JFB in charge of the USN??? BtS Lite ver. 4.5 Kitakami (A) vs Falken (J)

[Lecivius]

ORIGINAL: Kitakami
Total losses for the day are reported as 63 to 7.

Yeouch!![X(]

[Kitakami]

The DEI:

Tanjoengselor was lost, and there are Japanese TF blockading Samarinda. I expect an amphibious invasion this coming turn. Got 72 mines and an AV of 69, so not much to stop the onslaught. The CarDivs have remained in place. Will they bomb again, even with last turn’s losses? I wonder...

Malaya:

My esteemed opponent’s timing in crossing into Singapore has been one of the worst I have seen (and I have done terribly). I do think it has to do with the fact that 2-day turns take away the fine tuning you have with 1-day turns. Anyway, there was a new shock attack in Singapore last turn. His losses will not stop him from taking Singapore, but they will hurt going forward.

Japanese Shock attack at Singapore (50,84)

Japanese ground losses:
* 5903 casualties reported
*** Squads: 171 destroyed, 214 disabled
*** Non Combat: 7 destroyed, 147 disabled
*** Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
*** Guns lost 37 (27 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
* 127 casualties reported
*** Squads: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
*** Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
*** Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled


The Philippines:

Oroquieta surrendered. Not a pretty sight, but it could not be avoided.

Japanese Deliberate attack at Oroquieta (78,88)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Oroquieta !!!

Japanese ground losses:
* 16 casualties reported
*** Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
*** Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
*** Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Allied ground losses:
* 3732 casualties reported
*** Squads: 274 destroyed, 0 disabled
*** Non Combat: 361 destroyed, 0 disabled
*** Engineers: 4 destroyed, 0 disabled
*** Guns lost 48 (48 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 7

Manila was swept and bombed, but AV went up to 1566, and fortifications to 2.62. If I only have time to get it to 3 before the new round of combats begin!


Burma:

The sitzkrieg continues. 7th Armoured Bde has arrived to give the theater a bit of mobile reserves.


China:

One of the worst things that can happen in a 2-day turn is to make odds on day one, press the attack, and then get lousy odds on the second day. It was not all that, as the Chinese are not the masters of warfare (at least not yet), but there was one battle in which I gave more than I got, and I am happy with that:

Japanese Deliberate attack at Chengchow (88,44), DAY ONE

Japanese ground losses:
* 3946 casualties reported
*** Squads: 192 destroyed, 192 disabled
*** Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 65 disabled
*** Engineers: 18 destroyed, 19 disabled
Allied ground losses:
* 3073 casualties reported
*** Squads: 19 destroyed, 237 disabled
*** Non Combat: 26 destroyed, 57 disabled
*** Engineers: 1 destroyed, 18 disabled
Units destroyed 1

Japanese Deliberate attack at Chengchow (88,44), DAY TWO

Japanese ground losses:
* 1688 casualties reported
*** Squads: 92 destroyed, 100 disabled
*** Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 35 disabled
*** Engineers: 2 destroyed, 24 disabled
*** Guns lost 18 (1 destroyed, 17 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
* 2457 casualties reported
*** Squads: 38 destroyed, 220 disabled
*** Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 32 disabled
*** Engineers: 0 destroyed, 17 disabled
*** Guns lost 18 (3 destroyed, 15 disabled)

I know the battle will be lost soon, but last turn Japan lost 284 infantry squads! In the second attack fortifications were gone, but they are now back to 1. The Chinese unit that was destroyed had been badly beaten before. AV went down from 1230 to 907, and supplies are low.


The Solomons, Papua New Guinea, and islands nearby:

The KB CarDiv that attacked Port Moresby last turn is nowhere to be seen. No matter, as that gives me more time to prepare defenses in the region. Here, I will play the patient hunter.


Central Pacific:

The missing KB Hvy CarDiv appeared, and is now parked between Pearl Harbor and Midway. I wonder, is Falken taunting me, or will he attempt to invade? The next few turns will tell.

I have reinforced Midway the best I know how. Decent troops, decent supplies. Not much else can be done, at least not for now. See map.

[BBfanboy]

Kitakami: ...last turn Japan lost 284 infantry squads!

Ah, but the Japanese have a sneaky Oriental strategy -they are letting you create more ancestors for them to pray to. Soon their prayers will be so powerful that you will have no chance at all!

[Kitakami]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
Ah, but the Japanese have a sneaky Oriental strategy -they are letting you create more ancestors for them to pray to. Soon their prayers will be so powerful that you will have no chance at all!

LOL!

[Dirtnap86]

The great thing about china is that you can eat 283 squads destroyed as an allied player. You get 350 a month, plus if a unit gets destroyed, they come back in 30 days at around 40% ToE and 40 exp/40 morale. This is generally an *upgrade* for most Chinese units [:D]

notable exceptions are the big cavalry corps. These guys are actually pretty ugly to fight against, with their high morale and higher than average exp.

[ny59giants]

How are you doing with setting up merchants for the long trips?? You have the C2 Cargo Class and C1-A Cargo Class able to go from xAK to xAP in Feb. Pacific L and Dominion M Class should be already going through their conversions to xAPs. I start with 2, but eventually go to 3 CS TF convoys from San Fran to Pearl with multiple waypoints set for the Transmarine Class xAKs to get supplies away. I use 2 to 3 PCs as escorts. I use the T2-SE TKs from LA to Pearl as they are fast (16), large capacity, but low endurance in another CS TF Convoy with waypoints.

[BBfanboy]

IMO the C2 Lassen class are much too valuable as AEs to send out on cargo hauling missions. The 4800 ton capacity xAKs that can only convert to AGs are my mainstay as cargo haulers for the US side. The British side has a variety of ships that cannot convert to anything that can supply India/Burma/Australia from the west. The 5500 ton capacity ships that convert to xAPs at 1350/1850 capacity do so - that size is very useful for your average infantry unit's mix of troops/equipment and supply.
After an initial burst of supply hauling I start converting the 3900 ton capacity ships to xAPs at 1000/2200 ton capacity - very handy for fast unloading of troops and yet there are enough of them to do risky invasions.

[Kitakami]

My priorities are:

- Everything that can become an AE does so, period.
- Everything that did not become an AE, and can become an xAP, does so, period.

Regarding oilers and tankers:

- The 18-kt oilers are used as fleet oilers, well escorted.
- The slow oilers are either doing the Alaska runs or being used as tankers.
- The 14-kt tankers are doing the India run, with a few exceptions.
- All the slow (9 to 12-kt) and short-legged ships are hauling fuel to Cape Town (especially the slow AND short-legged ships).

These are the fuel haulers I have lost so far. I even rescued a couple I thought I would lose. Right now, every fuel hauler that was part of the thundering herd and survived has been downloaded, and is either en route to her station, or already there.

[Kitakami]

My esteemed opponent may be having the lousiest of times on the air and on the ground, but he just sank Lexington. Lady Lex and Lady Sara were almost to Australia when they were attacked by a KB Hvy CarDiv. NONE of my DB flew. Not a single one (storm hex). She went down after no torps and only four bombs hit her, I think. Need to recheck the Combat Report.

On a different topic, there was still another Shock Attack in Singapore. It wan't pretty... again.

Will post more as soon as I digest it all. I am sure you all are getting frustrated at reading about The War of the Noobs (TM)

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Kitakami

My esteemed opponent may be having the lousiest of times on the air and on the ground, but he just sank Lexington. Lady Lex and Lady Sara were almost to Australia when they were attacked by a KB Hvy CarDiv. NONE of my DB flew. Not a single one (storm hex). She went down after no torps and only four bombs hit her, I think. Need to recheck the Combat Report.

On a different topic, there was still another Shock Attack in Singapore. It wan't pretty... again.

Will post more as soon as I digest it all. I am sure you all are getting frustrated at reading about The War of the Noobs (TM)

Wow. That is big news.

I looked at those Kate and Val losses and just about cried. He has got to be smashing his head against the wall with the defense you have mounted. Even though the pilot pool is deleted some by the IJN expansion, losing that number of planes AND pilots is terrible!

[Kitakami]

Jan 28th, 1942

Ok... I know I am a noob, but losing the Lady Lex like that felt... weird. No bombers flew in retaliation, not even Lady Sara's. I had never seen that (and I did check... they were on Naval Attack). But that is now water under the bridge. I will have to be careful now, as the carrier advantage just increased.

Now the turn's report. Needless to say, I lost a lot more pilots than usual.

[Kitakami]

Even with that disaster, at least plane losses were not that one-sided.

[Kitakami]

Accumulated air losses, which I will post twice a month. I am not doing that bad, actually.

[Kitakami]

Accumulated losses of combat ships. Not that bad either. Also, the first of Pearl Harbor's BBs is back online, with another two ready within 30 days, and a further two ready within sixty days. It is a question of patience, but eventually the bombardment TF will be quite nasty. Most probably two other subs will sink in the next two weeks.

[Kitakami]

Japanese naval losses have been light. The CVE and the CL are most probably wishful thinking, but at least they are out of the fray for quite a while.

[Kitakami]

Lost base:

Kolaka. More to come, but the turn was slow.


The DEI:

No action here besides Kolaka. There seems to be a Fast Transport TF doing the Singkawang-Palembang run at night. Not much I can do, but wait.

The Hvy CarDiv in the area seems to have retreated NE to refuel. Probably will come back with the next wave of reinforcements for Palembang.

Malaya:

The crossings into Singapore continue to be extremely unlucky (don’t know what else to call them). I am uncertain that current Japanese forces there will be able to take the base in the near future (see image).

Japanese Shock attack at Singapore (50,84)

Japanese ground losses:
* 2050 casualties reported
*** Squads: 158 destroyed, 0 disabled
*** Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 87 disabled
*** Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
*** Guns lost 24 (18 destroyed, 6 disabled)
No Allied ground losses.

Allied AV is 915, and there is residual airfield service damage. Fort level remains at 3.62


The Philippines:

Manila was swept, bombed, and bombarded. Still, AV is 1563, no residual bombing damage on the runways, and fort level is 2.74


Burma:

More Japanese units are moving into the theater, but the 7th Armoured is already moving towards the front.


China:

Five Japanese units are moving towards Wuchow. The city will fall, but it will take some Japanese with it, which is good enough for me. AV is 504, and fort level is 3.03


SW Pacific:

The KB CarDiv that sank Lady Lex is 1 hex SW of Efate. If my esteemed opponent is covering an amphibious assault of Luganville, he will have a fight in his hands. If not... what is he doing there, hunting tankers?


Central Pacific:

The final IJN Hvy CarDiv is 4 hexes west of Johnston Island. I have no idea what those carriers are doing. If I were playing the Japanese, I would not be spending so much fuel unless I had a clear objective.

[Kitakami]

Final thoughts for the month of January:

With the exception of the lost USN CV, I am in good shape, I think. I have made my esteemed opponent pay for his advances, especially in Malaya and Palembang, although Luzon has not been cheap for him either. At least FIVE of his divisions have taken heavier than expected losses: Imperial Guards, 2nd, 4th, 21st, and 38th. 38th had to be diverted to Palembang, so the conquest of Luzon has slowed down. The only Japanese units that have only taken light losses are the SNLF Assault Divs.

In the air, I have held my own. Barely, but I have. I am considering sending more British fighters to Java, to reinforce my position in the DEI, as the longer it takes Java to fall, the better I will be everywhere else.

it has been quite the experience to play the Allies, that is for sure!

[ny59giants]

No issues with a stout defense of Java. However, plan on how to get those short legged Brit fighters out. I often buy out the Aussie BFs from Broome and Derby.Ship to Port Hedland. The American fighters can make the transfer with drop tanks.

Japan gets 16 CVs with this mod. Plan on them being available by end of ‘43.

CarDiv off Johnson may cover invasion of Canton or even Line Islands.

[Kitakami]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants
No issues with a stout defense of Java. However, plan on how to get those short legged Brit fighters out. I often buy out the Aussie BFs from Broome and Derby. Ship to Port Hedland. The American fighters can make the transfer with drop tanks.

Port Hedland, Broome, or Derby. All three seem to be in transfer range from Soerbaja at least.

Japan gets 16 CVs with this mod. Plan on them being available by end of ‘43.

That is a very sobering number. Yet, these are the numbers I am working with after the sinking of Yorktown (I got my CVs mixed up when I posted about her sinking):

1942: 6x CVs, 2x CAVs, 2x CLVs, 15x CVEs
1943: + 5x CVs, 9x CVLs, 12x CVEs

I guess 1943 is going to be an interesting year in this game... if I do not make too many foolish mistakes, that is (have made far too many as it is!).

CarDiv off Johnson may cover invasion of Canton or even Line Islands.

Yes, and that worries me. Had to flee the region, and even so I lost a few ships in the process. One of them did hurt at this point, for strategic reasons.

[Kitakami]

Jan 30th. 1942:

Enemy CarDivs prowling the seas, looking for... something. Probably wanting to disrupt my LOCs, or probably screening invasions... or both! Whatever it is, I must focus, react a bit, but push my own plans forward too.

Lost Bases:

Samarinda, Batjan, and Siaoe. At the beginning of the game I decided not to contest certain places so I could focus in contesting others. Borneo was one place I decided to just put up a token resistance in. I was not comfortable with what I would have to risk (and lose) to defend it in force (see the DEI section in a further post for a few notes on this).

Pilot Losses:
There were no Allied pilot losses last turn. I did not contest the skies over any of the bases, as my fighter groups are depleted. I must rebuild my strength before I decided when and where to fly the few plains that I have remaining.