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

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Tulagi[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

After dropping off the 14th NZ brigade the Navy says hello to the defenders.

Night Naval bombardment of Tulagi at 114,137

Allied Ships
CL Columbia
CL Phoenix
CL Boise
CL Helena
CL St. Louis
DD Tucker
DD Perkins
DD Cushing
DD Conyngham
DD Case
DD Cummings
DD Preston
DD Smith
DD DeHaven
DD Chevalier
DD Fletcher

Japanese ground losses:
1078 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 6 destroyed, 77 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 26 disabled

Airbase hits 45
Airbase supply hits 7
Runway hits 104
Port hits 52
Port fuel hits 13
Port supply hits 8

Night Naval bombardment of Tulagi at 114,137

Allied Ships
CA Quincy
CA New Orleans
CA Chicago
CA Chester

Japanese ground losses:
589 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 9 destroyed, 37 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 8 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 18
Port hits 3
Port fuel hits 4
Port supply hits 4

A bombardment reveals the defenders are in a sorry state.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna




It has not. Don't get ahead of yourself.

Let us say he saved a fragment from each of the units to avoid the time in the queue and political points of rebuilding from scratch.

1) Fragments have to make their way to a base where at least 25,000 supplies are amassed. This base also must be kept supplied for thousands of supplied drawn down during the replacement process.
2) This also assumes that the pools have generated enough vehicles and armaments in the pools to replace. Give some time here in this stage.
3) These units will be at the national training level. If they are not just experience builders for Allied units they will have some time in training mode.

Given no previous plan to build the units back, needing to move them to the supply center, take replacements, train ... I say 6 months ..
unless these units are headed to China or someplace like that ..a 40 exp unit is good fodder in the jungles of Burma I guess ..

Meanwhile The Allies toys grow in numbers ..And I am now convinced that the DEI is the route to take with a DBB based scenario ..The rebuilding of IJA divisions will eventually be a bane when the supplies go low

Also .. The Allies right now are

1) is wrong. You don't need 25,000 supplies to take replacements - just double required supply at the base.
2) is also wrong - Japanese replacements do not depend upon pools of devices.
3) is also wrong - if he saved a fragment, it will have whatever XP the unit had, and yes it will regress towards the national average (50) but it's not a given that it will drop all the way there.

But even assuming he didn't save anything from these units, the IJA is not out of the fight. Yes, this hurts him, but the IJA didn't vanish with these losses.

Correct about supply but I have noticed that with my main replacement depot in India where I am rebuilding mostly shattered Chinese units that if my supply drops below a certain number (20k, 25K?) that my replacement rate will slow from daily replacements to replacements every two to three days. So, I pump the supply there and keep it above 30,000.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

The reason I feel the IJA is now removed is that they are so understrength I don´t have to take it into consideration going forward. I don´t have to fear a counter attack and prepare defenses. I don´t have to massively overprepp to be sure I bring enough which frees up a lot of troops going forward. The speeds up the tempo considerably.

I beg to differ - at a certain point on the calendar, in stock (so CR's game with its beefed up OOBs is not a great reference point), it is just not possible for Japan to conduct any kind of counter-offensive during the main Allied thrust. They could throw more units into any given meatgrinder, sure, but that's about it. So I guess you don't have to worry about a division or two showing up at one of your invasion targets in the next 6 months or so and it slowing you down, but IMO you should be thankful if your opponent does that. It only leads to bad things if they can't shove your guys back into the ocean - which is a rare thing that should never even be on the table once you reach 1943 by simple virtue of device stats (so long as you have enough supply, and assuming you didn't bring a brigade to do a division's job).

So my argument is that you never have to fear a counterattack anyway. At least not with LCUs. Hence, I don't think the IJA losing 13 divisions on the west coast should impact your calculus in the slightest unless you were now thinking of a quick thrust into CENTPAC. Which you've just said you aren't. Therefore...

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Correct about supply but I have noticed that with my main replacement depot in India where I am rebuilding mostly shattered Chinese units that if my supply drops below a certain number (20k, 25K?) that my replacement rate will slow from daily replacements to replacements every two to three days. So, I pump the supply there and keep it above 30,000.

So far as I know, the replacement checks are based on leaders/HQs as long as you have the minimum supplies. I haven't gotten that far into it.

Any IJA unit that needs to be bought back will show up at Tokyo anyway, where there should be hundreds of thousands if not millions of supply.

[RangerJoe]

The fragments can start taking replacements now if they are at a base with enough supplies. Just go to the screen showing all of the units and then click to allow all of the units to take replacements. That allows the fragments to receive replacements. Break up the fragments by sending parts to other bases will only speed up the process. You might have to do this every turn, but it is possible unless you have rules to disallow it.

A good job at Cox, you shot down a lot of enemy planes for a lot fewer losses. Maybe Japanese pilot quality has lowered quite a bit. It also allowed your forces at Chittagong to move forward and you get the chance to wreck the future Burmese defenders before their long march back into Burma.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]March 9th -43[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

War is slowly moving forward. Some good sub attacks during the last days. The O19 finds gold.

Sub attack near Tandjoengselor at 68,95

Japanese Ships
TK Nisshin Maru #2, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
TK Nisshin Maru
TK Kyokuyo Maru
PB Hakakisan Maru
PB Akagane Maru

Allied Ships
SS O19

"Fuel Cargo burning" was followed by sinking sounds. Strike two big tankers in just two days! [:)]

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Shoho[/font]
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CVL Shoho is reported to have been sunk near San Francisco on Jan 24, 1943

Nice!

[JocMeister]

You can pretty much ignore the above update. Jeff sent me the same turn twice. With very different results which shouldn´t happen. We have suffered some massive sync issues lately too. I think I may have found the problem...

All the saves are from my game with Jeff. I´m guessing he has multiple installs and he has been running the wrong one from time to time when running our turn.

[Lokasenna]

Actually, the comment stays even if you save over it with a new scenario. As in you could have a Scenario 30 game in one save slot, but then save over it with a Scenario 6 and it would show Scenario 6 even though it was actually 30.

Also, this can't really happen. Which scenario DB is being used is stored in the turn file itself. And if that DB varies from computer to computer, it will give you a warning message about database changes. If you aren't getting those messages, you're running the same version.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Actually, the comment stays even if you save over it with a new scenario. As in you could have a Scenario 30 game in one save slot, but then save over it with a Scenario 6 and it would show Scenario 6 even though it was actually 30.

Also, this can't really happen. Which scenario DB is being used is stored in the turn file itself. And if that DB varies from computer to computer, it will give you a warning message about database changes. If you aren't getting those messages, you're running the same version.

But I´m only running 1 game so overwrites shouldn´t be an issue. I don´t have a SCEN6 game going.

EDIT: Just ran a turn on my "virgin install". No mods and no updates. Had no problems opening it with my DBB install. Got a version and PWHEX warning but no DB warning.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Actually, the comment stays even if you save over it with a new scenario. As in you could have a Scenario 30 game in one save slot, but then save over it with a Scenario 6 and it would show Scenario 6 even though it was actually 30.

Also, this can't really happen. Which scenario DB is being used is stored in the turn file itself. And if that DB varies from computer to computer, it will give you a warning message about database changes. If you aren't getting those messages, you're running the same version.

But I´m only running 1 game so overwrites shouldn´t be an issue. I don´t have a SCEN6 game going.

EDIT: Just ran a turn on my "virgin install". No mods and no updates. Had no problems opening it with my DBB install. Got a version and PWHEX warning but no DB warning.

Still sounds fine.

YOU don't have a Scen6 game going, but his computer is the one that writes the comment in the save file upon saving. You could change this when you sent it back to him and it would change. For example, Bullwinkle and I still have "added 150vp" that Michael added to the comment a long time ago on our save line. I could save an entirely different game in that slot and that comment would remain, even though it was not applicable to the game that I just saved in that slot.

Basically, he had a Scen 6 game saved in that slot and the save file still existed, and then he overwrote that save file with his new Scen 30 game with you - but the comment was never changed. It's still a Scen 30 game. The comment on the save file is completely independent of anything within it.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
Still sounds fine.

YOU don't have a Scen6 game going, but his computer is the one that writes the comment in the save file upon saving. You could change this when you sent it back to him and it would change. For example, Bullwinkle and I still have "added 150vp" that Michael added to the comment a long time ago on our save line. I could save an entirely different game in that slot and that comment would remain, even though it was not applicable to the game that I just saved in that slot.

Basically, he had a Scen 6 game saved in that slot and the save file still existed, and then he overwrote that save file with his new Scen 30 game with you - but the comment was never changed. It's still a Scen 30 game. The comment on the save file is completely independent of anything within it.

I understand now! Thanks for the clarification! [:)]

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Burma[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

The Japanese army arrives at Cox. They have been absolutely clobbered for the last 2 weeks though and I´m pretty certain they are unfit for combat. This is what I have been doing to them for the last 2 weeks. Every day.

Night Naval bombardment of Cox's Bazar at 54,43

Allied Ships
BB Prince of Wales
BB Washington
BC Repulse
DD Porter
DD Flusser
DD Lamson
DD Drayton
DD Mahan
DD Fanning
DD Dunlap
DD Gwin
DD Meredith

Japanese ground losses:
493 casualties reported
Squads: 14 destroyed, 30 disabled
Non Combat: 8 destroyed, 21 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 12 (2 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Night Naval bombardment of Cox's Bazar at 54,43

Allied Ships
BB Resolution
BB Ramillies
BB Royal Sovereign
BB Revenge
DD Isis
DD Express
DD Nizam
DD Napier
DD Nestor
DD Nepal

Japanese ground losses:
303 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 27 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Afternoon Air attack on 18th/C Division, at 54,43 (Cox's Bazar)

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Allied aircraft
SB-III x 9
Beaufort I x 2
Hudson IIIa x 2
Liberator II x 11
Wellington Ic x 5
B-17F Fortress x 7
B-24D Liberator x 32

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 2 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
1074 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 47 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 117 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Afternoon Air attack on 17th Army, at 54,43 (Cox's Bazar)

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 12
B-25C Mitchell x 26

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
169 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 18 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 18 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Afternoon Air attack on 18th/B Division, at 54,43 (Cox's Bazar)

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 12
B-25C Mitchell x 9

Allied aircraft losses
B-25C Mitchell: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
298 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 17 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 21 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 12 (1 destroyed, 11 disabled)

Afternoon Air attack on 18th/B Division, at 54,43 (Cox's Bazar)

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 16

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
103 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Afternoon Air attack on 1st RTA/B Division, at 54,43 (Cox's Bazar)

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 6

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 1 damaged

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

AV is still pretty high though and I don´t dare risk an attack with what I have here. Have to wait for the main army to catch up. Jeff is moving out but will probably do so in combat mode. I should be able to catch at least parts of his army before they shift hex.

Ground combat at Cox's Bazar (54,43)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 30147 troops, 522 guns, 384 vehicles, Assault Value = 822

Defending force 55675 troops, 715 guns, 429 vehicles, Assault Value = 1455

Japanese ground losses:
65 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 3 (2 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Assaulting units:
18th British Division
1st Marine Division
9th Indian Division

Defending units:
1st RTA/B Division
4th Guards Division
5th Division
1st RTA/C Division
38th Division
4th Ind.Mixed Regiment
14th Tank Regiment
2nd Tank Regiment
18th/C Division
18th/B Division
3rd RTA/C Division
20th AA Regiment
25th Air Defense AA Regiment
10th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
36th Field AA Battalion
2nd Mortar Battalion
17th Army
3rd Mortar Battalion
21st Air Defense AA Regiment
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
5th Mortar Battalion
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
16th AA Regiment

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

[font="Verdana"]Burma[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

The Japanese army arrives at Cox. They have been absolutely clobbered for the last 2 weeks though and I´m pretty certain they are unfit for combat. This is what I have been doing to them for the last 2 weeks. Every day.


AV is still pretty high though and I don´t dare risk an attack with what I have here. Have to wait for the main army to catch up. Jeff is moving out but will probably do so in combat mode. I should be able to catch at least parts of his army before they shift hex.

You look good here. If he's smart he'll move in reserve mode as even an attack by these troops when he's moving in reserve wouldn't likely take the base. It'll still take 4-5 days to get it all out depending on the state of his units (which is probably not too good).

How much are you bringing and when do they arrive?

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]West Coast[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

Major reshuffle here as we change stance from frontline to rear area. Only mopping up left now. A huge number of squadrons and units depart for the East Coast. Most will end up in SOPAC and start prepairing for the eventual push into the lower DEI. But some construction units and fighter squadrons will go to Cape.

All unrestricted units are pulled back from Camp Pendleton. The attack will mainly be carried out restricted but not yet bought out US divisions together with the armored units. 7th, 41st and 43rd divisions are still not bought out. They will from now on be on the priority list to buy out as they are prepping for targets I NORPAC which I intend to start taking back shortly.

A bombardment reveals the total number of Japanese troops left on the West Coast. I think my encirclement of the Japanese army in Burma against Erik beats this...but not by much! Sorted it for convenience.

1st/A Division
1st/B Division
1st/C Division
2nd Division
4th Division
9th Division
12th Division
14th Division
16th Division
21st Division
48th/A Division
48th/B Division
48th/C Division

1st Tank Division
2nd Tank Division

5th Guards Division
6th Guards Division

4th Tank Regiment

8th RF Gun Battalion
18th Field Construction Battalion
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
57th JNAF AF Unit
8th Area Army
305th Ship Eng Coy
71st JAAF AF Bn
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
12th JNAF AF Unit
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Air Defense AA Regiment
9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
5th Air Defense AA Regiment
15th Air Defense AA Regiment
32nd Air Defense AA Battalion
26th Air Flotilla
2nd Air Defense AA Regiment
6th Air Defense AA Regiment
22nd Air Defense AA Regiment
56th JNAF AF Unit
10th RF Gun Battalion
5th RF Gun Battalion
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
1st Fleet
7th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
22nd Fld AA Gun Co
15th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
31st Air Defense AA Battalion
9th RF Gun Battalion
11th RF Gun Battalion
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
7th Air Defense AA Regiment
1st Air Defense AA Battalion
2nd RF Gun Battalion
56th Construction Battalion
1st Art.Mortar Regiment
3rd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
209th JAAF AF Bn

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

[font="Verdana"]Burma[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

The Japanese army arrives at Cox. They have been absolutely clobbered for the last 2 weeks though and I´m pretty certain they are unfit for combat. This is what I have been doing to them for the last 2 weeks. Every day.


AV is still pretty high though and I don´t dare risk an attack with what I have here. Have to wait for the main army to catch up. Jeff is moving out but will probably do so in combat mode. I should be able to catch at least parts of his army before they shift hex.

You look good here. If he's smart he'll move in reserve mode as even an attack by these troops when he's moving in reserve wouldn't likely take the base. It'll still take 4-5 days to get it all out depending on the state of his units (which is probably not too good).

How much are you bringing and when do they arrive?

I have 1700 AV coming in about 6 days including this 2nd and 70th British division. Another 2000 AV left Chittagong 4 days ago. Obviously they won´t make it in time.

He started moving some troops a couple of days ago. Unless he reset those a portion of the troops will leave Cox in advance of the others. That might give me a chance to catch at least some of the troops.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]SOPAC[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

Most of the Fleet departs Noumea to transit "elsewhere". We no longer need it to continue forward as we can land under LBA all the way to the Philippines from here.

I revised much of my earlier plans and came up with a new one. Main plan is still the same though. Move a little everywhere and force Jeff to dissipate his forces as much as possible. I even considered moving into CENTPAC but dismissed the idea. Moving into CENTPAC would remove my two advantages (land and LBA) and force me to play where I´m weakest (Navy) and Jeff is the strongest.

So for now we will creep forward in Burma and SOPAC. NORPAC front will be opened up in 2-3 months. My goal is to get back Dutch before the end of 43. Should be doable.

SOPAC isn´t left complete bare though. Short of the KB I can deal with most of what the IJN can throw at me here. At least as long as I can dominate the air with LBA.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Allied Shiplosses[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

Take away the 3 CVs sunk by Japanese supersubs and my losses so far would be negligible. Lex was hit by two TTs and later sunk by gunfire.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Japanese Shiplosses[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

IJN losses have been reasonably light. I doubt Hyuga has sunk as she was hit by a lone TT. Most likely she made the journey back to Pearl.

MKB has been wiped out though but with the KB roaming the seas it has little strategical effect outside the VPs. More encouraging are the fact that the KB airwings have been bled try trying to maintain air superiority on the West coast.

Japanese DD losses should be cause for slight concern in the Japanese high command. I count 42 DDs lost so far and with the arrival of the US Fletchers the future of the Japanese DD force is bleak.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Airlosses[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

I usually do pretty good in the air and consider it to be my strongest area. This game is no exception. The Japanese have failed to put any kind of pressure on the Allied pools. I have been able to face the Japanese using my most modern planes with trained pilots. This shows in the statistics.