The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[RangerJoe]

My condolences for you and your friend.

[Canoerebel]

Thanks, Jeff and Joe. Ginger and I were law partners for about 15 years. Law partners can be like family, and we were. Ginger is on end of the political spectrum; I'm on the other. But she was my closest confidant and the lawyer I felt most comfortable with in our firm. The practice of law wasn't our lives. We practiced law so that we could enjoy life: both by serving our clients and, to the extent possible, so that could do the things we enjoyed doing away from the office. But the law is a "jealous mistress," and sometimes its hard for lawyers to separate work from life.

Ginger is a brilliant lawyer, tough as nails, smart, kind-hearted. She and her future husband grew up in the same small town. They started dating when she was 15 and he was 18. I think they were married about 46 years when he passed away Friday. They'd just returned from several weeks fishing in Alaska. They have three grown children. They are good folks.

[RangerJoe]

Some thoughts for you next carrier sweeps and strategic bombing targets:

1) Unless you consider it too "gamey" you can over strengthen your sweeping fighter units as well as your bombing units by up to 11 or 12 extra aircraft in order to keep them flying longer.

2) Escort TFs with PT boats attached, then create the PT Boat unit to sweep the port ahead of any other naval activity. If needed, create a task force to refuel the PT Boats before they return to base. If the PT Boats don't need rearming, repeat as necessary. This could also be used to clear out the smaller riff-raff task forces with little risk to major fleet units. This is best done with little or no moonlight and/or adverse weather conditions.

3) Naval bombardments with 6" gun cruisers or better, no escorts bombard. These could even be old Omaha class and British "C" and "D" class cruisers. These can damage the airbase, port and industry as well as damaging and disrupting the AA units. No CLAAs as they are basically overgrown destroyers and have to get too close and can then be targeted by lighter CD guns and as well as hitting minefields.

4) Put some bombers even carrier borne Avengers on night airbase attacks to disrupt the CAP before it even flies.

5) Put some bombers (a small number even) at each base to bomb the airfield to also help disrupt the CAP.

[Canoerebel]

12/26/44

Battle of Shanghai: The opening, probing artillery bombardment suggests that there is a good deal of "rot" within the enemy position. Three of four enemy divisions are in a bad way after having lost the Battle of Hangchow.

My guys will try a probing deliberate attack tomorrow. And there are more good units in bound, a few days to a few weeks out. I think John will have to reinforce Shanghai to prevent it falling much earlier than expected. How early? I'll know more after tomorrow's attack.

[Canoerebel]

12/26/44

The year is fast waning but Allied operations in Coastal China are heating right up.

Fancy Pants: Decent raid against Matsoyama. Big raid scheduled tomorrow for Hiroshima/Kure.

The bad-luck stack infected by 5th Marine Div.? It attacked today after the marines had withdraw from the hex, to far better adjusted AV than when the marines were there.

There is something wrong with 5th Marine Div. I swear.

[Lowpe]

Poor force disposition at Shanghai. No armor, perhaps the most important unit to have there, no heavy artillery, the 1st and 25th divisions should have IJA 43 squads, but look a little worse for wear. They should be broken down to recover faster, avoid enemy bombardments. The 1st probably still can fight, the 25th should beat feat out unless is only has artillery left in it.

The rocket artillery will be nasty against a deliberate attack, but there is no other artillery except inherent artillery protecting it.

Obvious from the picture that Japan doesn't understand how to defend a base under constant naval bombardment.

[Grollub]

Re: The quote question - Stalag 17

[Canoerebel]

Yup.

"I'm tellin' ya, Animal, these Nazis aint kosher."

"You can say that again."

"I'm tellin' ya, Animal, these Nazis aint kosher."

"I said 'you can say that again,' but that don't mean ya have to repeat yourself!"

[Grollub]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Yup.

"I'm tellin' ya, Animal, these Nazis aint kosher."

"You can say that again."

"I'm tellin' ya, Animal, these Nazis aint kosher."

"I said 'you can say that again,' but that don't mean ya have to repeat yourself!"

Actually saw it on Tv just two weeks ago. [:)]

Thanks for an interesting and well written AAR!

[traskott]

I'm sorry, buddy. I'm a lawyer too, and understand the situation.

[paullus99]

The ability to keep Shanghai under constant naval bombardment is going to really help.

[JohnDillworth]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Poor force disposition at Shanghai. No armor, perhaps the most important unit to have there, no heavy artillery, the 1st and 25th divisions should have IJA 43 squads, but look a little worse for wear. They should be broken down to recover faster, avoid enemy bombardments. The 1st probably still can fight, the 25th should beat feat out unless is only has artillery left in it.

The rocket artillery will be nasty against a deliberate attack, but there is no other artillery except inherent artillery protecting it.

Obvious from the picture that Japan doesn't understand how to defend a base under constant naval bombardment.

Poor force disposition at Shanghai. No armor, perhaps the most important unit to have there, no heavy artillery, the 1st and 25th divisions should have IJA 43 squads, but look a little worse for wear. They should be broken down to recover faster, avoid enemy bombardments. The 1st probably still can fight, the 25th should beat feat out unless is only has artillery left in it.

More mouths than spines. Unless there are a ton of forts and supplies this will get ugly for the empire

[RangerJoe]

You might want to reconsider taking Mindanao. You already have a base or two there if I remember correctly. You also have a unit at Ternate so reinforcing it should not be a problem. If you were to also invade at Sidate (1 hex SW of Manado)and then march to Manado, you can shut the open door to the DEI. No more oil for Japan unless he were to fight his way through. The KB and the rest of the IJN will be divided. Your reinforcements coming from Australia might be able to do this on the next supply run and that might surprise your opponent.

You could then consider Terakan and Balikpappan/Samarinda so you could have fuel sources close to your major fleet operations.

The units that went to Indochina and then China had to come from somewhere so the IJA should be weaker in the DEI and Malaya.

[Canoerebel]

I'm not positive but I suspect supply will be fairly low. AA fire against Allied 2EB and 4EB has been desultory, at most.

When a base is strong - well supplied, good units, good defensive terrain - artillery bombardment, ship bombardment and air bombing - often has little impact. But when those facets of the game are scoring some meaningful hits, it usually indicates some rot present in the wood.

[Canoerebel]

I've had that feeling that John was going to pounce - partly based on his increased level of interest and partly from little signs. For instance, he's been sending little strikes against big Allied airfields (Manila, Taichu) to test the level of defenses. And tonight will be 96% moonlight - a waxing gibbous moon nearly full.

So I've been modifying defenses a bit. I've stood down many sweeping fighter squadrons in China, sending them to augment air defenses at Manila, Taichu and Ningpo. I've also beefed up Death Star night fighter squadrons a bit and pulled out most dive bombers in favor of additional fighters.

I can't be everywhere, and I have a long, skinny salient poking all the way to China. John can strike and hard. The question is whether he strikes someplace meaningful, either militarily or victory points. If he does neither, then it doesn't matter.

[witpqs]

...or maybe John is improving his game within a game...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CYA3eLs-lE

[RangerJoe]

As long as this does not happen to you, you are fine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPStwD1C8-c

[JohnDillworth]

Hmmmmm, John loves those in and out big Bombardment missions but I don't think he there is anything sufficiently juicey that will also get him home safe before the sun comes up. Something more sophisticated me thinks. Deception? One way mission? Counter invasion? I expect he is counting on the entire DS being away. Interesting

[Canoerebel]

12/27/44

KB Raid Andaman Sea: Two divisions of KB show up in the Andaman Sea. These are the same two that recently raided through the Gulf of Carpentaria. Is this a carefully thought out mission, or is JEB Stuart in the saddle again? That's what I'm trying to figure out.

KB's fighters provide a huge CAP over Chumpon, downing a goodly number of my 2EB and 4EB....but losing way too many Sams in the process. If John has raiding notions, they may have been dampened by the loss of so many fighters.

If it's a raid, the only target that makes sense is Rangoon. Right now there are 150 fighters there and only a modest number of ships - mostly xAKs and one small combat TF with a CL and about 5 DDs. So there's nothing real juicy from a raiding standpoint. John may end up drilling a too-dry hole, as he did in his recent Gulf of Carpentaria raid.

Or could he be thinking some kind of counterinvasion? That is most unlikely - and most unlikely to yield helpful results for him. The Allies have a lot of good infantry and armored units in the Thailand/Southern Indochina areas. As for Bangkok and Rangoon, they are safe.

[Canoerebel]

12/27/44

Battle of Shanghai: Allied deliberate attack comes off at very low odds, shows 5 forts, and inflicts almost 1:1 casualties. So no coup de main here, but the base doesn't look very strong.
I'm brining up strong reinforcements for the next attack in four or five days. In the meantime, naval bombardments and air bombing will continue.

Raid on Hiroshima: Navy Corsairs sweep meager enemy CAP from the sky. B-29s are unopposed and score 50k fires. But Avengers and B-24Js decline to fly. I'm trying again tomorrow, with more B-24Js and no B-29s (they will rest).

I'm crossing my fingers on an attack ordered against John's two tank divisions west of Hangchow. I think there's a chance of victory.