The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[Canoerebel]

2/15/44

A good, productive day without any adverse developments. I'll leave the storytelling to the map.

[Canoerebel]

2/16/44

Burma: Taung Gyi falls today to 77th Chindits. This may be more important than you'd think. John's all but conceded the air space, allowing 2EB and 4EB to hammer his airfields, industry and ground troops. He's got to recommit or withdraw. I think he'll do the latter.

[Canoerebel]

2/16/44

Fun House and CenPac: Another quiet, unmolested, productive day. The map will provide the SitRep.

[Capt. Harlock]

5900 casualties at Makassar -- partial repayment for the losses at Palembang.

[Canoerebel]

Arg, you mean Sabang! I think I lost 125,000 troops there. 8k points right there.

[bradfordkay]

So you have been using 4E bombers against his troops in Burmese bases? Isn't that within the HRs you guys negotiated?

[Canoerebel]

The HR prohibits using 4EB against ground units in non-base hexes, so I am free to use them against troops in bases.

I didn't use my SEAC bombers from spring '43 until January 2, 1944. When they resumed, John at first contested the airspace with good fighter squadrons, but not a lot of them. Within a few days, most of the oil and other good industry in the area was destroyed. At about the same time, Allied fighter sweeps seemed to really get the best of John's fighters. He withdrew them. Possibly the losses were distasteful to him or possibly he had higher priority uses in the DEI. So, for the past 30 days, Allied fighters and bombers have had unfettered access to Japanese bases and troops. Most of the airfields are shut down now. Most of his Burma divisions are in bases, meaning they're been taking an awful pounding. John didn't comment until yesterday.

He has two viable options - one is to contest the air space by using his fighters. If that doesn't work, or if he prefers to use his fighters elsewhere, he has to begin phased withdrawals to put space between his troops and my big airfields. It will take me time to move engineers and aviation personnel forward, so he can buy time in return for space. I think that's what he'll do.

[GetAssista]

I wonder why John does not use his fighters in Burma. At that point Allies do not yet have an overwhelming tech and airframe production advantage, and he has capable enough airframes online (Franks etc). Playing over own bases would train the pilots and attrite allies, layered CAP is ok against your limited Jugs, and railroad network is nice for airgroup rotation. Maybe he has not trained enough fighter pilots? Or too small production?

[Canoerebel]

Just a guess that he's not flush with good pilots and good airframes and deems the DEI a higher priority.

[Dirtnap86]

Yeah he may have bet too heavily on a late war plane. He does have A6M8s and has for a while.

What does the air war look like anyways right now CR? How many frames has he lost

[Canoerebel]

John's lost 19,300 aircraft. I've lost 12,700.

It's hard for me to judge whether that's a lot for Japan. My impression is that Japan can produce an unlimited number, though it does impact his supply level at some point.

[Canoerebel]

2/17/44

Carousel: Another quietly productive day as Death Star and the Herd make for Normanton.

Fun House: All quiet as the massive behind-the-scenes logistical work continues.

Burma: John may be trying to reclaim Taung Gyi, but he'll probably have to shift a division this way. That, in turn, exposes units to attack by my 4EB. I'm seeing movement dots on a number of IJ units. I'm not positive yet whether they're moving forward to attack or retiring. My money is on the latter.

[Canoerebel]

Death Star left Pearl Harbor in October, four months ago. She's been at sea ever since. The carrier TFs are running low on fuel but wear-and-tear is remarkably low. This TF is representative.

That's one huge benefit of not going off at flank speed to chase any of the juicy enemy TF targets that were available during the operation. Far more important to just do what Big Tent was designed to do.

The lack of wear and tear is even more remarkable when considering that Death Star left San Fran in June '43 for the Hokkaido invasion (changed to the Aleutians) and has been at sea ever since, except for one brief interlude after the Great Naval Battle of Wake Island.

Logistics isn't everything, but man it's critical.

[Lokasenna]

I'd say the benefit is more moving at the speed of the merchants. I don't typically run mine at flank (it's been many months), but they still accumulate a reasonable amount of Sys damage just from sailing around at mission speed, 8 hexes per turn. When you're moving 4-6 hexes per turn, or less....

[Flicker]

I'm going to try some of your sys damage limiting techniques rather than sending fleets to a point halfway around the map.

Glad to see Horn Island free from Imperial oppression. Also like using troops to mop up what are now rear areas. IMO the Aussie division plus some smaller units could turn much of the Japanese-held areas in the South Pacific around fairly quickly. Take away the abandoned and weakly held areas then use the Oz hammer when needed.

[Canoerebel]

Having Horn Island helps me sleep better.

I think Fun House will clear SoPac and eastern CenPac of enemy ships. I'll have to remain on guard, as John will look for chances to gang up on smaller TFs, but that's when I'll begin some mop up operations. I'm leaving some troops, good amphib ships, and about 12 CVEs in theater (four CVE in SoPac, eight in CenPac). Some bases are weakly held now, some still strongly held. I don't know if the latter are a matter of John determined to hold out or if he just hasn't had the time and ships to make withdrawals yet.

[Canoerebel]

2/18/44

I'll let the map speak to events.

[Canoerebel]

I'm leaving town tomorrow on a family vacation. I hope to get one more turn in before then, if John's in a position to send one tonight. At the moment, though, he and his family are out Christmas caroling. In the meantime, y'all stay warm, ya hear? I'll think of you while I'm in sunny South Florida, the place I was born and raised (but that seems like 14 lifetimes ago now).

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I'm leaving town tomorrow on a family vacation. I hope to get one more turn in before then, if John's in a position to send one tonight. At the moment, though, he and his family are out Christmas caroling. In the meantime, y'all stay warm, ya hear? I'll think of you while I'm in sunny South Florida, the place I was born and raised (but that seems like 14 lifetimes ago now).

14 lifetimes?!! How many AARs have you done! [:D]

Have a great vacation and a joyful Christmas.

[adarbrauner]

What's the AAR report's name of the opponent John?