Rumble in the Southwest witpqs-A vs Andav-J 2011-11-29 to 2017-02-08

[witpqs]

Home Islands west.

[witpqs]

Home Islands east.

[witpqs]

Nagasaki/Sasebo.

[witpqs]

Air losses. I know the Empire has far more aircraft on deck so I want to get land based fighters operating as soon as possible.

[BBfanboy]

That horde of TFs at Kushiro must be MTBs and mini-subs?
A number of times I have seen landings aborted by the presence of MTBs. I am not sure of the best way to keep the Invasion TF from aborting the landings- put all your combat ships in SCTFs and attempt to sweep the MTBs out of there, or embed some in the Invasion TF to give it a leader with higher aggression and something to drive off attacks.

[RangerJoe]

If he was expecting an invasion of Hokkaido, he surely would have more units there. It looks like his fighter force redeployed to take on your invasion fleet.

For the fires, I have seen the same thing from shore bombardments.

Alas, in my game it is the end of January 1941 so I can't test the variable bomber heights myself, only the incoming bombers so far.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

If he was expecting an invasion of Hokkaido, he surely would have more units there. It looks like his fighter force redeployed to take on your invasion fleet.

For the fires, I have seen the same thing from shore bombardments.

Alas, in my game it is the end of January 1941 so I can't test the variable bomber heights myself, only the incoming bombers so far.

Don't forget that sending your bombers at different altitudes means the strike will not coordinate. This might wear down the CAP but at the same time your escort aircraft cannot escort all the strikes.

I leave my LB at the same height (enough to avoid balloons and the worst of the flak) and only send TBs and ABs in low.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

That horde of TFs at Kushiro must be MTBs and mini-subs?
A number of times I have seen landings aborted by the presence of MTBs. I am not sure of the best way to keep the Invasion TF from aborting the landings- put all your combat ships in SCTFs and attempt to sweep the MTBs out of there, or embed some in the Invasion TF to give it a leader with higher aggression and something to drive off attacks.

According to nav search not many more MTB, but I know that can change in a heartbeat or be wrong to begin with. Mostly small ships that are no threat or no real threat.

Two CA TF will patrol the landing hex. Two other CA TF will patrol the landing hex and one hex out to sea where the fleet carriers will be. Also with the fleet carriers will be the fast battleships, at least one more CA, and a mess of old BB TF. The CVE will go into the landing hex with the convoys, and fast BB NJ will bombard then head for the yard. A 2x old BB TF will also bombard. I am being conservative with bombardments so I have them ready when I need them.

And of course without any need to maintain a facade elsewhere there are more CL and DD heading in. Also, a number of DD have been held back at Guam to be ready for the Muroran invasion. I think that one will really seal the fate of Hokkaido and hasten availability of multiple air bases.

[witpqs]

There are still some fighters in the western Home Islands and in China, but I do get the sense that a lot of fighters "disappeared" over the last couple of days and I am sure they are going to make trouble for us.

I didn't mention it but a number of the fighters destroyed in attacks on our fleet were kamikaze or naval attack, but none got to make attack runs. I know there were not on Escort missions because they appeared in the second row of the animation (escorts go in the first row), in at least one case even though the first row was empty.

[RogerJNeilson]

Fascinating, I didn't know that about the animations....

I'm only getting a turn a week in my equivalent game so still only early November 1944 so you are well into the 'future' now.


Roger

[Drakanel]

Finally, D-Day is here for Hokkaido

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Roger Neilson 3

Fascinating, I didn't know that about the animations....

I'm only getting a turn a week in my equivalent game so still only early November 1944 so you are well into the 'future' now.


Roger

If you mean the Fires number displayed, that is with each battle in the combat report, which should be the same as the combat summaries.

It might just be that I was lucky in the order, but the largest raid (in daylight) came first, then the other large one, than a number of very small ones. And the small all showed an ever increasing Fires number! Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Drakanel

Finally, D-Day is here for Hokkaido

I know! Hopefully Walter is working it now, but I don't know his schedule.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: Roger Neilson 3

Fascinating, I didn't know that about the animations....

I'm only getting a turn a week in my equivalent game so still only early November 1944 so you are well into the 'future' now.


Roger

If you mean the Fires number displayed, that is with each battle in the combat report, which should be the same as the combat summaries.

It might just be that I was lucky in the order, but the largest raid (in daylight) came first, then the other large one, than a number of very small ones. And the small all showed an ever increasing Fires number! Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

[&:]
I thought Roger's reference to animations was about the Air Combat animation with Kamikazes in row 2?
I see nothing about fires in his comment and am not sure what raid you are referring to??

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: Roger Neilson 3

Fascinating, I didn't know that about the animations....

I'm only getting a turn a week in my equivalent game so still only early November 1944 so you are well into the 'future' now.


Roger

If you mean the Fires number displayed, that is with each battle in the combat report, which should be the same as the combat summaries.

It might just be that I was lucky in the order, but the largest raid (in daylight) came first, then the other large one, than a number of very small ones. And the small all showed an ever increasing Fires number! Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

[&:]
I thought Roger's reference to animations was about the Air Combat animation with Kamikazes in row 2?
I see nothing about fires in his comment and am not sure what raid you are referring to??

Ahh! That's what he meant!

I thought he meant about the Fires number being a status rather than the number caused in that attack.

[RogerJNeilson]

Yes I was referring to the planes animation.

Roger

[witpqs]

1945 February 10

The Empire captured:


The Allies captured:
Polillo is occupied by the Allies
Allied forces CAPTURE Kienko !!!

There were Imperial amphibious or airborne operations at:


There were Allied amphibious or airborne operations at:
Kushiro
Batoe-eilanden

Imperial Naval Bombardments


Allied Naval Bombardments:
Allied Ships Bombarding Kushiro
Allied Ships Bombarding Kushiro


Our subs are conducting secret activities.

Another good day on the ground in China.

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Ground combat at 86,58 (near Pucheng)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 6946 troops, 74 guns, 84 vehicles, Assault Value = 299

Defending force 3352 troops, 24 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 67

Allied adjusted assault: 212

Japanese adjusted defense: 40

Allied assault odds: 5 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1173 casualties reported
Squads: 33 destroyed, 11 disabled
Non Combat: 29 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 14 (3 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Units retreated 1

Allied ground losses:
94 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 10 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Vehicles lost 6 (1 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
44th Indian Brigade
671th Tank Destroyer Battalion
111th LRP Brigade

Defending units:
3rd Infantry Regiment


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Ground combat at 85,51 (near Hankow)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 4425 troops, 74 guns, 25 vehicles, Assault Value = 138

Defending force 444 troops, 4 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 13

Allied adjusted assault: 141

Japanese adjusted defense: 19

Allied assault odds: 7 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), op mode(-), leaders(+), experience(-)
Attacker: leaders(+)

Japanese ground losses:
124 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Units retreated 1

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
23rd Australian Brigade

Defending units:
23rd RGC Temp. Division


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Ground combat at Chuhsien (88,56)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 5848 troops, 232 guns, 1 vehicles, Assault Value = 129

Defending force 2133 troops, 26 guns, 40 vehicles, Assault Value = 74

Allied adjusted assault: 34

Japanese adjusted defense: 127

Allied assault odds: 1 to 3 (fort level 3)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), leaders(+), preparation(-)
fatigue(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
68 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
414 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 42 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 10 disabled

Assaulting units:
45th Indian Brigade
21st Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
31st Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
27th Indian Field Artillery Battalion
70th Coast AA Regiment
33rd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
32nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
25th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
20th Indian Heavy AA Regiment
30th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment

Defending units:
2nd Mobile Infantry Regiment


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Ground combat at Kienko (78,41)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 564 troops, 0 guns, 101 vehicles, Assault Value = 55

Defending force 355 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2

Allied adjusted assault: 29

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 29 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Kienko !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), disruption(-), preparation(-)
fatigue(-)
Attacker: leaders(+), leaders(-)

Japanese ground losses:
85 casualties reported
Squads: 13 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
11th PAVO Regiment

Defending units:
2nd Ching An Tui Brigade


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The capture of Kienko cuts off supply to and from the Chungking plain via road. The units moving to cross the river into Chengtu switched to combat mode as I cam not sure how fast they will move with a split road type (secondary/primary). The units already inside Chengtu have not been ordered to attack yet.

The strikes against Nagasaki/Sasebo were less successful than yesterday. For one thing, it looks like Takao was 'short' of supply in spite of having lots. The B-29 hordes burn so much that the base need projections are astronomical. Even though I do not like having so many critical eggs in one basket, all the B-29-25 groups on Formosa have been moved to Takao where most of the supply is being drawn anyway. More supply is on the way to Formosa but that will take some time.

Today the B-29-1 groups from Naha went in first, and by 'first' I mean before any of the sweeper groups that were all closer and faster. I guess those guys are early risers. They got a rise out of the fighter reception over Nagasaki. 15 of them were lost, along with 3 of the B-29-25 model.

Tomorrow the B-29-25 horde at Takao, well over 200 of them ready, will hit the 90 Armament Assembly plants at Fukuoka. Many sweeps will accompany them, as well as escorts. A much smaller number of B-24 from Kume-Jima and Daito Shoto will hit Light Industry and Resources at Kagoshima, aided by two P-51D squadrons sweeping.

The Fleet was opposed by a number of one and two MTB encounters, no doubt some of them the same sorties bouncing between Allied forces. One managed to appear in the middle of a convoy in daylight, peppering three APA with cannon fire but also putting two torpedoes into one of them. APA Napa is in very dire straights, and will have to put in to port as soon as Kushiro is captured. No mines were noted.

Many air strikes came in but all were destroyed. Again our own aircraft ranged to the Sea of Japan and sank some small vessels and a tanker. No submarine contacts at all.

Most gratifyingly, all troops unloaded! Much supply will still make its way over the beach, but all units are ashore with 0% disruption by the end of the day.

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Ground combat at Kushiro (123,53)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 4352 troops, 34 guns, 7 vehicles, Assault Value = 286

Defending force 56082 troops, 721 guns, 778 vehicles, Assault Value = 1781

Japanese ground losses:
141 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Assaulting units:
7th/C Division
77th/A Division
73rd Field AA Battalion
77th JAAF AF Bn

Defending units:
22nd Marine Regiment
3rd Marine Division
3rd USMC Tank Battalion
1st Arm Amphib Battalion
29th Marine Regiment
2nd Arm Amphib Battalion
1st (Spec) Cavalry Division
4th Marine Regiment
1st Marine Division
4th USMC Tank Battalion
9th USMC Field Artillery Battalion
3rd Pioneer Battalion
8th USMC Field Artillery Battalion
3rd USMC Field Artillery Battalion
III Amphib Corps
5th USMC Field Artillery Battalion
2nd Pioneer Battalion
12th USMC Field Artillery Battalion
6th USMC Field Artillery Battalion
6th Pioneer Battalion


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I don't know this for a fact but I suspect that many of the defending troops were flown in post haste and if so they should be lacking heavy weapons. First attack tomorrow. Recon shows 4 units, 12,460 troops, 89 guns, and 20 AFV. That's three times the number of troops as yesterday! We're going with a shock attack. A mass of aircraft are aboard ship only 13 hexes out, with a massive load of naval support units one hex closer. One fleet carrier TF is moving back to cover them against long range strikes.

China west.

[witpqs]

China east.

[witpqs]

Philippines.

[witpqs]

Home Islands west.