------------------------
A lone ID shocks across the river from Ankang. Almost no damage to either side. I might get a chance to bottle him up here again...we shall. This will be the last time though. No more troops.

No screen. I´ll get one up of India next turn.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]June 4th 1942[/font]
______________________________________________________________________________

Pretty quiet.

------------------------
NORPAC/WC
------------------------
Looks like KB is pulling back a bit. Worried about fighter losses and the sub threat? Another batch of 4 subs arrive from NORPAC. 7 more are on their way.

No strikes today thankfully.

I´ve upgraded a lot of DB squadrons and put some good pilots in them. No enough to really have a chance but hopefully enough to worry Jeff and make him put more fighters on CAP.

------------------------
India
------------------------
Got to love the Dutch navy... [:)]

ASW attack near Chittagong at 55,41

Japanese Ships
CA Takao, Torpedo hits 1
CA Ashigara
CL Tama
DD Okikaze
DD Hayate

Allied Ships
SS KXVIII, hits 1

Off to the yards...[:)] This will weaken the IJN presence here even further. Going to deal with the rest shortly.

Another sweep over Calcutta. This will also end very shortly when a P38E squadron with an average EXP of 74 will jump into Calcutta.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]India[/font]
______________________________________________________________________________

Things are getting more interesting here by they day. A bit worried my smaller stack can´t move the Jap BDE. In that case we will be trapped by hex side control. I´ll give it a go though. Its still 800 AV with good TOE.

In the North which you can´t see in the screen the Japanese armor will soon run into the first real obstacle at Cawnpore where 550 Indian AV just started de-training.

Not sure why Jeff started pulling back from Ledo. Have a hunch the troops will move into India with the rest of his troops.

[zuluhour]

How hard is he pushing in China? The screen shot above looks pretty good. I wonder if he is watching his back door into India....of course
you never have enough Chinese.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

How hard is he pushing in China? The screen shot above looks pretty good. I wonder if he is watching his back door into India....of course
you never have enough Chinese.

He is pushing pretty hard. Its just about to collapse. He has a sizable force at Paoshan and will break into the Chungking plains in a couple of weeks.

[JocMeister]

PS. No turn from Jeff tonight as he is busy.

Early bed for me (which is pretty welcome!) [>:]

[zuluhour]

I will never allow the entire Chinese Army to evaporate again. I will move at least a full Army of at least four corp out at the outbreak of hostilities.
Lars took China from me so fast I got blocked in before I knew the light went out. One division (rebuilt from 1 support squad [:D]) and one fighter
squadron are all I have left......[:(] I know the pain.
 
ps. Lars, don't read this.

[BillBrown]

My last game I started is a scenario 2 with no house rules. I have about 65-75 Corps that will make it to India. Along with all the air units, most of the construction and base force units. Burma will be fun late in 1942 and early 43.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: BillBrown

My last game I started is a scenario 2 with no house rules. I have about 65-75 Corps that will make it to India. Along with all the air units, most of the construction and base force units. Burma will be fun late in 1942 and early 43.

Eh... it is and it isn't.

[Uncivil Engineer]

ORIGINAL: BillBrown

My last game I started is a scenario 2 with no house rules. I have about 65-75 Corps that will make it to India. Along with all the air units, most of the construction and base force units. Burma will be fun late in 1942 and early 43.

Good thing you have no house rules - you'd never have the PP to buy them out!

[JocMeister]

Most Chinese Corps are perma restricted so you can´t buy them out anyway. [:)]

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]India[/font]
______________________________________________________________________________

Focus is obviously in India right now as things continue to race towards battle. Jeff continues to play extremely offensive here. Looks like he has divided his forces even further. 3 units continue to race due West. Looks like an ID and probably some of the arty from the main stack.

The main Japanese force are hunting my smaller stack that was tasked with cutting off the Japanese armor. This stack has in turned become hunted by my main stack. They switched hex this turn so Jeff just spotted them.

He also put some NavS up at Chittagong. He spotted a CL force and small ASW TF. CVs and BBs remain undetected. My TFs will move slightly back to see if Jeff will leave the CAP at Chittagong.

I feel pretty good about the situation. I think Jeff is in trouble here but I don´t think he has realized it yet.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]KB[/font]
______________________________________________________________________________

KB is back on the WC. Now the guessing begins again... I´ve divided my CAP a bit this time. A small USN CAP is up over SD while some older USAAF planes are covering SF together with some USMC Buffaloes. Main CAP is over SD with around 100 P40s on direct LRCAP over Bakersfield. Another 100 mixed fighters are on Range 3 CAP and some 50 P40s with high FAT are on range 0 CAP over LA. Don´t dare leave SF, LA or SD without CAP.

I´ll try to protect the big factories while give away the smaller ones under 100 in size. The North is pretty much abandoned and will have to rely on AA alone. With the arrival of the British AA BDE and 2 Canadian AA units I got some AA to spare. They were sent south. LA, SD and SF got two each although they havn´t all unpacked yet. Bakersfield got 2 as well but only one has arrived and the other havn´t unpacked.

3rd ID arrived and unpacked at SD. 2 RGTs arrived at LA but only one has unpacked. Sending some subs to scout for a possible invasion. If it comes I´ll kick myself for sending the 1st Marines to CT...

I hate turns like this. It messes up my sleep and that I REALLY don´t need...

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]June 8th 1942[/font]
______________________________________________________________________________

A pretty good turn.

------------------------
NORPAC/WC
------------------------
Jeff goes for Bakersfield again. Only a small strike and my CAP is up. Zeroes fight back ferociously but after the Vals drop their load the P40s really get in among them.

Morning Air attack on Bakersfield , at 223,74

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 40
D3A1 Val x 24

Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 4
P-40E Warhawk x 61

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed
D3A1 Val: 12 destroyed, 5 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 5 destroyed

Do I dare hope there were some "real" KB pilots among them? I withdrew my LRCAP for the next turn. No doubt Jeff will sweep tomorrow and I don´t want him to sweep my already fatigued LRCAP.

Subs are massing on KBs location.

------------------------
India
------------------------
A bit of luck here...I have been mining Chittagong with subs for quite some time. Probably 200 mines sitting there and it finally payed off. [:)]

TF 116 encounters mine field at Chittagong (55,41)

Japanese Ships
CA Atago, Mine hits 1

Time for hiding is also over. Even though I pulled back from the coast Jeff spotted my CL TFs again. He even got enough DL for this to happen....

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Vizagapatnam at 45,42

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 72 NM, estimated altitude 24,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 17

Allied aircraft
Fulmar II x 14
Sea Hurricane Ib x 3
Martlet II x 9
F4F-3A Wildcat x 14
F4F-3 Wildcat x 13

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 10 destroyed

So now he knows my CVs are around here. He can also probably figure out how many with some detective work. Time for hiding is over. Taking a bit of a chance here tomorrow so keep your fingers crossed as we approach the coast under a huge LBA LRCAP.

On the ground the situation remains the same. Everyone is hunting everyone. I´ll get a screen up next turn.

[poodlebrain]

I think you've done a more than adequate job of defending the West Coast, and I think you have weathered the storm. What are your estimates for sorties remaining for the KB? Your opponent should be trying to maximize his VP from those sorties before he withdraws for replenishment.

It would be nice if you had some naval assets that could provide low risk targets to soak up some of the sorties on naval strikes with low chances of success. With hindsight it might have been a good idea to stash a TF, or two, consisting of a few destroyers in Stockton to trot out as bait for the KB. I realize there are other missions for destroyers that may have higher priorities, but a man can dream.

[JocMeister]

Turn just sent to Jeff. Will be a nail biter for sure.

Update coming when I get the replay back.

[JocMeister]

Sorry for the cliffhanger. Nothing back from Jeff yet and I´m off to bed!

I hate/love turns like this. Will mess up my sleep!