Going The Distance: BTS 4.6 MichaelU/lb4269 (A) vs bristolduke (J)

[MichaelU]

Wow, that is good stuff. Thanks ny59iants.

[MichaelU]

Right, PDU is on, and we're on. The first turn has been sent off, and we await the reply with all the turn 1 sneak attack horror it entails.
Due to HR all we've done so far is move some stuff in China, and put Force Z into port.

I really, really hate China. It seems no matter what you do, your blokes eat up all the rice and you are left with 2000 AV and no supply. However, what I am trying to do is gather all our corps together, put them in some tasty defensive terrain and block the main lines of advance to our industrial centres.

The map shows the main blocking positions marked in red. I wasn't sure what to do about the cities in blue, Loyang and Chengchow. It would be nice to hold onto them for their industry, and position blocking a rail line. But can the Chinese realistically hold any position in the open, given Japan's overwhelming air superiority?

Another thought about China. Thanks to nygiants sage advice we are dropping the strategic bombing rule. But is it worth keeping it in place in China? I can't see any reason for the Japanese to not just go and bomb the living daylights out of all the Chinese industrial centres and reduce Chinese supply to mere scraps, after which it walks in and mops up the starving peasants. How is this generally played?

[ny59giants]

China: I increased the non-rifle squads replacements by at least 50% and tweaked up supplies to make it more difficult to conquer. I send the non-permanently restricted troops towards Burma/India and use PP to buy them out. That will help with supply consumption. I build up Ledo and when the big AA brigade comes into Colombo in early 42, I send it here. Lots of C-47s fly supplies over the hump. I would send two to three more Corps to Wenchow to help the 100th Corp defend this base. It can be a big thorn in Japan's side when it come to conquering southern China (see Obvert's AAR). Get out of open terrain as fast as possible is the first thing to do. [;)]

[Bif1961]

Good luck looking forward to this contest and how the new toys and HRs workout/

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Ok, that is most of my useful documentation that you guys and others may want to refer to from time to time.

Holy CRAP Michael! Well done.

[MichaelU]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Holy CRAP Michael! Well done.

Not helpful John 3rd, as both Allied players are called Michael. [:)]

The turn is back, and you're never going to believe this, the Japanese have launched a sneak attack. Who would have thought they'd have the nerve.

More later.

[MichaelU]

This day will certainly live in infamy. Geez. I’d forgotten, as one tends to forget very grim things, exactly how grim day one is.

First note about the turn is that the combat replay bears no resemblance to the actual results. I hate turns like that. How I gasped as Boise sucked up 5 torpedoes. How I cheered as a plucky flight of 2 swordfish somehow slipped through the CAP and bombed a laden transport. And yet, when I open the turn, I feel like I’m in one of those movies where the bloke wakes up to find it was all a dream. The swordfish never flew. The Boise has 29 float damage.

Now, as to what actually happened. The big shocker is that KB has decided to visit the Philippines, doing a port strike on Manila and leaving Pearl Harbour unmolested. Our subs die in vast number (six to be exact), plus a lot of other ships we don’t care all that much about.
Here, in all it’s horrible detail, is the result of the strike.

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 42 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed on ground
PBY-4 Catalina: 29 damaged
SOC-1 Seagull: 7 damaged
SOC-1 Seagull: 1 destroyed on ground
Beech 18-S: 2 damaged

Allied Ships
xAP Rochambeau, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
AS Otus, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
PG Tulsa, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
SS Seadragon, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
AO Pecos, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAP President Madison, Bomb hits 1
SS Spearfish, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk
TK Mindanao, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
SS Sturgeon, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
SS Swordfish, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk
xAKL Compagnia Filipinas, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Governor Wright, Bomb hits 2, on fire
PG Isabel, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
ARD YFD-1 Dewey, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK American Leader, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
SS Stingray, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
SS Seal, Bomb hits 2, heavy damage
xAK Ethel Edwards, Bomb hits 2, on fire
xAK Tantalus, Bomb hits 2, on fire
SS Sculpin, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
xAKL Sagoland, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
AM Quail, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
AM Whippoorwill, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
SS Skipjack, Bomb hits 2, heavy damage
xAKL Paz, Bomb hits 1, on fire
SS S-41, Bomb hits 1
SS Snapper, Bomb hits 2, heavy damage
AVD Childs, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
AS Canopus, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAP Elcano, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
SS Salmon, Bomb hits 2, heavy damage
SS S-37, Bomb hits 2, heavy damage
SS Searaven, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
SS Sealion, Bomb hits 2, heavy damage
AO Trinity, Bomb hits 1, on fire
SS Sargo, Bomb hits 1
PG Asheville, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAKL Dos Hermanos, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
xAKL Dona Nati, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAP Don Esteban, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Yu Sang, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires

The house rules limited the Japanese to one port strike, and this is where our opponent went. I quite like this as an opener. So what if you don’t get to sink a few obsolete battleships? Those subs would have been much more dangerous in the long run. And now KB is nicely positioned for a lightning drive into the DEI.
There are two other carrier groups operating off the Philippines, southeast and southwest. They catch the American cruisers in a series of airstrikes that sink the Chicago, heavily damage the Houston and lightly damage the Boise. Will Houston and Boise make it out? Maybe.

The air strikes on Manila, Clark and Singapore heavily damage all the airfields and kill a lot of planes. The air war is off to a grim start, with one exception. For some reason the Japanese did low level strafing with their Zeroes, and the flak took a heavy toll. We could probably rebuild our Singapore air force out of salvaged Zero parts.

End of turn report shows 58 Zeroes lost this turn. Or maybe a lot less. More on this in a subsequent post.

But this upside for Singapore is more than balanced by the downside. There is a massive landing at Mersing -- elements of two Japanese divisions (21st and Imperial Guards), two tank regiments (11th and 14th) and various hangers on are identified. It is going to be interesting to see how long Singapore lasts this game, but my money is on not very long at all. Early Oz/India anyone?

Mersing is covered by a light carrier force that easily brushes aside our feeble attempts to hit the landings with aircraft, and Cmdr Philips sensibly pulls Force Z back to Singapore. There are landings at Singkawang and Kuching, and a TF spotted heading towards Miri/Brunei.

In the Philippines there is a major landing at Lingayen, and several smaller ones. Here’s what landed at Lingayen, intel gained from a bombardment attack.
65th Brigade
1st Formosa Inf. Regiment
22nd Recon Regiment
48th Recon Regiment
2nd Tank Regiment
4th Tank Regiment
42nd Infantry Regiment
47th Infantry Regiment
48th Engineer Regiment
2nd Recon Regiment
48th Field Artillery Regiment
It seems strange that a bombardment by your artillery gives you a full breakdown of the enemy OOB.

With this opening our opponent is making his intentions clear. The DEI is going down, and going down fast. Faced with only light carriers, maybe you can do some sprinting around hitting unescorted groups, but not so much with KB also in the area.

We will fight back where we can though. Perhaps the position of KB will give us a chance to slow any push into SoPac. All will be revealed in time.

[MichaelU]

Here's one that is puzzling me. On the attached loss screen you can see that the breakdown shows 58 Zeroes destroyed. Cue loud huzzahs all round. But in the bottom right it shows total Japanese losses for the day at 49. They cannot both be correct. Can anyone explain the discrepancy?

[ny59giants]

Air losses are FOW. Even though you will never the true numbers, I still use Tracker as Allies as it give better numbers for some reason.

Non-Pearl strikes: The lack of any losses here will help you in the next few months, especially in filling out your PBY groups. Use your AVD in pairs to go into SoPac to allow Aviation Support for your PBYs. From Pearl I often send a strong TF of two modern CL and 4 to 6 DD up to Dutch Harbor. You now can rest up and train your pilots here for deployment.

Manila: I would still form individual TF for your subs and have them limp towards Soerabaja. Most of them will make it. Hopefully, you will get them back in a few months after repairs (some will have to go down to Perth). The 2 PBY groups in Luzon go to India eventually. You are short of decent NavS here.

Darwin: One of the first things I do is replace the leaders of your A-24 Banshee. These guys are great for hitting un-CAP transport in a few weeks from size 2 AFs. Start moving the old, but nasty Vindicator DBs west. Fighter groups in SRA get priority of PP to get better leaders.

John and I had multiple phone calls on upgrades for hybrid CLVs. Right now, you cannot see when they occur as they are at same date as regular upgrades. Have your opponent go to RA website and download newest version. Since these are future ship upgrades, they will be changed.

Good luck and happy hunting,
Michael B
Japanese Economic Minister (part time) [:D]

[MichaelU]

Beavering away on the turn, but I can't do that at work. So let me some up some of what I have been doing.

1. Pilot training
There is no nice way to say this, our pilots are rubbish, across the board. I have put all rear area air groups onto some sort of training programme.
Every spare fighter unit is training escort. When I start getting pilots with air skill 70, I will switch some groups to training low level strafing to get defence up. Then I will the pilots into a mostly quiet base to gain experience flying CAP missions. It's going to be a while before I have anything approaching enough halfway decent pilots.
Bombers train mostly ground attack or naval search. In the US, where there are enough bombers to specialise, I am also training low naval attack and naval attack.
The new air training groups make a huge difference here, especially for the US navy and marines, who suffer from a lack of spare groups for training.
It's a lot more difficult in the smaller nations, where you don't have enough air groups to set up a proper pilot training programme. For NZ, for example, I will ignore everything for bombers but naval search and ASW, and use NZ bombers exclusive for these roles.

When setting up the training, I was tempted to pull our most experienced pilot, P Boyington, into safety for use when we get our P38s into action. But having read Baa Baa Black Sheep, the story of Pappy Boyington, I know he would hate this. So I have left him in the front line action where he'd want to be. If he gets killed, I will pretend he was captured instead and will be released at the war end.

2. Sorting out the carrier air groups
The first thing I do is fly the Devastators off the carriers. Range 5, slow and rubbish. I don't think so. The groups will return when they are Avengers. Instead I will use Marine aircraft to make up the numbers for now.

3. Conversions
I'm turning all Wickes DDs into APDs. Gets me access to ASW 6 early on, and also good for running supplies or troops to those endangered bases.
YPs get turned into ACMs for minefield maintenance.
Omaha class CLs at Pearl get turned into CLAAs. I know it's a long downtime, but what do you do with a CL with an AA rating of 89?
Bird-class AMs get turned into AVPs. You can never have enough AVPs.
Clemsons I'm not so sure. They are so flexible in their conversions. I'm tempted to hold onto a pool of them, and convert them as I see the need.

4. Air search
I'm using bombers to cover the coasts of Australia and NZ, and the US west coast. Catalinas will spread into the SoPac area. I'm sending the AVD in Kodiak to the end of the Aleutians chain, at which point I'll drop some Catalinas out there for early warning.

5. Mines
The Dutch are going mine crazy. The CMs are loading up and dropping mines in places like Tarakan, Balikpapan and especially Palembang. Also mining the gaps between the main Indonesian islands, in the hopes of catching a sub trying to sneak through. I imagine it's what he'll be expecting all this, but maybe we'll get lucky. I find the trickiest part of mine laying is remembering to switch on Lay Mines when creating the TF.

6. Repairs
At this point I'd normally be doing triage on the BBs are Pearl. But instead Mike will be doing triage on the subs at Manila. I am going to move some of the BBs at Seattle/Bremerton to San Francisco to make use of the repair shipyards there. I have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to slow, outdated BBs.

7. Exciting stuff
I have also moved stuff around in the DEI area, with what meagre resources I have. Have some plans for limited revenge, while trying not to get crushed by the prowling carriers.

[Kitakami]

Sounds like a good plan. I did basically the same, with the exception that the Clemsons also became APDs. That ASW rating of 6 sure is useful in the beginning of the war.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Kitakami

Sounds like a good plan. I did basically the same, with the exception that the Clemsons also became APDs. That ASW rating of 6 sure is useful in the beginning of the war.

Ditto. The problem with waiting is that you lose the ability to convert them to APD after their first upgrade as DDs.
Between invasions, I like the APDs to run units that have no equipment like Port Service Dets and HQs to more forward bases. My APs are not risked and if a sub hits an APD with a torp you don't lose the entire unit.

[ny59giants]

I gather up and hide the APs that can convert to APAs in 3/43 at Mare Island. The Allies need every one of them in early 43.

[MichaelU]

Dec 8, 1942

Residents of coastal Malaya watch in awe as the night sky is lit by many fires and the peace of the tropical night broken by the occasional thunderous roar, as Japanese subs turn the Malacca straits into a killing field. xAP Ipoh, xAP Perak and xAK Demedocus all succumb as they desperately flee a doomed Singapore.
The flight has also started in earnest from other bases, and the Japanese subs pick off a tanker and an AG off the eastern coast of Borneo. It’s a grim night for the Allies, but a good night for the sharks.

There is no let up during the day either, with both AMCs fleeing Singapore taking a torpedo. Both have float damage in the 50s. The carriers off the Philippines also get in on the act, sinking a few transports with torps and bombs.

This stage of the game reminds me of those nature programmes showing the wildebeest migrating across the Serengeti. Those poor animals know they have to cross the river, and they know the crocodiles are waiting. But they all jump in anyway, on the basis that most of them are going to make it even as a few get munched.

[MichaelU]

The Allies refuse to take it lying down though. Force Z speeds towards reported Japanese landings at Singakawang. Prince of Wales with CLs Danae and Mauritius gets there first and the lookouts spot a group of Japanese transports at just 8,000 yards. At that range it’s not a battle but an execution. Four xAKs are sent to the bottom by broadsides from as close as 3,000 yards.
But alas, unseen among the transports is DD Yamagumo, and the canny Japanese commander takes advantage of the confusion to get off one round of torpedoes before disappearing into the night. His aim is true, and the valiant British battleship lurches as a torpedo strikes deep into her vitals.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Singkawang at 56,88, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Yamagumo, Shell hits 2, on fire
xAK Fushimi Maru, Shell hits 6, and is sunk
xAK Mexico Maru, Shell hits 6, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Mikasa Maru, Shell hits 9, and is sunk
xAK Ryoyo Maru, Shell hits 8, and is sunk

Allied Ships
BB Prince of Wales, Torpedo hits 1
CL Danae
CL Mauritius
DD Vampire, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Vendetta

This is why I hate night engagements with the Japanese, one stupid torpedo can turn a storming success into a disaster. PoW ends the turn south of Singakawang with 40 float and various other damage, so that’s our best ship in the area knocked out in its first fight. If we can get her out, she will limp to Cape Town for repairs.

The Renown and Repulse find no more ships at Singakawang, so instead content themsevles with pounding the landing beaches. It must have hurt the Japanese, because their attack fails to take the base.

[ny59giants]

Cape Town - Expand the port to ensure that everything on PoW can be repaired.

[MichaelU]

There is a bit of a tussle in the air over Georgetown as our poor Buffaloes go up against some Nates and Lilys, and manage to down one each for a loss of two fighters.

A group of Vildebees flying from Miri put a 500lb bomb into an xAK off the north coast of Borneo. I’d flown a couple of groups in here in the hopes I could surprise something unloading. It sort of worked, but unfortunately there were just not enough planes to really make a difference. Most of the torpedo bombers are lying in pieces on the Singapore runway.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Kudat at 69,86

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 7 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Allied aircraft
Vildebeest III x 3

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
xAK Zyunyo Maru, Bomb hits 1

Japanese ground losses:
65 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

The ground combat phase is particularly grim, with shock attacks all over the place.

In Malaya, the Japanese launch a shock attack at Mersing. The defenders reel back to Johore, with tanks in close pursuit. He can probably attack with the tanks next turn and take Johore, sealing most of our troops on the Malayan peninsula and ensuring the swift fall of Singapore.

The Japanese do almost the same at Lingayen in the Philippines, with their shock attack driving the defenders back on Clark Field and Japanese tanks in reserve appearing there the next day. It seems like a pretty good idea. Why spend days driving down muddy jungle tracks to the next hex when troops on reserve can magically teleport with their defeated opponents?

There’s a really interesting battle at Malaybalay in the southern Philippines. The 1300 troops of the 102nd PA Infantry Regiment are easily swept aside by paradropped elements of the 1st Para Assault Div.

Ground combat at Malaybalay (80,90)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 654 troops, 8 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 47

Defending force 1362 troops, 7 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 44

Japanese adjusted assault: 26

Allied adjusted defense: 10

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Malaybalay !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(-), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-), disruption(-)

Japanese ground losses:
16 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1865 casualties reported
Squads: 68 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 72 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 10 (10 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Assaulting units:
1st Para Assault Div /1

Defending units:
102nd PA Infantry Regiment

He also launches another paratroop attack with the 1st Raiding Regiment at Victoria Point, capturing it easily.
Other bases to fall include Kota Bahru, Kuantan, Iba, Aparri, Busuanga and Makin.

Edits to mention that his attacks at Kuching and Singkawang fail. They're small battles, but hey, we'll take it. Any delay in the steamroller is a good delay.

[MichaelU]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Cape Town - Expand the port to ensure that everything on PoW can be repaired.

Good advice nygiants, I didn't know that. I have also just discovered that Batavia cannot rearm the big guns on the Brit battlecruisers, so they have upped anchor and are heading to Soerebaja.

Another turn back, much excitement. Will have to post later.

[ny59giants]

What are your deployment plans for the 'at sea' brigades around India?

[MichaelU]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

What are your deployment plans for the 'at sea' brigades around India?

Because Singapore is going to fall really early, am expecting a strike on India. So dropping two independent brigades in Diego and Socotra to cover the supply lines, and putting anything else onto the mainland.
We'll probably abandon Colombo, which is easy to cut off and take, and pull the useful units onto the mainland as well. Plus the British division coming from Cape Town.
US air groups are being shipped to Cape Town for reinforcing India, plus the heavy bombers and Catalinas from PI. Not sure it is going to be anywhere near enough.