Miller (J) vs Mr Kane (A)

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Miller

Of the two divs there, one will be split up and stay in the Bataan/Clark/Manila triangle and I'm sending the other one to Java. Nothing of note anywhere else.

This makes me think you've decided to rest with a somewhat historical extent to the Empire? No follow on plans after the DEI, PI and So Pac are secure?

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: Miller

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

One of the toughest things about playing MrKane RE the ground war is he never seems to run out of supplies. He is very meticulous in planning his defenses and supplying them accordingly.

I really didn't want to hear that[:(]

So how do you hit his resupply base??

You should have some VLR Netties/Emily etc which could hit Ledo at night! (shouldnt have any NF yet)

Make him rebase and have to think a bit.

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: Miller

Of the two divs there, one will be split up and stay in the Bataan/Clark/Manila triangle and I'm sending the other one to Java. Nothing of note anywhere else.

This makes me think you've decided to rest with a somewhat historical extent to the Empire? No follow on plans after the DEI, PI and So Pac are secure?

Yes that's right. There will be no more offensive operations for the remainder of the game outside of China. I don't have the troops to spare and with it being pdu off my airforce is creaking as it is. I'm far more comfortable playing on the defensive anyway.

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: JeffroK

ORIGINAL: Miller

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

One of the toughest things about playing MrKane RE the ground war is he never seems to run out of supplies. He is very meticulous in planning his defenses and supplying them accordingly.

I really didn't want to hear that[:(]

So how do you hit his resupply base??

You should have some VLR Netties/Emily etc which could hit Ledo at night! (shouldnt have any NF yet)

Make him rebase and have to think a bit.

I've tried night bombing in China and the results have been pathetic, most of the planes don't even find the target.

[Miller]

22nd Aug-7th Sept 42

In the first half of this period SOPAC was the main area of action. He sends his CVs north again and soon and it becomes clear they are covering his landings at Lunga and Tulagi. One of my many subs in the area finally attacks a worthwhile target, putting one torp into Hornet. He gets revenge the next day as he retreats by setting all his carrier bombers to ASW and they sink 6 of my subs in one day[:(]. The KB was back at Truk had no chance of getting close enough to intercept, although I got revenge by copying his ASW trick and got a few sub sinking sounds over the next few turns..... Lunga is already up to a level 3 airfield, and Port Moresby size 7 with 150 fighters so I won't be flying any offensive missions in that direction! Rabual is also size 7, I also have Shortlands at level 3, Lae at 4 and I'm building up Gasmata and Kavieng. Looks like this could be the main battle ground in the not too distant future.

Meanwhile back in China I decided to try and be a bit crafty with my stack sitting north of Sian. I moved it away another hex, then detached the 2 tank divs up around to the NE side of the mountain range with the goal being Lanchow, the rest of the stack I moved back to one hex from Sian. I don't think he realised what I had done as my tank divs were not spotted until one hex from the target. Just before they cross the river into the hex from the east they are attacked my 30-40 B17s that disrupt them but they still manage to bring the forts down to 0. He only had about 50 AV there. Over the next few days he continually attacks my tanks sending their disruption into the 90s and I cannot capture the damn base[:@]. Finally they get a few days respite and Lanchow falls. Whilst all this is going on I move the infantry stack away from Sian towards the north west. They break through some weak blocking units and onto the dot base Tienshui, which is also taken. This seems to have caught him flat footed. He has moved the majority of his troops out of Sian after me but I cannot see them having any chance of defeating me in x3 terrain. We shall see. Central China is still totally stalemated for the time being.

[Miller]

8th-21st Sept 42

The bore in the pacific continues. I send a large group of Kates and Zeros from Shortlands to attack ships at Lunga. It costs me 50 Zeros and 10 Kates to sink a couple of APs and old DDs[:@]

Recon of Calcutta shows he has 300 fighters and the same number of bombers there, this could be in preparation for an invasion of Burma. It would make sense as it would enable him to get more supplies into China if he retakes it. I'm in two minds whether to try and hold it for as long as possible or pull out and dig in at the Rangoon/Moulmein area.

[witpqs]

I send a large group of Kates and Zeros from Shortlands to attack ships at Lunga. It costs me 50 Zeros and 10 Kates to sink a couple of APs and old DDs [:@]

For the Allies AP's are critical assets in their own right, and most of them change to APA's which makes them even more critical. Sounds like a good trade.

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

I send a large group of Kates and Zeros from Shortlands to attack ships at Lunga. It costs me 50 Zeros and 10 Kates to sink a couple of APs and old DDs [:@]

For the Allies AP's are critical assets in their own right, and most of them change to APA's which makes them even more critical. Sounds like a good trade.

I wish, they were crappy little dutch ones.

[Miller]

22nd-30th Sept 42

A bit of movement in China, having moved most of his troops out of Sian to meet my northern threat I'm now on the verge of taking it, then I can look west towards Ankang.

Shokaku and Zuikaku complete an important upgrade to get radar and are headed back to rejoin the rest of the KB. The M3a version of the Zero starts production next month as well as the IIa Oscar, however the IIb Oscar should not be far behind and it gets a nice bump in speed plus armour. Most of my sqds are still flying the Ic which is inferior to the likes of his Hurricanes and the latest P40.

[Miller]

1st-15th Oct 42

Total tedium at the moment. In China I kick him out of Sian and am marching to Ankang from the south but he has sizeable blocking forces in the two hexes to the SE so that will be another long slog. To be honest I'm thinking of pulling all the divs that I bought from Manchuria out of China and sending them to defensive positions elsewhere. His airforce is starting to become active in northern Burma and I think this may be a prelude to a land invasion from through the woods as I have detected a couple of ground units just south of the border......or it could be a bluff, I guess I will find out soon enough.

I have to admit this game has been really hard work. Kane seems to be totally risk averse and apart from the odd CAP trap in China I've hardly ever seen his airforce. There has been no warship vs warship combat of any kind since January. Of course he is playing it smart and waiting to amass the big hammer before striking, but god its so boring waiting.

[Miller]

16th-31st Oct 42

Finally a bit of action as as I expected his troops start to appear through the woods in northern Burma. I've abandoned all the clear hexes such as Mandalay and all the others round it but will stand and fight in the good terrain at Lashio, Taung Gyi and Toungoo. If Lashio falls I'm pretty much screwed for any further advances in China as it will open the supply line back to there again. I'm pulling out the 4 or 5 divs I have bought from Manchuria out of China and they will head to Burma, I just hope they get there in time. I will just try and hold the current line I have in China for the forseeable future.

Elsewhere in PNG he walks from PM to Buna and takes it with a whole Aus division, I had already pulled out most of the troops there by air transport. Looks like he's also walking up towards Lae as well.

[Miller]

1st-30th November 42

Every time I try and do an update another turn arrives, so will just try and give a quick account by region:

Burma

The main area of concern now. He has marched half of India into the interior of Burma. I've managed to rebuke an attack in the hex to the NW of Toungoo:

Ground combat at 56,49 (near Toungoo)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 31458 troops, 522 guns, 922 vehicles, Assault Value = 1072

Defending force 29359 troops, 286 guns, 148 vehicles, Assault Value = 946

Allied adjusted assault: 199

Japanese adjusted defense: 1153

Allied assault odds: 1 to 5

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

Japanese ground losses:
1164 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 99 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1563 casualties reported
Squads: 28 destroyed, 68 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 83 disabled
Engineers: 72 destroyed, 13 disabled
Guns lost 7 (3 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Vehicles lost 35 (9 destroyed, 26 disabled)

Assaulting units:
I Aus Corps Engineer Battalion
6th Australian Division
5th Burma Battalion
7th Australian Division
3rd Cavalry Regiment
2/9th Field Regiment
2/11th Field Regiment

Defending units:
4th Ind.Mixed Regiment
4th Tank Regiment
10th/A Division
10th/B Division
8th Division
10th/C Division

So that was a good result but he has more units inbound. He has also entered Lashio and is trying to get units into position to totally cut off the hex, I have units enroute to try and stop that, if it falls its game over in China. I have lots of fighters in the area but he seems alergic to using his bombers there at the moment apart from useless night attacks. Virtually every unit I bought out of Manchuria is now in or en route to Burma, I doubt it will be enough but we shall see.


China

A very disheartening period here. Through my lack of attention and his good play he manages to totally cut off 2 of my best divisions in the hex to the west of Chihkiang. Whilst they are in no immediate danger of being destroyed I don't hold out much hope of breaking through to rescue them. He's obviously hurting for supply here but that could all change if events in Burma go his way.


SOPAC

He captures Horn Island with an expertly carried out amphibious invasion covered by all his CVs. The old Aussie cruiser Adelaide hits a mine in the process and is probably his only loss in the operation.

[witpqs]

China

A very disheartening period here. Through my lack of attention and his good play he manages to totally cut off 2 of my best divisions in the hex to the west of Chihkiang. Whilst they are in no immediate danger of being destroyed I don't hold out much hope of breaking through to rescue them. He's obviously hurting for supply here but that could all change if events in Burma go his way.

Let them dig in and supply them by air.

[dave sindel]

I am simply amazed at the pace of this game. You started a couple months ago in real time and are almost to 1 years worth of game time ? How many turns a day do you guys do ??

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

China

A very disheartening period here. Through my lack of attention and his good play he manages to totally cut off 2 of my best divisions in the hex to the west of Chihkiang. Whilst they are in no immediate danger of being destroyed I don't hold out much hope of breaking through to rescue them. He's obviously hurting for supply here but that could all change if events in Burma go his way.

Let them dig in and supply them by air.

Am doing that now. I have also been doing it with a division that he cut off just south of Ankang way back at the start of the game which has kept it alive and I'm about to break into the hex to give it an escape route.

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: dave sindel

I am simply amazed at the pace of this game. You started a couple months ago in real time and are almost to 1 years worth of game time ? How many turns a day do you guys do ??

Well Kane does not work due to a health issue so he is usually around most of the time. If I'm on a day off work we usually manage 10-12 a day. Even if I am at work we can usually do a 3-4 a day. He is a turn machine[&o] Of course I think both of us being single helps as well[:D]

[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: Miller

ORIGINAL: dave sindel

I am simply amazed at the pace of this game. You started a couple months ago in real time and are almost to 1 years worth of game time ? How many turns a day do you guys do ??

Well Kane does not work due to a health issue so he is usually around most of the time. If I'm on a day off work we usually manage 10-12 a day. Even if I am at work we can usually do a 3-4 a day. He is a turn machine[&o] Of course I think both of us being single helps as well[:D]

The scary part is he plays multiple games at a time although we are only turning over about 1 per day.

[Miller]

1st-8th Dec 42

I now count about 50 units in Burma with at least another 10 sitting at Akyab that will no doubt be marching south very soon. Looks like he has gone all in and I bet there is virtually nothing left in India, unfortunately we both know there is no way for me to exploit that. I will have to be careful that he does not end up cutting off a lot of my units completely, especially those at Lashio. The one small bright side is that this offensive seems to have sucked up any supply that he was diverting into China as I'm facing no fighters or even much flak over his cities, but alas I probably have only a small window remaining to exploit this.

Elsewhere he carries out another well executed amphib operation at Tarawa and takes it without interference, not that it really matters in strategic terms.

[Miller]

ONE YEAR OF WAR

So in just under two months of real time we manage to complete a the first year of the war. The overall strategic picture is pretty much where I expected it to be, except that I had hoped to achieve more in China. About 95% of the action, if you can call it that, has been on the ground. He has been very careful with his air force and only commits it en masse and rarely more than two days in a row. Air losses are 3500 Jap to 2000 Allied. In a2a combat fighter losses are roughly equal but obviously I have taken much heavier bomber losses, mainly in China through his CAP traps and my general heavy operational use there.

On the seas my losses have been negligible. Warship wise I have lost 4 DDs. I lost quite a lot of AKs early in the game but I still have more than enough to last till the end. I am yet to lose a single AO or TK. As far as I can see he has lost 2 BBs, 2 CAs, 6 CLs and a dozen DDs, so nothing really. Of course I expect the count to rise sharply in the next year of the war....

Economy wise I have 3.4M supply, 5.8M fuel and 700k HI in the bank and this figure is rising by 5k a day. The overall score is 21310 Japan 12107 Allied, but I'm not really one for taking any notice of VPs other than in terms of auto victory. My prediction for the next year of the war: PAIN[:(]

[Miller]

9th-15th Dec 42

Burma creaks under the weight of his ground units. He has not tried any deliberate attacks yet but this must be only due to supply issues. His night bombing starts to eat away at fighters on the ground, however if I were to put them on night CAP I would just lose a plane and a pilot rather than just the plane. This is without a doubt the worst aspect of stock AE but I will just have to live with it. Elsewhere I-24 puts a torp into Lexington near Tawawa but pays with her life in the process. It causes a fuel explosion so at least she might be out of action for a few months.