Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J)

[apbarog]

20 Oct 42

I-8 first elects not to fire on some tiny YOs about to get to Midway, then changes its mind and torpedoes YO-44. A few YOs went to Midway in order to possibly deliver fuel to Wake, to keep the minetender going.

The air plan at Akyab goes well, at first. A squadron of P-40Es swept and found massive CAP today: about 60 Oscars and 8 Tojos. I believe the Tojos are from Magwe. The Warhawks do ok but take more losses. Then a squadron of P-40Ks sweep, and losses are about even. A few squadrons of B-17s arrive to hit the airfield. The CAP is still heavy, but about half of what was there, and no Tojos. Moderate damage done to the field.

The enemy TFs are still at Akyab, so everything is perfect for the naval bombers to now come in against a depleted CAP. But in the morning, they don't come. And in the afternoon, just 12 Vildebeests show up, with no escort, and find 22 Oscars and 3 Tojos. Just one Vildebeest survives long enough to drop a torpedo and escape to home. The torpedo missed a destroyer. The Vildesbeest pilots were highly trained in torpedo attack, so their loss hurts. None of the divebombers or escorts flew. I move them all out of range of Akyab. Total air losses were 19 Oscars and 4 Tojos for the loss of 19 P-40s and 11 Vildebeests.

31 Lilys bomb the small 2/2nd Ind Coy defending Katherine, and the ground unit evaporates. Another example of complete destruction of a ground unit in clear terrain by means of getting bombed. This still happens to the Allies occasionally. It's going to happen to the Japanese a lot more in the future.

Katherine then falls to an undefended ground attack, with the enemy 16th Division victorious.

12 B-17s hit Milne Bay's airfield, which just went to size 2. 24 Zeros were there, part of what was a huge stack at Rabaul. One Fortress was lost.

In the afternoon, 16 Bettys escorted by 32 Zeros hit Kusaie Island's port, going after the cargo ship that is there. One bomb hit xAK Kauri, which is now SYS 12/FLOT 8/ENG 10/FIRE 22. I form a TF with it and will try to get supply unloaded before it is hit again.

More enemy shows up in Kukong. An enemy probing artillery attack shows about 3 to 1 odds, not counting that the Chinese have no supply and get bombed every day. The line is about to bust in the south.

A surprise at Cox's Bazar.

Ground combat at Cox's Bazar (54,43)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 35888 troops, 647 guns, 582 vehicles, Assault Value = 913

Defending force 16196 troops, 261 guns, 262 vehicles, Assault Value = 351

Allied adjusted assault: 1192

Japanese adjusted defense: 171

Allied assault odds: 6 to 1 (fort level 1)

Allied forces CAPTURE Cox's Bazar !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), op mode(-), leaders(+), disruption(-)
preparation(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
4423 casualties reported
Squads: 104 destroyed, 42 disabled
Non Combat: 147 destroyed, 32 disabled
Engineers: 24 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 71 (67 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Vehicles lost 87 (87 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 8

Allied ground losses:
645 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 59 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
32nd Infantry Division
70th British Division
7th Armoured Brigade
Waziristan Division
23rd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
134th Field Artillery Battalion
2/11th Fld RAA Regiment
209th Field Artillery Battalion
IV Indian Corps
2/13th Fld RAA Regiment
20th Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
85th British AT Gun Regiment

Defending units:
18th Division
14th Tank Regiment
25th Army
26th Fld AA Gun Co
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
51st Field AA Battalion
3rd Mortar Battalion
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
9th RF Gun Battalion

I expected the enemy to hold for awhile. Maybe they were all fleeing in movement mode. Some of the Allied units here are restricted. Some will defend the base, others will defend the trail between Cox's Bazar and Chittagong. I now see that Cox's Bazar can only pull in 100 supply a day, so supplying an offensive to Akyab will be difficult without control of the sea. Trashing the enemy units was at least as important as taking the base.

I was neglectful in upgrading some British bombers. Some can upgrade to Vengeance dive bombers, and that would be very helpful around Akyab. 2 squadrons do so now.

[CaptBeefheart]

Good luck getting supply to Cox's. It's not easy to get enough supply to repair and then expand the base there. Against a computer IJ I'd send xAKL convoys from Chittagong and/or Calcutta. It would work well since the computer would send bombers that would get CAP trapped and I'd keep a CL or CA TF in Chittagong to handle the surface threat [EDIT: Or simply disband the supply TF in port if there's a serious surface threat detected]. Not sure that would work against a human.

Can't wait to see the Bismarcks and SE DEI ops.

Cheers,
CB

[Lowpe]

How much supply on average do you fly to China? What are the destination runways you use?

You are doing so well![&o]

[apbarog]

I don't know what my supply total is going to China. I fly bombers and transports as far as they can go, within normal range. I currently am flying:

From Darjeeling:
12 B-17E to Paoshan

From Tezpur:
32 Wellingtons to Paoshan
16 Liberator II to Kunming
12 B-24 to Kunming
16 B-25 to Paoshan
24 B-17E to Kunming
12 B-17F to Tsuyung

From Jorhat:
13 C-47 to Tsuyung

From Ledo:
26 DC-3 to Kunming
12 B-24 to Chungking
75 C-47 to Kunming

And it isn't enough. And remember that I shipped in over 25,000 supply from Luzon early in the war.

[BBfanboy]

China's a bottomless pit. In my last game, after clearing Indochina I sailed convoys to southern China and dumped in around 3 million tons of supply and 500K fuel for the HI there. The Chinese units soaked it up filling out their TOE and needed more! I did get some nice sized Corps (800+ AV and over 50 morale) after that!

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: apbarog

I don't know what my supply total is going to China. I fly bombers and transports as far as they can go, within normal range. I currently am flying:

From Darjeeling:
12 B-17E to Paoshan

From Tezpur:
32 Wellingtons to Paoshan
16 Liberator II to Kunming
12 B-24 to Kunming
16 B-25 to Paoshan
24 B-17E to Kunming
12 B-17F to Tsuyung

From Jorhat:
13 C-47 to Tsuyung

From Ledo:
26 DC-3 to Kunming
12 B-24 to Chungking
75 C-47 to Kunming

And it isn't enough. And remember that I shipped in over 25,000 supply from Luzon early in the war.

Say 250 planes carrying 3 supply each roughly with some on rest...a significant investment into China. The early gambit of diverting Luzon supply to China wall ballsy, and clearly showed where you had your priorities.

And looking at the map, it has paid off huge dividends for you.

With Sian falling, I see some hexes you clearly need to get troops digging in and preparing for the next assault, and with Kukong threatened serious thought should be given to the x3 terrain north or the Changsha triangle/rectangle/pocket (whatever the heck it is). You are probably aware of them, though...

PS: Even Blenheims have the range to deliver 1 supply, and I bet that is beneficial if the runways can handle them...than sending them to certain death bombing Japan. ASW is another good role for them, as is training.

[apbarog]

21 Oct 42

Tiny AMc Bogor cleared all of the enemy mines at Portland Roads.

Snapper fired 4 torpedoes at CM Okinoshima northeast of Milne Bay. One hit but was a dud. This is the 4th ship that Snapper has hit with a dud torpedo during the war. It did sink a patrol boat 10 days ago. Milne Bay is probably mined now. I already know that Port Moresby has mines.

4 Dutch destroyers on ASW duty southeast of Tulagi found mines, and swept them all.

I-176 hit tiny AMc Condor with a torpedo at Midway Island, sinking her.

The Chinese at Kukong were bombed heavily (as they have been, daily) and then crushed.

Ground combat at Kukong (79,57)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 40869 troops, 323 guns, 60 vehicles, Assault Value = 1291

Defending force 15485 troops, 47 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 429

Japanese adjusted assault: 2043

Allied adjusted defense: 269

Japanese assault odds: 7 to 1 (fort level 4)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Kukong !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
513 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 75 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled

Allied ground losses:
5439 casualties reported
Squads: 116 destroyed, 65 disabled
Non Combat: 83 destroyed, 46 disabled
Engineers: 19 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 12 (8 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Units retreated 4

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
17th Division
116th Division
12th Ind.Mixed Brigade
13th Ind.Mixed Brigade
13th Army
4th Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
86th Chinese Corps
11th Construction Regiment
12th Group Army
18th Chinese Base Force

This isn't a huge enemy army, but the defenses in the south are weak, and now the Changsha area is threatened from the south. This unhinges the whole southern defense. Changsha really isn't defensible without risking encirclement, and considering the stacking limit that the enemy can reach and the Chinese, as is, cannot. The next defensive line will slowly be moved into.

I've decided to halt the coastal offensive in Burma. We took Cox's Bazar, but continuing south to Akyab would be very difficult, maybe impossible. Cox's Bazar can draw only 100 supply a day, and has no airfield. There are 30,000 enemy troops in the hex between Cox's Bazar and Akyab, and another 30,000 at Akyab. The enemy has air superiority. I'm keeping a couple of units showing movement south as a diversion. Some restricted units will garrison Cox's Bazar. Almost all unrestricted units will pull back to Chittagong and become part of a new plan.

The Allied ships at Sydney could all come out of refit in 2 days. They would then move north and rendezvous with invasion shipping that will have loaded by then. Then the next round of the Allied offensive kicks off.

[apbarog]

22 Oct 42

Anns hit Tienshui's airfield, west of Sian, for the first time.

B-26s bomb enemy troops on Munda. B-24s bomb Buna's port and do very minor damage in bad weather.

In China, B-24s from Ledo bomb enemy troops moving out of Sian, hitting the 32nd Division and causing 291 casualties. No CAP there, yet. Will take a bit for a base support unit to arrive.

Sallys and Sonias bomb Chinese troops that retreated out of Kukong. This is 3 hexes from Henyang, where I move 3 Chinese fighter squadrons. They aren't great, and at range 3, LRCAP won't be significant, but I try to LRCAP the hex today. If no fighters, we do well. If not, maybe not.

B-17s bomb the 16th Division at Katherine. 105 casualties. Clear terrain.

Wasp, 8 heavy cruisers and 5 light cruisers came out of refit at Sydney today. Enterprise and Hornet should do so tomorrow. They'll all form up with the other carriers at Sydney and head north. Saratoga and Lexington, and almost as important, new battleships Washington and South Dakota, are leaving Luganville and headed to Townsville.

A US DMS will move to a spot where it can race into Milne Bay, check for mines, and race home. Milne Bay will be invaded soon, but not until after Port Moresby is invaded.

A bunch of base support units just arrived at Normanton. The base is just a size 2 port but will build to a size 4. This base will be important for the move to Gove and Taberfane, and on to Darwin.

[apbarog]

I'm wondering if a big offensive in eastern Burma is possible. I could move multiple divisions, including 2 big Chinese corp, from Ledo to the south to east of Myityina, and not be seen until approaching Myityina. After taking the base, they could continue south along the trail to east of Lashio and potentially open up a route to China.

The question is, could enough supply be pulled through Myitkyina to Paoshan. I believe the answer is no, based on limits at Myitkyina and Paoshan. I might be able to supply my units by flying supply into Myitkyina and Paoshan, but that defeats the purpose, which is getting significant supply into China as soon as possible.

My original, very long term plan, is to land at Rangoon, Pegu and Moulmein and isolate Burma. But that is many months away, and would require good landing ships and my carriers.

So I'm looking for alternatives.

[Lowpe]

Bomb the oil at Magwe and Rangoon, and wait. Burma is a death trap for the Japanese, follow your plan, but you might want to invade further south, one or two hexes and you are into the plains..you will be racing for Vinh, cut off Singers. Get your tanks into open country...

The way your holding China, Japan will be stretched mighty thin, so getting as much supply there is a super high priority.

[apbarog]

I'm very hesitant to send the carriers to the Indian Ocean. It definitely would slow the progress north of Australia and in the Solomons. But the goal of getting large amounts of supply into China is a worthy goal. A supplied Chinese army has far less to worry about.

I'm starting preliminary planning for sending the carriers to Ceylon following a Darwin invasion. If I'm lucky, I could have the carriers exit stage left and pass along the northern Australian coast to Ceylon, shortening the transit time. And MAYBE they could do so unseen.

I'd probably want to send all the nice APs too. Big commitment required. Another round of long range planning to begin! Logistics planning is one of my favorite parts of the game, so no complaints here! I'm much better at the planning phase than the execution of the plan.

Every unit for the upcoming Port Moresby, Milne Bay, Horn Island, Gove, Wesel Island, Taberfane, Dobo, Munda, Tagula, Torokina and Buin invasions knows each particular ship they will be loaded on.

[Lowpe]

You can do it with escort carriers and the British aided by some surface ships from America.

Use the Fleet Carriers to distract and attract the KB attention in the Pacific...and then strike. Land base air will not be too much of a risk. You do need to win the air war in Burma first, and grab a barrier island or two. What Japanese player garrisons Phuket?

Of course you need good sig int on what is around...if he has 4 divisions in Singers, well then nix that idea.

If you go down this route, make sure to get the KB committed to the Pacific...it is the only thing that can stop a determined Allied invasion.

Usually places like Tavoy are guarded by junky RTA division and some support units, if that. Your sigint should help you figure out what is where, and will determine the pace of the invasion.

[apbarog]

Phuket seems a bit ambitious for early '43. It would draw a quick response from ground units at Singapore, and whatever could be shipped to Singapore quickly. Rangoon/Pegu/Moulmein is a bit more isolated, away from a direct rail connection to Singapore. A counter-attack from the south here has to use trails from Thailand. I'd see that coming and have some time to deal with it.

I could cut off everything north of Rangoon and work my way to eventually clearing a path to China.

I have just 2 CVEs at this point. One Brit carrier is at Sydney and will participate in the upcoming invasions, but will withdraw not long after that. 2 damaged slow British battleships are repairing at Capetown, and 2 more are on the way there. They'll take forever to repair. If I had many more CVEs, then maybe I could avoid sending the big carriers to the Indian Ocean. Maybe in 6 months. I'm looking at going sooner. I've had units prepping for Rangoon, Pegu and Moumein.

Lots to consider.

[Lowpe]

Well, that is an aggressive timetable and in a time period where the KB can be super tough. Good luck with whatever you do, can't wait to read about it.[:)]

[tolsdorff]

Just want to leave a comment of appreciation. I too am a dedicated lurker and as a beginner I am learning a lot from your AAR. Thanks for taking the time.

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: apbarog
Phuket seems a bit ambitious for early '43. It would draw a quick response from ground units at Singapore, and whatever could be shipped to Singapore quickly. Rangoon/Pegu/Moulmein is a bit more isolated, away from a direct rail connection to Singapore. A counter-attack from the south here has to use trails from Thailand. I'd see that coming and have some time to deal with it.

I could cut off everything north of Rangoon and work my way to eventually clearing a path to China.

Landing in Thai w/o having Port Blair and strong carrier force committed to the theatre for some time is asking for trouble in my view. Japanese aviation + eventual KB are perfectly capable of cutting you off in whatever bases you get initially, and then you just watch helplessly as your supply and AV melt under daily bombing and sea bombardements.

[Lowpe]

Around how many free divisions for invasions, with transports will you have by mid 43? Early 43?

[apbarog]

Very good question. I'm spending some extra time with this turn, determining what is available in India right now, and then figuring in a couple of months. I have had some units prepping for my targets already. I just don't know if it is enough.

Off the top of my head, I have 2 Brit divisions, a US division, and 2 huge Chinese corps. A few armor units, a good number of artillery. I have another US division that will get bought out in about a week and sent to Capetown.

I'll have a better answer tomorrow.

[apbarog]

23 Oct 42

Four enemy battleships return to Kusaie Island.

Night Naval bombardment of Kusaie Island at 125,118

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Hyuga
BB Yamashiro
BB Fuso
BB Yamato
CL Natori

Allied ground losses:
770 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 29 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 28 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 14 disabled
Vehicles lost 8 (1 destroyed, 7 disabled)

Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 15
Port hits 6
Port supply hits 2

It is noted that Yamato has taken the place of a battleship that took a torpedo hit awhile ago. They didn't get all of the supply this time, but the base is very damaged. The airfield is still size 1 but is 99% to size 2. That last 1% is going to take awhile, maybe a long while.

Shortlands, Munda and Port Moresby bombed by US bombers.

Almost no enemy air activity over China today, so my Chinese fighters didn't catch anything near Kukong. I'll try again, even though their base, Hengyang, was probably revealed.

I spent hours on the Rangoon/Pegu/Moulmein/Port Blair invasion plans. Units are now assigned for everything. So many units that I seriously doubt that I can deliver them all. The Chinese corps are huge. One isn't completely filled out and requires 23,245 in troop capacity.

I'll detail the plan tomorrow. It's really big. Too late and too tired.

[apbarog]

24 Oct 42

I-21 spotted a cargo convoy southeast of Sydney. OPilot hasn't had much luck finding my convoy routes, and ASW activities has forced his subs away from my ports. This spotting was 5 or 6 hexes southeast of the port. 6 torpedoes missed CL Durban which is with the cargo ships.

Dutch sub KXII hit PB Keijo Maru with 2 torpedoes southeast of Rabaul. The patrol boat sank.

Minimal Japanese air activity over China again today. Chinese fighters didn't catch anything, and were certainly spotted, so they go back to the capital for now.

Here's an overview of my plans around Rangoon. This is probably about 2 months away. Lots to do around New Guinea first.