Paratroopers cling to the railroad lines, blocking several intersections...they are busy making Sherman neckties...
Unexpected troop strength...the Butte Rod and Gun Club members organized a strong initial defense buying time for the US Army to rail in more soldiers. The Krag-Jorgensen (aka Springfield 1892-99) Rifle plays an important role in American History once again... of course the rifle was obsolete before it saw service the first time...but it is slick, fast and most of all accurate and plentiful in the environs of Butte's veteran marksmen.
Long time readers know that Olorin started this game trying out size 60 r&d facilities, hoping for a greater than 1 point acceleration (or greater than 2 with engine bonus). That has never happened.
Additionally, size 60 r&d facilities are supposed to repair at the same relative rate as a size 30. That, sadly, is not the case for this admittedly small sample size. Every size 60 facility has under performed to a size 30 facility. So sad.
There are still very valid reasons to build a size 60 r&d facility, but not for the above two reasons, imho.
A teaser picture from the first battle of the night...and definitely not the last.[X(]
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Jan 13, 43
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Night Time Surface Combat, near San Francisco at 214,80, Range 7,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Furutaka, Shell hits 2
DD Kagero, Shell hits 1
Allied Ships
DD McCalla
DD Bancroft
DD Gansevoort, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Gillespie
DD Hobby, Shell hits 2
DD Kalk, Shell hits 2, on fire
Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions and 46% moonlight: 8,000 yards
Range closes to 18,000 yards...
Range closes to 12,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 12,000 yards
Range closes to 9,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 7,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 7,000 yards
CA Furutaka engages DD Kalk at 7,000 yards
DD Kagero engages DD Hobby at 7,000 yards
DD Kagero engages DD Gillespie at 7,000 yards
DD Gansevoort sunk by DD Kagero at 7,000 yards
Range closes to 5,000 yards
CA Furutaka engages DD Kalk at 5,000 yards
CA Furutaka engages DD Hobby at 5,000 yards
CA Furutaka engages DD Hobby at 5,000 yards
DD Kagero engages DD Hobby at 5,000 yards
DD Kagero engages DD Gillespie at 5,000 yards
DD Bancroft engages DD Kagero at 5,000 yards
Range increases to 6,000 yards
DD Kagero engages DD Kalk at 6,000 yards
DD Gillespie engages DD Kagero at 6,000 yards
DD Kagero engages DD Bancroft at 6,000 yards
DD Kagero engages DD McCalla at 6,000 yards
Range increases to 8,000 yards
CA Furutaka engages DD Kalk at 8,000 yards
DD Kagero engages DD Hobby at 8,000 yards
DD Kagero engages DD Gillespie at 8,000 yards
DD Kagero engages DD Bancroft at 8,000 yards
Range increases to 11,000 yards
DD Kalk engages DD Kagero at 11,000 yards
DD Kagero engages DD Hobby at 11,000 yards
CA Furutaka engages DD Gillespie at 11,000 yards
DD Bancroft engages DD Kagero at 11,000 yards
Range increases to 13,000 yards
CA Furutaka engages DD Kalk at 13,000 yards
DD Hobby engages DD Kagero at 13,000 yards
CA Furutaka engages DD Gillespie at 13,000 yards
DD Bancroft engages DD Kagero at 13,000 yards
DD Kagero engages DD McCalla at 13,000 yards
Task forces break off...
Got another message from my opponent, and it seems like the game will still progress perhaps with a modified tinkering at some point...so no reason not to put up this turn...since Jocke is asking for the replay.
Last we left it, a very small screening task force fought off an Allied destroyer squadron west southwest of San Francisco...
Japanese radio and float planes kept tabs on the destroyers, dropping flares, and a powerful light cruiser force vectored in...
Meanwhile, IJN minesweepers are busy clearing mines, but a xak blunders into a fresh minefield at Pendleton where a huge amount of forces are unloading over the beaches...I guess Marine Corp training might be interrupted some. (Wishful thinking on my part!)
Elsewhere, numerous AKV's arrive at Santa Ana...can they unload their Army fighters, and more importantly will the Allied 4E beasties show up and pulverize them on the ground at a now overstacked airfield?
Or is the port too small, and the fighters, desperately needed, not be able to unload? Am I capable of making such a blunder?[&:]
Sub attacks are fierce and numerous, as is the minesweeping...but the only ship hit is off Luzon but a tanker. Can't even remember what it is doing there.
Sub attack near Lubang at 77,78
Japanese Ships
TK Toen Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PB Ogashima
Allied Ships
SS Seal
SS Seal launches 4 torpedoes at TK Toen Maru
Seal diving deep ....
PB Ogashima fails to find sub, continues to search...
PB Ogashima fails to find sub, continues to search...
PB Ogashima fails to find sub, continues to search...
PB Ogashima fails to find sub, continues to search...
PB Ogashima fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub
With dawn, comes the threat of air strikes...my goodness. Santa Ana has the 2nd Tank unloading, another Division is unloading at Pendleton along with about 15 other units...oh my. Four loaded AKVs'...160 planes...can they thread the sub presence (yes), avoid the air attacks and unload?
During the night an IJN battleship bombarded San Diego, and a Cruiser bombarded San Luis (swept first by three destroyer squadrons) but the level 7 runway is devoid of planes (or at least I don't damage any). Yesterday there was a horde of PT boats there, where are they now?
The only PT boat encounter...
Sub attack near San Luis Obispo at 222,76
Japanese Ships
SS I-8
Allied Ships
PT-142
PT-144
SS I-8 cannot acquire firing solution on enemy PT
Sub escapes detection
Lions and tigers and bears! What is happening here!
Carriers, Battleships, Troop Transports heading for Portland. Can it be? Is this part of a multi-faceted invasion designed to bring American to her knees?
With Eight divisions unloaded in Southern California, Japanese troops on the Walk of Stars, at Redondo Beach, headed for Hollywood, can Portland be at risk too?
Shocker, to end all shockers, there are no, nada, zilch Allied air attacks, sweeps, over Southern California...
Japanese ships disembark thousands of soldiers, guns, tanks, supplies, fighters.
Praise the ancestors, look at those fighters![X(]
A mistake on my part here, I think I could have loaded the planes with Escort orders, and then when they unloaded, would have immediately been able to fly CAP. Merely a guess on my part...but I think that it would work.
Japanese Ships
DD Hatsukaze
BB Fuso
BB Kirishima
CA Kinugasa
CA Chokai
CL Kuma
CL Agano
DD Natsushio
DD Akizuki
DD Tadeshiwa
DD Tsuta
DD Natsugumo
Allied Ships
SS S-31
SS S-31 launches 4 torpedoes at DD Hatsukaze
DD Tadeshiwa fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Tsuta fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Natsugumo fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Tsuta fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Natsugumo fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Tsuta fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Tsuta fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Tsuta fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Tsuta fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub
