Quisling! An AFB does Japan (No PanzerKat)

[John B.]

In today's lesson boys and girls, we learn to never send a CL to do a DD's job. [:-] I thought that if I did a fast transport mission to resupply Koepeng then would run in, dump the supply barrels into the harbor and run away. Badaboom badabing. But, no they lingered and got to see American airpower up close and personal. Scratch two CLs.

In other news, there is an American CV TF near New Guinea and other scouting reports make me think he's making a push for Ternate. The IJN is just south of Makassar. The KB is going to try to avoid his subs and to not get into an accidental CV battle. So, I'm bringing everyone south to see what develops and to leave my bombardment/surface action options open.

Allied assault on Darwin failed. He lost 16 squads and I lost 1. My Emilys can reach Darwin from Soerebaja so I've been evacuating support troops to reduce his eventual VP haul. But, that's a long flight in a big slow transport.

[Capt. Harlock]

In today's lesson boys and girls, we learn to never send a CL to do a DD's job. I thought that if I did a fast transport mission to resupply Koepeng then would run in, dump the supply barrels into the harbor and run away. Badaboom badabing. But, no they lingered and got to see American airpower up close and personal. Scratch two CLs

Out of curiousity, which two CL's? (On the other hand, if a CL had decent AA abilities, I wouldn't want to risk it -- there aren't enough of those to go around.)

[John B.]

Naka and Oi. Naka does not seem like too much of a loss but Oi had nice AA!

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: John B.
Naka and Oi. Naka does not seem like too much of a loss but Oi had nice AA!

Kitakami and Oi are real gas guzzlers though, so you can take consolation in that [:)]

[John B.]

Lol, that's right, it's all part of my long term plan to reduce Japanese fuel consumption.

[John B.]

Well, at least the SBD pilots who sank my CLs did not get too much time to gloat. The KB moved in closer to Lauten and they were still on anti- ship duty. Got some of those VP back. [:D]

Tonight's mission is sending in two BB TFs to bombard Lauten. It's not a strategically important base since he can only use it to send heavies at long range against Soerobaja but I suspect that it is crammed full of planes so I might take out some of his P-47s with a good bombardment roll. And, no signs of the PT boat swarms that Scott has used. It looks like Kandari is still badly damaged so I'll set it aside for now and see if I can do some damage to his airpower.

There is a TF south of Timor heading west and the KB is heading down to investigate. In the meantime, his CV/AK TFs retreated to the east. I wonder where his fleet CVs are?

Resupply convoy at Saipan. And, he has not been contesting me over burma.

[John B.]

Here's something you don't see everyday, the P-47s being bested in the air by Zeros! I got in my shore bombardments on Lauten and did not do too much damage but I suspect it shook up these fighter boys so they weren't on their best when they flew a sweep near my CVs. And, I actually got a few heavies that were bombing the docks at Rangoon. I'm not sure why Scott was doing that. I do have a SC laid up for repair so perhaps he thought there were bigger fish there.

I'm also making him come up to play over Burma. I figure British fighter production is not huge and I think my George's have an edge right now, so I"m trying to attrit him down while the balance is in my favor.

[John B.]

A few planes here or there in Burma are not going to matter (besides making me feel better). the real action is here in the DEI. Scott has come out of his shell. I still don't see any fleet CVs in his TFs. He's either going to land at Ternate or he is going to start building up Taluad-eilanden. If he's at Ternate I may be within strike range tommorrow. If he's going to Talud it will take another turn. The KB will be a bit more exposed in its new position but it can swing west and refuel at Tarakan and Balikpapan if it needs to.

[John B.]

Another nice turn in the air for the IJN.

[John B.]

It's offical. Scott is bypassing Ternate (at least for now) in favor of building up the base at Talud. It can get up to a level 8 airfield and a level 5 port so it's another danger. But, it is away from the Palembang so that's a good thing. Even better is that now I see his main carrier force. The KB, having done some minor damage to his ground based air, is going to play is safe and head back to soerebaja to refuel and rearm. I'll let the american CVs patrol around Talud for a few days to burn up fuel and then we'll see what we can do to rectify this situation. Given how tough it is to make it through allied fighters, I'm tempted to cram my cvs full of fighters and shoot down his SBDs and TBFs giving cover to my surface fleet that can then sail into Talud without real fear of retribution from the air.

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: John B.
Given how tough it is to make it through allied fighters, I'm tempted to cram my cvs full of fighters and shoot down his SBDs and TBFs giving cover to my surface fleet that can then sail into Talud without real fear of retribution from the air.

WITP UberCAP does not work in WITPAE, especially Japanese one - there is a good chance for SBD/TBDs to go through and hit your carriers even with hundreds of Zeros in the air. So you risk getting hit with no retaliation in return.
You can move in you SCTFs from Ternate to get aircover there on the return leg. If his air gets attrited some you will get better prospects for CV action

[John B.]

Ah, excellent point. By the way, do Georges work on Carriers?

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: John B.
Ah, excellent point. By the way, do Georges work on Carriers?

In stock, they don't (and I think you play that one?). In some recent mods, they do.
Look for the "carrier capable" flag in the top left corner of a model description screen

[John B.]

Thanks, I see that they don't (we're playing the straight historical scenario).

No real action this turn. I sank one of his subs with one of my subs and he is clearly aiming to build up Talud as a major base given that the whole USN is there. That will give him options to head into the Philippines or towards Borneo. Once he gets a significant port he can also start to cut the south China sea and strangle me that way. My plan is to rest the IJN for a couple of days while sending out a BB TF to bombard Kendari again (if I know where his CVs are that makes life easier). I might as well keep that down while resting. Then, it will be off to play whack a mole on Talud if I can. He's building up too many places to keep him down but the longer I can, the more resources that make it to the HI.

[John B.]

Well, Scott's next move has been to land on Babeldaob. It's a little bit of a backward step in his advance but I guess it shores up his flank and makes it easier to get to the Phillipines. He has landed three whole divisions there! I'm not sure if my poor brigade and a few SNLF units will hold out very long. They are not too disrupted after the massive shore bombardments and carrier bombing but they are not many. At least the fort level is 5 so I hope that can help somewhat. My CD unit only got in one hit getting a shell into an LCI and he took hardly any losses coming ashore so this may well be a short and expensive campaign.

The KB has moved out of Soerebaja with a target of Talud. With the american CVs using up sorties on Babledaob it puts him in a weaker position to counter me since he has a ways to go to Hollandia which I suspect his his main refueling base.

Another shore bombardment on Kendari just to keep it down.

[John B.]

There may be a carrier battle if Scott wants one. His CV TF is over by Babledaob and I should be NW of Talud by the end of next turn. If he comes over we'll fight and if not we won't.

Babledaob held out in his first assault but he knocked the fort level down by three and he had a 3-1 on me. so, if he launches another shock attack I think Babledaob will go down. If it does not that presents an interesting opportunity. Scott has shot off A LOT of shore support and he's hit babeldoab 3 times with carrier strikes so his ammo levels and sortie levels on the CVs may be rather low. If so, I may head on over to Babledaob just to see if I can mess up the invasion. If not, I'll bash on Talud and continue to linger on the periphery. Scott's CVs may also be running lower on fuel, I don't know if he has oilers in there to replenish.

The Kaga is a real torpedo magnet. It took another one (third one in the war) passing through the straits. It said ammo explosion but at the end of the day it had 24 floatation and 4 systems damage. It can make a speed of 6/4, it can fly planes, and it's not on fire so it stays in the battle. This is no time to be fastidious!

More news as it develops.

[John B.]

Sadly Babeldoab did not hold out. Sigh. But there was not too much to hold off four divisions and the US Navy. On the plus side a sub put a torpedo into the Essex. No reports of extra explosions so I'm sure it won't sink and it's probably still in action but that matches the Kaga torpedo. The US navy seems to be heading back to the barn. So, I may head up and bombard Babeldoab to delay his repairing the base and perhaps to even put some damage onto the divisions stack up there.

I did bomb Talud and it cost 8 dive bombers lost to flak. but, as long as it's damaged it's not building up.

[John B.]

So the Americans ran away from Babeldoab and I got in shore bombardment with on BB that is heading to Hong Kong for refit and an airstrike that cost 10 planes or so but did do some extra damage to the facilities there. As my KB headed for home via Kendari I happened to be off of Ternate and caught a whole lot of SBDs on a mission to bomb that base. Right place at the right time. The DEI has, thus far, been a death trap for SBDs

I wonder, given how exposed Talud is, perhaps a counter invasion might be in order. It may take awhile to put together and there will be another carrier swarm from Scott but I may move an LSD and AMC down from Manila.

[John B.]

The Tony's in the above photo fell to P-38Hs on a sweep over Rangoon. The kill ratio went the wrong way on that one!

[John B.]

Better news at Kendari. I saw an AK TF heading there and managed to scrape together a CA TF that sprinted in and caught it unloading (as well as sinking a DD one hex away). I think he lost the 4 pictured here and 2 more besides. Of all of Scott's forward bases, I think Kendari is the most threatening since it puts him in fighter range of Balikpappan and Tarakan. Talud can be bad but it's too isloated right now without a serious USN commitment. Once Babledaob gets up and running, unfortunately, that will put a nice port up that way.

Keep the edge bases down at least keeps him out of bomber range of Palembang for longer and pushes him up north to the Philippines. No good choices for the Emperor, but a series of less bad ones.