Quisling! An AFB does Japan (No PanzerKat)

[John B.]

Two more turns have come and gone. Nothing to really report in Burma except that there one hole in the line is where I've put the circle. If Scott moves in there he would cut off the division to the north. So, a RTA division is going to try to move into there and hope that it does not get pulverized in the clear terrain.

[John B.]

The real action continues to be in Java/Palembang. Last turn there was another surface fight as Scott ran a DD TF up near Singapore. It actually ran into a CVE TF of mine on its way to Batavia which had the Musashi and two other BBs in it. The DDs were damaged and, at dawn, Betties from Singapore sank two with torpedoes. From a naval point of view, I think it's tough for Scott to move north of the line as long as I have carriers because then he faces land based air and naval aviation. He can crack that nut sooner or later but it is letting me get last minute oil and fuel out of Palembang.

This turn the Hiryu was in sub's sites and the torpedo was a dud. Talk about heart stopping! Two of his subs took major damage.

Scott launched a deliberate assault on Batavia got a 2-1 and knocked the fort level down to 3. My only hope is to get the division in there in time but it's going to be bombed the whole way. At least it's now on a major road. So, the plan is to subject Batavia to 4 different bombardment missions, three with a BB and one with a CA. THen, smack it with a strike from the KB. Perhaps if I can disrupt his troops enough they won't be able to take Batavia until the division arrives. If not, well, I'll let someone else tell the emperor.

I did get another convoy out with 99K fuel that is now up near Taiwan and should be able to make it home. Next up an oil convoy.

I set up the low level layered CAP but there has not been any more sweeps from Scott yet. He's probably waiting so that he can use his P-47s. We'll see if the low level layered CAP works. I just wonder if it's too low to get his heavies when then head in to flatten the oil wells.

I've converted two squadrons to Kamikaze because why not. But, I don't need them yet so I'll give them time to train.

[John B.]

On to March 25th. It was a pretty good turn for the Empire of Japan (if we ignore Java). The allies have lost at least 4 subs in the past 48 hours and that's always a good thing. The new Es with the 6 depth charge racks are very nice and I got a lucky shot from a sub that put two torpedoes into one of his subs (no report of sinking, but that can't be good). I also sank his damaged DD that had holed up in Pontianak.

Another fuel convoy is leaving Singapore (where I now gather fuel and oil to send it along). This one will have about 80K fuel and there should be a similar sized oil convoy soon. I don't know how long Palembang will be open so every drop back to the HI is precious.

As for Java, heavy sigh, after I screwed up, errr, after my aide screwed up, the deployment of the division the loss of Batavia was foreordained. I'm now using every transport I can get my hands on to get as many squads out as possible. I should have 3-4 more turns of pulling troops out.

[John B.]

Here is a small bright spot. I was able to shock attack this Indian regiment for a second day and this time it retreated with some nice casualties. A rare land victory for Japan in 1944.

[John B.]

And, the victory really improved my overall defense of Burma. This armor division now sits on the northern road into Thailand. It had been open to British incursion before this and now my division can retreat down that road and hold him off for a long time on that route.

Otherwise, lots of allied bombing which does not seem to have too much effect.

[John B.]

Get Assista, your CAP plan was mentioned to the Emperor Himself and, when he saw the results from today's fighter sweeps it's rumored (and don't let this go to your head) that he laughed quietly to himself and had his secretary note your name in his private diary. Obvert, who came up with this scheme, gets an honorable mention.

Here's the happy totals. P-38Js lead in losses followed by Corsairs! In fact, based on these figures Scott lost more planes than me. Even factoring in FOW this is very nice. Heck, he even lost 11 of the new P-47s! You also have to figure that he lost lots of pilots given that this was over my base and a number of hexes from home. He'll wear me down but let's hope this gives pause to his bombing of Palembang.

My squadrons had a number of damaged planes but most have morale up in the 90s with law fatigue and the Jacks, who were hit hardest, have morale at 85. I"ve rotated in some fresh squadrons of Georges and some Zeros for the low altitude band.

[John B.]

Scott also lost two more subs today. He's got to get those vessels out of shallow water. Shallow water is basically death for subs as far as I'm concerned. They can't go deep to get away.

[Bif1961]

I guess for him the Silent Service stands for we send them out and never hear from them again.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: John B.

Get Assista, your CAP plan was mentioned to the Emperor Himself and, when he saw the results from today's fighter sweeps it's rumored (and don't let this go to your head) that he laughed quietly to himself and had his secretary note your name in his private diary. Obvert, who came up with this scheme, gets an honorable mention.

Here's the happy totals. P-38Js lead in losses followed by Corsairs! In fact, based on these figures Scott lost more planes than me. Even factoring in FOW this is very nice. Heck, he even lost 11 of the new P-47s! You also have to figure that he lost lots of pilots given that this was over my base and a number of hexes from home. He'll wear me down but let's hope this gives pause to his bombing of Palembang.

My squadrons had a number of damaged planes but most have morale up in the 90s with law fatigue and the Jacks, who were hit hardest, have morale at 85. I"ve rotated in some fresh squadrons of Georges and some Zeros for the low altitude band.

Here is a more comprehensive thread on the tests I ran to work out some details of the idea developed by Lowpe and influenced by some of Alfred's input. It's been highly successful, and some of the best high altitude planes suffer the most flying into a low CAP.

Your results are good. As he adapts you'll have to tweak them, use specific models on specific altitude bands and occasionally pop up high as well to keep him honest. I've found recently though that the low CAP layering still does work against lower sweeps, it's just not as devastating.

low CAP vs high sweep

[John B.]

Obvert. Thanks! I've had to make guessimates to fill in plane types from your original models. I wonder if one allied counter is heavy bombers at 20K to hit the airfield coupled with layered sweeps. If I don't go high he hits the airfields and puts them out of commission.

Bif that was pretty funny. Wrong, but still pretty funny!

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: John B.

Obvert. Thanks! I've had to make guessimates to fill in plane types from your original models. I wonder if one allied counter is heavy bombers at 20K to hit the airfield coupled with layered sweeps. If I don't go high he hits the airfields and puts them out of commission.

Bif that was pretty funny. Wrong, but still pretty funny!

If you have radar in the base his bombers at 20k will be toast without heavy sweeps ahead. He can always hit the airfields. The question is what kind of a tithe can you take for each strike? [;)]

[John B.]

I like the way you think.

I suspect that because it's Palembang at some point soon Scott will just "flood the zone" and put everything that can fly over it to lay waste to the oil fields. Then it won't matter. But each one of his planes I shoot down is another VP in the basket.

[John B.]

A couple of non-eventful days have past and, given the hard fighting war we're in now that's a minor blessing. It means my planes at Singapore and Palembang can rest and repair. As you can see, Scott did capture my last remaining base on Java. I got a couple turns where I was able to airlift out parts of several units but it's all over but the shouting there. With no base, there is no airlift.

[John B.]

But, these sacrifices are not in vain. Here is the latest fuel convoy heading back to the HI. I've got almost 80K oil in Singapore that will go out on the next convoy and Palembang is still pumping out 9K or so fuel per turn. Scott, after losing what looks like two more subs, seems to have finally pulled them away from Singapore. Good thing for them as I have the new E boats patrolling those waters and they are deadly in shallow water.

After Scott shuts down Palembang my plan is to send the Imperial fleet back to the HI to contest the inner core. I don't think that there is any real sense in contesting what's left of the DEI when the fleet can help keep the allies at bay for longer up north (and use less fuel in doing so.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: John B.

A couple of non-eventful days have past and, given the hard fighting war we're in now that's a minor blessing. It means my planes at Singapore and Palembang can rest and repair. As you can see, Scott did capture my last remaining base on Java. I got a couple turns where I was able to airlift out parts of several units but it's all over but the shouting there. With no base, there is no airlift.

You might be able to retrieve some of those troops with a FT TF using the "Pick up troops" order (after you set the destination hex where the troops are). It works for non-base shores but I am not sure if it can be done at an enemy held base. APDs can usually load in one phase and get outta Dodge. Your call on whether it's worth risking the FT TF.

[John B.]

BBFanBoy,

I thought about that but my FT TF would be stuck out in the middle of Original Inhabitant country at the end of their move so I think my boys are there to hold on to the allies as long as possible. Interestingly, Scott has opted to bombard for the past two turns. Maybe he's waiting to completely surround them or to prevent the remnants I flew out from starting the long rebuilding process. At least they're tying down three allied divisions plus various other sundry troops.

[John B.]

It was another quiet turn. Scott did blast my poor SNLF in Oosthaven to smithereens and I suspect that he will land there. It's not worth contesting and he can then do an overland crawl to Palembang but, again, I don't think there is much to stop that. Palembang itself has level 5 forts and I can fly in some reinforcements. And, it will take him a couple of weeks to get to the port to start fighting anyway.

A couple of attempted ambushes this turn. First, Scott is bombing my poor boys on Java with SBDs but he's not sweeping anymore. Two long range CAPs from Palembang may be able to put some hurt on his bombers (I'm betting that Scott won't do a full on sweep bomber raid on Palembang this turn. Now that his fingers got burned it looks like he's taking a more cautious approach). Second, in Burma it dawned on me that he keeps bombing the same base over and over and I have a lot of flak sitting around in Moulmein not doing anything. So, I'll rail it into that base and see if I can take down a few planes. It will have to march back but it may reduce some of the pressure on me there.

[Bif1961]

There is a rail line between Oosthoven and a base (Praboemoelih), across the river from Palembang. Do you have that base garrisoned with anything to prevent him from using paras from capturing it and freeing up the rail line to speed his advance to Palembang?

[RangerJoe]

If you can put a LRCAP over his bases, his ops losses will increase. Even just a small percentage will work.

[John B.]

Bif, that is a good point and Scott is an aggressive player who might just try that. The downside is that it's a clear hex that faces obliteration from the air for any force I put in there. At the same time, any force he airdrops into there faces both CAP intercepting the transports (Scott may not know that my CAP over Palembang is set at 0 hexes) and my own bombers killing his unit there. If he does land Paras in that hex it would be worth a KB sortie to really put a land strike in on them. On the whole, I'm likely to leave Probomoelih ungarrisoned. But thanks for the tip!

Ranger Joe, that's an interesting option. I wonder if Scott would even know that I had LRCAP over his base if he does not fly any missions into that hex.