Getting Bottlenecked: SierraJuliet (J) vs Mundy (A)

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Mundy

Forgive my color-blindness. Where abouts?

Your first posted map (of Ceylon area) on this page of the AAR shows Allied units with red-orange colour icons at Rangoon. When I looked yesterday the colour was pure orange.

[BBfanboy]

You may have the troops to go into Timor right now but if you don't have enough command of the sea and air to get supplies in, you are just setting them up for an unfair fight. When Darwin and the bases to the west of there can put up CAP to keep KB at bay and bombers to keep bombardment TFs away, then you can venture into island country.

[Mundy]

Yeah, you're probably right. Odds are KB would come smashing through when he gets serious.

No clue about the colors, as I have a hard time telling. As of now, the Indian 34th, and a base force are all that's there. Rangoon and Pegu are packed with troops. I'm hoping I won't regret packing that many there. We'll see what happens when my USAAF heavies arrive. I can punish him if he over-uses the port.

I've got two big convoys loading up for Kwajalein and Roi-Namur with supplies. After that, I'll deal with the South Pacific Area. My carrier force will be out of the yard in 3 days. PoW is also available for fast escort now. Not sure if I should keep them pat or look for trouble with them. Formidable is about 7 days away from Panama, so there's another body I can have handy. The UK carriers are handy as bait to eat the bombs which would damage the USN CVs. At least some of my American carriers will be going for upgrade in early July. Extra 1.1" and 20mm guns for now. By the time that's done, more will be flipped over to TBFs.

[LargeSlowTarget]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

Who are the orange ground troops in the screenshot near the top of the page?

Should be Dutch units evacuated from the DEI. I have changed the icon color for the Dutch from IIRC light green in stock/DBB to the more appropriate orange.

[LargeSlowTarget]

Oops, double post...

[Mundy]

Thanks, LST.

25 May 1942

I could have cried...

ASW attack near Truk at 111,109

Japanese Ships
BB Nagato
DD Akikaze

Allied Ships
SS Dolphin~

SS Dolphin~ launches 4 torpedoes at BB Nagato
Dolphin~ diving deep ....
DD Akikaze fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Akikaze fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Akikaze fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Akikaze fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Akikaze fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub

Torpedo hit... no go boom.

At Pearl, I've loaded up the US 40 Inf Div, 23 Inf Div, a coast arty and a regular arty for shipment to Noumea. Once they're off, base forces and probably aircraft will follow. I'll look at getting bases like Luganville and Efate also populated. I can use these to eventually push into the Solomons. I need Long Island to show up to help with the aircraft shipment part.

Near Colombo, he's chasing and attacking the troops which fled there.

[Bif1961]

Since the MK-14 torpedo was a triple defective weapon, you are lucky to get a hit and when you are lucky enough to get a hit you are then double lucky enough to have it actually explode. I know they have hard coded the changes to the MK-14 in the game if you play with realistic torpedoes, to about 20% exploding if you get a hit the first year of the war. I had a guy quit on me when I sank 2 Japanese carriers and damaged a 3rd with MK-14 torpedoes. The difference was he stayed in one place for several days and I flooded the zone with subs. I worked the odds into my favor.

[Mundy]

Yeah, I've had my lucky days. None recently...

27 May 1942

All my carriers are departing for Noumea to guard the troopships I'm sending there. Can't afford to be careless with my troops and I'll happily grab the chance to smack him.

On Sumatra, he's landing at Padang, on the west coast, about halfway up.

He also took the dot base at Bona-Bona, one hex W of Milne Bay.

Next turn, I'll have recovered all of my invasion ships.

At my Emergency Forces hex in the US, I now have a 36 strong Hurricane squadron there, training up.

[Mundy]

28 May 1942

Moving along.

Fairly quiet this turn. At this rate, I'll probably only update every 2-3 turns.

Interesting fight in China. I'm trying to figure out who got the worst of this one.

Ground combat at 93/46 (93,46)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 3060 troops, 0 guns, 284 vehicles, Assault Value = 160

Defending force 10752 troops, 76 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 306

Japanese adjusted assault: 134

Allied adjusted defense: 132

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

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0

Combat modifiers
Defender: preparation(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
Vehicles lost 20 (1 destroyed, 19 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
802 casualties reported
Squads: 6 destroyed, 88 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 19 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 10 (1 destroyed, 9 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Assaulting units:
3rd Tank Regiment
23rd Tank Regiment
9th Tank Regiment
11th Tank Regiment

Defending units:
69th Chinese Army Corps
7th Guerilla
89th Chinese Army- Corps
#Administration
11th War Area

He takes an early shot at Padang and fails.

Ground combat at Padang (44,85)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 220 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 12

Defending force 199 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 4

Japanese adjusted assault: 5

Allied adjusted defense: 7

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

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

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

Allied ground losses:
6 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
1st Indpt Coy

Defending units:
Padang Defenses


---------------------------------------------


Ground combat at Padang (44,85)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 193 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 4

Defending force 214 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 11

Assaulting units:
Padang Defenses

Defending units:
1st Indpt Coy

I'm wondering if he'll ever wrap the DEI at this rate.

[Mundy]

30 May 1942

I paid Milne Bay a visit...

ight Naval bombardment of Milne Bay at 101,133

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero-Reisen: 34 damaged
A6M2 Zero-Reisen: 3 destroyed on ground

Allied Ships
CL Durban~
CL Perth
CL De Ruyter
CL Sumatra
DD Jupiter
DD Pillsbury
DD Paul Jones
DD Stewart
DD Edsall
DD Barker

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

Resources hits 1
Airbase hits 14
Airbase supply hits 12
Runway hits 38
Port hits 33
Port supply hits 4

CL Durban~ firing at Milne Bay
Seagull V acting as spotter for CL Perth
CL Perth firing at Milne Bay
C.XI-W acting as spotter for CL De Ruyter
CL De Ruyter firing at Maizuru 1st SNLF
CL Sumatra firing at Milne Bay
DD Jupiter firing at Milne Bay
DD Pillsbury firing at Milne Bay
DD Paul Jones firing at Milne Bay
DD Stewart firing at Milne Bay
DD Edsall firing at Milne Bay
DD Barker firing at Milne Bay

If I had known it would go this well, I would have had bombers hit this turn. They're going out next turn from Port Moresby and Townsville. The ships that did this are already 6 hexes from Townsville.

My carriers are passing Canton, enroute to Noumea. Transports will be a bit longer, only making about 4 hexes per day.

I'm dealing with cleanup regarding ship withdrawals. I've been neglecting watching for it.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: Mundy

Forgive my color-blindness. Where abouts?

In the screenshot of Ceylon there are orange units at the base.
Curious what nationality they are. Have never seen orange units before.

[Lovejoy]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ORIGINAL: Mundy

Forgive my color-blindness. Where abouts?

In the screenshot of Ceylon there are orange units at the base.
Curious what nationality they are. Have never seen orange units before.

In this mod, I think that Dutch units are orange

[Mundy]

04 June 1942

A group of carriers is sighted 10 hexes NW of Eniwetok, moving east. He may be deciding to test my defenses. I'm adjusting my PBY search patterns to keep watch. My cargo ships unloading at Eni and Kwaj are stopping and moving out of the area for now.

He took a shot at Trincomalee last turn. I'm guessing it'll hold at least a week.

Ground combat at Trincomalee (31,47)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 22904 troops, 348 guns, 157 vehicles, Assault Value = 845

Defending force 18946 troops, 181 guns, 140 vehicles, Assault Value = 390

Japanese adjusted assault: 829

Allied adjusted defense: 951

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 3)

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

Japanese ground losses:
1003 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 67 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 22 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled
Guns lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
612 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 46 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 19 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 20 disabled
Guns lost 12 (1 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Vehicles lost 3 (2 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Assaulting units:
19th Ind Engineer Regiment
21st Division
4th Division
3rd Ind Engineer Regiment
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
2nd Mortar Battalion
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
30th Fld AA Gun Co
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
17th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
Trincomalee Fortress
34th Indian Division
Civilians
Ceylon Base Force
Civilians
Civilians
Ceylon Command
Civilians
1st RM Heavy AA Regiment
23rd AA Bde /2

My carriers are passing the Luganville area. They're heading to Townsville to refuel. Figures I can't seem to catch his carriers.

[Mundy]

07 June 1942

That carrier group north of Eniwetok is slowly chugging its way east. No clue what that's about yet. Can't be KB, as they were near Colombo not too long ago.

Not much going on elsewhere. The transports I evacuated from the Marshalls are headed back to finish unloading.

I've a bunch of ships overdue to withdraw. Unfortunately, Many of them are at Pearl going through an upgrade, so I have to wait a bit. I hate ship withdrawals...

My transports slowly inching their way towards Noumea. My carriers are south of Milne Bay, headed to Townsville to refuel. I'm well south of his search range.

[BBfanboy]

Looks like his transports are about level with French Frigate Shoal. Good position to interdict Hawaii and Midway.

[Mundy]

10 June 1942

Lost his carriers. Last turn, they came 6 hexes from Eniwetok. My planes launched some weakling strikes which got hit bad. He had about 70 fighters up. They were last seen going in a westerly direction. Either he went west, or maybe he went down the east side of my island. Hopefully not the latter, but I'm re-arranging my search patterns.

The first of three big troop/plane convoys will reach Noumea in 2.5 days. I want to get there as well as Luganville, Efate and others built up quickly to block any possible moves this way.

Some of my bombers took a shot at the port at Colombo. He's got about a dozen fighters there, and my raids accomplished nil. Overall, it's been fairly quiet in that area. I'm trying to get defenses in Southern India built up the best I can.

My USAAF B-17s will reach Cape Town in about a week or so, so I can add them to what I have in India and hopefully make keeping ships in Colombo risky.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Mundy

10 June 1942

Lost his carriers. Last turn, they came 6 hexes from Eniwetok. My planes launched some weakling strikes which got hit bad. He had about 70 fighters up. They were last seen going in a westerly direction. Either he went west, or maybe he went down the east side of my island. Hopefully not the latter, but I'm re-arranging my search patterns.

The first of three big troop/plane convoys will reach Noumea in 2.5 days. I want to get there as well as Luganville, Efate and others built up quickly to block any possible moves this way.

Some of my bombers took a shot at the port at Colombo. He's got about a dozen fighters there, and my raids accomplished nil. Overall, it's been fairly quiet in that area. I'm trying to get defenses in Southern India built up the best I can.

My USAAF B-17s will reach Cape Town in about a week or so, so I can add them to what I have in India and hopefully make keeping ships in Colombo risky.

Well I guessed wrong about the direction his carriers would go!
But if it is now southbound from Eniwetok, it could be a threat to your convoys heading to Noumea. Hole up at Suva?

[Mundy]

My convoys are stretched between Pago Pago and Noumea. My carriers refuel at Townsville next turn, and can go back to cover.

Wasp arrives in 6 days. My RN carrier reaches Pearl next Turn.

[Mundy]

12 June 1942

I've finally re-spotted his carriers. They're 10 hexes S of Truk, looking to be headed towards Rabaul. Between three groups, I'm counting about 180 each of fighters and bombers. KB may have made its way back. I've got Truk heavily smothered with subs now.

My carriers are getting set to refuel at Townsville before proceeding to Noumea. The first convoy will reach next turn.

I've gotten sloppy and let Pearl run out of fuel, so a big tanker convoy (200k+) will be leaving San Francisco in a day or two. I'll follow up with another once they kick off. Not a big issue yet, as I wasn't sending anything from Pearl anytime soon. Lots of ships there are upgrading and repairing right now.

Other than that, fairly quiet everywhere.

[Bif1961]

Blame Ensign Palmer.