Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B

[Bif1961]

He has two division and it is my understanding that Division fight better than Regiments as they have all their organic parts in place, so though they only have you at 2-1, I believe it will workout as being greater in their favor than that.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Bif1961

He has two division and it is my understanding that Division fight better than Regiments as they have all their organic parts in place, so though they only have you at 2-1, I believe it will workout as being greater in their favor than that.

Depends on the terrain at Noumea. If it is Jungle, they need more than 2:1 to attack successfully.

[apbarog]

4 Apr 42

Sub Grayling spots an AO task force north of Tulagi, and fires 6 torpedoes at AO Kokuyo Maru, but misses.

Yesterday, a Chinese corp adjacent to Changsha was bombed by some divebombers, with no escorts. I put the AVG squadron at Changsha at range 1 CAP to cover that hex today. But instead of bombers, 27 Zeros swept the hex, destroying the 1 H81 that showed up.

At Bandoeng, yesterday I noticed that there is movement out of the hex. That is still true, but now I see movement into the hex also. Aurorus may be preparing for a deliberate attack. The defenders have been hit daily with massive artillery barrages, but the bombers stayed away for a couple of weeks, and the 3 engineers in the hex managed to boost the fortifications a level, to 2 now. In the mountainous hex, it could still be a tough fight. There's still almost 30,000 supply here, so that's not an issue.

24 Lilys bombed a Chinese corp in clear terrain near Yenan. The corp is moving to help guard the northern flank.

A single enemy unit has moved NE out of Canton, moving adjacent to the weak front down there. Still to be seen is all of the other units spotted moving to Canton.

KB moved north today, to near Luganville. It could be moving to the previously mentioned replenishment task force in the Solomons.

Note that Noumea is jungle rough terrain.

[Nami Koshino]

ORIGINAL: apbarog


BB Prince of Wales has completed its upgrade at Sydney, and will eventually join the US carriers as an escort, but not now. I don't want to have it chasing behind the carriers now as they move away.

Speaking of British battleships, where did you eventually send the HMS Warspite? A bit late to ask as it begins the campaign undergoing repair at the Puget Sound shipyard. I get the impression most players send it through the Panama Canal or south of Australia to eventually join its British cousins.

Great AAR by the way. Quite the chess match. [8D]

[apbarog]

Welcome Nami Koshino, and thanks.

Warspite was repaired and sent through the Canal to Capetown, where it has remained.

I did send the slower battleships Revenge and Resolution from Capetown to Melbourne. I hope to use them at Noumea before the base is lost. A nice bombardment there could delay the attackers some. Of course, with the slow speed, they are torpedo magnets, so KB would have to be away, and I'd still have to risk the Bettys at Koumac. But it could happen...soon.

[apbarog]

5 Apr 42

Oscars sweep near Yenan, and near Changsha, but he didn't catch me this time. The chess match continues.

Luzon gets some attention after a long respite. 35 Nells with 12 Zeros bomb Manila's port, catching ARD YFD-1 Dewey, which never left, and sub Seadragon, which was in refit. I have had 3 subs still operating out of Manila, at least until their torpedoes are used up. Seadragon takes moderate damage from a couple of bomb hits. It will sit at dock and not in port, and repair a bit, slowly, before leaving the area. Dewey is moderately damaged, but it isn't going anywhere. Sallys bomb later, hitting the airfield. There's just a handful of Catalinas here, and a couple are damaged.

Near Magwe, 25 Sallys with 31 Oscars go after the 1st Gloucestershire Battalion, retreating to the north. 3 fighters squadrons from Chittagong were on LRCAP. 14 P40Es and 9 H81s engage. Losses are 8 Sallys and 2 Oscars, with 4 H81s and 2 P40s lost. As the front moves closer to the Indian border, there will be more of this.

The enemy bombards with artillery at Noumea, with equal minor losses.

Sampit on Borneo is lost.

From several detection levels on US subs being 10/10, KB is now near Ndeni, probably meeting up with that replenishment TF spotted yesterday near Tulagi.

Aurorus has pulled out many heavy artillery units from Bandoeng. Now, instead of one infantry division and about 15 heavy artillery units, there are 2 infantry divisions, 3 tank regiments, and 2 mortar units. The heavy artillery must be headed to the next "big thing", or maybe Luzon, or possibly Mindanao to go after the weaker mountain defense there. At Bandoeng, just a weak artillery attack today, but a deliberate attack is coming.

I consider Bandoeng a victory already. Java was invaded very early, and the enemy still has 2 divisions, several armor units, and many artillery units there, and still hasn't cleared the last holdout.

[apbarog]

6 Apr 42

Continued heavy enemy air activity in China. Too much to counter with just AVG. When the enemy bombs my troops, a big sweep always precedes the attack. And Zeros are here. Much like the Brits in France, I decide to save my air force for future action in India rather than spend it in China.

Yesterday Manila's port was bombed. Today it was Bataan. Nothing hit.

The Betty and Zero raid on Noumea is now becoming a daily thing. Almost no airfield damage today, due to bad weather.

Big enemy attack adjacent to Changsha.

Ground combat at 83,52 (near Changsha)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 44896 troops, 290 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1454

Defending force 17091 troops, 81 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 488

Japanese adjusted assault: 858

Allied adjusted defense: 215

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), op mode(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1940 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 134 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 24 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 14 disabled

Allied ground losses:
5235 casualties reported
Squads: 131 destroyed, 120 disabled
Non Combat: 128 destroyed, 19 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 8 disabled
Guns lost 16 (5 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Units retreated 2

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
68th Division
58th Division
70th Division
63rd Division

Defending units:
37th Chinese Corps
58th Chinese Corps
27th Group Army

Not sure what caused the op mode penalty. I may have been moving a unit in. I didn't see this attack coming, as there are just 4 units here. A dozen units moved far to the SW to Canton, so I guessed that this part of the front was just a move to contact. I was wrong. Concentrated attack with 4 divisions. This causes a rethinking of the southern China defense, and a general pullback. Changsha and the nearby cities will be held as long as possible, but the main defense will be in better terrain. Everything near Canton is moving north. Enemy units down there are on the move also, although I'm just seeing single units near Canton.

And the anticipated big attack at Bandoeng on Java:

Ground combat at Bandoeng (50,100)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 26441 troops, 234 guns, 278 vehicles, Assault Value = 919

Defending force 18153 troops, 158 guns, 55 vehicles, Assault Value = 211

Japanese adjusted assault: 1029

Allied adjusted defense: 526

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

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1851 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 176 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 21 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1980 casualties reported
Squads: 30 destroyed, 50 disabled
Non Combat: 47 destroyed, 30 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 22 (1 destroyed, 21 disabled)
Vehicles lost 11 (7 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Units destroyed 2

Assaulting units:
38th Division
33rd Division
4th Tank Regiment
2nd Tank Regiment
7th Tank Regiment
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
IV Landstorm Cdo
1st Cav Regiment
XII KNIL Battalion
2nd KNIL Regiment
I Landstorm Cdo
Mobiele Battalion
I Marechausse Cdo
Roodenburg Cdo
A-III-Ld AA Battalion
KNI Zeemacht
VkA-1 Sup Afd
A-I-Ld AA Battalion
VLG-V Sup Groep
ABDA
VLG-III Sup Groep
KNI Leger
Andir ML Base Force
VkA-3 Sup Afd
ML-KNIL
HQ I KNIL Division
VkA-4 Sup Afd

The enemy attack just misses 2 to 1 odds. I've very happy with this result. The base is going to fall with continued pressure, but a lot of enemy were disrupted, and it takes time to recover. The Dutch were all going to be lost at some point. They are taking as many enemy with them as possible.

The heavy detection levels are in a broader area today, north of Ndeni, west of Ndeni, and SE of Tulagi. KB is out there, possibly split into divisions.

[Mark VII]

Excellent work as Java has now held out +one month from historical.

ORIGINAL: apbarog

5 Apr 42

I consider Bandoeng a victory already. Java was invaded very early, and the enemy still has 2 divisions, several armor units, and many artillery units there, and still hasn't cleared the last holdout.

[apbarog]

Thanks Mark VII. I'd recommend just isolating the mountain base and leaving a regiment or so there, just to pin the units. It's just so costly to dig out the defenders in the mountain terrain, if they have supply. I am tempted to allow reinforcements for the Dutch at Bandoeng. There's lots of supply, and about 50 Dutch squads in the pool. But they are all going to be lost eventually, so I'm not sure it would help enough to offset the additional eventual losses.

7 Apr 42

Sub Sargo spots a couple of xAK near Phuket, either going to or coming from Rangoon. Sargo takes some minor damage and will return to Colombo for repair and refit.

Zeros swept Clark Field today. Interesting. No Allied fighters or bombers on Luzon. Aurorus was probably thinking I'd react to his Bataan and Manila bombing.

Bombers hit troops at Changsha, seeking unit IDs. Changsha is urban terrain, while the other cities nearby are clear terrain. Enemy movement shows that Aurorus isn't moving into Changsha, and will most likely move to surround it. I have a general withdrawal going on now in the Changsha area and to the south.

The hex next to Changsha is attacked again by the enemy 4 divisions, and the one remaining Chinese corp is hurt badly and forced to retreat.

Today's bombardment at Bandoeng shows just 2 infanty divisions and 2 mortar battalions. The armor is no longer attacking (or there, maybe).

Just an artillery bombardment at Noumea. I got SigInt that the 5th Engineer Regiment is planning for Noumea, so there's more on the way.

KB seems to be still near the Solomons, maybe just south of the island chain now. Lots of US subs with 10/10 detection levels.

2 slow Brit battleships are making their way from Sydney to a point near Noumea, in order to bombard enemy troops at Noumea. The mission will be cancelled if the task force is seen ahead of time.

2 notes for today: Cooktown got enemy recon for the first time. And Imphal also got enemy recon for the first time. Imphal has had just a small base unit, but an armor unit had just arrived in time for the enemy recon. Lots of units have mobilized in India and are taking trains to the Burma border. Included are the Chinese units that were bought out of China and have been building up and training in India. The Chinese will hold the eastern part of the line near Ledo.

[Mark VII]

I would allow replacements. Every turn he is attacking in the mountains means more destroyed/disabled elements of those two divisions. At least one of those XX's is going someplace else once Java is secure. Yes, you will be giving him some VP's but in the long run delaying those divisions on their next mission could be worth it.

ORIGINAL: apbarog

Thanks Mark VII. I'd recommend just isolating the mountain base and leaving a regiment or so there, just to pin the units. It's just so costly to dig out the defenders in the mountain terrain, if they have supply. I am tempted to allow reinforcements for the Dutch at Bandoeng. There's lots of supply, and about 50 Dutch squads in the pool. But they are all going to be lost eventually, so I'm not sure it would help enough to offset the additional eventual losses.

[apbarog]

8 Apr 42

Sub Silversides spots an xAK and escorts near Ponape, but elects not to engage. Ponape and Kusaie Island have been getting enemy attention lately.

Nells return to Bataan, and heavily damage the ACM there. ACM Colonel Harrison is scuttled. Zeros were on escort. No shortage of enemy planes if Zeros are available for Luzon. Sallys then bombed Manila.

Lots of bombing in Burma, slowing the retreating Allies.

The daily Betty/Zero raid of Noumea. Now up to 58 Bettys here.

At Bandoeng, the armor is gone, and all of that heavy artillery is back. I start allowing the Dutch to take reinforcements. Plentiful supply and squads in the pools. Trading time for victory points lost, I guess.

KB is not seen. Still very heavy detection levels in the Solomons, and north of Koumac. But lots of bad weather around. Brit battleships move closer to Noumea. SigInt says CA Furutaka is moving to Koumac. So the bombarding cruisers are returning. Which is expected. Once the enemy gets critical mass assembled at Noumea, the base will be reduced by air, land, and sea.

US carriers have finished refit. Another Brit carrier is about to move onto the map from Panama. When it gets to the Hawaii area, I will reassess whether to move out or not. Or maybe resurrect my Marshall(s) Plan.

[apbarog]

9 Apr 42

Sub Perch spots an xAK with a PB just south of Buin, but misses the cargo ship with 2 torpedoes.

Enemy sweeping and bombing in China and Burma.

Bettys and Zeros hit Noumea. Brit battleships still not seen. They make a partial move to get into bombardment range today. If still not seen, they'll bombard the next day. If seen, let's hope the Bettys are busy hitting Noumea. P-39s at Norfolk Island will provide a little LRCAP at range 4.

B-17s from Australia bomb Horn Island. Almost no damage in terrible weather. Just a nuisance raid.

Probable locations of KB are less obvious today. Probably south of the Solomons, closer to Koumac, but it's hard to tell. Lots of bad weather too.

Another Catalina squadron joins the others flying supply into Noumea. Under 10k there now, and ever increasing damage to the airbase and port. Combat ships at Koumac.

[apbarog]

10 Apr 42

Enemy cruisers Kako, Furutaka, Ashigara, and Nachi bombard Noumea and stay during the day. It was a poor effort this time, with just 28 casualties and no base damage.

Nells and Zeros return to Manila's port, knowing that there's still a damaged ARD here. It is damaged more, but not enough to scuttle yet.

The British battleship TF moves to within 6 hexes of Noumea, hoping to make a bombardment run tomorrow. The TF is spotted with 10/10 detection level, and a strike from Koumac arrives.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Norfolk Island at 113,166

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 37 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 23
G4M1 Betty x 12

Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 7

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 4 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 3 destroyed

Allied Ships
CL Colombo
BB Resolution, Torpedo hits 3 (SYS 11/FLOT 45-36/ENG 0/FIRE 0)

Aircraft Attacking:
11 x G4M1 Betty launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp

CAP engaged:
8th PG/36th PS with P-39D Airacobra (7 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 12000.
Raid is overhead

A few P-39s are lost, but may have disrupted the attack somewhat. The ships will now flee SE and SW. I tend to risk the possible speed damage in order to get out of a high threat area. With between 50 and 100 naval bombers at Koumac, I have to move quickly to have any shot at survival.

SigInt says that 9 Tank is planning for Noumea, and 56 Eng Rgt is at 113,157, which is between La Foa and Koumac. More on the way to Noumea, which we already knew. Delay and defend remains the plan. Noumea is going to be lost.

No sign of KB. Last seen near the Solomons. May not be in the South Pacific. Aurorus may figure they aren't needed for Noumea any longer. He'd be wrong if Allied carriers were nearby, but they are not. Refit and repair continues at Pearl Harbor. Here's the schedule for ships there, with number of days left:

CV Indomitable - 5
BB Prince of Wales - 18 (repair from torpedoes in Coral Sea)
1 CA - 8
2 CA - 11
1 CL - 7
3 CL - 11
4 CL - 17
12 DD - 4
11 DD - 8
8 DD - 6

CV Illustrious just appeared at Capetown. It will go to Panama with CA Devonshire and DD Nestor. Also going to Panama is BB Warspite and DD Isaac Sweers.

[apbarog]

11 Apr 42

Between Truk and Ponape, sub Silversides spots a couple of xAKs but fires 2 torpedoes at a patrol boat, and misses.

The usual bombing in China and at Noumea.

No sign of KB. There's still high detection levels near Tulagi, but that could be from land based planes. My gut feeling is telling me that some of KB is in the Solomons, loitering to see where I show up in force. I was obviously up to something with the invasion shipping west of Pearl Harbor, and they haven't appeared anywhere. The Solomons is close to both New Caledonia and the Marshalls. Some of KB could be refitting, as well as repairing my torpedo hit on the one carrier.

My defensive line on the Indian border is starting to form. I've moved recon planes to the area, and started to watch the enemy as they move north. There's a division that looks like it moving into the jungle from the plains near Magwe, moving directly toward Chittagong. Chittagong is well defended, and my line is forming just to the south of there.

[apbarog]

We're imagining that Wedge Donovan is leading the first SeaBee unit in the game, but look who's been put in charge of the Maryland! There's no doubt that the war is won now!

[apbarog]

12 Apr 42

Near Magwe, an enemy stack is in clear terrain, heading NW toward Chittagong, and about to move into the jungle. It was an obvious place for me to try to bomb, and I expected Aurorus to heavily LRCAP the hex, and he did.

27 P-40Es swept, finding 58 Oscars. More enemy losses than friendly. 8 B-17Ds then arrive to bomb the troops, but find a still strong LRCAP of 38 Oscars. 7 bombers are lost. 13 B-26s then attack, find 14 Oscars, and 1 B-26 is lost on the way home. Next, and a bit late, 23 more P-40E sweep, finding just 4 Oscars, and shoot down a few. Finally, 8 B-17Es arrive, find no enemy fighters, and bomb the troops. This is just a tiny beginning for the Allies to massively bomb enemy troops in the clear, as my opponent does so effectively.

The easy pickings at Manila continue, as Nells return to go after the ARD again. More damage, but still not enough to scuttle.

There are at least 2 enemy subs poking around the south coast of Ceylon. Highly trained Blens attack them occasionally. Today, a small Brit DD task force found I-154 and got a good depth charge hit on it.

Katha is lost in Burma as the front moves toward India.

[Mark VII]

No question now how this war will end. With the Duke commanding two important units you can go to cruise control.

ORIGINAL: apbarog

We're imagining that Wedge Donovan is leading the first SeaBee unit in the game, but look who's been put in charge of the Maryland! There's no doubt that the war is won now!

[Bif1961]

Next you will have Captain Bligh commanding the Illustrious.

[apbarog]

No Captain Bligh yet, but I do have a Captain Morgan.

13 Apr 42

Pamekasan, near Soerabaja, is lost.

Nells return to Manila's port to hit ARD YFD-1 Dewey. It will be the last time. The ship is finally damaged enough to scuttle.

Usual enemy bombings in China, at Bandoeng, in Burma, and at Noumea.

[zuluhour]

(shhhhh at work)
Just read "cover to cover", a really fun AAR sir. I opened yours because I was looking for a PDU off game. What do you think?
It does not fit in to my style of play as I am a creature of habit, but it does not seem to have been a concern for you. The idea
of having different models in my groups is another logistical challenge in so far as mission deployments are concerned.