Islands of Destiny: RA 5.0 Japanese Side

[Bif1961]

Looks like the big battle at sea is to be joined, either the Japanese will swat the Allied player on the nose for being so adventerous or he will switch strategic axis from Western DEI to North Pacific take back the operational momentum.

[John 3rd]

May 31, 1943

Looks like we're going to lose everything east of Adak BEFORE the Fleet can arrive. DRAT! Figure the Kido Butai is three days away from action. There shall be a very strong probability that I'll have to deal with LBA as well as the CVs. Will watch closely as things develop.

Have all sorts of movement going on. Need to make sure the three bases centered on Attu are fully stocked and reinforced. There is no direct threat to anything vital with these landings so I trying to NOT over-react. Move three Daiati of Betty/Nell into Attu. Two Daitai of Tina move into Shemya to pick-up elements of the Air Flotilla at Adak. Now have 60+ Zeros at Attu. Not much but better then nothing.

In an boneheaded move reflecting playing three matches AND keeping up an AAR, I forgot to lift the NE Area Fleet HQ from Umnak. It was on my 'to do' list back in March of 43 and I missed it. Losing it will SUCK but I have to be honest about it so there is that.

Have got two ID and a Brigade moving to reinforce the western Aleutians. The Kuriles are in good shape so that is nice. I always keep Forts building there from Day ONE of the war starting. Paramushiro Jima is in excellent shape so it shall serve as the backstop to this.

Still am flumoxxed over WHY Dan is landing here. Nothing vital and Strategic Air doesn't truly become any form of threat for quite a while.

Any thoughts on this?

[Capt. Harlock]

Any thoughts on this?

Don't hold your breath for a response. Along with the Sheep/Wolf AARs, you have the most active two-sided AAR's running, and it's well-nigh irresistible to read both sides. And that, of course, means that OPSEC must be preserved.

[Anachro]

Ah yes here are my thoughts on this:

While certainly he might try to REDACTED, but you need to be aware that he could instead REDACTED. Therefore, you should definitely REDACTED in order to make sure that REDACTED. Good luck!

[BillBrown]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

Any thoughts on this?

Don't hold your breath for a response. Along with the Sheep/Wolf AARs, you have the most active two-sided AAR's running, and it's well-nigh irresistible to read both sides. And that, of course, means that OPSEC must be preserved.

This, that is why no comment.

[John 3rd]

You guys just made me laugh!

Thanks for the non-help help...

[BillBrown]

This is much too much fun to watch both sides and I will not break OPSEC and ruin it for anyone.

[kjnoel]

Are you tracking his LCUs? A number in Sumatra, now more in Norpac. It's 2 fronts for you now but also for the Allies. They don't have that many to throw around this early, although Aussies are cheap to buy they will struggle with replacements if they take losses.

Is it possible you can reduce Sabang with what you have there and isolate the Aleutians? Dangerous if he has plenty of LCUs left free but possibly tempting is he has committed the majority of his divisions across Sabang and the Aleutians. Would force a major CV clash which you may or may not want if he felt pinned.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: kjnoel

Are you tracking his LCUs? A number in Sumatra, now more in Norpac. It's 2 fronts for you now but also for the Allies. They don't have that many to throw around this early, although Aussies are cheap to buy they will struggle with replacements if they take losses.

Is it possible you can reduce Sabang with what you have there and isolate the Aleutians? Dangerous if he has plenty of LCUs left free but possibly tempting is he has committed the majority of his divisions across Sabang and the Aleutians. Would force a major CV clash which you may or may not want if he felt pinned.

Funny you mention that. I have begun to entertain just such a notion.

SABANG is the true place for victory and punishment for Allied ineptitude. There are 150,000 troops left to simply wither and die here. The landings up north, while attention grabbing, pose NO THREAT to the Empire. Sabang does. I have decided to keep Junyo (Hiyo repaired in 45 days) and my 8 CVEs near Sabang. There is lots of air support present and he'll not be able to stage any form of Dunkirk or reinforcing operation without severe losses.

Why not use those troops up north to stage a supporting landing in the DEI? This is what I would have done. Sure he comes from the opposite side of the map but--really--who cares? As long as I hold the western five bases in the Aleutians he can be watched and checked.

The REAL fight is occurring at Sabang. June 1st finds the arrival of four full strength Japanese ID and 4 Engineering Regiments. A fifth ID is on the way. Once it arrives we'll launch a deliberate attack directly after all three BBs and 4 BCs smack the target. We bombard this turn and see this result:

[John 3rd]

Units seen up North: 9th Aussie ID and 2nd Marines. LOTS of APs still SE of Adak. I'd bet on several more Aussie ID.

[John 3rd]

Here is a screenshot of the North:




We lose Adak but manage to lift 1,000 members of the 3rd Air Flotilla out before it falls. The units you see listed and based here are the entire 9th Air Fleet.

Tinas and Topsys shift over to Umnak for NE Fleet and the Air Floitlla.

[John 3rd]

June 1, 1943

I've vented before but it truly IRRITATES me how Dan uses MERCHANT ships as pickets and to sniff out positions. Today I-16 sinks an AKL with guns NW of Midway and the KB comes close to revealing itself near another. If they were DDs then I would have no issue. Be just like Okinawa...

Was asked about the KB Organization:

KB-1 Vc-Adm Yamaguchi
CV Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, Soryu
CVL Chitose, Chiyoda
3 CA, 2 CL, 9 DD AA Value: 6524

KB-2 Vc-Adm Nagumo
CV Shokaku, Zuikaku, Ryukaku, Taikaku, Renkaku
CB Kawachi
2 CA, 3 CL, 9 DD AA Value: 9093

KB-3 Rr-Adm Okano
CVL Shoho, Ryujo, Ryuho, Nisshin, Mizuho
2 CA, 3 CL, 10 DD AA Value: 6379

Total Aircraft is about 850.

The Kido Butai is on total EMCON. NOTHING is flying.

[John 3rd]

Even while trying to avoid that YMS, I still ran into it or another. KB is now known and I am pissed. Sent this note to Dan after mailing the last turn back to him:

Dan,

I am writing this separate of the just sent turn.

When we stopped our match several years ago one of the things that truly drove me mad was your use of small, insignificant merchant shipping as pickets, recon units, etc... It was brought up then and there was much comment in your AAR as well as mine. It is an issue again. I have semi-playfully addressed it over the last month of turns but it drives me mad. These YMS and other ships are merchant vessels and should not be used in this manner. Warships I have no issue with but merchants I do.

I’ve now had tipped off a HUGE part of this game due to a merchant—purposefully—placed out a projected path of movement to soak up sorties from my CVs or as sacrificial lambs to tip you of the movement. This YMS was spotted last turn and my CVs tried to avoid it but still ran over the stupid bugger. I’d wager you had little direct knowledge of my entire CV Fleet being this close to your TFs. I’ve purposefully waited for the opportunity to come after you by steadily pulling my CVs back from Sabang and putting them in a central location for fairly ‘quick’ movement and attack. Well...I am COMING and now you know. Wanna play?

The issue is real and needs to be addressed presently.

John


Is this an over-reaction on my part?

[obvert]

If you have no HR against using any single ship TF as a picket then I don't think it matter what kind is being used. The US could have done this in the same manner Japan did do it with fishing vessels etc, which is basically what a YMS is. In fact a lot of them were converted from deep sea fishing vessels. Like some Japanese PBs.

You had the power to take out al of those ships earlier than your fleet got there. Why not just send an AV in there with a few escorts and 9 Jakes flying?

[obvert]

wrong AAR for this post, sorry!

[MBF]

My OPINION: its pretty ahistorical for the Allies to use small semi-combatants for such - even if they could - especially far from their homelands. By the same token, how come Allies can't use kamikazes then ? Seems like someone is again gaming the system in a "win at any costs" style. </rant off>

[BillBrown]

The YMS is a naval vessel, it is an Auxiliary Minesweeper. These were built for the Navy.

The Yippies ( YPs ) were a collection of miscellaneous ships. Some were made up of Tuna Clippers
and were capable of long range travel and carried radios. Others were transferred from the Coast Guard
and also had long range radios. These small ships did do patrol work all over the war areas.

[Anachro]

I think its a little of an overreaction given no HR in place for it. I say just accept the discovery for now, but maybe try to create a new HR from this turn onward.

The Japanese used fisherman as picket ships; and as bill points out it is a purpose-built naval vessel, although I have no knowledge o them used as anything other than mine sweepers. I certainly don't think allies doing the same is nearly as much of a stretch as allies being able to do kamikaze attacks... However, I would agree that it seems if picket ships were used by the USN, they tended to be DEs are DDs, particularly as radar pickets for air attacks during amphibious invasions.

[MBF]

My opinion - I sort of want my WITP games to have a historical feel and flavor - and not just be a skin for Starcraft ... ymmv

In any case this is between John and the gentleman from Georgia - and I need to butt out

[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Even while trying to avoid that YMS, I still ran into it or another. KB is now known and I am pissed. Sent this note to Dan after mailing the last turn back to him:

Dan,

I am writing this separate of the just sent turn.

When we stopped our match several years ago one of the things that truly drove me mad was your use of small, insignificant merchant shipping as pickets, recon units, etc... It was brought up then and there was much comment in your AAR as well as mine. It is an issue again. I have semi-playfully addressed it over the last month of turns but it drives me mad. These YMS and other ships are merchant vessels and should not be used in this manner. Warships I have no issue with but merchants I do.

I’ve now had tipped off a HUGE part of this game due to a merchant—purposefully—placed out a projected path of movement to soak up sorties from my CVs or as sacrificial lambs to tip you of the movement. This YMS was spotted last turn and my CVs tried to avoid it but still ran over the stupid bugger. I’d wager you had little direct knowledge of my entire CV Fleet being this close to your TFs. I’ve purposefully waited for the opportunity to come after you by steadily pulling my CVs back from Sabang and putting them in a central location for fairly ‘quick’ movement and attack. Well...I am COMING and now you know. Wanna play?

The issue is real and needs to be addressed presently.

John


Is this an over-reaction on my part?

Yes