Notes from a Small Island

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Saporro is a beast, with lots of fighters and lots of AA. Some RAF night bombers targeted the base last night, to their misfortunate.

I don't want to chance a bombardment, because Erik has his cruiser TF there and plenty of mines. I don't want to take long chances.

Fletchers.


More Fletchers.

No Gearings? [:D]

The Americans do start getting Sumner class DDs late in '44.

They don't have any armor like Fletchers, but have 6 5" guns in three dual turrets giving them more firepower and more deck space for AA guns giving them higher AA values than Fletchers.
Alas they are a little slower at 35 knots and can only make 10 hexes on a high speed run compared to 11 hexes for the Fletchers.

I've been switching them out with the Fletchers in my CV TFs to free up more Fletchers for surface combat/bombardment use.

[Canoerebel]

12/24/44

Arg! Movie watching interruptus. First, the Combat Summaries OFF created real flow problems. I started and re-started the turn about six times. I still haven't gotten that situation (I think it may be up to Erik to flip the switch back ON). It was lunchtime here, so I looked forward to a peaceful hour to enjoy the movie...but the phone started ringing...and two people dropped by, which is uncommon. So the watching of the movie was disjointed. I'll probably watch it again later.

So pardon a bit of messiness in the remaining graphics.

L+3: Fast transports loaded at Shikuka and unloaded reinforcements at both Wakkanai (part of a combat engineering unit) and part at the woods hex to the south (part of a Marine CD unit) in a single day. I want to measure the disablements of both, as many more reinforcments will be coming ashore in the near-term, including an infantry division tomorrow (as long as I conclude the disablement seem acceptable). I've decided to try to ram in as much as possible as soon as possible, while Erik is still (seemingly) relying on ground movement. I think there's a chance I can take Wakkanai in a week or so. I'll have a lot of disablements but a lot of firepower to counter the light troops he's bringing in by air.

[Canoerebel]

12/24/44

The air battles became especially confusing, since I couldn't stop the play to capture screenshots. So this is more summary than play-by-play.

L+3: Erik focused his air force in two ways: sweeping the woods hex south of Wakkanai, and posting LRCAP over Wakkanai (plus a few unescorted strikes against Allied shipping). Allied air focused on sweeps of Wakkanai and LRCAP over the woods hex. So his sweeps met my LRCAP and vice versa.

There was a lot of aerial fighter combat. Allied bombers got through to Wakkanai in fine shape. A few small and unescorted enemy strikes failed to score any hits on Allied shipping and took some losses.

Overall, my impressions (amidst being addled by the movie issue and constant visitors) is that the Allies won an air victory today. We'll know more when I see and post the Air Losses table later.

[Canoerebel]

Something very important is that Erik got a full view of Death Star CAP during his sweeps of the woods hex, where DS is posted today. So he'll make deductions and reach conclusions. Information is key. I'll have to take that into account in making future decisions about DS uses and deployments.

[Canoerebel]

12/23/44

L+3: Allied sweeps did a fine job of clearing out tough opposition at Wakkanai (at probably about a 1:1 ratio). The bombers came in and scored some meaningful hits against enemy infantry.

[RangerJoe]

Something very important is that Erik got a full view of Death Star CAP during his sweeps of the woods hex, where DS is posted today. So he'll make deductions and reach conclusions. Information is key. I'll have to take that into account in making future decisions about DS uses and deployments.

If you have to, pull a Masterkova and beat feet out of there.

[Canoerebel]

12/24/44

L+3: With DS at the coast (biege circle), Allied strike aircraft, all set to range 1 and ASW duties, reported dozens of hits against enemy SSX in the two hexes SW of Wakkanai. I bet there's considerable accumulated damage.

These SSX are placed here because, I think, Erik anticipates another effort to unload a small unit in the vacant hex (the previous mission being wiped out by Judys). But I won't try another, because Allied armor will arrive in that hex tomorrow (unless Erik bombs it during the turn, delaying the arrival by one day).

Having a unit in that hex won't accomplish much. But it will delay the enemy advance by at least one day, because the Japanese will have to attack to evict the unit.

[Canoerebel]

12/24/44

L+3: I'm watching what's going on out here, but I haven't seen anything worrisome yet. A don't think Erik will send carriers into the Gulf of Alaska, but I'm watching.

[Canoerebel]

12/24/44

L+3: I think the twin combat (IJA artillery, Allied armor + arty) went well today.

Unless I see something that gives me pause when I look over the turn file, Allied infantry will attack tomorrow. The six forts will be the biggest issue, I think.

The attack should be preceded by BB Missouri bombardment and more LBA attacks.

[Canoerebel]

12/24/44

Air Losses: Another bloody day in air combat. The Allies did prevail, but not as readily as I had expected. At least at first blush. Let's look under the engine:

1. Both sides are losing a lot of good fighters.
2. On my side, I am particularly worried about Hellcats.
3. On his side, I figure he is using his best now, and his losses are heavy. He's losing a hundred or two hundred aircraft per day. I am too, but my losses are a bit more spread out. I don't feel like I'm seeing a huge erosion yet in overall capabilities.
4. He lost a lot of the Ki-83s today, fighting Hellcats over Death Star. If the Hellcat manages to go 1:1 against his very best fighters, he's got to be hurting.
5. My air force is feeling pretty stretched. I am assuming that his is too. If I am wrong - if he hasn't even committed his reserves yet and is laughing at me all the while - I'm toast. But my feeling after months of tough fighting in Burma and NoPac is that he's fighting hard with his best. I hope so.

[Canoerebel]

After four days of this, his fighters must be getting fatigued. He'll have to rest a lot of them fairly soon, I think. I don't think my fighters are particularly fatigued. They've been rotating and usually fighting on the defensive. I think they can fight quite awhile.

But I'll probably have to begin swapping out some depleted carrier fighter squadrons for some of those on land. I can afford to do this a few times but not indefinitely. He'd better be hurting, because I will be if he isn't.

[Canoerebel]

12/24/44

Kaigun: For the first time in a long, long time, I heard the audio "Send Main Body" announcement today. Sure enough, Sapporo is filled up with enemy combat ships.

They're here to fight. Erik will either send them in "naked" to face whatever ships I have at Wakkanai.

Or possibly they'll be sent in to clear the hex of Allied shipping to permit him to land reinforcements. I think it's probably the former first, before trying the latter.

Big Allied reinforcements are set to come in at Wakkanai tomorrow. I'll probably hold off, or possibly land them at the vacant hex to the south (after first checking the Marine unit landed there today to measure disablements).

I'll definitely give a great deal of thought to my combat ships and to placing Death Star. I have some notions but they need careful evaluation.

[Canoerebel]

I assume that troops landing at the vacant hex south of Wakkani can only do so from the east side, where my guys are coming ashore.

I also assume (GULP) that Allied ships on the east side cannot be attacked by ships on the west side. That's almost certainly true, but you guys look at it and speak up if you think there's even the remotest chance something funky could happen.

[Canoerebel]

12/24/44

Minelaying Subs: In this graphic, you see that Haddock will lay mines near Sapporo. Another sub with Haddock will lay mines in the hex to the E. And yet another sub laid mines in the hex to the SW. If Haddock and companion sow their mines tomorrow, Sapporo will be hemmed in by mines. Of course, Erik will have sweepers working.

[Canoerebel]

12/24/44

L+3: This unit tested the amount of disablements incurred by a poorly prepped unit coming ashore at Wakkanai.

It's not a total scrub, though. This unit had 0% prep. Most of the other units I want to bring in have prep ranging from 35 to 45.

[Canoerebel]

12/24/44

L+3: Now here's an encouraging test result. This unit lands in the vacant hex, with 0% prep of course, and is in pristine condition.

Some of the units (including 112th Cav.) that landed there on L-Day had similar results. The others had modest disablements.

I see no reason not to prefer landing here rather than at Wakkanai. I think the main landings will commence tomorrow.

[Canoerebel]

12/24/44

Blocking Hex: US armored unit will arrive at the (formerly) vacant hex two hexes S of Wakkanai tomorrow, but IJ unit beat them.

I think Erik's contingent is no more than a mixed brigade, with alot more to come. I think it's likely my armor arriving tomorrow will force him to attack before he can advance.

I think, by the end of the day tomorrow, the Allies will have another division in the hex south of Wakkanai and possibly more than 500 AV, with more to come. It's going to be hard for Erik to clear the hex south of Wakkanai in time to save Wakkanai.

Sooner or later, he's going to realize he has to reinforce by sea (if he hasn't already).

[jwolf]

It's going to be hard for Erik to clear the hex south of Wakkanai in time to save Wakkanai.

But he doesn't have to. The Japanese control the hexside between Wakkanai and the hex to the SW. Your unit coming from the East won't change that.

[Canoerebel]

I'm not sure what you mean.

The Allies control Wakkanai's south hex side.

The Allies control the hex (and all sides) in the hex south of Wakkanai.

And the Allied armored unit about to leave that hex to enter two hexes south should (I think?) thereby control that hex side?

Here's the detail:

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: T Rav
CR, Just wanted to say how much I like the AAR. Lurkers like to read. Thank you.

Thank you, T Rav. Writers appreciate readers.