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

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy



[&:]

[;)]

[:'(]

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]30th May -43[/font]
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Is it an update? Yes, yes it is. Lets start with SOPAC shall we?

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SOPAC
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Since the last update this have been the most busy allied theatre. We are not investing much here but a little. Most of the fleet has left the area a long time ago but I have 3 Cruiser TFs in the area including the Boise and a nasty 4x Cleveland + 8 Fletcher TF.

Until last week Jeff has letting me take what I want without opposition. But something changed recently. The KB have been spotted NW of Horn island on 2 occasions now. A sub also spotted 2 BBs in the Solomon sea recently.

The allies are currently assaulting Horn Island. Resistance was heavier than expected and we had to reinforce with more troops. I have another 200 AV fully prepped if needed. But I think we have what is needed to take it now. Jeff is actively reinforcing. Probably by float planes.

Ground combat at Horn Island (91,128)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 3145 troops, 76 guns, 17 vehicles, Assault Value = 213

Defending force 6097 troops, 57 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 145

Allied adjusted assault: 44

Japanese adjusted defense: 113

Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 3)

Combat modifiers
Defender:
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
191 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 18 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
167 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 20 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Assaulting units:
29th Australian Brigade
11th NZ Brigade
3rd Pioneer Battalion
9th Marine Defense Battalion

Defending units:
III./90th Infantry Battalion
II./90th Infantry Battalion
19th Nav Gd /1
10th Special Base Force
37th JNAF AF Unit
4th Ind. Mtn Gun Rgt /1

Jeff has also reinforced Merauke which is now a level 2 AF. I smacked him pretty good yesterday knocking out almost 50 Zeroes on the ground and the air.

Along the Solomons we reached Shortlands. I messed up badly here and didn´t realize it was a level 2 island (shock attack). Unloading from xAKLs = fail. Jeff also surged the 2 BBs forward which forced me to temporarily pull back until I can get the Clevelands in position to cover the area. Right now I have 4 CAs but given Jeff TFs compositions I rather have the Clevelands and Fletchers taking on 2 BBs.

In the air we are pretty weak. Most of the air groups are flying Aircobras and won´t update for quite some time. We do have 100 P38s and some Corsairs and Hellcats though. But lack of range is hurting me right now.

We are lagging behind the time table a bit but its nothing crucial. I can catch up very fast once I get some assault shipping down here. Rabaul will definitively falls before 43 is up. This is not a prioritized area though.

As can be seen in the screen parts of the KB just showed its ugly head. No attacks where made though. Could have been interesting. I have 100 P38s + 30 Hellcats + 50 Corsairs on LRCAP.

Its good to see Jeff has gotten his fighting spirit back. We have been doing 2-3 turns per evening for the last 2 weeks which is fantastic and I´m actually enjoying playing again. [:)]

[witpqs]

An update!

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Burma[/font]
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Main allied advance. We are intentionally moving slowly but deliberate on two separate axis of advance. This is mostly due to stacking limits which forces me to move through the jungle which I don´t like. Ironically I seem to have no problem moving supplies in the jungle but on the Akyab road its impossible...

The Japanese have suffered several major defeats here during the last 3 months. 3 Japanese divisions have been absolutely decimated on the push down to Akyab while the allies have suffered almost no casualties. Air wise Jeff has been defensively besides the odd sweep on the Andamans. Lately he has been sweeping Akyab as soon as I show up with a TF there. He has smacked some Hurricanes on LRCAP pretty badly. That is about to change though...

I have deliberately held back here for reasons that will show. Stay tuned but rest assured the allies are 100% in control in Burma. [:)]

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]The rest?[/font]
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This is it you wonder? This is all the allies have done for the last 4 months? Yes it is! [:D]

Things are starting to move forward again though. We lost about 2 months for refits but the navy is now fully operational again with all the APs converted to APAs. AKs will have to wait for their 6/43 AKA conversion though as I don´t want to wait for another month to get going.

We are going though. The fleet is currently moving to the pickup location. It will be a very busy 43 and 44 for them. The schedule is set and taking into account transits the Amphibs will probably work full time from now on until the Japanese surrender.

The first Essex have joined the rest of the fleet but due to CV losses (3 lost to subs [8|]) we have to be very careful not to run into the KB in the coming year. We are flying Hellcats now and will bolster the CV fleet with the Sangamons also flying Hellcats. Due to PDU OFF the allied CVE fleet will be far less potent in this game. Only the Sangamons and some of the VRF squadrons can upgrade to Hellcats and there will be no Corsairs on any CVs until late 44. Basically I will have a CVE fleet flying Wildkittens for the rest of the war. I like it though. No more 1k Hellcat CAPs.

Our first major landing is about 32-38 days off. Stay tuned. Nothing spectacular though.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Allied planning[/font]
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I´m off the schedule by about 40 days due to fuel f-ups leaving SOPAC for refits. Other than that things have progressed on plan. SOPAC is a sideshow but I´m very happy the Japanese have started to commit here.

KB was a bit further south and east than I would have thought. Personally considering the situation I would probably have kept it at Singers. Its presence will slow things down considerable down here for a while. There is no need to make any gambles here though. Slow and steady.

The allies have a plan for the rest of the war. I know where I want to and when to get there. Its a good plan which basically adheres to the original idea of pushing everywhere. Japan is critically short on troops and will be for a good while yet. I aim to exploit this shortage for as much as I can by forcing Jeff to spread even thinner. Before 43 is up Japan will be fighting on 4 different fronts.

[witpqs]

Are there any Imperial remnants on the US West Coast?

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Are there any Imperial remnants on the US West Coast?

Yeah. This is the last attack 6 days ago. Numbers have dropped from about 120k troops to 50k. Av is down to 300. Two or three attack more. [:)]

Defending units:
21st Division
6th Guards Division
14th Division
5th Guards Division
16th Division
1st Division
48th/C Division
2nd Division
1st Tank Division
6th Air Defense AA Regiment
1st Fleet
9th Division
48th/A Division
57th JNAF AF Unit
209th JAAF AF Bn
12th JNAF AF Unit
56th JNAF AF Unit
5th Air Defense AA Regiment
18th Field Construction Battalion
2nd Tank Division
26th Air Flotilla
4th Division
8th Area Army
12th Division
48th/B Division

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Subattacks![/font]
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Man, I wish I had Japanese subs.

- Miss on CV
- Dud on xAK
- Miss on DD
- Miss on tanker

[JocMeister]

EDIT: Something broken with the upload on the forum? Have to upload all the pictures twice.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: obvert
How's the winter been up there? We have our first snow falling (but not sticking) here in London. Kind of exiting.
Had a Laguinitas IPA and thought of you.

Been a really weird winter. Got like 60cm of snow in early Decemeber but it all rained away the following week. Almost no snow after that. Temperature around 0.

How did you like the Lagunitas? Had a couple of them last night! [:D]

Very good beer. There are just so many in London now it's hard to try them all. Beavertown is my most recent fave. Pressure Drop about he best I've had lately, just about any one of their types. It's suddenly Springish here now. Up to 17 Monday? [X(]

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

The allies have a plan for the rest of the war. I know where I want to and when to get there. Its a good plan which basically adheres to the original idea of pushing everywhere. Japan is critically short on troops and will be for a good while yet. I aim to exploit this shortage for as much as I can by forcing Jeff to spread even thinner. Before 43 is up Japan will be fighting on 4 different fronts.

CAn't wait to see this. Don't know why it doesn't happen more often. It's the biggest fear of a Japanese player (or at least this one) because I know exactly where the holes in defences are.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]June 3rd -43[/font]
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Things have been somewhat quiet during the last few days. Two more attacks at Camp Pendleton shows it won´t be long now.

Ground combat at Camp Pendleton (226,77)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 96157 troops, 1752 guns, 2806 vehicles, Assault Value = 2924

Defending force 51648 troops, 15 guns, 123 vehicles, Assault Value = 191

Allied adjusted assault: 1041

Japanese adjusted defense: 31

Allied assault odds: 33 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: disruption(-), preparation(-), fatigue(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
9029 casualties reported
Squads: 169 destroyed, 13 disabled
Non Combat: 552 destroyed, 114 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Vehicles lost 50 (41 destroyed, 9 disabled)
Units destroyed 2

Allied ground losses:
609 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 61 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Guns lost 14 (1 destroyed, 13 disabled)
Vehicles lost 25 (2 destroyed, 23 disabled)

Assaulting units:
8th Motorized Division
104th Infantry Division
4th Motorized Division
13th Armoured Division
44th Infantry Division
91st Infantry Division
36th Infantry Division
43rd Infantry Division
6th Armoured Division
Provisional Tank Brigade
183rd Field Artillery Battalion
I US Corps
181st Field Artillery Battalion
188th Field Artillery Battalion
144th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
16th Division
6th Guards Division
14th Division
1st Division
2nd Division
48th/C Division
2nd Tank Division
56th JNAF AF Unit
48th/A Division
4th Division
1st Tank Division
26th Air Flotilla
57th JNAF AF Unit
1st Fleet
5th Air Defense AA Regiment
9th Division
8th Area Army
209th JAAF AF Bn
12th Division
5th Guards Division
48th/B Division

I´m about 200 PPs from buying out the 43rd division. This will be the last piece of the puzzle for the 2nd phase of the coming offensive.

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Burma
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Jeff is trying to cut off the 9th OZ and 32nd US division around Katha. I can easily reopen the hex though so for now I´ll let him do that. Not without punishment though. I have some bombers in Burma. A lot of them in fact. [:)]

I´m going to try and move some BFs to Akyab tomorrow. I expect the Hurricanes to take a punishment and I might lose some ships. But its essential to get Akyab up and running so any losses will be a for a good cause.

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SOPAC
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Jeff has reinforced Shortlands with another unit. I really don´t want to do another shock attack so I´ll just bypass it instead. Landing on Buin tomorrow with a brigade. Amphibs are ready to land engineers to start expanding the base.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]June 4th -43[/font]
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I set a CAP trap over Shortlands that worked out very well. I want to make Jeff think twice about naval strikes in the hope it will give me a little more room to maneuver.

[JohnDillworth]

any thought of just leaving the Japanese units rot in place so they can't be bought back?

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

any thought of just leaving the Japanese units rot in place so they can't be bought back?

I considered it. But all he would have to do is keep attacking until they are destroyed. In fact I´m a bit perplexed why he hasn´t done that to get them back faster. I can only attack once every week or so due to FAT/DIS.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Akyab[/font]
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Things went better than expected. Especially considering his bombers punched through several times. This may look a bit unnecessary but I now have 25k supply and most importantly 3 radars at Akyab. Very important and well worth the cost.

[Lokasenna]

You don't have regular dud rate torpedoes yet.

[JohnDillworth]

Can the HQ and support units attack? I don't think they have an AV and the HQ units are probably the most valuable

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

Can the HQ and support units attack? I don't think they have an AV and the HQ units are probably the most valuable

HQ units are usually the last to be destroyed and they hold the last of the supply the enemy has, even when all the fighting units are at 0. So if I catch your drift, once the Japanese AV at Pendleton is 0, Jocke could cease attacking and thus prevent those remaining units from being available for rebuilding.