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

[apbarog]

26 Jan 43 - Part One - Darwin

North of Darwin, Tambor spotted KB and fired 4 torpedoes at destroyer Yukikaze, but missed. Minor damage was inflicted on Tambor. KB is headed west.

6 PT boats intercepted Kongo, Haruna, Hiei and Kirishima and friends inbound to Darwin. In the first 2 engagements northwest of Darwin, no hits were achieved by either side. In the third fight, at Darwin, 2 PT boats were sunk. With 71% moonlight and clear weather, the fights started at 12,000 yards and weren't optimal for the PT boats. The PT boats tried again during daylight as the enemy was leaving, but the fight stayed long range and there were no hits.

At Darwin, KXII fired 2 torpedoes at destroyer Asanagi but missed. The enemy then bombarded Darwin.

Night Naval bombardment of Darwin at 76,124

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
PBY-5 Catalina: 2 damaged
PBY-5 Catalina: 1 destroyed on ground

Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima
BB Hiei
BB Haruna
BB Kongo
CA Kinugasa
CL Yubari

Allied ground losses:
723 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 23 destroyed, 71 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 6 disabled
Guns lost 15 (5 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Vehicles lost 8 (3 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Resources hits 1
Airbase hits 18
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 43
Port hits 2

It was a decent bombardment, but the big difference between this one and the last one is that I pulled out almost all of the aircraft.

My ship evacuation of Darwin was almost a complete success, but already damaged large transport xAP Poelau Bras was spotted by I-22 between Darwin and Gove, unescorted, and hit by 2 shells and 5 torpedoes, and sunk.

It looks like KB was just passing by Darwin, and did so when it could cover the battleships.

Elsewhere in the Pacific, 41 Bettys bombed Vangunu from 6000 feet. There was no CAP, but there was excellent flak, downing about 4 Bettys and damaging many. The first non-carrier Corsair squadron, with elite pilots, was now sent to Vangunu, to cover a cargo ship inbound with supply.

Yorktown and Hermes, both finished with long repairs at Sydney, head east to eventually join up with the CVEs already covering the upcoming re-invasion of Kusaie Island.

[apbarog]

26 Jan 43 - Part Two - Burma

Unloading continues at the invasion spots, but is stopped in the Andamans. There's an unknown surface threat to the south, and the troops have way more supply than needed. Like ten times. Unloading also stops at port size 0 Pegu, and the ships there head to Rangoon to finish unloading. Everything on these ships are in Strat mode, so the fragments will catch up quickly.

Some Allied medium bombers hit troops near the Indian border. Mostly nuisance bombing, and slowing movement in the jungle.

12 B-24s hit Akyab's airfield, and found 18 Oscars. Little damage in heavy rain, and 3 bombers were lost.

86 SBDs and 36 TBFs hit Port Blair's airfield and did almost no damage in thunderstorms. Just not effective in jungle, which we already knew, but the carriers are there and help is needed.

Enemy troops that had retreated from Rangoon earlier are routed near Prome.

Ground combat at 55,51 (near Prome)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 14479 troops, 267 guns, 244 vehicles, Assault Value = 459

Defending force 972 troops, 16 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 18

Allied adjusted assault: 234

Japanese adjusted defense: 3

Allied assault odds: 78 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), op mode(-), fatigue(-), experience(-)
supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
760 casualties reported
Squads: 21 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 27 destroyed, 17 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 15 (9 destroyed, 6 disabled)
Units retreated 1

Allied ground losses:
18 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion
2nd British Division
XXXIII Indian Corps
2/11th Fld RAA Regiment

Defending units:
2nd Raiding Regiment
35th Field AA Battalion

And the unfortunate enemy armor at Toungoo is kicked out of town.

Ground combat at Toungoo (57,50)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 4072 troops, 51 guns, 102 vehicles, Assault Value = 1067

Defending force 372 troops, 0 guns, 70 vehicles, Assault Value = 30

Allied adjusted assault: 157

Japanese adjusted defense: 9

Allied assault odds: 17 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
Vehicles lost 25 (11 destroyed, 14 disabled)
Units retreated 1

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

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
16th Australian Brigade
3rd Carabiniers Regiment
18th British Division
32nd Infantry Division
111th LRP Brigade
2/13th Fld RAA Regiment

Defending units:
6th Tank Regiment

The advance past Toungoo begins, with 3 spearheads formed to head north on separate roads.

[apbarog]

27 Jan 43

The 2 ships near Phuket turned out to be E boats, so nothing threatening the Andamans. 3 Allied task forces bombarded Port Blair: Repulse and 3 DDs, 2 CAs and 3 DDs, and a CA, CL and 2 DDs. Results were ok.

40 Tojos swept over the Chinese east of Moulmein, then Sallys bombed, hitting nothing.

Helens bombed near Ningsia in far northern China. It looks like the tank division up there has moved west a hex, into rough terrain. I'll try to bomb them at extreme range from Ledo today.

Liberators bombed Port Blair. Bettys bombed Milne Bay.

An enemy AA battalion was destroyed south of Prome, and the Allied advance to Prome continues.

I have about a week until KB can get to the Andamans. KB would logically go to Singapore for fuel first, but it does have AOs traveling with it. KB could pass west of Java and go north towards Ceylon, or at least west of the Andamans, to avoid my many subs near Phuket, and also to go for easy pickings between Ceylon and Burma. I have some somes patrolling west of Sabang, but it's a big ocean.

US carriers are heading to Colombo. I think they will be leaving the area and heading towards Australia soon. It's a tough call, whether to stay and fight KB, or switch theaters again and make progress while KB is in the wrong place, again.

Can KB affect the Burma campaign? That is to be determined.

[apbarog]

Thoughts about KB and Burma

What to do. KB is coming. Fairly certain of that. So far, I'd decided to take my carriers back to the Pacific, and let KB do what it pleases in the Indian Ocean. I think that I will have landed enough supply at Rangoon. KB would cut off any resupply, but I don't think that would matter, not for quite a long time.

Then I started to think, what would I do if faced with that situation. I've moved KB, probably bombed Port Blair and Rangoon, maybe regained air superiority when KB is around. I've cut off Rangoon, but I'm not seeing any shipping to hit. None at all. What do I do with KB then?

There's been hundreds of transports recently involved. They went somewhere. I would guess that they are at Ceylon. After some frustration with a lack of targets, I'd go for Ceylon with KB.

Maybe I need to have a decisive battle with KB, and do so if KB goes for Ceylon. I'd want a battle near my bases, not the enemy's, and Ceylon qualifies.

It's unknown whether KB will come up from Singapore, or come up the west side of Java to flank the Allied navy. I'd go up the west side. It's possible that the enemy could flank and go straight to the source: Ceylon.

Now I'm thinking I should have the carriers ready, maybe west or southwest of Ceylon, out of sight, and be ready for a Midway-type surprise attack. OPilot may have determined that my Burma operation is a critical junction in the war. Maybe it is. Maybe it's time for the big fight. I do have just 5 US carriers. Yorktown is near Sydney. KB is probably just as big, maybe bigger. But if the battle is fought near Ceylon, I like my chances. Plus, it would be a long way home for damaged enemy carriers, and I'm well prepared with subs in the area.

[jwolf]

ORIGINAL: apbarog

Thoughts about KB and Burma

Your analysis sure makes sense to me. You've read your opponent very well so far; will be interesting to see if you did it again ...

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: jwolf

ORIGINAL: apbarog

Thoughts about KB and Burma

Your analysis sure makes sense to me. You've read your opponent very well so far; will be interesting to see if you did it again ...

Very interesting. Although, I would posit that a move on Ceylon is madness by the KB...putting it into position of major land runways and a potential deathstar and at extreme Japanese land based naval search...but stranger things have happened.[;)]

I really like your use of rotating fronts. Really great stuff![&o]

[apbarog]

28 Jan 43

AM Castlemaine finds I-22 between Gove and Darwin, and hits it with a depth charge. Subchasers follow up later in the day and do further minor damage to the sub in the shallow water.

US ships bombard Akyab.

Night Naval bombardment of Akyab at 54,45

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-57-II Topsy: 29 damaged
Ki-57-II Topsy: 2 destroyed on ground
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 21 damaged

Allied Ships
CA Chicago
CA Indianapolis
DD Phelps
DD McCalla

Japanese ground losses:
447 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 7 destroyed, 45 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 17 (3 destroyed, 14 disabled)
Vehicles lost 6 (1 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Manpower hits 1
Fires 262
Airbase hits 9
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 44
Port hits 7
Port fuel hits 1
Port supply hits 1

There's still over 60,000 enemy troops at Akyab, although there's movement shown to the east. Probably most of the troops are moving. The ships retired to Calcutta and rearmed and refueled. They'll bombard Akyab again today, and then retire to Rangoon to help bombard Port Blair after that.

Sunfish missed patrol boat Nanpo Maru near Georgetown with 2 torpedoes. This is shallow water. There's a bunch of enemy subchasers at work here, and Sunfish is ordered to deeper water. I don't avoid shallow water, but I don't linger when spotted. Being seen keeps the enemy looking there. This strategy helps reduce sub losses. I still haven't lost a big US sub, and they aren't being overly cautious.

OPilot pulled a fast one on me today. Allied armor had moved north of Toungoo, chasing a defeated enemy armor regiment. We attacked today, but the armor was gone and an enemy infantry divison just arrived, in movement mode. The 33rd Division had been the unit that pushed near Ledo, and recently pulled back to Myitkyina.

Ground combat at 57,49 (near Toungoo)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 526 troops, 0 guns, 84 vehicles, Assault Value = 49

Defending force 12239 troops, 98 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 381

Allied adjusted assault: 12

Japanese adjusted defense: 949

Allied assault odds: 1 to 79

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

Allied ground losses:
34 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 35 (5 destroyed, 30 disabled)

Assaulting units:
3rd Carabiniers Regiment

Defending units:
33rd Division

Reinforcements are moving from Toungoo, but none will arrive today.

US carriers will get to Colombo today. Estimating that KB would be moving 8 hexes a day, staying with an AO task force, it could arrive at Soerabaja today. PB4Y-1P Liberators from Fenton, Australia will do recon of Soerabaja at extremely long range, 31 hexes.

And now for something completely different: China. OPilot is pushing way up in northern China.

[Bif1961]

The charge of the 3rd Carabiniers chasing the fleeing Japanese Armored RGT and running smack into the 33rd Infantry Division reminds me of the 21st Lancers at the battle of Omdurman, Sudan in 1898. Kitchener ordered them to chase some retreating Dervishes and when they came over a small rise and had a view down in a large depression they saw, not the fleeing Dervishes they were chasing but 3,000 fresh dervishes and the Lancers had no choice but to charge down in among them for their momentum and terrain would not allow them enough time to stop. Winston Churchill was attached to the 21st lancers and gave a first hand description of the charge as a correspondent of the MORNING POST.

[apbarog]

29 Jan 43 - Part One - Soerabaja

[apbarog]

29 Jan 43 - Part Two - Kusaie Island - Part Two

[apbarog]

29 Jan 43 - Part Three - Burma

US cruisers bombard Akyab again. There's still at least 2 divisions at Akyab. Another has just moved inland to the east. The 12th and Imperial Guard took heavy losses in the fight in and around Cox's Bazar, but they've had time to recover. There's 2 more divisions holding the line to the northeast of Akyab. Those 2 units don't seem to be running yet.

Night Naval bombardment of Akyab at 54,45

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 9 damaged
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-57-II Topsy: 4 damaged

Allied Ships
CA Chicago
CA Indianapolis
DD Phelps
DD McCalla

Japanese ground losses:
276 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 16 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 3 (2 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Manpower hits 1
Fires 205
Airbase hits 8
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 16
Port hits 5
Port supply hits 3

CA Chicago firing at Akyab
SOC-1 Seagull acting as spotter for CA Indianapolis
CA Indianapolis firing at 12th Division
DD Phelps firing at Imperial Guards Division
DD McCalla firing at 12th Division

Oscars and Tojos swept Moulmein but I put up no CAP. No ships here any longer, so no point. Can't defend everywhere against such large number of planes. Sallys bombed the Chinese east of Moulmein. Jungle and moderate rain equaled no losses. Sallys and Nicks hit Moulmein, destroying a Catalina and an already damaged Wildcat on the ground. Moderate damage to the airfield.

Toungoo was swept by 30 Oscars and then 37 more Oscars, and found 14 Warhawks. 11 Oscars downed and 8 P-40Ks lost.

A-20 Havocs bombed and strafed a part of the 12th Division at Prome (same division as troops at Akyab). 166 casualties.

In China, Liberators from Ledo bombed the 3rd Tank Division on the move west of Ningsia, but couldn't hit any tanks in severe storms.

Allied armor forced to retreat north of Toungoo.

Ground combat at 57,49 (near Toungoo)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 12272 troops, 98 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 382

Defending force 470 troops, 0 guns, 80 vehicles, Assault Value = 28

Japanese adjusted assault: 668

Allied adjusted defense: 15

Japanese assault odds: 44 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
24 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
59 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 7 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 31 (14 destroyed, 17 disabled)
Units retreated 1

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
33rd Division

Defending units:
3rd Carabiniers Regiment

The regiment is hurt but not destroyed, and will now go to Rangoon to recover. Rangoon now has 349,000 supply. The airfield is completely repaired, finally, and the port is starting repairs, with damage down to 79%.

West of Rahaeng, Allied troops win one, clearing the approach to Rahaeng, but 8 units are spotted there today.

Ground combat at 57,56 (near Rahaeng)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 2822 troops, 35 guns, 296 vehicles, Assault Value = 494

Defending force 695 troops, 6 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 10

Allied adjusted assault: 48

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 48 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), op mode(-), leaders(-), morale(-)
experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
910 casualties reported
Squads: 15 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 30 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 7 (7 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

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

Assaulting units:
50th Tank Brigade
6th Chinese/C Corps
209th Field Artillery Battalion

Defending units:
6th RTA/C Division

[CaptBeefheart]

Bif1961: You owe us a punchline, although I'll assume it wasn't a repeat of the charge of the Light Brigade or there wouldn't have been a Churchill to cock up Gallipoli or save the day in WW2. [:)]

Apbarog: Good luck in CenPac.

Cheers,
CB

[BBfanboy]

apbarog: A-20 Havocs bombed and strafed a part of the 12th Division at Prome (same division as troops at Akyab). 166 casualties.

What altitude did you use for the A-20s - 1000 or 100 feet? I know they will bomb and strafe from both altitudes but I have the impression that they don't strafe as much if you set for 1000 feet. I don't have enough A-20s trained in my current game to test it out.

[BBfanboy]

Looking at the Burma Map, it appears he is going to rail out his divisions from Chiang Mai and that is why he is putting a lot into Rahaeng to hold the door open.
Is there any way for you to take Chiang Mai or Pisanluoke?

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

apbarog: A-20 Havocs bombed and strafed a part of the 12th Division at Prome (same division as troops at Akyab). 166 casualties.

What altitude did you use for the A-20s - 1000 or 100 feet? I know they will bomb and strafe from both altitudes but I have the impression that they don't strafe as much if you set for 1000 feet. I don't have enough A-20s trained in my current game to test it out.

I believe you are correct.

[apbarog]

A-20s were set at 1000 feet. I'd read that "attack bombers" would drop down and strafe also, although I don't know the altitude limitations for that. They did so at 1000 feet, but flak did take down one of the planes.

There's been just one unit at Chiang Mai, and still is. SigInt has said that it is a Thai division. No movement seen there so far. I think Chiang Mai will be taken, but Rahaeng may already have to much to risk the attack.

[Bif1961]

Can you drop Paras in Pisanlouke and cut the rail line?

[apbarog]

I could drop paras. They'd be completely unprepped, and I don't know what the defense is there.

I had dropped an LRP unit at Toungoo to take it. Since then, I flew in the rest of that LRP unit to Pegu, and they railed to Toungoo and joined the unit. I've also flown in another LRP unit to Pegu, and they are marching east towards Chiang Mai. A smaller US para unit that had prepped for Ramree was flown into Toungoo directly. Not dropping on Ramree. So there's paras in the area, but not prepped.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: apbarog

29 Jan 43 - Part Two - Kusaie Island - Part Two

The idea of rotating fronts will drive Japan absolutely crazy! 2 Divisions will be tough for Japan to counter.

Any plans on the Kuriles/Guam areas to complete the circuit around the map?

[apbarog]

No plans for the Kuriles or Aleutians. I continue to get SigInt about enemy preparations for Kiska and Attu and the dot base near them. I've been getting that information for many months. I don't think it will happen. Allied forces are firmly entrenched in the central and eastern Aleutians. Losing those bases won't mean anything to my plans.

When the US carriers get back to Australia, a couple of them are overdue refit at Sydney. The three others might go to work supporting a Timor invasion. The Fletcher class destroyers that raided Koepang over a month ago are about to refit at Brisbane and Sydney.

The troops planning to go to Ponape (2 divisions), Kwajalein and Roi Namur (1/3 of a division each) have been ready to go for a long time. A Marine division has been at Nauru. I think it's prepping for Kavieng. Another Marine division is at Horn Island. I think it's prepping for Koepang. Lots of troops ready to go.

I will be using the good APs again, for all of the above. They do get their big upgrade to APAs in March, so that will have to fit into the schedule. It's important and worth the wait.